Grateful.

¡Feliz día de acción de gracias!

Wow. I can't believe tomorrow is Thanksgiving. This week I don't have
much time to write because we had the incredible blessing of going to
see Wicked on Broadway. we are super lucky and blessed to have
cultural experiences in our mission. I am so grateful for the New York
New York North mission :) I truly have been changed for good.

This week I just wanted to express my gratitude for some of the things
in my current area and also some of the miracles we had this week.

I'm grateful that last Wednesday we didn't lose our phone...that as I
left a lookup we were doing I randomly ran over the curb...and that
when we to the church in Stamford and realized we'd lost the phone we
were able to drive back to Norwalk, Praying the whole way there and
avoided all the traffic. We went back to the street we had parked on
and called the phone. By some miracle we heard it ringing and we end
up finding it under a pile of leaves one inch away from a huge jeep
SUV's tire. The same spot that if I hadn't run over the curb I would
have also run over it. Such a miracle we found it and it wasn't
crushed I'm so grateful for small miracles in my life.

I'm so grateful for our recent covert family from Chile that are so
faithful, and their little girl who understands the gospel so deeply.
That they love us, and love the Lord and are so incredible.

I'm so grateful that we were finally able to go back to Waveny this
week. And see all those adorable old people that I love dearly. I'm so
grateful that the window we painted brought them joy during the
holidays (we won cutest window picked by the residents).

I'm so grateful that Friday night we decided to do one last lookup
before going home and we were finally able to meet with a recent
convert, Pia.

I'm grateful that we were able to do service as a Ward this weekend
and wear ridiculous but awesome mormon helping hands vests. I'm also
grateful for the Eagle Scout in another Ward who let us take part in
his service project and deliver food for Thanksgiving to people in our
stake who need it.

I'm incredibly grateful for the priesthood in my life. That we were
able to bring the elders to our lesson with Carmen and they were able
to give her a blessing in preparation for a surgery she's having this
week. She was able to recognize the spirit and her neighbor she'd
invited, Jacqueline, also felt the spirit so strongly. I know they'll
never be able to forget that experience.

I'm grateful for the members in this Ward. That give us snacks after
church, and let us use their bathroom when we've been out doing
lookups all day. And mostly just that they love and trust and adore us
just because we're missionaries. I love them all so much.

I'm so grateful for the split we had on Monday when sister green came
with me and sister Vicino and we were able to see so many split
miracles and have 4 awesome lessons.

I'm grateful for Consuelo and Ryan. That Ryan is starting to really
remember and apply the things that we have taught him.

I'm even grateful for the 3:45 fire alarm that made us exit our
apartment into the cold with the rest of our complex. I'm also
grateful it was just a false alarm and we were able to return to our
warm apartment.

And most of all I'm grateful for each one of you and the huge roles
each of you have played in my life. Each of you have helped me,
comforted me, been examples to me - and I wouldn't be who I am today
without you.

I love you all dearly and hope you have an incredible Thanksgiving and
remember that more than just saying thank you we should be living in
an attitude of gratitude.

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart


PS - my ponderize scripture for this week is D&C 11:12-13. "And now,
verily, verily I say unto thee, put your trust in that Spirit which
leadeth to do good-yea, to do justly, to walk humbly, to judge
righteously; and this is my spirit. "Verily, verily I say unto you, I
will impart unto you of my spirit, which shall enlighten your mind,
which shall fill your soul with joy."