Sister Monica Schmidt: 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!