Hey everyone!
So good to talk with you guys on Sunday!!! Thanks for all the pics of your Christmas!!! Ha I love the shirt Dad!!! Classic... And Dani, you have no excuses not to email me anymore seeing how you can email from just about anywhere on the planet now with your fancy new gadget!
Well this email is going to be short, because not a whole lot has happened since Sunday.
We met with our cute little 10 yr old investigator again last night, and it went really well. Her Mom and Sister both sat in on the lesson! And things are on track for her to be baptized on Jan 8th still. We just have one more visit with her, and her interview to go. I am sure I have said this before, but I really hope that this whole experience will be meaningful to both of them, and that her mom will have a renewed commitment to the gospel. They both have made a bunch of progress, and things are going really well.
That is about it for new things around here though, most everyone we talk to tells us to try back after the holidays, but things are going well, and Elder Salanoa and I are having a good time together! Love you guys! Have a good week!
- Elder Schaap
P.S. I am at a different place for email today, and it won't let me send pics ... :( I will send them next week! Love you!
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 20, 2011
Transfers!
First things first, Elder Salanoa and I will be staying here together for another 6 weeks in Montgomery Village! I am really excited, we have a lot of good things going for us right now, and hopefully we will start to find more and more people!
We were able to teach the young father we've been working with again this week! And it went really well! He is really starting to understand the gospel better, and apply it to his life. We set a goal for him for baptism on the 29th of January! He has been reading the Book of Mormon, he didn't make it to church this week, but I feel like he knows that this is something that is going to help him in his life, and bless the lives of his family members.
We also met with the young lady that we've been teaching again this past week, and we will be meeting with her again tonight! Hopefully we will be going to the Festival of Lights at the Temple with them sometime this week as well. She is planning on being baptized on the 8th of January. So January should be a really good month for us!
Well, that is sweet that you guys hang out with the Postmas! Because I am totally hanging out with them when I get back! Tell them thanks for the Christmas card! I can't believe that it is almost Christmas again.... crazy, it feels like last Christmas wasn't that long ago!
Anyways, I am PUMPED to talk to you guys on Sunday! I don't know the exact time or anything yet, but they told us that we could text home to figure all that stuff out, so be expecting that sometime before Sunday!
I Love you guys! Thanks for all that you do! Can't wait to hear your voices on Sunday!! Talk to you soon!
- Elder Schaap
Pic 1 - We are the body guards haha
Pic 2 - 3 Generations!
Pic 3 - Every last District Meeting of the transfer we play a game. This one is called "Planner Check," You hold your planner on the back of your hand, and a rolled up magazine in the other, and try and hit others planners off of their hands while trying to keep yours on your hand. Its pretty fun!
We were able to teach the young father we've been working with again this week! And it went really well! He is really starting to understand the gospel better, and apply it to his life. We set a goal for him for baptism on the 29th of January! He has been reading the Book of Mormon, he didn't make it to church this week, but I feel like he knows that this is something that is going to help him in his life, and bless the lives of his family members.
We also met with the young lady that we've been teaching again this past week, and we will be meeting with her again tonight! Hopefully we will be going to the Festival of Lights at the Temple with them sometime this week as well. She is planning on being baptized on the 8th of January. So January should be a really good month for us!
Well, that is sweet that you guys hang out with the Postmas! Because I am totally hanging out with them when I get back! Tell them thanks for the Christmas card! I can't believe that it is almost Christmas again.... crazy, it feels like last Christmas wasn't that long ago!
Anyways, I am PUMPED to talk to you guys on Sunday! I don't know the exact time or anything yet, but they told us that we could text home to figure all that stuff out, so be expecting that sometime before Sunday!
I Love you guys! Thanks for all that you do! Can't wait to hear your voices on Sunday!! Talk to you soon!
- Elder Schaap
Pic 1 - We are the body guards haha
Pic 2 - 3 Generations!
Pic 3 - Every last District Meeting of the transfer we play a game. This one is called "Planner Check," You hold your planner on the back of your hand, and a rolled up magazine in the other, and try and hit others planners off of their hands while trying to keep yours on your hand. Its pretty fun!
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Great Investigators!
Hey Everyone!
Man this week went by really fast. I can't believe I call home in less than two weeks now! I am not sure of all the details yet... I will probably let you know next week when it is closer. As far as I know though, we will not be doing parking on Christmas day, so don't need to worry about that.
