To The New Year!

Dear friends and family!!
It's been a pretty interesting week here in Lindon, Utah! As all of you know, it was Christmas this week!! I very much enjoyed the letters and gifts I received! I had the wonderful opportunity to talk to my parents on Christmas!! It was honestly the best hour of my life! They reminded me, yet again, that I only have 268 days left on my mission....sigh. We ate with a widow for dinner on Christmas and she prepared us a feast! There were 6 missionaries there in total and we ate turkey, ham, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, sweet potatoes casserole, various gravies, rolls, pistachio pudding, and 6 pies! It was a pretty filling night and it's safe to say that a diet and a new workout routine is in my future! Christmas was very enjoyable though! However, the next day....dun,dun,dun... My companion contracted the flu. We spent the day at home trying to heal in which I watched every church movie possible, did as much as I could teaching online, and actually took a nap. The next day she seemed to be doing better and it was the day of president interviews (which I honestly get very excited for!!) I kind of asked for an extension to my mission but the mission is not allowed to hand out extensions anymore as there are too many missionaries out. So family and friends, you are safe! I did have a wonderful time talking with president and sharing what I have learned thus far on my mission! Fast forward to Saturday now... My companion is still sick! Poor thing! The flu has gotten the best of her and if you remember I have already watched every church video I can at this point. So what do I do now?? That's right!! I attempt a 500 piece puzzle! I figured, hey! That should keep me busy for awhile..... I was busy for 6 hours doing the puzzle! That's like a full time job. But lo and behold, my companion was awake to see me put in the finishing pieces! Pretty awesome right? I took picture evidence that it, in fact, did happen! I was so proud! That pride dissipated after a couple minutes when I moved on to take a nap (that felt a little more exciting). So then yesterday, we were asked a couple weeks ago to participate in 5th Sunday activities in which we were the speakers. Well, that morning, my companion wakes up and is now hacking and coughing and just sounding pretty cruddy, sadly. We go to church and she starts to feel a little imbalanced. Uh oh! We give our presentation about missionary work (surprise, surprise!) and we rush her home to get her to feel better. We did, actually, get some lessons in yesterday and it felt good, as for my companion, however, she is still recovering and is starting to do a lot better.
      I had a pretty spiritual experience yesterday. We were reading in the Book of Mormon with a man that has had trouble doing so, not because he didn't have the desire but for some other reasons. I usually use my iPad for lessons like this but for some reason I felt prompted to grab out my paper set. I have one of my name tags attached to the cover of my Book of Mormon. As it came time to bear my testimony, I looked down at my name tag, felt the leather bound Book of Mormon in my hands and bore a testimony full of heart and sincerity. I don't know why, but having my paper set of scriptures in my hands felt more spiritual than my iPad. I could feel the spirit that I held in my hands. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and therefore I know that Joseph smith is the prophet of the restoration! I know that Jesus Christ LIVES! It's so real! Everything! I wish you could feel what I feel every day!! It's amazing!!! I guess I never realized how much my mission impacted me until, as I was bearing my testimony, I felt the difference that has been made in my life, where I could be and what I could be doing. Man... This gospel is amazing!!!!!!
     Well, I just wanted to make sure y'all know that I love you so much and thank you for all the support you have given me! It means a lot to me to have people behind me helping me to feel loved and supported. Thank you so much!!!

Love,
Sister Maren Schultz

I'm Halfway There!

