Parents summary of Sister Smart's email this week

July 30, 2012

Dear Family and Friends,

This is not today's email from Sister Allison Smart.

She did not send a general email this week. Her email today was requested to be just for her parents.

She expressed her appreciation and love for her parents and family, for the power of prayer in seeking the Spirit to guide and direct our lives.  She stressed the importance of setting goals and writing them down, and of praying individually and as couples and families.

She mentioned how thrilled she is to receive emails and letters from all of you.  She said Keri's email was so cool!  She expressed disappointment that she does not have the time to respond to everyone in a manner and as quickly as she would like.  I think she is only allowed one hour per week for reading and sending emails.  It is difficult in one hour to both read and compose emails.  For this reason, mailed letters are very helpful and much appreciated as she can receive those during the week and do not take up time during the email hour to read.  In the "old days," don't you recall how excited you were to get personal letters in the mail when you lived away from home?  Sometimes in the Internet/email world we may forget that missionaries are laboring in the "old world" and only have one hour of Internet technology per week.

Well, have a good week.

Love,

Mom and Dad Smart

Sister Smart with Sister and President Clark T. Bishop

Sister Smart with Taiwan Sacred Elephant

Another Week Gone By!!!

July 23, 2012

 

Hello!!! What a week... I feel so overwhelmingly blessed it's unreal. Crystal and Sharalyn, hang in there with your cute babies on the way!!! Good luck this week with Ryan! Tell him aunt Ally says hello :) So the fair was last week, how was that? I hope you ate 11 elephant ears and at least 4 corndogs for me. Sounds like you are sewing up a storm Momma, I hope you're enjoying it! I hope Christy can get her leg and back problems sorted out, no fun to deal with pain like that... I love hearing about the family and hope you are all doing great! Know that you are thought of often, and prayed for always. I love you all!

 

First, my miracle of the week, and then it's picture explaining time. Okay, so this week we have been working really hard but it seemed like we weren't getting many results. A lot of people stood us up, weren't home when we visited, or weren't willing to talk to us on the side of the road. We still had success and met with our progressing investigators (people who are continually learning more about the church and meeting with us) but not many new ones. We said a prayer that we could have the Lord's help in accomplishing our missionary purpose (to invite everyone to come unto Christ) and got to work. We miraculously had 9 lessons in 3 and a half hours last night. It was just unreal. We taught several people how to pray and about their purpose in life. It felt so good and we are so grateful!!! I love sharing the gospel every single day. In one of our lessons with a 15 year old girl this week, we were teaching about the nature of God and how He is our loving Heavenly Father. I told her that God knew her name and that He cared for her more than she could begin to realize. She looked at us awestruck, and asked if we were telling the truth. Yes of course we are! The highlight of my day was seeing her smile after that! What a change the knowledge of who we are and who loves us can make in our lives. I am so grateful to know that I am a daughter of God. He loves me and I do my best to show Him that I love Him too. I also know that He knows us individually and personally and through prayer we can communicate our thoughts, feelings, questions, and desires to Him. He will listen! I feel so lucky that we get to teach people about prayer all the time. We asked one girl what she thought about prayer after we said her first one with her, and she said, "It's pretty awesome" YEAH. It is!!! Haha oh how happy I am!

 

Okay, I thought maybe you'd like to see some photos of my little island. The first is of our Chapel. It is 4 stories tall and about 2 by 6 or 7 rooms large. Does that make sense? Haha. Well I love our chapel. Taiwan is a very dirty place, beautiful, but dirty. The chapel is really an escape from it all and everyone can feel the spirit there.

 

The next is of what some apartments in Taiwan look like. We pass this one a lot and I just think it looks cool.

 

Ranhou, that's me preachin the gospel to ALL of Taiwan. Or at least Zhanghua. I just want to shout it from the rooftops! So that's what my companion and I did this morning haha.

 

Me and Mr. Elephant. I think some folks worship him... but we are just friends. He knows I'm not into that kind of stuff.

 

Meet the newest member of our family! Ta. Ta is my trusty ukulele that I love to play. I have a goal to learn all the hymns before I come back. I'm also teaching my companion a few songs. So fun!

 

We love ice cream and mangoes. LOVE.

 

This building is funny haha. Look how tall and skinny it is! You could be in the middle of nowhere with no buildings except one. Instead of building out and around, they always build up!

 

Me and my trusty companion Sister Wainright with a lady on our roof!

 

Creepy bug. We meet new ones all the time. It's a hate hate relationship.

 

A typical Zhonghua street. Except imagine way more scooters!!! It was a less busy time of the day. Note my trusty helmet. Safety first.

