Week 60

Hola Familia!

Well, first things first, I'm sorry for not emailing yesterday, but it's not my fault! Well, kinda sorta, not really... story is, we had cambios!!!! I have been sent to Copiapo, which is a bit more south and a ton more pretty. So I was in the bus pretty much all the pday hours, and my zone leaders told me I could write for thirty minutes yesterday, or wait for today and write the full two hours... I chose today jeje. But that's why I didn't write yesterday! 

So sounds like things are running smoothly! Maybe a little too smoothly for Christiaan, just lemme get this straight... his job took him to a nice theater, paid for his dinner in the same theatre, and they watched the new Star Wars, and they paid him for it?!?! I can't believe it! He scored with this job!! But congratulations, Christiaan, seriously, on graduating from college! I'm proud of you!! Too bad I couldn't see you walk, but oh well! C'est la vie! That's funny to here about Bronson! He always makes me laugh! But I'm sure in that moment he was giving mom a little panic attack! And that's awesome running into Mr. Monette like that! Seems like you don't remember, but he was also my teacher in 6th grade! He always called me the Schmidster... but send him my regards next time you see him!

I guess I can share a little more about the cambio. They called us Thursday night out of the blue, saying ''Hey, here are your cambios, ciao!'' Usually they do a big show of it the Friday before, so it was weird. But he told me I was going to Copiapó! My new ward is called 'Palomar', and it's fairly big! In terms of actual land size and people too! We have an assistance here of about 150 - 160 people, which is really good for a ward. My new companion is named Elder Bravo. He also is from Peru, from a tiny little town named Ambo. He seems really awesome!!! I'm really excited to be with him! He has around 9 months on the mission, and guess what? He's 25 years old! Haha it's like having Christiaan as my companion, but better because I'm senior companion, so it'd be like being in charge of Christiaan! Jejeje, as it should be. It's a smaller zone than La Portada, there are only 8 companionships instead of 12. And to baptize here, we have to have 2 assistances to church! It's gonna be different haha! But I'm excietd, of course. Copiapó is so much more pretty, as well! It's not too small of a place, not as big as Antofagata, but not as small as Hospicio. And it's so green!!!! There is a river running through the middle, and grows trees and bushes and all sorts of stuff! I love it! It is so awesome to be sorrounded by so much green again... though when I think about it, it looks like Apache Junction, with the types of houses and plants and dirt and everything. Haha imagine that! On the bus ride here, Interstellar came on and I was glued to it, because it had the voices in the original english.

So the last few days in Caliche were a little slow, not gonna lie. I was trying for all it's worth to end it all with a baptism, but nobody was having it! Luis couldn't get baptized because his mom didn't let him, so that sucks... but he still progresses. There was a lot of goodbyes as well! Then Sunday came, and I had an appointment on the hour every hour from 3 to 10, with some others in between. Every single one decided to make an entire meal for us! I ate soooooo much! Every person gave us food! That's a lot! I almost threw up! It was ridiculous! But it was good to say goodbye to them all. I have a lot of awesome relationships with some really awesome people there. I will miss them! But the spirit has called me to a new sector! I can tell I will love it here! Saying goodbye to Elder Aparicio was also a little bittersweet. Sweet only because we already had so much time together. Bitter for pretty much everything else! I will miss him! He's going to do great work in Caliche! He actually got called as district leader, which is great. 

So two new things that I'm sure mom will love! We played your game!! We played Cover your Assets! And oh my goodness, it was so fun!!! We only played the four of us, but it was all we wanted to do the rest of the week! We actually broke the rule a little and played the Sunday before I left, my last night there. But we loved it. And just to let the record state, I dominated! Haha there was a round where I reached the full million in that very round! Woot woot! So that was fun. Next thing is, the package arrived!!! Jaja it seems like they sent it to my new sector because they knew I would be coming here! I didn't realize how big it was! It is so great! Thank you soooooo much! The starbursts are gone... I ate them.... and gave some to other missionaries. But the rest is unopened, and I don't know what I'm allowed to open, becuase all of it has like a wrapped gift in it or something. But I see some things in there that are super super awesome that I can't wait to open! 

But anyways, that's pretty much it for this week! It was a great week, and we're gonna keep on flying! Thanks for everything y'all do for me! Take care!

