November 25, 2013

Hello my beautiful familia! Como estan?!? haha Well I love you all and I love my mission so much. 

So this last week was transfers and I got my new companion and his name is Elder Brock. He is legit! Man I love him so much and we are working ourselves to death and man, it's so fun! We have a determination to be the last missionaries ever from LB here and end it with a BANG! It's so fun! 

So let's see, yes I am still here in Buena Park and in the 3rd ward! And let me say I could not be more grateful! How blessed am I! haha, I love all the members and the recent converts so much and how blessed am I to stay here with them for Christmas and Thanksgiving. 

This week we had a super cool Zone Meeting and we really wanted a new zone motto per say, It's Christmastime and we couldn't be happier to just go GIVE to others. I just was joking saying, "Oh we should be called Man like Christ"! haha, and well what do you know the whole zone loved it! So now we are all trying to be Mas like Christ! haha, It's the best. We are trying to focus on getting other referrals for other missionaries, basically going out of your way to contact on the street for others. It's kinda gnarly but already we have seen so much success out of it! We are trying to forget ourselves and go out and not just work but go and and find someone directly to serve. It's cool! 

This week I have a cool story to go along with that, we got a referral from the English elders and they even set up an appointment for us! This happens a lot! Most everyone that will stop and listen to a contact is Spanish, so we get tons of referrals. We go to the apt but it turns out no one was there, so instead of just leaving and doing something for us we decided to contact for like 15 minutes and ask the Lord to help us help the other elders, Well it worked. We had such a good contact and the guy just opened up to us on the street and even let us in his house and told us his whole life story and also, he was super into Larp. (Google it) so it was pretty gnarly. We taught a lesson and got a return appointment and gave him to the English elders, and now he is progressing wonderfully! It's so cool! He is so nice, the Lord put us in that area at that time for that reason, to help others! It's so cool! 

This week I studied a lot about Hope, and what that really means, it does not mean just to endure and "get through it" but it really means, to LOVE to get through it, with optimism and a smile on your face. It's funny to see that when you really apply TRUE hope it makes life so much more fun and happy! Man how cool is that! 

This last week...it rained!! Sick i know right, this is the second time it has rained here for the last 10 months and let me tell you, it was such a blast!! haha  We biked out hearts out in the rain and got soaked, it was a tender mercy of the Lord. Or at least I felt. 

So as you all know, Thursday is...Thanksgiving! I want to take this time to say how much I love all of you so much, and how grateful I am to all of you for what you do for me! I could not be in a happier state of life right now! haha, Thank you for all your support out there and the love and prayers that you send my way (and letters too). 

Family I love you and I will talk to you all in one week! And also, talk to y'all on the phone in 1 month!! woot woot! 

Elder Schooff 

November 18, 201

Hello Family! 

How are all of y'all doing in your fine areas, wherever you may be in the this beautiful world! California is getting a bit chilly...NOT! haha, It was 84 degrees this last week. 

Anyways, the Christmas season is coming and it's pretty cool here, different than Colorado, cause Cali doesn't have snow. haha But it's still good! 

This week was a good week! We had a cool miracle in it and TRANSFERS! But before I tell you about the gnarly news, I want to share this story! 

It was a regular day here in CA, and we were about to leave the apartment at about 3 after lunch and Language study. So we go out and I get on my bike! We get going and I can NOT bike, the derailer thingy was NOT working, it was like pedaling a 200 pound weight and it got to the point where the rail and the chain got jammed. It was impossible to pedal, so I tried harder to pedal and that made it WAY worse, the derailer bent and was completely off place. We stopped and tried to fix it, and I was very...well let's see...stressed at the moment. We had to sets and then a dinner with investigators at 6 and I did NOT want to miss any of it!  I was getting really frustrated. So I flipped my bike over and tried to fix it. But I could not think of anything, in my mind I was so upset. I thought of Pres Hinckely and his words, "The best time to pray, is when you don't want to pray at all." So I sat down there on the sidewalk and said a prayer. Just asking for patience and for help, to keep me happy and calm. A warm feeling came over me that, getting frustrated solves NOTHING. It only makes it worse, also I got the impression that I need to kick the derailer, which I do not know why, I thought it would be worse, but I did it. and boom!  It fixed it just enough to get back to the apartment to get my wallet and to ride the the bike shop, still super bad, I went in there thinking I would have to get a whole new gear set and derailer. The guy walks up, and unscrews something and moves his screwdriver around and boom it was fixed. Better than before! He told me to not worry about the price because he says it happens all the time! So I left that bike store so happy! My bike was like brand new, but that's not where it ends! We had to sets, and yes we did miss the first one, but we went by and turns out the person wasn't there anyways, so we tried to go by a woman that is super interested but is NEVER home, we found her 3 transfers ago and still haven't taught her.