Hello friends and family!!
It happened! It has finally come! I gave officially been out for 9 months. I've had a lot of time to think back to the first 9 months of my mission. I've made some mistakes, I've learned much, at times I could have worked harder than I have, but I've had the most intense spiritual experiences, I've seen success, and most of all I've seen others come unto Christ. It's amazing for me to be on the other side of the inactive, less active, and investigator. It's cool to be the missionary now; to see the "aha!" moment and the connection made that this church, indeed, is true! What a special moment to witness!! I love to see others come to the knowledge and understanding that Jesus Christ died for US! Heavenly Father is our loving Heavenly Father! Gosh!!! It never gets old. I'm here to share the happiness and joy that I receive from the gospel to others so they may also feel that! It's like trying a new restaurant and absolutely loving it. You, of course, want to share that with others. So what do you do? You yell it from the roof tops! That's what I want to do. That's what I'm here to do. I love this gospel with all of my heart.
      In the spirit of being halfway through my mission, I'd like to share some experiences I've had so far. I guess this isn't really an experience but I've come to love certain foods that seem crazy to me. Aaragus, Brussel sprouts, curry, squash, almond milk, red peppers, pico de gillo, Mexican food, Mexican sour cream, cooked carrots, uncooked tortillas, fry sauce.. I could go on forever. My taste palate has expanded exponentially (sorry dad!).
      There was a man in my first area, American fork, who smoked, was living with his fiancé, was working towards baptism but regressed. One fast and testimony meeting, we were in his ward but he was no where to be found. We had the disappointment of a missionary who thought that this would be the time. We sat listening to the testimonies that others were bearing. A man walked past us up to the stand, it was our investigator!! He stood and bore a strong testimony with tears in his eyes and thanked The Lord for the progress he had made. Even though we thought we hadn't seen progress, it was there. He was moving forward. I left American fork shortly after that Sunday, I'm not sure how he's currently doing but I know that The Lord is taking care of him!
        In Orem, I had a hard time adjusting to the area. I had just moved in from my first area and was feeling pretty bitter about being in Orem. I was being put with a sister that didn't want to be my companion, and we were in a walking area. We met a young girl, 20 years old. She was quiet, reserved, and didn't want to see us, really. Her mom is a member that we visited all the time that quickly became our mission mom. Anyways, so this young girl was a depressed girl who didn't really want to attend church or be sociable. We befriended her one day and she became our best friend! We helped her through certain issues and saw the transformation that Heavenly Father made in a girl who tried her best to avoid us but was now coming on splits with us almost every night! She has a beautiful personality full of service for others, gratitude, charity, and so many more. She has shown me what the atonement is for. She showed me that Jesus Christ died for is each individually that through Him we can obtain eternal life.
    In the beginning of my mission I thought I was here to teach others but really I am here so others can teach me. I used to be shy, selfish, prideful, and bitter. Though I am not yet completely the opposite of those things, I am striving to do so! I am no longer shy (that's for sure!), I am not bitter, I love to do service for others and think of others over myself, and I am learning to humble myself a little more each day. If I had to do this all over again I probably would. My mission is the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life thus far, aside from my baptism. I have learned much! I have succeeded, I have failed, but The Lord has been with me to right me when I am wrong, and to learn a lesson out of my failures. Failures don't bring us down, yet they build up so we have a foundation to lay our success upon.
       I've started to realize more and more that being a convert isn't a bad thing. I've learned that being a convert can be a blessing. When helping someone with the word of wisdom, I can share my experiences. When talking about tithing, feeling the Holy Ghost, praying to know if he Book of Mormon is true, and being on the investigator side of things, I'm able to share my real experiences with them. I was truly sent here as an instrument in God's. Things I looked at in my past to be negative are turning out to be positives in the end because I am able to understand others. At this point in my life I do not regret a thing because it's through my trials that I've become stronger, grown closer to God, and have be one the person I am today. I thank Heavenly Father every day for my trials and for the many things I have come to know and for the things I will come to know in time. I know that through any trial there will be a dawn, there is an end, and there is hope. You may be suffering now but Heavenly Father is right beside you.
      With Christmas being this week, I'd like to share a quote from Dr. Seuss' "The Grinch That Stole Christmas". "It came without ribbons. It came without tags. It came without packages, boxes, or bags. Maybe Christmas, he thought, doesn't come from a store maybe Christmas perhaps, means a little bit more". I'd like to change the word "it" to "He". He indeed came without ribbons. He came in a humble beginning, lying in a manager. He, the King of Kings, the Prince of Peace, our Savior and Redeemer was not met by the finest cloth in Bethlehem or with a majestic bed to lay his head in. He, in fact, was lain in a manager, in a cold stable, with hay for His bed. He was not greeted as a prince but He did, however, make it possible for us to return to our Father in Heaven. It's easy to lose touch with what Christmas really means but let us remember in this time of rejoicing and joy in family, that Jesus Christ started it all. Remember Him always.
    This Christmas I will be spending my time with the family we live with, the Beck's. They are so wonderful and take care of us! We love to spend time with them because they help us to feel at home. It truly is the most time of the year. I am so grateful to be here on my mission in Utah. Some people may think it's a punishment or that we weren't good enough to go anywhere else but guys! I'm in Zion!!!!! Someone needs to help the children in Zion because Israel is gathered. The Utah Provo mission is the best mission in the world (but hey! I'm pretty biased). I love you all and I wish you a very very merry Christmas!!!

Stay awesome!

Love,
Sister Maren Schultz

Lindon, a whole new world.

Hello friends and family!!

    This week was transfers and here's the news! I've been transferred to Lindon west and pleasant grove west with my new companion Sister Reid. She is from South Carolina and has the most adorable southern accent. She says things like ma'am and sir and good golly and hotdog!!! She says oh gracious and puddin and not pudding, and "I do declare". Straight from gone with the wind!  She's so stinking adorable!!! We live with a family named the Beck's. They are super wonderful and take such good care of us. They are hilarious and have 2 children out on a mission. We are covering 2 stakes, 16 wards and actually have a car! Woohoo!! Guess who's driving ;)

    Entering a new area is always a challenge. For one, I am driving an area that I do not know and which my companion doesn't necessarily know either. I am also trying to keep track of the ward mission leaders, members, and other leadership, and also being in an area where we are busy all the time. Now don't get me wrong! I'm not complaining. I love being in a new area with new people, a new companion, a car (woohoo), and lots of work! I love my new area but it does get challenging from time to time. I'm grateful for The Lord and for the strength He gives me. We were teaching a man the other day name Richard. He is less active and is trying to reactivate. He shared that His spiritual knees were shaking but nevertheless he is standing. I shared with him a personal story about when my spiritual knees were shaking. I felt The Lord strengthening me within that time. I shared my testimony with him about how The Lord can strengthen us as we are determined to stand. I had received spiritual crutches from The Lord. He helped me to strengthen my muscles until I was ready to walk on my own. I walked on my own and occasionally experienced weakness but I have grown stronger since then. If anything, I think I learned more from the lesson than I thought I was supposed to. Of course, Richard learned from the spirit and Heavenly Father but I also learned from what I had said that I am stronger than I realize. I was able to see the Lord's hand more evidently in my life.

