10/26/09 I love Miracles!

Ha..Ha.. that is so funny with Ty that would have been funny to be a part of :) Thanks so much for wishing me a happy birthday and I am glad it is my last one away from home too. Are you excited in less then six months you will see Paris and France and Switzerland and one of your childhood dreams will be fulfilled :) That’s going to be a lot of fun, don’t you think?

This transfer I will be getting what they call a death letter or rather the letter that tells me what date I will be finished; crazy huh? As for the camera is it coming? Just curious:) I’m in a really pretty part of the mission!!!

Well mom I love you. Things are going great. Transfer calls where today and it looks like I will be staying here in Sion, for another six weeks with Elder Whatcott; so I am excited!

We fixed a baptismal date last night it really was amazing. I had one of those moments of “I love being a missionary”! He was really excited.

Oh and for some good news, I talked with Elder Asay today, and you know that family we found and taught the Obiangondo family, well, they are going to be baptized this next weekend. It was so cool to hear because our Mission President said find a family, and they will be members next week, and we did!

Oh and the excommunicated member we where working a lot with, is having his baptism in two weeks. I love miracles. It’s so great to see the gospel change the lives of others; it fills me with love and happiness. It’s great.

Well, I love you and hope you have a fantastic week.

Love Elder Schmidt

10/19/09**

La Famille Schmidt

wow it sounds like you all had a lot of fun this past week! carving pumpkins and all... they don’t really do that around these parts we explained to a member what we do and they looked at us like that’s a waist of a pumpkin I could make pumpkin soup with that. I remember she said well after all of that do you use the pumpkin to eat? we said no it just kind of spoils right there on the front step and either some one comes and smashes them or the face that you carved starts to look like an old man so we throw it away. she laughed. what else this week should be interesting we have finally fixed some rendezvous for the next week I hope that they go through and we can teach them. we had this really cool miracle happen we fasted that we would be able to find someone and like two days later we received a call from headquarters salt lake mission a.k.a. temple square and we went that night to try and meet her she opened the door a crack and said who are you and what do you want, we said we are missionaries for the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints, after we said that she flung to door open and said come on in I will get you something to drink and we can talk. she explained that she was camping in Utah and the people camping right next to her came over and started talking they over heard that they spoke french... long story short this family invited her to stay at their house so they did and she had a wonderful time, the family took them to temple square and introduced them to the church. all in all she is really excited to see us and I am soooo thankful for that family that went the extra mile, go member work!!! like Gordon b hinckley said there is a better way and that’s it. well I better get going I love you all your all in my prayers. have a great week!!!

10/12/09

Hey Everyone,

Things are going great here in Martingy. My companion and I have learned so much from General Conference; things that we can apply. Right now as far as the work is going, we have the opportunity to really put our faith to the test. We are walking the streets and porting doors and really working with all of our heart, might, mind, and strength, to find that one person that will accept the gospel. I don’t think this work was ever meant to be easy.

I really feel that my faith is growing daily because I have to put all my confidence in the Lord, and that he will direct us where to go. I really am trying to do all the promptings I receive, even if it means stepping outside of my comfort bubble; which it regularly does.

There was a talk given about a track coach, he said to the runners, “How much do you want to have at the end of the race?” They replied… “Nothing”. I think it was Jeffery R Holland; he said I want you to have NOTHING when you step off that plain. I want them to drag you off in an ambulance. I really want to have nothing left after my mission. Please pray for me that I will be diligent in the most important work I will ever do. This is my time to serve the Lord; I can’t waist it.

I really need your prayers. I know that without a doubt we will find someone soon, even if it means walking around in the cold and knocking a hundred more doors. I love you all, and hope you have a fantastic week.

Thanks for everything:)
Elder Schmidt

10/05/09**

oh my gosh that is soooo cool that you got to meet Elder Chapman he really is like my best friend, we had a lot of really cool times together and saw a lot of really cool miracle. I think its awesome that I can go on a mission and find the best kind of friends like Elder Chapman those are the ones that are going to try and lift you rather than let you fall and that’s the kinda friend I need! any ways he wanted me to tell you that the girl he was with wasn’t his girlfriend he just went to conference with her. I really think that it is so cool you met him.
it sounds like the family is really busy moving dirt and stuff for the pavers I bet it is going to look so nice when it is finished. and as for Conference I loved it I felt like it was really the first time i was ever able to really listened to the holy ghost and receive the things heavenly father wanted me to receive. I will try to make a plan so that I can follow them. I love this church mom I don’t know what I would do without it. and I only felt homesick cause I could see salt lake but other then that it just makes me happy to know that we are so close to salt lake. Mom I love missionary work. I am going to put my best foot forward this week and get out of my comfort bubble, its scary but im sure it was scary for Christ to know the pain he was going to have to endure I figure it’s the least I can do. and I think this last six months is going to fly bye before we know it you will be here in Switzerland picking me up. oh and for ideas for Christmas I wanted to buy I nice french suite so i can have a good one for when i go home. what else has happened this week. oh yeah we had our own personal Air show the other day we where doing our studies and all of a sudden i felt we heard this way loud sounds and found out it was jets they did all these cool patterns and it was Swiss planes they where flying like 700 ft above our building that’s close. oh i was going to ask you mom did you receive your answers to your questions? from what I could gather i knew it spoke about something that has been on your mind for a while. I forget who spoke but all i could think about was how you where probably getting an answer to your prayers on what you should do.
well mom I don’t have too much time like i just want you to know first of all that i know this church is true and that we can receive personal revelation and God can expand our minds. i love you soo much and thanks for all that you do. I love you

09/28/09**

hey Everyone this week has been fantastic me and my companion get along really well and always have things to talk about, I think its funny cause sometimes he thinks I am like this professional with missionary work he is always like you have been a zone leader and done this and that and I think its cool cause he just wants to learn. this week we have kind of been under the weather if you will with this wicked head cold thing and we had to stay in for two days, then we couldn’t take it and fixed some rendezvous with a couple families thinking that we where a little bit better but turns out the two families didn’t come to church cause they where sick.... I think maybe there is a connection oops. other than that it was my companions birthday and I made him this pretty cool cake thing and decorated it I probably already wrote this in your other letter but oh well. he loved it, I love making people happy it’s a great feeling I just tried to make his birthday a big deal and everyone followed along some members even made this cake thing and they did this surprise birthday song for him
> what else oh Sunday we went to the church like normal and where greeting everyone and asking about their week and all of a sudden the branch president came up with this smile on his face... you know the one where they come towards you and you know that the`re going to give you a calling well it was one of those but he said Elder can you give a talk today? I said cest mon pleasure. and then I took the task given to me said a quick prayer and then I made this talk up I titled it ask and ye shall receive but in french and talked about Joseph smith and how he posed so many questions and then looked to the words of the prophets and prayed and then he got his answer... long story short I told them that they need to make questions now and go to General Conference to get their response to those questions, I closed and sat down the branch president looked at me and smiled and pointed at his paper while talking to his counselor and then he got up and pretty much re enforced what I had talked about to all the members it was great! I felt like when a prophet or an apostles is on a tour with a member from the 70 and tells them to give a talk out of the blue and they just do it. well I love you all and I do encourage you to reflect this week of questions that you have had and go to conference with the faith that you will receive an answer. Have a fantastic week!!!:)

09/14/09 Email

Family,
This week has been pretty good, it was stake conference and since it was being held at our building, it was our responsibility to put out all the chairs; that took forever.

Well transfers where this week and it looks like I am being moved back into Switzerland to a Ville called Martigny; it’s really close to a place called Sion or in English ZION ha ha. It should be pretty fun.

I will no longer be a zone leader, hopefully I can find things to do with all the time I will have ha ha. It should be a really good experience.

I am not really excited to leave Nancy because I have seen so many miracles here, and I really love the people in the ward, they are great people, and their hearts are in the right place.

