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
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Monday October 9th
Hello everyone! Well my companion and I are still together for this transfer and we have 2 people with dates for baptisms for October 30 so pray for you that everything will work out and we'll get them baptized!
I think this will probably be my last 6 weeks in Ituzaingo but who knows? My Companion is wonderful and I am learning a lot from her. We are trying to help this area and we have seen little miracles here and there. Yes my Spanish has improved a lot and my companion says that I am learning really fast and that my Spanish is as good as her other American companion who has 11 months in the mission. But I still have soo much to learn and its not easy.
I have officially eaten my first weird food in Argentina......cows stomach!!!!!!! We had lunch with our investigator Salvador and he made up a really good dish of food and my companion just about died when he said what it was. She hates cow's stomach with a passion. It was weird but because he prepared it really well with spices and pasta and other things...it was almost like chicken. But I ate it because he is awesome and always wants to help us which is kinda funny because we want to help him!!!!!!!
But yeah........you can bet after my mission I will be returning to my healthy vegan ways soooooo prepare yourselves family for rice milk and dairy free ice cream, fake meat when I return in 1 year!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note from Laura-oh joy...)
Here's something that I have learned that's interesting......you know how everyone thinks that all Spanish is the same??? Its NOT!! Every Spanish speaking nation has a different version of Spanish and different words!!! We are very close to Paraguay and they speak a total different version of Spanish that Argentines can't understand but they can understand us more or less!!!
In Formosa half of the people there speak paraguan. SO it'll be interesting to experience if I go there. I also have something kind of funny but also sad. I saw my 3rd dead dog in the street about 2 weeks ago! But guess how he died?? He was struck by lighting and he was lying on his back with his legs sticking straight up and eyes wide open like he was frozen and then turned upside down. It was a crazy sight to see!!!!!!!
! I have also become familiar with the smell of something that died. My companion and I cover our noses and gag. We are teaching a lot and trying to help all the inactives and get people to come to church!!! Its not easy but we had a fast Saturday night and the next day Sunday was amazing!
But anyway I'll tell you more about it later! I will be 25 yrs old this Saturday at 10:30 pm! How crazy is that? I am halfway to 30!!!! WOW.......that is really crazy and scary!!! Please tell the Turners Happy Belated Birthday to Taylor Turner and that I really miss her soooooo much!!!!
Also how are the Beckstroms?? Can I please have the addresses I keep asking for the Beckstroms and Bret Wink??? I love you all every much and pray for ya'll A LOT!!! Please pray for my companion as well!! My companion said that her Mom knows all about every companion and prays for them by name and puts their name in the temple!!! My Companion's name is Jessica Catricura!!!! Please pray for us!!! I love you all!! love hermana anna schmidt
I think this will probably be my last 6 weeks in Ituzaingo but who knows? My Companion is wonderful and I am learning a lot from her. We are trying to help this area and we have seen little miracles here and there. Yes my Spanish has improved a lot and my companion says that I am learning really fast and that my Spanish is as good as her other American companion who has 11 months in the mission. But I still have soo much to learn and its not easy.
I have officially eaten my first weird food in Argentina......cows stomach!!!!!!! We had lunch with our investigator Salvador and he made up a really good dish of food and my companion just about died when he said what it was. She hates cow's stomach with a passion. It was weird but because he prepared it really well with spices and pasta and other things...it was almost like chicken. But I ate it because he is awesome and always wants to help us which is kinda funny because we want to help him!!!!!!!
But yeah........you can bet after my mission I will be returning to my healthy vegan ways soooooo prepare yourselves family for rice milk and dairy free ice cream, fake meat when I return in 1 year!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Note from Laura-oh joy...)
Here's something that I have learned that's interesting......you know how everyone thinks that all Spanish is the same??? Its NOT!! Every Spanish speaking nation has a different version of Spanish and different words!!! We are very close to Paraguay and they speak a total different version of Spanish that Argentines can't understand but they can understand us more or less!!!
In Formosa half of the people there speak paraguan. SO it'll be interesting to experience if I go there. I also have something kind of funny but also sad. I saw my 3rd dead dog in the street about 2 weeks ago! But guess how he died?? He was struck by lighting and he was lying on his back with his legs sticking straight up and eyes wide open like he was frozen and then turned upside down. It was a crazy sight to see!!!!!!!
! I have also become familiar with the smell of something that died. My companion and I cover our noses and gag. We are teaching a lot and trying to help all the inactives and get people to come to church!!! Its not easy but we had a fast Saturday night and the next day Sunday was amazing!
But anyway I'll tell you more about it later! I will be 25 yrs old this Saturday at 10:30 pm! How crazy is that? I am halfway to 30!!!! WOW.......that is really crazy and scary!!! Please tell the Turners Happy Belated Birthday to Taylor Turner and that I really miss her soooooo much!!!!
Also how are the Beckstroms?? Can I please have the addresses I keep asking for the Beckstroms and Bret Wink??? I love you all every much and pray for ya'll A LOT!!! Please pray for my companion as well!! My companion said that her Mom knows all about every companion and prays for them by name and puts their name in the temple!!! My Companion's name is Jessica Catricura!!!! Please pray for us!!! I love you all!! love hermana anna schmidt
Sunday, October 10, 2010
6th month mark! Emails from most of September and beinning of October
September 13th:
I saw my first dead dog in the street this past week with my Companion. But I know I'm adjusting when I'm not longer upset by seeing things like this. I actually thought......that dog is better off dead. But anyways sorry!!!!!!!!!
What a sad way to start my email! This past week we worked really hard and pretty much got no results because we didn't have any investigators in church for the first time. We always have at least one! About 2 months ago the President of the Mission said that the Missionaries can't attend church if we don't have investigators in church. So my Companion and I didn't get to have sacrament and we were looking for investigators for 3 hrs to go to church.
Things are hard for my new Companion because my sweet oblivious trainer left everything a disaster here in Ituzaingo. There are problems with our apartment that my trainer never got fixed and other things. But we are working hard to change things! I have some crazy stories to share. One of them involves a catholic priest! We were knocking on doors when this young adult came out and we talked and he said we could visit. Well as we were talking a Catholic Preist ( A Father?) came out of the house!!!! I think he was there to give someone a blessing or something like that! He came right up to us and starting asking my Companion questions like.....whats your name? WHat church? WHO is the son of God? WHo is the Mother of God?
It was really irritating because he knows we are Mormon missionaries and we have black tags right on our shirts. But she looked at him and answered the questions. I looked at him straight in the eye and held my ground. It says right in Preach my Gospel that we have power that he doesn't have. We are the true Restored Gospel in this World. He wasn't mean but it was like he was trying to school us.
What's funny is I'm pretty sure we have the same amount of religious education with years of Seminary in high school and religion classes at BYU and being a member of the church our whole lives. What was funny was later in the week we saw him in a Parade here in Ituziango and he looked at us and I waved at him. When he saw he.....he looked away really fast. Kinda funny! The Catholics here aren't friends with us like the Catholics in the United States.
Anyway another funny story was when we taught this old lady this past week who was really sweet but I think crazy. I was trying so hard not to die laughing because it was almost like something in a movie. She has these 2 Dogs and when she wants them to leave she waves around this stick with like a piece of string tied to it like a whip. I stood there watching this old lady screech at her dogs waving around this stick to get them to leave. She was so sweet but my Companion and I couldn't teach becasue she kept talking and couldn't hear us very well.
I really thought.......I'm in a movie right now.....this isn't reality. But yep my Companion is frustrated here because people here won't say that they´re not interested.....they all say yes!! I want to go to church and blahblah but then they do nothing. IN Ituziango.....just about everyone listens but won't make commitments. IN other places......people straight out say no or actually when they listen...they do their commitments!
SO we are teaching a lot......we have many investigators but very few progressing! But anyway at some point I will be leaving here and I have a strong feeling I'll be heading off to Formosa or some area in Resistencia. I'm basing this on the fact that I had a blessing which described the area I would be in and our Mission is huge.....but based on this blessing....those areas best fit the description. But who knows?? Anyways I am grateful for the support of you all!!!!!!!!!!! If I didn't have your support I don't think I could do this at all. Please try not to change the entire house while I'm gone or get ride of anymore animals until I get back! Seriously I want our house the same!
I love you all!! PLease pray for me....I pray for you all!!! love hermana Anna Schmidt
September 27th:
Please forward this email to all of the family!!! Well............I will start off by saying ITS REALLY HOT!!! Summer hasn't even started yet but its already REALLY hot. We don't have any ceiling fans but we have about 3 giant fans in our apartment that we are using so I can't complain! I shouldn't even complain now because its not even Summer yet.
