Gabi Pictures!

Gabi Letter 4/18/11

"Let me tell you about some great stuff that happened this week.  In my mission we have a goal of inviting people to be baptized in our first lesson with them.  We invited one of our investigator's to be baptized on May 8th and she said yes!  Her name is Debby and she is very sweet.  She went to church on Sunday as well and had a great time.  We also had the opportunity to contact a referral named Della, she turned out to be a Member of the church who was baptized when she was 8 and her name was Bella. She said she really wanted to get back to church, but didn't feel comfortable going.  We encouraged her to go and she did!  She said that it was great, that she got a lot of attention from the members!  We also taught Brother Dover.  He is a reactivating member of the church.  He is so sweet and so sincere and everything we teach him, he applies to his life.  It is great! 

Out here they do this thing called a Mini-Mission.  It is for youth and single adults, ages 16- 24?  My companion Sister Stout and I were choosen to do it this weekend and we were paired up with a girl named Stephanie Calanche, she is 19 and Guatamalan.  She was so super sweet and an amazing missionary!  We had such a great time with her and we are definately going to stay in contact with her.  I'm doing great!  The mission is such a wonderful place to grow and learn and to have the self-improvement I want! hopefully, lol.

 

stay positive, be happy, be motivated. Have a desire to do the little Things Heavenly Father asks us to do.  "

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

Gabi Letter 2/28/2011

Hello All,

 

=]

 

So, these two weeks have been moving pretty smoothly concidering all of the changes and excitment that has been going on.  This transfer (missionary term meaning a 6 week period) I have recieved a new companion, Sister Parra.  She is from Mexico and she has been on her mission for about 10 months.  I am no longer working in the Visitor's Center all though Elder MacDonald says that he would love to have us in when ever we'd like.  I am also the Designated Driver because Sister Parra isn't certified to drive. I did not switch areas but they did add on to the already HUGE area I have and can not cover more then a 5th of.  I am still serving in La Cienega (Spanish Ward) and now I am also serving in Santa Monica 3rd Ward which is in english and for singles, AND it covers the whole English Stake. ha.

I think Heavenly Father is trying to prepare me for something... lol

 

The 1st picture attached is of me, Hermana Parra and Katie who is now a Member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints as of Sunday, Feb. 27th 2011.  

2- Feb. 27th 2011 Hermana Parra, Katie and I, at Katie's Baptism.

3- " " Elder Mcbride and Katie in their Baptismal Clothes and us missionaries

 

For those that were curious,  my area is San Vicente and it covers Santa Monica, Malibu, Brentwood, Beverly Hills and Bel Aire.  When they added Santa Monica 3rd ward, they added on Culver City and I'm not sure of what else just yet. haha.  It's interesting to be teaching in English as well now.

I'm learning A Lot.  In fact, during studies I have been really soaking in the October Conference talks in the Ensign and the Book of Mormon.  I love it!  I totally get why all the girls in Seminary wanted to marry Captian Moroni now! hahaha.  I want to invite everyone to take sometime and pick up the Book of Mormon.  If you like reading, you'll love it even more.  

My companion and I were talking this morning and we just love how we are so luck to be living and serving right now in Los Angeles and we know how well the Lord knows us and how much he loves us.  It is incredible to me how much he knows my heart and the things he puts in my path to make it better and more pure.  I love you all and think of you often.  Everyone I have come in contact with has impacted my life and made it that much better, even if they weren't nice and I didn't like them much, Thank you.

 

Love,

 =P

Hermanita Schumacher

February 7 2011 PICTURES!

The past few weeks have been great and rough all at once!  My companion, Sister McCollough, and I are working hard and trying our best to find people who are truly interested in learning the Gospel.  BUT that isn't what most people are looking to do now a days. Ha, go figure.  We have had some really great experience anyway.  I'm pretty nervous about these coming weeks.  We are getting ready for transfers and Sister McCollough is expiring this transfer =P  She has been an awesome companion and I've learned a lot from being with her. I'll be honest, I haven't wanted to think about what is going to happen when she leaves... Are they going to keep me in my area? Are they going to take me out of it?  Who is going to be my companion?  Will we get along? gosh. haha, I know it will be fine but these are the thoughts of a missionary who's world is being twisted by transfers. hahaha. This is a pretty short message but most of them are.  I love you all and think of you often.  If you want to know specifics you'll have to write me and tell me what you want to know about. hahaha.  Peace out!