We go by her house just feeling she was there, we knock and...nothing! haha, We were kinda bummed, but as we are walking away...she is walking into her apartment! We go back and knock and she lets us in! And we taught a whole first and she is doing so good! She said, "It just seems right and real".I love that! Heavenly Father really does know where we need to be, even if that does mean breaking my bike to get me there to her house! I love that! 

OK! So transfers!!! Let's see, guesses guesses anyone, I have been here for 4 transfers and....I'm going to....to...TO....I'm staying!! haha Yes that is right I am staying here in Buena Park for another transfer. Isn't that crazy!! Almost 8 months here in the BP3rd! haha, I love it! I'm so happy to stay here for Christmas and Thanksgiving, how cool is that! Also on top of that...I will be THE LAST Long Beach Missionary to serve in my area, that is right, after over 20 years of having the ward split into two missions, it ends in 6 weeks and the whole ward finally goes to the Anaheim mission! So we are "closing" the area kinda here in Long Beach. It's insane, it's basically waiting it out and just preparing the move, to transfer it over to Anaheim. I'm happy! The Lord has entrusted us to stay here and work our hearts out one more transfer and show what we have! I'm going HAM! The district got dissolved so we have no DL, the Spanish elders here haha are sitting ducks basically and we are waiting it out! haha, We just got placed in English districts for the time being! haha, It's been good and I LOVED training Elder Creasey and now he is going up to Whittier West with another Elder, and I'm staying here back up training an elder! So it'll be good! 

This is going to be a great transfer with a lot happening! I love my mission so much, I hope you all have a great week and have so much fun doing all you do! 

Elder Schooff 

November 11, 2013

HELLO FAMILY! 

How are you all doing today? It has been a steady week here in the wonderful state of California and especially in the area of Buena Park! Perfect weather and all. 

We started out like so:

As you all know Last Sunday we had a Baptism for Hma Luna! She is so awesome and I LOVE her whole family to death. It will be SO hard to say goodbye to all the families if and when I do leave this area. I love my mission. Anyway we went by their house on Monday night to talk with her and the family and to see how she feels and to give her her present. We asked, "Well hermana, how to you feel right now?" Her response was one of the sweetest and most wonderful responses I have heard in my mission. She said that Sunday night she didn't really have time to think about it because of the dinner party she had at her house with the people that went to her baptism. She said she felt good on Sunday but just couldn't process it yet. But then in the middle of telling us that, she started to just cry. Let me tell you I have NEVER seen Hma Luna cry. She told us on Monday morning that she just woke up and started to cry, she woke up and felt clean. She said for the first time in her life she was clean and that nothing in her past mattered because she knew God had forgotten it and it was a new life basically! 

That was the coolest thing I have ever heard. That is the reason a missionary serves a mission. For all the hard times and the trials we have, for moments when people say "I feel clean." It was the best. I LOVE my mission. 

Also this week we directed a parade in the La Palma city parade, so that was a cool, fun thing to do. Our whole zone did it!

This week also was the the Children's Program, it was simply the coolest thing ever. Very different, but very, very sweet to hear it. 

I love this ward and the people in it. I can tell you every one's names now in the ward and man I might as well just move my records over here. (Would you like that dad? ;) ) 

Overall, this week was fantastic. Transfers are coming up and next pday is the last one of the transfer and Saturday we get calls for where we go, we are guessing I am leaving and going to a new area. This week will be so sad for me but I know Elder Creasey will make this area grow so much!!! Yesssss!!

