Hi fam:)

Hope everything is going well in America! things here in cambodia are incredible! it rained a ton this week! and some of the streets are starting to flood! also, this week was pretty nice, cause it was pretty cool. 

it was a pretty great week-full of miracles, and tender mercies! so awesome! we have this new investigator, srei noc. she lives with her aunt at a resturant they own, and she has a super strong desire to learn. its super awesome, because even though she can't read, she listens to her cousin read the book of mormon and the pamphets we give her! shes so awesome. 

this week, one of our wards had a baptism. the boy was 8 years old! it was super cool because it hit me that were not just here to baptize converts. were here to baptize converts so they can create the foundation of strong generations of families to recieve exhaltaion. we got a little taste of that, seeing this family who was baptized 10 years ago, and have been super strong ever since, beginning to create their legacy in Christ. super beautiful

sorry, dont have a lot of time this week! hope you all have good week:)

love sis smith

and...some paragraphs from a letter written to mom:

'My health is perfect!!! I have been so blessed to not get sick at all, not even a little bit. we are super careful with our food, and my khmae comp right now is uber uber safe with food and knows how to tell if its safe or not. So im good. 

Discouragement wise, im actually doing way good. the language is the hardest part. i have so much i want to say, but i dont know how to say it. I have only had like maybe 2 or 3 days where the mission was really hard. but other than that, i am super happy. im not just saying that. cambodia is fun. and its beautiful. and the people are incredible. and the gospel is so happy. mos 18 (i think its that chapter, and idk what verse) talks about how beautiful the waters of mormon are to those who came to know the gosepl there, and this is so true. im coming to know the gospel in a much for real way here in cambodia, and i love cambodia and the people with my whole heart. i didnt know my heart was this big. and i think where we come to know the gospel, we cant help but be happy. and i kinda explained a little bit above, but truly, any time i am discouraged, heavenly father sends an angel. mom. its crazy. i can literally feel the angels surrounding me, and going before my face, on my right hand and on my left. its one of the coolest things. 

i think the hardest part is when we go visit members, or recent converts or investigators or less actives, and they talk to us about their trials. last night, we had a super cool, super personal experience. we went to a members house, not really thinking much of it, because they are a super strong family, and we just stopped by right before we went to eat with a different member. and we went at the exact right time, because just a couple days before some crazy hard things have been happening to this family.it was us to missionaries, a member youth that came with us that is preparing to go on a mission, a grandpa and a grandma, and a mom all sitting in a circle on the ground, and they were sharing what they were going through. and i didnt even understand all of it.but my heart was breaking, and we were all holding hands, and we got to testify to these incredible members the promise of eternal families, and of the atonement, and how christ would truly make everything right in the end, and my comp shared an amazing miracle that happened with her family, and mom. it was the coolest thing i have ever been a part of. this gospel is so true. and these people are so amazing. so its hard because i want to understand everything, and i want to know how to say everything i want to say to help them, and i want to make all their problems go away. i have to remind myself i can never take away their problems, but i am giving them the next best thing-and thats the gospel. and thats the most anyone can ever do. so its actually way good. 

i feel super safe!! we are home every night by 7:30 at the latest, and at night we just avoid allyways and dark places and the elders escort us home. and i hope you know i am not reckless. i know that i am protected because i am a missionary, but i am completely obedient. because obedience is safety. and i super listen to the Holy Ghost, bc i know he will warn me of any danger. but i havent even had one experience where i didnt feel remotely unsafe. so dont worry. like, i am super super super safe. 

I have been so blessed. There hasnt been one night where I have laid in bed missing home or missing my family or missing you or anything. i feel your love and support so strongly, and i love the mission more than anything. every night i pour our my heart to heavenly father in gratitude because i am so thankful for this gospel, and for his love, and for his plan for my, and for his plan for each one of us, and that i get to have a hand in it, and that he is allowing me to be a missionary.  this is exactly where i want to be. literally, im already so sad that somehow i have been here for almost 2 months, because i never want to leave!! '

HELLO FROM CAMBODIA!!!

Hi hi hi everyone:)

This week was crazy and amazing and wow, being a missionary is amazing! I dont have a lot of time, but I wanted to share a couple things with you this week that were super awesome. 

First, i think everyone should come to Cambodia because im obsessed with it here. we had the incredible opportunity to visit the killing fields. what a humbling experience. these people are so amazing and so strong and i love them all so much with my entire heart!

Second, we had transfers! and I got a new trainer-sis Chin. She is INCREDIBLE. She is teaching me to make yummy khmae food!!! and she is so fun and hardworking. we sing wherever we go, and talk to everyone. its so awesome! im learning tons of culture stuff, and progressing in the language a lot.

