a New Era - The Power of Happiness

Hey Ya'll!

We had a couple cool experiences last night and the night before. We started tracting this apartment complex we hadn't been to before. One of the YSAs mentioned a lot of international students lived there, and would probably be the only people still in town during the holiday break. After weeks of exhausting all of our other ideas, we finally gave it a try! 

The first night we were invited into the home of a sweet Nepalese couple, Rina and Ashok. Their religious culture is Hindu, and it was a sweet thing to be able to learn a little more about their rich beliefs rooted in family and love. We were able to talk with them about the universal truth that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and that we are each brothers and sisters. They have a 5 month old baby boy named Evan, and Rina's mother, Camoa, was also there visiting from Nepal to help with the first few months of parenthood. There was such a sweet feeling in their apartment, as we kneeled to pray together before we left. 

The next night we met Arpan and Sweta, another sweet Nepalese couple! It just so happens that Arpan was the president of the Nepalese Cultural Night I attended with Sister Tunuufi back in November! They were so excited to hear that I had been there with them that night to learn about and celebrate their beautiful country and culture. Again, we had the opportunity to testify of the eternal truth of families, and the plan Heavenly Father has for each of his children. As it turns out, Arpan was given a Book of Mormon years ago when he spent some time in Japan! It is absolutely amazing to me how the Lord orchestrates these meetings. No matter who or what or where we are, he is working in our lives.

After leaving them with a prayer, the last door we knocked was Sama's. A beautiful young woman from Iraq. She told us a little about her past, her beliefs, her country, and her dear family. What an amazing woman! She expressed her desire to learn more about the message we share, and invited us back. As did the previous families. 

I've been given the opportunity to learn of the great power of happiness lately. The end of the mission is kind of rough at times, but as President Sainsbury counseled me, (as have my parents for like... my whole life, haha), I'm going to just focus on the Doctrine of Happiness. There are so many anxieties we can easily be overtaken by in this world. At different times in our life, through certain challenges. But I do believe there is actual power in happiness, and choosing to look for and focus on it. Rather than agonize about whether I'm ready to leave this phase of my life, my mission, or whether I've become exactly who I wanted to or who the Lord wants me to, I'm going to chose to trust and to be happy and enjoy these last 2 months I have to serve the Lord and be one of His missionaries. 2 months from today to be exact! I really have learned so much about what true happiness is, and where it comes from over these last 16 months. I hope and pray that all those I love will one day feel the happiness they deserve. 

"Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it. And this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." -Joseph Smith (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith p.255-56)

The words of our dear Prophet, who we will miss. So grateful to know he is reunited with his sweet Wife and friends. 

"No matter the phase of the work, something good is happening. Either you're teaching, strengthening your companion, or growing closer to the Savior." -Sister Boyack (my dear Sister Training Leader)

I love you all, have a great week!

Love Sister Smith

Silent Night - A Beautiful Missionary Gift to her Proud Parents

Behold, The Condescension of God by Katie L.

When I was growing up, Christmas meant joy, magic, music, and laughter.  I imagine it means that to lots of children, but my father is particularly good at it.  He embodies the Christmas spirit.  The way he recites The Grinch in his convincing British accent.  How he tells us every year about the Christmas Eve in his boyhood, when he awoke to discover one of Santa’s elves snooping around his bedroom.  How he cries every time Scrooge pledges to really change, or Clarence the angel gets his wings.

I’ll never forget the year the ward went around doing video interviews with families about their Christmas traditions, which were made into a video montage and played at the annual Christmas party.  Everyone else had perfectly respectable traditions: Christmas lights, recipes, favorite songs.  But when it came time for the Ackerman’s portion of the movie, Dad had made everyone get all dressed up in bedsheets with towels on our heads, acting out the scene when the angels came to announce the birth of Christ to the shepherds.  He’d made us sing “Angels We Have Heard on High” in 4-part harmony.  My little sister was standing on the piano bench with her arm outstretched, shouting, “Fear not!  For behold I bring you good tidings of great joy!”  Everyone else’s clips were 30-second DESCRIPTIONS of their holiday traditions.  Ours was a 5-minute-plus DEMONSTRATION.  As a teenager, I can tell you that it was THE most embarrassing moment of my life.

Still, I carried with me a sense of the joyous and spectacular about Christmas.  I couldn’t remember a single unhappy Christmas in all my life.

Until last year, when the Lord gave me a new glimpse into this holiday of holidays.

2010 was something of a rough year for me.  I dove headfirst into a grueling battle with my own version of what Paul called a thorn in the flesh.  We all have our thorns – nagging, sometimes agonizing, reminders of our fallen state.  They could be depression, anxiety, or mental illness.  Sins and temptations we can’t seem to shake.  Addictions.  Difficult childhoods.  Physical impairments or ailments.

