Trio Número Tres

Hola :)

First off Happy almost Halloween! (That just means we can start
listening to Christmas music right?haha ) Well today is TRANSFER day
and I really never can believe how fast 6 week cycles go! And as you
may have guessed from the title there are a few crazy changes
happening. So because of a shortage in Spanish speaking sisters our
areas are being combined. I've been covering the Norwalk part of the
Stamford Ward the past 6 weeks and now I'm going into a trio with our
current STLs, Sister Smith (who I was in the CCM with) and Sister
Vicino, who were in the Stamford area. So just a move to a new
apartment! But I'm still over the Norwalk area according to our area
books....kind of confusing but it should be fun! Just means we can see
everyone in the Ward :) Sister Brower's parents will pick her up
tomorrow, and Sister Marriott is heading to an area called New
Rochelle (near the mission home) we were kind of hoping to be together
longer....but I know transfers are so inspired and directed by the
Lord and I'm looking forward to what He has in store for us this cycle
and how we can be his hands in moving the work forward!

I don't have a ton of time to write because of transfers....but I just
wanted to share a few things. First off we had stake conference this
past weekend and it was so incredible. Our stake presidency decided to
tell everyone to not prepare talks. But instead come prepared to be
led by the spirit. And both the adult session and Sunday session were
absolutely incredible. There were many personal stories shared, and
inspired scriptures. And overall it was just an overwhelming spirit
felt. As missionaries we rely so heavily on the spirit every single
day but it was cool to see the spirit leading meetings like Stake
Conference too - the power of the spirit is incredible!

One other miracle of the week is Sunday night we decided that after
our dinner appointment we needed to do some lookups! So we actually
found a Spanish less active we've tried to get ahold of all cycle. And
then we were lacking in the English side of things for the week and we
felt inspired to go visit a potential, Linda. She let us in and we
were able to have such a special meeting with her. She's had a hard
life full of trials but is just so sincerely seeking the truth and it
was such a tender mercy to meet with her! And now she wants to come to
church....I really hope everything works out for her and she come to
know that the Gospel has been restored and the church is true!

Well I'll definitely miss the Darien English Ward. The people were so
incredible, and some of the investigators and members we were able to
meet and teach really blessed my life. I know it was no accident I got
to spend the time we did in that Ward, and I hope I'll be able to see
some of them again - especially while I'm still in the same stake! But
I'm also so excited to still be here in the Stamford Spanish. Since
Sister Brower started her mission here we were able to go visit some
of the members before she left and it was just so incredible to feel
of their testimonies and just know I'm exactly where I need to be. We
have some amazing people here in Stamford!!

I love you all, hope you enjoy Halloween and I will talk to you in November ;)

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart

Sleepy Hollow & Miracle Finding

¡Hola! ¿Como están ustedes?

This week was really good! And today since Sister Brower went to the
temple with the missionaries who go home next week we spent some time
in Scarsdale and even got to see SLEEPY HOLLOW (I'll include some
pictures) kind of a fun thing close to Halloween we even went to "the
horsemen" diner haha.

 

So we've been doing a lot of finding since we're whitewashing (=
tracting) and a few weeks ago we tracted into this guy named Francisco
who said to come back when his wife was home. We saw him on the street
a few days after, he was really excited. But then when we went back he
wasn't home. BUT we didn't give up so on Monday we were in the area
and we stopped by again and they were both home! It was a miracle too
because his wife, Vilma, was only home briefly between jobs and said
she's usually never home during the week AND she is actually a hidden
less active!! She was talking to us and told us she was baptized in
Honduras as a teenager and then they moved and lost contact with the
church and she eventually lost her Book of Mormon but she still loves
the church so much! So now we have a new investigator AND less active
to work with!! Miracles do come from tracting!

We also had a few other miracles- a less active we've been working
with from the English Ward came to church! And we finally got in to
see a less active from the Spanish Ward we've been trying to see all
cycle. It's hard to explain mini miracles like that but they are just
such huge blessings for us when we work so hard and often don't see
the results of our labors, but every so often we get little bonuses.

Double wards means double the parties too! First we got to go to a
wedding in the Spanish Ward for a little bit to talk to some of the
family and Ward members we don't always get to see, it was super fun.
Bodas (Spanish receptions) are definitely super fun and crazy and
filled with dancing! It was also a miracle because I was able to talk
to one of the girls in the Ward (she's about my age) and she's been
struggling and needed someone to talk to and we just were in exactly
the right place at the right time. Party #2 was that the English
ward's relief society had a fall social. They watched I love Lucy and
it was all set up as an adorable movie theme with concessions and
everything, it looked professionally done. And we had another less
active we're working with come with her little girl and they LOVED it.
Activities are such a great way to have people realize we're normal
people and just feel more comfortable with the Ward!

With the Spanish Ward we got to have breakfast with Obispo and all the
missionaries. He told the story on how he chose to be baptized and it
was church a special spiritual moment. It gives you perspective for
the people we find and realizing how they have that potential to be
future bishops, relief society presidents, etc!

One more miracle is that we've been trying to work on Reverence with
the Spanish Ward. It's been our goal as a district is whole cycle.
We've been teaching all the members about the importance of the
sacrament and reverence and then we brought it up in Ward a Council
and they've started to announce reminders of reverence every Sunday
(since our sacrament meeting is last it can be a little hard) AND THEN
Sunday night they had Noche de Hogar with the Ward and the entire
lesson was on reverence. This Ward is just so so incredible. We have
such support and great leadership.

