Baptism the hard way

Hey, it´s been a crazy week. In the end only Gladis got baptized but we are going to keep working with the other two people to help them prepare for this Sunday. We had to go all the way to Talca because there still isn't a font here but in the end it really was perfect because Gladis is really concerned about her health and in Talca there is heated water (here it would just be a small wading type pool outside so the water won´t be too warm or too cold) But Gladis was so happy. It was really cute to see her all excited and nervous about her baptism. She was really happy after and I am really impressed that she was totally fine with traveling 2 hours to Talca and then 2 hours to come back just for her baptism. What a trooper.

We had a combined baptismal service with the Hermanas in San Javier because something isn´t working with their pool so I got to see Hna Leggett. Cute! I miss her and the Hnas in Santa Sabina. But it sounds like they are thinking about doing some kind of conference or activity with all the Hnas in September. That would be so amazing! It would be so cool to see everyone in the same place.

I feel like Heavenly Father is trying to help me learn how to follow the guidance of the Spirit. Sometimes it seems like learning the things that God wants us to is a long, slow, sometimes painful process. Usually it is just painful when we don´t listen or decide that we don´t want to listen to what he is trying to tell us. But all the things that we learn from Heavenly Father are definitely worth the effort we have to put in to it. And we learn according to that same effort. If we put in the work, He puts in the rest. If we don´t do anything or very little, that´s exactly what we´ll get out of it. Makes sense to me.

I found out that my mission goes until February 22 so if you want to come get me, which it sounds like you do, plan for that. I would actually love if you came down, so I could see you a little earlier, and because they are changing the way they send the missionaries home and it seems like it might be a little more difficult to say goodbye to all the people I would want to see before I left. And you do have a point in that I don´t know when I will have enough money to come back. Sad day.

Consti is warmer and less rainy than Conce. I´ve actually gone a few nights without my winter coat. I never would have done that in Conce. Jamás de los jamases. (Hna Cortés is helping me improve my Spanish...)

How fun that Jennie is back and that you are all hanging out and being cool. Lame, But okay because I am having a good time and learning so much useful junk. Ha. Not junk. Useful information, experiences, about myself, about other people, a little of everything. And I hope to be a more well-rounded person when I get back. When I say well-rounded I am referring to my manner of being, not my body, which actually is more rounded than when I started my mission a year ago. But what can ya do. I know. I started jogging to the beach in the mornings to have some wave therapy. And I want to start doing yoga. Speaking of that, could someone send me the Sun Salutations so I could do them in the morning with my jog? Sería genial.

I had songs to send but my recorder has a virus so the computer won´t let me get to them. I´ll see what I can do about that for next week.

I love the Gospel too. Seriously. Hna McCombs and I were talking about that yesterday on the way to Talca. It just makes me so happy because it all makes so much sense. Maybe that´s why I love it so much, it answers so many questions that we can have that in a way it brings a certain type of surety. We probably won´t be able to answer all of our questions with the understanding that we have right now of the Gospel but I have complete confidence that one day it will all come together for us. That we will be able to comprehend what God comprehends. That day is a little far off. hehe. But it´s still there. The Gospel rocks, man.

Well, I love you all. Think of me when you play Cheeky Monkey (the Chileans LOVE that game, honestly they do) and Settlers of Catan. We´ll have a big party when I get back and I will cook Chilean food to delight your hearts with American seasonings to delight your taste buds.

love,
Hna Smith

Four Hermanas in the rain

Gladis who was baptised Sunday in the font in Talca

Gladis and family and friends (and the 2 hermanas)

The hermanas from San Javier and Constitucion

Hermanas Smith and Leggett