Coming to accept and work within our limitations is an important, healing process – but the truth is that when you engage in this sort of work, you often feel worse before you feel better.  2010 was the worst I’d ever felt.

Christmas was hard.  I’d had hard times before, of course, but I’d always been able to keep them to myself with a determined smile and a deliberate upward inflection in my voice.  Christmas had always been a welcome distraction from my worries.  But last year I couldn’t muster it.  I was struggling so deeply that I could no longer hide it from my family and friends.

Then the Lord gave me an insight that brought me some peace.

He reminded me of Nephi’s vision of the Tree of Life.

In 1 Nephi 11, an angel appears to Nephi, and Nephi asks the angel what the beautiful tree means.

In response, Nephi is shown a vision of a Virgin bearing a Son in a stable.   After Nephi sees this, the angel asks: “Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw?”

And Nephi answers, “Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men.”

I asked myself, “Why? Why did Nephi understand that the tree was love of God after he saw Jesus being born?”

The answer was quickly revealed in the scripture, for just a few verses later, the angel exclaims, “Behold, the condescension of God!”  Now, condescension means to come down from a high place to a much lower place. I realized that the love of God isn’t best manifest in His might and glory and creation and dominion – though it is expressed there, too, of course – but in His humility, His empathy, His willingness to get down into the dirt with us.

After discovering this, I recorded some of my thoughts and feelings.  This is a portion of what I wrote…

 For all the lights and tinsel, for all the sparkling packages and clanking bells, for all the Hallelujah choruses, the decadent food, the elaborate parties, the ugly sweaters with sequins and snowmen and swirls — we are honoring the birth of a God who, ultimately, came to suffer; and in His sufferings, triumph.

That is not to say the triumph doesn’t deserve the joy and gaiety we lavish upon it; merely that this year I need to focus on the humility of His beginning and the depth of His condescension — so lowly, so meek, that He came to meet me where I am.

So to the God born in a barn, not in a palace, not in a hospital, not even a clean bed, and laid to sleep in a feeding trough: Thank You.  You have no beauty that I should desire You, You who are smitten and afflicted, bruised and forsaken — and yet I do.  From the depths of my soul, I do!

Now this story, as all stories do when we give ourselves over to the God who descended below all things – regardless of the mortal outcome – has a happy ending.   I am through the worst of that particular battle (though as is the case with our thorns in the flesh, I may never be rid of it fully).  Christmas this year is as much about trumpets and tinsel and joy as it ever was.  But there is a tenderness about it, and I hope about me, that was not there before.  A clearer understanding.  A deeper well of compassion and empathy and the pure of love of Christ.

The theme tonight is “O Come All Ye Faithful,” but I wonder if we might not be able to expand it.

O Come, all ye faithful.  O Come, all ye doubtful. Come, all ye sorrowful and shameful and prideful and sinful.

Come lay your burdens at His feet.  Come take part of the condescension of Christ.  You are never so low, but that He has gone lower.  You are never so lost but that He will seek you out.

May we all have a very merry Christmas.

2018

Hello!!!!

What the.. it feels like an eternity since I've actually written!!

WELCOME TO 2018 YA'LL! It's going to be the best year yet. I can just feel it.

Here are some things that have happen over the past few weeks:

Mid December we met a professor named Daren (outside the Furg walking his dogs with his wife) who invited us to come back the next day, and gave us a tour of the Reese Phifer research building.. pretty sweet! Both of his parents are deaf, so he's currently working on technology for tornado warning systems for the deaf and blind. Pretty awesome, people and what they're inspired by amaze me.

Met an amazing Muslum woman from Iraq at the River Walk, and had the sweetest conversation with her about life, love and religion. Her and her husband came here for vacation 20 years ago. War broke out while they were away, which prevented them from returning home to their country. They had two suit cases, and that's what they built their new life from, here in Alabama. When she found out we were Mormon, she clasped her hands together and exclaimed her love for Mormons. She told us her and her husband bought their first home here form a Mormon woman, who they kept in contact with until the day she died. In a beautiful thick accent she told us that woman was an example of a "true Christian." She said we are welcome in her home anytime we like. Oh, I will always love Mrs. Jameel.

We were out contacting the other night, and I realized I hadn't seen Keith in a while, and began to be a little worried. About 10 minutes later we ran right into him! Sweet little miracle.

We've been contacting down on the "Tinsel Trail" at the river walk lately. It's a big trail of decorated Christmas trees on the river. It was freezing one night, so some people from Safe Haven church invited us to crash their Christmas Party, in the venue on the river walk. There we met a really cool girl named Tiffany visiting from LA. She's an artist currently working on a singing career. She invited us to come visit her back in LA after the missions.

