Marzo 20, 2011

We didn't get a letter from Elder Schomburg this week since he moved from the Peru CCM to the mission home in Quito, Ecuador, but grandma received a letter that she forwarded to me with this note attached: "This is such a great message, I thought you might want to share some of his thoughts on his blog."

Enjoy...

Dear Grandma,

Thank you so very much for all of your letters.  I really love seeing all the new pictures in your letters.  I especially liked the most recent letter that I received (sent Mar 10) that included all of those pictures.  I really loved being able to see you and all the family.  That was wonderful.

Life is very good right now.  By the time you get this, I will either be packing to go to Ecuador or I will be in Ecuador.  I am so excited to go.  It has been wonderful being in the CCM, learning espanol and learning more about el Evengelico de Jesuscristo (gospel of Jesus Christ), but I feel like I’m ready now to move to the next phase of missionary work; invitando a las personas a venir a Cristo (inviting people to come unto Christ). I’m slightly scared of being on my own with only a (very possibly Latino) companero a ayudar a mi.  Pero, yo se que esta obra es la obra del Senor, y El ha proveedo una manera para mi. (But, I know that this work is the work of the Lord, and He has provided a way for me.)  He didn’t call me out here knowing that I couldn’t do the work and learn the language; He called me out here because he knew that I could do the work and learn the language.  I know that I will be called to work miracles in the name of the Lord, and I’ve been called to Ecuador because the people there need the gospel.  Everyone in the world needs the gospel of Jesus Christ, but the people in Ecuador have been prepared for me to teach them.  That idea is amazingly powerful for me.  And I’m not inviting people unto Christ solely as a 20 year old kid; I’m inviting people unto Christ as a representative of Christ.  I am a messenger of Christ.  I have been given the authority, through the laying on of hands, to do the Lord’s work in His place; to say what He would say.  Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said:

“I am called of God. My authority is above that of the kings of the earth.  By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ.  He is my master and he has chosen me to represent him. To stand in his place, to say and do what he himself would say and do if he personally were ministering to the very people to whom he has sent me. My voice is his voice, and my acts are his acts, my words are his words and my doctrine is his doctrine.  My commission is to do what he wants done.  To say what he wants said. To be a living modern witness in work and deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous latter-day work.”

I know this is true with all of my soul, with all of my being.  This message is the most important message the world has ever had, especially now in the ultimos dias.  Thank you so much for what you have done to help me Grandma.  I’d like you to look up Romans 8:31.  It’s one of my favorites.  I love you Grandma.

Love,

Elder Schomburg

One week left...

Hello all! So this week has ablsolutely flown by. I'm pretty sure that I lost a day somewhere within this week. And now there are only 6 days until I'm in Ecuador! I believe that I'll be leaving the morning of Tuesday, but I don't know for absolute sure. They don't tell us these things until very close to when we leave. We might learn tomorrow during the LGM (large group meeting).

Anyway, I am very excited and very nervous to finally be going to the field. I don't really feel that I know enough spanish yet, but I know that I'll be able to do at least a little bit of good with what I do know, and I'll learn much more during the next two years minus some.

General Authorities...hmm, no se. We had an Elder (maybe he was President) Nash come here Sunday for a fireside. I think he was president of the Northwest area of South America though, so...I have no idea. But he was cool. We all got to shake his hand, and he told me that the Quito mission is off the charts right now, so that's super exciting.

I haven't been able to go tracting again since the last time 3ish weeks ago, but this Saturday I'll get to go. I know of one other person going to Quito, but I haven't really met him. I won't get a new companion until my first companion in the field.

All of the Peruvians are super nice to you. They're all for the most part fairly short (5' 8"ish is about the tallest a guy ever gets), but they're all generally happy it seems. I haven't been to any member's houses yet. We only leave the CCM on Wednesday for a couple hours for the temple/Tottu's, and on Saturdays except for this rotation. Our service projects are just janitorial work around the CCM. We've only had one service day the entire time I've been here.

I haven't had any more trouble with my teeth really. They seem to be okay. My right eyelid is all swollen today though. I woke up with it all swollen, and it hurts a bit when I move it at all. It's also super annoying. I have no idea why it happened today, but I'll talk to Hermana Whetten if it's not gone by tomorrow.

