The Calm Before the Storm... Week 12

G'day lads! And ladies (sheilas is unkind to say...),

 

It was good to hear from home this week via email (haven't received any letters- it'll probably take a month or so before I see any because they have to go to Adelaide and then come up to Darwin) and -as always- I appreciate everything and anything anyone says. Too bad Mom had to be the bearer of bad news- sounds as though Colorado is trying to burn down again, and to hear that it's worse than the Waldo Canyon fire is... concerning. As the Lord has said, "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (Doctrine and Covenants 38:30) and so it is- there are going to be some crazy times in the coming days and the only counsel I can offer anyone is to steel yourselves, square up, and take it. Everything that is happening is under the watchful eyes of the Lord, and they are happening as He would have them do so. The Lord has also promised that He will not fail nor forsake anyone (Joshua 1:5), no matter their circumstances, so be of good cheer! The Lord's work is hastening!

 

As far as the work in Darwin -specifically Malak- is concerned, the work is going more slowly... it actually isn't going at all. But I'll touch on that later; I've got to tell you all about last P-Day first! So we had a Zone Activity this P-Day, so all ten of us got together and went to Darwin City and ate lunch on the wharf. We could look out over Darwin Harbor and watch the few ships come and go (there were some pretty slick sailboats), and that was pretty cool. I've now been to the wharf twice (the second time was a dinner with a member) and I've eaten snapper and crocodile... snapper is really good, but crocodile tastes like fish and chicken combined. It wasn't bad, but even Aussie's find that eating crocodile is odd, and apparently it's bad karma- I might get eaten sometime because I ate one of them XD Anyways, after the wharf we went to the Darwin Botanic Gardens- most of the Elders got bored pretty fast and started kicking a rugby ball around, but I thought it was awesome! And hey, I just figured out how to send pictures! I had to set the camera up correctly! Okay, sweet, I'll try to send some photos of East Point! So after we went to the Botanic Gardens (which is a place that kind of makes you feel as though you've walked into a Dr. Suess world because the plants and trees are CRAZY) we went to a place called East Point, which is where the initial Japanese attack on Darwin came from back in February of 1942. Dad, San Diego is cool, but I don't think there is a coastline that can compare to East Point- that place was awesome! There were some old bunkers with coastal guns that we checked out, and we walked on the lower beach (I only touched the water, and if it wasn't full of salt-water crocs and sharks, and if I wasn't a missionary, I would swim in that- it was perfectly warm). There was so much to see it was just awesome!

 

So the work in Malak has slowed to a crawl- we're not sure why, so we keep working. I don't feel worried about it at all though- the Lord has something in mind for Malak, and He'll see it through one way or the other. Now just isn't His timing, so we will wait and be patient, and continue to work in the ways that we know how to. That honestly sums up how Malak is going (we have six investigators...), and where some moments it is deeply concerning, I revert back to the feelings that I've felt as my companion and I have prayed and fasted for the area- everything is on the Lord's time and He will see it through, but sometimes we must wait, even if we aren't doing anything wrong. I love you all and I hope you enjoy these few photos, I'll put more up later (there's about a hundred and thirty-some and attaching them takes too long, which is why this is so short). I'm doing well if you're wondering, and actually haven't felt so calm or peaceful in awhile- not calm or peace of mind, but calm and peaceful as it relates to dealings with the soul- the Lord will work how He will and in the end, it's not up to us missionaries; if the Lord wants Malak to be in a stagnant state for this period of time, then it will be stagnant, no matter how much we work (and we will continue to work even harder). It's in His hands, as all things are, and something is going to happen in Malak very soon- I can feel it. Until next time then, I love you all!

 

Cheers!

 

-Elder Schomburg 

Second Wind... Week 11

G'day!

This week was much better than last week, and I got a ton of emails from friends and family so my day has just been made! Anything sent to me is GREATLY appreciated, so thanks to everyone whose keeping up with me! I wish I could send pictures but library computers don't let you attach anything, so I'm going to try to find a place to print pictures and I'll send them home with a few letters (after I get them written).

