ONE YEAR---

June 24, 2019

Hit my ONE YEAR mark on June 20!

Hey y'all! 

This week there were so many changes in my mission and it really opened my eyes and helped my evaluate what my mission means to me. Wednesday was my last zone conference with President and Sister Sainsbury's. That was truly one rough goodbye! Then Thursday I hit my year mark!! Change is hard but change is good because it helped you reflect and see the growth you've achieved. I love my mission!! I love what it has helped me become! 

Zone Conference June 2019

At Zone Conference President asked me to speak about what it means to be filled with love. I literally love, love so I was so pumped! I honestly don't remember what I said other than this one phrase that stood out to me "you love the work because you love your Savior and it is in His work that you've realized He truly loved you first!"  My mission truly means everything to me. I have been reflecting on where I was a year ago, to where I am now and I am blown away at who my Redeemer has shaped me into.  I know that Jesus Christ Lives. There is no way I could deny the reality of His divine life. I'm so grateful I was found worthy to assist my Savior in His work. This truly has been the best year FOR my life. Alabama truly has become the place were my eyes came to the Knowledge of my Redeemer and I will sing praises to His name forever. I'm grateful to know His love for the people of Alabama. I grateful to know His love for this work. Above all I am so grateful to have gained the sure knowledge of His love for me. God be thanked for the matchless gift of His divine Son. 

The Pengel family are the most amazing people! They are so special to me. I know that God prepares specific people for His missionaries and I am so grateful He placed them in my life! Their oldest daughter Thisha has my heart! She tells me everytime that she wants to be a missionary like us one day. So my angel mother sent my a "future missionary in training" name tag for her. I have never seen someone light up! She usually wears my tag during lessons but now she has her own! They came to church yesterday and SHE WORE IT THE WHOLE TIME  I know she will be a missionary one day. I am so excited to witness a whole family prepare to come into the fold of God. 

The temple with Kevin! that was one of the most spiritual experiences I have ever had at the temple. I love Kevin. I love the Saviors Atonement and the Change it brings to peoples lives!

This is the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is His church. The efforts we take today can literally change eternities for people tomorrow. I love that the Priesthood makes things infinite and eternal. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to literally be a set apart servant now, and to know that I will forever be a follower of Him. 

I love all of you! I love my Alabama! I love my mission and above all I love my Savior because I know He truly loved me first.

-Sister Schultz

Alabama has been having crazy weather...humidity

Torie is going on a mission next week and so we had to take a picture with the 'future missionary' tag

Exchanges with sister brady when I let her cut my hair. 

These members have all missionaries sign a wall in their home to encourage their kids to serve missions!

What, could ye not watch with me one hour?

We finally toughed out the Alabama heat and biked! I was one HOT, happy girl! 

June 17, 2019

Hey y'all!

It's been a minute but God is still so good and Alabama has my whole heart! So many miracles are happening, people are coming closer to Christ, I promise this is the Lord's work. I am so honored to be apart of it! 

In the car today because of hte rain

What I wanted to share with y'all first is the scripture, Matthew 26:40. This is when the Savior is suffering for all the Sins of the world. Choosing to take them upon Himself. Not just the sins, but all the pain, sickness, trial, discouragement, ect. This is where it all happens. We taught so many people about Gethsemane this week and it blew my mind how so many people didn't know the importance of what took place there. So I want to testify to all of you as a representative of my Redeemer, That HE LITERALLY KNOWS EVERYTHING YOU ARE FACING. He saw you, He understood the pain it would take, and He chose to suffer it because HE LOVES YOU! Now you can call out to Him whenever you need and I promise He will be there. I know Jesus Christ will always be there but what I want to focus on is if we will be there for Christ. 

Christ asks Peter, James and John this simple question "what, could ya not watch with me one hour?"  one hour. That is all he asked. It is easy for us to read this and think "How could they not do such a simple thing. How could the not give Him an hour when He is literally giving everything for them."  But I want to relate this to us. Since the new church Schedule changed in January, sacrament meeting is ONE HOUR!  One hour for us to reflect on the Sacrifice Jesus made in your behalf. One hour to hear personalized testimonies of how others have been redeemed by His grace. One hour to set aside our lives, and realize the Hope we have in them is because of Him. I testify that the Savior is asking you the same question "what, could ye not watch with me one hour?" 

I love the Sacrament, it truly is the one thing that keeps me going. That hour is the most special hour of my whole week. I invite you to make it yours. I will change your life, that is what it has done for me and the friends I am teaching. I invite you to come and watch with you Redeemer for one our. 

This whole week I have been thinking " You need to find the family" over and over in my head. So I literally started talking to any family I saw lol determined to find the one. These specific apartments kept coming to mind too which was strange because I have never tracked

Random car pictures

their before. Every day we would plan to go but something would come up. So Saturday comes and I love fasting, literally miracles come every single time! So we decided to have a special fast for our area, our friends who are progressing towards baptism, the ones who are close and to try and find our new family.

So after we started our fast we went to the apartments and decided to track for an hour! That is a long time for us because we usually have appointments but I knew we would find this family. Right when we pulled up this family was getting out of their car and walking to their house. I was like "wow God is so good, His timing is perfect!" We knock on their door and I turn to Sister Lawrence and kept saying "this is it, this is it!" Well they opened, saw us, said Hi, Bye and them shut the door! I was so sad. But luckily this was the first door and we have three buildings left to knock. So we kept knocking and knocking and 45 minutes later we had two potential return appointments and a whollllleeeee bunch of rejection. So we go to knock one more door with the 10 minutes we had before our next appointment. 

