Pics from the Activity! - Sent 30 Sep 2013

Here are some pictures from the Activity on Saturday! We planned in with the Sisters that are also in our Ward! They`re pretty awesome too! Super great at planning and decorating! (Thank goodness...cause we aren`t that great!)

Pie in the face!! It was quite fun. :) Also...very delicious! It actually wasn`t pie, just frosting. However, the people sure loved shoving it in our faces!!!

 

 

The time is far spent . . . 'El Fin Se Acerca...' - Email from 30 Sep 2013

Well...can you all believe it?? Two years is going to be up in just one more week!! I don`t know whether I should be happy or sad...this time has gone by so quickly it`s amazing. At the same time, I feel that I`ve had enough experiences to last me for a lifetime of reflection! Hopefully I can always remember the good times here in the best mission in the world: La Mision Peru Piura.

So this past week was pretty crazy!! We had interviews with the zones, and I even had my enterview with President! When we have interviews, we also have to review the Area Books, so Elder Muralles and I had that responsability. It sure was eye opening! It seems like the mission is getting a lot better at things, but there are still some things that we could be doing a LOT better.

My interview with President was amazing. I am so grateful for him. I think that one of my weaknesses is not being able to recognize the good that I really do. President told me like three or four times in 15 minutes how much he appreciated me and that he had learned a lot from me. From ME? Kinda weird to think of someone like President Rowley learning so much from a 21 year old boy. However, I really appreciated his words. I know that he really means it. I feel that I have given it my all. President has shown me that I really can do it. I really can be a leader in the mission and help the missionaries become better representatives of Jesus Christ.

As for our area, it`s been pretty crazy! This week we had an activity where the stake brought in all 26 missionaries and some of the future missionaries to our area and one other to go contacting because those two wards haven`t been doing so great. Haha...the elders come up to us after and said, Elder Schofield and Elder Muralles! Your area sure is tough, isn`t it?

We just smiled and laughed. It has been a challenge, but I`ve learned to have faith in the Lord, and He has provided the way.

As for our couple that we`re teaching, things are going great! Gabriel and Diana have really opened up to us. They`re reading the Book of Mormon, the pamphlets we leave them, and they`ve started to pray together! We`re really excited about that! This week we were even able to take the bishop with us on a visit! The bishop and his wife did AMAZING, and hit it off with them! It was really great to see that. :)

On Saturday we had a huge ward activity called `Feria de la Vida` where all the organizations had responsabilities. It turned out fantastic! Gabriel and Diana came, and the ward members were super great with them! I think that they are going to progress a lot. If they do decide to follow what we`re teaching, I have the feeling that they`re going to be some great converts to the church.

Now, this week is going to go by SUPER FAST, and I`ll tell you why.

Right here is my schedule:

Tuesday: Leadership council meeting until 4 PM

Wednesday: First 5 Weeks Training Meeting until 3 PM

Thursday: Zone Meeting until 2 PM, and then I go to Talara on a work visit until....

Friday: 4 PM I get back to Piura

Saturday: General Conference, the new assistant arrives, and we do the transfers!

Sunday: More General Conference, and finish transfers!!!

So, as you can see, I get the privilege of working until the very last day. :) I`m actually very grateful for that, because it won`t be too hard at all to stay focused on what I am doing.

Being Assistant to the President has been a blessing. I`m not going to lie, I NEVER desired to be here. I never wanted to be in the office. It was always my desire to be out working, and trying to help people get baptised and remain active. However, I know that God put me here for a reason, and I`ve come to understand that my role is very important. We have to motivate the missionaries. We have to inspire them to be better. If I can help a missionary to become better, who knows how many lives he will touch afterwards? I hope and pray that I can somehow help this mission to progress...help this work to really roll forward.

I know that God lives. This is His work and it will never end until His Son comes again. I`m grateful to have been a part of it. I`m grateful that I still am a part of it! Peru has been amazing. I love it so much here! The people are amazing nice, and I will always have a huge piece of my heart here!

