One picture - Aug. 28th, 2017

I do have one picture from a friend of mine up there.  She is great about sending me picture of Elder Schoemig.  Thank you Bethany!

Elder Schoemig, Elder Hess, Bro. Stratton, Elder Bird, Elder Gios

Happy Birthday!!!

First and foremost, and most important of all of the thingys that you will hear today from me, It is my Moms birthday!!!!!!! Shes the bomb! She is always there to help me out and give me advice and do whatever she needed to help me out!! Mom you are awesome!!! Thank you so much for putting up with all the annoying and infuriating stuff I did! Cuz we all know that thats what I do haha. Anyway, if you havent sent her a giant present yet then shame on you and get that done quick. And I actually haven't done that either so shame on me, I'll work on it Mom!!

Anyways,

This week was great!

Tuesday we taught Brady and are really just encouraging him right now. We also went to Eliot and Russels house, a less active and an investigator, but they were busy and didn't have time so we made plans to go back later.

Wednesday We went up to Andre's house!! another 3 hour drive!! It was so good!! We taught the Restoration in really simple terms because he doesn't understand a lot of stuff, he is really behind in education, but we are teaching him and he is very interested, one of the hardest parts about being an ASL missionary is seeing people in really tough situations, all the time, its sad. But back to Andre, he is really concerned about the welfare of his soul- and much like Joseph Smith he has a few churches contacting him always, especially Jehovah's Witness, they really target deaf people up here, and they basically anti us the entire time we aren't there, they just tell him that its all made up and all this garbage so we are trying to do weekly appointments now but its hard cuz he lives a long way away

Thursday was tough, we tracted a bunch but didn't find really anyone

Friday I went on exchanges! One of the cool things I get to do as Assistant to the District Leader is go to all the areas in our district, except for those with sisters, but I went to Edmonds with Elder Anderson and he is awesome!! Hes so cool and he knows Bailey Frampton! They went to college at Utah State together, when he found out I went to Lone Peak he immediately asked me if I knew who she was, so that was fun. We tried contacting some potentials, and some investigators and some members but they were all gone. So we knocked a lot of doors. It was super cool though, I am much more comfortable tracting now than I was before. We were tracting during a Seahawks game, that was tough, people here love love LOVE the Seahawks, so that was suuuuuper tough, we knocked a door, and the guy goes "HI, you guys are interrupting a football game, BYE!" and begins to slam the door, but we kinda forced our way in, got the score to the game and gave him a pamplet to read. Then after that we started talking about sports and vented about Gordon Hayward leaving the Jazz, dang it!! Anyway that was fun.

Saturday we got into the Zooks house! and met the wife and taught part of the restoration! We are going to be going back soon but that was a miracle! We had never gotten in or had a religious discussion but we did!! It was so awesome! She invited us back to teach her more, she has a tough time accepting the fact that the Book of Mormon and the Bible are separate things though, we will explain more later, also theres another random deaf lady that lives there, we hope to teach her as well.

Sunday picked up a new investigator!! It was awesome!! Went to her house, taught some of the restoration on the doorstep, gave her a Book of Mormon, committed her to read, and to  have us come back, and to become baptized! But her answer was funny, we arent sure if she said yes or no to baptism because she said Sure! but i've already been baptized, so we explained priesthood authority, but we will explain more. It was super awesome though!!

Anyway, this week we have a whole list of people to contact!! We are hoping to do lots of work this week and just have so many meetings that we barely have time for anything else. Super excited for everything to come!!

Oh, I've started driving at the beginning of this transfer and Seattle traffic is crazy apparantly its like 3rd worst in the country or something like that. But Its been awesome driving again!!

The gospel is true! Miracles come when you study your scriptures and pray to your Heavenly Father, I know thats true!! so please keep reading! a cool talk I read this week was from President Hinckley, who is one of my favorite speakers, it is from October 2003, it is titled
An Ensign to the Nations, A Light to the World and it is awesome, please read it!! anyways Love you all!! You are the BEST!!!!!

Much love!-Elder Schoemig

No pictures this week, I've grown lazy..sorry!!

