I GOT ACCEPTED INTO NURSING SCHOOL!

July 2, 2015

Hello to my beautiful family,

Mom I wanted to start by telling you how much I loved all of your thoughts on the Lehi's vision so true! Joel and Jen as well:) love it, love it!

It has been absolutely wonderful being at the MTC because all of these people keep sharing things with me. They come up to me and share scripture or something that really touched them and we have a discussion about it. It has been so cool to see that when I listen to others and try to learn from them how much more they want to share and how we can lift and edify each other.  

This week Elder Turner and I had some amazing conversations about grace based on a book he shared with me. I am not sure that it is something I fully understand yet.  But I know that everything we have and the plan we have been given was completely out of the grace or goodwill of God. He loved us before we could do anything to earn or deserve His love. Also something really cool is mercy isn't mercy if we deserve it. Just like grace isn't grace if we earn it. But that doesn't mean we don't have to try our very very best. Just like riding a Tandem bike. Both partners need to work as hard as possible even though one might be stronger than the other.

This past week we got to go back into the Madrid temple. So wonderful, I am afraid I got quite agitated wondering about some specific things in the session so I left the temple a little aggravated. It was like I could feel this anger surrounding my heart keeping me from understanding. When I left I took the time to pray and I immediately felt that anger leave and I received a beautiful answer from my Father in Heaven. What I learned from this:  Sometimes we get too caught up in understanding all the tiny details.  And when we start to get afraid in "seemingly deep" water    ( like a child learning to swim clings to a teacher when brought into deeper water) if we freak out and refuse to
listen, He cannot teach us. But we must remember He is our father. He loves us and only wants us to learn things to become better. If we trust Him and relax then our understanding and answers can come.

This week in the park I had one of the most amazing experiences in the world. I cannot remember if I mentioned my experience last week, but it was kinda sub par. Due to my own pride. This week I was defiantly humbled and completely relied on my Farther in Heaven to guide me. My goal was to push back my fear and talk to everyone I laid eyes on. I had a discussion with my teacher earlier where he talked about how it is Satan who tells is to wait for the next person and then the next. And that every missionary has fear, it is how we deal with it that matters. So I made those goals. 

Well when I arrived in the metro my goals were put to the test. I was a little hesitant about approaching a man on the metro and then Elder Merrill pointed at me forceful and pointed at the man. You don't know Elder Merrill, but that is not something you ignore. So fearing Elder Merrill would kill me, I dove in head first to the conversation. Turns out we got a reference from the man and it was an amazing conversation. That little push was all I needed. It was amazing to see the Lord help me over come my fear. He set me on fire. I literally talked to everyone I saw. We met this amazing man named Julian and talked to him for an hour. I could feel God's love and my own desire for him to know of the goodness of God as we spoke. We committed him to read specific parts of the Book of Mormon. I really cannot explain this amazing experience and do it justice. But what I learned is that if you give God an inch, an inch and say I will do what you need, He can take you a mile.

I need to rave about my companion for a moment. Hermana Brown is amazing. I have loved being her companion so so much. I fear I am a little spoiled because things have been so good. She lets me be crazy and doesn't even blink:)   We are able to teach powerfully together and have an amazing time. Basically the sisters that I came here with (Eyring, Deveroux, Rollins and Brown) are so wonderful and I will have these amazing relationships forever:) Sorry if that doesn't make sense. Let me demonstrate how amazing these sisters are. Every morning we start the day with a dance party just to you know get the blood pumping;) then spontaneously through the day if we start getting too tired we all just go and dance together.  Or the other day at lunch they had these amazing donuts that I loved so the sisters just kept bringing them to me:)  When I told them I got into nursing school they all jumped around with me :) I love these amazing powerful sisters that have made this my home away from home.

So major accomplishment for the week. Apparently I have begun sleep talking in Spanish. So ladies and gents I guess  I'm getting kinda official;)

So this heat wave has it Spain and it has been in the 40s all week (116ish)  [actually its 104] Man it is insane!  I really didn't know the world got this hot. Just kidding, kinda. Every time I walk outside its like a big hug:)

HEY SO I GOT INTO NURSING SCHOOL!!! I am so grateful to my Father in Heaven for that amazing blessing. He helped me work as hard as I needed to to get in. I really am so stoked!  When I found out I screamed it to the world because I was in a stair well, bad idea because some poor Russian sisters were trying to teach right above me.

This week in my district Elder Trantham and Merrill decided to make fun of my throwing abilities. ( all in good fun, this conversation was hilarious)  But basically, they said if I was trying to hit them they were completely safe. Well we were playing warrior ball for sports so I decided to prove them wrong, which in fact I did, but I also jammed
my finger  -  the finger that my ring is on and my knuckle started swelling so I couldn't get the ring off. One of my teachers was concerned so he went and got some lotion  and my whole district worked together to get my ring off my finger. Team effort, success!

This week for p-day I went thrift store shopping.  So yeah, in Spain! It was so much fun! I grabbed the craziest clothes and tried them on. We also got the best ice cream I have ever had in my life from this gelato shop. Man, I could have died happy right then!

I honestly cannot believe my time at the CCM is coming to an end. I don't want to leave these amazing people and this beautiful city. But I am ready to go apply what I have learned. I love you all so much and pray for you daily. Know that I am so happy. Every day here is full of spiritual goodness and laughter. God is so good to me. Even though I am far from perfect he blesses me so much more than I can describe.

I hope I made some sense this week;) and that all of you are doing well:)

Much love,
 Hermana Smalley

PS...I love you so so much. My question of the week for everyone that I forgot to write is I am leaving the MTC what advice would you give me??