Week 5

Hello Friends and Family!

 I am EXHAUSTED! I've already been in utah for close to 2 months. I have been in the mission field for 5 weeks! Next week, Monday, we will be receiving transfer calls. I will find out whether I will be staying in American Fork or not and who my new companion will be since Sister Cha will be leaving to go home.

     This week has proven to be a tough one. We have had the advesary work very hard on us and between us. One of the Elders that came out to this area with me decided he needed to go home. This has made me feel very sad for him. He has a strong testimony of this church and from what I have been able to witness, he is a good missionary. My companion and I have also facecd trials. We have continually gotten into arguments about and over investigators and about little meaningless things. We huff and puff, and eventually come back together to apologize and to talk about how we can work together. We pray a lot together. It's amazing how when the work is going so well and it is so consistent how Satan rises and tries to work against us. Personally this week, Satan has been working with me in these trials. He has been telling me that I should just go home, that I am not cut out for this, that 18 months is too long... however, I am a warrior in God's army.. I do not give up, I do not quit, and I will not come home until my 18 months are up! A friend of mine, in the New York Rochester mission sent me a great quote by President Spencer W. Kimball, "If this were not the Lord's work, the adversary wouldn't pay any attention to us." I am so very thankful for my trials, I am so thankful for the things that I have been through and all the things that I will go through.  My testimony has been strengthened so much though all that I have been through in the past 5 weeks.

     Now for the good news!!! There's always sunshine after the rain. This week we had 3 baptisms! Although one was for an excommunicated member so he does not count in our numbers but he is still a valued soul nontheless! He is 85 years old and says when he removed his records and lost the priesthood and the gift of the Holy Ghost that he felt bad. He went on like this for a couple years until he met his wife Melba (they got married a week or 2 ago!) They were once engaged many many years ago but they both ended up marrying different people. Once their spouses passed away, they met each other once more and decided to get married and Kenneth, decided he would be baptized and receive the priesthood! They are a beautiful couple! The others that were baptized are siblings. Kenyon who is 8 years old and Alexia who is 9, were baptized on the same day. When we asked Kenyon why he wanted to be baptized he said he wanted to have the Holy Ghost with him always. Their baptismal session was beautiful! They were so happy when they came out of the font and the next day, when they received the gift of the Holy Ghost! It is inspiring to watch young children be baptized! They express so much faith, and are amazing examples.

     This past Tuesday we had the opportunity to go to the temple as a companionship. As we were sitting waiting to move into the session, I raised up a simple prayer/question to Heavenly Father. I asked him, "Heavenly Father, how do I become a better missionary? How do I better serve thee?". After a space of time, we proceeded into the session and the question went to the back of my mind. After the session, as we proceeded to the Celestial room, I picked up a Book of Mormon and prayed again. I asked the same question and asked Heavenly Father to guide me to the scriptures that I need to read, that will answer my prayers. When I ended my prayer, I opened the book and was brought to Doctrine and Covenants section 112. I've learned, in my time as a member, to make scriptures personal by adding my name into the verse. Without thinking, I added my name into the very first verse, and this is how it read, "Verily thus saith the Lord unto you my servant *Maren: I have heard thy prayers; and thine alms have come up as a memorial before me, in behalf of those, thy brethren, who were chosen to bear testimony of my name and to send it abroad among all nations, kindreds, tongues, and people, and ordained through the instrumentality of my servants." The rest of the section reads on to talk about missionary work and how we are to be as missionaries. I am so very thankful for the power of prayer and I can bear a strong testimony that Heavenly Father answers prayers, He listens to us always! He loves us and wants to talk to us. I am so thankful! :)

    Last email, I talked about my companion putting a snake on my shoulder. This week, I decided to face my fears and actually hold the snake.. let's say I was a little more than hesitant but I did it!

     American Fork has consistently been a great area to be in. I am very happy that Heavenly Father has placed me in this area while there is much work to be done.

I love you all very very very much! I hope you are able to see the pictures I send. Thank you for your messages back! I love to hear from you! <3

Love,

Your missionary, Sister Maren Schultz