Oh mom and dad you can still go to that address I gave you to meet that French family they have a DVD waiting for you just to pick it up. I think you will like it; we made it just for you! If you need the address let me know, I will try to get it to send it to you.

I need your prayers this next week because I need a lot of help from the Lord because I know that I can’t do this work alone. Thanks so much for you love and I will send you my address as soon as I can. I love you so much

Elder Schmidt

09/07/09**

hey dad things are going a lot better here in Nancy we have had a little bit more time to do some teaching. We have so much going on I feel like I need to become a professional planner to fit it all in and you must realize that the french people feel as though you are forgetting them if you don’t see them often or call them to let them know what is going on. so lets just say we have been doing a lot of calls. lets see we have a lot going on I will start with Lydie we still haven’t invited her to be baptized we are trying to find a spare moment so we can have a great lesson with her to do it I must thank you for teaching me how to fill in holes in walls cause I have done that a lot lately for service it should turn out good so we are praying that we can fix a rendezvous with her so we can lance the invitation. then we have jessy he spoke with a member last week and said the first time they gave me the invitation I wasn’t serious but know I feel like it is true so we are going to re invite him today even though its preparation day ( sacrifice brings forth the blessings of heaven) and believe me we need them. then we where given a reference of this African family from a member in Metz and we took this family on a tour of the chapel and explained sacrament the system of the church and them we ended with having the family in the baptismal font and we invited them to be baptized they accepted and accepted to come to church the next day, they came and they loved it. then we where called up by a less active man that wants his daughter and son to be baptized so we are going to see him this week and then on the way to church I spoke with the bus driver turns out he is less active and he said he has been speaking with his 9yr old daughter about baptism so we are going to have to see how that goes. we also received 2 references from church headquarters and also a visitor from Texas gave us the address of his aunt he is a recent convert of three yrs. oh and by some miracle one of our existing amies got the permission from her mother to come to stake conference that’s a huge step! so long story short the lord is pouring out blessings on us the missionaries and the members of Nancy, the transfers are next week I hope that I have the opportunity to stay one more transfer! I would love that. well I love you thanks for writing me. Love Elder Schmidt

08/31/09**

Hey Everyone,

This week has been go go go. We started off in Luxembourg for preparation day, and we did a little zip line thing that was really fun. Then, we went and saw a castle; it was really fun.

On Tuesday we went to Belgium and did a little door to door knocking. I wanted to get a waffle but there was none to be found, so it went ok anyways. Wednesday, was good, we where packed with Rendezvous cause it was the only day that we where in Nancy. I feel bad cause we have people here that really want to progress but can’t really because we aren’t around that often. I will do better this week ;)

Then, on Thursday our whole zone went down to Lyon, and let me tell you buying everyone’s tickets was a hassle, but had to be done. We had to take 2 trains and switch in Dijon, and we all had assigned seating. On the first train we where all just talking to one another, and one of the elders was speaking to this young girl about the Restoration, since he was seated next to her. At the end of the ride he gave her a book of Mormon and told her to read it, then we all said bye to her.

We got on our other train which would take us the rest of the way to Lyon and guess who came and sat next to me? It was the same girl that Elder Brady had been speaking with. I started to speak with her casually about The Lord of the Rings. I was really trying to find a connection point. Then I asked her where she was from and she said Lebanon, it’s close to Israel. She was 20 yrs old. She then asked me, “Why are you here”? I replied, you know that book he gave you? Well, I read it and prayed about it, and found out that it is true. So, I chose to come and share it with everyone.

Then, she asked another question "How would you convince someone that doesn’t believe in God, to believe in him? I soon figured out that she was speaking of herself and that she once believed, but since she has been here all her friends think that it is foolish. So then I asked her what is your goal in this life, and are you happy? She replied, yes, I’m happy, happy as to the world. I have good friend we have fun and go dancing, but I don’t really have a goal in this life. I think that is what I am missing. Then, I thought to my self "You do have a goal in life. Now let me remind you". I taught her the plan of salvation, and then after I testified of it, and she began to lightly cry, and I knew that she had felt the spirit. She lifted the paper I had drawn on and said, “This is beautiful, the only thing is how do I find out that it is true?” I then explained how to pray; all in all it was a great experience for me. I am sure she will be seeing the missionaries in the South of France. This is just another experience to show you how the Lord placed one of his prepared daughters in the way of his missionaries, so she could be taught. She told me as I was getting off the train, “Don’t forget to tell the other missionaries my number”. It was so cool.

Anyway, it was a fantastic week! Sorry this story was so long. I left a lot of really cool details out; it was awesome. I love this work, I know the Lord directs it. Like this girl she had been praying for an answer and the Lord gave her an answer. I know that it is the same with all of us, he always gives us an answer. I love you all.

Love,
Elder Schmidt

08/24/09 **

hey mom things are going great here in France, all I know is I am going through this little kinda scared moment just like it hit me how fast seven months go by and I feel like I have so much more changing to do, I realize that I will have the rest of my life to change but I really want to change a lot on my mission. all I know that I want to have a really strong shield built up against the adversary so that when I get home I will be fine. I hate hearing stories of return missionaries falling away when they return. as far as the work goes things are going fantastic I could have been more diligent this week I hate when I finish a week feeling like I could have done such a better job but I guess that’s what repentance is all about. getting up after falling and going again putting more of your trust in the lord and his atonement. I really am so grateful for my mission cause I really know that the things I am preaching are true there is nothing better that I have felt than sharing your testimony with someone and having them get it or feel something I think that’s what it means by first seek ye the kingdom of God, and also lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven. its all about the spiritual that’s where we get the true happiness. Thanks for sending the package. today I am in Luxembourg and I will be going to Belgium tomorrow so it should be cool and later on in the week I will be going to Lyon and then to geneva we are making a huge tour again. its just go go go never time to slow down I guess its better that way. well mom I love you so much and thanks for your love and support. love Elder Schmidt

08/17/09**

Wow this week has been hectic we started it off by going to Geneva it was pretty fun for our Zone leader counsel. we learned about how to find families to teach and Baptize, I love that subject cause honestly their isn’t anything more important in the Gospel than having a family and having someone to help you through lifes journey. so needless to say I am ready to go and find some families to teach we are fixing a goal to go and port houses instead of apartment. then after that we took a car with the assistance and drove all the way back up to Nancy its about the distance from salt lake to st..george. it was pretty fun. we had the chance to meet with a lot of people and then the next day we went back to saint etienne wow talk about old memories lets just say I am glad to be in Nancy:) haha what else then we came back and say the family cuche we had a bbq and did service and then we went to our little branch and had 2 investigators come we are going to invite one of them to be baptized next week. That’s really about it today we are going to be playing football as a zone here in Nancy with like 13 elders and they will all be at the apartment ce soir. its going to be crazy. well I love you all and I will keep working and doing my best. Love Elder Schmidt

08/10/09** New Companion

Hey everyone things are going great here in Nancy this past week, at the beginning of the week I took a long ride in a car to Nancy, but me and another elder kept ourselves busy by singing all the hymns that we could thing of in french and just laughing and having fun, I topped it off by spilling orangina all over my tie it was terrible haha.... got to love your road trips. then I picked up my old new companion elder Asay we basically hung out at the mission home for the day cause we had to wait for the other missionaries that where going to be staying the night in Nancy it was fun though. we came back and had a really good rest of the week here in Nancy I kind of like working with someone that I have already served with (and liked) cause then you just pick up where you left off and go to work. We will be spending P-day on a train to Geneva today... I know lame but what can you do it’s the most effective thing we could do. we will be there for the zone leader council its going to be great then this Wednesday we have our exchanges with the assistance in Nancy and then we are heading to St..Etienne to finish Elder Asays legality. it going to be a fun filled week. I received an email from one of my favorite companions Elder Chapman today it made me realize how fast a mission really does go bye I think before I know it, it will all be over. I guess I better work hard!!! well I better get going cant wait to hear from you all love Elder Schmidt

LEAVE MESSAGES FOR BRONSON

I know I've mentioned this before, but I'm doing it again!! Please leave messages/comments on this blog for Bronson. When he is done with his mission we are going to have this printed up for him as a remider of his mission. So any comments/messages that are left would be included and enjoyed by him. And even more important than that, he does get on his blog and check it on his P-Days so he'd be able to read what's written now!!

