Hermana Schmidt Week 58 Letter 11/02/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 11/02/2015 10:37 AM
Subject: Creepy Crawly Halloween

Hola a todos! :)

Can I just say that this was one of the BEST weeks of my life!? :) Aw I am just so so grateful to be a missionary. This week I tried to really focus in on thinking of the importance of putting on my plaque, and who I was about to represant. I knew every morning that I would represent the church, the lord, and my family. As I thought more on it, I realize what a joy and blessing it is to even have a plaque. It has given me a boost every day, and every moment that's hard i've tried to look at my plaque and think that ''I'm doing something great. I'm doing something for the Lord.'' and it makes it all easier, and so, so worth it. 

That being said, my companion and I have set goals on our gratitude and our personal prayers. We are trying to focus in on small ways to be more diligent servants of the Lord. Sometimes I think as missionaries we focus on bigger tasks like ''Ask referrals from everyone'' and ''leave with a member every day'' when we sometimes lose focus of the small things that really matter and that lead us to accomplishing the bigger tasks. So we thought on it and after reading a liahona together we decided to start changing our personal prayers. In stead of praying in our minds in the same room, we now seperate and pray outloud in different bedrooms in the house. We do it early enough to really have time to pray sincerely but still get to bed and get exercising on time. Can I just say WOW. It has been months since i've prayed outloud alone in a room. The spirit has overwhelmed me just over the past couple days of doing it. I really, really feel that I am talking WITH (not just talking to) my Heavenly Father. I've never felt more guided by the spirit in my entire life. Prayer truly is a precious tool we have between us and heaven. 

Now that I am going with the spiritual, we had some AMAZING lessons this week!! My companion got her hair done a couple of weeks ago and we contacted the hair lady. Her name is Vavan. She taught me how important it is to find opportunities to share the gospel- everywhere! :) We started teaching her and recently she said, ''I just feel like my whole life has turned around since meeting you. Ive been searching my whole life for the right church, and have never felt satisfied. But i'm started to fill something, and it's new and wondeful!'' She accepted a baptismal date for November 21st and came to church yesterday and loved it!! Such a tender mercy.

We also have been keeping up with the Less-actives and we found one named Claribel who got baptized TWENTY years ago!! She said she lasted just a small amount of time in the church and that she's felt a difference. But that she's ''just to busy with jobs and school to get back into it''. Well we had a lesson on the power of the Book of Mormon and how it can lead us to do what's right and we started talking about how much God loves us that he has given us tools not only to guide us to him- but to guide us BACK to him. The spirit was so strong and we talked about her divine nature and potencial. There were no dry eyes in that lesson. It's never too late for anyone. We should never give up hope!! 

Another night we were teaching a lesson and I felt a strong impression that we needed to go visit 21 year old twins that we are currently teaching. They usually are there only on thursdays and sundays and it was a friday so I was a little hesitant, but told my companion and we agreed to go. When we got there one of the twins were there! He told us that he had been reading from the book of mormon and had really been enjoying it. His mom even got more interested for the first time. Now his WHOLE family is listening to the gospel!!! I seriously just know that we can do nothing without the spirit!! 

On a funny note, this week was halloween. Well, we had a nice fun week of finding new creatures in the house (yay). On monday, I was in the kitchen and I saw my companion slowly entering a bedroom and I was like... uhh.... is someone in our house..!? And I slowly followed and she said, ''SHHH he might hear you!!'' And I was about to pass out because I thought there was someone in the house. I don't do well in moments like this. She flipped on the switch and flew into her bed and I was like WHAT IS GOING ON, and she said, ''a rat! a rat!!!'' and I was so relieved but then it hit me,, rat.... and I was no longer relieved. So I did the only logical thing and said, ''Hermana, this means war.'' So to go rat hunting we had a pole, a pot, war makeup, and our camera recording it all. My comp was searching as I was recording... not because I was scared or anything but because someone had to record ;) and something flew out from my suitcase and it was a huge IGUANA. She thought it had been a rat but nope, just a huge reptile. So that was a relief (not). But it left and we were good. 

On Holiday I gave candy out to some neighbors and their kids, the most halloween has been celebrated in the DR ever I believe. 

This week was just wonderful. I am seriously LOVING opening and training this area!! The Lord has been truly there for us. I just know that this gospel gives us all the answers of our soul, all the joy we could possibly have in this life .And I KNOW that it is NEVER too late for anyone. It doesn't matter where we have been and what we have done, we can always return and feel whole again. I read something this week that said something like this ''Í used to think the atonement had holes in it because it could heal everyone but me. But I came to realize there's 7 holes in the atonement.. his hands, his feet, his wrists, and his side... and I realized that he suffered those holes for me and there truly are holes just for me in the atonement, and I can be whole.'' I loved that and I testify of the atonement and the reality of a living Savior and the reality of a restored gospel.

Hurrah for Israel!! :)

-Hermana Schmidt 

Warriors

Warriors

Hunting for the rat