2 posts within a week of one another? say whaaat?? i guess this is me putting off writing in my personal journal, but i've got time for that.

i just had my tonsils removed today. it's not really all that painful...yet...the doctor gave me extra meds. i've decided to talk as little as possible this week so that i heal quickly. plus, it kind of hurts to talk, so...i will now be taking my cone of silence for the next couple of days.

i need to figure out what classes i'll be taking this next semester. the problem is that i need to meet with an adviser at the school, but they're all booked, so i have to make a drop in appointment. i don't get to sign up for 2 weeks, which kind of blows since most of the classes i'm currently looking into are full. i suppose i could just sign up for classes and then change or something when they become available. or who knows...maybe the heavens will open and i'll be able to get into all the classes i need. that'd be brilliant.

i'm not, however, looking forward to waking up super early. since i'm now commuting, i'll need to take earlier classes so i actually get parking. but i suppose that's okay as long as i get my classes. hm.

i can't wait for school to start. seriously. i love it! i'm quite excited for it--to be back in a classroom, writing papers, discussions, etc...i'm not necessarily looking forward to all the reading i'll be doing, but i'm very eager to learn and i'm looking forward to it immensely.

i think i'm now used to my life simply being insane. there's no need to really go into depth on the subject as i don't really want to talk about it, but i'd like to state the following: just because someone doesn't necessarily show every emotion they're experiencing at that moment does not mean they don't feel anything. just a thought.

as i've been thinking about school and such, which starts up in january sometime, i've been looking into different fields, since my health is preventing me from pursuing my current major. i believe i mentioned earlier that i've been looking into communications and with everything that's been going on as of late, a scene from one of my favorite films, "The King's Speech", came to mind, where lionel and bertie are arguing because lionel is sitting on the coronation throne. if i could find a clip to embed, i would, but for now, the text will have to do, sadly. if you haven't seen the film, you need to. it's incredible and i find it truly inspirational, but perhaps i relate to the film and its message more because i had a speech impediment as a child.

King George VI: [Sees Logue is sitting on the coronation throne] What are you doing? Get up! You can't sit there! GET UP!
Lionel Logue: Why not? It's a chair.
King George VI: No, that. It is not a chair. T-that... that is Saint Edward's chair.
Lionel Logue: People have carved their names on it.
King George VI: [Simultaneously] That... chair... is the seat on which every king and queen has... That is the Stone of Scone you ah-are trivializing everything. You trivialize...
Lionel Logue: [Simultaneously] It's held in place by a large rock. I don't care about how many royal arseholes have sat in this chair.
King George VI: Listen to me. *Listen to me!*
Lionel Logue: Listen to you? By what right?
King George VI: By divine right if you must, I am your king.
Lionel Logue: No you're not, you told me so yourself. You didn't want it. Why should I waste my time listening?
King George VI: Because I have a right to be heard. I have a voice!
Lionel Logue: [pauses] Yes, you do.

i have a voice and i want to be heard. i deserve to be heard. we all do. if i do decide to go into communications, i'm not sure if i would go into film and media or journalism and mass media. that's still yet to be determined. i understand film and media very well and i love analyzing it and i feel i would be very successful in that field. at the same time, however, i have difficulty respecting the industry. but there are still wonderful people who strive for excellence and push for the good of man, rather than destroying the family and the morals of mankind. there's good and bad almost wherever you turn; it simply takes different forms and isn't always noticeable at first.

so, with all this, i've decided that i'm simply just going to go with the flow. i've got plans, but i know they'll change. i'm just going to focus first on my health and then on school and go from there. i don't have to decide on everything right now. answers to prayer and the greatest questions of life come with time, so i don't have to rush it. i don't want to miss out on opportunities and experiences due to impatience. one thing i do know for sure is that Heavenly Father has a plan for each of us and is mindful of absolutely everything we do, so just be patient. "keep on swimming." it'll all be okay.

well, apparently, what i thought was strep was not exactly what i had imagined. when i awoke the day following my previous post, my eyes, face and neck were so swollen that i couldn't feel my jawline and a couple tube-fuls of blood drawn by the ER nurses told the doctors i have mono. suck.

so i did my research and found out symptoms of mono include facial swelling (my sister said my swollen eyes made me look asian) and a sore throat, so i thought that the worsening of my symptoms was totally normal for mono.

the next day, my tonsils were quite large and on wednesday, they were HUGE! to the point i was having difficulty breathing. what the heck? is there a break ever from health issues?? i couldn't swallow water. my mom cut a normal-sized pain killer into 8 teeny tiny pieces so i could swallow and it was excruciating to do so. it took me about 10 minutes to swallow those pieces and all the energy i had. i had to sleep upright so i could breathe a bit easier.

