Sister Smart Arrival in Taiwan - June 27, 2012

Letter 8 - June 19, 2012

Ni hao wo de jiating he pengyou! Wo feichung ai nimen! Yi ge libai wo yao chu Taiwan Taichung chuanjiao. Wo chaji bang zhile xingfan.

Hello my family and friends! I ultra love you! One week and I go to Taiwan mission. I am super ultra excited to an exceeding amount haha. Thats about what I can say in Chinese :) Kaiwanxiao, kidding, but it's really not too much more than that haha. I am not worried though, the Lord has already blessed me so much and I know He will continue to do so when I'm in Taiwan!

 

Okay so some important stuff... I can call next week! There are 2 possible times I shall call. The first is in the SLC airport when we have about an hour before our flight takes off. This will  be around 10-11 AM next TUESDAY JUNE 26. We then fly to LAX but only have a 35 minute layover and must switch from domestic to international... haha yeah I bet we miss it (so perhaps a call there? but hopefully not if we make it on time) Then starts the long flight to JAPAN!!! So cool. We will get there a little after 4 PM Japan time (if my math is correct) aka 1:25 AM Utah time on JUNE 27 (which is 3:25 Indiana time, right?) To be honest... this would be the best time for me to call. I know that is quite awful timewise for you all, but I hope it is okay! Please dear elder me and let me know if there are any problems with that. I can try to call you from SLC if that works much better. Also let me know whether to call the home phone or a cell phone. I will buy a phone card here so don't worry about that. I will mail home anything this week I don't want to take, but we haven't really started packing so I'm not quite sure what that is haha. Also... in case weird things happen with flights, just be ready for me to call anytime anywhere :)

 

Truth time... my shoes fell apart this week heh heh. I was hoping they would last till I got to Taiwan, which they will thanks to some glue, but I really need a pair FOR Taiwan until I can buy a pair there. My companions tell me that the wretched Croc mary-janes are the best and althought it pains me to ask, could you possibly send me a pair? I hear the sizes are weird... but perhaps an 8? (I'm normally a 7.5 or 8) Everyone here is size 9 and they are too big so perhaps that will work. If you can't get them to me by next Monday, don't fret and I will be just fine waiting to get some in taiwan! Also, please please thank Glen and Chris for the packages and letters! I got the lip balm and my lips have never felt so lucious! I also got Sharalyn's package with my magic juice and some fruit snacks :) Talk about a wonderful suprise! Thank you all!!! You are wonderful beyond belief and I am so lucky to have family and friends like you. This is the last week to write dear elders to me for free... so feel free to utilize that as much as you wish :) Mom, Dad, will you put my new Taiwan address up for folks to see pretty please? Thank you so much. I'm sorry to ask a lot this week but I am truly grateful!

 

This week we had WONDERFUL visitors and speakers. Sheri Dew came and so did Elaine S Dalton! You jealous Mom? haha Just think, when you and Dad come here on a mission you will here these wonderful speakers too! They were both so incredible and really got us excited to go into the mission field with humble hearts and willing hands. The overwhelming message here at the MTC is to look beyond yourself and your own difficulties, and the Lord will bless you as you bless others. It has truly helped me and I've loved being here at the MTC. I will miss it danshi I am really excited to go to Taiwan and get to work! I am pumped to say that the next letter I write will be from across the globe in a foreign land filled with Asians. Hahaha I laugh and can't help but smile even as a type that! I love you all and love this gospel. I know that Jesus Christ lives and loves each and every one of us. Thank you so much for everything you do!

 

Love, Sister Smart

Letter 7

Ni hao! Wo ai nimen! Wo hen kuaile zai MTC yinwei wo yao chu Taiwan chuanjiao!

 

I LEAVE IN TWO WEEKS! How exciting is that?! I really can't imagine what it is going to be like there, and my Chinese is certainly not ready, but I could not be more excited! I know that is where the Lord wants me, and maybe someday I'll know why He trusts me with such an important work. TWO WEEKS!!! Hehehe... You know you are all excited too. I shall soon leave the wonderful but monotonous life of the MTC and head to a teeny little island with over 25 million people. Blazes. Well, let me tell you some cool things I learned this week.

 

Steven B. Allen came to our Sunday Fireside and showed us a bunch of old LDS commercial clips. Most of them were great frazzled hair ones from the 70's with ultra cheesy one-liners, but he linked each one to us and our mission. However, for the sake of all reading this, let's apply it to everyone so you don't all get bored.

 

"Sometimes the most important thing you can share is yourself. Give them your time"

This was shown by parents sometimes putting off the little things (like reading a book or playing a game) with their children, but eventually taking that special time to be with them and realizing how important it is. The memories playing with children or spending time with someone in need will far outweigh that one time you did that one ultra important thing... what was it again? Oh right... you don't remember because years later it ended up not being important :) People want YOU. The greatest gift Christ gave was Himself, and we can all learn from that by serving others.