So last week was really difficult... extremely difficult. This week was better as far as my mental state goes, but the work hasn't really sped up as much as we'd like it. Alas, the wants and desires of missionaries are not always in keeping with the Lord's will- His will and His time be done, and not ours. First off (I need to get this down before I forget), the RAAF is doing Top Gun training right now, and the F-18s are always flying extremely low overhead all over Darwin, which is pretty cool but also inconvenient when street contacting- it's difficult to feel and teach with the Spirit when you've got four F-18s screaming overhead in their mock dogfights. 

Also, there's an Australian dessert here (I'm finding that I have a really bad sweet tooth, and Australians know how to make very good desserts) called Trifle, which is a mixture of Jelly (Jello) on top of cream (pudding), on top of a cake of fruitful flavor (mango in my case) served with vanilla ice cream, stacked in that order. It is just one of many God's gifts to the worlds, and whoever thought it up is wonderful.  

Summer fruit trifle

Anyway, on to missionary-related topics! As I struggled through last week (and I sent a very sad letter to my mother [since then I've gotten better, don't worry mom!]), I questioned why it was so difficult for me. The simple answer is that I've been too self-oriented. Though I may not openly verbalize it, my thoughts were focused on MY needs, and MY wants, and MY discomforts, which is why I'm convinced last week was so... sour. That being said, this week I've been focusing on everyone but me, and missionary work becomes much easier (in a manner of speaking, this is still really hard work and my body is starting to feel it). We didn't find as many people as we wanted to this week, an investigator dropped us, and those with baptismal dates are falling off the radar (Sunny, one of our investigators, is actually in the exact same position spiritually as Zach from Tennessee [interesting, eh... eh is actually an Australian thing, by the way, Canadians just stole it from them]). 

But I finished reading the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover for the first time this week. I prayed about it before and after I finished reading the last sections of the book, and the promise given by Moroni is a true promise- the Book of Mormon and the teachings therein are true. It is a real, tangible record of the ancient inhabitants of the Americas. When I prayed to know if it was true or not (as I had always just taken it for granted to be true, or at least believed it to be), I did not see any angels. I was not struck dumb or translated in order to behold our Savior proclaiming "This book is true!" I did not faint for three days. Instead, I felt the calmest, most peaceful feeling that I have felt, which I can only relate to the feeling one is overcome with as they sit quietly in the Temple. There was no lightning, no thundering voice from Heaven to testify and declare that the book was true- just the still, small voice that is known to be the Spirit, declaring in such a tranquil manner that, yes, the Book of Mormon is true, and the events found within did occur. With this knowledge, I have not handed out copies of the Book of Mormon so easily- that is to say, I have not just given them out with a brief explanation and a commitment to read from it. Such a sacred work should not be taken lightly- it is the word of God and teaches us how to live in manners that will and do bring eternal happiness; that the mundane and short-lived pleasures of the world cannot measure up to. It's just that simple.

Speaking of worldly things, I've been reading out of Jesus the Christ, in coordination with Preach My Gospel and the Doctrine and Covenants. I encourage everyone who is a strong and faithful member of the Church -and scholars who are mature enough- to do the same; if you really want your mind blown, that is the way to do it. Eric, you especially would love the deep doctrinal topics found within. I won't divulge too much, but just know that my whole perspective has been changed, and the troubles of the world seem very insignificant compared to our divine potential and the plan of our Heavenly Father.

All in all, this week has been educating. I miss you all (as always) but that won't last either. I love you all very much and I would invite all those who have yet to read the Book of Mormon to do so, and to do so prayerfully. Anyone can read the book, but by doing so prayerfully, the truths found within will be made much more apparent.

From Darwin, Australia, cheers!

-Elder Schomburg

"Official" Mission photo taken prior to
Elder Schomburg's departure in March 2013
Thanks to Jen of DuvalDigital.com!

