Letter #10

-Next item of business, dad is right i have been delayed that means this is not that last e-mail from me in the mtc. We were delayed because pres stienigal needs time after the dedication. We will leave friday the 3rd at 5:00 in the morning. Our flight leaves SLC at 8:40 we land in JKF at 3:30 PM and high tail it to out gate because our flight leaves 45 minutes later. We leave JFK at 4:45 PM and land in Kiev at 9:10 the next morning. Thats right straight flight! I am excited! nervous to not make the flight though.

-Next we actually might not have our visas but they don't tell us till next monday. I think we will but if not we are temporaily reassigned in the states till we get them! Crazy huh. At fist I was bummed but then I got sO excited that would be so a cool experience to be able to teach in english and get used to it then go to ukraine! but one way or another i am excited for whatever happens! Because I kinda want to go state side first i think Heavenly Father will just send me to Ukraine ha ha! I think we find out on moday or this friday we don't know but if ii get reassigned i will call you!

- so this week I got all bummed thinking that no one loved me lol not really but i didn't get any letters all week i went monday to monday without one. then yesterday i got two packages two letters at 5 dear elders. thats love right there! I sure do love hearing from everyone. THANK YOU!!!!!! I know I won't get that kinda love when I am in ukraine. Don't worry i know you all love me i am just saying i won't get as much letters :)

-Sot his week has been incredible. Slowly but surely I got more okay with leaving and feeling ready. to start out Tuesday was incredible. We had the most amazing fireside mainly bit was great for me because of one elder. He is from france and he got up and in terrible broken english said a testimony of one sentence. It was so powerful to me. I don't know him but i sure do love him. I hope that I can be like him and have the spirit just poor out through me from God! It was awesome. he has know idea how much he affected me but it really did. I hope I can be like him and through terrible Ukrianian let poeple feel god's love!

-Wednesday I got to Host the new girls coming in. I made a new friend S Platt she is cute! and Whitbeck came in!!!!!!!!!!!! Hooray! We taugh in the TRC I taught with E Smith It was a change but we taught natalia and I am not scared of her anymore we taugh a great lesson. E. Smith is amazing I was glad I could terach with him he taught me lots. Thursday We got nes that SC and I wre invited to teach at this weeks orientations. It is neat only 7 comps in the 1000 that are here get the opportunity. I am nervous we are the first teaching the new elders an sisters see. I am grateful that we are looked at as good teachers in order to have this great experience! I am bnervouse but super excited! I still remember the people that taught my first day so we better do a good job because we will have 100s of missionaries watching us! ah!!!!!

-Friday we got flight plans but knew they were wrong got totally bummed and then had to go back on Monday to get others. We found out some elders are getting reassigned and don't know it yet I have to keep my mouth shut so they don;'t find out fromt he worng source. Its crazy I can't wait to find out if we get reassigned. If we do I got to call you and tell you! :) thats a bonus ha ha Sunday was great It was so sad. my best freinds from the mtc left to croatia and czech they are sister dean and stratton i love them. They make me think about going to BYU VERY strongly after the mission. I adore them. They will be great missionaries. Don't worry tay tay and kest if you are both still at suu and not married then i will still come there. but I really am think byu would be cool but thats is forever far away so i have to stop thinking about it!

I- am so excited and scared and freaked and pumped and ah i have so much emotion in me! It is so crazy I just hope my trainer is ready for me because she doesn't know what she signed up for! ha ha ha I will be a rollercoaster at first! ha ha ha I love this gospel. I have grown so much I love you all please do all that you can to come closer to christ read and pray more it will help

Sister schmidt

Dad they know nate! He baptised her mother not his actual wife. But he knows super well yoou should talk to nate about it! Its neat! PS I saw Court he looks like he is doing reallt well!!!!

Letter #9 Continued

PHEW!! That was a close one, luckily she sent the other half today. Letter #10 will be posted soon.

