News from Elder Schoen

Hey!Ok so this week has been very eventful. First of all, last thursday we got Brazilian roomates. They moved two of the guys out of your room and moved in two brazilians. They are only in the CTM for 3 weeks before they get sent out to the field! It is so funny, one of them is from a really poor part of Brazil up north. He is a SPAZ! haha he is a skinny black guy that talks really fast and We cant understand anything he is saying. He might just be the most hyper person I have ever met. IT was so funny because they first night he got here we spent a half hour trying to figure out what he was asking us... He was asking how to use the washer and dryer. He had never seen one before! Im so blessed. But he gets up at 530 everyday so that he can wash the one shirt and one pair of pants that he wore the day before. He is very intereseting. The other one looks like he is like Italian or something, he is from a more well off family. He spent the past year serving the the Brazilian army because he got drafted to serve for a year. He is a really cool guy, and speaks pretty good English.On Friday they gave us eggs for breakfast! I was so excited and ate a ton of them... ... BIG MISTAKE! I spent the next 36 hours with exposive diharreah! I lost 6 pounds in that 36 hours... but then gained it back over the next two days. It was a rough weekend. Lessons learned... Dont eat the eggs!On Saturday we attempted to go 24 hours with just speaking Portuguese. We started at noon on saturday and i made it all the way untill sunday morning, when i woke up and started speking in english because I forgot.My companion and I started singing the the MTC choir. I cant sing very well, but I really enjoy it. Its a really nice opportunity to get my mind off of things and just relax. It also helps with the language because all the songs that we sing are in Portuguese.Other than that, there isnt really much to report, seeing as how we do the same thing everyday.Well I just wanted to let everyone know that Im doing well and that I love you all!Also I have decided to start leaving a little message at the end of each of my emails.
Thought for the Week:
A Fulltime Missionary- is someone who leaves their family for a short time, so that others can be with their families forever.I love and miss all of you!Love,Elder Schoen

Elder Schoen's email address is jdschoen@myldsmail.net , he can check it on Wednesdays.

Some things that work for our letter writing sessions: Mormon Tabernacle Choir music, full tummys, lots of paper, and different writing utensils.

Things that DO NOT work: watching TV while writing, Ben hungry, being too close (not enough creative space), or eating.

We got our first hand written letter this past Saturday, it was mailed the day he got there. His plane ride to Brazil was great only 40ish people on the plane, so he got to lay across 3 seats and sleep. Once in Brazil the customs people missed stamping his passport so he spent an hour extra in the airport trying to get it stamped. No one spoke English, but somehow it got sorted out. The MTC is in the Sao Paulo North Mission. The 12 guys in his district in the MTC are all going to the Sao Paulo North Mission and are all American.

We can't believe it's been 3 weeks already. And we miss him greatly, but knowing he is enjoying the adventure helps!

Hey,I'm so happy to hear that everthing is going well back at home. I miss you guys alot, but time is starting to pass by so quickly. It seems like yesterday I was writing my last email. They keep us so busy here, but I am learing the language quickly. I can already pray and bear my testimony in Portugues! And yesterday I memorized the first vision in Portugues. So i would say im learning quickly, but so is everyone else in my district. It is amazing the amount of things that can be accomplished in just two weeks. Not only have we all learned how to speak alot in Portugues, but we have learned so much about the gospel! I love it! A day hasn't gone by yet that I haven't felt the spirit so strongly!Church here is a crazy experience... So every sunday we have to have a talk prepared about a christlike attribute, and then when the sacrament is over, they randomly call up 5 or 6 people to give the talks they prepared. So we seriously dont know if we will get called untill 10 seconds before we have to speak. I guess its their way of keeping things exciting in the CTM. haha I havent had to speak yet, but my time will come. Last sunday I gave the closing prayer in Portugues.The food is ok, but it gets really old really fast! Every morning we have juice and a roll with meat and cheese on it. (I really miss coco-puffs and fruity pebbles) Then for lunch we get a huge meal of weird meat, bread, rice and beans, a salad and then some nasty jiggling dessert. My daily schedule is as follows...
630 Wake up
700 Personal Study
730 Coompanion Study
800 Breakfast (desjejum)
830 Class
1230 Lunch (almoço)
130 Class
330 Gym (we play basketball)
430 Shower
515 Dinner (janta)
615 Class
930 Plan for the next day
10 get ready for bed
1030 Try and fall asleep.
The days go by so slow, but the weeks go by fast. Its really weird. And to answer your question about the beds... well... the beds are ok.. the pillow is like a sack full of cotton balls... its very uncomfortable.Everything here costs relatively about the same as in the US, except electronics are way way more expensive here. I already exchanged all my american money into Brazilian Reals like the second day I was here.My companion has mission ties too, and his mom ordered a Norelco razor off of mission ties and he got it today. So they do have it, I would just look again. Thank you!!I can receive pictures, so i would love for you to send some from the photoshoot. Also, I heard the Brazillians love to see and hear about your family, so if you wouldnt mind mailing me a family picture, that would be great! I meant to send a picture today with my email, but I forgot my camera at the CTM, so I will try and remember to do it next week.It was good to hear about whats going on back home. I havent received your letters yet, the mail system here is super inconsistant. Some people get letters in 6 days and it takes 2 weeks for others, so I should get them soon. It was sooo nice to hear from you! I love you all sooo much! I look forward to hearing from you next week.Love, Elder Schoen