We had our Reunion de District in Posadas last week and I was able to recieve ALL my mail!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!! Keep writing and keep sending emails. If you want to send me uplifting photocopies of talks in the mail.....I would love it!! Every month the missionaries receive the church magazine Lihona but the Spanish speaking missionaries get it first!! We get our english versions a little later. As far as general conference my companion says the the English missionaries always get to watch it in English in another room but since I'm in Ituzaingo I wonder if I'll get that same chance.
We shall find out...my Companion Hna. Catricura wants to watch it in English too. After her mission she wants to go to BYU in Utah. (Shes from Chile) Anyways......she is absolutely wonderful!!!!! Its interesting how many of our investigators after we teach them and we ask them when we have another appointment....many of them say....TOMORROW???
Its really sweet...its interesting also as companion we can feel the spirit at the exact same time and knows things...its also interesting how when someone is angry how the spirit just leaves the room in a second.
Anyways we are working hard in a difficult area with problems but hopefully with time my Companion and I can change this are and help it. We are teaching some wonderful people who I just want them to receive their answers sooooo BAD!!!!!! If they know the church is true.....they can totally change their lives and have the hope they need to have!!
We have seen some little miracles here and hopefully these peoples' schedule will change so they can go to church cause they want to!!!!!!!
I love you all and I am doing well. I have a lot fo spanish to learn but with time its getting better......who knows?? Maybe one day I'll have an investigator who'll do commitments and be baptized....heehee......love you all!! Love Hna. Anna Schmidt
October 4th:
Hey family! So Tuesday night is when the Elders call to say if you're leaving or not. TRANSFERS!! But I'm pretty sure I'm going to have another transfer here or at least I hope with my companion. We worked hard as usual and had investigators with us in Conference. We had about 5 people in the space of 2 days there with us which is a miracle for my area. I got to watch conference in English of course in another room with my own tv and it was really great!!!!!!
Today we had an activity with the Elders and other Hermanas in Posadas and we went to a chinese resturant and ordered chinese food in spanish.......pretty crazy huh???? But it was REALLY good and my compnaion and I were so happy to get out of Posadas. Anyway Sorry this email is really short but I would like to follow the advice of Jeffery R Holland and say THANKYOU DAD; MOM; LAURA; JONTHAN for being my family. Thankyou Dad for how hard you have always worked to support our family and for always encouraging me to get an education and serve a mission. Thankyou for playing with me fun games! I'm grateful for Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt for their examples and how hard they worked and loved me Thank you Mom for always pushing me to leave my comfort zone and encourage me to develope my talents. Thank you for the awesome summer memories when I was in school and for singing me songs in bed and reading stories. I am most of all grateful that ya´ll always took us to church and insisted on reading scriptures and having family home evening.
Thank you for the vacations and life experiences. Laura and Jonathan, thank you for being my sibling. I always brag about my siblings to all the missionaries. I love you all every much!
-Hna Anna Schmidt
I saw my first dead dog in the street this past week with my Companion. But I know I'm adjusting when I'm not longer upset by seeing things like this. I actually thought......that dog is better off dead. But anyways sorry!!!!!!!!!
What a sad way to start my email! This past week we worked really hard and pretty much got no results because we didn't have any investigators in church for the first time. We always have at least one! About 2 months ago the President of the Mission said that the Missionaries can't attend church if we don't have investigators in church. So my Companion and I didn't get to have sacrament and we were looking for investigators for 3 hrs to go to church.
Things are hard for my new Companion because my sweet oblivious trainer left everything a disaster here in Ituzaingo. There are problems with our apartment that my trainer never got fixed and other things. But we are working hard to change things! I have some crazy stories to share. One of them involves a catholic priest! We were knocking on doors when this young adult came out and we talked and he said we could visit. Well as we were talking a Catholic Preist ( A Father?) came out of the house!!!! I think he was there to give someone a blessing or something like that! He came right up to us and starting asking my Companion questions like.....whats your name? WHat church? WHO is the son of God? WHo is the Mother of God?
It was really irritating because he knows we are Mormon missionaries and we have black tags right on our shirts. But she looked at him and answered the questions. I looked at him straight in the eye and held my ground. It says right in Preach my Gospel that we have power that he doesn't have. We are the true Restored Gospel in this World. He wasn't mean but it was like he was trying to school us.
What's funny is I'm pretty sure we have the same amount of religious education with years of Seminary in high school and religion classes at BYU and being a member of the church our whole lives. What was funny was later in the week we saw him in a Parade here in Ituziango and he looked at us and I waved at him. When he saw he.....he looked away really fast. Kinda funny! The Catholics here aren't friends with us like the Catholics in the United States.
Anyway another funny story was when we taught this old lady this past week who was really sweet but I think crazy. I was trying so hard not to die laughing because it was almost like something in a movie. She has these 2 Dogs and when she wants them to leave she waves around this stick with like a piece of string tied to it like a whip. I stood there watching this old lady screech at her dogs waving around this stick to get them to leave. She was so sweet but my Companion and I couldn't teach becasue she kept talking and couldn't hear us very well.
I really thought.......I'm in a movie right now.....this isn't reality. But yep my Companion is frustrated here because people here won't say that they´re not interested.....they all say yes!! I want to go to church and blahblah but then they do nothing. IN Ituziango.....just about everyone listens but won't make commitments. IN other places......people straight out say no or actually when they listen...they do their commitments!
SO we are teaching a lot......we have many investigators but very few progressing! But anyway at some point I will be leaving here and I have a strong feeling I'll be heading off to Formosa or some area in Resistencia. I'm basing this on the fact that I had a blessing which described the area I would be in and our Mission is huge.....but based on this blessing....those areas best fit the description. But who knows?? Anyways I am grateful for the support of you all!!!!!!!!!!! If I didn't have your support I don't think I could do this at all. Please try not to change the entire house while I'm gone or get ride of anymore animals until I get back! Seriously I want our house the same!
I love you all!! PLease pray for me....I pray for you all!!! love hermana Anna Schmidt
September 27th:
Please forward this email to all of the family!!! Well............I will start off by saying ITS REALLY HOT!!! Summer hasn't even started yet but its already REALLY hot. We don't have any ceiling fans but we have about 3 giant fans in our apartment that we are using so I can't complain! I shouldn't even complain now because its not even Summer yet.
We had our Reunion de District in Posadas last week and I was able to recieve ALL my mail!!!!!!!! THANK YOU!!! Keep writing and keep sending emails. If you want to send me uplifting photocopies of talks in the mail.....I would love it!! Every month the missionaries receive the church magazine Lihona but the Spanish speaking missionaries get it first!! We get our english versions a little later. As far as general conference my companion says the the English missionaries always get to watch it in English in another room but since I'm in Ituzaingo I wonder if I'll get that same chance.
We shall find out...my Companion Hna. Catricura wants to watch it in English too. After her mission she wants to go to BYU in Utah. (Shes from Chile) Anyways......she is absolutely wonderful!!!!! Its interesting how many of our investigators after we teach them and we ask them when we have another appointment....many of them say....TOMORROW???
Its really sweet...its interesting also as companion we can feel the spirit at the exact same time and knows things...its also interesting how when someone is angry how the spirit just leaves the room in a second.
Anyways we are working hard in a difficult area with problems but hopefully with time my Companion and I can change this are and help it. We are teaching some wonderful people who I just want them to receive their answers sooooo BAD!!!!!! If they know the church is true.....they can totally change their lives and have the hope they need to have!!
We have seen some little miracles here and hopefully these peoples' schedule will change so they can go to church cause they want to!!!!!!!
I love you all and I am doing well. I have a lot fo spanish to learn but with time its getting better......who knows?? Maybe one day I'll have an investigator who'll do commitments and be baptized....heehee......love you all!! Love Hna. Anna Schmidt
October 4th:
Hey family! So Tuesday night is when the Elders call to say if you're leaving or not. TRANSFERS!! But I'm pretty sure I'm going to have another transfer here or at least I hope with my companion. We worked hard as usual and had investigators with us in Conference. We had about 5 people in the space of 2 days there with us which is a miracle for my area. I got to watch conference in English of course in another room with my own tv and it was really great!!!!!!
