Miracles Abound Here in Colorado!

I had an absolutely great week!!!!

Tuesday: We went to our dinner appointment, and found out that one of our investigators is going to be baptized!  We are SOOOO happy!

Wednesday: MIRACLE, MIRACLE, MIRACLE DAY!!!! We had an awesome district meeting and it was just a group role-play which was great! I learned a lot! I totally felt the Spirit for what our "investigator" needed. And other missionaries mentioned them too, so it was really cool that other missionaries felt the same thing!!!  Then we had lunch and went to teach another of our investigators. MOST LEGIT LESSON I HAVE HAD IN A WHILE! We watched the Restoration DVD with him because he was struggling with Joseph Smith (in the sense that he didn't recognize an intense witness from the Holy Ghost that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet). Well after we watched it he said he totally can relate and feels peace and warmth. He said: "I feel the Holy Ghost every time we meet." AAAAHHHH It was so cool to know that we really do carry the Spirit with us! Well we asked him again if he would get baptized and he said yes! AAAHHHH! I loved feeling the Spirit and knowing that he wants to make this step in his life.  That night we went to a former investigator’s house.  She showed us a picture of her daughter (who is a member of the church).  And guess what?  Her daughter  married into a family I know in the last town I served in in Wyoming!  SMALL WORLD!!!  I tell you transfers are inspired! If I hadn't been assigned to serve in my secondary ward in my last town that last transfer, I would never had heard or seen her daughter, and now I have the opportunity to teach her mother. AAAAHHHH, MIRACLE. MIRACLE. MIRACLE!!!!!

Thursday: We had another lesson with one of our investigators.  We also had 4 less-active lessons, which was great! One was also a recent convert and he feed us dinner. A newlywed couple came with us and it was an awesome lesson!!! We finished the lesson at like 8:30 and that gave us like 30 minutes left to still work. We didn't have anywhere to go except home (since we were in the country already). I was totally willing to go tracting because I had this intense motivation to keep working, it was awesome! We eneded up going home and having a lesson with the wonderful people we live with, so great!
I love them!!                                                                       We got an appointment to teach!!!!                                                                                                                                 
Friday: Such a great day! I love teaching so much!! I met a less-active that I have never met before (and I have been here for 6 weeks). Then I started an exchange with a sister in a small town near my zone. Well guess what? She is from Globe Arizona -- the little town I spent a week in 2 years ago with my friend from BYU!! She totally knows my friend, so that was really cool!!

Saturday: We saved miles so we walked around the town (it is that small). We taught an amazing powerful lesson on how the Book of Mormon is important and goes with the Bible. I love testifying of the Book of Mormon and how much it has blessed my life! I was so incredibly exhausted and didn't get to the other Sister Training Leader's house till 10:15... it was a late night.

Sunday: Woke up at 6, so I could get back to my house to get ready for our early morning meetings and switch back with our companions! It was really early, but that's ok! CHURCH was INCREIDBLE!!! We had 3 investigators at church and a handful of less-actives MIRACLES!!!!!!!!!! We had a lesson that afternoon with one of our investigators, and what does she tell us after we read 3 Nephi 11 with her? THAT SHE WANTS TO GET BAPTIZED!!!!! Later, I got to see one of my friends from Wyoming!! Only one of the coolest people I know!!! I loved seeing her!! She is truly amazing!!!

Moral of the week: TRANSFERS are INSPIRED!!!!!!!! Obedience brings blessings!!! I am nervous about transfers this week... but the most calm I have ever been.  I will probably still be here, but I think my companion mightl be leaving... I have mixed feelings about that. Last night she told me: "I don't want to train because I will be their first companion. Sister C was my first companion, you are my trainer." AAAAHHHH Ok, warmed my heart and I totally feel like I have fulfilled my purpose as her companion. It has been a complete difference this week! She has gained confident to take the lead in teaching, and our numbers were so great! She has seen better numbers in this area, but she didn't feel like she contributed to them.  I love my companion and am grateful for the time I have had with her, but who knows, maybe we will stay together, all I know is that transfers are truly inspired and I am so grateful for that!!

