December 17th Letter

I love love love being a missionary!!! This week has been fantastic, there is almost to much to write about but I will do my best!

 

We have been working with the Monsuvis family for about a month and a half and they are really starting to progress! This week we were able to teach them about the Word of Wisdom, which teaches that we should abstain from tobacco, alcohol, coffee, tea and illegal drugs. Victor, the dad, said he know he needs to quit smoking but he just hadn't put any effort into quitting. So, we asked him if he wanted to try the program that we have to help people quit smoking and he said YES! The program last 7 days and he has already made it through a day and a half! The whole family has come to church 3 times and all the kids love singing and learning about Christ. VeeVee (who is 10) really wants to get baptized! She is scheduled to be baptized on the 28th of December and everyone in the family is excited! We love getting to work with them because they have all come such a long way and it is all because of Christ.

 

 My favorite Christmas song lately has been "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day". I love the progression of the song. At first the man is depressed and has lost all hope until he realizes that through Christ hope and peace are never lost! It just feels me with such joy!

 

Sunday we had 4 investigators at church! Vee-Vee (victors daughter), India (she lives with the Monsuvis family), Scott (his friend recently got baptized so he wanted to learn more) and Ben Vallejo (who's dad is a member). It was awesome to have all of them there! Even though we didn't get to see Scott this week he has been reading the scriptures and has all of the church apps on his phone, it was awesome how excited he was about all of them! We were only able to see Ben (who is 10) once this week but it was a really fun lesson where we taught him about keeping the Sabbath Day (Sunday) holy by using ice cream :)

 

Sunday they shared a really powerful video in relief society. It is called None Where with Him by Elder Jeffery R. Holland. I am so grateful for the sacrifice of our Savior Jesus Christ so that we can be comforted in our times of need.

 

We also got to watch the new "Introduction to Mormons" videos on Sunday! They are awesome! Whether you have no idea what the church is about or if you have been a member all you life you should go watch them because they explain everything really well (and they aren't even that long). So go watch them here: http://www.mormonchannel.org/introduction-to-the-church

 

Yesterday we had a zone conference (a big meeting with lots of missionaries) and it was so great! Sister Stuart was there and it was so good to see her again! I got to sing with some other Sisters (they asked me that morning :)). We same "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus", luckily it went really well for no practice!

 

UPDATE: So they show a slide show with pictures of everyone that was baptized so if someone was baptized after you left that area you can see the picture and GUESS WHAT!?!?!? Bobbie, Christi and the Mink twins from Volcano Cliffs all got baptized!!!!!! I was so happy I started to cry! I love all of them so so much and even though I didn't get to be there it fills my heart with joy to know that they got baptized!

 

Overall this has been a great week! I love getting to serve the Lord and I love Christmas time! I hope you all take time to think of the Savior at this time of year and follow his example by serving others.

 

Love you,

Sister Lexy Smith

December 10th

 

Things are going great and starting to get cold here in El Paso! This week we have been working with Vee-Vee, one of our investigators, who is 10 years old. She is so sweet and so prepared to be baptized! We have been teaching her dad, Victor, for about a month now but we didn't start really teaching her as well until now. It has been so exciting to see how the ward has just taken her in as their own. She was able to go to activity days (activities for girls age 8-11) and made a Christmas tree decoration with the other girls and had a great time! Then Saturday at our ward Christmas party her whole family came! They supplied more than a fourth of the party, it was awesome! She even preformed Jingle Bells and a little dance for the talent show and everyone loved it! Sister Brown and I sang an acaplla version of "Oh Come All Ye Faithful". I love singing in front of people so it was really fun! When we started to sing everyone was chatting really loudly but instantly the room quieted and filled with the spirit. I love the Christmas season because so many peoples hearts are open to receive the message of Christ. I know that Christ lived and I am so grateful for all he has done for us! "And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." 2 Nephi 25:26 I am so grateful that I know why I am here on earth because we see so many people that are just going through the motions with no real understanding of why they are here. Saturday we met a guy named Scott who had a friend that got baptized that day. He said his faith has been strengthened by her example and he wants to follow Christ as well. It was amazing to me to see how willing he was to do whatever he could to learn more. He came to church on Sunday and has already gotten pretty far in the Book of Mormon. I love the gospel so much and I love getting to share it with others because it brings such peace to their lives. The Christmas devotional on Sunday was awesome I would suggest everyone go watch the talk by Elder Nelson.