i had the thoughts on multiple occasions throughout that day to simple enjoy the time i had left with my family since i clearly wouldn't have much longer. i could only take shallow breaths.

the next day (thursday), it had gotten worse and i couldn't take it any longer, we went to the doctor, who also told me i had tonsillitis on top of my mono. really? come on!! my head was killing me and i was super weak, so my doctor had me checked into the hospital where i was hooked up to an IV and had a ton of drugs pumped into me over the next couple of days.

i was released on saturday and rested as much as possible after that, but man, has life been crazy lately! between moving to arizona and all that drama to moving home and having this happen. better now than later when i'm back in school. it just testifies to me even further that Heavenly Father has a plan and things happen in a specific order for a reason. i'm so glad i listened and withdrew from school for this semester! it would have been horrid trying to keep up with everything with all that's gone on. phew!

i just scheduled my tonsillectomy for the 15th, so let's get those suckers out and hopefully then we can figure out what's going on with my back. if i have to have surgery, i'd rather have it done before school starts so i can at least go to school full-time, even if i wouldn't be able to have a job for a little while. we'll see what happens. it would sure be nice to go to school and have a job again. i miss it. and i also miss being able to buy clothes...i found these beautiful boots that are calling out to me. but alas, little ones, now is not the time.

i said hey...what's going on??

so i figure, "why not?"

"why not, what?" you're probably asking.

a new post! i suppose since i'm crippled once more and have a terrible case of strep throat, i have nothing better to do. i'm not currently working due to the fact that my bf/fiance and i broke up so i moved back home and am transferring to a school here. no job, no school, no money to spend and really no place to go or anything to do (besides sleep and heal)..so..why not?

i'm faced, my faceless friends of the internet, with a dilemma: earlier, i posted about my crippled back and surgery. well..less than 6 months later, i find myself in strangely familiar territory. once again, i'm having difficulty walking, have terrible back pains but the difference this time is that it's progressing far more rapidly than before and i know what's happening and what will happen next (most likely).

i remember the doctor saying that my disc between the L5-S1 was the one giving me trouble. it was bulging terribly and was compressing my nerve, which explained all the pain. this time, i have the pain in my back, hip and upper hamstring, but it hasn't spread any further. difficulty walking? check. slow as a freaking snail? check. it appears that i'm heading back into surgery. the doctor also said that the L4 was bulging slightly, but they were hoping that with all the treatment i underwent, that it would slide back into place, since its movement was so minimal.

i think it went the opposite way. so, this time, i'm not worried about the surgery, i'm worried about something else: my career.

my entire life, i've wanted to be a cellist in one of the top orchestras. the 12 cellists of the berlin philharmonic are my heroes! i adore them and if i could be half as good as they, i would have my musical career set. with this new back development, i find myself questioning if my dream is even physically possible anymore. i'm 23 years old with the back of an 85 year old. i'm a musician. i don't do crazy things. i've always been so careful of the things i did because i was so focused on music. i couldn't chance messing up my hands, back, shoulders, arms, etc and here i am, faced with something i've had no control over that's pushing me further from my dream.

i meet with my neurosurgeon in the next couple of days and if it turns out i have degenerative disc disease or something of the like, i may need to find a career that isn't quite so straining on my back. i would no longer be able to play professionally. i could play in a civic orchestra, i think, but i couldn't do a full-blown schedule like i've always wanted. if that's the case, what would i even change my major to? i'm so close to being done with music, but if it's something that will do more harm than good...

i can't even think of anything that could potentially bring me as much happiness as music does. my next thought was to go for a german major with a music minor and do something with international relations or something. i love traveling and seeing the world. that's what i would want next. i want to be able to do that if i can't have music. i guess i'll just have to wait and see what the good doctor says.

life in technicolour

i couldn't deny it even if i tried, my friends. my life has been rather interesting and i wouldn't just say, "as of late," but the past 8 months have been quite unexpected, if you will. to just give you all an idea of what i've been through, i'll give you a quick update:

in the past 8 months, i have:

--returned home from serving a mission in the Switzerland Zurich/Alpine German-Speaking Mission because of a back injury
--undergone extensive chiropractic treatment
--returned to school
--had the unknown back problem return
--discovered what sent me home and what returned was actually a herniated disc the size of a rather large thumb nail
--had 2 cortisone shots, which made everything worse
--undergone physical therapy

and most recently (2 weeks ago today, to be exact), i had back surgery removing said herniated disc.

looking back on everything, i kind of wish i had just had the surgery done right away, but i've grown so much and met some incredible people throughout this process, so even though it's been frustrating at times, i'm so grateful for the experiences i've had.

isn't life so amazing? just look outside--it's gorgeous! there is so much to be happy about! i'm eternally grateful to have had a positive attitude throughout this entire process; it's certainly blessed me greatly. life is too short to be unhappy and we have far too many blessings in our lives to not be of good cheer.

