YAATEEH!!!

Hello everybody,

      How are things going back home?  It's going pretty good here in Window Rock.  This past week was kind of slow around here but it was good.  We found three new investigators.  We are excited for them they are very enthusiastic and very accepting of the gospel.  One of them was a referral and the other two were formers.  I have seen a part of missionary work that a missionary doesn't ever see.  The two formers are a husband and wife that were meeting with the missionaries about a year ago or so.  The missionaries stoped coming by because they didn't seem interested and just called them formers in the area book.  So Elder Smith and I got in contact with them. The first time we went over they invited us in and fed us dinner.  We talked about the Book of Mormon and then a couple of days later taught the Pan of Salvation.  After we finished they told us that just after the missionaries before stopped coming by their son died, and it left them with lots of questions.  Question's that the Pan of Salvation answered.  Such as where did we come from, and where are we going?  It was really neat to be inspired to share that lesson first and then come to find all of their background out.  They asked a lot of really good questions and we are excited to get back over and teach them.

     Well we have a couple of exciting things happening this week.  Tomorrow we are having a special district meeting.  We usually have it on Friday but tomorrow President and Sister Jones are coming.  Before he is going to study with the district leader for comp. study. Since we live with the district leader we will be studying with him as well. I am excited for it, it will be really neat. However, that means we won't be having much of a P-day because we will be cleaning our trailer all day!  Then we have stake conference this week as well.  We are getting a new stake presidency so everybody is pretty excited and everybody has their guess' as to who they think it is going to be.  But we have a really special opportunity.  On Sunday morning before the meeting they are having a breakfast for all the recent converts and investigators with the general authority that will be there. They will be able to ask any questions and just be able to talk to him. So we are looking forward to it! Well I hope you all are having a good day and have a wonderful week. I love you all.

 

Love,

Elder Schmidt

Good Morning + Pictures!!!

Yaateeh Everybody!

     Well week one of transfer two flew by already.  My new companion Elder Smith and I have a lot of work to do.  He is awesome and I love working with him. The first day we were together we got a copy of our ward list, which is over 29 pages long, and we are going through and trying to see everybody on the list and find the less actives and work with some of them.  We had success our first day.  We picked a random name that stuck out to us and went and knocked on the door.  We went in and had a little lesson with them and then we talked to the dad.  He was an older man and we just sat and listened to him he talked to us for an hour straight. Through our discussion we found out that they are having some family issues and it was good for him to just have some body to talk to.  Then the next day we were trying to find a referral and this lady that wasn't home when we knocked on her door got home and said come in.  We went in and found out that she was a member but hasn't been to church for  over ten years because of something that she had done in the past.  She felt like she couldn't even go into the church building but she new she needed to go and talk to the bishop.  So we are working with her and trying to build her faith in herself to go and do what she knows needs to be done. I feel so inadequate and like i'm not capable of helping people cope with their struggles.  But I have learned and grown so much over this past week.  With me taking over the area I have had to be more responsible and I have become a much better missionary this past week.  We have been doing things that my last companion wouldn't do. We stop and talk to somebody if they are outside, and we will knock on doors until we find a new investigator or somebody to teach a lesson to.

    Thought I would send some pictures. Be careful not to hit the cows/calves crossing.  Yes that is where we live, it's not to bad actually.  A sign in one of the neighbourhoods I thought was funny. That's what happens when one of your recent converts mom gets drunk before his birthday party.

    Well uploading pictures took some time so I better get going.  Have a wonderful week. I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Schmidt

1 Conference, 1 Transfer and 2 Months!

Yaateeh Everybody!

    How was your week? Mine was pretty awesome! So what was your favorite talk?  My top two were President Uchtdorf's Sunday morning talk on Faith and Elder Gonzalez Saturday morning talk on covenants and blessings.  It was an awesome weekend! This is horrible to say but I have never watched all five sessions of General Conference before.  I was so grateful for the opportunity that I had to do so this past weekend.  I can't wait for the Ensign to come out so that I can read all of them again and better understand them.  To me it seemed like their was a lot of talk on family.  Family s so very important in our lives. They will always be there for us no matter what.  I am so grateful for all of you and the examples you are to me.

     Well we got transfer news on Saturday night.  Elder Sharp is leaving.  He is going to be Zone Leader in Gallup, so he isn't going to far.  Gallup is about twenty minutes away from here.  I am geting a new companion and takeing over the area.  His name is Elder Smith, everybody we have talked to has never heard of him.  I am excited to get a new companion though.  Elder Chapple and Elder Larson are both staying and Elder Chapple is going to be the new District Leader.  I guess President must have some faith in me to take over the area. It's not a huge responsibility but I have only been out for one transfer.  I am looking forward to it though it will be a good transfer.

