Hermana Schmidt Week 30 Letter 04/20/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 04/20/2015 1:16 PM
Subject: Living the BEST (and robbed) Life!

Hola a todos!! 

Oh my goodness. This was the CRAZIEST, BEST, most WONDERFUL, and TRIAL-FILLED week ever!! But it really has taught me that God really is in the smallest details in our lives, during the hard and good times! Oh man. Where do I even begin? 

First of all, I better start with transfer news (How am I already writing transfer news again!?) and it's totally heartbreaking. I am leaving Los Frailes. So I am ''Robbed'' of my first area. I have enjoyed 6 wonderful months here but the Lord needs me somewhere else! However, I am lucky because it's actually not too far away!! :) I am going to an area called Mi Hogar, in the zona Oriental. I know that probably means nothing to you guys, so to be simple, i'm leaving my area for a new area! My new companion will be Hermana Cabos and she is from Peru! :) She has a tiny bit more time than I which is great, because this will be my 2nd comp in a row with the same time as me! We will have a lot of fun i'm sure. :) 

Oh man. Then the sad news. Hermana Hernandez, my STL, and one of my best friends, went home early this week. We had to help pack all of her things and help her leave. It was super sad, but it's for health. If she gets better, she'll come back in 3 months!! She is incredible though. I know that the Lord has great plans for her in her house. It's so hard sending a missionary home, on the missionary side. It's hard to see for sure. However, Hna. Given and I made up a song for her (the same one we did at the baptism of Smith) but this time on piano. Many tears were shed. I will miss her a lot. So I was ''robbed'' of Hermana Hernandez. :( 

Then an another robbed note, our water pump got stolen and we have been out of water for 2 days!! I will send pics of us dragging water out of a well. What a blessing. 

Other than that, I was not robbed anymore. But I forsure was GIVEN a huge miracle this week. I think when you all read this, you might die (well if you've kept up with my emails, if not... it's okay!) But we had an interesting contact this week.

With Smith's grandma.

The Grandma.

THE

GRANDMA. 

So here is the story. We are passing the street she lives on, and I got the strangest prompting EVER. I felt so strongly we needed to go to the Grandma's (Now we know her as Nina) house and talk to her. Now, if you don't remember who this is, this is the woman who yelled at us and told us never to come back and believes our church is founded my the devil and yada yada yada. Well, I was freaked out by the prompting and just knew it must have been from God because that would have never been my idea. So I stopped dead in the street and turned to Hermana Greenstreet and told her of the phantom prompting. Immediately, she agreed and said it must be from God. So we start walking down the street, and every step was like 1000 pounds on our feet. This is how Harry Potter must have felt before meeting up with Voldemort in the very last book. Seriously. Like walking to our deaths. Well Hna. Greenstreet suggested mid street that we say a quick prayer, so we did, and begged for his help and a miracle if this was His will. 

So we walk up to the Door and thankfully, see Smith's dad who knows us and says ''Smith isn't here!'' To which we say, not knowing what to say, ''We are actually here for his Grandma, Nina.''' Well he told Nina and she came out and as soon as she saw us yelled ''Í don't have time for this!!'' and started storming back inside. I called out, '''Just wait! I just wanted to tell you something. I just wanted to thank you for my time with Smith!!'' Interested, she turned back. She actually started listening to what I was trying to tell her, which was really just how incrdibley grateful I was for Smith and to see his change. Slowly, she welcomed us into the house. I thought it was because there were probably guns in there. I thought it was my last moments of my life. Literally. 

Long story short, we are best friends now. Was that too fast of a plot twist? Like a slap in the face? Well hopefully it was a good slap because that's how it felt to me!! We acutally bought and had juice with her, and Hna. Greenstreet and her new comp. will be cooking with her soon. WHAT!?!? Miracles my friends. Miracles. I just know God is more powerful than anything, and he will help us complete that which he asks us to do. How incredible. 

Other than that we had a great lesson with Juanito, our old friend. He came out in short shorts and no shirt, so we asked him to find some clothes, and he came out with a button up shirt with one button, buttoned. Typical. We taught him the Plan of Salvation ahd he thought the spirit world was an alien planet that would evade ours. Woops. No worries. He's all up to speed now and understands! I will be asking permission to come back for his baptism in may. How cool :) 

I also got a cool Jersey this week, pictures will be sent! I love it!! Ah. I will miss Los Frailes. But I just know that great things are ahead and I will go WHEREVER the Lord needs me to go!! I'm so incredibly happy to be a missionary. This work is the best work in the whole world!! 

