A Baptism and a Fond Farewell

Elders Schaap and Krugman with our cute recent convert before baptism. She was a little nervous about the water, so we both helped her into the font.


Elders, and our cute convert and Postmas at her baptism.


Elders at sunrise this morning.


Lincoln Memorial today

Posing at the Lincoln Memorial???

Hey!!!!!

So I just want to start off this email by saying sorry!! Last P-day was kind of crazy, so I guess I will start there.... So at about 9:45 we got a frantic call from our cute investigator saying that she thought her brother was in the last minutes of his life because he was having a very unusually heavy breathing pattern, as soon as Elder Krugman and I heard this we got into our suits as fast as we could and were out the door. When we got there, everything had calmed down, and he appeared to be doing just fine, shorty after we got there the Postma's along with a few other members of the ward got there, but we were there for a good couple of hours just talking to her and making sure that we were doing all we could to help. So that is the reason I couldn't really send you guys a long email last week is because we still had a bunch of things we had to do, and I apologize.

I guess the next thing I need to tell you about is Friday, Elder Krugman and I were over with she and her brother, we got there around 1:45 maybe, her baptismal interview was scheduled for 3:00, so we wanted to review with her what would happen during the interview. As we were sitting there talking with her, I noticed that her brother's breathing was getting very heavy and he looked a little uncomfortable, I didn't think much of it, but I kept my eye on him as we kept going over the interview questions. I continued to notice that his breaths were getting heavier and less frequent, this is when Elder Krugman and I both said something to her because we knew it was close, and just about that time around 2:20, unfortunately, he passed very peacefully. Elder Krugman and I didn't know what to do to try and comfort her, we didn't know what to say, and pretty much the only words spoken for the next 15 minutes or so was a prayer said by her that helped her to be calm. We called just about everyone we knew to come over and no longer than 20 minutes after we called, there was about 6 people from the ward there to help comfort her. She was able to handle it really well, about as well as anyone could in a situation like that, and before we left she informed us that she was still planning on being baptized this Sunday and she said these words to me, "I had been praying for a miracle that my brother would be able to come to my baptism, and now I know that he will be there."

So I guess after that sad news, I have some really really good news! She was in fact baptized this last Sunday, and she asked me if I would perform the ordinance!! Of course I said yes!!! Everything went so well!!!! She was pretty much already a part of the ward, so there was a bunch of people, Pres. Matsumori was even there, and spoke at it, which was sweet!!! We are so excited for her though, her testimony is so strong!! She is also going to speak at the next "Why I Believe" Fireside at the Visitor's Center, not this coming Sunday, but the next one!!!!! So we are really excited for her!!! She is so great!!

Well, I hope that email made up for the one that I didn't send haha but I think you guys can understand why it happened that way. I love you guys so much though!!! And I hope that your week was a good one, it sounds like it was!!! LOVE YOU!!!!

- Elder Schaap

Pics from Sister Postma - Thank You!!

On Monday night, 2/7/11, I opened my email at about 9:30 pm and found these amazing pictures from Sister Postma. She and her husband are senior missionaries in the DC North Mission (at the far right in the picture above). What a great surprise! Thanks Sister Postma!

At a baptism in Jan 2011.

Elders "hamming it up" with Sister Postma.

Elders and Postmas.

Elders and Sr. Missionaries with a member and his sister

Elders at Five Guys.

Elders with Elder & Sister Postma

Elders at Big Slice Pizza

Elders at the car show.

Elder and Sister Postma at the car show.

Crazy Day...

Hey Guys!!

So I am pretty sure you are going to hate me.... but we had a crazy day today and I really don't have time to email tonight, I just wanted to let you guys know that I am safe, there hasn't really been crazy weather like there was last week. I am also not sure if I will even be able to write a full email to you guys tomorrow or not yet, we will just have to see, SORRY! If I am not able to, I will definitely fill you in next week with a long one! But I love you guys, and thank you for all you do!! LOVE YOU!! And sorry again! Hopefully I will be able to write tomorrow, we will just have to see!
- Elder Schaap

P.S. Happy Birthday on Sunday Dad!!!!!!! And get your shoulder feeling better would ya? sheesh!

Lots of Snow in DC...and a Baptism Date!

On the bus....not moving!

We got like a Book of Mormon of snow! haha, oh man, I hope you think that's as funny as I do!

Notice there are only a few car lights on the left. Our bldg was the only one with lights - we got lucky!

All of our wet stuff out to dry

Heyy!!!

