June 24, 2013 {Happy Birthday Elder Schooff!}

Well hello once again!

So it's crazy to think that we are now starting the 4th week of the transfer, a mission just goes by WAY too fast. But I love it! Our new president comes in really soon and I am so excited to meet him, should be great. But yeah, this week has been an amazing week! We are working really hard and trying everything we can, and hopefully have a couple baptisms before the end of the transfer! Woot woot! LOVE IT! But let's see...

Oh so yes, it is true it was my birthday this last week, cool. I guess now I'm not unique in the mission and can't say I'm 18. haha Bummer but cool, it's cool to think that I would be just leaving on the mission right now. Cool, but here I am about to hit 5 months! Wow, I LOVE my mission. But yeah ok, so I had the best birthday you could have on a mission. It was a ball! So great, and I love my district and the members of the ward! Ok so we started out as a normal day, it was all good in the hood and for lunch we went to Taco Bell and got my favorite...cheesy gordita crunch. SICK. Next after that we had an awesome lesson with an investigator and she bought me a cake!! It was so, so nice of her to do that, we have a baptism date with her now next Sunday! That was awesome how I got a cake it made me so happy. Then after the lesson we went to the family Pablo for dinner (Dad did Hermana Pablo send you some pics?) and we had my favorite...enchiladas! They all acted like they didn't know it was my birthday and being all cool, until they pulled out a HUGE cake they made me! Seriously the coolest cake I have had! And in Spanish culture...it's a tradition to have your head smashed in the cake...well yup! haha I got my head smashed in! So so funny I'll send pics of it! And they got me a really cool shirt too! I LOVE the members in my area, they are so missionary minded. It's great. After that dinner there was a fiesta in the ward or a Noche de Hogar (FHE) and they watched Johny Lingo, at first Pres said we were not allowed to stay and watch, but with much persistence and a birthday he let us stay and watch the movie, and it was cool because we had 3 investigators there! Woot woot! Right as we were leaving the movie at night we walked out of the building and fireworks were going off at Knotts Berry Farm. So basically it was the best birthday you could have on a mission. And that night I was on exchanges with my DL, I decided to wait and open all the packages I got that night of my bday! I opened the package from Kaitlyn, Tick, and Auntie and the card from Ashely and the package from Granny too!

WOW! Thank you all so, so much for the wonderful stuff, it truly means so, so much to me! Auntie thank you SO SO much for the pic of the missionaries in VA! That is one of the coolest things I have ever seen! I love it so, so much, I love you so, so much too! You're the best, I have a letter on the way for you! And TICKIE thank you so, so, so, so much for the letters of Mom!! I love it. I was crying I love them so much, I love all the other stuff I got too from you! Kait thanks for all your stuff! I LOVE the music and shirts SICK! And ash thanks for the "help" haha I bought you something and it's in a package soon on your way! Thanks, hope you like it! I loved my bday!

Oh also I got to confirm our convert into the church yesterday! So cool but I was so nervous!

Well all is well here, we are doing great and I love y'all so so much! Thanks for always writing me and thinking about me! Always write me! Haha y'all are the best, I'll talk to you later!

June 17, 2013

Ok well family!

Ok, wow...so yeah this week was insane. First to start off, about those fires...haha I got a call on Tuesday about them, Sister Bubert called me and let me know. When she told me I really didn't know how to react, haha. Like I was sad or nervous or happy or sad. It was weird. But yeah, kind of right there I realized something, I can either freak out about this and whine and worry and not focus and stress, or I can realize that the Lord is there. That there really was nothing I could do until now and find out about it, and remember why I am a missionary and focus on that. I tried to do the second one! haha and it was such a blessing, it's true what they say. When you are having a hard time...serve someone else! We worked hard this week and had amazing numbers and a baptism! So so cool! It's so cool how when you really put your trust in the Lord, do His will. He will bless you and your family! DC 31 really applied to me this week about putting in a hard days work and really giving it your all and your family will be blessed. Cooool.

But yeah it was awesome! Also Granny thanks for the awesome package, love the shirt! Gotta represent VA! haha, I love to get mail! Thank you to all that send me some! Love it! 

This week we had our last interview with President Bubert. He leaves in like 10 days or something, so we all had exit interviews with him. I really have grown to love that man, and respect him as a person so much. He has had a lot on his plate as a President, but he handled it well! My respect goes out to him! We had just a really good talk and were able to talk about everything that has happened and what is going on, later he just sent me a really cool, simple text saying, "Thank you my good friend, you are trusted and an outstanding missionary, thank you for all have you done Elder Schooff." That hit me hard when I got that, he is legit! I love that guy! haha I am going to miss him, it will be interesting to see what happens with president Tew.