"come what may and love it." i remember Elder Wirthlin giving that talk a couple of years ago. i was living in Vienna at the time and ever since i've heard that talk, i've tried to develop that attitude. fast forward nearly 2 years to when i was serving in Richterswil, bedridden because i could no longer walk due to the pain. i studied the talk once more and as i continued to do what i could and studied the scriptures, i was blessed with an optimistic and cheerful attitude.

i won't even try to deny it, though. i was completely devastated. i loved my mission and had always wanted to serve, so why had that happened? there are so many times we won't receive the answers to our greatest questions. i have no idea why that happened to me when it did, but i find it amazing at what i've experienced within the past year. how can i not be happy? i've been and continue to be so blessed. i had the chance to serve a mission and i've met the most amazing people!

if i had to give a bit of advice to anyone, i would simply say to cherish every moment you have with someone because life is full of surprises. be of good cheer and constantly strive to see the innumerable blessings Heavenly Father bestows upon us.

life is just amazing. take a step back and look at everything you have, my friends.

well, well, what a week! and it's only wednesday! so far, i have a new nephew (number 5!), i've gotten/conquered an unknown illness that somewhat resembles the flu, i've met with the neurosurgeon and i've scheduled surgery for this friday! unfortunately, because of said surgery, i'll be missing the first few days of class since the doctor wants me to stay for a week to make sure no infection set in/aliens are growing inside of me, planning to take over and destroy the universe. i have this image of Alien in my mine. gosh, that would suck. high hopes, though, high hopes...

continuing on about the doctor: he thinks that part of the disc broke off and i've got fragments irritating the nerve. makes sense. he even drew/colored me a picture of what he thought. no, my doctor is not five. he's quite intelligent and has the background to prove it. the picture helped though.

tomorrow, i'm hoping to drive up to the temple. it's so beautiful!

as it's the very end of the semester and seeing as how i've slacked on updating this thing (because it's in such high demand by the general public...), i figured i'd write a few words. you know, just because...

my life this semester has been nothing like i planned. really, though, one can only plan so much. "plan to be surprised," is a great motto. along with, "come what may and love it." the latter is still my motto and although it can be difficult to love the situation, the saying makes it easier to at least appreciate the lessons that are to be learned. it has most certainly been a roller coaster this semester for me, what with the back issue coming back. i at least know the issue(s) though and i've tried everything, essentially. all but surgery. that, my friends, will be the adventure i experience next week.

i suppose i can't really say that quite yet. i don't know FOR SURE i'll be having surgery. for so long, i've been hoping for it, looking forward to it. i just want my life back. last night, however, while my visiting teachers were over, i came to the realization that it's back surgery. yes, i know that. but it's kind of really intense, if you think about it. should something go wrong and the neurosurgeon accidentally strike my nerve, i could be paralyzed. i have faith in the doctor i'll be seeing this upcoming tuesday, but that doesn't mean those concerns aren't there.

as i've been stuck in limbo, it's allowed me to see things in a different light. i've reflected on the past and yes, it's been more difficult, physically, not being able to do certain things, but i've met some incredible people. a fear of mine, one of which i hope it completely ridiculous and will never occur, is that after i'm healed, i won't ever see them again.

that sounds crazy, i know. it's just one of those fears, though--just that small bit of anxiety. whatever happens, happens. i think it was Bruce R. McConkie that said (and this is paraphrasing rather roughly...very roughly), "can you control it? if not, don't worry about it." there's no point in stressing about the things you can't control. recognize the Lord's hand in all things, keep the commandments, and you have nothing to worry about. sure, things may not turn out as planned, but there's nothing to worry about.

i'm trying really hard to keep that focus. life is so much better when you're happy and optimistic. there really are innumerable reasons to rejoice. be of good cheer! life happens. but why not be happy?

condoleeza rice spoke here at byu earlier this semester (incredible forum. truly) and reminded us that we may not be able to control our situations, but we can control our attitude to the situation.

i'll admit that, yes, if the doctor back home meets with me tuesday and decides i'm not getting surgery, i'll be at wit's end. what do you do when you've tried everything but it's only gotten worse? what do you do when it's taken over and completely changed your life?

i suppose the answer really is quite simple. it's what i've been doing and honestly, it's the only reason i've been able to remain so happy and optimistic throughout this whole ordeal: the gospel. how it's brought such peace and happiness! just look at your lives and everything you have. how can you not be happy? focus on what you know. focus on the gospel. have faith and know that everything will turn out well.