 

Well folks, that's about all for today. Remember that I love you dearly and think of you often! Remember that God loves you, I love you, and Satan hates your guts. He's just annoying and doesn't want any of us to truly be happy. Turn to Heavenly Father because His arms are always open. More next week!

Week of Miracles in Missionary Work

July 16, 2012

 

Well hello family!!! What a week. I can't believe it's preparation day again already. Time flies when you are having this much fun spreading the Gospel. Sister Wainright and I have had some pretty wonderful experiences lately. Every Friday we have weekly planning where we plan out how we can efficiently do all that we need to in the upcoming week. We also set goals on different mission standards that we are to hit. We have worked really hard to accomplish those goals, but with only 45 minutes left till we called in our report, we realized we were a little short. We said a prayer, and got right to work. Heavenly Father gave us miracle after miracle right down to 10 o clock when we stopped and realized we hit all our goals. I know that God is with us as we do His work and try our best. We absolutely cannot do it alone, but with His help and guidance we are given strength beyond our own. Sometimes it is scary... scratch that, every time it is scary going up to a person you don't know and telling them about Jesus Christ. However, as I remind myself that they are God's daughter and this message will bless their lives in countless ways, that fear gets pushed aside and we do it. My companion is a great example to me and I learn so much from her every single day. Sometimes we get rejected, but then I remind myself that sometimes we don't! For example, this week I was at a light and stopped to talk to a woman. She rejected immediately and I turned to the other side and there was Sandy. She reached out for the pamphlet without me even saying anything. I handed it to her, explained who we were, and we pulled over to the side of the road and set up a time to meet so she could learn more about Jesus Christ and His love for her. She came to Church the next day and we have had 3 lessons with her since and her baptism is set for next month. The great thing is that we never know whether they will accept or reject our happy message, so we get to talk to everyone! Maybe this time they aren't interested, but perhaps next time they will be. I absolutely love this work. I've never been more tired yet satisfied in my life.

 

Monday: We stopped at the chapel to use the restroom and walked in to find 3 girls just standing there. 2 were not members of our Church and 1 was a recent convert. She wanted to show her friends the chapel, so they biked 40 minutes just to come see it. We happened to come at that exact time and were able to show them around and then sit down and have a lesson with them. We are meeting with them later this week too. The funny thing is we never ended up using the restroom. God really does prepare people and puts them in our path!

 

Tuesday: We had a Zone training meeting and practiced contacting (that's when we are stopped at red lights and talk to everyone there stopped with us) Not 2 minutes after we left the meeting, we met a woman with 2 little boys. It was just like we practiced, she has been meeting with us since, and wants to be baptized next month.

 

Wednesday: Remember Sandy? We met with her on Wednesday and she told us that she had just broken up with her boyfriend when we met her. Literally just... her boyfriends house was on the corner we met her at. She said she knew immediately that this was something that could give her happiness and was so grateful we met/

 

Thursday: There is a woman with a son who's husband will not let her be baptized. We invited her to practice sharing her testimony with her husband just as we missionaries practice sharing the gospel with our companions each morning. We had a great time practicing with her and her son and it was so fun.

 

Friday: we were about to eat dinner and asked if we could join these 2 girls we didn't know. They said yes (because Taiwanese people are always polite) and we ended up having a great time and are meeting with them later this week.

 

The point is, none of this is our doing. It is all the Lord. Everyday He gives us countless miracles. These are only a few. I barely speak Chinese, but His spirit can testify of truth and that's what they feel. I love it here in Taiwan and shall write more next week. I love you all so much!!! I hope all is well with baby Ryan and Shari's baby #5 :) Can't wait to meet them when I get back! Have a great week and know that you are loved!

 

Love, Sister Smart

 

 

ps Yes, the mission address is the right one. I think it takes about 2 weeks for mail to get to and fro. Could you write my address on fb so folks write me if they want? Thanks Momma and Poppa. You are both the best

Try Sister Allison Smart's Other Website

Hi, this is Wayne Smart, Allison's father.  I'm maintaining another website to keep the adventures of Sister Smart's mission to Taiwan documented.  Please go to  the link below and let me know what you think.  If most think this other site is better than this blog, I will keep the blog online but it may no longer be updated (would have this link to the other one).