Ok well I love you family! I'll let you know what will happen to me! 

Have a great week! Yes bye!! 

Elder Schooff 

November 4, 2013

Hello Family! 

Well let's see, this week was full to the brim and man it was good! It was a very constant week but probably one of the best in my mission. 

To start out, Thursday was...Halloween! And guess what, we got a late notice the day of that we could not go out that night, due to past problems and things. We had to stay in and clean the apartment, and let me tell you, that was a blessing to us 100%. We needed it bad. But we went all out, we didn't just clean, we rearranged the apartment too! It was so fun, and it made it have a fresh, new feeling. It made the apartment "ours". So now it's super clean and a place where the Spirit can truly preside!

So this week we really, really focused on our investigators the Familia Luna, let me just say how much I love this family. I have been here now in BP for 6 months and we found them right when I got in! I had the opportunity to see the 2 children be baptized and guess what...the mom got baptized yesterday!! Yes!! It was not easy to get them all here, but man was it is amazing. But I'll talk more about her baptism in a second.

Friday we went to their house and did service; yard work and cleaning and that kind of stuff (Dad I wish I would have helped you more with that stuff at home before my mission to learn! haha). We went and were with the family for a good part of the day, preparing her and also...she taught us how to knit! Becky and Nam, you would be so proud of me...until you saw the "progress that I made." Man is it hard! Like no joke, I have a lot of respect for y'all! haha. 

Her baptism was simply amazing! The Stake President baptized her and we were both the witnesses! It was an honor, and I will forever remember that moment just actually seeing it happen, going into the water and coming out. She kept telling us before the baptism, "Maybe I'll slip my foot up out of the water so you'll have to do it again, so I will feel more clean." She was joking of course. But in all it was fantastic, I consider that whole family my family now, I have seen them so much and wow it just makes me love my mission so much more now! One year from now to the temple for them!

So usually after the baptisms I like to go get my converts something to remember their baptism. I wanted it extra special this time, so we bought a big picture frame with the border around it all white, and we went to church and had all the Relief Society and bishop and stake president and her family sign it with some words of congratulations, with a pic of us and her family at the baptism inside! The whole ward was SO excited for her baptism and she even asked me and Creasey "her missionaries" (in her words) to play a musical number...this was a problem because I do not play the piano, but we practiced a little and we played I Love To See the Temple with me on piano and Creasey on the Violin! It was very cool and a great thing to do to invite the Spirit even more! 

After the baptism the Lunas family invited us over to their house to eat, all the missionaries, so clearly we all said yes! There she dared us to eat a habanero pepper! If any one knows me I am HORRIBLE with spicy stuff, but we all did it! And last night I think I became a man, I did it! And it wasn't even too hot! The mission is making a man out of me. ;) 

This week also, my other recent convert Mariana bore her testimony in church, Creasey was sitting next to her in church and I was with our other investigator but cCeasey told me that her heart was thumping and she knew she had to go up, so he told her..."That's the Spirit! Go up!" It was so cool to hear her and her testimony! It just shows how true the gospel is! 

Ok family! I love you all so much and this week will be great, I implore all of you to keep going! I was studying about the prodigal son this week and how even though the son left, the dad opened his arms and let him in with pure joy! That is amazing, God will always be there for us, we just have to show our faith and reach out and ask him for help! 

I was also studying about The Sons of Mosiah, and how they desired to go preach to the Lamanites so they asked their father King Mosiah. Even though the king knew it was a righteous act, STILL he went and asked the Lord for guidance. And days later he told the sons they can go but to be patient in their afflictions, but in the end you will have Eternal Life. 

The same applies to us today. Even though we think something is righteous, we still must always ask God for His approval letting us know all things we are doing, sometimes it will take a while to get our response, and even if we have His blessing it doesn't mean it will be easy! Remember that family; God it there for us, and in the end we will have eternal life! Forever! I love my mission. 

Transfers are coming up in about 2 weeks and man has this one has flown by! Love y'all 

Elder Schooff   

Clean apartment

Baptism

Eating a pepper