I love you all so much! I`m grateful for all your prayers and support. I hope that this last week can be the best one yet!!!

See you soon!!!!!

Elder Schofield

Gabriel y Diana! Yay! - Email from 23 Sep 2013

So this week was a great week because of a few mini miracles that happened! We found someone to teach! These past couple of weeks have been a bit tough because we couldn`t find many people to teach, but now we have a couple to teach and they`re even progressing!

So on Tuesday we had a work visit with Elder Barreno, and we began knocking doors because we really do need more people to teach. That was when we knocked the door of Gabriel and Diana.

When we first got in, Gabriel wanted to talk to us alone, but then he invited Diana to join us. That was when a huge can of worms opened up...Diana is one of those people that has a TON of questions, and she seems to be a bit against the church...but that`s pretty understandable. Within the first two minutes she explained to us why, of course! Her little sister is a member, and she`s been a member for quite some time! She was dating a member who went on a mission! When he came home, they kept going out until he got her pregnant!! Then he dumps her...without them getting married, just leaving her with the baby.

Obviously, Diana was a bit upset about that! It`s kinda difficult for her to see past that, but I totally understand. As Elder Barreno and I tried to teach about the prophets and apostasy, I felt like I was literally fighting against some sort of spirit. It took all of my strength to not get upset and just explain things very understandably and directly.

After the first visit, they didn`t really want to set up a time for another one, they just said to come by. Well, we went back and got to teach them again! It was another battle...this time explaining about Joseph Smith and the restoration, but the best part is that they`re beginning to understand! They understand the message that we`re delivering, which is actually kinda tough to do here in Peru.

Although we have to kind of battle in order to help this couple progress because of their many questions and the problems that they`ve had, it has been a blessing in my life. I feel that God has blessed us with this couple so that we can show how committed we are to helping these people come unto Christ.

My whole mission has been a battle. I have found that my spirit can never be overcome. In those moments when people are deciding to shut down, to tell us no, I fight more than ever before. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this message is TRUE. The gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way that we can return to our Heavenly Father, and this is the only true church on the face of the planet that has the true gospel. I know it. I testify of that every single day here in the mission field.

Some days are harder than others. There are a lot of things that we must battle. In our ward, we`ve been working hard to motivate our leaders, which has been quite the battle in and of its own! I can`t tell you how much I would love to have just one Ward Council meeting. We try hard...and we`re working to motivate the members to be more friendly.

Another one of God`s tender mercies happened to us this Sunday. Last week we visited Brother Aulestia who was bishop and just recently got released. He`s been having a tough time lately due to some of the rumors about him. However, in our visit we were able to motivate him and help him to see that he really is important. On Sunday he taught Priesthood and man, did he teach an amazing lesson! I could feel the power of it all, and I know that he put in a lot of effort preparing for it.

After the lesson he came up to us and said, `Thank you elders for your visit. I really needed it.` I don`t think that there is anything else in the world that I would rather hear, especially when it comes from the heart.

We work SO HARD. We try our very best, and sometimes all we get are two small sentences like that in return...but the reward really comes from knowing that we were able to do God`s will, and that it has helped someone else to progress.

I love this work. It`s the hardest thing in the world. It beats you up, chews you to pieces, and then expects you to just keep on going. However, it is amazing. I hope that it never comes to an end. I will always be the Lord`s valiant servant.

Love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Schofield

My last trip to Tumes!! - Email from 16 Sep 2013

Well, that`s right! I took my last and final trip to Tumbes!! What great times...a LOT of memories, some of them good, some of them...interesting.

This trip was VERY interesting...

