I usually limit what is posted to excerpts from Elder Schmeltzer's letters to his Mission President, but this week's letter is something that is so indicative of how missions are good for the boy as well as how the boys are good for missions:
President Judd,
What a wonderful week again! I sure am just LOVING my mission. I'm feeling the spirit and doing much better at recognizing it. It really is like learning a foreign language. The better I get at that one thing, the better everything else gets.
I want to tell you of an interesting experience that happened on Saturday:
I had a dream Friday night that <my companion> and I were walking up a lane and we passed a gate on our right and in a corner standing just outside the gate was a man. He said "go and talk to that girl." I turn to my left and everything was slow motion and a girl is passing us. I talked to her.
Now on Saturday our day kinda fell through. We decided that we would go see one of our recent converts who are having some struggles. I found myself walking in the same position and in a total deja vu. However, this time I look in the corner where the man in my dream was standing and he wasn't there. I heard the voice saying "go and talk to that girl." I turn and again everything goes into slow motion. I awkwardly greet the girl. She didn't have a phone but she pointed to her house and hopefully we'll be able to meet her this week and I'll let you know how that goes.
I don't know why but I love when I have dreams. I'm pretty sure it was heaven sent and I have faith that the Lord really is preparing the hearts and minds of people to receive us.
We had a lot of new investigators this week. 19 to be exact. We did terrible at extending dates to them. We did extend dates to a few but because they didn't come to church, they lost the date but we'll extend new ones this week. A lot of people we met we will probably go for a 2nd visit but I don't see too many going past that unless they keep commitments.
We had to drop some people we've been working with and that was hard because we truly loved them but they aren't ready yet. We were able to start finding new people though.
We've been really working on trying to find families. That's been one reason why our new investigators is high. We're working with one man named Atsu and his wife, Diana. Atsu was a referral from the church media. We'll be bringing him and possibly his wife for an interview this week. Atsu makes me think of what I want to be when I'm a bit older. We get along really well even though he's a few years older than me. I feel like our spirits are familiar.
I've been in this area for almost 6 months. I have learned so much here. I think being around Elder Robertson has really helped me. Looking back to when I was in Dodowa to now, I've learned so much. I really have to thank you for helping me learn all along the way.
Thank you for spending time on your weekly letter this week. One thing I noticed in it is that before they started knocking doors in the apartment complex, they planned it out systematically. I love diving into things but I also love stepping back and planning what I'm going to do before I do it.
My last report is that my Book of Mormon studies have been getting very good. Especially as I've read Mosiah and started Alma. Even Elder Robertson made a comment about how impressed he was about the markings I've been making in my personal copy. I truly love that book. The Lord speaks to me through it's thin pages. When I encounter the dialogues I mark them in different colors according to who's speaking and last night we had some fun as I read out loud in different voices.
The Book is blue and the Church is true!
May God continue to support you in all that you do.
---Elder Jordan Schmeltzer
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