WOW!

This was on the outside of Lexy's letter this week!  Love It!

Wow what a packed week!

First up, weather report. It has been so hot and sunny here, you would have no idea that the rest of the world is wearing coats! I have even had to pull out my sunglasses for driving so that I'm not blinded!

The work here has been going great! A couple of our investigators have been sick but for the most part everyone is doing fantastic! We have had so much work to do that we almost can't get everything done! What a blessing it is to be busy!

We had interviews with President and Sister Miller this week and I cannot express how much I love them! They always make you feel so good about yourself and the work!

One of the great lessons we had this week was with a lady that lives in Chapparal NM who's grandchildren are members. Elders have been visiting them for a long time but they had never asked her if she was interested in learning about the things we teach so when we asked her she was pretty surprised but said she would like to know more. We were able to teach her about prophets and the restored gospel. She felt like a lot of churches profess revelation but we were able to testify of the truthfulness of the gospel and Joseph Smith as a prophet. When we invited her to pray to know if the things we were teaching her were true the spirit filled the room with peace. I am so grateful the testimony I have of Joseph Smith. I know that he was called of God and just like his prayer was answered ours can be answered also.

We had the coolest experience when we went to Denny's with some of the older ladies in the ward. We sat in a booth on the side of the restaurant next to the counter. About half way through our dinner a man came and sat at the counter and struck up a conversation with one of ladies we were with. It turns out that he is Jewish but has been to an LDS church before to do family history work. We were able to invite him to come to our church and we will be meeting with him this upcoming week! I love the Lord puts you right where you need to be to touch the people you are with.

This weekend was Stake conference, which is a regional conference for the church. It was such a powerful meeting! Our stake president spoke first and invited everyone to actively participate in missionary work. During the whole meeting the spirit filled my heart. I cannot express how grateful I am to live in our day and age. We have a lot of work to do but there is so much peace and joy to be found by living the gospel. The last speaker Elder Nash of the seventy. Several times he said "It is time." which really stuck out to me. Think about it. It really is the time to prepare for the coming of the Lord. I have had countless experience on my mission that testify that we must prepare now. Just as with the parable of the 10 virgins (Matthew 25:1-13) if we are not ready now we too will miss they joy of His coming.

 

I want to share my testimony with you. I know that the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth today. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and I am so grateful for all he has done for us. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I love it because it brings peace and strength into my life like nothing else ever has. I know the Bible is also the word of God as far as it is translated correctly. As I have been studying the New Testament I have gained a greater appreciation for its words that can help us learn of Christ. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God. I know that Jesus is the Christ and I am so grateful for all He has done for me. I love the gospel and that is why I am serving a mission. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

 

Love,

Sister Lexy Smith

New Companion!

So, not a lot to report this week EXCEPT... I GOT A NEW COMPANION!!!

 

Her name is Sister Carpenter and she is awesome! She is from Southern California (Santa Clarita). She has been out 10 months and has been transferred almost every transfer so she already has the hang of coming to a new area which has been so nice!

 

We have been doing a lot of walking so that we can stay within our mileage limits for the month, but it has actually been a blessing because we have met so many new and wonderful people along the way! I would encourage everyone to get out of your shell and talk to other people. It's only awkward because we make it awkward! We are all children of God and sometimes a quick "hi" or "how are you doing?" can lead to a new friendship that you might have passed by!

 

We had several people come to church on Sunday! We have been teaching a young boy who's dad is a member and it was great to see both of them there. We watched the video The Testiments with their family earlier in the week and the spirit lingered in our hearts as we talked of Christ after the video finished. The boy (Ben) even started to cry because he was so grateful for the Book of Mormon. Also at church was a part member family who had never come before (Natalie and Torrence), and one of our investigators who brought his mom (Scott)! I love getting to work with so many wonderful people and I especially love seeing how the gospel has changed their lives for the better. Our investigators mom left church with a the Sunday School manual, a book about Joseph Fielding Smith (one of the modern day prophets), The Book of Mormon, and a SMILE! She loved every minute of it and you could tell that everyone loved her as well!

