Hermana Schmidt Week 25 Letter 03/16/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 03/16/2015 11:35 AM
To: Bunney Schmidt
Subject: We found Rootbeer. Repeat. Rootbeer. Root. Beer.

Hola a todos!!

First off, my sister crashed my dad's camaro. I just had to put that into this email because I don't know how many of my reckless friends have driven that thing and been fine... hehe... and calli was the first to crash it... I love you call and hope you are okay and not too distraught. However, I will always remind you that you were the first :) 

This was the BEST WEEK EVER. I'm not kidding!! It was absolutely amazing!! I don't know how I ever got so lucky to be in the best place in the whole world, preaching the gospel to the best people on the face of the earth, with the best companion ever! I am so extremely happy, I can't quite explain it with words. So i'll just keep rambling about it, and you all pretend to act interested in my constant pouring my gratitude out into a keyboard. 

And. 

We found rootbeer. 

That's how to start a companionship right there!! So Hna. Greenstreet and I are from the same group so we are already great friends, and this week we've become the best of friends!! It's the best working with a best friend every single day. I sure do love her! I am a lucky one. But yeah, SHE found the rootbeer her first day here!! I was told multiple times it was impossible to find rootbeer here that even the McDonalds and Wendy's didn't sell it! That it didn't exist here. So I am not kidding... I have missed Rootbeer a lot.... (bad) haha... And my new comp just shows up and points some out on a shelf her first day, in a store I've been to a ton of times. HALLELUJAH. Is it sad that half of my email will be about rootbeer? probably. 

Okay so we saw some HUGE miracles this week!!! I'm sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors, and also if my excitement comes off as Hna. Schmidt is going crazy... but I kind of am of pure happiness. 

The first big miracle was with a woman named Isa. We have been teaching her daughter, a recent convert in the ward named Lucenis. Well we have invited Isa to listen a good amount of times and she is always busy or uninterested. Well we passed by their house to teach Lucenis and Lucenis wasn’t there but Isa was. Well we took the opportunity to invite her to learn again and she accepted and let us in!! It must be Hermana Greenstreet. (Which doesn't surprise me she's great!) But we start teaching her and the Spirit was SO strong!! It was so cool!! We've taught her twice and she said she is open to the idea of getting baptized and will be baptized if she gets an answer that this is true!!! !!! !!! Miracles! 

The second big miracle was Edgar and Miguelina. We have to help them get married and they have been really nervous about that part. So last night we were teaching them the law of chastity and we testified how much it will bless their lives to live it, and although they are still nervous about it they are way more excited and willing to pray for a marriage date. And they are praying to know if they should be married on March 28th!! AH!!! Marriage. My heart. So excited for them. If they get married then, they'll get baptized April 11th! 

And the biggest miracle was Smith! SMITH. You all know Smith, I go on and on and on about him and Kevin. They are just so awesome how could I not!? However, Smith's excitement DIED this last transfer. It was really hard to teach him. Fallen appointments, or when we had the appointments he was disconnected and not really excited at all like he used to be. You can imagine it was hard after his grandma and dad refused to give baptismal permission. However, all of that changed with Hna. Greenstreet (How many times will I say that this email? It's just the truth!) And he started reading his BOM again and got super excited about our appointment. Well there is a really sweet story with his appointment this week here goes:

So Hna. Greenstreet and I am planning the night before the appointment what we are going to teach him and we couldn't think of ANYTHING. We tried and tried but nothing was coming to our minds to teach him. We even did an extra prayer for extra help and NOTHING. So we are like, we just need to sleep and then during companionship study we will think of something. So the next morning (morning of the appoint.) we do comp. study and NOTHING. We were completely blank!! That's never ever happened to me. Like maybe I haven't gotten strong promptings, but never nothing like that! Because every option we thought of felt wrong and we both felt it. So we decided we would ask the missionaries in our district their opinion during District meeting and nothing there either. Well we had weekly planning, and stillllll nothingggggggggggggg. We prayed and prayed and decided that something will come when we are actually at the appointment. Leap of faith? Yeah, it was terrifying but we had a strong feeling to wait and we followed it. And it was one of the best decisions I've made on the mission. 