Today we had an activity with the Elders and other Hermanas in Posadas and we went to a chinese resturant and ordered chinese food in spanish.......pretty crazy huh???? But it was REALLY good and my compnaion and I were so happy to get out of Posadas. Anyway Sorry this email is really short but I would like to follow the advice of Jeffery R Holland and say THANKYOU DAD; MOM; LAURA; JONTHAN for being my family. Thankyou Dad for how hard you have always worked to support our family and for always encouraging me to get an education and serve a mission. Thankyou for playing with me fun games! I'm grateful for Grandma and Grandpa Schmidt for their examples and how hard they worked and loved me Thank you Mom for always pushing me to leave my comfort zone and encourage me to develope my talents. Thank you for the awesome summer memories when I was in school and for singing me songs in bed and reading stories. I am most of all grateful that ya´ll always took us to church and insisted on reading scriptures and having family home evening.
Thank you for the vacations and life experiences. Laura and Jonathan, thank you for being my sibling. I always brag about my siblings to all the missionaries. I love you all every much!
-Hna Anna Schmidt
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Recent Emails
Here are the two most recent emails. Anna recently got a new companion and had a close-call with a dog attack!
Monday September 6th,
Monday August 2nd,
Well I am THRILLED to say that I have a new companion who is FANTASTIC.......Her name is Hermana Catricuric and she is from Chile and we totally understand each other. She is a really smart good missionary!!!! She has had a really tough mission though. She has had really difficult companions ( one was over 50 yrs old) and she has been in really hard areas. She started out in Formosa which I think is the poorest state in Argentina. The water there is toxic and there is malaria in certain areas and some areas are really dangerous. There are people who live in houses made of plastic and cardboard. But everyone is really loving and she actually had 5 baptisms there.
She was next in the capital of Corrientes and its the hardest area in the entire mission!!! Its also really dangerous. Her American companion was mugged in this area. I also found out that the reason why my trainer Hermana Carlos was in Ituzaingo because the Sister missionaries were pulled out of an area in Corrientes after a man threatened to kill the Sister missionaries if they ever stepped foot in this neighborhood again. SO of course after the Mission President found out the same day....they pulled the Sisters out of that area.
But PLEASE....don't worry.....I am in a very safe area where I don't have to worry about any of this!!! My Companion is actually having a really hard time right now because she only has about 6 months left and is most likely going to end her mission in Ituzaingo. She is totally in shock because Ituzaingo is the total opposite of the Capital of Corientes. She is also really worried because she and Hermana Carlos switched places and whats going to happen to Corrientes now. SO now My trainer is in Capital of Corrientes and I have Hna. Catricuric. Hermana C is pretty ticked off at Hermana Carlos after she saw what a disaster Hermana Carlos left for us in Ituzaingo. The Area book is a mess and we don`t have many progressing investigators but maybe 3.
BUT I KNOW with this Companion we are going to have baptisms. We visited the same people this past week and got totally different results becuase my companion is SHARP and really knows whats going on around her. She is also in tune with me when we teach and listens. She is not oblivious to all the problems in my area. She is in reality!!
I have NEVER had so much hope before in my mission. She corrects my Spanish and actually said that her American companion in Corrientes who's been a missionary for 9 months only speaks a little better for me and I've been in Argentina for 3 months. Everyone says that my spnaish has REALLY improved. Its still really hard and I lack a lot but I am starting to be able to understand people!
We had Stack Conference yesterday in Posada with Bradly Foster of the 70 and I understood ALOT!!!!!!!!!!! Then today we had Zone Conference and it went really, really well and Bradly Foster was there and taught us. I got a picture with him and his wife!!!!! I also got to see Elder Meeks and Elder Taylor from my District in the MTC! PRETTY AWESOME!!! Elder Meeks and I always seem to end up together and we just laugh and talk about all the crazy stuff we've seen here.
Yep...so I am sooo happy!! Everyone is like...You're not sad anymore!!!!!!!!!! Its still hard and right now I am trying to really serve my companion because she is having a really hard time and doesn't want to be in Ituzaingo. Anyway......I just feel like a huge burden has been lifted off of my shoulders.
I love all the emails and letters that ya´ll send me...PLEASE keep writing!!!! I know that its only through the Gosepl of Jesus Christ that we can truly have a fullness of happiness in this life. We can't be perfect but there are things we CAN do every single day and week to become more like our Savior. Through Jesus Christ we can become perfect and have eternal life with Heavenly Father. It is VERY easy to forget our purpose in this life sometimes!!! Its ALL about ETERNAL LIFE with Heavenly Father. Every decision we make.......if it doesn't bring us closer to God........don't do it!!!!
Monday September 6th,
First off please excuse me if you don't get my emails every week. I try to make sure they get sent to everyone but this stupid email I'm using is weird sometimes.
OKAY
OKAY
Hello everyone!! This past week I had my 5 months in the mission!!!! WOW! CRAZY! I think for every month I've gained about 5 pounds of stress AND fat........but summer is coming and everything is about to change here....no one eats a lot in the summer and you literally drop weight from sweating from the heat. But I also realized that I've spent the almost the last yr in Winter!!
Think about this....winter last December in Houston lasted longer than usual and then after I was in Utah which has longer winters and then when I arrived in Argentina, it was during the Winter months!!! We actually have a different schedule in the Summer which is going to change in the beginning of December (when its Summer here)
Okay........well my COmpanion Hermana Catricura is awesome.......she is such a powerful teacher !!!!!!!!! The Spirit just hits you right in between your eyes when she teaches. I am learning a lot with her!! Its interesting but you really do learn different things with every Companion. She is still adjusting to the total shock of being here in Ituzaingo and yep......she's not a fan.
I found out that the Mission President knows that Ituzaingo is a disaster and all the Elders in leadership positions are aware of this also. But with this Companion we are going to fix things and turn everything around.
I have an interesting announcement to make.......I have survived my first Dog "attack" and I had my second one in the same day. We are knocking on doors and at this one property....when the owners walked out of the house so did their Dogs...........and one ran right for me.........snarling like a beast......I stuck out my giant umbrella (sp?) with a metal sharp end and the Dog literally chewed it in its mouth!!!!!!!!!
The horrible owners did absolutely nothing and the dog backed off and we left. The other dog situation happened when we were visiting inactive members in this area and it was at night. We went down the wrong way and passed this house where a Dog came out and ran for us. Of course I started screaming in english to run!!!!!! There was almost no light and we started to run but the area came to an end and we were trapped in the dark with this horrible dog coming at us. My Companion grabbed my umbrella and was really brave and used it like a sword.......now its just hysterically funny to think about it.........well the kid who owned the Dog came out and kicked it back into his house.
As we walked out to leave this other kid said.....¿ Muriò ? which means he died?........he was asking if we killed the Dog!!!!!!!!! My Companion said...NO. We had a pretty good laugh about this for a long time.
So yep......we are teaching alot and many people will listen. There are actually Jehovah witnesses Missionaries here in Ituzaingo!!!!!!! They almost look like us!!!!!
Anyway......yep its amazing the things that I have learned in 5 months.....to be honest I'm tired of struggling and feeling uncomfortable.......this is REALLY REALLY hard. But I'm learning so much from my Companion. We celebrated her 1 yr in the mission this past week and I bought her this REALLY pretty cake and decorated our apartment when she was sleeping in the night!!!!!!!!!
She has had difficult times her entire mission with companions and areas! She had some really wonderful words of wisdom to share after I had a bad day and felt sooo horrible about my many flaws and weaknesses as a person & missionary and how fat I am now and all this junk. This Mission is a process.......I'm becoming a better version of myself and its not going to happen overnight like I want it to!!!! She says that she KNOWS that she is a different better version than she was before. For the first time in my life I'm aware of my blessings and things that I never knew were blessings before. Anyway we are working hard to help the people here. okay.......well I LOVE YOU ALL!! please keep writing me!!! Love hermana Anna Schmidt
Think about this....winter last December in Houston lasted longer than usual and then after I was in Utah which has longer winters and then when I arrived in Argentina, it was during the Winter months!!! We actually have a different schedule in the Summer which is going to change in the beginning of December (when its Summer here)
Okay........well my COmpanion Hermana Catricura is awesome.......she is such a powerful teacher !!!!!!!!! The Spirit just hits you right in between your eyes when she teaches. I am learning a lot with her!! Its interesting but you really do learn different things with every Companion. She is still adjusting to the total shock of being here in Ituzaingo and yep......she's not a fan.
I found out that the Mission President knows that Ituzaingo is a disaster and all the Elders in leadership positions are aware of this also. But with this Companion we are going to fix things and turn everything around.
