October 25 E-Mail

So things have been great this week.  We were able to invite an investigator to be baptized.  Her name is Evalina Sandoval.  She is really progressing and came and watched the primary program yesterday and she really liked it.  It was pretty cool.  We also are teaching a guy in our ward who's family are all members but he isn't.  He has had some life changing experiences and has had a softened heart and is ready to accept the gospel so that has been really cool to see.  Brian Cooper is also really progressing.  Oh yeah, I guess the big news of the week is that my companion got his Visa and will be leaving tomorrow.  So I will get another Elder who hasn't been out very long at all.  He will be here until at least next week.  Then who knows what will happen with transfers.  I'm curious to find out.  This last transfer just flew by.  What mission is Kyle Hoopes going to?  My companion is going to Mexico City North.  So he is sad to leave but also very excited.  It will be a lot different there than it is here.  We had our zone conference this last week and it was all on the Book of Mormon.  It is so essential to our faith, the keystone.  Without a witness that the Book of Mormon is true, our investigators get no where.  It really was a testimony builder for me that we need to study it every day.  Our mission President gave us the same challenge I know some of my friends have been given.  To get a brand new copy of the Book of Mormon and mark everywhere that it refers to the Savior.  It really is another testament of Jesus Christ.  So it was really good and a motivating conference to make sure our investigators are reading from the Book of Mormon and specifically praying to know if it is true.  Which our investigators are starting too.  We have some really amazing investigators right now.  I am very excited because I know some of them are going to be baptized.  Jesus hasn't had his interview yet, but he will soon.  He is back to only working one job so his life will slow down a little bit now.  Something crazy happened this week.  We met this bi-polar guy who would change the subject like every 30 seconds.  Well it turns out he is like one of the worlds best cage fighters.  Anyways, he was a nice guy but it felt like at any second if we would have said one thing wrong he would have flipped out and killed us.  It was nuts.  He has a plan to go high up in the Jehovah's Witness church and then start preaching mormon doctrine.  It was very interesting lets just leave it at that.  The scariest part is he lives right down the road from us!  So we are trying to lay low when we go into our house so he doesn't see us.  So that was pretty much our week.  One day we had zone conference and then the next I went into a different area on exchanges.  So my companion did most of the work with our investigators.  So hopefully I can pick up where he left off.  He is an amazing missionary and I wish he could stay.  But he needs to go to Mexico.  Yes Mom, I had to get an ultrasound.  When I got my blood test, my liver counts were a little high.  But quit freaking out cause they aren't that high.  So I had an ultrasound and everything looks fine.  So I had another blood test today, if he can't find anything on that then I go back in in like a month and have another blood test.  Long story short he said it's something he wants to get to the bottom of but it is nothing to freak out about.  So I'm fine.  I have a copy of it that I'm gonna send to Kristin in the next couple weeks depending on when I have time to go to the post office.  We might go to Leavenworth today because my companion wants to see it before he leaves.  And we are already running late because of the Doctor then we went to lunch with the Pedersens.  So I really don't have much more time.  I know the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  So read it.  Cause it really will bless your lives!!  Our challenge was to read it by the end of the year.  So I give you all the same challenge.  I love you so much.  Thanks for everything.

