July 3, 2013 - Big sister's birthday :)

Hey Mom! Thanks for all the news from home, I always love to hear what's going on :)  Out here we had a change of mission presidents, as it sounds like many others did too.  President Cooke and his wife and their two kids, J age 15 and E age 13.  They are super great I got the chance to meet them yesterday at the zone training meeting.  They talked for a little at first just a little get to know us and look forward to working with you type deal.  It is strange without the Matsumori's but I know the Cooke's are called of God and they will continue the great tradition of the Washington DC North Mission.  

I need to send a great BIG shout-out to my older "little" sister Amanda!  It's her 22 birthday today and she's the best!  If you knew Amanda like I know her you'd know that she is loving and caring of her brothers and sisters.  You'd know that she is a gorgeous dancer and fighter.  You'd know that she has an awesome testimony of Jesus Christ and family and that she is very spiritual.  You'd know that she is fun to be around especially when it's summer and the windows are down and the music is up.  You'd know that I love her... and on occasion I even give her a hug :)  LOVE YA MANDI!  

J is doing super great.  He's gonna set a date for himself to be baptized.  We had a great lesson last night with Brother A and the Spirit was there so strongly!  J is hooked.  All we gotta do is real him in and dunk him in the holy water hahaha.

Well this week will be a fun week, tomorrow is the true p-day but we were told to email today as all the libraries will be closed tomorrow for the 4th.  This is my last celebration of this nation's birthday in the Capital so I'm going to make the most of it!

I love you to the edge of the universe!  To the edge!  Oh say can you see that Star Spangled Banner yet wave, o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

-Elder Schoemig

June 26, 2013 - Mission President and Sister Matsumori's last week

Hey Mom!  Good news on everything that happened in the Summer Games!  Really proud of my brothers.  Also proud of Benson and Taft for their performances in school! 

Anyway here in G1 we had J finally come to church after months of him being taught!  And he said he really enjoyed it and was very pleased with how things went!  MIRACLE!  It put such a huge smile on our faces and he says he's coming this next week too.

Yesterday we had and exchange where our zone leader, Elder J, came with Elder S and me.  It was a great day and we picked up tons of potential investigators.

Did you see the worldwide leadership training?  There was a veritable army of missionaries!  I thought, "oh my goodness we are taking over the world!"  I was amazed to see all those sisters!  It's just incredible.  Also I forgot to mention last week but MY mission represented all the missions in the world at that meeting, President and Sister Matsumori, the Assistants, the Zone Leaders, and the VC trainers were all on screen, if only briefly.  It was way cool to hear Elder Holland talk to President!

This is the Matsumori's last week.  I don't have much to say.  A lot of things are going through my head.  I'll miss them terribly but I know the new mission president will do a great job. 

Anyway love you to the edge of the universe!  To the edge! Elder Schoemig

June 19, 2013 - New area, Gaithersburg

Hey Mom!  Thanks for the weekly family/friends update!  I am having a grand time here in Gaithersburg, it is a car area but we get to bike and walk around.  I just borrow our roommates bike when we need it but I plan on trying to get one for myself from the Assistants.  This area is kinda stagnant right now but it has great potential that I see.  Right now we are trying to build the relationship with leaders, visit less-actives, retain the recent converts, boost our investigators, find more investigators, work as hard as we can, sing camp-fire songs, and stay as sane as we possibly can amidst the roller-coaster of missionary life :)

Elder S is really awesome.  He like anime and manga and loves to draw so it's been super fun with him.  I really enjoy listening to people talk about things they love.  That's something I've found on my mission.  

Last week at the transfer meeting we sang the mission song to the Matsumori's and we all were bawling and what not.  I'm gonna miss em.

Speaking of tears I got teary-eyed too at thinking about how good this ward is to us.  I was thinking about how happy I am to serve people and do things for them.  I do it, and I think I can say in general, the reason we do things for other people is because what they do for us is so much more than what we can do for them.  It's all about humility and serving others.

I love you to the edge of the universe!  to the edge, Elder Schoemig

June 12, 2013 - New transfer to Gaithersburg, English program

Hey Mom, not a lot of time to email today, but the big news..... I'm outta the ASL program and in Gaithersburg 1rst ward!  I'm now companions with Elder S from Kaysville, Utah and we're gonna have a awesome transfer.  The biggest things about Elder S is he's a big reader like me, likes to draw (also like me),  and likes Doctor Who (again like me, but a WHOLE lot more!)  We're gonna have a great transfer together.

It's bittersweet to leave the ASL program, I love the area and the people and the language, it's beautiful.  But sometimes you need a new garden to work in.  I am praying my heart out for all the investigators and members in the branch and hope all goes well with them.

