Little Success is Coming

June 27, 2016

Hey Hey People of America,
How are you all doing? Where did June go? I can't believe it's the last week of June, like what.. But sounds like all is well I hope you all continue to stay close to the Lord and your life will be blessed. Well I guess onto the week. So we will start off with Tuesday. It was such a good day!! We did a lot of finding and such that day but wow we met so many great people. It's a goal in our mission to strive to get 20 lessons a week which can be hard here and in Toyooka it's so small and country side it can be a hard task but Tuesday we just spent all day talking and knocking and we were able to teach 7 lessons that day. I haven't done that once since being here in Toyooka so that was so good to see Gods hand helping us when we try and work hard. We also had an ice cream party at Ekaiwa that day, boy was that crazy! We are poor missionaries so we bought only three big cartons of ice cream thinking for sure it was okay and wow the kids just inhaled it but it was the biggest turn out we have had since I've been here so it was great for the work. Wednesday we had to travel to Kobe because we had a trainer trainee meeting since she's a 2nd transfer and new etc we have a meeting with Welch Kaicho and the assistants. I love this meeting! It was my 4th time going now and wow I love it,  I always learn so much and receive so much help. And they feed us which is always American food because Costco is close, so yup that was great, ha but they focused a lot on obedience there and wow is EXACT obedience so important. God will bless those who try their very best to be exactly obedient I promise and know that. So we actually found 2 new investigators this week! Matsuoka San and Hama San. First Matsuoka San, so he's about 30 something and has one kid and we knocked into his house. We told him we teach about gods love and we know it could help him. So we asked if we could share a short video of gods love and he agreed. After the video, we asked him what he felt and he said such a warm feeling. We were able to talk more about how God loves us and we lived with him before and we can live with him and our family again. We asked if we could come back and he said yes so we gave him a pamphlet and asked him to read about prayer and to pray whether or not God loves him. The spirit was crazy strong during they lesson and I'm just grateful for the spirit because I'll be honest, I don't even remember half the stuff I said or if it
was right Japanese but he felt the spirit and knew there was something different. Next was Hama San. We were knocking on some apartment doors and all the other doors before were no or not home. It was getting discouraging, but the last door we knock on opens the door and let us share our message. We talked about God loves us and we asked to show the video but she was feeding her kids dinner so she said to come back so we can talk more about gods love. Yes! Toyooka is growing, seeing more success every week. Oh also, another miracle. So do you remember Saki the high school girl I met on the train and gave a Book of Mormon too, well she hasn't been replying for weeks, well today she text and said after her test she wants to meet. YES!! I love blessings.  But the work is coming, it hasn't been an easy few months but it is coming. So this week I've been thinking about how wonderful it is that God blesses us missionaries families so well. I just love how God will always provide us blessings for serving him and I'm not there obviously but I feel our family is being blessed for my service here and it brings so much joy to me. I know God is blessing you back home and I'm so grateful for him and his unconditional love to you and everyone. Lastly, just a thought that I learned from President Welch this week that really opened my eyes. He said "Did you know that you worrying about what others think about you is a sin?" And I went wow, wait huh? Ha and he said "That is pride everyone, we need to be humble and worry about what our God thinks." Wow, I had to change. And I was so grateful for that opportunity to learn that. It's not easy to overcome that but I challenge all of you, if you are still worried about what others thinks over what God thinks, then repent, change, and I know God will help you do that if you rely on Him. He's helped me so much this week. It's been crazy.  I know God cares about all of you individually and he loves you. Never forget that, the simple knowledge of God loves me has come so close to my heart.  People here don't even know they have a loving Heavenly Father who loves them, so please never forget that and just worry about what he thinks not others. I love you all and miss you like crazy! Keep being you. #RELY #GODSOPINION
Smith Shimai スミス姉妹

"I finally saw my MTC companion!!:)"

"The one on the left is Gibson shimmy whom I have become best friends with! She leaves in August though..."