So we get to the appointment and Smith said he had a spiritual experience he had to share with us. So he had a dream that he kept forgetting something at his Grandma's house and needed to go back again and again to find it. Well in the morning his dream reminded him of 1 Nephi 3 when Nephi and his brothers had to go back and back for the plates and he chose to read it. Well, let me insert my own thoughts for a second, I believe that we would have gone over this part fairly quickly had we had a lesson plan, and not taken the time to ask him real deep questions. Well eventually he confessed excitedly, "I now believe that my father can change his mind. And I think he can change his mind before the end of this month. I just need to have the faith and miracles can happen."  .................... Writing this brings me back to this moment and once again i'm speechless. I just can't believe that happened. I am so grateful for unanswered prayers, because they really are part of a grander plan! I know that now. How incredible. So we will be visiting smiths dad hopefully this week and we are praying and fasting he can get baptized the 28th!!! And kevin will baptize him!! 

On an update note, Jeninson is doing great as well!! Still reading the BOM and progressing incredibley fast! 

Okay on a funnier note. We saw a huge group of americans. I guess they were from a church in texas saying they were missionaries. Pretty weird to speak english and see a ton of americans!! Haven't seen that in a longggggg time! But they were just passing through for a day. 

Also, in our lesson with smith a man passed by, trotting on a horse. Well on a horse that was trotting. I don't know if you are laughing, but it was an intense moment of the lesson interrupted by a man... on a horse.... maybe he was trying to sell cologne. 

In church, I'm the ward pianist, and the ward chorister decided to change the hymn right before we were about to sing it, like I was sitting at the piano about to play and she yelled out to the ward the new number. Well someone in the crowd yelled so loud, WHAT HYMN!? ... church is just a tiny bit different here. haha. 

We were caught in a huge rainstorm this week, hence the rain coat selfie. It was HUGE. Welcome to los frailes my new comp! haha. We almost died in the mud later, slipping and sliding and catching our selves. These are the moments I'll love looking back on. 

I love you all so much!!!!! I know this church is true and I KNOW we have a Heavenly Father. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith was a prophet!!! I know that this gospel, and in better words, obedience to the gospel, brings true and lasting joy!! I am so grateful to share that with others. 

Hurrah for Israel!! :) (and rootbeer, and miracles, and Hna. Greenstreet) 

Hna. Schmidt :)

On her way out into a huge rainstorm

Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Greenstreet

A past photo from the aquarium with Hermana Pichardo, a photo of the one on their phone

Draining the font a couple of weeks ago

Draining the font a couple of weeks ago

Hermana Schmidt Week 24 Letter 3/9/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 03/09/2015 2:29 PM
Subject: And This Is Why One Should Not Lie To The Sister Training Leaders

Hola a todos!! 

So, here's the story with my title. So, Hna. Pichardo had to go up to the mission office on Saturday morning to get her prescription eye drops. Well, we formed this brilliant plan. We figured that the Sister Training Leaders (we live with them, Hna's Hernandez and Meldrum) knew all about transfers early, which is usually the case with STL's. So, we decided that we would pack ALL of my stuff when we got home before lunch. So we did!! And we figured that if they said "Who told you!?" We would know I was leaving Los Frailes! And if they acted confused, then we could know I was staying. Well it all went to plan, well as far as getting everything packed, and then they came home for lunch and totally thought it was a joke the whole time!! So we didn't get anything from their hints, which was totally mixed signals. Well, later that night we got a call from President and he told Hna. Pichardo that she will be a Sister Training Leader in Villa Mella! Wow!! And we were so so so excited, and the unfortunate thing was that the other sisters thought we were joking when we told them and wouldn't believe us...AND IT WAS REAL. Ah poor Hna. Pichardo! But she's super excited and she will be an incredible Sister Training Leader. Anyway, turns out that I am STAYING in Los frailes.. and so as my companion will be packing all of her things today, I will be unpacking all of mine...

However exciting news- my companion will be Hna. Greenstreet from my group!!! One of my good friends I was able to talk with on FB before the mission! How amazing!! I am so so so so excited! :) 

And I am so incrediblly grateful to be in Los Frailes another transfer- literally for 1/3 of my whole mission!! This area is so great, as well as the ward. I am so excited to see many more miracles in my little home away from home. :) 

So some miracles this week. Kevin's dad came to church!! and it was a perfect day. Kevin blessed the sacrament, 3 of his sisters sang in the prelude music, his other sister got a calling. How amazing that he was able to come! and he was able to see a baptism the second hour. It is really really cool to see Kevin's parents coming around! And I will get to see their baptisms!!! :) AH! 