those are the things to keep doing, i guess. and sleep. that seems like a funny thing to say at this point, but really, sleep helps so much more than you realize. as college students, it's easy to pull all-nighters to get everything done, but i'm so much happier, optimistic, pleasant to be around, and everything is just so much better when you get sleep.

i suppose i'll quit my rambling now, but do be of good cheer, my friends. i may have difficulty walking/standing and essentially doing everything else, but i can still walk. what a blessing! do not take these things for granted; you have no idea what you have until you no longer have it.

pfingstrossen

ok, so this is completely random, but considering this is a blog, everything i say is essentially random, right? at least since i don't really post on a regular basis.

i'm not much of a gardener, i'm afraid (i have a small habit of accidentally killing any plant alive), but i wish i were, just so i could have this flower. (in german, it's called Pfingstrossen, but i don't know the name of this specific one. i believe it's some kind of peony, but, like i said, i don't know the variety. i just know that, 1. it's found in switzerland, and 2. i know nothing about plants, nor do i really care so much. i just know this one) i first discovered it when my 2nd companion and i were on our way to an appointment in my first area, Frauenfeld. i had to stop because they were so pretty and i had never seen a flower quite like them before, in all honesty. i believe they're fairly common in europe, but not so much here? hm. not entirely sure. i'm sure google would be kind enough to help out in that discovery, though.

perhaps this seems silly, but i love how delicate and feminine these flowers are. i dubbed these last summer as being my favorite flower and they still are.

i'm the kind of person where i may not know what i like/want at first, but once i find it, it's a solidified decision. however, that also means that i can be rather specific about what i do and do not like. with these flowers, i like that specific one above. not any other variety or color. that specific one. here's what it looks like when it opens up more:

beautiful, yes?

and that's the end of the botany post. probably forever.

in other wonderful news:

The Kansas City Temple is nearing completion! Ok, there's still the entire inside to do, along with the grounds, etc...but just look at the temple! It's GORGEOUS!

give me music or give me death

I've discovered a couple of seriously awesome bands in the past couple of weeks, thanks to NPR's Tiny Desk Concerts and I highly recommend them. I'll include the links to the TDC, so you can download it and enjoy it for many years to come. I had already listened to and enjoyed music by Iron and Wine, so you'll recognize his voice, but I especially love the song "Maryanne" that he includes in the session. It makes me nostalgic for things of recent past. Great song. Good memories...things I definitely miss.

Short post for those with short attention spans. Plus, I don't really have much to say. Enjoy the music, my friends!

Ghost of a Saber Tooth Tiger: http://www.npr.org/2010/12/08/131291469/the-ghost-of-a-saber-tooth-tiger-tiny-desk-concert

Iron and Wine: http://www.npr.org/2011/01/22/133059550/iron-and-wine-tiny-desk-concert **head's up, he's loose with language in a song, so if you have sensitive ears, beware. It's a fabulous session though.

Ivan and Alyosha: http://www.npr.org/2011/02/07/133463326/ivan-and-alyosha-tiny-desk-concert

freshly baked bread and other delectable edible products

sure, i'll admit it: i don't eat american bread anymore. i do enjoy the occasional white bread, but i can't really eat the store bought kind. i need the european stuff. i'm addicted. so yes, i bake myself wonderful rustic european breads each week. today, it's the French Country loaf; ah, there's nothing quite like fresh bread out of the oven.

this morning, my sister informed me of an atrocity, something that truly shook heaven and earth: someone told her that no one can tell the difference between a mix or from scratch. meine gute...how can anyone say such blasphemous words? OF COURSE you can tell the difference between the two--it's beyond obvious! yes, there is a place for mixes and they can come in quite useful at times, but i truly enjoy creating something people enjoy. i love to bake! i have a knack for it. and a passion, might i add. i love coming up with recipes and sharing these said baked delights with those around me. carrot cake (i make a pretty wicked carrot cake), chocolate pb cheesecake, cheesecake brownies, my chocolate cookies with my very delectable (and very secret) frosting...my, oh my...how i love to bake! i would love to open up a bakery someday. a very quaint bakery, similar to the one maggie gyllenhaal has in "Stranger Than Fiction." so delightful.

in other news: the King's Speech=AMAZING and i am the proud owner of all the Beethoven dvds featuring the Vienna Philharmonic, under the direction of Christian Thielemann. I've been waiting for these DVDs for 2 years! AH! i was there, my friends. i was there when they started filming the concerts. and it was amazing. ah, wien...

i couldn't resist, i had to redesign my blog. i needed something that was more me and not something some company had thrown together to be "cool." part of my lack of resistance is due to my procrastination/break from studying. mid-terms, my friends, mid-terms...

