October 27, 2014

October 27, 2014

Even though the outward results of our work this week weren't impressive, we worked hard and that's what counts. We have really been trying to think outside the box in finding places to find people. Sometimes we have to try the tiniest clusters of houses. We also are working on finding through other means. Hopefully we can get some good ideas. We had a lesson with J.D. this week and are trying to figure out what keeps him from coming to church. We didn't get to meet with A. and D., but A. is making some progress. He has read in the Book of Mormon and said he believes it could be true. I guess he's still not quite sure how he wants to act on it. In his own study of the Bible, he came across John 10:16 and asked us if we thought the "other sheep" could be the people in the Book of Mormon. We said "absolutely" :). That was pretty cool. Like I told Maddie, we taught a brief lesson to a Catholic lady who said she was staying Catholic, but would be willing to listen to us. We gave her a pamphlet and a Book of Mormon and she actually seemed excited or at least curious to read a little bit. Even if nothing comes of it in the near future, I felt like it was an important seed that we were able to plant. On Saturday night, we had our branch chili cook-off and trunk of treat. It was pretty fun. The branch president's wife's chili took second place, but she told us afterwards she got it from Wendy's because she was too busy to make here own :) It was kind of funny. We're not sure what will happen with transfers this week, but I guess I just have to have faith that the Lord's will will be done. I definitely know this is God's work, even if it is difficult. I love you all and hope you have a blessed week! Thanks so much for writing and praying and being great.

Love,
Elder Schow

October 20, 2014

October 20, 2014

Being in a rural area is definitely different than what I am used to. Things are much slower here. Thankfully, though, we do have some good people to work with and some good members to help us. J.D. is still doing pretty well. The next step with him is to just come to church. Hopefully he can put it into his schedule. D likes us to visit but gives a lot of excuses. We have had a chance to teach a neat guy named A. this week who has started to read the Book of Mormon and wants to keep reading and pray about it. He is in a rock band and played a hymn for us that he wrote on his guitar. District meeting went really well this week. We talked about Christlike attributes, and I feel like it was uplifting for everyone. We went on exchanges with our zone leaders this week, so I got to spend a day with Elder Shields in the Hayden Run area, which is located in Hilliard, a suburb on the West Side of Columbus. I found out that J, who I was teaching in Marble Cliff has moved into that ward, and the missionaries there are teaching him, so that was kind of cool. I also found out a few weeks ago that M. that I taught in Marble Cliff is getting baptized in a different ward. Pretty neat. We got to go to the temple, which was really nice. We saw the third new film, which was neat. I'm really glad we had the chance to go.

I loved the pictures of Ella in her blessing dress. She was super cute. I'm glad to hear that the blessing went well!

I hope everyone has a blessed week!

Love,
Elder Schow

October 13, 2014

October 13, 2014

Well, it has been a pretty good week. Since the people in our area are spread out over such a large region, we have been trying to track down and visit some of the smallest communities on the map. Some of them only have 8 or 9 houses.We hope that doing this will pay off and help us find prepared people. Probably the most exciting thing that happened was when we went to a prison to visit a man there. A bishop in a nearby ward asked us to visit this man and put us in touch with the guy who coordinates the faith program at the prison. We were able to go in and teach the Restoration to this man and his friend, neither of whom are members of the Church. It was a special opportunity to answer their questions and to see how sincere they were. Due to the nature of the visiting program at the prison, we probably won't be able to go back, but there are other people who will. It was a really singular experience. We visited A. this week. She is really good friends with a member, but she is a strong Catholic, so the missionaries have been working with her slowly. We also had a lesson with J.D.. He has been pretty busy, but he is a good guy and has made some progress with prayer.

On Saturday, we got to go to M. baptism in Big Walnut Creek. It was good to see the missionaries and some of the members there, and it was great to see Michael. He was really excited to be baptized. I'm really glad I got the chance to go.

Today we had an activity with our zone. We basically just played a bunch of group games. It was fun. We get to go to the temple on Friday, so I am excited about that. We found out this week that we will be emailing every Monday, even on transfer week, so that will be a little different. I hope you all keep doing well! Have a blessed week!