October 18, 2010 E-Mail

Sounds like you and Dad should be getting home right about now.  I hope you had a good trip.  Really not a whole lot happened this week.  We have had a lot of appointments bail on us lately so we have done a lot of tracting.  We did have a really good lesson with our investigator Ryan.  We were able to teach him in a members home and that always helps a lot.  He is finally making a little bit of progress and the member who's home we were in told Ryan that he would go to his baptist church if he would come to our church.  So that should be a good trade.  We also found a member last night who was a baptist.  She isn't active right now in the LDS church because of health issues but she still said she would come on an appointment with us.  So that should be a good thing.  We are still working with Jesus and he still really wants to be baptized.  He should be meeting with the mission president this week so hopefully we will know more about that pretty soon.  His wife in Mexico (They aren't legally married) doesn't want him to be baptized.  But he still really wants to and she has no control over it since they aren't legally married.  We were able to meet with a hispanic lady named Evalina this week.  I can't remember if I told you anything about her.  Well her and her boyfriend were living together and have two kids.  We have been teaching them a while now, but they have been fighting and she wouldn't come to church with him, and he said he would only go if she did.  So we went over a couple of times and they would just start fighting and it was all in spanish and he would try to get my companion and I to take his side and it was just a mess.  So we said we could come back with the Branch President and he could talk to them.  So one night the boyfriend called us, Ramon, and asked if we could come by with the Branch President because he wanted to work things out but if they couldn't get worked out then he was going to leave.  So we went by and introduced the President and then we took off.  So we stopped by a few days later and it turns out the boyfriend had left but she wanted to learn more.  So we set up and appointment and then we went over with the Branch President and his wife.  Well his wife looked through the window and saw this little boy, Alex, who she had taught in school previously.  He was like the most meaningful student to her and one day he was just gone and she never saw him since.  So long story short, we went in and the Presidents wife was able to make that connection with them, and Evalina and the two kids came to church yesterday!  So we were way excited about that and we are going to invite her to be baptized this week.  So that was exciting.  This past week we invited Brian Cooper to be baptized.  He is a 20 year old kid who is seeking for religion and has made big changed in his life.  He accepted to be baptized once he knows these things are true.  So that was cool.  And that was pretty much our week.  We met with a lot of less-actives also and a few of them came to church.  And then we did a lot of tracting which we have been struggling with.  We aren't seeing much success out of it and it can be discouraging.  But, it's just a trial, and trials bring forth blessings.  So we are going to work through it and see miracles come to be.  We have been talking a lot about Jesus Christ this week and the love he has for all of us.  I just want you all to know, that I know Jesus Christ is our Savior and that He took upon Himself the sins of all mankind.  Through Him, we can find great comfort in our problems and sorrows.  I love you all so much!  Have a good week!

October 11, 2010 E-Mail (Sorry I'm Behind!)

So it's been a good week here. I think the highlight of it was that I got a sweet haircut this morning by an in-active guy. He like shaved my neck and stuff the old school way with a straight blade. It was cool. Mom I liked how in the newsletter thing you put happy birthday to me on the 20th of September. Well my birthday is actually on the 12th just to remind you!


Well this last Saturday was supposed to be the baptism for Jesus. He wasn't able to get baptized. He didn't pass his interview and might have to wait a couple of months. We're not sure yet. The mission president is going to meet with him next week sometime and interview him. So we will see what happens. But three girls that we were teaching that moved out of our area into another area were baptized! And Jesus came and watched the baptism so that was pretty cool to see. He will be baptized for sure it's just a matter of time now. He works at Mcdonalds and we went and saw him at work today. He was way excited to see us.

We have been really trying to effectively use the hours of 5:00-7:00 to tract and find new investigators. We have been focusing on listening to the spirit on what to say. It's really made a difference in our door approaches. Some missionaries love tracting and some hate it. I'm in the middle. But we have to do it so we might as well have a good attitude about it and make the best of it and trust in the Lord while doing so. And we did a lot of tracting last week because a lot of our appointments fell through. But we have a lot of appointments set up for this week and a lot of them are with members so that will be good. Members really do make such a huge difference in the work.

I can't believe Brady left the MTC already. Where was his companion from? He mentioned the name and I went to school with someone who had that last name. It felt like I was in the MTC for like years. He will be glad to get out in the field I'm sure.

That's about it for this past week. I'm learning to love to study. I know as we study, and as we prayerfully study that our relationship with our Father in Heaven will greatly increase and we will come closer to him and have a greater desire to do what he wants. So either keep studying, or start studying!! I love you all!!!! I hope you will be able to read this Mom and Dad, if not I'm sure Mom will freak out. I was also way way way excited to hear that I'm going to be an uncle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 4, 2010 E-Mail

So I've been thinking alot about Weston, and I'm quite jealous of him. Not because he found like 40 cockroaches, but because he doesn't have to wear a suit coat! And yes, until next conference, I have to wear a suit coat. Which absolutely sucks when you have never even worn a suit before in your life until your mission. And the weather here has been about like how you have described it at home. Which is too hot to be wearing a coat. But oh well. I will get used to it. It's been a crazy week because I had to go to Moses Lake on Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for most of the day to go to a training. It was a very tiring week because we had to get up extra early to get there. Then by the time we got home at night and went and worked out areas then came back we were just beat. But I was able to learn a lot of good training things that will hopefully help our areas out. We have been having a little bit of a hard time finding new people to teach. So hopefully that will change. Mom I laughed when I got your letter and you confessed that you didn't e-mail me last week. Sounds like you and dad are to old to get new technology. That new computer is just killing you guys. Hopefully you will get used to it pretty soon. Now that dad has 4 DVR recorder things, he should be able to record all of my car shows for until I get home! You said you went to Olive Garden on Saturday, we usually go there once a week. I can't remember if I told you that or not. One of the members here is like the manager or something so we always get hooked up. It's nice. That will be cool to go to the Dominican Republic next week. I better get some sort of cool souvenir.