But we had a really good week! I don't remember if I told you or not, but we had been having a hard time finding people that were willing to even listen to us the past couple of weeks, but this last week we started teaching two new people! One of them is a friend of a member in our ward, and he has actually come to church a few times. He has a Buddhist background, so it is interesting to teach some one that doesn't have any Christian background at all, but it is very cool, and he is really interested. We are really excited about him, he just recently had a son and that is what kind of sparked off this whole thing. He came to church again though, and to the ward christmas party, so we are very hopeful for him, we are meeting with him again on Friday.
We also met a guy who is from Tanzania, it was funny how we met him, we were going around his neighborhood, and his two little daughters were playing outside, and they went in and got him for us. He let us right in and told us that he had actually met with missionaries when he was living in Europe like 10 years ago, and he already had a copy of the Book of Mormon. We talked with him for probably an hour or so, and he wants us to come back and talk more with him. So we will see how that goes, we are just gratefull that someone let us in to talk with them.
As for our cute little 10 yr old investigator, she is doing really well, we are planning on the first of the year for her. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation last night, and it went great! I just hope that I am still here when all that happens... Transfers are this coming week, and I have a feeling that I am leaving, but who knows.
We also had our Mission Christmas party two days ago, do you remember me telling you about last year's? Anyway, we got to watch Kung Fu Panda 2, so that was fun! Not gonna lie though... I fell asleep at the end of it, so I am going to have to watch it again sometime.
I got Ashley's wedding announcement... that was pretty weird! Not the announcement itself haha, but getting the announcement! Oh, and when I told Sister Allen (Ashley's cousin), she told me that no one in her family even told her about it yet haha. I am excited for her though, that should be fun!
Well, I think that is about all I have for you this week! Oh... I got the Christmas package! Thanks! haha I put up that tree! I will have to take a picture of it for you! Oh, and transfers are on Tuesday, so that is when I will get on the computer as well. Love you guys, thanks for everything!! Have a good week, and I will talk to you soon!
- Elder Schaap
Man this week went by really fast. I can't believe I call home in less than two weeks now! I am not sure of all the details yet... I will probably let you know next week when it is closer. As far as I know though, we will not be doing parking on Christmas day, so don't need to worry about that.
But we had a really good week! I don't remember if I told you or not, but we had been having a hard time finding people that were willing to even listen to us the past couple of weeks, but this last week we started teaching two new people! One of them is a friend of a member in our ward, and he has actually come to church a few times. He has a Buddhist background, so it is interesting to teach some one that doesn't have any Christian background at all, but it is very cool, and he is really interested. We are really excited about him, he just recently had a son and that is what kind of sparked off this whole thing. He came to church again though, and to the ward christmas party, so we are very hopeful for him, we are meeting with him again on Friday.
We also met a guy who is from Tanzania, it was funny how we met him, we were going around his neighborhood, and his two little daughters were playing outside, and they went in and got him for us. He let us right in and told us that he had actually met with missionaries when he was living in Europe like 10 years ago, and he already had a copy of the Book of Mormon. We talked with him for probably an hour or so, and he wants us to come back and talk more with him. So we will see how that goes, we are just gratefull that someone let us in to talk with them.
As for our cute little 10 yr old investigator, she is doing really well, we are planning on the first of the year for her. We taught her about the Plan of Salvation last night, and it went great! I just hope that I am still here when all that happens... Transfers are this coming week, and I have a feeling that I am leaving, but who knows.
We also had our Mission Christmas party two days ago, do you remember me telling you about last year's? Anyway, we got to watch Kung Fu Panda 2, so that was fun! Not gonna lie though... I fell asleep at the end of it, so I am going to have to watch it again sometime.
I got Ashley's wedding announcement... that was pretty weird! Not the announcement itself haha, but getting the announcement! Oh, and when I told Sister Allen (Ashley's cousin), she told me that no one in her family even told her about it yet haha. I am excited for her though, that should be fun!
Well, I think that is about all I have for you this week! Oh... I got the Christmas package! Thanks! haha I put up that tree! I will have to take a picture of it for you! Oh, and transfers are on Tuesday, so that is when I will get on the computer as well. Love you guys, thanks for everything!! Have a good week, and I will talk to you soon!
