transfer 11?

Hey Family!

 

So guess who's getting transferred?!  Haha just kidding.  Sister Wolf and I both get to stay in Baton Rouge together!  We're really excited.  :) man I just love this place.  This coming transfer is gonna be a really good one, I just got a good feeling about it.  Haha and last transfer was the most stressful/weird/good/unexpected transfer yet..it was just a strange transfer.  It was funny because I talked in sacrament meeting on sunday and they mentioned that transfers are this week so tons of people came up thinking I was gonna be leaving and were saying goodbye.  I'm sure they'll be surprised to see both of our faces next sunday.  :) we got tons of sweet potentials to work with this transfer and it's gonna be real good. 

 

Hey and guess who's getting baptized this sunday?  Chandra is!!  She called us earlier last week asking if she could push her baptism forward a week.  She originally wanted to get baptized in South Carolina so her best friend Amy and all her family could be there.  But turns out that some of them wouldn't be there and some of Amy's family is coming down here easter weekend.  So her husband is gonna baptize Chandra and she's super excited!  We have an appointment with her later today haha and we're gonna teach her practically all the commandments, follow the prophet, obedience, honor the law, ten commandments, sabbath day, and about the temple.  Haha and this is gonna be our first lesson we're having with a member present.  It's gonna be quite the interesting lesson.  She'll have her baptism interview wednesday and then they're going out of town until sunday morning.  Kinda a crazy couple of days but we're really excited for her.  Please keep her and her family in y'alls prayers. 

 

Our car still isn't fixed yet!  Haha who knows, maybe they gave our car to someone else because it's taking forever!  We've been taking the bus everywhere.  I must say I really like taking the bus, the only downside is it takes about an hour and a half to get anywhere.  But hey it only costs four dollars for the day so it's not that bad.  The elders don't have a car either so they're in our same boat right now too.  Mom, don't worry about the car crash, we are completely fine.  :)  it's hilarious too because pretty much all the members freak out when they find out we have to ride our bike/walk/take the bus.  They want to drive us everywhere and treat us like little kids, it's so funny. 

 

Well, the Torres moved to Texas on Saturday.  Bummer too because they were really good for our ward.  The week they got baptized Steven's ex wife lost her job so they ended up moving to Texas and took his children with them.  They wanted to be close to them so they had to move along to.  We went to help them pack up friday night and they left so much stuff!  They didn't even start packing until we were there and then they just filled their little van and left the rest there.  Then on saturday we went back and cleaned out their whole apartment for them and took lots of stuff to the church for a yard sale the young women are having this weekend. 

 

I wish I had a funny story to tell y'all from last week but I can't really remember much that happened.  Oh something cool though is Gladys Knight is coming in two weeks with a choir to sing and what not.  So we've been asking to invite lots of people because it should be really good.  If we had a car we'd be going around to all these less active members but unfortunately we don't.  So we decided to call all the ladies on our ward roster.  Most of them don't answer or their phones are disconnected but two less actives we've never met before were really excited about it and are really looking forward to it.  So I'd say that's a pretty sweet little miracle. 

 

Well, sorry for the lame email today.  Oh hey but y'all should check out this awesome video.  Share it on facebook/twitter or something!  Here, I'll make it easy for y'all, just click Because of Him.  I absolutely love it!   I've been thinking about the resurrection of Christ all week, since it's easter and all.  And I found this scripture, 1 Corinthians 15:22 "For as in Adam alldie, even so in Christ shall all be made alive."  I never really thought about it this way before, but if Christ wasn't resurrected none of us could live again.  I used to always just think it's cool that he came back, but didn't think much of it.  But it's essential!  Because Christ lives, we all will live again!

 

Y'all are awesome.  Don't forget to remember Christ this Easter season.  Love y'all so much.  :)

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

 

p.s. Sarah good luck with the start of a new semester.  And good luck to the rest of y'all with the end of school.    

happy birthday Andrew!

Hey Family!

 

First and formost, Miranda is coming out to Utah this friday and leaves to the MTC the following wednesday!  So please, be sure to text/call her today and figure something out of when y'all can see them.  She's awesome and you'll love her so much.  :)  we're going to lunch with her in a couple hours too so I'll give her y'alls phone numbers as well.  She's excited to meet y'all! 

 

And second of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ANDREW!!  Hope you have fun down in Moab.  And hope you have a really good birthday year.  You're awesome!