I have an interesting announcement to make.......I have survived my first Dog "attack" and I had my second one in the same day. We are knocking on doors and at this one property....when the owners walked out of the house so did their Dogs...........and one ran right for me.........snarling like a beast......I stuck out my giant umbrella (sp?) with a metal sharp end and the Dog literally chewed it in its mouth!!!!!!!!!
The horrible owners did absolutely nothing and the dog backed off and we left. The other dog situation happened when we were visiting inactive members in this area and it was at night. We went down the wrong way and passed this house where a Dog came out and ran for us. Of course I started screaming in english to run!!!!!! There was almost no light and we started to run but the area came to an end and we were trapped in the dark with this horrible dog coming at us. My Companion grabbed my umbrella and was really brave and used it like a sword.......now its just hysterically funny to think about it.........well the kid who owned the Dog came out and kicked it back into his house.
As we walked out to leave this other kid said.....¿ Muriò ? which means he died?........he was asking if we killed the Dog!!!!!!!!! My Companion said...NO. We had a pretty good laugh about this for a long time.
So yep......we are teaching alot and many people will listen. There are actually Jehovah witnesses Missionaries here in Ituzaingo!!!!!!! They almost look like us!!!!!
Anyway......yep its amazing the things that I have learned in 5 months.....to be honest I'm tired of struggling and feeling uncomfortable.......this is REALLY REALLY hard. But I'm learning so much from my Companion. We celebrated her 1 yr in the mission this past week and I bought her this REALLY pretty cake and decorated our apartment when she was sleeping in the night!!!!!!!!!
She has had difficult times her entire mission with companions and areas! She had some really wonderful words of wisdom to share after I had a bad day and felt sooo horrible about my many flaws and weaknesses as a person & missionary and how fat I am now and all this junk. This Mission is a process.......I'm becoming a better version of myself and its not going to happen overnight like I want it to!!!! She says that she KNOWS that she is a different better version than she was before. For the first time in my life I'm aware of my blessings and things that I never knew were blessings before. Anyway we are working hard to help the people here. okay.......well I LOVE YOU ALL!! please keep writing me!!! Love hermana Anna Schmidt
Monday August 2nd,
Well I am THRILLED to say that I have a new companion who is FANTASTIC.......Her name is Hermana Catricuric and she is from Chile and we totally understand each other. She is a really smart good missionary!!!! She has had a really tough mission though. She has had really difficult companions ( one was over 50 yrs old) and she has been in really hard areas. She started out in Formosa which I think is the poorest state in Argentina. The water there is toxic and there is malaria in certain areas and some areas are really dangerous. There are people who live in houses made of plastic and cardboard. But everyone is really loving and she actually had 5 baptisms there.
She was next in the capital of Corrientes and its the hardest area in the entire mission!!! Its also really dangerous. Her American companion was mugged in this area. I also found out that the reason why my trainer Hermana Carlos was in Ituzaingo because the Sister missionaries were pulled out of an area in Corrientes after a man threatened to kill the Sister missionaries if they ever stepped foot in this neighborhood again. SO of course after the Mission President found out the same day....they pulled the Sisters out of that area.
But PLEASE....don't worry.....I am in a very safe area where I don't have to worry about any of this!!! My Companion is actually having a really hard time right now because she only has about 6 months left and is most likely going to end her mission in Ituzaingo. She is totally in shock because Ituzaingo is the total opposite of the Capital of Corientes. She is also really worried because she and Hermana Carlos switched places and whats going to happen to Corrientes now. SO now My trainer is in Capital of Corrientes and I have Hna. Catricuric. Hermana C is pretty ticked off at Hermana Carlos after she saw what a disaster Hermana Carlos left for us in Ituzaingo. The Area book is a mess and we don`t have many progressing investigators but maybe 3.
BUT I KNOW with this Companion we are going to have baptisms. We visited the same people this past week and got totally different results becuase my companion is SHARP and really knows whats going on around her. She is also in tune with me when we teach and listens. She is not oblivious to all the problems in my area. She is in reality!!
I have NEVER had so much hope before in my mission. She corrects my Spanish and actually said that her American companion in Corrientes who's been a missionary for 9 months only speaks a little better for me and I've been in Argentina for 3 months. Everyone says that my spnaish has REALLY improved. Its still really hard and I lack a lot but I am starting to be able to understand people!
We had Stack Conference yesterday in Posada with Bradly Foster of the 70 and I understood ALOT!!!!!!!!!!! Then today we had Zone Conference and it went really, really well and Bradly Foster was there and taught us. I got a picture with him and his wife!!!!! I also got to see Elder Meeks and Elder Taylor from my District in the MTC! PRETTY AWESOME!!! Elder Meeks and I always seem to end up together and we just laugh and talk about all the crazy stuff we've seen here.
Yep...so I am sooo happy!! Everyone is like...You're not sad anymore!!!!!!!!!! Its still hard and right now I am trying to really serve my companion because she is having a really hard time and doesn't want to be in Ituzaingo. Anyway......I just feel like a huge burden has been lifted off of my shoulders.
I love all the emails and letters that ya´ll send me...PLEASE keep writing!!!! I know that its only through the Gosepl of Jesus Christ that we can truly have a fullness of happiness in this life. We can't be perfect but there are things we CAN do every single day and week to become more like our Savior. Through Jesus Christ we can become perfect and have eternal life with Heavenly Father. It is VERY easy to forget our purpose in this life sometimes!!! Its ALL about ETERNAL LIFE with Heavenly Father. Every decision we make.......if it doesn't bring us closer to God........don't do it!!!!
Sunday, August 22, 2010
Email: August 17th
Here's the latest from Anna:
Hello everyone!
So I didn't write yesterday because it was a national holiday and our Mission President has made a change where if there's a national holiday on a Monday the missionaries work and then have their P day on Tuesday.....but its only when the president says this. Its because lots of families are together on National Holidays.
Anyway I made it through another week.......right now I feel pretty frustrated because every Sunday all these people say they want to go to church but then when we pass by on Sunday....their are either not there or have excuses. Soooo...that's frustrating! But we actually had the members assist church this past Sunday!!!!!!!!!! About half of the people in Ituzaingo are members but totally inactive......so we have a branch not because there are few members but because everyone is inactive...
Well I gave a talk this past Sunday in church and to be totally honest.....I "ripped everyone a new one"..........My talk was about obedience and I just let the ward have it because people don't attend church every Sunday. People's expressions during my talk were hilarious!!!!!!
I talked about how the only good excuse not to attend church was because you or your child is sick in bed.....Not cause you're tired, its cold, there's rain. I also talked about how you can't allow your children or teenagers choose if they want to go to church.....they don't know better and the parents have a responsibility to help their children choose the right and I talked about how in our house how mom and dad always made us go to church and my friend`s parents too.
I also talked how sad I think it is when I see other church's members help each other attend church and how pathetic it is when I see more people in other churchs here in Ituzaingo than the true church.......And I said.....how many people are here today??????
Everyone's eyes were HUGE!!!!! I also talked about how we can repent and be better because of our Saviors atonement for our sins. Yep......the sacrament meeting was dead silent during my talk. Afterwards I had many people come up to me and say....Hermana Schmidt - You taught with power and authority!!!!!!!! (You all know how passionate I am when its something I care about)............
What was good was there were many inactive people in church this day and I think they all got my message. There are families in this ward who don't make their kids or teenagers attend church so I really let them have it about that!!!! Anyway lots of people came up to me after and just told me how much they appreciated my talk and felt the Spirit. SO I was really happy about how well it went.
I always have a million things I want to tell yall and then I forget........Seriously there are days where I just can't believe the things I see here.....and I just have to laugh so I don't lose my mind. Safety and Sanitation don't exist here. Everything that is illegal in the US when its comes to driving - is totally done here. People are on motorcyles with their babies or children......everyone sits in the back of trucks.....no one wears seatbelts......all types of motor vehicles are allowed on the roads.........I see very few helmets.
Its crazy.....also people let their kids play with just about everything.........fireworks, saws, slingshots, sharp objects, axes...........I kid you not........I explained to my companion why it would be dangerous for 3 yr old to play with scissors.....even if their not very sharp....because you might lose an eye...well my companion's reaction was hilarious because I think shes used to seeing people play with dangerous things.
After I explained to her why it was dangerous....she went and explained to the Mother ( who is a member in our ward) and the Mother took away the scissors!! VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!
