Letter #17

Okay so for the good stuff My week has been crazy we had sister carpenter and sister Murphy with us till Monday then sister carpenter and ellellian Monday night and then sister Zenger till Friday. WOW it was so nuts! but we love all the sisters and were excited to have them with us but it was nice to have our apartment to ourselves after a week of visitors. During that week I was with Sister Zenger I wanted to cry the whole time because her Russian is outstanding. She was being chatty Cathy on the phone and with everyone around her in Russian. It was a huge slap in the face to realize how crappy I am at my language. But I was way bummed about it and now I am okay again. Sister Carpenter is a lot better at the language too. But before that sister Murphy, who is now home said that it is impossible to learn Ukrainian in Kiev and just wait to get L'viv till I can really learn the language.

Well I figured I would give you the low down on all of our investigators so you know what is in my head 24/7. Elena is a 40 year old woman that wants to be a 17 year old. She wants to change but is struggling to make the changes necessary to change. She reads on occasion and prays but doesn't normally come to church. But she made a huge step and came to church. We are having to move her baptismal date back and Svetlana's too. She has a boyfriend/husband and has to get married before but doesn't want to live with him forever. Its a little difficult situation.Then we have Hadia that is amazing.

I wish that I was able to tell you more but I have to go. We have been on crazy errands because sister robins ion's credit card and passports all have been stolen so I don't have anymore time. Oh but I went to Dominno's this week! It just opens McDonald's just contract just went out. so now we get to go there I will send pictures soon!

Love you

Sister Schmidt

Letter #16

Are you ready to know what Sister Robinson and I did that is totally funny and retarded! We went to this story to get winter coats and they were so nice and only 100 dollars we were so excited they were even nicer then ones on the Rinok (street shops) well S.R. bought hers and Mine wouldn't work. I took it as a sign I shouldn't get the coat but needed to figure out why my account wouldn't work. Well The next morning we realized that the coat was actually 1000 dollars not 100. OOPS! yeah SR bought a 1000 dollar real fur and leather coat for her mission. No worries we took it back and everything is fine. I am sorry you were in a panic trying to figure out my account. Thanks! I hope this hasn't been too crazy! Uh I just laugh because I honestly feel really bad for being so stupid SORRY!!!!!! So yeah that is the funny story of the week that is only funny now because she has all her money back!

I would also like to apologize for my tangent on drunk men from last week. That was dumb and a waste of time. Anyways life in Ukraine is INCREDIBLE! I had a great week! Every week is incredible but this one was even better because of conference! Okay so everything that happened before conference was alright but conference just made everything better. We had a great lesson with our baptismal date named Stevlana. We had three members on the lesson! It was like relief society almost! but she is making friends and that is so important. It was also wonderful because they could answer all her questions and concerns. Because they are older have kids more experienced know the culture and last but not least they know that language (Russian) on a level that we only hope we could EVER be at.

On Tuesday we were called by President to drop everything we were doing and go 2 1/2 hours to an area to take a sister to the airport to fly to Russia for emergency surgery and then take her companion back to our area with us until zone meeting the next day. That was intense but exciting. It had been a long time sense I have been in a car other than a marshootka. We then had Zone Meeting. It was awesome President Stienegal is awesome. I love his enthusiasm for the work. It is contagious! I was just stoked to be the best missionary I could be! I love Zone Meetings we talked about the importance of the Holy ghost in conversion. I don't ever want to teach without the Holy Ghost. That is just so scary you are all on your own and not teaching the things they need to hear. Seems terrible! Heather I thought a lot about your blog comments on the Holy Ghost and not having the Gift for you life and making decisions without it is so hard. What a true principle. We are so blessed to have the gift of the holy ghost and we don't even realize how great it is because we take advantage of it a lot of the time. It is so important to always live your life worthy of the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost But it takes a lifetime to be worthy of the CONSTANT companionship.

Then on Friday night sister Carpenter and Sister Murphy came to our area. S Murphy is finished with her mission and is heading home. and sister carpenters future companion is the one that flew to Russia and wont be back for a while so she had to come to Kiev and find out what she is doing. Poor sister her life is crazy right now! I was so excited to see her we hugged 20 times in 2 minutes. We acted like little girls! I am so grateful for her. She is so awesome. I had a blast with her in the MTC!

