December 30, 2013 - 7 more weeks!

It's off to work we go!  After a somewhat soft schedule during the
week of Christmas we're staring down the barrel of a 7 week sprint
towards the end of the greatest two years for my life and we're
saying, "bring it on!"  Temple trip is this week, tomorrow in fact,
and it'll be the perfect opportunity to make the last commitment to
the Lord for this next transfer.  Elder Giles and I have been
thinking, and we don't think that we're staying together... so we'll
see who I get if our gut feelings are accurate, otherwise we're all
in.

This past Christmas call was the best one I think for a couple of
reasons.  1) I got to see everyone for a final time before the real
thing 2) Everyone was in Ohio State garb, go Buckeyes! 3) I got to
hear Grandma and Grandpa Jarvis' voice, something that hasn't happened
for a looooooooooooooooong time! 4) I just felt the overwhelming
support that my family has given me even amidst so many personal
trials and temptations at home.  I am so proud to be a Schoemig, our
name carries the honor and dignity with it that Grandpa Schoemig would
be proud of.

Brother A is doing well, we are meeting with him today and
Wednesday.  We are gonna have his baptism in January, it turns out
that December was just a really bad month for us all around, but he
came to Church and still wants to so we're going for it.  We are
trying to work with another part member, I and her husband Ishmael
as well.

By the way, have I ever told you what my area is like?  It's a mix
between Africa and Central/South America, with a little bit of native
Merlinder and Washingtonian mixed it.  But mostly Africa and South
America.  I was standing in the store a few weeks ago, looked around,
and realized that we were the only white guys there.  That's how it
always is, but I never realized it til then.  Odd huh?

Mom I just wanted to express my appreciation to you, you have always
been a rock for me and for our family.  I don't think we could survive
without you!  One of my favorite things that you taught me is how to
truly feel others pain, to feel true love for another.  Thank you.
So, yeah... to the edge.... always.

I LOVE you to the EDGE of the UNIVERSE!!! Elder Schoemig

December 23, 2013 - The last Videophone call home from mission field!

Merry Christmas Mom!  Emailing from a warm, wet, but still miserable Maryland winter, it's been in the 60's and 70's for the past few days.  Wowzer!  Never thought I'd be sweating while I was tracting in December!  I'm looking forward to the call on Wednesday of course, it'll be fun to see everyone one final time before the big day arrives in February.  Yikes, that's scary to think about.

Anyone, Elder Giles and I have had the opportunity to play Santa's little helpers the past week while packages have been flooding in from all over the USA to members of our zone.  We get the packages from the assistants or President Cooke, then deliver them to the various zone members.  Some Elders just can't wait and open the package on the spot, but I'm a good boy and haven't opened mine yet :)  By the way, thank you to the Robinson family for sending me a package :)  It means a lot to me!  

Our Christmas conference this week will include a variety show of sorts in which our zone will have some time to put on a little performance.  We've decided that the Elder's will be putting on our version of the classic Christmas ballet, "The Nutcracker."  Thanks to the many performances by Mandi and Autumn, and a little help from the Sister's in the zone, we've got about a 2-3 minute dance we'll be doing.  I will also immediately afterwards retaking my "Man Card" by figuratively cracking skulls open with my bo staff that I bought at Home Depot a few weeks ago.  It felt reallllly good to have one of those in my hands again.  All in all it should be a great conference.  Did I tell you that we're watching Monster's University this year?  We're psyched for it.

Well the missionary work continues as usual.  Elder Giles and I have found this past week to be a little bit more productive as we've tweaked our schedule a little bit so we can have more proselyting time.  It's turned out great, with a new investigator and multiple potentials that we'll be trying to contact through this holiday season.  That's the one rough part about these couple weeks, is that everyone get's so busy running around doing different things that it's hard to set up appointments with them.  So we'll do what we can and look to January for a hot start to the new year.  

I love you Mom!  That call on Christmas will be the best present I could receive!  I hope everyone drinks some egg nog, watches some "White Christmas," sits around the fire, enjoys the candle light Christmas Eve dinner, and just basks in the glory and joy of the birthday of the boy that saved our lives.  TO THE EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE!!! closer to the edge, Elder Schoemig

December 16, 2013 - Festival of Lights at the Visitor's Center

Hi Mom!  Things are cold here, as per the usual during the last few weeks.  Last week we got to do parking at the VC for Festival of Lights and stand out in the cold for a few hours waving what I call a "mini-lightsaber."  That was fun and it wasn't very busy so we got to finish early and go watch the performance.  There was one performance that blew me away, it was a vocal school particularly for opera, and one of the professionals was this older gentleman who sang a beautiful and very moving rendition of "O Holy Night."  I think that song is my theme for this December.  It's just been runnin through my head the whole month.