Yep....Ituzaingo is like the Galveston in Texas. But South America style.......so the areas that we think are slummy and crappy in Galveston are nothing compared to what I see in bad areas here.......there are people who literally live in wooden shacks that are rotting and falling apart. I have now figured out what a "bad house" is here. If you have cement walls with brick and glass in your windows you are doing just fine!!!!!! Also lots of people dont even have tiles on their floors......the normal person doesn't have carpet here.........my companion doesn't know what carpet is......if you have tiles.....you're doing great!
I have learned that my mission is comprised of some of the poorest states in Argentina where the government is corrupted. But there are really pretty houses too and I have love for Ituzaingo as well................I am still going through culture shock....... but everyone says my Spanish is getting better. And there are active members in this ward who I just love!!!!
This upcoming tuesday is transfers.........please pray that the Mission President will really be inspired about who my next companion will be. It could stay the same but I am hoping for a change and someone who speaks english also so I can get much more help. Anyways tomorrow my companion and I go to Posada for District meeting......I am ALWAYS sooo excited to leave Ituzaingo and go the city!! I love you all very much and pray!! PLEASE WRITE TO ME IN EMAILS ALSO WITH LETTERS!!! Love hermana Schmidt
Once again, here are Anna's addresses:
Hello everyone!
So I didn't write yesterday because it was a national holiday and our Mission President has made a change where if there's a national holiday on a Monday the missionaries work and then have their P day on Tuesday.....but its only when the president says this. Its because lots of families are together on National Holidays.
Anyway I made it through another week.......right now I feel pretty frustrated because every Sunday all these people say they want to go to church but then when we pass by on Sunday....their are either not there or have excuses. Soooo...that's frustrating! But we actually had the members assist church this past Sunday!!!!!!!!!! About half of the people in Ituzaingo are members but totally inactive......so we have a branch not because there are few members but because everyone is inactive...
Well I gave a talk this past Sunday in church and to be totally honest.....I "ripped everyone a new one"..........My talk was about obedience and I just let the ward have it because people don't attend church every Sunday. People's expressions during my talk were hilarious!!!!!!
I talked about how the only good excuse not to attend church was because you or your child is sick in bed.....Not cause you're tired, its cold, there's rain. I also talked about how you can't allow your children or teenagers choose if they want to go to church.....they don't know better and the parents have a responsibility to help their children choose the right and I talked about how in our house how mom and dad always made us go to church and my friend`s parents too.
I also talked how sad I think it is when I see other church's members help each other attend church and how pathetic it is when I see more people in other churchs here in Ituzaingo than the true church.......And I said.....how many people are here today??????
Everyone's eyes were HUGE!!!!! I also talked about how we can repent and be better because of our Saviors atonement for our sins. Yep......the sacrament meeting was dead silent during my talk. Afterwards I had many people come up to me and say....Hermana Schmidt - You taught with power and authority!!!!!!!! (You all know how passionate I am when its something I care about)............
What was good was there were many inactive people in church this day and I think they all got my message. There are families in this ward who don't make their kids or teenagers attend church so I really let them have it about that!!!! Anyway lots of people came up to me after and just told me how much they appreciated my talk and felt the Spirit. SO I was really happy about how well it went.
I always have a million things I want to tell yall and then I forget........Seriously there are days where I just can't believe the things I see here.....and I just have to laugh so I don't lose my mind. Safety and Sanitation don't exist here. Everything that is illegal in the US when its comes to driving - is totally done here. People are on motorcyles with their babies or children......everyone sits in the back of trucks.....no one wears seatbelts......all types of motor vehicles are allowed on the roads.........I see very few helmets.
Its crazy.....also people let their kids play with just about everything.........fireworks, saws, slingshots, sharp objects, axes...........I kid you not........I explained to my companion why it would be dangerous for 3 yr old to play with scissors.....even if their not very sharp....because you might lose an eye...well my companion's reaction was hilarious because I think shes used to seeing people play with dangerous things.
After I explained to her why it was dangerous....she went and explained to the Mother ( who is a member in our ward) and the Mother took away the scissors!! VICTORY!!!!!!!!!!
Yep....Ituzaingo is like the Galveston in Texas. But South America style.......so the areas that we think are slummy and crappy in Galveston are nothing compared to what I see in bad areas here.......there are people who literally live in wooden shacks that are rotting and falling apart. I have now figured out what a "bad house" is here. If you have cement walls with brick and glass in your windows you are doing just fine!!!!!! Also lots of people dont even have tiles on their floors......the normal person doesn't have carpet here.........my companion doesn't know what carpet is......if you have tiles.....you're doing great!
I have learned that my mission is comprised of some of the poorest states in Argentina where the government is corrupted. But there are really pretty houses too and I have love for Ituzaingo as well................I am still going through culture shock....... but everyone says my Spanish is getting better. And there are active members in this ward who I just love!!!!
This upcoming tuesday is transfers.........please pray that the Mission President will really be inspired about who my next companion will be. It could stay the same but I am hoping for a change and someone who speaks english also so I can get much more help. Anyways tomorrow my companion and I go to Posada for District meeting......I am ALWAYS sooo excited to leave Ituzaingo and go the city!! I love you all very much and pray!! PLEASE WRITE TO ME IN EMAILS ALSO WITH LETTERS!!! Love hermana Schmidt
Once again, here are Anna's addresses:
Hermana Anna Schmidt
la Misión Argentina Resistencia
Avenida Rivadavia 323
Resistencia, Chaco 3.500
Argentina
Pouch address
Hermana Anna Schmidt
la Misión Argentina Resistencia
PO Box 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130-0150
United States
Thursday, August 12, 2010
Sorry about the delay!
I haven't posted in a couple of weeks because of finals and everything. But here's Anna's most recent email from August 9th:
Hello! Thank you for your emails!!!!!!!!!
Another week has gone by....... I only have 2 weeks until transfers and I am praying that I´ll have a companion who speaks english and Spanish fluently and whos really going to be able to guide us in the missionary work in Ituzaingo Corrientes and really lead us!!!
I was pretty upset when I got that blessing that said I was also here to help my companion because I'm new and I need help! But I am happy to say that in one week we have 3 investigaters with baptism dates. Hopefully these investigators will make it to those dates. I felt really inspired that we needed to ask these people to set a goal of baptism and they all said yes....hopefully they will attend church so this can happen.
I have some funny stories and random stuff to share. I've been emailing about our new investigator Salvador Florida who really likes me because I look like his family!! They are all tall blondes (Rubios) with blue eyes! He lives alone here in Ituzaingo but is friends with like the entire town I think! We have been teaching him and he really likes everything we have been teaching. He actually came to Sacrament meeting last sunday and it was testimony meeting and it really stuck out to him. He really like how we share our testimonies!! Anyway he is just awesome and really has a place in my heart. He's this tall 64 yr old man with blonde hair and blue eyes and very Argentine. There are alot of Germans in different parts Argentina (they are all blonde so I can tell who the germans are) but in my little "beach town" Ituzaingo- people are NOT used to blondes which is why I hear catcalls and whistles and kissy noises everywhere I go and its VERY annoying.
Anyway Hermano (brother) Salvador actually had us over for Almuerzo (lunch...biggest meal here where everyone eats together) and he made the most delicious barbecue EVER!! It was really sweet!! I will eventually email pictures as well.........I have tons of pictures to send to ya'll!! Well whenever we teach we always begin by singing a hyms to invite the spirit and all that.
Well we were singing I am a child of God to Hermano Salvador and his cat comes into the room and starts meowing softly.........we continued singing and the meowing got louder and Louder and Louder.....I look over and hermano is trying to shush the Cat and be very respectful while doing it because he respects us. Well it got to the point where it was distracting because the cat was so loud and hermano got really frustrated with his cat!!!
I was trying to not to die laughing while this man is waving his hand at his cat and eventually got up and kicked the cat out of the room but the cat wouldn´t leave.....one of the funniest things I've ever seen and when he came back and sat down all frustrated- I looked at him and said "Que chistoso" which is "how funny"!! He looked up at me and I burst out laughing!! My companion started laughing too and then Hermano loved how we had a sense of humor about the whole thing. He said something about how the cat wanted food but was fat enough. Really funny...he later said the cat wanted to sing with us.
I brought pictures of my family to share with him and he shared all his family pictures. Really awesome and fun and when I teach him I know he understands everything I'm saying and it touched by the Spirit strongly. We are teaching the word of wisdom soon because he drinks and smokes alittle so we need to teach that right away so he can be baptized. He has accepted a date in Sept!