once more, i can say that my life is quite interesting--there never seems to be a dull moment! it's a bit of a roller coaster right now, but tis all good; all of our lives are like that, right? it's funny, i've been thinking about how when i was younger and would always complain about how boring my life was. had i only known what my life would be like now, i wouldn't have expressed such a sentiment.

it appears that this summer will be a bit slower now for me. i can't lie, i'm somewhat grateful for it. a few weeks ago, whilst undergoing testing (remember how i mentioned that my freak back problem was back? yeah, the testing and that are related), i was listening to some music and a familiar song rang out through the headphones:

Slow down, you crazy child
you're so ambitious for a juvenile
But then if you're so smart, tell me
Why are you still so afraid?

Where's the fire, what's the hurry about?
You'd better cool it off before you burn it out
You've got so much to do and
Only so many hours in a day

But you know that when the truth is told..
That you can get what you want or you get old
You're gonna kick off before you even
Get halfway through
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you're doing fine
You can't be everything you want to be
Before your time
Although it's so romantic on the borderline tonight
Tonight,...
Too bad but it's the life you lead
you're so ahead of yourself that you forgot what you need
Though you can see when you're wrong, you know
You can't always see when you're right. you're right

You've got your passion, you've got your pride
but don't you know that only fools are satisfied?
Dream on, but don't imagine they'll all come true
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

Slow down, you crazy child
and take the phone off the hook and disappear for awhile
it's all right, you can afford to lose a day or two
When will you realize,..Vienna waits for you?
And you know that when the truth is told
that you can get what you want or you can just get old
You're gonna kick off before you even get half through
Why don't you realize,. Vienna waits for you
When will you realize, Vienna waits for you?

i realized that i'm just trying to do way too much and i was pushing myself so hard that i was already missing out on some great things. so i'll have to wait an extra semester/year to start grad school. that's okay, i'll have extra time to work, travel (i'm hoping to go back to Austria and Switzerland) and so it's totally fine if i have to take a little longer. it's certainly unexpected, yes, with how long it's taking to finish my undergrad, but if i look back on everything i've done and experienced during the years just following high school, i have no regrets, so why let it get to me? i honestly cannot express all of the thoughts that went through my mind and the emotions i felt when this song came on, but believe me, i needed to hear those words that very moment. "slow down, you're doing fine..." just slow down a bit and enjoy the ride, my friends. don't let yourself miss out on some of the greatest things you could experience.

Grüezi!

Well, my friends, it has been quite some time since the last post. Life has certainly had its ups and downs since the last post. I assure you, however, that the ups greatly outweigh the downs. I made the decision to return to school whilst completing my physical therapy. Unfortunately, it seems that the odd back problem has returned with somewhat of a vengeance. Let's just say that it's making life interesting.

Onto much more positive things...

I decided to keep my mission blog attached to this so you all can read some past experiences (should you so desire). And honestly, I just didn't want to delete the entries. Laziness? Nostalgia? You can choose between the two.

School is keeping me super busy. I'm far busier than I remember being before the mission; however, now I'm much more focused, so perhaps that's why. Sometimes I feel like the mission was just a dream, it passed by so quickly.

I wish I were better expressing myself through words. I find myself unable to say what I want to say at the moment or unable to put into words my thoughts. Fortunately, I can easily find that necessary outlet through music, more specifically, my cello. I love music! I'm happy to be back in the middle of it all. How I missed it! I hope you all have that passion in your life. It's so important to do what you love. If you know me at all, you know how passionate I am about that. Do what you love, my friends! Be happy!

Come What May and Love It

Well, I'm sure you all are quite curious as to what has happened to me. Honestly, I'm curious as well. I have no idea how it's happened, but I'll tell you everything that I know, so as to answer your unasked questions.

About 6 weeks ago, while still in Frauenfeld, I started having this weird pain in my hip. Odd. But I didn't really think much of it; I figured I had probably just slept in a funny position or something. Once I was transferred to Richterswil, the pain got worse and I suddenly had pain shooting down my left leg. I felt it a great deal in my calf, and as I went throughout the transfer, the pain rapidly grew worse and spread throughout my entire leg, over to my right leg and continued spreading up my back. It became so bad I couldn't even walk. It was frustrating because we couldn't even go out and work, the pain was so bad. Taking stairs or walking up and down hill, and honestly, just even walking, was incredibly painful. Pain medications weren't working and I was speaking with the area doctor and doctors in my area for weeks trying to figure all of this out.