"My 2nd trainee, she's great! Trainer and trainee meeting in Kobe"

"Our last name haha"

"Writing in Japanese"

"I wrote the one on the right ha"

"More Japanese writing"

MIRACLES ARE COMING THROUGH FAITH

June 20, 2016

Hello Everyone!
First, thank you so much for the birthday wishes. I had a great day and peoples spoiled me here in Japan. Ah, Japanese people are just so sweet and loving! Plus, getting to share the gospel to people for your birthday, nothing better haha I hope all you fathers had a wonderful Father's Day, thanks for being such amazing worthy priesthood holders. I am truly so grateful for the priesthood, especially growing up with a father who honored his priesthood and gave me blessings whenever I was in need. As well as my amazing 4 brothers! (tanner not a dad yet but still honors his priesthood so thank you all of you dads)So this week, we are starting to see some great things! I'm so happy. First off training is always just a blast, plus living with a Japanese has been fun and a new adventure. She loves America and just wants to visit me so bad after ha it's way funny! But she's great! So this week we had exchanges with the sister training leaders and it was great! They made me a french toast mountain for breakfast with candles for my birthday ha it was so nice and fun! But also the exchange was great. I made a goal to better learn how to better understand the spirit and as we went finding for a few hours we stopped and prayed and my STL looked at me and said okay where we going? So I just had a thought go by the train station and after that we found 2 new investigators for their area, the spirit is simple people. I learned that, a simple thought is the spirit, it's not always this HUGE thing, most the time is small and simple. Wow, it was an eye opener for me. Don't over complicate the gospel. Okay the greatest miracle of the week, so we had this plan set for the day and as we were going to one place I thought this won't be effective, we need to change ways so we did. A minute after we met Kubota San. We saw her and I had a slight fear of stopping her but I just thought okay do it, and she listened. Faith! Yay! She is familiar with Christ, (very rare in Japan) and we taught about prayer and gods loves and she loved it. We exchanged numbers and will be meeting this week! Yay the simple promptings of the spirit, I love it!  So this Saturday we had a BBQ as a branch and investigators etc, it was a blast.  We cooked all kinds of meat, veggies, us sisters made desserts, and played water balloon toss which turned into the half Japanese half American kids hitting us with water balloons and being all wet haha, but the miracle of the BBQ was our investigator Nana chan and her mom Miyuki San came. They've been way busy and haven't been  able to meet so we prayed they would come and they did! First time they've been to the church building. It was great and everyone was so sweet to them! They talked to us a little and said they are sorry they haven't been meeting but they are going to change and start making time to meet because they know they need Christ. Music to my ears, and joy in my heart.  Also, a member brought her friend to the BBQ and I talked to her about our purpose and about God and prayer and she loved it too. So she wants to meet again soon and her friend who is a member. YES, member missionary work is the best. Miracles am I right? Last, the thought of the week. So I was reading the Liahona and there was a simple story about the temple. It is Feeling the Spirit of the Temple in the June Liahona. Boy did it tug at my heart strings, this gospel is such a blessing, especially the knowledge of eternal families. I love it. Please go read it, that's my simple challenge. Families are forever and I'm so glad I have my family forever. Plus sharing that knowledge with people is the great blessing ever. Truly, I love it so much when you tell someone they can live with their families forever and they just light up, ah I love it! So please go read and then go to the temple, take advantage of that blessing because oh I miss it. The temple is gods perfect house, I love it and hope you do too. I love this work, yes it's never easy but oh it's worth it. #RELY #ETERNALFAMILIES Smith Shimai  スミス姉妹

"Member bought me an ice cream cake for my birthday"

"Luczak Shimai and I did exchanges again! She bought me the famous black thunder ice cream for my birthday"

"A cute member"

"This girl is moving to St George in July, weird! She added you on FB mom"

"Thanks Mom"

"Elders are so Nice"

"Way Wet"

Let the rainy season begin!

