Mom,

So this week has been the hardest week by far on my mission. But,
amongst the trial I have definitely come closer to my Heavenly Father
and Jesus Christ. Grandpa has been with me a lot recently... with his
hands on my shoulders providing me with peace. Life is hard, but when
you do what is right and honestly do everything you need to do to gain
exaltation, it is worth it.

We received transfer info and Elder Lamb and I will be staying in
Ekounou 1 for another transfer. I am so excited to have the
opportunity to have yet another transfer with Elder Lamb. That man is
such a giant and I look up to him so much. I am so grateful that the
Lord has blessed me with the opportunity to be with him these past 12
weeks. I have grown so much because of him.

So yesterday, Elder Lamb and I were walking with a member in our
branch, Frère Odoumba, and we came across these two drunk old men. At
first, I didn't want to talk to them at all but because Elder Lamb is
such an awesome missionary and never misses an opportunity to spread
the gospel we spoke to them. This man had a little bag of gin that he
was chugging. He was so wasted. He was telling me how he loved me and
that he was going to wait for me to come back. He then offered his
women to me. He told me that he hated me because I am white and white
people cause all the problems. He told me that it was my fault that he
was drinking alcohol because the white people made it and produce it.
He just went on and on saying the craziest things. We got a good laugh
out of it. He told me that he was my father and I immediately said
that he wasn't and he didn't like that one bit. I told him that he is
my brother, and he was alright with that.

Elder Lamb and I cleaned the apartment today and we took out the
trash. Well, this trash had been sitting for over a week and there was
a bunch of rotting fruit and what not just chilling there. I touched
the bag to start pulling it out of the bin and a huge swarm of fruit
flies flew right into my face. It was so disgusting! The kitchen is
now spotless but that will probably only last for another 4 hours...

So, I remember you asking me how many baptisms I have because people were wondering... well, I have 12 and number 13 will be this Saturday. The
girl getting baptized this week is Claurice... she is 20 years old.
She is so solid. Up until a couple of weeks ago, she was struggling
with the law of chastity and Elder Lamb and I were having a hard time
getting her to commit to following that commandment... Elder Lamb and
I needed some Odoumba power... so we called Frère Odoumba and asked
him to come help us out with this issue. Well, he bore an incredible
testimony about the blessings of keeping this commandment and he
totally convinced her that she needed to change her ways. It was
incredible! Member missionaries are incredible! Well, the next day we
went to go see how Claurice was doing and she told us about an
experience she had the night before after we left her. She went to her
boyfriends house and he wanted to "faire l'amour" avec elle. She said
that she didn't want to do that anymore and he started talking about
the church and dissing the church telling her that she doesn't know
what kind of sect she is getting herself into. Then Claurice told him,
"In all of the churches I have been to, the pastor says basically 'do
what I say, not what I do,' but in our church, since the beginning
these missionaries have been asking me to do what they do and pray and
ask God if it is true." She said that she knows that this church isn't
a sect. He didn't like that and he started telling her that she had
some kind of demon spirit inside of her. So, then she said, "If a demon
spirit is helping me to stop doing stupid things, then I will keep my
demon spirit and you can stay with your 'holy' spirit. She totally shut
him up and left him that night and said that she is not coming back!
She then looked at Elder Lamb and I and said "My baptism WILL be the
on the 19th. She is so awesome!

I hope all is well at home. I hope you are doing well and the baby as
well. I can't believe that he will be coming so soon. I pray for you
everyday. I need your prayers too... more now than ever before. I love
you.

Love,
Elder Schmid