Les amo a todos!

Elder Schmid

Week 59

Hola familia!!!

Jajaja dang mom! You are getting pretty snarky! I was reading and it made me laugh how sarcastic you were, and then you actually read back and commented on the same thing! To answer your questions straight off, then, yes, my english is slipping, but that's not why I didn't answer last week the question about skype. It's because I was waiting for the rules to come in from Pres. We got that email this week. We will skype Monday, Christmas day. It has to be before 7:00, my time, so I don't know what hour that is for you guys. Also, I don't know if I will be here, or in another secotr, so I can't really work out the little details. I will be able to do that in... two weeks. Hehehehe...

But that sounds like such an awesome month you are having! December has always been my favorite month, between the cold, the awesome Christmas spirit, my birthday, everything! All of that was kind of taken away on my mission... but that's ok! It's gonna be a good time here! I love that idea of the stake muscial program! I hope they do it again next year! And yeah, classic grandma! Haha has anyone taken time out to just teach her when she can or cannot answer her cell phone? And that's good that you are getting in a lot of work, mom! It still seems strange to me that you're working again, but I think it's awesome!

Well, things here are going strong! First things first, we had our Christmas conference this week! It was so amazing!!! I loved it! It was with my zone, the zone of Antofagasta Centro, and Calama. In all there were around 60-70 missionaries there. President talked a lot about ending the year strong, how the mission is changing drastically for the better every day, and how we keep surprising him with how we follow the vision he has received for us so much. Then he talked a lot about the story of the Nativity in Luke, but focusing on Gabriel, the angel come to spread the news of Jesus' birth, and how relatable it is to the missionaries here relating the very same message to the world. I loved it! Hermana Ferreira also talked about the cost of dicipleship, all that we are giving up to be here and to be diciples of Christ, but also all that we are gaining in return. it was a very spiritual conference with many inspiring messages. The office also did a few cool videos. One was a bunch of clips of recently returned missionaries talking about how it's possible to baptize weekly, giving ánimo, and all that, and it was really touching, and awesome to see faces of people I knew personally back in there homes, some of them actually marries by now! (flpping mormons). Another video was a spif off of some commercial here about Alexis Sanchez, but President put it in his voice, about a grandpa telling his grandkid about how here was in some awesome place when something awesome was going on, and how this mission is exploding, and we are a part of it! It was funny, but also inspiring! After the conference, we had a big lunch given by some volunteers from different wards, and they gave gifts to those who had a birthday this month! (ME!!!) And then we got to take the annual picture with Pres and Hermana Ferreira, in which they gave us a box of chocolates and a paper with all the missionaries currently in the mission on it. The box, to answer your question, mom, is something called 'toffifees', which ended up being super super delicious chocolates with hazelnuts inside! Afterwards, we played a little gift exchange game where we all sat down in a massive circle, and they called a fruit (we were all assigned different fruits) and we had to switch places, but they removed a seat. The person who was left without a seat had to share a funny expereince from their mission. I lost once hehehe. I shared the story of the two dogs with Elder Barney. At the end, the seat you were in had a gift for you given by some other missionary. I got a little chinese golden waving cat with some pens/markers. Then we ended it by watching Wreck It Ralph! Which was HILARIOUS!!! I am so deprived of movies...

Well, the rest of the week was good too, I guess. Our second baptism fell because the person ended up moving back to their home country! -_- That was really really hard. but it's ok. I am fine with the work I am puitting in. I know that I'm not just wasting my time, even if everyone else is baptizing so much and I am not. But we do have some solid people lined up for us. This week, some joven came with Rodrigo (recent convert) to a youth activity, and said he wanted to talk to missionaries. Then he came with Rodrigo to church! Then we went over, and told us he wants to get baptized!!! What?!?! I have to recognize God's hand, his miracles in the mission. This time, it's not too difficult to see it. We are going to baptize this kid, and next his family! We are also talking more with Rosa, the lady who came to church last week. She couldn't make it to church this week for emergency, but she is loving everything we are telling her! (We haven't taught her the word of wisdom yet) But she is gonna get baptized!!! We are also talking to another friend of a recent convert who's name is Jesennia. It's wierd because it's spelt and pronounced the gringo way, but in spanish it reads 'Hesenia'. But she lives with a family of members and is from Ecuador. She gon' get baptized! 

