01/19/10

Schmidt Family

This week was transfer week so we have our preparation day on Tuesday just letting you know why I was writing today instead of tomorrow. As for transfers something was bound to happen this transfer seeing as me and Elder Whatcott have stayed three transfers together which is pretty rare. So Yesterday we received a call from President and Elder Whatcott is going to a city named Jex and I will be staying here in Martigny and receiving Elder Tracy, I am excited to receive him and I hope that we get along. but at the same time I am pretty sad to see Elder Whatcott leave, its like saying goodbye to a best friend but I guess this is the life of a missionary. I will Probably stay here for another six weeks and then head to my last ville to finish my mission.
This last week of the transfer has been fantastic, we have had the opportunity to see a lot of members. and it was especially sad because they knew that one of us would be leaving and they really liked our companionship. I hope me and elder Tracy will be able to pick it right up and keep the work moving forward.
We also spent much time helping the family Rivero move, they are from Colombia and didn’t have too much help. they are the part member family. we have been trying to get them back to church for the past month, maria the mother is one of our investigators and she was having a hard time going. so me and elder whatcott where talking and decided to go and help them as much as possible and the result from this was she promised to come to church from now on. it wasn’t necessarily the help we offered but the fact that we cared about them enough to help them. and that we wouldn’t accept any money. it was great to see them at church again!
We taught one of our investigators this week (Bao) and we had the goal of inviting him to be baptized. so we focused on the importance of the restoration, we watched the film and then after i asked him this question " if Christ was standing in the room at that moment and said this is my church would you want to join it?" he said well of course so then I said well lets find out if it is true. we all knelt down of the floor and we took turns saying the prayer, the spirit was so strong you could not deny that the things that had been shared where true. I asked do you feel anything special in your heart? he replied yes as well as when I was watching the film. he then express that he wants to become a member right now but his parents would not like that. he is 18 years old. then he said maybe when I am 20 or 21 I will be baptized. although we weren’t able to fix a specific date it was a great experience seeing the holy ghost touch the heart of one of his children. we will be working with him and searching for a way that he will be baptized sooner! I know that the lord will provide a way for him, as he has provided the way for us.
Well i love you all and hope that you have the best week ever. I write you next week:)

Love Elder Schmidt