Saturday we got to watch conference in English!!!!! i was so excited when we heard we would watch it in English rather than Russian! We watched it with all the Senior couple missionaries. It was so fun! WOW how amazing is conference it just got me so excited to be a better person. It really helps put you in your place and realized where you are in life and how much more you have to work to become more of the person you should be and want to be. It's such an amazing opportunity to listen to the prophet of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint, the ONE true church on the face of the earth, speak to the world. They are speaking the words that our heavenly Father, and His son Jesus Christ would say to us if they we here. WOW So intense and powerful. And it is so sad that people just don't understand. We invite people to come and hear and they just don't realize how great of an opportunity it really is. But its okay that's why I am here is to help them realize how great it is.

Good news. sister Robinson and I totally had the power of conference at our back and went and had a lesson with our investigator and out of the blue she told this story and we just asked her. Do you want to be a member of this church. and she looked at us and thought about it and said yes. She said she felt like she had been led to the temple and that we have the right name of the church and all these things and even thought we invited her at church the week before and she said no she already had, she was just ready. And so we are trying to work out her work schedule so that she can come to church and then be baptised. She want to be baptised the 23 but we don't know if that will work out so well.

The work here is on the rise it is so amazing. Everywhere you turn there is another person that the Lord has just prepared. We are simply here to help them find exactly what it is they are looking for. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be here and be a representative of Jesus Christ my Savior and Redeemer. I know that if I do the best I can and rely on him, the spirit will lead and guide me to the elect. I know that they are out there and they are searching for the knowledge that we have it's just a matter of us relying on the spirit to lead us to them and continuously being worthy of that direction.

On Sunday we had another amazing day of conference and... our investigator came! We were so excited. She liked conference so much that she even decided to stay for the next session. I was so grateful for her. She got all dressed up with make-up and earrings and really went all out for the event. She is so cute, but her husband who is 30 years older than her won't read the Book of Mormon. He doesn't believe in the atonement or that Jesus is the son of God. He invites us over and then tries to teach us. The whole time we are there she is excited with questions and thoughts but never gets to speak because he is always talking. It is really sad and I wish I knew what to do better. I am also struggling to figure out the balance of creating good relationships with members and investigators and having the lessons. I want to teach them and help them find the truth but you also need to have a relationship and know each other and not be just there for the lesson. Time just flies. We spend lots of time at their houses and I feel like neither one was accomplished very well. It is too bad. I am working on it.

During conference I was Brett Jorgenson and his two sons in the choir! It totally made me happy! I was like hey I know them! It was a taste of home! I loved it. They showed him about 4-5 times. So you went to Elder Hewett's homecoming. I haven't read about it yet but I saw parts that you said it was really good. He seemed like he was a great missionary I am excited for him. That was really weird to get the e-mail from dad's phone from him. It was nice. Ha he signed it Elder Hewett it made me laugh. Tell him thanks if you see him again. The transformation after your mission seems like a rough one. I home that I am so incredibly awkward and that everyone is embarrassed of me. I think that means I did something right! Sister Howell and Murphy head home tomorrow at 3 in the morning. It's crazy to realize that people leave after being here. I don't think I want to come home. Sorry family I am just going to stay in Ukraine and be a missionary forever. After all they don't have an age limit on sisters serving missions :) But anyways they are leaving and that means it is just sister Robinson, carpenter and me that are the Ukrainian speakers. SAD! Ukrainian is dieing and I see the effects of it. Sister Murphy was born in my area too and she has managed to learn the language well. I think I will be able to do it too! It was nice to hear her say that learning Ukrainian here when all you are surrounded by is Russian is nearly impossible but keep your head up. It was great.

I don't really know the language at all but I am really good and learning from the Holy ghost. He helps me so much. I understand whats going on in lessons and that is what is important. I can figure out what they are saying and feeling. I don't know they exact words they use but I can catch on. OH! I did my first full contact in Ukrainian. I giggled my poor heart out I was so stinking nervous! But I told her about the BOM read the intro page with her and then got her number and we are meeting with her on Saturday! I CAN DO HARD THINGS! yeay! I was totally on a high after that! I loved where I am and what I am doing. I love you all and think the world of you! I hope that you boys realize how awesome missions are and that you prepared everyday till you go on one. and sisters- Prepare to serve one with your husbands. They are awesome and even though you won't get this same experience I promise you will love it and have your own fun experiences. I can't wait to serve a mission with my best friend later on in life. you will love it! I love you! Thanks for the love. Heather I loved the pictures of the ragnar! I can't wait to run with you sisters when I get home! Much love!

Sister Schmidt

Letter #15

I find myself walking down the streets of Ukraine where the sun is playing hide and go seek with me and I am FREEZING! It is 8 degrees right now. I think that is pretty chilly. Its under 50 F. Yeah and it's only October! Oh boy is all I gotta say. I better buckle up because this ride is only getting colder!

