#sameteam

My letter this week is going to be focused around the disguised ways that the Lord uses us to do his work. This week has been a challenging one for me.. It's a complete contradiction. All I want to do is work, but my health right now is forcing me to slow down. We've had to take a step back because I keep hitting points of pure exhaustion.. I think my body is a little worn out! At the same time.. there is no better feeling knowing that I have worn my body out serving the Lord.

Our new mission president, President Taggart, has thrown a little twist in my prayers. We had a meeting with him a few weeks ago and he talked about how great it is that we are praying to find the ready people. He then started to share a scripture in Alma 16:16 about how the Lord is continually preparing people to receive the gospel. In every single on of our areas.. there are prepared people!! We are spending so much time TRYING to find them... why aren't we praying for THEM to contact and find US?? 

That was his question for us, so.. we've been praying for it. The next day we were walking down the street and we waved to an Indian man who was standing on his porch across the street. We waved and said hi and he waved back and started to walk off of his porch and towards us, so we went and met him at the end of his drive way. He just started to talk to us! HE started to talk to US! It was so odd.. and he loved everything we said and told us he had been studying religions. So we asked him if the English missionaries could stop by and bring him an English copy of the Book of Mormon. "Absolutely!" he said. "I would love that" 

Well we ran into the sisters in our church building yesterday and they said they had met with him. He is a solid investigator and loves the gospel!

Example two. We were at thursday night volleyball night with the English ward and Spanish branch. There was a cute 24 year old girl there from Columbia.. Daniela. One of the members yelled out "sister missionaries!!" as we walked in. After a game, I was sitting on the side watching and she came and sat down right next to me. She was curious about what the member had said about us being missionaries. SO I started to talk to her, get to know her, explained our purpose as being missionaries, and told her why I was doing it. I notices for a brief moment that I was kind of staring off in the distance as I was thinking and sharing and as I turned to look back at her, her eyes were red and full of tears. She told me that she couldn't believe that there were people like that. Good people. We instantly became friends and I told her that she needed to go to the YSA activities and that she should have the missionaries over to her house. When I told her that, she almost insisted. I gave her info to the missionaries in her area.

See.. it really isn't about numbers. It's about doing what we are asked to do. Praying for the right things, having the right desires, and being in the right places. I may never see those two people again, Lary and Daniela, but I'm confident that we were able to give them the first piece to their unsolved puzzle. This gospel is the most true thing on the earth. Those of us that have it, and know it... are lucky. It's time we share that happiness with even more of our siblings.

con mucho amor, 

Hermana Schwendiman

Okay this pictures are not to be judged. We were secretly passed some "do-rags" as part of a zone goal. They came with a few funny and new things that we had to "do" with them. Then, every companionship is supposed to take pictures with them on... but we obviously we a little confused ;) 

And yes... we did take advantage of 7-11!!

We love NJMM and the mission office.. 

third world

Well this week, through out living conditions, I really felt like I was able to live and work in another country.

We moved into an apartment a few months ago and with the increase in weather temperatures.. we didn't realize that we had no air conditioning. The mission does not provide air conditioning units and so we have been enjoying the beauty of 103 degree weather in our lovely steam room of an apartment... then our breaker broke. I'm not sure how accurate that statement really is.. but nonetheless.. we have no electricity! Not sure how that one happened.. Maybe it was part of Hurricane Arthur that came through. Wasn't much more than a major thunder storm for us but it was pretty intense. Our spider infestation has continued and I am now proud to announce that I have overcome most of my spider fear! And then.. you have the missionaries who underestimate their own grocery shopping (that would be us last week) and we suddenly realized we had no food. TO say the least, we really did enjoy our own living conditions this week!

This was a fun week for us because we were able to meet the new mission president and his wife, President and Sister Taggart! We had a mission leader council and it was an incredible experience to see a mission president with the greenie spirit. To watch the mission already changing and to see there there is not one right way to work. It is a big change, but change is a good thing!

We had fourth of July celebrations too! Even though none of our members or investigators understood what they were really celebrating, they brought the Hispanic festive spirit and we celebrated our nations Independence day! We were able to stay out and meet with all the other missionaries in our zone and watch fireworks. The only day in the year where we get to stay out past out curfew, and watching the fireworks was so much fun!

