HIIIIIIIIIII

wow so many miracles. i cant even explain all the amazing things that just happened. ill tell you in a couple weeks, i guess:)

ive been thinking what i want to say in my last couple of emails, and i have so many things i want to share. 

Something thats been on my mind recently, actually its been a reoccuring theme throughout my mission, is the word home. i remember in the mtc and early in the country i missed home a ton. i missed my moms homeade food, and soft clothes from the dryer and not wearing bug spray and cars and air conditioning and a real dresser. i missed speaking a language that i knew perfectly, i missed hugs from my dad and long drives with my siblings. 

after my training, as i started to understand this language, i met this investigator who i love with all my heart. and she has had the hardest life i could imagine. and there was this huge part of me that wanted to take her home with me. i wanted to be able to give her a family that supports and loves her, and good future, a good schooling. and i kept meeting these incredible Khmers that truly hold me heart. and every time they would open up to me i would just cry because i wish i could take them home with me and give them the love they have never received. 

what i realized as i continued to get to know these special investigators is that i was bringing home to them. that even though i could not automatically give them a happy family or a great job, i could give them love and knowledge and hope for the future. and i could give them a home-at the church, with god, as they pray, as they read the book of mormon. and as i have met with them, i have realized that my love for this country and this people is so deep. they hold a special part of my heart that i didnt even know existed. i have felt love from god i have never felt before. this country is a place that i will love forever, and it has become my home the last 18 months. 

now as i prepare to return home this next week, my heart feels like it is breaking. i dont know how i will leave these people and their faith and their sacrifice. i will miss the traffic and the garbage trucks and the humid air. but ive been thinking about our true home. our real home, with heavenly father. no matter where we are in the world-in cambodia or america or wherever, it will be ok. because god is with us. he walks with us no matter where we go. and one day, we all will return to him.

theres been a couple transfers i wanted to quit, that i was so sick of speaking khmer, that i was sure i couldnt handle another person telling me that all religions are good if they teach good. there were days when my comp wouldnt speak to me, and so i would speak to myself. there were so many times i couldnt understand a word someone was saying and i would just pretend to understand. but those were the times where i understood most the word home. not in the sense that i missed home, but in those moments, i could tell there was something greater that we were fighting for. were not just out here to help people improve their lives. were here to help people return home. "it takes courage to fight, when the battle seems long" 

and i will never say my mission, or this life, is easy. its long, and hard. but its happy. because this time is the time we have to get to know our real home.so i guess, dont give up when the battle seems long, when life gets real hard. remember your greater purpose, and keep striving to return to our real home. and we can look with happiness and excitement and contentment and reassurance and confidence to the future, to the journey we have to our home, with God. 

ill see you all real soon

love you tons

sis smith

also tons of pics from my siem riep trip!!

this week was full of contacting, and going to siem riep (pics next week) and passion fruit, and pamellos, and biking and english class fliers, and rain rain fain. pretty much the same:)

but still so wonderful! 

we taught an investigator and i think one of my favorite things is seeing the people i teach change. io love seeing how their actions, and their desires change as we share with them the doctrine, and as they apply the gospel into their lives. we have an amazing investigator, and she started learning with us a couple of weeks ago, and yesterday at church, she comes up to me and says, i want to get baptized really soon. and its been wonderful watching her change and come to know god more and more. gods plan is perfect and he really does have everything prepared!

thats all for this week!

sis smith

HI IT WAS ANOTHER GREAT WEEK IN CAMBODIA. 

but we literally only have a minute to log on today cause IM HEADED UP TO SIEM RIEP!! im going to ankor wat. so ill send pics next week!

love you all!

sis smith

HI FROM CAMBODIA!!!!!!

wow i love it here so so so much

this week was one of those amazing weeks that makes you feel like your on a high but your so exhausted at the same time

the new mission president, the lewis's came on tuesday. so weve been having meetings and the get to know you conferences. its been great to be a part of his team. 

we had a way cool miracle. actually we had TONS. but first, we got a new investigator! shes so solid, and came to church. also it stormed harder than ive ever seen it storm here in cambodia, and we were at the church teaching an inv, and we had to get home. so we just prayed real hard, and made it home safely:) 

also played ultimate with the zone for pday today. 

i hope you all have a great week!

sister smith​

Hi fam, this week was amazing! it was a super super busy week. right now, our President and Sister Christensen are preparing to leave (tomorrow) and so were getting everything ready for the new mission president, and 16 missionaries left last week, and we got 6 new missionaries, and had training and meeting on meeting on meeting for everything. hopefully in a week, ill be able to take a breath. 

but its actually been way fun. i have a new companion, Sister Clark. She's also from Utah and shes way cool! weve already had a blast and its only been 4 days. 

*FUNNY* Sister Clark and I were riding our bikes to the church to meet with an investigator, and theres this man (kinda old-uncle age) and hes riding this moto. and theres this classic moto that all those men ride, so i turn to sister clark-speaking khmer AND I SAY I LIKE UNCLE which he heard and he turns around and starts laughing, and i stop in the middle of the sentence because i realize he heard so it doesnt even make sense and then i realize it wasnt just some random guy (which would be nice cause khmers think all us white people are crazy already) but he actually is a recent convert and im teaching his daughter, so that was all super awkward. 

i dont have a lot of time, but i want to share a quick thought with you all. 

im learning a lot about true happiness. ive been out on my mission almost 17 months. and in the time, ive helped a couple of people prepare and recieve baptism in my different areas. and that was SO HAPPY. i remember just being filled with so much love and joy and gratefulness that god allowed me to be a part of his incredible plan. and now, a year, or 8 months later, i still keep in contact with them. and i feel even a deeper joy, as they tell me about their plans to serve missions, to go to the temple. and i think thats where the true happiness comes in. when people we love and know, come closer to their happiness, come closer to god and his plan for them. through this im learning a lot about how god must feel towards us, his investigators. as well as i know my inv, as much as i love them, as much happiness i feel for them coming closer to god, i cant imagine how happy He is when we come closer to Him. theres this quote that i think perfectly sums up this thought,  "I testify there is no greater goal in mortality than to live eternally with our Heavenly Parents and our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is more than just our goal—it is also Their goal. They have a perfect love for us, more powerful than we can even begin to comprehend. They are totally, completely, eternally aligned with us. We are Their work. Our glory is Their glory. More than anything else, They want us to come home—to return and receive eternal happiness in Their presence." -elder ballard i know that our happiness truly is gods happiness, and as we follow Him, we can have that happiness. 

anyways, i love you all! and i hope you all have a great week\

sis smith