Sami's email from Sept 18

Sami didn't have alot to say this week - though she promised she is working on a letter for me. She and her companion did get to do an endowment session for 2 of Sami's Great Great Grandmothers - and the elders in her Zone are working on doing the Initiatory and Endowment for a couple dozen of our ancestors (including my Dad) - since we have no priesthood holders in are family it was nice to have someone to do the work.  Sami's Madre.

All of the things in the list look good except I probably could do without #7 because a lot of people know about them so if I really want to keep my money in the event of a mugging I would need to be more creative. I have some ideas up my sleeve. I could use some more forever stamps but I might just buy them because by the time I get them I would practically be going to Chile where I would probably need international stamps to send it through the regular mail. I still don't understand the pouch service. If you could just keep about $150 in my checking account that would be awesome. And let me know if I run out of money. I shouldn't be using my card that much but it is nice to have it just in case. Oh! Mom, if you have any extra clinique black mascara you don't want I would love some of that because mine is running out. But definitely not necessary. It would just be nice. I might be sending you guys a lot of stuff. Depends on how much I can fit in my suitcases...

Thanks so much for the information on our ancestors. It was really cool to read that and then go to the temple for those people. I'm excited to have pictures of some of them too. :)  If I get them (3 men who need temple work we forgot to send) by next Friday I think I should be able to find people to get them done. The two female names are done and I will mail them back to you today. The male names have had all their initiatories done and next Friday they should have all their endowments done as well. Thanks. Mom!

I was sorry to hear about Hugh Morris (Sami's dad's cousin). It's really cool that he is going to be cremated and spread over the places he loved most.

I hope you had fun at the Puyallup fair! Fair scones. Elephant ears. BBQ. Yum!

Elder Holland came to speak for our Tuesday devotional! It was so cool. I will try to write more about it in the letter that I started last week that I have failed to send because I am terrible at writing letters to my family. The very people who love and cherish me the most.

Tallia and Jon sent me a package with a picture (ultrasound - Tallia & Jon Bryner are Sami's friends & her 'Provo parents' - their baby is due right after Sami leaves for Chile so she won't actually meet her until she returns) of my new sister and the most delicious cookies. They seemed to be a gift from God.

I leave in a little more than 2 weeks! so weird. I should have my flight plans next P-Day so i can give them to you. Sorry this email is so lame. But know always that you are in my heart, dear Family. I want you to know the feelings of my heart. Feelings of love. Feelings of gratitude. Feelings of other things I can't think of right now.

I am sick.

Estoy infermo.

An old lady in the temple noticed I was sick and gave me 2 unmarked pills!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Sketchy. I might try them on my companion first. She is strong like a horse.

I play volleyball a lot in gym.

I love you all a lot! You too, Brian.

love,
Hermana Smith

Sami's email from Sept 11, 2009

I am not sure about my stamp situation. I am in the laundry room right now and I forgot all my stamps in my room but I think I am okay. Besides, I think all the rush is calming down with so many different letters. I am having a nice leisurely P-day today. Only 3 letters including another one to you! I might even have time to write in my journal which I probably haven't done for a couple of days. Not enough hours in the day, I tell you.

It's so crazy that Jennie is going to France so soon! Weird. Oh, and Jennie, an Elder in my zone wants your address so he can write you in France. (A little sketchy if you ask me. He is going to Tiajuana... :)

Guess what?!?!

I can speak Spanish!

Sort of. Working on it. I am working on HSI (Hable Su Idioma [Speak Your Language]). That basically means if you know how to say it in Spanish, do it. Don't say things in English without trying in Spanish first. It is really helpful. When I remember....

I ate some of the knock-off applets and cotlets. Muy delicioso! I neglected to share with my roommates with is probably why I am getting fat. Oh well. Just one of the many sacrifices for the Lord. Seriously though. I think I am getting fat. There is too much food here. And I love to eat it. But later I want to die. I don't understand. I think the food here is my trial, it tastes good but it does something to you. Something terrible. It...it changes you.

Let Shana know that if she wants to hang out with the cute guys at the MTC she can come on a mission too. I endorse that.

I know Shana will make fun of me after that. I love you too, Shana. Sticks and stones...

Hna McDaniels and I are NOT alone in our room. 3 other sisters. Better than when there where 6 sisters in the room but still. No megusta. I don't know if I spelled that right. My spelling isn't very good in either language right now...