I've kinda accepted the fact that it's not likely that I'll get to go back to ASL.  Don't ask why, it's just a feeling that I'm getting.  

Anyway next week I'll tell you all about Gaithersburg and everything.  I love you to the edge of the universe!  To the edge, Elder Schoemig

June 5th, 2013 - U.S. Capitol Bldg. again today

 Hey Mom! I'm doing well here in the end of an era, as you know the Matsumori's are going home soon, at the end of June to be specific. We get our new President on July 1st I believe. It's hard to believe I won't be hearing that deep loving voice anymore. He'll still be President to me even when I'm home though. It is also the end of an era because I'm not sure how much longer I have in the ASL program. Transfers is next week and so we'll see where I'm going. I have a feeling that I'm near the end though.

 

I could possibly have a very awesome experience this afternoon involving the US Capitol building but I'm not sure yet. I'll let you know next week if all goes according to plan.

Love all the news from home, means a lot to me :) Keeping updated in the home world helps a guy stay grounded. I love the quotes from Conference, keep em coming.

Yep we had J over for a bit the other night, it has been really cool to see him. We had a good talk about mission life :)

Anyway sorry there's not much to report this week, just feeling kinda calm and chill today.

Love you as big as the universe, to the edge, Elder Schoemig xoxo

May 29, 2013

Hey Mom, thanks for the email! I have in my front pocket right now a letter I was supposed to send you last week but it didn't get out the door haha. It also has in it a letter to the 13th ward Young Women, they send me some stuff recently and I wanted to write back so could you make sure it gets to them? Thanks. Anyway we had a super great week, we've picked up 4 new investigators since last Wednesday. I'm gonna copy and past from my letter to President Matsumori that gives the gist of it then I'll add some on:
We got a referral from the Laurel sisters, a Native American man whom they had taught a few times. He has the Spirit with him strongly, it makes me think of the lines in the Book of Mormon that talk about the Gospel coming to the Lamanites in the last days. He says a voice is telling him to keep reading. So we picked up one investigator last Thursday. We had a Monday mighty miracle at the Visitor Center. We were standing there waiting for a potential investigator when another potential walked in whom we had tried to contact through email to no avail. We immediately began teaching him. He wants to learn so much and is so willing. When I set up another appointment for Friday he thought he was going to get baptized that day and said yes! We told him there's more he needs to learn but it was amazing. Then the potential who we were originally waiting for came in after the lesson finished and she brought a friend. We taught them as well and their desire to learn was impressive as well. So Monday we picked up 3 new investigators and had 2 other lessons. I remember your counsel to me at interviews, "The success is in the invitation." So I've been trying to live and teach and do and say things that invite others to follow Christ. These are real people, and I have spent lots of time recently trying to envision them in all white, getting ready for the baptismal font.

The Native American is D, he's super awesome and is one of the most ready people I've met if our first lesson was any inclination of things to come. The random guy is K, a man from Sri Lanka who has moved around a ton, he has a wife and two sons in Sri Lanka still. He is Buddhist but wants to become Christian. L is the girl we were waiting for. She has seen the temple and talked to some missionaries before but doesn't understand why we're different so she wants to learn more. She brought C, a super smart guy who goes to the U of Maryland and is studying Marine Biology. He is originally from the Bahamas and Miami. He has seen the change our religion has placed upon one of his friends and wants to learn more deeply. All are SUPER COOL! I can't wait to see them again. Pray for them!

LOVE YOU AS BIG AS THE UNIVERSE! To the edge, Elder Schoemig

May 22, 2013 - Got to see Jonny and another miracle.

Hey Mom!  I'll start off by saying that yes, last Saturday I was coming out of the ASL endowment session and saw J and thought, "who is that? I know who that is, but I can't recognize him."  I turned off the main path and he mirrored me before saying, "Kenny?"  I was shocked to hear my name but immediately as he did I shouted in joy, "J!" and went over to give him a great big hug!  It was a testimony that at the temple families come together.  We took pictures then quickly went on our way.  He said he will bring me the package soon.  Now I'm looking forward to seeing H at a random location as well!

Anyway we are having what's looking like another miracle!  The Laurel sisters gave us a referral for a guy who accepted to be baptized and has been to church already.  They were teaching him because he can read lips well but they realized there were some things he was missing so we'll go over there tomorrow with them to teach and he said to them he wants to come to the branch.  His name is D and he's Native American and loves Native American history and culture, and so do I!  It's a blessing to have Grandpa and Grandma Jarvis who taught me a love for that so I can now have an opportunity to build a relationship with him.  His Native name is "Lone Wolf."  I'm so excited and looking forward to going over there!  

Thanks for all the family news! I love you as big as the UNIVERSE!!!  To the edge!