Third area...Third state!

Hello everybody!!

Well I am in Utah. That is for sure. It was like culture shock comeing here. Everything is so different then the rez. I see people...white people...and lots of them. That is the biggest difference. Not to mention the fact that we cover half of a stake. We cover 4 wards and a branch on the Ute reservatrion and a branch on the Navajo reservation. So i still get some oof the rez! Which I am extremely glad about because I did not want to leave, but it takes about an hour to get there so we only get to go down once a week. Which is unfortunate because their is a lot of work to be done downn there. It recently got changed from a ward to a branch, so that is not good news.

I am getting asjusted to being here though. I am starting to like it more. One thing that is nice is that we pretty much don't do any knocking doors. the ward mission leaders do all the finding then get the people ready for us to ge see. It's kind of nice, but way different then I am use to because in my last area we didn't even have a branch mission leader. Hopefully I can get it figured out on how to work with them. It is hard because they all want to come out with us but we hardly have the time to give everybody their own night, so in that way it is kind of a struggle. So my new companion's name is Elder Nelson. This is his second transfer so I guess I am step training him which means we have an additional 60 minutes of companionship study everyday where we use the preach my gospel dvd's and this circulem that came out. So it is fun we are learning lots together and having fun. He is from Philidalipha. So a long ways from home. But he is a really good servant. Hopefully we can get some baptisims this transfer since he didn't get any last transfer. We have some investigators that we are working with so hopefully some will be prepared we have plans to really help them progress. So we are working hard and hopefully the Lord will bless us!

Sorry we usually end up emailing earlier but President and Sister Jones were in town today to renew their drivers license since they have utah license so we ended up having interviews with President this morning. It was good to sit down and talk because we haven't had interviews in a couple of months.

So yes mom and dad you pretty much could yell across the river to me for my birthday. One of the branchs that the other elders cover is called Mexican Hat and it covers Navajo mountain. So pretty much our area borders, well it does boarder the lake. That sounds like a fun trip. You guys should enjoy it. So I do get to listen to conference on my birthday. That will be fun to "relax" and listen to the prophet. Before priesthood we are going to this less active family we started working with this week for dinner. The dad is from Samoa so he is going to make some native food which we are excited about. It sounds really good! We just met them this past week and it was really good because they have a son who had said he was prepareing to go on a mission but mom stoped going to church so the kids did as well. They hadn't been in about four months so he was kind of slipping away but they came to church yesterday which was really good and so hopefully we can keep working with him and prepare him.

Well I better get going. I hope you all have a wonderful week. I love you all!

Love,

Elder Schmidt