    I am truly exhausted this week! We leave at 10 in the morning and we don't return until 930 at night! I feel like I go to bed at 11 and 630 rolls around way too quickly! Nevertheless, I know that Heavenly Father is giving me the proper strength. Obedience brings blessings and I've noticed that as I am exactly obedient, The Lord helps me to do the work that He has set aside for me. He helps me to love my mission and to not fall asleep in the middle of sacrament no matter how much I want to!

     Family and friends, I am so very grateful to be here in the Utah Provo mission, serving The Lord. Last night I had a dream that I was giving my homecoming talk and seeing my family ward again. That dream felt all too real. I have 9 months left. I'm at the peak. Now I need to endure and make sure time doesn't go too fast! I love you all so so much! I am so happy to know each and every one of you and feeling the love and support you supply! Please enjoy my new blog (yep, I hopped on the band wagon).

My current address is still:

Sister maren schultz

85N 600E

Provo, Utah

84606

This will be my address for the 9 months that I have left!

I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Maren Schultz

http://sistermarenschultz.blogspot.com/2013/12/heres-how-it-begins.html?spref=fb

Orem 4

Hello family and friends!!

It's been a busy week! We've had zone training meeting, my companion and I have gone to the Mexican consulate in Salt Lake City, we celebrated my birthday, we had so much snow come down! It's officially winter here in Utah. On Tuesday we had so much snow come down that we decided we would go out and shovel driveways for some members. By dinner time we had shoveled 9 driveways! Talk about back ache! Even though we only taught one lesson within that amount of time, we got so much done and it felt so amazing to help others. Service is one of those things that I cherish. I like to serve others because it helps them. If I can make any one persons day better I want to do it! And though we didn't get to see the reactions of the people we helped, it still felt good knowing that shoveling their driveway would be one less thing they'd have to do upon arriving home. As Jesus has said, "And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me."(Matthew 25:40) and it is even mentioned again in the Book of Mormon, "And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God" (Mosiah 2:17). It is important to serve each other because a) we are all brothers and sisters, and b) Jesus has served us. As we serve others we are serving Him. Service also helps to turn your mood around! I was feeling pretty bitter on Tuesday but as I started to forget myself and get to work, my day turned right around! I am so grateful for the example that Jesus Christ has been to us and the love we feel from Him. I know He's our big brother and loves us very very much.

     Earlier in the email I mentioned that my companion and I traveled to Salt Lake City on Wednesday to the Mexican consulate. My companion's visa has come in. She is scheduled to leave for Mexico this week. It's such a bittersweet feeling to know that I will not be serving with a wonderful sister anymore. I'm sad to let her go but she is going to do amazing things in Mexico! While we were in Salt Lake City and it so happen to be my birthday we asked our driver to drive us by the temple to take pictures! How many people can say that they left their mission on their birthday and got my picture taken with my companion in front of the temple!? That really made my birthday special! Earlier in the morning, my companion set out a happy birthday banner for me and a cute card which she hand made. I have attached pictures, then we ate at a local cafe called roll up cafe. They specialize in crepes and anything Nutella! We ate "breakfast" with our district. I had a crepe called "summer fling" it consisted of strawberries, raspberries, and, of course, Nutella all rolled into a crepe!! I think this is the one restaurant I will miss the most when I leave. Speaking of leaving, both my companion and I will be leaving this area, leaving it to be white washed (we're being replaced with elders). I'm not going to lie, I'm feeling a little bitter at the way we found out we were leaving but I know that wherever I am going Heavenly Father has a plan for me. My companion has received her visa and will be going to Mexico but I have no idea where I am going. Our mission president is doing something new this transfer. He will be calling us and telling us if we're leaving or staying, if we're training, or if we are leadership. He will not be telling us where we are going or who will be our new companion until transfer day! A little nerve wracking buuuuut it should be interesting! It will be a quicker way to transfer and a less sociable haha which is what he is mainly trying to keep down. Transfers just happens to be a mission party and reunion lately! Of course president would notice 261+ missionaries out of their area hanging out in a parking lot. I will find out on Wednesday where I am going and who I will be with so I will inform you next week!

       On Saturday, I had the blessed opportunity to go to the baptism of a young man that I taught in American fork. We had to pass him off to the elders at one point because he was a street out of our area. It was so sad but we knew the elders would take good care of him. He is so super intelligent. He's from Ghana and is living here as an exchange to go to the high school here. His baptism was beautiful! You could tell he was so grateful and that he had felt the spirit of The Lord! Immediately when he came out of the water, he had the biggest grin on his face! This is what I love!!!!! I love to see how the gospel blesses lives and for people to feel the happiness that I have and still feel with the gospel in their lives!

       This Sunday was very good!! We got one of our less actives to come out to church, all 3 blocks in fact! And not even just that, another less active that we didn't expect came to church as well! She also stayed for all 3 blocks. Our area lacks in investigators so we see little successes like this we become grateful to our Heavenly Father for these tender mercies! The Lord has been so good lately (He's always good, I just sometimes forget to recognize it) my 22nd birthday was just wonderful and I want to thank all of those who sent me cards and small letters! It helps to know that I am loved and supported back home or wherever my family resides. It motivates me to be a better missionary every day that I am here. Now that I have been 9 months out, I have realized the mistakes I have made and know that yes, I did make mistakes but I am where I am as a missionary because of them. I have 9 more months to kick butt. There are many people out there that need the gospel (yes, even in Utah). I made a vow to my Heavenly Father that I would help them see the hand of God in their lives and to recognize the Holy Ghost. It's crazy to think that 9 months have already passed and that by March I will have been out for a year. What an absolutely mind churning thought. I have learned to think more of the present instead of the future. I am so grateful to be here on my mission and to be serving The Lord each and every day. I am so grateful to my friends and family for supporting me and loving me. Most of all, I am thankful to the Savior whom without, I would not be in the place I am in today. The atonement is real. The atonement is powerful. The atonement saved my life. I am SOO grateful!!!