Last week, I met with other doctors and they, after doing a couple of physical examinations, determined that the reason I had so much pain was due to a herniated disc. Another doctor thought it was possibly something to do with my Sciatic Nerve. All I knew was that I was in horrible pain and prayed I could get all of this resolved so that we could go out and work.

As I spoke with President Condie, he asked a couple of questions and said he would call me back later. I was hoping to work in the mission office for the rest of the transfer and the next one so I could heal. Unfortunately, when President Condie called me, the first thing he said to me was, "Sister NeSmith, are you sitting down?" My goodness, those are the worst words to start out any conversation with! He told me that, after praying about it, both he and Sister Condie feel it best to that I be sent home. He said that there's clearly something serious wrong and so he said they would try to take me to the mission office to work there and then send me home at the end of the transfer. 2 days later, President Condie called to tell me I would go to Munich on Monday the 6th and fly home on the 7th.

The past week has been extremely emotional for me. I don't know what Heavenly Father has planned for me. At this point, I'm just going with it. He has a plan for each and every one of us and so I figure I'll just follow his plan instead of trying to make up my own. President Condie said that after I've been treated, I need to allow at least a month after I've healed to make sure I don't have any pain whatsoever, should I try to go back out. I don't really know if I will. I would love to, naturally, but I don't know what Heavenly Father has planned for me. When the time comes, I'll make that decision very prayerfully.

It's such a blessing to know that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and every one of His children. Doesn't that provide so much comfort? Believe me, it has been a huge blessing of comfort for me throughout this whole process.

So, now I'm back home. I'm being released tonight by my stake president. And we'll just see what happens from there.

I'm sad to have left. I didn't want to, but I trust President Condie and I know that he wouldn't have sent me home unless it was the right thing to do. So here I am in Kansas, back much sooner than expected. But just as Elder Wirthlin said in his wonderful talk, "Come What May and Love It." That's my motto and that's what I'm going to do.

Guten Morgen!

There is much to tell you, but unfortunately, I don't have as much time as I would like. The life of a missionary, right?

Last week, Sister Watkins and I traveled to Munich (I love Munich!!) for a training session. It was great because we got to meet the sisters in the other parts of the mission and I was able to see friends I haven't talked to in such a long time. It was wonderful and we learned so much! It was so great to be able to be in Munich, learning how to help others better and see how the mission is changing. I mentioned a couple of times what we learned at last Zone Conference and how a lot of responsibility is moving from the mission president to the missionaries and it focuses a lot on how to better teach those seeking the gospel. As missionaries, we're teaching investigators how to receive revelation for themselves and how they can better come to know that our Savior loves them, specifically. It's all very exciting and I'm grateful for this chance to better help the people here.

I wish I could have posted pictures, but alas, I was unable to find my camera. Fear not, it is in the apartment...I just don't remember where...So...pictures of Munich will be attached next week.

It's been an interesting couple of weeks here in Richterswil. People have moved, investigators have dropped us...it's been a bit sad, but there are those that are out there seeking the Gospel and we get to bring it to them, so we can't get discouraged because then we'll fail to see those searching for the gospel.

For now, I bid you adieu. Until next week, my people!

Love,

Sister NeSmith

Finally, pictures!

Well, well, it's another extremely humid morning here in Richterswil. Expected, seeing as we're RIGHT by the water.It's a beautiful spot to be in and when our GML and his wife came over their first reaction was, "WHOA!! What a view!! People pay millions for this view!" It's pretty gorgeous, I can't complain.

Sadly this one will be quite short this week. We really don't have a lot of time because on Friday, President Condie called and said we're be having a Sisters Training meeting in Munich for 3 days. Remember me telling you last week about fewer Zone Conferences and more training meetings? Yep, well, this is the start of it all. So I'll be in Munich until Wednesday.

Not much has happened this past week, sadly. Sister Watkins and I have both been quite sick, so we've been doing a lot of studying. We seem to be doing a bit better today, which we're both extremely grateful for. Thank goodness! There's just so much work to do here, we can't afford to get sick!

I hope the pictures make up for the lack of email today.I'm sorry! This is the view from our apartment. Ah, it's quite splendid, wouldn't you say? Switzerland was greatly blessed with beautiful landscapes.

Love,

Sister NeSmith

just another rainy day in Switzerland

Hello, hello!

It is quite the rainy day here, which I greatly appreciate, because I'm tired of the summer heat and lack of air conditioning (and combine that with walking up mountains all day...it gets to be rather disgusting) so I'm very grateful for the rain.

