letter#70 November13

Another letter to the president.

I hope you have had a great week. We sure have. We were way excited for our investigator to get baptized. I felt like we really did our homework with this one. I try really hard always to have the transition from the missionaries to the ward a very smooth transition. This time was pretty good. She had all the ward missionaries on lessons with her, as well and the Relief society President. She was also able to meet the ward mission leader. We then had the ward pre-plan her visiting and home teachers. So we had one home teacher (Alexander Polyakov the recent convert) baptize her and the other teacher give her the gift of the Holy Ghost. Her one visiting teacher was at the baptism and the other one was sitting by her at sacrament meeting when she got the gift of the Holy Ghost. We put so much work into getting her into the ward yet we are still worried about her. She still is a little shaky on her testimony. She has so much desire to know everything which is incredible. I just hope she really works at strengthening her testimony.

President, I feel like in some areas of the work we are really succeeding and others we are SO far away from fulfilling our purpose. I want to go out of my mission sprinting and just really give it EVERYTHING that I have. Which is what I feel I am doing, but yet we are really struggling to find new investigators. We try to talk to a lot of people. Even everyone that crosses our path but maybe it's my lack of faith that is holding us back but I feel like I try. Also I confess I judge people and see if the ward would accept them. We don't want to bring someone with a load of problems that will weight the ward down but we also don't want to deny anyone salvation. We are not the judges. That was me just rambling on. Sorry. Well anyways, I think I need to restrengthen my faith. I know that there are people out there ready to accept our message I just need to do it with more love and faith. Thank you for always being a great example of those two attributes for me. I really do feel your love for us and for this work and it makes all the world of difference. Your faith is admirable. I really want to have as much faith as you have. Thanks so much for all that you do for us and for the mission. We are grateful for your sacrifice.

Letter #69 November 7th

Lauren's Letter from this week was mostly business, but I really liked her letter to the president. So here it is:

Dear President,

How are you doing?> I am doing so good. I am loving the pretty weather. It is beautiful and fresh outside. We have had a few days inside this week so I am especially grateful for the opportunity to be out and about. We will see how long we will be out. Sister stiles has been sick and the poor thing had the greatest drive to get out and work but she still isn't feeling great. We hope that we can figure things out so she can be out an about at 100 % again. She is a trooper.

Last night I found myself awake for an hour and 40 minutes or so. I was not wanting to be awake I just couldn't get the work out of my head. I was wide awake with thoughts of our investigators. I was racking my brain to see how we could get them baptized. I was even going through the lessons with them and what I would say in order to help them progress to a date. It was the weirdest thing. I didn't want to be doing that I wanted to be sleeping I just couldn't stop myself from analyzing every part of the work and all of our investigators and less actives we are working with. I then realized how much I really love this work. I love it so much. I really want to help these people because I love them for who they are, my brothers and sisters.

This week my best friends got married and I didn't know it until the day before when I got her announcement. I was pretty bummed. Not going to lie before that point I was pretty excited to go home. Not because I was sick of missionary work I was just feeling myself preparing for the change that is going to take place. I would say I was almost trunky that it would effect the work because I would have random thoughts of things I wanted to do when I was home. Well when I got my friends announcement. I started to think about what I was doing. I was wasting time that is a very limited time on thinking about going to a place that I will be for the rest of my life. I can think about home when I am there. Because I will be thinking of Ukraine when I am home in Utah. I know that my time is ticking down. And I know that I want to give it my everything before I get on that plain. I was fueled with the love of the work and I am really pumped to keep going. I am excited to live in the moment and really focus on these people here that I love so much. I want to help them as much as I can and truly give my all to this work. I am so grateful for your example to me. I learn from you all the time. I love this mission and all that is happening. I can't wait to hear about all that happens after I leave it will be incredible. Thanks again!

Sister Schmidt

Letter #68 October 31

Hi the coolest people in the world!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Well this week was great we worked SOOOOOOOOOOO hard for the party Saturday was the longest day of my life! So 9 AM we were at the church helping with this wheelchair event we gave agway 30 wheelchairs and we were there till 4 and it was way tiring we in the middle of that event had a baptism and the a wedding all going on in one little ward building. Then at 3 the YW showed up to help decorate and then the party started at 5 and went till 9. It was crazy. I was SO tired by the end. SOOOOOOOOo many people came and it was a blast! I can't wait to show you pictures when i get home and talk all about it. I am sorry. Well yeah I am sorry this is lame I am trying to figure more of my stuff for school. Um yeah sorry that I am distracted. I love you all so much!!!! Have a good week!

Well love you all.

Sister Schmidt