conference!

Hey Family!!

 

Conference was so good, wasn't it!  Goodness I just love what the prophet and apostles always have to say, and they're always so inspired!  For conference this year we just watched it at the church.  Haha when we got to the church I was kinda just expecting it to be set up in the chapel on the projector because it was last conference but we got to the church and nothing was set up.  We couldn't find the projector or anything but luckily we had a key to the library so we got one of the tvs and plugged it into the wall thingy and were able to watch conference!  It was a close call though because if we didn't have the key we wouldn't have been able to watch it!  The only ones there were us, the Mandeville Elders, and Sister Walkup. I guess the Covington Elders were at a members house the whole weekend, but it was still fun with just the five of us.  Sister Walkup brought food so we got to eat lots and enjoy conference.  What were y'all favorite talks?  I think the repeated themes that kept sticking out to me where true conversion, covenants, priorities, and love. 

 

By far the best news from this week was hearing that Alasia was baptized last Sunday!!  I've emailed Amanda but she hasn't emailed me back but since Sister Andrade is serving down at LSU she sees some of 1st ward members at stake conference and what not, and Miranda goes to the singles ward every other week so she's keeping us updated on a couple things back there.  Man I miss everyone in 1st ward so much.  I'll just say it as Sister Andrade put it, " But yeah, I know what you mean...I feel like there is no other place like 1st ward my friend... good ol' 1st ward!"

 

It's so crazy to think that Aaron is coming home this week!  If y'all talk to him tell him I say hey and congratulations on honorably completing his mission.  Oh hey and by the way I believe Jed should be coming home sometime soon, not sure exactly when but I'm gonna send him a letter today and tell him to come get the box of things I have for him.  So be looking out for him soon! 

 

So Sister Brady is from Pleasant Grove, Utah.  My first companion that isn't a temple square sister and also my first companion from Utah!  It's definitely weird but good.  She's quiet just like me so it's been a struggle but we're both learning to talk more.  Haha the first thing President Wall said after he anounced we'd be together at transfer conference was, "I wonder which one will talk first."  It's definitely hard but I've learned that we can only grow when we're pushed out of our comfort zone. 

 

This week has been a pretty good one to say the least.  We were hoping we'd get a 'hurrication'  from the storm that was coming up, but turns out it died down a lot before it even got close.  I'm sure y'all were probably watching the news and saw all that.  It's still taking some time adjusting to all the differences here but I'm learning to love the people.  One of my favorites is this lady named Pearl that we go see every week.  She's a member, but a single sister so we go just to visit and bring her some company.  Haha and seriously every single time she tells us the same stories but somehow they always change.  She's hilarious to say the least.     

 

Emily you better take the job at Red Hanger!  Seriously it's the best and you'll love, dude and you know she keeps calling you because she knows you'll be a hard worker just like me.  ;)  so you better live up to that example!  When is homecoming this year?  Goodness and the soccer season is already done...where does time seem to go? You better still be reading the Book of Mormon! 

 

Thank you for the picture Sarah, I love it!!  Haha I love my three coolest cubes in the freezer.  ;)  Haha and that's awesome that you found those seasoning at the grocery store.  I'm sending you the best of luck for teaching your class soon, you're gonna do great! 

 

So what's new with y'all?  If y'all are bored you can go watch a video of Sister Andrade here  http://www.ldsphilanthropies.org/missionary/#topOfPage that's my companion for ya!  Hey and she's going back to temple square October 16 and will be going home the end of November so y'all need to hurry and go find her!

 

Here's something I learned from the scriptures the past week.  This scripture really stuck out to me, "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." (2 Nephi 5:27)  I think that's everyones true desire, to live after the manner of happiness.  I mean, in reality who doesn't want to be happy?  I couldn't help but think, what brings them this happiness?  While reading through I discovered exactly that!  It was at this point where they had just arrived in the promised land and Nephi decides to leave Laman and Lemuel and take anyone with him that wants to follow.  Once they were separated Nephi taught his people (v.15) built a temple (v.16) and had his people labor with their hands (v.17).  Ultimately the people were happy because they were working hard and doing what was right.  The Lamanites weren't living in this happy state because they became idle (v.24).  So the lesson learned is if you want to be happy, then you must work for it! 