Thanks for all of your support. I love you all more than words can say. I hope you know when I experience success as a missionary, it is ALL your success as well. Because all of you who support me, have carried me more than you know. I love you all!! 

HURRAH FOR ISRAEL! :) (All of you and I and God make a pretty good team friends, keep on keepin on!)

Love Hermana Schmidt :) 

New Jerseys

Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Greenstreet

District

Getting water from the well

Saying goodbyes

Kevin's sister who wants to go on a mission in a year

New Jersey

Another New Jersey Shot

Their last names in Spanish (no change for Schmidt) and their first areas

Her latest purchase

More saying goodbye

Another goodbye

Hermana Schmidt Week 29 Letter 04/13/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 04/13/2015 11:50 AM
To: Bunney Schmidt
Subject: I Stand All Amazed

Hola a todos!! 

Well everyone, we are starting to get out of this sickness drop. Thankfully, we've been able to work at least some nights and afternoons! Hallelujah. Staying in has been really hard on Hermana Greenstreet and I, and we are so bummed because we are the bestest of friends, with incredible investigators, and then we get sick half of our transfer!! Ah. Such a bummer. But, we are looking forward to hard work and miracles this week!! And this last week, even with recovering, we were able to see some really cool miracles and have some great lessons! It just comes to show that the Lord really is looking out for us, and the Lord is good. 

We had a really powerful lesson with Edgar, (if you don't remember who that is, he is the father of a family we are teaching), who has been struggling with kicking his alcohol problem. But two weeks ago, he was on top of the world and telling us how he hadn't even had a tiny bit of it and felt he was completely down with it!! Well, with being sick we weren't able to visit them for 2 weeks so we were so worried about him. Turns out, we had all the reason to be worried. When we first saw him, he. looked. awful. It looked as if all hope had left, and he had fallen into a pit that was impossible to climb out of. We immediately knew something had happened, besides the fact him and Miguelina hadn't come to church either. We started asking him what had happened, and why he was sad. He told us he had caved and had alcohol and now he wasnt sure if he could ever be good enough to be baptized. 

Well, the really powerful moment for me wasn't actually when I was talking. It was when I was observing my companion, Hermana Greenstreet, testifying to Edgar of the reality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. She testified that he really could repent and receive the help that he needed in order to drop this problem and prepare for his baptism. She was smiling, and warm and inviting. I was touched as I pictured my companion as the Savior, and Edgar as each and every one of us. We all have times, I believe, when we think we've gone too far or done something too bad that we can't possible be clean once again. Or maybe we just don't have the hope that we'll be strong enough to conquer our personal trials. But like my companion did, I believe Christ is calling out to each one of us saying ''You can repent! Trust me! There is power in the atonement and I can and will help you! ''. And for me, that made me realize the magnitude of my calling as a representative of him. I really am called to give hope to the hopeless, and peace to the lost, and to say and do that which he would say and do.

With tears in my eyes, the song ''I stand all amazed'' came to my head, and I decided to read him the words of the hymn (in spanish of course). Asombro me da. And the atonement does that. I am amazed at the love Jesus has for ME. and for YOU. He is my christ. He is your christ. He is The Christ. Edgar started tearing up, and slowly but surely the whole lesson turned into a powerful motivation for him to try again. That's what the Atonement can do. Power to give us hope, power to help us repent, and power to help us change! I know Edgar can conquer this trial with the help of him, our savior. As we all can conquer our own trials. 

Outside of that lesson, we had a great lesson with Juanito, an older investigator. He was super excited and said he just knows the church is true! He hadn't even come to church but had a testimony, and we set a baptismal date for May 2nd. And guess what!?! HE CAME TO CHURCH YESTERDAY!! He was so excited that he wanted to meet the bishop. He also loved testimony meeting, which was cool because all 4 of us sister missionaries shared our testimonies as well as the whole bishopric. And he loved it!! He cracks me up. He's the one that almost had a heart attack about the second coming, don't worry, he understands now. And he, thanks to Antonio his friend, is actually very excited for the second coming. He's bummed we don't know when it is. Poor guy. 

We had a great lesson on temples with Kevin, Smith, and Kevin's sisters. We talked about personal goals for them with the temple. They are all going to do baptisms for the dead this friday with their own family names!! How wonderful!! Crazy to think Kevin can start his papers in just a year and a half, and Smith well... in 3 1/2 haha. 

