Sister Ellie Smith England, Manchester Mission

This is what I've been saying every 5 seconds recently..  No worries! Or alllll is well!! Or it's okay everything with be fine! Or we just have to keep going! It's been a stressful week... but it has really helped me ponder on the definition of hope and faith.  HOPE. Is my favorite thing. Hope is something that I cherish and feel very grateful for because I've developed it a lot throughout my life. It's natural for me to just keep saying "this sucks BUT everything will be okay eventually" as you can tell by a lot of my emails I'm sure. It's one of my favorite sentences actually. But it can still be hard in that in between stage where you're waiting for that "good ending." It can be hard to stay strong 24/7. Sometimes we crash and sometimes that's what we need. I've experienced this a lot this week but I've learned one of the most important things. Everytime I crash, that is where I find the Savior. To pick me up and remind...

Hellllooooo family and fabulous friends. Thanks for the all the prayers I could really feel them this week. This week was full of stress but BOOM. MIRACLES TOO because God is too good and will never slow down his work. We have started a new program called first responders in my district. Still haven't escaped from social media yet but hey! It's brought me so close to Jesus Christ so I won't complain. Basically we are responding and teaching online referrals allllll day. You know when you stare at your screen for so long your brain begins to rot? Feeling that a bit recently but all is well. I've talked to some of the coolest people. It's beautiful to see the prepared souls that are just ready to soak in the gospel and change their heart. There are so many people out there, especially right now in the world! Sometimes all we need to do is invite them....  Went to freshers this week to find all new Uni students in Liverpool and that was FIIIIIRE. Saw some of my favorit...

What a wild first 2 weeks for Sister Christensen!  We have had the weirdest things happen to us. Here are a few.... 1. Saw a guy screaming at the top of his lungs in the air while flipping off nothing. It was spectacular and terrifying. Thought that was gonna be the last day of our lives 2. Taught our first lesson to Sabir at the chapel.... he had absolutely no interest in the church and tried to convert us to be muslim. Then walked around the temple grounds, smoking a cig yesssssssss 3. A bird flew into the chapel, smashed into the window, and BOOM DIED. Crazy 4. Everyone in the whole Chorley 3 ward is getting engaged and Bishop said we are next so be careful.... This week was AWESOME. I learned so much more about God's plan for me and continue to find different ways he is helping me learn different things. Most of the time it is through hard times and challenges but hey! What's new, I feel like I am used to it by now. I kinda love challenges now? I don't know. It i...

Howwwwwzit. Back with another week. Here in CHOOOORLEY. Crazy.  I guessed it...I am officially a trainer. Got a daughter yeeeeeayyyy! Sister Christensen is so amazing. It is such a blessing to serve with her! She's gonna rock it.  Gonna make this quick but HUGE miracle. Our mission leaders announced that England is just doing incredible. Apparently it hasn't had this much succes like actually ever before. I immediately wanted to cry. There is no other feeling than participating in this work and seeing the Lord magnify your efforts. The EMM has changed my life forever and it was so special to hear that the Lord really is carrying and prospering this mission.  Miss you all and looooove ya dearly. Keep my comp in your prayers. Being a new missionary is tough! She is killing it. PEACE. Go crazy says PG Cheeeeeeeers Sister Smith 

Quickest update ever..... I must smell too much because God never wants me in Chester for more than 6 weeks BYEEEEE! I am going to Chorley and training a brand new missionary! Hope she loves me!!!! This transfer has been a rollercoaster ride. I have never been more refined in my life. But wow God is just too good to let you fail. I can see how he slowly works with me to help me become more like Jesus Christ. I loved every second serving here and being with the amazing sisters in my flat. Especially Sister Crowton!!! She is just a powerhouse. I am so proud of the missionary she is and continues to become. I would've died without her. I'm grateful for all the amazing members and people I taught and it really breaks my heart to leave but what a comforting thought that the Lord is always with them.  I love you all!!!! Hope you're doing well  Miss you Nosuyi! Cheeeeeeers  Sister Smith

