17 months mark - Nov. 27, 2017

*Sister Coombs Starts Laughing*

My dearest friends and family. It's the beginning of the end.

Ew.

I begin my last transfer this week with a change. In companions. My dearest Sister Coombs is leaving Cross Lanes. (In all seriousness, she really thought she was going to be staying in Cross Lanes her whole mission, so when the zone leaders told her she was leaving *this is where my email title comes into play* she just started laughing!!)

So I am not really feeling up to doing a day by day thing soooo...here are some highlights. 

We taught two lessons as a less actives named Brent this week. He's been a member for like three years, and loves learning, he just has a hard time coming to church. It was so good. We picked up three new investigators there! We had a good lesson on the restoration there last night, and we were super bold in inviting and testifying, it was probably one of the best lessons we've taught together.

I had my SEVENTEENTH CLICK DAY. I never ever thought I'd write that. Lol. I celebrated by getting ice cream, on an especially cold day. Probably not the best idea, but we did it anyways! You only have one seventeenth click day. :)

On Thanksgiving we went to the Schaffers! They had another member family over named the Palmers. It WAS SO FUN. :) At first the day just felt really weird and we felt kinda out of place but we ended up talking about so many things and brother schaffer showed me all these cool apps that help with gospel learning and stuff so that made me super excited! haha. We also weekly planned and made sure we did lots of fun and productive stuff. We actually went shopping for these two boys that we are going to doorbell ditch christmas presents to! :)

So also during weekly planning, we were talking about things we need to do this next week and I said "I start My Plan next week" and again Sister Coombs just started laughing! That was so not funny. 

We had a fun district meeting! So we go to the mission office for district meeting, and while we were there the mail man came with so many Christmas packages, he couldn't even open the door by himself, so I ran out of the room as soon as i saw him to help him out. I love Christmas, its so fun!! 

We had an amazing lesson with Sister Slater. She's a less active that doesnt want to progress. We were going to go in and bring the hammer down. But the spirit was telling us when we got in there, to go a different way. We asked her about how she felt when the missionaries come, what shes learned, why she likes us coming and stuff like that. And we ended up reading from Alma 32 about faith and how she has great faith because she lets us come over and she continues to read from the Book of Mormon, so we just thanked her for letting us come over. She is softening her heart more and more. Hopefully we can get her to church soon! 

Did you know that out of 193 recognized countries, the church has a presence in 136 of them? HOW COOL IS THAT? 

So now just a sappy moment about Sister Coombs. What a blessing it has been to have been her companion. I am so sad she is leaving. I've known her since the very beginning of her mission. I called her before she came out to welcome her to the WVCM, I was her first sister training leader, and I was her second companion. I've seen her go through it all. She has especially grown so much this past transfer. She will accomplish miracles here in the WVCM and I am so excited for her. I am so so blessed. But I really do not want her to go. :(

I've been thinking a lot about the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week, and how it is so perfect. It fits into every aspect of life. I've been thinking about the future, the past, the present, and how it just works. To have faith in crises, or in good times, just makes sense. It just works. I wish I could find the right words to use to describe how I feel about my Saviour and his perfect perfect gospel, but there are no words, just indescribable joy. <3

I challenge you ALL to share the new Christmas initiative video! go to mormon.org Its so so good and it will help to #LightTheWorld in this Christmas season. 

I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK!!

Sister Schoemig

BTW I find out my new companion tomorrow night, and I will pick her up friday! :)

Companions - Nov. 20, 2017

Current companion - Sis Coombs, last companion - Sis Poulson,
MTC companion - Sis Stettler and Sis Schoemig

Christopher Columbus Bag Bombed FDR And Crash Gamed Your Head Team Leader

Haha, so I bet you are all wondering what my email title means...and well, at Teays Valley coordination this week at the Haupts, we played a game called You've Been Sentenced (its a really chill coordination and it really freaks me out sometimes)  And I totally did not expect to be good at this game but I was! The point of the game is to use the ten words you are given to make a grammatically correct sentence. The line that I won with was "Christopher Columbus Bag Bombed Franklin D. Roosevelt and crash gamed your head team leader." It was hilarious and awesome. :)

MONDAY: We taught Wilma, that cute old lady we found the other week, about the restoration. And We taught Cheryl about the plan of salvation and it was sooo good! :) She just is so willing to learn and has such good questions. I love teaching her.

TUESDAY: We had a day of lots of potential and it all fell flat. :( We LOVE days like that. We tried this potential that we were trying and his boyfriend (we didn't know that at the time) answered the door and told us that the guy we wanted to see didn't feel like talking and then we commenced to inviting him to learn about the gospel and he said You do know we're gay right? and I didnt know what to say to that so I just said...well, this message is for all! haha lol awkward missionary moments.

WEDNESDAY: We had district meeting, lunch and comp study at the mission office so that was pretty fun! :) We tried lots of peeps, we had some pretty miracle moments where everyone we talked to somehow knew a member or something like that (God totally put us where he needed us), we taught Pat Sizemore, and we had dinner and coordination at the Haupts.