In the Trenches... Week 10

G'day Everyone,

 

Well, how to start this? To be honest I don't have very much to say. This week has been really hard. Australia is not Tennessee. We get rejected quite often, and in more-than-rude manners. We ask people how they're doing and they get nasty: "What're you all about? What's your problem? Why're you asking me that?" We've gotten the "Not interested" act so many times this week. It's frustrating- they don't even know what we're all about and they're telling us to get off their property, stop harassing them, things of the sort. To be honest I'm a little down- this week has been REALLY hard. Elder Lacanivalu is doing his best to teach me, and I'm doing my best to apply what I'm learning (as it is easy to learn but difficult to apply), but it just feels like I'm not getting anywhere. It is difficult to teach when no one will listen, and it is even more difficult to teach to those who wish only to argue and fight. Many people claim that they aren't nasty about rejecting religion or the persons thereof, but I would beg to differ. People get nasty, and they get nasty very quickly, and it makes it very difficult to love them.

 

Well, it's not all that bad I suppose. The work here is harder than anything Tennessee had to offer, but as my companion and I have been saying: "This is Australia" and Australia is a much more bitter battleground than Tennessee. At least we're eating well: sausage and eggs and toast for lunch almost everyday, we've always got more than one dinner appointment (oh yeah, any missionary who says they've got it bad with Latinos feeding them so much clearly does not know how much islanders like to eat... stop complaining XD), and flavored drinks are extremely cheap. I never thought I would be saying this but I'm actually starting to miss bottled water. They don't drink water here... sad day.

 

My Preparation Days are Mondays, I wrote on Tuesday last week because Monday was Zone/District Meeting, so anyone who writes emails to me should do so on Sunday or even Saturday just to be sure that I read it. We email at around 10-11AM here, but we're 15 and a half hours ahead of all of you back home. Something that I discovered is that ultimate rugby is very fun- it's like ultimate frisbee but with a rugby ball. I prefer playing ultimate rugby as opposed to basketball, but that's only because Elder Villierm and Elder Lacanivalu are exceptional ballers, and scoring against them is sort of like trying to teach someone who's already said "Get off my lawn"- it's virtually impossible.

 

I'm sorry I don't have very much to say this week. I'm learning a lot as a missionary, and I really am doing well- this week has just been difficult. You can literally feel yourself slugging through the spiritual battleground. At least the biking in Darwin is easier than Lebanon. Speaking of which, I've gained twenty pounds over the course of two months- I'm not any rounder or taller, everything that was in my thighs has just converted to muscle.

 

Anyway, I'd best be off now. Keep on keeping on, and stay strong in the faith. Sometimes the Lord tests our faith through trials, and sometimes they just happen and He's as bummed about it as we are. Just stay strong, and stick to what you know, and you'll be alright :)

 

-Elder Schomburg  

[I have included a link to a very well written article which may shed a different light upon what Elder Schomburg is doing as a missionary.  It's a tad lengthy, but worth the time and effort: Time For Some Mormon Myth Busting ]

The Eagle Has Landed... Week 9

[For those of you who are new to the Elder Schomburg blogs, I usually try to add links to interesting articles or pages if clarification or additional information is needed.  If it's highlighted, feel free to click on it and learn more about Elder Schomburg's experience. ~Lisa]

G'day from Darwin, Australia!

Wow, where do I even start. Let me just say this; Australia is NOT the United States. I'm still adjusting to, well, everything I suppose. Driving on the left is throwing me off and I'm slightly worried because of that; there are a LOT of islanders that come to this mission, and they don't have driver licenses. Americans do, and therefore, we are highly favored because of our ability to operate motor vehicles, so someday I will be driving a car here, and I still don't know which way to look for oncoming traffic. It is harder than it sounds.

Okay, aside from that, let's see... what to say? This has felt like the longest week ever (it's about 11AM right now, by the way). We flew from Tennessee to LAX, Qantas (the Australian airline we flew on) was extremely prompt on boarding the transfer flight and Elder Taylor took up all the time to call by speaking with his mother and father separately (which is why I was unable to call with the one phone available- I knew you wouldn't worry though XD). So after that began the longest plane-ride of my life in which I did get some sleep... sort of. We landed in Sydney at 6AM AUS time, left for Adelaide at 9AM, stayed the night in Adelaide, and then flew up to Darwin (pronounced Da-Win) at 6AM again. At first I wasn't too excited about getting sent to Darwin; it meant getting onto yet another plane and then flying up north about 1400 miles from Adelaide, and I didn't want the culture shock (Adelaide and Darwin are VERY different). However, suffice it to say that I LOVE Darwin! This is the place of Australia that most Americans think of when they think of Australia- it's not very desert-like, but there are tons of different tropical plants and animals (cockatoos and parrots are the most annoying things... they just screech and scream and it was cool at first but now it's just.. yes, anyways), and there are crazy trees out here. It's really pretty neat.

