Soccer is Big in Germany

Well hello momma! Well this week was a good one. Well it was okay. This week Elder Suffert and I had to go to this little missionary camp thing for the youth of south germany. This youth came up to take a look at the temple and learn how to be missionaries. It was a lot of fun there was about 100 kids there. The funny part it, Elder Suffert and I were told that all the kids were gonna be German. So he and i made our whole lesson in German not thinking there would be anyone there that would speak English. The funny thing that we didnt think about it that there are a lot of military bases in South Germany so what does that mean... A lot of Americans... There were almost more Americans at this little camp thing than Germans. It was really hard though because we had to teach part and then translate and then back and forth the whole time... Really annoying but we did a good job. It was a little stressful because we had to help set up the whole thing and we only knew about it for like 5 days before the actual thing that we needed to set everything up and arrange everything. But our lesson was about finding as a missionary. It was really funny, we started out lesson off with a video that we made. It was sooo funny. What we did, was we made a film of me just finding people on the street and the other missonaries pretended to be normal people and they where like beating me up on the street and throwing food at me and ect.. But all the kids were laughing really hard because Elder Williams was an old man and he beat the crap out of me with his cane... Like really hard, we wanted it to look real so we made it real... He hit me really really hard with the cane and i still have marks on my back hahaha... 

Oh well you guessed it. Uwe got baptised! Sadly pres didnt let me go up there and do the baptism... Uwe was not too happy about that. But he was baptised by my old comp in hamburg Elder Gheen. Uwe called me right after and was crying to me telling me how happy he was and was wishing that i was there... I miss that guy sooo much. He is like one of my best friends! He is doing really really good though!!!! He also told me that all the memebers in Hamburg were really really sad that i couldnt make it, kinda cool to hear how big of an impact I made up there!!! 
 

Oh funny thing though.. Well, because pres didnt let me go up to Hamburg to watch the game pres said that i was allowed to wathch the soccer game with a fam in the ward here! That was a lot of fun actually even though i dont like soccer it was still fun! Auf GEHTS DEUTSCHLAND!!! The other cool thing is that i get to watch the game Germany vs USA. Im super stoked becasue US is doing really really good this year. Like the people here in germany are getting a little nervous but thats bad because if US wins then everyone here is gonna be ticked... Like really ticked... The people here are crazy about their soccer (Fußball). 

Well thats great that Justin is finialy home! Thats crazy that we are all staring to get to that point! I cant believe it. We are all almost done! Bennett and I are coming home at like the same time. Thats sooo crazy! Im starting to feel old on my mission now hahah... Like everyone looks at me and does whatever i say... which is not a good thing... I kinda take advantage of that hahah! ;) 

YAHOOOOO I got accepted! MOM.... Im going to collage!!!!!! cool! Im stoked... Yeah send me the list of classes and i will pick out some clases... Dont make fun if i take spanish. I really want to learn it hahah! 

Well it sounds like girly camp was good and all hahah. Im super happy that you had a good time with that  girlys in the ward. I think thats why you are going to these kinda things. Just think if you werent there what would have happened... My momma has just go the feeling!! Your awesome momma!! Well I love you lots and chat with me when you can!
Love everyone
Elder Schmidt

This week was a blur

Hello momma!!! Well this week was a lot better. This week we actualy did something hahah. Well what happened this week was we decided to be awesome and find 7 new investagators! They are all really good investagators too actually! The funny thing is, is most of them dont speak English or German hahahah They are are from Serbia. We just found 2 families that both happen to be from Serbia hahah. It was really really cool. I was super super excited about it!! Oh one more cool thing that I found out about this week was..... Uwe from hamburg is gonna be baptised this sunday, He also got engaged to a member of the church!! IT is sooooo amazing and the coolest thing ever he asked me to baptize him! I really really hope i get to do thatt me and him are like best friends and talk all the time and it would be awesome if i get too. The only problem with that is, pres might not let me do it... Because its not in my area... I really really hope I get permission. Pres is just worried that he is only being baptized because of me and not because he is converted to the gospel. I do understand his concern but i know uwe I know he is talking this very seriously! Beside those two things i cant really think of anything that i did this week haha. Oh actually the whole old missionary meeting at our church in Dresden from the missionaries that served her like 25 years ago. It was really cool to hear how many of them can still speak German and they were all really cool, like you said, it was really nice to talk to a bunch of americans. i hate to say this but I just realized how amazing the american members are . ... Im starting to come to the conclusion that America is just the best country in the world! Oh and somehting funny for this week... Well as you may know the world cup for soccer is starting and Germany is going Nutzzz!!! It is crazy they have a giant t.v set up in the middle of the city and and the whole citly is just gonna watch soccer and get wasted!... Its gonna make things very hard hahah... There has already been a couple of games and when the games are on no one will talk to us or even answer their phones. The craziest game will be tonight though because its Germanys first game and its goanna be a big one, we are gonna go to the senior couples apartment and hang out their for the night. We tried to get permission form pres to watch the game but... He said no... My comp was pretty sad about that one because he is from Brazil.. they are crazy about Soccer..