New website:

    www.missionsite.net/sistersmart

Respond back to:

    wayne@smartfamily.org

Thank You,

Getting acclimated to daily life in Taiwan

July 9, 2012

 

It's that special time of the week, ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, it's email time! It's that wondrous occasion when lucky folks get to hear about Sister Smart's adventures on her little island called Taiwan! Haha I realized I forgot to mention some key things about this neat place. Here's a few random tidbits... We can't flush toilet paper. We can't drink the water unless it's from a trusted filter aka our house and the church. Our washer and dryer are outside. We take off our shoes and leave them outside before we go into any house, including our own. No AC in our apartment except for in our bedroom while we sleep (such a blessing). The garbage trucks SING! Really. They play the same song over and over again REALLY loud and when the people hear the song, they come out and toss their garbage in the back of the truck.  My companion tricked me the first time and told me it was ice cream truck... False. It was garbage. Oh well, still makes me laugh everytime I hear it. Most the toilets are holes in the floor called squatters. Our house and a few stalls at the church have normal ones, but the rest are the squatters.

 

I didn't know that Davido and Trevor served here, but that's cool! Is Mary Gibson's maiden name Burnham? I was going through the area book to check on some things and I came across her name on some baptism forms. Perhaps she sat right where I do a few years ago. Also, I have my bike! I got it last week and it is trusty as can be! We have to spray paint it today and grunge it up so it won't get stolen. I always lock it though, but still just in case. The bike works great! It now has a basket and box on the back so I can efficiently do heaps of missionary work. The clothes I have are good... but now that I'm here I'm realizing I need a few more shirts that are better for the weather here. It's blazing hot and we sweat SO much haha. Speaking of sweat, let me tell you about some of the food I tried in the last week. Everyday we try something new so I can try to get accustomed to it quicker.  Sooo.... Mixie and choudofu... If you are like me and are not yet fluent in Chinese, let me tell you what I learned these were AFTER my companion had me eat them. Pigs blood rice. Stinky tofu. Yep. I ate that. I wish I could say they were not that bad, but no... they were that bad. Haha really really gross foods. We were in the presence of a member though who had just purchased them for us though so guess who sucked it up and just ate it. Yeah... hopefully that will never happen again, but I have a feeling it will. The fruit really does taste different here! There are some kinds that I have not yet learned to appreciate... but the rest are super super good. That's what I eat for breakfast every morning. The 2 best things I've had so far is a seaweed wrap type thing (that was in the picture last week) and MANGO ICE. Oh my gosh. I want to eat it everyday (thank goodness I have a frugal companion who keeps me in line). I have a feeling it won't be too long before I eat it again though. I am getting used-ish to the foods, but still got some ways to go. I like simple simple food. Here is is very spiced and random extras are ALWAYS added. I will soon learn to love it all I'm sure.

 

Question answer time-Those first few days in Taiwan, we stayed in Taizhong for a day and a half with President Bishop and his wife. We did trainings there and went over mission goals and rules. The next day we went with our trainers and have been in Zhonghua since! We jumped right into the work and have been living the normal missionary life. They asked me if I knew them and I told them they were my grandparents. Then Elder Liston said he knew dad from Springville as well! Do you remember him dad? Ron Liston... Craig liston... one of those two, I can't remember. My MTC companions are both serving in Taizhong but in different areas, I'm not sure which ones. We do our own laundry. We have an elevator to get to our floor. I woke up to a spider in front of my face yesterday, so lizards, cockaroaches, and spiders are all our "friends." We have not yet learned to appreciate them yet haha. Bummer than you weren't able to have fireworks this year!!! I hope you still had a great 4th of July though. We celebrated it in the morning before we left our apartment by singing America the Beautiful and reciting the Pledge of allegience to our little American Flags. At English Class (we teach a free english class every wednesday for anyone who wants to come) we taught them 4th of July type words and then ate SMORES! It was glorious. Well I wish I had more time but we must be off to go grocery shopping and such. I will write more next week! I love being a missionary here. We get to tell families they can be together forever and then teach them how. It's a wonderful feeling and I feel so blessed to be here right now. We have some new investigators that we will be teaching this week so I'll let you know how that goes. I love you all! I miss you and pray for you everyday.

 

Love, Sister Smart

Eating out

First Email from Taiwan, New Companion and Area

July 2, 2012

 

I ATE DUCK BRAIN! I absolutely love it here on my little island. The people are so wonderful and generous and have done a great job making me feel at home here. This email will be all over the place I'm sure, but here are a jillion things going through my head.