All I could hear were kids playing inside and my heart was so happy! They all came to the door laughing and pushing each other to see who was at the door. We told them we were the missionaries and had a special message about Christ and how through Him we can be with our families forever. They got their mom and dad and pretty soon a family of SEVEN were in front of us and we were teaching them the merciful plan of their Loving Heavenly Father! They are a special family. We have been back every day since and these are some of my favorite lessons I've taught! We sit on the sidewalk outside, heat, bugs, skirt and all. The kids circle us, with cupcakes or cookies in hand (which ever bribery focus treat we decide to bring) and we just teach them of Christ. They love Him and through the I have found a whole new love. They are so pure, I have always loved kids but teaching kids the Gospel is something I hope to always do. The closest people to Heaven are kids, no doubt about it. We taught them how to pray and they take turns repeating after me. I finally found the family. They are so special! 

Patricia!! She is a recent convert from Athens Georgia. She just moved here and we have been teaching her the new member lessons with her elders in Georgia. Technology is so cool and the Gospel is the same everywhere. 

I love being a missionary! I hit my year mark this week! Nothing has brought me more joy than serving my Redeemer in His work. My mission truly means everything to me. 

God is good. Christ Lives. They love you, I love you! Have a great week!

-Sister Schultz 

You Can only love, as much as you are willing to feel pain

June 3, 2019

We had to let him out because we can't have pets

Hello! 

The biggest miracle of my mission happened this week. Okay, I say that for a lot of thing...but truly this miracle blew my mind!! I knew that God's timing is perfect and that He is in our details but after this THERE IS NO WAY I COULD DENY IT NOW. 

We went to the Birmingham Zoo

So our friends Farello and Wilnied are truly golden. We knocked on their door, went in and taught the greatest Plan of Salvation lesson ever. The spirit was so strong and Farello said "this just makes sense, God's love is infinite." After I was so pumped and just kept telling Sister Lawrence "God is so Good! God is so Good!"

We heart attacked their door the next day and brought them a scripture card and treat the next. (very Sister Missionary I know;)) but I have never seen someone so grateful because of a heart attack! They put them on their family wall, literally the first thing  you seen when you walk in. I love them so much. 

We stopped by the next day to confirm our appointment for Saturday and that is when we met Rita, Farellos mom. She was soooo happy to see us and kept saying "ohhhh the mormons, I love the mormons! I love my sisters! I told them it was the mormons who had to have made the door. Ohh i love the mormons!" 

We hugged her and kept saying "yes we are members of the Church of Jesus Christ! We love you too!" 

Well we were a little confused because she kept saying "I love my sisters!" and we'd say "yes we love you too!!" and she would correct us and said "no I love MY SISTERS." 

So after a little talking she says " 20 years ago I had sister missionaries, and I WAS BAPTIZED!!!" 

Tori came to the zoo with us!

I WAS SHOCKED!!!! I kept asking her over and over "wait, you were baptized into our church?! You're a member of our Church?!" She probably thought I was hard of hearing or crazy or something because I kept asking! I couldn't believe it!!  For probably 20 minutes after I kept saying "she is a member, God is so good! She is a member, I can't believe it!!" 

Her husband joined as well, but his work visa expired and he had to go home to their country Suriname. She had to move with her family to Alabama and lost contact with the Church. She was so happy to see us and come back to church. Now with her family learning the Gospel as well! She told us before we left "bring the Book, they need the Book!" 

We taught them the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and they are preparing for baptism soon! 

GOD TRULY IS A GOD OF MIRACLES! 

My subject line was a quote I found this week. "you can only love, as much as you are willing to feel pain" 

It made me really reflect on the Love of my Savior and His choice to suffer for me. 

I have truly felt the greatest love on my mission as I see the Gospel change peoples lives. I have also felt the greatest pain as the ones I love choose not to accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Yet I still wake up daily so excited to be a missionary, knowing that there will be pain but the joy that comes is so much greater. 

So that brought me to why my Jesus, chose to be my Savior. I know that He chose to do so because of His perfect, infinite love. I also believe that He did it because He had enough Faith in me. That He truly believed His sacrifice would stand as a lasting testimony to me of His love. That I could continually reflect on it. Continually ponder on how it was possible. And in the end know the only true reason why He was willing to feel pain, was because He loved me. I believe He understood that pain was to come but had enough Hope in me to be able to see His love through it. I truly believe He was willing to chose that pain because He knew it would bring me to choose Him.  I believe, He believed in me. I believe, He believed in you. So to show His love He chose to feel pain. Now we have and infinite and eternal witness that HE DID IT FOR US!  

• Hymn 185 was played yesterday to prepare for the Sacrament. Verse four stood out to me so much and I wanted to share it. As you read it, truly imagine your Savior pleading this too you. 
• 4. At the throne I intercede;
• For thee ever do I plead.
  I have loved thee as thy friend,
  With a love that cannot end.
  Be obedient, I implore,
  Prayerful, watchful evermore,
  And be constant unto me,
  That thy Savior I may be.

He is the Savior and always will be. He can only become your personal Savior if you let Him in. So reflect on his Sacrifice again and again. Come to find His love through His pain. Then know that He is pleading for you to come. He loves you! I can testify of that. I love you! Have an amazing week. 

-Sister Schultz