Hermana Schmidt: Hermana Schmidt Week 73 Letter 02/15/16

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 02/15/2016 11:16 AM
Subject: 37 Missed Calls from the Zone Leaders

Hola a todos! :)

Oh my goodness this week was AMAZING! What an incredible way to start off this transfer. My companion, sister shaw, is just the best and has taught me SO much. :)

So to start off the transfer right (lol) here's the story to my title. So, on our way home I didn't realize that our phone was on silent. We were talking and talking and talking on the bus to La Romana and on the taxi home and in home about everything. Well, me being not as responsable as I should have with checking the phone, just kept talking without checking it for (3 hours) a little while. Well... in the middle of our conversation there was a loud knock on our door. I answer it (in our PJ's since it was time to start getting ready for bed) and standing there are our Zone Leaders and our bishop. I was so confused and ridiculously thought they were there for a house check so the first thing I said was, ''Hey why did you not call???'' And the bishop said, ''Did you lose your phone or something??'' I said, ''No...'' and went and grabbed it. Let's just say I will not be telling any of you how many missed calls we also had from the District Leader and bishop... but you can know we did have 37 from the Zone Leaders... I was very embarrassed. Thankfully they took it well, but one of the Zone Leaders is a new zone leader and I think we about killed the poor guy... first night as a zone leader and he's already frantically searching for missionaries.

But on a more serious, responsable, i've been in the mission long enough to know how to be a missionary kind of side of the things.. The work was rolling this week. :)

Our most progressing investigator is Sabrina. She is the woman I mentioned last week that was just so prepared and accepted a date. Well it's pretty clear that her husband won't be baptized next week just because he was gone on a work trip for a week and a half. BUT she is still up for it. She just has to get married, which we are shooting to set a date with her for that on Saturday (that's right, this saturday!). During our lesson we taught all of the restoration and at the end I said, ''Do you believe all that we have shared with you today?'' she teared up and said, ''Yes, I know the church is true.'' And in her closing prayer she said, ''Thank you Heavenly father for showing me today that the church is true.'' It was glorious. I know it's true too!!

Hermana Shaw and I started trying to contact people by serving them. We just kept trying to look out for people who looked like they needed help. One woman we helped was like, ''I think a church should have standards. And not baptize children. And not support drinking alcohol. And have to be married legally.'' and we were like... UM YES.. ours! And she was amazed by all that the church had and accepted the invitation to be baptized. I think that there is something really special about serving, and then inviting that brings the spirit really strong!

We had a miracle this week with our ward. The bishop was really worried about the attendance and so together we all thought of an idea to give out 3 invitations to each member to give out to Less actives and non members. The results were huge! We had the most attendance we've had in MONTHS! It was just cool to see how teamwork really brings about miracles.

This week I also had my last big Zone Conference with President Corbitt. (It's when a couple of zones have a big training meeting/spiritual meeting, it's cool). Hermana Hinrichsen who is also going home with me, and I, did a musical number of ''Be Still my Soul'' on the piano and violin. It was a great way to have my last one! I'm so grateful for little opportunities like that.

Everything is good here in La romana. We are working hard, sweating lots, smiling tons, and on our knees like madwoman, running around finding new people and trying out new techniques, and it's joyous :) I just love it!! There's nothin' better. :)

Thanks for all of your love and support. I have NO doubts that this is the perfect church of Jesus Christ! I know that the Priesthood is a real power that really does bless our eternities. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and I know that the true, lasting, joy that we all seek comes from the Savior and his Gospel. I know Christ lives. I know He will ALWAYS be there for us! I just love Him.

Hurrah for Israel!! :)

-Hermana Schmidt