Well those were the highlights of this week! It was a pretty busy week
with our STL split, our usual packed schedule, and some things to
prepare Sister Brower to go home. There's always something to do as a
missionary!

To end I'll share the scripture I've chosen to ponderize for this next
week! I've been loving studying Ether 12:4 and really going in depth
with all the cross references and seeking to ponder it more fully.
This week I've chosen to ponderize D&C 90:24 "Search diligently, pray
always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your
good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have
covenanted one with another."

I love you all!! Have an incredible week!

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart

Autumn in Conneticut 🍁🍂

Hola!

Isn't Fall just the best time of year?? I know you may not be enjoying
Autumn in conneticut (it is pretty dreamy) but I hope everyone is just
loving Fall because it's my favorite season!

Last Thursday we had a mission tour with Elder Arnold (from the
seventy) and his wife. It was a meeting that lasted most of the day
but it was really amazing. We had a session with Sister Arnold just
for us sisters, and then just so much good training! The spirit was so
strong and we learned so much. Meetings like these are always such a
boost to work harder - and we learned so much about planning, and
working with members, and just being Epistles of the Lord! So much to
apply little by little and slowly become better missionaries and a
more successful mission.

The rest of the week wasn't anything too unusual. We had a few really
awesome dinner appointments in the English Ward, met with people from
the Spanish Ward that we usually do too! On Sunday because of Ward
councils we ended up being in church from 7:30-4:00. Definitely a long
day! Haha but we are seeing so many blessings. Even though it may be
crazy to cover two areas we are being led to those who need us most
and are also growing and learning so much as a companionship. It is
all in the Lord's plan for sure.

Monday we had a few appointments, but one that I especially loved was
a Noche de Hogar (FHE) with a recently reactivated member and her kids
(and some additional cousins). All the kids were like 9 or younger and
it was just so incredible. We were teaching the restoration and the
spirit was so strong as we taught just the simple truths so they could
all understand. The mom continued to bear her testimony, and they just
soaked it all in. The gospel really is so simple and children are such
an example of the faith and humility that we are all seeking.

The scripture I chose to ponderize for this week is Ether 12:4
"Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better
world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh
of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them
sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to
glorify God."
We really just need to have faith and hope as an anchor in our lives,
and as we do we can be led to abound in more good works :-)
Well I'm sorry this email is a little short, but I just want you all
to know I love you and I love this gospel so much! It's such a
blessing to be bringing the good news to others :)

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart

A Trio and the Temple!

Hola :)

Well....this week has been a little bit crazy! So our roommate, Sister
Ralston, ended up going home. It was kind of a crazy weekend (I had a
cold too during it all ) and so we ended up having to drive to
Scarsdale immediately following conference saturday night. And now
we're in a TRIO! (Me, Sister Marriott, and Sister Brower) We're
covering both the English and Spanish Ward! Luckily it's the same area
but covering two wards that don't meet in the same building should be
a little interesting....but hey it should be fun! AND we can teach
anyone (always a third female, and both English and Spanish)
Whitewashing just got more interesting :)

We also got the huge blessing to drive with one of the members here
that work in the temple and go to a session today! (And of course got
a Levain cookie and walked back to the temple through Central Park)
I'm convinced that this is the greatest mission in the world!! The
beauty of conneticut in the fall, and the city...I just love it all!!

This week, besides all the craziness, we had a really good week. We
served at Waveny (the care center) and I got to hold hands and sit
with this adorable lady at a musical concert. So precious. I love
those old people so much! AND we got to go over to a few of the
Spanish members homes it's been so good getting to know them all
better. AND we also had a few really amazing lessons. One of which was
with a new investigator, Catherine. She's about 16 and so receptive!
It was one of the best first lessons I've had with anyone. It just
felt so natural and she's so close to our age it was fun- I'm so
excited to see how things go!

OH and general conference!! Wasn't it the best general conference
yet?? I loved how much they focused on the family, and women, and the
sabbath day! I received so many personal answers to prayers. Combined
with our zone meeting on Monday I just felt so spiritual uplifted and
it came at such a good timing! I can't wait to go reread all the talks

The biggest tender mercy of the week too was that Rachel & Luisa (the
first lesson I've had in the mission) GOT BAPTIZED!!! We were going to
skype in for it....but we were at the mission home instead. But it's
just so amazing to hear small stories of the fruits of your labor.
While I was there they weren't super close to baptism, but the members
really embraced them and loved them and now they're members :-)

Well I don't have a ton more time (the member that drove us down is
taking us to get some food before we head back to Connecticut!) But I
just wanted to end with the scripture I chose to PONDERIZE for this
week :-) I hope you all just loved that talk and have all chosen to
pick scriptures to "ponderize" for yourself. This week I chose Luke
9:23 "And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him
deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me."  I just
love that imagery of daily having to chose to follow the Savior. To
forget yourself and realizing that "it's not about me". We talked a
lot about that in our zone meeting and I just love that so much. Daily
trying to do more to turn outward and do things for others, and
ultimately for our Savior Jesus Christ!

Well I love you all so much, I hope you can jump in some leaves, drink
some leaves and have an awesome week :-)

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart

 PS: did anyone catch the shoutout to the New York New York North

Mission by Elder Rasband?? So awesome :) I loved it and was so honored
to sustain THREE new apostles