February 27, 2013

Thanks for the email Mom! Sounds like kids are enjoying themselves as basketball winds down. Good to hear about LP basketball of course. I am grieved for Coach though. He is a role model to me and such a great coach. I am praying for him and his family. Good quote by Amanda though, I think I'll use that at times.

 

Anyway here in the field we've got an investigator on date for baptism! She is an interpreter and we met at the hospital. She was on the job with one of our members, A, who was in the hospital. She couldn't ask us because of the Code of Ethics but later when President F came she asked him if they could step out into the hall. President got her email and we contacted her. We had a lesson last Saturday and committed her to baptism on March 24, she came to church on Sunday, and we had another lesson on Tuesday at the Visitor Center. She is solid and is reading the Book of Mormon and praying. In other news we're still working with our other investigators. T is still solid and is committed to living the Law of Chastitiy.

Well my thoughts this week are those of gratitude. I am thankful for the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that He is risen. I know He is the center of my life, and for that I am grateful. Love you Mom! #loveyoutotheedgeoftheuniverse

February 20, 2013

Wow Mom lots of cool stuff going on! Thanks for the long email! It's great to hear how everyone is doing. I'll tell you whats happening in the ASL program. We are having lots of success with getting appointments so we've been pretty busy. We have an investigator named J C who right now is not in a position to progress due to her situation (can't get out of 3rd floor apartment by herself, she's in a wheelchair) but she will in the future. We are working on very basic principles with her such as who is God and how to pray. Another investigator is named N T, he's a Gallaudet student and friend of K M, a super cool convert of about a year and 3 months. He right now is not interested in conversion but wants to know what we believe and everything. He's super into Dragon Ball Z and anime so Elder W and him really get along. He's opening up to me. Third is T G, we had an awesome lesson with him in the temple visitor center and he accepted to be baptized! We just must now pick a date. He believes in Christ and God but has a lot to learn still. Yesterday in interviews President Matsumori told us to take the opportunity to be with the members as much as possible and strengthen them. One of our members, A C is in the hospital due to complications relating to a planned surgery so pray for her to get better. Family Home Evening on Monday night at J and D B house for the Gallaudet group was super awesome. Hopefully it can continue to grow and we can get some non-members there! I was so excited to see J! I saw him first in the Gally cafeteria and ran and gave him a huge hug and lifted him up! It was great to see how well he's doing. It was awesome to see K and the I's too. They are doing great and came to church on Sunday. Still we must strengthen them though. I'm very much in love with the ASL program! On Sunday a lot of the branch were shocked to see me! A lot of, "You're back!!!" was going on haha. I told President F I felt like I was born to be an ASL missionary and he agreed with me. Today for P-Day we played basketball and now I'm very very sore but it feels good :) Love you to the end of the Universe!

February 13, 2013 - Early Valentine gift!

Hey Mom!  First off, no we didn't get hit hard with snow like those in New England and New York.  Second of all, we thanks for the email and package I got today.  Third of all, I'm back in the Land of Sign Language!  Along with many other changes this transfer, the most surprising of which was they put me back in the ASL program!  It was strange because with the call-out to announce who was staying and going last Monday night, we got the news that I was leaving my area, Elder L was leaving his, and Elder S was leaving ASL.  I was like, "what's gonna happen?  are they gonna open up another ASL area?"  But today at transfer meeting they announced Elder L to go in an English area and right at that moment it hit me... I'm going back to ASL!!!  I started crying just overpowered with the Spirit of love and thankfulness to be back in the program that I love.  I made sure to tell President Matsumori thank you.  My time in Calvert was a special time for me, and I made friendship's there that will last forever, but I was born to be an ASL missionary.  Other changes in the mission include Sister's getting full-time proselyting area's.  Before they were part proselyting and part Visitor Center.  Now they are either full proselyting or full Visitor Center.  Another is they created a new zone, the Suitland Zone split and they made the Anacostia and Suitland zones.  Another is we got our first batch of 18 year olds today.  Four of them.  There are strange forces at work here in the DC North mission, and I am reminded that God works in mysterious ways.  I love you, AS BIG AS THE UNIVERSE!!!  to the edge... in sign language!

February 6, 2012 - ONE YEAR!

Good afternoon family! This week has been slow, we've been driving around again since the month changed and we're tryin to be as effective and efficient as possible. I've really learned a lot in Calvert ward and it has thrown me off my groove a little bit too. Which is a good thing. Routine is an enemy to revelation, as the quote goes. It's been on my mind that I might get transferred, as the end is next week. We'll see what happens and whatever does is what the Lord wants to do and I'm totally good with whatever He wants to do. We're trying to work with a woman named S who was a former and really interested. There's this other guy P who is a former and was interested but we're having a hard time meeting with him. Interesting bit of news this week is that we may not have as many missionaries coming out next transfer as previously thought. I'll keep you posted on that. Today we went to the temple and I did initiatory session and we got there about an hour before everyone else so I was the only one doing them since Elder L wanted to wait out in the hall. And much to my surprise as I was going through Elder W and Elder S joined me! I heard them and then saw them and was like, "Old companions back together!" It was really fun. We played basketball after and my team won 6 straight games before we had to go. It was awesome. Yesterday I had to give a workshop on loyalty and giving stuff up to be able to serve more fully. It was based on Elder Holland's talk from last conference. We listened to the talk then I gave the workshop and I was overwhelmed at the prospect of going after Elder Holland. That's some serious firepower! Anyway I thought I did ok and other Elder's told me they liked it so I guess I did well.