Sorry I started typing in Chinese the computer went weird on me! Wednesdat we had the TRC anbd we taught this cute girl I like her a lot. Our Teach Brat Shlyakin said it was the best we have ever taught and he really thinks we are ready for ukraine if we continue to teach like that! I was excited but didn't feel all that different abaout it but it made me feel a lot more confident! So anyways that was great. Thursday I believe I had a break down. I just struggle to understand the launguage and everyone else is just getting it. It is hard for me because I am so competitive I just want to be as good as everyone else but ?I am not. :) Yeah for being compelled to be humble! It works! But I know I am blessed and I am not alone in this work! I am really struggling with my memory. I can't remember all the words I have learned. dumb words that I learned weeks and weeks ago! Thanks okay tho because I am doing my best I am just trying not to get frustrated! and then I pray and plead with the Lord to help me! But its great! I love learning even though I get frustrated! Friday and Saturday were good days Sister carpenter had a few break downs I feel bad I Love her so much I just want to help her but I don't know how to help her. I had a realizationt hat she wouldn't be my companion in two weeks Is that the saddest thing or what! She is so great I can't imagine not being with her! On saturday I taught with Elder REynolds and It was way weird and hard it made me so much more grateful for sister carpenter! She is so ful or love! We also had Sister zenger and sister parker come sleep in our room because the sister in their room was sick! It was way too much fun! I am not joking I love them so much! They are the coolest girls ever! I want to be besties with the forever! So anyways Wow Monday came and so did 2 month mark! Is that crazy or what! We leave two weeks from yesterday. You will only get in one more e-mail before I leave. I get flight plans on thursday or friday. I will email you about it! And I get to call you when I am in one of my stops! Sp that will be great! I can'rt wait! Ah I hate how I have no time to tell you everything i want to! I love the mission I am not even out in the field and I love it so much! I am so grateful for all of you. You are the greatest family ever! I loved the bigg papaer of everything everyone said it is so nuice

Letter #9

I look forward to p-days so much just so I can write home and let you all know how much I love and appreciate you!

Mom, WOah! You are totally on it1 I am so impressed you really did send the gingersnaps and right away! That is so great!!! But yeah They were delicious they elders in the district loved them too! It was so dang funny! Elder tuucker asked for your address so he could write you to ask for more. I didn't it was just a joke but it was funny! They were yummy! Thanks you are so great!

Today I was at the temple and I actually saw Elder Smith's mom she is cute! She said if I need anything she is there for me too! What a sweetheart. I love that you will exchange e-mails. I would love for you to even forward them to me in the feild so I can hear what they are all up to that would be great.

So the update with me I will give you my play by play if I can remember! Tuesday was a great P-day I wrote a lot of letters and then had a great Fireside! I love the spirit it teaches me so much! I want to be the best missionary I can be it is just a journey trying to figure it out! Wednesda I think she got cut off this week. I really don't know what happened here, but I suspect that the end of the letter was all about how awesome her oldest sister is...just a hunch.

Kiev Temple Invitation video_Eng_08 July 2010.wmv

This is the video Lauren was talking about.

Letter #8

To the bestest Family in tho world!!!!

-Wow So It is offciall, As of yesterday my main language is Ukrainian. I hove only been out 7.5 weeks and I only speak Ukrainian. That seems impossible right... WRONG. I can kibnda do it! Key word kind of. On Saturday we had another SYL day don't you worry I cried. Ha ha I swear I wasn't that emptional before the mission. My teachers don't believe me when I tell them that I wasn't a big crier. It has become a joke because I laugh and cry at the same time! I will clearify...,. I don't cry all the time maybe once every 2 or 3 weeks but thats a lot! But it is all good I know "Ican do hard things" One of my sweet elders could tell I was struggling and says that to me in Ukrainian when I get frustrated. What a little stud!

-So bad news! I have shin splints.

