Sometimes You Need A Tough Time

Well, here we are again. But on a Tuesday. I don't really have much to say this week but this, President called me on Saturday because I texted and asked him too. I think a mission amplifies emotions because you are giving away everything. You have sacrificed so much to be here. You are giving away every emotion you have, every ounce of energy you have, and sharing something that is so close to you. It really caught up to me this week. Even now, as I write this, I am overcome with emotion and with the spirit. I know this is the best thing I could do but its also THE HARDEST thing I could ever do. 

President is such a kind man. As soon as I texted him asking him to call, not even five minutes later, he called. Proof that he loves me and wants to help me even though he barely knows me. He asked me how I was doing and what was going on. And I just started crying. I told him I'm not adjusting too well and I miss my family more than ever. He stopped and asked how morning routines were going and I told them how they were going and then he stopped and asked who my favorite Book of Mormon hero is. I told him Captain Moroni and he said Sister Schoemig, Did God ask him to do hard things? And are your things just as hard as his things? I said yeah he did and they probably aren't much compared to theirs. And he explained something. Heavenly Father asked them to do hard thing because he knew they could do it and he wanted to see their faith. He then asked what I thought I could do to change to be the missionary I need to be. I told him three things: 1. I could talk more in lessons and be more bold, 2. Focus on the work, 3. Focus on the positive. He explained something to me, he said Sister Schoemig in D&C 4:2 it talks about serving with our whole heart, might, mind and strength. My feeling for you, is to put your mind in the work. My gut feeling is that you want to be here and your family is a big portion of your life but you need to immerse yourself in the work. I get the feeling that you've had whispering of the spirit these past couple days telling you these things but you haven't acted upon them yet. Is that yet? I said, Definitely. He said I think you just needed someone else to reaffirm these things to you and now you know what you need to do, Heavenly Father has told you and now its your turn. He told me to reflect back on Zone Conference and my vision for myself often. He reassured me that Blacksburg is the place I need to be and that miracles can happen here, and I need to be able to trust myself and my Savior, and I need to rely on him more, to do the work and put myself all the way in it. He told me some other things but that is the gist of it. He ended the call by telling me that he loves me and that if I needed more help to call him in a few days, and that I'm doing better than I think I am and that the day where it all clicks for me, is coming soon.

My testimony has really grown this week in sometimes you just need a tough time to tell you, Hey, you need to make some changes. A mission is really hard because of all the output you put out and not seeing the input you get back. But I know in the end, I am going to look back and say Whoa, look at the lords hand in my life and look at the miracles I just witnessed. I know that sometimes we get so overcome with the Why Me part of life that we dont see the things that are happening all around us. I testify that if we put our whole heart, might, mind and strength into Heavenly Father's plan for us and in the gospel of Jesus Christ that we WILL become servants of the Lord, that we WILL see Heavenly Fathers tender mercies and his love for us. That things will get better and that I WILL become the missionary I need to be. Home life is on the back burner for me and I'm finally coming to terms with it. God is real and he is good. He loves me and he loves you. We each need to realize his plan is not our plan and that we are going through specific things because of who we are and who we need to become. I'm ready for the next sixteen months and what it will bring. In fact i'm saying WHATS NEXT? 

To the other happenings of mission life... Sister Rowley tripped me last night, that's just what she does, and I fell pretty far but managed to stay on my feet and I yelled then started laughing and a car was passing us and this guy yelled WHOA and then started laughing really hard. It was a pretty embarrassing but funny moment. 

We met with Zebo again. He struggles with prophets. We had Brock and Cat, two members of the ward come and it was one of those lessons that the missionaries just sit and listen, Brock needed to teach him in that lesson and the spirit was evidently strong about that. It was one of the coolest lessons so far. 

And we met Robyn,  she is super awesome. We went to her house in Christiansburg and the spirit was there as soon as we sat down. Thats where we needed to be. Rachael, a member, gave the closing prayer and after we looked up at Robyn and she was bawling, the spirit was so strong and she felt so loved. This will be a lesson I will never forget. 

The person most important to you, is the person right in front of you. 

I love you all to the moon and back,

Sister Schoemig

Ps. We are getting bikes. The only sisters in the mission with bikes haha!