Cinnamon Roll Sunday huh? Kinda makes me want to cry. I told my companion about or tradition and my district. We decided we are making Cinnamon rolls. One of the Elders offered to make us some for district meeting tomorrow. :) Maybe I won't cry after all. We haven't seen conference yet. It's next week here because all the translations. I think I get to watch it in English! YIPPEE! I am so excited for Conference. It's like Christmas for a missionary! So much spiritual gifts and up-liftment all packed into a weekend. I don't know what ones we will be able to watch or if we will be able to see the Ukrainian thing. I sure hope so sounds like it was good! That means you got to see my area!!!! Hooray! Now you know where I am! Did the pictures work? I home you got to see a little of where I am! Ukraine is it's own type of beautiful. I love it.

So this week "went to the dogs" Ha unfortunately people dogged us again and again this week. It became a game in a sense. We had to say to our selves we are going to make a record we wanted it to be in the number of lessons we had this week but instead it went to how many people ditched us. ha oh boy. We had 13 lessons this week our goal was 15 but we had 11 people bail on us! Yeah man that's a lot! Oii Why don't people just understand that the gospel is so awesome and that if they want to be baptised they have to meet with us. And if they want eternal happiness that we can help them get there. all the have to do is MEET WITH US! Man stupid agency! hahaha I am kidding! I just say that when people choose and they choose the wrong thing :)

Right now we have three standing baptism dates in our companionship. Which is great... if they would meet with us. This time before their baptism is so hard. Satan is incredible at what he does. I just want to kick him. He knows how to play the game and is really good which means I have to be even better. It's just frustrating when you do all you can to help people and they don't know how to help themselves. Elena is 18 going on 42. She wants to change her life so her 19 year old daughter can see and also find God. She is supposed to get baptised on the 23rd. She hasn't met with us sense she committed to being baptised. She has bailed 3 times and never been to church. Stevlana is a mother of a 10 downs boy and a crazy 6 year old daughter. Her husband and mother are anti. She works all the time and is so busy. Her life is so hard but I know I have seen a change in her sense she committed to being baptised, but she still is unsure. She was supposed to get baptised this weekend and we moved it back to next. I think we are going to need to move it again. The other is Svetlana too she just got married and had surgery and lives out in a village out of Kyiv while she is recovering. I don't really know her but she still has a date. I wish I could figure out how to be a good missionary.

So I decided I hate Satan and everything he gives the world to get us on the wrong path. Most of all I HATE ALCOHOL. I hate what is does to people I hate the Smell I hate that you can't think when you drink and it just is messy. This week we were on a marshootka and a guy was hammered! I thought he was way sleepy then I just realized he was SO drunk. He was sitting down and we were standing right next to him. He was falling over on us and next thing I know ( I think I realized before he did) He threw up all over himself. then as he realized he did it he got up to run off the bus and almost ran into Sis. R and then passed out right as he got out of the marshootka. then got up and hobbled away and threw up again. I hate throw up. It was all on the floor and it was so gross. I was not a Happy person. Why do people drink. Why do people do things that are not good for them. People purposely choose to do the wrong things in life. Alcohol doesn't make you happy it's not even that fun. Satan is amazing at what he does. He makes sin looks so appealing that you honestly think it would be fun. It seems all fine and next thing you know you hit the lowest of the low and are in a dark pit and can barely see the light above you because it is so far away. Its not a fun place to be but you don't even know you are there until you choose to look up at where you used to be. Even then people choose not to look up and just keep going farther down. I am grateful I looked up. I am grateful that my Savior helped me out of my hole. I want to be there to help others out of their holes. That's why I am here on a mission. I know that we can change that their is better choices and better things to be involved in. I want others to have the joy and happiness I have found. I can't only help others look up but if they do that Christ will be there to help them out of their holes. What an amazing miracle.

Christ is amazing. I love Reading the scriptures about him. I am reading in Matthew right now about all the miracles and things he did for everyone else. Even after John the Baptist was murdered, his best friend. I am sure he wanted to be alone and to mourn his loss but instead others followed him when he tried to be alone and he changed and started to heal people.

Okay I ran out of time I am sorry for my little tangent. That's my story for the week :) I think I found a coat is 130 dollars and I need to find boots still pray for me. I have huge calfs and people here are tiny! They will probably be about 100 or soo too! Sorry! I am really scared for winter! :( I love you! Write me!

