Hermana Schmidt Week 57 Letter 10/26/15

Note:  If you are a returned missionary and want to continue getting these emails, please email me your new email address.  You can also keep up with her at hermanaschmidt.blogspot.com.  I am starting to get some emails returned from mid-summer from missionaries ldsmail.net accounts which I guess expire after a few months.

Bunney

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 10/26/2015 10:59 AM
To: Bunney Schmidt
Subject: Fruity Jack-o-lanterns! :)

Hola a todos!! :)

Happy birthday to my cousin Amanda! :)

So this week was a lot of SEARCHING. We have a list of less-actives in our branch that is long. So we have dedicated basically every day to trying to contact every person on that list. It has been especially rewarding, not because we've contacted every person and they are all jumping for joy to return, but because I feel so, so close to my savior. I always thought that searching for investigators was the most rewarding experience, but I think it's tied with searching for less-actives.

I've thought a lot this week about the parable of the lost sheep, and it said that the shephered diligently searched for the lost sheep. Every step I've taken this week with a list of these lost sheeps I've felt the shepherd literally walking at my side, and encouraging me to find his sheep that once knew, but are now lost. It has been INCREDIBLY spiritual and motivating. I thought a lot about this quote by Dale Renlund : 

“I now realize that in the Church, to effectively serve others we must see them through a parent’s eyes, through Heavenly Father’s eyes.  Only then can we begin to comprehend the true worth of a soul.  Only then can we sense the love that Heavenly Father has for all of His children.  Only then can we sense the Savior’s caring concern for them.  We cannot completely fulfill our covenant obligation to mourn with those who mourn and comfort those who stand in need of comfort unless we see them through God’s eyes.  This expanded perspective will open our hearts to the disappointments, fears, and heartaches of others.  Only when we see through Heavenly Father’s eyes can we be filled with “the pure love of Christ”. Every day we should plead with God for this love.  Mormon admonished, “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with thus love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ.” With all my heart, I want to be a true follower of Jesus Christ.  I love Him.  I adore Him.  I witness of His living reality.”

I just know that, that's what it's all about. Helping, lifting, loving our brothers and sisters and helping them to be faithful. As Neil A. Maxwell put it ''True that wickedness never was happiness, but neither is lukewarmness full happiness. Failing to be valiant in christian discipleship will leave us without significant happiness. Therefore our active avoidance of wickedness must be followed by our active engagement of rightneousness.'' What are we doing to be more valiant? What are we doing to help others to be valiant? From all of these less-actives I've seen a missing part of their souls. They have normal lives, many of them, but many of them have found themselves to be unsatisfied, unhappy, and filling in the gap with anything BUT the gospel and expecting it to last, but it doesn't, and they are even more lost than before. What are we doing to help them? 

I know that true, valiant, christian discipleship is what makes us happy. A happiness that actually lasts!

Hurrah For Israel! :)

-Hermana Schmidt 

It's the beginning of Christmas in the DR

Carved pineapple since no halloween there

Decorating 

More decorating

Still more decorating

Nice tree and nice kitchen

Even more decorating

And yet more decorating

Happy Halloween 

Celebrating halloween DR style

Soaking wet

More wet photos

More soaking wet

Tags in the Christmas Tree

Hermana Schmidt Week 56 Letter 10/19/15

In addition to this letter, I asked her how her ward members were and how the area was in listening to investigators and she said this and told me to add it to this email and promises a longer one next week:

1. The members are GREAT! and leaving with us tons. 

2. Yes, TONS!! IT is wonderful!!! :) And lots of families!!

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 10/19/2015 1:20 PM
Subject: It's Beginning to Look a lot like Christmas!!

Hola a todos!!

Happy birthday LUC!!! :) 13!!!! AH!!! 

Okay I seriously have no time left. So I will just share a super cool story from our week. 

So we went a visited an 81 year old woman named Margo. She hasn't been home but we both felt we should go try again. and she was there!! So we shared a scripture with her and talked about how much our Heavenly Father loves us. She then said, ''I've been searching my WHOLE life for something that fills me, and nothing ever has. But now I finally found what I was looking for. What you girls say, it really does fill me.'' 

She accepted to be baptized right then and there!! We are thinking mid-november. It was just amazing and it's never too late to enjoy the filling, energizing power that the gospel gives us!!

And it's beginning to look a lot like christmas means that EVERYWHERE there is already christmas decoratios!! it's crazy!!!  