Chapel, pizza and playdoh - Aug. 21, 2017

Theres a tiny little chapel on our way to Sultan, its cool but has got a bad vibe to it, we stayed like two minutes and then skedaddled, there was definitely not good juju there.

My pizza I made, stuffed, it was way good.

A dog I made out of playdoh ( I don't know how to spell that) last night, cool stuff haha

Hello

HELLO! 

Ok quick rundown of the week for those of you that will only read a little bit of my emails. 

Monday - P-day, there is a sweet root beer store that is awesome, and a muslim guy paid for our lunch

Tuesday - Transfer Day, Elder Hess trained for District leader stuff, we met a jack mormon who is roommates with a deaf guy so that was cool, going back Tuesday. and a lady bought us ice cream at Dairy Queen.

Wednesday - Elder Madsen enters the MTC! hes gonna kill it!! Tell all the teachers I say hi and I love them!! Besides that tracted and didn't find much. Rough day

Thursday - Made a bomb pizza, don't even worry about it. Thanks P-Murphs crew for teaching me, it was way good. Taught Brady (inv.) and Darryl (LA) it was good.

Friday - Met two potentials, a woman and her fiance. Also went to Mt. Vernon and taught a less active and her friend who is a non member, while her son slept. Hopefully I can talk to him soon though, Elder Hess said he never really talked to missionaries but I want to talk to him CODA to CODA so we'll see!

Saturday - Met Brady again, finally got in the Young families house! Thanks to inspired timing from the Lord! We showed up right when he was unloading groceries. Got in and talked to his wife! She never wanted to talk to us before but yeah, we invited them to have dinner and stuff so I'm super pumped!

Sunday - Church, met Eliot, the deaf guy we didn't see Tuesday, but we're going back Tuesday to teach him and all of the people in his house! Also went to a members home to visit but his dad wouldn't let us in to see him. Really ticked me off, I'll explain more in the expanded version of my email but yeah.

Love you guys!!!

So for those of you more than just slightly interested in my life and with more than just a little time on your hands I'll explain a little more!

Monday - So there is seven missionaries in Costco just chilling and waiting in line to get lunch, when this guy comes up and asks if we're Mormon. We said..Yeah.. and he said oh I want to pay for your lunch!! We slowly accepted and talked to him a little more, he said Oh I'm not Mormon but I have a Mormon neighbor and he is a journalist and meets lots of Mormons and they're always super nice so he bought us lunch. Super cool! Also theres a root beer store on Aurora Avenue that is way sweet, tons of root beer and they give missionaries half off!

Tuesday - Elder Hess got trained so we had to go to transfer meeting even though we weren't getting transferred but we went it was cool. Brady skipped out on a lesson with us, but we decided to not let it get us down, we went to a former investigator Eliot and talked to his roommate and roommates girlfriend. Roommate is named Russel and is a jack mormon, basically super inactive and smokes and drinks and has tattoos, he fell away super hard. But the girlfriend is a non-denominational type of church person, she says she has her own views that she likes and a lot of churches don't fit that view, that is a very typical view up here, lot of people like that. But taught them both some of restoration stuff and some plan of salvation stuff, they had a lot of questions but it was good. Left a chapter to read from the Book of Mormon and are going back Tuesday. Miracles! So we go to Dairy Queen to get ice cream, BTW there are tons of DQs up here, its weird. But we are in the parking lot and this lady comes screeching in and rolls down her window and shouts, Hey Elders! Did you guys finish eating yet?? We were like umm no... so she was like Awesome! I'll get you whatever you want! So we just got ice cream and said thanks, but people are so nice!!!

Wednesday - Met with a less active in a super rich area called Capital Hill, but he wants us to visit every week, a lot of members want us to visit every week, because home teaching here is kind of awful, so we are working with members to change the mindset that missionaries are not just 24/7 home teachers...but yeah he got mad at us for a lot of different things, super weird, anyway! Love him! We tracted around a ton and found nothing really... so that was a bummer. Rough day.

