Seminary Teachers

Seminary Class

Thank you for the letters, Mom and Dad.  I am kinda really pressed on time today.  I just kinda started emailing people and the time just kinda flew (Dusty, Marissa, Andrew, etc.).  Sorry, next week's will be longer.  It's great to hear that Andrew made it to the MTC safely and that everything is going well for him.  He's going to be an amazing missionary.

This week went by well; they always do.  Everyone has been a little sick, and it is starting to get cold here, but aside from that, everything is going swimmingly.

Like I have mentioned in other letters, Elder Sanchez and I have been working a lot with the ward members and that has helped us out a lot this week.  We now have three new investigators, which is really nice; new faces are always great.  We had the opportunity to go out and visit a few families with a returned missionary from the ward.  They are less active members who I had never met before, so Elder Sanchez and I have even more new faces to teach, too.

I think that the highlight of the week was when Elder Sanchez and I had the opportunity to teach seminary to the kids in the ward!  (Like mother, like son, I guess....)  But seriously, it was awesome and it helped us out a lot to make a connection with the kids in the ward -- win their love a little bit.  The teacher called us at the last minute, and told us the topic that we needed to teach, and we just kind of improvised, and it turned out really really good.  The kids all paid attention, they were all involved, they asked questions, gave answers -- it was a ball.  We took a picture.  (It's up above.)

On Sunday night we had a stake activity for our ward where all of the high council and the stake presidency came and did home teaching visits with all of the priesthood holders in our ward.  Thirty or more men showed up.  They assigned companionships, gave us names and addresses, and we took off.  I thought it was a really good event, because the home and visiting teaching system in this ward is basically non-existent.  It is something that we missionaries are trying to help the ward with.  

Dad, thank you for the advice on not getting worked up and frustrated.  To be dead honest, I think this has probably been the most frustrating change so far in the mission, and it just kind of came out of left field.  I thought that I got over the whole "getting frustrated" thing when I was finally able to speak Spanish, but just like you said, I think I was measuring my success as a missionary on the wrong scale.  Also, a frustrated missionary can't have the Spirit.  I think that this is something that every missionary needs to learn at some point in time during the mission.  

Anyways, I love you guys so much.  Thank you so much for your love and support and thoughts and prayers and everything.  I know that the Church is true.  I know that the work that Elder Sanchez and I are doing is the work of the Lord, and that through this message, people will come to know their Savior, and their lives will change.

With love,

Elder Schwartz

P.S.  So, I left out something REALLY important that happened this past week.  Elder Sanchez and I spent 2 days of our week helping out the Rojas family, because Hno. Rojas passed away this week.  His service was on Wednesday, and it was a really nice, peaceful service.  It really is a blessing to see how knowledge of the plan of salvation can bring peace to a family during times as trying as saying goodbye to a loved one.  All of his kids spoke at his service, and Hna. Rojas spoke too.  They were all in good cheer -- the Hna. Rojas actually made several jokes during her talk.  All in all, it was a very spiritual event, and an event that I'm not going to forget.  I attached a photo of Hno. Rojas, Hna. Rojas, Elder Sanchez and I at their anniversary celebration on April 13th.

Brother and Sister Rojas