November 28, 2012 - Huntingtown

Hey!  Elder Schoemig's world, Elder Schoemig's world, party on, excellent!!!!  Welcome to another edition of Elder Schoemig's World!  Or is it the first edition?  I can't keep track of these things with so much missionary work on my mind!  Anyway my new area, Calvert, is legit...wait for it...imate.  Yes that's right I'm taking a cue from my good friend Elder Kale Wright (Shout-out!) and quoting B S.  I have one thing to say about my new area.  Chesapeake Bay.  It's beautiful to be going to an appointment and you turn around and BAM there's the bay.  The roads here are really curvy both horizontally and vertically.  It makes me feel like I'm in a car commercial especially with the dillions of trees and leaves on the ground.  By the way now I drive a 2011 Chevy Malibu.  Horrible turning radius but the get-up-and-go is nice. 

 

You know what's funny about Bishop Badger requesting me write a letter?  I was thinkin that exact thing yesterday!  The Holy Spirit must've guided me to think that.  I guess Bishop and I are on the same brainwave. 

 

So I'm still not super familiar with the area quite yet but I'll tell you everything I do know.  I know we had a baptism!  Actually four, quatro, 4, IIII, any way you wanna count it 4 baptisms!  They are the B family and they are so cool.  I feel like Ammon-level happiness when I think of them.  They have 4 more kids under age 8 too so that is amazing.  What a miracle family.  They were originally living in Annapolis and were getting taught there but moved down to our area so what a blessing the Lord has given!  The Lord is my light, I cannot go astray with the Master at the helm. 

 

Thanksgiving was great!  We played in a ward Turkey Bowl and I played d-line and o-line for obvious reasons and got 2 interceptions on the d-line and for some reason o-linemen were eligible to go out for passes so I got a touchdown as well.  We had dinner with the Ward Mission Leader, Brother S and his wife and kids.  They are awesome and the turkey was great (deep fried yum). 

 

My Bishop has to be one of the most fun Bishop's ever.  His name is  T I, no relation to B I.  I already asked :(  But he loves the missionarys and we love him.  He plays basketball with us and really tries to help us out so we gotta pay him back by being the best missionarys in the world.  He served in St. Louis on his mission and I immediately thought of Dad.  Bishop served from 87-89 so I think it was after Dad's time but I'm not sure.  Let me know. 

 

Well here goes my most important thing I have to say this week. Happy birthday Dad!  I love you so much and you are my inspiration for so many things.  I hope to grow up and be like you.  I love you truly and deeply from the bottom of my heart. 

 

Well love you so much and thanks for tuning in to this edition whether it be the first or last of Elder Schoemig's world!  Party on, to the edge, excellent!

   

(Mom's note:  We just received words that Kenny's best friend and brother Taylor is having his surgery next week Wednesday.  This will be a very delicate surgery and of course there is a lot of concerns and worries with Taylor.  We are asking for prayers for him and of course his parents as he get through the surgery and recovery.  Thank you.)

November 21, 2012 - Gratitude

Thanksgiving. A time for thanks and a time for giving. I bet that's real original huh? Anyway before I go off on my Thanksgiving spiel (is that how you spell spiel?) I need to announce the big news! I got transferred again! What? Huh? Really? No? You're kidding? Are you serious? YES I'm serious! I enjoyed my week and a half stay in the Bowie area and ward but I am onward and southward in Calvert area! I cover the whole of Calvert County on the eastern edge of my mission next to Chesapeake Bay. My new companions are Elders N from St. George and M from Sugar City, Idaho. Another threesome?! Yep you betcha my third one so far this mission haha. But Elder N  is actually going home next week (something to do with the departure rules of missionaries) so it'll be Elder M and me for most of the time. This area is gonna be siiiiick I can't wait to get working. On Saturday there's a wedding and on Sunday we're supposed to have 4 baptisms! So pray for the B family to make it all the way! I know they can do it!

Anyway in response to your question Mom about Carson I feel that school was easy in elementary so I understand what Carson feels like. I think that if given the option to move up a grade earlier in elementary (like in first, second, or third) I would've done it. So proud to hear about Dakota! And sounds like the whole family is doing well. I'm so thankful for the awesomest possumest family that I have.

