And then there were THREE (3/21/11)

Hi family!!!!!!

so this week has been pretty crazy. possibly REALLY crazy, but really good. tuesday we had transfers and i was just a mess waiting for my new companion and saying goodbye to sister kim and i was really nervous -- but then President Nelson brought our companions into the room where we were having a "trainer's meeting" and i met sister DUMAS!

me and sister mamon were freaking out. sister mamon was just about to go into cardiac arrest before we met sister dumas. sister mamon is from russia and then she was adopted when she was 16 and came from arizona - sister dumas is from california. sister mamon is going home at the end of this transfer and she was in bensonhurst before - it's way cool to see her reconnect with so many people - especially the russians in the ward. there are a LOT of russians here and it is SO SWEET to have a companion that can just start talking to them. yeah!

okay so this week feels like it has been forever and i don't really know what to write - we have been trying to get adjusted to having three people and getting sister dumas adjusted to being in the mission and it is a really big adjustment for all of us. but we have seen a lot of miracles this week and it has been really good.

biggest miracle story that i want to write before i get kicked off this computer is ruby. HOLY MOLY!!!!!!!!!!! family i cannot even tell you how blessed i am. ruby is a lady that is friends with a co-worker who is a member that lives in manhattan. her friend (melia) has been introducing ruby to the gospel for a while and ruby loves it. she wanted to come to church for the last month but hasn't been able to because of her school schedule. (weird - SO many people have classes on sunday... yeah that wouldn't fly in utah) anyways ruby and her friend melia as well as another friend tammy came to church yesterday. Heavenly Father is real and miraculously i was placed in just the right place to see them as they came in the door. i introduced myself to them because i didn't know them and welcomed ruby and then made sure they had a seat then i started running around like a crazy telling everyone (relief society president, bishop, some other women in the ward) that ruby was here and this was her first time at church. everyone welcomed her after sacrament and she was there to see judith and alexa be confirmed and the spirit was REALLY strong. basically there were so many miracles. the friend tammy started crying and said that she and melia have been praying for so long for this sunday - ruby was really really scared that she wouldn't be welcome or that she would feel awkward and melia and tammy prayed for a misssionary to be at the door. i said hello to them literally two seconds after they walked in -- amazing that somehow we are ALWAYS in the right place at the right time. i think that is the thousandth time i have said that but whatev. it's still true. and yeah. melia got a copy of the book of mormon and she is really excited and she said she felt SO comfortable in church and was so grateful and she said she wished she had met the church earlier. she also has a teenage daughter and a 7yr. old son that will be coming with her. yeah. this is what i thought 'shut UP!!!!!!!! is this really happening?! what the heck this is AWESOME!!!!!!! am i dreaming?" needless to say, it was a really good day.

and judith and alexa were confirmed!!!!! it was really special and such a good day. i also got to teach primary and we had a little boy run away several times from class and bishop had to bring him back. bother.

we met some really amazing people this week on the trains and stuff too. it's funny to see sister dumas and how she tells people it's her first week and that kind of bewildered feeling of riding the train and the bus for the first time and it just doesn't feel like it was THAT long ago that i was telling people it was my second day in the city. haha. and i love the fire of wanting to talk to EVERYONE. it is really fun.

i miss you all family! thank you so much for your support - i love you so much. i really really don't understand how i got so lucky. i have an aMAZING family and friends. i hear stories from others and i really just don't understand how i got so lucky. thank you.

i love you!
sister m. smith