So Nayelin, our 10 year old investigator, was baptized this week!! Oh she was like a precious little angel. I just love her! She was so excited and so happy during and after her baptism. It made me think, wow. If we could all be childlike is this way, excited, TRULY excited for the things of Heaven. That's when we see Heaven. That's when we feel it close! Oh baptisms are truly, truly wonderful. 

We have a family of 4 + a grandma we are teaching. The reference of a woman in our ward! They are progressing really fast. Edgar, the dad, couldn't come to church but we had a lesson with him last night and he said, "Let me be honest. I have never felt this good in my whole life. Missing church was the worst feeling ever. I will never miss again, because learning this I just know it's true! and i've never been more happy in my whole life!" Oh man. Heaven was close my friends, Heaven was close. We just need to help Edgar and Miguelina (mom) get married, which should be in the next 2 to 3 weeks! And then bam, Baptized! :) 

Anyway, on a funny note. We had a district meeting and some sisters in our district (Hna. Jenkins and her comp.) had an experience that I wanted to share, because it's funny. Well I guess they are teaching a woman who has a daughter on a mission. Well, I guess her missionary daughter broke some rules and hasn't been able to email. Well her mom through a fit at the sisters here about it and said, "I don't believe in these missionary rules!! If there's rules, they should all be in the bible!!" Well, not sure where emailing rules would have fit into Exodus, our Deutoronomy for that matter! 

We saved 4 kittens that were thrown away in the trash, and gave them to kevin's family! They loved them!! I will send a pic of kevin with one of them! 

We also had a zone activity today with water baloons, pizza, and card games! It was super fun!! 

Well my friends, the church is true, the book is blue, CTR when a choice is placed before you!!

Hurrah for Israel! :)

Hna Schmidt :) 

2 of the 4 kittens they rescued from a trash can

Nayelin's Baptism

Nikki and Nayelin

Nikki and her Companion and Nayelin

Kevin and Smith and Friends

Kevin and his sisters minus 1

Kevin and his sisters minus 1 and Nikki

Kevin and his sister

Kevin and Smith

Kevin and His Family took the 4 kittens 

Nikki and Miguelina and her mom and children

Another of Nikki and Miguelina and her family

Another of Nikki and Miguelina and her family

The Suitcase Joke

Hermana Schmidt Week 23 Letter 03/03/15

She doesn’t mention this in her letter below but found it too funny not to share.  They came home this week and someone had cut the lock to the roof and stolen their brand new washing machine off the roof that just replaced the one that was stolen a couple of weeks ago.  Life in the DR.

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 03/03/2015 12:35 PM
Subject: 5 Months in Paradise + Some Tears

Hola a todos! 

First of all, Happy birthday to my sister Caroline, i'm sorry I don't have a tribute pic but I will one day I promise you!! I didn't have time to take one this morning. And happy birthday to my cousin Austin!!! I hope your birthdays were/are just wonderful!! 

I also got letters from Luc, Jessi, and Mom this week. Jessi- LOVED your letter. Cried. Died. Smiled. Normal. And Luc's letter was too good... I laminated it. Good to know somehow he got permission to play my uke and use my laptop- and that he just found out our twin cousins are twins. Thanks for the handwritten letters- they are the BEST. 

So you guys. My heart is FULL of gratitude today. In my topic when I said some tears, it's tears of happiness. Because as i'm writing this email, i'm seriously about to cry!! The missionary is just incredible. I can't believe I hit 5 months this week. It breaks my heart. I have just come to completely love this country and the people!! It has been a blessing every step of the way. The hard times have helped me to grow, and the good ones have completely changed my life. I can't properly express with words how much the mission has been a blessing for my life. I was called to help others, but I know that a big reason why the Lord called me to here was to help me change as well!!! I just have never felt closer to the spirit, closer to my heavenly father, and really, closer to heaven as I have these past 5 months. It is a truly rewarding, wonderful, miraculous journey. 

So this week was full of drama, tears, spiritual highs, and lots of miracles- basically a typical week in the life of a missionary! To start of with the drama/tears/laughing moments: Hermana Pichardo and I were in a lesson when all of a sudden her eye started killing her. It hurt bad enough and we couldn't find any relief that we had to go to the hospital to get it checked out in the night! however, the eye doctor wasn't in so we had to go back again yesterday. But as we were up in Gazcue for the hospital, we saw a little bit of Carnaval. Basically a ton of locos dressed up in huge costumes. Especially the locos part- the people were CRAZY in the streets. However, missionaries are protected that's for sure because we didn't run into any trouble. Well long story short, we now have medicine for Hna Pichardo's eyes but we have to go back up for more tests next week. 