THURSDAY: We went to the family history center with Linda, toured her around the church. We weekly planned and tried lots of peeps again with no luck. (It just really wasn't our week)

FRIDAY: THIS WAS THE BEST DAY EVER. We had mission tour with Elder Bradly Foster of the seventy. Turns out, his daughter is living in Cedar Hills ON BRISTLECONE WAY. (the street I used to live on! with the cunninghams!!) So they texted their daughter to tell the cunninghams I said Hi. :) We learned some amazing things and the spirit was just so strong there. I also loved this day because I got to see some of my very best friends and catch up with them. The hard thing about a mission is the constant goodbyes. I HATE GOODBYES. One thing Elder Foster said that kinda hit me hard was "What would you like to say to Heavenly Father in your last prayer as a full time missionary? Be able to say it." I was like oh man, thats coming for me. AHH. Anyways. 

BTW. Remember last year when I was interviewed at mission tour by Elder Meurs. Well, I had a bit of De Ja Vu but with Elder Foster! We were eating lunch at mission tour when one of the assistants, Elder Webb, came up to us and said Sisters Your interview with Elder Foster will start in a few minutes, President will come and get you when its time and we were like WAIT WHAT?! NO ONE TOLD US. haha. So yours truly was interviewed by Elder Foster. :) But what was truly a blessing was that president told us that Elder Foster didn't want leaders or anything like that but he wanted some good missionaries to represent the mission so president picked us! So I couldn't have had that experience if I wasn't released from being an STL. #tendermercy We talked about some good things in my interview and I got to get some good advice from him about going home so when I say that was a tender mercy, it was a for real TENDER MERCY.

SATURDAY: The best thing that happened this day was that we got invited to the adult session on stake conference. So that was awesome!! :)

SUNDAY: We had stake conference! <3 We had our whole day like fall through on us so that was awesome. But we managed to still teach Daizy and find a new investigator named Debbie! We also got the chance to watch the face to face with Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard! This weekend was a weekend of inspiration. IT WAS SO GOOD. :)

If you can't tell....I REALLY LOVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST. I've been thinking about how sometimes you can get wrapped up in the details of it or of in the plan of happiness, but what matters is the simplicity of it. If you have faith in the Lord, you will repent. You will change. You will be baptized. You will be confirmed a member of the Lord's true church. You will ENDURE. No matter what comes. Doubt YOUR doubts, before you doubt the Lord or his true church and gospel. If you have questions or concerns about that, you can talk to yours truly. For I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (3 Nephi 5:13)

I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK. 

Sister Schoemig

HAVE A VERY MERRY THANKSGIVING. :) ha!​

More pictures - 11/13/17

Sister. We need a fan.

Sup. It's cold here in the good old West Virginia. So the winter clothes are out for real!

We had a crazy week, full of ups and downs for me personally. but it twas good!

MONDAY: We had dinner with a super stellar new family in the Teays Valley ward. The Ruffells. It was super fun and it was way good food! (it was all gluten and dairy free too!!) and we taught Cheryl. <3 She is doing awesome btw!

TUESDAY: We had mormon.org time, and then we went and tried to find a new move in in a trailer park...we couldn't find it. lol. Trailer parks are crazy!! We tried potentials/formers and we ended up meeting two formers: Maggie and James. We had a super spirit filled lesson with them and hard core committed them to giving the Book of Mormon another read! :) It was awesome! Then we went and taught a lady named Melissa. She didn't have much time so we taught her a brief restoration lesson then went on our way. :) We also taught Kim and Jeff about the restoration and it was awesome to hear them so excited to read the book I love so much! We had dinner with Sister Suttle, we actually got to ask her questions this time and get to know her so that was good!

WEDNESDAY: We did some service for the Ruffell family. We helped knock out a wall in their home. IT WAS SO FUN. I really like demoing walls! <3 We tried a whole bunch of potentials and formers in Winfield, but no one really answered. Lame. Then we had dinner and coordination at the Haupts. LOVE THEM!!

THURSDAY: We went to the family history library in Sissionville to help Kim with some family history. It was good! There were two ladies there who were doing family history, but also wanted to bash with me as well...awkward...we were in our church. I just listened and explained my feeling and thoughts, then went on reading my Book of Mormon. Then...we found out Sister Coombs grandma passed away...so that was not fun. We were not in the mood to talk to people then. so we went home, took some time for ourselves and then weekly planned. Sister Coombs is killer and I am so proud of how she has taken this sad event. <3 We had dinner with Sister Surprise at ginos pizza too!

FRIDAY: We had district meeting. Me and Sister Coombs taught about unity and how it affects the work. We also had exchanges. I was with my MTC comp; Sister Stettler. We worked in Hometown and Eleanor. And we ate dinner with the Allisons. They are an awesome family who is doing some amazing missionary work! But exchanges were just what I needed. I've been really overwhelmed and stressed over this area and the things I need to do to help this area out big time here. It was good to just talk it out with her and have her say that she understands and that shes here to help me. And I got to spend some time with Sister Paulson so that was a tender mercy. I love her!!