-The last few weeks I have been of sugar... because I have an addiction to sugar and I stopped cold turkey in order to gaine a better understanding of how my investigators would feel when I told them to quite smoking and drinking. It was really interesting. I have no clue how hard the other would be because no sugar is supper! hard when ever one is going to town on yummy treats! but I did it! :) on that note I did crave moms gingersnap cookie sandwiches... (hint hint wink wink) just kidding! but if you make them feel free to send them :)

-Yeah the temple is being dedicated in Kiev this month!!!!! So awesome! Its beautiful! Go onto LDS.org and then on the right go to newsroom it will have stuff about the temple and pictures! You gotta look at it! It reminds me of the draper temple so even though i will be on the otherside of the world I will still see it and remember all of you! The neat thing is the mission office is on the temple grounds! It is one of the first opplaces we go when we get there! Isn't that so neat! I want to go throught it but it makes me nervous how that works in a different language. dad feel free to tell me a little bit how you did it when we were in europe. :)

-Did you all watch the video of it and see my teacher! He TERRIFIED me at first. But he is totally awesome! That would be so cool if Nate schipp baptised hise wife Olgia! She is awesome! We taught her as an investigator once! I can't wait to ask him (in my broken ukrainian) I would love to make that cool connection! Hoe often Does Nate Schipp go back to Ukraine?

-Did Leslie Rienhold say if she was going to the dedication of the temple? I wish I was going to be there but how lucky am I to be able to be a missionary after the first temple in Eastern Europe is dedicated! That is so neat and of all places it is at my mission "headquarters" ha ha That sure does tell you something about the people of Ukraine. I already love them and don't even know them!

-This past week we had the russian native's come to the MTC Wow they are the coolest people ever! I love them soo much! I can only speak to them in broke english and russian. One of the sisters is from Odessa Ukraine and she understands Ukrainian. All the others just speak Russian, except one Elders he is amazing! He speaks like 8 languages including Finnish!!!!! Thats like the hardest language in the world! Maybe :) But Its neat to talk to them and play gestures! They are so sweet it makes me so excited for the people of Ukraine!

-So Lately I have been blazing through the Book of Mormon. I don't think anyof you realize what a cool book it is! I sure do love it. Strive to read to Everyday and start studying with a prayer it makes it more meaningful! Also Today I got to the temple and we did initatories It made me think of you mommy! I loved it! That is so neat to recieve all those blessings! Strive to go to the temple everyweek. Boys Baptisms are awesome Braden I know you go lots but take you little bro with you and just go as brothers that would be so neat. I remember when we went as a family! That was such a cool experience. I will come home and do them with you again!

-Family! Apparently Pictures are huge to the people of Ukraine. I know it would be a challenge but do you think you could send me some real pictures I can get a album here to put them in but some of the family and when we were growing up plus I would love to look at them and get a laugh. Also will you save all my weekly emails on the computer somewhere I have a sweet idea after the mission!!!!

-Anyways my time is almost up I am super sorry for the miss spelled worlds. Thanks fo rhte prayers I need them I am praying for you as well! thaks for all the letters! Dad tell bryan Hi for me and thanks for the e-mail!

-And yes Steves e-mails are so powerful! I love them! He makes me want to be an amazing missionary as wellll. I sure his parents are so proud!!! LOVe you all! Thanks for all the letters and dear elders. They mean so much to me you have no idea. I am going to be depressed when I get to Ukraine andd don't get as many!!!! I love you family! Can't wait to here more about the trip and campling!

CETPA WMIT

Letter #7

-So I forgot to mention to you all I did "SYL" all day last Monday. That is Speak Yoiur Language. AKA I sope Ukrainian ALL day no english. Or at least that was the goal. I think I spoke about 10 english words. It was really neat to realize how much I know. (an don't know) It was really neat. It felt like a sin to start speaking English again. Anyways We have continued to do it. We did it on Friday and Yesterday and for the biggest news..... We Go completely SYL next week!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am TERRIFIED! Hi my name is sister schmidt and I have a problem.... I am addicted to the English Language. Its ture I sure do Like to speak english mainly because Ukrainian is ubber hard! No worries though I am getting it! But SYL strats on Monday where we don't speak anymore enlish. Its hard because I am a social person and I can only talk to 8 people in the mtc my 5 distric members and 3 teachers. But we will see how the rules lay out!