Here's a funny lesson for you: We are contacting in the street when a guy calls us over asking what our believes are and yada yada, and we are super stoked!! Like this is the miracle we were feeling was going to happen today!! So he gets us chairs outside his house and we start talking to him about the church. He is listening really intently when suddenly he says: "That's cool, can I tell you my story?" And so we say of course!! And he stands up and with a huge dramatic performance tells us how he was saved and the miracles he witnessed and how he saw God in a dream, and all that good stuff. And we are just sitting there like.... Ah..... What do we do?? I mean he was going off talking for a long while!! So my comp asks if we can sing a hymn to start a lesson and he says yes, so we sing a hymn. And after the hymn he says he has a hymn for us!! and stands up and starts rocking out to his own solo, and we are sitting there like... Ah..... What do we do?? Again. So completely horribly hilariously awkward. Turns out later on he just wanted to bible bash, but hey, he was so passionate at least he really cares about what he believes in!! And maybe one day he'll get baptized and preach the gospel with fire in his teaching!! (hopefully not snapping, clapping, and wailing his arms however). 

And now for some spiritual stories! (the best part, I know!) We taught Jeninson this week and he is progressing so fast! He has his cute little son and loves the gospel. We took him on a church tour and he loved it! he was almost in tears the whole time and after said: I was just praying and praying for the truth and then Hna. Schmidt and Hna. Pichardo show up on my door like two angels handing it right to me! 

Those moments. They are like a baseball hitting your heart with happiness. It just takes the breath right out of you!! How incredible. 

Also Kevin!! Kevin baptized the last of his sisters to be baptized this week so now all 6 of the Almonte Garcia family kids are baptized!! the other hermanas are the ones teaching the whole family, Kevin was the only one I had the priviledge to teach. However, i'm really close to the whole family so this was such a special baptism. Especially to see my convert baptize 1/2 of his sisters now!! And the other hermanas told us this week that BOTH of the parents want to get baptized now!!! And Kevin will baptize his parents!! Oh gosh... here come the tears again. 

Kevin also blessed the sacrament for this first time this week and was flawless. So proud of him! He seriously is like a little brother to me. You just come to truly become family with all of the people you get to serve as a missionary. 

Funny story... So after Kevin baptized his sisters we forgot to tell him to drain the font and you can only do that in the font!! Well... the only solution was me dressing up in baptismal clothes and getting in and draining it. So who knew that I would be in the baptismal waters the same day as all of them as well!! ;) And if you are wondering... no I couldn't drain it....... This is why Hermana Schmidt should not be the one to do something ridiculously funny things like this :)

Ah man. I just can't stop talking now about how much I love the mission. I love it I love it I love it! Today we could go to the aquarium and I was looking out over the ocean and just thinking how incredibily lucky I was to be here, and not only to be here, but to be here as a missionary. I am so so so so so lucky. It's now become my second home and the fact that time is flying just hurts me to the core! There is nothing like the Dominican Republic. There is nothing like being a missionary. There is nothing like really, really coming to know that 1. There is a God. and 2. He loves us. Like really, really, really loves us you guys. If you ever doubt it, you can rely on my testimony. I testify that YOU (whoever you are that is reading this) that God loves you. He wants you to be happy and at peace every day that you are here. He has given you so much so show that he loves you, and he wants you to see that. I know it, I know it, I know it.

Hurrah for Israel!!

Hermana Schmidt :)

Kevin baptizes the last of his siblings

At the Aquarium enjoying the beautiful view

With Roommates at the aquarium

With her companion Hermana Pichardo

With her companion, Kevin and his sisters

Kevin and his sisters

Kevin and his siblings all baptized members

Hermana Schmidt Week 22 Letter 02/23/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 02/23/2015 9:08 AM
Subject: JUST HOPING NOTHING BITES US!

Hola a todos, 

First off, happy birthday to my little sis Jessi, my aunt elizabeth, and my aunt sue this week! Love you all! 

How are you all!? Well this week was another fantastic week in the work of the Lord- as it should be always! :) It's incredible to be a missionary. I am so super duper lucky! 

However, this week was also full of some CRAZY stuff. Are you ready for it? 