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith

I think it's time for my Christmas tree to go... good memories!! Love my ornaments! They will stay with me!!!

                   

Just being silly!

"You look like Harry Potter. A female Harry Potter"...only in COLORADO

Most successful week I have had in COLORADO yet!!! It was my 5th week here... so I'm glad I finally got to experience an AWESOME week full of teaching, MIRACLES!!!!!! We had a lot of miracles this week!!

Monday: ended up going on a 3 hour exchange with Hermana S. My companion needed to vent to my co-Sister Training Leader (it's all good)! We taught a less-active husband, and his wife was like “thank you so much for bringing in the Spirit and uplift tonight!”

Domination!  Just our legit nerf war outfits!!! Oh I think I have worn a Wyoming shirt to every single P-day activity so far this transfer... I bet people think I am crazy but I seriously love and miss Wyoming so much!!

Tuesday: Had BOMB lesson with oh, you know, just a NEW SOLID, GOLDEN, ONE-OF-A-KIND INVESTIGATOR!!! Ok for reals this was like the best thing ever!!! This person is so prepared.  He had read the Book of Moroni a couple of times and thinks that everyone should read the Book of Mormon, ok YES!!!! We invited him to be baptized, yup on the first lesson and his response, "Yes of course!" AAAHHHHH So hopefully we will have a baptism soon!!! I am so excited!! We taught the Restoration and it was so good! So powerful! The members there totally testified and it was great! The best way I have found is for members to invite us over to teach their friends... truly it was a miracle!! Then at the end of the lesson we asked if we could come back, or it came up and his girlfriend (who is a member)  said “What about Thursday?” Yes, I think we can make that work!! That day was purely great!!

Wednesday: 8 month mark and EXCHANGES with Sister C!! It was a pretty good day! I enjoyed working with a greenie again!!! This is her first transfer out :) her trainer has done an excellent job! I was so impressed with both of them!! After we exchanged back, I ended up talking to my companion for oh, you know, just about 2 HOURS!!! ok so if anyone knows what companionship inventory is... look it up in Preach My Gospel chapter 8.  Our companionship is doing better because of it... hopefully I will start to see changes in BOTH of us soon. We cannot change other people, only ourselves so I will be praying harder for more charity and love towards all of those that I serve!! My companion, the sisters I am over, and those in the ward I am serving in! I can also change my attitude and outlook on a lot of things!

Thursday: SUPER HARD MORNING FOR ME!!! 1, I was still so drained from our talk the night before that I was not ready to teach our investigator again, but I didn't want to cancel and what better way to get out of a funk than to teach, to lose yourself, and get to work!! So I PRAYED!!! I prayed that Heavenly Father would help me out! Guess what, He did!! He always does :) It was still hard to work with my companion, to teach with her after we talked about a few things the night before... but it all came through! We taught the Plan of Salvation and he was blown away when it came to the Pre-Earth Life!! He had never thought about living before we came to earth, but it made sense to him!! LOVE IT!!! This is why we are HERE!!! He is so prepared, it's INCREDIBLE!!! I am excited to meet with him again this next week!!!

Friday: Pretty legit day!! I started racing a less-active to read the Book of Mormon. I read all of 1 Nephi in two days!! I hope I win, yeah my competitive streak is showing through!! haha But it is really cool going through it at a fast rate!! I am understanding the story line and history more than I usually do! I usually try to apply it to my life, but this go around is AWESOME!! I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON AND I KNOW IT IS TRUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We also taught another one of our investigators that night. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ and I used the Tree of Life vision drawing in it... I think the last time I showed that to an investigator was to C and C in Laramie (I MISS YOU GUYS!!!!!!!!).  It was a good day! A sweet less-active lady vented to us about her life, she needs more friends but we are glad to be here for her and be her friend, (it is what the Savior would do :)

Saturday: Contacted a family the ward hasn't been able to contact for while... so awesome! and another lady in our ward that we have a lesson with today! Miracles are happening everywhere!! I am so excited!!!