We saw a fun miracle this week. We saw  a lot of miracles but I want to share one in specific. We suddenly felt the urge to park our car at our house and walk to our next appointment. We have been trying to find a lot more people to teach and so we were hoping that we could meet some on the street. Just about 10 minutes later we walk up to a woman and started a conversation with a simple question. "Do you think that God loves you?" (It's a random approach that we wanted to try out once during the day!) Anyway, this woman started to tell us that she had just been praying while she was walking home and had just got off the phone with her mom, tell her that she didn't have any friends in this country, she wanted to learn english, and that she wanted to start going to church more. It's just a simple experience to show that God works through us. He answers prayers, and we have a return appointment with her for later this week!

God answers prayers!! 

His work continues to move forward. 

Onward and upward!

Hermana Schwendiman

PS We were able to go up to Ellis Island again this week! That's the new york picture. The other two are from the night of the fourth!! 

changes

We were sitting in PEC this Sunday and my new companion was introducing herself and where she was from, "Cottonwood heights, Utah" she shared. And then the first counselor asked us how close we lived to each other. "Eh, about 5 or 10 minutes.. but she lives in a different city." Then he responded.. "ooo rival high schools!" Then it clicked.. We DID go to rival high schools! Luckily my mom went to Brighton as well and so I had a pre-prepared soft spot for it! She's is pretty awesome though. 

Well you wouldn't realize it, but the World Cup effects our work more than other other thing that has every happened out here, in my opinion. Then again.. I wasn't quite out here for the hurricane two years ago.. but the World Cup would come in close second. Not only are we working with hispanics.. but we are working with every hispanic country in the world. I have been more updated about the World Cup in the past few weeks than probably most of you at home. Unless soccer is bigger than I every realized it was in Utah. 

Two of the major evidences of this was;

1. Our first councilor to the Branch President somehow got away with wearing his country's jersey underneath his suit. Go Mexico! 

2. We were coming out of a lesson last night and got to the car and all of a sudden we heard a group of people yelling in their house.. and then many different houses seemed to have the same problem. Costa Rica won.. and we were in a Costa Rican neighborhood. I think the best part was that there was one house that was really delayed.. and then about 10 seconds after the commotion, one more house added in! Their satellite must have been a little slow. And then they all ended out on the street. 

Well that's about all I have for the week. It was busy and we found two potential families! Gotta love this work.

Onward and Upward

Hermana Schwendiman

New Jersey Green... it's ALL green!

Mexico!

mauricio's dunked!

As I was reading a talk this past week a line stood out to me... Elder Niel A. Maxwell shared a little bit about his feelings about serving God and I wanted to share it with you because as he shared it, I felt like it came from my own heart. He said (with my own little added change), "I pledge that my little footnote on the page of 'the New Jersey Morristown Mission’s' history will read clearly that I wore out my life in helping to spread Jesus’ gospel.

And I would gladly give up my energy, health, sleep, anything... if it means that people like Mauricio can enter into the waters of baptism!!

HE WAS DUNKED!! Go Mauricio. I wish every single one of you could have been there but it was the most simple, smooth, quick, and by far the most powerful baptism I have had on my mission. The moment he entered the water you could feel a power boom out into the whole room. As if Satan no long had power on him and that every sin or trial or problem he ever had.. left his body in one instance!

That was easily a mission highlight for me.

Also, transfers are tomorrow!! I am so excited and also sad because it's also President Jeppsons departing meeting. And also a few of my best mission friends. A little bitter sweet. We are all very excited to meet our new President Taggart.

Well have a great week!! I love you all!   Onward and upward! 

Hermana Schwendiman

Pictures are from the baptism. 

Maurico... he's really happy even though he doesn't look like it in one of the pictures. We usually have to hold hispanics down, tickle them, tell them a joke, give them food, ANYTHING to get them to smile in a picture.. I'm working on my tactics. Bribing seems to do the trick!

and then the cutest kids. They belong to our branch president and I love them! 

And then Mauricio brought two of his roommates to the baptism and they are on my potentials list. They came to all 3 hours of church. Stayed for the baptism. Then even came to the ward activity that we had after. They are pretty much apart of the branch already!!

