10/25/2010

Hey!
So this might have been the most exhausting week of my mission. We worked our butts off trying to get the last things in order and teaching and getting our investigators ready that were Baptized. As I had said in previous emails that our goal was 7 baptisms. Well this week on Thursday all 7 people passed the baptismal interview! Everything's was going perfectly! Even the dad of the family of 4, who previously said that he wouldn't allow anyone in his family to be baptized, changed his mind. We did a fast to have the Lord change his heart. Then we went and talked to him and he changed his mind and gave permission for everyone to be baptized! We were incredibly happy! On Saturday night we went to the families house with the baptismal clothes for them to try on and we got there and the mom (Rita) answered the door and said "Elders, you wont believe what happened", She went on the explain that earlier that day the dad got really mad about something and decided to change his mind about the baptism, so then all the kids got mad and him and then they decided to not get baptized so their dad wouldn't kill them, and then they all went to their aunts house for the rest of the weekend to escape having to tell us that they wouldn't be baptized! (I about pooped my pants at this moment!) I seriously started crying a little bit. I couldn't believe that god would have all these miracles happen just to have it taken away at the last minute. So we decided that it wasn't over, there was still a bigger miracle to happen. So we knelt in prayer with the mom and we prayed that the children would change their minds and come back from their aunts house (which is like an hour away on the other side of Sao Paulo) We really felt that it would happen. I've never been so scared and so sure at the same time! So as we got home that night, kinda sad, but hopeful, we got a phone call!!! ...But not from who you think it was... IT was from Lucas, another one of the young men that was scheduled to be baptized. He said "Elders I'm not ready to be baptized" and he started giving a ton of excuses, but we could tell that none of the excuses were really the real reason that he didn't want to be baptized. He was just scared. So I was just like "No, you will be baptized and it will be awesome!!! We will come by to pick you up tomorrow morning at 8:30! Bye!" and I hung up the phone before he could tell us no. Then we started praying...ALOT!

Sunday morning. We woke up. Got dressed. Ate breakfast. and headed out the door. Ready to see a huge miracle take place. So we went to Lucas´ house to pick him up. He was like, No I'm not going to be baptized after church, but ill go to church. And we were like no no no you will be baptized, don't worry, its going to be awesome. We said grab a towel and underwear and lets go! He said he didn't want to because he wouldn't be baptized, but that if he decided to be baptized his mom would come after church and bring his stuff. So we took him to church. When we got there we discovered that the baptismal font that we had filled up the night before had leaked out all the water. The basement of the church was flooded. (haha and amazingly this was the least of our problems, because we had to find 4 people to be baptized, and the stake president was there ready to give his talk. All the members were like good job missionaries! Were excited for the 7 baptisms!!! And we were like AH FREAK!!! What are we going to do! We called Rita, the mom of the family, and she said that the kids were still at the aunts house and that they wouldn't come. That's just about when I fell into depression. I lost it and didn't know what to do. But we knew that some how some way everything would work out! So we decided to tackle the then problem. Lucas, we got a ride from a member and went to his house to talk to his mom. (in the meanwhile the second hour of church had started... just 35 minutes till sacrament meeting) we got there and talked to hear and she decided to come and watch her son be baptized and so she brought his towel and underwear. When she got to the church he got all happy and changed his mind and wanted to be baptized! Miracle!!!!

Then Sacrament meeting started. I was freaking out because at this point it was too late. There was no way that we could baptize then 7. It would just be 3. I was reading the scriptures, I wanted to know why God didn't do this miracle. Because it sure wasn't because we didn't have enough faith, or that we were obedient. Then I realized, everyone has agency (doesn't that just suck! haha) But when God did the miracle of opening the red sea, its because the intelligences in the Red sea obeyed. The scripture says that we are worse than dust because at least the dust obeys god. I realized that even after everything we can do, the people still have their agency, and they can choose to listen and follow the temptations of Satan. But wow! I cant believe how hard Satan worked with this family. I've never seen anything like it! This is literally a war we are fighting. And if I ever get the chance to meet Lucifer, I'm going to punch him right in the face!!! haha

But I'm really grateful for the miracles that the Lord has done in this past month! I know, that just as it says, "IF ye have faith in me, ye will have power to do whatsoever thing that is expedient in me"

I know this church is True and I know that baptism really is the door that all must enter to enter into the kingdom of God! Its just really unfortunate when people understand this and still choose to not walk through the door.

Tonight we will get the phone call about transfers. Probably my companion Elder Viana will be transferred... He has been in this area for like 6 months now. I hope he stays, we are seeing alot of success together and getting along super well. But God knows what needs to happen. So next week ill let you all know what goes down.

Thanks for all the love and support and prayers!
Elder Schoen

10/18/2010

Me and my companion... This is a part of our area of Santana

This was a suprise birthday party that a recent convert did for Elder Viana

Me and Elder Viana on a bridge in the super rich part of town

Super Nice Car Dealership! Lamborghini

Lamborghini Dealership!

