Letter #22 November 29th

HEY FAMILY!!!!!!Guess what I just realized it's my half birthday! Holler! Life is GREAT!!!!!!!!! I Love my new area and my new companion. We already have way too much fun together. But in a good way. We are determined to be the best missionaries we can be. I bet you are dieing to know where I am. Ready.... I am in center Kiev! and I love it so much. I wanted to serve here so bad and with Sister Larsen (The one the Kiev thing was about during conference) I am the happiest girl. They whole mission was there when we got announced and I was expecting somewhere else and was not excited about it. So when President announced it the two of us flipped out. Everyone laughed. Ia m so excited but super bummed because she goes home this transfer. So I am nervous to learn all I need to about this area in 4 weeks. She is going home the 30 which is before transfers end so she can start school up at byu again. She is totally awesome. We are so much the same and our teaching style is the same and we have knock your socks off spiritual lessons. I feel the spirit with her so much when we teach. I am so stoked! This week has been incredible! Sister Robinson and I had the best last four days together. We worked so hard to see lots of people and have good lessons we then almost died (I can't tell you the story till I get home because Sister Robinson's parents would have a hard attack if they heard this story.) I know you would be okay if you heard it but I will tell you when I get home. Or maybe another time. Don't worry it wasn't that bad :) Then on Thursday we had a great thanksgiving! President had everyone come in from the entire mission! We all got together and had transfers and then we were able to have President Galbraith The Kiev temple President come talk to us. It was so sweet! He really drilled into us the importance of temples. It wasso cool to hear him and everyhting he had to say. He is an amazing man. I am really starting to the catch the vision of it all. I am so slow to realize something but wow! The temple is amazing. So after that we ate THANKSGIVING DINNER! All the Senior missionary couples worked so hard and cooked a great meal for us. We had chicken and stuffing and potatoes and grav. I was in heaven and then every one brought a pie. It was so great. We then got to watch the Kiev temple thing from conference. wasn't that cool!!! You need to re watch it! I know everyone from the video. All the kids singing are everyone from my ward. They interviewed my bishop and the two churches you saw were my old area and the elders were in my district. Elder sorenson is my buddy! We are tight! and then all about sister Larsen and her mom! Oh man! Family! That is my life right now. You can watch that and honestly see everyone I talk to and work with through the week! That is the closest thing to knowing what I am doing! Watch it again! :) The pictures I sent were taken 10 minutes ago! That's whats going down in Kiev! It is so cold! I still haven't bought my real winter coat! So that is what is on the agenda right after this because I think I might start to freak soon. It's been great weather before today! I apologize for spending money. My companion said that it will be about 200 dollars for a coat! Please forgive me! You can go to my bank and take it out and put it in my account. I got your package!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thanks I was so extatic when the first thing I saw was PB! Oh how my heart swelled! I am using the hair stuff so that will be good. Is the little bottles just supposed to go on my scalp or all throughout my hair? I love the sweater. Its the only thick thing I have. i think I am going to have to buy somemore. Did you not find my underarmour in my bag? If you forgot its okay I just woundered. And sister Larson has great music. I am so happy! I have missed music! I am getting behind on my readying! How is everyone else doing? Is anyone doing my challenge? This week I was at the coolest baptism ever. It was a husband and wife. young couple just found out about the church 4 weeks ago. The rule in the mission here is that they have to come to church 3 times in a row before they can get baptised so that is exactly what they did. They got baptised the earliest that was possible. He is going to be a 70 when he gets older. We are all convienced! He sang at his own baptism. he sang the song that I had at my baptism. The "I want to be the best I can to live with God again" I don't know what it is called! But he sang it in Russina it was beautiful and his wife played the piano! He is a professionall singer!!!! Have I mentioned how happy I am!? I love my life, I love what I am doing, the poeple around me, my companion, Kiev, all of it. It's all so amazing! I couldn't be anyhappier! I thought of one thing that would make me happier.. a baptism... which we have this weeked. she is 15 her name is jennya her mom irina got baptised two weeks ago. I went to her baptism. I haven't really done anyhting for the baptism so I don' really claim it. But I am excited for her! Will I goota go! Thanks for the love and prayers. Oh and Yes I am learning Russian right now! Ha it is way hard!!! But we laugh because we are so mixed up in languages! Ha I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Thanks for the prayers and love!!!!!Sister Schmidt "We can do no great things, only little things with great love" Mother Teresa

Pictures

Lauren sent pictures. I am posting them on the side bar.

