Hermana Schmidt: Hermana Schmidt Week 21 Letter 02/16/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 02/16/2015 9:21 AM
Subject: I am so so SO grateful for this mission!!

Hola a todos,

Are you ready for a long email? (Well an attempt because who knows with the internet here in this cafe)

This week was just... well... incredible. Thinking about it makes me actually want to cry because of how grateful I am to be a missionary, to see miracles, to be a representative of our savior Jesus Christ.

First of all, Sonia. We contacted Sonia 2 weeks ago, but she missed her appointment. Well, we are contacting up to 3 hours a day, so we are meeting and teaching constantly and so we kind of just forgot about her. But on Tuesday as we were passing her building we BOTH got the strongest feeling to go see her! It was so strange, but it comes to show the Spirit is the head of this work. So we go up the stairs, not really sure what to expect and she is actually home! It was a hard hour of the day so we were a little hesitant to try but it was sweet! She was home! So we started telling her our purpose as missionaries, when she gasps and says ''Wait!'' And runs out, and runs back in with a BOOK OF MORMON. Turns out she met with missionaries 5 months ago but moved from that city, and lost contact with missionaries and the church! She was so excited that we were from the same church. So we were super excited and she had a lot of animo (excitement in spanish). Well we scheduled a return appointment and she wasn't there!! We even brought Kevin (which i'll talk more about later) which we thought was just perfect! But she wasn't there!! WHAT!? So we were sad, but last night as we were concluding the evening we both had that same strong feeling again, so we went up and she was home!! And she told us she missed our apointment because her grandma passed that day. So she actually had a real reason! But okay.. this appointment. I'm making a new paragraph because it was just that awesome.

So we are teaching the restoration and the whole time she is just loving it, like really, really loving it. She kept telling us ''I've just wanted to find the true church for so long, I feel so good right now.'' Well the spirit was just so strong, and the lesson was beautiful. Just beautiful! At the end we challenged her to pray with us right then on our knees to know if the church was true. She gave her prayer but cut it short, and said ''If I say anything else i'm just going to cry!'' And she committed to prepare herself to be baptized the 21st of March! I hope i'm still in Los Frailes to see her get baptized because wow... she is incredible!

Now Kevin. Man he is just so great!! It's really cool to help someone get baptized, but even cooler to see that person helping other people after their baptism! And that's what kevin is doing! He is coming with us to appointments and his testimony is just POWERFUL. I can't explain it with words. The way that he testifies it is so sincere, so pure, so perfect! I love it! He also got to baptize his little sister Jerika this week, and will be baptizing his two other sisters in two weeks, and our other investigator Nayelin in March!! Cool story with him. There's a rule that we can't walk with the opposite gender so they have to follow behind us from a distance to the appointments. So we look back to check if Kevin is there yesterday, and he disappeared! And we are like, what the?? And then 30 seconds later we see him, pushing this really old woman in her wheelchair down the street! He is just so different from our first appointment it's incredible.

Okay sweet story with Kevin and Smith. So we are passing by our investigators houses yesterday morning to help them come to church, and we see smith outside (yay) with his grandma (yikes). But the timing was perfect and she walked inside as we were passing and didn't see us. So we mouthed ''Are you coming?'' And he turned his head towards his house, and with the saddest look, looked back at us and shook his head no. It was so so so sad. And then we get to church and Kevin's sisters tell us kevin can't be there because his dad is making him leave with him (which is common here) it was really really sad! But then i'm sitting in Relief Society all worried about them, and suddenly their heads pop up in the door window! They wouldn't tell me how but I guess they rebelled their guardians to come to church... what rebellion. haha. Jokes. I don't think they rebelled, I think their guardians let them come. At least that's what they tell us, right?

So on the more funny/cool things. I love the way this country does holidays! They go all out to celebrate! So on V-day EVERYONE was wearing pink and red. Kevin even wore a pink shirt to the baptism... oh my. Seriously everyone!! Except good ol Hermana Schmidt. Failed. Next V-day? Also something cool, the sun was setting and we were on a segunda (second floor of an apartment building) and I look over and see all of these kids on a roof flying kites. It was a bunch of silhouettes just enjoying the sun set, with their kites flying high. It was a really cool view.

And we got robbed again!! Our washing machine got robbed so I washed my clothes in 2 bowls today!! But no worries, one day they'll repent and we can wash their baptismal suit in that washing machine! i know it :)

And Hna. Pichardo is so cute and so motherly. It's 5 AM and she wakes me up so panicked and I say what? What??? And she says ''Are you okay!?'' And i say... ''Yes....'' and she says ''Because your arm is off your bed and it looks like you could fall off!!'' Oh my lanta. I just love her. Even at 5 AM when she is worried too much about my safety and well being ;)

Well everyone, being a missionary is the GREATEST. I am so grateful for Los Frailes, for this mission. I've changed so much and the biggest change I've seen is the way I view our Heavenly Father and his love for his children. Every single one! It's unimaginable!!! I am just so grateful for this experience and especially for all the support I have from all of you!! i love you and HURRAH FOR ISRAEL :)

Hna Schmidt :)