01/05/09 Email from Bronson

I can’t believe that Breanna is a married woman. It was so weird for me to get that wedding announcement... oh well as long as she is a happy camper, I guess that’s all that matters.

The baptism with Shuyang didn’t go through; he wasn’t ready. I am fine with that, cause I want to baptize only those who have a testimony of it, and know that they are making a covenant with their Heavenly Father. We will keep working with him. I am sure he will receive his answer.

Our Zone leaders gave us the goal to get twenty finding lessons this week, and let me tell you, we talk to everyone we passed. It was the last day Sunday night, and we had two more to get. But there was nobody on the roads.

We passed a Muslim kid who we stopped, he was actually pretty cool. We talk to him about why we believe that Christ was the son of god and not just a prophet.

Then, we kept walking and we saw this guy holding some bags, and what looked to be a Samari sword. We approached him, and he said to us very clearly “your the Mormons right”?... (in English)? We replied… yup. We gave him a finding lesson and tried to arrange a return appointment. He said, “Do you want to come over and talk now”, we replied “yes”.

He began to tell us that he was previously a monk, and how he has always been searching for the truth. We shared with him the restoration, and he said, “Well it looks like we should learn the truth together”. Gave us all his information (when we didn’t even ask), and said, “if this book is true, then I’m in trouble, cause then, I’m going to have to change”. Then, he said, “But if its not... your in trouble”. We said, “Exactly”! Followed by the testimony that it’s true, and he can know it!

It was really cold by the time we left his apartment, and we needed to get home because it was almost nine. We still needed one more finding lesson, so as we walked the rest of the way to the tram, there was one Chinese man walking. So I stopped him, we gave him a finding lesson, and figured out that he has the same last name as a recent Chinese convert in our ward, both from China. We got his name and number and met the goal. I know this could be done in no other way than with the help of the Lord. I am so thankful for the opportunity to be on his errand!

I love you all so much and I hope you had a great new years.

Love Elder Schmidt


*The significance of a man is not in what he attains, but in what he longs to attain."

Kahil Labran