ENJOY!

Letter #21 November 15

So what's new! LOTS! As always!

I went to the Kyiv ballet!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't think I put
enough ! but I loved it. It was amazing! I can't even express the
love I have for it. The opera house was beautiful! Ah We took time
off of P-day and went thursday night. We are able to do that once a
transfer. Our mission president is the coolest man ever! It was
awesome! But we didn't get hope till 11 oops! and then we were locked
out of our apartment. It was crazy for about ten minutes then we
realized we had another lock and the landlord locked it so we got in
and went to bed at 11:30 needless I was a little tired the next day!
But it was incredible. I WENT TO THE KYIV BALLET I can't think of
anything cooler. (besides missionary work... of course)

We had a girls day! Last P-day we went to luch with the other sisters
in Kyiv and we had mexican food! Sister Zenger and I spent 140 greven!
aka like 16 dollars which is a TON!!!!!!!!!!!! OOPS But it was so
fun! Pictures are coming!

We have had AMAZING weather! It is totally confusing! I complained
about how cold it is but now it is hott. Its been about 60 degrees
all this week and last week! WEIRD! I am loving it though. I just
hope the weather doesn't come back with a vegance! Normailly Ukraine
doesn't see the sun for all of november and december. But its been
sunny everyday. but it gets dark at 4:30 which is scary!

Speaking of scary yesterday a poor drunk man came into church and he
told us all about how he killed his brother. I have never sat next to
a murderer before. Bless his heart he wants to change. But he
deffinately changed the feeling in the church it was hard for me!
There are a lot of creepy men here. We have had to run away from them
a lot. This week was especially bad. Right after the drunk man left
another one of the elders investigators hugged me and kissed me. It
was so awkward. I am going to be an awkward missionary when I get
home for sure! Physical contact freaks me out!

This week missionary work was really hard for me. I have been
struggling with the language. I thought I was going to break down and
cry at church yesterday. But I toughened up and didn't/ I kept my
composure. Wow It's crazy how we can do such hard things! I am going
to find a lot more hard things coming my way in a week when I get
transferred and I am terrified! But I can do it. But I will need the
prayers for sure! Thanks!

I am starting an exchange today. I will be in a different area for
the next three days. My companion is going home in a transfer and
rocks at Russian. I am excited to be with her!

I am reading the Book of Mormon in one month. I challenge all of you
to do it too! I know that all of you will be able to do it! You just
have to commit it it. So commit right now. From the time you read
this, a month from now. It's inly 20
pages a day! It makes it so much cooler! I started on wednesday and
I am already 100 pages in! So You can do it. It's about 20 pages a
day! Good luck! Let me know How it goes!

I don't know how to be a missionary! I need all the help I can get.
I am struggling to know how to be the best missionary and help people
come unto Christ. I don't know what to say and do to help them. I
don't always feel that the spirit is guiding me in the places I should
go, the people to talk to or the things to say. I don't want to waste
the Lord's time! I know that I am doing the Lord's work and I wan to
do it the best I can. Tomorrow I hit my 5 month mark. That means I
only have 13 months left. A year and 1 month! WOW! Time flies. When
elders come to that point they are already seasoned missionaies and
know what they are doing! Me I am still green and I go home in a
year! How to a take advantage of the time I have to do this great
work!?

Well I am out of time! I love you all! Hope to hear from you next
week! LOVES!
Sister Schmidt

Letter #20 November 8

False alarm, I just sent a none written e-mail! OOPS! Oh my this is annoying my e-mail says every word is spelled wrong because it is in English and not Russian. That is frustrating. Anyways! HI! I sure love to e-mail you all. It is the greatest thing ever. I think I am going to cry the next weeks because mom and dad are going to be gone so I am not going to get any e-mails. By the way I will be getting transferred (probably) Technically I don't know but there are two Ukrainian sisters coming in on Thanksgiving Day and there are only two other Ukrainian speakers that have been here longer than S Carpenter and I. So they will both have to train so I will be transferred to a different area with a Russian Speaking companion. I am nervous. My Ukrainian is going to get thrown under a bridge because now all I really will hear is Russian. Maybe I will learn Russian faster than Ukrainian. That could be neat! .

