11 Months Out!

Kootenai Falls ~ Troy, Montana

Hello to Everyone!

 

So this last week we found out that Pelar, one of our investigators, is actually a member of the church! So reactivation is in process.

 

We taught one of our investigators, Crystal Chapmen, on Monday and we shared the Restoration and it went so well! The spirit was so strong and she is on date to get baptized for the 18th of June! We are so excited and so is she! She told us that she already believes it. Her mom is a member and so is her extended family and her grandpa who is really close to her. Crystal is 25 and she has 2 girls. One is almost 8 and the other one is 5 I think. Crystal has been through a hard life and she said it was because of her stupid decisions. She has been humbled and she is at rock bottom with her life. She is confused and does not know where to turn. But, Heavenly Father, who is amazing and who loves her very much is building her back up one piece at a time. So pray for her and her family!

 

We are also teaching another girl named Crystal but her last name in not Chapmen, it is Anton, thankfully. She is really religious and she has three kids and she is the sister to Amie Anderson (the one who sends the pics of me to you). The boys are also being taught by us and they love us coming over!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! These exclamation marks are NOT an exaggeration!  Apparently, before I came to Bonners Ferry, Crystal did not want anything to do with the missionaries. But now she wants us over and she invited us for dinner which was last night! She is amazing and she is truly seeking for truth. Her husband was a loyal Seventh Day Adventist but he no longer practices it because Crystal proved everything he believed wrong ~ and right from the Bible. She has an Interlinear Bible that has direct translation from both Hebrew and Greek. Some lessons have gotten pretty intense. (And no Dad and Scott, we did not teach the lesson in a tent!) She just wants Bible proof and she needs to understand if there was proof for everything then it would be too easy and we didn't come down to earth to have an easy peasy life. She needs to exercise faith! But she is slowly warming up. It is just huge that she loves us and has us willingly in her home and teaching her boys. Harley and Aiden are hilarious and they love God. Having God in your life does not mean that your life is easy, it is just easier to make it through.

 

Interviews with President and Sister Dymock happened this past week and it was awesome! I seriously believe that I have the best Mission President and Mission President Wife. He knows so much and all he tells us is "Institute Manuals." SO, when I come home I am getting my nose in those books. I had exchanges and as some of you know, I saw the Strocks! Sister Rich told me that we were going to go and see the Christenson's and that was going to be our last lesson for the evening and I am not going to lie, I was really sad that we were not going to see the Strocks. But I told myself that if I was going to see them it was meant to happen. Then we walk up the steps and knock on the door and a VERY familiar face pops out with her arms wide open and it takes me a second to recognize who I am looking at ~ once I do ~ my jaw drops and I am in shock. The whole entire time I was there I couldn't believe who I was seeing with my own two eyes. My jaw hit the ground. It was a nice surprise and I love surprises!!

The Strock's!

 

Yesterday I finally met another one of our investigators named Missy Sanders.  She asked me where I am from and once I said Loomis, CA she is like are you kidding me? It turns out she grew up in Newcastle and she went to Del Oro as well and graduated in 2000! 

IT"S A SMALL WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  And I love this world! 

P-Day Planting!
Monica And Sister McFaul helped to plant 2 apple trees for an investigator!

I love this area and I love all of you! I love this Gospel. I love Jesus Christ. I love my Heavenly Father! I know it is true and I know that it is for all of you! 

Toodaloo!

 

Sister Schmidt

We went hiking in Montana!

Hello Everyone!

So this week was extremely busy!  We found 3 new investigators and we found them through part member families! We are teaching a lady from Spain and her name is Pelar and she is adorable. She is the ex-wife of a less active member who we visit and she is a caregiver for him. We are having a church tour with her tomorrow and she is also having us over for dinner on Thursday.

