Monday, June 9, 2014

it's getting hot!!

Hey Family!
How's it finally feel to be graduated, Emily? Man, I've been thinking about you this week. It's so weird to think that you're gonna be starting college this year. There's this girl named Krystyna in our ward that just graduated too. She's a lot like you Em, haha I love her and you so much. Goodness, I miss y'all!
Anyways, back to business.  Freak I don’t know what classes to sign up for or where to live.  Can’t someone just make all these decisions for me?  Just kidding…then it’d mean we don’t have any agency.  And if we don’t got no agency then we’d just be walking around like little robots here on earth. 
Sarah!  Sweet job on getting a scholarship.  Goodness, you’re nearly done with school!  Freak how did every apartment already fill up for fall semester? I can’t even remember what any of the places are to live at.  Hmmm the only thing I’d say is don’t pick the ivy, Tuscany, or mountain pines.  Haha man, that’s like all the options you gave me.  Are there any other good cheap places?  Hmm and as far as classes, sign up for family foundations first.  I still need a science foundation so be sure to get one of those.  What happened to those foundation capstone classes…do we still need to take those?  The other classes sound all great.  I really have no clue what classes I should be taking.  Hey!  Are you implying that I can’t cook?  I’d like you to know I’m an excellent cook…haha just kidding.  Just sign me up for whatever, they all sound great.  Maybe I should just come home and go back to work for a bit because I don’t have a clue what I want to do.  Hmm the only majors I can think of right now that I’d be  slightly interested in is dental hygiene, landscape design, something with architecture or what not, early childhood special education.   Thanks for all your help Sarah!  Hey and tell Nik I say hey.  I like your dress too.  :)
How was y'alls week?  It's getting hot down here!  Goodness, the heat just drains you out.  And I hate the humidity.  Other than that it's been a pretty good week.  Our district has a goal to give out lots of copies of the Book of Mormon and the companionship that gave out the most during the week gets a trophy at district meeting.  Last week we failed and didn't give out any.  But this week we actually were able to give out a few!  It was pretty sweet.  We had to get our oil changed so we were sitting at PepBoys forever.  There was hardly anyone there but a guy came and sat right next to me so I knew I needed to talk to him.  It's funny, when Sister Wolf wants to talk to someone she always looks at them a whole lot and awkwardly stands by them.  I was just waiting to see if she'd say something because I think it's hilarious.  So she kept doing that and finally said, "how you doing, sir?" and he said, "alright, how you ladies doing?"  a little chit chat, and to make a long story short I said, "I like your cane." (it was a pretty sweet cane if I do say so myself) and then we just talked about lots of random things.  I asked him if he liked to read.  He said yes so I gave him a Book of Mormon.  It was sweet because he said the missionaries used to come over and teach him about it forever ago.  He read nearly the whole book.  He lost the book though and really liked it.  He's not in good health right now though so he'd said he'd call us whenever he isn't at the doctors office.  But man, I just loved him.  He's a big old black guy with dreads that go down to his knees and super friendly.  The best part of the conversation was when he said, "ya know, it's not very often that two white ladies come talking to me."  I sure hope he calls us!  
Ooh the other sweet experience from this week was finally getting to teach one of our potential investigators, Red.  Way back in February we met this guy that knew a little about the church and said we could come back.  For some reason we kept trying but he was always busy or we couldn't make it.  There's a member that lives at his same apartment complex so he said we could come over after our appointment with the member.  So we're waiting for the bus forever!  As in it's an hour behind schedule and we were just burning up sitting in the sun.  A nice member from another ward saw us sitting there and offered us a ride.  So we got to the apartment an hour earlier than planned.  So we decided to just see Red then. It was a miracle because he said he was just getting ready to go to bed, but we caught him just in time.  We taught the restoration.  And he said once he finds out it's all true he'll tell everyone!  He's got a lot of potential.  So excited for him.  
Oh my goodness, and here's another miracle.  We have this investigator named Andrea.  She lives out in the boonies so we couldn't see her when we didn't have a car and she never answered the phone either so we didn't have contact with her for practically two months.  Before that she was really depressed and basically only wanted us to come over because she wanted friends.  It's a miracle because she's been changing so much ever since we've been back visiting her.  We finally started just reading the Book of Mormon with her because she'd never read it by herself.  She absolutely loves it too!  Plus last week when we saw her she shared her testimony of how the Holy Ghost helped her come out of her depression.  And she said the closing prayer for the first time.  It's so sweet because I thought she'd never progress and we'd never be able to help her.  But all it took was a little time and teaching to her needs.  She's so sweet too.  I love her so much! 
Anyways, I just want to say that I love y'all so much.  Truly from the bottom of my heart.  :)