You're right, Mom. I would rather get a few shorter letters in the week than just one big one. It is fun to get mail!

Oh yeah! Mom, could you write out your conversion story and mail it to me? I though it would be so cool to have that written down so i can read it. I really would love it if you did that.

Your trip to Copalis Beach sounds like it was really fun. I'm cool with you going without me because in a couple of weeks I will have so many "This one time in Chile..." stories I won't know what to do with them. Oh yeah, and I'm serving the Lord. Super cool and important. Mom, the story about you being a beached whale was my favorite thing I have ever read recently. I laughed. I cried. I read it to my companion. I laughed again. It touched me. Also, I am glad you are okay. I can just imagine Brian and Mike thinking you had fallen down and being so worried. I would have done the same. Don't fall down. I'm not cool with that.

Well, Family. I hope you have an awesome week. Keep it real. Be strong. Be cool and legit and all that.

Great things:

Hymn 120

2 Nephi 26:24-28

John 17:3

Great Love for:

My Family

Great Minds:

Think Alike

Love,

Hermana Smith

Some of the Pictures Sami sent us

Hermana Samantha Smith in front of the Provo Temple

Hermanas McDaniels and Smith - companions in the MTC

First Sunday in the MTC
Hermanas Smith, McDaniels and Schiffler

Sami's District

Back row: Elders Johnson, Robinson, Chapman, Hardman, Nicohls, Page, and Maxfield
Front row: Hermanas Schiffler, Smith, and McDaniels

Some of the Sisters in Sami's Zone - Hermanas Schiffler, Smith, McDaniels, Stephens, Unga (2 sisters are missing from picture & Hermana Schiffler has since left to complete her training in the Madrid MTC)

Sami at the MTC Referal Center

The Flying Elder - Missionaries can't be series ALL the time

Letter received Sept 8, 2009

We got some actual letters (versus email) from Sami yesterday

Dear Amoroso Familia,

You get double the love this week because almost all my letters were from Mom. (Thanks, Mom). I'll probably email you too but I think I'll pull a Nephi and write my spiritual experiences here and email you other shenanigans. I hope you enjoy the pictures. A lot of time and thought went into selecting and commenting on them. It will almost be like I am with you . . . CHISTE! (chiste is a muy stupido word the Elders in my zone use. All the time. Well the word itself is great. It's the misuse/overuse that gets me).

Anyway, this week was amazing. Elder Richard G. Scott came to speak at our devotional on Tuesday! He talked a lot about the power of the Priesthood and the Holy Ghost and how they are real, tangible things. Not just a figment of anyone's imagination. He also talked about acting on impressions we receive from the Holy Ghost. When we write down impressions we often receive more because we are showing the Lord we are willing to act on the impressions He has given us. He also said that sometimes things that are really important to us take a long time for the Lord to answer (Enos 1:3-4). Promptings of the Spirit come when we need them, not when we expect them. Elder Scott also addressed the importance of prayer. He said "Don't rush through the privelege of talking with your Father in heaven". I also got to go to the Oquirrh Mountain Utah Temple dedication (pronounced Oh-curr mau-ten you-tah) People here in Utah don't know how to spell!

I had an awesome experience in the Referral Center (RC). We are a chatting district so a woman started chatting with me and she wanted to know about the Curch and how it started. I was able to share the message of the Restoration and talk to her about the Book of Mormon. All online! Technology is so cool! We went to the temple today and did sealings. I was a proxy for children to be sealed to their parents. It was so amazing to be a part of sealing families together for all eternity. The temple workers were really funny. They were cute old men. They told me to pick the right person to be sealed to. It was cute and funny. They also talked to us about marriage and how it is difficult. They had such good advice.

Anyways, I love you so muc and I'm so thankful to have been bSorn into such a wonderful, loving family. Let everyone know I love them and I will try to send letters to my nieces & nephews soon. Keep the letters coming. They keep me happy. The gospel keeps me happy but sometimes I get tired or frustrated with learning and Spanish so it's nice to read letters from home. Love you lots!