Last week, we had Zone Conference which held some very interesting changes for our mission. I think this is what is being instituted throughout all missions, but I'm not entirely positive, so don't quote me on it....we're still going to have transfers every 6 weeks, but we now only have zone conference once a quarter, along with interviews. There will be more training sessions, but a lot of the stress the mission president has is now being put on the shoulders of the missionaries. Zone and District leaders will be in charge of training the missionaries in their zone and district and there's more emphasis on certain parts of Preach My Gospel. We're challenging investigators to meet with us more during the week, but for shorter periods of time and when we don't meet with them, they're suppose to study the Book of Mormon and pray about it to know for themselves if it's true. We call it the 3x4, or the 3x30 because we meet 3 times a week (including church) for 4 weeks, for only 30 minutes. It's interesting to see how investigators change during this time.

Sister Watkins and I have 2 new investigators we're working with. I'm still trying to learn and meet everyone here, which is so easy task, mind you. So many people have been on vacation (in fact, there's a family in my ward that's going on a year long vacation. An entire year! All around the world. It's crazy.), so it's been really difficult to meet with everyone. Hopefully, with Ferien now over and school back in session, we can meet with our investigators and also the ward members. But yes, we have 2 new investigators, which is very exciting. One we met while waiting for our train and we started talking to him and teaching (Teach to Find) him and he was really interested and wanted to meet with us, and our lesson yesterday was so awesome! I love teaching about the Restoration of the Gospel because I love the special spirit it brings into the room. So great!

Sadly, I'll have to close here, but there's so much to tell you! I'll try to write more next week. Be Safe! I love and miss you all!

Love,

Sister NeSmith

Goodbye Frauenfeld...hello Richterswil

Guten Morgen, Meine Familie!

I hope to find you all well. I have indeed been transferred to Richterswil. It was hard to leaving the people of Frauenfeld, but I know I'm suppose to be here in Richterswil. It's been an interesting experience, the past couple of days. I've learned a lot and have experienced so many miracles and witnesses that I am supposed to be here in Richterswil. My companion, Sister Watkins, was actually trained by my trainer, Sister Russon. Crazy, no? Sister Watkins is from Salt Lake and has been out a year, this Wednesday.

The work here is booming and I'm so excited to be a part of it! It's great! The ward here is wonderful and so inviting and our GML (Gemeinde Missions Leiter, aka Ward Mission Leader) totally rocks and helps us out a ton.

I haven't met many of the investigators, but the ones I have met are incredible! It's amazing to see the change the Gospel brings about in the lives of everyone. The Gospel truly means, "Good News," and it certainly brings peace and joy to our lives!

I believe I have one of the prettiest areas of Switzerland. Every morning, I study by the window that overlooks the Zuri-See and I get to see all the sailboats and ferries pass by. We live up on a hill, so our view is really spectacular. The only downside (at the moment) is that we live up on a hill. It's not really that bad, to be hones...I suppose hiking a mountain everyday is healthy, right? At least it's a great view. "Come What May and Love It", right?

That talk has been something on my mind as of late. I'll admit, I didn't want to leave Frauenfeld. I loved the ward, the people...everything. I grew a ton there. I was a witness to so many miracles and had numerous blessings poured upon me, I didn't want to leave. However, when I got to Richterswil, unpacked and had a moment in the evening to think about everything, I thought about Elder Wirthlin's talk, "Come What May and Love It." Things are going to happen that we don't plan or intend for ourselves, but we have to find joy in the journey. Why take time for school/mission/whatever to only be miserable? Be happy. That's why we're here. It's the Great Plan of Salvation and Happiness! I decided to just be optimistic, delve into the work here, get to know everything as fast as possible and "[planned] to be surprised" because I know things are different here and I can learn so much. I already have and I've only been here a few days!

My companion is amazing. She has so much motivation and we've experienced some amazing miracles already. We've found a couple of people on our train the other day. It was awesome! We taught this guy, Lukas, about the restoration and it was amazing. He recognized the spirit right away and told us that he felt really good about what we were saying. Ah! I love this work! It's a privilege to be involved in this process with everyone.

When you leave and come to a new ward, they ask you to bear your testimony. After Sacrament meeting yesterday, a ward member came up to me, introduced himself and said, "du sprichst gut Deutsch. Kannst du ubersetzen?" Uh.....I'll try?? The ward members are far too generous. Thank goodness I had Sister Watkins to help with the translating, because I may have just started making up what the person was teaching.

In other news: Elder Ballard is coming next month!! I think I mentioned that awhile ago, but I'm really excited. It'll be wonderful to hear from an apostle. Exciting things are happening in Switzerland, my people. Exciting things. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Sister NeSmith

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Morgen, everyone! I do hope to find you all doing well. Just doing emails here in Zürich. Yesterday, at about 6:40 am, the APs called and told me I'm being transferred this Wednesday to Richterswil. I know I'm suppose to be there, but that doesn't necessarily make it that much easier to say goodbye. I'll miss Frauenfeld, the people, the ward, etc...it was an incredible experience to be here and I was blessed beyond measure. I'm sad because I didn't get to say goodbye to everyone because so many people are on vacation. I suppose that's the life of a missionary though, right? Doesn't make it any easier, though.

