Letter #53 July 11th

Well this week was one for history. I met our new mission President and he is amazing! i am serious! He is just what I need, I was nervous but it's all gone I am just so ready for whats next. Three words to describe him.... MAN OF GOD! He is so spiritual, so full of love, not messing around, here to change the mission and grow the church. I am ready I am pumped and I can't wait! His name is President klebingat. He is 42 runs marathons from Germany super blunt tall looks like uncle john V. and is convert served a mission and is a stud. His wife is in her 30s from Latvia is beautiful and intimidating. The family is adorable Katja 17 Daniel 15 and Alex 10. They are all fluent i German Englisher and Russian and are the perfect family. I sat in aw as they blew me away and reminded me of my nothingness. I want to be such a better more intelligent wise person. I have a long way to go but I can't wait.

So we have changed the way we work as missionaries. We do not go "tracting or finding" We are now focused on less and in active members. President is working at making a stake in L'viv. As of now we only have two branches with 11 members in each but only 30-40 active in both. So we have a lot of work. We need to activate all the members. We are reuniting the members and the missionaries in order to do it as well. We now are going over the lists prayerfully to see who is ready to come back to church and we are not just going to do "less active stop bys" we are bringing them back to church. We treat like investigators. Meet 2-3 times a week and work with all our might to bring them back. We are the rescue team. We will go on splits with members at some point everyday and have them be a part of the rescue. We will work and do all we canto help them come back. I am so excited. I know this is the best way to work here in Ukraine right now. I know that this is the beginning to new missionary work. We are seriously done with tracting and planning hours of finding activities. We talk to people as we go to and from less actives. We involve members in all parts of the work and we help all Heavenly Fathers children know we haven't forgotten about them. We love them and miss them and want them to come back.

It was such a privilege to sit in on a meeting when President talked to the branch Presidents and introduced what we are doing. I watched him work and was amazed. He has more faith than any man I have con in contact with I desire to sit by him and jut be around him to see him work and to absorb his spirit and knowledge and faith. He truly is a man of God! I know that my faith is going to grow and that my spirituality will as well. After that time with him he told us that it is all about the spirit. He wanted to tell us to throw out our notes and go by faith in all lessons. That was sorta what we did. Sister K and i went into a lesson with an idea of what we were wanting to accomplish. it was one of the most spiritual lessons on my mission. We watched two twin sisters truly talk out all concerns they had and really pour it all out. Sister K and I testified like never before. I was so bold and so strong on what I believe and that they have to learn it for themselves and just truly put all my heart and soul into it. It was amazing. The one that was struggling to accept the gospel the most wanted to pray to end and we all prayed on our knees and she cried and brought tears to all our eyes with her sincerity. After then lesson the member texted us that was on the lesson and said that it was the most powerful lesson He had ever been on and was sure that the spirit was there the whole time and his testimony was strengthened as well. That is why we are here. We are here to strengthen the members, none members and less actives. I love this work, it is the work of God and nothing is going to stop it. It is going faster and faster and the world will know that God has restored His Gospel and there is a prophet on the earth that daily receives revelation for every person. I love you all have a great week. remember who you are and what you stand for ;)
Sister Schmidt