Kymm Mann is an investigator who we are working with. She is finally reading the New Testament. Some of her questions are really bizarre and I don't know how to answer them ~ but then the spirit comes in and saves the day! He is the mission super hero! :)

We are teaching two boys named Harley and Aiden and their mom as well, Crystal. So there is a girl named Amie and she is a recent convert and I just love her! She drives us around and she is 18, same as when you joined the church Mom! :) So Crystal is Amie's sister (they were in the foster care system together so they consider each other sisters). Crystal is very religious and she is really into the Bible and she is awesome! She used to not really like LDS people but she has warmed up a lot to the sister missionaries. We had a church tour with them yesterday and people were still in the church building so it was a catastrophe. The boys are saying their prayers and they are praying the proper way now. They are seeing a difference too! This family is extremely close with Sister McFaul. They are also reading the Bible a lot. Also Crystal really does not want to be deceived and she has an interlinear bible with the Hebrew and Greek translations. INTENSE!!!!!!!!!!! We have an appointment with them tomorrow. The boys love having us over and they love to help "back us up" when we leave.

Sister Schmidt and Amie Anderson!

GUESS WHAT WE DID AS A DISTRICT FOR  P~DAY TODAY?!!!!? We went to Montana! We went on some hikes and they were extremely gorgeous! I love Montana. I want to see more of it after my mission! 

Bonners Ferry District P-Day ~ Troy, Montana

I have yet to go to the temple to see Korielle do baptisms. They haven't contacted me to let me know when they are going. I hope they let me know! 

I love you all and I miss you! Toodaloo!

Sister Schmidt

New Area ~ Bonners Ferry

Hello Everyone,

I am doing really well! I love it up in Bonners Ferry! My area actually does not touch Canada. That is Bonners Ferry 2nd ward. It was so hard to leave West Spokane but it had to be done. Second training (training a new missionary for their 2nd transfer) is fun but it has its challenges. I sometimes don't feel adequate but that is not coming from Heavenly Father. I need to replace those thoughts with uplifting ones such as: I am involved in a new learning experience, Heavenly Father trusts me to be a trainer, I will grow from this, I will become a better missionary from this.

Sisters McFaul and Schmidt

We are teaching a lady named Kymm Mann. She is awesome and she has been taking the lessons from missionaries for about 2 years now. She was Jewish but she is now a Christian and she wants proof from the Bible to back up everything we say. Everything we say is in the Bible but it is not point blank like everybody wants it to be. But it is in there. We are now reading the New Testament with her since she has yet to read it and she wants to. She has a brain tumor so we have to teach very simply. She was a nurse and she gave me some feedback on nursing! I am SO excited to be a nurse!!

 

We are also teaching a lady named Megan Flori. She is a 1st grade teacher and she has students in her class that are LDS and they have talked about the gospel to her. One girl brings her Book of Mormon to class everyday and she brings a notebook and she reflects a lot. Megan was so shocked and speechless. The girl taught Megan about the spirit world and another boy taught Megan about Joseph Smith and how a 14 year old boy asked a question and God answered him. I love little people!!

 

We have other people we are teaching ~ but I have yet to meet them because they are sick. One has hand, foot, and mouth disease. Others were out of town. The ward here is awesome! They all attacked me! They wanted to introduce themselves and for me to introduce myself. I have never felt so welcomed before in my entire life. Now, if only the ward could do that for all of the investigators we bring to church.

 

I don't like coming to a new area because I have no idea where anything is and I don't know where people live and I am supposed to be the senior companion but I don't even know the area. The Lord knows exactly how to stretch His children.

 

Sister McFaul is actually Samoan. But she grew up in Honolulu, Hawaii. In her blood family, she is the youngest of 11 and in her adoptive family she is the oldest of two boys. I am getting adjusted to the way she was brought up. There are so many cultures in the world! It is crazy!

The Sandpoint Zone ~
Hermana Flores, Sister McFaul, Sister Rich, Me, Elder Martin,
Elder Fuller, Elder Rasmussen (Front), Elder Toner (back), Elder Andrews, Elder Davies
(with the superman/batman shirt on),
Elder Griffin, Elder Pendell, Elder Morrison, and Elder Janis.

I love all of you and I wish you the best!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Toodaloo!

