Easily the craziest place I've ever
been.. Let alone lived!
the only one in the whole mission with a trailer.. not sure how I got so
lucky. Haha!
Alright.. My first area is right on the boarder of Alabama and Mississippi!
So I've now spent time in both states! WOW.. How can I even describe Red
Bay.. It's a bit like Panguitch. Only way more hillbilly. We're the first
sisters ALLOWED in the area. It was opened up to missionaries 2 years ago,
and has only had Elders before us. We're "white washing," which
basically means we're going in blind. Usually one missionary will stay in
an area on transfer day, and another will replace the one who left. White
washing is when they take both missionaries out and put two in who have
never been there. The Elders who left say we're "pink washing"... get it?
Sister Baird told me the Lord and President Sainsbury must really trust me
to have Red Bay as my first area.. she says she's never seen anything like
it hahaha (she's almost done with her 18 months).
THE TRAILER: Oh my heck you guys. I'm dead serious when I say hillbilly
style. I'll try to send the video I took of the walk through. The shower is
in the hallway, and the shower head is about neck level. Have you seen Elf?
The part where Buddy is in the elf shower.. That's me every morning. And
I'm short! I have no idea how the Elders used it. There are worms coming
out of the walls, and make-shift pipe weapons under our beds hahahaha. I'm
not sure if that is more comforting or terrifying. Hopefully there will
never be a need to use them.. jk Mom, I promise I feel safe! ;)
Everyone in Red Bay is kind. Even when you can tell they don't want you
around. There are all kinds of folks here, all mixed together. It's way
cool and very different from anything I've ever experienced. Everything
about it is classic. From the big beautiful southern homes with columns and
porches, to the next door neighbors trailer, with a washer out front and
all their laundry hanging on a line between trees.
My companion/trainer's name is Sister Baird. She's 26 from Idaho, and
basically everyone's favorite sister from what I've heard! She's
very sweet, and enthusiastic.
~As a side note, Sister Baird is a very good friend of our long time neighbor and friend, Bree Arnold!! Bree came over to our house tonight, and shared with us the email she had received today from Sister Baird, about our Sister Smith!! IT was SO AWESOME!! Teirsa is in very fantastic hands, as was confirmed by our dear Bree! We already love Sister Baird!First birthday on the mission was great! :) Sister Baird is awesome. She
sang happy birthday to me while I was in the shower (which is in the hall
between our kitchen and sitting room, no doors) and had hung up happy
you're the best" notes hung by my desk. So grateful for Sister Baird! ALSO
we got to see Elder Renlund (of the twelve) speak in our stake conference
on my birthday! So cool. One of my favorite things he said was "You cannot
describe anything about us (like why we don't drink or smoke, or why we
have temples) without eventually going back to the Restoration of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ and First Vision of Joseph Smith." It was a great
meeting, and after he shook every single persons hand. Wow... such a tender
moment. The members who gave us a ride to the conference set up a picnic
for us after (sweet older couple), and one of the branches in the stake let
us join them at the park. Everyone sang to me :) it was a very sweet day.
We had the opportunity to help one of our investigators move on Saturday,
and it was an experience I'll never forget. There are a lot of broken homes
here, and a lot of children being raised by their grandparents, or some
other relative. (often because the parents are too involved with drugs).
Angie is helping to raise her granddaughters, Liz who lives with her, and
Olivia who lives with her dad in Mississippi (only about 30 minutes away
from us). Ya'll have to understand that Alabama and Mississippi are two of
the poorest states in the US. It's more beautiful here than I can even
describe, but many of the people here have lived very hard lives. Angie
lost both her mother and husband earlier this year, and is now having to
move out of the small house they were renting. She wants to stay close
enough that her granddaughter doesn't have to switch schools. They have
very little, and what they do have likely hasn't been "new" in a very long
time. But when it's all you have, it's hard to let go. She owns a trailer
deep in the sticks of Mississippi, which she was allowing an
acquaintance to use. They disappeared a few months ago, and had left the
trailer in such a mess that by the time Angie went to check on them it
had been completely taken over by maggots. It's the only place she has to
store her possessions while she's in limbo, so that's where we took
everything she owns. You guys I can't describe the scene without getting
choked up, nor is it necessary. What I do want to tell you about is a
moment we had while there. We had just finished unloading everything, and
were standing outside surrounded by piles of junk and the smell of rotting.
Most of the south is thick forest, so there are always tons of bugs (all of
which have wings by the way. even things that shouldn't have wings do..
super exciting). Anyway there was this one particular butterfly that kept
swirling around all of us, occasionally landing on trash here and there.
The youngest girl, Liz, and I had been watching it while we drank our
water. (Angie told Sister Baird and I that when Liz found out we were going
to help them move she cried because she was so embarrassed that we would
see the state of the trailer they used to live in. She's only 13 years
old). Anyway, Liz looks at the butterfly and says something like "Wow, I
have never seen anything so beautiful!" I didn't look at Sister Baird in
that moment because I was afraid we'd both start crying.. but later when we
were alone again we couldn't help but talk about how even there in that
aweful place filled with darkness and heartache, Liz chose to see "the most
beautiful thing she had ever seen."
I am in awe of the beauty I am surrounded by, and I'm not just talking
about the sea of green I get to call home for the next 18 months. I'm
talking about the most beautiful, humble, kind souls I have ever met. I
have so much to learn from these people.
I love you all so much!! Can't tell you how thankful I was to hear from
ya'll, please know that I want to write everyone, and will do my best!
Computer time is limited, but being able to read your letters and emails
makes the world of difference out here!
Talk to you again soon :)
Xoxo
Sister Smith
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