Sunday: WE ACCOMPLISHED ALL OF OUR DAILY GOALS!!! and even exceeded with one of our key indicators! Best feeling ever!! WE got a new investigator! WOW she is an inspiration!!! She has been reading the Book of Mormon too, and her heart is huge and she knows God has played an important role in her life, He has helped her so many times!! I love this lady! I love seeing people recognize that Heavenly Father loves them and that He is ALWAYS, ALWAYS mindful of us :)

Oh that quote in the title... yeah my companion said that about me in a picture she took while we were weekly planning... weird. I think yes, but it was hilarious! I was falling out of my chair. but a female Harry Potter? Does that mean I look manly?!

Moral of the week: talk things out with those you work with. Communication is key! Is it fun, no not really , but necessary? ABSOLUTELY!!! Share the gospel with a friend! Help the missionaries out! I love you all and this is the best thing I have ever done with my life up to this point!

Thanks for all the support!!

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith

<----------Ok, I just wanted to reminisce for a bit, so here is a picture of the beautiful Wyoming sky!

The TEMPLE in COLORADO!

Ok, where to begin this week... well it consisted of me going on 3 exchanges, for reals this whole Sister Training Leader thing is harder than I expected, but still it's good!!

Monday: Well since Hna. S and I were going to the temple on Friday we had to work on our P-day after emailing... so guess what?! We found a NEW INVESTIGATOR in my area (since we covered both for the few hours of P-day). I am excited to teach her again tomorrow :) she has a genuine heart, and this gospel will totally help her!! It can help EVERYONE!!!

Tuesday: dinner with an awesome family, who are working with a family and going to invite them to church soon!!! AAAHHH Yes, MIRACLES!!! Pray for this family if you have a chance. I hope they come to church and want to meet with us!!

Wednesday: Service and zone meeting!! Pretty good day :) We had a lesson with an investigator, and taught him the Plan of Salvation. Drove to Fort Collins to start an exchange with a sister!

Thursday: Exchange with Sister C! She was in my MTC district so it was fun to be together again. We have never served near each other so it was cool. She had been on exchanges to my ward before so it was funny!

Friday: Exchange with Hna. S so we could go to the TEMPLE!! OH MY GOODNESS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! EVERY SINGLE PERSON NEEDS TO GO TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!!   EVERY SINGLE PERSON, I REPEAT, EVERYONE NEEDS THE TEMPLE IN THEIR LIFE!!!!! I felt so much love from my Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ. The temple truly is the place to be, it's incredible! The Spirit there is so strong, and I want to go everyday.... It was weird and kind of fun to go outside the mission boundaries (we are only allowed to do that to go to the temple). It was weird to go to a big city too... I miss the small town feature... but this was like going to Sacramento, so it wasn't too foreign, just foreign because it has been so long. But the temple, now that is not foreign!!! We went to the Cheesecake Factory afterward and Deseret Book, it was great!! It was our P-day, so all good!!

Saturday: We got to go to a baptism for an 8 year old boy in our ward, then we went and helped build a house for Habitat for Humanity! Dad, thanks for making me work/build/remodel houses. Even though I didn't do much/complained a lot I am really appreciative of it! Working definitely does build character! haha We got to put dry wall up on the ceiling and on the walls for a closet, pretty legit!!! Well, after I had dust all over me and we were done for the day we went home and I showered. then it was time for dinner... WITH THE L family!!! Well, my companion and I get there... no one is there. Hna. S and S were going to meet us there along with the L's. So we waited for a couple of minutes and in walks the L’s, and not just the Ls, but our convert that we taught, too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes, she was  the first person I ever got to teach and see get baptized!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! BEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That night was seriously incredible!! I love the them all, I love my FAMILY!!!! AAAHHHHH My Mission Family came to see me, it was AWESOME!!!! It was like my last town came to me, LOVE IT!!!!

Sunday: Church!!! haha it was a good day, I like church/LOVE church!! Everyone should love church :)

Well, this week has been awesome! I love the temple, it is the closest we will ever be to heaven! Truly is heaven on earth :)

Alma 58:10-11
Alma 34:17

I love you all, thanks for the continued support!

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith

Walking in a Winter Wonderland...No Drive Days in Colorado!

