Family Picture

Family Picture

Wednesday, January 27, 2016

The Great Moose!


Hello Everyone!

How many people are getting married while I'm gone?!?! Many of my friends are already married and Alyssa Penney is talking about marriage with her boyfriend and Sister Jones is getting married and so are both Robin and April Tourtillott. ?!?!

Daniel Poulson is going on a mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am so excited for him. Let him know that I am proud of him and that he is doing what the Lord needs of him. So many things are happening while I am gone. 

Life is not going to be the same when I come home. I never thought about it really deep before now but it is really setting in that home is going to be REALLY different when I get home ~ in less than a year. It is exciting but then sad. You know me. 

Hey mom guess what!!!!!!!!!!? On Friday we are getting new tires. Now take a deep breath and relax. I have had a few awesome stories because we had bald tires. 

The temple was amazing. I love going. It is so peaceful. I was unable to go when I was in the MTC because it was being cleaned..... :( So this week so far has been very exciting and busy.  Sunday the whole stake presidency came to our ward and I knew something was up. Turns out something was up! It was announced that our ward is being split. It was approved from the First Presidency. SO I am now covering the Sunset Ward and the West Terrace Ward. Every Sunday since I have been here ~ which is almost 3 months ~ there have been about 300 members present. So they split it. President Dymock told us on the phone when we gave him the news, "Congratulations you are now over two wards." So we have a lot of work to do. We need to update the area and color code everything. we need to make another area book and we have a lot more paperwork to do and more meetings to attend. But I am so PUMPED! I love being busy. 

Ana, one of our investigators, is doing really well. She is plowing through the New Testament. She is almost done in 1 Corinthians and it has only been three weeks!!!!!!!!! That is super crazy. She always gives us jewelry. I have two rings now that are beautiful. I love them. She loves us coming over and helping her understand the scriptures. When we told her that Jesus created the earth she asked how we know it was Jesus when it only says God in Genesis. (Remember she is deeply rooted in the Old Testament). I then pointed her to John chapter 1 and after reading about 15 verses she said okay. She accepted it right away. It was awesome! 

WE also got popcorn from a member on Tuesday since it was national popcorn day and she loves having a party anytime she can. 

The missionary worldwide broadcast was awesome!!!!!!! Every missionary in the world at the same time was watching this broadcast. We all sang "Hark All Ye Nations." The spirit was so strong!

We also saw a moose on Thursday before zone conference! I took pictures!
I was so happy to see a moose. The great moose!











Zone Conference was amazing!!  I was on a spiritual high. During the last two hours we had the ward council members come from every ward in the stake. We were trained on how to work better with the members. But now our ward was just split so we are going to have new leaders who weren't able to come. That will be fun. 

Spokane West Zone


I apologize that this email is all over the place but my mind since day one has been all over the place. 

Last week we received 3 new investigators and two of them are a couple. They were handed off to us by the Marshallesse Elders because the guy is Marshallesse but he knows English pretty well. They are almost on date for baptism and we love them all ready. 

This week we will have about 2 to 3 new investigators. This is area is on FIRE and I don't want to be transferred. But the Lord knows best. 

Guess how many times I have eaten lasagna on my mission.... You will never guess correctly so I might as well tell you. I have only eaten it twice and the second time was on Sunday. They asked us what we don't get and what we want and Sister Blackwell and I wanted lasagna. I never thought I would be asking for lasagna on my mission. 

Yesterday we had another lesson with Ana and we were talking about nuns and then about their hats which are called "habits" and Ron, her roommate, asked why they're called habits and Ana replied with a smirk on her face, "I guess Nuns just have to dress up like Muslims. They have to get in the habit!" It was hilarious. It might not seem so to you ~ but you would have to know Ana. 