I love you so so much!!!

You all mean so so much to me!!

I think of you constantly,

Love,

Sister Maren Schultz

The Plague

Hello friends and family!

        We have been hit by the plague!! But really it's just an annoying infestation of the flu and cold. My companion got the cold and I got the flu...in the stomach... Feeling great. We are healthier today than we have been all week. We've been out of work for about 4 days doing light missionary work that we could handle and going to important appointments. It is true that we are finally out of bed and kicking missionary tail finally! As my birthday sneaks around the corner (a week from Wednesday! How could that happen already?) I start to think about where I am in my life. In the matter of 5 years I have completely turned my life around because of the special gift that I have been given of the gospel! There is no better way that I would want to spend my 22 birthday than to be a part of this church, on a mission, and surrounded by those that love me. This week, as we were sick, I started to read the Book of Mormon again from page 1. I have started to notice verses that are popping out at me that I have never seen before! The picture of Nephi and his family is starting to be painted over more and more than it has been before. There are many verses before that's would have skipped over before but for some reason The Lord brings my attention to these verses and their meanings to me. The iron rod in 1 Nephi was something that I would just kind of pass over because I thought I knew its significance but I was wrong!! There's so much more meaning to it than I ever thought there was!! "And it came to pass that I beheld that the rod of iron, which my father had seen, was the word of God, which led to the fountain of living waters, or to the tree of life; which waters are a representation of the love of God; and I also beheld that the tree of life was a representation of the love of God."  (1 Nephi 11:25) such a simple verse in the 11th chapter of first Nephi but it says everything. The iron rod that we have are our scriptures. As long as we hold tight to these things and the word of God, we shall be led to the living waters which is Christ. We will be led to eternal life and to all the things which The Lord has set apart for those who obey the commandments and try their best in this life. This verse is essentially about the atonement that if we hold tight to the iron rod which can also be considered the atonement of Jesus Christ we are able to partake of the things which The Lord has promised us. The Lord has promised eternal life to those who are willing. Who wouldn't want to partake of this "free" gift that we are given. In that same vision that Nephi has, where others are feeling around for the iron rod, we as missionaries, both member and full time, have the purpose of helping others find the rod to hold onto for eternity. We have this ability and calling to help others in need because as the missionary purpose states, "our purpose is to help others come unto Christ by receiving the restore gospel by faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end." The first thing that purpose states is to HELP. This one verse is about our purpose, how we can help others, and what they receive in return. Pheeeew, I know, all of that from one verse. Anyways, now that my tangent is over! The area is doing great and we are seeing many differences. After a month full of doctors appointments, ultra sounds, and bubonic plague, I am happy to say that my health is almost in top condition again! Oh and we're pretty sure our good friend little chef (who is our house mouse) is dead, sadly. He was fun while he lasted but on another note, the spider we caught a week or so ago in a tupper wear container is still, scarily, alive... Though he's pretty cunning and likes to convince you he's dead and then you open the top and he's actually not dead. He's alive. Little jerk. He'll be dead soon..if he's lucky. He was originally bait for the elders black widow spider but yeah.... We've been forgetting to give it to them.

          On a nicer note, it still hasn't snowed here in Utah. It's been threatening to but big bad Utah is a scaredy cat (I just jinxed myself, I'm sure.) I'm from NY come at me Utah. I was born ready for this weather since I was a wee little one in the womb. But seriously... I'm stocked.

         My companion and I decided that we would rearrange the apartment this week. We took down the bunk bed that was unneeded. The one I hit my head on each night and elbows which I apparently flail during the night. But then again the top bunk was maybe 7 inches from my face making any movement in bed impossible. But no longer!! I have about 10 feet of air above my head. I can now see the glow in the dark stars and planets on the ceiling. We've also cleaned up our crap and put the crappiest crap in the crap basket and sent it out. It's helping us feel so good and so much better :)

            On Sunday we talked to a relief society in one of our stakes about obedience. We were given the talk "obedience brings blessings" by Thomas s. Monson.  I love the way that Thomas puts obedience into perspective as he tells a story from his childhood about he and his friend wanting to have a fire one summer night while at a camping area in Provo canyon. He recalls needing to clear a space in the field to put their fire but they had to clear an area so he, being a young boy and knowing he shouldn't play with matches, went to his cabin and grabbed some matches sneakily and put the,m in his pocket. He says, as a young boy, he thought the fire would only burn as far as they wanted it to and them magically go out. Well, as we know, it didn't happen that way. Instead, the dry field took fire like it was doused in gasoline ams they needed to run for help, which they did. The entire camping community was able to put out the fire before any major damage had been done. This story reminds me just how important obedience is for us. Heavenly Father sets up rules for us much like little Thomas' mom and dad did not to play with matches. He wants us to be safe physically and spiritually which is why he sets commandments in place. Sometimes we have to experience first hand or second hand for ourselves to know why we keep commandments. Obedience really does bring blessings and happiness. Just something that came to mind yesterday.

