Transfer Number 5

Hey Family!

 

It looks like y'all are doing well back home.  Having fun with Lucy all the time...she looks like quite the little sassy puppy!  So the big news for transfer number 5 is that Sister Andrade and I are both staying in Baton Rouge!  I thought for sure one of us was going to be leaving but we're still here.  I'm super happy and ready to make the most of the coming transfer.  We've already set some goals and things to accomplish and it's gonna be great!  We're both in our comfort zones here and ready to work hard.  Our district is staying all the same except the zone leaders are switching to a new area so that means we get two new elders in our ward in place of the zone leaders, plus they're gonna be on bikes!  I don't know how they're gonna survive in our giant area on bikes but I'm sure they'll make it work somehow.  And then we get one new office elder.  I think it's gonna be a terrific transfer.  :)  I'll let y'all know who they are next week!  I'm so happy to be staying in BR 1st ward for at least another transfer because it's just home for me.  I love all the people and all the craziness that goes on in our ward because it makes us who we are. 

 

This past week has been a pretty sweet week!  I wanted to share just a couple miracles with y'all before I forget:

 

numero uno:  On the last day of July we had a lot more miles than usual to drive so we decided to go visit some members that live way out in the boonies that we usually never get the chance to visit since miles are limited.  After repeated appointments fell through it just came to my mind to go see this active family, the Palubinskas because I knew they lived up in the general area.  So we found her house and stopped by and she let us in.  Only to find out that she's been having a terrible week/day/month and her husband has been out of town for the past several months so it's just her and her daughter there and she just needed some peace and comfort.  I'm not sure if anything we said really helped her but she said we were an answer to prayers!  It was awesome to see how the spirit can work in bringing us to exactly who needs us. 

 

numero dos:  Last week we started reading 1 Nephi 2 with Sister Mills in order for her to start reading her scriptures again and we commited her to keep reading.  Previously in the past she said she would read but she never did so this week we came over prepared to read 1 Nephi 3 with her.  But low and behold we showed up to find out she read all the way to 1 Nephi 22!  She said she's been staying up late when it's quite and peaceful so she can read the scriptures and she's felt the comfort that comes from it.  Seriously the Book of Mormon is absolutely amazing!! 

 

numero tres: The spanish sisters put on a musical fireside sunday evening for everyone to invite ward members, investigators, and anyone.  And guess who came?!  One of our investigators, Nicollette came!  She said she really like it.  Plus it's been super hard getting in contact with her because we don't have her address and her cell phone is broken.  But she's awesome!!  I think I mentioned her to y'all before when I was talking about shepharding with Sister Lewis because they work together and that's how we got to meet her.  And then yesterday we got to clean up Sister Lewis' yard with the rest of the district just because everything was al overgrown and such.  We're hoping to be able to help her clean the inside of her house with her so we can bring Nicollette over to her place soon and have lessons there. 

 

Haha and yes Mom, I did get y'alls email last week.  I got it right before we were leaving though so I had already written and sent my email to you.  Thank you for helping me out with everything.  I hope work is going well for you and primary is going okay as well.  Good luck with trying to train Lucy in the upcoming weeks!  You'll have to let me know if anything funny happens with her.  :)

 

Good luck with soccer tryouts today Emily!  You're gonna do great.  Sarah write me back!!  Tell Andrew that he better send me some pictures from all his experiences in Africa! 

 

Something I liked from the Book of Mormon this week was in Jacob 2:8 "And it supposeth me that they have come up hither to hear the pleasing word of God, yea, the word which healeth the wounded soul."  When you think about it, it's really unique and inspiring that the word of God (scriptures) can heal the wounded soul.  A soul is also refered to as our own spirit and when we die our spirit is what we take with us.  Everyones soul/spirit is unique to them because it contains all the memories and personalities that only they can hold.  So it's amazing that no matter who goes through what, the word of God can heal you.  In relating to that is the talk  Sugar Beets and the Worth of A Soul by President Monson.  I found this talk earlier this week and absolutely love it.  It's so inspiring to know how much every single soul is worth to God.  And that's where it all comes down to, saving the souls that are lost or fallen away.  In ward council earlier this week we've been talking about how we can improve our Work of Salvation in the ward and Elder Jessop mentioned what Elder Bednar said back when he came to visit last year.  Elder Bednar said something along these lines that he wished someone would pray in sacrament meeting that they'd be able to help those lost souls and then in priesthood/relief society everyone left and found someone that wasn't at church but needed to be and it was their responsibility in helpin them come back next week.  It would be my dream to have that happen to our ward because there are so many people that could and need to do that.  If we all just find one person and help that one then eventually they'll be able to help another one and the list keeps going on and on.  The work of the Lord is hastening and we have to step up and be ready for when he comes again. 