Me and Elder Wilkinison. Of of the other Elders we live with. He is from Austin, TX. This was the Ferrari Dealership!

Hey Everyone!

Today was an awesome PDay. We went to this street in downtown called Jardim Cidade ( Its super super rich... on the Brazilian version of Monopoly the Blue property of Boardwalk is named Jardim Cidade!) So anyways we went there because its like an entire street of super nice car dealerships... Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Bentley, Jaguar, Mercedes, Mazzeratti, Aston Martin, and much much more! But it was solo sweet! So I sent some pictures of some sweet cars!

Then afterwards we went to the mall and we bought Pizza Hut. Which is incredibly expensive.. I spent 65 reais for one pizza! ( that is $ 38.87 ) But it was sooo good!

The work here is going great! I'll explain way better next week... I'm just in an extreme hurry today. But this week we have continued to "Put water up to our necks". At Sacrament meeting yesterday we had the bishop announce that there would be 7 baptisms this next Sunday after church, so now everyone knows. Then we didn't feel like that was enough. We needed to show more faith, so we invited the stake president to come and he is going to give a talk at the baptism. And tomorrow we are going to invite the mission president. The amazing thing is that we don't even have 7 people to be baptized yet!!! haha we have 5 people that think that they aren't ready yet. So we are needing a huge huge miracle to happen. But I know that as long as we do all we can, then Heavenly Father will bless us... He has too! If not we are completely screwed, and we are going to look sooo retarded! haha But I'm calm and know that everything is going to work out. I know that Satan will do everything he can to stop us, but we will come out winners in the end.

For everyone that is reading this. Please! I ask for your prayers. We cant do this alone, in Alma 6:6 he asked his people to pray and fast for the people he would be teaching as he left for his mission. Right now I'm asking all of you that you will include these seven children of God that will be baptized this weekend that they will have the strength and the faith to do what's right. I know that with your prayers that everything will go right! So these are the people that we are preparing to be baptized...

Rita, Lucas, Matheus, Bruna, Camila - This is one family (They think its too early and they aren't ready yet)

Luciana- 32 years old, and needs to stop drinking coffee

Dimitri- He is good to go

Lucas- His friends are saying a lot of stuff about the church, he knows its right, he just need the courage to follow his feelings.

Thanks for Everything!
Love
Elder Schoen

10/11/2010

On Friday we got to go to the temple!!!

Last P-Day we celebrated my companion's Birthday at a sweet restaurant

Hello!!!

In 2 Nephi 2:27 it talks about the need to have an opposition in all things. That we have to know the bad to know the good. And in 3 Nephi, when Christ visited the Nephites it says that his Joy was complete. I like to imagine that he was able to be the happiest person that ever lived on the face of the earth at that moment because he once experienced more pain and sadness than anyone had ever experienced. So because he was able to get to a level so low and feel so much sadness, he was then able to feel so much more happiness... This happened to me this week. Saturday night, we got home after a super hard day and it seemed like absolutely nothing was going right. I kneeled down and just started crying, I felt so sad for the people her that were rejecting the gospel, I felt like nothing we were doing was going well. It was just a really rough night to say the least, and I was not looking forward to the next day, which would be Sunday. For those of you that don't know... Sunday is pretty much the worst day of the week on the mission. Its always just so full of disappointment. Every Sunday you think your investigators and going to go to church because they promised they would, but then when you go to get them at their houses they are sleeping or sick or traveling... there is always some retarded excuse. So yesterday I thought it would be the same story. But to my surprise, it wasn't anything like that. Yesterday was the 1st Sunday on the mission that I've been completely happy (my joy was complete). So let me explain...

Me and my companion made a goal for baptisms this month. Our goal is 7. Which is A LOT for this mission, and especially this area, seeing as how in this ward there has been 10 baptisms in the past 2 years! But this was the 1st time that we have made a goal and been emotionally involved in it. We made little sticky notes and put the number 7 on it and put it all over our house, in the bathroom, Fridge, washing machine, desk, bed, mirror, walls, doors... you get the point, everywhere! And we have just been obsessing over it. I was reading in the Book of Mormon about faith and in Ether 12 it talks about how all the great missionaries of the Book of Mormon EXERCISED faith. So my companion and I started thinking of ways that we can exercise faith. When we made this goal we didn't have a single person that could have been baptized this month, but we started telling people that on the 24th of October there will be a family of seven people being baptized (not lying, we were showing faith) .... When Moses opened the Red Sea it says that he had to start walking into the water before the sea opened. Can you even imagine the pressure... Thousands of people following you, watching. And then to top it off a giant army that's chasing after them! That's a lot of pressure! I can just imagine him walking in the water, and the water getting deeper and deeper till it reached his neck and still nothing.. That was him EXERCISING faith! So me and my companion started thinking of ways that we could put the water at our neck! And that's what we have been doing! We even asked a sister in the ward to make a cake for the baptism! haha