 

This week has been an awesome week but goodness gracious I've never been so tired before.  We still don't have our car back but the bus was free all week so we took that a lot and just walked lots of places.  It was hard because we hardly saw anybody but hey we did get to meet tons of people on the bus that are really interested in learning more.  I'd say it was definitely a sweet little tender mercy for meeting all those people.  It's super sweet because for the most part they'd just walk up to us and ask us what our name tags were for.  And I kid you not, I've always failed at contacting but we asked the spanish elders what they say because they're always giving us referrals and they said all they do is ask, "have y'all ever talked to missionaries before?"  We tried it this week and for real, it works everytime.  Genius I tell ya, pure genius.  Haha I love riding the bus but at the same time it's annoying too because it take forever.  Multiple times we just barely missed the bus so we had to walk forever, but ya know it was a good thing.  It's funny too because when member hear we're taking the bus they freak out and want to drive us everywhere.   

 

Oh!  Here's a sweet story.  So on wednesday we catch this bus, catch another bus, and catch another bus and walk a ton to see this member but when we get there she said we'll have to come back another time.  So we decided to catch this other bus that would go over by the church and we'll see this other member.  As soon as we get to the corner the bus drives around the other corner and we barely missed it.  We didn't want to wait another hour so we decided to just walk.  We walked for quite a bit and passed a couple people that we should've talked to but we didn't.  While we're walking I'm praying and this is kinda the conversation I was having with God:

 

"Alright Father, I know I shoulda talked to those people we just passed but I didn't.  Hmm..here's the deal, you help me know what to say and I'll talk to the next person.  Ahh just kidding, I can't do it!  Please don't place anyone in my path.  Fine, alright let's do it." 

 

So we're a little ways down and can see the church parking lot.  A car just pulled in and jokingly I turn to Sister Wolf and say, "hey we should talk to that car that just pulled into the parking lot and ask them if we can show them around the church."  but really I didn't really have any intention of doing so.  Right then we turn the corner into the parking lot and the guy rolls down his window and asked if we're going to church.  Haha my first thought was, no we're just cutting through the parking lot to get to the members home.  But then it hit me that it'd be an easy conversation starter so we started talking with him and it was really sweet.  He even called us later in the evening and asked us a question about the church.  Sweet experience! 

 

Chandra came to conference yesterday too.  Haha bless her heart, she was absolutely freezing the entire time.  We had to run across the street and grab some blankets from Sister Easley's house.  I think she liked it though.  We only got a couple more thing we'll need to teach her and she's ready to get baptized.  So happy for her.  :) 

 

The week was filled with tons of little sweet miracles like that.  I tell ya, it was a hard week, but really good.  :)  Man, I just love the people here, it's so easy to get a long with them and talk with everyone. 

 

Before I forget, here's a sweet scripture I found the other day.  (Emily I hope you're nearly done with the Book of Mormon, you only got a month and a half left to finish it, and I just finished it yesterday;) it's in Moroni 9:25-26 this is what it originally said,

 

"My son, be faithful in Christ; and may not the things which I have written grieve thee, to weigh thee down unto death; but may Christ lift thee up, and mayhis sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy and long-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest inyour mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in the heavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand ofhis power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with you forever. Amen." 

 

But I like to apply it more to me or you, so here ya go, "My daughter, be faithful in Christ; and may not the trials which you must go through grieve thee, toweigh thee down unto sorrow; but may Christ lift thee up, and may his sufferings and death, and the showing his body unto our fathers, and his mercy andlong-suffering, and the hope of his glory and of eternal life, rest in your mind forever. And may the grace of God the Father, whose throne is high in theheavens, and our Lord Jesus Christ, who sitteth on the right hand of his power, until all things shall become subject unto him, be, and abide with youforever. Amen."  Pretty sweet scripture.  Through Christ anything is possible! 

 

 I love y'all so much.  Keep up the good work.  :)

 

Love, Sister Schmutz

biking, biking, and more biking

Hey Family!

 

I hope y'all have fun on your cruise this week.  Enjoy it for me too!  Don't get too many tan lines.  :)  I already have a pretty good one on my feet and it's not even summer yet, priceless I tell ya. 