Thursday - Made my pizza, it was delicious. We also had Zone Leadership Conference. ZLC, that was good, I had to go cuz Elder Hess is district leader. I'm not a zone leader, haha jk I guess I'm like Assistant to the District Leader? Its a title, the pay isn't any better;) LOL I'm hilarious. We had a lesson with Brady about modesty and virtue and prophets and a lot of stuff, but it was very good! We all felt the spirit! and Brady is going to get a job!! It should be good!! Also gave a less active Darryl a blessing, he has a crazy bad staph infection, its disgusting. Anyway haha gave that to him and talked to him about moving to Utah, hes been delaying moving to Provo for so long, like 5 months now, we told him to just go do it. He feels its the right thing to do but its just been postponed for suuuuuppppperrrrrr long. Anyway it was way good!! I told him when he goes to Utah to find my parents in the Lehi Branch so hopefully he does that!

Friday - Awesome day! Met with Jennie and her fiance Eric to see if we could teach them, we will go back hopefully when Eric isn't there because he just likes to chat but Jennie is actually somewhat interested in learning. Also we met with Saralyn, a less active, and her non member friend and taught a little bit of the restoration lesson. We are going back soon.

Saturday - Deaf social in Seattle, met a lot of cool people, deaf socials we meet a lot of people but we can't preach unless they ask us so, its tough, some people are interested in us though. We met with Brady again and taught another lesson, on how and why God helps us in our trials. Then finally got in the Youngs house!!! We are trying to make them comfortable with us and then we will try to teach, they have a daughter at home as well so we are hoping it can be really good! Like Kenny said quality of connections not quantity.

Sunday - Church was cool, I interpreted for a high councilman while he talked, but it was tough, he is from the Spanish branch so it was hard to hear his accent sometimes but I think I did ok. Then we (the ASL missionaries) had a meeting on how to make our schedule more effective, it was way good! We are still making changes in the ASL area! Elder Bird, Elder Camillo Gois and myself are all planning on big changes in the area because we see some big areas of concern with how things we're done so things should be changing. But then we met with Eliot! We felt prompted to go to his house and talked to him, taught the Restoration and are going back Tuesday to teach probably the Plan of Salvation, he seems very ready though, and hopefully we can reactivate a less active and have two other people baptized as well. But yeah exciting stuff!

So that was my week, I love you guys so much!!! You're all the best!! Keep going and being awesome!!

Oh yeah the solar eclipse thing, people got way crazy! haha people just sitting with boxes on their heads, or telling us about the end of the world and all that crazy stuff. Way funny though. Love you all!!!

Pictures 8/15/2017

Seattle Temple, thats the best picture I got, sorry everyone..

The mountains here. It looks cloudy but its not...thats all smoke...dang it Canada, but the smoke is all gone now so its all good

Thought Carson would like this, theres also a place called Kennys something or other but i forgot where it is

Gossner Foods milk, YEET @KennyandJessica

We got fresh salmon, so thats cool, we ate it, it was good.

Road with cool trees

First rain in Seattle yesterday, sweet stuff

This is Elder Gois trying to flirt, super cute huh? Date him girls

Elder Rees left, love him, hes super cool and we kinda were like best buds even though we weren't even companions, anyway, gonna miss him

What is up????

Hello Hello Hello everybody.

Seattle is going great! This week was a week of MIRACLES!!! The area basically exploded, it was like a science experiment. You know when you put coke and mentos together and it just foams up like crazy? That is basically ASL North this week. But we'll get to that, patience boys and girls.

Monday P-day, crazy day, but nothing really important.

Tuesday. We tracted around in Shoreline a little bit and ended up in Mountlake Terrace, where we passed by a house where we saw some ladies who were moving so we got out to see if we could help them. At first the lady was like oh no we don't need help. But then another lady came out and was like, "Elders!! Good to see ya!! We need your help!" so we felt kinda awkward, total mixed signals, anyway we go to the back and the lady is like, oh yeah i'm a member, I used to go to the ASL Branch.....like what???? so her niece is deaf, and actually the house was a less active house and their daughter is deaf. But anyway we helped out, learned that the daughter is very very uninterested in religion and she is attending Gallaudet anyway, so that was cool, but not really big thing.