I got here just as dry season began, which I thought meant it would be hot and miserable. Turns out, dry season is the best time to be in Darwin because it cools down and it isn't as humid. Wet season is when it gets hotter and wetter, and rains both ways, which I JUST missed. It really is beautiful up here, it's sort of hard to describe in just these few words. If I had more time I'd go into more detail.

Teaching the people here is WAY different than Tennessee, and I think that's why I got my visa when I did- I had Tennessee figured out as far as teaching the people and getting around and whatnot. Australia, Darwin specifically, is full of a plethora of different types of people. There are Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims, Atheists, Christians... it really keeps you on your toes, and you've got to keep your teaching skills sharp.

The Darwin Branch is 200 strong (1000 on the roster) and the people are just awesome, and the same can be said of the missionaries here. Everyone is just awesome, and they're easy to talk to and they're just fun to be around. My companion is Elder Lacanivalu (la-tha-knee-va-loo) from Fiji, and he has the coolest Fijian-Australian accent mix. Speaking of which, one Elder in our zone (which is ten strong and is also the district in the same if you understand that) is from Utah and sounds like an Australian, and not to get anyone's hopes up but I find that the more I talk to people the more I adopt their verbiage and pronunciation so... XD pretty cool XD

I guess you're all probably sleeping or going to sleep soon... that's weird to think about. I can't tell you much from the future other than the work is progressing and I am having fun. I will admit, missionary work is mentally challenging on an unfathomable scale; there are moments and days where I just want to come home. The only way to push through such times is to just work, and remind myself of why I'm here, and then I feel better. Bearing testimony helps a lot too- anything that invites the Spirit really helps. I've been focusing this week on focusing less on myself and more on doing missionary work. I don't complain verbally, but I suppose I've been too lenient with thinking about the comforts of home, or rather, the people I miss that are at home. In any case, we all have those days, but today is a good day and I feel great!

My diet hasn't changed a whole lot... they eat very similar foods. I ate Jackfruit the other day- that's some pretty good stuff, you all should Google a picture of it or something.

Jackfruit

Jackfruit is huge!

Elder Lacanivalu is one of the best missionaries there ever was, by the way; he's an awesome trainer, and very spiritual. He relies one the Holy Ghost probably more than any other missionary I've yet met, and he knows why he is here. He's got six months left and he used to be a "Bush Missionary" meaning he's served outside of Alice Springs (a couple hundred miles outside of) with the aboriginals, and he did that for eight months. The mission has started pulling Bush missionaries back in, so I might not get to do that, but I think it would be awesome. Next to being a Bush missionary though, Darwin is the place to be, and I really do love it here. This mission just feels like home and I fit in pretty well. There are tons of islanders, it's crazy. I'm actually Elder Lacanivalu's first American companion (REPRESENT!!!) so I was excited to hear about that. Not many Americans over here XD

Anyway, I hope I've answered some questions. Alright, I've got to go now.

Cheers, mates!
-Elder Schomburg

P.S.  Getting into Australia is a lot less intimidating than it sounds; I declared all my things that needed to be, security asked for specifics, I told them, and they let me in. Packaged food can be sent to Australia, but it can't be opened. Last I heard it costs around $55US to send a package here though, so I won't expect much food. They made me leave a suitcase with half of my things in the "vault" back in Adelaide but I should be alright with what I've got. I'll probably be in Darwin for a pretty good chunk of time; the missionaries sent up here tend to stick around for anywhere from 6-14 months so we'll see what happens :) I love you lots and I hope you get to feeling better!

Elder Schomburg arrives in Adelaide, Australia
with President and Sister Carter

H-Hour... Week 8

As the title may have implied for you more nerdy folk, "H-Hour" is commonly associated- in military jargon- as the time before an assault is made on an enemy position/location/stronghold, etc., etc. That being said... it has happened- I'm leaving for the Mission Office at 11:45 today, will arrive hopefully at 1:00, and after that I will be headed to Adelaide, Australia! I don't know anything about flight plans or whatnot; I was told to pack my gear and show up today at 1:00PM, so my gear is packed, and now I wait. I'm sorry that I don't have any more information, but if I'm allowed to, I'll try to call home before I leave the country.