Working has been difficult. I'm pretty sure I'm leaving this sector. It's hard to contact new people when that happens, because you don't have as much drive, because you might not be here to baptize them! But I am still working hard, trying to get over my pride and just work! Yes mom, the fire is still there from both conferences now, and we are going to baptize weekly. A baptism fell in Caliche B that was difficult, but I did her interview sunday, and she is definitely going to get baptized this week, with her son! We are always talking to everyone we cross in the street, and have several new families and people we are teaching. Just puttin down the seeds and weedin out the weeds! 

I have been trying hard this week to look for the hand of God much more in my work. I loved looking for tiny things and recognizing them as tender mercies sent from on high! Like the menos activos that showed their faith again and came to church again. We are talking with a family, la familia Roca. I love them! They are all from Bolivia, and just stopped going to church for a while. But as we've been talking to them, the desire has come back, and one of them is interviewing with bishop to serve a mission! I love seeing their 'reconversion' process here! I also notice how many people God puts on our path who need the message we are preaching! So many people do not have the truth simply because 'They know not where to find it'! I am here to bring it to them! The spirit is using me as a tool in his conversion of all these people, and I have the privelage of watching it from front row seats! How can I not recognize that miracle? The gospel changes lives. I might get a topic for my homecoming talk, but I will probably end up talking about how the gospel changes people! I love seeing the change! Maybe it's not so big sometimes, but it is ever so important!

Today I decided to take my district to have our 'last pday activity'! I saw a bunch of missionaries with pictures in Antofa when they went to some go karting place! So I decided to take them there! We went and it was awesome!!!  They were so much faster than I thought they were going to be! We were drifting and spinning out and it was sooooooooo fun! I won! Jejejeje! Elder Yoshikawa tried to say that I seemed to have a faster kart! (Yeah, okay!) But it was extremely fun! But expensive.... I'm eating pure oatmeal this week. and the next. But it was worth it! Then, when we were leaving, we saw some other missionaries, and they looked at a¡us weird, and said 'Did you just come from go karting? You guys know that's not allowed right? We talked with pres and he said we can't do it, it's an area rule.'' So... I kinda freaked out. But to be fair, I had no idea! But I was chueco... I'm sorry!!! But.... I did have sooooo much fun. But now I know, and I will never do it again. 

But anyways, that's pretty much it! Sorry mom, I haven't gotten that package yet. But I will check soon. It might be in the office. But I can't exactly just hop on over and check. I need a valid reason, and no matter how much I argue it, a pouch is not a good enough reason. But I hope you all have an excellent week! I love you guys! Ciao!!!

Les amo a todos!

Elder Schmid

Week 58

Hola querida familia mía!

You got a job? Haha whoa! That's awesome! All my life your job has been just the kids! Now you're actually getting paid for something! That's cool. And finally Ashlyn has a friend in the ward! And it sounds like an awesome family. I'm sure that Christiaan is getting way excited! Isn't it weird to think that he's graduating, and has a kid, and there is an elder here who is older than him!! I'm so happy for the familia Ngirakamerang!!! That is way awesome! And that makes me so happy that so many people from the ward could come and support them in the temple! It is weird not having a temple so close to us here. It really makes me grateful for the blessings I will have there once I get home! 

This week was pretty legit. The other sector in my district had the easiest baptism ever haha! DARIAN YOUR SONG CAME ON IN THE CIBER HERE WITH THE MUSIC VIDEO haha it made me think of the day you got your teeth pulled and you were singing it! Chamacameleon or something like that. The video is weird. Sorry, back to the baptism. Hannais has been coming to church for several years now with her family (cousins and uncle) and we didn't know she wasn't a member. Apparently the missionaries had been teaching her before but she didn't want to get baptized. But I was talking to her one week, and I asked when she got baptized, and she said that she wasn't baptized, but that she wanted to be! Haha what?! Con tu permiso! They taught her once to repass all the lessons, and I came that same day and did the interview, and then we baptized her that week! Talk about awesome! The work is accelerating! 