June 13, 2016

Hello People of America!
Boy is it nice to be talking well I guess writing in English haha how are you all? Sounds like all is well and summer is just good in Utah eh? I'm glad Calens blessing went well! Also, thanks for all the birthday wishes and love. You all are the best.  I can't believe I'm 20 this week... Wow! That was fast.. I feel so young still ha not 20, oh also, HAPPY FATHERS DAY TO ALL THE DADS OUT THERE, Especially Wallace Bret Smith, the greatest day ever, love you lots dad! Thanks for all you do, I'm so grateful for you! Well sorry this week there isn't a lot to write about, it's been a little bit hard and NO ONE exists or is ever home. Plus, rain like all day everyday. Humid hot rain let me tell you.. Haha But we had a few good lessons this week. So we have this grandma investigator named Toshie but it's been hard because she forgets a lot and her answers change a lot so we aren't sure what to do because she has potential but forgets and is just old. So that's been hard but we love her and will keep trying for awhile. But we had a great lesson with this old investigator of the sisters before and she has been way sick so we talked to her about prayer and it was such a good lesson. She was just so open to listen and wanted just anything to help her. So we talked about God loving her and he will help her through this hard time. I was able to testify of the power of prayer because during sports there were many times I thought I can't play this game, my body hurts, I'm sick etc but just a small prayer to my father in heaven and it didn't all go away but he gave me strength to do it and it was just great. So hopefully we can go back there and see success there. Also this week at church we had a girl come to our branch this week and she is moving to ST.GEORGE next week, okay weird haha,  she's 19 and marrying someone from Washington, I didn't know him but it was crazy. Her conversion story is awesome too, she's been a member for a year and she actually was in Australia studying English and learned about the church in English. It was insane haha so she bore her testimony and didn't know words in Japanese so I had to help her, it was so fun and she is so cute! We are going to eat dinner with her on Thursday, so excited! What a small world right? Well I love this area, the branch is so loving and great. Small and full of old people but they have such strong faith and testimonies. My companion is awesome, it's hard speaking in Japanese but Monday is English day so it's fun to see her try her English. She's very good! She understands 80% of what I say so it's fun! But I'm learning a lot of Japanese and it's awesome. It can be hard because she understands everything but we get a long and it's been fun! I'm happy for sure but yes it's been a hard two transfers I won't lie, but wow have I've grown and learned a lot. Lastly the thought of the week, Howard W Hunter book that we study in relief society had an amazing message that I needed, I know everyone needs too so here it is. "We are all doing great, whether it is noticed or not." Isn't that such a comfort. We sometimes feel we are doing good things but nothing is being recognized but it always makes a difference. It relates D&C 64:33 to that as well. "33 Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great." It's the small things we do that make a difference in people's lives. Never forget that in your life okay? God is proud of you whether it is noticed or not. I love this gospel, I love sharing it no matter how hard it can be. Seeing the light in someone's eyes makes the downs seem like nothing. I love you all! Miss you! Thanks for all you do! #RELY #SMALLTHINGSスミス姉妹

"Saw a crab?!"

"The Elder biffed hard today"

Transfer 7, WOW! Japanese all day"

June 6, 2016

こにちわ皆さん！Hello Everyone!
Another transfer has come and gone.. It's insane! But thanks for the love and emails from you all. It sounds like as is well and the lake was a blast. Im glad all went well and no one was hurt. But wow everyone is getting big but keep being great people that you are. Thanks for the uplifting emails always and be safe during summer. Okay well I'm sure you're all wondering where I'm at. I stayed! Haha I'm still in Toyooka but my companion left me! We were SO sad... We didn't get a call Monday so we thought okay we aren't training or being am STL so this is good then Tuesday after Ekaiwa still no call so we thought YES ONE MORE TOGETHER. Well... At 9:25 during planning we get a call and she was leaving. NO! Haha so then I get a call and I am actually training. Yup, she's a second transfer and Japanese!! I have a Japanese companion now, it's crazy! Ha lots of Japanese that's for sure. But she is actually decent at English and she wants to learn more so twice a week she makes me talk to her in English as much as I can but 90% is Japanese, it's so different. Her name is 原田姉妹 (Harada Shimai) and actually is 25. She is so funny and wants to live in America so bad. She loves Mexican food and like all American food. It's way interesting. She actually isn't way Japanese, for example, she hugs me, take pictures of me, and like loves english. (No Japanese person likes that stuff) haha but it's been so fun being able to talk in Japanese almost all day everyday. One funny thing, she wanted me to pray on English on our English day so I did, and like it felt so weird, I like honestly started to like forget how you word things in prayers for English. But I'm so excited to improve my Japanese more and more this transfer being with her. So these week, we had a great opportunity to have a day of missionary work with the only young women in our branch. It was so fun! But what was so sad is that every thing we had planned that day fell through. Literally everything, but one! I was so frustrated and sad but we were able to take her out for ice cream and talk about now missionary work has its ups and downs but it is always worth it in the end because the last lesson with had after ice cream is the one that didn't fall through, it was perfect! God is good isn't it?  Another miracle of the week. So we were eating dinner yesterday and we get a call from the elders and the recent convert of our area wanted to meet the new missionaries so they were coming to get us in his car. Now this brother is kind of LA because he works on Sunday so he only comes when he has a break. So I had never met him and so it was all new. He picked us up with the elders, went to the church and just talked and talked. Then he started to open up about how he wants work off on Sunday but even when he tells them he needs it they say no. Well back story, that day in Sunday school we were given a copy of  a talk about a girl who wanted a break on Sunday but was scared to say why and didn't pray or fast about it but after she prayed and fasted and told them why she needed it they let her. So I had a thought, share the talk you read today. And so we did. It helped him so much and he now is going to apply it. WOW! Spirit works amazing doesn't it? Lastly, I just want to share something cool I learned this week personally. So during study I was reading in PMG how to use the Book of Mormon and I was reading how the bible and the Book of Mormon compliment each other right? Well I was reading 2 Nephi 29:8 and it says "8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the testimony of two nations is a witness unto you that I am God, that I remember one nation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two nations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also." And when I read it, it hit me. We need two nooks just like we need two people in missions. If we don't have two testimonies then how can we really know? Many of you probably already realized this but I didn't, and wow it changed my testimony of the knowledge that they compliment each other. Isn't our church amazing? I love it and it's so true. Never ever forget how blessed we are to have this gospel. Love it every minute of everyday please. I know I do now.  I love you all and have a fun week and summer ok? #RELY #TWOスミス姉妹