The biggest thing i've felt and learned this week is the importance of prayer and just pouring out all of our feelings to a loving HEavenly Father. I've NEVER felt him closer and everyday I feel like we are receiving personal referrals from the Lord himself! It’s just incredible to see so many miracles every day, and I know a big part of that are our prayers. I've just felt that prayer really leads to power. I have NO DOUBT that He hears us and loves us so much. In very precise moments he has answered the very smallest desires of my heart, like a hug, or (food...it's true), or just a friend to talk to. He has always been there. I just know He lives and loves us!!! He really does look out for us and answer our prayers. :) 

Hurrah for Israel!! :)

-Hermana Schmidt

San Pedro with her zone sisters

Long Alley behind her house

San Pedro Church

Happy Bday Luc

with Hermana Martinez

Visiting San Pedro

Visiting San Pedro 2

Shopping with the Zone Sisters

Another with zone sisters

Hermana Schmidt Week 55 Letter 10/12/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 10/12/2015 10:55 AM
Subject: Sun tanning has never been so easy!

Hola a todos! 

Happy birthdays to Ciera, Shannon, and my nephew Andrew!! :)

I can´t even begin to talk about how amazing, incredible, overwhelming, trying, and rejoicing week this has been!!! Opening an area is NOT easy, but it has been so so special to feel the spirit TRULY guiding us to find people in our area, especially families. It is an AMAZING experience to truly build zion little by little!! I have felt time and time again that we are here to build a solid foundation for many sisters after us, and maybe we won´t see tons of fruits in our time here but because of our hard work, there will be tons of fruit in the future. The Lord truly is good, and puts us where he needs us.

San Pedro is so different from my other areas. It is a lot more humble, and the people are way more open. It makes the work easier that is for sure!! It is also a LOT more hot!! Holy cannoli, I will be like 50 shades darker in 2 weeks I swear. But, hey, free and fast sun tanning I can´t complain! 

My companion, my trainee, is Hermana Martinez. She is Dominican and from the north part of the country. She is SO prepared and so it´s made training easier in a lot of ways. She is bubbly, outgoing, and so hard working! 

I don´t have a lot of time left due to picture sending and a slow internet place, but I love you all and thank you so much for your prayers!!! You have no idea how many miracles we´ve already seen... and we are just getting started!! :)  How exciting! :) 

The Lord truly is guiding us and helping us. And that makes it allll worth it!! 

Hurrah for Israel! :)

Hermana Schmidt 

Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Martinez

Hermanas with President Corbitt and his Wife

Crazy Hair after Rainstorm

Poor Hermana Martinez had her suitcase break

Hermana Schmidt with her trainee Hermana Martinez

Last FHE before moving

Last night in Mi Hogar

Nametags after massive rain storm

with Brendy and Jessica

with Hermana Lorlita

Another with Hermana Lorlita

Hermana Schmidt Week 54 Letter 10/05/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 10/05/2015 9:57 AM
Subject: Riding Onwards in TRAINING wheels... Into Opening a New Area!!

Hola a todos, 

Happy birthdays to my 2nd cousin Garrett, and to my cousins Bella, Tomoko, and Daniel!! :) I hope they are great! :) 

So wasn't conference just incredible!?! :) It was for sure what I needed to hear. I am so grateful for modern day prophets and apostles, and if I had the time I would write out all of my favorite talks and quotes. But one that I will be putting into practice NOW that I will write about is the ''Ponderize'' talk. I want to do that with my next companion every week, and I will be excited to see the fruits of this practice. I hope my family will take on the ponderize challenge as well. :) 

I have some very exciting news to share with all of you that I am just bursting in my seat to write!!! On saturday night we got a call from President Corbitt. I quickly picked it up and president corbitt asked me to put it on speaker. He told hermana jackson and I that we would both be training BRAND NEW missionaries!!! Hermana Jackson will be staying here with her trainee-- she will just do fabulously and I am so excited for her! :) He then said, ''But now I want to specifically talk to Hermana Schmidt. I was talking to your future trainee at the MTC (he won't tell us who they are early) and she is just SO bubbly and so optimistic that I decided to call you BOTH (my trainee and I um... she must be awesome!!) over the mission english learning program. So you are on the mission leadership counsel now and will be expected to go to all the leadership meetings each month. On top of that, you will be opening a new area in SAN PEDRO!! (which is the CAMPO. A poorer part of the country and where I have always wanted to go!!) 

