El Ultimo.

Mis querida Familia y Amigos,

First off - hope this doesn't get sent off too late, my companion
Sister Fink has been really sick and so I was given permission to
still write all of you all one last time after usual pday hours (so
don't worry I'm being exactly obedient until the very end).

In case you don't know Spanish the title of this week's email is "the
last". Next Wednesday we will be having a worldwide mission broadcast
(so incredible) and so pday will be on Thursday, the day I return
home. So this will be my last email I send to you all while serving as
a full-time missionary and representative of my Savior Jesus Christ. I
can't believe this day has come and that 18 months have passed so
fast. 6 weeks in Mexico and 18 weeks in each of my four areas went by
like a blink of an eye. Yet as I reflect back on that girl who hugged
her parents goodbye and set off on a journey 18 months ago...as I look
at the picture of my first day here in New York....I can hardly
recognize the girl on the other side of the picture. She has changed
and become and grown so much. Words will never be enough to describe
my experience as a missionary. If only this little black nametag that
I hold so dear could record the miracles, the struggles, the tender
moments with complete stranger, and the life of a missionary... But
only the one who walked the entire journey with me could ever know of
its sacred significance.

This week was really amazing. We were blessed as a mission this past
Saturday to have Elder Holland visit. Usually he's known for his
powerful crying of repentance and obedience to missionaries. But our
visit was so sacred, so special. As he shook each of our hands he had
a personal interview with us (via the spirit). He said that he was so
proud of our mission and didn't feel he needed to address any
problems. He spent the next few hours walking amidst us, teaching and
testifying, even joking. It felt so normal to have an apostle of the
Lord in our midst. Yet at the same time the Spirit was so strong, I
can't even begin to describe it. It was such a tender mercy,
especially as a prepare to enter my next "transfer", a new adventure
ahead. As he testified of the love He holds for missionaries, calling
us "apostles with a lower case a" I was overcome with emotion. This
calling I've held for the past 18 months means EVERYTHING to me. I've
given my all, and it's been hard. But as a Elder Holland told us,
salvation isn't cheap and we are in the work of saving SOULS. This is
the dispensation of missionary work both for the living and the dead.
The work is hastening and we can never be the same. Once we have
experienced the things we have, we can't go back to our nets, we must
always move forward. This gospel is one of eternal progression.

I've had a lot of time to ponder and reflect this week. During my exit
interview on Monday and then today having the chance to go to the
temple with the missionaries returning home and President & Sister
Smith. Sitting in the celestial room I came across this scripture in
the Spanish BOM and it was so simple and powerful I chose it for my
ponderize scripture of the week 2 Nephi 4:16 "Behold, my soul
delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth
continually upon the things which I have seen and heard." Afterward we
also were able to participate in sealings (my first time ever). There
have been so many special, sacred experiences that I will forever hold
dear and that I will ponder in my heart continually. I wish I could
explain my feelings more but I just can't. Maybe as I tell you each in
person you can begin to understand a piece of it, but it's okay if
not, it's in my heart.

As President Smith has mentioned in the past - the last week of the
Savior's life was one most recorded and written about, it was full of
miracles and the atonement. Incredible and life changing moments
happened in His final days. As a representative of Jesus Christ I
promise I will try to uphold the standard and make my last week
serving has a missionary full of miracles, and I will put all my
strength in until the very end!! I know I won't be able to write again
of the miracles of my last week, but I hope next time I see each of
you in person I can testify of what has happened.

I love you all dearly. I hope you have the best week ever wherever you
may be in the world. Some of you I will see and hug so soon, others I
promise to continue writing and remember to keep working hard! :) One
of my favorite humans once said "Missionaries are just disciples with
a nametag",  I promise to continue to be a disciple of Christ for the
rest of my life, even after the name tag is gone. I have been changed
for good. I will never go back, I will never be the same

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart

FELIZ NAVIDAD

¡Feliz Navidad!

The happiest time of the year and also the busiest! Sorry if this
email appears to be scattered. Pdays are always a little hectic. Add
some downpouring rain (we're having a wet Christmas instead of a white
Christmas this year), busy grocery stores, a Christmas zone activity
(pretty awesome white elephant exchange), horrid traffic ..... ya tu
sabe. Christmas time tends to make the world a little crazy. I love as
missionaries we are able to simply so much and focus in just on the
real purpose - The Savior's birth. I've been thinking this week about
the end of the "A Savior is Born" video and how they say over and over
REJOICE and REJOICE GREATLY. That theme has kept popping up in my
studies too how we really have reason to be so happy and optimistic. A
Savior was Born! Reflecting on that I choice Philippians 4:4 for my
ponderize scripture of the week "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again
I say, Rejoice"

Last week after pday ended we set out to lookup Johanna because we
haven't seen her in a few weeks. She wasn't home but her mom, a former
investigator, let us in. We ended up having a really good lesson about
the Book of Mormon and even showed her the Christmas video. The
classic question of  "there's only one God" came up and we were able
to testify while that is technically true, we can't just listen to
anything that speaks of God. We have to act and make promises with
God. And we can't just sit and listen to the word of God we have to
follow the one path that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know
if it sinked in completely....I've tried to find a good answer that
question my entire mission. So if you have any suggestions let me know
I'm sure that will come up again tomorrow and the day after that ;)

Our weekend was pack full of Christmas festivities!

