Rain and Rejections

Excerpt from May 24th email:
This last week was full of rain and rejections. No one wanted to even open their door for us, but the trials brought a lot of blessings. That is something I have gained a really strong testimony of in the mission. If we do our part, try to have patience and just keep going even in times of trial, the Lord will bless us. We had an especially tough day on Wednesday, but when we went to the church for our meetings everything turned around. I got to do a question and answer session with the mission prep class and it was really fun. They asked lots of really great questions like, "What do you love about being a missionary?" but then there were also some really bad ones like, "what do you miss most about home?" and "Why didn't you just stay home and get married?" In the end it was really nice to be able to give them advice and think of all the things I have learned in these 18 months. THEN, when we got home that night our branch president called us and said that he put a baptismal date with one of the young boys that comes to seminary and plays soccer with our branch. THEN, his mom traveled to Buenos Aires and we don´t have her signature to sign the baptismal record...so the blessing still comes with some trials. But I might be seeing another baptism before I come home. Abigaíl got baptized on Saturday and it was really sweet. The other ward we share a building with also had baptisms and it was very nice. The primary (well 4 kids) from Parque plus me sang "I am a child of God". They wouldn't do it without me...which is kind of endearing. That is kind of the motto of Parque, "not without Hna. Schmutz!" I don´t know what they will do when they for some reason don´t have missionaries one day.

Mabel's Baptism

Excerpt from March 1st email:
"The baptism of Mabel was the hardest I have experienced in all my mission, but also the most rewarding and sweet. We went to get her on Saturday and it all went really well. There was another man from the ward that shares our building getting baptized, and so about 45 people showed up. The spirit was very strong and we were really happy. . ."

"After a long night of being baptized. . . Mabel was in a lot of pain and almost didn't make it to church to receive the Holy Ghost. I was totally beside myself when we went to pick her up to go to church and we had a good cry together. She asked again for a Priesthood blessing and Hno. Baéz came running to help. We left her with the money she would need to take a taxi to the church and told her if she could make it, receiving the Holy Ghost would be something that would help her be more calm and peaceful everyday. Normally, you need to receive the Holy Ghost before the Sacrament is blessed and passed and she didn't make it on time. The poor thing was in so much pain and I just thought to myself, "something has got to work out, we have made it this far!" When they finished the Sacrament and we entered the room with her, the branch president called her to the front and she was able to be confirmed without problems. She was still in a lot of pain so we paid for her taxi back to her house and promised to pass by and see her after church. She felt a lot better when we saw her later and thanked us for helping her. I wish I could say I feel like the fight is done, but we still have a while to go. Her son Rodrigo is being kind of difficult, but we are hoping that with the help of the Young Men he will also be baptized. I feel so strongly that Heavenly Father has great plans for them, and that is why we have had to fight so hard to beat the opposition. The best part is that i know that my Heavenly Father is also much more powerful than the opposition and so if I am obedient and do all I can, the Lord will be able to do what it is He needs to do."

A Christmas Miracle. . . Rodolfo gets baptized

Excerpt from December 28th email:
"I am doing really well here in Formosa, without a companion and surviving the heat. I have a really nice surprise….
RODOLFO GOT BAPTIZED!!!
Last Sunday we met with our branch president and he told me that he felt like we needed to visit Rodolfo again. He asked me what I thought about Tuesday in the afternoon and we fixed an appointment right then and there. We found Rodolfo in his house, with his family and he accepted us with a smile. He said he was glad we came to take away “his punishment” as he called it…and he wanted to start over, but this time he wanted to learn for a bit more before committing to baptism. We agreed that it was probably best that way and promised to be patient if he promised to follow through on all his commitments and be honest with us…
THEN, our Zone leader called us and told us that President del Castillo had extended that challenge that all zones have 3 baptisms this weekend. They already had a couple that was ready to be baptized and asked us who we could commit. After saying a prayer, my companion and I both felt that it needed to be Rodolfo…we started a fast and prepared a lesson extending the baptismal date for Saturday the 26th. We prepared the lesson with what we would say if he said “no”, what scriptures we could share, and I was pretty nervous. We passed by his house, and he accepted without a problem. I was still really scared it might not go through, but my sweet companion told me that I just needed to be positive and it would all work out. We passed by every day leading up to the baptism. It was pretty stressful for me, because my companion went home on Thursday, but it all worked out in the end and it was a beautiful baptismal service. Sometimes we are ready to take the next step in our lives, we just need to trust in the Lord and go for it. It was amazing to see the change in Rodolfo even preparing him for only three days. It was a miracle that I was needing to see at this point in my mission."

