Hamburg Week 3

This week was fantastic!

Things here in Hamburg are really starting pick up the pace. We have a fantastic relationship with our branch and because of that we are starting to see a lot of progress with member missionary work, which is the most effective kind of missionary work.

We also have some awesome investigators that we are teaching,and they are all making a lot of progress and really have a desire to learn. It is always nice to have people that want to meet and learn, which hasn't always been the case for me on my mission. So every opportunity that we have to teach and to testify are some of my favorite moments! Because a teaching missionary is a happy Missionary! :)

Thank you so much for your prayers and your emails. 

Love 

Elder Schmalz

Proof of life picture after all of the scary things happening in Germany. And my snazzy new haircut!

Another week in Hamburg

This week was pretty good. On my first day in Bergedorf a woman came up to us at the train station and asked us why we are wearing name tags and we had the opportunity to meet with her this last week. She is Italian and has apparently been praying her whole life for a church that is true. She was raised Catholic but doesn't believe in half of the things that they do. She freaked out when we told her about the restoration and she came to church yesterday and absolutely loved it! (according to my companion, I had the responsibility of distracting her 4 year old daughter so that our investigator could actually listen to the talks in sacrament).... she seems like she is golden!

This week was also my companions birthday so I made him breakfast and we went and ate lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe in Hamburg, so that was pretty cool. Sadly we weren't able to take any pictures:/ but we will take some this week.

Here are my two cents on testimony. (To share with the young women at camp) I think that it is just important to remember that a testimony is built on millions of small moments and experiences. And that we don't need to see an angel or to have heard the voice of God to have a testimony. Sometimes its just the small things, the little feelings, the sparks of inspiration. those little things, along with our small but hugely influential deeds (prayer, scripture study, having a good attitude, and simply smiling) that will slowly build up into a steady and bright testimony that wont be put out by the storms of life.

I already know that if someone asked me to tell them a miracle that happened on my mission I don't think one moment would pop into my head. The miracles and the testimony building things that I have experienced have been small and have really built up to make my entire mission into a miracle :) and it is the same with my testimony. Yes I have had some big experiences, but the older/wiser I get, the more I realize how grateful I am for just the little things that have made my testimony grow so much.

Hamburg!

So I made it to Hamburg, and I have settled in quite nicely!

Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany...so missionary work is a little different here than it was in Forst.

My companion is Elder Matis from Draper, Utah and he is a Stud. We get along great and I am excited to be able to serve with him.

As far as my medical problems go, they seem to be gone, so lets hope that they do not come back while I am here in Germany.

I only have 12 weeks left as a missionary and that is starting to freak me out. But hey, twelve weeks is a lot of time to get a lot of work done so I can keep my mind occupied haha no worries.

Thank you for the support.

Love, Elder Schmalz

District picture

Finally feeling up to a P-day picnic

This week...

has been unlike any week that I have experienced on my mission or in my life for that matter.

This week marked the first time I have ever had to stay the night at the hospital! That's right ladies and gentleman, Elder Schmalz is in fact not indestructible! (although I really hoped that I was)

I was admitted into the hospital on Thursday due to an appendicitis scare. luckily for me, none of my organs exploded and I am safe back in my own apartment. Unlucky for me, I'm still feeling a lot of discomfort and they (the doctors) do not have an exact diagnoses for what is happening.

So this coming week will be filled with;

Facing some of my absolute worst fears

Needles

Doctors

CT scans

Further medical tests

Studying the Gospel

Trying to teach the nurses and doctors

Coming closer to my Savior

So i'm not having the greatest time of my life, but i'm trying to make the best of it.

Thank you so much for the prayers on my behalf, especially in the last week.

Thank you for the emails and the words of love and support!

I hope you have a great week.

Love Elder Schmalz

Yeah I'm not so good...

This week has not been the best of weeks. On Thursday I went to the
hospital with some abdominal pain thinking it might be my appendix.
Ended up staying 2 nights. Getting poked about 40 times with needles
and being completely alone.
Tomorrow I have a CT scan and I might be getting a colonoscopy on
Tuesday if they don't find anything tomorrow.
I'm freaking out! Please pray for me. I'm really not a happy camper right now.

The reason you didn't hear anything is because I was In the crappiest hospital ever. So absolutely no internet. They did an ultrasound, they saw something that seemed solid right of my navel, they have no idea what it is. Hence the ct scan and possible colonoscopy. But I am now out of the hospital and I will go back tomorrow for my tests. 

Re: Yeah I'm not so goo