 

I hope y'all have a wonderful week!  Know that you're always in my prayers and that I love y'all dearly.  Let me know if you have any questions I can answer next week! 

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

fish!

Hey Family!!

 

I hope y'all are having a great summer break and making the most of the last couple weeks you have.  I can't believe that school is starting again so soon and time just keeps racing on!  School starts next week here!  Andrew and Emily both get to be seniors this year...it's so crazy!! 

 

This week has been a super good week!  On Saturday we had a ward activity for pioneer day but it was raining the whole day so not very many people came out.  Seriously when it rains here it pours, and I mean pours.  It was fun with everyone that did come though.  We just had a picnic up at a little park but it was awesome because they have these ponds with fish that you can catch and release so all the kids were doing that and guess what? I caught a fish!!  I should've taken a picture but my camera was in the car so I didn't get the chance to.  Haha the best part was when we first went over to the pond, I was asking Aiden if he caught any fish and he said  he caught a couple so he threw in his fishing pole, then I did mine, and Sister Andrade did hers and at the same time we all caught a fish.  It was a pretty exciting moment.  :)  We got to eat lots of food at the picnic and then we also had a water balloon fight and played uno.  Man I love the ward here so much! 

 

Weddin, her niece, and me.

 

I'd have to say a sweet miracle from this week was helping the Wleh's move.  They're the family with six girls and she's a single mom and the girls are all the cutest (I've told y'all about them before)!  We usually stop by to see their family at least once a week but we hadn't been able to this week.  Then Saturday morning at the bishops storehouse we asked Tracy if she was bringing her girls to the ward activity later in the day and she said probably not because they have to be moved out by monday so we decided to go help them.  We didn't even know they were moving!  We helped out a little before the activity and they already had everything moved but in their moms bedroom everything was still there.  And Tracy was gone the whole time we were there so with Erica and Janice we were able to carry the mattress and dressers down the street to their new house, plus the elders came and helped with the big things.  Seeing Tracy's reaction when she found almost everything in her room moved was the best!  She was so grateful.  :)  haha they were trying to convince Erica to call us earlier to come help but they didn't.  Seriously their family is the best family ever, it's a party everytime we got over and they all love each other so much.  I hope my family can be like that one day! 

 

Something I learned from the Book of Mormon this week was in Alma 59.  Moroni was talking about the cities and how it was easier to maintain them rather than having to take them back from the Lamanites.  As it says, "knowing that it was easier to keep the city from falling into the hands of the Lamanites than to retake it from them."(v.9)  "Therefore he retained all his force to maintain those places which he had recovered." (v.10)  It relates to the less active people that we've been working with.  In the "baptize, retain, and regain worthy converts" part of our mission vision I think it's just like Moroni said, it's easier to retain the members of the church than to regain them.  So it's our responsibility to retain the members.  That's exactly what we've been trying to do lately.  At church we're noticing who doesn't show up and we're trying to visit them throughout the week so that they don't eventually become less active.  Imagine it this way if you so please, you have a bucket of water half full and an empty bucket.  It's so much easier and quicker to fill the bucket when it's half way than when it's empty.  The less active or semi active members are the half full bucket and the less active that haven't come to church in a couple years are the empty buckets.  It's not impossible to fiill either one of the buckets, but in order to help out our ward we have to create more full buckets so the full buckets can help all the empty buckets.     

 

Hey Mom and Dad, I wanted to ask y'all to send your own conversion stories.  With lots of members we've been visiting I always love hearing how they joined the church and when their testimony really came to them.  And I was thinking, and I've never heard either of yours.  Also Dad and Andrew y'all should send either your favorite story from your mission or one of the craziest ones! 

 

I'll write to y'all next tuesday!  You guys better write me next week you little stinkers.  ;)

 

Love Always,

 

Sister Schmutz

Hey Family!