 

Our flight from Japan to Taiwan got delayed 1 more time after I got to talk to you (PS I LOVED TALKING TO YOU BOTH!!!) There was a woman I sat next to on the plane from Taiwan and we talked for around 3 hours... in mandarin. Don't ask me how because I can't speak a whit, but it was so fun! We got to know each other a bit and we talked about missions and why I learned Chinese, and then she asked if I could teach her during my stay here! Sadly she is not in my mission area, but I gave her information to other missionaries and pray she gets to talk to them. Then.... da da da daaa I arrived in Taiwan!!! Holy hotness. I sweat buckets. Literally. You could fill at least 4.6 buckets with my sweat, but I love it! We went through a little bit of training with the mission president and then went out to our first Taiwanese restaurant. The food was sooooo good. And weird. And gross. But mostly really really good. We tried heaps of things, but I was the only one brave enough to try some yummy duck brain. It was a little sqeaky. We then went and Dan Jones'd it up. That means we stood on top of a box, holding a Book of Mormon, and shouted our testimony in the middle of a night market. It was crazy. Then we went out contacting tons of people in the area with our very poor Chinese. It was fun!!! I mean, I have known my Chinese was ehhhhh, but holy moly my understanding ability is practically in the negatives haha. Oh well, it will get there eventually! I was kind of expecting more people to know English, but hardly any do. One girl's name was Suchi, and she said that she had been looking for truth, searching for answers, and praying that preachers would come talk to her. Lo and behold, I walked up to her and we ended up talking for a long time and she is going to come to Church and start reading the Book of Mormon. I hope she follows through, but she is in other missionaries hands because I am in a different area. Speaking of new areas....... TA DAAA! I am now in Zhanghua!!! What a beautiful city. And even better than that, is my AMAZINGGGG companion!!! I seriously couldn't have been more lucky. Her name is Sister Wainright, from Idaho, has 4 sisters, 4 months left here, and works harder that I could have imagined. I love it!!! When I had my interview with President Bishop, I told him that I want to work really hard and do everything I can to help the Taiwanese people. Wei Jiemei (my companion) was my answer! Our first night together aka my first real night in Taiwan, our 2 lessons canceled, it was POURING rain, and the people we went to visit weren't there, and she just kept going! No discouragement, no complaining, we laughed and had a great time contacting and eventually met with a sister who is less active in our ward. We had a great lesson with her and she commited to come to sacrament meeting. Hen bang! (awesome) The next day (Saturday maybe? days run together haha) was really busy. We had a few lessons, 2 baptismal interviews, an missionary activity with the Youth of the 2nd ward (We are the only sisters here, so we are over 2 wards) and then FHE at the 1 ward Bishops house. K. The slightly unfortunate thing was that they were a little over an hour bikes ride apart. An hour. I'm in terrible shape. It's a zillion degrees literally. My companion never slows down (which I am actually really grateful for) And there are hills... I never thought I'd make it. I was praying the entireeeee time. Every time I thought I could not go any longer, a gust of wind would come, or we'd pass a store with AC and get a teeny feel of it, or we'd get a red light haha, or I'd get a little more energy, etc etc the list goes on! I knew I couldn't do it on my own and the Lord blessed me the whole way. It was such a boost to my testimony that the Lord helps us do hard things. The FHE was wonderful and I got to know the ward members more. Every bike ride since then has felt pretty easy and I'm so grateful for that longgg fast bike ride that will forever remind me of the Lord's hand in my life. Since we are over 2 wards, we have 6 hours of Church on sundays haha. Seems long, but it actually was really great! I introduced myself in both meetings and only a few people laughed at my Chinese :) haha. Mondays are my preparation days. We are going to go maidongxi (shopping) for food and some necessities like bike baskets, a new bag since mine is in pieces, etc. Fun fun!!!

 

Okay... We freeze our trash in the freezer. We have some friends that live with us aka cockaroaches and lizards. Neither are too bad though. We share the road on our bikes with cars and scooters and are alive ONLY because Heavenly Father protects us. People drive interestingly here... I want to call it crazy but there is some kind of unspoken organization to it that also makes sense. It's fun! The food is very different. My legs are covered in mosquito bites. They don't really have houses... lots of tall stacks of living spaces. We live in an apartment on the 4th floor because nobody else will live there (si is 4, si also means death, so they won't live there.) Chopsticks always. Umm what else. All the signs are in Chinese (duh, but I still want to mention it because it's really cool looking) We buy our food from little markets. The fruit is to die for, I see why Davido is a fruit snob haha. The people give you tons of stuff everywhere you go. Well my time is up. I shall write more from my tiny island next Monday. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT HERE AND COULD NOT BE HAPPIER!!! I'm working hard, we're doing all we can to build the kindgom, and love my companion! No complaints here. Honestly! I am going to try and send some pictures, so we'll see if that works. I love you all! Let me know how you're doing!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!

 

Love, Sister Smart