So in case you don't know how to leave a comment... At the end of any message that is written there is a spot that says comments, click on that and it'll take you to a spot to leave a message. Make sure to write your name on the message too!! He'll love it!

Thank you for all your love and support with Bronson!!

Worthiness/from Bronson

Worthiness
I have been thinking lately why is being worthy so important. I know it is important for my own salvation. The word worthy in the dictionary means “of worth or value”. So when we have worthiness before God we are of worth or value for him. So, if we aren’t worthy, we are of no worth or value to God. That ‘s the way the world might think it is. I will share a couple of definitions of worthiness I found in the scriptures (cleanliness, dependability, faithfulness, purification, repentance, righteousness); these are qualities of someone who is worthy. I like these divinations because if I use the inverse of each word it makes more sense….To be unworthy you are not clean, not dependable, not faithful, not pure not repentant, not righteous before God, but you are always of worth and of value to God. The only thing that separates the two (worthy and unworthy) is when we are worthy the Lord can use us in his work. The Lord will qualify us for the work according to our faithfulness. I have quickly figured out that tone of the most important steps in being and staying worthy starts with virtue. Virtue is prerequisite to receiving the Spirits guidance, virtue starts in our innermost thoughts and desires, and it is a pattern of thoughts and behavior. This brings to my mind a quote

“Sow a thought reap an action, Sow an action, reap a habit, Sow a habit, reap a character, Sow a character reap a destiny.”

If you have virtue you are clean and pure spiritually. You focus on righteous uplifting thoughts and put unworthy thoughts that lead to inappropriate actions our of their minds. They do as it is taught in D&C 121:45 “Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly, then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God”. So we need to let virtue constantly have a place in our thoughts. If it’s there, it is a protection and the filtering system to our thoughts. So, in ending the key to staying worthy starts back in our thoughts, if we control and filter out the bad there, they can’t lead to sin.

Email from 08/03/09

Hey everyone,

How are things going back in the USA? I saw a girl today wearing a shirt with the American flag on it and I felt like it was Friday and I was in third grade. So I put my hand over my heart and recited the pledge of allegiance, my companion Elder Lepretre just laughed I told him I had a patriotic moment.

This week we really haven’t had the chance to be in Nancy because we where in Geneva doing are exchanges with the Assistance. It went really good, in two hours we talked at least 20 25 people; it was great. I love Geneva I even did 3 in Spanish ha ha. I have to go back to Geneva tomorrow for two reasons one is to do my Suisse legality and also to pick up my new companion or should I say my new old companion Elder Asay. I am really excited Elder Lepretre is going to Geneva. This next transfer should be really great I am looking forward to seeing Miracles.

This morning me and Elder Lepretre played a little tennis with are children rackets; it’s really amazing to the level that you will sink to, to play a little tennis ha ha; what a great game. What else is going on; we have a couple potentials for baptism this transfer and I plan on working with them and preparing them so that they can more easily receive an answer. I’m glad I am getting Elder Asay again, we had fun in the Spanish equipe in Geneva.

The thing I am going to try and work on this transfer is to believe that all things will work together for my good. I really have been learning a lot this last couple transfers and I am excited to learn more. I love the Mission, sometimes it’s hard but I know that the Lord sometimes allows us to pass through hard times to make us stronger. I’m also learning that I shouldn’t fear the future because the Lord has given me the best guide that I can have, the Holy Ghost. If I follow the promptings, I will end up where the Lord wants me. Well, I love you all so very much, I know that I say that every e mail but I really mean it. Keep trying to learn from the words of Prophets both present and past. Have a great week

Love
Elder Schmidt

Picture emailed on 07/27/09

07/27/09 Email

Hey everyone How is everyone doing back home? This week has been really great. This week we did a tour of exchanges and let’s just say that it was a long week, but really good and I learned a lot.

You know the style of our house that was everywhere in the Alzas area, that is to say the villages Strasbourg, Colmar, and Mulhouse it was really great. We where walking down the road and we heard ELDERS and this LDS sized family came running towards us, it was great! We talked with them for couple min and then said we had to get going; all in all it was awesome.

We had a lot of cool things happen, like we taught this less active guys, girlfriend, and apparently she was anti Mormon. So, what we did was just talked with her about normal things, and then we eased our way into the book of Mormon. We asked the question: “Why don’t you like the Mormons”, and she said because I have seen South Park…. (I always knew that show was good for nothing) haha. We explained everything, and at the end we gave her a book of Mormon. Then, she said, “if it’s a present then you have to write in it”, we wrote in it. Then she asked if she could get a picture of us to place inside. Long story short is I talked with the missionary and he said that she came to church.

There was a lot more that happened this week but I cant type quickly, the key board format changed again.

This was fantastic thanks for all you all do for me.

Love

Elder Schmidt

Letter from 07/20/09

Hey Dad,
It sounds like you had a really good time at blue lake. The only thing I remember from blue lake is you hanging on my tank, and the inside of my mask. But if I remember right, we still did really well with our air. I think if nothing else between Blue Lake and Sea Base, you learn how to conserve air ha ha. I really can’t wait until I will be able to just hang out with everyone again, that’s what I’m looking forward too. And, as far as the pavers go, I really wouldn’t mind doing them, cause there is nothing like working hard and that feeling that comes right after that the (I feel good) feeling.

We have been working really hard here and I am excited to see more miracles. I still know that there are a lot of changes that I need to make, or in other words repentance, so that I can be a better tool in the Lords hands. We fixed two more baptismal dates this week. One with a man named Khalil; we had to drop him for a bit, but I was really a miracle cause the reason we dropped him, was cause he couldn’t come to church because of work. So we fasted for him, and haven’t called him for a while and then we called him the other day, and said “how’s it going”, the first thing he said is, “I found another job and I don’t have to work Sundays anymore”. The Lord works in mysterious ways, that is for sure and on his own time table.

The second was with a man named Jessie, we have been working with him and he is reading the book of Mormon everyday and praying. He shared a experience with us this past Sunday, he said, “I was looking for this church on the internet and I found some anti Mormon stuff, then he said it made me feel really bad for a couple of days, and I didn’t read or pray. Then, I decided to start to read again, and he felt good again.

Oh… we also had another miracle, the man and his wife that you are going to meet are fantastic member missionaries he was on this camping trip with boys from the ward and he saw two people fishing, he went up to them and said oh you like to fish and then he said I am a Fisher Of Men, then he offered them a book of Mormon, and spoke with them and got their information. We talked with her and she seemed very nice.

And then, the last miracle we had was a lady that referred her self to get a book of Mormon in Salt Lake. We met with her and she said, “I have been searching for the right Church all my life but I still haven’t found it”, so we fixed a rendezvous and offered to help her. We left and like 15 min later, called her to move the appointment. She said, “Sure, and thanks for coming over I really felt something different; it made me happy”. We said we didn’t do much of anything, and then it hit me that she felt the spirit as we where speaking with her.

Dad, I really like what you said, to search for the things that I will want to look back on. Our new mission president said the same thing, he said (these are the GOOD OLD DAYS). So I will take your advice and search for the experiences that I want to remember.

Another thing that I learned this week is that you can honestly tie anything back to the gospel. I was chopping wood for a member the other day and I thought to my self “I can split this in one try; I tried and it didn’t work. Then the old member explained to me, you have to study it, and see if she is telling you anything. So I was thinking, yeah… right… He looked at it for a couple seconds, turned it a bit and swung. If I didn’t know any better I thought I saw Paul bunion right before my eyes. The wood split in two like butter. Then, he explained to me what he did. So I took the next piece of wood and looked at it, and found this little hair line crack, it was the only thing I could find, and this on was bigger, so I had to use a wedge. I took a couple swings and the wood split apart and flew three feet from where I was, and the wedge was stuck in the ground. I was like oui je suis bien en forme which means basically “yeah… I’ve been working out”, they laughed. All in all it helped me see that when we are faced with something, if we just take a moment to study it and search for the best way, we won’t use as much energy, and the job gets done faster it’s like you always say, it’s the lay out that takes the time.

