Posted by Laurel Smith:

Hey hey,

Tomorrow morn I must wake up at the dastardly hour of 3 to get to my 7:30 flight.  Eegad!  I LEAVE IN LESS THAN 24 HOURS TO THE MISSION FIELD!  New York, here I come!  I won't be able to email this week, I'm pretty sure, so I'm sending this out before I go.  So a few things to address before time kicks me off...

Thank you for the delicious homemade goods!!  Good grief, the banana bread was heaven sent and the almond roca bars were a tasty treat I had never hoped to eat before.  The sisters love you, Mom, for your love.:)  And the elders love you for the treats!  hahahaha  For Pete's sake, we have been munching all hours of the day and we haven't had gym time for the past two days...Uh...Oh well!

If I have a chance at the airport I'll give you a jingle, though I'm assuming Mother will be the only one home?  Try not to be too disappointed if I don't though, because I will also be calling for Christmas--you'll have plenty of Sister Smith time, don't worry.  There's enough of me for everyone (that's a blessing of my calling, I'm sure).  So, I get to fly to the Detroit airport and then we've a layover for about an hour, then...ON TO SYRACUSE!  Yes.  I CANNOT believe it's been 3 weeks and I'm leaving the shelter of the MTC.  So strange.

So, so, Keat and Sean come home this week!!  What?!  That's so crazy.  I also can't believe that.  Honestly, I'm a bit bummed that I won't be able to listen to them speak in all of their RM glory, but I'm not THAT bummed because I'm heading out into the white fields of New York.  This is a good week, right?

I'm so excited for this!  I get to take time to pack today, but we also have classes, and I'm so grateful for that little bit of structure.  This is something I'll implement when I return; making a concrete schedule for myself, and not allowing tentative schedules to make my commitments, etc. less flimsy.

I hear Mormons have become weirdos recently.  Well, I've always known that I'm a weirdo, but I must say that I believe the world is full of weirdos, and if people consider me to be especially strange because I am willing to sacrifice my time and my family for 18  months to serve the Lord Jesus Christ and the people of NY, or because I believe that God is our Heavenly Father who loves us and wants us to be happy and also become like Him, or because I live in a way that allows me to feel that love and be happy...then, shoot, I'd like to be the biggest weirdo of all!

Okay, this email is getting out of hand; I should be done.  I just want to add before I end that I know Heavenly Father is very aware of me and my needs and He has put, and will put, people and situations in my life so I can keep going.  I exercise my faith every day by just doing what He's asked, in the hope that one day I'll know with absolute certainty the truth of all His Gospel.  I know this brings me happiness, I know this brings me peace, I know this has blessed my family.  What else do I need?  Why should I ask for more, except for His promise that He will give more to those who ask for it with faith and an earnest and honest desire?  One miracle I saw this week relates to this idea that God places people in my life to strengthen me when I am weak.  Sister Murray has been one of my two teachers over the past 3 weeks in the MTC, and talking to her one-on-one this week helped me realize at a time when I really, truly struggled and prayed, that as I continue to do those things that God has promised will make us happy, and be faithful, I will know that I know the truth.  The mind and the heart will agree.  The confusion will cease.  There is great comfort in knowing that Heavenly Father knows me, especially now.  My world isn't to small anymore, so I need that comfort :)  That is evidence of God's hand in my life.

I'm ready to go out!  I'm nervous, but I'm ready!  Shoot, I thought I was ready coming to the MTC, but now I know that I am.  I have been prepared since before I was born to bring the knowledge of the Gospel, and the salvation of the Gospel, to God's children.  I love you all!!!  Thank you for your love, your letters, your support!  I'll talk to you soon!  Dear me, time has kicked me in the pants!  Life's tough, but I have a helmet!

Sister Smith