News from JD

Hey mom, I just wanted to let you know that everything is going great and that I Love You! Brazil is Great! The CTM is so intesnse! I seriously am so busy, I am luck if I have time to go to the bathroom! I Miss everyone alot. The first couple of days were really rough. I was feeling really homesick, for the first time in my life. But two days ago my companion gave me a priesthood blessing and I am doing so much better. There is so much to tell you. First of all... I made it, so thats a good start! Haha So my companion is Elder Andraszczyk (Andra-zach). He is so awesome! He is from Laguna Niguel, California. We have so much in common, and we have such a good time together. We are able to work really well together. I have to help him relax alot tho! Haha He is kinda a perfectionist and is used to being the best at everything, so this whole learning a language and learning how to teach the gospel stresses him out big time. He ran track in high school and went to state every year, he is a 5 time gold medalist in the junior olympics... He is kinda fast!!! Brazil is so different. I cant ever understand anything anyone is saying to me! Haha I will pick up the language eventually tho. The climate reminds me alot of southern California, its hilly and has alot of the same plant life. Also, this city is enormous!!! The drivers are crazy, and its dirty! There are sooo many sky scrapers, it reminds me of New York. I have no idea how im going to be able to navigate my way around the city.Today is my first P day. We went to the São Paulo Temple. It was beautiful. I sucessfully rented clothes in potugues. Then when we got back we are aloud to walk around the city from noon untill 5. So we walked to the post office and mailed a letter, and went to a little café and ordered food. It was really hard and we didnt understand anything they were saying, and they didnt understand us, but they brought us food. So it all worked out.Im not sure what our new address is, so i sent a letter to the old house hopeing that it would get forwarded to the Cedar Hills House.So I am in great need of na electric razor because I dont have time to deal with shaving cream ordeal every morning. So i dont know if its possible to order one off of mission ties, or if you could buy one and ship it. That would be greatly greatly appreciated. I have heard that when mailing a package that if you put stickers of crosses and the virgin marry and Jesus that you have a better chance of the stuff in the package not getting stolen, because they think that its church stuff.I am going to try to get on the internet every wednesday at 1 pm São Paulo time. So, I think thats 10 am Utah time. So... if you are wanting to, I could possibly email back and forth, because I have 45 minutes of computer time.Well Im just about of of time for today. I tell the kids that I love them alot. I love you Mom and Dad.Love,Elder Schoen P.S. Tell Chad to write me ASAP

JD's email is jdschoen@myldsmail.net

Our First Letter Writing Session

Last night we gathered as a family to write our first letters to Elder, as the twins call him. It is going to take some practice!! We started out ok with blank paper, crayons, colored pencils, note pads and pens. The twins were crying within 5 min because they were not happy with their art work. Lots of do overs and a half a ream of paper later everyone had something to add to the envelope. I think if I play some institutional approved music, the kind they play for inmates or at Randolf during craft time, softly it might help. I'll be sure to share what works and what does not.

We are looking forward to his "P" day. We are not sure if it is Tuesday or Wednesday but we plan on being ready to email back as soon as we get something. We think they are 3 hours ahead of us. The CTM president said something about going to the temple first. So we will let you know as soon as we do.

He made it!

Dear Parents,
We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.
They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.
The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.
Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.
We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.
Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”
Please accept our love,
President and Sister Woodward
Important information . . .
We Strongly discourage sending packages to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.
WE Strongly eNCOURAGE sENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name and district and mail box numbers above the Brazil MTC address on all letters. Your missionary´s numbers are: District (28-A) and Box (42). Record these numbers for future reference.

Thank you to all of Elder Schoen's friends that came by last night to hang out and say good bye, it meant so much to him.

We got him to the airport in plenty of time. His bags were just a pound or two under the limit, whew. He was anxious to just get going, that is so JD. There were 6 total elders, that we could tell on the flight to Brazil, one other from our Canyon View Stake. Rob and I were the only first time missionary parents there. We had a good family hug and some tears.

Last night was hard for JD, having his friends there and then having to say good bye was the reality check. There were several tears and long hugs after they left. He had a hard time falling asleep. I'm sure he will sleep on the plane ride from Dallas to Sao Paulo, he has a window seat and Advil PM. I wish we could get a call or something to let us know he got there OK, but I guess no news will be good news.

Tomorrow is the day! We now have Elder Schoen in our midst. He was set apart last night and we are now a mission home. We went to bed at 10:30 last night and got up at 6:30 ( well Rob and JD did ). When I came downstairs at 7:30am Elder Schoen was laying on the floor with his scriptures open fast asleep. Today, I have permission to be his companion along with Rob. So we are running last minute errands and finishing up the packing. We had a sweet meeting with our stake presidency, they shared testimony with us and instruction. It is still surreal!!

We are off to the doctor to get his oral surgery stitches out and then to the mall.

5 days to departure

JD went to the dentist for a final check and they sent him to have surgery on an infection that turned out to be quite large! They had to go all the way up to his sinus to get it all, but they did and he is cleared to go to Brazil.

His mom is still in a little bit of denial this is really happening. All his brothers and sisters have expressed how much they are going to miss him. Last Sunday was his farewell. Grandpa Bob and Nana came and they said his talk was wonderful. His mom and sisters sang and everyone commented on how nice that was. JD is as ready as he can be and excited to get going.

We are going to try and keep everyone up to date on his mission with this blog. Please check it as often as you like!!