Letter #63 September 19th

Well this week was a little long. I felt a lot of pressure to get great numbers for the wrong reason. I got distracted from my real purpose and why I came on a mission and why I am here. I found myself with less energy and not as happy all the time like before. I gained a testimony again that this is the work of the Lord and HE qualifies us for the work. Everything we have an do is because of his love for His sons and daughters and we are just here to be His hands in this work. It is nothing that we do or say because all we do and say should be led by Him through the Holy Ghost. I feel this weight of the work and I am not sure why. It's frustrating because I really want to be all pumped and ready to go but something is weighting me down. Please pray for me to be able to refocus and truly do this work the way the Lord wants me to. I want o be the best missionary that Sister Schmidt can be. I know that I am here for a purpose but if I am not fully in tune with the spirit then I will not be led to do exactly what he wants me to do exactly when he wants me to do it. I am grateful for the atonement to help me start anew and try and tray again. Perfection is a long processes that we don't fulfill on this life but we have to be active in our attempt everyday. The atonement of Jesus Christ is the only way to do it.

This week we were so excited our less active members is not active and we had the opportunity to help her into the temple to do baptisms for the first time. It was cute to see her so excited and happy about the temple. She has made a plan in order to go every single week. I really hope that the ward is ready to accept her and support her. I feel like sometimes members in the church (myself included) are like the popular kids in middle school they analyze who they like and who they want to accept. If people are a little weird they find themselves slow to accept them but as soon as someone great comes a long they open the door for them as soon as possible. I hope by seeing this happen I will be more aware of myself and more open to take in EVERYONE. Well her mother sae the change in her and noticed that she was becoming active and going to church every sunday and this sunday morning she said hey alexandra I want to come to church with you this morning. Her mother is also a less active but she will be active soon.

We also had out recent convert get a calling yesterday and the other recent convert that just got baptized last Saturday already had her interview with bishop[ and has a temple recommend. There are some grat things happening here. It's a blessing and a privledge to be here and see then happen right infront of my eyes.This week was also Yulia's birthday. We were able to go out to dinner with her and wish her a happy birthday. She is so dear to me. We will be friends the rest of our lives. I can't wait for you to meet her.

This week the assistants called us and asked us to do an experiment for President. He told us to be missionaries all the time to tlak to every single person that crossed out paths and count each person. so it was interesting to really see how many people cross our paths everyday. we attempted to talk to 115 people and we had 42 conversations and only got 7 peoples numbers. But that was all in a time frame of being out on the street inbetween out meetings so we were out on the street for about 3 and a half hours. maybe four. It was interesting. I think President had some other missionaries do it too and he will be reporting this experiment in the next zone conferences.

I am loving this work I was bummed to notice one morning during study that it was my 15 month marl o the mission. time is just flying past. I am scared to realize how fast these last two transfers left will go by. I am not ready to come home I don't think I ever will be. Hey maybe I just won't come home! ha ha you can just come here! Thats a great plan! Just kidding! Well I love you all so much . This is the greatest work ever. I love being here I love it all. Most of all I LOVE YOU!!!! Take care!

Я вас люблю ця церква істина!!!! Бог живе! удачі!

з любовю

Сестра Шміт