 

This week has been... crazy, for lack of better words. Our third companion, Elder Toone, actually went to high school with Elder Fishburn, so those two hit it off pretty quick. The same day we got him (last Tuesday), President McKee informed me and Elder Taylor that our visas had come through and that we were departing Monday. After that wall hit us, we went back to work, and we worked hard. I'm sorry I keep forgetting to report back on Zach and Josh, but here's how those fields are: we made contact with Zach (finally) and he came to church on Saturday to play some church ball with me and my companions and a handful of priests and their friends. He has a girlfriend that he's "very attracted to" and we have reasoned that he fell off the face of the earth because of this. Before he went under the radar, he was almost ready for baptism, and then we mentioned the law of chastity... I'll let your educated minds fill in the blanks.

 

I had to say goodbye to my good friend Josh yesterday; he came to church and brought our mutual friend Joy with him (only after I guilt-tripped him into it [and I "laid it on thick", to hear Josh put it]). It was necessary; he felt bad for some things he had done in the week and wasn't going to come because he didn't feel worthy to. Unfortunately for him, he has a friend like me, and I'm very blunt and straightforward when it comes to things like this. So yes, I spoke some hard things against him and he came in the end. Joy and Josh also fed us dinner that night (I haven't really mentioned Joy, but Josh and Joy are very good friends and we're friends with both of them. Joy is a member and has been going through some difficult tribulations so we've been doing our best to help her along). After they fed us, we took some photos and parted ways. Yesterday was... melancholy for me. It was a good day for missionary work, but not so fun in regards to parting ways with some people whom I've come to greatly appreciate and respect.

 

I don't have any fun stories to tell about this week, and I'm not even sure I have anything spiritual to offer. We handed out a few copies of the Book of Mormon, we were offered water and shade by a Presbyterian man (left him with a Book of Mormon too), and tracted in 80 degree weather with probably 70 percent humidity (thus making it feel more like 100 degrees). It rained on Friday, as is custom, and I went on exchange with Elder Allen, a Spanish missionary (that is to say that he speaks Spanish but is of European descent), and so for a day and half I contributed virtually nothing to the lessons we (or rather, he) taught; hablo no Espanol, los siento.

 

Yesterday at Sacrament meeting (here, something spiritual!), I did truly come to appreciate what the Sacrament is. After having pushed Josh so hard to come to church, I found myself sitting next to him and Joy and wondering what had compelled me to have spoken with such guilt-provoking conviction as I attempted to get Josh to come to church. As I took the bread, I thought of a story I heard awhile back about an apostle or prophet who, once passed the bread and water, took them and looked at them for a moment before partaking. I was not looking to mimic him, but instead wanted to really understand the Sacrament as he had. I took the bread and passed the tray along, and I sat there and looked at that small piece of bread. I pondered over what it meant, what it symbolized, and why it was so important to take it every week. It more or less hit me like a freight-train; the Sacrament, or partaking of it, literally is a re-baptism of sorts. It is a renewal of baptismal covenants and much more.

 

I thought long and hard about what I had covenanted to do, having been baptized into the Lord's church, but more so, I thought of what the Sacrament did. Like baptism, which symbolizes a rebirth, taking the Sacrament symbolizes starting anew. It symbolizes our willingness to repent for mistakes made over the past week, and it shows that we are going to try again, even harder than last time, to do as the Lord would have us do. It enables us to become clean again, as baptism first did, and that really hit me. The opportunity to become clean and fresh in the eyes of the Lord through taking the Sacrament, and being able to access Christ's Atonement -and therefore be able to be rid of the guilt that comes with past transgressions- is one of the greatest gifts given to us, and we would not have it without Christ's sacrifice.

 

Alas, it is that time in which I must be going. Please don't mail anything else to Tennessee (I have sent letters out with Tennessee return addresses and those will reach you after I have touched down in the land down under). I love you all, keep on keeping on! The next time you hear from me I won't be in the US! 

