Crazy COLORADO Weather, a Broken Heart, and 2 Dreams Crushed in ONE Week

We continue to get rain randomly throughout the day, meaning a WET Sister Smith, but that's ok. What can you do, just keep biking!! You would think we are in some tropical place, nope, actually a pretty dry state in the WEST! Just gives me some great adventures!

Monday: We got to go to a FHE/ BBQ with a family and another non-member family was there (one reason we wanted to go). My companion got to talk to them about the temple, I love C and K! They are great, and two solid potential investigators. They were going to come to church this week, but weren't able to come :(

Tuesday: 14 MONTHS!!!! Is this real life? Well, it is! I only have 4 months left on my mission, and that's CRAZY!!! Three transfers to go... time is going by SO FAST!!!   We had a lesson with B at the H’s (our ward mission leader) and it was AWESOME!!! I loved it! He had made such progress and has come so far in the past few weeks, it's been great! We taught him the gospel of Jesus Christ and talked about the Holy Ghost some more. He read 2 Nephi 31 ON HIS OWN AND UNDERSTOOD IT!!    MIRACLE!!!!!!! He is seriously making a TON of progress! We got to do some contacting after our lesson with N didn't happen (he didn't come upstairs for the lesson, and figured he wasn't interested). We got some watermelon from his mom though, that was tasty :) We contacted a new person (whom I never met, or his family) with the member we were with. Well we had a doorstep lesson on the Atonement. Have to pass him off to the Young Single Adult elders though; they were glad that we got an appointment with him for next week!

Wednesday: My heart BROKE!! I got a text form a dear friend from another area letting me know that a kid that I LOVE has bone cancer and has to undergo 8 months of chemo. I kept going throughout the rest of the day, which was hard but gave me more purpose. We had an amazing lesson with a member that night who is married to a non-member and has not been to the temple for herself yet. We talked about the Atonement and then somehow she brought up the Plan of Salvation. I almost started crying in this lesson because of the news I had found out about my little friend, J. I am SO GRATEFUL for the knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father, and His plan for us! I am hopeful that J will be ok, and that he will be able to feel the comfort and peace from our Father above, and our Elder Brother Jesus Christ. I know that the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ is real and can truly help us with ANYTHING we go through in life. I know that this gospel truly is the SAME one that Jesus Christ set up when He was on the earth. He loves YOU! I KNOW HE LOVES YOU!! I know that Heavenly Father LOVES YOU more than we can all comprehend! J, I love you and I look forward to seeing you again (although that will probably be after my mission). W family you are in my prayers and I loved being in your home many times. You are all incredible!

Thursday: Another lesson with B! We brought J with us and she is awesome! Taught the Word of Wisdom, and it went well! Got to hear from my mom that she went to the temple with someone, made me STOKED!! I love getting excited about things that pertain to salvation! I hope you had a great time, mom, I love the temple, and I love YOU!!!

Friday: Well, we went to paint and after we finished helping a member that morning I just came home and CRIED after my shower. I am so thankful for the ability to write in my journal and the thoughts that Heavenly Father can give me through the Holy Ghost as I write. It was the first time I had cried since hearing about J, and with transfers and other things that had happened I just needed a good cry to relieve stress. I loved being able to listen to my sister sing (because she sent me some CD's). Music can bring the Spirit and help us through hard times!  The rest of the day went well :) We went to visit a member and as we were waiting on the porch K and C rode by on their bikes and C (who's 6 years old) yelled out, after we waved and said hi.  "Hey I know you guys!" AAAHHH C knows the missionaries  I hope to be able to teach them soon, progress, but AAAHHH I want to so badly!!!!!

Saturday: We got to do more service! We do service a lot!! Which I LOVE!!  Ok, dad. I AM SO BEYOND grateful that you made us do home improvement projects!   We painted with a lady, who is married and has 3 kids... this was her first time painting a room. WHAT? OK, that's like unheard of at my house! So I felt like the pro, haha and my comp hasn't really painted before either which is crazy to me, but I love them!

We had a lesson with the Ms, I just love them! Then we went to Sister L's and she wasn't home, but her son (N) answered and said out of NOWHERE. "Hey I think I will listen to you guys on Tuesday when you come by." Uh OK! We weren't even planning to come next Tuesday, so we set up a lesson with N! I hope he comes upstairs this time :) Then we watched the Testaments with B at a member's home. I hope that it made an impact on him! He is great! The Testaments is AWESOME too. Seen it a lot and it is getting a bit old, but still nice to break up the normal routine. Then we got transfer calls that night. I wanted to go to Rawlins, to be with Sister Y and live with Sister H. What happens? Sister J (my companion right now) is going to Rawlins, with Sister Y and living with Sister H. MY LIFE IS A JOKE!!! I am staying here in Fort Collins and getting a new companion, so that will hopefully be good. I am a little bummed, but life is like that sometimes! Second dream crushed. That's ok though! I like FoCo, and I'm glad I am on bike for the summer and not the winter! There are pros to being here!!

Sunday: B came to ALL 3 HOURS OF CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!! That was awesome! We are getting a bit worried about E, because she hasn't come to church for the past 3 times. It is summer and she was sick for one weekend, but this is a lot! I think she was on vacation for one week too, but people can't get in contact with her as often. So I will be praying that we will be able to meet with E soon!

This week was a little rough, but I love being a missionary still. I love the summer and I am grateful to be here at this time! I am intrigued to see how this next transfer goes! I only have 3 transfers left! WHAT? I love you all!!! I know that the Atonement is real and the Heavenly Father is truly mindful of us! The scriptures are an incredible source of peace and comfort, and when times get hard, just kneel! "When life gets too hard to stand, kneel."

Love always,
Sister Kelly Smith