Crawfish!

Hey Family!

 

It's been a crazy busy week but so awesome.  First of all, you guys definitely need to go find Sister Calderwood on temple square.  The saying that you never know how much you'll miss something or someone until it's gone is so true.  I miss her so unbelievably much and wish she could be back here...but it's all good.  She'll be up at BYU-I after she gets home and I plan on visiting her in Alaska!  So please go find her for me and tell her how much I love her and miss her.  All the sister missionaries on temple square know each other so when you go just ask one of them if they know where she is and if you can't find her I'll mention something in an email to her next week.  Take some twix too and tell her it's a little gift from me because they were her favorite.  Seriously she's the best and give her a hug for me.  Oh and mom her name is Wendy Calderwood.  She served down in Hoama for two transfers before serving with me and I believe she has two transfers left.  Louisiana definitely isn't the same without her here.  

 

Anyways, my new companion is Sister (Elise) LaPorte!  She's also a temple square missionary and she's been out nine months.  She's from California and she's one of the nicest person I've ever met.  Seriously she's great too.  It was hard leaving Sister Calderwood but Sister LaPorte easily makes up for the missing piece in my heart.  Transfers are next wednesday so I'm hoping President will keep us together, and hopefully for the next two transfers because that's all the time she gets here.  I have a feeling we'll be together this coming transfer but we shall see.    

 

The beginning of this week was very busy because we were trying to see all the people Sister Calderwood wanted to see before she left.  It was sad because she didn't want to go back to Temple Square and we didn't want her to leave either.  But guess what?  We got to go to the temple on Tuesday!!!  During district meeting we mentioned how it would be awesome to go to the temple as a district before Sister Calderwood left because both our wards temple nights were that night.  Our district leader ended up calling President Wall but he never answered but we ended up just going anyways.  No one else in our district could come though so it was just Sister Calderwood, Elder Bawden, Elder Johnson, and I.  Aw man though I love that temple.  Definitely the perfect way to end the day. 

 

Wednesday morning we drove to President Walls home and they drove Sister Calderwood to the airport and I was in a trio with Sister Jones and Bowen for the rest of the day until we picked up Sister LaPorte at the airport.  Haha I'm sure she wasn't expecting only us to be there but President was in interviews for the day so we got to pick her up.  And then the rest of the week we've just been getting back to work.  

 

There's so many lonely women in our ward that feel like they don't have friends so we're gonna create a weekly activity for all the ladies in Relief Society where we can get together and do something.  I think it's gonna be awesome because there's so much work to do.  So any cheap ideas you have would be greatly appreciated. 

 

Here's just a couple of the miracles that have occured this week: 

 

numero uno:  Dezarae Graves, she's a less active member but wants to turn her life around and come back to church.  Somehow she contacted the missionaries which referred her to some other sisters who referred her to us.  And boy she's amazing.  She's been a member basically her whole life but was baptized without really knowing anything.  She wants to feel the spirit again so we're gonna teach her all the lessons and help her understand everything!!

 

numero dos:  Jaylen was baptized!!  Elder Burch and Franke have been teaching her and we were able to attend her baptism on friday.  She's an awesome girl with such a strong testimony.  Haha apparently it takes four hours to fill up the font and no one turned it on then so we had to dump pots of water from the sink into the font.  She also had to be baptized five times because she couldn't get under the water all the way.  But all is well and she was cool with it all. 

 

numero tres:  Miraculously we haven't gotten too lost.  Also we've been listening to the same CD on repeat for the last week!  It's a miracle we aren't sick of the music yet.  Fifteen songs all day everyday, it's pure joy.  So if yall aren't too busy some CD's would be greatly appreciated.  Sister Calderwood had all the CD's so currently we have none.  The Elders put tons of music on my USB except it plays half of one song and then skips and won't play anymore.  But please only send CD's if they're good ones.  I won't listen to any of the real churchy ones if ya know what I mean.  No offense Andrew, but your music was all pretty lame.

 

Oh yeah, I ate crawfish for the first time this week!!  It looks nasty because it's this little fish thing.  But you break off its tail and eat the meat.  All the spices cooked on it make it delicious.  The only problem is there's barely any meat.  But it's almost crawfish season so I'm pretty excited!!  

 

Sarah and Emily I wrote you both letters last monday except I didn't actually get around to the mailbox until friday so yeah, your letters are on their way!  Sarah you signed up for piano, what is the world coming to?  Haha just kidding, it will be great.  It's bad down here because everyone expects the sister missionaries to play the piano and I'm always just like...yeah I can play but I can't sight read...awkward.  Could you please send me Mary Beth, Samantha, and Julia's addresses?  I guess I could just email them except I personally like receiving letters anyways.  Tell everyone back home that I say hi and I love them.   

 

I'm glad yall enjoyed the pictures.  :)  I'll try to take some more this week and send them to ya.  Send me some too!

 

Mom some more clothes would be nice.  I've noticed that most of them I have to wear something under anyways because they come too low in the front.  So if you have any time find higher necklines or you could just send me some regular shirts and then send those two black and white shirts from my closet here.  Sarah should know which ones I'm talking about.   

 

I received Big Grandma's letter this past week which was so nice.  Haha it was very random but I'll write her back soon.  We're running late today because we had to clean up the apartment this morning so if I don't write her today I definitely will next monday.  Let her know that I love her and I'm praying for her and grandpa. 

 

I love hearing from yall and hope everything is going good with work and school.  With the upcoming easter holliday remember the true meaning of it and also share your testimony with someone!!  I love yall so much and look up to your examples.  Give any a hug for me and tell the ward I say hi! 

 

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

 

p.s. go see Sister Calderwood please!!  and tell me about it.  :)