First of all, we got to travel with President and Sister Rowley! 5 full hours with them in the car! I definitely got to know them a lot better, and I can tell that President is a lot like you, Dad! Haha, it was pretty funny because we were driving basically on the beach so we could see the water, and out of the blue President just pulls the car over and says, `Look for a whale! There should be some whales in that water!!!` It reminded me of something that Dad would do. :)

However, I learned a lot in that trip...it was cool as well because we listened to a Mission President`s Seminar talk by President Monson. It made me see the other side of the mission...that of being mission president. Is it possible that maybe someday I could be mission president? I hope not! At the same time...it would be an incredible opportunity to serve the Lord. However, I learned in this trip that the mission presidents have a lot of the same fears that we do in the beginning, not knowing how to do things, and that the prophets are always there to give the best sort of advice!

Once we got to Tumbes we had a special treat! We got to eat in a Restaurant! The first time in two years! Very interesting...but then we went with the ZL`s to sleep.

That work visit started off with a BANG! Well...almost. ;)

Without giving a LOT of details...when we left our room at 10 in the morning, broad daylight, we witnessed a robbing!!! What a great experience...but something that I would have preferred to not see. We just had to hurry along because there really wasn`t anything we could do! But who would have known that an even stranger experience was waiting for us??

So as we get super close to the taxis that would take us to a district meeting we have, a white guy stops and asks us, in English, `hey, can I talk to you guys for a minute?` Mostly, I was just freaked out to see an american there speaking perfect English, so I said sure...big mistake!!

So he goes off...explaining about all these weird theories he has, one of which had to do with the right to bear arms. He said that if only a few people had the right to bear arms, wouldn`t we feel threatened by those that did have weapons? Of course! So we ALL have to have the right to have them! Then he tried to apply that to Nuclear Bombs...apparrently the States shouldn`t mess with the middle east because they should be able to have Nuclear Bombs like all the rest of us! It`s the same principle! (I think he`s crazy, what about you?)

But that wasn`t the craziest...somehow we started to talk about religion and Christ, and we mentioned the fact that we do believe that He was resurrected. He denies that, saying that 1 in a billion can be perfect like Christ and can have His powers. Then he said the craziest thing I`ve ever heard in my life, and he was very serious, he said `I am the new Christ. I have come to save mankind, but if they don`t help me and don`t believe in me, then I will curse you. There is hunger, there is disease, everywhere I go people feel my wrath, because they don`t believe in me and don`t help me.`

I never thought that I would see that prophecy fulfilled...but there really are false Christs out there!

The best part of that experience is that I KNOW, without a shadow of a doubt, that it was a lie. The spirit was NOT with him when he said that. I know without any doubt in my heart that Christ really LIVES. He died on the cross and rose up on the third day. He is now directing this church through prophets and apostles. Every time I bare my testimony of this, I can feel the spirit witnessing it to my investigators. This man had no spirit to back him up, because it was a blatant lie.

So...that made for a VERY interesting morning!

The next day we went with the LZ`s in Puyango, which is also Tumbes. However, that wasn`t as exciting because I ended spending the whole day with Elder Henriquez, who was very sick! He has parasites, so he was in and out of the bathroom all day!

It gave me a LOT of time to think...which was good and bad. I thought about all the many experiences that I`ve had on the mission and the amazing change that I`ve felt going on within me. I am not the same that I was before. It has been quite a journey, and these last couple of weeks will continue to be that way.

Anyway...I don`t have a lot of time, but I did want to mention one thing more! This last weekend was a special stake conference! They did it from Utah, and Elder Bednar and Elder Scott talked to all of Peru!!! It was AWESOME because they were SO direct and really know what peru needs.

Two items: Repentance and Respecting women. RIGHT TO THE HEART.

It was pretty amazing, and the spirit was super strong.

Anyway...I have to go because President is waiting for us!

Love you all so much! I hope that you`re all getting ready for conference!!! It`s going to be amazing to listen to the prophets and apostles of our day again!!!

Love,

Elder Schofield

A Mighty Little Change of Heart - Email from 9 Sep 2013

This was quite a week! There was a lot to be done, and just a whole bunch of things came about. However, it really was a rewarding week where I was able to reflect and grow spiritually. It`s funny how after 23 months in the mission, I can still continue to feel inadequate and still learn how to humble myself and really have one of those `mighty change of heart` moments.