       Yesterday we met with a guy for the first time and he was joined by his two other roommates. Let me tell you, these are the funniest guys! Van, who is Vietnamese, has never seen Harry potter movies or read the books! What an existence! It's okay though because his roommates who are American and Chinese have the bases covered. They start to compare the type of girls they want by the characters in Harry potter! We also learned that the one guy is a manny. Yes, you read that right... A manny and he loves it! More power to him! So interesting story how they all met. One day this guy is playing with his band in a park when Jeff approaches him looking for places to live and he's like oh hey come live with me, and Jeff is all like sure! Baaaaam roommates and then van came in there somehow.

Fun facts I learned this week;

It's easier to walk on earth than it is to walk on the moon... Duh.

My birthday is in one week

Technology apparently exist outside of the mission

Also, holidays still happen... Who knew?

If you put root beer in a square cup it becomes beer

You should actually use an Allan wrench to take apart bunk beds... Not scissors

Whenever I stub my toe I crack a toenail

My 5th pair of shoes have been worn through

I guess I'll just cut it off there and leave the rest for next week.

I love you all very very much!!!

Love,

Maren :)

The work is hastening

Hello Friends and Family!

Let me quick show you a visual!

Inline image 1

This is my face when I don't receive any mail! It can be hard for missionaries sometimes to not receive mail! Don't forget your sister missionary! Don't make me a grumpy-kins!

WRITE!

Sister Maren Schultz

85N 600E

Provo, Utah

84606

Anyways, so this week has been pretty exciting! We have been speaking in many wards lately and receiving new referrals and people to teach! This past Sunday we spoke in one of our wards about hastening the work. My companion spoke first and did phenomenal and there was a special musical number between our talks. A couple in the ward played "If you could hie to Kolob" on the piano and cello. As I sat there with my scriptures, with my name tag attached to the outside I started to really think about what that name tag meant to me. This name tag means the world to me. It means that I am a servant of the Lord. It means that I represent Jesus Christ every single day. It means that I better stand as a witness for Him in all times, in all things, and in all places! I am so filled with the love that Heavenly Father has for me and has for His children. This past week we were walking to an appointment that we were running late to and one of our ward mission leaders stopped us while driving by to confirm dinner. As we were talking, a little girl walked up to us and exclaimed, "I need to go home!" and so we asked here where home was, if her mom knew where she was, what her name was, and other details. We found out that the little girl decided she was going to walk home by herself that day and her mother was waiting for her at the school. We noticed, at that point, that she had a phone number on her lunch box and so we called that number to no answer. So we headed over to the school which was not too far from where we were just in time to hear the girl's name said over the loud speaker. We knew that they were looking for her. We walked over to the school and received a phone call from her mom to which we told her we had her daughter and she is safe. When we entered the school, the mom was so happy to have her daughter back and was thankful that we were able to return her. This is a lot like how Heavenly Father feels. When we are lost and confused, He sends other people to find us and return us to His presence. When He sees us once again He wraps His arms around us and loves us! He cherishes us and He keeps us close! This is why we're here as missionaries. We are here to bring back the lost children to Heavenly Father! I am so grateful to be a part of this work! I am so grateful that I have been called by a prophet and that I am here in the Utah Provo Mission. I love you all so very very much and I am grateful that I have been blessed with an amazing family and with amazing friends! Thank you for your continual love and support!

I love you!!!

Love,

Sister Maren Schultz

Journal Entry

Hi Friends and Family!

So today marks the end of my 5th transfer! Which means I have been out for 7 1/2 months! Can you believe it?! By the end of this transfer I will be halfway through my mission! Good News! I will be staying in Orem with Hermana Beltran (the third companion we received last week) I'm very excited to spend one more transfer here! That means I will be here for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and my birthday.. Not to mention my 9 month mark.

There's a journal entry that I'd like to share with you that I wrote last night. Here's a glimpse into my missionary mind!!

27 October 2013

I had a dream last night about Marshal (ex-fiance) and we were holding hands again; Hands that were so loving but the same hands that were so abusive and restraining. When I work to help him feel the Spirit again on his road to reactivity I become unsure of myself, wondering where the end comes in. I know there will be one but I have to have faith that it will, indeed, come. I feel so sad for those once so strong hands which have become so weak. I yearn so much for the Spirit to warm his life, reigniting that light which he once had. I want him to be sealed to his wife; to continually do what is right yet I am just an instrument in God's hands and can only do as He directs with His strength and power. I pray, with all that is in me, that Marshal may see the spark that he has ignited in me which has turned into an eternal flame and I pray that he comes to know that there is still hope for him and his posterity. It only takes one small moment in a persons life to change their world. "By small and simple things are great things come to pass" Alma 37:6. I do not hate him. I cannot hate him. If I did, I would not be living the atonement which has brought me great happiness and strength and most of all, hope. Jesus Christ is my healer. I am whole once again.

I've started to apply the atonement more and more into my everyday life. I find that as I do this my outlook becomes more optimistic. I have more hope than I ever have been.

I love you all with all of my heart and hope that amazing things are happening at home!

Love,

Sister Schultz

8 months!

Hello Friends and Family!