 

Often times during our lessons I will silently pray while my companion is speaking. I know that Heavenly Father answers our prayers because when even I don't know what to say next He hears me and give me the words that whoever we are teaching needs to hear.

 

During sacrament meeting this week the talks were on recommitting our lives to Christ. It reminded me of when Christ commissions us to be perfect in both Matthew 5:48 and 3 Nephi 12:48. To me the commission to be perfect denotes that no matter what we have done in the past we must be perfect now. It is as we strive to be perfect in each moment that we become more and more like Heavenly Father and Christ. You don't always need a new year to be a new you.

 

So that's it for the week. Sometimes God works by small and simple means.

 

Love ya,

Sister Lexy Smith

First Week of 2014

First week of the 2014!!!!

Even though we didn't get to stay up late or party for the new year it was still fun to reflect on all that happened to me this past year and set goals for the new year. A brief overview of my year:

 

January: I was at BYU taking lots of classes and studying hard :)

February: I got my mission call!

March: More studying and looking for skirts and dresses.

April: Finished my first year at BYU!

May: I taught swimming lessons in Boise

June: More swimming and hanging out with the family

July: Finally went to the MTC!!

August: In Albuquerque with Sister Stuart

September: Came to El Paso with Sister Brown

October: Handed out Mormon.org cards for Halloween

November: Thanksgiving... so much food!

December: Sharing the joy of Christ with everyone!

 

I can't believe how the time has flown but I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve a mission! It has been such a blessing to share the gospel with so many wonderful people and to feel my testimony of Christ strengthen are a teach and testify of Him.

 

We started the year off with a bang by helping decorate for a wedding! We helped turn the Cadds house into a beautiful setting for a wedding! It was so much fun! It really made me think about what I want in marriage and I want to get married in the temple.

 

This week a ton of the people we teach were sick but it made for plenty of time to talk to new people who are ready to hear the gospel. We had a great lesson with a lady we met outside. She is a school teacher and has faith in Christ but hasn't gone to a church in a long time. She kept telling us that she couldn't believe how peaceful we were and that she wanted that kind of peace for herself and her children. We were able to teach her how the gospel will bring peace into her life and I know that is true. The gospel really does give you hope for the future so you don't have to worry about things that aren't important. She even gave us her son who lives in San Antonio address so missionaries there can go visit him too!

 

We have really been working on talking to everyone so we have done a lot of walking around which has helped us to meet a lot of new people. One street we were walking down there was a garage sale so we stopped to talk to the man and he thought he recognized us but we had never met him before. It turned out that he had meet with Sister missionaries before and had been thinking about calling them again but hadn't gotten around to it yet! We were able to give him the information for church and our number, next week we will be meeting with him and his family so that should be great!

 

El Paso is still pretty warm, 40's or 50's but the wind here is ferocious! Sometimes it feels like you are going to fly away which is not the best feeling in a skirt! Haha, we have had to be really carful when we are walking so that our skirts stay down!

 

Also I was so excited!!! A member fed us green chili and chicken enchiladas on Saturday on I was able to eat all of it even though it was really hot! The first time I was fed that in Albuquerque I had to push the green chilies aside and just eat the chicken because my mouth was burning! Guess I'm becoming a native because it tasted so good! When I get home I will have to make it for all of you and see what you think, nothing like Mexican food at home!

 

Oh and by the way.... SISTER BROWN IS BEING TRANSFERED! She will be leaving on Tuesday and I will be getting a new companion. It will be sad to see her go since we have been companions for so long but I am excited for her and the growth that will come from having a new companion.

 

One thing I have really noticed this week is that whenever we let fear into our hearts it destroys our faith. This year I will be working on strengthening my faith by always relying on the Lord. I know that all things are possibly through Him. I love the gospel and hope you have another great week. I would encourage all of you to read Alma 34and think about how you can apply it to your life. There is so much good advice in that chapter.

 

Love y'all!!!!

Sister Smith

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year!

