God's plan pictures 11/28/2016

Where'd the people go?

So this week we got creative! There werent many students to work with this week because of Thanksgiving break, so we bought some chalk and went to work! We chalked out the plan of salvation and #lighttheworld in a few places so that was fun this week! 

We had a good Thanksgiving! The members in the family ward here really took care of us! We ate so much food that me and Sister Sackett couldnt walk around for the rest of the evening! They were so good to us! I got to eat Thanksgiving dinner with a VT football coach and two football players, so that was cool!

Well, we did a lot of walking this week. The buses really werent our best friends this week so we walked everywhere. What a great first week for Sister Sackett huh? I really broke her into what a walking missionary feels like. Haha! 

I think this week I really learned diligence. I think Heavenly Father wanted me to humble myself a little. Things have been SO GOOD here that I think he wanted me to know that its all because of him, none of this is possible without him! And that I need to give it all to him. I've been trying to do it all by myself and I've been getting pretty stressed out over things but it was a good reminder this week that I need to rely on him to help me with HIS work. 

We have a baptism this weekend! Its the first one this ward has seen in over a year! Im so excited! Haley has been getting ready and she has been doing so well! Pray that all goes well in her baptismal interview tomorrow! :) 

I dont really know what else to tell y'all this week. We had a pretty slow week. But we are positive that there are GOOD THINGS TO COME. 

I love you all so so much! And I hope all is well! Get involved with the Christmas Initiative #LightTheWorld its gonna be such a good christmas! :) mormon.org is where you can find out all about it! 

LOVE TO THE  AND BACK!!

Sister Schoemig​

Old and new companions - 11/22/2016

not EVEN the penguins were out

This past week the common temperature was in the 30's so me and Sister Sackett have an ongoing joke of ITS SO COLD NOT EVEN THE PENGUINS WERE OUT! 

Our daily routine is to study then get ready to go out, where we put on two or three layers of tights, shorts on underneath our skirts, two pairs of socks, our boots, a cardigan, a jacket, a coat, our gloves, our hats, and we are still cold! I guess you just cant layer up enough. 

I CANT BELIEVE I DIDNT START OUT WITH THIS! So transfers happened last thursday and my dear trainer Sister Rowley left to go to Roanoke YSA with Sister Butts. Lets just say, I cried. And Sister Sackett was here! And we hadnt been together for 24 hours when we got a call from the Assistants to the President. It was very scary. I didnt want to answer. They asked how we were and then they informed us that we were going to be INTERVIEWED by Elder Meurs. The seventy that was coming to our mission. So that was very exciting. Our companionship unity was very strong as we freaked out together! and then this happened. Saturday morning we got up and the wind was blowing so hard and it was so cold. We layered up, and I mean like REALLY layered up. (we looked like marshmallows) And we had knocked doors and knocked doors, we had tried potentials and worked on our fireside we had been planning and we had seen very little success. But we knew we were going to find someone. We felt all odds going against us but we knew we had to stay out and keep working to find people. We decided to go knock some townhouses we hadn't knocked before around seven to seven thirty that night. And then we found Peter. His friend actually answered the door and told us he wasn't interested and so we asked him if he knew anyone that is, when Peter stuck his head out from behind him and said I AM!! He told us that he met missionaries last year and he went to church with them a couple times but lost contact, and he told us that he wanted to come to church with us the next day!! We gave him the address and the time and he asked if someone could pick him up so we found someone later that night to go pick him up, and he stayed for all three hours!! During gospel principles, he raised his hand and asked if he could say something, he told us all that he has been praying for someone to teach him about Christ and that he is so excited to have us come over and teach him. The members invited him to Thanksgiving dinner and he loved church! He is so ready for the gospel! My faith was definitely strengthened in diligence. We could've easily just done something else but we were diligent and we saw a big miracle happen right in front of our eyes! 