- Elder Schaap
Wednesday, December 7, 2011
Service to Others
Heyyyy!!!
How is everyone? It sounds like the weather is starting to cool down over there! I kind of wish that it would over here! I don't know for sure, but I think it has been if not in the 60's then close to it. I want to have snow! Soon enough I guess.
Anyways, things are going well. We are having a rough time finding people that are interested in the gospel though, it is not from a lack of effort, it just seems like no one really wants to hear us out. Everyone seems to get really busy around the holidays, and I guess they don't have time for us or something. It won't stop us from trying however, hopefully we will be able to find some people that are willing to listen to us.
As for our 10 year old little girl and her mom that we are teaching, they are doing really well. We met with them again last night, and I was amazed at how much the little girl is able to understand. I think back to when I was 10 years old, and I don't think that I understood nearly as much as she does. It has been really cool to see the transformation that has occurred in her mom, and how teaching her daughter has helped her to strengthen her own testimony.
Unfortunately that is about all of the progress that we were able to make with our investigators, but like I have said before, we have been starting to work with our members more. On Monday, we were able to have a cool experience with one of the families in our ward. We did service for them in the morning by helping them clean their back yard up, because the husband just recently had knee surgery, and isn't able to do much physical labor. And then that evening we went over to their house for dinner, and we taught an FHE lesson on Christmas and giving to others.
I guess before I was a missionary, I thought of missionary work as knocking on doors, and teaching people who were not members of our church about our church. I never really thought that I would be teaching people who are already members, but it has been pretty amazing to me to see how missionaries can have an impact on individuals, families, or even an entire ward by teaching them.
Well I love you guys! Thanks for the emails! And for the package! Hope you have a great week! Can't wait to talk to you! Love you!
- Elder Schaap
Pics from the Festival of the Lights
Pics from the Thanksgiving Feast of Sharing that the Mission helped with (These are on the mission blog at www.teachallnations5014.blogspot.com. Thanks Sister Matsumori!). Elder Schaap was in the early crew that helped to prepare the meal. They carved 350 turkeys and cut about 900 pies. The later crew served the meal. Approx. 4,000 people were served that day.
Pics from the CDM (combined district meeting) for Seneca Zone (Sister Matsumori again)
How is everyone? It sounds like the weather is starting to cool down over there! I kind of wish that it would over here! I don't know for sure, but I think it has been if not in the 60's then close to it. I want to have snow! Soon enough I guess.
Anyways, things are going well. We are having a rough time finding people that are interested in the gospel though, it is not from a lack of effort, it just seems like no one really wants to hear us out. Everyone seems to get really busy around the holidays, and I guess they don't have time for us or something. It won't stop us from trying however, hopefully we will be able to find some people that are willing to listen to us.
As for our 10 year old little girl and her mom that we are teaching, they are doing really well. We met with them again last night, and I was amazed at how much the little girl is able to understand. I think back to when I was 10 years old, and I don't think that I understood nearly as much as she does. It has been really cool to see the transformation that has occurred in her mom, and how teaching her daughter has helped her to strengthen her own testimony.
Unfortunately that is about all of the progress that we were able to make with our investigators, but like I have said before, we have been starting to work with our members more. On Monday, we were able to have a cool experience with one of the families in our ward. We did service for them in the morning by helping them clean their back yard up, because the husband just recently had knee surgery, and isn't able to do much physical labor. And then that evening we went over to their house for dinner, and we taught an FHE lesson on Christmas and giving to others.
I guess before I was a missionary, I thought of missionary work as knocking on doors, and teaching people who were not members of our church about our church. I never really thought that I would be teaching people who are already members, but it has been pretty amazing to me to see how missionaries can have an impact on individuals, families, or even an entire ward by teaching them.
Well I love you guys! Thanks for the emails! And for the package! Hope you have a great week! Can't wait to talk to you! Love you!
- Elder Schaap
Pics from the Festival of the Lights
Pics from the Thanksgiving Feast of Sharing that the Mission helped with (These are on the mission blog at www.teachallnations5014.blogspot.com. Thanks Sister Matsumori!). Elder Schaap was in the early crew that helped to prepare the meal. They carved 350 turkeys and cut about 900 pies. The later crew served the meal. Approx. 4,000 people were served that day.
Pics from the CDM (combined district meeting) for Seneca Zone (Sister Matsumori again)
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