 

"The people in your heart can't hear what's in your heart, if you love them let them know everyday"

I loved this one so much! It was a man talking on the phone to his daughter in front of everyone at work, and he didn't want them to hear him say "I love you" back to her. Sometimes we automatically think, oh that person knows I love them, no need to say it. However, that's silly talk. I realize I don't do this enough either, so Mom, Dad, family, I LOVE YOU all so much!!! Missionary work relates to marriage in so many ways when it comes to having a companion. As missionaries, we need to tell each other the good things we do, help each other realize we are loved, and encourage each other to be the best we can by words and actions. I'm not married, duh, but same goes to a husband and wife I'd presume. What a sad thing not to tell the one you love that you love them with your whole heart! We need to cherish all the people in our lives.

 

"People become the labels you put on them"

This one sounds simple, but can have such great meaning. One elder here always says, "There is good inside every single person. If we don't believe they can change, who will?" They will become who we see them as. If you see them as negative, then they feel they have met your expecations. Why change? If it's positive, they feel hope, and their desire to become  better will increase. I know this is true! It takes time, but is one of the most rewarding things in life. True change is possible. True change is do-able! It all starts with a little bit of faith. Read Alma 32. See others with faith and hope and they will do the same.

 

There were more, but that's all the time I have for today. Mom, Dad, I'm so excited that you both want to SERVE A MISSION! I think that would be such a wonderful blessing to each of you and am pumped that you are preparing now to go when the time comes :) I'm so happy for you! I promise the blessings far outweigh the sacrifices and I'm not even to the field yet. I have such a strong testimony for how important missionary work is and how wonderful it is to bring others happiness and joy. There is no better feeling! (Except maybe cuddling on the couch with you Momma and watching a movie, but don't tell anyone I said that haha) This week has been ultra hard, but ultra rewarding at the same time! I had a dream that I climbed a tree here, fell off, and broke my legs and couldnt go to Taiwan for another 2 months. Don't worry, all tree climbing has since ceased and I am being super obedient. No more trees for me. Not that I climbed any before........ :) Tell Rachelle I got her package, and THANK YOU SO MUCHHHHHH!!!! All the chocolate and beef jerky are gone, but boy it was good. Thank you both so much, what an aweosme family I have! I love the pictures you send from your kids and cherish them! I truly LOVE LOVE the quilt and sleep with it and cuddle it and think you did a PERFECT job with the colors and size and everything. I love it so much! Thank you :) You are all in my prayers, every single one of you, every day! I love you and so does Heavenly Father. Remember that when times get hard. I wish you enough

 

Love always!

Sister Smart

Letter 6

Well dear family,

 

It's your favorite day of the week! Haha kidding kidding... kind of... You better love Tuesdays cause you get to hear from me. Haha anyways. I only have 3 weeks left here. UNREAL. I feel like I have learned so much this last week. I don't have much time do to a silly computer malfunction, but let me tell you some cool things.

 

The Lord answers prayers. I have always known this, but this week have seen it take a whole new meaning.  One of my companions has been severely struggling the whole time at the MTC. However, this week she turned to the Lord, started to read the Book of Mormon, and is starting to recognize her purpose here as a missionary. She still has some work to do, but I know the Lord will help her progress and become the missionary she wants to be. The Lord will not take away our agency, but as soon as we awknoledge we need Him and want His direction in our lives, He immediately steps in and helps carry that burden. When we recognize we are weak without Him (Ether 12:27) He then makes us strong and gives us the strength needed to continue. I love seeing the principles we teach everyday as part of the Gospel take place in the lives of real people! I know this Gospel blesses families and cannot wait to go to Taiwan and share that love, hope, and happiness with everyone I meet! My goodness gracious. Sometimes I think I'm so happy I might explode... but then I rethink that because it would be really messy and gross. Instead I just smile a lot! I hope you all do too!

 

My pregnancy is going well. Haha. If we still calling Chinese my baby, I'd say it''s definitely growing, but not ready to pop yet. This analogy is getting really weird... Pretend I didn't say that. Chinese is going well haha! I am awful at it most the time, except when we are in a lesson. We work and prepare, but Heavenly Father makes it really happen when He allows the Spirit to be there. I keep reminding myself that I could only say Ni Hao 6 weeks ago. It's like climbing a really cool tall mountain. Right now I'm at that first little rest stop. I look down and see that I have indeed begun climbing, but there are still miles and miles left to climb. It's all worth it though once you see that view from the top! I love you all so much and will write more next week! I love getting your emails/pictures/letters/anything! Thank you so much!

 

OH before I forget, one favor. Pretty please go watch a 3 minute little video on lds.org. Even if you are not religious, I think you'll love it. Go to LDS.org, click on Mormon Messages, go through the pages until you see "Mens hearts failing them'' and watch it! It is that perfect little boost to help you through hard times. I watch it often here and thought some of you may enjoy it :)

 

Love you all so much!

Sister Smart