Can you believe that I am almost at 8 months in the mission?! Time flies, I guess! If you don't know by now, I have stayed in Orem and I am training Hermana Beltran. She's super great and we get along amazingly! The temperatures have begun to drop and we even had a couple of snowflakes yesterday. We have started to bundle up in our jackets with ear warmers, gloves, scarves, etc. We are still on bikes and will be probably for forever. But that's okay because the work is hastening. We attended a stake conference this past weekend for one of our stakes and our mission president was present and was on the agenda to speak. He introduced the four missionaries for the stake and gave a quick introduction on us. This stake conference was all about missionary work and how we, as members, can hasten the work. He made a really good point. He said, "These are your temporary full-time missionaries. You are the PERMANENT full-time missionaries and now we need to get to work." He spoke with so much power and boldness. He urged the congregation to open their mouths and to be not afraid to spread the Gospel. This is our purpose here as humans. We are to bring others unto Christ. Our mission president gave many statistics too! Last year at this time, our mission had 18 sisters. This year, we have 265 missionaries and 110 of those are sisters! Last week, as a mission, we taught 2,547 lessons and 1,300 of those lessons were to less-actives. 12 missionaries finished their missions last week and went home. Those 12 missionaries participated in 465 convert baptisms. The work is growing so much here in Utah and Elder Tom Perry is urging us to double it! We can do this! I am so excited for the work to come in the next 10 months.

         This week we got to spend time with our district on Halloween! Since we cannot proselyte on Halloween, the mission president has us get together as districts and we are allowed a movie to watch. This holiday we watched Ephraim's Rescue, which I have no idea what it's about because we talked the entire movie haha but I hear for Christmas we may watch the Saratov Approach or Up. But who knows!! For Halloween we ate pizza, and carved pumpkins together!  We didn't dress up but we had the amazing opportunity to wear jeans. I have forgotten how amazing they feel to wear and how much more you can do in jeans than in a skirt. So anyways, after the Halloween party, my companion and I went home and dressed up to keep the Halloween spirit going. We dressed up as Israelites. I will attach the picture! I hope you have a good laugh because we enjoyed it very much.

       Sad news. One of my former companion's mother died this week. She has been so strong. She has gone home for a couple of weeks but will be returning to finish her mission. The point of this moment to tell you have grateful I am for each and every one of you in my life. My companion and I were talking that night and realized just how blessed we actually are for our families, our friends, our mission, and so much more! There is so much I have in my life that others do not. I am healthy, on a mission, have a loving family, and amazing friends. Most of all, I have this Gospel and a loving Heavenly Father! I have so much and am very thankful!

      For Thanksgiving, my companion and I have decided to cook our own dinner and to celebrate with the nearby sisters. We are going full out! If there are any recipes that you have that are very special or typical Thanksgiving, please share!!!! :)

I love you all very very much and look forward to your emails every week!!

Love,

Sister Maren Schultz

Trio

Hello Friends and Family!

I apologize that I haven't written in awhile. So many exciting things have happened in the past couple weeks! Utah is finally showing its version of fall... which is leaves turning kind of red and then dropping dead off.. That's not a NY fall! Well, it's getting a lot cooler here and it seems that when you ride bikes in cool weather, you get a breeze which proves to be even colder! Thank goodness for boots and leggings! Also, we got iPads as a mission! We are able to use them for our area book, planner, Gospel library, etc. It makes certain lessons easier, especially when we can show videos! Our missionary lives are becoming more efficient and it makes being online a whole lot easier as well. Though there are still quite a few kinks to work out in the area book app, I'd say the iPads are pretty great and a wonderful opportunity as a missionary. This week we've also been speaking at various relief society events, sacrament meetings, and primary classes. It makes me wonder how I was ever nervous to speak to anyone! On Saturday, we were on our way to set up for a wedding with a member when..... dun dun dunnn.... we got into a car accident! Everyone is fine! It was just a fender bender but could have been a lot worse. But we did set up for a wedding reception and it looked beautiful!!

So the most exciting thing that happened, happened last night! Not only did we get the chance to hear from President Fillmore, president of the Salt Lake Temple, but we also received a call from our mission President telling us that we will be receiving a new missionary today! She's a visa waiter to Brazil and is straight from the MTC! We're very excited but worried about how to fit 3 sisters in our tiny apartment! I guess this will be an interesting experience! It's like college dorming all over again!

Anyways, things are going super well here! Our lessons are picking up and we are starting to get very very busy! :)

I love you all very very much!!

Love,

Maren

Orem 3

So Orem.... yep. Orem. I feel like I'm being driven off of a cliff sitting with Justin Beiber, One direction, Miley Cyrus, and perhaps the cast of High School Musical and they're all simultaneously singing their dumb songs and dancing to their own beats.  So in short, Orem is driving me crazy. Despite walking through the ghettos, avoiding large jumping dogs, and trying not to drink the kool-aid here, we're actually getting some work done. Work, in definition, meaning we visit a house, they see us out the window, we knock on their door and they ignore us. Really? You're going to ignore us... We see you. But actually we've been receiving new people to teach even though we've been rejected a million and one times. It snowed this week which actually wasn't bad and surprisingly I didn't whine and complain like I usually would in NY. Man, the mission does change people.. well maybe not that much. I still whine. And complain. And sometimes I get pretty dramatic, but overall the time period that I do all these things has since decreased. I'm almost halfway through my mission which makes me barely a "greenie" anymore by definition of the olden here (I thought Olden was a better word instead of old geezers, or the ancients) Not much to report other than the same old same old. We are still getting the questions, "Is it your Pday??", and "So where are you going on your mission?", and we can't forget, "Does the MTC allow you to come to walmart." -Facepalm- Utah, really?