 

Love ya tons!

Sister Lexy Smith

Thanksgiving Week

 

This week has been so good! Thanksgiving was really busy but lots of fun! We have seen a really big increase in the number of members that go out with us which has been awesome! It is so exciting to see them feel the spirit and desire to share the gospel of Jesus Christ with others!

 

It amazes me the many trials people have. I love the words of Nephi when he says "I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."  1 Nephi 3:7 I know that God doesn't give us anything we can't handle. He wants us to succeed in life!

 

Monday night we had dinner with Sister Sanchez and her husband Babo. She has been a member for 15 years and has been trying to get him to come to church with her ever since! He finally agreed to meet with us and we have been reading in the Book of Mormon with him. While we were reading Monday night the spirit testified to me that Joseph Smith testimony at the front of the Book of Mormon is true. I know that Babo felt the spirit as well because he said that once he reads the book and knows that all of it is true he will get baptized. Hopefully he reads fast :)

 

Tuesday we were able to pick up a thanksgiving dinner that a member donated for us to take and give to Natalie and Torrance. It was so much fun to show up with all of the food because you could tell how happy she was to receive it. We knew they had been struggling a bit but she told us that they had been really low on food and weren't expecting to have thanksgiving dinner. I know that Heavenly Father is watching out for all of us and will always provide for us. That night we also go to help a member that is moving pack. I love getting to serve! Anytime you are feeling down go out and serve! Not only does it bless their lives but it lifts your sprits and theirs as well.

 

Wednesday was awesome! WE had 3 different sisters from the ward come out with us. It was really neat to see how the Lord directs our paths. We had been given a name to go visit but it was a bad address. There was a lady(Teresa) outside where the street number should have been and we felt prompted to go talk to her. And guess what?!?! She ended up being the one we were supposed to go see! That same night one of our appointments fell through and we felt prompted to go visit the house of a member who has recently moved because her grandma was still living there. Can you guess what happened there?!?! Tara, the member, opened the door! She was visiting for thanksgiving and it was really good to see her before she left town again. I am so grateful for how the Lord has filled my heart with Charity. I love all of the people here so much!

 

Thanksgiving was another exceedingly excellent day! We went and cleaned up after the El Paso Thanksgiving parade. We went and helped Natalie cook some of the good they had been given. She had never made cookies or pie before so it was really fun to show her what to do. We had our first dinner at the Petty's house. Their food was delicious! It was so much fun to get to talk to her family, it reminded me of all the good memories with my cousins. Afterwards we had another dinner at Brother Spencer's in Chaparral. At first we tried the wrong house but the family there was so nice and told us that if we didn't find him we could come back and eat with them! We ended up finding his house but hopefully we will get to teach the family we met more about Christ. When we were done there we went back to Natalie's and read with her in the scriptures about the atonement. She got really quiet when and you could tell that she was feeling the spirit. I love their family so much and I am so grateful that we get to share the gospel with them! Next we went to the Cadd's house. Luckily they didn't make us eat anymore because we were stuffed! We got to talk to Brother Cadd's mom who we have been reading the Book of Mormon with. SHE FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON!! She is amazing! It is so exciting to see her progress as she comes back to the gospel. Finally we had a lesson with Victor and Teresa (the lady we found on Wednesday). Victor only speaks a little English but he understood everything we taught. His heart is so ready to follow Christ! He told us he knows Joseph Smith is a prophet, he wants to read more and get baptized! I have been so greatly blessed and I am so graeful for the opportunity I have to serve others. I love getting to share the gospel, which is so precious to me, with so many of Gods children. I know God loves us and has given us everything we have. Doctrine and Covenants 59:18

 

I am so grateful for covenants(two way promises) we make with God. Friday we got to go to a baptism for an 8 year old boy in our ward. Torrance and Natalie were able to come and it was so awesome! The spirit was so strong during the whole meeting. I know God keeps His end of His promise when we keep ours. It amazes me that even 8 year old children can understand the importance of covenants  and desire to make them.