Well... Can i just tell you how proud i am of Ethan! He is doing soooo good, Slightly worried about him but he is sticking to what he said and not going back to what he was doing before! Thats what i call true Umkehr! Sorry forgot the word in English... Its the word for when you do something bad and your making it better.. hahah but he is doing awesome! Im super stoked for football for him! Hahah I think that is sooo funny that Coach Mower said that about me hahaha... He is a stud I miss him a lot. Tell Ethan to tell him I miss him a lot and that i say whats up!! :) 

Oh and thanks for the message form dad! That was really something.. I love hearing form dad! his words of wisdom are awesome, even it its coming from Kongfu panda hahah :) Im glad he is seeing the changes in me because im starting to see them too. Im acutally really happy with my self. I actualy like the person that i am becoming! Tell him thank you a lot for me!! :) 

Well momma, Im gonna be honest... Im sorry that you are going with this girls camp thing hahahah.  I I only say that cuz I know camping is not a thing you do hahaha. Well just know that you are probably the only reason that half of the girly go because you're the only one that knows how to have fun hahaha! Just do the same ole momma stuff that you do. You havent been fired yet for doing anthing and if you do then you get what you want hahahaha! no just kidding thats not the best advice, Oh and you're gonna do great on our presentation, I know you will. Your topic is being friends to everyone.. Well thats exactly what you are!! So i dont thing that will be a problem for you!! :) 

Well lovve you all lots!! 

 LOVE BRADY! 

A special unexpected note

Dear Brother and Sister Schmidt,

I was in the Dresden ward today and met your son, Brady.  I was part of a group of returned missionaries that was having a reunion commemorating the 25 year anniversary of missionaries returning to East Germany (and Dresden).  

My oldest daughter is currently serving in Armenia and member from USA attended her ward.  He took a picture of my daughter and sent it to us.  I was very grateful for that.  So I thought I would "pay it forward".

I reminded Elder Schmidt that today is Father's day in USA.  He wrote you a note, which I have transcribed below.

Hey dad, I wanted to wish you a happy father's day.  I hope it was a lot of fun.  I'm sure mom will tell me all about it.  I wish I could send you more than just this message but I do want to thank you for all the things you have given me and done for me.  I have always looked up to you and have always respected you, even though it may not seem like it because "I don't listen to you".  But the main thing I would like to thank you is for encouraging me to come on this mission.  Even though it's not the easiest thing in the world to do or the most fun thing to do or at some moments I wish I was home.  But I can see the changes that have happened with me.  I am sooo grateful that I came on this mission and all of the blessings that I have received.  I know I decided to come on a mission but because of you it made everything sooo much easier.  Thank you dad!  You're the best.

(Attached photo:  the older generation greeting the newest generation!)