Well, I love you and hope you have a fantastic week. Thanks for the e-mail.

Love Elder Schmidt

A couple of Pictures

Here's 2 pictures that Bronson emailed us. One is from the baptism they did, and the other is Bronson having fun on his P-Day

07/13/09 Letter From Today!

This week has been really great; we have been doing a lot of stuff to prepare for the Baptism of Sylvie. Everything went great; she was the happiest person on earth. All the members kept saying she has really changed for the better, since the first time that we met her. It is true, the gospel is changing her life. That’s one of the greatest things that we have the opportunity to witness as missionaries, is seeing the Gospel change people. She keeps telling Elder Lepretre and I to go to her country and preach the gospel. Her country is one of those areas where missionaries can’t go. So, remember the council of President Thomas Monson, to pray for those places to be opened.

One thing I have really realized, having these two baptisms, is that I have so much changing to do myself; I can not stop in my progression. I need to make changes and do some repenting. I love the Gospel because we can always become better, and be a little bit more obedient. When we are obedient we are changing our will to the fathers.

One thing that really is helping me to reach what I want is setting goals and working little by little to get them or attain the goal. Another thing that I am really trying to work on, is not looking at the faults of people. I read a talk from 1999; it was titled Martin Harris. He said, I don’t like the way members view Martin Harris, he did many great things, like mortgage his house to pay for the printing of 5000 copies of the Book of Mormon. He was chosen to be one of the 3 witnesses to the Gold plates. He was a well respected man in the community, and a man of his word. He gave 50 dollars to Joseph Smith so that he could move and many many good things. But this man, Martin Harris, is remembered for a couple slips/mistakes that he made, like losing the Manuscripts, losing trust in Joseph smith, he released from the High Counsel and then was excommunicated. This was a great man that repented for those things, and was later re-baptized and never said that the church was false.

So, the goal I made was, every time I see someone, and have a desire to make fun of them, I will look for the good thing, And also, those that have done bad in the past, remember their good qualities over the bad.

Well I better get going, I love you all. I hope you have a fantastic week.

Love Elder Schmidt

Letter Bronson sent on 07/09/09

Famile Schmidt,
Hey everyone, I thought I would send some pictures, to keep everyone entertained. Some of them you have already seen so sorry. Noting new is really happening here. I don’t think anything especially funny has happened, other than what I wrote in my e-mails.

Missions are great. I understand why when you ask someone how their mission was they will say “it was the best two years” or “it changed my life”, because what happens in those two years is some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. You also have some of the happiest times and the saddest, but you learn how to lean on the Lord to have faith in him and your Heavenly Father, to listen and follow the answers you receive, and then the quest becomes how can I become more obedient so I can receive promptings more frequently. One great thing the Mission is teaching me is how to change my will so that it is consistent with the will of the Father. I honestly think that is a life long goal, because I am far from it. But at least I am on the latter going the right direction.

One thing I really want is that at the end of my mission everyone will see a difference in me, because I don’t think anyone goes on a mission not to change. Besides that, this church is a Church of change and I ‘m not speaking of principles or the Gospel, but of the members. After all that is why we are here, to learn to grow and to change.

I am so very grateful for the restored Gospel in my life. My favorite part of the gospel of Jesus Christ and the plan of God is that I can make it back home into the presence of God with my family. I love knowing that I can obtain this kingdom of glory. It all depends on what choices I make now in life. I have studied much about how I can keep from sin and I found out that an answer is virtue, all sins start in our minds, so if we can become the master of our minds and let virtue garnish or decorate our thoughts unceasingly, very few thoughts will develop into sin. I see virtue as a thought filtering system it keeps our thoughts clean and pure.

I think studying the gospel is like an Astronomer, He first looks at the stars with his eyes but is curious to know more. So, he gets binoculars and looks again only to realize there is so much more to learn. Then, he looks through a telescope, then through a satellite telescope and realizes that the more knowledge that he gains, the more there is to learn.

Well, sorry this letter isn’t very proper it kind of skips all over the place. Well, better get going. I love you all.

Love,
Elder Schmidt

07/06/09 Email

Hey Everyone,
I hope you had a fantastic day of Independence! We had a BBQ at the church. I think that it was the only BBQ that I have ever been too, where they weren’t cooking ribs or hamburgers or hotdogs..... Bienvenue a France, welcome to France.

I had the opportunity to play the part as Joseph Smith in a play that all the Missionaries put on, about the first vision; it was great and everyone loved it.

I wanted to give you a challenge this week, I have been thinking what can I ask everyone back home to do that would help them progress, and it came to me this morning. It was reading an old conference addition Ensign. I learned so much, so my challenge is to read one talk a week from a former conference. I promise you will learn a lot. We need to study their words so we can follow them.

I love you all.

Love,
Elder Schmidt

06/29/09 My Week in Nancy

Hey Everyone,

Things are going great here in Nancy France, we have seen a lot of miracles here. We are getting are new mission President this Wednesday, so it all should be very interesting.

Oh, so this past Sunday we went to this really cool Families house, the family cuche and he decided to film me, cause they are going to be in Utah in like 15 days, and they wanted to meet you, Mom and Dad. I think that would be really cool, they will be staying in Bountiful. They are seriously the coolest family in France 7 children and the mother is partially blind; that is impressive. You should look her up on youtube her name is Maria Christian, she is Irish and she is a really good singer. So they might give you a call or something. They wanted to show you that video they made.

In other news this past week I had the opportunity to go to Epinal on an exchange and do a baptismal interview for two young children. It was so much fun, and it was very good for me cause I asked the children the questions, and they answered them with ease. So I even threw a couple curve balls at them, and they answered them as well it helped me see that even young children can understand the gospel and have a testimony of it. It was a wonderful experience.

Right after the baptisms of the two children there was this ball for everyone, one like… huge dance. My companion Elder Lepretre and I were there cause invited some investigators to come and we were there to welcome them. It was this huge stake shin-dig. Anyways, it was funny cause their where a couple of girls, or I should say groups of girls hitting on us... weird I know, its France they don’t have a big selection, so they take what they can get it. We are like….. “Well look at the time, we better get going, see you later.” I just thought that was funny cause they where saying things like “le francaise est tres mauche le plus belle launge est englaise”, that just means French is ugly and English is the best language. I was like….Well, back home it’s the opposite; what an interesting night.

Oh, here is a really good story. We have been teaching this less active family and there is a man that was excommunicated right after his mission. Let me tell you, the first time we met with him, he wanted nothing to do with us. Since then, he has been coming to church, and almost cries during every lesson. We explained that although being excommunicated is a bad thing, it is also one step closer to returning back on to the path. I think that gave him comfort. He called us the other day and said,” I talked with the branch president about me being rebaptised, I need to figure out what I need to do”. I love seeing miracles. He knows that the church is true and he is fighting his way back.

I love having the opportunity to be apart of this great work. Well just know that I love you all, and that things are going great here.

Love
Elder Schmidt

06/22/09 I'm on the Lords Errand

Hey Everyone,

The yard looks fantastic! I don’t think that I will even be able to recognize it. Oh, and by the way, that was my first time seeing a picture of the fifth wheel; it looks really nice. I really like the mailbox, where did you find it, it looks so…. real almost like it was growing right out of the ground. I bet it cost a lot cause I have never seen a tree mailbox before ha….ha….. Just joking. But the new one looks really nice.

This week has been fantastic! We had the baptism of Catharine Villaume this past Saturday and our next one is on July 12, with a woman named Sylvie; she is really cool.