Well life is good.  I love being a missionary. I love my mission. I love the people. I love seeing people be happy. I love seeing the Atonement play a part in someone's life. I love seeing people come unto Christ. I love my Heavenly Father and Savior. I know They live and I know that They love me. This church is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet. The Book of Mormon is another Testament of Jesus Christ. Everyone should prayerfully read it and ask God of it is true and He will let you know that it is true!!!  I know it is and so does God. I am who I am because I am a member of The Church of Jesus of Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know it. I live it. I love it. 

Toodaloo!

Sister Schmidt

P.S. By next week we should hopefully have 7 investigators!!!!!!!!!!! YAY!!!!! :-)

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

I'm 20!

Hello Everyone!

Thank you for the birthday wishes! I had a great memorable birthday. I can't believe that I am 20 years old. I am so old!

So last week was the craziest, busiest, and the most stressful week of my whole mission so far. I lot happened and a lot of it is just simple things that just add up over time. SO I will start with Monday. On Monday we had p~day and I was looking out the window and it was in the evening time and I was just pondering about my mission so far and how hard it has been ~ but also how grateful I am for the mission experience. I have learned so much and I have changed so much. The mission so far as been such a blessing to me and my life. I don't want to leave and it is going to be harder to leave in a year from now. I will be excited to be going home but I am going to miss the mission life. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

Tuesday I was working on my training that I was asked to prepare for our district meeting on Friday. I was training on "Teach People, Not Lessons." I was getting stressed over it because I had high expectations and it was taking longer than I wanted to plan it. So I said a prayer and it all came into place. (I don't know if I told you but our car is named Felicia and on Tuesday we ran into a Felicia. After our interaction with her I said, "We met Felicia in the flesh!") It was hilarious! Then at Ana's lesson she asked us a weird question about a scripture and we had no clue how to explain it and so after the lesson we asked the Elders and they had no clue either, so they asked their recent convert who was a pastor and who grew up to hate the Mormons. So that was cool. Then we jokingly asked if he could come to a lesson and they gave us his number and we contacted him and he said that he is on board to come to our lesson on Friday!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will get to that later...

Anyway, Wednesday was Mom's birthday.  I am sending a picture for you mom. 

Happy Birthday Mommy!

So today was great (hint: sarcasm). We got stuck in the snow for real this time in the middle of nowhere!! I am telling you, nowhere!!!!!!!!!!!! I pushed with all of my might and we were stuck. A very "Christlike" man drove down the rode and didn't even look at us and kept driving.  His house was right next to our sticking situation and he went inside and then came back out and drove away. So we were stuck in the snow for an hour and a half. We called the Elders because everyone in the ward was at work or they didn't have a truck or they didn't drive their truck to work they rode their bike instead. SO we called the Elders and told them about our situation and they got someone in their ward with a truck and all three of them came out to get us. It was hilarious because even their truck was getting stuck. They pulled our car out and we trudged behind it. It was a sight to see.



Also on Wednesday I got my package from you! That was really fast! 
Then on Friday I got Grandpa and Grandma's package. 
So thank you!

Grandma Schmidt sent a puzzle for my birthday.
It came on a day we were snowed in!


On Thursday we got a call from the zone leaders about the missionary broadcast for all the missions in the world and for zone conference which are both happening this week. They asked us who they need to call and we didn't know ??? and then they gave us the responsibility to have it all planned.  So we need to reserve the building and get it set up for the broadcast and make sure that we are having dinner. So yeah ~ Thursday was stressful since we didn't know who to call. Then I made cookie dough and that night I made the cake that you gave me for district meeting the next day.

On Friday I didn't have to train because we were running out of time. But the cake was good! I also had a headache all day but all is well in the land of Spokane. WE had our lesson with Ana and with the recent convert who used to be a pastor. It was good. His story is amazing. My district is going to hear about it next week so I will email you and tell you all about it when I have all the details.

Sunday was fun. We had a nice dinner with the Spencer family in our ward.
They found out it was my birthday during our visit and they put candles in my pizzookie "cake" and sang Happy Birthday to me!
I had a good birthday day!

Birthday package from home!


