April 28, 2014 - California is For Lovers

Hello all! 

Well this week was pretty dang gnarly, so let's start out! 

To start, this week was Mormon Helping Hands! It was fun here and pretty well disorganized haha, yeah it was mas chaos basically, no one had any idea what to do so eventually someone called the parks service and asked to volunteer and we went to work trimming hedges in a park! Haha it was fun, the whole stake met at the stake center in the morning and ate the best breakfast burritos ever!

I had a fun time doing that! And we all went to the top of Whittier Hill after and took the coolest pics. The sky was 100% beclear cause there was a rain storm the night before so it was beautiful! 

This area we have had some awesome but unique success, there is an elder in my district who has been super sick so he didn't actually get to work at all this week, so we were on sick exchanges this whole week with him in the nights taking turns caring for the sick elder. So we worked two areas this whole week. We found a lot of success in both areas.

This week I have been really trying to implement the study that President Tew has asked us to do! Simplify and ask inspired questions and get the investigator involved, President says teaching doesn't start until the investigator has the oprotunity to process what is said and express their true thoughts of our questions! So we did that! 

This week we were walking through the park to get to our investigator's house when we saw a lady sitting in a table! So we talked to her and she let us talk to her and talk a bit, we want to implement what Presisent has taught so we did it! We said one sentence, "God is Our Loving Heavenly Father" 

Then we asked a queston, "How have you felt the love of God in your life?"

At that moment, this lady we just met 5 minutes earlier started to cry. And to tell us all her doubts and problems, and we helped her a lot! The gospel will be so good for her, the English elders will take it from there. 

Also, when we were driving to an appointment a car behind us died, so we turned around and helped and pushed it to the side of the road and the old lady we helped with her car called AAA. As we were helping her a member of the church was there too! It was cool, the member bore her testimony and it was powerful, after we helped her we passed by her house later that night, she is 78 and it was awesome to talk to her too! This is what happened. We go ever there and she is a widow and has no family near and just is alone, it was so sad. As we started to teach, we implemented what President told us, simple and powerful statements with a question. We said again to a different person with a totally different background in every aspect, "God is our Loving Heavenly Father," and then we asked again, "How have you felt the Love of God in your life?" And once again, this 78 year old lady started to cry. It was so powerful to see that truly the gospel is the same even though everyone is different. It blesses everyone, no matter what the background (preach my gospel). 

Well family, transfers are this week coming up! Time is flyin by like crazy and it's bitter sweet! 

I love you all and shall see you soon! 

Elder Schooff 

April 22, 2014 - Pascua!

Hello, guess what...this week was Easter!

The reason I am writing on a Tuesday is because our Pday was changed to a Tuesday so we could go to temple this morning! 

This was one of the most gnarly weeks of business ever, but it's good because busy things keep you busy! haha 

We started out on Monday y we got a call from elders in my District that were super sick so we went on a "sick Split" so I worked with another elder that night in their area.

Tuesday came and we had to drive another elder to go to Fountian Valley for an appiontment he had with the doctor and we made our way back up so I could go on exchanges that night. 

Wednesday I had my doctor appiontment to see what I can do about my heel and then again to Fountian Valley to drive an elder to get an MRI. 

Thursday came and it was normal, just District meeting.

Friday was a Zone Conference and then Friday night exchanges.

Saturday all day exchange in another area! 

Sunday was Easter and there was a huge Multi faith thing at Rose Hill we went to represent.  

Yeah this week was SOO busy and a temple trip was well needed, I love going to temple, I love it there.

The Rose Hill thing was so interesting, Rose Hills is the GIGANTIC cemetary, I'm pretty sure it's the biggest one in America if not, at least in Western America! It's huge and every Easter they sponsor a donation fund and ask tons of clergies to come in and tons of Pastors and Bishops and Pastors and Our stake President was asked to be the main speaker. It was a very cool thing to see all the faith in Christ come together y be grateful for what He has done for us. Our Stake President and his talk was amazing, after the whole thing was done, so many people came up to us and asked us who he was and if they could listen to his Services, it was a great missionary vibe and we got tons of peoples info to go by! The English elders are going to be super busy! haha

The gospel is a beautiful thing, I love it. My companion was sharing something with me that really got me thinking and I want to share it with yall. 

Light, is marvelous. When the darker dark is, the better it is to see how amazing is light and how bright it can shine!  When it's darker, it's easier to recognize and see light as it appears, we look forward to it! It's proven that being in a super dark room for too long is bad, your eyes start to literally "search for light"... and it is so hard on your eyes that you make yourself go blind searching so much....THE SAME APPLIES TO THE GOSPEL. 

I believe that God knows what He is doing. There is reason for hardship and pain and trails in the life, I believe that maybe they are there so we can see the "Light" a little easier when it's there. It's that way with the church people find something they didn't know they were looking for. Their eyes were searching for the light when they have never seen light before. And when they see it...it shines! So cool! God is good. 