I don't even know how to describe this week... it was a whirlwind of craziness and happiness and stressfulness (that isn't a word but I totally just used it), oh and SNOW!!!!

Monday: Had a great lesson with a less-active! Read Mosiah 5 with him and his wife, and talked about covenants. We are trying to help him get to the temple!! We had a really funny dinner conversation with the members! So there is the body of Christ, and everyone plays an important role! The pinky toe is no more important than the left brain, everyone plays a part. I thought it was hilarious!!!!!!!

Tuesday: Went to a baptism for an 8 yr. old girl in our ward, so cute! Amazing talk on the Holy Ghost by her older (11 yr. old) sister!! There were 2 non-members there that the family had invited , SWEET!!!!!!!! Then we did some service. Came home early, since it was New Years Eve and President Brown wanted us in early for our safety! But he allowed us to watch movies again, but we only had 3 options. 17 Miracles, Ephraim's Rescue, and The Other Side of Heaven. Well my companion and I watched Ephraim’s Rescue (which is really good, and I love how the story of Albert carried over from 17 Miracles), and The Other Side of Heaven!! I am so grateful that my feet do not get eaten by rats here in Colorado! It was a relaxing night!

Wednesday: I gave the training at district meeting (it has been awhile since I did that) and I think it went pretty well. We spent part of the time in the chapel having personal study. The training was on How the Book of Mormon Can Answer Questions of the Soul (found on page 107 if you want to look it up)! So we spent time in the chapel reading and if you wanted to praying to Heavenly Father to receive an answer to a question you have! We had a lesson with a less-active afterward and she is a sweet old lady. She kept thanking us for coming and for taking her for who she is, I felt like an angel. Maybe this is why it feels so great to be a representative of Jesus Christ?! We are literally representing Him!! I can be an angel in people's lives, I can be like Christ for them if He was on the earth and in their home at that time! Cool huh?!

Thursday: SERVICE!! I love Just Serve, it's great! We even worked through lunch, LOVE IT!!!! Started an exchange with Hermana S (my co- Sister Training Leader)

Friday: Left around 8am for a meeting. Mission Leadership Council is the COOLEST MEETING I HAVE EVER BEEN TOO!!! Ok, being at meetings with General Authorities is really cool, but there was something different about this meeting. We came together as Sister Training Leaders and Zone Leaders to learn how to better help the missionaries in the Fort Collins Mission. President Brown loves all of us missionaries so much! It is so amazing!! I think he wishes he could help each and every one of us out, but he doesn't have time for all 204 of us, so that is why I am here. I am assisting President Brown in his calling. I just loved this meeting, even though it was HOURS long!! It was good to see a few friends, and it was just really spiritual, but also draining! I found out that I am not only over the zone I am currently in, but also the neighboring zone of sisters!! WHAT?!! haha that added to my stress level!! Hermana S and I spent the entire car ride home (about 45 minutes because I accidentally took us to a different town in the mission...) just planning exchanges for the next few weeks since we now have more to do!! haha I am going on 3 exchanges this week alone!! I will not be with my companion for a few days... oh well, life of a missionary right?! I also found out that I get to go to the TEMPLE on FRIDAY!! (as in like this coming week)!! I AM SO EXCITED!!! But that did add to my crazy schedule. It is all good! Heavenly Father will provide a way :) Lesson with a less-active but a non-member was there!! SWEET!!! I invited this cute little 9 year old girl to church, but neither the less active or little girl came :( so sad, and the girl even gave me a huge hug before I left!! I love it!!

Saturday: A NO DRIVE DAY!! AAAHHHHH We live 5 miles out of town, on a farm!! Well, luckily the members we live with gave us a ride into town (oh it was no drive day due to the weather). Seriously I had driven in much worse when I was in Laramie. There wasn't even that much snow! But that's ok! I didn't even have to walk; members gave us rides which was really nice! I got to go to a convert baptism for a FAMILY!!! AAHHH the Spirit at baptisms is INCREDIBLE!!! I love feeling the Holy Ghost!!

