April 7, 2014

April 7 2014
Well this week was good. This area really is huge though haha, I guess they weren't kidding. It's like the biggest in the mission. We use busses a ton to get around. In fact that's where most of our money goes for the month so say hello to hunger haha. Nah, just kidding just kidding it's really not that bad and the members feed us well ;) We also do a lot of walking too so consequently I will probably lose the 5 pounds I gained in my last area pretty quickly. It's really funny because everyone keeps telling me that I filled out a little bit and it's only 5 pounds. So our area is kind of in the mountains...but not really. Most of our ward is though, and sometimes all 6 of us eat together so we get to visit other parts of the ward. Some of the views are amazing. We're pretty high up, I think like 7500 feet elevation. We escape a little bit of the smog in the city so that's nice. The area actually has some really cool parts too. There's one part of our area that it built into both sides of a valley. To cross this area we have to go down 200 stairs and 300 some odd to get to the top of the other side. It's a good test of endurance. I'm going to have legs of steel but the end of this transfer if we keep climbing them like twice a day so there are advantages haha. The ward is a little bit dead. We don't have many investigators. We are trying to find more. The difficult thing here is to get them to come to church due to the fact that the church is far away.

My new companion's pretty awesome. He's from Brigham City, Utah. Fun fact. He's in the movie the R.M. He's the kid sitting by the swimming pool when Kirby falls in that's says mom the missionaries are here etc. I got a good laugh out of it when one of the members showed us. He still looks really similar today. We get along really well. He's really chill but also really obedient. He's about to turn 19 the day before Maddie's birthday. I think that this transfer will be really good.

General conference was really amazing. It's really hard to pick a favorite talk. I have to agree with dad though that the priesthood session was amazing. I also really like the first session too, but we had to listen to that one in Spanish and it didn't have quite the same effect as it would have in English. I understood most all of it but it wasn't quite the same. I'm glad that we got to watch the rest in English. I also really liked all of the talks that you mentioned mom. The talk by President Uchdorf was amazing. I really want to improve in this area no matter how tired I am in the morning or at night. It really is super important. It was a great experience. It's just easy to feel inadequate in all of the areas that we can improve. I'm trying to avoid these feelings and stay super positive. Thanks for sending the package mom. I'm sure it will get here just fine if it has the stickers on it. Well that's about it. Love you all.

Elder Schow

March 31, 2014

March 31, 2014

Wow snow, eh? I thought it was supposed to be spring haha. We had a ton of rain and hail yesterday...I did not expect to see hail on my mission. We just happened to be walking to lunch when it started. Needless to say we got very wet. It was pretty fun though. Maybe it was just a weird day for weather all around. I'm glad to hear that you all are doing well and that you got to have a little bit of fun over spring break. I'm extremely surprised to hear that the Lego Movie was good hahaha. I'm really kind of intrigued now. I will definitely have to watch it when I get home. I'm also glad that you had fun when Philip and Cherry Ann came. I hope that they're all doing well. I've played a game like that before. It really is pretty funny sometimes. Sorry about your car dad. That´s a bummer. I wonder how he hit it...At least they came to tell you though. That's great that the Women's General Broadcast was good. We had a few investigators that went. We got to talk to them a little bit because we were teaching an English class in the church during the broadcast.

Celia Reyes was baptized on Saturday. It was a very nice service. It wasn't very well attended, but the spirit was there. There were also like 8 investigators and most of them are very anxious to be baptized too. It was a good farewell for this ward. Yep, you guessed it. I'm leaving for another area today at 4. I will be serving in an area called Independencia 2. It's really close to the mountains, but I don't know if there are any in my area. It supposed to be one of the biggest areas in the mission so I will be walking a TON. It should be good though. I´m going to be with an Elder named Elder Schofield. He's an American too. I've heard from several Elders that he is a really good worker. I'm excited to have a new experience. I don't know much about the area. I know an Elder that served in Independencia 1 and he said that my area isn't in the mountains as much and that it´s a nicer area. I guess that I will find out in a few hours though. It's kind of bitter sweet to leave this area. There are definitely some people that I will miss. Elder Patey is staying here so he will let me know what happens with our investigators. I'm excited for a new opportunity though. I've been a little stir crazy to go to a new area for a while now so it'll be great.

Well love you all. Talk to you soon.

 

P.S.  Oh I'm also very excited for general conference this weekend. I love general conference! It is a great place to receive answers and inspiration. I really hope that we get to watch it in English though. I hope you all enjoy it!

Love you too! and a package, what for haha?

March 24, 2014

March 24, 2014

Hello everyone,

I'm glad to hear that your week was good and that you get to have spring break this week. Lucky ducks. :) (Sorry that doesn't include you dad). I'm glad to hear that your performance review went well at work and that Roger and Diana are going to be able to visit you guys in December. We must have been on the same brainwave this week because I was actually going to ask you about both of those things haha. WEIRD. I'm also really glad to hear that your talk went well mom. I can understand the nerves thing. I'm always nervous to give talks. It sounds like it went well though and that it was an interesting topic. I wish that I could have been there to hear it. I'm glad that you guys are going to go to IF to hang out. It sounds like it should be fun. My only question is...with all the respect I have...why are you guys going to the LEGO move hahaha?? I saw a poster for it and I was like it looks so lame. I would never have expected you guys to go. I hope that you guys like it though. Maybe it will be really great. I guess I can't judge a movie by it's poster.