So this past week I went to the conference of leaders of the mission, and it was really fantastic. It was different than regular conferences. President was a lot more business like. It was a very good conference too because I learned a ton. He had a few different guests come in who were having a lot of success in certain areas. For example, there is a pair of elders in Arica who have baptized 8 weeks in a row and are going for 9. They talked a lot about how they have done it. I like listening to it, because they didn't really share anything new, just how they have applied everything into their teaching and contacting. They also brought in an hermana from Copiapo who had 83 lessons with member in a week! Apparently it just takes a ward who is willing to help you every hour of every day....... that's a lot harder than it seems haha! But it definitely gave me more of the vision here in la misión Chile Antofagasta! My district is definitely going to baptize every week! 

This week we are working with Nancy a lot. She is a Colombiana who moved a little recently to Antofagasta. She is 46 and takes care of her grandkids at home while her daughter in law works. She is super awesome, and came to church this last week! She was super worried, because her grandkids are freaking insane, but they were really chill in sacrament meeting! She liked it, she told me! We're gonna baptize her. We had an amazing lesson with her the other day del plan de salvación. It was perfect, because her son was killed here not too long ago. It is really sad. But we began teaching, and she stopped us and said ''I thought people died and that was it! Are you telling me there's more? My son is still there?'' It was perfect! We taught a lot about the spirit world and the juicio and everything, and she soaked it all in. The only problem is she is afraid of getting baptized without her husband's approval. I'm just gonna share Matthew 10: 34 - 37. Have you ever read that?! It's so strong! I might not actually share it, because it's really strong, but I will talk about it with her. But she is too great! We also have Rosa, someone who has just had so much stress and problems with stupid people in her life. She just told us she wants to rest! Haha perfect! Matthew 11! Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden or something like that in English! She came to church, stayed all three hours, loved it, and we are just gonna baptize her! We will baptize every week!

Things in the work are getting better and better every day. After the conference, I found a new love of just working! I don't know, of course after every conference we always have so much ánimo! But usually it goes away after a few days. After this conference, no! I still have it! I have never wanted to be outside working, more than inside resting while teaching. I have never really cared too much if the lesson goes a little too long. But now, I get antsy! I just need to leave! I can't waste time! I need to find new people! I need to find the escogidos! After 20 minutes in a house I get anxious. Haha it's weird... my comp doesn't like it. But hey, we gotta go! We've contacted so many people! But not as many as another pair of elderes. In another ward, the zone leaders put 100 baptismal dates in one week! I don't even know what to do with that... I'm happy with less numbers but more people haha! 

Today we played fútbol with president! I didn't trip him today! Haha he's funny, because he gets way more into it than any other elder. He's not exactly as young as he was before! But.... he still jukes out any gringo out there with the ball. The rule is, none of the elders can make a goal. It has to be an hermana. So usually, they don't like getting too active, and they just chill by the goal and wait for some random lucky pass to get it in. But it is always super fun and whatnot. I dunno... I'm running out of things to say! Take care, everyone! My hands ok! I didn't get the package, but I won't see it until I go to the office, so it's probably here. We have a conference for Christmas this week. The call is going to be on Christmas day, which is a Monday (Dangit!!). 

Les amo a todos!

Elder Schmid

Week 57

Wow... mother, you wrote me a new testamant! Jaja half my email time was just reading it!!! But you know what? Worth it!! I loved it!

Well, lots of stuff has happened there!! Not too much here... But that's ok! I can't believe Christiaan is about to finish school! I can only imagine the amount of stress that he's about to lose just by finishing that! Jaja he should be happy! Bueno... not right now, in the middle of a pile of projects, but he can see the light at the end of the tunnel! I have a package?! YESSSSS! Jaja Elder Yoshikawa, a new elder who just finished his training, has had 6 packages so far... it's crazy. Haha I'm not saying you need to send more, I thought it was just weird. I'm actually glad you don't send me as much! Of course, it has both my christmas and birthday inside one gift, how many times have I heard that, huh? That was kinda funny hearing about Caelan! Fetching newlyweds! But I do want to thank you for the last part of the email! It was a great strength! You told me something that I always tell others here, but have never really applied it to myself. God doesn't expect you to be at the end of the path, or not even necessarily standing. He expects us to only be on the path. Or rather, it's not a race, it's a marathon. Thank you! Lo agradezco, muchísimo! 