Richterswil....it'll be interesting. It's on the water, and the view from our apartment is spectacular. I was there an on exchange 2 transfers ago. It's a really beautiful area. I'm excited to work with the people and the ward. I'll be working with Sister Watkins. She was actually trained by my trainer, Sister Russon. Cool, no? It'll be fun to work with her and experience the joys of another area and the people. It'll be different, but I know I'll love it and the people.


Leider, muss ich gehen. I hope you all are doing great! I pray for you all daily! Love you!

Love,

Sister NeSmith

Guten Morgen!

This week has been fairly exciting--we have 3 new investigators! Isn't that wonderful?? Sister Dittli and I have been praying that we would find more people to teach. We've been somewhat frustrated here lately because so many people are on vacation right now and it's been impossible to set up appointments with people, it seems. So, we're very excited to be able to teach more people. 2 of our new investigators are actually a mother and son. We streeted into Simon, her son, a few weeks ago and so we stopped by their house and were able to teach them a lesson. Simon's mom asked if she could keep the Book of Mormon to read and study. Of course, you may!! When her husband got home, she was really excited, stood up, pointed to us and said, "Look. Mormons!!" Yes, indeed. Our other new investigator is someone we came across when looking through our area book. He had been taught a lesson and that was it, evidently. The missionaries never went by again. Never followed up. Sad. But we're teaching him now, which is was cool. He's a very spiritual man and excited to learn more. It's such a wonderful calling to be involved in this process with people. It's a very humbling experience.

I hope you all are doing well. Life continues on in Frauenfeld. We find out this Sunday if we'll be staying or getting transferred. I wouldn't be surprised, honestly, if I'm transferred. Sisters have been in Frauenfeld for a couple of years and so I wouldn't be surprised if President Condie gave the area to elders. We'll find out Sunday, so stay tuned!

Love,

Sister NeSmith

come what may and love it

Guten Morgen, everyone!

This week has actually somewhat of a bummer for us, to be blunt. It´s summer, which means everyone is on vacation, so it´s been really difficult for us to meet and find people. Appointments have cancelled, doors have been slammed...it can be difficult at times to not get frustrated. Sister Dittli and I hold strong though. We´ve able to just remind ourselves of something funny the other has said or an experience we had together and then we´re good. It keeps us trucking along. We did have some really great lessons last week. I mentioned Alex in my last email, so I´ll mention someone else today. Sister Dittli and I met the sweetest lady from Greece about a month and a half ago and so we´ve been visiting her. Her faith is so strong! It´s remarkable and she´s so sweet to us. She loves having us come over and she just always brings a smile to our faces. The people here are so wonderful. Yes, times may be hard, door may be slammed in our faces (or windows, since everyone generally leans out of their window to see who we are before they buzz us in), and people may reject hearing the message of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ, but then you meet someone that just makes it all worth it. The worth of one soul is indeed great in the sight of the Lord! (read Doctrine and Covenants section 18. Marvelous!)

I´ll be sending more photos soon. It´s a beautiful time of the year and we´ll be celebrating some holidays quite soon. It´ll be wonderful!

I hope you all are doing well. Stay strong and, as Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "Come what may and love it."

Love,

Sister NeSmith

Guten Morgen! I write you today from Konstanz, Germany. We decided to check out other places in our district, so we came here.I promised you all pictures, so I hope these will do. I´m bummed because I have a ton I want to show you all, but I´m having problems with the computer here, soo....I´m afraid I´ll have to print them off and send them home. I may be able to scan some...not sure. We´ll find out.

There is some exciting news here: our investigator, Alex, is getting really close to baptism. Yesterday, he talked to us about setting up a baptismal date! Woo! He said he just isn´t ready for baptism and would decide at some point whether or not to get baptized. And yesterday, he talked about setting up a baptismal date. The ward here is amazing. They´ve helped us so much with Alex, as well as all of our other investigators.
Let me explain the photos before I forget: We got together with some other missionaries and we decided to go on a boat ride in Biel and so the first 3 photos are from that. I´m sad I´m unable to send you more, it was beautiful (and ridiculously hot) that day. The last photo is from our apartment window. Not the most exciting view, but the sunsets here are really pretty.
Unfortunately, I must bid you adieu, so my time is up. I hope you all are doing well. Help out the missionaries in your area. It´s greatly appreciated, believe me!

Love,

Sister NeSmith