Well this week was really good, especially yesterday. We had 100 people in our sacrament meeting!!! Granted, this is still really low considering that there are really like 500 people in the ward....butttt our first few weeks here there were only like 50-60 so we felt pretty great. Now that we have 4 missionaries in our ward we have been able to help reactivate several families of less actives. We also have like 5 investigators that are progressing really well towards baptism. They all were at church yesterday. Some of them are like the weirdest people that I have ever met, but their hearts are sincere. C. wasn't baptized this week because she didn't pass her interview, but she has another interview on Wednesday with the mission president. She should be baptized this Saturday. I'm pretty sure I'm getting transfered next Tuesday so it should be a good way to end my time in Cafetales. I'm not sure if what's going to happen this next transfer but it should be good. I will miss a lot of people though. Elder Patey and I also started to teach with a lot more unity this week so it will be a little bit sad to change. It should be a good experience though. If you want to you can pray for C., E., F., E., and A.. I would really appreciate it. Well that's about it. Take care. I love you all.

Elder Schow

St. Patrick's Day

March 17, 2014

Hello, hello, hello, sorry, I'm running out of ways to start letters. I'm glad to hear that you all are doing well. This letter is to reply to the letters of Maddie, Lauren, mom, dad etc. I need to write the grandparents. I'm glad that you got to see Mike and that his family is doing well. I'm also glad that all of the grandparents are doing well as well. I´ll keep praying that Cam can get his job. I don't want them to leave Poky but IF is very close so it's okay . I hope that Alicia Johnson enjoys her mission. I'm glad that the ward is doing well. Thank you for sharing your spiritual experiences too. I felt the spirit while reading them. Thanks for the tip about the stamps too. I will have to talk to a member. Maybe the member that we live with could help me out. Oh and I got your valentines. Thanks so much. I especially liked Lauren´s. It made me laugh.

Well not to much exciting to report this week. We just worked really hard like usual. We still have our baptism for C. this weekend, but we don't have anyone else with a baptismal date. She's so great. She's 78 years old and she's super super funny. We'll take pictures with her for sure. I also need to get photos with the A's. The only problem is that they haven't come to church since their baptisms....and they don't live in our area so we can´t teach them the lessons again. Our area is kind of dead. We are finding new people to teach but they are not progressing very well. I have started to lead our area, in the planning, teaching, etc.. The zone leaders told me that I need to start doing this so that I can be prepared for the future. I´m pretty sure that I'm going to train this next transfer. Aparently we´re going to receive 29 new missionaries. The zone leaders have told me several times that I need to be ready. I'm a little nervous for this but I also feel ready. I think that I could do a decent job training and that it would give me the chance to gain a lot more confidence, etc. I'm excited, we´ll see what happens though. Everything is going good. Oh and you'll be happy to hear that I am not a picky eater any more. I eat everything and like just about all of it. However, last Monday after I wrote you guys we went to eat tacos with a member....cow cheek tacos and cow intestine tacos. They weren´t actually that bad but they aren´t my first choice. I'm just glad that I didn't have to eat eyeball like he wanted us to. Love you all. Talk to you soon.

5 months in the mission. Wow time flies.

Elder Schow

March 9, 2014

March 9, 2014

Hey yall,

Well this week was a good one I'm happy to say. I feel like some aspects of the work are starting to click into place a little bit more for me. I feel that my testimony is starting to grow, and that I'm starting to lose a lot of my nerves to talk to others. I had companionship exchanges with the zone leaders this week. I went with Elder Yates to his area- Xochimilco (so-chi-milk-oh). It's a pretty sweet area. There's a huge canal that runs through it with a bunch of dug out canoes and little boats. Very beautiful. It was really nice to have a change of scenery and to learn from someone that has a lot of experience in the mission. We didn´t have a lot of lessons, but I feel that I learned a lot from him. He helped me out a ton with my personal study and making it meaningful. I'm sorry to say that for the first 4 months or so of the mission I don't feel that I learned much in personal study because it wasn't as meaningful as it could have been. He taught me how to use a study journal and how to study with questions. I've only been able to do it a couple of times so far, but I can already see a huge difference. He also taught me how to contact more effectively and without fear. When we were going to Xochimilco last night to report the numbers for our district I was able to put it into practice and contact someone on the bus. I had like a 10 minute conversation with him and got his address, etc. It was a really great experience and a huge leap of progress for me personally. I also felt very good when I was testifying to him. This is a testimony to me of revelation. I feel that what my zone leader told me and helped me with is what I really needed to hear because I can see a huge difference already in the work and in my testimony.