On both Christmas Eve and Christmas night we took the rest of the missionaries in our District down the the river with us to carol. Elder Fotu and I played guitar and uke, while we all sang until our fingers froze and fell off. It was so fun though! Man I will miss these days.

I told my family about Wei Dong, while skyping Christmas Day. He's our upstairs neighbor from China. One day I randomly had this urge to open our front door and listen to the rain before we left for the day. Wei Dong pulled up in his car right when I opened the door, so he said hi as he walked past to go to his door. I heard him stop halfway up the stairs, pause, and walk back down to talk to us. He told us how this would be his first Christmas in the United States, as he's only been here for 3 months. He explained that he's taking a bible study class with other international students, and has enjoyed learning of Christ. He said "I really like that feeling.. what is it.. the spirit?" Haha it was so cute and sweet. We told him about the work we are here doing as missionaries, and offered to meet with him personally. He said he'd like that!

The experience reminded me of a time before my mission, when my own missionaries had invited me to an institute class. After class, we were standing outside the building talking when a guy walked up to my Elders and gave them the name of a friend he felt impressed to have them reach out to. As he walked away, I remember Elder McGirr saying "So cool.. I would have never noticed that before my mission." He explained to us that he'd watch that guy come out of the building, walk down the street, pause, and turn around to talk to them. He said how cool it was to be able to witness the spirit working on someone, right in the moment. I, like Elder McGirr, am so grateful and amazed to witness the spirit working in the lives of people we meet.

A few days later I felt impressed to invite Wei Dong to spend his first Christmas Eve having dinner with us and a bunch of other missionaries at the Lewis' house. He was so excited, and actually showed up! He introduced himself to everyone, and seemed to have a lot of fun with us. I love the Asian students we've been able to teach. They are all so kind and sincere and open to learning! Their culture is beautiful and so full of respect for others. I've loved being a witness to the Lords work. I've mentioned before, how cool it is to meet students from all over the world, be able to introduce them to the Gospel, and feel that this is one way the Lord is being able to take the Gospel to places where they are not yet free to have it taught in their own countries.

We had the Mission Christmas party/devotional back on Dec 21st, which was super fun. I was really missing my families this year, so I roped Sister Swanson into singing Silent Night with me. The APs put together a really cool video of all of us missionaries, as a Christmas gift to President and Sister Sainsbury, and played it at the party. It's included in the google photo album I'll send. We got to watch Moana at the party! It's super cute.

"Prison Lewis" showing us how to make DOOWOP.

B-ham at night.

One thing I've really enjoyed about the season is a tradition started by our last mission President, President Hanks. He went home a transfer before I got out here, but most of the missionaries I served with the first half of my mission were his, so I've inherited a lot of the mission traditions from his time. He gave everyone a 25 days of Christmas reading list in 2015. I've used it both of my Christmas's in the field. There's a different reading for each day in December leading up to Christmas. I wanted to share with you one of the readings that meant a lot to me this year. I will send it in a separate email. It's called "Behold, the Condescension of God" by Katie L.

Ok I've said a lot today, I'm sorry about this Novel. Just a few last sweet little memories.

We went on exchanges this week with the Bessemer STLs. We contacted at the Saturday morning flea market, where we met an 82 year old black man named "Cotton." He was selling Sugar Cane from Louisiana. He taught us how to peel it and cut a piece off to chew. Said he used to do it all the time while working the fields as a kid. His grandfather grew up on a plantation, and gave himself the name Cotton, the same name he now bears.

Tornado wreckage.

"We must be about our Father's Business"

Old graves off the side of the road.

Never seen black Santa in a Manger.

I don't quite have words for what I'm feeling. Just to say that I LOVE these people in Alabama. I am so privileged to know them, to have been taught by them, inspired by them, and feel God's love for them.

We now have a set of Elders in the Tuscaloosa YSA, so I've been trying to help them get used to their new area. We took them on a bike tour of the city, to show them how to get around. That was pretty funny...

Yesterday was probably the coldest day of my entire life. We biked in 23 degree weather (real feel 14), with wind chills down to 0 degrees. Still haven't thawed out.
Random pics from a couple weeks ago:

HAPPY NEW YEAR FOLKS!

Oh and... NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP HERE WE COME!! ROLL TIDE!

I love you.
Teirs

District Meetings.

Ever seen Santa riding an elephant?

Two of my favorite locals.

Make breakfast Christmas Morning as a District Fam before skyping our families.

Christmas night at the Stevens.

Cool pic from a LONG walk to pick up our bikes we left at the river the night before.

...on car insurance??...

OH! P.S. Tell uncle Steve that I made it to Woodstock!!

The church where that guy from the pod cast is buried...