    Well there wasn't much that went on this week other then Conference.  We picked up six new investigators.  We are excited and grateful for the work that we have found this week.  the Lord has truly blessed us as we continue to work and are patient with him.  But, he has set those in our path that are prepared to listen to and receive his gospel. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have to be in the service of our Heavenly Father.  I know what I am doing is real.  I am sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of the Window Rock ward. There is nowher else I would rather be in my life then here in the service of Heavenly Father. I am even more in debt to my Father in Heaven for the blessings that I am receiving for serving him. Missionary work is true. It needs to press forward.  You all know somebody who is not a member of this true and living gospel.  When you kneel down tonight to pray, pray for a name of a family or an individual that you can give to the missionaries.  The Lordf is preparing his children everyday to receive his gospel, and you all know somebody that is ready to listen.

    I better get going. Sorry it wasn't a very exciting week. I love you all. Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Elder Schmidt

Three Fast Sundays Down?!

Hello everybody!

   It's hard to believe that I'm already three fast Sundays down.  We had fast Sunday yesterday due to conference.  I'm excited to hear what the Lord has to say to us!  We get to go to all of the sessions here at our building.   I'm not sure how it is going to work out though because our bishop is going to translate into Navajo.  So if we have to listen in Navajo it might not work out so well, but i think they broadcast it in both languages.  That sounds like it would be fun to go up to the cabin if you could watch it. Is it still raining? How long has it been raining? I have never seen the snow that high! That's crazy.

   Well I have had a few firsts this week! On Wednesday night we got a call from a brother in the ward and he wanted us to come to a funeral that he was conducting the next day.  We told him we would but my companion is the District Leader so we were going on exchanges the next day.  For some reason he decided to go with the other senior companion and left me with the junior companion which has only been out one more transfer than me.  So the two of us spent the day together and went to the funeral.  We thought we were going to have to give talks or say the prayers but he just wanted us there.  Then after we had to go and dedicate the grave with him because he didn't know how to do it.  It was kind of strange because the family only wanted the pallbearers at the grave site. So we went with him to do that.  That was something that I have never done before.

   The next first was a pretty awesome experience.  So we have been working with this man and women.  They would be baptized except for they need to get married, and in order for them to get married he needs to stop drinking. He has come a long way and we are getting there with them.  But his brother lives next to them with his girlfriend, and they just had a baby recently.  The baby went in for it's check-up and the doctors found something wrong and wanted them to take her to Albuquerque to a doctor.  They called us the night before they were supposed to go down and asked if we could give them a blessing.  So we went over and gave the little girl and the mom a blessing.  We went back to the little girls dad's brother's house, the one that we have been working with, a couple of days later.  He told us that they didn't find anything wrong with her and that her parents wanted to  meet with us.  Last Wednesday we met with them and talked about the Book of Mormon and invited them to church.  We weren't able to go and remind them so we weren't sure if they were going to come or not.  But they did and loved it. They could only stay for two hours because they had to go cook and get stuff ready for a dinner they were having for the baby.  They invited us to the dinner and then after we watched the Testaments with all of them.  It was a really awesome spiritual experience.  Now the mom wants to get baptized and the dad wants to as well.  So we have an appointment with them on Tuesday and we are going to talk about baptism.  We are excited for them.  And it was all brought about by the power of the priesthood. It is real! 

   Yesterday we were asked to teach Gospel Principal's.  Then after we seperated for Priesthood there was nobody to teach Elders Quorum so we taught that as well.  Our lesson in Gospel Principal's was on the priesthood and the two new investigators we got were there.  We were able to use the story about the blessing of their baby and talk about how he could have that same power to bless and heal his own family.  It was a really good lesson.  Everybody around here relies on the missionaries to do pretty much everything so we were use to having to teach a lesson all of the sudden.

  I am loving it here! I love the people and the work! It's hard to believe that this is the last week of my first transfer. It seems like I just got dropped off at the MTC.  Time is flying already. I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Schmidt

Hello!

Yaateh everybody!

     Well this week has flown by.  It seems like just yesterday I was emailing you. This past week we sent Elder Taylor to Brazil! He was excited to go but didn't want to leave at the same time.  The AP's came down and picked him up on Wednesday. So, on Tuesday we had a b-b-q and cooked some burgers that we got from a lady in the ward.  He had been waiting so long for his Visa and then it all happened so fast. He had been in this mission for almost four months.  We got a call from President on Monday then he was gone on Wednesday.  So, that made the week a little different. We spent all day tuesday helping him pack then Wednesday we met the Ap's for lunch. Thats was fun because I got to meet them since I missed my flight and didn't get to meet them when I first got here. So now Elder Sharp, Elder Chapple and I are in a tripanionship. We cover St. Michaels, Window Rock, Fort Defiance (which are all basically right next to each other) and then Sawmill which is a small branch about 20 miles away. 