Yep....so we are teaching lots of people but people in this are won't go to church or do commitments so we are working hard to fix this. Noel Gomez is still here visiting her family and my companion and I had been able to spend 3 p-days with her!!! My companion, who is very sweet but totally oblivious never told me that the missionaries always do their laundry at the Gomez house cause they have a washer and a spinner !!!!! So I've been able to actually get out of our apartment on p days now because we would spend the whole day in the apartment for p day and my companion finally understood that I was depressed about this. So she has been very sweet and supportive with us leaving our apartment and making sure I get to vent and relax. Having Noel here has been so awesome!
She told me that I'm the first and only missionary she had talked in english to!!!! She told me that hermana Gomez (her mom) was like" you need to talk to her because no one in this town speaks english but you and I can tell that she is lonely" Now Noel and I are like best friends now and she is acutally going to serve a mission after she finishes her Masters in Resistencia. Seriously I love the Gomez family!! They are like the only 100% solid family in the church in Ituzaingo.....theres maybe 1 other family thats strong in the church but has a lot of serious problems. Anyway I`ve written about the Gomez family before. I love them and many members here serve the missionaries soooo much. We need to do the same in our homes and wards!! Its so awesome when people want to listen and learn from the missionaries because they love us soooo much. Its hilarious how being a missionary can invoke the craziest reactions from people.
People can dislike you so much and then around the corner you met someone who just grabs your face with love because you are teaching their family who are not yet members. Anyway Mom hopefully I will get your envelope not this wednesday but next Wednesday at my district meeting in POsada. My mission is HUGE and so all our mail goes to the mission office in Resistencia and then gets distributed out to the areas of the missionaries which is 4 different states. I get all my mail when my companion and I go to Posada which is like a big city where we have our meetings for District.
I'm actually hoping to go to Posada as my next area in my mission but I don't think that will happen for another 4 months. I'm pretty sure my companion will be leaving in 2 weeks at this next tranfer.........I'm praying to have a really strong leader as my next companion. I love you all every much and pray for everyone everyday. love hermana Schmidt
Hello! Thank you for your emails!!!!!!!!!
Another week has gone by....... I only have 2 weeks until transfers and I am praying that I´ll have a companion who speaks english and Spanish fluently and whos really going to be able to guide us in the missionary work in Ituzaingo Corrientes and really lead us!!!
I was pretty upset when I got that blessing that said I was also here to help my companion because I'm new and I need help! But I am happy to say that in one week we have 3 investigaters with baptism dates. Hopefully these investigators will make it to those dates. I felt really inspired that we needed to ask these people to set a goal of baptism and they all said yes....hopefully they will attend church so this can happen.
I have some funny stories and random stuff to share. I've been emailing about our new investigator Salvador Florida who really likes me because I look like his family!! They are all tall blondes (Rubios) with blue eyes! He lives alone here in Ituzaingo but is friends with like the entire town I think! We have been teaching him and he really likes everything we have been teaching. He actually came to Sacrament meeting last sunday and it was testimony meeting and it really stuck out to him. He really like how we share our testimonies!! Anyway he is just awesome and really has a place in my heart. He's this tall 64 yr old man with blonde hair and blue eyes and very Argentine. There are alot of Germans in different parts Argentina (they are all blonde so I can tell who the germans are) but in my little "beach town" Ituzaingo- people are NOT used to blondes which is why I hear catcalls and whistles and kissy noises everywhere I go and its VERY annoying.
Anyway Hermano (brother) Salvador actually had us over for Almuerzo (lunch...biggest meal here where everyone eats together) and he made the most delicious barbecue EVER!! It was really sweet!! I will eventually email pictures as well.........I have tons of pictures to send to ya'll!! Well whenever we teach we always begin by singing a hyms to invite the spirit and all that.
Well we were singing I am a child of God to Hermano Salvador and his cat comes into the room and starts meowing softly.........we continued singing and the meowing got louder and Louder and Louder.....I look over and hermano is trying to shush the Cat and be very respectful while doing it because he respects us. Well it got to the point where it was distracting because the cat was so loud and hermano got really frustrated with his cat!!!
I was trying to not to die laughing while this man is waving his hand at his cat and eventually got up and kicked the cat out of the room but the cat wouldn´t leave.....one of the funniest things I've ever seen and when he came back and sat down all frustrated- I looked at him and said "Que chistoso" which is "how funny"!! He looked up at me and I burst out laughing!! My companion started laughing too and then Hermano loved how we had a sense of humor about the whole thing. He said something about how the cat wanted food but was fat enough. Really funny...he later said the cat wanted to sing with us.
I brought pictures of my family to share with him and he shared all his family pictures. Really awesome and fun and when I teach him I know he understands everything I'm saying and it touched by the Spirit strongly. We are teaching the word of wisdom soon because he drinks and smokes alittle so we need to teach that right away so he can be baptized. He has accepted a date in Sept!
Yep....so we are teaching lots of people but people in this are won't go to church or do commitments so we are working hard to fix this. Noel Gomez is still here visiting her family and my companion and I had been able to spend 3 p-days with her!!! My companion, who is very sweet but totally oblivious never told me that the missionaries always do their laundry at the Gomez house cause they have a washer and a spinner !!!!! So I've been able to actually get out of our apartment on p days now because we would spend the whole day in the apartment for p day and my companion finally understood that I was depressed about this. So she has been very sweet and supportive with us leaving our apartment and making sure I get to vent and relax. Having Noel here has been so awesome!
She told me that I'm the first and only missionary she had talked in english to!!!! She told me that hermana Gomez (her mom) was like" you need to talk to her because no one in this town speaks english but you and I can tell that she is lonely" Now Noel and I are like best friends now and she is acutally going to serve a mission after she finishes her Masters in Resistencia. Seriously I love the Gomez family!! They are like the only 100% solid family in the church in Ituzaingo.....theres maybe 1 other family thats strong in the church but has a lot of serious problems. Anyway I`ve written about the Gomez family before. I love them and many members here serve the missionaries soooo much. We need to do the same in our homes and wards!! Its so awesome when people want to listen and learn from the missionaries because they love us soooo much. Its hilarious how being a missionary can invoke the craziest reactions from people.
People can dislike you so much and then around the corner you met someone who just grabs your face with love because you are teaching their family who are not yet members. Anyway Mom hopefully I will get your envelope not this wednesday but next Wednesday at my district meeting in POsada. My mission is HUGE and so all our mail goes to the mission office in Resistencia and then gets distributed out to the areas of the missionaries which is 4 different states. I get all my mail when my companion and I go to Posada which is like a big city where we have our meetings for District.
I'm actually hoping to go to Posada as my next area in my mission but I don't think that will happen for another 4 months. I'm pretty sure my companion will be leaving in 2 weeks at this next tranfer.........I'm praying to have a really strong leader as my next companion. I love you all every much and pray for everyone everyday. love hermana Schmidt
Monday, July 12, 2010
Emails: July 5th and 12th
Here are are the most recent emails from Anna! She's officially been in Argentina for 6 weeks!
She hasn't been able to send out any written letters because she hasn't learned how to use the mail system there yet, so right now email is her only communication with us. She has been receiving everyone's written letters though (it takes about three weeks for her to receive it, so the fastest way to communicate with her is still by email or dearelder) and she appreciates all of your love and support!
Here's the first one from July 5th:
Hello everyone !! First off I received a WHOLE bunch of letters and I was thrilled!! Thank you ALL for the letters!! It made me soo happy!! It takes about 3 weeks for a letter to come from Us to Argentina!! Just soooo you know!! Make sure you thanks Sharon Erland for her sweet letter and to all my family who wrote....THANKYOU!!! I will write someday when I figure out how to use the mail here and I have a companion who knows what a postcard is.......
I have much to say and wrote down a bunch of stuff so I wouldn't forget but always somehow I forget something I want to say!! First off I am thrilled to report that we now have "hot water" in our apartment now. I was so mad at my companion about this......I just could not understand why she would not fix this so we wouldn't have to boil hot water in a bucket to bathe with. I seriously thought that the average person didn't have hot water in their homes.....I threw a fit about this and we went and bought a new Ducha Electrica which is basically a little toaster that connect to the shower head and heats the water when it comes out.........I have never been so thrilled to have a normal warm shower in my whole life. I loved what Austin wrote in his letter about how you can't believe how crappy your apartment is and for Argentina it's just such a nice apartment....but seriously I can't complain b/c its not horrible at all but its not like back home.
ANYWAY....yep I'm going through that stage of culture shock where I keep looking for American products here and I'm sooo thrilled when I find them!!!
