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.

I'm Here!

Hello!

  Well I eventually made it out into the field safely! After staying my first night in the mission field in a hotel we made it back to the airport and made it on  the flight, I am suppose to be reimbursed for the costs. I had some trouble getting through security because my drivers license, mom have you received my new one so you can send it to me?  So we flew into Durango and one of the senior couples that works in the mission office picked me and elder Eging up. It was about an hour drive down to Farmington where we met Sister Jones at the mission home.  The first thing she did was apologized to us and tell us a story about how she missed her plane once.  President Jones got to the home a little while later and we all had lunch, the Elders that were going home were there as well.  The two trainers were also there so after our interviews he made our assignments and we took pictures with our "father's", my companions name is Elder Sharp. I spent most of my time in my interview talking about FFA and 4-H and animals. President graduated from BYU with a degree in Animal Science. We have a lot in common. After we got our new companions we had to go to the mission office to have a brief introduction to everything. Once we were done we had a two and a half hour drive to our area.  My first assigned area in the mission field is on the res. in Window Rock.  The area just got split so we cover half of the ward then the other elders cover the other half and a small branch about 20 miles up the road.  We all live together in a trailer behind the church. It's fun we all get along really well. My "brother" Elder Chappel, and Elder Taylor the other missionaries are awesome, we all have a lot in common.

   It's a little different here. Everything on the res. is so laid back, and there's dogs EVERYWHERE.  They also just let their animals roam around.  The other day there were a couple of cows just walking down the sidewalk, can't say that I have seen that before.  There's also horse's that just run freely if people want to ride there horse they like have to go out and find it and catch it first.  It's kind of hard here.  If everybody in the ward was active there would be almost 1000 people.  But there's usually on average 120 people that come to church.  But yesterday there wasn't even that many because the girls basketball team made it to state so pretty much everybody was in Phoenix, and then there was a bad storm and nobody could get home. they won state so last night when they got back it was like a big party. My first day we were going to go to the store so I could get some food but we couldn't make it into the store we kept getting stooped by Glaani's (drunk people) and they wanted us to pray for them.  It's kind of difficult because they know who we are and they know whats right but they don't want to give up their ways. There's a lot of work to be done. I'm working on my Navajo, I think it's coming along kind of well I need too because people speak in English and they throw Navajo words in. They also point with their lips its kind of funny. I'm starting to pick it up.

   Elder Sharp is from Utah. he wants people to write him but hes kind of a loser so he can't get any girls to write him. He told me to put that in so I'm obedient to my father.  I assume he might only be here for one more transfer because hes been here for over four months. He's the district leader. We get along pretty well. He's been out for about seven months, he says it doesn't seem like it and that time flys by, which I can see because it seems like just yesterday that Mom and Dad dropped me off at the MTC. 

   We didn't get in from Farmington untill 9:00 on Tuesday so we couldn't go out, I had to unpack so I didn't get to bed until like 11.  The next day we had one set appointment with a kid named Rodney, well hes 20. We talked about the Book of Mormon and we committed him to baptism.  Hes getting baptized on March 19, so that's pretty cool.  He is definitely ready. Elder sharp was saying that he is probably the most doctrinally ready investigator he has ever had. We have a baptism this week as well.  It's a little girl who's mom was inactive and started coming back so the elders have been working with her. So it's pretty exciting.

   So how is everything at home? I'm glad to hear you are getting ready for some animals, I'm sure the boys will be excited to come up and see some since we haven't had any for so long. Well I better get going. I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Schmidt

 

my address is:      p.o. box 203

                           Saint Michaels AZ 86511

On his way!

Elder Schmidt left the MTC early Monday morning on his way to Farmington, New Mexico. He was traveling with 3 other Elders and one Sister missionary who were all headed to the same mission. During his layover in Phoenix we got to speak with him. It was AMAZING to hear his voice and hear how much he has changed already. Before contacting us, they asked what time zone they were in to ensure they were at the gate in time, but they were given misinformation. They ended up missing their flight! They got a flight for the Sister and Elder Schmidt along with the 3 other Elders spent the evening in a Phoenix hotel to fly out Tuesday morning. We have yet to hear where he is serving exactly, but hope to hear from him or the mission home soon and will update everyone once we know!!!

Just a few more days...

Hello everybody!

Yes I have been getting letters from dear elder mom and dad. It's kinda of crazy to think in just a couple of days I will be packing to head out to New Mexico!! Well i actually fly into Durango, I don;t know why.  I have a hour lay over in Phoenix so I will call from there if I have time to. It would be between like 8;30 and 9:30. Well its been another awesome week. I'm ready to leave though the food here is getting pretty old.  I don't know how the kids that are in here for 9-12 weeks do it. I would go insane.  I guess that just shows how much the Lord knows us.  There are a few elders and sisters from my mission prep class here right now so the sisters want to get a picture and send it to our teacher, so we are going to do that on sunday.  We had a very good TRC appointment on monday, it was our second one with "Kate".  we talked about the Plan of Salvation, with a focus on the atonement and repentance.  Our lesson was actually cut short because our teacher thought we went at a latter time so we only had about 20 minutes to teach. Which I would have thought was a lot of time before I came out, but it really isn't. It's amazing how well you can do when you just let the spirit guide you and you listen.  The spirit was so strong in that lesson especially as I talked about the atonement. It was amazing!

I'm glad to hear that Megan and Allen finally got their own home. That's exciting.  Aubrey do good in track! it's unfortunate that they keep bringing the younger girls up I don;t see why they do that. Just go out and have fun, that's what high school is about. have fun and meet new friends! So have you gotten any pigs for fair yet, or are you looking? I got your valentine package mom! Thank you! I  never thought I would get a package but then I got two in one day. Krista and the boys sent me a package as well. It was fun to get their cards and have something to put up on my wall. 

Well today has been pretty busy. It doesn't seem like there is enough time in one P-day to get everything done.  I got my hair cut and did laundry. I still need to finish all of my thank you letters though. Mom, I will send you a letter as soon as I know my address when I get out into the field. I can't wait to see where I will get to go and the experiences that I will get. Last night Elder Pearson from that seventy spoke at the devotional. It was a very powerful talk. I hardly got to look up I was busy taking notes that whole time. It talked about becoming a missionary, and talked about our purpose. It was a powerful talk and it was extremely motivating.

That's exciting about Uncle Martin's new calling. He will do an awesome job! I know he will there is a work that the Lord needs him to accomplish.  the lord has work for all of us. We need to be faithful and trust in the Lord he knows our path and will guide us down it. Well I have to go. Thank you everybody for writing! Thank you for all your love, and support especially your prayers. I love you all!

 

Love,

Elder Schmidt

 

keep writing :)