Sister Schmidt

Letter #14

Note from the editor: This last week I went on a trip to see my family in Utah. It was awesome and I had a great time socializing with family and friends, hiking, biking, wakeboarding and watching conference. I know what you are thinking, "who cares....I came to this blog to read about Lauren and her mission and Ukraine. Why is this chic babbling on about her vacation?" Well that is my attempt at an excuse for not posting Lauren's last two letters. Sorry, but here they are. In other news...it appears that Lauren has found the spell checker!! This is good because I was having a very serious internal debate about whether I should edit her letters are leave them as they are. I didn't want to mess with the integrity of her work (plus I am lazy) and opted to leave them as they are. Anyway....on to the good stuff.

Lauren's letter:

Yeay I got more e-mails! You are all so great and love me so much. Thank you for all your support, love and prayers! I like that your Sunday family activity can be writing me a little note and sending it to me and I get it 5 -8 hours later. The Internet is so neat!

I hope my spelling is better. I am typing slower because dad said it was rough. Story of my life. I can't spell for beans.

So I decided to give you a summer of things I have learned about Kiev as I embark on my fourth week in the country. I bagged the day by day play by play. If you would rather that let me know but for now this is what you get :)

The smells here..... are ROUGH. For the family they know about Romanian. Its a lot like Romania but worse. I think I am going to try to get rid of that sense for the next year. Bless Ukraine's little heart but it just smells bad. With that said.. my nose gets confused because sometimes you get amazing smells of fresh baked bread or sharma all of which make me so hungry. Then you also have people walk by the are decked out in perfume and it smells great. ha ha I sure do love this place.

Marshootkas.... They have to be the funniest thing I have ever experienced! They are these little yellow van things (like the Romanian one) that has 12-20 seats on it ans sometimes its a metro bus thingy that seats a lot more people. But EVERYONE gets on it. You pack so many people on it that you can't move. I had an itch on my nose one day and couldn't move my hand to my face to itch it. I wish I could take a picture of it but I think people might be offended if I did that. But they have so many people on them that you can't even shut the doors. and then you find yourself in the middle of this smash packed little van needing to get out at the next stop. All I have to say is good luck that is a work out all on its own. Pretty much it is an incredible system. It only costs 1-3 grieven which is like 15 cents in America. America should have something like this its super smart and cost efficient!

Cold.... I might die this winter! Last winter it got record breaking lows for the past 200 years and last night we heard it is supposed to be the coldest winter in 1000 years. Do I think that is exaggerated... Yes! Do I still think I am going to die... YES! Last winter it got to -40 degrees Celsius. That's cold! So I am going to take Dad's suggestion and get a really warm coat!

Downtown Kiev.... is AWESOME! I love it! Its like New York just cooler! There is amazing architecture and lots of shops. and neat statues! I am going to try to include some pictures so you can see what I am talking about!It is so pretty! I can't wait for you all to come see it (hopefully sometime) They clothes places here are so expensive!!!! We went looking for coats are the suggested stors on the main street in downtown Kiev and I wouldn't even be able to afford it in America It was 2,000+ g which is over 250 dollars! Yikes. This coat searching thing is going to be hard!

The People.... are so sweet. They give and give and give. Random people I don't know will give us amazing fruits on the street and make us food when we come over. They are so humble and amazing. They don't have much to give but they will give lots! They dress SO nice. and the women are skinny bomb shells. Its true America is just really heavy. But they all wear crazy heals and nice clothes they spend all their money on clothes, but then don't have very nice homes. Its opposite in America or at least it seems to me.

The language- everyone tells me I should have learned Russian and that the native tongue here is Russian ha ha I never hear Ukrainian. But that's okay I will just do my best to learn both! :)

WE GOT ANOTHER BAPTISMAL DATE! I saved the best for last. That is two in two weeks and is un heard of here! Not really but Close last night we set the mission record 18 baptismal dates in a week. It's nothing we do its just the temple being here and the Lord really is preparing people. I can honestly say the most happiness I feel is when helping others come unto Christ. I know it is so hard to change their lives but all that is asked is that they have a desire. And to let the desire work in them. Last night we sat on the temple ground and it was so cold and windy but as my companion prayed I prayed that we would be warmed by the spirit and that's what happened. We sat and talked for an hour on how she can change her life and God was leading her to this place and time and that she is ready to make the necessary changes in her life. I am so excited for her. It is going to be a lot of work but we are going to get her ready! October 23rd is her date and Elena is her name! We are super excited for her and the work! They work is booming here. we have to stay on our toes or the Elect are going to fall through the racks. They first presidency has asked us to contact ever single person that came to the temple open house. It is a large and stressful task but by far the most incredible one! I am so excited and love where and what I am doing. I love you all and I pity you for not being able to be where I am right now! It is the best place in the whole world. But I love you and can't wait to hear more from you! I love you all!!!!!

Sister Schmidt