So on Tuesday we woke up and the other sisters in our house needed to go see the doctor. Well, Hna. Pichardo hasn't been able to sleep so we asked to come with them and we went. I also had a huge blister on my foot that we were wanting the doctor to cut out and give me ointment. So, it all ended up being perfect for us to go. Well first we got lunch at McDonalds (woot!) And then the doctor told us to go look for some special shoes for my foot so we went to a super market and looked. Well, as we were leaving there was a ton of people sprinting for the super market and havoc. So we run back in and the guards lock the doors- like LOCK the doors with the extra metal locks and turn off the lights. Turns out there was a protest outside. I guess a bunch of people were just throwing a ton of stuff at people and cars- like rocks and glass and stuff. So we had to wait in the supermarket. We all felt really safe and protected, so we did the only logical thing, and um... well started shopping again. So I got some chocolate bars and a DR shirt... because what other logical thing is there to do when there's an angry mob outside? So we were stuck inside of this supermarket for 3 hours and then the AP's came and picked us up and then we went to the doctors. Well the doctor took out my blister and it's tons better! But later, on our way home we are all crammed in the back seat and Hna's Hernandez and Pichardo both start getting quiet and feel sick. And when we get home, Hermana Hernandez starts throwing up a ton, and my companion basically passes out on the bed. Well, because of our companions dying, Hermana Meldrum and I were doing everything we could to help them, but they said there was nothing and to give them space. So we also did a logical thing and started eating pizza and took selfies infront of our new washing machine. Thankfully, both of them felt better by the morning. 

The other crazy thing that happened was an insane rain storm. We had to walk shin deep in water home from the church. I kept saying I hope nothing bites us, I hope nothing bites us! It was scary but thankfully nothing did! It was bad enough that we had to stay in for the night. Well there's traditions here that you eat hot chocolate + bread together! It was really good actually. We played cards and listened to the crazy rain outside. It was actually really fun!! 

Other than the crazy stuff, some awesome spiritual things happened as well!! First, we had a lesson with Jeninson and he said he prayed and received an answer that Joseph Smith was a prophet and our message is true!!! He is changing his work so he can come to church on sundays. He has a cute little son, and he is just progressing so fast! He's really cool. Ah. He is reading and keeping all of his committments, which is the coolest! Funny story with him. We are teaching him when a HUGE moth dragon terrible thing flies into my face. And then into my lap and i'm freaking out because... bugs. And Jeninson helps by taking his new book of mormon and smacking the giant bug until it's injured enough to not bother us... well.... that wasn't how we were hoping he's first use his Book of Mormon, but no worries he's actually reading it too. :) 

We also received a reference from a member of her family. So we taught a new family, and they were so cute. Both Hna. Pichardo and I said that the spirit was completely directing our lesson and we couldn't believe how inspired the whole thing one!! They just ate it up and loved it. They have a lot of potential. There is something so special about a reference from a member! They are always prepared for the gospel!! 

The biggest thing this week was studying the Atonement. I have felt like I've really needed the invigorating, powerful source of the atonement this transfer. I've learned that the more we study it, the more we love it and want to use it! It's such an incredible gift. Our savior, not only suffered for our sins but for all of our pains. And because of that, we have someone who can heal and help us! It's absolutely incredible. I testify that he died for us, and also that he LIVES for us!!

Hurrah for Israel!! :) 

Hna Schmidt :) 

Chocolate and Bread and Cards

Her Happy Birthday note to Jessi

Selfies with new washer while companions are sick

More selfies while companions are sick

And more selfies while companions are sick

The rains

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 :)

Hermana Schmidt with Kevin and his sister

Kevin and Family and the Hermanas and Smith

Kevin and his sister

Kevin and his sister and the Hermanas

Cool Bag she bought DR style

Cute Picture Danni sent her

Valentines Socks that I sent them

Cute Valentines Socks and Pizza

Her cute desk

Scripture Covers Dominican Style Back View

Scripture Covers Side View

Scripture Covers Front View

Hermana Schmidt Week 20 Letter 02/09/2015

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 02/09/2015 8:39 AM
Subject: Could you survive for 3 days with no water or electricity?

Hola a todos, 

First off, HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!! This year I have a great valentine. He's strong, faithful, and such a great example! He even is a great writer. I will send a picture of him. Ah. He's perfect! 