This week started with Leadership Council. It has to be one of my favorite meetings in the whole mission. Every month we get together and discuss how the mission is going. The zone leaders come together with the newly assigned `Sister Training Leaders` and we discuss the strengths and weaknesses of the mission. Then the assistants and President give a little training.

This week we talked about Nephi. President sat down and had us read a bunch of scriptures about Nephi`s life. It really was a great experience, and it reminded me a bunch of just a regular old FHE: The spirit was super strong as we discussed the qualities Nephi learned to use in order to do God`s work. It really made me think a lot about the type of missionary that I am and the type of man I am becoming. I hope to be more like Nephi.

After that training, we had two meetings with the District Leaders. It was kind of fun to do that because I ended up getting to see almost all of the elders from my group! It`s cool to see how far we`ve all come, and where we`ve ended up. Some of us have really grown and progressed while others really haven`t changed a whole lot. I think that has to do with our desires and how we`ve used our time here in the mission.

This weekend was definitely a challenge for me. Our area is honestly not going well. For the first time in my ENTIRE mission, we only have 2 investigators. Well...if we`re really honest here, there isn`t even one because these two are IMPOSSIBLE to find at home, and one of them goes to Trujillo every weekend so he simply can`t attend church. So, that leaves us at ZERO new investigators.

We`ve been working hard to find new people to teach. We talk with people in the street. We`ve looked for every person on the ward list, but we simply can`t find people! We feel that the members don`t have a whole lot of confidence in us because we simply haven`t been able to make it to things on time due to meetings we`ve had with President Rowley.

We`ve been stuck.

So...I guess all of these things just really hit me. I felt inadequate. I felt unworthy to be assistant because shouldn`t I be an example to the other elders? How can I tell them how to find new investigators if I can`t do it?

Thankfully, my companion is amazing. :) God knows exactly why Elder Muralles is my companion. At times, I have to show a lot of patience with him, but he truly has become one of my absolute best friends. As I was talking to him about all this and how I was feeling, he simply listened and just helped me to recognize that everything would be ok.

Sunday was a great turning point. I went to church more humble than ever before. God really helped me to feel his love. The talks seemed to be directed to me, and i could just feel how much He cared for me.

In the afternoon, I sat down and began reading one of my favorite talks `The Fourth Missionary.` It really focuses on being a missionary that submits himself to God`s will. If a missionary chooses to live the law of consecration, he will grow, change, and become a better person. If not...he will not gain any sort of benefit from his mission. The third missionary serves well and has a lot of success, but he holds part of himself back, which causes him to lose the benefits. The fourth missionary gives his WHOLE heart, and receives a very real change in himself in return.

After reading that talk, I knelt down and offered one of the most fervent prayers I`ve ever prayed before. I promised God that with these last few weeks I have left, I will do whatever He would have me do. I don`t remember all of the words that I spoke, but I felt a warm feeling invade me heart and mind, and feeling of peace and the drive to do more, to be more, and to really give it my all.

Sunday afternoon was different. :) We found a new investigator! :) He`s been waiting for this message, and I have a good feeling about him. We worked hard and I feel rejuvenated, and ready to go to work!

Well...as time is winding down...I`m going to up the effort. I must give it my all, or my offering really isn`t valid. If Christ had only been 99 percent obedient, would His sacrifice be sufficient to pay for the sins of all mankind? No. That 1 percent is important. If we are to give an offering to the Lord, 100 percent is required. Nothing more can be given, because it`s ALL we have. Nothing less is sufficient.

I have a testimony of missionary work. It`s the hardest work in the world. There is no success in missionary work if we try to do it ourselves. We have to recognize that it is God`s work and that it will progress only if we choose to turn ourselves over to Him. I have seen His hands pushing this work forward. Without hope, without faith, nothing can be achieved. However, if we can find a way to cultivate that hope and grow our faith, miracles will occur.

