Alright, I'm going to start off by trying my best to answer all of the small questions that you asked. In Yaounde, the weather is amazing!! Sooo much better than the weather in Douala. I feel like I am in San Diego... no joke. This week I was formally introduced to the African rainstorm. Lets just say I don't need to go out and teach in another one again. Imagine our monsoons at their worst and it just continues and continues and continues. I was drenched AND I had an umbrella. I took some pictures but they don't even come close to giving it justice. When it does get humid though, my asthma acts up a little but nothing to bad. I always have an inhaler with me just in case but I normally just use it right before I go running in the morning or play bball on pday. I think I am adjusting just fine. Things that were so crazy when I first got here are just normal now. Its weird how fast that all changed. One thing was pretty funny though. Elder Lamb and I were waiting by a gate of someones house and I looked across the street and I saw someone going to the bathroom in the sewer. I turned to Elder Lamb and said "haha, look at that man taking a crap," and then he said, "Are you sure that is a man?" And right as he said that, IT stood up and pulled down its dress and started walking. I totally saw a woman strait up let it all out on the side of the road!! SICK!! I'd be completely fine if I didn't have to ever see that again.
So those jokes that Ashlyn said are awesome. I miss her so much. I miss all of you. Tell Caelan that she will get that letter I owe here. I seriously have such little time to write letters. Life here is sooo busy. Way busier than the MTC. I am trying my best though. I heard that my letters take 2-3 weeks to get from here to over there so tell Caelan to expect one in at most, 2 months... haha sorry, but I am trying my best. As for looking at my blog, that wasn't me. The Thompson's said that they checked it out. I am going to look at it just after I finish emailing. Yes, it is allowed.
Alright, so I have so much I could tell you but I don't have nearly enough time. This week has been so crazy. I am going to first off tell you about the baptism that we had on Saturday! I was able to baptize a lady named Ernestine! I wasn't even here 10 days and I was able to baptize one of the Lords children here in Africa! It was so incredible. The water was freezing but thankfully I am tall enough so it didn't reach a certain point... if you know what I mean. I was so focused on memorizing the baptismal prayer in French that when I started I totally forgot to say her name so one of the witnesses, Elder Tingey, loudly whispered "name! name!" So I thought, ah crap! I then started asking her for her full name and then I realized that I was speaking english and she had no clue what I was saying, so I quickly started "parler"ing the french and asked her what her name was. She had the craziest longest name but I was just like "alright, here we go!" And I started over and recited her name, the best I could, and said the prayer perfectly and baptized her. I am 110% positive I totally butchered her full name but its okay. I am sure in the eyes of the Lord all was well. So yeah, that was my first baptismal experience in Africa! It was great!
Right now, Elder Lamb and I have 10 candidates for baptism for October 1, 5 for October 15, and 1 for November 5. Some of those investigators are going to go to the other group of Elders in my area because they live in their sector, but still... missionary work is thriving here in Africa. Remember when we were reading in Elder Palmer's blog about how their zone had like 18-19 baptisms? Well I think it is very possible to beat that record. If we are just obedient and do all that we can, that goal is so plausible. I am so stoked to be a part of all this.
Like you already know, people here in Africa have many dreams and visions. People have told me about their dreams and visions almost every day. I want to tell you all about one. I don't have my journal with me so its not going to be exact but you will still get the point. So last week, Elder Lamb and I went to teach this part member family. We were focusing on the mother and two children. The whole family was there during the lesson, though, and we taught about the Book of Mormon and the importance of it. Well, we came back and visited with them two days ago and the father told us about a dream/vision that his oldest daughter had right after we left on our last meeting. She said that an old woman came to her door and kept on asking "Where is the Book of Mormon? Where is the Book of Mormon?" She continued to ask that and walked into the house and started searching for the book. She was looking in all the drawers and in every single little spot that it could be. She finally looked on top of the TV cabinet and found it. She picked up the book and started chastising the family saying "Do you realize what you have? This book is such a treasure and yet you neglect it!" So, continued to chastise and that was that. So, because of that girls vision they have all become diligent readers of the Book of Mormon. The Lord works such great miracles.