I really don't have a ton to report on because I wasn't in my area half the week. But we did have an investigator come to conference yesterday. It was Jesus. He is still looking like he will be baptized on Saturday so keep praying for him. He has his baptismal interview on Thursday. We did have a really good lesson with Garret and Lea. They are way cool and were sort of questioning if there was a God and stuff. But they committed to say a sincere prayer about the message that we brought. So we are excited to go back and find out how that went. Conference was good. We just watched it all at the church. There was a lot of good talks. I'm excited to get the ensign and actually be able to go through and read them all. I have a hard time just listening. I need to have it in front of me. Allen Avra didn't come, so he won't be able to be baptized on the 23rd. But pray he will come to church next Sunday. They had a really good lesson with him this last week while I was in Moses Lake.

Yes mom I want you to keep sending me my friends e-mails like you do. Maybe send Colby's too. I know how he feels being transferred into a new area like that. I found out this past week that one of the investigators in Warden was baptized and also that a family I was working with has accepted a baptismal date. So I know what he's talking about. That's crazy though he is on like an island.

That's about it for this week. I'm so glad that we have a living prophet who can speak to us and give us the counsel that we need from our Heavenly Father. I know that as we follow that prophet we are doing what God wants us to do, and we will be blessed. I love you all so much. Thanks for all you do!

Sept. 25 E-Mail from the Spurgeon Family

Dear Sister Schvaneveldt, (if the last name is spelled wrong, its because your son has poor hand writing!)
 
 
We had the privilege of having your (lil boy) elder over for dinner :)  My husband shot a bear last week and he wanted to try it.  So we had bear soup!  He did great and (said) he loved every bite!  Thought we would send you a picture of our stock pot.  You have raised a very brave boy :)!  
 
He is doing great, you should be very proud of him.  Him and his companion, Elder Grey had a wonderful week.  
 
I do have a question, does he ever stop smiling?  We enjoy him and his wonderful smile.
 
 
Love the Spurgeons, east wenatchee Washington :)

September 27 E-Mail

So it's been a good week.  My new companion is Elder Gray.  He is originally from Las Vegas but has been going to BYU for the past five years I think.  His best friend growing up was Bruce Schvaneveldt's son.  Isn't that Dad's cousin?  He has been in the field for like 6 weeks now, and his last area was all english.  So it has been a huge test on the spanish.  He is waiting for his visa to go to Mexico.  They told him 2-3 months and it has been 2.  So He will probably be gone pretty soon.  But you never know.  He is really cool and we get a long really well.  This last transfer we pretty much tracted our entire area and didn't have a lot of success.  So we are going to try and work better with the members this transfer.  Members really are the key.  Yesterday I had to talk in sacrament meeting and that's sort of what I focused on.  So I hope we will see some good things happen.  The Cardena family that we were teaching actually moved out of our area.  But they are still in the boundaries for the spanish branch.  So hopefully the other Elder's will start to work with them soon.  Jesus Coriel is still looking good to be baptized on the 9th of October.  He just accepts everything we teach him.  He is so prepared right now.  He is also very forgiving of my spanish skills.  Yesterday he even gave us a ride to church.  So all he needs to do now is come to one session of conference, and then have a baptismal interview.  So keep on praying for him!!!  Then we have Allen Avra who is now on date to be baptized on the 23rd of October.  He is an awesome guy but he hasn't been to church yet.  So pray he will make it to a session of conference too!  We also had a very good appointment with Ryan this past week and we have him committed to meeting with us tomorrow night at the church.  So he will be able to feel the spirit in the church and want to come back.  Jessica, the girl we were teaching who's boyfriend is a member, she is doing good and they have been reading from the book of mormon every night.  We haven't taught her for a few weeks because things are crazy for her right now, but we do have an appointment tomorrow.  We are way excited about that.  That's probably about it as far as the work goes around here.  This Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday I have meetings I have to go to in Moses Lake for training because I'm a district leader.  I guess it's a training on the way they are training missionaries now in the MTC.  So that should be good and I hope it will really help the work out in our district and our area.  Being district leader is good.  The district is very small so that makes it nice.  There's the zone leaders, us, and one other companionship.  So it's pretty small. 

