My Dearest Family,
Wow, your lives just seem sooooooooo busy!!! It is funny how missionaries are really busy, but not really. Like, we do lots of things and are always on the go, but it isn't the same feeling. I guess it is because we just focus on the Lord--there are no other demands pulling on our time. I like it---even though I have now apparently developed dark circles under my eyes and break out all the time. But I figure, these are just signs that I am doing my best right? Lol, we always say you resurrect after going home, and by looking at Sis. Lew's pic, she is definitely looking good! I am so glad to hear you all had a fun time. She was the perfect trainer for me. We had a blast! It'll be fun to see her next year. Well, I am almost to my half way mark...weird eh? All of the Sisters I came out with have already hit it since they were in the MTC longer...which is weird. Lol. But I really like where I am at. I love being Sister Sorensen's companion soo much. We have such a great time together and we have seen soo many miracles. This past week an investigator was going to our church along with her church and last Sunday she just decided it was time to decide! So she did and had a wonderful baptismal interview. She is going to be baptized Oct 1st (since we have conference a week later its all good) and is so strong!!! I just love her soo much and she just makes me feel soo happy every time we met with her. This past Sunday I attended the Singles Ward with her (my first time going to that ward) and she showed me around to all the classes! She is so awesome!!! She bore a beautiful testimony of fasting in the Gospel Principles class and I just know she has the faith to endure. Also, we discovered we both speak a little Japanese and so we practice together now! So fun :). Just little words here and there, but it really made her soo excited and it is pretty fun. But our Japanese is pretty horrible...oh well! Dad will get to speak to her when she comes to visit! She really wants to come visit sometime--which is soo exciting. I hope you get to meet some of my new converts. I love them soo much. I just keep thinking how blessed I have been and it makes me soo happy. Something fun is that since it is Sister Sorensen's last movecall she gets to call of her recent converts. The mission has changed a lot during her service---there used to be a HUGE push for baptisms...and we had a lot! But now (when I came) the push is retention...since many of those baptisms went inactive. So I haven't baptized a crazy amount, but all but one is super strong in the gospel. One...well, she has a few things to work on, but we all have free agency. Anyway, it has been a time for me to ponder the many blessings I have had and those that await :).
Well....today we went with two members (both baptized for under two and a half years) and hiked this CRAZY mountain in Dakeng! It is called Dakeng #4...and I have awesome pictures I will be sending soon. Maybe the members will post them on FB...not sure. But it was intense...so sweaty. We had to use hands and feet to hike this thing...with ropes! It was so fun...but exhausting and now we have no time for anything. Sigh, so I will have to write individual emails next week.
Love you all!!!!!!!!
Sister Brooke Smith
Taizhong
Wow, your lives just seem sooooooooo busy!!! It is funny how missionaries are really busy, but not really. Like, we do lots of things and are always on the go, but it isn't the same feeling. I guess it is because we just focus on the Lord--there are no other demands pulling on our time. I like it---even though I have now apparently developed dark circles under my eyes and break out all the time. But I figure, these are just signs that I am doing my best right? Lol, we always say you resurrect after going home, and by looking at Sis. Lew's pic, she is definitely looking good! I am so glad to hear you all had a fun time. She was the perfect trainer for me. We had a blast! It'll be fun to see her next year. Well, I am almost to my half way mark...weird eh? All of the Sisters I came out with have already hit it since they were in the MTC longer...which is weird. Lol. But I really like where I am at. I love being Sister Sorensen's companion soo much. We have such a great time together and we have seen soo many miracles. This past week an investigator was going to our church along with her church and last Sunday she just decided it was time to decide! So she did and had a wonderful baptismal interview. She is going to be baptized Oct 1st (since we have conference a week later its all good) and is so strong!!! I just love her soo much and she just makes me feel soo happy every time we met with her. This past Sunday I attended the Singles Ward with her (my first time going to that ward) and she showed me around to all the classes! She is so awesome!!! She bore a beautiful testimony of fasting in the Gospel Principles class and I just know she has the faith to endure. Also, we discovered we both speak a little Japanese and so we practice together now! So fun :). Just little words here and there, but it really made her soo excited and it is pretty fun. But our Japanese is pretty horrible...oh well! Dad will get to speak to her when she comes to visit! She really wants to come visit sometime--which is soo exciting. I hope you get to meet some of my new converts. I love them soo much. I just keep thinking how blessed I have been and it makes me soo happy. Something fun is that since it is Sister Sorensen's last movecall she gets to call of her recent converts. The mission has changed a lot during her service---there used to be a HUGE push for baptisms...and we had a lot! But now (when I came) the push is retention...since many of those baptisms went inactive. So I haven't baptized a crazy amount, but all but one is super strong in the gospel. One...well, she has a few things to work on, but we all have free agency. Anyway, it has been a time for me to ponder the many blessings I have had and those that await :).
Well....today we went with two members (both baptized for under two and a half years) and hiked this CRAZY mountain in Dakeng! It is called Dakeng #4...and I have awesome pictures I will be sending soon. Maybe the members will post them on FB...not sure. But it was intense...so sweaty. We had to use hands and feet to hike this thing...with ropes! It was so fun...but exhausting and now we have no time for anything. Sigh, so I will have to write individual emails next week.
Love you all!!!!!!!!
Sister Brooke Smith
Taizhong
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