Wednesday. Visited some less actives, did some service for them and for a food bank. Got some food that they can't give out. Like cool food, I'll show you in the pictures. But we did that then tracted but then there was a deaf social that night and Elder Bird was talking to this girl who seemed suuuuperr interested in the church, so they talk...for 2 hours....me and Elder Hess were watching and it seemed to be going well. Placed a Book of Mormon gave her some pamphlets and then as we were leaving Elder Bird says that she was just wanting to Bible bash...she was just bringing up points that were anti and stuff so that was a bummer.  but then, as we are walking out a young man, named Josh, hes about 20 years old comes up to Elder Hess and asks for a Book of Mormon, so we gave him one, did a quick restoration lesson and got his phone number and stuff, that was way cool. We had been praying and asking Heavenly Father for just 1, one solid investigator. and we got one super awesome and very prepared! so we are meeting with him this week! Also, a man named Troy invited us over to his house for herbal tea haha. and he has always been interested in the church and I've taught him the word of wisdom a few times at the deaf social, so we are going to his house for herbal tea and try to do the restoration! BAM! 2 investigators. 

Thursday was good, Elder Bird got transferred to South early, so he left that day. We did service at an old persons hangout place, where there were spiders about the size of a small child, like Naomi size. Ok thats a lie but they were huge!!! like at least the size of a quarter, and I know some of you are laughing at me reading this right now but most of you probably know I am deathly afraid of any bug like creature, and my fear is only getting worse here in Washington, giant bugs everywhere!!!! My worst nightmare... but thats neither here nor there. so we did that.

Friday. Long not much happened, we tried to tract but we couldn't find anyone.

Saturday. We did early morning service for some Less actives, the needed us to move like 3 tables and they live 30 minutes away....but oh well. After that we went to this house with some old deaf people that we have been trying to contact for like 3 weeks now, the whole time i've been here. But we met their son before, his name is Chris - fellow CODA, the first one I've met here so that was cool - but today we finally met the dad! hes like 70, but we talked a while and we did some of the restoration lesson with him and we are going back this week for him and his wife!! so excited!! also got a couple potential investigators at some deaf socials we went to, and I met this deaf pastor for another church, he was nice tho, pretty cool.

Sunday. Cool, church is cool, Elder Rees left, and I love that guy, only knew him for three weeks but I'm gonna miss him.

Love you all!!! Please email me! I'm getting bored!! haha jk, theres plenty to do here but i would love to hear from everyone!! You're all amazing!! Love you guys so much!!

P.S. love you mom and dad! Good luck Manda and Codie with everything in your lives going on right now, stuffs getting craaaaaaaazzzzy!!! oh and I want to hear what Codie thought of Spider-Man Homecoming! Kennica and Jessy see that? I'm hilarious! anyway, congrats Kenny!! thats so exciting about the education program! Jess I'm glad you like your job! Sis. Schoe, Keep-Keep! Love ya!! DAK-DAK, headaches suck broski, I'm sorry, but I think I'm making this up but people with frequent headaches are 99% more likely to be a million times more awesome because of it so...you got that going for ya! Good luck in high school! Remember that you are way smarter than any of the yahoos in your classes! CARBO!!! good luck in Jr high! Its not as bad as people say it is, stay with good friends and you'll be fine! Also I'm glad you like your soccer team and everything, You're such a baller!! Don't eat too much food;) haha. And for my other Brothers and Sisters of the Lord, remember to PRAY to your Heavenly Father! He loves hearing from you! READ the scriptures, the Lord loves answering our prayers!! And go to CHURCH!! The Atonement of Christ is for REAL!!! Love you all so much!!!

-Elder Schoemig

Pictures!!

Seattle Temple, thats the best picture I got, sorry everyone..

Lots of pictures - Aug. 7, 2017

Weather in Seattle

Hello people who are at least a little bit interested in my life!