Elder Schomburg

There is a Lord... Week 7

Good morning from Lebanon, Tennessee! As the title states, last week was very low in numbers as far as teaching appointments, lessons, new investigators, and everything else we do, BUT there is a God and I am doing very well, so if anyone out there thinks this is the worst thing I could possibly be doing and that I'm suffering, simply put and without any sympathy, you're wrong. Also, just a sidebar... these library computers won't let me drop photos, so I'll print some off at Walmart today and send them home with a few letters. But anyways, on to last week's report.

 

Before I forget, let me say this; it was one of my fears that I would have a fool-companion who would try to do something unwise with his bike and consequently crash into me. It turns out, that where there were no fools present, Elder Fishburn and I crashed into each other anyway. Now, Lebanon is a "miracle mission" and I have a testimony that this is true; if me -a 160lbs 6' 2" 19-year old- can take out a 220lbs, 6'4" 20-year old on his bike, remain perfectly fine on mine, and after sending his bike out from underneath him come out unscathed, there must be angels. The amazing thing is that he, Elder Fishburn, came out unscathed as well, and was like a cat as he danced on his feet, trying to avoid his careening bicycle as it sought to take out and cripple his legs. He had been looking for Zach's car (we were going to go to his apartment to see if he was home), and I had been looking over my shoulder, checking for traffic to make sure it was safe for me to ride shoulder-to-shoulder with Elder Fishburn. Our paths crossed, we hit each other, and we both came out fine. It was quite miraculous.

 

In other news, we were tracting Saturday night and we had knocked a few doors, were rejected a few times, stirred up a neighborhood of dogs due in part to the stray that was following us, and as we were leaving one house, a man in a white Jeep Cherokee came to a stop, put his vehicle in reverse, rolled down his window and called out to us. Elder Fishburn and I were absolutely confused- no one has ever approached us, and no one has ever approached him (he's been out for almost 8 months). We went, talked to this man on the road (much to the displeasure of the traffic we halted [sorry]), and we gave him a lesson about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon right there on the street. He was very interested, and he even ASKED for a Book of Mormon before we had even mentioned it. He had two little children in the back of his vehicle and was very receptive to our message. We left him our card and number, and we haven't heard from him yet but we're very hopeful. That has never happened before, and it was just what we needed at the end of a long and -numerically speaking- disappointing day (I was in high spirits the whole time; it wasn't raining on us while we were biking [which did happen after dinner on Friday, but that's okay, it was almost fun getting soaked to the bone XD]).

 

Yesterday was also Mother's Day (I wish all of you beautiful and amazing mothers out there a very heartfelt Happy Mother's Day) and I was able to call home. That was very cool and it was awesome to hear my family's beautiful voices, and of course, getting to talk to Mom was very fun and I enjoyed everything that everyone had to say!

Elder Fishburn and I are being put into a trio, or rather, we're receiving another visa-waiter fresh from the MTC. How this is going to work I have absolutely NO idea and I am just a little (or maybe very) apprehensive. I don't mind having a third new person within the companionship, I'm just questioning logistics- our apartment is fit for two, and now we have a third to watch out for... "We are all enlisted 'till the conflict is o'er! Happy are we! Happy are we!" This is my new song for whenever I think about having three people in our apartment that fits two people... smiles all around!

 

Until next week, goodbye from Lebanon! As always, emails and mail are much appreciated (every letter is a blessing). I love you all and hope our good Lord is treating you as well as he's been treating me.

 

-Elder Schomburg

Salt Lake City Temple
May 10, 2012
I took this pretty photo and just wanted to share.
~Lisa

And Lebanon Did Dwindle in Unbelief

Can you guess how things are going in Lebanon, Tennessee? 

To quote my senior companion, Elder Fishburn (who has been out for 7-8 months), "This has been the worst week of my entire mission, as far as numbers are concerned." It isn't all about the numbers, but when you're coming up with things like one other lesson taught, or maybe two lessons with recent converts/less actives (now referred to as returning members), you start to wonder certain things, like "WHAT ON EARTH IS GOING ON AND WHY!?!?!" I wouldn't have room to say anything if Elder Fishburn and I didn't work hard, but we do work hard; every day we work like there is no tomorrow, and now.... well, here's the situation: every appointment we make falls through. Every person we thought we counted as Progressing Investigators has fallen off of the face of the planet. EVERY door in Lebanon has been knocked, every street explored, every nook and cranny ventured into. EVERYONE seen on the street has been contacted, and EVERYONE seen has rejected us.

 

Aside from the fact that the missionary work in Lebanon has grinded to an utter and almost complete halt (thanks only in part to a... stubborn and stiff-necked people), we had zone conference. I will be honest (I am in a very blunt and honest and straightforward mood so I will attempt to choose my words carefully [the whole situation here has filled me with wroth]) and say that I do not enjoy large gatherings of missionaries. I don't have many friends here and the ones I do have already have closer friends that they typically gravitate towards when they see each other at these larger meetings. To be short, I feel very much like an intruder here; visa-waiters are typically unwanted in any mission field that is not their own because people don't think you will be around for very long, which is why it is difficult to make friends; no one wants to make friends with someone who could, at any given time, receive flight plans and a ticket to their assigned area (in my case, Australia). Cozying up to the ward has been difficult, and other missionaries don't get too close because, again, no one wants to make friends with someone they'll have to part with at any given time. Thus is the story of my life right now. I can honestly say I do really miss the Monument Ward; the closeness of the ward and the care they have for each other is exemplary. And you all have beautiful singing voices... no one here sings...

 

On a brighter note, Elders Fishburn, Alarcon, Rowley, and myself were awarded the first ever Golden Hubcap Award for having kept our car in such fine condition. Our pictures are going to be displayed in the mission office beneath the golden hubcap which will be displayed on the wall. Yay for us! How sad is that, though? Having my picture hung on a wall beneath a plastic Toyota hubcap spray-painted gold has been the highlight of me week...

 

It rained more, by the way. We had a few sunny days and today there's some sunshine, but it rained more, and to save on miles (we're only allotted 1,000 miles per month for the four of us) and to keep ourselves relatively dry, we opted to go tracting on foot. All I have to say is that rain is not conducive to doing the Lord's work. But why do we tract in the rain (we went over this at zone conference)? Because we love the Lord. Why are we homesick? Because we love the Lord. Why are we out here knocking doors, street contacting, and trying to set up solid appointments in a town that has completely closed itself from receiving the restored gospel of Jesus Christ? Because we LOVE the Lord. 

For any of you who know me, and I would hope many of you do, yes, I am in a "Fake It Until You Make It" mood, and I will make it eventually. Today is going to be a great day! I'm going to get a door slammed in my face and I will say "Mmm, what a nice breeze!" I'm going to get mocked and laughed at and scorned and you know what? It's like Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said in his talk "Missionary Work and the Atonement" (which you should ALL watch, it is... powerful): "When our missionaries ask themselves why is it so hard, they should all remember this: they are not the first ones to ask that question."

 

The whole video, "Missionary Work and the Atonement" is something that deserves some kind of award because by watching it, you will experience the best ten minutes of your life. It makes many comparisons to the challenges missionaries have to the things that Christ faced. Any time I want to complain about something or think that I've got it bad, I think of Christ. He was spit upon, he was whipped, he was stoned, he was crowned with thorns and he was NAILED (not tied, as was the more common practice among the Romans of the time) to the cross. When he suffered in Gethsemane, he -even the Only Begotten Son of God- asked "Is there no other way?" Like Elder Holland points out in the video, if we desire to share the gospel, and walk the path Christ walked, we must experience at least a little, an inkling of the suffering that he went through. If we did not experience at least SOME tribulation, or trial of faith, we would NOT be walking in the path that Christ walked. One of my favorite quotes out of the whole thing is when Elder Holland boldly declares, "Salvation is not a cheap experience; Salvation was NEVER a cheap experience!"

My time is short, but really, look it up on Youtube or something, and just take ten minutes to watch the video. I can testify that by doing so, whatever your ideas of Christ and his sacrifice are right now, they will change, and you will gain a much greater appreciation for what he went through for all of us.

 

-Elder Schomburg