 

This week has been quite the interesting one.  Haha nah it's been a really good one!  Well, here's the story.  Monday evening we're driving back to our dinner appointment from across town because we were down at LSU with our district.  Of course it's during rush hour and we're driving on the freeway.  Sister Wolf was driving and the car infront of stopped so she went to switch lanes but didn't see the semi coming up in the other lane.  The first half of the semi drove by and barely missed us because we were barely in their lane but then the second half, well just the tires of the semi clipped the front right side of our car.  There's not very many people that can get in an accident with a semi on the freeway and walk away alright!  It was a sweet experience to say the least.  We aren't lucky, we are blessed.  God was definitely there protecting us, if she would have driven just a tiny bit faster we could've been hurt really bad.  But hey we're all good so don't worry.  :)

 

So our car is in being fixed and we've been biking all week.  Ya know, I just have to say that biking isn't that bad.  Haha I love it!  I wish I could go into more detail about all our biking experiences this past week but that would take way too long.  The only downside is planning is terribly hard, goodness I don't know how to plan when biking.  I used to think that we'd spend all our time driving everywhere but now we just spend all our time biking everywhere.  We took the bus a couple times though and lots of members gave us rides so it was all good.  Plus the bus routes changed all up yesterday and the bus is free all week so we're gonna be taking the bus a lot more this week. 

 

Overall it was a very good week!  We got to go to the temple with Miranda on wednesday.  Holy cow she's gonna make an awesome missionary that's all I gotta say.  I'm so excited for her.  I believe she's flying out to Utah on the 12th so y'all should text her or something today to figure out when you can meet up. 

 

The highlight of the week was yesterday!  Guess who came to church!  Chandra and her family came.  :)  goodness it's about stinkin time.  Whenever they've tried to come before something always comes up.  Saturday night we got a ride for them to come out to the woman's broadcast so they came there and really enjoyed it.  And said they were gonna be coming to church the next day.  They ended up waking up late and missed the bus so they took a taxi and stayed for the last two hours.  They all really like it!  Plus the McCartney's offered them a ride home and even a ride to church in the future.  Such a sweet little tender mercy.  They invited us over for dinner last night too and man I just have to say that I love them so much.  It's awesome to see how the gospel changes their life. 

 

Oh and here's another sweet miracle!  About a month or so ago we were walking down the street in Mall City (same place and day that guy kissed us).  Well when we were walking over there this guy came up to and asked us if we're church people so we said yes and talked a little about the church and got his info and what not.  Turns out he lived in third ward so we gave his info to the sisters there and that was it.  On tuesday they called us up to update us about Alin.  And guess what?  He got baptized on Saturday!  We got to go to his baptism and it was so sweet.  It was a little blessing to see that often times we don't see the results of our efforts, but you'll never know the effects you'll make on someone. 

 

Sarah!  I must say that the picture of you and Nik is one of my favorites.  Haha it's the best.  :) 

 

And Emily congrats on getting the scholarships.  Haha I don't know what adivce to give you for school.  My only advice would be to make a stinkin decision soon!  Goodness, you and your decision making.  Just kidding, you know I love you.  :)   

 

Oh before I forget!  Here's a scripture for y'all.  So in Ether the Jaredites were preparing to cross the waters to the promised land.  They made their way to the shore and, "they dwelt in tents, and dwelt in tents upon the seashore for the space of four years." (Ether 2:13)  They just waited there for four years!  And this is what it says next, "And it came to pass at the end of four years that the Lord came again unto the brother of Jared, and stood in a cloud and talked with him.  And for the space of three hours did the Lord talk with the brother of Jared, and chastened him because he remembered not to call upon the name of the Lord." (Ether 2:14)  They forgot to pray and ask the Lord what to do!  Here's the key though, I don't think they forgot to pray.  I mean, it's pretty hard to just forget God.  I think they weren't being sincere in their prayers.  That's the trick of why they were waiting there for four years.  They either weren't paying attention to answers, weren't acting on answers they were receiving, or just random little things that kept them from praying with real intent.  So the question is, how can y'all say more meaningful prayers?

 

I love y'all so much!  Hey and never forget that you're awesome.  :)

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz 

 

p.s. if you're offering to send something, some starburst jelly beans would be greatly appreciated.  :)  haha and a water bottle.  I broke the one that y'all gave me for Christmas forever ago, goodness and I don't know what to do without my water bottle.  I'll look for one today at the store though so don't worry about that.