Week Two- CCM

HOLA!!! 

I don't even know where to start... so much has happened in just seven days!! My travels to Peru went smoothly and I met some incredible people on the way. First a man named Michael who was serving in the military who i was able to connect with about feeling close to God in nature. He had looked into the church a bit and I am hoping that he will do some more investigating when he gets back to base. Then I met this incredible woman named Jen. She's a flight attendant for Delta and sat next to me on my flight from SLC to Georgia. She practically believed all that we do in our church and I was able to talk to her about the Plan of Salvation, the gospel, temples and how the family is central in all of the above. After the flight, she helped me find my terminal and she asked for my email. I am hoping that she will contact the missionaries because she would be an investigator de oro! 

We arrived at the CCM at about 2 in the morning an d began again at 8! It is gorgeous here! It looks like the garden of Eden... with buildings and a volleyball court. The food here is amazing as well! My mission president told us it wins in competitions against French cuisine. Plus they have KETCHUP, SALAD and ICE CREAM. so blessed. My companion is awesome! She is a spitfire girl from Alabama and has and burning testimony of the gospel so it is so fun to discuss, teach and testify with her! We taught our first 20-minute lesson in Spanish the 2nd day here. We just prayed our guts out and went for it. Right now we are teaching "Emerson" A few days ago we were in the middle of the lesson and I felt like I should ask if he had faith, so I did. So then I asked him to be baptized. which I did not know how to say, hahaha but He decided to make it a goal. Even though our investigators here are not real, there is still a real spirit that is there and I have loved teaching. 

There was a lot of learning involved as well. In one of our lessons, I told Emerson that through the Atonement of Christ he could be free from pescados (fish) not pecados (sin). And our first day here, my companion and I were unaware of the rule here that you must go to the bathroom with your companion so I left. And ended up locked in the bathroom by myself, with my companion inside our room halfway down the hall. We like to call that the bathroom analogy.  Anytime we are disobedient to God, we are locking ourselves in the bathroom. We cannot learn and progress when we put ourselves in this position. However, we will not be locked in there forever. If we call for help (In my case yell ayuda me ayuda me! until Latinas came and a worker unlocked the door) The lord will always answer our call of repentance. It is not easy to admit our mistakes or ask for help (especially in a forign language hahaha) but it is always worth it! I am so grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ who is perfectly patient with all of my mistakes! One of my favorite quotes from the devotional last night was tha "He loves us and WANTS to forgive us and WANTS to fix us." 

Here at the CCM I feel His constant love and I cannot wait to get out there and share it! Today we were able to do a session in the lima TEMPLE! As my companion an I were walking outside a lady a woman came up to my companion and I and asked if she couild take a picture with us. She and her boyfriend/husband are preparing to go to the temple. I shared my testimony of the blessing and happiness that comes from making covenants! This is what its all about! 

I love the CCM! I am learning so much! The gift of tongues is real! Know that I am praying for you all! 

- Hermana Schmidt 

hi mom,

mii companion is awesome. dont have time to write more but i will next week. hope this all make sense! if not feel free to edit! love you!!!