11/18

We're joyfully marching to our home! Our heavenly home. Congratulations, you're on your life's mission!  

I have felt an out pouring of the spirit this week. Oh, the multitude of tender mercies!! The YSA had stake conference this weekend and it was held at the Washington D.C. Temple Visitors center!!! And we got super golden extra special permission to CROSS THE RIVER! (No one in the D.C. south mission crosses the river) Well, until yesterday! It was SO BEAUTIFUL. I love the temple with my entire soul. It's under construction right now, but even seeing it from the outside filled my heart with love. I cried.  

I have a story. While walking around campus Wednesday Sister Stout commented on the drop of temperature by saying "This is my favorite season. When all the bugs die." I responded with a chuckle because SAME. Well, flash back to an exchange I went on last week with a sister in my zone. That exchange we made friends with several wonderful children of God. What I didn't know was someone made friends with me I wasn't aware of. This friend even followed me home! Flash forward to the Thursday morning after Sister Stout made the comment on the bugs, I woke up COVERED in bed bug bites!! This little bug followed me all the way from that exchange and after a week made to my mattress. The best way to describe this experience would be "Freddy Krueger". Going to sleep, having nightmares of bugs, only to wake up and realize the nightmare is reality. Laugh all you want, but I genuinely had to hold onto the scripture in doctrine & covenents 122 that reads "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." I also have to keep reminding myself that all of God's creations are important to him. 
As a result of this we vacuumed our entire apartment and washed all fabric. We should be safe now. 

This week, in one day, we showed four friends around our chapel at different times. They were from India, Saudi, Nepal, and China. All of which do not have a Christian background. All of which felt the spirit and have desires to learn more and find truth. This is nothing short of a scared experience. In 2 Nephi 1:6 Lehi makes this profound statement, "Wherefore, I, Lehi, prophesy according to the workings of the Spirit which is in me, that there shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord." They are here for the gospel! It's pretty special watching them discover that. 

Also the fire alarm went off during district council. That was fun. 

Life is good! Seriously so good! 

Love Love Love Love, Sister Izzy Smith 







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