SATURDAY: We finished exchanges and me and Sister Coombs went to Walmart to help me out. I've got a cold so we got some medicine, and to explain my email title...Sister Coombs snores so we got a fan and some melatonin to help me sleep at night. (because I am exhausted!!!) Then I slept off some of my cold. We also went and saw Sister Slater and had a good lesson with her on hope...her heart is SLOWLY softening.

SUNDAY: We went to church at first ward again so we could have a lesson with Juan. And his lesson was the highlight of my day. <3 Though I have no idea what is happening in the lesson, I know exactly what is going on. It is so cool. Miracles happening for sure. We put him on date for January 28th too!! We taught Daizy and then we tracted some in Nitro and in Cross Lanes. Met some pretty prepared people...and met some not so prepared as well. But thats missionary work.

Anyways, we have mission tour this week with Elder Foster of the seventy so I'm super pumped about that!! And we have interviews with President. I am excited for the week ahead!! <3

I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK!

Sister Schoemig

(Ill send exchange pics next week!)​

Bowling, companions and more - Nov. 6, 2017

New Baptize

Her last companion, Sis. Poulson, sent a message to her mom and she in turn texted me while I was at work and told me that our daughter was in badly need of a new scripture case.  Thanks to her, we send her a new one and she is displaying a new case that we sent over three weeks, it came back twice cause the address was not correct and each time I made the correction and it finally made it there.  Sis. Schoemig was a happy missionary when she got it.  :)

I just wanted to be a creep, then I remembered. I am a servant of the Lord!

SOOOOO much to say, SOOOOOO little time.
 

We went bowling on Monday with the Teays Valley sisters. Though I am a missionary, I am still a hard core champ at bowling! (we even played it skittle bowling style) We met with Cheryl and she was just a glowin! She was so ready for baptism!
 

Halloween was super duper fun! :) We managed to find a new investigator on this especially awkward day as a missionary (its awkward because people are doing the same thing as you; knocking on doors!!) We saw a lot of less actives on this day as well, we managed to stay busy and effective even though it was halloween. We dressed up as Mormon missionaries for the day. haha.
 

We had zone conference on Wednesday. And there is ABSOLUTELY nothing like being a huge room full of missionaries, who just want to help others come closer to Jesus Christ. It recharges me and helps me to go out and work even harder! It's my fav! We talked about the holy ghost, teamwork, and unity to give y'all a short run down. It was truly amazing. Zone conferences just keep getting better and better!!!! AND We got the MTC gang together again, that was a tender mercy. <3
 

We weekly planned on thursday. Like normal. We went out and saw some potentials. We met these cute kids who asked us weird questions like "Do butterflies mean dead relatives who are coming back to visit?" We taught Linda and it was a way good lesson, leaps and bounds were made with her! And we also met with Lori! A really spunky energetic Christian. Shes just like Sis coombs so that was pretty fun :) haha
 

We had district meeting Friday. We spent a bunch of time in Winfield. That's like one of the only towns in our area that I know fairly well, I love that little town. :) We met with Wilma, an 86 year old woman who has been through A LOT, and we had a good lesson and she is just adorable. We met with Cheryl one last time as an investigator and talked about the atonement, how there were going to be mistakes made, but that she is worth it and how this is a great new journey she is embarking on. :)

Saturday was lots of tracting, lots of weird encounters. BUT CHERYL GOT BAPTIZED. It was truly amazing. So many people were there and it just ran sooo smoothly. (I'm getting pretty good at this whole planning a baptism thing haha!!) One funny thing was I had to keep asking my ward mission leader for his keys to keep opening doors so we could get stuff out and each time I went up to ask he would already have them out. I was teasing him and said Brother Casdorph could I just take your fancy car for a ride? and he was like Yeah! just go take it out for a quick joy ride! haha, I didn't actually do it, but it was awesome that he trusted me that much. :)
 

We went to the first ward to see Cheryl get confirmed. <3 We also had Juan come to church there instead of Teays Valley so he could have more people to talk to. "We" taught him about the plan of salvation and we decided we are gonna start teaching him engligh! WAHOOOO!! Im so pumped for that. :) We also, got a referral from our zone leader who served in Winfield, to see this former investigator Brenda so we went and we knocked three times, we knew she was home. She came out and was really not very open and man did the spirit guide me as to the things to say. She opened up to us and said she met this really rude elder and stopped investigating. So we just talked to her and she finally said we could come back! What a sweet old lady though! I'm excited to see what happens with her this week! :)
 

This past week, we were sitting in the car, and Sister Coombs was like Wait! Dont get out of the car yet. (some people were outside the car) and so we waited a sec and then she was like "whoops, I just wanted to be a creep, but then I remembered. I am a servant of the Lord." Haha too funny.

We have exchanges this week with the sister training leaders, both sets are coming to Cross Lanes sooooo.... pray for us to see lots of miracles!
 

I LOVE YOU ALL TO THE MOON AND BACK!

Sister Schoemig