October 18th

Hey Dad, Mom, Laura. Johnny!!
Yep I am now 25 yrs old and 6 months into my mission and I can already see the effects of my mission in my body and face.........WOW..does your mission age you or what???

I am going to come home looking about 30 yrs old and feel like a million years older. But my birthday was wonderful!!!
My sweet companion talked to the Godoy family (Brother Godoy is the Ward Mission Leader) and we had my birthday lunch with them!! Sister Godoy made this really yummy lunch with homemade pasta with veggies inside and potatoes and meat and it was really good!!!

They also made me a birthday cake from scratch and they gave me a homemade gift!!!!!!! Its this big pink pillo with this beautiful knitted lace!!! It looks like something you would buy in a really nice store for your daughter's bed!!! But it was homemade!!

My Companion bought me this amazing ice-cream cake from Grido which is like the Baskin Robbins of Argentina!! All the ice cream there is amazing andn she created these birthday sign and cut out Happy Birthday Sister Schmidt and made the cutest signs ever!!! Lots of work!!!
But yeah......if you sent it express.....I should get it soon!!!!! Remember I have to wait for my package after it arrives in Argentina and then the Edlers who work in the mission office there send my package and mail to the Elders in Posadas and when we have a District meeting and go to Posadas I;ll get my package!!!!

YEAH!! Anyway My birthday was wonderful and thankyou for your birthday wishes!! I will eventually send a package with pictures and things of Argentina to yall!! I have been collecting some really cool stuff for my family!!

This past Wednesday we had our interviews with the Mission President! Presidente Del Castillo actually came to Ituzaingo and interviewed us in our apartment. It went REALLY well!!!!! I was sooooo nervous and stressed but I just really respect him more and more after I talk to him. I was feeling so discouraged with my area and the language and he had me read this section in Preach my Gospel and it answered every single doubt and frustration I had perfectly. We also talked about how we need to have 5 more baptisms before the end of the year in order to match the number last year.

IN the section in Preach my Gospel that he shared with me...it talked about how I have 2 responsibilities as a missionary:
1. To teach with clarity and
2 Teach with Power.......

now inorder to teach with power we must have the Spirit........The President asked me if I was exactly obedient.........of course I said no.....I'm obedient but not exactly obedient.

My Mission President looked right at me and said, " Hermana, if you are exactly obedient......you WILL have 5 more baptisms BEFORE the end of the year in Ituzaingo" When my mission President said that.......the Spirit literally punched me right in the face and I heard VERY clearly in my head.......ITS TRUE.

I could feel the truth of this statement right to my core. He also asked me who had created all the signs with quotes and inspiring scriptures in our apartment (everytime I read a scripture or quote from the Liahona that I like...I write it on pretty paper in english and spanish and put it up in our apartment side by side.....our walls are covered) of course I said...."I did....all"

Presidente Castillo said........there's your answers........I had written a quote from Dieter F Uckdorf from General Conference about how its your reaction to adversity that determines how your life story turns out.

This is something that I am learning in my mission....how to be happy when things are difficult or miserable.........the happiness of a person it not determined by your life circumstances.......its how you choose to react. With the atonement of Jesus Christ we can be happy and have peace even when things just totally suck in your life. But we need to study and better understand the atonement.

But anyway there were other really wonder things that we talked about but my time is limited and I have other things to say. First off........now I'm pretty sure that I'll be in Ituzaingo for the next transfer after this with my companion. Now my goal is to be exactly obedient so that we can have our 5 baptisms. Also the President was there to check out our apartment which I'm not sure if hes ever been in there before because its a disaster and I'm pleased to say that he's authorized some big changes!!!!!!

TO start with....we will be getting a whole brand new stove with oven!!!!! YEAH!!!! The stoves here use gas and are different then what we have back home.....or at least in this area. But yep......major changes to make the apartment better!!!

Now my Campanion is stressed because all the things we need to do quickly but our aprtment will be sooooooo much better!!! Now we can cook so much better with 4 working burners and an oven!!! Prefect for Christmas together!!!

Also it was funny....because he looked through our closets and told us to buy more hangers to hang up our clothes with. All my stuff is organized but I don't have many hangers so all my skirts are hanging over the bar in my closet. My Companions closet is a disaster......with no hangers. But it was really funny to have my mission President tell me to hang up my clothes......its been a while since my Mom has said that!! But of course the same day we bought hangers and hung up our clothes properly........and yes its better!!!!!!!

I have some really funny stories from my companionfrom teaching other people that I want to share because I just about died laughing when she shared them with me......I have more but for now heres one.......My Companion was teaching the first lesson and had taught about the first vision and José Smith. She asked the investigator about what questions he had. He turned and looked at her and said....." SO God and Jesus Christ are MORMONS? "

Another really funny one was about Micheal Jackson........My Companion had taught about how Jesus Christ has the Priesthood (sacerdocio in spanish) and how he gave the Priesthood to others and how he performed miracles and how because of the atonement of Jesus Christ...we can be resurrected. Well this man had seen the thriller music video where Micheal Jackson is rsied from the dead into a zombie.......and this man said....." OH!!! Micheal Jackson has the priesthood..........he was resurrected"!

Yep.......I´ve got more but for now this will do!! Anyway I love you all and please forward my email to family and friends. By the way.....WHERE ARE MY ADDRESSES??? Beckstrom family and Bret Wink???? also VERY IMPORTANTE!! Please tell Taylor Turner belated happy birthday for me and HOW MUCH I MISS HER!!!!!!!!! love you all!! love hermana anna schmidt