     I have been told that the first three months of your mission are the slowest, then after that time fly's by.  If thats the case I don't want these three months to be up, because time is flying by so fast already!!  I can't believe that this transfer is already half over.  Elder Sharp is most likely going Zone Leader next transfer, so were thinking that Elder Chapple and I will stay here and get new companions.

    We have three baptism's this week.  One is Rodney that Elder Sharp and I have been working with and then the other two are from Sawmill, but we got to teach them twice this week.  We didn't know it but they are actually friends so they are all going to get baptized at the same time.  I have to give a talk on the Holy Ghost, so that is pretty exciting that I get to participate in some way.  We try not to actually baptize people, we like it if someone from the ward does it that the people can relate too.  One of the Elders that was here a couple of transfers ago just went around baptizing a whole bunch of kids. He would just get them to come to church the minimum number of times and then baptize them without them being committed to the gospel. So, now we are having trouble with trying to get them all to come to church. We have so many Less Actives and Recent Converts that don't come to church.  So we are trying to get as many people as possible, but this is the Res. Missionary work on the Res. is a little different, that is something I really learned this week.  To get to some of our investigators we have to go four wheeling. Its's a good thing we have trucks. Well if you can call them that, they're pretty small.  We drive Chevy Colorados.  I never thought I would be driving a Chevy.  It's not just getting to people that is different, but working with the people is different.  Just because you have a set appointment doesn't make it set!  Half the time you get there and find out that they decided to go to Gallup or something.  But when you get into your lessons, the people, for the most part, are very open and willing to listen. 

    Next time we go into Gallup I am going to buy a watch or a ring, I need some Native jewelry.  And Mom I am eating just fine.

Well I better get going. I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Schmidt 

That was a fast week!

Yaateh everybody!

   Well this week has flown by and I have had some interesting and neat experiences.  Yesterday was a really good day at church!  There were over 165 people there which is way above the average of 120.  We got up early so we could call people and go and visit them before church started, so i guess our efforts payed off.  It really seemed like a lot of people since the week before everybody was out of town going to Phoenix because the girls high school basketball team was in the state tournament, but they won so I guess that is a good thing.  We had a baptism on Saturday, if was my first one. It was a neat experience.  Our other investigator with a baptism date could have been baptised already, Elder Sharp said he is probably the most doctrinal ready he has every seen.  Last night he called us at like 10:45 because he was studying and he didn't understand something.  Then we got a text from him on our way to email because he had another question.  Were excited for him!

   Last night we went to President Brown's House for dinner.  He is in the stake presidency and served his mission with Brother Pettey.  He called us on Saturday and said he wanted to have us over for dinner. We gladly accepted because he made us steak.  He owns the Hotel and Denny's in town, so we get a discount at Denny's.  It was fun to get to know them and hear about their experiences together. 

    Perhaps the most interesting story was last Tuesday night when we had to call the cops on a Gilaani.  Elder Sharp and I had gotten home and we were waiting for the other elders to get home. The phone rang and at the same time there was a knock on the door.  I went to see who knocked and Elder Sharp picked up the phone.  It wasn't the other elders so I went to put a shirt on after I looked through the peep hole.  As I walked away the person opened the door, but for some reason earlier I had locked the dead bolt so they couldn't open the door all the way.  The phone call that elder sharp was getting was from the other elders, they were just driving up and were calling to tell us not to answer the door as they drove away cuz they didn't want to come in with the guy there.  After i got a shirt on i opened the door and started talking to the guy.  He was so drunk that I could hardly understand him.  He wanted to come inside because he was cold but we couldn't allow him too neither did we want him to.  So we gave him a sandwich and an old box of cereal and sent him on his way.  We looked out the window a couple minutes later and he was laying on the stairs that go up to the parking lot with his head on the lower end and his legs at the higher.  We went outside and tried to talk to him but he didn't answer.  So we called the cops cuz we didn't want to touch him we figured that he had fallen and could be hurt.  But this is the res. and the cops didn't show up for like 15 minutes.  By the time the cops got here the guy had got up and locked himself in our storm room.  The cops finally came and took him away.

   We got some sad news the other day.  Elder Taylor was waiting for his visa and he got a letter from his mom saying it came.  So he is going to be leaving in a couple of days.  We are all sad but excited for him at the same time, he is going to go where the Lord has called him, and he will be blessed for that. We think we will the areas will be  combined until next transfer and the three of us will work together, if that's the case we will be busy. But that will be a good thing! Well I hope everything is going good with everybody back home! I love you all!

 

Love

Elder Schmidt

Metting the Mission President!

Elder Schmidt and his Trainer along with President and Sister Jones of the New Mexico, Farmington Mission.