Monday, March 12, 2012

March 12, 2012 E-Mail (His last one!!!)

To be honest this week was a tough one.  I really tried working hard knowing that it's one of my last weeks and I felt like I worked hard, but we didn't see much come from it at all.  I think it's satan just trying to get me to think that I can be lazy and not do anything.  But that's not true.  So this week will be a good one.  We did do a lot of tracting and met some good people that hopefully we can start teaching soon.  We have a lot of set appointments already for this week which is always a good thing.  Saturday night we decided to go and try to see an investigator to invite her to church.  Well there were about 4 cops in front of her house searching the cars outside.  We decided to turn around and take off.  She's been really flaky as we have been teaching her.  We will see what happens when we go back to see her.  Really I don't have much more to say.  I'm sort of in a blank because I can't believe my time is almost over.  Thank you so much to everyone for the love and support I have received.  I know that the gospel is true and that it was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that God is our loving Heavenly Father and that His son is our Savior.  I know that through Jesus Christ we can overcome anything. Whether it be a sadness or a sin or whatever it is.  I know that the book of mormon is true and that it guides us closer to our Savior as we read and study it.  I'm so grateful to have been a missionary and experience the things that I've experienced.  I hope you all have a great week.  And I'll see you soon!
Love Elder Schvaneveldt

March 6, 2012 E-Mail

This e-mail will be a short one.  Our p-day is today because we went to the temple.  It was a great experience as usual.  I've only got to go 3 times since I've been in the field.  I'm looking forward to going more often.  A member here took us.  There is also a Costa Vida in Spokane now.  Man it felt good to go to Costa Vida again.  We also went to Spokane last week.  It was sort of interesting because it was for our zone leader council.  Well we always have a ride meet us and drive us.  He forgot about us so we had to drive our own car and we got there 45 minutes late.  Luckily President Palmer understood. As far as missionary work goes, really not much happened this past week.  It was sort of a tough week.  But Sunday we had some good things happen.  In singles ward to non -members just showed up with a friend and they said that they're interested in learning more.  Then a couple of members in our family ward came up to us and asked us for some copies of the Book of Mormon to give to some friends.  So I really think that our teaching is going to pick up.  We are teaching some really good people right now, but they just seem to be stuck in a rut.  A lot of them have some problems with some commandments and that really keeps them from progressing.  Sorry this is so short.  I know that this church is true and that true
happiness comes from living the principles of the gospel.  When we are obedient, we are blessed.  I know that God loves all of us and is aware of everything we go through.  I hope you all have a great week!
Love Elder Schvaneveldt

Thursday, March 1, 2012

February 27, 2012 E-Mail

I know that you're probably getting really sick of short e-mails, but this one will be pretty short too.  This week was another way fast one.  First off I guess I'll talk about Larry.  I told you about him last week.  Well we are no longer teaching him because he moved back to Yakima.  We had a few different appointments with him this past week and he bailed on just about all of them.  I guess he had to go to the hospital a couple of times and that's why he couldn't meet us.  Then on Friday we went to see him because we had an appointment and he wasn't there again.  We called him and he told us that he was in court but that he was on a 5 minute break and asked if we could meet on Saturday.  We were just standing in the parking lot of the motel where he lives talking to the person that came with us to teach him and he called us back.  He told us that someone had called him and told him that we were waiting for him outside his door.  So he called because he didn't just want us waiting for him because he wouldn't be home for awhile.  Then about 5 minutes later he walked up.  And told us that he had a 30 minute break and that he was just there to get something to eat but that he still wanted us to come back on Saturday.  At that point it was obvious that he was lying to us about something.  So we went back Saturday and no one was there and the person at the motel told us that he moved back to Yakima.  We aren't sure if he really was interested in the gospel or just in welfare help from the church.  Luckily we got his information of where he lives in Yakima so we can send the missionaries down there to see him.
We met another lady who we thought had a lot of potential but she is being extremely flaky as well.  I just wish people would be honest with us and tell us if they really wanted us there or not.  She keeps telling us that she wants to come to church and had so many questions.  And then she never goes through with her appointments.  It's just frustrating.  It's not always their fault though.  Satan does everything he can to stop something good from happening.  I was thinking about that last night.  We were reading through Joseph Smith history with a recent convert and that part really stuck out to me how it talks about how Satan tried so hard to stop Joseph from saying that prayer.  Because he knew that it would lead to the restoration of the true church.
This week is going to be crazy because we have our zone leader meeting in Spokane.  Plus I think we will be doing exchanges with the assistants which means we will make a couple trips up there.  Also we are going to the temple next week, so I probably won't e-mail until Tuesday.
Things are going great here.  I'm grateful to be a missionary and to share the truth with others.  I'm so grateful for the gospel in my own life and the blessings that have come from it.  I know that this is the true church.  Thank you so much for your love and support.  Have a great week!
Love Elder Schvaneveldt