On Monday we had a blitz with our district. We blitzed the Cheney 1st Ward sister's area. We went to see a potential investigator who was Camile and who was possibly Jamaican. When we knocked on the door it wasn't Camile who was possibly from Jamaica. ???  It wasn't a girl. It was a boy who was wearing only a shiny yellow pair of short shorts. it was extremely awkward and he was standing sideways. I thought he was going to start doing the thriller but fortunately he didn't.  Then I dissed a man, by accident. He opened his door and he was wearing scrubs and I asked if he was a nurse and he said no, with a gruff voice, he has a sunburn and that he is a police officer. So that was fun...

Then today our washer died on our last load so we had to hand wash the darks. My hands are SO red and it hurts to type this out. SO that was an adventure.



Hand Washing Darks!



I love you all and miss you! The church is true! 

Toodaloo!!

Sister Schmidt



Monday, January 11, 2016

Happy Birthday!

Hello To All,  

So I am getting along with my companion. We are doing well. We are different from each other but I am learning a lot. I am learning to take the lead. I am having to make a lot of phone calls and I didn't really like doing that before my mission. I could with people I knew, but not strangers ~ so I am developing skills that I need for my life. That is always good.

On Monday we had a zone p~day and we played quid itch. (The game that is played in Harry Potter.) Don't worry, we didn't use brooms or pretend to fly. I thought it was going to be really stupid but it turned out to be REALLY fun and it was very demanding physically. I loved it because we had to run a lot.  I only love running when I do it with someone else.  HA

Not a whole lot has happened here. We did get a new referral and her name is Ana Watson. She is 44 and her niece Krystal referred the missionaries to teach her. She wants to believe and to learn. We met with her twice last week and we are meeting with her twice this week. So we see her every Tuesday at 6:30 and every Friday at 7:30. She is a heavy smoker. She wraps her own cigarettes but she knows it is a bad habit and she ordered a ton of beads to make jewelry to keep her hands busy so she won't smoke as much! She told us that and we haven't taught her about the Word of Wisdom. She has had a VERY hard life. Ana has gone through everything that you can think of and more. I don't know how she is happy. But I know that by her meeting with us and hearing about the restored church will make her even happier. She has deep roots in the Old Testament and she is now barely reading the New Testament. That was a HUGE step for her to do that. But we are very proud of her. She called us prophets and we told her that we are not but that we are messengers and she said you are walking angels. She loves us coming over which is always nice to hear and see. On Sunday I told one of our ward missionaries that I am going to die from second hand smoking and she replied that Heavenly Father wouldn't let that happen. We are on His errand. I never thought of that before. But I still smell like smoke. But I love Ana. I am looking forward to seeing her this Tuesday! Sister Blackwell and I were discussing in the car once that we are together in this area for Ana and that is so true. Ana gave us jewelry since she has so much. It is very beautiful jewelry.

We had zone training on Friday and that was fun. We talked about How to Begin Teaching and about commitments and promising blessings. We did a role play with a zone leader and a district leader and Sister Blackwell froze. I did all of the talking until the zone leader paused it and spoke to Sister Blackwell. He found out that she has an anxiety disorder. So she freezes up a lot. SO I am taking the lead a lot more, must be why President put me as the senior companion.

Besides that nothing really happened, oh wait I had exchanges this week. The sister training leader is Sister Johnson and she came out with me. Do you want to hear a crazy statistic about our mission? About 50% of the missionaries in our mission have been out 6 months and under. Our mission is really young and Sister Johnson told me that I might be a STL (Sister trainer Leader) and I am not sure I want to be. I will definitely learn a lot but I don't know.. It is in God's hands. 

After zone training we had zone lunch and Elder Gingles brought two cakes because during exchanges Sister Johnson and I went and did service at a food bank and they were getting rid of two cakes and it was Elder Gingles Birthday on the 6th so we decided to give them to him. Well, he brought them to zone lunch and we had cake! He even had candles and we both had a cake to make wishes on and to blow out the candles!! That was fun!