"Zone Conference"

"Favorite English Student"

"New Comp"

"My comp takes pictures of me A LOT"

BLITZ!!

May 30, 2016

Hello Everyone,

How are you all doing? Well transfer 6 is over, it's crazy! This one flew by so fast! I can't even believe it. Transfer 7 here I come, woah! But it sounds like all is well from what I've read thus far from everyone that we are all happy and well. I hope you have a blast at Lake Powell, don't freeze! You're welcome for getting everyone into the lake, enjoy it without me, haha jokes! I'm 110% happy where I am.  Well, REESES PIECES HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I can't believe you're growing up so fast, just stop okay? Love you cutie pie! Have a great birthday. Well now onto the week, kind of a normal week so it won't be that long this week but first thing of the week we did a blitz here in Toyooka. So the two other sisters in our zone came and we just went and taught as many people as we could. It was so great, we saw so many miracles! We were able to find 3 new investigators and we are hoping that they can grow more and more. One amazing experience I had this week was being able to strive to be a better missionary as we travel. So I sat by this girl in the trainand just asked her how she was and how old she was etc. she tried answering a lot in English to impress me. She was so cute! Her name is Saki and she is 17 and just my best friend. So then I told her that we teach free English and she was so excited to come! Then she asked why we do that and why we would come to Japan? So I told her we teach about God and Christ and she said oh I am familiar with God and from what I know Christ is a great guy! That's the best thing to hear as a missionary. So I told her about God being our father in heaven and he loves us and Christ is his son. She asked if our church reads the bible because she was familiar with it, I told her of course but we also believe in the Book of Mormon. So I introduced how we got the Book of Mormon and how it changes our life. She read the intro and thought it was so cool a nd loved it. So we talked more about it then we finished and I was asking the elders a question then I look over at her and she was in 1 Nephi 4 already and was intently reading. It was amazing! She leaned over and asked me who Nephi was and all these questions so we studied together for awhile until she had to get off the train but we got her number and hopefully meet with her soon. Seriously, such an amazing experience for me to finally be more bold in my teaching on the trains, because of courage God helped me to touch her heart. The other cool thing of the week, the elders had a baptism! His name is Kumagai and he is so amazing. His love for Christ is indescribable. The because of him video is his favorite and he watches it about 4 times a day haha... Great isn't it.  His story is great, he had some word of wisdom struggles and the elder really pushed him and helped me for the past week and through many miracles and of course God and Christ's atonement, he was baptized on Sunday! He will be such an amazing member and will for sure be a big help to our branch. The baptism was just so spirit filled and you could see the joy in his face when he came up and he knew he was clean. Isn't baptism the best? It is the greatest feeling ever I love the gospel. Ah! Haha Well my spiritual thought of the week, a quote from Gordan B Hinkley, You're all that the lord has, so that makes you enough." And I just love that, when we feel we aren't enough, remember we are all he has so obviously it's enough because his work is growing and we are strong and overcome so many things. I challenge you all to pray to God and know that you are enough. No matter what you're going through knowing this will change your life. We are all enough, imperfect yes but imperfectly enough to do his work and be here. I know this is true. Without a doubt I know I'm far from perfect BUT I'm enough, my Japanese is enough, my knowledge is enough, to build his work with HIS help. Well I love you all! Not sure where I'll be next week, but I'll let you know. Haha new transfer here we come. I love you all so much! Forever grateful for your support and love. Keep relying on him and everything works out, I promise! #RELY #ENOUGH スミス姉妹

"Elders baptism. It was amazing!"

"After baptism party"