Sunday: AMAZING AMAZING AMAZING DAY!!! So church was great! We went to Young Women's and the lesson was introducing the new theme this year, "Come Unto Christ" - Moroni 10:32.   It was such a great lesson! As we were headed out to our car a lady in the hall said my name, I turned and thought to myself this lady looks familiar but I haven't met her here in Colorado. So our conversation went something like this:
Random lady: Sister Smith
Me (turning around): Yeah
Lady: Do you know M____ G______?
Me: AAAAHHHHH, YES I DO!!!!
Lady gives me a huge hug and says: I am her Aunt!

We were both almost in tears!!! So M was one of my roommates at BYU sophomore year. I had met this lady via Skype after I had received my call to the Denver North Mission. M's Aunt has been asking missionaries about me, and has been waiting for me to get here to this town. She isn't in my ward, but is in the only other ward that meets in the building. I felt so loved by this stranger, and ahh connections are something missionaries really enjoy. It was just so good to feel loved and accepted here since I haven't really felt that yet in this town. It was a MIRACLE FOR ME!!!!!!

Well this week is full of craziness, but I am excited!!! I am so excited to go to the temple!!
Someone told me to read D&C 25:13 and return and report. Well I found out I was going to the temple on Friday and decided to study that scripture the next day... who knew it was about covenants! It was an incredible scripture for me to read at that time! I really needed to read that and remember that Heavenly Father wants us to go to the temple! That is why I am here, to help families and individuals get to the temple!!!!

I love you all!! I hope you set some AWESOME SPIRITUAL GOALS this year!!!!! If not, you still have time :)

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith

A Brown Christmas in Colorado

Some lessons that I have learned this week... I had the chance to study ALL DAY on Saturday this past week. My companion was sick, so that meant PERSONAL STUDY TIME FOR S
ISTER SMITH FOR HOURS AND HOURS AND HOURS and it was one of the BEST THINGS EVER!!!!!!!!!!!! OK, actually it wasn't the best thing ever, but it was amazing! One hour in the morning is not enough so I was really grateful for the chance to study pretty much all day. I received so much personal revelation and reinforced for me that I love studying! I kind of felt like I was studying for a final or something -- this will really prep me for college again... Studying from around 8 in the morning till 10 at night, oh, it was incredible!!! Well I wanted to share some of my insight from studying:

I was reading The Fourth Missionary. Ok, EVERY missionary should read this email, EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOU!!!!!!!! Granted, it is 30 pages long, and has scripture references tied to it, so enjoy!!! I LOVE IT and IT HAS CHANGED MY LIFE!!!!!!!!!!!!
http://www.e-bookspdf.org/view/aHR0cDovL2FubmF0aGVtaXNzaW9uYXJ5LmZpbGVzLndvcmRwcmVzcy5jb20vMjAxMy8wNi9sYXdyZW5jZS1jb3JicmlkZ2UtdGhlLWZvdXJ0aC1taXNzaW9uYXJ5LnBkZg==/QmUgVGhlIEZvdXJ0aCBNaXNzaW9uYXJ5

Here are some quotes from it:
"If you are not doing what the Lord would have you do, you cannot believe in yourself; you cannot believe that you are worthy to receive God's help and guidance in your life. You cannot have faith to pull down the blessings of heaven into your life."

"Redemptive change happens... only if you unconditionally surrender your will to the Lord." - This is what I am working on right now! To completely give my will, my all, my desires, EVERYTHING to the Lord! I am on His errand, and I am going to be His servant! Only He can create the servant He needs me to be, but I can't hold anything back!!!

"Turn them all over to me, give yourself to me and I will make of you a new self in my image. Give me yourself and in exchange I will give you Myself. My will, shall become your will. My heart shall become your heart." -C.S. Lewis

"In the end, your heart and your will are all that you have to give that the Lord does not already have."

"Everything that you have to give to the Lord, has its origin in Him, except one thing;  your will. He does not have your heart, nor your mind, unless you give them to Him. It is the only gift you have to offer that He does not already have. And so when you give yourself, you truly give Him everything."