So This past week the lord has blessed us so much! We now have 6 people that have accepted baptism dates for the 24th of October. And all of them went to church on Sunday! But better than that the lord blessed us with more people that we are hoping will be able to be baptized on this day. There was a lady that was surfing the web and found the church website and found the address of the chapel and went to general conference last week and then came to church again yesterday! And the other miracle... This week my companion had told me about 2 nights that he had dreamed with a family from the ward that has been less active and is coming back to the church. He couldn't figure out why. But when we got to church the family walk up to us and I asked my companion if everyone was a member and he said ya, everyone was already baptized. But For some reason I felt that I had to ask the little boy of 11 years if he was baptized. So I did and he said No! That he was never baptized!!! And we thought that he was confused and just didn't remember, so we asked his parents and they were like ya he isn't baptized, but he needs to be! So we marked to go there and visit them on Tuesday! We are totally going to baptize 7!!!!

My testimony of EXERCISING faith has been incredibly strengthened and I hope that it can continue to grow! I am so happy to be able to be serving a mission and having these experiences that are changing my life! I wouldn't trade it for the world!

Thanks for all the love and support!
Elder Schoen

10/4/2010

This week was Nuts!

I´ve never had so many spiritual experiences in my life! The Lord helped us find many of his elects this week. So lets save the best for last. I'm going to tell about this girl named Fabiana that we found. So Saturday night in between the conference sessions we went to contact an address that we had. When we got there is was an apartment and each apartment has an interphone that you have to press the number of the apartment and it will call them. So the person we were looking for wasn't home and my companion Elder Viana said "Well, we´re here for a reason, there must be an elect here" Then he pressed a random number, number 13. And a lady answered and was like wait right there I'm coming down. And she came down to greet us, we couldn't go up and teacher her because she was home alone so we just taught her in front of her building. We taught the Restoration and she accepted a Baptism date! It was so sweet that my companion was guided to know exactly which number to press to find the Elect!

So now, on to the coolest thing ever! So we took a member with us to teach one of our investigators, but when we got there we clapped and clapped our hands but no one answered. We thought it was really strange because the window was open and the light was on. There had to be someone there, but no one was answering. (we later found out that she had fallen asleep, We can really see how God does everything perfectly) So we were about to leave and the neighbor got home and the member that was with us was like "OMG that's like the cutest cat ever'', and then they started talking about cats for like 10 minutes, then the topic moved to how they are both descendants of Arabic's, so they formed like an instant bond, and the lady invited us to enter the house. (I have always hated cats, but at least they're good for something! haha) So we sat down and started talking to her. She told us that she has been really depressed lately and the night before she had been up all night crying and praying for God to help here. And she had a dream. She said that in her dream she saw a man and a bunch of stacks of bibles and he was putting the bibles into a paper shredder and then she saw a huge book next to the bibles and she thought to herself in the dream "He is never going to be able to destroy that book" And in that moment we realized that she had seen the book of Mormon and so I got one out, and showed it to her and we said we wanted to give one to her as a present! So got soooo happy and almost started crying. Then we explained about the Book of Mormon and we told her if she reads and prays she will be able to receive and answer to know that the book is true. So she grabbed the book in her hands and said "Ok lets see what my answer is right now" And she closed her eyes and whispered a little prayer. Now at this point a was franticly praying that she would open to a scripture that would be an answer for her. And where did she open up to... The Index! I was like Dang it! Why did she have to open there, so is going to read something that doesn't have anything to do with anything! But she started reading about the word cross. And it had a quote there from when Jesus said take up your cross and follow me. Apparently that was exactly what she needed to hear in that moment, and she started crying and said I know, I know this book is true! Her name is Camila, she is 37 and lives alone. She is super super smart and way funny. She is an English teacher, and speaks Portuguese, English, Spanish, Italian, German, Turkish, and a little French and Latin! anyways she is soooo Elect... When we went back there 2 days ago we about the restoration and when we told the fist vision and when we finished she was like oh wow! I just got goose bumps everywhere! haha then we talk about the word of wisdom because she smokes and drinks coffee, and she was like "you wont believe this, but a couple days ago I felt like I needed to stop drinking coffee and smoking. She had already set a goal that on the 10th of October she will stop. So has been so incredibly prepared! When the Lord said that there are people that are lost from the truth because they know not where to find it, I know exactly what he means, there are so many people out there that are ready. The only problem is that we don't know who they are until we talk to them about the gospel. For this reason I want to Invite all that are reading this to help in this great cause of spreading the gospel. Just open your mouths, invite people to go to church, to receive the missionaries. All of the people in the world, all the people that aren't members that we pass every day are all children of God. They accepted the same plan that we did. They are just lost and don't even know it. It is our responsibility to share the gospel. I love this work! I know that This is the true church here on the earth!

Thanks for all the love and support!
Elder J.D. Schoen