The district

Hi Mom!  Everything (except the food) is great at the MTC!  Haha Just kidding, the food is alright sometimes.  I just wanted to say thanks for the wonderful meals you made before I left.  I love you and miss you very much but I know I am doing the right thing.  I can't wait to get to Washington D.C.  The MTC is fun but I'd rather be doing real work!  I'm glad that I am here and am learning soo much about the gospel, my own testimony, and ASL.  President Born is my branch president.  I've talked with him few times, and its fun to see someone I know!  He told me I get to call you on video phone before I leave to D.C. so send me the number please!  :)  Let me tell you about my district now.  Elder J W is my companion.  He's from Hesperia, California and is part Guatemalan, part German.  We get along very well.  He is a CODA (child of deaf adult(s)).  He has a very soft spirit that I think counteracts my loud one!  Haha.  My district leader is Elder H from Dallas, Texas who is a very good leader and is also a CODA.  He always keep us focused.  He is going to San Jose, California.  His companion is Elder Q.  He's from Walla Walla, Washington, the town so nice that they named it twice!  He actually says its pretty scary sometimes.  He is going to Mesa, Arizona.  Elder R is from Springville, Utah and is going to Rochester, New York.  His companion is Elder I from Draper, Utah (Elder Schoemig forgot to mention where he is going).  We have 3 sisters.  Sister T from Salt Lake City who wears hearing aids but can hear just fine, she's going to Anaheim, California.  Sister B is from West Jordan, Utah along with Sister Z and she is from Provo and both are going to Nauvoo, Illinois.  

Hello hello hello Father!  This is fun being at the MTC with all the other missionaries.  I have seen Elder Harley quite a few times and see alot of other friends as well.  Our roommates are leaving to Romania on Monday so we will be getting new ones.  We have 3, Elder R, Elder S and Elder G.  They are so fun and will be missed.  I am glad they are finally going to get to the field though.  It must be an awesome feeling.  In fact, by the time you get this letter they'll already be gone!  Elder B and Elder W are the leftover ASL missionaries and they'll be gone next week too.  I don't know where they're going.  Elder Malm left a few days before I arrived and apparently I sleep in the same bed he did!  Haha.  What a strange coincidence!  Anyway I understand now why you pray for sooo long.  ASL is such a beautiful language so it's fun to sign, but the real reason is that there is sooo much I want to thank God for and so much I want to ask.  Tell Grandma and Grandpa that the Wellington, New Zealand missionaries are in my zone!  Elder S, Elder A Q, Elder D F, and Elder L.  I told them that they would see my grandparents soon.  This is the first time that Elder A Q has seen snow, so he was pretty excited.  Elder W and I are teaching an "investigator" by the name of M  He is hard of hearing, Catholic, goes to school, lives with his parents and plays the piano.  He is interested in learning about our faith.  In the second time we talked with him Elder Winkler invited him to be baptized but he was worried about his mom and dad's approval and he said he also has a lot of responsbilitity in the Catholic Church.  We testified of the Holy Ghost and reading the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith and the Restoration, God's love, Jesus' ministry, the Great Apostasy and many other things from the first lesson.  We plan on teachin him more about the Holy Ghost and obedience to God's commandmanets on Monday morning.  Anyway I love you very much and look forward to hearing back from everyone!  Love, Elder Schoemig

(This is from the letter he wrote home last week.)