Love,
Elder Schow

September 29th 2014

Sept. 29, 2014

It has been a pretty good week here. On Tuesday a member drove us to the East side of Columbus so Elder Paulsen could go to the dentist. We passed through Big Walnut Creek on the way, so that was surreal. On Wednesday, we had our district meeting. It was good to get better acquainted with the other missionaries. Our district includes the two companionships from our branch as well as the sisters from a branch called Greenfield. Our zone leaders also came to the meeting. They all seem like cool people. On Thursday, there was a mission-wide leadership meeting where a couple of people from the missionary department came and talked to all the district leaders, zone leaders, and sister training leaders. President Daines talked about going strictly by Preach My Gospel in the mission and eliminating all the extra programs and policies that have built up here in the last few years. The two brethren from the missionary department gave us a lot of counsel on how to streamline and improve our work as we prepare to be a technology mission. President Daines pulled a pretty good trick on all of us. At the beginning of the meeting he said, "you've all been told that some day soon we will be getting iPads." He reached his hand into a box "That day is... not today!" and pulled out a book. We were all rather disappointed, but from what they said, the transition to an online proselyting mission will happen within the next couple of months. We have been low on miles this week and have spent a lot of time walking around trying to contact former investigators and people. We had a good lesson with a 19 year old guy named J.D. who lives next door to a member and is his "adopted grandson." He is a neat guy and would have come to church yesterday but got sick. D. came to church, though. She is a nice lady who is probably in her 50's. She has been working with the elders for a while, but never came to church until yesterday. Hopefully she will keep coming. We have met a few other neat people, but haven't really found any new investigators so far. The town we live in has been tracted a lot in the past, which doesn't help things, but once we get more miles we can go to some of our other towns and try working there. I found out today that M., who Elder Taylor and I were working with in BWC is getting baptized on the 11th, which is exciting.

I am glad that things are going well there with Ella and everyone else. RIP, brown car.

Have a blessed week!

Love,

Elder Schow

September 22, 2014

Sept. 22, 2014

Well, we went to the transfer meeting on Thursday and I found out my new area and companion. I am now serving with Elder Paulsen (who entered the mission the same time I did) in the Madison Lake 2 area. You got your wish about me getting out of Columbus, Mom. The Madison Lake Branch, which we split with a set of sisters, covers all of Madison County, which is West of Columbus. Our area is half of the county and includes several small towns and a whole lot of farmland. It is a much different area than what I am used to, but it should be a good experience to work here. We live in West Jefferson which has a few thousand people maybe. I am still a district leader. My companion and I are the only Elders in our district, which is weird. Elder Paulsen is from Tooele (can't remember how to spell it), Utah. he seems like a pretty good guy and a good missionary. I've only met a few of our investigators so far. They include a lady named S, a lady named A, and a mother and daughter named D and A. We had a ward activity at the branch president's farmhouse on Friday, so I got to meet some of the members before church happened on Sunday. They seem like great people. One man in the Elders quorum swears I look like John F. Kennedy. That was a new one. I've heard I look like Russell Crowe a couple times on my mission :) I guess I just have one of those faces. On my first day here, we also did service helping a lady set up a haunted forest, which was kind of fun. We basically just moved a bunch of dummies to various locations.

I am glad to hear that Ella is here. She looked really cute in the pictures. That is exciting news. It is strange to be an uncle!

I suppose I will probably have more to say about the area once I've been here a little longer. In the mean time, I hope you all have a blessed week!

Love,
Elder Schow

My swim in the Big Walnut Creek comes to an end (just kidding; we're not allowed to swim!)

Sept. 17, 2014

So, I found out today that I am getting transferred. I am excited. I have enjoyed much of my time here in Big Walnut Creek and have learned a lot, but I am glad to try somewhere new. We will go to transfer meeting tomorrow and I'll find out my new area and companion. I will miss some of the people here, but hopefully we will be able to keep in touch. 

It was a pretty good week. The nine day gaps are always long.

We haven't heard from M. this week. He is still in the hospital. We really hope he is okay. The hospital where he is at is outside our ward, but hopefully some members can go visit him. I hope to hear news that he is getting baptized soon after I leave here. B. is making a lot of progress as well and she and her fiancee are very motivated to make positive changes in their lives, more that they have been since I've been in this ward. We were able to start teaching Imogene this past week and she wants to come to church on Sunday. It is pretty neat. I will miss working with these people.

We had an exchange this week with the other Elders in the ward. I spent the day with Elder Rodriguez in their area on bikes. It was a pretty good day. Exchanges are almost always fun. We had a zone activity today where we played soccer and ultimate Frisbee, which was also pretty fun. Having friendships with other missionaries is always nice. 

I hope that all is going well at home. Hopefully Ella comes soon. I will keep praying for you all and for Uncle Paul as well. Thank you very much for the letter and all the notes. I really liked the little thought from President Hinckley as well. Anyway, I hope you all have a blessed week!

Love,

Elder Schow

Pictures

                                                                Birthday Packages

                                                                    Ethan's Birthday

                                                                     Minion Friends

                                                                       The Turtle

                                                   OSU--The Buckeyes! Lookin' Good!