Sorry I couldn't email you guys yesterday, things were crazy here in D.C.!!! Like I said, I think we got about 8 inches or so of snow, and we were down by the Capitol when it started to come down! So we had to take the bus back to our appartment, we got on the bus just after 6:30, well by 8:30 we were still about 10 blocks away from our appartment, and the road was more of a parking lot than anything else, so we decided that we would just get off and walk home. While we were on our way back, we noticed that a lot of people were having trouble getting their cars moving with all the snow (because NO ONE has 4 wheel drive out here haha) so we thought we would try to help people get their cars going. It was pretty funny actually, because we were jogging most of the way, only stopping to help people get their cars unstuck, I bet people who saw us were like "Who are these guys?!" haha. And then as soon as we got back home, I didn't have enough time to email, so that is the story of yesterday.

Other than that though, things are continuing to go well, we were able to go to the Visitor's Center with our cute member and his sister this past Thursday, and it went really well. She was so happy just to get out of the house with her brother, she said that since he came home from the hospital that they haven't been able to do that. Now she has a baptismal date for Feb. 6th (I believe something else is happening on that date right? ;) ) [Steve's b-day] and she is really excited for it! They were also able to come to church!! And there were so many people that wanted to sit next to them that there wasn't room for either Elder Krugman or me, so she is pretty much already a part of the ward, now she just needs to get baptized!

We also had the opportunity to go to the Visitor's Center with another one of our investigators, who we have had a hard time finding what is holding her back, but the sisters at the VC were able to, at least a little bit, find out what is was, now it is up to us to keep working on that.

Well, it sound like you guys are doing great! Thanks for the package by the way!!! I was dying when I read the little letter inside! haha you guys are the best! And thanks for the updates! Keep them coming! I love you guys, and I will talk to you again next week!

- Elder Schaap

Pics from DC

So we went to the top of the Washington Monument last p-day, and I took some sweet pics!

Washington Monument

The Reflection Pool

In Pic #3 you can see the Temple if you look really hard in the upper middle part of the picture.

The Mall and the Capitol

View straight down from the top

SNOW!!

Hey everyone!

Sorry this is so late! But it has been snowing like crazy here, about 8 inches I think!! Crazy stuff, I will email you tomorrow, along with some pictures of the snow ok? Sorry, but it is past 9:30, and we just got back to our appartment! Love you guys!!!

- Elder Schaap

Helping Others

Hello Family and anyone else who may be reading this email!

So good to hear from you guys as always! Time is just flying by for me, in fact, it is going so fast that I forgot to tell you guys that transfers were coming up. No worries though, I am staying in the same area with the same companion, in fact my whole district stayed the same except for there were two missionaries in the South/East areas, but those areas are now split and they are both going to be training!! So we now have 10 Elders in the ward with two senior couples!! Yikes!! Its going to be sweet though, and I am way excited for this coming transfer! And since no one in my appartment got transferred, today is just a regular P-Day for us.

Things are going well for us here though, we had a miracle happen this week, well it was in the making before, but it was a miracle none the less. So we went over to visit one of the Recent converts in our area, he was baptized almost a year ago now, and he is a very solid member! Unfortunately, his health has started to go down hill, and his time here on this earth is becoming very short, and his sister is his full-time care taker. The first time we went over to visit them, his sister was very reluctant to let us in, because she didn't like missionaries or our church very much, but when we got in we found out that she had a lot on her plate, and she needed help. So that night we let the bishop know, and the ward has been absolutely amazing in doing anything they can to help her, from going over there to just talk with her, or just being there to stay with him while she runs some errands. It has been amazing!!

Yesterday Elder Krugman and I were over there, and she basically said that everyone in the ward's kindness has changed her, and she said she wants to join our church!!! It just goes to show you that sometimes the best way to reach peoples hearts is not by teaching them about the gospel, but by living the gospel, and reaching out to help those in need! She loves having us over now, and she told us that she even wants to apologize to the missionaries that she was rude to when her brother was being taught! We are so excited for her, and we know that she is going to make an excellent member of the church!!

Other than that though, MLK day was not really any different than any other day haha there is no holidays as a missionary except for Mother's Day, Christmas, and Thanksgiving. The Holocaust Museum was really neat, there is a very somber feeling in there, just because of the events that it portrays, but it was a good experience, you guys will like it (someday)! Glad to hear that the whole wedding planning is continuing to go well! Did you by chance plan sometime that you were going to get a cardboard cut out?!?! haha You have to do it!! But that is it for me today, LOVE YOU GUYS A TON!!!!

- Elder Schaap