I'll probably purchase an umbrella in Quito when I get there, because right now I really don't have space for anything else.

Okay, now for some highlights of my week. This Sunday we watched a fireside that Elder Holland gave a couple of weeks before I entered the Provo MTC. Elder Holland always has such great talks. This one was about missionary work (like all of his at the MTC are), and there was one part that really hit home with me. He was talking about Peter and how he leapt from the boat when he saw the resurrected Jesus on the shore. Peter swims up to Jesus, and Jesus asks Peter 3 times if he loves Him. Peter answers in the affirmitive, and then Peter is basically made the president of the church. The transformation of Peter at this time from a fisherman to a true, 100% apostle of Christ is rather magnificent. Peter proceeds to go around preaching the gospel, and he has such a strong testimony that people come out of their houses to be healed by meerly having his shadow fall on them. While Elder Holland was talking about this, two words came to my mind out of nowhere; Be Peter. And that's what I'm trying to do now. I just feel that if I can be like Peter, then I will be able to be the best tool of the Lord that I am able to be, so I'm going to try to be like Peter with all that I've got.

Okay, new subject. I think the mail is a bit off here or something, because hardly anyone here has received any Dear Elders or anything for the past week or more. It might be that everyone is sending mail to mission address (mine is

Elder Andrew Schomburg
Misión Ecuador Quito
Calles Robles 640 y Amazonas
Quito
Ecuador

and that's for sure), but I think it's slightly messed up too. I haven't received those pictures that you (madre) sent to greet me here in Peru, so those may be lost. Sorry to everyone if they've sent something and I haven't gotten it. I believe I've responded to just about everything that I've received, or will respond shortly.

Oh, and a very important thing. HAPPY BIRTHDAY ROBBY AND MICHELLE!!!! /HUG!!!! /HUG!!!! I hope both of you have a very happy birthday on the 31st. I don't know if I'll be able to write to you guys again before then, that's why I'm saying it now.

Oh, a little something interesting; in my class I am now kinda companions with an hermana. We're just companions for teaching in the class, but it's still a bit different. We were both kinda dumbstruck when our teacher said we'd be companions, but we're doing fairly well teaching together. We've only done it a few times, but they were both pretty good.

Also, I cannot wait to get out in the real world and to teach real people. That will be so nice. And I only have 6ish days! Tuesday! Ah!!! Okay, I must go now.

Please, keep writing! Mail is like missionary gas. Anyway, I love all of you very much. Stay strong! Bye!

Church Reemphasizes Concern for People of Japan, Moving Missionaries Out of Affected Areas

Just some information about how the Church is taking care of our missionaries after the the earthquakes and tsunami in Japan.

Church Reemphasizes Concern for People of Japan, Moving Missionaries Out of Affected Areas

P-Day Hooray!

Hello! So, this week was pretty good. It seemed like it was both really ridiculously fast and slow, which is odd.

Hmm, where to start. Okay, I'll start with P-day. [Last week, not today] It was a blast. We got to go on a tour of Lima since Elder Hatch, Elder Sims, and I were the only 3 in the entire CCM. Lima is pretty cool. There are actually some ancient ruins right in the middle of the city, but they're really not that much to look at. I got one picture of them, but that's it.

Also, we got to go see the beach, and since it was the first time in my adult (I can say that cause I'm 20 now) life I'd seen the ocean, it was kinda overwhelming. Just the thought of all of that water out there, with nothing on top at all, and you can't really see anything down a ways...a whole bunch of nothingness. It was almost kinda scary. But then I got over that and took a picture of a lighthouse that was there (just for you Dad). The water was really nasty looking though. When the waves broke it looked like a sea of Coke. It was rather nasty. But I would have loved to have driven on the road right next to the beach. I mean, I rode in the car that was driving right by it, but riding is nothing like driving, and that's one thing I do kinda miss is driving.
So yeah.