I haven't been sleeping very much lately but the sleep I have been getting is attributed to the Cozy Chamomile tea I've been downing each night. Despite the fact that my face droops, my legs are tired, and my stomach is always on fire. The work is amazing! But seriously, it is. I couldn't get through one week here without the power of God and His Son, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to be here and to be tired. I am so grateful for the people we meet each day and I am so grateful to my Heavenly Father for the strength He gives me always! I love you all so so much! Please enjoy the picture below of my companion and I because we are soooo flipping adorable!

Love,

Maren

Orem 2

Hello Friends and Family!!

       Well, it's the end of my 4th transfer! We got our transfer calls today and I will be staying in Orem with Sister Balero for another transfer! I feel so blessed to be staying with my companion. I have yet to stay with a companion for more than 6 weeks and now I finally will be!!!

     It's been pretty crazy lately and busy! I wish I could type it all to you but I am running out of time to email! I love you all so so much and know that the Lord is blessing me beyond anything that I could imagine!! Thank you for all of your love and support! I Love you all very very much!

Love,

Sister Maren Schultz

Orem 1

Hello Friends and Family!

Can you believe I have been out for 5 months already!? This first week in Orem has been crazy! While we don't have a ton of work, we have a lot of walking to do. Thankfully today I will be able to buy a bike with my companion. My new companion by the way is awesome! We are getting along well and trying to get work going! She helps uplift me and we have fun together! Let me tell you about my apartment! We live in a mansion!!! (pictures to come) My address is still the same, 85N 600E Provo, Utah 84606

I can't explain how happy I am to be here in the Utah Provo mission. This being the first time that I have been moved, I felt apprehensive and nervous but now that I am here I am happy and grateful. I have been slacking writing in my journal for a couple months but now I have resolved to write in my journal every day the blessings and tender mercies that I experience. I find myself writing more and more every day and being able to see even the smallest things that have happened in my day and to be grateful for those small things that Heavenly Father blesses me with. My prayers have gotten stronger and my testimony has increased! I want to thank each and every one of you for your love and prayers and I want to leave you with something my mom put at the end of my email this week:

"Helen Keller once said: "Keep your face to the sunshine and you cannot see the shadow. It's what sunflowers do." Seeing as you are a sunflower-lover, and somewhat of a sunflower yourself, you can take this to heart. Keep your eyes on Heavenly Father, and all your problems will fall behind you. Those problems may make you sad or anxious, take your focus from your work briefly, but re-focus, and let the "Son" warm your every effort."

I think there is much advice that we can take from this paragraph. Keep our efforts towards our Heavenly Father and he shall bless us forever with comfort, guidance, love, discernment, etc. He is the way and there is no other way.

I love you all very very much <3

Love,

Maren

6 Months!!

Hello Friends and Family!

      I am sorry I haven't written lately! I have been serving in Orem Cherry Crest  for 5 weeks now, going into week 6. Transfers are next week and it seems like we will be transferred. Sounds like we will be replaced with elders but they may also just cut our 2 stakes into 1 and leave us in Cherry Hill but, who knows!

      I have been having a great time and have been greatly humbled this transfer! I have learned much about being low. Sometimes we have to be brought low for the Lord to lift us higher and I am seeing the meaning of this quote now. Here, in Orem, we didn't have work like I did in American Fork. Our investigators were flaky, our less actives were dodging us, and the members didn't know who we were and even though some of that is still the same there have been some great miracles and blessings that have come from this area. I know why I got through trials, whether they be personal or mission related. The Lord is blessing me in each step I take!

      I want to thank you all for the love that I have felt, for the letters that I have received, and also the emails! It's been a bit of a struggle to get to 6 months at times but I am feeling the power of the Lord and the strength He provides! I love my mission and I love the people in it!!

I love you all very very much!

Love,

Sister Schultz

Transfer 4

Hello Friends and Family!

        The time has come for transfer 4 to arrive! We got our calls today from the Assistants to the President and it sounds like I will be moving to Orem Cherry Crest with Sister Balero! We will be in a biking area so it looks like I will have to purchase one. I'm very very excited to make this move although I will miss American Fork! I am so blessed that Heavenly Father has somebody prepared for me in Orem to teach. There will be some fun pictures to follow! I'm looking forward to getting more exercise and being able to meet new people!

         I apologize for the lack of the email last week, I ran out of time, unfortunately. There isn't too much going on other than transfers so I'll send you pictures instead to tell about my week. I am very blessed in many many ways. I am super blessed to have family and friends such as you to support me and to help me feel loved. Thank you so so much for your love and kindness! I love you very very much!

Sincerely,

Sister Schultz

Week 16

Hello Family and Friends.

         I'm not going to lie to you, this week has been extremely trying and I am extremely tired. I have lots to report yet nothing to report at the same time. This is all a part of the mission and is a big trial but not so big that I cannot overcome it! I will be home in 14 more months, no sooner. Keep me in your prayers.

       We had a cancelled baptism this week, but many many lessons that we didn't have before. We've found new investigators, interacted with wards more frequently and have been working our tails off. So good things are happening between unhappiness and exhaustion.

