Gabi Letter March 21, 2011

First, Thank you mom and dad for giving me all the details on Dmitri's Graduation!  MY big brother is now a really cool rank in the United States Marine Corps (Dmitri, you know I've never been good at all the termanology).  I am so thankful for the family I have and the example ALL of you are to me.  Do you realize how amazing God is?  Seriously! It blows me away when I being to really think how much he has given me.  Ok mom, here it comes, are you ready??? your always ready for these words (haha)... You were right.  I do appreciate my family a LOT more now that I am serving a mission.  As I've been away from home that is the one thing that keeps coming back to me, Heavenly Father must really love me to give me all of you.  You inspire me to be a better person and to work my hardest to give other families what WE HAVE.   In the MTC(missionary Training Center) the speakers and teachers were always saying, Heavenly Father has already given you all the training you really need, your just here to tune in to it. =] 

These past 6 weeks have blown by fast, I will be back on the Visitor Center schedule come 2 weeks.  We aren't sure what is going to happen with our areas or our companionship but we are hoping we can stay together for a bit more time and learn to get a hold of what we have a bit better.  It really is a challenge to keep track of 2 different areas and looking to work with two different types of people... the types being 1) spanish speaking families and 2) single 18-30 yr olds that speak english, talk about complete opposites.  We have seen some great potential in a few individuals but they all seem to be going out of town for long periods of time =/ lol oh well, we will just keep studying, praying, teaching when possible and searching. I have come to rely on past experience and examples of people in my life to help me to understand people and their needs.  More then anything, I've come to rely on the spirit to give me the right push or thought in doing what needs to be done.  How often do I want to just say what I want to say? All the time! BUT usually what I want to say and what needs to be said are two different things and I'm trying my best to heed into those still small hints.

I was reading in Helaman 10 this morning and verse 4 really stuck out to me.  It is the Lord talking to Nephi and telling him WHY he is going to bless him after Nephi had some struggles with his people and their wickedness and after he had warned them.  The Lord tells him "4^aBlessed art thou, Nephi, for those things which thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with ^bunwearyingness declared the word, which I have given unto thee, unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine ^cown life, but hast sought my ^dwill, and to keep my commandments. "

SO, as the missionary I am, I want to challenge everyone.  Put yourself in Nehpi's place, what has the lord asked of you? Why aren't you doing it? I thought about it a lot, what are the things the Lord is commanding me? Why aren't I doing it? The Lord NEVER gives a commandment without promising our happiness.  Being obidient doesn't mean you are you, it means your a better you (another lesson I've learned).  I love you all and miss you and constantly have you in my thoughts and prayers.

 

Love you with all I got,

Hermana Schumacher