happy birthday father!

Hey family!

 

Before I forget, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD!!  I hope it's a good one this time and y'all enjoy your weekend down in Vegas.  Thanks for being who you are!  I'm sending you the warmest wishes all the way from Louisiana.  :)

 

Oh and by the way, thank you so much for the one year package.  I loved the camel and the descriptions you put with them!  Definitely a clever idea.  The spanish sisters got us Jesus necklaces too and we got to celebrate a little.  Goodness I can't believe how fast time flies by..I don't even want to think about it!  It's been a good year to say the least, definitely a good year.  

 

I love being back in North Baton Rouge, seriously it's the best!  We're back to seeing Sister Banks ever week so we're working on a goal to get her to the temple.  Little steps to help her get there but she'll make it.  It's sweet to see the progress in her because she asked us to come by every week to help her learn more and what not.  So we've been visiting her forever so we're focusing on how we can really discern her needs and help her.  Man, she's just the greatest!  I think as we help her out more we'll be able to bring the rest of her family back to church a little more too.  Chad moved to Utah a couple months ago!  And Ron comes to church with Sister Banks.  So now we've just got to work on Tae and Dericka! 

 

We saw the McCartney's this week too!  Goodness, I love that family so much!  Haha the best was seeing Aiden.  He wasn't at church on sunday so when he saw me he ran up and was about to give me a hug but then remembered he can't and shook my hand.  He's a funny, funny kid.  Haha and he's got a mini fro now too.  Too great!  They moved to a nice house just a couple streets away from their old one.  And one of their dogs is gonna have some puppies in just a couple weeks.  They're all doing great and becoming stronger in the church!  I guess it's kinda like the same as with Sister Banks...they've been coming to church but we're gonna see them once a week to help them progress even more.  Man it would be awesome if we could get Amanda to the temple.  It'll just take some time though.  In the meantime it's just the little things! 

 

We were super busy last week and this week we're booked full of appointments, and I mean booked full.  Goodness it's crazy but I love it! 

 

Here's an update on Chandra, Geneva, and Johnathan.  I love them so so so much!!  Goodness I don't know, I just want to take away all the hard things they're going through and make everything alright right now for them.  They've been busy with lots lately so they kept cancelling our appointments.  On Tuesday they cancelled again because Chandra had a hard night so we made them some spaghetti and took it over for dinner.  It was pouring rain on the way there and we could hardly see anything, plus the road was a giant river, but we made it over!  Chandra was asleep but we just dropped it off to Geneva and Johnathan and then left.  They are incredible I tell ya.  Johnathan read a paper to Sister Wolf that he wrote and he talked about how everyone was bullying him at school because his family was poor and he told how he worked with the principal to stop the bullying.  We were supposed to help them move today but it was raining so they postponed to wednesday.  They're moving just to another house in Baton Rouge but here's the thing...Government street is the dividing line between our ward and 2nd ward.  And they are moving two houses south of the street!  Freak it just messes everything up because they were supposed to come to church yesterday but they didn't have transportation, they said they were gonna take the bus but then they didn't.  And now where they're moving it's not on the right bus route to get to the church and it doesn't run on sunday.  I don't know what to do!  Sheesh, keep them in your prayers please!

 

Anyways, y'all don't want to hear about all my complicated problems!  If only everyone could have a free car that wouldn't cost any money all of our problems would be solved.  Man, the Elders even have an investigator that rides his bike to church and he lives pretty far away.  More people need that type of dedication!  Haha or just a miracle to happen. 

 

But here, I'll tell ya about my companion.  Sister Wolf is from Austin, Texas but her family moved to Clearfield, Utah a couple years ago so I guess I'd technically say she's from Utah.  She's awesome!  She can make anyone feel good about themselves, she easily makes everyone laugh, and she's real fun to be around.  I love her!  Our district is pretty awesome too.  Elder Morrow is our district leader (he was my district leader forever ago too) and he goes home in just a couple weeks.  His companion is Elder Bushman and he's just waiting for his visa to go to Brazil.  His mission president just emailed him though and said his visa came so he'll probably be living this week.  He's a funny kid...I'll miss him!  And then the office elders are Elder Watkins and Elder Adkins!  Yes (the one related to KC and Candace) he still remembers you Andrew!  Pretty fun stuff.  :)  we have lots of fun together and work hard.