On a funny note, Hermana Greenstreet and I started off our missions and friendships in the CCM by riding the SKETCHIEST guagua (bus) ever! Well, we had another fun experience this week in an even more sketchy guagua. Literally praying for our lives the entire time. There were holes in the floor, and the seats were caving in, and the car was SHAKING. the whole time!! 

Also, Hna. Greenstreet dyed my hair to be darker! And Smith, who is learning english pointed at hna greenstreet and said ''She is blonde!!'' and then pointed and me and said ''She is black!!'' ... that was a fun english lesson. 

Well this is the last week of the transfer and I can't believe it!! I am hoping I don't leave, but i'm feeling that I am because i've been in the same area for 6 months. I love Los Frailes and the thought of leaving kills me. But if I go, I know wherever the Lord sends me will be perfect. 

I love this work, I love this people, and God is good. 

I don’t know why, but now I feel the need to share my testimony of Joseph Smith instead of ending, like I was about to do. I have no idea why, but hopefully someone who is reading this needs it. 

I know that Joseph Smith saw God the father and Jesus Christ. That he was given the authority and power to restore the true church of Christ. That he was a good man, and truly was a prophet of God. I know that we can all have the knowledge of Joseph Smith's prophetic role and calling by 1. Praying sincerly to know. 2. Waiting patiently, and hopefully, for an answer. 3. Studying the Book of Mormon. I know these things are true, I know it. 

Hurrah for Israel!! 

Love, Hermana Schmidt :) 

Hermana Greenstreet, Hermana Schmidt and Juanito

Hermana Schmidt and Juanito and Antonio

Antonio

Hermana Schmidt and Antonio's granddaughters

Happy 8th Birthday to Danni

Happy Birthday to Lara

Juanito

Hermana Schmidt Week 28 Letter 04/06/15

(For those of you that don’t know what “Dengue” is like I didn’t, it is “Dengue Fever” and it is carried by mosquitos and is a painful fever that is debilitating for a short time.  She has assured me that she is covered in mosquito repellent at all times but also more likely to get it now if a mosquito bites her companion and then her.   Bunney)

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 04/06/2015 11:57 AM
Subject: Dengue Home

Hola a todos!! 

First off, happy birthdays to my brother in law Spencer, my sister Sarah, and my cousin Lisa!!! I love you all so much and I hope it's great!! 

Yes, you read that correctly. Dengue has entered the home, and my poor dear companion has it! But she is getting better. I'm still sick and we aren't sure with what, but we will know shortly!

But oh my lanta, was that not the best conference EVER!?!!! Definitely lifted our spirits after being stuck inside for 2 weeks. 

AND HAITI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

You guys that's totally my island. Not my country, but island. AH. Another temple here in the Caribbean!! We have Haitians in our ward and they were just REJOICING. I don't think you can understand how big of a blessing this is without seeing the faithful determination of Haitian saints. Just exquisite. 

There were so many things I loved, but first I want to explain how I did conference this time because I did it a little differently. Normally, I am scrambling to write down everything they say but I decided to write the things I love the very most, and focus on my personal commitments from every single talk. That made my conference experience 1000x sweeter! It was like every talk was exciting and truly personal for me, because the spirit was guiding me on things I could do better. Among the many, I am really trying to focus on serving. I think I could do a lot better on shifting my focus on others, so I've been trying to find little ways to serve. I'm not perfect, or near it, but just this little progress has made a huge difference!!  I loved (I think it was Sister Burton) what one woman in conference said ''When we seek to complete rather than compete, there is so much joy to be found'' HOW TRUE!! How much different would the world be if we all set out to complete rather than compete!? Ah. I loved it!! My favorite talk was probably the one about the Atonement and how it can change us with the quote ''Twas I, but Tis Not I''. I thought of specific goals I could make and being healthy on what I eat came to my mind. That's my new motivation quote!! How wonderful that we can change and grow in this life, and that the Atonement helps with even the smallest of things! 

My email will be short again, however I wanted to give my testimony of the Savior. I have never seen him, but I KNOW He lives. I share my testimony with those given at conference, and I testify that he lives to bless us, to lift us, to heal us, and change us. I am so grateful for his sacrifice for me, his great atoning sacrifice, that he was willing to suffer and die for me. But more, I am so very grateful that He LIVES for me. He is the Christ. He is my Christ. He is your Christ. And his love will never fail us. This is his church, and of these things I testify In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Hurrah for Israel!! :)

-Hermana Schmidt 

Caves with Hermana Greenstreet

All English Conference Room

Caves

Caves

Caves and Name Tag

Caves and Name Tag

Caves and Name Tag

Caves

Cave Entrance

HB to Caroline Late

HB to Sarah and Spencer

Nikki and her junior high choir teacher Miss Kingman

Hermana Schmidt Week 27 Letter 03/30/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 03/30/2015 12:06 PM
Subject: Smith is a member of the church!! :)

Hola a todos! 