OH. We got Burger King for lunch. Never before has a Whopper tasted so delicious. It was fantastic. We got to do some shopping in downtown Lima, and the shops there are arranged as so; one street only has shops selling glasses, one street has women's clothing, one street has wedding dresses, and so on and so forth. We found a street that only sold fútbol jerseys, which was perfect. They're all fake down here of course, but I found (and am currently wearing) what Elder Hatch called the best fake he's ever seen. It feels just like my BYU stuff, and it looks awesome. It's a black Real Madrid jersey with green accents, and it's actually my new favorite shirt. It was 26 soles, which works out to be $9.67. That is a steal. So yeah, that day was pretty fun. ...Have I already said any of this? I feel like I have, but...no, I haven't...I don't think.

ANYWAY. Yeah. Elder Iza is pretty cool. He talks to me a lot more than Elder Barrera did, but he slurs everything he says, so once again I hardly ever understand when he's talking to me. That's okay though. Oh, he's 24, 25 on lunes [Monday]. I thought that was pretty awesome. And he's only been a member for two years, so that's even more awesome.

Hmm, every day here is basically the same. I try to understand what people are saying (I'm doing really well now, actually. I have this weird situation when I can understand when I'm not being spoken to directly, but if someone talks directly at me I get all flustered and stuff...it's frustrating, but I just need more vocabulary or something), I learn more español, I eat food that I now like (for the most part. every now and again the meal is a real doozy, but these things happen), and...yeah. I'd say it's actually more structured than Provo was here. In Provo I had eons of free time, but here my free time has more of a purpose it seems, and it's more structured free time.

Okay, also, yesterday there was a fútbol game of Latinos vs. Norteamericanos, and that was probably the best game any of us have ever played. It was tonnes of fun. I actually scored 3 goals in that game, and the game ended with a score of 6-7 in favor of the latinos. One of my goals was the result of a lot of pain in blocking a shot that had me doubled over after scoring the goal...that's all I'll say about that, except that I gave it my all in that game. It was so fun.

Everyone here has meet Presidente Whetten I'm pretty sure. There are only about 100 people here this go round, so it's a much more intimate group. I don't get any siestas in the day. There's plenty of time on P-days for a siesta, but I don't nap. It seems like a waste of time. I try to find something productive to do, like fold clothes or shine shoes or something, but it usually just turns into puttering around.

I should be leaving for Ecuador in exactly 2 weeks. I don't know the exact date yet. I haven't learned too much about Ecaudor from Elder Iza yet, but that's because my vocabulary is less than that of a 4 year old. I'm working on that though.

I'm so glad to hear that things are going well both spiritually and otherwise for you guys. And I think it's awesome that you're starting work on food storage. I'm actually a big fan of food storage. That could just be because I absolutely love food, but still. Good for you guys!

Oh, scripture! 1 Corinthians 12:18, 22. I really like these scriptures because they say that no matter how little you are tasked with in the church, you still have a part, and the church couldn't work as well without you doing your part.

Um...yeah. I think that's about all I have. But as of today you should write to my Ecuador address. Only 2 weeks till I'm in the field! I kinda feel like that's really when my mission will start. This almost feels like another preparation stage. I can't wait to get in the field though. That will be so amazing. Also, pb&j's are amazing, and I'm appreciating the little things in life so much more now. I love you guys. I hope you all stay strong. Bye

Ecuador address will be posted separately - soon!

Jesus was a ninja...

Hello there! 

So, I was going to try to attach pictures, but it turns out that that's much too complicated for the amount of time that I have here, so no pictures for you! Sorry!

Okay, answering time! All norteamericanos are in districts together, and we have class with our districts, so that helps us out a lot. I'll actually be getting a new companion today because everyone except Elder Hatch, Elder Sims, and I left for their missions. We were the only three in the CCM that had only been here for 3 weeks (out of the norteamericanos), and the Latinos are only here for 3 weeks. So now we're the advonzados! I'll leave you guys to find out what that means. ;) My room sheet says that my companion is Elder Iza from Ecuador, so that's exciting. I'll get to here all kinds of stories about what Ecuador is like. That'll be awesome.

I don't know my Ecuador address at this moment. I have a letter that says it, and I think I sent it in a letter to Michelle, but I don't have it on me yet. I'll send it in my next email so that you guys have it, because as of next Wednesday (1 week), you'll have to send letters to that address.