I'll let you know when I get the package,  it'll give me something that I can open on Christmas morning!  Crazy about Dakota getting the priesthood so soon!  Kids really do grow up fast, but not me.  I'm as much of a kid as I've ever been.  That's something Grandpa Jarvis and I have in common I think :)

Well I couldn't end the email this week without wishing Jenny a happy birthday!  Hope you celebrate by listening to some Pink Floyd and Queensryche for me!  

Well, thanks for everything Mom.  You are the best.  I love you AS BIG AS THE UNIVERSE, closer to the edge, Elder Schoemig

December 9, 2013 - Rocky Mountain storms is the best!

Hey Mom!  I'm sitting here the day after we had a "storm."  It's in quotations because it was itty-bitty compared to our MIGHTY snowstorms out in the good ol' Rocky Mountains.  Nevertheless it was dangerous enough on the roads for President Cooke to decide that it wasn't worth the risk of having us go out in it, so we stayed in all day and did whatever effective things we could such as studying and chatting with our roommates about how much we love snow.  It was amazing to see everything encased in ice though, and I hope more snow comes our way!

This past week saw us meet with Brother A as planned and it was miraculous!  After a couple months of seeing little to no progressing investigators, we have a man who wants to be baptized!  We went in the lesson on Tuesday, sat down, and the first thing that Sister A (already a member) asked is, "so what's the process for baptism?"  We explained it to her right before Brother A came into the room.  We began with a prayer then without even teaching a single principle, we felt the Spirit and invited him to be baptized! Yikes! I've never done that before!  Just goes to show that when the Spirit tells you to invite, you invite regardless of how much YOU think they know.  The Spirit knows, so listen.  He of course accepted to be baptized on the 22 of December, so we've got a lot of territory to cover in a few short weeks.  But, he's been coming to church for 6 months now, knows most of it already, and kept saying in the lesson, "I know it's the true Church, and I'll never go back."  Score one for the winning team!

We have Zone Training Meeting this week, so Elder Giles and I will spend some time getting a veritable missionary pump-up, pep-talk, give-em-your-best shot lesson ready.  Pray we can inspire the zone to motivate themselves! 

Christmas cheer is spreading itself abroad as we get closer and closer to the happiest time of year.  We can feel it when the wind whips through the air sending that cold, humid chill that cuts at you no matter how many layers you have on.  It's great!

Thanks for the updates on the family, I sure do appreciate them! LOVE you to the EDGE OF THE UNIVERSE! closer to the edge, Elder Schoemig

December 2, 2013 - Grandparents home and Ward Christmas package :)

Hey Mom!  The week has been good, I've just been working on making some needed inward changes to affect my outward behavior.  I don't let myself get discouraged, very often anyway, I know that I'm really far from perfect, but there are moments when I become great and there are moments when I become really really well... not great haha.  But this swing on the spiral of life has God's hand guiding it.  The more good we know, the less bad it takes to make us feel guilty, and vice versa.  It's an interesting concept but it explains why Nephi and Alma had such great desires to do the things of God and why people that don't know any better don't feel bad about it.  I guess you could also say the better the lighting in the room, the more you can see the dust on the furniture, the stains on the carpet, and the crumbs on the table.  But all it takes is a little hard work and that stuff is gone and you have a nice, clean, illuminated room.

I can't wait to talk to Grandma and Grandpa in person about their mission experience.  I love love love them.  That investigator who see's the visions typifies so many people I've met.  Dreaming dreams and seeing visions, God's words come in so many ways.  

I'm really thankful for the package, the Christmas tree of hands is now up and on the wall.  Thanks to all who were included on that lovely gift.  I'm looking forward to receiving whatever you are sending to me!  Don't worry about sending me anything else though.  I don't need it.  I have everything I want in my missionary labors.  

Brrrrrr, it's getting colder!  Looking forward to the first snows, I don't know when they'll come.

Yesterday we set up an appointment with a man who has been coming to church for some time now, we hope to have him enter in the gate of baptism soon! 

LOVE to the EDGE of the UNIVERSE! closer to the edge, Elder Schoemig