Into El Fuego It Is

Wow so this week was wild! I have two big pieces of news. 

Also I'm sorry this is a really long email.

First and foremost, Meron got baptized on Saturday! We have been teaching her and helping her progress since the beginning of my mission! It was such a special event and it was so wonderful. Sister Harrison and I performed a musical number, I know that My Redeemer Lives, we both sang and I played the piano (and I played the piano for prelude and in between ordinances). We had some friends there over zoom. Savala was there and he really enjoyed it. Firas was there and he said he was tearing up a little and it was so great to watch, and there was a special feeling watching someone else get baptized. We knew it was because he had the gift of the Holy Ghost, and we told him that was what it was.

Second: I am being transferred to the Potomac River A area in the Spanish program!! The AP's called us Saturday night before transfer board came out and told us that I would be switching to the Spanish program. We were so excited. Excitement quickly turned to shock. Then I started getting sad about leaving. I was really sad saying goodbye to everyone because I really love them with all my heart. I am now excited again to start somewhere new! and to speak Spanish. Into el fuego it is, I guess! I was secretly hoping that I would go to Old Town B and be with the Hermanas that were helping me with language study because they are so great and they cover Alexandria as well. I will be moving to Woodbridge, Virginia, which is 25 minutes away. Not too far but I don't know anyone where I'm going. I don't know my companions, or anyone in my zone yet. It will be an interesting situation because I will be in a trio, and the other two companions are in the middle of training. They will be Hermana Morley and Hermana Livingstone.

I really appreciate that I learned how to be a missionary and how to teach in English. I will know what I am doing teaching wise, and missionary wise, but speaking wise I will be pretty new. My Spanish has improved so much ever since I started reading el Libro de Mormon! The Old Town B Hermanas promised me that it would take me to an 'otro nivel' and it really has! I am moving tonight at 7 which is pretty late, so next week I will update you on how everything is!

Last week I was pretty hard on myself about my Spanish skills, but I really have been doing okay. We recieved a referral and we gave him a phone call but he didn't speak English. I talked to him in Spanish and could understand basically everthing he said, but didn't know how to respond. It was actually really sad, he said his dad died a few days ago and he couldn't help his mom because he didn't have enough money to go see her. He said he'd talked to the missionaries a few times and wanted a Book of Mormon. I told him that I understood him and I was sorry that he was going through this. I told him that there were other missionaries in Alexandria that could talk to him better in Spanish and help him, and that we would send them his number.

New years happened, we got some 2021 glasses and took a bunch of pictures. We celebrated new years with Chile because we couldn't stay up. It was 10:00 when it was midnight in Chile. It was pretty fun!

Today we went and took some pictures at a big sign that says "Alexandria" on it and then went to the Wild Bird Store and looked around. If you don't know, I really love birds, and I've been eyeing this store basically since I got here. It has a bunch of bird related items (birdhouses, birdseed, bird books, etc) and I got a book called "Birds of Virginia" that I am pretty excited about. So I'm grateful Sister Harrison humored me on my last day here. I've found that basically I'm obsessed with three things while I've been here. (besides missionary work and scriptures of course)
1. Music
2. Birds
3. Origami

Speaking of origami, my family gave me a thing of origami puzzles for Christmas and I have been addicted to solving them. I'll send a picture, that will better explain what exactly it is. I've solved around half of them (50/100!)

Some other missionaries' emails made me aware of something called a "blackout year," a year fully dedicated to missionary service. It's less common for Sisters to have blackout years, because we serve for 18 months, but I have the awesome opportunity to have 2021 be my blackout year. I'm incredibly grateful for the ability to serve a mission at this time. I'm grateful for the technology that allows missionary work to continue during this pandemic. 

I finished the Book of Mormon before New Years! A pretty tough endeavor because I started in the middle of October. My new goal for this whole year is to study the entire standard works. My grandparents do this every year so my mom sent me their reading schedule. It's been great these past few days. Sister Harrison is doing it with me too. If you would like me to send you the calendar you could read with me also!

Here's a funny story. So I swear every time my companion,  Sister Harrison and I go somewhere we find a street named after her. We've found Harrison road, Harrison lane, Harrison alley, Harrison circle, and Harrison drive. I looked up on Google maps to see if there was a Smalley road nearby but I found this road and I can't stop laughing at it, I can't help myself, see attached picture below.

Well I'm sure I'll have a lot to tell you about the Spanish program next week! Adios for now!

Hermana (for real now!) Smalley

Pictures:
-Meron's baptism!
-Very useful sentence SpanishDict gave me
-Best district picture :)
-some cool lights.
-Silly new years pictures
-All packed up and ready to go
-origami puzzles
-Alexandria
-funny road













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