 

I gotta get going, but I love you family!  Have an awesome week.

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz 

february!

Hey Family!

 

How was y'alls week?  I sure hope it was a good one!  We had quite a few memorable experiences from this week so it was a pretty good one to say the least.  :)  here's a funny story for y'all.  We were going to see Sister Coleman and this lady walks up to us and asks if we have any daily bread or something like that.  I was super confused and asked her what she just said because I thought I misheard her.  But she said the same thing again so we just said..hmm not sure but we do have a book!  So we gave her a Book of Mormon and told her a little about it.  Then she asked us to pray with her so we grab hands and Sister Wolf starts praying haha and the lady just starts speaking in tongues during the prayer.  It was the strangest experience I've ever had and we just walked away so confused.  Haha I'm glad she felt the spirit though.  ;) 

us and Pearl...she talks a whole tone but she's super funny.  :)

The second sweet experience was this media referral we got.  We called her last week but no answer haha and the funny thing is she called us back but we didn't save her number so she didn't know who we were and we didn't know who she was.  While on the phone we just mentioned we were missionaries and she said that that's sweet and maybe she'd give us a call sometime.  Then afterwards we discovered it was Shelia but didn't want to call her back because we really did know who she was and why we were calling, so then it would just be super confusing.  Long story short we go to her house on saturday and we drive up right when she's driving up.  Let me just say, that is the most awkward situation...haha it's the worst when that happens.  We breifly asked her if she went ontomormon.org and requested anything and she said no, which usually happens a lot for media referrals but she was really nice and we just kinda didn't give her the hint that we received her info to go visit her.  So we just talked with her and asked her if we could do anything for her.  Holy cow and it was incredible because she said no one has ever asked her if they can do anything for her.  She kept saying how we made her day which was so sweet!  So basically we're going back either this week or next to help her clean up her porch.  It was a sweet little miracle.  Sometimes I believe that the media referrals we received were really sent from God because he knows we need to go and see that specific person, even if they didn't request it.  Definitely an awesome experience! 

 

us and Bettie!  Haha she'd call me sister smurf because she couldn't say my name!

The snow day was pretty sweet too.  It was mostly just ice though and let me tell ya there was ice everywhere.  We couldn't drive all day tuesday and half of the day on wednesday but we did get to walk around a little bit and it was a good couple days. 

 

Virginia she's super sweet.  :)

Man, I love it here.  That's all there is to it.  Going to church on sunday was the best!  Seeing everyone and just feeling their love.  Incredible I tell ya, incredible.  There's nothing better than being back in 1st ward.  Not to mention, butler 1st ward is home too.  :) man I guess that's just where I belong, in all the 1st wards.  The best reaction was Tania's.  We tried stopping by all week but she's been crazy with work and then we called her but she didn't recognize that it was me.  Then on saturday we were at bishops storehouse and Tania was walking down the hall but looking down.  I said hey Tania and she looked up and freaked out!  Goodness gracious I've never received so many hugs and kisses in my life.  I love the people here and the potential that's here!  That's a goal Sister Wolf and I have been working on, to contact as many people as we can...because we're both terrible at it.  And it's the perfect place because it's easy to talk about Christ and people are super friendly.  Man, I love the ward, love our roommates, love my companion, and love God.  This pretty much sums it all up, Ain't God Good?

 

Joy and Ms Lou.  They are two incredible ladies.  Man, I love them and miss them so much!

Here's a scripture I found this morning that I really liked.  You can replace Nephi with your own name and just think of the work you've been doing lately.  It's pretty sweet to see how we will be blessed forever!  "Blessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people.  And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life, but hast sought my will, and to keep my commandments.  And now, because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness, behold, I will bless thee forever; and I will make thee mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works; yea, even that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." (Helaman 10:4-5) 

 

Sister Toleafoa...she's one of the spanish sisters we live with!