       The Lord is still providing, even in my trials. I know that when I am the lowest, Heavenly Father is walking with me and scooping me up when I fall. I've been praying a lot this week and finding comfort in the Spirit. I know that my Heavenly Father will never leave me to do things on my own. The Scriptures have been my rock in times a turmoil and I have rehearsed the words of the prophets in my head over and over again. But nonetheless, I am still exhausted.

I love you all very much and hope you are all doing well.

Love,

Sister Schultz

Week 14

Hello Friends and Family!

          It has been an incredible week!!! We have had a lot of very good things happen in this area! We have had the opportunity, this week, to participate in the 4th of July parade in Provo! The entire mission was invited to walk in this parade. That's 217 missionaries!! We heard the loudest cheers I have ever heard for missionaries in my life. It helped me appreciate the work that we do here and to be called to the Utah Provo Mission! I am so grateful to be a part of this special time! The weather here has been upwards of about 105 but yet the dry weather doesn't make it feel that way! It has started to thunder storm as well (which is my favorite!!) It's been an amazing July in Utah so far!

         We've had an amazing miracle happen this week. There's this investigator that we've had for a while named Randy. He smokes, he lives with his girlfriend and their child, and it's hard, sometimes, to get him to commit to a task, but he has an amazing heart and desires so much for his life. This week, we were stumped what to talk to him about, as he has received all the lessons already. We decided we would talk to him about the first part of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which involves faith and repentence. As we were talking, we somehow got onto the subject of his smoking issue. He described to us his feelings about it and said he desired so much to feel the Spirit. We talked to him about our bodies being clean and that as we do so, we can feel and hear the Spirit so much strongly. We asked if he was still smoking, to which he replied that he was. I asked him if he had cigarettes on him, and he said he did, so I asked if he'd be willing to give them up. He hesitated but he pulled the carton out of his pocket and handed them to me. He made the first surrender. We asked how that felt and he said that he felt better but still nervous. He explained how he thought it would be difficult for him but that he had faith enough to do it. He asked what would be required of him to be baptized. We told him about the smoking issue and that he'd have to marry his girlfriend, Stephanie. He quietly and contently said 'okay' and he started to ramble about wedding ideas. He said he wanted to do this because he loves Stephanie and because he wants to be baptized. He said that one day he wanted to marry her in the temple. He talked about a civil wedding with a reception and being able to, a year from his baptismal day, go to the temple. We asked if setting a baptismal day would help him. He asked if we could do it August 13,2013 because that is his lucky number. We agreed, happily. As we left he and his girlfriend looked at peace and happy with the meeting. But this isn't where the story ends. We saw him again on Sunday at church for Fast and Testimony Sunday. We were so excited to see him! Later on in the meeting, we saw him walk up to the stand and bear his short testimony that he knows the church is true! He pointed at us and mentioned he's been meeting with us and he's been able to develop a testimony. Tears clouded his eyes as they clouded ours, too and he simply ended in the name of Jesus Christ. We were absolutely silent with the Spirit. This man that had shown no progress in the 3 1/2 months that I have been in American Fork has now been off of cigarettes for a week and for the first time bore his testimony in Sacrament. How amazing of miracles Heavenly Father is able to perform! When we are faithful, obedient, and prayerful we are blessed!! President, I love this mission and the people in it and I am so grateful for this opportunity that Heavenly Father has given me!! What an amazing blessing!!

         I have never felt so much happiness than I do right now! To know that we have investigators on date, our numbers are improving, and our area is growing! I can't help but feel so much love for this area and yet be so exhausted at the same time! I've shared some pictures from this week. Enjoy!

Love,

Sister Maren Schultz

Week 13

Hello Friends and Family!

         It's been a very very busy week! I received my new companion on Wednesday, Sister  Albrechsten (yesss... very hard to pronounce from the spelling). She is from California and she is very very nice. We have been working so hard this week especially after the Work of Salvation broadcast! We've been receiving many many new referrals and have been contacting each and every one of them. Many of them have accepted for us to come into their homes and teach them about our church. We have made many return appointments and we even have 3 investigators committed to baptism! It's been an amazing week! All the people that we have met have had some amazing impact on me and we have people that are progressing, even less actives! It's been super cool to see this progression happen, not by us but by the Holy Ghost!! This Sunday we had the opportunity to speak in 3 wards for 5th Sunday. We talked in the first two about what members can do to assist us. We mentioned to them that their ward is THEIR ward. When we, as missionaries, leave their area, we do not have a hand in their ward anymore and if they want to see their ward progress and strengthen then they, as members, need to step it up. Our roles as missionaries and members haven't changed. We are there to assist the members in the work, not the other way around. We didn't want to chastise the ward because they truly are awesome, but we wanted to open their eyes a little more to member missionary work and actually we've seen amazing results this week from member missionary work! In the last ward, we spoke to the young men and young women about missions. I got to talk about my conversion story!! I am happy to be a convert to this church! Though I may not have grown up in this church and gone through the many classes that children growing up in the church go through, I am still very happy to be able to serve a mission and continue to progress and grow!

     The weather here has been pretty hot! We've been experiencing lots and lots of sun with temperatures reaching 103 degrees! But it feels great, you know why? NO HUMIDITY! People told me it was about to get really really hot here but then when it did I was like, this is it?! Man... Utahans know nothing about heat.. sorry but no. If it were maybe 112 then perhaps it'd be hot. 103 is nothing! haha :)

     We have another very busy week ahead of us! But we are very happy to keep the work going! I love you all very very much!

Love,

Sister Schultz