Oh, so we had the opportunity to go and help teach English at this High School again. It, was so funny because they whisper stuff to each other like... “I think he is cute”, and they don’t think that we can speak French. Then you start to speak French with them, and they blush ha…ha. Oh, and let me tell you why they don’t think that we are weird. They wont let us wear our tags, or a tie, so you can see why. Anyway it was really fun.

It is the end of the transfer and me and Elder Lepretre will stay together so it is really cool. They made our zone like twice as big, because the mission is getting much smaller; so, they had to close a couple of zones. It’s been really crazy.

What else….Oh Happy fathers day dad! Thanks for all that you do for me. You really are the best dad a kid could ask for; I have three sisters and a brother that will testify to that. Thanks for every thing.

What else….I had the opportunity to play a little tennis, and I was a little rusty, but I still got it ha…ha, just joking. I pretty much just have my serve.

Well I hope that you all have fun at the West Fest. Next year I will be there with you all, ok… I promise ha-ha. But for know, I am on the Lords errand, and I have to work hard to return thanks for the great family that I have.

Well, I better get going, I love you all.

Love Elder Schmidt

06/15/09 This past week I saw many Miracles...

Hey Everyone,
Things have been going fantastic here in Nancy. We fixed a another baptismal date and, we have the baptism of Catharine this weekend; it’s going to be fantastic. Then, we have another baptism the following weekend. Let’s, just say that we have a lot of things to do between know and then.

So I have had some funny experiences this week, and I will try to tell you one. It started off on an exchange, with Elder Nicholiason. We where contacting through the park and I saw this black man and felt like I should talk to him. So I started in French, then he said (In a Brittish accent) “Do you speak English, and I said yes. It as pretty weird cause he was like maybe you can help me. He started going off about a near death experience, then he said, after this experience, I renamed myself SOLAR ANGEL. Then he said, I think I’m in the middle of being an angel and a human, but I cant arrive to fly yet...(while he said that he was trying to flap wings on his back). A lot of what we believe, he believed, like living with god before and that after we go to a spirit world; it was interesting. So we decided to run back and get him a book of Mormon in English, since we weren’t far from the apartment.

On our walk back we walked passed a group of young adults, and then this girl was walking by my side. I would speed up, and then so would she. It was weird. Then, she said, “what are you doing here”? And I said, “I’m from America, and she flipped out, and yelled back to her friends. Then she said, “Will you take me home with you, I didn’t know what to say, so I said I have ten more months before I go back. Then she said will you come back and get me? Then, in a desperate attempt, I was like… “Well, I have someone already”. She said, “ Oh, ok”, and ran back with her friends. The Elder I was with was like “What did she say”, so I explained it to him. He thought it was funny. Anyway, all this happened within a half an hour, and I was thinking in my head “GOD BLESS AMERICA” ha ha.

On another note, in this same day, I had a Rendezvous with one of our amis, and we taught her that Gospel of Jesus Christ. She said, “When I was praying the other day, felt this peace come over me, and I felt like I needed to be baptized.” So we fixed a date, and its really good cause she has a friend who introduced her to the church, so she has a good support system. We fixed a baptismal date with her, and she was more than content. So many good things are happening; Ii love seeing the Lords hand in the work.

We also had a family that has been less active for like 20 years call us up and said we want to come back. When we arrived there was three less actives and an investigator, and they all want to learn. The investigator Jessie, is doing everything we are asking him. This work is great I know that it is the work of the Lord and that he is directing it.

I better get going. Just know that this past week was great, and that I saw many miracles. The church is true.

Love,
Elder Schmidt

06/08/09 This is really the work of the Lord, and we are really tools in his hands

Hey,
Things are going great here in Nancy. This week I had the opportunity to go to Geneva on Exchanges with the assistants, it was really good. We walked passed this one man and we decided to try and talk to him, he was catholic and he was preparing for his communion. We where talking about the plan of salvation to him, it didn’t really interest him, but for some reason right before we where about to say good bye, it popped into my mind to ask him if he heard about the Book of Mormon. He said, “yeah I have one. I was like “really”, have you read it? He said, “I’m half way through Mosiah”; I was shocked. Then I asked, “how did you obtain one”, and he said, “Well, like I said, “ I am in the middle of preparing for my communion, and I was walking through the park, and I saw this book sitting on a bench, so I picked it up and started to read about it. In the end he didn’t want to fix a rendezvous, but we both bore testimony that the book of Mormon was true, and that he should pray about it to know. This experience helped me see that this is really the work of the Lord, and we are really tools in his hands. Maybe we where just at that place to tell him that he needed to pray about it, to know if it was true; w gave him our card.

Another thing that was really cool was, this same day we where teaching a lesson and this lady had a problem with God having a body and also the creation Adam and Eve. When we where teaching her, a scripture popped into my head, and I said, “Read this chapter, it will give you your answer, and to tell you the truth I didn’t know that it would. So yesterday, I read that chapter, and it really did answer the questions she was asking. I am so thankful for the Holy Ghost, because let me tell you I am not the type of missionary that can tell you where to find everything in the book of Mormon, I wish I was. But, what I know is I was prompted to say something, and if she reads it, she will get her answer.

Well, I better get going, I love you all.

Love,
Elder Schmidt

06/02/09 Things are great in Nancy

Hey everyone,

How are things going back home, I hope fantastic. Things have been going great here in Nancy. We have four baptismal dates and we just came from a rendezvous; I taught the importance of prayer. It went really good and it was one of those times where some story from the bible pops into your head, for some unknown reason and I seems to just work out like that’s what they need.

I did have a terrible rendezvous this week. We where at members house, and we where teaching the last half of the plan of salvation, and we came to the kingdoms of glory. I had a thought or rather a prompting to teach this in the most simple way that I possible could, and I taught every thing like you would teach it to the kid. Then all of a sudden the good old member pops in, and says no joke “that’s not at all what its like”, and he said “they only told you three of them”, and then he went on to explain outer darkness. I was like… “Be quiet please”. He went into very specific detail, and I just wanted out. That was one of those lessons, but they happen.

What else happened… I didn’t really take a preparation day, and I really don’t like to do that cause then I get grumpy. All in all, it wasn’t too bad.

There isn’t really much to do here in Nancy. It’s an ok city as far as looks, and I am enjoying it. I will go to Genève tomorrow for our exchanges with the assistants, and I think it should be really good.

It sounds like things are still moving forward back home, and I wish I was there, but then again I bet you wish you where in France ha ha. Well, I don’t know what else to write, we don’t really have too much time ever, we are always moving. Just know I love you all, and I will write a letter on the train to Geneva.

Love,

Elder Schmidt

05/25/09 The Lord is really blessing people here

Hey Everyone,Things are going great here in Nancy. The Lord is really blessing the people here, and I am just thankful that I have the opportunity to be apart of it all. Elder Leprêtre and I have fixed two more baptismal dates, that brings the total to five baptismal dates, and three of them are strong. One thing that I notice everyday, is that it is not at all me in this work. In fact if it was left up to me and my ability the work would not progress. I do know that when we recognize our weaknesses, it is then, that the lord can help us. We can do things we never thought we could do by ourselves. We want to accomplish the task, but we need to ask our Heavenly Father for help, and then we can see its not by our own power, then we can return the thanks to our Heavenly Father. I can’t tell you all how many times I have felt inadequate to do a task that is given to me. I cant tell you how many times I have been able to accomplish it with the help of Heavenly Father. I love this work. I can say that I have done anything so difficult and time demanding as this work; sun up to sun down your on the clock. The other day I compared missions to escalators in terms of progressing, by going on a mission you take that first step onto the escalator, and just doing that will help us to progress. Then we have a choice to make, are we going to use the same amount of energy as not taking the stairs, and start to walk up the escalator, if you do this you will progress twice as quick. I want to be the missionary that puts forth the effort, even though it is harder than just standing there and progressing at a steady pace. I know that by doing this I will become stronger! Hopefully you understood that, it made sense to me at the time. I love you all so very much. Love,Elder Schmidt

05/18/09 Darn Busy!!!