Update with me last week we went to Lavra the huge church here. We didn't go into the catacombs but we will soon I here they are freaky. Then we went to big mama the huge woman statue. It has a HUGE WW II museum. You will have to come back to Ukraine and go to it. It is so sad and interesting. It showed a map of where a huge war was and it was all the way down the areas where i am serving. Like along streets that I walk all the time. It was so interesting. I want you all to be able to see it.

So I had a cool experience! S. Robinson and I were outside at night waiting for a member to come down for our lesson and this little boy that was only 1 year old came walking over to us (with the help of his grandmother) When I put my hand out to say hi he instantly let go of her hand and grabbed mine. He then continued to walk over closer to S Rob with my help. Keep in mind he is the cutest baby/toddler I have EVER seen. He then reached up because he wanted her phone and when she bent down saw her name tag and just caressed it. His mom and Grandma then tried to pull him away and he just started to cry. They let go and he leaned closer to us and stopped crying. They then took him away from us and he just continued to cry. It was so neat. S. Robinson and I after both looked at each other and said That we think that little children know who we are and who and what we represent. The veil really is thinner for children. It was so neat. It is so sad that the older we get the thicker we choose to make the veil. We make choices to pull us farther and farther away from our Heavenly Father. We can choose to do all that we can to come closer to him. It was so amazing and spiritual.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go visit a lady who reminded me a lot of Paula but she can't even sit up any more. Her mother is always at home taking care of her. They were so strong and spiritual. I really do think that Ukrainians are so much more in tune than Americans. They talked about their baptisms and the Holy Ghost. Irina the daughter said after her baptism she could feel the Holy Ghost from her head down her spine and it lasted for 5 days straight. She said I don't feel is as much anymore sometimes I can feel it taking up the whole room and sometimes I can feel him right in front of my face. How would it be to be able to be so in tune with the Holy Ghost. I wish that I was as in tune as this mother and daughter. It then reminded me other the story mom told me about seeing Paula as her resurrected self in the temple on day. I just wish We could all see each other the way Christ sees us. The world would be such a different place. I think of Pres. Monsons talk is RS conference about not judging others. We need to look at the world with Jesus glasses on. And see people the way they really are with true love in our heart.

We also had the opportunity to go to Zone Leaders conference and tell all the zone leaders what things that have worked well for us to have the success that we do. It was really crazy because sister Robinson and I don't feel like we are even good missionaries. There a few things we can do alright but we focus on all the bad.but then to have President call us and ask us to answer questions and give advice to all the zone leaders and district leaders was awesome. This week we got 17 lessons which is awesome our goal was 15! We have been blessed to be able to meet with a lot of people and use our time wisely. We still have a lot of work! LOTS! This week we are trying to work on being happy a lot. I am happy but I am such a greenie I am annoying. ha ha did any of you ever have to train? I can only imagine how hard it is. I am so annoying. It's funny because I don't even know how not to be annoying!

I love being a missionary. I talk with S Robinson about it sometimes and I can't imagine not having the opportunity to be here. I would hate to be home just going to school and just not know about missionary work. It's sad that more girls don't go. I have learned so much and I have only be out for 4 months. I can't imagine how much more I am going to learn in the next year. I think that all girls should go on missions because the experiences that I have had and the things I have learned I wouldn't have learned by being home. Plus a mission helps you have so much more patience and become so much more mature. I am still so immature, but I think about how I was before. I am just so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. Why don't more girls go on missions? A year and a half is such a short time! Will you personally tell Nat for me that going on a mission was the best thing I have ever done. ( to Nat) And that even if you do have a boy that has potential that this is more important and he can wait. Because the things you will be learning on your mission will make you a better wife and mother. If you don't have a boy that don't even hesitate. Start your papers now. You won't regret It I promise you. It's hard and when you get out there will be times that you want to yell at me and tell me I lied to you but they go away fast :) It really is awesome. Boys will tell you that girls shouldn't go on missions just slap them and go! ha I promise you will love it! That goes to Kestri Jackman too! and Erica and any other girls that is thinking about going on a mission. Just GO They are so cool!!!! I sound like mom! but its true! :)

Well I am out of time I love you all! Thanks for all the prayers and love! You are all so great! Can't wait to hear from you next week!

Sister Schmidt

Letter #19 November 2

Good morning to the greatest people in the whole world!

