Bonjour!

I can't believe that school has already started back up! I'm glad everyone is doing well and enjoying their classes. I always wanted Caelan to be there when I was at Mountain View. I always thought that that would be neat. I'm glad her and Dallin are there together. That crazy fast Bolt guy tore it up! I wish I could of seen some of those races! We didn't see much of the Olympics while they were going. Some investigators would have it on when we came to their house and we would be slow to ask them to turn it off :)  I saw some pretty sweet archery! As far as Elder Lavering... don't worry. Everything is going a lot better!

This week has been a pretty long/fast one. I don't know how to explain that... you just have to believe me. Elder Lavering was sick from Sunday night to Thursday evening, the whole time we were at the apartment. He slept the whole time and got up a few times to puke the little water he may have sipped...and then he was back down. I felt so bad for him. I felt so helpless. We found out that he ate some bad eggs. So while we were at the apartment, I was able to go crazy with my studies. I got a few headaches because I was studying so much and going into some pretty deep doctrine... the stuff that just leaves your mind a mess because it is so hard to grasp the meaning of it and everything. I love doctrines like that...namely the eternal nature of exaltation :) But, like I said, I got a few headaches so I took a few breaks and wrote a lot of letters. 24 to be exact. It was awesome being able to crank out so many letters. I had been needing to respond to letters that I had received in Yaoundé. There is just no time here. A man is going home to the states on the 22nd and I will be giving him everything so I would expect you to have them by the following Monday or Tuesday. Even though we were basically out of the area for 4 days Elder LaFleur was able to sacrifice some time and go out with me on Wednesday for a few hours so I could visit with some of our leading progressing investigators. I love Elder LaFleur because he is always willing to serve and help others.

So here is some exciting news. Well for me it was. In the past I have talked to you a little about frère Abega. He is the brother of sœur Louise. Well, he is not in my sector... he is actually in no mans land, also known as "way the heck out there." He was with Elder Nash for almost 10 whole months and then Elder Nash left and his companion didn't really know Abega. So I talked with them and now Elder Lavering and I are the missionaries in charge of Abega! It takes a very long time to get out to meet him but I love teaching him. We always have awesome lessons. His wife was sick and I was able to give her a blessing when I was there and there were some neat promises in that blessing and I am excited for them to act on their faith and receive those blessings. I think Louise will be happy to hear this news :)

We weren't able to see Chrispine at all this week because her aunt passed away. She came back into town today so we will see her tomorrow and next week there will be a better update on her progression.

There is not much to write about this week because we weren't out a lot but I would like to talk about one brother. He is an inactive member who is becoming active again. Elder Thibault and I found him and ever since we found he he has only missed church once or twice... out of 6 or 7 weeks. It has been incredible seeing the spirit come back into his life... to an extent. He still suffers with some addictions that he was able to overcome once but when he fell inactive it all came back. In one of our recent rendez-vous we decided to do a lesson on the Aaronic Priesthood because that is what he has received. We talked about the responsibilities and all that good stuff but then we turned to D&C 121:34-36 and I laid it down. I explained to him what those scriptures meant and then I looked him in the eyes and said, "Now (name of person), we know that you have been called... but are you chosen?" You could see how the question pierced his soul...you could see him mentally cringe because he knew exactly what the answer was. My point in presenting this question was not to chastise him but to let the spirit work within himself... to help HIM fix HIS problems. He knows that The Church is true and that by his inactivity and casualness with the covenants he has made he has really degraded the quality of his life... so when he got a question like that he really took it in. I love working with him because he is real. He knows what he needs to do and we are here every step of the way so that he can do it. It is a miracle already that he he is coming to church... you can't expect all at once. That is very rare, but I know that one day he will be up there.

As for me... I am moving along. There are ups and downs... but even the downs in the end are ups because they helped you become who you need to be. I am just glad I am where I am today... I say this so often but that is because it is so true - the mission is a miracle. I have learned and grown so much and I can't wait to see what the Lord has in store for me over the next 10 and a half months. I am so glad that I still have that time to work out some things that I am trying to improve in my life. Overall, I am a fast moving train that can't be stopped. I am trying the best I can to "obtain the salvation of my soul for the price of my faith." I think that is my mission scripture. I love how it is written in French. It is 1 Peter 1:7-9. Trials are so hard and we question the Lord so often as to why we have them, but have you ever considered yourself rich because you have them? It sheds a new light on trials and really helps me overcome the ones that present themselves along the way... on the railroad tracks of life. But like I said, I am a train that can't be stopped. Hmmm... let me change that. The Lord is a train that can't be stopped, and I was able to jump and hang on.

Je t'aime,

Elder Schmid