Basically since that call, I have been studying and preparing myself like crazy. I've been so, so nervous but so excited!! I had the thought that this is seriously what having a baby must feel like-- nerve wracking, exciting, anticipating, with lots of chocolate cravings. But I came up with a list of some training goals :

1. Be Creative, Fun, and Happy. :) (That's my top goal) 

2. Rejoice in the good times, and find the opportunity that can come from the oppositions

3. Praise first, Correct 2nd. 

4. Ponderize scriptures each week. 

5. Be balanced in our teaching and unified. 

6. Listen and Lift her. 

7. Ask HER for help also! :) 

8. Be positive and patient. 

9. Be humble and prayerful. 

10. Line upon line I will learn and she will too, no need to stress. If I stress out, she'll probably pass out. 

11. See her through the eyes of my mission president and our Heavenly Father. 

12. Be exactly obedient and organized. 

13. Train her in a way so that she would be able to train someone after her training. 

I don't have a lot of time but I am just SO excited to train!! :) I know that this call truly came from the Lord. I was pondering this morning and reading my scriptures and I felt so, so strongly ''Do not fear. This is completely by inspiration.'' And I just knew. This is right. So i'm not afraid. I'm nervous, but not afraid. I'm excited and I know that the Lord will help my trainee and I through whatever lies ahead- joyfully and miracously-- as he has done for me so many times before. He's never left me before, so I know that he won't now. I truly know that it is nothing that I have done that has ''earned'' the spot of a trainer. I know i'm a trainer to learn, and to come closer to the Lord, and to serve. I'm just so grateful for the opportunity to learn more and have new experiences that I am sure will teach me even more of the Lord and of the gospel!! 

Thank you for all of your support!! Here's to the next BIG adventure!! (and I will be  finding out who my 'daughter' (mission lingo) is tomorrow) :)

Hurrah for Israel! :) 

-Hermana Schmidt 

October and the Pez candy she found

Another of her excitement on finding this

Hermana Schmidt Week 53 Letter 09/28/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 09/28/2015 10:19 AM
Subject: Have you ever decided to maybe baptize someone in 6 days?

Hola a todos!! :)

Happy birthday Dave!!! I hope it's a great one! :) 

So, okay, that woman's conference!! Was AMAZING!! Everyone is going crazy over the Uchtdorf talk, including myself, because it just hit right to the core. The spirit definitely touched my heart and I could really feel how I could be a better servant of the Lord, not only as a missionary, but as his Daughter throughout my life! I really am making it a goal to look for the blessings and truly reach out in Love! I loved the pioneer girl picture, and it totally made me tear up as I thought about my mission and how, like the little girl, I left my family behind and everything that was familiar to me. However, that doesn't mean that my path is necessarily roses and butterflies- but it is bright because of the Lord and his tender mercies. It's hard not to feel alone sometimes, to feel separated, but only the Lord has been able to ''paint my mission'' to be truly bright, and brilliant, and just wonderful! 

So a couple of weeks ago I wrote about a powerful experience we had with the spirit, when we passed by an old investigator named Marcos when it was his birthday (we hadn't known, the spirit totally guided us there!). Well we weren't able to find him for a couple of weeks. Just a recap, Marcos is the only nonmember of his family. His wife is endowed, his son served a mission, and his other son will serve a mission. Marcos has been taught FOREVER by the missionaries! Like... YEARS. So he's been dropped a lot of times (even by me personally),  But now we started teaching him again after that cool experience. 

Well one night ALL of our plans were falling through. There were tons of parties and drinking going on, so we were feeling uneasy about working far away from home in case we needed to go in early for the environment. Well, we weren't sure what to do and it was only like 7:00 and we decided to try Marcos again (totally guided by the spirit) and we didn't think he would be there because he gets done with work late, but we decided to go after feeling we should. And he was there!! We started talking to him, and we had planned to teach him the restoration, but suddenly he told us of a friend who had passed away that week. We said, ''Oh how old was she?'' He said, ''92.'' and I said, ''Well, how good that she got to live such a long life! She must've been great.'' He said, ''Yeah but what's even the point? We just all end up dying. I don't see a point to this life.'' Well that spun into a great plan of salvation conversation and eventually, we really got down to the core of his doubt on the purpose of life which was guilt from his own bad decisions. 

We started feeling that we should teach about the atonement right then and there and the reality of ''2nd , and 3rd, and 100th chances'' to repent. He started tearing up and said, ''I used to go to church and felt that the Lord was making me free from guilt and changing me. I should go again. I'm going to go this sunday!'' I about DIED! He never ever wants to come to church, and it is NEVER his idea!! 

So then Sunday comes around and Marcos is THERE!! I almost had a heart attack. I had worked with him so much with Hermana Cabos and he just never ever progressed, but there he was. Completely ready, and paying so much attention! 

He was making comments in Sunday school and loved fast and testimony meeting!! After the meeting he came up to us and said, ''Wanna know a secret??'' we said, ''Yes, what?'' He said, ''I think we are going to accomplish what no other missionaries ever been able to do.'' And I understood, but I was shocked and I think he thought I didn't understand because no words came out and he said, (a lot slower, haha) ''Like, I'm never going to miss a sunday of church ever again. And I'm ready to be baptized'' Just beaming!! 

