Hi Family! We'll try to call you tomorrow!!

 

Hi family!  We love you so much!  We are sitting in a beautiful apartment of the Temple President and Matron of the Dominican Republic Temple.  They insisted we no longer sit on the steps outside in the stairwell.  They spoke of when they were mission president and wife here a few years ago and the Dominican elders going home said now they were going back to the lone and dreary world, while the English elders thought this was the "lone and dreary world."

     Today we were at the store and we bought Skippy peanut butter, tonight when we opened to spread some, the top had already been scooped out. (smile)  I guess someone in the store was really hungry!!!  You missionaries have seen a lot I bet!

     Tomorrow we will go to the office and try to call you all.  We've tried to skype you all but haven't gotten through to some.  We'll call after lunch maybe between 1 and 3.  Love you all!!!!

Mom & Dad

Our Contact Info

Hi all!

 

To call us in the office:

phone #801-208-8766 between 7am and 4pm (mountain time).  Lunch time is about 11 to 12 (mountain time).  We are on Eastern Time (2 hours different from Utah)  Office hours are 8:30 to 6:00.

 

Addresses:

Church Pouch using a US stamp:

 

Elder & Sis. Schmidt

Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission

POB 30150

Salt Lake City, UT  84130-0150

 

It has to be a postcard or an 8 1/2 x 11" paper folded in 1/3's like a legal letter with two pieces of tape securing the long side about one inch from each end.

 

Anything else goes to:

Elder & Sis Schmidt

Dominican Republic Santo Domingo West Mission

C/Hatuey #73

Urb. Los Cacicazgos

Santo Domingo

Dominican Republic

 

We can skype too, email us when. 

 

Thanks, love

Susan & Jim

Santo Domingo

   Everybody: 

What an adventure!  Just two days here and so  much has happened!  The temple is in the middle of downtown Santo Domingo, surrounded by a compound fence--security guard etc.  But it is so beautiful!  the glass, steeple, floors--wow.  multiple races in the temple--French, English, Spanish, Dutch.  We went to a Spanish session and it was wonderful.  We have met with our president  who speaks little English but we communicated fine.  Even with bad language we have gotten along okay.  But the driving--no rules scary!!!!!  We drive each day to the office from the temple--about half an  hour--and it,s a ride!!  Horns blasting--people turning from all lanes left, etc.  We are in a crash course in the office.  Hope all of you are fine!  Thinking of you!!   DAD/MOM

***

(Below is an additional note on an email to brothers and sisters and others...)

What an adventure!!  The temple is beautiful--really--and in the middle of the city in a compound with 24 hour protection.  traffic--who heard of rules--I can't believe it.    We pray and start out.  Horns blasting, two cars turning at the same time left from different lanes.   Third world.  Even in customs little English.  But we are fine.  Thank you for your support--so wonderful--letters, packages.  Some have arrived.  We bought the sweetest pineapple I've ever tasted.    Jim/Susan

Arrived in Dominica Republic

Hi!  We left home at 6:30 yesterday, stopped in Dallas, then Miami and then got to Santo Domingo at 10 pm (east coast time.)  In Miami a young couple with a baby going through the airport, asked are you LDS, yes I said.  Us too they said.  Have you been to the MTC?  yes I said we're just traveling to our mission.  Well, her parents (the wife's) are on a mission in Ogden Utah.  I said that is where I'm from and we should have traded!  smile!

Anyway, we were picked up last night by two elders, taken to the temple patron housing by the temple, and met the Mission President and his wife at a session in the temple today.  Two elders were also there, they were going home.  So that is how them meet and greet is at the temple.  It's beautiful!  They gave us a car, a phone, showed us where the mission office is, took us to eat at a hamburger place where the bun is a glazed donut sliced in half.  Good! Then they took us grocery shopping where you park under the store and ride an escalator to the groceries above.  Guess what, we can not only not drink the water, but there is no milk here, only boxed milk that doesn't have to be refrigerated.  It's going to be a long 18 months (smile)

Love you!  Hope you're all fine. I heard a neat thought:  A missionary leaves his family for a time so that others can have their families for eternity!

Thanks to all you noble missionaries of the past, I'm proud of you.

Love,

Susan & Jim---we're in a stairwell to get reception.  Jim and the Temple president sat on the step and worked on the computer. 

Love you all! 

MTC in Provo, Sept 2012

Hi, we are in a computer class

Hi kids! we are on a break so I wanted to take a moment and say hi!  We are learning Excel spread sheets, how to write multiple letters from a contact list, how to update, the Church's interoffice email called Outlook, etc.  We are fine.  Well fed, what are we eating next week when I am cooking, and in a foreign country??

How are the kids, how is the work, how's your health?  We love you greatly. 

Love,

Mom & Dad

Finished Our First Week at the MTC

Hi family!

     We just finished our first week at the MTC.  There are 36 couples in our group.  They had a farewell this afternoon to some who are leaving now.  Some are headed to Salt Lake to a new Salt Lake West Mission to fellowship less actives and live in their homes (maybe 8 couples).  Some are doing Public Relations in various areas, We had several membership/leadership support for various areas.  One couple is going to Farmington New Mexico and living out of their trailer on a reservation.  One couple the man is a former doctor and they will live in Salt Lake where he will review health issues on missionary applications and his wife will help at the Family History Center.  One couple will be mental health counsellors for the Caribbean.  I guess we will see them as our office in the Domincan Republic is housed in a building with the area offices.  Nancy mentioned Claudio R. Zivic is the area President and he was Brian's mission president. 

     One couple is going to Finland, to Denmark, to Germany, 3 couples to Africa, one to French Canada, Albuquerque New Mexico, Chicago, 2 or 3 to Washington DC, one to New York...this gives you an idea.  I think we are the only office specialists.  There were a lot of membership/leadership support.  Oh there were 3 single sisters who have retired, one's husband passed away, didn't have a chance to talk to the others closely.  It seems that there are places to serve for each individual couple and their skills, etc.

     We had workshops on greeting people, non-member discussions.  We learned the Plan of Salvation and the Restoration lessons from Preach my Gospel then presented them to non members.  These people were actually members who were volunteering to help us.  Further in the week we learned about visiting the less active members.  Each day we would learn, then role play like we were the missionaries, then the inactives.  The Church has it down to a real science with all the ways of teaching, evaluating, committing, and following through.  

          Our first instruction was to hold hands and smile! That's the best part of this whole thing! (smile)

The meals are great, as the week progressed, we hurry around just like the young missionaries.  The young missionaries hurry to open the door for us.  It's been fun.  The Spirit has filled every experience.  We've talked to lots of amazing people.

This next week we have a packet for office instruction, we're not sure who else will be taking it with us.  We'll have to let you know how it goes.  Now we're off to go home and mow our lawn.  (Does that sound like missionaries?)  But we must return by Sunday for the fireside. 

Love to you all!!

Our family is what makes us who we are!  You're the best!!

Love,

Susan & Jim