-This week I had a really neat weird experience that I choose to classify as my miracle of the day. It was fast and testimony meeting (which is the coolest thing at the mtc) I got up and was thinking in Ukrainian and I was supposed to be speaiking in english. It was totally funny! I was like " I know that joseph smith saw god the father and his son in the ......... (i totally couldn't think of the word the 10 seconds i was stuck felt like 5 minutes... and then I said..) FORREST. Ha I could remember sacred grove. It was funny! I am a goof. I was stuck on Ukrainian. This makes me seem like I am better at my language than I am but I am going to let you minds think I am great with it! That doesn't mean you should stop praying for my language abilities. ;)

-This morning was wonderful in the temple! I* loved it! I missed the temple and didn't know it. So anyways I had a really cool realization. People are praying for all of us on missions all the time. It was very personal realization that I have angels on my side helping me push through the difficult times and rejoycing with me in the good times! It was neat. They really do pray for missionaries And i forgot I am a missionary sometimes!!! Oh it was great!

Heather when I refer to TAy TAy that is Taylor Brown. He sent me a funny dear elder saying that you hadn't updated the blog and was going to threaten to beat you up. You would like hiom! You should be his freind! But anyways I love you all! I leave in like 3.5 weeks! AH !!!!!!!!!! Tahks for all your support! I really do feel the love and prayers!

Sister Schmidt

Letter #6

-I love you all so much! You are so great to me! Honestly I know for a fact I have the BEST family in the whole world! To start off let me thank Aunt Nancy and Aunt Maryland for their e-mails. I love knowing what everyone is up to. Elaine is great as well she sent me a wonderful love package. It was so nice I about cried! I also got awesome letters from Chard, tay Tay, Zac and Kest that Were totally awesome! I will try to write back when I can! So Thanks goes out to everyone!

-We had the opportunity to go to the temple. It has been closed for 6 weeks that i have been here! :( Sad huh! So we got to go today and I forgot how good it felt. Take advantage of the temple! IT is an amazing place to be. I would tell everyone to strive to go once a week or as much as you can. So Today was awesome I realized that my dad and I had a special bond this morning We were both in the temple doing the Lord's work. Even though they were different temples it still is neat. (I assume you were there dad but not positive but i sure thought of you) Thanks you for thinking of me and getting me the extra power of the Lord. Its such a blessing he is amazing and I want to strive to be just like him!

- This questions is for everyone. All my Return Missionaries out there I need your opinion... I have a really nice triple in Ukrainian I will probably not get one this nice for the rest of my life. I am starting a new way of marking my new english scriptures by color and topic. So here it is... Do i start marking my Ukrainian Scriptures with verses I like now in english but have no idea what the mean or do I wait till I understand what they say in Ukrainian? So I want EVERYONE to answer my question Dear Elder me Pronto Mailbox #149 Dep Date 0831. Your opinions mean a lot to me! So PLEASE write me what you think. But anyways yeah it is funny i just got new scriptures and now hopefully wont use them because i will understand the ukrainian ones :)

-So There is something cool you need to check out! Go to Youtube.com and look up the Kiev Temple dedication invatation. It should be in ukrainian english and russian. My native teacher is on it. He is with his wife in a light blue collared shirt and I think she is in greeen. Check it out it is neat.

-So mom remember how I have never been a good listener! Its a biggest problem! I can't even listen when people are talking to me in english and remember what the said. You should see me when I trying and figure out what people are saying to me in Ukrainian. I got introuble by my teacher because I laugh about it. If he knew me better he would bknow it is my nervous laugh. I am freaking out inside saying how the stink am i suupposed to learn this language! UGH way way too hard I laugh so I don't cry I am pretty sure of it!

-Ah buummerI just looked and I only have one minutes left so known that I love you all. Tell Tay TAy i think he is great he writes me ALLL the time!!!!! I truesly love it and laugh my head off! Also Tell the Steve's Family thanks for his e-mails and keep them coming! Love you all!!!!

Sister Schmidt! :)

I have been reported to the boss

In Lauren's last email I found out that somebody (Not to mention any names...but I will say "Tay Tay" is on my list ;)) tattled about my lack of posting. Well today you will get two in one day!