 

In the Bowie area they were very nice to me and hopefully I get a chance to go back there. It was a very nice area and the members are super cool. My companion there Elder Meserole was from Washington, Iowa.

Well Mom I'm glad to have joined the family too! I didn't know that about myself. I guess the blessing did prove to be prophecy about a strong boy who would become a missionary.

 

Here's my thoughts on Thanksgiving. Well more on an attitude of gratefulness that should be prevalent the rest of the year but seems to come out more strongly amongst people in general during the holiday season. It all started when I realized that I will never be good enough. I do not qualify for anything that the Lord gives me. I can never come close enough to the Lord to be worthy of blessings. Everything that He gives me is because His grace is sufficient for all men, His mercy and love and tenderness are the only qualifications there are. It doesn't matter how hard I work in an area or how many doors and hours I tract the Lord can still choose to withhold blessings as a test. But I will still do it. I will still tract doors on end and hours on hours because that is what He wants. He has given me the gift of life, the gift of family, the gift of a mission, the gift of everything I've ever had and there is no way that I can repay Him. I can only be grateful and continue on in that which He has gifted me to do. It's not about you, and it's not about me, it's about Him. This is real life, to know God, the very Eternal Father, through the mercy and merits of the Redeemer and Savior of the World, Jesus Christ. This is real life, and it is the only life. There is no life without the Christ. He is the Life. And for that I am thankful.

LOVE you all my family and friends, to the edge Elder Schoemig

November 14, 2012 - He got transfered!

Hello Mom and family! Well the biggest and most surprising news first. I got midnighted. Now for those who don't know what that means it means that I got emergency transferred into the English program. One Elder was sick and had to go home to recover and since I was in a threesome and have been in ASL for the past 8 months (HOLY COW! can you believe it?) that they transferred me to the Bowie area! I am now serving with Elder M in this area for the next week and a half until I get transferred to another area next week. The Assistants called me last Saturday morning and told me I would be going on Sunday night. It was tough for me to leave the apartment. So much of my blood, sweat, and tears has gone into that area and branch. It was emotional for me but I know this is gonna make me a better man. I am excited to have different opportunities in a different area. My biggest fear is that I am going to lose all the ASL skill I have worked for. The Lord has called and I have answered however, my faith is sure and my hope is bright. 

I have been getting to know my new area. They just had a few baptisms so some recent converts we are working with. One is D and the other is E. Both are super cool and so full of the Gospel right now. We get fed every night in this area it is super intense. I'm gonna have to watch my figure ;)

 

Glad to hear about all the people going on missions! I wanna know basically everyone who has gotten a call, sorry if that puts more work on you mom.

I don't know my plans for Thanksgiving or anything because I'll be in a totally new area! However the holidays will be a great time to work with whatever ward I'm in. The Christmas Spirit always makes people friendlier.

Well I love you family and am praying for you day and night! Oh yeah and I must shout-out to my Grandma Schoemig who's birthday was last week and to my cuz Garett who's birthday is this week! Happy Birthdays! To the edge with love, Elder Schoemig :)

November 7, 2012

Goooood morning Schoemig family! Well it's actually afternoon but I wanted to feel like Ty Pennington for a second. Anyway last week we survived the naturaly hurricane and this week we're workin on survivin the political one hahaha. All the bike Elders in the city were ordered yesterday not to go out today just in case of anything happening. We got the call this morning that President Obama got reelected. We as representitives of the church are neutral politically but I know that a lot of the members in this area are gonna be sad. Hopefully we are not the target of any anti-Romney stuff but we've been ordered to keep a keen eye. The Lord will protect us.

Haven't got anything in the mail yet about the Knights, I am lookin forward to it and rootin them on to another title. Glad to hear my goodest buddy Elder Wright is in NC now. He's not far. Maybe I'll go visit him jk ;)

Just got done playin dodgeball as a zone activity. Needless to say when I get the ball, it strikes fear into the hearts of my opponents mwhahaha

Love my little sister's singing voice :)

This week we got another baptismal date! This time on Dec 16, Jenny's birthday! Her name is M K from Liberia, Africa and she's super cool. The work is picking up. Only a few more weeks in this transfer. I predict a move to the English program for me. It's crazy. Comin up on a year, who'da thunk?

Love you to the edge, and beyond!- Elder Schoemig