March 27, 2013 - Temple and new convert

Hey Mom! Thanks for the email! It's always wonderful to hear how everyone is doing and to make sure my thoughts and prayers are with everyone through the week. I'm working hard to try and bring blessings to the people here and to those back home as well.

 

This week has been marvelous getting reacquainted with Elder S. It's funny because although I am his "trainer" I only got to spend a brief time with him and that time was split between focusing on him and Elder W. The most marvelous part of the week however was the baptism of M! She is amazing. Truly the most golden investigator that I've ever had. She reads and reads and understands everything so well! Last night at the Visitor Center it was cool because we got to go touch the temple and look at the cool big doors and stand in the entry way. After the tour at the VC me and her and Elder J got to talk a lot about temples and she asked some really good questions as to the nature of the Spirit World. In the temple interactive exhibit thing we were looking at all of the temples and she was just in awe of how gorgeous they all are. Temples truly are amazing and when she found out there are 16 in Utah she was blown away! We are blessed in Utah to be able to have so many so close, so take advantage of it! This morning she texted us and said, "I was reading D&C 88 and it really helped to clear up the symbolism of the temple doors!" I can't say enough about how thankful I am that the Lord has let me see this miracle unfold. It's shocking to think about.

Well I love you as big as the universe! To the edge, Elder Schoemig

March 20, 2013

Hey Mom! I'm doing great especially with my new companion Elder S! I'm back with my son! I'm sad to see Elder W go, especially considering that we've been able to see each other grow since the very beginning. I will likely never be his companion again on the mission. But I look forward to this time with Elder Ss and all the learning and developing that will be taking place!

 

M is still set for this Sunday! The interview was last night and got everything taken care of in terms of the program, so we are super pumped to be having this great blessing from the Lord!

 

My retainer is doing fantastic by the way. He says hi ;)

 

I love you as big as the universe Mom! Can't wait for cherry blossoms this next week!

 

To the edge, Elder Schoemig

March 13, 2013 - 11 months to go

Hey Mom! I really enjoyed your email this week! I'm sorry everything is getting down to the last of it but I guess that's how it goes when the kids grow up. I am really really looking forward to being able to play sports with my little brothers when I get back! They will be a lot bigger and maybe even be able to rough me up a little bit haha. I think the Easter festivities sound fun! I was thinking this year that if you send me an Easter package it could be General Conference themed too! Be creative I guess :)

Well our investigator M is still super awesome. Last night we followed up on her reading 1 Nephi 8 and she totally drew a picture of the Tree of Life and the Iron Rod and everything. She was confused about the building though but it was easy enough to explain. She stayed for Night of Music and Inspiration afterwards at the Visitor Center and it was really nice. With T and S things are going along very nicely. They are both fully committed to living the Law of Chastity and are praying and looking for ways to live separately before they get married and T gets baptized. With J C she is learning slowly and she seems to enjoy the Book of Mormon Stories book so we read that with her.

Last Monday at the B household we had Family Home Evening and played the Skittle Game afterwards. It's a game where you have a circle of people and they each take turns taking 2 Skittle's out of the bag and they can't look. If they match colors they can chew it, if not they must just hold them in their mouths. You can chew all the Skittles in your mouth until either someone else pulls out doubles or you draw again. You keep on going around the circle until everyone quits or until the bag runs out, in which case you have a chewing contest to see who can eat all the Skittles fastest. I won :) I probably won't eat Skittles for a very very very long time haha.

 

Today was the temple trip! We did baptisms for the dead.  

 

I am going to go play basketball after emailing you. Wish me mad skills and stuff :)

 

Spring forward is getting to me too, super tired! Can't wait til I adjust. But the time change means spring is soon and that means..... cherry blossoms :) Elder W and I came up with a phrase to be sung to "Party Rock Anthem" it is "Everyday I'm taking pictures of cherry blossoms!" we know it doesn't fit very well but whatever.

 

Well I love you to the edge of the universe! To the edge and beyond!

 

Elder Schoemig 

March 6, 2013

Hey Mom thanks for the awesome letter! I'm so happy every week to be able to hear from home. I'm pooped today just like the last three weeks because today we played indoor soccer on the basketball court with two zones. It was way fun, I scored the first goal of the day. There was also a ping pong tournament and I lost in the first round. Oh well! Haha and Elder S from Samoa and Elder V from Tahiti made rice and curry and it was so delectable.

 

Anyway for a quick update on the area of American Sign Language: We watched the Joseph Smith movie with M last night at the temple. She (and the rest of us) were crying and she said, "oh gosh" and leaned on Sister J. She said in her prayer she had a question answered that she couldn't figure out how to ask so that is really good. We're working with T, getting his living situation figured out so he can progress to being baptized. With J C we went on Monday and cleaned her apartment as it was super messy. We vacuumed and threw out trash. We'll go back and clean some more soon. We are going to have a chili cook-off this Saturday that I'm excited for, I hope we can get some folks to attend that. Last Monday we had the K's for dinner and Sister K made Cafe Rio style burritos and I'm eternally grateful for that haha. We also had FHE with K and A, a couple Gallaudet students, and our senior couple. It was a lesson on service, then a Fear Factor activity mwhahahaha. We did searching for pennies in a mysterious substance (spaghetti), using only your mouth to get worms (gummy worms) out of a pie tin full of Cool Whip, and drinking a mysterious liquid (hot kool-aid and Tapatio sauce mixed together). It was awesome and we've got super good ideas for the next Fear Factor.

 

Anyway gotta go now! Love you to the edge of the universe! Elder Schoemig

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!