So crazy couple of days I guess! Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were all pretty cool, we just tracted around a little bit but we haven't really found people. Its tough because Elder Hess has been here a while and hes used to doing the same old stuff. But I suggested some things that I thought would be a good idea so we are going to be making some changes! Hopefully for the better! Brady, one of our investigators is trying to quit his smoking and pornography still so we're working on improving that and working with him. We had a really good meeting with him and we are having him read a lot of scriptures so hopefully that helps. During the meeting, it was in the church building, but we left the room and told him to pray and talk to God, he seemed like he was doing a lot better after that. But he said he knows that he is sinning but he can only quit when God allows him to, that its all up to Gods timing, and we told him that God is always ready for us to stop sinning, which was news for him I guess. Ok so we also met with a less active named Michael who is having a lot of trouble with sins and repentance and forgiveness so we are trying to help him with those feelings of repentance and guilt. And Darryl, also a less active but he might be moving to Utah so hes been asking me so many questions about Utah and he is very nervous about moving, so we will see how he deals with that and try to help him as much as possible.

Oh! Our trip to Canada!!!! I didn't actually get to see Canada because we didn't have enough time but I got super close!! We met with 3 less actives and Andre, an investigator who is so cool, he is from Russia and he's got lots of different churches who are trying to convert him, mostly Jehovah's Witness, which is apparently a big problem up in Washington, but anyways.

Church is good, the Deaf-Blind guy named Roy in our ward is like a straight up baller, I love him so much. Hes so funny and crazy, and so fun to talk to! For those of you who don't know with deaf and blind people you sign and they feel your hands as you sign so its way cool to talk to him. I interpreted during priesthood session for him, but it was cool!! 

Ok, now time for some MIRACLES!!!

So Thursday we went out and were going to contact a few LAs and go tracting as well, but we went to a man that Pres. Knox (Branch Pres) wanted us to go to, so we went to this man, Torenzas house and we went and walked up, he lives on the fourth floor, and he saw us and kinda shooed us away, but then this other dude comes out and says OH the missionaries! come on up!! so we went up and met these two black guys, both deaf, and both are smoking, both members, it was pretty funny. But we talked with the other guy, Robert and he was like, oh yeah! I'm gonna repent I'll repent i promise! and we and Robert convinced Torenza to come to church yesterday! and they both came! and brought two non-members! I mean, what??? so cool. and Robert and Torenza were both so happy and excited to be at church, it was truly inspiring to see the Light of Christ in their eyes, AWESOME!!!!

Another miracle! Last night we decide to visit a former investigator from the area book named Sierra, so we go to this house and we figure out that its actually the home of a less active in the branch. So we're like, well the spirit guided us here so lets do it. We knock on the door, start chatting with the less active and her parents, who are a older and the less active is about 30 something. But we ask about Sierra, who is the parents grand daughter, and they say, actually Sierras mom is here, and so we talked with her and she and Sierra have been having a really tough time lately. Like super tough but it was so awesome! We just talked and helped out and invited to read the Book of Mormon and we're going back for dinner next week!!! It was so cool!!! it doesn't sound super cool, but it was just the best! 

To explain some things, yes it has been "hot" here, but people here are just wimpy when it comes to heat haha, its only been like 101, and the humidity doesn't make that much of a difference, but I think we broke a record for most days without rain in recorded history so thats cool. Elder Bird actually showed up the day the rain stopped so he hasn't even seen rain, we think he broke the weather here.... No mom I'm ok on shirts. But the smoke! oh my the smoke! There has been a fire in British Colombia the past couple weeks and that smoke is all down here now, and a fire started in Northern Washington as well...so we actually really need rain here bad cuz its way smokey!!! We always joke that the Canadians are to nice to put out the fire and they're just letting it do its thing. LOL anyways! I think thats it!

Love you guys!!! You're the best!!!!

Tell me more about UTAH!!! LOVE to everyone! Keep trying to be super awesome!!!

-Elder Schoemig

and i forgot to tell you I was part of a baptism! haha thats Lizzy, shes awesome! I helped because she cant walk, so me and Elder Rees held her as Elder Gois baptized her, twas cool. Love ya! Elder Schoemig!