miracles!

Holy cow, that's a crazy story you had yesterday Dad!  Seriously it made my day hearing that you walked into the visitor center on temple square to find the elders you dropped off and Sister Andrade was right there and then just a second later Sister LaPorte was there taking y'all on a tour.  And they actually recognized you from the family picture I have.  Those two are truly wonderful and amazing!  Man I miss and love them both so much!!

 

This week has been oh so good!  There's been tons of little miracles I just don't even know where to begin.  Haha here's a funny story I'll tell y'all before I forget...just to make you laugh.  So the Mandeville Elders told us this story that happened to them earlier in the week.  Here they are just sleeping and the one night they forget to lock their apartment door in walks this girl at 2am.  She turns on their lights to wake them up, she's probably high or something because she was super mad and was looking for someone named Kelli.  I guess Kelli stole something from her so she was way mad and what not.  Haha just imagine it...two elders asleep and some random girl just walks in and wakes them up and she's real angry.  Finally she just left and I think Kelli lived upstairs because they heard her up there afterwards...and that's really all of the story.  Haha I would've been freaked out but it's all good!

 

The real miracle of the week was so many less actives came to church yesterday!  Seriously, Sunday is always the best day or the worst day of the week because they have to choose to come to church, it doesn't matter what we say to them because it's still their decision...but there were so many there yesterday.  I'll just start off naming some of the people: Pearl, Joy, Bettie, Carol, the Goffs, Elizabeth, Brittany...and so many more!  Even some members mentioned how there were tons of less actives there!  Aw man I just love being a missionary.  :)  holy cow and here's a crazy story.  So on Saturday we were trying to find a couple people on the ward roster that we didn't know so we came across this one lady named Elizabeth.  We stopped by and right when we were walking up she pulled up in her car.  We introduced ourselves and what not but her dogs were barking and she was in the middle of getting dinner ready and she said she hadn't been to church since she moved here and she didn't even know where it was so we breifly described the whereabouts, but it was super confusing.  We left real quick and just made plans to come back to see her since it wasn't a good time.  And then here we are standing at church yesterday and guess who walked in the door...Elizabeth did!  She even got up and shared her testimony, it was truly amazing!  You can see that the Lord has his hand in all the work that we do. 

 

Here's something cool I learned in my Book of Mormon study this week.  In Mosiah 9 I related everything to missionaries and what we're doing, Zeniff (missionary) goes to a new land and began to build buildings and repair the walls of the city (ward where we serve).  They started planting all kinds of seeds (investigators, less actives, actives, everyone!), and nourishing them.  It took about twelve years (long time to see progress) before the city became strong.  And then the king wanted to start a war (temptations, discouragement, etc) because he saw the city was becoming strong and he didn't want it out of his power.  So the people came running back to Zeniff (missionaries) for protection (what we teach) and he gave them bows, arrows, and all kinds of weapons (scriptures, church, prophet, etc.) and they fought back with the Lord (we're never alone).  As missionaries we're providing everyone with protection by what we teach.  And that's why it's so important that they keep the commitments that we extend to them because the commitments lead to action and the action leads to practice.  Therefore, when the wars will come, they'll be ready to fight with what they have.  We've been given all these amazing and powerful weapons, so we better know how we can use them! 

 

I hope y'all had an awesome Halloween!  On Wednesday and Thursday we had to bike all day long because the Elders had our car for one day and the next we didn't have any miles left.  It's pretty nice biking in Covington though because you can bike on the trace all the way over to Abita and down to Mandeville which is super nice because you don't have to bike along the side of the highway.  Holy cow though my legs were burning by the end of the two days...I don't know how the Elders do it everyday!  For Halloween we just did our weekly planning at night since we didn't want to be out while everyone was trick or treating.  It started pouring right after we got inside though so it was perfect timing! 

 

I've been thinking a lot about y'all and just wanted to let ya know I love you so much!  Keep up the amazing work and becoming who God wants you to be.  Y'all are wonderful and I wouldn't want to have any other family but you!

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

happy halloween!

Hey Family!

 

Mom, before I forget, the memory card for my camera is just an SD card, the same as the camera we have at home.  And the size is SB (small B) for carinessa. 

 

Well, the news for transfers is that I'm staying in Covington with Sister Brady for another transfer!  I'm happy and ready to work hard to get the work going in the ward here.  Bishop Elmer is really pushing for missionary work in the ward with members and the ward missionaries are gonna start coming to our weekly meetings, and I think as soon as things start picking up a little it will be smooth sailing.  I think it'll just take some time before the members really start doing their part and realizing how important their role is in missionary work, and that's really what Bishop is striving for.  I finally can remember some people names too so it shall be a good transfer.  I'm already looking forward to Thanksgiving too!  We usually only get fed maybe once or if we're lucky twice a week here, but the Conlins signed up to feed us on thanksgiving and they're an awesome family!! 