Warm regards,

Brian Thueson

Cedar Hills, UT

How is everyone

Hey there momma. This week was a slow one and we didnt get much done hahaha. Im not sure what else i can say about this week, it just wasnt really my week. The best thing that happened was that I interviewed a 15 year old girl and it was really really funny. She was soooo nervous the whole time! I had to interview her for her baptism and she couldnt hold still the whole time. Right after I asked her the first question she answered it right and then said... "HOW MANY MORE QUESTIONS ARE THERE....." She was really funny but you know me I cant usualy talk with just about everyone and its no problem, so in about 5 min later we were laughing and everything was good. She just got baptised yesterday and it went really good. It was really funny because she told me that i was the best missionary that she has ever met. I wansnt even the missionary that taught her...? Well besides that...the meeting with Elder Dykes was okay... He was good it was just really really hard to stay awake at his lesson... I hate to say that because it makes me sound like im lazy or somehting but the problem was that a bunch of missionaries needed to stay at our apartment the night before so that they could make it to the meeting on time. The problem with that was, I had 10 missionaries in our appartment and that ment that i needed to wake up at 4 in the morning so that we could all go through the shower the morning of and I had to be at the church really really early because i needed to set everything up. So the meeting was really really good I just wish I could had been more awake during the whole thing. Oh and he didnt even really talk with us zone leaders..? He was suppose too but then he didnt.. SO im not sure what that means? So I got supper nervous for that but then nothing happened. 

The thing that made the happiest so far was today... Today we went to a nature park!!! It was sooooo cool. The members that took us kinda tricked us though. Everyone was okay and you know me... I do not do good with hights at all... So it scared me really really bad hahaha but it was a lot of fun. the member that took us is young and really coool he brought his friends that are not members so it was a good use of our time!! :) Today was the best p day i have ever had to be honest!! :) I actualy had fun! :) 

Well you are all doing great!!! Wow, I cant even beging to tell you how cool ethans efy experiance was... That was really really cool. He It is nuts to hear him talk like that, he sounds soooo much different! I am soooo proud of him he is such a great boy and i can see he is starting to have a better glow about him! Tell him he is just flat out awesome!! :) I cant wait to see you all when i get home.. Im gonna be honest i have been thinking about home a lot now that i only have 7 months left... The time just flys by and the transfer is now coming to an end and now i only have 5 transfers left...I dont know what is going on... At first my mission was just the slowest thing but not it is starting to pick up... Going down hill is a lot faster than going up hill! I loved the picture with dad and the cat cuddling... I never thought i wwould see that happen hahhaha! I dont even believe the picture is real. I think you just photo shoped it!!! 

Oh and abot the package... honestly.. just put what every you want in it.. the only thing that i really want is a really good exercise band!! Besides that.. Im really good momma!!! 

Well I love you alll soooo much! I will send you some pics of my trip next week when i have my camera!! :)

Love BRADY!!!!!!!!

Summer time

HEy there momma. This week was a really really tired one... Well I dont know if you saw but i was in Berlin again... Ugh.. Im gonna be honest I think it is really cool seeing Berlin but i get soooo tired going up there and sitting in a meeting for 6 hours. I really dont enjoy it. 

 This coming week should be a really really good one though.. We have a member of the 70 coming to visit us. We are having a little mission tour. That just means that this dude is gonna come and visit all of the zones of the mission but that is not good for me because that means that my zone has to look good and I have to be serious and i dont really like doing that too much. The scary part is, we have to meet with him... He wants to have an interview with all of the zone leaders and talk  to us about our zones... Im not looking forward to that one at all. I think the guys name is Pres Dikes or Dykes or somthing like that. Its suppose to be a big deal. 

Well it sounds like everyone at home is doing really good though. School is out and that means it is time to relax and have a little fun. Are you all planning a big trip or anything? I bet ellie is having soooo much fun right now. Ethan is going to EFY? He says he wants to meet some girls? I didnt know he even liked girly yet.... Well if he wants some tips tell him he knows who to ask...;) HAHA.... 

Well dad... HAHAHA Are dad and steve gonna start a power lifting team together? Tell them that i can make them t shirts and shorts if they want so that when they go to the gym they can go in matching together! We cant call the power lifting team Steve and Jerry make things Scary!!! I think im really funny right now hahah! 

Well momma i kinda had one of those blur weeks too. I dont really remembet what happened this week just going up to berlin and being tired the whole rest of the week. Im sorry this E mail is really lame not much happened this week haha. Sorry about asking for money last week. I just didnt have like any money because i have to travel soooo much now. The mission will pay for all of my travel i just have to give them the recipt and they will give me money back but it takes a little time to send the recipt and to put the money in the account, so last week was just one of those times when i didnt have any money... sorry! 

Oh and thanks sooo much for applying to school for me!  . I am a little nervous about having to decide what I want to be when I grow up ..

One last thing. Can i get dads parents names with their birthdays... I have to do some Family History stuff. Like if i could get that now that would be awesome!!! I love you momma!!! 

Love you all

Elder Schmidt