Guess what I found out this past week??? My Companion who has been here for 4 months had no idea that Ituzaingo is basically the Galveston of Argentina!! It a beach town!! There is a HUGE giant river that it like the size of the ocean with sand & waves and everything.......so now lots of things make sense!!! Its not like a normal big city with giant stores or anything........Anyways tonight was exactly pretty cool.....my companion had to go to Resistencia to do some work on her visa here for Argentina and I had to go with her....so at 3:30 am we got up and got on a bus (the buses here are really nice that people use travel between towns) and slept for 3 hrs until we got to Resistencia.
The wards are huge in Resistencia!!! I miss huge wards and I miss our Nottingham County Ward sooooooooooooo bad!! In Ituzaingo we have a beautiful building with only a branch sized amount of people attending ( I seriously think everyone is inactive in South America) Anyways, afterwards we went with the Elders who are the President's assistants in a really nice minivan with leather seats (the church's car of course) and they drove us back to Ituzaingo b-c they were driving through for a another zone conference. My mission includes 4 states in Argentina! We had soooo much fun!! AND....guess what?? There is an actual Walmart in Corrientes and we went to it!! I have never been sooo happy in my life for a Walmart....and I hate Walmart back home......I bought PEANUT BUTTER and organic good .......I was soooo thrilled......I miss being vegan sooo much and I've gained weight from all the food people give me but not alot........still I have NOW figured out to only eat half of my plate and give the other half to my companion and then I eat very little the rest of the day becuase we walk all day anyway so I can burn it off........I know that shouldn't be my first thought and its not but it is something I care about.......anyway after my mission I'll have all the time I want to eat vegna and work out.......
so back to missionary work....I am soo excited to say that I finished reading Alma a few weeks again which I think is a big deal.....I love reading my book of Mormon...now its something I do because I want to & look forward to reading everyday during personal study and not because I have to!!! I feel so much better after I read it and its amazing how we are able to receive personal revelation while we read our scriptures. I had my first interview with the Mission President last Wednesday and I was terrified of this man......but he was soooo kind & supportive.... I was shocked....he is very strict but because of this he gets results......before he was mission President...Resistencia was the lowest number baptizing mission in South American....now its the Highest in all of South America!!! Our Motto is "Baptizmos Cada Semana"........Baptisms every week!!! I think he let my companion have it a little though because our numbers were horrible..........she is a good missionary and we work hard but our planning isn't good.........because I don't speak Spanish- well its hard to express the changes that I think we need to make.......but anyway the President is pleased with me and very supportive and talked to my other hermana friend in Posada about me and said really good things....he also sympathizes with me because he knows that I'm having a hard time right now adjusting to everything. But that's normal.....
last Friday during our lunch with the members I just started bawling.....because I wanted my Mom soooooooo much. There is a lady whose a member who is 75 and is taking care of her Mom who is 95........CRAZY!! Her Mother actually has an eyes missing and there's nothing in it!! Well this got me to thinking about you Mom and I thought I'm going to take care of my Mom when she gets old.....anyway yes I miss you Dad of course and Johnny & Laura and everyone and my perfect comfortable life in the US!! I was soo sad on 4th of July to not be in America.....I have never had sooo much pride for my country in my whole life!!! But its okay........because when my companion and I teach a lesson and I see someone tear up because somewhere deep inside they remember who they are when they feel the spirit....that makes it all worth it!! I have been helping my Companion be more effective and when we met someone we make an appointment RIGHT away ...........After this past week we have 25 new investigators.......this is awesome!! A yway my time is up.....I love you all and thanks for your prayers and letters!!! This past week I celebrated 3 months in my mission...my companion made me the cutest card ever!!! I love you!! Keep writing! love hermana schmidt p.s. they lied in the mtc when they said men wouldn't try to kiss me hello.......YUCK!!!!!! Its awkward too because they wont try to kiss my companion hello but they will try to kiss me hello...... The woman always kiss each other hello but men usually only when they know you.....My companion cracks up everyday b-c men are always saying stuff to me and whistling & hissing (which I hate) but I ignore them or smile & wave hello and then walk really fast away.....I've got funny stories but no time! Ciao!!
Here is her most recent one sent today, July 12th:
Hello everyone!!! WOW......I am soooo bummed to not have an email from dad, mom or Laura.......but I did get a whole bunch of letters about a week ago from everyone so I appreciate it MUCHO.........
This past week was interesting AND really hard.....lots of rejections which I haven't experienced too much of til now and I had major food poisoning which kept me in bed for a day & a half. I forgot to tell ya'll last week that I got kicked out of my first house!!!! This teenager said we could come in and teach......right as we were about to sit down- her Mother came into the room in a fit and said we are Evangelical ( sp?) in this house and we believe in Jesus Christ and GOD!!!!!!! She pointed at all her tacky gothic stuff on the walls and told us to get out and that she didn't need us to create confusion in her home.....I'm not going to lie...I was mad but I just looked at her and said we have a HUGE testimony of Jesus Christ ALSO....He IS our Savior. We left......This past week when we went up to contact this old lady...she just looked at us with a really nasty sneer and said "You are not representatives of Jesus Christ" That one actually hurt my feelings a bit....wha's weird though is part of me is glad it stung a little because it means that I really want to be like Jesus Christ and its hurtful for a person to say I'm not...interesting but no worries I got over it quickly.......What's interesting as a missionary is that many people cry to you....you really don't know them at all but as they talk to you about things in their life...they just start bawling and I don't understand everything but I understand the important parts and I can feel their pain. My friend Hermana Tritsch (in Posada) said its because maybe their minds don't recognize who we are but their hearts & souls know that we are Rep. of Christ and want their pain healed.
This pasy week was really hard for me.....I miss stupid things back home.....I miss being in control of my time and working out everyday and not having serious responsibility on my head. I hate being fat and not having total control over my diet. I miss my family, home and my PERFECT life back in the US. In my prayers- my thanks has REALLY doubled....tripled. But I also know that what I'm feeling is normal and eventually with time my Spanish will improve and I will love being here. My mission president, everyone says....things will get better!! SO I'm just holding onto faith that things will.
Yesterday,Sunday was a good day!!!! We has a mom in her 20's attend church with her 2 children. She is separated and so pretty & sweet!! I did everything in my power to help her that morning because she has forgotten and her children were tired and REALLY cranky!! My companion and I sang songs.....I gave stickers and brushed teeth and hair!!! We got that family to sacrament meeting and afterwards I had everyone in the ward come up and talk to her!! Some of the members know her Mother!!! Awesome!! We also found out that she stopped saying prayers after the death of her father yrs ago and she is still torn up about his death. SO we are going to teach the Plan of Salvation on Tuesday. We also taught a family this past week who the Mother has been trying to figure out for yrs which church is true!!!! We have had many good experiences lately as well!!! I was also told this past week on a day when I was really struggling how Sisters who are from the US are not usually sent to South America.....The church sends Sister to Europe or keep them in the States. My Mission President said the church sends the strong women to South America. He said you are one of the strong ones.......I feel much better but I'm also waiting for the day when I FEEL strong. Anyway yep....lots of stuff going on and Tuesday night is my first possible transfer!!! But I'm pretty sure I;ll be in Ituzaingo with my trainer another 6 weeks but who knows.......Í'll find out Tuesday night when the Elders call.
The Weather here today is insane!!! We had the craziest weather all night with a huge thunderstorm and its been raining most of the day.....now its freezing again here!!! There are also tornadoes here which I was not thrilled to hear about and the sky will turn red....it scares me to death but I just throw up my hands said God- I know you'll protect me so I'm going to try not to worry!!!CRAZY CRAZY!! Okay well I love you all and pray for you all!!!!!!!!! Stay safe!!! Love you all- Hermana Schmidt
She hasn't been able to send out any written letters because she hasn't learned how to use the mail system there yet, so right now email is her only communication with us. She has been receiving everyone's written letters though (it takes about three weeks for her to receive it, so the fastest way to communicate with her is still by email or dearelder) and she appreciates all of your love and support!
Here's the first one from July 5th:
Hello everyone !! First off I received a WHOLE bunch of letters and I was thrilled!! Thank you ALL for the letters!! It made me soo happy!! It takes about 3 weeks for a letter to come from Us to Argentina!! Just soooo you know!! Make sure you thanks Sharon Erland for her sweet letter and to all my family who wrote....THANKYOU!!! I will write someday when I figure out how to use the mail here and I have a companion who knows what a postcard is.......
