Hermana Schmidt: Hermana Schmidt Week 49 Letter 08/31/15 (Her Birthday)

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]

Sent: 08/31/2015 10:07 AM
Subject: Derika 2015 (a combination of storm Danny and storm Erika)! And I'm officially an old woman.

Hola a todos! :)

Happy birthdays to my cousin Jacob and my good friend Elder Davis serving in Bolivia! :) I hope they are wonderful!

Thank you so so much for all of the birthday wishes!!! You are all so amazing!!! :) And thanks mom for having me. Good work. (lol)

So this week was CRAZY, and CRAZY WONDERFUL. Every week I just look back and think, ''If I didn't have a testimony before, I for sure do now!!'' Every week is just getting better and better and better, no joke. The Lord is just pouring blessings down on us, and I just feel so, so lucky to be here just thinking ''I don't know how I'm qualified at all to be your servant, really i'm not. But thanks for giving me this opportunity to just see you work wonders in the lives of these people.'' It's unreal. It's seriously the greatest.

To start off with the spiritual news, I can't wait to share!! Brendi is just progressing and progressing and we've had some super powerful lessons this week with her. She finally was able to come to church (she's had to go see her uncle each weekend after a big accident he got into) and she couldn't stay the whole time due to her needed visit to help him, but she came and loved it!! We set a firm baptismal date with her for the 12th and she is so excited!

The other great news we have is Diana and Victor and their daughter. We had an FHE with them a while back, and since then haven't been able to really find them tons. But the Lord has worked miracles and we've been able to see them tons this week and TOGETHER. Which is a huge miracle because when one works, the other stays, and they switch off and are only together late at nights. Victor and their daughter came to church (Diana couldn't because of the storm and had to fix some things around home) but it was WONDERFUL. We had a super powerful lesson with them last night on the restoration and it was so, so special.

As I testified of Joseph Smith, it was as if my own testimony went up 5000%. I just know he saw our Heavenly Father and our Savior!! And they appeared to him, not because they loved him more than everyone else, but because they loved US. It was all for us. I'm so grateful for the knowledge of the reality of the restoration of the gospel.

I asked them, ''So what do you think this all means for you? What should you do with what you have heard?'' Victor said, ''Show i'm grateful by attending church and keeping my committments.'' Diana said, ''Well I don't know it's true. So I just need to pray and I really think the Lord can give me an answer.''

I'm so grateful for such a prepared, wonderful family. I know the Lord will answer them!

So my companion got her stint removed this week and while we were away from home in the hospital we got the wonderful news that the storm Erika was coming and that the country was under Red Alert. We had to take a taxi home right by the ocean after she got her stint out, and the ocean looked pretty threatening. I don't think i've ever prayed harder in my life!!! But I felt so much comfort and knew everything would be fine. We went and stayed with the other sisters in the zone in their house which was fun.

The storm was really small where we were at. However, the power did go out, and we saw a tree fall. So that was exciting. We are contemplating buying ''We survived Derika 2015'' Shirts, after the 2 storms, however... Erika was apparently really bad in other areas of the country so it took away the funny-ness. Sigh. But It was fun to be with them and we felt super protected!!

Well friends, I am just on cloud nine. This is truly the BEST life!!

Hurrah for Israel!! :)

-Hermana Schmidt