Love Always, Sister Schmutz

Monday, June 2, 2014

happy june :)

Hey y'all!
Congrats on graduating this week Emily.  :) 
Hope y'all are doing well and summers treating you good.  Holy cow it's been raining so much down here, the streets were like rivers.  Lots and lots of water everywhere.  How was running the river, Dad and Andrew?  Man, I wanna go swimming so bad.  The other day we sat by the swimming pool and put our feet in for a little bit....as close as we could get to swimming.  Reminded me of all  our summer swimming parties down at Grandma's.  Tell her I say hey and that I love her.  :)   
This week was a really good week!  For many reasons...here's a couple little ones:
...Sister Bailey (one of the spanish sisters) was sick this week and the doctor said she couldn't go out for a couple days, so we got to drive around thier car a whole ton and visit lots and lots of people.  Man I tell ya, you can get places so fast when you have a car. 
....On tuesday we visited the Dixon's or Wleh's whatever you want to call them.  Sweet family I love them all so much.  So at the end Catherine asks if she can say the prayer.  So of course we say yes.  During the prayer this is what she said, "please let the people in prison be let out."  haha oh boy it was so funny.  And then Janice turns to her and says, "they're in jail for a reason!  they shouldn't be let out!"  oh and the things kids say! 
...I took Sister Astle out with me since she was sick of being stuck home all day with her sick companion.  She is so sweet!!  Man, everyone we visited absolutely loved her!
...We finally started teaching Geneva and Johnathan!!  They're so smart and so ready to get baptized!  They have a date set for July 12 or 13.  Oh and even better Chandra got up and shared her testimony yesterday.  Holy cow it was amazing!  Sweetest person ever.  :) Such a good testimony of how she found the church and how it's the best thing she's ever done.  That family is gonna do some great things in our ward! 
...We helped Sister Depew move to a new apartment.  She was so grateful!  haha it was hilarious too because Elder Navitikula is freaked out from cats and wouldn't even come in the same room as the cat.  The elders drive me insane sometimes but for the most part they're real funny and I really like them. 
Overall it was just a really good start to a new transfer.  I love it here so much.  I love the people here so much too.  Our ward can be very frustrating sometimes just because some people are so lazy and won't do anything.  Goodness, it's so irritating.  I would go on complaining about it but y'all don't want to here that so here's a quote for y'all.  :)
"Friends, especially my young friends, take heart. Pure Christlike love flowing from true righteousness can change the world." -Jeffrey R. Holland
I believe it with all my heart.  I've learned lately that we can't change anyone.  No matter how much we do to try to change them it won't happen.  But the best we can do is be that example to them and love them as Christ would love them.  When they see that example and feel of that love they'll have the desire to change.  That's what it's all about.  Love changes things!  So the question is, what are you gonna do to change the world?   
Anyways, I just want to let y'all know that I love y'all so much.  Thank you for all the love you've shown to me. 
Love Always, Sister Schmutz
p.s. y'all will be pleased to hear that I started writing in my journal again.  I know, it's only taken me more than half my mission to do it.  But hey, better late then never is what I always say.  

Tuesday, May 27, 2014

transfer number 12

Hey Family!
 
Hey Mom, before I forget, Elder Steele mentioned the other day how there's a returned missionary scholarship at BYU.  Don't know if that's true with BYU-I and what not but you should look online or call them and figure it out. That'd be real sweet.  Thanks so much!!
 