I love you all and hope that you all can strive to learn the same things I am here in the mission field. Turn yourselves over to God. If you do so, you will find that He will change your very heart and soul. You will be happier than ever before and will have the hope and faith that you`ve been looking for.

Love you!!

Elder Schofield

What a Wonderful First Week! - Email from 2 Sep 2013

So....this week simply FLEW by! There was so much to be done, and just so much to think about that I can`t even put it all together in my head. Monday was CRAZY because we had to send so many elders home! If that was bad, Tuesday was even worse!! We got to receive 24 new elders here in the mission! It was pretty crazy seeing them get off the plane. Seriously, it made me think a lot about when we all got here, 21 of us!

A lot of the new elders are northamericans too. Haha, it`s pretty funny to see these 18 year olds getting here. They`re just so YOUNG! A lot of them really don`t know what`s ahead of them. It`s kinda funny. I feel like the old, experienced one. I also feel like some of them are a little immature...their companions are going to have to help them out a bit.

Tuesday morning we had the changes, and then the new elders received a training meeting. After that we went for a walk just to get outside for a while. At night we were just here in the office together. That was an interesting experience...all of the new elders were telling me about the states, about the music, videos, and some other things. I felt really weird hearing about it all. The strangest part about it was that I don`t care about any of that! It got a lot more interesting when I just changed the subject to missionary work. We started talking about what the culture is like here and what they`re going to need to do to help the work progress.

Being a missionary is the best thing in the world. For those of you that worry about missing out on the music, movies, or the other things of the world, just forget about it! There`s nothing else more amazing than being a part of God`s work. In fact, it`s actually a lot better being able to drown out the world with MOTAB and the scriptures. The spirit is so strong in the work it`s incredible!

On Wednesday we had our full day training meeting, which was quite fun! The last change when we did it, President couldn`t be there due to the death of Elder Litano, so this time it was a lot different! The spirit was super strong as President explained what he expected of us as missionaries and what the Lord expects. I love the was he uses scriptures to teach us. He lets God say it instead of trying to take the credit himself. I`ve tried very hard to do the same thing. Anyway, the training meeting lasted almost all day, and then we got the new elders sent off to their areas!

As for our area...we`re doing ok. Ok, maybe we`re not doing super great. It`s the first time in my entire mission that I have really struggled to find new people to teach. This area is very different! This week we had to work super hard, talking to everyone we could see, trying to visit the less actives to teach their friends and family members, etc. Really, we tried a lot of different resources, but honestly, it just didn`t work.

I don`t know why God decided to save this challenge for me for the end of my mission, but we`re working hard to overcome it.

There is one thing that I was able to learn this week, that truly is a valuable life lesson. Elder Muralles and I were having companionship inventory (something that I`m REALLY going to miss....it`s helped me a lot) and we talked about some of our weaknesses. That`s when he told me that I need to be happier.

When I think about it...even before my mission I struggled with that. I mean, I know that maybe I haven`t been the greatest person and whenever someone sins they feel guilty and simply can`t be happy. However, with me it`s something more than that. I have to work hard to be happy, and it really shouldn`t be that way!

It`s amazing how if you can recognize your weaknesses and then take them to the Lord how He can change that. I feel that I am slowly but surely becoming a happier person. :) something that I really should have been doing since a long time ago!

Life has its ups and downs. However, we should enjoy them all! This week we honestly didn`t have a great week in our area. Not many new investigators, not one of the existing investigators are progressing, and it was difficult working with the members. However, we worked hard! We`re doing our part and I know that God will magnify our efforts. I just hope and pray that we can find a better way of working here in Piura Central.

Well...I hope that you all know that I love you! Take care of yourselves!