Oh, I have been getting letters and packages from all of you! Thank you! The letters take about 8 days to get here, 6 if I'm lucky. And I have received Grandma Ruth and madre's packages. Grandma's still hasn't arrived yet, so no lo se donde. I sent a letter to you guys on Monday (oh, that's the only day I can send letters...sorry for not telling you that. Oh, also, I can only send 3 letters per week), so let me know when you guys receive it please. The address I last sent you was way wrong, so don't use that one. Whichever one you have been using, use that one. I regularly get letters from the Johnson family, and from Grandma, and from you (madre and family), so those ones for sure work.

I honestly don't know about my favorite scripture this week. There was one that I read, last versiculo of capítulo 8 in John (I think) that gave me the thought that Jesus was a ninja, which is a very silly thought, but several times in the scriptures it talks about people trying to get Jesus, and he just disappears into the crowd, so he's obviously a ninja of sorts.

P-day is pretty relaxed. We go to the temple, do laundry in the laundry machines on each floor (there are 8 each washers/dryers), do a little shopping, come back and read scriptures or write letters, then after dinner we have a little bit of class time, but that's really all.

Okay, most spiritual experience. Last night we were watching a movie about the life of Thomas S. Monson, and I made a decision; I want to live my life in such a way that I will be worthy to be called as an apostle. It was amazing to see how many people President Monson helped, and all of the experiences that he had, and they were all because he lived his life as righteously as he could. He was also an amazing father and husband, two things that I desperately want to be the best at when I return. So I have decided that I will do my best to live the gospel as fully as I know how, and to work my hardest, so that if Heavenly Father is ever in need of an apostle to do his work, I will be worthy of being considered.

Now on to other things! I don't really need anything I don't think. Maybe a multivitamin of sorts...oh, and pictures! People ask if I have pictures of my family, and I don't! What's up with that guys?? Just kidding! But pictures would be nice. Pictures of anyone, actually!

*Just as a note - we have sent several photos and I'm sad to know that he didn't get them!  We'll send more. :) 

Let's see, what else...oh, one of the hermanas here (well, not anymore, she left yesterday), Hermana Maxwell, is Neal A. Maxwell's granddaughter. How crazy is that? Darn crazy, that's how crazy it is.

OH. THE BEST THING HAPPENED YESTERDAY. WE GOT PAPA JOHN'S PIZZA. It was rather glorious. Hermana Boza, our teacher, bought it for us because there were only 3 of us, and she really likes us and is amazing. Anyway, it was amazing. It was probably the best day ever in an MTC anywhere.

Today we get to go on a tour of Lima, which includes a stop at Burger King. I am stoked. Also, we get to go to a market, and there's a street there that sells all kinds of fútbol jerseys, so I'll see about picking one up there. Supposedly they're only about $10-15 US dollars, so that's awesome. They might be a bit more than that, but I think it'll be okay.

Yay Jeffrey for being called as second counselor! That's awesome.

Oh, another thing, as a general rule, we've found that Latinos can't really sing. They put a lot of heart into their songs, but they just don't quite get the notes right. That's okay though.

Okay, seconds left! I love you! Keep strong, and keep building your testimony. Bye

Aloha!

haha, bet that threw you for a loop. :) Anyway, it appears that the enter key will never work, so that´s that.   

[I've formatted it so it can be read more easily.]

Okay, first, to answer the questions from my lovely madre: I´ve definitely settled into the culture here. Well, maybe not the food, but I have another year and 11 months, I´m sure I´ll get used to it. The language is still coming, but I can understand a lot more now. We learn reading/writing/speaking all at once, which really helps actually.

Elder Barrera is doing well...I think. He speaks really quickly and kinda mumbles, plus he doesn´t pronounce the beginning or ending of a lot of the words, like most of the Chileans here, so it´s still really difficult to understand him, but I´m getting better. I know that he used to be in some kind of color guard thing, he may have played the drums, he has two sisters, both older, and his mom, and I think that´s about all I know of him.

I´m doing fine with the pillow I have, thanks, and I wouldn´t be able to bring another thing in my suitcases. I'm pretty much at the limit already.