I love my time here in CA, I'm grateful for the moments of trial and obstacles. It make us see the light a little more!

Truly Christ is the Light, as He has said:
"I am the ^alight of the world: he that followeth me shall not ^bwalk in ^cdarkness, but shall have the light of life." John 8;12

I love you all so much, have a great week! 

Elder Schooff 

April 14, 2104

Hello all, this week was pretty awesome and JAMMED PACKED. 

Let me just start out and explain, this transfer is only a 5 week transfer, so one week less than usual, also I have 9 people in my district, I have to go on 7 exchanges, that means I am away from my companion for a whole week of the transfer, so thats like only a month with a companion! What the hay! Crazy,

   So this week I went on two exchanges, and it was fun! I went with some awesome elders, sometimes I feel like the elders in my district are way better and I feel like I am not teaching them anything and all I am doing is learning when I'm on the exchange, so cool! I heard a cool quote at out last leadership training, "A true leader makes the people they serve better than themselves." Sick.

Well I went on exchanges, and I realized how lucky I am to be a missionary, truly! We taught a lesson to this new investigator from the other elders, he is about 50 with a daughter and a grandson, this (I am pretty sure) is only the second time the elders have ever passed by and I just happened to be there due to the exchange. This is why a mission is a unique experience, this lady just lets us in, made us a TON of amazing food, invites us in, trusts us completely and  right off the bat just tells us all about her life, to two 19 year old boys, she told us her whole life story and some very personal things about her that like are so personal. To basically strangers off the street that asked to talk to her, us! A mission is a unique experience that you will get nowhere else, I was really thinking about why this lady and so many times in my mission people have just trusted the elders, I realized it's because we have been ordained to do this! The Power of God is real! Recently a returned missionary came to visit the mission, and he just told us how jealous of us he was, and we asked why, he said because we get to talk to who ever we want and as he passed them on the street he realizied after his mission you can't just do that, preach the gospel, salvation of souls are in your hands as an elder! It's so true and people feel the spirit as we come in! So cool! I LOVE being a missionary. I dunno if I even explained that, but just know that I am so blessed here. 

We had another really cool miracle happen this week, we again went by another less active that hasn't been passed by for more than 7 years and we talked to her, and it was awesome. Her name is yanira! She is super nice and she said that 4 days before we came by, she was praying super hard for someone to come and help cause she felt lost, then we came by! The Lord prepares people and never forgets anyone!

This week in District Meeting we talked about the importance of setting Baptismal dates, and how we just have to be bold as ask! So me and my Comp prayed to be an example to the District and the next morning we prayed to find NEW people to find who are ready for Bap. We went out at 11am and by 12am, one hour later, we found two new investigators and set 2 baptism dates with them...so sick! The Lord provides! 

Also...when I was on exchanges I broke another elder's bike....yeah the most embarrassing thing ever...just saying. 

Love yall!
Elder Schooff 

April 7, 2014

hello family!

 This is the best time of my life, I love my mission. 

This week was awesome, and we had General Conference, it was like Christmas morning here for us! Like, we got to hear a Prophet of God, speak to us! 

I have tons of favorite talks, and I heard a ton of the people speak about Paul so I decided I am going to start studying the life of Paul! I'm excited.

The one talk by Gary E Stevenson was awesome, about the 4 minutes of life theme and how the Olympics tied to the Plan of Salvation, it's so true! Sometimes I wonder if we even have enough time in this world to gain experience! It's a short life, very good talk! 

I loved the talk by Linda S Reeves too! About the importance of FHE and family prayer, that stuff is VITAL for a child growing up, especially prayer, it's so simple but sometimes we overthink it and I we think it's too hard! We need to always make time to converse with God as a family. 

Overall, I think my favorite part was the one line that Elder Packer said, he said it softly where I don't think a lot of people heard it but it hit my heart hard! 

He said, "Somethings in life can't be taught, but they can only be learned." 

Wow. I know right, deepest saying ever. It's so true, like relating that to my mission, the things I learn here CAN NOT be taught, but can only be learned like patience, love, charity, maturity, leadership and so much more! You can only learn these things out here. God truly does love us.

I love what Pres Eyering talked about to be a spiritual hero, so cool, I have tons of those in my life...the biggest one, DAD! You are a spiritual giant and I was thinking of you the entire time he was speaking. 

As a missionary is so important that we be examples to all. To young missionaries, to our comps our ward and everyone, so they can look to us as an example. Cool! 

When I get home...let's do a family tree gathering like that one sister talked about! How cool would that be?? Just saying. 

Simply enough family, remember that the little things don't matter, the things that are of worth to God should be of worth to us too, nothing else. I have learned that. 

I'm going ham right now on trying to memorize a scripture everyday, and it's going good! I love one in Corinthians 13:11 

When i was a child, 

I spake like a child, 

I understood as a child, 

I thought as a child.
When I became a man...I put away ALL childish things. 

Missions make us men of God! That's what I am still studying too, the attributes of a man of God! 

Have a great week yall! 

Elder Schooff