First of all what happened to October. It got lost and all I can find is November! AHHH! So in two days I will have been in Ukraine for two months. time is so crazy here! It totally confuses me! I love all your e-mails! I was so excited to hear from you all I can't wait to read them later today! This week was great because I got e-mails from two of my best Friends Steve and Elder Gates! It would have been complete but TAy Tay forgot about me because he got a girlfriend. Yeay I am excited to get McKell's wedding invitation. I wish I was there! (well sorta) if I wasn't here :)

This weeks theme was GROWTH!

I was able to grow a lot. My patience, love, language and attention span was all tried this week. And I think I won because I grew a lot from the experience.

Patience and Love- Sister Robinson was still sick this week. We only spent one day doing lessons. It was a long day and she was such a trooper I was so proud of her. We did service and then had two lessons. It pretty much killed her (not really) and we spent the rest of the weekend inside except once to get food at the store and then church. I didn't love being inside in silence. It was really hard for me. I wanted to be out doing stuff but we just couldn't. I learned to have more love in my heart and to serve even when it was hard for me, because I don't matter. It is important to love your companion and serve her with all you have because she is so important and if you don't have a good relationship with her you can't be a good missionary. So I made soup two to three times a day cleaned a lot and learned how to be a better mommy. I think I will do alright when I have little ones. I can handle being a nurse.

Language- while she slept all day I manned the phones. I told you about last Monday, my first phone call. Before that I never touched the phone,not even to the elders. Then all of a sudden I was in charge of phone calls not only English but Ukrainian and Russian as well. I grew SO much! I was SO happy! I can't even tell you. I a confident on the phone! It is SO hard. But I can do it!!! I laugh and sometimes have NO CLUE what they are saying to me but some how we can communicate. It just makes me so excited. I have a 16 minute conversation with on of our investigators. It was so awesome! I really am going to survive in this country. It might be in broke Ukrainian for 15 months and a lot of laughter and crying but I am going to make it. i have really felt your prayers. They strengthen me SO much! I really feel your love and it lifts me up when I get down! We also had three Russian sisters stay at our apartment last night. They are serving in Siberia and are here for a visa trip. They are all Ukraine natives. We did a split and I went with two of them and sister Robinson went with one. I lucked out and got the ones that didn't speak an ounce of English and knew a little Ukrainian. It was awesome and hard. I wanted to get to know them more but I just wasn't completely able to in Ukrainian. They are so cure. It was a success I got them safely to our apartment and went shopping. It was way awkward when they left me by myself in the store. I didn't know what to do. I had never been alone before (in the last 4 months) I survived tho. i didn't to anything illegal! :)

Attention Span- I can't sit in an Apartment for 6 days. That was way hard. I don't know how to be effective with so much time! It was rough. i really wish I would have been better. I studied a lot but wanted to study more. I don't feel like i learned as much as I should have. I read a ton of talks and am cruising through the new testament! I love it. Christ is incredible and if you ever forget it just read the new testament! and the book of Mormon of course! But WOW! . I wish I would have really worked harder while I was studying. Or actually just studied smarter. I struggle with that. I need to study better. Any suggestions family friends RMs? So that is where i am still working on growing! There are a lot of areas I am still trying to grow in!

I am so greatful for this opportunity to be a missionary. I am loving the ways it stretches me and helps me grow to be a better person. I know that I will be a better freind, mother, daughter, sister, and wife because of the experiences I have had here. I am so grateful for all of you and the love I feel from you. I am love Ukraine. It is an amazing place with the most amazing people. I love the work and I know that there is nothing that would be better than being here doing what I am doing. What a blessing! I love you so much! I am sorry this is a boring e-mail. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Sister Schmidt

Letter #18-October 26th

Yesterday I sat for 13 hours straight it was the longest most
pointless day of my life. Actually I think I have had worse but
sister robinson was sick and slept all day and I sat and wrote letters
and more letters and more letters and read scriptures and cleaned. It
was rough. I spent the whole day in completer silence and you know me
i love music or even talking. It was really hard for me. I did my
best to be a good mother and nurse. Soemtimes its frustrationg the
way didfferent people react when they are sick. You just need
patience and love and then its okay. :)


My comp and I get a long good and we have a lot of fun together but
its also really hard. This week we had a lot of little frustrations
and I am a terrible persona nd need more patience. As we know I am
one that gets angry fast and then is happy fast and it doesnt work
that way with others. SO we had comp inventory and we both cried and
nbow things are working better. But things were never bad!