Friday was the long awaited MISSION CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL. After months
of pday practices (and Sister Smith's months of preparing and
directing) it finally came and it was all worth it! The spirit was
definitely felt during the program and the lunch (Christmas dinner
style) was yummy. William made a special appearance dressed as Santa.
And it's always just a special blessing to come together as a mission
and talk to all the missionary friends you've made and hear about past
areas. It was crazy for me because a lot of the senior missionaries
¡Feliz Navidad!

The happiest time of the year and also the busiest! Sorry if this
email appears to be scattered. Pdays are always a little hectic. Add
some downpouring rain (we're having a wet Christmas instead of a white
Christmas this year), busy grocery stores, a Christmas zone activity
(pretty awesome white elephant exchange), horrid traffic ..... ya tu
sabe. Christmas time tends to make the world a little crazy. I love as
missionaries we are able to simply so much and focus in just on the
real purpose - The Savior's birth. I've been thinking this week about
the end of the "A Savior is Born" video and how they say over and over
REJOICE and REJOICE GREATLY. That theme has kept popping up in my
studies too how we really have reason to be so happy and optimistic. A
Savior was Born! Reflecting on that I choice Philippians 4:4 for my
ponderize scripture of the week "Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again
I say, Rejoice"

Last week after pday ended we set out to lookup Johanna because we
haven't seen her in a few weeks. She wasn't home but her mom, a former
investigator, let us in. We ended up having a really good lesson about
the Book of Mormon and even showed her the Christmas video. The
classic question of  "there's only one God" came up and we were able
to testify while that is technically true, we can't just listen to
anything that speaks of God. We have to act and make promises with
God. And we can't just sit and listen to the word of God we have to
follow the one path that is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I don't know
if it sinked in completely....I've tried to find a good answer that
question my entire mission. So if you have any suggestions let me know
I'm sure that will come up again tomorrow and the day after that ;)

Our weekend was pack full of Christmas festivities!

Friday was the long awaited MISSION CHRISTMAS DEVOTIONAL. After months
of pday practices (and Sister Smith's months of preparing and
directing) it finally came and it was all worth it! The spirit was
definitely felt during the program and the lunch (Christmas dinner
style) was yummy. William made a special appearance dressed as Santa.
And it's always just a special blessing to come together as a mission
and talk to all the missionary friends you've made and hear about past
areas. It was crazy for me because a lot of the senior missionaries
this was the last time I will see them before I return home. All in
all it was amazing and we took plenty of pictures that I will send
with this email. Needless to say we were pretty exhausted by the time
we got back from Ossining, but it was all worth it.

Saturday FIESTA DE LA NAVIDAD con Nuestra Barrio. It was a huge
success. The Nativity went well (all the practices paid off). Me and
Sister Fink were shepherds...mostly herding all the children and their
sheep but it was so adorable. We got to eat dinner next to our less
active, Carmen. And then as we went around greeting people we met so
many friends of members! We ended up setting at least 4 appointments
to meet with people. I don't think I'll ever look at Ward parties the
same way, they are such incredible opportunities for finding new
investigators!

Sunday during Sacrament meeting we sang as the Ward choir. Herm Smith
ended up playing the Piano and Herm Fink directed. Then after church
me and Herm Smith and Sister Green (another missionary in our zone)
headed to Scarsdale for the second performance of the Christmas
devotional. This one was all focused on getting less actives and
investigators come, and we ended up filling the chapel. Some of the
members and recent converts from the Stamford Ward came (Sonia came
too!) and there were a lot of nonmembers there. The spirit was felt.
It's just amazing how much of an impact music can make. Also
afterwards we were cleaning up and greeting various people and I meet
eye contact with a Spanish member I don't know that had come. We then
realized that we knew each other! She had been at Jordan Passey's
wedding reception a few weeks before I left on my mission. I didn't
know any Spanish then, but she told me she was in the Newburgh Ward
and to come find me someday! I even ended up serving in the Newburgh
zone but never crossed paths with her again...but somehow she came to
Scarsdale for a Christmas devotional a few weeks before I return home
and it was just the happiest of moments. We took pictures. And I
barely had words, it was just so special. The Lord's hand really is in
his work!!

We also went tracting this week. Not just any kind of tracting. We had
to knock and ask all our neighbor's if they had baking soda we could
borrow. It was hilarious and so ironic.

Anyway I'm nearly out of time but I'll talk to some of you so soon and
I can't wait to tell you of Christmas miracles next week. It's such a
special time of year. As a mission we finished the Book of Mormon
again this past week and I'm just reminded again and again how much
joy comes in to our lives as we focus on our Savior Jesus Christ.

LOVE YOU ALL & MERRY CHRISTMAS

Con Amor,
Hermana Smart