So this last week we had a Baptism! Yay! It was for our investigator who is 13 years old, well his whole family are investigators. They were all originally going to be baptized yesterday, but last minute they all backed out except the son. They are still investigators but they said they just want to be sure. It was kind of a bummer but I am grateful for their son showing his family an example - we are going to work with them really hard this next week! We have some really promising investigators right now and all should be well coming up, doing work!

It's been a good, hard week! I love you all so much family, thank you for the updates.

Dadv- I need to say how much I love you. Happy Father's Day and Birthday! You are the best father a son could have. Truly know that! You are such an example to me but also to so many others. I am so blessed to have a leader in my family like you that worthily holds the Priesthood. You are doing great and keep "trekin" haha (cause you just went on the trek)

OK well family I love you! Until next week! Hope all stays well in Colorado!

Love you,

Elder Schooff

June 10, 2013

Hello Fam! 

How is it going?! I bet it is going so great! Cool cool cool. Well as y'all know I'm in a new area! so cool, i LOVE THIS AREA! I'm in Cyprus 3a WITH Knott's Berry Farm in my area! It is soooo cool! And we can go there for Pday...NOT haha jk, I wish. But yeah. So the new area is great, and guess what the ward in amazing! They are soo cool! We have an amazing ward mission leader, he is a convert of two years and he works so hard! We have already had a ton of success, we committed an entire family to baptism next Sunday! Yay, hopefully they will all commit. The lesson we had with them so, so powerful, an amazing feeling to have the spirit with you, guiding you what to say, and in Spanish! Woot woot! haha, 

SO my new companion's name is Ziegner. He is so great. And SUPER hard working, and he is so cool! We have a ton of plans in the area to BLOW IT UP! I love the area and all is well here. I miss the old area. But I'm so glad I am here haha. It was hard saying goodbye to all the other members back in the old ward, they are soo cool. So yeah, it was pretty cool and hard went to the Ones Ways one last time to say goodbye! haha 

This mission is great. Also everyone is going crazy here about the basketball tourny. haha. 

SO yeah, also my new district leader looks just like you Bryson and he acts like you too! But he is from Guatemala and super cool. 

So how is everyone doing? I talk about myself way too much, all is well here and I love my mission. 

What are y'all doing for summer, any cool plans from anyone? Well fam I don't have to much to say, I love you all and I pray daily for you! 

I know that this church is true, so true. I love this church and this gospel, if people could just comprehend what this church does and what the blessings are that come from it, it's amazing. I love it soo much. We are not like any other church, we have so much more! haha, Well I love y'all.

 

Until next week! 

Elder Schooff 

June 3, 2013

Hello Family!

Ok, well what is up?! Another Pday is here! And it's JUNE!! 

Ok, this last week has been a blast, so much stuff has happened. Like, I had a baptism! It was so great, so peaceful and wonderful to watch and to take part of. I love the opportunity to teach people about this gospel so, so much. It's so wonderful, and as always it's even better in Spanish! I love Spanish! haha,

Ok, so transfer! I'M LEAVING. I know right, what? I wasn't expecting it either. Haha, but yeah, I'm super pumped. I am going to Cyprus and will be with another elder, Elder Ziegner. He is super cool, I met him last night and I'm just so happy to be with him. So yeah, I have had three different areas, three different companions in three transfers. SUPER UNCOMMON.

President, I think, just wants me to have a normal mission. haha, He told the zone leader he wanted to say sorry for how crazy my mission has been. I don't know why?! I love my mission so, so much! I love all the hustle and bustle, and the trials and obstacles I have had. It pushes me to do good. Now in this new area...we are going to kill it!

It's so hard leaving an area, especially your first. I love the ward here so, so much, I'm going to miss them like gnarly. But life will go on! It is so weird saying goodbye to all my investigators too! It's so sad! Haha but it'll all be good!

Also, last night...we witnessed a murder...yeah, insane. We were biking back getting out of a lesson at 9:15 or so, and we hear gun shots two streets away from our apartment. The next thing we know, cops are everywhere and a guy is laying in the street. This morning the whole street was blocked off with detectives everywhere. Yeah it was insane. To say the least.

Well fam I love y'all so much, thanks for all the wonderful support and all that you do for me! I love y'all oh so much, and I love this church and I love my mission! Hope y'all have a great week!

Elder Schooff  

A tie a member made me, the S thing is for Sharon, Mom :)  

The 4 man crew