 

My dear family, always remember who you and how important you are to Heavenly Father!  I love y'all so much and keep y'all constantly in my prayers.  Thank you for the example you are to me.  Hope y'all have a happy week.  :)

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

love y'all

Hey Family!

 

Haha first off, Sarah you've gotta take me on a tour of the i-center when I get back.  It's crazy hearing about all the secret tunnels and things that can happen there.  It's definitely a cool building.  It's funny hearing about all the tunnels because that's all the elders would talk about with Sister Andrade and temple square, wanting to know about the tunnels.  Keep up the good work with school and with your calling.  You're amazing! 

 

Mom I'm sorry to hear work has been so busy lately.  I'll be sure to keep you in my prayers!  I don't need anymore clothes so please don't buy or send any.  Thank you for thinking of me though!  Haha I remember you telling me the story of your transfers before Dad, quite the story I tell ya!   

 

In Covington luckily we do have a car haha and yes I am the driver again.  I'm just waiting for the day when I won't have to drive anymore but so far none of my companions have been able to drive so it's always me.  At least it makes getting to know the area a little bit easier.  I practically already know my way around here which is pretty nice.  I guess the only reason I say our area is so big is because we cover four cities close by including Covington, Abita Springs, Mandeville, and Madisonville.  But then there's also these two tiny towns Folsom and Bush way out in the boonies that are in our area.  We haven't been out there yet but they're way out there.  Because we're on the north side of the river it's not humid or hot.  Haha it's actually been down in the low 80's lately and as soon as I walk outside I think I need to grab a jacket.  Here's what goes on in my head,  "Man it's starting to get a little chilly outside, I should grab a jacket or something."  Then I think, "Hold on, it's only in the 80s.  You're gonna freeze in the winter Jenna (they say it gets colder on the north side) get used to it!"  One thing I still can't get over about here though is how dark it gets!  It's getting dark earlier and earlier but seriously once it's dark you can't even see across the street.  Maybe it's because all the trees but who knows, it's crazy.  Also Dad, believe we're two hours east of BR. 

 

There are tons of families and active members in our ward here.  Basically it feels like a ward from Utah because no one here is actually born and raised in Louisiana.  Covington is basically the rich suburb of New Orleans so everyone moved here to work down there and they just cross the causeway to get to work.  It's a lot different than Baton Rouge because there's tons and tons of young families haha and in BR it was all old people.  We do get to ride our bike more often though which I actually enjoy!  Well let's just say this, I enjoy it when we don't have to ride on busy streets.  We've been short on miles so we've had to ride almost everyday.  Oh my but guess what?  They don't make the new missionaries coming into the field bring bikes!  I guess they're just gonna recycle and use our old bikes to provide them with ones.  I'm gonna send my bike home though at the end.    

 

I'm super excited for conference this coming weekend.  We got to watch the relief society broadcast on saturday night and it was so good!  Haha President Monson is my favorite.  :)  do y'all have any special plans for conference?  You gonna build a fort Sarah? 

 

As tradition calls, here's something from the Book of Mormon this week, talking about the tree of life and Lehi's vision, it said, "love of God..it is the most desirable above all things." (1 Nephi 11:22)  Throughout everyones life I believe the one thing everyone constantly desires is love.  The power that love has is incredible and I know I've already written to y'all about love before, but it's because love is the answer to everything!  "I know that he loveth his children; nevertheless, I do not know the meaning of all things." (1 Nephi 11:17)  We might not understand everything that Heavenly Father wants us to go through or anything, but love has the power to get us through anything.  When I think of the word love I always think of Sister Eackles.  In BR she was basically the wards mom because she cared for absolutely everyone and always had others on her mind.  Upon meeting her you'd think she's always been this way haha but talking with her she said when she was little she used to be a little devil and hated everyone.  She's been through so much in her life and yet here she is loving everyone.  I asked her what advice she would give to us and she said always stay close to God.  When you stay close to God I know that the love he has will be able to shine through you and you'll be able to express to others the love that He has.  So this week I invite y'all to remind someone you love just how important they are to you.  The little hint of love can and will completely change someones day. 

 

As always, keep reading your scriptures and becoming who God intends you to be!  Let me know if I can do anything for y'all! 

 

I love y'all so much!! 

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz 

Covington

Hey Family!