Then Monday rolled around and we were interviewed by Elder Meurs. Wow. That is something that does not happen with everyone. Out of 120 missionaries in the southern half of the mission, President Salisbury chose me to represent them. What a privilege to sit down with a servant of the Lord and talk about my mission, my family, and Christ. It has always amazed me of how my Heavenly Father knows the things I need to talk about and how he gives me situations to do so. Elder Meurs answered all my questions without even knowing it. I am so thankful for that opportunity and basically I'm just freaking out because A GENERAL AUTHORITY KNOWS MY NAME.

My testimony has been strengthened this week by him. To sit under his voice and feel the promptings of the spirit of the things I need to do better was incredible. Through all I am grateful for my Savior, Jesus Christ and his atonement. I was reading this morning in Doctrine and Covenants 19 and I love these scriptures because it tells us of how importance repentance is. My favorite says ..."Which suffering caused myself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed at every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit and would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink—"

We as imperfect as we could not even imagine all the suffering that Christ went through to give us the atonement. Christ got nothing out of that, he did it all for us. Jesus Christ, a son of God, bled from EVERY pore to give us the most important gift of all. We cannot survive that. Thats why we need to repent. He has given us a free gift and he wants us to partake of it. He's pleading us to partake of it. He doesnt want our souls to be in ETERNAL torment. Repentance is something we tend to look at in a negative way but it is so good! Repentance helps us change! to be forgiven! to be relieved from our sins and pains and transgressions. There is NO sin that the atonement cant cover. The Lord is pleading with you. Repent, and be forgiven. He loves you so much. He wants you to be with him forever. To be a forever family is something you cannot give up. It is something so freely given if you live by his commandments. Its you that chooses not to partake of something so amazing. Use your agency for good and repent today. Be happy you can repent and you know of the gospel because a lot of people don't. Share the joy and happiness that comes from it. You NEVER know who might need it. You NEVER know who is struggling. YOU JUST NEVER KNOW. Never be afraid to share the gospel. That is our duty as elect sons and daughters of God. To share the beauty of the gospel and how repentance is something that brings us to God. Share it everyday with someone new. God will bless you. I testify that God the father lives. He loves us. Our Savior, Jesus Christ has taken upon himself all our sins and all we need to do is repent. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know it it to be true. If we read it daily and pray to our Heavenly Father, much peace and happiness will come to us. Even in the worst of times. I've seen it. I know of God's love. I know of eternal families. I know of my Savior and I love him. 

I hope you all know of him too and can see him in your life. HE REALLY DOES LOVE YOU. 

I am pleading with you all. Read the Book of Mormon daily, pray, repent. I cant even begin to tell you how much happiness there is in living the gospel and leaving it all up to the Lord.  LEAVE IT TO HIM AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU. Trust in god and much as he trusts you. I don't know why I feel prompted to share this but I know its true. I love the Lord. I hope you can all see how much he loves you and wants you to repent and rely on him in ALL things. 

I love you all so much and hope you are doing well. Read the Book of Mormon. Talk to those around you. They love you. They want to help you. Turn to Christ and to family. All will be well. I promise. Though I may be far, I want you to all know that I love you. You are incredible and I look up to you all in each and every way. Be strong and Rely on God. He does a lot more than you think he does. 

Love Sister Schoemig

https://www.mormon.org/christmas/teaser

Staying at Blacksburg for this transfer....Pictures 11/16/16

Goodbye...but not really....

I'm sure you've all heard by now! I am staying in Blacksburg, Virginia! But my dear trainer is leaving...to Roanoke YSA! My new companion is Sister Sackett and she goes home with Sister Rowley. She sounds super awesome and I can't wait to learn from her! She comes here tomorrow! I'm super excited to teach her the ways of the YSA and the bus!!

This next transfer is gonna be super fun and interesting! Because of the schedule of Virginia Tech, the YSA ward is canceled for several weeks for Thanksgiving and Christmas Break! So I'll be going to the family ward but still working with the students, its kinda funny! 

