Woot

Dear family,

SNOW!  Yes, that's right.  We have finally received a goodly amount of it.  And would you believe it if I told you that my attitude was improved because of the snow?  It's strange, I know.  Well, actually, the snow is melted now, because the weather changes suddenly here just as it does in Utah.  I fit right in.

My dear friend Danielle is now a Mounteer!  What?!  That is awesome!  She and Dave are totally enduring to the end. :)  Oh gosh, and I just realized her birthday is in 2 days!  Ha!  She'll have an awesome January every year from now on!  The pictures were GREAT!  Thank you soooo much!  I love you, I love you!  Robin is so sweet to give you some of her delicious honey butter (Danielle likes to eat it by the spoonful, FYI).

Oh!  And Alyse is ENGAGED?!?!  What?!  That is AWESOME!  I'm so pleased. Thank you, Mother, for sharing the news.  And I look forward to a letter from Abbatha. :)
So, this week is "Return and Report"--it's on Friday, and it's in Utica, which means we've to take the Elders' car and drive to Syracuse (approximately one hour) and then carpool with those sisters (Sisters HORNE and Stacey) to Utica (approximately one hour).  It will be a nice little road trip, no?  Anyway, I'm really excited.  It'll be fantastic to see President and Sister Bulloch again (yes, we saw them today when they came to our District Meeting, but it's the best when you get to see the Mission President and his wife), reunite with Sister Horne for a brief time, learn more about being a good missionary without the pressure of just learning through performance, etc.  Like I said: it'll be fantastic. I'm so excited!  I'll return and report next week...hahaha.

D, the really great lady who has such a strong belief in Christ and prayer?  She told us this weekend that she doesn't want to meet with us anymore.  She's going through a lot of hard times apparently, and she doesn't want to talk with us anymore.  My first drop.  It was sad, but I realize that if she is going to accept the Gospel, Heavenly Father will continue to prepare her for that time--He doesn't give up, so I needn't stay steeped in disappointment, right?

D (the recent convert) is going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead on Saturday!!!  Oh good grief, I am so happy for her.  There really is nothing like doing missionary work to feel the love God has for His children.  We were able to help her do some household work and such on Monday and also share a family home evening message--a testimony wall!  Yeah, that little activity in the Ensign this month where you create a wall of testimonies?  Sister T wrote prettily on a poster and put index cards on it and such so D can write down experiences that strengthen her testimony of the Gospel principles (faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost).  She loved it; she wants her grandchildren to be able to see and read and know that she believes in God and Jesus Christ.  She is so wonderful.  Ah!  I love D.

This Sunday, the Burmese family that we have been teaching came to church!!!  Yes!  All five of them, plus their translator friend!  They are refugees from Burma and have been in the US for about 6 months, I believe.  There is quite a language barrier, but it is awesome and inspiring to realize that they believe so strongly in Christ and believe the same tenents of Christ's teachings that we do in the Church, only they don't know all of the truth.  Because there is that language barrier, it's been slower going in teaching them about the restoration of Christ's church and the priesthood, but their understanding is growing very quickly.  It's incredible how our Heavenly Father works, lifts people along the path that He knows we all have to take to return to Him.  He wants us to return to Him--how magnificent is that?  He really is our Father and He wants us to be happy and with Him forever--that's why we're here, so we can have that opportunity.  WOO!  Please, as members of Christ's church, we have a responsibility to share this truth and salvation with everyone around us!  Pray for opportunities to share what you know!  Pray for courage to speak up when one of those opportunities arises!  This is so important.  Can we call ourselves disciples of Christ unless we follow Him?  Alma 25--read it.  See what the newly converted Anti-Nephi-Lehies do to show their faith.  Faith is not stagnant, it is not static.  It must be ever growing.  And how will it grow?  By exercise!

He shared this saving knowledge with all who would listen while He was on the earth--it is now our duty to do the same in His stead.  "Will I let myself be an instrument in the hands of the Lord today?"  That is the question I am going to begin asking myself every day, because a lot of the time I focus too much on myself, on my will, and this is NOT my work.  I am only here, in Ithaca as a missionary, to do the work of the Lord.  I am His servant.  So now I need to "work, work, work!" as President Benson said.

I feel so guilty that I didn't participate more actively in the missionary work in our ward while I was home--please don't forget that there are missionaries around you and you can HUGELY bless their efforts if you will coordinate with them.  Let them know that you would like to go teaching with them sometimes, by appointment.  Members share the Gospel.  You can relate to people in a way that is unlike the way missionaries do.  We are set apart from the world for this time, but you experience many of the same things that investigators, nonmembers, do.  Help them see that Mormons aren't cliquish, aren't strange, aren't hypocritical--you have to really mean it.  These are all things I wish I would have known even a few months ago.  How silly of me. :)

Anyway, one last story.  It happened like two hours ago.  It's fresh off the press.  We were supposed to meet with a less-active member today in the library like we do every week, when a lady came up to us that we'd previously met in a strange situation that I won't detail; all you need to know is that she had been visiting with that less-active sister who had expressed a desire to come to church with her strongly believing boyfriend.  So, her name is N (ha) and she came up and asked if she could meet with us some time to receive a spiritual boost, have Bible study, or something.  We said of COURSE, we'd love to.  We said we'd been waiting to meet with this other man, but he was late and it may be that he won't be showing up and could we just talk with her now?  She said sure and we called this brother to make sure he wasn't coming (he didn't answer) and we went on our way.  This woman...she's a beautiful lady, 29 years old, and she has had a hard life.  She is so close to the Spirit, totally wants to follow Christ in all things and is discouraged by the wickedness and misunderstanding around her.  We talked with her for an hour, got to know her situation and history a bit better, and I KNOW she has been prepared and supported by our Heavenly Father.  This came out of nowhere.  We thought when we first met her that she didn't like us--that was a misunderstanding.  Anyway, she's trying to do all she can to live right, and she took the initiative to ask to meet with US.  Not the other way around.  We were OYMed.  Hahaha.  OYM means "open your mouth"--be bold and speak up so you can find those people who are searching for the truth.  So basically she's incredible, and I know that none of this would have been possible if it weren't for our Heavenly Father's hand.  I am so thankful to be a part of this work!

I need to go.  I love you.  I love you.  The pictures are of a bit of Ithaca (the stream from a waterfall), Sisters Horne and Waterworth, Sister Murray, me, uh...I don't remember which other one I loaded.  Anyway, love yous!  Keep on keepin on!

Love, Sister Smith