José Balmacera's baptism

Excerpt from October 12th email:
"We had the wonderful priviledge of seeing José Balmacera's baptism this past Saturday. He is a gaucho from the campo who recently was diagnosed with congestive heart failure at the young age of 55 and is searching for God in his life. He was such a joy to teach, I feel like he taught me much more than I have taught him. Not many people were able to attend the baptism, but it was sweet and simple and full of the spirit. He is such a good man, and I've never seen such a desire or sincere effort from anyone else I have taught. Everyday we passed by he would ask us if we thought he was ready and what else he could do to prepare. He still reads his prayer off a paper, but everyday understands better and better how a prayer works, and the spirit speaks through his sincerity. He doesn't understand it all perfectly, but this Gospel isn't about that. It´s for everyone, and we are all different. I love José and admire his faithful desire to be closer to our Heavenly Father and I am thankful that I had the opportunity to teach him and learn from his example."

Nora and Oscar's Baptism

Excerpt from September 7th email: "Probably the best birthday gift I received was the baptism and confirmation of Nora and Oscar. It was so special and they were so happy! They ended up having to baptize Nora twice because her hand came up out of the water (poor thing kind of has a fear of water…) and then, after they had finished the service and they were changing out of their wet clothes, one of the witnesses realized that they had done it all with the left hand…so Oscar was baptized twice and Nora three times! She was a good sport about all of it, and announced after that it now she was super clean. . . . The Branch was very supportive and it was just a very happy day. There is really nothing better than to hear someone you have taught, bear their testimony and say they know that this is the true church of Jesus Christ. The confirmation was actually on my birthday and that was extremely wonderful as well. They are just such good people and I love them immensely. Nest week Oscar receives the Priesthood and can pass the Sacrament…at the ripe age of 69."

Mónica's Baptism

Excerpt from August 12th email:
"Last Saturday was the baptism of Mónica Méndez and it was WONDERFUL! It really puts a lot of things in perspective as you watch someone you have taught and come to love so much, enter the waters of baptism. The actual ordinance takes only about 30 seconds, but the blessings they receive from the covenant they have made changes a WHOLE life, and their posterity. AMAZING! It rained all day on Saturday, which caused a small turn out at the service, but that didn't distract from the spirit. Mónica was so excited, she showed up at the church an hour early and started preparing herself. She was confirmed on Sunday and was promised in the blessing that she would stay in Ituzaingó and help the work progress, that she would be sealed to her husband in the temple and that she would be an important part of the church in this area. What a blessing! After the branch president welcomed her as a member she bore her testimony, shared a few scriptures and even thanked us for helping her so that she could get baptized. Everyone wants her to have a calling in their orginazation...I give it until Sunday, and she will be in the Young Womens program or teaching Relief Society, or both. It is amazing to me that each and every one of us chose to come to this earth, and that our loving Heavenly Father has a special purpose for ALL His children."

Baptism

Excerpt from Hermana Schmutz's March 25th email:
"Ailìn was baptized on Saturday and her dad got to baptize her. . . .It was such a beautiful baptismal service and the family was so cute and happy the whole day. The spirit of the Lord is so strong when people enter into the covenant of baptism. I could really feel my Saviors love as I sat and watched this sweet young girl with her family, so pure and happy."