I'M AN UNCLE!!! (again)

WOOT WOOT!!!!

Hello Family!

Ok, well holy mack-A-roll! I am freaking out right now! YAY! I have a nephew, and I am so incredibly happy :) Wow, I was freaking out when I got the dear elder! I was just jumping up and down with joy! What an amazing thing :) Thanks for thinking of me and keeping me included yall, that really means a lot :) So!!!! Ash?! How is he?! Cutest little bean I have ever seen (equal to Ava of course) haha, but that one pic with his eyes open....wow I wanted to cry! I am so happy for yall family! Treasure Gavin for me while I am gone, give him hugs and kisses from me! (also what I was thinking Ash...if you wanted me to see videos of him progressing in his sweet little life for the next years, send me a flash card that goes into my camera!) Anyways, how is it all going?! I can't wait for the day when I see him, and just give him a hug. So adorable. AHH, I just cannot express my joy right now :) :)

I don't even wanna talk about me right now, I just wanna know everything that is going on with Gavin!! Hahaha, but I guess some cool stuff happened this last week.

Let's see, well I only have 5 days left, and I leave at 5am on Tuesday...it's becoming real. I have seen so so so many other districts go, and never really thinking about our time to come. But wow, it's here! 5 days I'll have a new compainion, find out where my first area is going to be and just have the mission start!! Que en el Mundo?!  Este es LOCO! So yeah this last week I have been kinda freaking out, just psyching myself out ya know? What is it going to be like?! I am sooo excited! But yeah, our teacher Hermano Frost was talking to us, and he said some really really cool things to help us relax and just have patience. One really cool thing he said was, "Yes, it is easier to doubt than believe - DON'T doubt." That hit me hard! And it's so true, you can't doubt yourself and your ability to endure. Here, I have seen things be done that I never thought I could do, and honestly I still don't think I can do - but with the Lord's help, ANYTHING is possible. It's like what Elder Bednar said, "The Lord calls us to callings to push and challenge us, and those extra tough parts that we can't carry on our own, He does for us." On a mission I have learned to never loose faith. Cause faith is what is holding us up. My teacher also said something really cool, "We never stop trying...but we have to always keep caring." You gotta love this work! Love the people in your area and find the love you have inside of you and give it all to the people you serve! Man, I cannot wait to just have my heart ache and yearn for the people I serve - that's when I know I'll be doing something right!

On another note...I have not played guitar for now over one month, CRAZY!! Haha, cool huh! It's pretty cool actually I kinda forgot I played it! This time has seriously flown by! Madness, I hosted yesterday and seeing all these new elders and sisters come in and just seeing what they are about to do, embark on one of the greatest things ever! A mission for the Lord himself. Wow, that is crazy to think about. I have definitely learned to NEVER take a mission for granted!!

I am not entirely sure if dearelders go to the mission field, but just keep sending them to me! I love to hear from yall. Thanks Dad for the updates of the new Mission Pres. I'm excited to meet him and talk with him. So, have yall heard anything about my mission being split cause of the new Cali mission calls? We have just heard some rumors about it being repositioned, that's about it.

Some pretty cool things have happened here over the last couple of days. Every week as yall know, we have a a devo every Tuesday and Sunday. But this last week was mission conference. So yeah it's like a 2 hour devo instead of other meetings in the day. Well at the beginning of the devo, the MTC Pres gets up and he says, "We want to hear from one of you today, will one of the ASL speakers come up here and bear their testimony?" and I was like, "WOAH Connor is ASL!" and lo and behold Connor just walks up there with an interpreter and bears his testimony for like 4 minutes!! It was so so cool and a really spiritual time. Awesome.

On a more funny note - the MTC Pres also said after Connor got down that the water in the WHOLE MTC would be turned off. The water turned off last night at like 10 and came back on this morning at like 6, super funny to just watch others freak out and fill up like 6 water bottles and their camel backs. It was funny. haha.

I have met a lot of people here in the MTC, and yesterday especialy TONS of elders going to the Omaha NB mission and TONS of sisters going to the Winter Quarter Temple mission! I hosted two sisters going to that mission! So Nam and Nampa watch out, some really great missionaries coming! Ya!

Dad- hello, so yeah again thanks for sending me all the info and the newspapers of the church mail! So quick update with the travel plans. I have to be at the travel office at 5 am, we leave the MTC probs about no later than 5:30. Get to the airport like at 6:30 I hope, and there are 33 elders flying with us. so yeah that's a long line to get through security and the flight leaves at 8:30. I dunno how much time I will have to talk. BUT I AM GOING TO TRY MY HARDEST!! haha, Just keep the phone next to you! I love you and I hope I get to talk to you!

Becky-Where are you going to be when I call?! Will you be with Dad? Also thanks for all the updates! Please keep sending them! haha, And tell Candi I am on my way down to see her ;) How is it all going? Hollies move with out a fight?! haha I hope all is well :)

Ash- AHHHHHHH!!!! You have two kids now!! WOW, gosh I don't think you understand how happy I am right now! Gavin is, ONE) the greatest name in the WOLRD! It fits him so well. So yeah, I just wanna say I love you and your amazing example to me. Love you tons and write me if you are not too busy, thanks for all the pics as well! I will try to call you too! So keep your phone open, but if you're busy with ya know the baby that's totally fine if we can't talk :) Also I know for a fact if I posted a pic of Gavin on Instagram...AT LEAST 60 likes. hahahahaha

Kay- Costa Rica eh? Almost as cool as Long Beach. hahahm jk. But yeah am I going to get to call you?! Does your phone work down there?! I NEED TO KNOW! hahah, Ok well just try to let me know. I'll try to call you anyways. Love you and have a great time down there in paradise. Also, I LOVE the tie. It's my favorite...and don't worry I won't trade it :)

OK yall thats about it. Next you hear from me I'll be in CALI!!! Can't wait to go there. Last cool inspirational thought of the day... we went to Elder Holland's talk this last Sunday and he said some AMAZING things. If you ever get the chance to watch his talk called, "Missions are Forever" DO IT! Amazing. He said something really cool. "GO ASTONISH SOMEONE" Cool huh! Do just that. And I am going to! I'm going into Cali with my whole heart! Working as hard as I can, never closing my mouth until I have done ALL I can do. Can't wait! :)

Love you all, see you soon :)

Elder Schooff.

Hello, not too many pics today! Just wanted to make sure you got one!! hahah Love y'all.