Birthday cake for Elder Gingles
and Sister Schmidt!





Zone Lunch!


Love you all and miss you. 

Thank you for the birthday wishes. 
I can't believe that I am going to be 20!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
I don't want to be. I am starting to get old. Well, I am not old yet but I am on the journey now.

Toodaloo!
Sister Schmidt


Mom's own driveway!

Tuesday, January 5, 2016

Six Months Out !!!!!!

Happy New Year to Everyone!

Spokane West, WA

I am doing great!   Thank you for Christmas!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Monday was one of my hardest days. We had a lesson with Greg Jensen and he told us that he would be moving out once our lesson was over and we were really excited. Then two days later Joyce, his girlfriend who is less active, told us that Greg no longer wants to be baptized. That text ruined my day :(  I figured it was because going back to his house was too hard and it turns out that is the reason why. So we are going to touch base with him today hopefully and just talk to him.  

It was also Sister Griffith's and my last day together.  We got along so well together.  We were basically the same person. We related to each other so much. We balanced each other. We were so sad to no longer be companions. We cried a little bit... (Emotions are not a sign of weakness ~ even though I used to believe that.)  When we got the transfer call I was so sad. I was shocked to get my MTC companion ~ Sister Blackwell. I was a little overwhelmed because I mostly did everything in the MTC.  She told me later that she felt bad that she didn't really do anything to help. 

But on Tuesday when I was at the Spokane East Stake Center dealing with transfers, President Dymock came over to me and told me that Sister Blackwell is doing so much better. She is able to get through her anxiety attacks. That was an answer to prayer. He also told me that I will help build her up, so that was also good to hear. While I was at the stake center I saw so many missionaries that I know. I didn't realize how many missionaries I knew. It was so nice to see them. It felt like a missionary reunion. I am SO excited for those after my mission. 

So we have 3 investigators that are progressing. They are reading the Book of Mormon and it is so exciting!!!!!!!! The Book of Mormon blesses individuals. It has blessed me.  I have grown to appreciate the Book of Mormon. Every time that I read the Book of Mormon I learn something new from it. It is crazy how that happens. But I know that as we read the Book of Mormon with an open heart we will be enlightened and our day will be better. We will be able to get through hard things with a better attitude. Put it to the test. 

So we got a referral and we contacted him but we felt impressed to text him and not see him face to face for our first contact. It was a good thing that we heeded that prompting because when he responded ~ he cussed us out. We just told him God bless. One day he will be ready to hear the Gospel. 

Can you all believe it? On the first was my 6th month mark!?!?! That is beyond crazy. Time has gone by so fast but at the same time it has gone by slow. Life is weird but wonderful. 

So this week we have 6 referrals to contact and I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love bringing others unto Christ. I don't understand why people don't like being religious. I hate it when people think that it is stupid to believe in God or that they care more what the world says about them if they believe in God. It is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength and humility. 

On Sunday Sister Blackwell and I were put on the spot to teach the lesson in Gospel Principles about the Second Coming of Jesus Christ and everyone said that we can do it because we teach this. We had to correct them because we don't teach this to investigators. So it was rough but it went okay. I love this mission. In Relief Society we were talking about our loads/burdens that we all carry. I remembered something that I read in an Ensign. It was talked about our weaknesses and Ether 12:27. It says that our weaknesses will become strengths but I realized that not all of our weaknesses will become strengths because we have weaknesses to be humbled and if we don't have weaknesses we won't be humbled and we will tell ourselves that we don't need God in our lives when actually we need Him more than anything. But  we can overcome our weaknesses. We can develop the ability to not act on that weakness but you could still have that weakness. Does this even make sense? I apologize if it doesn't. Life gets hard but just read Alma 36:3 and know that I believes in us and our loving Heavenly Father believes in us! 

I love all of you and wish you all the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 
Toodaloo :-)

Sister Schmidt