 

In other news, rings don't lie. Go Ravens!

 

To the EDGE of the UNIVERSE with LOVE!

 

Well I forgot to tell an interesting set of stories. We went to check on an HQ referral and he answered the door and said, "I'm really not interested. I was probably drunk." That was entertaining. Then I GQ'd this guy on the street and he was really nice but then went into a story about how his niece had just been murdered and that was really sad. I hate it when that happens. We went to this little place called Dairy Freeze and I thought it was gonna be bombdiddlicious like JCW's but it wasn't so that was bad. After Zone Training yesterday our whole zone went to this place called "The Tender Rib" and it was. About 30 white boys in suits in a BBQ joint in DC? Classic. And we just called P, our appointment for tonight, and he basically tried to drop us. He said he'd call us tomorrow. But we are having success in terms of teaching recent converts and less actives. Just some intriguing stories I thought you'd like to know :)

 

(Mom's note:  This Friday, Feb. 8th will mark the one year that Elder Schoemig has been out in the mission field!  :) )

January 30, 2013

Hey Mom! Yes it did snow around here and was down in the teens in terms of temperature for a while but the past few days it's been in the high 60's! It's weird weather we're having, and I'm sad I'm missing all the good snow in Utah :( But today because of the nice weather we went down to the beach and looked for shells and sharks teeth. It was fun and spent a couple hours combing the beach. It made me reflect on the story Grandma Jarvis sent about how she was beach-combing too. I've come up with a parable as well:

There once were two men walking along a beach. They were looking for treasure's, specifically shark's teeth. They looked and looked and looked but didn't find any until at last one of them found one. "Oh now I know what it looks like so it'll be easier to spot!" said he, but they continued to look and look and look but didn't find any more. "If only there were someone who knew what shark's teeth looked like that could help us," one of the men remarked. "Well we just have to trust in what we've been taught in how to find them," said the other. Along their way however they saw different treasures, not shark's teeth but other things that were just as cool and meant just as much. A couple shells here and there, a pretty rock or a really old penny. These things may not have been shark's teeth but were treasure's nonetheless and held value to those two who found them. They had gone out and searched and tried their best and at the end of the day, both were happy.

 

That's my parable of the Two Men and the Shark's Teeth. I hope Grandma Jarvis likes it :) Anyway this past week has been pretty good, we got a new investigator named Sharon who really wants to start coming to church and reading the Book of Mormon. She's a former investigator and so she's had the lessons before but I can tell she's confused about some things still. We're chugging along! The other day we did A LOT of walking around because we are low on miles but it was tons of fun to talk to people and do tons of tracting. But made me very tired haha.

 

LOVE you to the END of the UNIVERSE and as always TO THE EDGE!

Elder Schoemig

Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Quentin L. Cook

January 23, 2013 - Elder Schoemig got to meet two apostles and two senators today!

Hey Mom you'll never believe who I met today!  One guy in our ward, Brother P, works for Senator Murkowski's office from Alaska and he set up a Capitol building tour.  We were to meet in one of the Senate office buildings, the Hart building, and so we got there about an hour early.  We ran into Brother P and he said to follow him.  We went down to Senator Orrin Hatch's office and we just missed them going into a meeting.  But the desk people told us to stick around for a half hour and that's when they'd be done, so we did.  What I'm not telling you is who Senator Hatch had a meeting with.  That'll come later  hehe anyway so we're sitting in the Senator's office when Senator Mike Lee comes out!  We shake his hand and await the real prize  (is the suspense building?)  Next out is who we've been waiting for.... Elder L. Tom Perry and Elder Quentin L. Cook!  And Senator Hatch of course come out.  But it was crazy awesome!  We got to personally meet two of the 12 Apostles in the Senate office building!  Talk about where the true power lies haha.  Well rack Elder Perry up on GA's I've met.  4 down, 8 to go.  That alone made the trip well worth it.  We then proceeded to take a tour of the prestigious Capitol building and see cool old rooms and paintings and see a statue of Brigham Young.  It was way cool.  Quite the day I would say.

Anyway in regards to the work I am doing, this week is set up to be our most lesson filled week yet!  We have been calling less actives and part-members and tracting and talking to people.  It goes along with what Elder Perry told me this morning, "Don't stop til you've got 20 lessons!"  and that's what we plan to do!  

It has a taken a sharp dive temperature wise.  I am fully appreciative of the warm coat and gloves that I have.  Though we haven't had any snow soon I expect it won't be long.  

I thoroughly enjoy my studies, and I even more thoroughly enjoy talking about what I learn in my studies.  Elder L and I have good talks about the Gospel.  Recently we talked about Kolob.  That was at night and not the subject of my morning studies but we are both so fascinated with the stars so it had to come up haha.

The news from home is great!  Sad to hear about Dr. Davis, he is one of my hero's.  I will pray for him.  Glad to hear that people are getting to be less sick.  Good to hear of ol' Lone Peak beatin people on the head.  Very glad to hear I'll be receiving a package soon.  So will you!  One will be in a box and the other is a flat.  The flat is especially for you Mom and all the other belated Christmas gifts are in the box.  They said should get there next Wednesday.  Love you to the edge of the universe!