"Just give it up. Surrender your will to Him. Unconditionally. withhold nothing. Turn it all over to him; all of your desires, wishes, ambitions, dreams and hopes. Be true and faithful in your head and in your heart, not just your behavior. Trust in Him. Trust Him who knows all things. Trust Him who has all power. Trust Him whose love for you is perfect. Trust Him who alone suffered, paid and atoned for your sins and for your weaknesses as well. Trust Him that He will make of you, immeasurably more than what you will ever, ever, in all eternity, make of yourself. He will create of you a masterpiece, You will create of you only a smudge. You will create an ordinary man; He will create a God."

So amazing, right?!! This is the intense, amazing, incredible talk I studied in one day (ok I finished it the next day in personal study). I have never wanted to be a better missionary than I have after reading that talk!! EVERY SINGLE MISSIONARY NEEDS TO READ IT!!!! I was told to read it before my mission... well honestly, I don't think it would have had as much meaning. If you have time to read it before your mission, do it!! If you are on your mission right now, READ IT!! It will change your life!! I PROMISE YOU AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF JESUS CHRIST that HE wants and is willing to help you!! Let Him into your life!!!


CHRISTMAS Merry Christmas, everyone!! In the morning we got to go to the stake president’s house here and have breakfast, and then have an EPIC NERF WAR!!! Almost all of the missionaries in the zone came, so it was pretty fun!! Then we went to a less-active's house and they made us cinnamon rolls and the couple were just so nice! They had stockings for us. AAHH the little things make all the difference :) After our second breakfast we went home so my companion could Skype her family. I sat in the car, and opened a Christmas present from my family and CRIED MY EYES OUT!! haha OK I didn't really cry that much but I was so moved by the testimonies written in that book. Thank you to everyone who wrote in my Christmas book -- it was one of the nicest things I have ever received! I received strength from you all!! THANK YOU!!!! I really enjoyed my time just sitting in the sun, windows rolled down reading my scriptures and pondering! It was incredible! I read Alma 7 (since someone asked me to read Alma 5 then Alma 7). Amazing chapters!! After that we went to dinner, it was so fun!!! There were a couple families there and I loved just being with a family with kids and lots of people, it was so great!!!

Then I GOT TO SKYPE MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE MY FAMILY SO MUCH!!!! BEST PRESENT EVER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you haven't met my family, well you should because they are SO COOL and LOVING and KIND and GENEROUS and I JUST LOVE THEM!! Plus, they taught me the gospel in the home so who couldn't love that?!! Afterward I got to watch Tangled. I wanted to watch Despicable Me 2 (since it came out while I was on my mission and Pres. Brown gave us a long list of qualified movies to watch and that was one that made the list)! But honestly, I am glad that I watched Tangled because it is so great! I got to sit next to a little girl on one side of me and a 4 year old boy that snuggled with me! AH so cute!!! Tangled can TOTALLY be applied to the gospel, in many ways, WATCH IT, APPLY IT, Email me and tell me how you applied it to the gospel! "Now at last I see the light...." YEAH SO COOL!! Um Rapunzel is totally a princess, a daughter of God, but doesn't completely see it until the end. EVERYONE is a CHILD OF GOD, but some people don't know that yet. HELP THEM COME TO KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A HEAVENLY FATHER THAT LOVES THEM, that they are a  DAUGHTER OR SON OF GOD!!!! Do it!!! Anyway, I had a great Christmas!!

I KNOW that my Savior Jesus Christ died for me, atoned for me and loves me! He loves you too!! I KNOW that Jesus Christ LOVES YOU!!!!!! I KNOW that Heavenly Father loves you!! Kneel in prayer to Him! He wants and is yearning to hear from you!! The Holy Ghost will comfort you.

We need to do God's will. When you are obedient to the commandments or the mission rules you can believe in yourself and therefore you can have FAITH. Faith to create and experience miracles!!! Don't' just aspire to become a great missionary, aspire to be His SERVANT!!!

Moral/challenge of the week: Obey (do what you should be doing) so you can have the confidence and then FAITH to do God's will.

Happy New Year!!!

Love,
Sister Kelly Smith


Eating chocolate covered bacon.              ------->
Everything is still better with BACON, although nothing is as good as Sister L's bacon.