Mauricio's baptism (he's in the white shirt)

a little pathetic

Well I hate to say it but this weeks email is going to be a little pathetic. Sometimes I wish I could just have a camera man secretly follow me around and then at the end of the week, take out the highlights and send them home to you! But it's not quite like that, and I am even more tired than I was last week! I love this mission!! I did include a couple pictures though.. Both are from the all mission conference that we had this week. New Jersey is know for a few things, one of them being "Carlo's Bakery" and so we had another cake competition and I just sent the funniest one! If you notice the faces in the photo, it's our mission President and his wife! And then a picture of our zone.. We were all assigned a color to our zone, and we somehow ended with brown.. but that's my fantastic zone!! 

The weather is great!! It feels like Utah weather right now, the humidity hit for a couple weeks but this past week it disappeared!! It's been awesome!! 

I also grew in my appreciation this week for my father. If any of you know my dad you know how incredible he is and I am one lucky girl to have him. He has made me who I am today and I owe everything to him!! I have also grown in my appreciation for my Father in heaven. I feel especially grateful that I feel that I can compare my relationship with my earthy father with my Heavenly Father. That's a lot of love and I am one lucky sister missionary!! 

Short and sweet!! I hope you all have an incredible week!! 

Hermana Schwendiman

PS Mauricio is incredible!! He came to ward activities and service projects this week!! He's getting baptized next week!! Wooo!! 

how 'bout that?

Well this week I'm going to do this a little bit differently. I somehow ended up with my journal in my backpack and seeing that I am to the point of exhaustion where my cleverness has seeped away, I'm just going to be quoting myself throughout the week.

 

"It is so much fun to have Jaime with us on the streets, and he loves it too! I am seeing a side of the work that I have never seen before.... He asked us if he could come out more and if they were even close enough to bike to he would be there.... it's like we are in a trio!"

"I can't even express the love that I have for my family..."

"#growing #ihopenotphysically"

"We met with on of our less actives, Melania, and as we read in Alma 13:27 about not procrastinating repentance she just started to cry and told us she needed to be at church this sunday."

"Exchanges are the best! They just seem to get better and better too! We contacted a man today who shared with us about starwarsism. That even by saying "May the force be with you," it was just like saying, "May God be with you." With Darth Vador as Satan...."

"I think that today was the first time in my life that I walked up to a complete stranger and gave her a hug." (street contact that had been crying. She ended up being super drunk but we were able to walk with her to her aunts house.. crossing busy streets... glad we helped!)

"The best part of the day was when we went to volleyball and saw Mauricio. He looked so stinkin happy. He told on of the members that quiting smoking was so hard to do but that he was doing it. He doesn't even look the same. A completely different person.. The members are starting to get excited about missionary work and are starting to ask us more and more about our investigators.. This has nothing to do with us. It has everything to do with Mauricio and changing this branch. They deserve it. They work hard." 

"We got to teach Mauricio tonight at teh Bernals. Watched the restoration cideo.. He is incredible. Went from a pack of cigarettes a day (20) to only 5 today. You can tell he's not used to people listening to him. He LOVES to talk" 

"....stake womans conference. I don't know how we did it but without ANY preparation (that wasn't our fault... it was super late notice) we taught two 45 minute classes on how to use Preach My Gospel in our every day life." It's a good thing I've read it... ha ha 

"But then came the best part of the night. I call these next couple hours 'musical chairs." We go to teach Mauricio and Jaime came! He has a huge testimony and it was good to have him there. But after, he had to leave, and at the same time our less-active, Jose, walked over (we were outside and they live in the same house just different floors). We had an appointment with him but Mauricio stayed. We talked about the Book of Mormon. Then just as we wrapped up.. In walks Rollings, Mauricio's friend. And then had another whole lesson. Rollings told us that Mauricio is always sitting at the table reading 'the book.' Made me laugh when he was wanting Mauricio to talk to him and give him attention but his nose was in his book and kept telling him to hold on. But also, Mauricio showed his book mark to Rollings, the temple, and told him that that's where he was going to get married."