MTC companions.  Hermana Ochoa & Gonzalez

MTC District

Visitor's Center Training, on Splitz on Temple Square with Sister Gunter

Hike to the Hollywood sign

Funny Stop sign in my area =P

Brother and Sister Larsen on their last day in the Visitor's Center

Me and my First District at Christmas

January 24, 2011

Here is what has been happening with me (summarized).  This past week has been full of miracles,  We have been teaching Alejandro for a while now and he finally excepted a baptismal date last night.  He will be baptized the 6th of Feb. if everything goes well. 
We also stopped at one of the members houses to say hi and it turned out that she really needed some comforting because her mom (who lives in Mexico) just had a stroke.  Sister McCollough was able to share the perfect scripture with her and when we left we all felt better. 
Oh, By the way...  I meet President Uchtdorf and his wife yesterday.  hahaha, I am NOT kidding.  The Visitor Center Director's didn't tell us that they would be coming in until a few hours before they arrived.  I talked with him and his wife for a little while.  When he read my name he said, "Schumacher, that is a strong German name", and his wife came up to me and gave me a hug.  Elder Mcdonald (visitor center director) spoke with me after and said, "Funny thing sister Schumacher, every time Elder Uchtdorf saw you he always stopped to speak with you."  WOW!
haha, it is so crazy.  I never expected to meet a member of the First Presidency while on the Mission.  It has been quite a month.

New message From Sister Schumacher!

01/03/2011

dear blog lovers =]

You are wonderful. haha.  So, being a missionary is not an easy task.  It isn't just giving tours around the Visitor's center or knocking on people's doors asking if they want to be baptized.  That really isn't it at all.  To do the work correctly, your heart has to be in it.  Now, when some of you asked me why I was serving a mission I said it was for me.  That is true.  I knew that serving a mission would make me work harder then ever before for something that makes my whole life up.  In school some knew me to be the religious one and some of you have seen me in my most shameful state.  Those experiences have built me and changed me but the mission is a new and life change experience of it's own.  We have people that don't give us the time of day, that slam the door in your face and yell at you.  Do I get mad? nope, I feel really sad because I know they aren't happy and they wont let me help them.  We have had a few people that feel that this is true and we have had wonderful experiences with and then they decided that they don't want to learn anymore... this one happen right before Christmas and it was really hard for me. 

But then, we have those amazing individuals that are so ready to make this step and to change their lives.  They really are miracles from God... one such as this is Monica, she called us and asked us to get her ready for Baptism! haha. Monica and her daughter Stephanie were the first 2 baptizms for the California Los Angeles Mission of 2011!!!!! My companion and I have been working hard and making goals for this month hoping and praying that he will continue blessing us with work and people who are ready to here this important message.

Mom, Dad, God knew what he was doing when he assigned me to you because so much of what I use to survive comes from how you taught me and loved me.  My friends back home, I miss you so much and I have also learned tons from you! For example, Emily... I cut up a pizza with scrapbooking scissors today, hahahaha (my companion was impressed by how well it worked)!

Thank you to the Mommy & Daddy, Lubianca & Jaye, Grandparents Cluff <3, Dmitri & Jenna, Aina family, Barrera Familia, Samalamadingdong, Emily, Mary Ellen, Stake Presidency (Pres.Volk!), and everyone else that I forgot to write out here (oops, still love you tons! keep writing!!!!) for the holiday love and joy.  If I didn't have support from home this would be so much harder to do, but Heavenly Father realizes that I need you.

Btw, I think I make some people a little nervous with how daring I can be about somethings. hahahaha.  I think it's that east coast girl in me <3

12/21/2010

Mission- We have a family we are teaching and they are really cute.  We are really trying to get them to church but it has been pretty hard.  We have an investigator named Monica who is getting baptized on Jan. 1, She is really amazing and we are teaching and preparing her 10 year old daughter for Baptism as well.  My companion Sister McCollough and I are trying to find more people to teach and strengthen the members in the Ward.  There are some really amazing and strong people out here, it reminds me a lot of the branch and how thankful I am for my little band of saints back home.  I talk about my family a LOT to everyone, haha.  It really is amazing how Heavenly Father just knows who to put in your life to make you progress the most and to make you the best you possible (he is working pretty hard on me, he gave me you guys! =P) The visitor's center is really amazing!  The senior couples here are the best and the other visitor center sister really try to help each other out and making things work the way that there suppose to. I miss you all and think of you often but I'm so excited to do the work! It really is super gratifying when you receive a prompting from the spirit and you follow it.  Some of the conversations I've had with people are incredible.  I actually meet one 16 year old boy on my flight out to LA, he sat next to me on the plane.  He flies back and forth from LA to Salt Lake because he is in a rehab program.  He really wants to do well for himself and I was able to talk to him about an amazing person I know back home who has had similar trails.  It really boosted his self-esteem to hear about it.  At the end of that conversation I was able to give him a Book of Mormon.  I don't know if he has read it or anything but I gave him the best thing I could give to anyone.  I guess that is something that has really made me excited, Is knowing how really the Book of Mormon is and being able to share it.  I love the gospel of Jesus Christ and correct principles understood (by the heart) truly changes behavior and lives.

This is Gabi with some people from her Grandma Cluff's ward who are also serving a mission.  Gabi Promises more pics to come!