So we are in between trying to help him get baptized this Saturday, based on his individual case, or setting a date in the next month. Hopefully one of us will be here next transfer!! It is so amazing to see such an INCREDIBLE miracle. It all just depends on when he is ready and the date he feels is best!! 

Basically, I just can't even believe that happened and i''m still in shock. It just testifies once again to me that this is the LORDS work and he is truly going to guide us where he sees and knows to be right! I'm so grateful to be only a servant, and able to witness his incredible power to change and prepare people to make those important decisions. I'm just so happy!! :) This is the greatest! :) The Lord's power is REAL my friends. So real!!! 

I love you all and Hurrah for Israel! :)

-Hermana Schmidt 

Selfie for mom 

Hermanas and Marcos

1 year anniversary

Her beautiful location

She says she lives in a beautiful place

New Tshirts a combination of the DR and Harry Potter

Her new tshirt

Taken with her camera

HB Dave

Houses by her house

Team Schmackson

Hermana Schmidt Week 52 Letter (yes, that's 1 year!) 09/21/15

From: Nicole Schmidt [mailto:nicole.schmidt@myldsmail.net]
Sent: 09/21/2015 12:03 PM
Subject: I'm more scared of moths than crazy dogs

Hola a todos! :) 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY!!!!! She is turning 28 this year so if everyone could give her 28 hugs and 28 sushi rolls from me that would be wonderful. :) And also happy birthday to my second cousin Ariana! :) 

So this week was just FULL of opposition in our area!! Not with us, but with all of our investigators. We both wonder if the Lord is preparing the area to be white washed (two new missionaries come in) because all of our investigators are going through family deaths, moving, divorces... it's insane! But, it has been so wonderful to feel that sweet heavenly assurance to be still, be faithful, it is all in my hands. It truly is the Lord's work and we work and work and do all that we can but it's His work and He knows what he is doing! That is for sure! :) 

So we have a new investigator named Rosmary who just had twins. We went to go see her this week and the new babies, and we got super excited to hear the baby cries. We knocked, and we walked in and saw.... one baby and Rosmary. We asked where the other baby was and she very sadly told us, ''She passed away.'' It was one of the most heart-breaking, but heart-making moments of my whole life. My heart just burst for love for her and I knew that she was such a special soul to our Heavenly Father. She asked, ''I just want to know where my new baby son came from. Where was he before? And where is my baby girl now??'' She was so inspired to ask us the perfect questions to talk about the Plan of Salvation. We testified to her of the reality of a pre-existence and post-existence, and how that one day she would have the chance to see and raise her baby girl. With tears in her eyes she thanked us and said she knew what we were saying was true, and that she felt so good. We later taught her in the week and set a baptismal date with her for the end of October. She is so so prepared and it's so true that something hard always precedes and follows something vitally important in our lives! 

We taught that family again with the Autistic son and we taught the whole family together! They loved what we are sharing and have so much potencial. The Lord truly is leading us to very humbled and prepared souls. 

So this week, once again, we were running away from those crazy dogs I talked about 2 weeks ago. Well, on a deserted road, and with them following us I got so sick of them that I yelled like an indian and threw water on them. I seriously have problems. Our District Leader later told us that, that wasn't maybe the best image to give off, but he laughed so I think that means that it was okay. At least it was a deserted street??? And they weren't hurt?? And maybe won't chase us anymore??? 

Speaking of that experience, later I hid from a moth in the house with my blanket. I'm still more scared of moths than big dogs. Some things never change. 

Other than that we are super happy, and super healthy. I am finished the whole standard works for my first time this week with finishing the New Testament and I couldn't feel happier! My testimony of the Savior has truly been strengthened and the importance of being faithful to the gospel. I just love how the scriptures have such a profound impact on our lives, and truly strengthen us for the spiritual battle we face daily. 

I am hitting a year this week on my mission (did I actually write out something about my time??) and I am just shocked! The time has just flown by and it blows my mind. I just wanted to mention it so I can tell you all my goal to ''sprint to the finish line'' and make my last 6 months my hardest working, my last month my hardest working, my last week my hardest working, and my last day my hardest working. You have no idea how much your love and support has helped me to keep going, especially when I didn't think I could. You are all the reason I am still able to be here, going at it every day. Sometimes, when i'm down, I truly feel a small still voice saying ''Your family is praying for your right now'' (or friends) and it gives me the boost that I need. Thank you for all you do. I love you all so much!!

Hurrah for Israel!! :)

-Hermana Schmidt 

p.s. pictures are from a zone activity we had today playing volleyball. We just play for fun. AKA I was the worst on my team. 

Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Curtis at a Zone Activity

Hermana Schmidt and Hermana Curtis

HB Mom