Hey Everyone,How are you doing? So let me tell you, we have been so darn busy. There is so much stuff to do as a zone leader. So far we have 3 baptismal dates; one is really strong and one will probably fall, but we are going to fix a couple more next week. I have contacted two or three people this last week cause we have nothing but rendezvous. I feel like I’m in Mexico. Yesterday Elder Leprêtre and I gave talks in the branch here and we also gave a fireside afterward. I was so darn tired at the end of the day. The good news is one of the members gave a book of Mormon to his friend, and he has been reading it. He says that he feels something different when he reads it, and he said he wants to be baptized. So we are going to go out and teach him. I think I came from desolation, to the land of promise ha…ha. Oh let me tell you, my companion was baptized two 3 years ago, and he really knows how to teach; I am learning a lot. Well everyone, I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week. LoveElder Schmidt

Nancy France

Here's where Nancy France is

05/11/09 Heading to Nancy France

Hey, it was great talking to you yesterday, it sounds like a lot is going on back home, and let me tell you, I miss it. Well, I guess I will just cut to the chase, I received my call from President today and it was pretty quick, he said that I will be going to Nancy; it’s in the north part of France. I will be serving with a Frenchy; his name is Elder Leprêtre, I hope that he is easy to get along with. The other thing is that I will be a zone leader, so that should be really interesting. I was just put as Sr. Companion and then he just bumped me up. So this should be a real challenge for me, and I need your prayers.

I will have the opportunity to do some exchanges in Luxembourg, so that should be really cool. I will have hit every country in the mission, maybe even Belgium; I hope so, that would be really cool.

So I leave this Wednesday. I’m not really too excited to go back to France, but what can you do. Anyway, today we are going to be going to Saleve, which is just a really high mountain---- laser tag------ and then to the United Nations. It should be really fun; don’t worry I will steal the pictures from Elder Assays’ camera, and put them on my card, so no need to worry.

Well, I love you all so very much, and I will work on becoming a better person so that you will all notice a difference in me. I don’t want to come back the same person as I was when I left. I love you, and sorry this is so short. I will try to write more next time.

Love
Elder Schmidt

05/04/09 Letter from Today + Pictures :)

Hey Everyone,
How is it going? This week went by really fast for me; I can’t even believe it. We had our interviews with our President and he basically told me I am going to be leaving Genève. So, that should be really interesting to see where I am going to go next. I really don’t even have a clue. Transfer calls are next Monday, and I have the opportunity to call you this Sunday; that should be really fun. We are planning on calling a round 18:00 or 6pm. I don’t know what time that is for you, I hope that is going to be ok. I will get back on the internet at the end of this week to confirm that with you.

This week we have been doing a lot of finding, Elder Laws and I have been trying to overcome our fears of contacting young adults. So we have been contacting in the park, and while we where there this passed week, I was looking around and we saw this girl with an accordion and another girl with a guitar. So I said, “ok elder laws lets go talk to them”, they where out in the grass. Elder Laws said, “ok but your flying solo”. I was like “ok”. So I went up to them and just starting talking to them about music, and how I used to play the guitar. The girl handed the guitar right over and said, play and so I played a little “Dust in the Wind” and pretty much the beginning of every song I could think of ha…ha ;since that’s all I know ha…ha. I even played La Bamba ha…ha. Then we turned that conversation into a contact, and although they weren’t all that interested, they sure talked to us more openly about what they believed; so that was really cool for me.

Other than that, we found a family while porting that I think is really interested. I said “I know that the family can be eternal", and then I asked him the question what is the most important thing in your life? He said, his family and I said me too. After we talked for a second, he said, “I don’t have time now, but if you can come back another day, that would be fine. Then we got his number. We knocked on least 150 doors and where rejected, at almost every one. But I know that since we did that, the Lord lead us to someone that was interested. Well, I can’t wait to talk to you on Sunday. I love you all, and here is a good quote “he is utterly incomparable in what he knows, what he is, and what he has accomplished, and what he has experienced, yet he calls us friends”. Neil A Maxwell."

Love

Elder Schmidt

04/27/2009 + Pictures!!!

Everyone
Things have been great this week! I have learned how important it is to have Charity when in the service of God; and I’m not talking about helping some one with their bags or holding a door open. I am talking about having that pure love of Christ, for those around us, all the time. When we have this love we will desire the salvation of others, but it doesn’t just come because we want it, it is a Gift we have to pray for.
I guess you could say that I had to learn this the hard way.

When I started this past transfer off, we didn’t have anyone to teach, and that really made it hard for me. The only thing that we could do is contact and port and start from scratch. I was running out of hope, and faith, since not one person would listen long enough to get a number. So, I took it upon myself to study charity, and faith, and hope, and as I was reading in the Doctrine and Covenants, I came across a verse that said if we desire to assist in the work of the Lord, we need to have faith hope and charity. I realized that I was not assisting in the work because I did not have charity or pure love for these people. So, I said a prayer, asking for this gift and really wanting to find someone to teach, and let’s just say that through the next couple of days people stopped and listened. Some just gave their numbers; one lady said I want you to come teach my children, because this is more important than "worldly things". The Lord really did help me learn this lesson.


I would encourage you all to ask for the Gift of charity, every night when you pray, cause without it we are nothing! "The degree of our love for the Lord, for the Gospel, and for our fellow man can be measured by what we are willing to sacrifice for them" M Russell Ballard. I really liked that quote!

Things have been going great and I am looking forward to this last year of my mission; it’s going to be great! Here is another quote that a really liked “How difficult it must be for Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, to see so many needlessly suffer because his Gift of repentance was ignored. It must pain him deeply to see the pointless agony both in this life, and beyond the veil, that accompany the unrepentant sinner. After all he did, so that we would not suffer. Richard G Scott.

I really am so thankful for the gift of repentance and the Miracle that forgiveness is for us, cause it is through this gift that we can become perfect and return home to God our Father. I love you all and I am so thankful for all that you do for me!!


Elder Schmidt

Sending a letter

Thank you for your prayers and support. Just in case you want to write....Bronson's address is:

Elder Schmidt
5 Ave DeMiremont
CH-1206 Geneve
Switzerland

It cost 0.94 to send a letter!! And he LOVES THEM!!

04/21/09 I love the Gospel its Wonderful!!

Everyone,
How are you all doing? I hope all is going well. I was sad to hear about Monique’s child, I will be sure to keep them in my prayers. I am glad to hear that everything is fine with baby Bronson. I looked up the meaning of Bronson and I found “Fierce Strong One”, so I’m sure he is fierce and strong :) The other definition that I found was “Brown Mans Son”, and I don’t know about that… ha ha.

So, in other news… everything has been going great here! My Companion Elder Laws and I have been really trying to find someone to teach. We found a lady at the door that said, "Sorry I am going through a really hard time right now, my father just passed away". We quickly bore testimony that we can be with our families forever, and that she could see her father again, thanks to the gospel of Jesus Christ. She then said to us, “I am really busy for the next five days, but I would like you both to come back". We left her a plan of salvation brochure. Hopefully we will be able to share with this young daughter of God, how she can eventually return home with him, and have an opportunity to be with her father again. It was really nice to see how her attitude changed, when we shared this with her.

We had the opportunity this week to teach a Portuguese couple, and they really loved the idea of being able to be together forever. She had read from the book of Mormon, and he had checked out the sited from the church. I am just hoping that they will have a voice whisper to them that they need more then what they already have.

The other companionship had a baptism yesterday, and it was someone that I had the opportunity to teach, when I was in that companionship. It was really nice, after the whole thing she (Ridenise) thanked me for all the help I had given her. I was thinking to myself, thank you for searching for the truth. She met the church through a less active member, imagine that. She said a prayer during class, and she said this during the prayer “I want you to know that I made this choice to be baptized by my own will, even when my family didn’t want me too, because I know its right". It was a very sincere prayer, and now we have a new member in the church, and another lost sheep found!!!

