Week 31 - Don't say pink eye....nor Southern Devil SCORPION!!

Nephite eye patch for...Pink Eye (Shhhhhh)

 HI! So this week was super cool. I got an eye infection (Sister Mathis and the

Mission Nurse say it was pink eye but I refuse to say those words out

loud), so we spent three days in our apartment. By day three we were losing

our minds. Sister Mathis made me a Nephite eye patch, and we

sang/interpretive danced(mostly Sis Mathis) to "illegal" disney songs.

Notice her loving support:

​Oh and I had to wear my McGee glasses to some discussions we didn't want

to cancel. Sups Cool.

Ok and then we found this son of a gun chillin right above my bed:

​See attached video of the take down. THIS IS AN ALABAMA CENTIPEDE and they
are POISONOUS. What the crap.

A few days later, just before bed, I was in the bathroom, when out of the
corner of my eye I see movement. There is a bright RED MOUSE SIZED INSECT
sauntering across the floor, looking at me like I'm the annoying one in the
room!!! It shimmied under the door and disappeared into our dark apartment
before I could get myself together. It looked like a praying mantis with
extra appendages, like a mantis-spider hybrid. I literally couldn't
comprehend what was happening. Probably because I was looking through my
diseased eye and McGee glasses. The whole thing was a recipe for disaster.
Anyway, I grabbed the flashlight I keep under the bathroom sink for these
occasions, and opened the door slowly. I whisper-screamed for Sister Mathis
to wake up and help me find the Satan bug, but she did not. I spent 20
minutes going around our apartment with my flashlight and a prayer.
Nothing. It's probably sleeping on the underside of my mattress as we
speak. After doing some research, I've concluded that it was a Southern
Devil (ha!) SCORPION, native to the south. Although it was RED, and Red
Scorpions the deadliest scorpions known to man.. they're supposed to be in
India, Pakistan and Nepal... so that's probably what it was. Made a special
trip just for me.

In other good news, Sister Mathis has a coke problem. Pretty sure she
cracked her first one open at 7:45 this morning. I'm trying to help her,
but she's still in denial. And she doesn't appreciate it when I refer to
her habit as a coke problem, but I think it's funny. LOVE HER.

We live in a jungle. I love it! Except for the bugs. Kill them all.

Happy news! We have an amazing new investigator. Her name is Allison, andshe referred herself, after being introduced to the gospel by a guy who was
painting her neighbors house. Haha! She's already done some great research,
and is smart about her sources. She is so eager to learn, and even set her
own baptism date! If only it were always that easy! Elder Diede made a
great point though, and said it should always be that easy for those who
the Lord has prepared. And it's so true. There are events and understanding
that has taken place in Allison's life, and brought her to this point. I
love being able to recognize the workings of the spirit, even in the
tiniest details (like meeting the guy who's painting your neighbors
house...). She has set a date for 4 months from now, and I'm so happy we
get to teach her as she prepares to make that step in her journey. AND I'm
so grateful for Mr. Painter guy! Those tiny interactions that we get to
make as members can lead to incredible happiness in other's lives! Don't
ever forget that.

We had interviews with President Sainsbury and his wife again this week. I
love them so much. They truly love us, I can always feel that. So grateful
I get to serve with them.

Cool Park we contact at sometimes

   So I read the intro to D&C for the first time the other night. I highly recommend it if you haven't read it recently. I got to the part where is says, "On April 6, 1830, *under heavenly direction*, the Prophet Joseph Smith organized the Church, and thus the true Church of Jesus Christ is once again operative as an institution among men, with authority to teach

the gospel and *administer the ordinances of salvation*." Chills. It goes on to say that in D&C we see "the restoration and unfolding of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the ushering in of the dispensation of the fulness of times." Woah. I had such a sweet and powerful experience with those words.

I'm so grateful to be living in this time, when we have the Priesthood authority to participate in and receive these profound blessings.

In Relief Society yesterday, we had a sweet discussion on prayer. Prayer is so much more powerful that we typically understand (at least me). It's hard for me, I'm a very instant-gratification person. And prayers aren't always answered immediately. There were some great testimonies shared from three different women. Two of them had examples of times when their prayers were answered immediately. We always love hearing about those stories! But then the third women spoke of a struggle her and her family have been praying for months to get through. Her and her husband have had to learn that even
though the answers they are looking for haven't come immediately, they have been blessed with a sense of *peace. That no matter how difficult their situation seems right now, they are and will be taken care of. *To them, that is enough of an answer for now. They have chosen to hold tight to that
peace, and allow the spirit to comfort them, while the Lord prepares them for their answers.

It reminds me of Moses 1, when Moses asks God why he created everything.

God politely tells Moses, "for mine own purpose have I made these things."

Or in other words, don't worry about it Moses.. I have a purpose, and it's

a wise purpose. All you need to know right now is that every creation is

numbered, and *I know them. *I *love* them, and it is "my work and glory -

to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." He loves us.

Sometimes that is the only answer we get for a while. But it means that our

happiness is His happiness, and we can trust for a while longer.

I hope everyone is doing well! I love you so much.

Xo Sister Smith