I did get to go tracting on Saturday! It was a really amazing experience, actually. We went tracting from about 9:30 to 4:30, and during that we had 20 contacts and we actually got to teach one lesson. We probably could have taught more lessons if we had been trying to teach lessons, but we thought that the only reason we were there was to get contacts for the missionaries assigned to the area. It was really cool though. I understood more than I thought I would, but I was still lost at least 66% of the time. I got to say a prayer for a family that we taught at their door, and then we got to go in someone´s house and teach the first lesson. I could feel the Spirit then, and the lady seemed fairly interested, or at least she looked that way. I felt that we could have taught her as a person more. I think we ended up teaching a lesson and not a person, but she seemed grateful still. We also gave out 6 Books of Mormon, which was awesome. On our way back to the capilla for lunch we passed one of the people we had given a Book of Mormon to reading it on the sidewalk, and that just got me all kinds of excited. It´s very exciting to see people follow through with commitments, especially so quickly. I was ridiculously tired after that day, but it was a good day.

Sundays really aren´t much different here than they were in Provo, except all of Sacrament Meeting is in Spanish. I´ve actually probably received the most cards and letters of anyone in my district the whole time they´ve been here, but it definitely has slowed down. Here´s who I´ve heard from so far: Grandma (Judy), Grandma Ruth, madre, Brother and Sister Johnson...I think that´s all. I got Grandma Ruth´s package yesterday in the mail, so I think that I´ll be getting lucky with packages. Several elders have actually gotten them here at the CCM, which is odd, but I´ll take it. And thank you for your birthday wishes! I´m definitely having a good birthday.

Temple this morning, I bought a scripture case for my spanish scriptures and then some food at Tottu´s (It´s more like a grocery store with electronics, because I tried to find an Ecuadorian fútbol jersey and they didn't have any jerseys at all), where I got a 3 litre of Crush for 4 soles, which is roughly $1.50. the exchange rate is 2.74 soles per dollar, and I don't feel like doing the math right now haha. Also, there's a candy here called and Olé Olé, which is a marshmallow covered in chocolate. They're only big enough for one bite, but 60 come in a bag. I finished the bag in 5 days...they're soooooo good.

Okay, not much time, most spiritual experience, go! Okay, on Friday I was kinda in a funk. I don't really know why, I just woke up that way. Anyway, I stayed that way through lunch. After lunch, when Elder Barrera was brushing his teeth, I said a prayer asking Heavenly Father to comfort me, because I was really starting to feel down. Well, about 2 hours after lunch we have TRC, where we go and teach a fake investigator in front of a large class. It's really not the best learning environment, but that's what we do. We were called very last (our first time thus far) to do a door approach. We got into the house because the lady said that she had a dream that God sent her two messengers that looked a bit like us. When we were inside, she asked us if we were the people in her dream. Elder Barrera kind beat around the brush a bit and never really said yes. I wanted to, but I couldn't because I didn't want to interrupt Elder Barrera. Anyway, two more people came up to the door and said that they were missionaries of another church, and they of course told her they'd been sent by God. She then started to usher me and Elder Barrera out, but I asked her one more question. I asked if she knew that she was a daughter of God. She said yes. I said that because she's a daughter of God, He loves her, and He wants her to hear a message that we have brought specifically for her. I was of course stumbling all over my words (because I really only knew half of the right ones), but the Spirit was incredibly strong. Because of that, she allowed us to stay inside, but then time ran out and we had to go. I wasn't thinking that that situation would have given me any comfort at all, but I felt so happy and good for the rest of the day. It's incredible how God works and how he knows us individually.

I'm very proud of all of children of the Schomburgs! Way to go guys! You guys are so awesome. Keep up the good work.  I don't actually have any time left, so I must finish up and go. I love you guys very much.

I know that this Church is Christ's true church, the same one that he established when he was on earth. I know with all of my heart that the Book of Mormon is true, and that God really does have a plan for us. God loves all of us individually, and I feel that every day.

I love you guys. Keep up all the good work, and stay strong! I hope to keep hearing from you guys! Write more!! :D I love you! Bye!