You all need to read none were with him by Elder Holland this week and
then read Mark 15. Wow thats what I did yesterday and wow! It was so
incredible. I am reading the old testiment and It is so amazing to
me! The Savior is incredible. The atonement is so intense and He did
it all for us. I cant even imagine the love that he has for us and
especially for his father in Heaven. What kind of love do we have for
OUR Father in Heaven. Would we be willing to do what th Savior did?
I think we all have the opportunity to show our love by serving His
children.

I have notice the people in Ukraine really do serve one another. This
week I was on a marshootka and I witnessed the smallest act of service
and it made me want to cry. There was a crippled man getting out of
the marshootka and was sdtruggleing to make the step on the the curb.
One random man just grabbed his jacket and lifted him up in order for
him to make it over the curb. So simple to watch one man help out
another but its so important. We are all here on the earth together.,
With the same goal. We want to come closer to Chirst and return to
our Father. Some forget this and thats why we need to help them
remember and also serve them daily. Look for services to help your
fellow man and you will find them.

WOORAY! I made my first phone call in Ukrainian. I thought it was an
english speaker we knew so I answered and this lady spoke to me in
Ukrainian. and I UNDERSTOOD the whole thing. spoke back schedualed
our meeting and hung up! I am super excited but didnt show it! but
yeay! I am going to make it in Ukraine even if it is in slaughtered
Ukarainian. then Yesterday sister robinson was sleeping and I
answered the phone and talked to some more people. Those ones were
rough because it was russian. Heavenly Father blessed me to have my
first phone call with the ONLY ukrainian investigator we have in order
for me to gain the confidence needed to do it a lot later in the week
in russian. YEAY for blessings!!!!

We had 5 baptismal dates and unfortunately have watched them go to 2,
for one reason or another they are not ready. I want to help these
people but Its way hard. I have this love for them and cant express
it at all. and I cant understand them enough to know hopw to help
them. I think thats why memebers are so important!

Ah no time!

Here is my letter to President:
Dear President Steinagel,

This last week has been a great week. Sister Robinson and I really
focused on planning better. One thing we focused on was set our goals
then planning how to achieve them and THEN scheduling our week/day.
It was amazing how much better our week turned out. We set a goal to
relook at our lesson goals evernight and see where we were at and what
we had to achieve our weekly goals. Everything we did focused on
putting every effort to achoeving them. Are our goal was 13 lessons
this last week and we got 16, Mid week we caught fire and committed
ourselves to talk to EVERYONE. It was amazing the people we found in
some of the most random places. We even had a lesson with a bathroom
attendant, in the bathroom.

I have really caught fire of wanting to be a better planner and I want
to become a master planner. Not just for now but for the rest of my
life. When you really focus on the time you have and plan right you
can do great things. We had a miracle on Sunday. We really wanted to
reach our goal for meetings and prayed for Heavenly Fathers help in
order to do it. As the day went on it felt like time stood still as
we travelled and met with people. We truely felt Heavenly Fathers
hand in our work slowing down the clock in order for us to have the
time to meet with His children and help them come unto him. The
longer I am hear the more my eyes open to this amazing experiences.
As I recognize them in my life more Heavnely Father blesses me with
more. It is an endless cycle. I love this work its so fun.

We have been able to set a lit of dates lately but have struggled to
keep them going. It feels like as soon as we set one date another
falls through. Our investigators our so fragile and it is important
to focus on every single one of them but I feel like its not fully
working. I dont know how to help our investigators progress to their
date and be ready if they arent meetings as often as beeded. Its also
difficult to get them to understand the importance of coming to
church. We are really working with them to understand. Sister
Robinson is amazing. She has so much patience with me. I struggle to
pull my wight in the companionship because I feel incompitent in my
language abilities but I do my best to keep my head up and just keep
smiling and doing my best. She is a great example. Its amazing how
the harder we work the more fun we have. I do have a question. I
understand it might take a while to reply but we were wondering if it
is acceptable to have meetings on the temple grounds. A lot of our
dates have come from lessons where the investigator is on temple
grounds and can keep the power of the spirit even stronger. I know it
is preferred to have lessons in their homes but if its not possible is
the temple grounds an acceptiable place?

Thanks for all you do. We love you and your family!
Sister Schmidt