 

Since I told y'all about Celina a couple weeks ago I figured I might give ya a little update, haha and since ya asked about her.  Haha well, this is kinda why I stopped writing to y'all about specific people because as soon as we have an awesome investigator that I think will be great, I tell y'all about them and then they always drop off the face of the planet.  So after we met with Celina the time I told you about we called her but she didn't answer.  She said her phone was broken though so we decided to just stop by.  Here we are driving down her road, and low and behold she pulls up right behind us.  Of course she saw us getting out of the car but she hurried and ran inside and then wouldn't answer the door even though she saw us.  Who knows, maybe it was just bad timing or something.  Haha some people just make me laugh though.  One second I feel like Celina never wants to talk to us, the next she's open, and the next she hates us.  We're still planning on going back though so I'll keep y'all updated.  That's a typical missionary story for y'all!

 

Mom it's wonderful to hear that the Primary Program went well and is over for you now!  I bet it was real cute.  :) 

 

Emily my best advice for applying and deciding which college to go to is to take a campus tour and pray about it.  For real, I never wanted to go to BYU-Idaho...but as soon as we went on the tour I knew it was where I needed to be!  So apply everywhere before December and then have mom and dad take you on some campus tours.  Goodness I can't believe you're gonna be graduating this year!!  Also, nice picture from monster mash..  ;)   

 

Haha and holy cow, I can't believe y'all were sick within the past week too.  Sarah, we must be twins or something!  When you said, "Have you been sick in the last week or two?  That'd be crazy if you were too!" I couldn't stop from laughing because I was sick last week too!  For a couple days it just turned super cold so I caught a little cold, but luckily I was able to bundle up in sweatshirts and a couple blankets for a few nights to roast myself and now I'm all better.  I hope you're able to catch up with all your schoolwork.  Good luck with midterms too! I've been across the causeway once and it's pretty cool.  I'll take you across it one day!  So for transfers on monday evening the zone leaders call us if we're being transferred and if we aren't we don't get a phone call.  Later in the evening they send a message with everyone being transferred as well.  And then since tuesday is pday you have the day to pack up and get ready to go to your new area on wednesday, and that's basically how transfers work!  It's crazy, this transfer no sisters in our entire zone are being transferred.  I'll kinda explain this too incase you don't know.  We have districts, which is basically just a couple sets of missionaries in your area, we meet once a week for district meeting.  And then a zone is a couple districts close by and we meet together maybe once a month for zone conference and training.  So in simple terms your district is like your ward and the zone is like your stake, but in missionary terms.  The Mandeville Elders are both staying, and then one Covington Elder, Elder Willis is being transferred tomorrow so we'll only have one new missionary in our district.  They have to take our car to transfers tomorrow because they don't have one so we're gonna be biking all day tomorrow...it's gonna be great!            

 

Well this week has been an awesome one!  I hope y'alls week has been a good one too.  We got to go on exchanges for a couple days so Sister Tiller came down here to be with me and honestly it was the best exchange I've ever been on.  I used to hate exchanges but now I'm learning to love them so much because there's tons we can learn from each other.  I just had a really fun time with her and we did lots of work too, so it was a good couple of days.

 

Let's see, here's a miracle from the week for y'all.  We go and visit this member named Bettie every week.  She's a super sweet lady, and holy cow she's one of the most stubborn ladies I've ever met, but I love her so much.  Bettie's taught me a lot about caring for other people.  She lives by herself and yes, she is super stubborn and won't take no for an answer, but she's always thinking of other ladies that live by her.  So when we were there she called up Fran, a less active lady.  Fran didn't really want us to go see her, but of course Bettie was able to convince her to let us all come over.  We were able to visit with them and talk about the atonement and hope and it was really good.  The miracle is seeing how much pure love can change any situation.  Bettie does everything because of her love for others, and ultimately that's what it always comes back down to...love. 

 

Anyways here's a quick scripture for y'all to think about throughout the week, Mosiah 2:41 "And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.  For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of neverending happiness.  O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it."  It's as simple as that.  If we keep the commandments and do what we're supposed to we can be happy, be blessed in all things, and receive neverending happiness.  It reminded me of this video, http://www.mormonchannel.org/mormon-channel-daily/196?v=2221439363001 doing the right thing isn't always the easiest, but it is the better thing to do. 

 

Ya'll got any plans for Halloween?  Better get some good candy for the little trick or treaters comin around!  I hear that we have to be home on the evening of Halloween, but who knows what we'll be doing, or if that's even true.  Don't eat too much candy now.  :) 

 

Hey and guess what?  I LOVE Y'ALL! 

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz 

weakness into strength

Hey Family!

 

How are y'all doing?  I heard that it's snowed a couple times back in Utah..it's getting cold here as well!  Don't worry about the email not coming through last week, I was able to receive it saturday in the mail.  Thank you for sending it!  I hope y'all are feeling better and having a wonderful week.