I am so very thankful to be a missionary. I have the opportunity to help my brothers and sisters find the path that leads back home. The more time I spend out here, I think I am beginning to realize better the reason we are here. It is to become like our father, and not let anything stop us from doing that. We have the responsibility to help those around us do the same thing.

I am so excited for the second year that I have left to do my best. I am now reading the Miracle of Forgiveness, and let me tell you all if you haven’t read that book, read it now. I have almost finished it in two weeks so no excuses ;) ha ha It has really helped me understand repentance more clearly, and also realize some things that I need to change.

OK, Well I better get going. I just want you all to know that I love you, and that I know that this church is true. I am thankful for everyday that I wear this name on my plaque and also the name of Jesus Christ. I love the gospel, its wonderful!

Love
Elder Schmidt

04/14/09 Easter

Hey Everyone,
I hope that you all had a fantastic Easter Sunday, I know I did. I had the opportunity to do a lot of finding, and trying to invite people to listen to a message about the Savior Jesus Christ. It was pretty interesting, because we tried to focus on just talking about Christ, thinking that this would be a wonderful time to share this type of message, but we couldn’t get one person to stop and talk to us. We even had someone say no thanks; I’m catholic; which made little sense… but whatever.

We decided to do some door to door, with the objective to show the film “Finding Faith in Christ”. We thought that maybe someone would want a nice message on Easter, but no one would accept us. We even had one lady say to us “why are you disrupting everyone on Easter”, I said to her “it is not a bad thing that we are doing. We are trying to share a message about Christ"; she slammed the door right after that. What was going through my head was "did you not know that the reason you have work off is because of Christ".

Soon, we had a family invite us in, and then the husband walked in behind us, and kicked us out as his 10 year old kid was begging that we stay. Personally I think he should have listened to his kid! It was a great learning experience and I felt very sorry for these people that feel that there is nothing more that they can have. My companion put it perfect, he said, “how can they think that they have the whole truth, if they did, they wouldn’t be so sad and angry all the time" I thought that’s true.

Pray for those who don’t know the gospel, they need our prayers. Pray for those that won’t accept our message, they need them too. Sorry this isn’t too long; just know that I love you all, and that things are going great! Tell Ty thanks for the letter; that was very nice of him. Search for ways to share the Gospel…ok? Great happiness comes from it.

Love

Elder Schmidt!

04/06/09 I'm grateful

Hey Everyone,

I hope that everything is going great back home. I imagine that conference went very well, since I know that it did for me; it was just what I needed.

Being senior companion is a lot of responsibility; I had no idea. Instead of being able to say “we will do what ever you think is best, you’re the senior companion”. Now I have someone telling me that same thing. But all in all, it’s pretty good, I’m learning a lot. This past week we have been doing a lot of inviting; inviting people to conference. They made papers that we where supposed to hand out, and assigned us a place to pass them out. The zone leaders where like… this is going to be so much fun! My companion and I were like…maybe it will be. So we tried it and it was very difficult. I handed out like ten and my companion Elder Laws, came up and said, “I haven’t given one out yet; what are you doing”? I said, just saying “I am here to invite you to hear the word of God, through his prophets and apostles; I hope to see you there”. Followed by, “I know that God has called a prophet to help us”. Some people took them, I even went out into the grass to talk to a couple groups of people, and invited them to come. I walked off and I think I heard one of them call me “Satan”. Don’t worry, it made me laugh. Elder Laws kept saying, “This isn’t fun at all”. It was a good experience in the end.

We are basically starting off with nothing in our Equipe, no Amis, no reliable formers, and the area book we have is filled with Spanish speakers, so we are back to finding full time. On the other hand, I can do a contact in Spanish now, and I have received a couple numbers for the other elders when knocking doors.

We had one person let us in this week that we tried to teach but I think the Lord was just testing us with him; he was someone who liked to argue.

I think every time that I watch conference it makes me miss home a bit, cause I see down town, and places I have been. I love just being able to sit their, and just learn, I love it; they say nothing but truths. Thanks for writing me Mom, and I love a good e-mail.

What else has happened this week... not too much really, just a lot of walking around, trying to find the ones that the lord has prepared. I’m sure that we will find someone to teach this week. I am so grateful for you all, and I love you all so much; your in my prayers.

Love Elder Schmidt

03/30/09 Transfers

Hey,
How is it going this week? Thanks so much for the invitation to Grandma's 50 years in America! I hope that everything went off without a hitch.

Sorry I couldn’t get a e-mail off last week. I actually wrote a huge one, and it just would not let me send it. I wish that I could have at least sent pictures, but don’t worry this week went really well. We fixed a baptismal date, but I won’t get to be the one who has the opportunity to teach her anymore. We received transfer calls today; it turns out that I am staying in Geneva, but no longer Spanish speaking, thank heavens!! ha ha That was a little much for me.

I will be (DRUM ROLL!!!!) A Senior companion to Elder Laws. This is going to be really interesting. Now, I have the old equipe in which I just came from, that had no Amis. I know that we will find someone to help bring closer to their Heavenly Father. So, in other words I am going to need your prayers this transfer, because I am going to have to be the one who teaches a lot of the lessons. So, pray for me to be able to speak clearly to the people that they might understand!

Oh, I forgot to tell you my debit card is not working still I think it’s because there is a very large scratch in the little band thing.

This past week has been a week of Spanish Rendezvous and let me tell you, its so hard when you want to participate, but you can’t. All in all it was fantastic; I learned a lot!

This past Thursday, we went down to the driving place to get a permi de conduire (Swiss drivers license-good for life) because the mission office asked us too; not really sure why. The cost of it was 100 Swiss francs; they try to justify it by saying that that’s as much as we would have spent on a bike if we had one. Hopefully, that didn’t shock you too much mom and dad when you saw that transaction.

I also had the opportunity to do an exchange with one of the office Elders, it was great! We where supposed to teach some Muslim man in English, I think they chose me to go because of my great knowledge of teaching Muslim people from St. Etienne ha ha. It turns out the address was bad, so we ended up doing some porting!

Then, we started up a little Saturday ping pong with some amies and some recent converts and they couldn’t believe how good I was at Babyfoot (AKA foose ball). I kept telling them I had never played before, it was fun! Then, we played a game of pool, and it was one of those shots where you have to jump a couple of balls to get it in. I approached the table with the presents that I was good but in a joking way. I did the jump shot, and some how it actually worked, and then right after that I went to hit another ball into the corner pocket and then a chain reaction happened and hit like four other of my balls in. I was thinking in my head, did that just happen? They thought I was amazing! It just reminded me when of when I would play pool with dad and be like “six ball corner pocket”, and the six would go around the table about six times before arriving at a corner pocket. Then when it went in, I would act like I meant to do that. Well sorry for that little tangent ha ha it was fun.

This next part might really interest Shane a lot!!! Today for preparation day we went to see this huge Particle Excellerator; it’s the largest in the world. It is really deep in the ground, and they run Protons into each other. The name of the place was called CERN (European center for Nuclear Research). It’s about a mile around, but in the earth. I saw it on the Discovery Channel once. Let’s just put it this way, they where talking…. and not one of us understood what the heck they where talking about. Elder Griffin looked at me and said, “This must be what its like when we teach people the first lesson”. The lady was talking in the back round about matter, and dark matter, and Dark energy. Elder Griffin was whispering to me words like Apostasy, Restoration, Holy Ghost. Then, he said, “Seriously, think about it, all this stuff makes complete sense to her, and we just shake our heads up and down trying not to feel stupid.” He said, it’s the same with our investigators, that’s why we need to teach simply. I said, “I know, we need the milk before the meat” ha ha. He was making me laugh so hard.

Oh, and the best part was a senior couple (I swear they must be from the Harmon ward), he posed the question, “does this line of work make scientist think that there is no God?” Then he said, that Joseph Smith said 200 years ago that all things revolve around a center. Then (this is the best part), he said, "I’m just glad to see that your just starting to catch up with us, we will give you a brochure after". Every single missionary was like…”what are you doing? But it’s ok, he had the best of intensions.