I hope you all had a great Christmas week as I did! Christmas day we got up early to open our presents, thank you to everyone that sent something! I loved everything I got! Then after our studies we went to the Cadds house to visit with Brother Cadds mom, Sister Leichlider, and help them make Christmas breakfast pizza. It was so fun to be apart of their Christmas tradition. For lunch we went to the Halls house and had puffed pancakes. Then we got to read the nativity story with them, I love Luke 2 because it truly testifies of our Lords birth. My favorite part is where the shepherds go and share the good news! Just like they wanted to share the joy they felt from witnessing the birth of Christ, I love sharing the gospel with others because it has brought so much joy into my life! Then we got to go back to the Cadds house to Skype our families!! It was so great to see my family and hear how they are all doing! Faith has gotten SO TALL! I am so grateful for them and all the support they give me. I don't think I could make it without all the letters, emails and packages they send me. I have gained such a great love for them since I am so far away. 

After talking to them we went took plates of cookies out to lots of people to try and cheer them up. It was so fun to see what everyone does for Christmas, almost everyone we saw was smiling! Then we went back and had dinner with the Cadds, they are so good to us! Before heading to bed with visited a few more families and read scriptures about Christmas with them. Overall Christmas in the mission field will be something I will forever cherish, it bring the true meaning of Christmas because you are doing what Christ would do by serving others. 

The rest of the week is a bit of a blur because we were preparing the the baptism of Vee-Vee Monsivais!!! She is the sweetest 10 year old girl and her family was so supportive! I am so grateful for the opportunity I have had to get to know her and see her grown in the gospel! She is such an example to me of sticking to what you believe even when you might stand alone. The baptism was Saturday the 28th at 3pm and there was another boy who's family are all members that got baptized too. Afterwards they both looked SO HAPPY! The spirit testified to me that baptism really is the only way to return and live with God. That is why I want everyone we are teaching to progress towards baptism! Because I know it is what will really make them happy in life! This year I have really noticed how much presents can't make you happy, no matter the amount of worldly weath you acquire you will never be happy unless you are using it to further the kingdom of God. I love love love the gospel so much and I hope that you can find the same peace and joy that I have found as you start this new year. I would encourage everyone to ponder how they can become a better person this year, there is always room for improvement. I am so excited for the new year, new chances to serve and help others draw closer to Christ!

 

I love all of you!

Love,

Sister Lexy Smith

Merry Christmas

Dear Family and Friends,

Merry Christmas!!!! 

This past week has been a great one and I know that this upcoming week will be and even better one as we celebrate the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. 

A quick recap of what happened this week. We had exchanges with Sister Fallentine and Sister Nye. I went to their area to spend the day with Sister Fallentine and it was a GREAT day! We were able to have several lessons. One in particular stood out though. We were meeting with a fairly new investigator and before we went in we said a quick prayer. After the prayer Sister Fallentine felt prompted to run(literally) over to a member that lived nearby to see if they would come with us. The wife was not able to but the husband graciously accepted the offer and ran back to the investigators house with us. The lesson was in Spanish so I couldn't really participate but I understood enough to know what they were talking about. The lady had been Catholic and wasn't sure if she could make the change. Because we had gotten the member to come with us he was able to share his experience which helped her to feel more comfortable. Near the end of the lesson Sister Fallentine promised the lady that if she read the Book of Mormon she would know that Jospeh Smith was a prophet of God. The spirit was so strong and the lady began to cry. She said that when Sister Nye had come over last time she had promised the exact same thing. I know that if we will allow it to the Spirit can work though us. Also this week Victor quit smoking and he made it through the whole week!! And Vee-Vee (his daughter) will be getting baptised on the 28th. We are so so excited for her!!

This week we were given some ponder time. I would encourage everyone to take time to ponder the meaning of Christmas, the Sacrifice that Christ made for us and how you can strive to be like him every day. 

I am so greatful for the opportunity I have to serve a mission because I have come to love the people here so much! The message of Christmas really is a message of hope for all mankind. Isaiah 9:6. The greatest gift we have been given is that of the Lord Jesus Christ, don't let it go to waste.

Love you all,

Sister Lexy Smith