We have had a good week! We have three investigators getting baptized on December Third so please pray for them! I'm so excited for them! 

This week, we were at Panera and the cashier paid for me and Sister Rowleys treats, in exchange for a visit to her mom. People are so nice. 

So funny story for y'all. I pray in my sleep. Sister Rowley one morning was like you kept me up for twenty minutes because you were praying! So I told her at least I pray in my sleep and I don't do anything weird! haha. So that was interesting! 

There was frost on the ground here! It's so stinking cold! The humid cold is pierces you to the bone! But it'll be fun to walk in the winter haha!

I'm becoming versed in Chinese! I now know how to write water and my name in Chinese! Yu has been teaching me and he was super surprised on when I told him that I knew how to write water! He was laughing so hard and he just started teaching me so many things that I cant remember them all! 

Im gonna send pictures of the ward, the bishop and a few other people so you can see the amazing members I'm working with here!!

Next week will be a busy week for me and Sister Sackett! We have a seventy (elder muers) coming to the mission on Monday, so p-day will be Tuesday, and then thanksgiving is on Thursday! Im super excited for the holidays on the mission! Everyone tells me they are so fun! I'm excited to be serving god this holiday season! 

Try to share the gospel this week! Whether its sharing a Mormon message, texting a scripture to someone in need, or bearing your testimony on facebook, DO IT! Bring others to the light of Christ, I promise it will bring you more joy than anything else in this world!

I love you all to the moon and back! Go Hokies! 

Sister Schoemig

ps these pictures encompass everything that its like to be serving in a YSA ward.  hahaha​

Hike and more fall season pictures....Nov. 7, 2016

Prayers

So the title of this email means a lot to me not only this week but every week. Prayers are the best thing that Heavenly Father has given us. I have been praying a lot, not just because I'm a missionary but because I know how much Heavenly Father loves us and how much he loves to hear from us. 

Answer #1: Haley. I know why I was sent to Blacksburg YSA. Haley Cuneo is one major part of that. She is getting baptized on December 3rd and its taken a bit to get her to this point but she is amazing. She is living the word of wisdom, she knows the book of mormon is true, shes coming to church, shes meeting with us three times a week. She is on fire. I know that who we meet are people that we told we would come and find. I know that I was meant to help her to baptism and I'm so excited to see her soon, dress in white and be baptized and confirmed a member of the church. 

Pray for her please, her mom is a strong southern baptist and she is scared to tell her mom. I know miracles can happen as we pray. I've seen in firsthand. Please pray for her. 

Answer #2: Sister Rowley. She is just plain awesome. I dont want her to leave. 

Answer #3: Elder Stevenson is inspired of God. I was reading in the December 2014 Ensign and one article from him was called The Answer To All The Hard Questions. Of course that perked my curiosity and the answer was actually a question. Do I trust God above everyone else? I love that. That is seriously the answer that all of us need to be pondering daily. DO YOU TRUST GOD ABOVE EVERYONE ELSE? Do you trust that he will take care of you? Do you trust that his commandments are meant to help you? Do you? Think about that this week. As we trust God above everyone else miracles happen.

Answer #4: Church. Every since I've been a little kid, I have LOVED church. I was that kid that didnt like when people distracted me from the speakers, I made the decision to put my phone down and not pick it back up during church, and I've always felt the spirit so strong. But obviously i wasnt perfect. I love gettting people to church because of that spirit I feel there. And during fast and testimony meeting I got the chance to share my testimony and how much I know and love this gospel. Church will always be an answer for me. so much comfort comes to me in church because its the same wherever you are. Its not different here than it is in Utah, I love that. 

And many more answers. But I got to go on an awesome hike today! And so many other adventures happened this week but I'm running out of time!

Transfer Doctrine comes this Saturday so I'll talk to you next Wednesday! 

LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH! Think about putting your trust in God this week!

Sister Schoemig​