So from the title you can guess we had a pretty interesting week. First of all, our imbisor (how do you spell that?) Stopped working for 3 days. We still had electricity when the power was on (random hours during the day) but not at all during the night when we needed it the most. Then, our imbisor starts working again, and guess what?! The electricity went out all together for 3 days. So we didn't have running water, a running fridge, or anything for 3 whole days! Well... Dad you will be ashamed... it ended up just being a switch we needed to flip back. I don't remember the name in english but it's the big electricity box with lots of switches... I'm sorry dad. You taught me better. 

So something wonderful this week. Kevin got ordained as a priest and I got to be there for his ordination! It was beautiful. It was truly a blessing to see. 

We have a new promising investigator named Amauris. He is 37 and just loves the lessons and is keeping all of his committments! He has a baptismal date on the 7th, with Nayelin. Yay yay yay! 

Well other than that we've had meetings, contacting, and blisters on our feet! So you know it's been another week in the work of the lord- by working hard! :) Hurrah for Israel! :) Happy Valentine's! 

Hna Schmidt :) 

With a cool bird

Her Valentine

Hermana Schmidt Week 19 Letter 02/02/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 02/02/2015 8:43 AM
Subject: I'm workin with a stripling warrior! (woman style)

Hola a todos, 

First of all-- happy birthday Maddi and Marissa this week!!! I hope it is wonderful!! 

So I don't have much to write this week, just a couple of funny stories and comments. However, I do have to make a correction from my email last week. There is a sister in my house from UT that speaks English (Hallelujah) So i'm only speaking spanish 99% of the time instead of 100 ;) 

First off, this week. I have NEVER worked harder in my whole life!! And my body knows it because I fell ill yesterday and couldn't go to a broadcasted conference with Elder Holland speaking :'(... So you know that I really wasn't well at all because I would never want to miss an Elder Holland talk! Blast. However, thankfully it only lasted a day and i'm all better now. 

So yes, really, I have never worked harder in my life. My companion is Hermana Pichardo and I really think she's like a lamanite descendant or something because MAN SHE IS AWESOME. She doesn't waste a minute! If a plan falls through, we are contacting, contacting, contacting until the next appointment! It's a constant tell *Everyone* about this message attitude and I love it! (It's been hard on my body, but totally awesome for the start of this transfer). She was baptized three years ago and she has such a special new convert fire about her work and I love it! She's funny, and outgoing, and is really helping me with my spanish! She doesn't know any english really so I am teaching her the basics right now and we are doing all of our prayers in english and she's progressing so fast! I'm so proud :) 

In the midst of this serious work schedule, we found a new person named Flore who accepted a baptismal date for the 28th! Ah!! How awesome. Talking to EVERYONE has really brought us more success so fast! So sweet! 

Also, a miracle,  every single one of kevin's siblings will be baptized this MONTH! AH! Two of the older sisters didn't show a lot of interest but all of a sudden they are coming to church and will be baptized!! All there is left in his family is his mom and dad. And kevin's going to baptize all of his sisters! :') How sweet. Ah. So much happiness. 

On a sad note, Smith is avoiding us. Because he can't get baptized, I think he is sad to see us. :( It breaks my heart. But Kevin is going to keep trying to invite and help him! 

So some funny stories!

So my comp knows no english right? So we are contacting and this man approaches us speaking all english! Which is weird, but it was a good opportunity to contact him. He said, "Yeah I was baptized in your church two years ago but then God told me to leave"and I said, "Really? How so?" and he said, "Angels, visions, dreams..." and other things i'm not going to bother writing. He went on and on saying what's wrong with our church and I just kept smiling and trying to find an escape. Hermana Pichardo could tell, and so she ended the conversation by saying, "Well you can come to our church! It's sundays at 10!! You are invited!" With a huge smile and so much excitement. Oh man, I just love her. The look of *what should I say* came upon this man's face and he understood that she didn't know english and ended up leaving! So yay for the spirit prompting such a funny ending to the conversation. Not knowing a language for the win! 

Also, just imagine two sister missionaries, broken bags, pouring rain, one umbrella, streets flooded with water, scaling fences to get home and change bags that work........... that totally happened and it was fantastic. hehe :) We made it a fun experience. 

Well we are just seeing miracles from this new attitude of working to our very hardest!! It's wonderful!! There is nothing like completely being immersed in this work that is for sure!!

Hurrah for Israel!!

Hna Schmidt :)  

Her cute HB note to Maddi

Her new companion Hermana Pichardo