Well this week was great (mostly because of Saturday night)!! And i'm sorry but this will be a really short email because literally, Hermana Greenstreet and I fell ill this week and have been barely able to leave the house :( Other than the baptism and we went to some really cool caves this morning, we've really struggled working and walking all day, so we've had to take a couple of days off. 

But!! Smith was baptized on Saturday!! The baptism went great without a hitch!! Can you believe it? There is always a baptism disaster, but not this one. Everything was perfect. Hna. Greenstreet and I were tearing up the whole time!! It was so so so so cool seeing Kevin baptize Smith!! My two little brothers. So proud :') Hna. Given and I did a special musical number, I played the guitar and she sang and we did the tune to "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul" with the words from "Senor, Te Necesito" in spanish. It ended up going really well, even with my 6 months of not playing the guitar looming over my head. It was fun playing, sad giving the guitar back to a member. Sigh. :)

Other than that, like I said we were dying this week. Just a bad cold gone wrong. But! We are getting better, and it's great that we were both sick because it's so much harder just having one companion be sick and having the healthy one be stuck at home. So, there are pros and cons to having companions. Pros: Having Hermana Greenstreet as my companion. Cons: Getting eachother sick.  

I am just so happy and I know this church is true!!! I can't believe Hna. Greenstreet and I hit SIX MONTHS this week!!!! It's crazy how fast time is flying. Wasn't I just writing about 5 months? Ug, the time. It goes way too fast, even when you're sick. 

I'm so grateful to be a missionary!! It is the best ever!!! I'm sorry this is so short, but I promise next week we will have a lot more updates!! 

I love you all!! Hurrah for Israel!! :)

Hna. Schmidt :)

Kevin and Smith and the 4 roommates

Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Greenstreet and Smith and Kevin

Smith

Nikki with Smith and Kevin

Smith and Kevin

Another of Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Greenstreet and Smith and Kevin

Hermana Schmidt Week 26 Letter 03/23/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 03/23/2015 9:36 AM
Subject: Speechless.

Hola a todos!! 

Can I just start by saying that God is real. And God is good. 

And that's how I want to start, because I have first hand witnessed the hand of our Heavenly Father in my life this week, and I will be eternally grateful. 

But as always, I like to start off with either spiritual news or funny things that happened. Today I think i'll start with the funny, and save the best for last. 

So this isn't exactly funny, it's awesome, but my trainer came and visited the mission this week!!! It was great seeing Hna. Fletcher (now Erika) and catching up over the past 6 weeks she's been home! She looks great and is doing great! And you'll read on that this was perfect timing for her to come visit. 

Okay on a really funny note, we have an investigator named Juanito who is 70+ years old and normally not wearing a shirt, and normally doesn't understand us or is a little bipolar. He keeps us very entertained in our lessons, just to put it that way! He's the neighbor of a recent convert in our ward, Antonio (the one who yelled out in church 'what hymn!?' from the email last week), so they are both a hoot. Well we get to Juanito's lesson, and Antonio was helping us out, and the first thing Juanito says is "I am ALWAYS here for this lessons because you girls decide my life. You are my government." ... He's crazy. And awesome. And getting baptized in April. However, we were laughing and continued the lesson. Antonio brings up the second coming and says "No one knows when it will be!!" And I said, "Yeah, it could even happen tomorrow!!"(as a joke) and Juanito literally almost has a heart attack. It takes him a good 20 min. to realize it was a joke and calm down. Poor guy. Almost killed off an investigator. However, then I almost killed off Antonio as well when I told him (as a joke!!) I have 5 boyfriends at home, and he said, "The lord does not permit that!! You need to repent!!" dead serious. I can't joke with old men in this country. 

So that's the funny to update, because... the spiritual updates are just WAY TOO GOOD this week. 