While I was on exchanges Elder Patey was in a bus with the other zone leader Elder Perez and someone sold him an acoustic electric guitar for 100 pesos, like 8 bucks. Super lucky, eh? The other wierd thing is that we're permitted to have small guitars. Which doesn't make much sense because our mission president is very strict. We aren't complaining though because we've had some fun with it. We were talking about music last night and to be honest dad I until then I didn´t realize how many songs of Cat Stevens that I actually like. I guess Elder Patey's dad likes Cat Stevens too...Long story short you might have a convert to your ways after all hahaha.

I'm sorry that the ward is kinda dead with missionary work. That's kind of how I feel about our area right now. We can't find new people to teach. We are looking everywhere. We only have one investigator named Celia with a baptismal date. If you could pray for her and that we can find new people to teach that would be great. I will do the same for you. I like that 40 day fast idea. We should do that here. I hope your ward council works better than ours does. Everyone showed up 30 minutes or more late. Including the bishop. This is starting to become a pattern. We hope that the stake president will call them to repentance :)

Anyways, glad you all are well. Sorry for the challenges with work mom. I know that things will improve. Thank you for all of your prayers and examples. Love you all.

Elder Schow

March 2, 2014

March 2, 2014

Sorry, I'm going to have to be a bit short today and write all of the family in one letter. I have like a million people that I have to write back and they are adding up like crazy. I really need to write the grandparents. I need to find a place to buy stamps though. So this week wasn't too exciting. We were in the appartment practically all week. Elder Patey's foot is still healing and he´s had what we think is the flu. Poor guy. They were some of the longest days of my life but surprisingly the week still seemed to go pretty fast. Weird how that works. I got to read a good portion of Jesus the Christ this week. It is a really amazing book. If you haven't read it I would highly reccommend it. It really has helped me to understand the New Testament better, and it has really strenghtened my testimony of Jesus Christ. I think that it was also good for our companionship to be cooped up together for several days. We have actually started to talk a lot more and we are starting to become better friends.

We had a zone conference this week that was really good. I love our mission president. He's so good in this calling. He is also so hilarious. He checked our area books at the zone conference and apparently they were terrible. He talked about the importance of keeping track of the work that we are doing not only for us but for the missionaries that follow. What really impressed me is that he corrected us all in such a loving and funny way.

Well not much else is happening here. Thanks so much for the pictures. I really loved them. You all look so great. You look so beautiful Maddie!!! You're growing up so much. If you could send me some printed pictures and some international stamps in an envelope I would love that. If not no worries though.

I'm glad that work is going well mom. Sorry if I forgot to mention that in my other emails. That´s really awesome that you found a little job to keep you busy during the day. That's awesome that you went out with the sister missionaries too. Thanks for all the work that you do as a bishop and for the family dad. I look up to you so much. Say hi to all of the grandparents for me. I really want to write them more. I need to figure out how I can make it possible. Love you all.

Elder Schow

February 24, 2014

February 24, 2014

Hola,

Well I'm glad to hear that you all are doing well. It sounds like you all are staying busy. That's awesome about the new temple video. I really want to see it. I´ll have to wait quite a while though because the temple here is closed for like 1 year 3 months. I'm sorry that the fhe with the S. didn´t go exactly like you hoped mom. Don't lose heart though. It will all work out in the end the way the it is supposed to. What did you guys do for it? How did they respond? Yeah I think that it will be intersting to be companions with a district leader. I'm excited to go on companionship exchanges with the zone leaders and the other missionaries in our district to learn how other missionaries teach. It's always good to teach with others so that you don´t fall into a rythym in the lessons by teaching with the same person every time.

Well this week was a little interesting. My companion received an infection in his foot in his first area and it started to come back. I think that they are planter warts. Anyway thought the doctor burned them off with an acid and said that he shouldn't walk much for several days and that his foot needs to stay dry for a few weeks. We've been stuck in the apartment basically all day for the last several days. It has been good in some ways because we have got to study a lot etc. but it has also been sooo long haha. I'll be glad for when we can go and start working again. The only complicated thing is keeping his foot dry. He might have to wear a sock and a sandal for a couple weeks or something. We´ll see what happens. The members we live with have been great though. They have brought us food and cooked us breakfast like twice and paid for taxis. They really live the law of consecration. We got back from reporting yesterday and the sister we lived with had ordered us Burger King. We were both like ¿que hace? (what are you doing) just in our minds though. It was really funny. We were really appreciative all the same even though it was Sunday.

Thankfully we were still able to have our baptisms on Saturday. I got to baptize one A. My first baptism ever haha. I was a little nervous but it all turned out well in the end. It felt good, and I was honored that I got to baptize someone. The other A. was baptized by her husband. He didn't know that she was getting baptized until she entered the baptismal font because he thought that he was going to be baptizing the son of one of their friends.
  Wow that's crazy that everyone is pregnant. Like dad I can't keep up with them all anymore. Like father like son I guess haha. I'm glad that Ethan is doing well. It really helps me to talk to him too because he is in the same boat as I am. I really miss that kid...and all the rest of you guys too. You should send me some pictures of Disneyland. I would really like to see a few. The ones I have of you guys are all the same. Hit me up with some variety :) Oh and you should forward me Preston's letters if you have a little time. I would really like to print them off and read them. Stay safe and eat some American tacos for me.

Elder Schow