Hmm memorial day..why yes we did do something out of the ordinary.  Haha nah it wasn't that out of the ordinary but it was interesting.  Remember a couple weeks ago when I told you about Elder Taylor (not a missionary) the pentecostal guy and his wife that tried to convince us that we needed to speak in tongues.  Well yesterday we went back to see them and when we get there he says, "follow me, we're going down to my church."  And man I was just thinking, oh boy what is gonna be happening down there?  So we walk down the street.  The church was like in the pastors house but not so it was kinda weird.  Anyways they just invite us in so it's Elder Taylor, his pastor Mother Wade, and her great grandson, Minister Jackson.  We started to teach them the restoration but then Mother Wade just started talking and went off forever so we didn't get to teach.  Super nice people but they were just trying to convince us the whole time (3 hrs) that God and Jesus are the same person.  Neither of us were gonna convince each other but it was quite interesting.  We gave them a Book of Mormon so hopefully they'll read it.  And that's about it. 

It's about time I sent home a picture or two, right?  :) 

Oh hey! I'm not being transferred.  And Sister Wolf isn't either.  :)  I'm happy to be staying here!   Here's my address in case y'all forgot it:

Dude Emily!  That's so cool some random coach called you up and wants you to play soccer for their school.  Full scholarship and books too, man that's pretty good.  Is the school pretty good?  What are you gonna end up doing?  Don't worry, I'll keep you in my prayers, I know you and your decision making.  :)  good luck deciding!   
 
The week down here has been going pretty well.  How about for y'all?  We went on exchanges earlier last week.  And I kid you not, three people asked if Sister Stennett and I were twins, pretty funny!  We had a fish taco party last week with our district.  Got to go to the temple.  :)  helped Chandra put up shelves.  Saw a couple investigators we haven't seen in a while.  And just a bunch of good things.  :)  oh and even better news.  Our whole district is staying the same for the coming transfer.  I'm so excited, I love our district! 
 
Hmm let's see, I guess I could tell y'all about some of our investigators.  We have a sweet one named Rhonda that I love so much!  Some random person invited her daughter to Gladys Knight so Rhonda ended up coming too.  The Elders delivered the Book of Mormon package to her but they told us to go back and see her.  We've taught her twice so far and both times just went over the restoration.  The first time we only got about half way and she was super confused.  But then the second lesson we reviewed and taught the rest of the restoration.  I don't know, it was just a really good lesson.  We taught together in unity and helped her really understand, it was super sweet!  Plus she had real questions and concerns.  She had an aneurysm a couple months ago so she can't remember a whole lot but she's super sweet.  I'm excited to see her progress! 
 
This is just some random pond we found at an apartment earlier this week.  Random but cool!

Another sweet investigator is Dottie.  We haven't been able to see her lately because she's been real busy with work.  She's so awesome though!  She's one of the nicest people you'll ever meet and is always in a good mood no matter what is going on.  Please keep them both in y'alls prayers. 
 
I was supposed to instruct last week in district meeting on Charity but we ran out of time.  So I figured I'd tell y'all what I learned instead.  We all know why we need to be more charitable.  So here's some random things I came up with on how we can become more charitable: 
 
Choose not to judge.........................3 Nephi 14:2-5
Have to give it to receive it...............Golden Rule: treat others as you want to be treated
All you need is love........................John 13:35
Remember Jesus.............................Matt 4:23   WWJD?
Increase service................................Mosiah 4:15  
Think to pray.....................................Moroni 7:48
You see their potential......................Who are they to God? 
 
Pretty cool huh? I love charity because it's simply loving others the way that Christ loves them.  I remember one time we were visiting this lady named Valarie Barton (her son's on a mission but she's not a member).  She didn't really know a whole lot about God or even Christ.  But when I was sitting there I could just feel that even though she didn't know God, He loved her so much.  And then you could just tell how much she really loved her son.  And I loved her for all that.  I don't know, it's hard to explain, but it was really cool. 
 
I just want to let you know that I love y'all so much.  And never forget that God loves you too.  :)
 
Love Always, Sister Schmutz