Other than that, not much has been going on here. I am starting to get excited for General Conference. I can’t wait… its going to be great! Word of the Prophet and his Apostles, is like candy to my ears; I love it! We listen to at least three or so conference talks a week, and I learn new things every time. I am really nervous for this coming transfer, cause I don’t know how to be a SR Companion yet. So, once again, pray for me! I love you all so very much; you’re the best support team a missionary could ask for.

Love
Elder Schmidt

03/16/09 This week was amazing...

Hey Everyone,
Let me tell you what just happened. We are doing our e-mails and we just found out that one of the Elder’s is leaving Miremont. So, I am going to be in a three some companionship, which is going to be really weird, cause I don’t know how to speak Spanish (one lick). So, I will probably have a lot of time to ponder around here ha ha. No more cantiques, we are going to be singing Himnos ha ha. So, that was some crazy news that we just received.

This week was amazing. Last preparation day was awesome, at the car show, I think there was every cool car that you could possibly think of, including, the Lamborghini, which had a model lady to stand next to it. I thought to myself, that car is beautiful enough, do you mind taking a step aside so I can get a picture of the car by itself ha ha.

So, that’s really cool to hear that Vic is getting scuba certified. I am beginning to see Sebastian’s point of view when he sang UNDER THE SEA. I am pretty sure that should be the theme song for any scuba diver.

My Companion Elder Asay and I have seriously contacted everyone on the road, even so much that we have contact them twice. I figure why not give them another chance to accept, right? We had 50 finding lessons this week, and the average for a missionary is 8-10. We did however; find someone really cool to teach. His name is Virgillian. He let us in, and we taught him the restoration. Then he told us to come back in three days, so that his wife could be there with him, it was awesome. They asked a lot of good questions. I think they are going to love the plan of salvation. I mean, who wouldn’t want to be with there spouse for eternity.

It has been a great week, and the weather is really starting to warm up. I can’t wait till summer, cause its the last one here ha ha. Might as well make the best of it!

I have been reading my book of Mormon every day and I love it I seriously learn something new every time; I cant even explain. I think my companion is getting a bit irritated, when we have comp studies, cause I just lay everything out there, and I get so excited that I forget to let him talk. I read in Alma in ch 17:12 et 13, it talks about their desire to share the gospel, and in 17:21-25, it says that his only desire was to serve the king. In verse 29, he finds a way to share the gospel through his service. Then, in Alma 26: 22, they where able to bring thousands of souls unto repentance. The point I wanted to get across, is it started with the desire to share the gospel, and he found a way to share it, through service. So I bet you cant guess what I’m going to ask you to do.... Look for ways to serve others so that you might find a way to share the gospel, and bring one soul that is so precious to repentance and then to the waters of Baptism.

I love this work, I love every opportunity the Lord gives me to help others, and in so doing, I am following the example of my Savior Jesus-Christ. Hopefully, I will help someone come closer to their Heavenly Father. I love you all so much. I pray for you all, and I am thankful that I have wonderful family and friends who love me.

Love Elder Schmidt

03/09/09 Letter inside mailbox from family... Priceless!!

Family,
Hey Mom,I got both of your letters that you sent this week; it was a great surprise! It doesn’t matter that they where a bit late. I was thinking about making a commercial like the church makes that says "mail box 32.00 dollars... key for mailbox 2.00 dollars, letter inside mailbox from family,priceless! Isn’t it about time you send your missionary mail? This message was brought to you from the missionaries of the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints" ha ha Mom, you are doing pretty good, two letters in one day. I almost didn’t want to open both of them in the same day. Thanks mom I really enjoyed the stories.
This week has been great, but hard at the same time. We have had some great experiences. This past Tuesday we had this mission couple come to our apartment and they arranged a ton of stuff and made us throw a lot of stuff away. We didn’t have any way to dispose of it at all. So, they asked us to go to the mission home, and ask if we could use the Traffic, which is this big white van; so we did. Let’s just say that we didn’t have a license to drive it, but it was a great adventure. I was the one that got to drive, and let me tell you there are some weird traffic laws here. What made it even better is it was a stick. Elder Asay and I, lets just say, had the times of our lives. I took some pictures.
Another weird thing that happened is we where just sitting at the tram stop just Elder Asay and I, and this man just pops out of no where with this news video camera and just starts filming us. So we didn’t know what to do, so I thought to myself, might as well get some free advertisement. I made me tag very visible and turned Le Livre de Mormon so that it could be read, than he just took off; it was pretty funny!
We had the opportunity to have an area 70 come to our zone conference. His name is Elder Paya, he is French. It was cool cause half of it was in English and half was in French, and I could understand them both very easily. I even answered in French, and gave the opening prayer it was great! I love when our Heavenly Father gives us challenging situations, cause that just means that he is helping us grow stronger. A rock must have pressure, before it can become a diamond.
Oh, and this passed Sunday I had the opportunity to get up and talk about the spirit, for five min or so, in sacrament; it was great. What else has been happening, the work here is kind of going slow; we still only have one ami. However, this week, we decided we are going to get 40 finding lessons. That’s when we teach a principle, bear testimony, and then invite to act. I know the Lord will bless us with someone to teach, if we work diligently, have faith and rely on his timing.
Today we are going to go and do something great.....lets just say Dad, Vic, Dallas, and Kent, and Frank, will all be jealous. I am going to one of the world famous Car shows here in Geneva, don’t worry I will take a lot of pictures and hopefully, I can sit in a Lambo or something, maybe a Miclearin F1 (I probably spelled that wrong; sorry. It’s all coming together…. my Mission President was inspired sending me here… ha..ha I’m just kidding! Its going to be sweet! I swear this transfer is going by way to quickly, its already half over, wow. Well, I better get going, I love you all; cant wait to hear from you!!!!

Elder Schmidt

03/02/09 An instrument in the Lord's Hands

JOAN MARIA'S BAPTISM DAY!!!

"Now this is the commandment: Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day. Verily, verily, I say unto you, this is my gospel....."
3 Nephi 27: 20-21

Family,
This week has been so great! I received a call from St.Etienne, and it was Jean Maria, he said “I want to be baptized and I want you to do it”. I told him that I would be honored. He had already spoke with my mission President and got permission for me. I took a 3 hour ride to St.Etienne, with one of the assistants, it was great. When I arrived he gave me a big hug, and said, “Thanks for this gift that you have given me, I know that it is a fit from God, but thanks so much for talking to me that night on the road, for bringing me this great message.” At this time I was thinking, “Wow, God really does guide the work”, cause we where just out that night because we felt like we should stay out a bit longer contacting.
This was such a great experience for me cause I feel like we just taught him principles to his mind, and the spirit is the one that carried this message to his heart. it is wonderful this feeling of being an instrument in the Lords hands. I can’t tell you how many times I say stuff, that has nothing to do with the subject that we are talking about, but I just feel like I have to say it. I know that there is power in callings, cause I could do this no other way than with the help of the Lord.
I am so grateful to be a missionary in the Lords vineyard at this time, cause I know that he truly is directing the work here, and all across the world. I love this church, I know it is true, and I love sharing this great message.
The baptism went great. I had the opportunity to do the baptism in French. I was going to do it in Spanish, cause that is his native tongue, but there was only one witness who was familiar with Spanish. The hot water was not working in the font, but that didn’t stop us... it was freezing. I mean I was shivering, but in the words of Jean Maria, “it was "PERFECT". I think I would have to agree; it was perfect. Cold water cant stop anyone from making a covenant with their Heavenly Father.
I will try to write a hand written letter, sorry this is so short but I had to retype it, cause it was erased for some reason. I love you all. Things are going great here in Geneva. My companion is hilarious; I love it. Thanks for all your love and support. Try to share your testimony with someone this week.

Love Elder Schmidt