We're buds with the AP's

Hello everyone!

Last week I didn't have enough time to write my email because we had our district activity. It was fun but cold. We had to be outside so we played sports (basketball, soccer, football, volleyball) and when we got there we were surprised because nobody was wearing their masks, they said it was okay as long as we were apart from each other and we were like 'oh ok' but still wore our masks a lot of the time. Unfortunately the rules about Covid are getting stricter because it's getting worse so we can't even have district activities like this anymore (it will be a little different).

On Tuesday we ate a whole package of peppermint oreos. 

That's it, that's my whole email. 

Just kidding.

We had some great lessons Tuesday night. We taught the restoration lesson better than we ever had before! It was very powerful.

Wednesday we had District council. The AP's joined us. We've talked to the AP's quite a bit recently, hahah. We're buds. We had to call them a few times about our baptisms being rescheduled. We had a mission wide zoom and had to roleplay in breakout groups. The missionaries we were roleplaying with had their phone suddenly die, so we had to roleplay with the APs. Then, the next mission wide zoom, we were randomly put with them in a breakout room to discuss a scripture passage!

Thursday: So a long time ago I talked about our old friend from Ethiopia that sounds like Winnie the Pooh. We've never seen him in person because he has a flip phone and we can't get him anywhere in person. Our ward boundaries changed and he's in a different ward, we've been doing pass offs with him. It's been really hard because he was really attached to Sister Wilson (who went home my second week) and we think that he thought we were her, and so transitioning to Elders was tricky. Well they had a member bring by two Books of Mormon to him (one in English and one in Amharic) while we were on a phone call with him and it was the greatest thing that has happened with him so far! He was so happy to see her and get the Books of Mormon. At the last moment we were like "wait could you do us a favor and get on a video call so we can see each other for the first time?" Unfortunately she couldn't but she took a picture of him and sent it to us! He looks way different than we imagined, haha. We've spoken to him so much and didn't know what he looked like. What a strange situation. Only in covid times. 

On Friday we got a new friend named Savala! He's really great. He saw an ad on Facebook and decided to meet with us! He is so eager to learn everything we are teaching and has started reading the Book of Mormon. 

This week we wanted some good old fast food this week for our restaurant fridays so we went to Popeyes. Some of the Elders are surprised that we only go out to eat once a week. Oh Elders. I actually have discovered that I love cooking and I would much rather cook. If you are in need of some simple but good recipes hit me up.

Saturday was the first day in a while where we didn't have any lessons. We called and texted so many people. Some of them answered.

Saturday night Sister Harrison and I were talking to Elder Miles and Elder Carter on there phone about language study and being reassigned and all that fun stuff. I actually really like Elder Carter, nothing against him, but I have a very different perspective about being reassigned. I'm not on my toes waiting to get out of here to go to Chile (Like he is to go to Japan). This isn't the backup plan. I know that Heavenly Father needs me to be here, in Alexandria VA, doing online missionary work, at this very moment. I don't know when or even if I'll get to Chile but I know that I will need to speak Spanish someday to bless someone else, which is why I keep trying and continue to be motivated.

Sunday is our busiest day for sure. We have two wards so we go to two of everything. Sacrament meeting, relief society/sunday school, ward council, missionary coordination. This Sunday we had 5 lessons in a row and they all went through! The blessing of online meetings is that we can do lessons back to back without travel time. So basically from 6pm-9pm we were teaching. Nonstop.

We had a bit of a boring, long-winded sacrament meeting and we had quite a few friends there, one of them was our brand new friend, Savala, attending for the first time. Sister Harrison and I were praying the entire time for it to get better. Well it really didn't but I hope with all my heart next week is better. This was really the first time that it was a bad meeting for friends, which was really unfortunate that it was Savala's first meeting. It's ok.

Wehw I guess I had more to write than I thought! I hope everyone has a blessed week.

Hermana/Sister Smalley

pictures
 1. full schedule yesterday (names scribbled out)
 2. district
 3. Christmas
 4. Christmas
 5. district activity







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