 

Sarah, I loved the pictures Dee took of you!  Covington is probably thirty minutes away from New Orleans I'd guess.  You just have to cross the causeway which is the bridge that connects the north shore of lake ponchrtrain to the south shore, and I hear that it's twenty five miles long.  Look up pictures of the causeway, it's so crazy to drive across because at some point all you can see is water around you!  On the northshore our ward covers lots of different cities including Covington, Mandeville, Madisonville, Abita Springs, Folsom, and Bush.  Hey and Sister Andrade is back at temple square now so y'all need to go find her before she goes home the end of November!           

 

In answer to your questions Mom, buying food isn't too tight if we use our money wisely.  I'm sure it depends on your mission but here we get I think $157 a month which is a ton compared to what I used regularly back in school.  I'm not really sure why the member here gives all the missionaries money every month, but hey I'm not gonna complain!  The only thing I wish is to give it to someone in need.  I knew so many people back in Baton Rouge that need it so bad, but the gift card is to a local grocery store that isn't back there otherwise I would totally send it to them. 

 

I knew you'd be asking soon what y'all could send so I came up with a couple things...but these are for a Christmas package or something and these are just the essentials (so don't send them until you're sending something for Christmas or something :), I don't need anything else: a member card for my camera (I lost my second one (don't worry it was blank) but the first is nearly full), a couple pairs of the carinessa SB bottoms, and these shoes I found at Famous Footwear that are kinda like canvas and the brand is Rocketdog color is gray they're the same as in some of the pictures I sent y'all (yes I'm weird and wear the same pair of shoes everyday and I'm asking for another pair just like them) but hey don't worry about sending much else that's about all!

 

And my adivce to help the missionaries serving in the home ward would be to just invite them over to get to know them and have them share a messages with y'all.  One of the hardest things about being in Covington is there's so many active members that we hardly know any of them.  And I'm sure serving in Utah is way different, but working with members is always the hardest.  A year or two ago they took Sisters out of Covington because I guess they were becoming big burdens to the ward, and it's super hard gaining the members trust back.  Whenever we stop by no one ever seems happy that we're there.  So get to know the missionaries, pray for them by name, and pray for opportunities you have to share the gospel with those around you!  And be kind to them...teaching members is always the hardest and most intimidating so talk a lot with them and become their friends! 

 

It's been a good week for us here, to say the least.  We've been going through the roster meeting more and more members and visiting more people.  Seriously, I'm not gonna lie though the hardest thing about being in Covington is teaching when there's a man there.  Haha the whole time I was in Baton Rouge pretty much the only contact we had with men were at church and meetings, plus the elders don't count because they're basically little kids at heart.  It's intimidating sharing a message with a family because most of the men here served missions and know everything we're doing wrong.  Let's just say this, I love all the single ladies we get to visit.  :) just like in Baton Rouge we have a couple that we get to visit on a weekly basis and I love it because we get to strengthen their testimonies, give them someone to talk to, and learn to discern what we can share with them that will best help. 

 

The miracle of the week was a referral we received from a member.  We actually received it before I got here but we were finally able to contact Celina this past week.  Well, here's the original story.  We called her and asked if we could come by two weeks ago she said yes at so and so time.  We called the day before to make sure it was still good and she said yes.  So we show up and obviously someone's home because you can hear them but they won't answer the door and didn't answer our phone call.  Man I was thinking we got stood up, big time.  About a week later we were in the area so we decided to just stop by.  She let us come in and kinda explained why she didn't answer the door last time.  She explained a little of her situation and holy cow she's been going through a lot, I felt weighed down just hearing about all her burdens.  I guess she was meeting with the missionaries in New Orleans a little bit ago and was attending church there and really liked it but never was baptized or anything.  She's a single mom and wants to find a church to take her daughter to so she's been going to all these random ones here and knows for sure she doesn't want to go to a couple.  So our goal is to teach her everything again and bring the spirit back.  I asked her what she liked about going to church down in New Orleans and she said it just felt good.  She felt the spirit and so now we just gotta help her understand!  I'm so excited to get to know her better and see how the gospel can change her life! 

 

Here's some scripture for y'all to ponder about. 

Jacob 4:7 "Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our weakness that we may know that it is by his grace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things." 

Ether 12:27 "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them."

 

The Lord gives us weaknesses so that we can become humble.  When we become humble we remember that without the Lord nothing would be possible.  And therefore when we're humbled, the Lord can build us back up the way he wants us to be.  He has the eternal perspective of everything and ultimately knows what's best for us.  Our weaknesses can be turned into strengths if we rely on the Lord.     

 

Well, transfers is next week so I'll write to y'all on tuesday.  Thank you for all y'all do for me.  I love you!!

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz