Real people sick.

Hi! 

Enlarged font, huh?  Two can play at the enlarged font game.

So in regards to the phone/Skype call: our church gets out a lot later, like at 3 our time. So I think that I would be able to give you a call at 4 or 4:30, because usually we have to stay in the church to make appointments and such. Yes, it will work, yes I will be using my old account. I’ve already got you listed, so it will be easy. 

Yes, please send that email to the bank. I tried everything. My pin ain't workin’. I like the bears on my card, but I’m at the point of wanting to rip them in two. 

Did not get the birthday package, but I’m going to go check for it the day after my birthday. Fingers crossed!

As for pictures, the computer I’m using is not accepting my SD card, so I will have to try in another way.

This week was, well, bad, in the sense of my health. I’ll be honest with you, I’ve never thrown up so much in one night,ever. I didn't even think it was possible. I assure you that right now I’m feeling tons better, thanks to some great members here. But man it stinks to be sick.  I went to two doctors and they both said it was the same thing, an infection from the food.  One member doctor gave me two prescriptions and I promise, I’m doing a lot better.  Some members gave me food to eat that was good for my stomach, and that helped. I’ve lost a little more weight, so that’s always a good thing, right?

Give everyone a big hug in the ward for me, I’m extremely grateful for all the support they give me. Tell them to never stop being awesome!

Anyways, respuestas! (Answers)

L: I’m great! Well, now I am. The name of the city that I am in is called Cuatitlan. It’s pronounced kwah-teet-lan. Spreading the gospel is good, but not a lot of people like to listen to what their Heavenly Father wants. Thank you for praying and the love! I Love you too!

B: I’m so glad that you are participating in so many service opportunities! Never stop! also, never stop developing your talents. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Havcr-2Kx30 Boom! That’s a video! I really like this little story. Keep developing talents, like teaching, or drawing, or whatever you want to do! Also look into animation.  You have skillz!  idontknowitsoundslikeagoodideajackhelphim

J:  man that’s a lot of things happinin. Glad you’re keepin’ busy. Yeah, I also rage quit on papers please XD that game's dang hard. You could try brothers: a tale of two sons. The controls are very unique, and I hear that the story is one of the best fantasy stories in recent game history. so you would love it of course. And good luck on the physics, I tried taking normal too but there wasn’t any so I ended up not taking it. But you would probably benefit from it so that in college you wont have to take it, and I will. Anyways, keep on keepin’ on and tell Lucas Bebz that I need him to buy me all the humble bundles that are game associated. Or you can do it. Just get me them, they rock! 

If blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith.

Ok!

This week was fine. I got a little stomach sick but it passed in like 4 days. So I’m fine. This week we worked a bunch. A lot of lessons, a lot of investigators in the church…overall a big success. We had a great time playing soccer today.

So about the Skype chat: We can do that the tenth or eleventh of May, a Saturday or a Sunday. Tell erryone. You can tell me when you want to do it.

So I’ve run into a problema: I have no idea what my debit card pin is. I completely forgot. If you could refresh me that would be great.

Elder Garcia is great. We get along really well, and I’m learning a ton from him.

uhm...I don’t know. We have a family that’s almost ready for baptism. It’s gonna be great!

Below I’m going to paste a bit of what I wrote to a friend today, because it’s a lot of what I teach, and what I absolutely believe:

Think of your testimony as a seed. Every seed needs three basic things: water, dirt, and sun. Even without one of these three things, the seed doesn’t grow. Like the seed, our testimonies need three fundamental things: Prayer, Scripture study, and going to church. These three things provide us with personal revelation. Prayer is the communication we have with God. Like a cellphone, but you don’t need to pay and it never runs out of signal. With this, we can come to have answers and receive help. The scriptures have taught again and again that prayers will only be answered in accordance with our faith. No faith means no answer, no help, no nothin’. Then there are the scriptures. Scriptures are like Life’s Instruction Manual. They may not be as simple to follow as Ikea furniture instructions, but they have more meaning than anything. I try to apply every scripture I read to my own life, to know how I can help myself and my investigators. Then there is attending church. The scriptures are the instructions, prayer tells you the instructions are right, and the church is the help center you call when you don’t understand the instructions. The church is just as important as prayer and scripture study. There we receive revelation through talks, classes, and friends. The spirit Works in mysterious ways. But what’s a mystery but to be solved? Understanding how the spirit Works in ones self is key to understanding all this revelation.

 I wish to add a quote that I just love from one of the talks that Henry B. Eyring  gave this year:  "If we choose the right, we will find happiness—in time. If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret—in time. Those effects are sure. Yet they are often delayed for a purpose. If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith."

I just love that last line. Doing all these things helps, but in its own time. Not doing these things hurt, in its own time. Doing them with a bad disposition also hurts. Exploit these fountains of revelation that the Lord has blessed us with. Use them effectively. Learn from the times you lean on them. They are the things that will help you. How it applies to me is different than how it applies to you. Use all of these resources, come to love them, and I assure you that you will have the answers and help you need.

Love you!

Elder Schuhmacher

Easter Letter

Hi!

So this week we changed companions. My new companion is from Costa Rica, and is named Elder Garcia. He’s 20 months into the mission, and man is he awesome! I haven’t ever learned so much before in such a short time. I love it here! This mission is amazing! I saw a missionary return here in Mexico in our Ward. Man, that feels so far away for me. But really, this is going so fast, I don’t feel like I want to miss one minute of it.

Oh yeah. I would like some starbursts, at my district leaders request. I’m like the only guy that gets packages every month. I really love what you guys send me, and it feels great.

Also, if you can, you can send the pictures you have on email, and I can put them on my flash drive. I don’t know. I just really want some pictures. I know you guys want some too, and I promise I’ll send some next week. Sorry for the delay.

What else... we ate a lot this week. Elder Garcia loves to cook, and has already taught me some stuff. I’m honestly full almost all the time. Still losing weight, I think. I’m not gonna check for a while.

Also, if you could tell all of my friends to send me letters. I only get emails from my family, which is awesome, but I’d like to hear from my friends too. Lucas, Cafferty, Ryan, Richard, Eleanor, Itzel, anyone else I kinda know, really. Its awesome to receive stuff from you guys!

I hope you guys enjoyed this Easter. Here in Mexico we have the "semana santa" which means the holy or sacred week. Or something. Anyways, weird shenanigans in the happenings here. I also feel like my English is deteriorating. Especially without the auto correct.

I’d like to tell each and every one of you that I love you.  Even if you aren’t technically my family, I love you like family. This church, this gospel, this happiness that I have I would never want to give up. I’m still the same person; I still want to do the same things. But man, I have grown so much here. This mission has blessed my life in ways I never imagined. I would like you all to remember that Easter is all about Him, Jesús Christ. Remember Him as much as you can, because it will help you in every step you take in the day, and I can say that from 4 months of experience. echale ganas. god speed.

The Elder Schuhmacher

General Conference Week

ooooh boy!

This week was tiring! As I write this I’m already yawning. It feels good to be tired, because I know when I’m tired, I’ve been working. I hope you guys enjoyed General Conference as much as I did. Honestly, it was the first time I really enjoyed General Conference. I would love it for all you guys to listen to the sessions, because I listened to all of them. I more liked the sessions from Saturday. Sadly, the transcripts aren’t on the internet yet, so I don’t remember who said it, but an apostle said that families should have copies of preach my gospel and learn what it says, because how great would it be if the parents knew what their sons and daughters are teaching, and that it would be a help in sharing the gospel. I would actually recommend everyone read preach my gospel, because it truly talks of all the things we need to do as missionaries. It would be great if everyone read the sections that aren’t about teaching lessons as well. Chapters 4, 5, and 6 probably apply most to non-missionaries. You guys can start there.

Anyways, this week consisted of general conference, a lot of walking, and a lot of work. But I feel good. 

About the transfers, they are on the 14 of April. Most likely I stay in the area as a junior comp, Elder Lopez goes and I get a new comp. Less likely, but still possible, is that Lopez stays and becomes district leader, or he goes as district leader somewhere else and I stay. There is also the even less likely chance that I train a new guy. Who knows. 

As for your rough week, I’ll quote something that Thomas S. Monson says a lot: “Oh, things'll work out.”

But yeah, how are you guys?

My mission is Ah-Maze-ing.

Where is my patriarchal blessing?  Nope. I dunno. I recommend turning the room upside down.

Also, Prayer.

Maybe this scripture will help:

Mosiah 27: 14 And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath ^aheard the prayers of his people, and also the ^bprayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has ^cprayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the ^dknowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to ^econvince thee of the power and authority of God, that the ^fprayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.

Or maybe THIS song?  I'm just a missionary though.  What do I know?

Another thing, YEAH I did get Lisa’s package. ALL that candy though! Tell Lisa thanks! Also I received two letters from the Loraine’s. The money was also appreciated. 

But yeah, do you guys want me to gain weight because I ate like almost all of that?!  Saved the chocolate bunny for last. I shared the cookies with the zone though, they really appreciated that.

What do I want for my birthday next month?

...i dunno. Pesos are cool. Chocolate is cool. Shoe soles would be cool. My feet are hard as rocks now, but man my shoes are worn.

I love you! I gotta go get my hair cut now!

Actually answering letters!

All right. Now I have got some time.

This week was...well...interesting. We had 6 investigators at the church last week, so that was really exciting for both of us. The first part of the week progressed really rapidly. We walked a lot, had some appointments, smooth sailing. What happened is, well, I got sick. And not like "oh now, I have a cold" more like I have a migraine and everywhere hurts. So we didn’t work Thursday. The next day I wasn’t feeling much better. The migraine had been reduced to a really bad headache, and I had a real bad sore throat. But the maximum time for rest in the mission is one day. So we went to work. We didn’t get a lot done. The day after I realized that I had the flu. Or as they call it here "gripa," so that stunk. But now, as of today, I feel a lot better.

Now for the fun stuff. Soccer is fun. I really like being goalkeeper. apparently there is a German soccer player named Schuhmacher (or something akin to that) and he a goalkeeper too, that’s funny. We play every Monday with my district.

Cactus is all right. I’ts a Little rubbery, and not very savory, but hey they say its good for your stomach so ill eat it. They are called nopales, I think. As food goes, we eat...like really well. The hamburgers here are actually better than the ones I’ve had ever. And the food is just amazing. I’ve also tried some weird stuff, mainly in the form of taco. Like brain, tripe, leg, cactus. I don’t really like brain, but oh my gosh tripe is like the best thing ever. Leg is just normal meat.

Also concerning companions, we have ...uh...I don’t know what it is in English, but they are called cambios, which means changes. On 14 of April I may be moved with another Elder. It’s bitter sweet. It’s cool to meet someone new, but dang, I’m going to miss Elder Lopez. There is a chance that I stay with him for another cambio but who knows.

and now time for *gasp* answers to letters.

L:

Hey L! Things are fine. I’m glad you guys are praying for me! I heard that for career day you wanted to be a missionary? That’s awesome! I can tell you that going on a mission will only make you a better person. and yes I kinda do like that cactus.

Love, Elder Brother

B:

Maybe Ill carry the cake face smashing tradition home, and try it out on yooouuu. Sorry but I don’t got no pics this time. I’ll try to take some next week. Don’t you worry! And yes soccer is the funs.

J:

ILL WRITE HOW MUCH I CAN AIGHT

..,but yeah I hear Kevin loves supernatural so you can talk and fanboy with him if you want. Also being social? Going to things and talking to people? Man I don’t even know you anymore. Also, I know school is hard, but try your best.