So we had a lesson with Sonia and Mario, and older couple and the mom of Edgar/Miguelina (who are praying to know if they should get married!! sweet!!) and her boyfriend. Well, we've been praying to know how to help them and we both felt we needed to help them with their testimonies of Joseph Smith before we dive into the word of wisdom, which is where they have a lot of difficulties. So we decided to watch the Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration movie with them, and the whole movie they were making comments about how amazing it was, or how great the sacrifices where.. and all that good stuff. And right after the movie, the spirit was so strong, and seriously without hesitation, Sonia says:

"I now KNOW that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and this church is true."

Soon after Mario said, 

"That man was telling the truth. Joseph Smith saw everything he said he saw! I know it! I can feel it!"

Ah. My heart. Dead. 

My testimony of Joseph Smith was once again renewed and strengthened. I share my testimony with the testimonies of Mario and Sonia, He WAS a prophet, and this church is true!! 

But, that's still not the best part. You ready? Let's see if I can share this story without rambling from pure joy and excitement. 

So you all remember the story of Smith's miracle lesson right? If not, I believe I wrote about it last week. So all week we were trying to set up an appointment with his Dad, and nothing was working out!! Our phone didn't have minutes, and neither did Smith's. But the minutes came Saturday morning, and for me that was a miracle. 

That morning had been just a tad hard for me, because one of my best friends Leda, who I had the opportunity to share the gospel with, was getting sealed in the temple for time and all eternity to Jason, and it was hard not being there. I am so proud of Leda, so when you read this don't get me wrong. But there is a reason I am here, and not there. As much as I would've loved to be there, Saturday just showed me that I KNOW this is where I am supposed to be. 

so the minutes came, and we were able to call his dad!!! He answered and we set up an appointment to meet with him Saturday night. Side note, we have been non-stop praying for Smith's dad to come around and give him permission to be baptized, because Smith's grandma convinced him that the church was bad and all of these lies about the church. So, the fact he even agreed to an appointment was a miracle in and of itself!! Prayers are answered my friends!! So after that, we went to the church for English class at 3:30 and then we were going to wait for his dad to come at 5:30. Well Smith showed up at 5 for mutual, as well as Elder Smith for baptismal interviews. Well Smith doesn't need permission to have the interview, so we took the opportunity and a leap of faith and told him he should get his done, and he did, and obviously passed with flying colors! And afterwards he said, "Now I feel really excited to talk to my dad, and ready!" So that was a cool tender mercy of the day. Later his dad had work, and kept pushing the appointment back, until it was almost too late to have it!! Hermana Greenstreet and I decided to go and say a prayer in the bathroom, for him to come, for his heart to be softened, for Smith to have faith and courage, and for us to have the gift of tongues. We both felt invigorated with the power of the Holy Ghost, and knew that it was all in God's hands, and we felt we would be able to see a miracle. 

And we did.

His dad CAME! And he came just in time to have the appointment. Well, we started talking about the changes with Smith and the good things the church can give him. And then Smith fearlessly shared his baptismal desires and his testimony, and how great the church is. A 14 year old boy. Infused with power and faith. It was a david and goliath moment everyone. And it worked. The power of God was made manifest, and his dad softened his heart and signed his baptismal paper!!! Smith will be baptized this Saturday, and Kevin will baptize him!!!! 

Now, I hope you all allow me to take a little liberty here and ramble about my thoughts and my own personal feelings. These aren't doctrine, just personal feelings. 

We talk a lot about miracles in the scriptures, for example: the red sea, david and goliath, seeing angels and such. And these are incredible stories, that really do show that God is all-power and loving. However, I believe we are able to see miracles everyday, and miracles aren't normally like those. Miracles can be simple manifestations of God's power and love in our ordinary lives. Now don't get me wrong, this wasn't my miracle. This was a miracle for Smith, I was just a simple instrument. However, I am so grateful I could witness it. A miracle can be as simple as a heart being softened enough to sign a paper. A miracle can be as simple as a 14 year old boy having the courage to share his beliefs with his hardened, distant father. 

To be honest, I don't know if seeing the red sea part would have changed my testimony all that much. Yes, it would have been incredible and I could never forget it, but physical miracles don't last. But this miracle, seeing this miracle in the life of Smith, will be something I will treasure forever. Because it was a spiritual and simple miracle when I could not deny the existence of our Heavenly Father. He is real. And He is Good. 

Hurrah for Israel!!! 

-Hna. Schmidt :) 

Hermana Schmidt and Greenstreet

Another of Hermana Schmidt and Greenstreet

With Edgar, Miguelina and Sonia

Another with Edgar, Miguelina and Sonia

Kevin and Smith and Hermana Schmidt

Kevin and Smith

Hermana Schmidt and Greenstreet

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