Love,

Elder Schofield

Transfers! God`s hand... - Email from 26 Aug 2013

So...this week was pretty crazy! So many things have happened...it`s incredible how each and every day can be an incredible journey in the mission. I really feel like every day is SO important now...it`s really a great feeling. :) Have you ever felt like every day is the same and that your actions one day really don`t affect the next? I used to feel that way too...however, I am beginning to recognize that every action and decision that we make really does affect us the next day, even the next week!

This week I learned how amazing the transfers really are! President was in his office a large part of the week, looking at the board with all of the photos of the elders and sisters in our mission. How intimidating! Every once in a while, Elder Muralles and I would receive a call...it would go a lot like this, `Elder Schofield, what do you think about Elder Smith as a trainer?` We then would give our opinion...but President always made the final decision!

The greatest moment was Saturday afternoon. Elder Muralles was pretty nervous. I think he really wanted to train his last two transfers, so he was expecting President to call him aside and tell him that he would no longer be AP. However, it never came! As we walked into his office, I could feel the excitement and the spirit that comes with the changes....I really could feel the spirit whispering to me as we sat down and talked with President.

After I said the opening prayer, we opened up the curtains and there were the changes!! We began analyzing each and every companionship, commenting in areas that may be troublesome and seeing where there might be some changes needed. It was an amazing experience, because the spirit was just so strong. I know that logically a lot of things might have been out of line, but with every companionship I just tried to focus on what the spirit told me. I could really feel with each and every one that it was God`s will.

In the end, we didn`t need to correct very many changes. President Rowley really had things all planned out, and I could feel the spirit witnessing to me that all is well. President told us in the end how amazing the experience is for him. He said that he just looks at the board and thinks about every elder and sister. Then, out of the blue he starts to look at one elder in particular and he can see him being a Zone Leader. He just sees it! He said that they might not appear to be ready NOW, but they really are ready for the job. He does the same thing with District Leaders and Trainers. I can only imagine what that must feel like...

As for the rest of the weekend, what a rollercoaster! We had a lot of things to do, and not really a lot of time to do it! We had to write all of the changes down and send it to President. In the middle of doing all of that, the power went out for two hours! That meant that we were locked up in the office without being able to really do anything...however, we got it all sent. :)

The next thing we had to worry about were the trainers! They receive their companions one day late, so we have to figure out who`s going to be with who and how they`re going to get there...etc. It was quite a lot of thinking and a bit stressful, to tell you the truth! Even more interesting was planning for the elders that are going home! THIRTY THREE missionaries go home today!! Can you believe it?? It`s kinda sad because Elder Turcios and Elder Ramirez are going home. :( my first two companions! It will be sad to send them off...I`m not sure if I`ll get to see them again...in fact, I highly doubt it....

The mission is hard, because you get to know so many wonderful, amazing people. You make AMAZING friends that are TRUE friends. Before the mission, I knew a lot of people. They were great! However, we weren`t working together for such a noble cause. We didn`t sweat together and work super hard in order to help other people accept this gospel. The links that I have created here in the mission field are strong, and it`s hard to think of them being broken...I don`t know what will happen after the mission, but I sure will miss these elders!!!

Anyway...that was what life has been like for the past couple of days! Thinking of all these changes is crazy...there will be 9 new Zone leaders! We only have TEN zones!! We`re going to have to train them all up because the next change there will be another 7 new Zone Leaders! What a crazy couple of transfers here in the Mision Peru Piura!

This week Elder Muralles and I have been getting along a lot better. It was pretty difficult for me. I`m pretty sure that he no longer wanted to be AP, he wanted to relax a little bit. When we found out that he still would be...he`s changed. :) I think that this next change will be a lot better. Now he knows that he`ll be here for two transfers more, so we`ll work a lot harder together and we`re going to have a lot more success, I can just feel it.