 

Sister Schmidt

Mother's Day Phone Call ~ Transfer Week

We enjoyed talking to Monica on Mother's Day!  She is doing great and having great success with those she is teaching.  One of her investigators, Brandi, is scheduled to be baptized on May 21st!  

Sister Schmidt and Brandi Simmons

Unfortunately, Monica will not be able to attend because she is  being transferred to Bonners Ferry, Idaho!  She is sorry to leave West Spokane and all the people she has met, but she is excited for the change and all the new people she will meet!  Her new companion is Sister McFaul and she is Samoan!  This is only her second transfer, 

so Monica will be training her.

Sister McFaul with Sister Schmidt

Her new address ~

Sister Monica Schmidt

6526 Monroe Street

Bonners Ferry ID 83805

Monica truly appreciates all the emails she receives ~ however, she would love, love, love to receive some notes and letters in the mail!  So if any of you have a moment and would be willing to send a card ~ she would love to hear from you!

She was able to go on a hike with her zone on P-day May 2nd which was a blast!

Sisters Schmidt and Sherwood

West Spokane Zone

She misses home and all her friends and family ~ but she is so excited about all she is learning!  Both about herself and the gospel!  She is also enjoying all the people she is meeting and serving!  Her testimony of Jesus Christ is growing more every day and she loves sharing that testimony with those she is able to talk with and teach.

Until next time ~ Love you all!!  

Toodaloo!!

!! 10 Months Out !!

Hello Everyone!

I am excited to hear that your foot is doing well mom! :) I am excited that I have 8 and 1/2 months until I come home so then you have more time to heal. 

My house in Loomis, CA!!

 I hope you enjoy Kentucky! I SOOO wish I could go... :( 

Take pictures please!!!!!!!!!!!  Have a save flight! 

So Brandi is on date to be baptized for the 21st of May and she is super excited! We had a lesson with her and with Sister Robins and with Sister McCune (Relief Society). We watched President Thomas S. Monson's talk in General Conference. She was really happy to see and hear the prophet who is on the earth today. She asked a lot of deep questions and it was so refreshing to answer questions for people who are actually curious and who want to know. One question she asked was, "If I get baptized, will I be Mormon?" We all said yes and in return she was beaming! We have a church tour with her and her husband today and the Robins are coming as fellowship! Did you know that if a church tour is done right 80% of them always lead to baptism? The spirit is amazing!!

Karidja Bamba is doing good. We had an appointment with her last week but it fell through because her apartment caught on fire and so we had to reschedule for this week. We have an appointment with her this Friday at 4 and the lady who lives in Cheney and speaks French is coming. We are excited and so is Karidja because she gets to meet someone who speaks her native language. 

Korielle is doing FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yesterday she met with the Bishop and got her temple recommend to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead! She is super thrilled that she can go inside the temple! We are most likely going this Friday! So pray that everything will go well and that the adversary will not do anything that will prevent this spiritual experience from happening. Thank you!:) Our ward mission leader's wife loves family history and she is going to get together with Korielle to do family history so hopefully Korielle can take family names to the temple. 

Cory is on date for the end of this month! We watched "Finding Faith in Christ" yesterday. Cory and Korielle loved it so much! We discussed it after watching and got into a really deep conversation and they were understanding all of it! How do I know that? Because they were saying what we said in their own words. That is how we check for understanding. We don't ask, "Do you understand?" because they will just nod their head yes when really they don't. It was just a really good teaching experience.

On Sunday, Sister Sherwood and I both witnessed a 7 year old pulling out a tooth in the women's bathroom. It was so enthralling. Weird. Then we met a guy after an appointment and we talked to him and he told us that he is a grower.... He had it all over him... What a way to end a spiritual Sunday. So I am most likely leaving so I had people start writing in my transfer journal (missionary yearbook). Oh and Korielle and Cory's little girl, Nadalina finally gave me a hug this week after seeing me for months. She liked me but was shy to give me a hug. So I finally got one!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Victory for Sister Schmidt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Love you all! Toodaloo!

Sister Schmidt

A Sister Schmidt Selfie!