 

Sounds like y'all had a fun weekend floating down the river and what not.  Summer is coming to an end so quick it's crazy!  The weeks keep going by faster and fater and before ya know it it's already a new week.  Enjoy lake powell this week!  Be sure to take some pictures and send them.  The one thing I miss the most about Utah besides the mountains is the sunsets...seriously you can't ever see the sun set here which is so weird! 

 

This week was oh so good!  It was basically just like any other week though so I'm not sure why it was so good but it just was.  Our goal this transfer has been to work with more members because we're here to help strengthen the members as well as less actives and investigators.  But so far we haven't really been doing a great job at it.  But this week we got to see lots of members just because we stopped by.  Haha and since I'm not gonna be in this area forever I'm trying to introduce Sister Andrade to everyone so she'll know everyone for when I leave.  The best thing about working with members is that they provide a constant friendhsip with investigators and when you get to know them they trust you more.  Even just going over to some members homes once, as soon as we get to church I can tell there's already a better relationship.  I guess you could say it's hard in our ward because our active list is very few compared to less actives.  So often times the members are just too worn out from doing everything but I love working with all the members! 

 

All the missionaries in BR 1st ward.  From left to right goes Elder Navitikula, Foremanster, Gilbert, Ageda, Jessop.  The elders always match their tie colors on sunday so we decided to join in yesterday.  :)

 

An awesome moment from this past week was on wednesday.  We tried stopping by a couple peoples homes but none of them were there so we decided to go tracting before our next appointment.  We hardly ever go tracting because it's the least effective way of finding people but we decided it would be good to do anyways.  No one was home and those that were didn't want to let us come in.  But here's the miracle.  We were walking back to the car to head to the appointment when this guy walking by asked if we were Jehovah Witnesses.  So we said no and what church we're from and so he asked us if we had a book.  So of course we gave him a Book of Mormon and got his address and he said he'd love for us to come over.  We went over a couple days later and we met him and his sister.  Their names are Christopher and Porshia.  I would guess he's about 15 or so and she's 25.  Long story short a couple years ago their mom passed away and some senior couple missionaries in the area were teaching them.  It's a pretty sweet story! 

 

 

Oh and one more awesome story!  Every thursday night we have gospel study at the ward.  We used to come way back in the day but for the past couple months we've just been leaving it to the elders because it's a bunch of guys that come to play basketball after.  The office elders and the zone leaders couldn't make it so they asked us if we could teach so of course we said yes.  There will either be days when no one comes or tons of them come so we were just expecting none to come.  But low and behold Manny, the elders quorom president came in with his friend Levi.  It was just those two for the first little bit but it's an awesome story.  Levi just started reading the Book of Mormon one day because he felt like it and wants to know where to go in life and kind of the same questions as Joseph Smith.  He knew Manny was a member so he called him up and we got to teach him the restoration!  Aw man the tender mercies of the Lord.  :)  then about halfway in everyone else started showing up for basketball and they joined in on the lesson since we were already teaching.  So we got to teach twenty black guys where the Book of Mormon came from!  Definitely a sweet moment of the week! 

 

We found a crayon fence in the middle of Baton Rouge so of course we took a picture!

 

We've got a busy week this week so I'm really looking forward to it!  I'm cutting the email short cause I'm gonna try sending y'all a super funny video and some pictures!  I'll try writing more if I have time and can figure it all out.   

 

Love you!

 

Sister Schmutz  

Sorry I couldn't get the video uploaded...it's too big. 

 

Here's what I learned from the scriptures this week.  :)

 

While reading Alma 55 this week I was able to relate it to us and our less actives/investigators. In the chapter there were Nephites taken captive by the Lamanites. The part that really stood out to me was in verse 16 it's talking about what the Nephites did after the Lamanite guards were dunk and asleep. The Nephites, "cast in weapons of war unto the prisoners, insomuch that they were all armed" Instead of just coming in and taking the captives out before the Lamanites awoke they provided them with weapons so they could defend themselves. If you relate the captive Nephites to our less actives/investigators and the other Nephites as the missionaries it begins to make more sense. Here we are bringing the weapons to them. The weapons might include the scriptures, the spirit, stronger testimony, and lots more. But it's their responsibility to do something with them. If the Lamanites were to wake up they would have to choose to fight back and be prepared by using their weapons. Our responsibility is to help teach them what they can do to strengthen themselves. 

 

I'm sure Gottlieb sounds familiar to Dad.  :)

thank you so much for all you do keep up the good work. I love y'all!