The lady we ate with the other night said she was going to e-mail you a picture of the bear skull and tell you that's what we had for dinner.  Well we did have bear for dinner but it was in a stew.  It was really good.  Her husband killed a bear last week and we wanted to eat some so he told us we were eating boiled head soup or something like that.  But it was really just a stew.  I went to the Doctor this morning and he said he thinks I might have something going on.  They drew blood so they will let me know pretty quick what the lab results are.  That's about it for this week.  I got another birthday card from Kent and Lori, so please tell them thanks!!  I love you all and thank you for everything.  I love this church.  I know that if we all can be like the Sons of Mosiah and pray and fast and have courage and know that this is a great work, that we will see so many people come unto Christ, we will have missionary moments placed in front of us!  I love you all!!!!  Have a good week!

September 20 E-Mail

So my companion headed off to Spokane yesterday.  So I was put in a trio with some other Elders.  So yesterday I got to go to my church, their church, and the spanish branch.  It was  LONG church day.  But it was good.  Tomorrow morning I will be getting a new companion.  I don't know much about him.  I'm staying in the same area and have been assigned to be the district leader.  All I know about my new companion is that he is not a native and has only been out one transfer.  So I guess I am step training him as they would call it in missionary terms.  I don't know if he is fluent in spanish or anything like that.  He is actually a visa waiter.  I think he is supposed to go to Mexico but it's hard to get in there right now.  So he could only be here for a few weeks or for his whole mission.  Who knows.  It will be nice to find out a little bit more about him when I meet him tomorrow.  I have gotten a lot of birthday stuff so please tell everyone thanks.  Brent and Anette, Judy and Greg, Jared's parents, Jared, Jay and Gina, and Kala!  Also on last p-day I got cards from Pam, Gublers, Drew and Lisa, and Brent and Cindy.  So thank you very much everyone!!  And I got Lynn's package and also Grandma's.  I'm going to try and write Grandma today.  I get treated better on my birthday out here than at home!  And yes, Brother Anantatmula did buy me a cake and everything.  So thank you very much!  I was happy to hear that you were typing on a new computer mom.  I'm sure dad loves it.  He is getting OLD!!!!!!  50 years old today!  Wow.  That's pretty cool that he might get to go to Tokyo.  That would be an awesome experience.  Just don't have to much fun while I'm gone.  I was also pretty excited to read Nick's e-mail to know that at least one of my friends is still getting some action every once in a while.  Poor Nick.  I wish I could have seen his face.  Mom you asked if I prefer the ward or the branch.  I really like them both.  It's hard to choose one.  Yesterday we didn't have any investigators at the branch and we had one in the ward.  Saturday night we had a huge spanish activity.  We were able to go because we had an investigator come.  It was way fun.  And our investigator had a way good time.  He's way quiet everytime we go over and see him and he never says to much.  But he had a huge smile on his face and was laughing the whole time at the activity.  His name is Jesus and he is on date to be baptized on October 9th.  He is awesome.  He is one who is prepared right now by the Lord.  Then we had appointments with Ryan and Jessica.  Well Ryan forgot, so we will go see him on Wednesday this week.  And Jessica's boyfriend had to work and then his Grandpa died the next day.  So we haven't been able to see her yet either.  We are going to go to the funeral on Thursday so hopefully we will get to see her there.  Other than that we did a lot of tracting this week again.  We were also able to do some service for a guy named Allen who really is seeking the truth.  So please pray for all of those guys!!  So that was about it for this past week.  Tell Dad I did get to eat his homemade salsa.  It was good.  Between all my birthday stuff I have a ton of food.  I was very grateful for the mountain dew that Lynn and Susan sent.  You asked if we will have to pay for those orthotic things for my feet.  I'm not sure.  I told him just to contact you guys but he sort of just gave me one of those oh we will take care of it.  He is a very nice guy.  He helps me a lot with my spanish when we are with him. So I will let you know if we have to pay for them or what the deal will be.  I got a call late last night from a member of the bishopric here.  I have to speak in sacrament meeting next week.  I was trying to lay low and slip through the cracks but I just couldn't do it.  So I'm stuck speaking again!  It will good though.  Hopefully it will motivate the members to do a little more missionary work.  I was glad to hear that I get to spend at least one more transfer in this area.  I know this is where the Lord needs me to be at this time.  I know that as we obey his commandments and pray for those oppurtunities to do missionary work that we will see great miracles.  Those seeking the gopsel will be put in our paths.  I love this gospel and the blessings it has brought to me and to all of us.  Have a good week.  I love you all!!!!!!!!