I have much to say and wrote down a bunch of stuff so I wouldn't forget but always somehow I forget something I want to say!! First off I am thrilled to report that we now have "hot water" in our apartment now. I was so mad at my companion about this......I just could not understand why she would not fix this so we wouldn't have to boil hot water in a bucket to bathe with. I seriously thought that the average person didn't have hot water in their homes.....I threw a fit about this and we went and bought a new Ducha Electrica which is basically a little toaster that connect to the shower head and heats the water when it comes out.........I have never been so thrilled to have a normal warm shower in my whole life. I loved what Austin wrote in his letter about how you can't believe how crappy your apartment is and for Argentina it's just such a nice apartment....but seriously I can't complain b/c its not horrible at all but its not like back home.
ANYWAY....yep I'm going through that stage of culture shock where I keep looking for American products here and I'm sooo thrilled when I find them!!!
Guess what I found out this past week??? My Companion who has been here for 4 months had no idea that Ituzaingo is basically the Galveston of Argentina!! It a beach town!! There is a HUGE giant river that it like the size of the ocean with sand & waves and everything.......so now lots of things make sense!!! Its not like a normal big city with giant stores or anything........Anyways tonight was exactly pretty cool.....my companion had to go to Resistencia to do some work on her visa here for Argentina and I had to go with her....so at 3:30 am we got up and got on a bus (the buses here are really nice that people use travel between towns) and slept for 3 hrs until we got to Resistencia.
The wards are huge in Resistencia!!! I miss huge wards and I miss our Nottingham County Ward sooooooooooooo bad!! In Ituzaingo we have a beautiful building with only a branch sized amount of people attending ( I seriously think everyone is inactive in South America) Anyways, afterwards we went with the Elders who are the President's assistants in a really nice minivan with leather seats (the church's car of course) and they drove us back to Ituzaingo b-c they were driving through for a another zone conference. My mission includes 4 states in Argentina! We had soooo much fun!! AND....guess what?? There is an actual Walmart in Corrientes and we went to it!! I have never been sooo happy in my life for a Walmart....and I hate Walmart back home......I bought PEANUT BUTTER and organic good .......I was soooo thrilled......I miss being vegan sooo much and I've gained weight from all the food people give me but not alot........still I have NOW figured out to only eat half of my plate and give the other half to my companion and then I eat very little the rest of the day becuase we walk all day anyway so I can burn it off........I know that shouldn't be my first thought and its not but it is something I care about.......anyway after my mission I'll have all the time I want to eat vegna and work out.......
so back to missionary work....I am soo excited to say that I finished reading Alma a few weeks again which I think is a big deal.....I love reading my book of Mormon...now its something I do because I want to & look forward to reading everyday during personal study and not because I have to!!! I feel so much better after I read it and its amazing how we are able to receive personal revelation while we read our scriptures. I had my first interview with the Mission President last Wednesday and I was terrified of this man......but he was soooo kind & supportive.... I was shocked....he is very strict but because of this he gets results......before he was mission President...Resistencia was the lowest number baptizing mission in South American....now its the Highest in all of South America!!! Our Motto is "Baptizmos Cada Semana"........Baptisms every week!!! I think he let my companion have it a little though because our numbers were horrible..........she is a good missionary and we work hard but our planning isn't good.........because I don't speak Spanish- well its hard to express the changes that I think we need to make.......but anyway the President is pleased with me and very supportive and talked to my other hermana friend in Posada about me and said really good things....he also sympathizes with me because he knows that I'm having a hard time right now adjusting to everything. But that's normal.....
last Friday during our lunch with the members I just started bawling.....because I wanted my Mom soooooooo much. There is a lady whose a member who is 75 and is taking care of her Mom who is 95........CRAZY!! Her Mother actually has an eyes missing and there's nothing in it!! Well this got me to thinking about you Mom and I thought I'm going to take care of my Mom when she gets old.....anyway yes I miss you Dad of course and Johnny & Laura and everyone and my perfect comfortable life in the US!! I was soo sad on 4th of July to not be in America.....I have never had sooo much pride for my country in my whole life!!! But its okay........because when my companion and I teach a lesson and I see someone tear up because somewhere deep inside they remember who they are when they feel the spirit....that makes it all worth it!! I have been helping my Companion be more effective and when we met someone we make an appointment RIGHT away ...........After this past week we have 25 new investigators.......this is awesome!! A yway my time is up.....I love you all and thanks for your prayers and letters!!! This past week I celebrated 3 months in my mission...my companion made me the cutest card ever!!! I love you!! Keep writing! love hermana schmidt p.s. they lied in the mtc when they said men wouldn't try to kiss me hello.......YUCK!!!!!! Its awkward too because they wont try to kiss my companion hello but they will try to kiss me hello...... The woman always kiss each other hello but men usually only when they know you.....My companion cracks up everyday b-c men are always saying stuff to me and whistling & hissing (which I hate) but I ignore them or smile & wave hello and then walk really fast away.....I've got funny stories but no time! Ciao!!
Here is her most recent one sent today, July 12th:
Hello everyone!!! WOW......I am soooo bummed to not have an email from dad, mom or Laura.......but I did get a whole bunch of letters about a week ago from everyone so I appreciate it MUCHO.........
This past week was interesting AND really hard.....lots of rejections which I haven't experienced too much of til now and I had major food poisoning which kept me in bed for a day & a half. I forgot to tell ya'll last week that I got kicked out of my first house!!!! This teenager said we could come in and teach......right as we were about to sit down- her Mother came into the room in a fit and said we are Evangelical ( sp?) in this house and we believe in Jesus Christ and GOD!!!!!!! She pointed at all her tacky gothic stuff on the walls and told us to get out and that she didn't need us to create confusion in her home.....I'm not going to lie...I was mad but I just looked at her and said we have a HUGE testimony of Jesus Christ ALSO....He IS our Savior. We left......This past week when we went up to contact this old lady...she just looked at us with a really nasty sneer and said "You are not representatives of Jesus Christ" That one actually hurt my feelings a bit....wha's weird though is part of me is glad it stung a little because it means that I really want to be like Jesus Christ and its hurtful for a person to say I'm not...interesting but no worries I got over it quickly.......What's interesting as a missionary is that many people cry to you....you really don't know them at all but as they talk to you about things in their life...they just start bawling and I don't understand everything but I understand the important parts and I can feel their pain. My friend Hermana Tritsch (in Posada) said its because maybe their minds don't recognize who we are but their hearts & souls know that we are Rep. of Christ and want their pain healed.
This pasy week was really hard for me.....I miss stupid things back home.....I miss being in control of my time and working out everyday and not having serious responsibility on my head. I hate being fat and not having total control over my diet. I miss my family, home and my PERFECT life back in the US. In my prayers- my thanks has REALLY doubled....tripled. But I also know that what I'm feeling is normal and eventually with time my Spanish will improve and I will love being here. My mission president, everyone says....things will get better!! SO I'm just holding onto faith that things will.
Yesterday,Sunday was a good day!!!! We has a mom in her 20's attend church with her 2 children. She is separated and so pretty & sweet!! I did everything in my power to help her that morning because she has forgotten and her children were tired and REALLY cranky!! My companion and I sang songs.....I gave stickers and brushed teeth and hair!!! We got that family to sacrament meeting and afterwards I had everyone in the ward come up and talk to her!! Some of the members know her Mother!!! Awesome!! We also found out that she stopped saying prayers after the death of her father yrs ago and she is still torn up about his death. SO we are going to teach the Plan of Salvation on Tuesday. We also taught a family this past week who the Mother has been trying to figure out for yrs which church is true!!!! We have had many good experiences lately as well!!! I was also told this past week on a day when I was really struggling how Sisters who are from the US are not usually sent to South America.....The church sends Sister to Europe or keep them in the States. My Mission President said the church sends the strong women to South America. He said you are one of the strong ones.......I feel much better but I'm also waiting for the day when I FEEL strong. Anyway yep....lots of stuff going on and Tuesday night is my first possible transfer!!! But I'm pretty sure I;ll be in Ituzaingo with my trainer another 6 weeks but who knows.......Í'll find out Tuesday night when the Elders call.
The Weather here today is insane!!! We had the craziest weather all night with a huge thunderstorm and its been raining most of the day.....now its freezing again here!!! There are also tornadoes here which I was not thrilled to hear about and the sky will turn red....it scares me to death but I just throw up my hands said God- I know you'll protect me so I'm going to try not to worry!!!CRAZY CRAZY!! Okay well I love you all and pray for you all!!!!!!!!! Stay safe!!! Love you all- Hermana Schmidt
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