I love you guys so stinkin much!  Oh yeah and Sarah sorry I've been a slacker and haven't written you back..not sure if I will be able to today either because we're gonna go search the elders apartment for a missing key they can't find and then we're gonna play settlers with them.  Hey and Emily you better still be reading the Book of Mormon and finishing up soon.  You only got a couple months left.  ;) 

 

us and the Covington Elders.  :)

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

 

p.s. I'm sending pictures of people back in Covington...hope you get em! 

home sweet home

Hey Family!

 

The miracle from the week is that despite God always hears us complain in our prayers and try to tell him we know what's best, he still likes to make us happy even when we can be really annoying.  ;)  so yes, I'm back in North Baton Rouge!  Goodness, I just love it here so much.  I can't even begin to describe my feelings.  :)  it's definitely a lot different than before, but it's good.  We're living with the spanish sisters now too which is so weird after living with just my companion for the past year or so.  It's a lot of fun though and they're really sweet sisters.  My companion is Sister Wolf and she's been out on her mission just a transfer less than I have.  She's great!

 

Holy cow and did y'all hear?  It snowed here!!  Well, let's just say it was more ice than snow, but still it was pretty sweet.  The funny thing is it's not even cold in Baton Rouge compared to Covington...it was freezing there!  But friday it was raining all day and everything turned to ice.  Haha the elders were riding their bikes and the chain froze and wouldn't move so they had to go back inside and defrost.  When we went to get in the car there was maybe like an inch or so of ice all over the car.  We had to scrape it off with gift cards we had in our wallets, and we got to help lots of our neighbors too which was sweet.  Goodness all the highways were closed too and basically everything.  It's funny what happens down here when there's ice compared to back home.  President Wall just emailed us too and said tomorrow is supposed to be worse and no one is allowed to drive!  Pretty crazy weather down here I tell ya...how's the weather back home? 

 

It's been kinda an interesting week here though because no one really knew we were here and we got a new phone so no one has our number either.  Plus it was stake conference this yesterday and hardly anyone from the ward came to it.  But we did get to see a couple people.  The best was Sister Banks reaction...we stopped by and she was in the other room but her friend let us in and just told her that the missionaries were here.  She walked out and was so surprised and happy.  She came over and gave us a big hug!  Man I love Sister Banks!  I think this scripture pretty much sums it all up with her.  This is when Alma and the sons of Mosiah had been converted and then they went on their missions.  They ran into each other later in time and this is what happened, "Now these sons of Mosiah were with Alma at the time the angel first appeared unto him; therefore Alma did rejoice exceedingly to see his brethren; and what added more to his joy, they were still his brethren in the Lord; yea, and they had waxed strong in the knowledge of the truth; for they were men of a sound understanding and they had searched the scriptures diligently, that they might know the word of God." (Alma 17:2)  That's exactly how I feel right now.  There's no greater joy than to see that the people we'd been working with are still coming to church and progressing.  Aw man, God is good.  :)  We haven't seen the McCartney's yet either but Bishop Smith said they've been coming out regularly too which is amazing!  Oh, but Alexis was at the yw activity on wednesday!  She never came out back when we were here before so that's really sweet too.  :)  I'm so excited to see the miracles that can happen in this area. 

 

We stopped by and saw Chandra too and recommitted her to take the lessons and she's super excited!  The elders only saw them a couple times because she was really busy and kept cancelling appointments but we taught her the restoration again and she really has the desire to know if the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  She went to church down in New Orleans in November and she said they all loved it too.  So now they've just gotta come here and they'll love it!  That family, man I tell ya they're the greatest!  Keep Chandra, Geneva, and Johnathan in y'alls prayers please! 

 

Hmm let's see, that's about all the exciting stuff that's happened this week.  Oh hey I finally filled up one of my memory cards!  I know, it only took me forever, but it's good.  :)  I'll have to send y'all some pictures of people we love in Covington.  Man I miss them too, especially Joy and Bettie.  Those two ladies are wonderful people. 

 

Anyways, please let me know if I can do anything for y'all.  I think you're pretty amazing.  And I love you oh so very much.  :) 

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

 

p.s. Miranda's going to South Dakota Rapid City!