Oh How I LOVE Being in COLORADO

Let me just say combining 2 weeks worth of miracles and experiences is going to be hard! These were also some of the BEST TWO WEEKS EVER!!! 

We had zone conference, WOW! It was one of the best zone conferences of my whole mission! We talked a lot about repentance. I think we overlook the power of repenting a lot of the time. Repenting is powerful! We are able to feel of the love our Father in Heaven has for us and of the power of the Atonement! I know that through repentance we are able to feel JOY! This is a gospel of JOY! This is a gospel of repentance! This was also a hard zone conference for me. This was my last one as a missionary.  When it is your last zone conference you get to bear your testimony. I gave my departing testimony. It was so great to be able to be with so many of my good friends who are also leaving at the same time I am. It was a weird thing to be the one bearing my testimony. I am used to looking up to those that give their departing testimonies and this time I was in their place. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that every time I read the Book of Mormon it brings peace to my soul! 

We got to have a zone meeting with Elder Rhoades (the area 70) and it was great! I will be working on my planning more! After that we had a quick lunch and then we got to see Meet the Mormons!!! I know it is supposed to come out on October 10th, but as missionaries we got to see it early. Ok let me just say it's like the BEST THING EVER!!!!!! First off,  to everyone back home: KATE HARGADON is in it!!! I got SO EXCITED when I saw her! It was really fun seeing her in it. Take everyone you know to see it! It is not a documentary in the sense of kind of boring (sorry, that's how I feel about most documentaries). It is POWERFUL! It doesn't present any doctrine, but testifies of the CHANGES that people make because of the gospel. The gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives and I know it! I have seen it! Please, PLEASE take your friends to see Meet the Mormons!! It will be a blessing to your life and those you care about. I wish I could see it again! 

We had a lesson with a 13 yr. old boy this week and is dad. Z (the boy) went to a mutual activity with a friend (who happened to be in the ward that I served in last transfer so that was REALLY COOL. He had already read through 1 Nephi before we even met with him, wow! I was so surprised and amazed. Z has such a nice heart and wants to come to church and meet with us again! Unfortunately his dad said that they will have to talk about it... I don't know if we will be able to meet with them again, but I hope so! 

We got to teach C at a different member’s home this week. It was awesome! We watched The Restoration with him, and his 6 year old son watched too! It sparked a lot of questions from C, which was great! Brother R ended up answering pretty much all of them. It was great to see Bro. R testify to C! I love working with members! 

R got baptized this week :) YEAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was so excited for her! She was baptized by her boyfriend, C. R's dad hasn't been too supportive of her and she wasn't even going to tell him. The morning of her baptism we found out that her dad was COMING to her baptism! We were shocked but so excited!!! We invited President Brown and he ended up coming too!  She was SO HAPPY!! One of my favorite parts of the entire thing was actually watching her older sister. R's sister is 21 and you could SEE her feeling the Spirit. WOW!! It was incredible to watch someone and just know that they are feeling the influence of the Holy Ghost! We talked to her afterwards and she was just crying. We were able to testify to her that what she was feeling was the Spirit and that this is what Heavenly Father wants her to do with her life. She made the comment "It would be really cool if my future brother-in-law could baptize me!" WHAT?! YEAH IT WOULD BE!!! She was already talking about getting baptized!!! SWEETNESS!!! The Spirit is the one that teaches. The Spirit can touch hearts through the noises of children and people rustling in their chairs. The Spirit touches hearts and testifies to our souls that this is true! R was confirmed yesterday and her sister came too! WOW, WOW, WOW! She was feeling the Spirit again! I am in awe at how quickly she is progressing, and we haven't even taught her yet! The Lord prepares His people! R is fantastic and I'm proud of her decision to be baptized. I knew that she was going to get baptized and I just love her! After church we asked R’s sister if she would be interested in meeting with us and she responded excitedly with: "How about tomorrow!" Uh YEAH!!! We can meet tomorrow!!! So we have a lesson with her tonight, SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!! 

Saturday the 27th was the BEST P-DAY EVER!!! I got to go to the temple. Because we were going to the temple our P-day was moved to the day we went to the temple! BEST THING OF MY LIFE!!! I was excited and freaking out a lot!!! It was surreal!!! I had the opportunity to go to the temple with C from my Laramie days. This is the very same woman that got baptized a YEAR AGO. I can't believe it has been a year since she was baptized, but it has! The temple is the ultimate goal for everyone! It has been such a joy to continue to stay in touch with someone I have grown to love by teaching them the gospel. C has changed my life. Honestly I feel like I did nothing when we taught her. It was the Spirit! The Holy Ghost is the true teacher. We invited, and she accepted. It had been MONTHS since I last went to the temple. I'm grateful for the chance I had to go and to be with C and the L's (also from Laramie).  It was the best thing ever! Hna. S (my companion in Laramie) and I looked forward to it for months and months hoping and wishing and praying that we would both be serving in Colorado so that we could go to the temple with C. Heavenly Father truly blessed us with the chance to go. I know that Heavenly Father knows us and is concerned with us and what we desire in this life. The temple truly is the place to be. There is a wonderful Spirit in the temple. It is the House of the Lord. I am grateful for the covenants we are able to make and the opportunity we have in life in continue to strive to keep them. This truly was the most wonderful time of the past year! It shocks me a lot to think that it was been a year since C got baptized. A year ago I was companions with Hna. S. A year ago I was still pretty new. A year ago I was in my first area. A year ago I learned on a more deep level the excitement and importance of hard work. A year ago I gained eternal friends. A year ago my testimony of inviting grew. A year ago I felt the Spirit directly guide this work for individuals. A year ago I was beginning my mission. One year later I received the peace from Heavenly Father as I looked down the row and saw C in the temple! I saw C in the Celestial room. It felt completely normal. It felt right. The temple is where we can feel of our Father's love for us on a more profound level. Will we always feel that? Maybe not, but as we RECEIVE and DESIRE that Spirit, it will come! I know that the temple is where we need to be. The General Women's Broadcast (which we got to watch right after getting back) was all about the temple! That's where our focus needs to be! Making and keeping covenants that will enable us to return to live with our Father in Heaven. Not only live with, but BECOME like. We have the chance to BECOME like our Father as we first strive to BECOME like our Savior. This gospel is all about BECOMING and CHANGING.

Yesterday was fast Sunday. Fasting WORKS! I know it does! I am so grateful for the blessing of fasting and the power and inspiration that we can receive! I know that we can receive personal revelation through church attendance! This next week we get to watch GENERAL CONFERENCE! We have a living prophet on the earth and we get to hear him. WOW we are blessed! Go with a question and pray that it will be answered! I am grateful for the things that I have learned on my mission and throughout my life. Jesus Christ is always there and so is our Heavenly Father. If you get anything from this email, know that Heavenly Father loves you and is COMPLETELY aware of you and your desires. I am blessed to be serving in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission and to have met so many people that have changed my life. 

Sorry I'm getting sentimental.... I have been having a lot of "lasts" as a missionary. I got my "trunky call" this past week. A sweet Sister in the mission office called and confirmed with me which airport I am flying to. I will be in the Sacramento International Airport on November 25th... 8 short weeks away. Don't worry though, I am not "trunky." I am still working and loving it!

Thanks for everything!

Love you all,

Sister Kelly Smith