"Miracle Mole"

Hello Family and Friends!

So we have been super busy this past week which is always really good. At the beginning of the week we didn't get to use the car because we didn't have any miles left for the rest of the month and so we did a lot of walking. Luckily these dancing feet are accustomed to pain and fatigue, but my companion wasn't so lucky. But she is strong and kept on walking with me and endured it with a smile on her face. We were able to start using the car again on Thursday and it has truly been a blessing since.

This past week we have been able to witness so many miracles! We were in a teaching appointment with an investigator who has been taught since November. She has a really hard time trusting her thoughts and her feelings so explaining how to receive answers through the Holy Ghost can be really difficult. But after we said a prayer with her last week she asked us if we ever felt a hot/warm feeling in our hearts. We just looked at her and smiled and she knew it was the Spirit. That's the first time I've ever been with anyone who has felt the Spirit like that for the first time. It was really great!

We are also teaching another man who says that one of the reasons he knows the church is true is because of his "miracle mole". He said he has had this mole his whole life and it has always really bothered him but since he started meeting with us it has disappeared. He's had other answers to prayers as well but this is the most unique one. God answers prayers in mysterious ways.

On Saturday the zone leaders came to see us in action so we went street contacting with them in the High Street and knocked a street with them. They gave us two challenges to accomplish. One of them was to ask someone for a bite of their food and the other was to street contact a group of six people. For the first challenge, I went and found someone I knew that worked in a shop and then had them give me some ginger snaps while the zone leaders were looking. But they said that was cheating, I said it was clever. Then I knew the second one would be difficult as well because not many people travel in a group of six. So I ended up going over to a bus stop where a group of about 15 people were waiting to get on a bus and I started loudly explaining the story of Joseph Smith to them and telling them about the Book of Mormon while the zone leaders watched from across the street. Some older woman started saying things back to me to the effect that they were all too busy to listen and everyone else just thought I was absolutely crazy but it was really fun. I know that I piqued the interest of at least one person there...

Well, I should probably get going but I hope you all have a wonderfully amazing week. I love you all and miss you tons!! Don't forget to put petrol (gas) in the car... I almost did.

Love,

Sister Smith

Awkward Goodbyes

As I contemplate my departure to go back home I can't help but think about all the goodbyes I am going to say. Some people I know I won't see again and there are some that say that we'll still stay in contact but who knows if that'll happen. And while all of this can be somber and saddening, I find myself thinking about how goodbyes are awkward. First, you have to decide who to go say goodbye too. You don't want to show up somewhere and be like "I'm leaving" and they're like "So...". Then there are the questions of how long should a goodbye be? What should you say? What if you see them again like ten minutes later? Should you hug (and if so for how long)? What if you cry? What if they cry? This can all be very awkward but my advice is simple. Say goodbye to whoever you want to and if it is awkward, embrace it. You don't want to regret not saying bye to anyone and goodbyes will be awkward no matter what because people approach the situation in different ways and have different reactions.

Awkward Airplane Rides

As I am about to go back home and travel by myself I begin to ponder the awkwardness of the airplane ride. I mean think about it, it is truly the epitome of awkwardness. You are basically stuck sitting really closely next to a stranger for a least a couple hours. There are so many interesting people you could sit next to. Some people I like to call "the talkers". They will tell you their life story if the plane ride is long enough. I sat next to one lady who started crying and told me how she was moving away from her boyfriend. One women told me ALL about her children and grandchildren. Another type of person is "the watcher". My roommate sat next to one of them once and they read over her shoulder everything she was reading. They look at your computer or your iPod. It makes you feel so self-conscious but you don't want to say anything because you'll be sitting next to the person for a few more hours and you don't want to make them angry. I feel as though it is okay to talk to the people next to you, I actually encourage exchanging names and basic information. It's weird sitting next to someone for hours and not even know their name. It's also okay to talk to them if they seem as though they wouldn't mind talking. However, if they whip out a book or headphones just let them be. Some people like the "alone time" they get while flying and don't want to be disturb. Recognize this and respect it. Peace out.

Awkward Status Updates

So we all have Facebooks and we all have those friends on Facebook who update their statuses at least three times a day and all of those updates somehow end up in our newsfeed. We basically know everything that is going on in their life. We know when they get up, shower, eat, do their homework, break up with their boyfriend, ect. This is just one awkward aspect of status updates. My advice here is to try and keep your personal life personal. No one really cares that you just ate a banana. Try to make sure your status has some substance to it. Another awkward aspect of statuses is when they have too much substance. They are super emotional. Usually the individual will quote a song or a poem that really emphasizes the sadness in their lives. For me, it seems as though these individuals are just looking for people to come to their pity party. If your upset, displaying your sadness on Facebook is not going to make life magically better. It just shows everyone else that you are sad and are looking for people to feel sorry for you. Try and make sure that while your status should have some legitimate substance it isn't expressing to everyone on the Internet your inner most feelings.

Awkward Texts

The growing world of technology has led me to write this blog post. Think about all the texts you sent today. Some were for merely informational purposes while others may have been flirty, witty texts. How was your spelling? Did you use any words in IM? Were any of the words wrong because it was in T9 and you forget to press the arrow to get to the next word? Did you use punctuation? Were you at one point trying to be sarcastic? Did you use any emoticons? The answers to these questions could lead to a variety of awkward situations. Wrong spelling could convey the wrong message. Sentences without punctuation is awkward to read. Sarcasm could be taken seriously. But I think the most awkward of these is the emoticons. Especially "the wink". My advice to all is to be very cautious when using "the wink". Only use it if you know the person really well and it is a joke (this same scenario can be applied to real life winks). I think winks used seriously are kinda creepy and unnecessary. Smiley faces are usually fine. I have never really encountered a situation where I felt the smiley face was inappropriate.

Awkward Acquaintance

So you know those individuals in your life that you know but aren't really good friends with. Yeah, those ones. At BYU they are most likely those ward members whose names who aren't so sure of but you sat next to them one time in sacrament meeting. You pass by them going to classes and are not sure whether or not you should say "hi." I know many people who feel very awkward when this happens. However, this is an easy situation to overcome. You should just say "hi." It is important to be friendly to others because you never know when someone is having a bad day. Be friendly and smile, you never know when you are going to brighten someone's day. I also try to throw their name into the mix if I know it. I heard that a person's favorite word to hear is their own name. Even if they don't know yours they will be flattered that you know theirs.

Awkward Hugs

Perhaps the most awkward thing about this blogpost is the variety in different kinds of hugs. You have the one-armed hug, the hug-back pat, the hug from the back, the tight hug, the weak hug, the hand hug, the "church hug", the bear hug, the lift-off-the-ground hug, the long hug, the short hug, and hugs which are variations of these types of hugs. So how do you know which hug to do and how long to do it for? For me, I try to follow the other person's lead (I highly suggest this if you are a girl, and if you are a boy then you should try to initiate the type of hug). I also think 5 seconds is a good hug time. It shows you care but aren't creepy. However, hugs of comfort are generally longer and should be ended by the person being hugged. Another good rule of thumb for hugs is to try and make every hug a good hug. Don't do the weak hug. What's the point of giving someone a hug if you aren't going to make it a good one. Hug everyone like you mean it.