 

I didn't tell you where I was going last week because we found out on wednesday.  What happens is everyone that's being transferred meets at the stake center in Baton Rouge.  Everyone sits on the sides of the chapel and when President Wall calls your name and area you meet your new companion in the middle and then sit together.  So my new area is Covington and my new companion is Sister Brady! 

My favorite street in all of Baton Rouge.  But now there's billions of streets like that in Covington. 

To say the least it's definitely nothing like Baton Rouge and I miss it terribly.  There's no more city, ghetto houses, garbage all down the side of the road, black people, ghetto talk, and no more family.  I guess the best way I would describe BR 1st ward is one giant family.  I mean yes, everyone had their own problems and such and no one was perfect but the love you felt there was incredible.  Seriously I would give anything to go back.  I don't know how they're making it by back there either because President put in Elders for our spot so that means there's no sister missionaries in the ward, which is crazy because every single person we see doesn't have a man in their house so the elders can't go into any of them.   

 

Chandra, Geneva, and Johnathan.  Even though we'd only met them a couple weeks before, I love them so much!  Pray that they'll be getting baptized soon!

The hardest thing about being in Covington is missionary wise it's super slow.  Our area is giant too and the city is tiny.  We're out here in the middle of nowhere pretty much.  In our district there's the Covington Elders and the Mandeville Elders.  It's just a whole new experience because everything is completely different.  I counted just on the ward roster this morning there's at least twenty members that don't want to be contacted anymore.  And I feel like no one even likes the missionaries which is hard!  In Baton Rouge everyone loved the missionaries, even if they didn't want to come back to church we could still go and read the scriptures with them but here no one wants us here I feel.  I guess it will just take some time getting used to. 

 

Sister Easley, the absolute sweetest lady I've ever met.  I hope to be like her one day.  :)

Nothing much really happened this past week though, just trying to meet all the members in our ward and remember who everyone is.

 

Amanda, Alexis, Alasia, and Aiden.  My ABSOLUTE favorite family!  We'd visit them every wednesday and it was the highlight of my week.  Alexis is going to the temple for the first time this week and Alasia just told us she's gonna talk to the bishop so she can get baptized soon.  Seriously the sweetest family ever. 

Sarah, holy cow girl you're the Relief Society secretary?  Congratulations, you're gonna do wonderful at it!  Haha you actually have a legit calling in the ward now, that's intense!  I sent the three LSU shirts for you, Whitney, and Dee, haha I thought I wrote it on the letter in the package but I guess not.  Y'all will need to take a picture with them on and send it to me.  Good luck with the upcoming semester of school  It sounds like you're busy but also doing well so far.  Tell everyone that I love em and hope y'all are doing great. 

 

Miranda, Melissa, and Tasha Lewis.  I love them all so stinkin much!  Miranda's getting her mission call soon! 

Emily I started the Book of Mormon and I'm on 1 Nephi 8 already so if you haven't started yet you better get reading! 

 

We couldn't say goodbye to Sister Mills because she was in Seattle, so we heart attacked her door.  She's one of my absolute favorites.  :)

Here's something I learned from the Book of Mormon this week:  Nephi, Laman, Lemuel, and Sam were commanded to go get the brass plates from king Laban but no one really understood why.  Laman and Lemuel were complaining, and Nephi prayed to understand, but all they knew was that it's a commandment  and they must do it.  But here's the cool part, Nephi was attempting for the third time to get the plates and he was constrained by the Spirit to kill king Laban.  He didn't want to but remembered this, "Inasmuch as thy seed shall keep my commandments, they shall propser in the land of promise.  Yea, and I also thought that they could not keep the commandments of the Lord according to the law of Moses, save they should have the law.  And I also knew that the law was engraven upon the plates of brass." (4:14-16)  It's saying that the scriptures (their brass plates) would tell them everything that they needed to do and that's the whole reason they needed to get the plates of brass.  And then in 1 Nephi 5:10-22 it explains the importance of the scriptures.  The scriptures are so extremely important and yet so many people forget to read them.  We must remember that to read the scriptures is a commandment from God! 

 

The Wleh family is crazy but it's a party at their house everytime we go over.  Imagin having six daughters! 

 I'm gonna send pictures of some of my favorite people so I'll write to y'all more later if I can.  I love y'all!

 

Kiwanna on the right and her mom Julia on the left.  Kiwanna has a baptismal date set! 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz