November 15th email and pictures!

Hello family! I am finally sending pictures!! Enjoy!! The person in the photo with the bike was my trainer Hermana Carlosr! Just so you know who is who. Another week has gone by and we have transfers tuesday night but I'm pretty sure that I'll be here for another 6 weeks but who knows???

Well I have had a very eventful week!! First off I have to say that I have had my first experience where someone has thrown things at me because I'm a missionary!! My Companion and I were walking home through the neighborhood where our church is and our apartment. We walked by these teenagers and a few minutes later I could here rock flying through the air and hitting the pavement around us. I turned and looked and the teenagers were throwing rocks at us behind a bush and I saw one of them throwing rocks with all his might at our heads!!!!!!!! yep.....I was pretty horrified because we're Sister missionaries!!!!! But yeah.......the more we suffer, the more blessings that we will recieve so bring on the persecution......

But yeah I had some interesting experiences this past week. First off.....we had Conferencia de Zona in Posadas this past week. It was REALLY awesome and I recievered some big answers. Also it was awesome cause I got to see Elder Meeks from my District in the MTC. I am trying really hard not to compare myself to the others in my District or compare my area and think how much better theirs is. Almost all of them have LOTS of batipsms except for one in Corrientes in the Capital.

I'm in Ituzaingo COrrientes which is a tiny vacation town with a beach in the middle of no where. Honestly I think the state of Corrientes is the only State in Argentina that doesn't have a stake. But that's okay because Missionaries are here to help. I learned in Conference that its the faith of the missionaries that converts the investigators......interesting...huh??

Presidente Castillo said that if you don't want to work or you´re bored.......its because you're not obedient and don't have the Spirit. The Spirit brings us these desires.......be obedient and work has hard as you can and whatever problems you have will pass and you won´t want to leave your mission at the end.

But yeah there were alot of other things that were really powerful and my Companion and I left with a desire to do MUCH MUCH better in our area. Our numbers were soooo good the next 3 days after Conferience that we actually did better than our goals that we had set!!!!! One day we were sitting in the bus and this man looked at us and in my mind I heard.......talk to him....and of course my Companion and I were exhausted.....we were in the bus to head to the farthest part of Ituzaingo where its the poorest. My Companion was sleeping and so was I but the thought to talk to this man kept nagging me........so I sat up and watched for when he was going to leave the bus.......I whispered to my companion that I need to talk to him and when he got off....I ran off of that bus like crazy. I talked to him and asked if we could visit and teach him.

He said yes and later we passed by his house where he was sitting with his wife outside. His wife listens to ALL missionaries who pass by and she is special. She said that her husband normally does not listen to Misionaries but that we can pass by anytime and he said that he would listen!! Because I listened to a prompting we had 2 new investigators that day! We also had a miracle on Sunday where a woman who has ben investigating the church forever actually went to church!!!!!!! SHe has never been to church while I´ve been here and its been a REALLY long time since she has attended. So I actually cried when I saw her come with a member. She always says that she'll come but never does.

I've been teaching her for a really long time here and she actually told us about 2 months ago that she doesn't want to listen anymore and it broke my heart because she knows the church is true but is hard-headed. Her neighbors refused to talk to her and started creating problems because she was visitig with us. So she wouldn't even let us enter in her house anymore or open the door! But in the last 4 weeks she started to let us pass by again. But yeah it was a miracle for me and we actually had 4 investigators in the church Sunday. Anyway I have more but for now I've going to send more pictures!! I love you all!!! Keep emailing and writing!! love hermana Anna Schmidt

Emails November 1st & 8th

November 1st:

Hello family! Yep...another week has passed! Yesterday was my 7 months in the mission! WOW....it went by really fast.

This past week was interesting because Argentina had the 2010 Census here and I actually took it. Here is Argentina you have to stay in your house until a person comes to your home and interviews you for information. It was pretty amusing & interesting for me because they ask things like.....do you have a bathroom? DO you know how to read? Obviously it was in Spanish but I was able to do it no problems. To answer your question Laura.....yes I can understand and talk in Spanish......I'm like in the halfway mark of knowing Spanish. But my Companion is helping me alot.

The Sun is REALLY strong here!! We have not hit the high of Summer yet but WOW.....if I go outside....I get a sunburn!!! Now we are seeing alot of snakes in the sand!!!!!!! YIKES!! The other week for our P day we were exploring the beach and the forests along them when we saw a GIANT IGUANA!!! It was almost like those Komodo dragons!!! We were both scared!!!! As a missionary you experience, see and do things that you never thought you would do! Austin told me that!!! Its true!!

On Sunday we went to an investigators house to pick her up.......this investigator has this HORRIBLE dog!!!!! ! Well my Companion had clapped to let them know we were there when we saw this streak of black running for us.......the dog was coming out and running straight for my companion with his teeth out!!! I turned and jumped on top of an abandoned junk car and watched my Companion run like heck down the street!!!! The Dog kept chasing her until she was at the end! I just sat on top of this junk car in my usual missionary-sunday-clothes and was praying to God that my companion was gonna make it without injury. The Dog returned to the junk car.....looked up at me, did nothing and walked back to his house. I jumped off and went running for my Companion. I have never seen my Companion run from a Dog before......it makes it worse.....but I think the Spirit whispered......RUN!!!! Anyway afterwards.....we were laughing soooo hard.....we were both sick!!!! I literally jumped on top of a car to get away from this horrible Dog and just sat there!!!! We're still laughing about it.

But yep.....we are teaching alot and actually have some promising investigators. The stress of the mission and all in pretty severe. What's interesting now.....as I think about my time in the MTC.........how gratful I am for that period of time there and how I got to listen to Apostles of the Lord and just how I began my process of becoming what the Lord wants me to be......now I wished that I had enjoyed it more and not been so stressed about the Language. S

omething I am learning with my Companion is to enjoy my mission.......every rejection......walking in the rain....all of it because it goes by really fast and I won't have this chance again! Anyway I love you all!!!!!! I pray for you all!! love hermana Schmidt

November 8th:

¡Holá mi familia! ¿Como están? We are now in the last week and next tuesday we are going to have transfers. But I think that I have one more tansfer here in Ituzaingó Corrientes!!! Mom.......I got my package!!! THANKYOU but I am sad to say that if you put gum or food in my package......those jerks at customs stole ALL of it!!!! I got all the big stuff you put in my package but if you put food which you said that you did.....they took it! But thats okay!!!! I was so happy to get my package!!!

I have many interesting stories to share from this past week. First off......everyone in Ituzaingó knows where the mormon missionaries live...well we had Jehovah's Witnesses knocking on OUR door this past week...........my Companion said they were lucky that they didn't understand English because I was really mad. They know that we live there...the problem in Ituzaingo is that there are MANY missionaries in this town and they ALL talk smack about the Mormon missionaries to the people...interesting...right?? All the other missionaries here know the mormon missionaries.....ahem.....well my Companion answered the door and the chickas at the door said, ¨hello!!! We are Missionaires and we share a message about the bible..........My Companion looked at them straight in the eyes and said....oh...well...... We´re MIssionaries also......... of THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERDAY SAINTS AND WE SHARE A MESSAGE ABOUT JESUS CHRIST........DO YOU BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST?

In our apartment we have the classic picture of Jesus Christ in the middle of scriptures that I have written in english and spanish. WHen you are at our door.......its starring you straight in the face. The Jehovah´s witnesses gave my Companion a pamphlet and left!!! I was really annoyed because the other missionaries talk trash about us and of course we don't say anything. But my Companion said.......Hermana, Tenemos una cosa que Ellas no tienien......El Espiritú............SIster, we have something that they don´t have....The Spirit!

I felt better after that because I know that she is right!! Another really funny thing in this mission....we are not allowed to wear sunglasses because the people think that the North Americans are SPYS or the CIA.......the stories people say are so funny and ridiclous sometimes!

This past week we were teaching this brother and Sister who have a bunch of dogs and one of them has giant blue eyes!!! There are more Dogs here with blue eyes than people!! Well I was teaching and the Brother is like 22 yrs old looked at me and started laughing......I was really annoyed and was like...whats your problem?? He said.......you have same blue eyes as my Dog!

I was sooo shocked after he said that....that I couldn´t teach and looked at the Companion and said Le toca.......which means your turn!!!!! We laughed a lot about it afterwards. Also I heard the Spanish of Paraguay for the first time!!! Holy crap!!! Its sooo crazy!!! Its sounds like the Spanish version of Japanese!!!!!! There are lots of people from Paraguay in the Northern part of Argentina.

Anyways, I love you all and am proud of all of you!! love hermana anna schmidt