Well, as I said, not too much went down this week. I had intercambios with everyone in my district! (Jejeje it's just one other companionship). One day with Elder Yoshikawa, and one with Elder Smith. They were awesome days! It was good to see how they are working, and to be able to help them a little bit, and learn from them a little bit. Elder Smith is from Provo and is 27 years old!!! What?! Jaja he's older than Christiaan! But he's probably the best missionary I have ever met! The most humble and loving missionary there is. His only problem would be his spanish, but that just comes with time, nothing he can do about it! I loved working in another sector for a bit. It was just a bit of a refresher for me. Especially because their sector is so flat, there are no hills! Where the mountain starts, that's where my sector starts. We met some crazy people in their sector haha! It's rough there, because almost everyone they contact lives in another sector! They just have such bad luck, haha! 

We are working a lot with the mother of our recent convert. Her name is Maribel. She is super awesome! She has three kids who are members now, but I'm pretty sure that her testimony is bigger than any of theirs  Jaja it was her testimony that convinced her daughter to get baptized. But she is also progressing very rapidly. I know she will get baptized, but I don't know how soon. She wants to do it, but she is dead set on having her son in Ecuador baptize her, and he doesn't come here until February.  So that's a problem. But we'll see how it all plays out. We also found a lady of gold! Actually, she found us. Or rather, the people she lives with did... jaja she moved from Ecuador to Chile a few days ago. We met her because the family she moved in with is the familia Yagual. They are awesome members from Ecuador! And my convert lives there too with them as good friends. But they brought in some hermanas from Ecuador, and called us over, and we began teaching. One of them, Reina (it legit means Queen. When she told us that, I didn't know how to react! Here in Chile, I don't know why, when they say someone's name, the say 'el' or 'la'. It's like saying The Caelan, or The Christiaan.  So she told us, I'm 'The Queen'. I just kinda stared at her for a second) But she is so awesome! She accepted the Book of Mormon, and my convert told me she is reading it a ton! She came to church too!! WUT WUT! She gon' get baptized, fo sure! 

Sunday was kinda crazy, but super awesome! We had the primary program! And oh my goodness, I have never seen so many people in church here in Chile! The chapel was packed!! It was so awesome! And not too many were visitors! It was just a ton of people that usually don't come, and a lot of investigators! Actually, funny story, some of our investigators participated in the primary program! How's that for weird? Their mom won't let them get baptized, but we teach them and they come to shurch with their sister. One had a talk, the other a scripture! But they finally picked three hymns that were not boring, but that I did know how to play! It's tricky with these people, because they have no idea how to sing. They have the hymn book, but don't use it. They memorize the hymns. The only problem is they memorize them WRONG!!!!! Ugh, it's so bad! I play the song how it is, and they all sing something else, and they all look at me like I'm an idiot, and I don't know what to do! But then they keep asking me to play! But oh well. This week they picked hymns that I knew how to play the Chilean way, so that was good. But then we get to the principios del evangelio class, which we help out in, and the teacher wasn't there! So the mission leader just looks over and says, Elder Schmid, teach us. It was the most filled I've ever seen the class! There were a ton of menos activos and the room was filled! It was crazy! And then I had to teach them all and I had nothing prepared! So he handed me the lesson on his cell phone, and I just began talking! I basically had everyone participate a ton while I could read ahead to see what I needed to say. But it ended up being an awesome lesson on Sacrifices, and how today we practice a different form of sacrifice. We offer God a broken heart and a contrite spirit. That is how we show God our sincere repentance. Lots of people had many great inputs, but the best were from a lady named Tamara. Yesterday while in front of the church, I was just greeting people, and a random lady walked up and was staring at the church from a distance. So I of course walk over and invite her in! She comes, and stays for all three classes!!! And her comments in the class made me think she was some general authority in disguise or something, she was awesome! Sad part is, she lives in the boundaries of another ward....

But anyways, that's my week! Just trucking along here with Elder Aparicio! With all the traveling we have to do, I am broke, but that's ok! Who needs breakfast?! I loved your email, and love all that you do for me! The church is true, Jesus lives! Have an awesome week!

Les amo a todos!

Elder Schmid