Hey there everyone!
This was a sweet week. I did a trade-off Tuesday with Elder Derricott's trainee, Elder Krebs. He's a lot of fun and he's from Heber and we had a great time (picture included?). We had a great zone teaching on Wednesday on Revelation from the Book of Mormon and Planning. I kinda get stressed out when I'm reminded how horrible I am at planning but you know, whatever.
Since Wednesday we haven't had a car so I and Elder Graves have been stompin' all of Midland 2. We walked a heck-ton, knocking on doors and tracking down potentials. It was pretty cool. Oh, and we taught more lessons than I have in all of my 9 weeks in Midland so that was exciting.
"This was a really good week for the work, all things considered. We started teaching a woman named Valorie Padgette- she babysits for many members and is good friends with many of them. We actually thought she was a member already; she has been at many family home evenings and dinners that we've attended at the Millward's. We taught the Restoration to Valorie in the Millward's home on Monday, and it was a very spiritual lesson. After the closing prayer, I felt very strongly that I should share how I came to know how the Book of Mormon was true. We shared Alma 32:27-28 and bore testimony of the Book of Mormon. We met with her three other times this week after that, and Saturday night she told us that she knew the Book of Mormon was true. We've invited her to baptism twice, and she is hesitant to set a date but she knows she wants to be baptized.
Other awesome thing this week - I told you last Monday that we weren't sure if we'd even be teaching Nick Gagarian (Heather's son) anymore because he had a negative experience at church. Well, Saturday we set up a time to talk with him and when we got there, he had brought a friend, Matthew. Matthew is 15 and had expressed a desire to come to church and wanted to learn more. We changed our plans and taught the Restoration. It wasn't our best lesson, we were pretty overexcited and jumbled, but Matthew soaked everything in. We invited him to baptism, and he wisely told us that he would be baptized if he knew the Book of Mormon was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet, but he wanted to learn more as well. Also, Nick asked us after the discussion, "When am I going to be baptized?" We reset his date for February 15th because we wouldn't be able to teach him everything before next weekend. Nick told us that he's been pretty weighed down by his crazy-anti aunt but he has thought a lot about the church and everything and wants to be baptized. Yesterday, Matt and Nick came to church and the boys their age fellowshipped them immediately. It was a huge miracle.
Jeremy Hammers is doing well. We dropped his date because he expressed that he didn't want to make a huge commitment (like baptism) while he is so emotionally and mentally unstable. Our ward mission leader Bro. Jones invited us to take part in a fast and a blessing for Jeremy so that he can find stability and strength in his new mental health issues. Jeremy also wants to be baptized once he is doing better - as of now he is getting himself more and more involved in church services and activities. He truly wants to change and be a servant of God. It's been a humbling blessing to know Jeremy, and I am excited for the things coming up."
Other awesome thing this week - I told you last Monday that we weren't sure if we'd even be teaching Nick Gagarian (Heather's son) anymore because he had a negative experience at church. Well, Saturday we set up a time to talk with him and when we got there, he had brought a friend, Matthew. Matthew is 15 and had expressed a desire to come to church and wanted to learn more. We changed our plans and taught the Restoration. It wasn't our best lesson, we were pretty overexcited and jumbled, but Matthew soaked everything in. We invited him to baptism, and he wisely told us that he would be baptized if he knew the Book of Mormon was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet, but he wanted to learn more as well. Also, Nick asked us after the discussion, "When am I going to be baptized?" We reset his date for February 15th because we wouldn't be able to teach him everything before next weekend. Nick told us that he's been pretty weighed down by his crazy-anti aunt but he has thought a lot about the church and everything and wants to be baptized. Yesterday, Matt and Nick came to church and the boys their age fellowshipped them immediately. It was a huge miracle.
Jeremy Hammers is doing well. We dropped his date because he expressed that he didn't want to make a huge commitment (like baptism) while he is so emotionally and mentally unstable. Our ward mission leader Bro. Jones invited us to take part in a fast and a blessing for Jeremy so that he can find stability and strength in his new mental health issues. Jeremy also wants to be baptized once he is doing better - as of now he is getting himself more and more involved in church services and activities. He truly wants to change and be a servant of God. It's been a humbling blessing to know Jeremy, and I am excited for the things coming up."
Those are the highlights of this week. Elder Graves is a great missionary and he has adjusted to mission life much, much better than I did. He keeps me motivated and happy on a daily basis because sometimes I'm an emotional train-wreck.
That's about it. I think the weather started getting to me a little bit this week and I got the S.A.D. but other than that, it's been a spiritual powerhouse week.
I love you all, a heck-ton! I love getting your emails and letters. I hope you're all doing well. I seriously do think of you all the time and I pray for
-Elder Schmutz
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