"There he was. No hat. No earrings. Huge smile. "He saw me and same to sit right next to me. And then as if that didn't make me happy enough, I look over and Serafin walked in the door. No way. Back to Morristown we go (He was a less-active I worked with in Morristown while I was there) He finally came. ( He moved into our branch.. elders area...) He sat down right next to Mauricio. So happy. And if THAT weren't enough.. Jaime was there and came and sat on my other side. Less-active, investigator, missionary, recent convert. How's that for an odd group? It was so incredible how full the chapel was today. A darling family (of 5) moved into the branch.."  (it may have just been the family of 5 that we have been praying for. Super strong members and darling kids :) ) 

"today during sacrament meeting they sustained Jaime for receiving the priesthood. He stood up and as everybody showed that they were willing to support him he sat down and in shock just said, 'Woa...' " 

"There are no words to describe how much I love this work. This is my life. My duty. My calling. There are fewer experiences that even compare to when your investigator says, 'I KNOW  it's true!' or when they come to church or even say 'it's weird to call people Hermano or Hermana because I've never had that before.." 

Just a little side note.. The picture where I'm wearing two skirts... Yea... I was on an exchange and we stopped by Jaime's to walk with him to our appointment and a soccer ball fell out of the car and I just went to flip it in the car with my foot... RRRRRRRRRRRIP! I don't think I've ever seem Jaime laugh that hard and I'm sure my face was priceless. Luckliy there was nobody behing me.. That I knew of! 

Oh.. and we invented a game. Since our apartment is full of spiders.. sister boudesocque and I have been forced to overcome our fear of them.. we have a little hacky sack and a tally board. We now kill spiders with hacky sacks.. Unless they are running across the floor.. we have a designated shoe for that or on the ceiling.. then we cast lots! 

Well that's my week. I love you all and hope that the rain over here doesn't spread over there! or the spiders.. Onward and Upward :) 

Con mucho amor 

Hermana Schwendiman 

roller coaster week

This really has been on roller coaster of a week! But what would a mission be if all things ran smoothly.. or life in general? 

We did have a lot of smooth sailing though.. rough seas.. droughts.. and here we are again for another P-day. That's one thing I've learned, time passes! Soak in the good moments.. be patient through the trials! 

Highlights for the week:

1. Tuesday I had an incredible exchange with the most stereotypical sister from Hawaii. The stereotype is to Hawaii.. not the sister missionary side. She was super "chill," happy, loved good food.. it was a blast and we both learned a ton. 

2. A couple weeks ago I wrote about a man named Mauricio.. well Mauricio is getting baptized on the 22nd of June! I have never taught anyone in my mission that has been as excited as he has! Most of the people we teach already have a relationship with God, believe in Christ, and go to church. Mauricio has had to turn is life around.. His life in Costa Rica was not easy. His life in general has been a rather big train wreck.. but he has the biggest heart. Every time we have an appointment with him, he cannot wait to share with us what he has learned in the Book of Mormon, we don't even have to ask him! He said that he felt like he wanted to go talk to the whole world and go meet everyone, and he doesn't really even like talking to people! He is changing and you can see it in his face. He was so happy that it made me happy, I noticed my cheeks hurting by the end of the lesson. The most amazing thing about Mauricio is that he commits himself to do anything before we have to. We discuss something and he commits himself to do it. He makes any valley or trial worth it. 

3. Jaime came out to teach with us. Multiple times actually! He just walks next to us down the streets, hugging his Book of Mormon. If the appointment isn't home, he's the first to say, "Okay where to next?" He loves being a missionary! 

4. I had my interview with President Jeppson that we do every three months! The most incredible interview that I have had on my mission! but unfortunately it was my last one as well. He finishes his mission in just a few weeks. Its sad but also very exciting! 

And I just have one funny curve that we took on our roller coaster ride...

We got locked out of our apartment this week! Our phone died at 8:30, we were home at nine just to find out that our keys were locked inside. All windows locked.. neighbors didn't answer.. so we ended up at Jaime's calling the assistants because it was the only number that we had with us and then played a tini prank on the english sisters.. before they let us sleep on their floor! It's a good thing they actually let us!! :) 

Love you all so much! May your roller coasters be as fun as mine!

Onward and upward! 

Hermana Schwendiman 

     

PS Pictures coming next week. Sorry.. I know it's no fun without pictures!