Love,
Hna Sami Smith

Some excerpts from a letter to Jennie:

Just remember, the Lord gives us trials to make us stronger. I can definitely attest to that. I hope your personal and 'companion" study (with Mom, of course) are going well. Use Preach My Gospel. I was scared to use it before my mission but that was a mistake. It is an amazing resource that will help you understand principles of the gospel better and ways to actually apply what you learn to your life. The longer I am here the more I realize justh ow precious time really is. When it feels like you don't have much for yourself you treasure it. Actually P-day is a LOT more stressful than the other days of the week. ... I want to have faith like the Brother of Jared. Did you know that he actually moved a mountain?!? He moved A mountain. Faith is an amazing power and gift from God. Study it. Study all the attributes of Christ. We come closer to Him by becoming like Him. I love you so much! Keep being my amazing sister.

more email from Sept 4

Sami's dad sent her the link to an interview with Ted Lyon who is the current president of the Santiago Temple. She, of course, can not watch the video, but the following are her comments to some of the points from the interview that her Dad mentioned in his email to her. I am very impressed at how much she sounds like a missionary (which of course she is). He did say that 'Ted Lyon comes across as a friendly, knowledgeable straight-talker with long experience in Chile and the church.'

I understand your concern about the way the past has been run but I do have one thing to say now before I run out of time. If you really want to find out about the church you need to read the Book of Mormon. I don't know what your sources are but I know that you can't judge the poems of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow by someone else's words. If you want proof that the Book of Mormon and this church aren't true than read the Book of Mormon for yourself and follow the promise in Moroni 10:3-5 and you will get your answer. But I promise you that if you are sincere that answer will not be that the church is false and is trying to con people in some way. I'm not sure what your full view of the church is but I know that it is led by God through the prophet. I'm not even sure what your views about God are. Here's a deal. You think about my words and I'll think about yours. I promise. I love you so much. My time on the computer is gone and I'm scared it will (die on me). love sami

Sami's email Sept 4th

We sent Sami a surprise package for her MTC half way mark, which is tomorrow Sept 5.

A phone card would be nice for the airport. I think when we talk to family at the airport they want to keep it to about 30 minutes or less. I can't think of anything else right now except a thin fleece blanket. I think it will be nice to have something I know will be warm since I don't know what my blankets will be like. If there is a way she can pick stuff up I can pretty much guarantee that I will have stuff I won't be able to fit. I'm not sure how that works about someone picking it up from the MTC. I can't upload pictures here. At least I don't know how to. So you will probably have to wait on that until I get to Chile.class="MsoPlainText">

I got your package today!!! It was a really great surpirise. A delciously great surprise. I'm really excited about the candy. I think I will get fat because I like food. A lot. But it's cool. The Lord loves me either way. but they might have weight limits I will exceed on the plane to Chile if I don't stop eating enchilada casserole for lunch cada dia. By the way, the MTC food is so dangerous to the body. Sometimes it is hard to feel the Spirit because I am dying inside. But it's cool. I haven't died yet. (Make sure Dad knows I haven't died yet). Hey Dad, I haven't died yet. DONE. I was a little confused by the sheet in the package but I am really into purple fitted sheets so I was pleased with it.

Hey there. About the letter you will be getting any hour now. I sent it yesterday. Life is busy. And I kept forgetting the letters I sent in my room. My bad.

Xander is smarted than I am. (her just-barely 5 year old nephew who is starting school this year - he already reads, adds & subtracts & does some simple multiplication)

Preach My Gospel is really great! There are study activities throughout the chapters and at the end of all the chapters except the one containing the lessons. Study it up, Family!!!

I went to the temple today. It was so wonderful. If you send me the names of the people who need Initiatories and Endowments done I can have them done in 2 weeks or less. There are a lot of Elders here.

I haven't sung here yet. I tried to check out music to practice but the office was closed. Even though it SAID it was open. Creepy, huh? Yes. Definitely.

I do not like the term "hump day". It does not generate good feelings in my soul.

Dad, I am super into 2 minute baptisms.

(her non-member Dad had found some info on 'two hour baptisms' - from 1st discussion to baptism - that were apparently done at least once in Chile some time in the past - this was her response to her Dad after I had mentioned it to her)

I don't need another towel. I think just one will be fine. But sometimes I find orange fuzzies from my towel all over my clothes and I'm not sure how they got there... Spooky.

I don't remember all the questions you ask me because I am running out of time. But.... I love you all!!!

I'm am loving it here at the MTC (or CCM en espanol). The RC is super cool. I might write you a note talking about more spiritual stuff because I still need to read Dad's email. I probably should have read them both and THEN replied. Oops. Life goes on. I love you all mucho.

love,

Hermana Smith

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