So lately, I have had those feelings or desires of wanting to see you again and I have gotten a little homesick... not too bad but I experienced some. Well, whenever I do, I just think of walking off of the plane in Phoenix and seeing all of your faces again. That image that I have at that moment of seeing you again pulls me through any homesickness I have. I love you all so much and I can't wait to see you all and hug you all again. I pray for you everyday and I want to tell you that your prayers for me have definitely been noticeable in my life. I can't wait to come home and go through my journal with you all so you can see all the miracles that are happening in my life every single day. I know that this gospel is true and that it is a gospel of happiness!! I love telling that to my investigators. We are so blessed. ALWAYS count your many blessings. I love you mom :)
Elder Schmid
So those jokes that Ashlyn said are awesome. I miss her so much. I miss all of you. Tell Caelan that she will get that letter I owe here. I seriously have such little time to write letters. Life here is sooo busy. Way busier than the MTC. I am trying my best though. I heard that my letters take 2-3 weeks to get from here to over there so tell Caelan to expect one in at most, 2 months... haha sorry, but I am trying my best. As for looking at my blog, that wasn't me. The Thompson's said that they checked it out. I am going to look at it just after I finish emailing. Yes, it is allowed.
Alright, so I have so much I could tell you but I don't have nearly enough time. This week has been so crazy. I am going to first off tell you about the baptism that we had on Saturday! I was able to baptize a lady named Ernestine! I wasn't even here 10 days and I was able to baptize one of the Lords children here in Africa! It was so incredible. The water was freezing but thankfully I am tall enough so it didn't reach a certain point... if you know what I mean. I was so focused on memorizing the baptismal prayer in French that when I started I totally forgot to say her name so one of the witnesses, Elder Tingey, loudly whispered "name! name!" So I thought, ah crap! I then started asking her for her full name and then I realized that I was speaking english and she had no clue what I was saying, so I quickly started "parler"ing the french and asked her what her name was. She had the craziest longest name but I was just like "alright, here we go!" And I started over and recited her name, the best I could, and said the prayer perfectly and baptized her. I am 110% positive I totally butchered her full name but its okay. I am sure in the eyes of the Lord all was well. So yeah, that was my first baptismal experience in Africa! It was great!
Right now, Elder Lamb and I have 10 candidates for baptism for October 1, 5 for October 15, and 1 for November 5. Some of those investigators are going to go to the other group of Elders in my area because they live in their sector, but still... missionary work is thriving here in Africa. Remember when we were reading in Elder Palmer's blog about how their zone had like 18-19 baptisms? Well I think it is very possible to beat that record. If we are just obedient and do all that we can, that goal is so plausible. I am so stoked to be a part of all this.
Like you already know, people here in Africa have many dreams and visions. People have told me about their dreams and visions almost every day. I want to tell you all about one. I don't have my journal with me so its not going to be exact but you will still get the point. So last week, Elder Lamb and I went to teach this part member family. We were focusing on the mother and two children. The whole family was there during the lesson, though, and we taught about the Book of Mormon and the importance of it. Well, we came back and visited with them two days ago and the father told us about a dream/vision that his oldest daughter had right after we left on our last meeting. She said that an old woman came to her door and kept on asking "Where is the Book of Mormon? Where is the Book of Mormon?" She continued to ask that and walked into the house and started searching for the book. She was looking in all the drawers and in every single little spot that it could be. She finally looked on top of the TV cabinet and found it. She picked up the book and started chastising the family saying "Do you realize what you have? This book is such a treasure and yet you neglect it!" So, continued to chastise and that was that. So, because of that girls vision they have all become diligent readers of the Book of Mormon. The Lord works such great miracles.
So lately, I have had those feelings or desires of wanting to see you again and I have gotten a little homesick... not too bad but I experienced some. Well, whenever I do, I just think of walking off of the plane in Phoenix and seeing all of your faces again. That image that I have at that moment of seeing you again pulls me through any homesickness I have. I love you all so much and I can't wait to see you all and hug you all again. I pray for you everyday and I want to tell you that your prayers for me have definitely been noticeable in my life. I can't wait to come home and go through my journal with you all so you can see all the miracles that are happening in my life every single day. I know that this gospel is true and that it is a gospel of happiness!! I love telling that to my investigators. We are so blessed. ALWAYS count your many blessings. I love you mom :)
Elder Schmid
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