Hi!! Back at it! Ready for the quickest update ever? I am about to fall asleep. AMI GOT BAPTIZED THIS WEEK! YAYY! It was such a special day for her. She felt so much love and joy and said she couldn't even sleep that night YEEEWHOOO! We are so happy for her. She is such a strong member and has always just fit right in. God was so aware of her that day, the ward made her baptism SO special. I love Ami so much. The Lord is blessing Chester in many ways and I am so grateful that He is in control. It makes my heart hurt to think that there will be an end to my mission, and I have been trying not to think about it, but God has really helped me feel excited this week about being able to apply all the life lessons here when I get home. And.... I got into BYU Hawaii so I am grateful for that miracle this week and I am excited to go back and live there YEEEAZZZZ so if you are still there lmk  Also I am turning hungarian because the food is so good I love it. Judit is the BEST and keeps maki...

I'm gonna spend more time on this email... because MAN I just am so grateful. God is just throwing blessings at me  even through the challenges?!?!! Yep. He is that good.  MIRACLE MOMENTS I LOVE DAILY GOALS AND MARGINAL GAINS!! This week there was so much joy and success because of both of those things. It is so easy to think you are not doing enough but when you see the Lord magnify your desired efforts it's SO AWESOME! This week we had two days where we set specific goals. On Tuesday we made a goal to make 1 friend. That day, we received a referral that was SO interested. She has a family with 6 kids and 9 grandkids that are ALL interested. WOW!! Then on Saturday we made a goal to invite a specific amount of people to church, we were running around all day to talk to absolutely EVERYONE we saw. It was the best feeling in the world. At the very start of the day we saw this man walking his dog way far down the road and he was the EXACT person we envisioned. We sprinted down th...

That is the best way I can describe missions right theeeeere  in the title, booya. This week was FULL of ups and downs. Like crazy. I have learned that the opposition is always there but also it always leads to joy and miracles. Weird how life works.  This week I had probably one of the best days of my entire life. I was able to go to the temple with my STRETFORD FAM. Goodness, it was fabbbbulous! I already know when life gets really hard in the future I will constantly remind myself of that day to help me feel better. That day will be an anchor of joy for me forever. It was such a blessing to see everyone again from my last area. ALSO can I just say, JACK BAPTIZED ME!!!! Absolutely crazy full circle moment. So insane to think that 6 months ago Jack didn't really even believe in God and look at him now...... makes me want to explode of joy. I will treasure these moments forever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever and ever. Do you want me to keep goi...

I am grateful for the spirit that I felt this week! We had some very special experiences. We are teaching a friend from Hungary, her name is Judit. She is an older lady and is heavenly sent and prepared. Because she speaks Hungarian, we are working with the elders serving in Hungary and they teach her over zoom. She likes the support so we meet with her in person and sit by her the whole time. On Friday we had a lesson with her and we planned the invitation for her to be baptized. We told the elders that they can follow the spirit as well and do what they think is best. We sat through this lesson that was in full Hungarian. I was worried because the place that we were in had super loud music and I didn't think the spirit would be felt. I gave her my headphones and I realized how powerful the Holy Ghost really is. She was completely tuned out from the world. Towards the end of the lesson I looked over and saw tears running down her face, then I looked at the elders and TEARS running...

  BACK. IN. CHESTER.  This week was a rollercoaster.  But I learned so much about the power of God. The beginning of this week was a huge challenge and stress for me. But! I feel so much better now. Earlier this week I was really struggling to know what to do and how to train 3 sisters to do social media and historian work at once and everything just felt worse because it finally hit me that I was out of my last area away from the people that I love so much. I have never loved people that much. Also I MISS SIS HUDSON. She was just copy and paste of a perfect consecrated missionary. Words can't describe how grateful I am for her, all the time we spent together, and the things she taught me. She shaped me to be more like my Savior.  I am SO thrilled to be back here in Chester as well. It is such a blessing to be here and see all the members again. They are just so awesome. I was like IMMMMM BACK at the pulpit. It is making things 5,000 happier and easier as I am t...