Sincerely Sister Smith

Dear Loved Ones, This week I started doing something I've never done before: teaching a whole family! I've taught single people, couples, and pieces of families, like a single mother with one daughter, but this week I met an entire family of six-and they're restoration branch! Our beliefs are entirely in sync, except for priesthood and temples and all temple ordinances. They are so close, so much closer than the Church of Christ guy I met with before. They use the doctrine and covenants, or at least an edition of it. I am really struggling this week and any nice emails about things other than missions would be much appreciated.  My cousin Max, serving in the Netherlands, wrote last week about how his mission life reminded him of a favorite episode of Avatar: The Last Airbender, so I'm going to chime in with a TV connection of my own. My all time favorite TV show is Once Upon A Time. It kickstarted my love for fairy tales and led into a job where I literally go...

Dear Loved Ones, Four years ago today, Bishop Plant of my Provo YSA ward told me I would not go on a mission, and when I burst out crying, his only response was to say, "Are you going to hurt yourself?" One year ago, I was in Idaho, wondering if I'd be  able to continue on a mission or if I'd be kicked to the side again.  Sucks to suck, I just got transferred to the last area of my for-real mission in Missouri, baby!  I'm not entirely happy about transferred because my last area, Raytown, is now closed. So we spent that last day crazy packing and running around town telling everyone we would never be coming back.  Fortunately, we double covered with elders, so they will be able to pick up most of our teaching pool. Most of them. The person I worry about the most is my nine year old recent convert, Saydi. Elders can't go into a house without an adult male present and Saydi's mom is a single mother.  Ugggghhhhh pray for Saydi. She is small and pre...

Dear Loved Ones, Man, it must suck to be a missionary in San Francisco right now. GO CHIEFS! I watched the first and most of the second quarter at my bishop's house before going home so my companion could pack (she finishes her mission on Thursday). I followed the rest of the game through Facebook and fireworks. We could hear the win long before anyone posted it or texted us about it. The four of us in our apartment ran around the building looking for the best balcony to watch fireworks while the people of Independence erupted into war whoops and gunshots. I've never cared much about football before, but I've never lived in an NFL city, let alone a Super Bowl city. So I got into it. Now, car crash update. Since June, when I first took a companion to the doctor, I have been planning a lengthy expose on mission health care mismanagement. But I am too exhausted to catalog exhausting things this week. Instead, I want to talk about backs and shoulders and Super Bowl. We...