 

I love meeting new people! Saturday morning when we were walking around we stopped at a house where a lady was selling German jelly's and jams. She was so sweet! We were able to invite her to the Christmas Nativities Around the World party they are having at the church and she said she had been wanting to feel the spirit in her life lately. I know that God is preparing people to follow Him!

 

Overall this week had been awesome! We have seen so much success as we just go out of our comfort zones and talk to everyone. I know that we are ALL children of God and he wants ALL of us to be happy. That is why He has provided a Savior for us. I love to feel the Holy Spirit because it fills me with so much joy! Doctrine and Covenants 11:13. Remember Christ as we start the Christmas season and always find time to serve others because that is what will bring you the most joy.

 

Love you all so much!!

Sister Lexy Smith

 

November 25th

Another Fantastic week! Tuesday night we were planning for the next day and all the power went off! It was funny because everyone in the appartment building came outside, one girl even gave us an extra candle she has so we could finish getting ready for bed! We have had the most member out with us yet! It is awesome to see how the ward is getting involved in missionary work and starting to share the gospel with their friends. It feels we have been going for one thing to the next all week long which sure makes the time go by fast! In one of the lessons the member that came with us shared a quote from President Uchdorfts talk "You Can Do It Now". It is one of my favorites, so you should go read it and let me know what you think!

 

It is amazing to see how the gospel changes lives. We have been teaching a couple (Torrence and Natalie and Quinn) and they have progressed so much since we first met them! Only a couple of months ago she told her sister to tell us not to come back. Now we are reading with her in the Book of Mormon and she soaks everything up like a sponge! The spirit has testified to me over and over that the Book of Mormon is the word of God during our lessons with her. She asks us if we can come back the next day before we even have a chance to ask her! I am so grateful for a Heavenly Father who gives us so many chances. He will never give up on us. I love this gospel so much and I love the way it changes people for the better. 

 

Guess who came to our district meeting Friday?!?! President and Sister Miller! I love seeing them because they are always so kind and warm. They have such a special spirit around them! It was a much needed visit because they were able to help us in our study of how to become more like Christ.

 

So...................... I'm staying in El Paso with Sister Brown for another transfer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

There is so much work to be done here and I am excited to continue to do my part!

 

I love all of you and hope you have a great Thanksgiving!

 

Love,

Sister Lexy Smith

November 19th

This week has been really good. We had an investigator and several less actives make it to church which was awesome!

 

Wednesday we went and visited a less active sister with the relief society president. We read in Mosiah 4 and several of the verses really hit me. The one that I like the most was Mosiah 4:19 which says "For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have...?" It can be so easy to forget that everything we have comes from God but when we remember that it becomes easier to feel compassion for our fellowman. That same night we got to visit a family that we have been teaching. Two of the brethren from the church came with us and gave every member of the family blessings because the little boy was going to have surgery on his tonsils and the grandma had just had eye surgery. The amazing part was when we went back the next day they told us that the doctor said it was the best surgery he has ever seen and both the boy and the grandma where healing extremely fast! There is real power in the priesthood.

 

Thursday we visited a less active family in Chapparal with a sister from the ward. We taught them about the Plan of Salvation because the boy, who is 8, wants to be baptized. At the end of the lesson we asked if they would commit to come to church. The mom told us no because they work which was really sad. But on Sunday... they came!!!! It was really amazing! The whole family, including the dad who isn't a member, decided it was better to come to church then to work that day! You could see how happy they were and all of the members where so nice to them and included them in everything!

 

Saturday we got a call from a lady who hadn't been to church in 18 years but wants to start coming back. It was amazing to see her at church on Sunday with her four kids! One of the speakers in sacrament meeting talked about the sacredness of partaking of the sacrament, and the covenant it represents. The spirit was so strong during the meeting. I cannot comprehend the mercy of God. It amazes me. He wants all of us to partake of His goodness and His love. He does not care how far gone we are, His grace is sufficient for ALL men.

 

I know the gospel is true. I know it without a doubt in my mind. I know it because I have read the scriptures and I have prayed to know if they are true and God, in His mercy, has answered my prayers. I know He will answer yours. I would encourage everyone to have the faith to go to your Father in Heaven. Ask Him for help, let him know how you are doing and He will listen.

 

I love all of you and hope you have an awesome week!

Love ya,

Sister Lexy Smith