Third, i ate some pigs skin, duck eggs, and rat!! its an adventure here in cambodia every day:)

Fourth. Prayer is so real. This week as I have been leading out in the area, i have been led so many times so that i can find where we need to go, and who we need to visit. I am so grateful for a loving Heavenly Father that care about something so small as helping me find an investigators house, or guiding me to people that are ready to hear the gospel. 

fifth, wow. So many miracles! this week, 7 new potential investigators came to church. like, wait. what? how? where are these people coming from? i have 0 idea. but heavenly father is truly working for us even when we dont think he is, and even when we dont realize it. 

its been such an amazing week! i love you all! good luck. stay happy. 

love, sis smith

hello!!:)

HI EVERYONE!!! 

Wow. this week was fantastic. so full of incredible miracles. 

For the first time in forever, i ate cheese. and it was glorious. also tried to catch a gecko, cause didnt really want it climbing in bed with us when we fell asleep lolz. unfortunately, we only suceeded in ushering it out of the room, and then we proceeded to fill all the cracks around the door with blankets haha. Also danced in the rain with a member and the cutest kids. then saw a rat swimming in the same rain we were dancing in, which may have made it a little less enchanting hah. but i love the rain! 

The best part of the week was a couple of things! Rhett Smii and Srei Mau got baptized!! yayayaya they are these super cute, awesome 16 year old cousins living here in the city with their cousins as they go to school. It was amazing to see them change from just 2 girls wanting to please the family they were living with by taking the lessons to coming to understand their heavenly father and his love for them. they have so much potential, and i know they will do so much good in their family, and in the ward. 

also, we went on an exchange! i went with a sister that speaks vietnamese! it was such an awesome experience. for one, it made me uber grateful i dont have to learn tones  haha. also during the exchange, we went contacting for the first time! it was awesome! she talked to the vietnamese speakers, and i talked to khmae speakers. it was awesome to see how we were guided to talk to certain people, and go to certain areas! 

we taught english class this week! and there was a super good turnout. always at the end of engligh class, we teach a spiritual thought for a half hour, and invite the students to stay if they want. this week, we were guded to talk about the BOM. so we introdiced it, and then invited everyone to write a question they have about anything. and then we randomly pulled out questions from a bag, and used the BOM to answer them. not gonna lie, it was kinda scary haha bc we really had to put our trust in Christ that he would guide our minds to find the right scriptures to share. the first question was about how to obtain happiness in families! so i was able to share a scripture, and testify. it was a super asweome experience to help these teenagers with their questions. also, 3 of them wanted to learn more about the gospel. so so so awesome!!

as i am getting to know the wards better, i am super impressed with them. this week especially i was super impressed with this young man. he's 15 years old, and isnt a member. he's been learning forever about the gospel, and really wants to get baptized, but his parents wont let him. so instead of just giving up, and not liiving the gospel, he is super involved. he comes to every activity, he bears his testimoney, comes to chruch, is super knowledgable about the gospel. its amazing that even though he isnt allowed to get baptized, he is doing everything he can to follow Christ. please pray that the parents of Bone Ah will let him get baptized!!

also crazy!! so typically, for your first 12 weeks in the country, you are in training, and you stay in the same area, and you stay with the same comp. but we got a call last night that told us my trainer is going to a different area, and im staying in StengMeanChey, and getting a new comp! Ill technically still be in training, but I'll be leading out in StengMeanChey! So kinda scary, because I still dont feel like i know the area super well! also way sad because love sis benson more than anything. But im excited to continue to learn with my new khmae comp, and continue this amazing work here in this incredible area. 

i love you all!! have an amazing week! 

hello everyone!!

I have 0 time this week lolz. but i wanted to share a couple quick things with you all.

This week was absolutely incredible. God's love for each and every person is so real. I never knew it was possible to love so deeply and so strongly people that I havent even met yet. I want everyone to have this incredible joy and hope, and to feel Heavenly Father's love!

Had a couple of memorable experiences in which i ate flowers with my meal (i guess thats a thing here?) and it wasnt even that bad!! Also, ate an entire red pepper because it was hidden inside a fish jelly ball (and then for the next 30 minutes died bc ive never eaten anything so hot lolz). And saw a girl washing her hair in the downpour-and thinking this is a  good idea, bc who has time to shower at night anyways? Sis Benson and I decided to be a little adventurous bc it was the first day in a very long time (i think since maybe ive gotten here) that it hasnt rained, so we climbed to the roof of our apartment! wow. cambodia is so beautiful at night. 

Wow. this week there were so many miracles. God put a ton of people into our path that are so ready to learn about Him. I'm constantly impressed and amazed by these incredible people. They have such a desire to do good, and they have next to nothing, but they are still willing to sacrifice and change their lives to follow Jesus Christ. i learn from them every single day. 

This week during my studies i was reading in 2 ne 26:24-28."buy milk and honey, without money and without price" What a beautiful reminder. christ is always inviting all of us to come to him. he wants to give us happiness and blessings! he  i am reminded every day as i teach people that christ gives all, and only asks that we follow him in return. 

I hope you all have an incredible week. 

Love, Sis Smith