Come Follow Me: I love the spirit, it's the reason this work is going.

November 28, 2016

Hello loved ones of America,

I hope you had a great thanksgiving and I'm sorry there was a flu bug going around. But I hope everyone is feeling better and we are healthy and getting ready for the crazy Christmas season. But it shouldn't be too crazy cause it's Christ day.

Well this week was amazing! So many miracles. Where to begin?

Well we had a great opportunity to go hiking with some members and their non-member friend. It was so pretty and a wonderful missionary opportunity. So our hike was to pick Kaki or in English persimmon. I've never seen them in America so I don't know but they are delicious and way famous here. But so many other people were there as well. We met this girl named Andrea from Singapore and she was so cute and awesome. She live in Wakayama where the other sisters are so we are referring her to them but she was so nice and was interested in what we do.

Next Kyoko San. So we gave her questions of the soul and marked all the scriptures for her last lesson and she was a little hesitant if she would read them or not but we encouraged and testified and prayed. Well Friday on the way to district Meeting we get a call and she says sisters I read it all and I want to meet again soon! Wow, that was a huge miracle and she is now making so much progress.

Then that same day we met with Kim the one from Korea. So we helped her study for her test then we did our spiritual message. As we shared with her prayer and answer she said sisters I know I need religion in my life and so far all I have is an amazing image of the Mormon church so when this test is over I really want to study and try and come to church. Wow what?! Two weeks ago she was like not making appointments etc. now she's just ready, Heavenly Father knows his children.

And Saturday was just the best! So we had a fun opportunity to play soccer with the LA grandson who is our investigator. It was so fun and boy have I missed soccer. But the sad thing is I woke up SO sore ha but he was so happy and we had a blast then his grandma made us tacos! Yes, first time in a year ha but anyway after that we had some time before we had another appointment so we decided to go knocking. Well we knocked on a few, no answer so we felt okay lets go but then I felt this one house we should knock. So we did, and well this cute grandma came out holding a baby and she looks so young I thought she was the mom but we talked to her about families and how our church focuses so much on families and she loved it and said she wanted to try to come to church. She also said we can come back next week same time. We are so excited, her name is Noriko and I love the spirit. Then next after our appointment another spirit guided moment. So we planned to go visit this high school investigator who hasn't been replying because of tests but we both were worried we would be bugging her or something so we were hesitant. So I said let's pray, we prayed, and I was still not sure. Then Kawamura Shimai said smith shimai decides. And so I don't know where it came from but I said let's go. And before I felt we shouldn't go. And we went, and she was home, we met her and we were able to make a next appointment, I love the spirit. Saturday really strengthened my testimony of the spirit, I just love it.

Last the thought of the week, it's from a talked called Love of Christ in 1992 General Conference. It says "What is love of Christ? 1. Love for Christ 2. Love from Christ 3. Love like Christ." Then under the section Love for Christ it says, "First, love for Christ. This concept proclaims Jesus as the object of our love, and our lives should be an external expression of our gratitude for him. Sometimes that is difficult to do. I once visited a high priests group meeting where an older brother taught us. He noted that “as a people we often pray, ‘We thank thee for all the blessings we enjoy.’ But what about the blessings we don’t enjoy? It can be very hard to be thankful for those.” This dear man had just experienced his first Christmas without his sweetheart in more than fifty years. It is difficult to be grateful to the Lord under circumstances we don’t enjoy." I just loved this, I've been really focusing on being grateful for my hard times and not always happiest times. So please this week, take some time and pray and thank god for the blessings we don't always enjoy. I promise he will bless you and you'll feel more joy with all blessings whether good or bad. And of course go read it as well. It's amazing. I love my Father in Heaven. He's blessed me with so much. Never forget that. Love and miss you all! #RELY #BLESSINGS

スミス姉妹 Smith Shimai