Sorry I can`t write much about our area! It`s honestly been a bit of a challenge. This area is full of rich people!! I`m trying hard, but we just haven`t figured out how to really work here. We teach only about 10 lessons a week! That`s pretty low...especailly considering the fact that I used to teach 30 or 40. :/ However, we`re trying hard and we`re going to be focusing a lot more on the less actives and converts. Hopefully they can give us references!!! :)

Well...I love you all! Say hi to everyone!!! OHHH!!! I can`t believe I almost forgot!!! I got my birthday package this week! Well, I got two!!! Tell Grandma Shaw thanks a billion!!! Also, thank you thank you thank you Mom and Dad!!!! The package is AWESOME!!! I don`t know how you knew that I just barely had to throw a pair of socks away...that was perfect timing. :) The candy is DELICIOUS. :) I forgot what I`d been missing!

Love you tons!!!!

Elder Schofield

How to Find People to Teach . . . email from 19 Aug 2013

So...this week has been very crazy for me! A lot has happened, yet I feel that the time has gone by so very quickly!!

This week began with a typical Peruvian FHE. Haha, have I mentioned that the Peruvians aren`t very punctual? Well...on Monday we had an FHE that was supposed to begin at 8 o`clock. We had told them that we were going to have to leave at 9 because we had a meeting scheduled with President Rowley. Of course, they assured us that they would be there on time and that there wouldn`t be any problems. Well...when 8:30 rolled around and NO ONE WAS THERE! I was getting kind of antsy, and told my companion that we would have to begin in 15 minutes, even if it was just with the three people that had gotten there.

Well, in the end we ended up beginning at 8:50! We taught a VERY quick 10 minute lesson, and then had to tell everyone goodbye! I felt bad because they had invited friends and less actives, but there really was absolutely no way that we could stay any longer. President was waiting for us, and we even got there 20 minutes late...anyway, that was the beginning of my week. :)

Tuesday was honestly really hard for me. We had Leadership Council meeting where all of the Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders get together and we discuss what`s going on in the mission and President Rowley and the assistants do some training. It was hard for me because honestly when I look around the room I wonder if I really belong where I am. It`s hard to feel like I really am Assistant. Also, the practice that we did just didn`t seem to come out the way that we wanted it too. It turned out fine, and a lot of Zone Leaders told me later that the meeting really helped them a lot in their zones, but it was just a bit hard for me. Live and learn, I guess. :)

After the Zone Council meeting, Elder Muralles and I saw a miracle occur! President had talked to us about talking WITH the people, instead of talking AT them. A lot of us have been talking about religion first thing, without really getting to know the people. President told us that needs to stop, and invited us to talk with the people, get to know who they are, and then teach something short. Well, on Tuesday night we did just that! The most wonderful part was that the people we talked with opened up a ton! We had two new investigators!!! It was really cool, and I knew that President had received that revelation for the mission.

During the week we had a blast with two work visits! I had the opportunity to be with Elder Kener, who is from Idaho! He`s from my group so it was really great catching up with him. We`ve never been in the same zone together, so there`s a lot to talk about! He`s really an amazing elder. Very dedicated. I`m very glad to have been able to work with him because I can tell that he is an amazing leader. He`s had some tough companions to work with, but has always found a way to have success.

In the visit with Elder Kener we saw a few miracles! First of all, I had the impression that we needed to go to a certain part of our area, called `La Alborada.` We got there and were looking for some members to visit and also trying to talk with everyone again. Haha, it was kind of funny because we ran into a guy that was really into longboarding, surfing, and other extreme sports. We spent a few minutes talking to him about that and his life. He seems super energetic and fun, but needs a lot of help to put his life in order!

After that, we headed off down the street. We passed one man that was looking down and we said hi to him. He then looks up and then calls out to us! He asked us where our church was located and what times we meet at. He said that he was passing through some tough times and wanted to.go to church. We took down his phone number and made an appointment for the next day in our church building.

Unfortunately, I wasn`t able to be there when Hugo got to the church because we had a work visit, but Elder Muralles told me that it was an AMAZING lesson! He started crying as they explained the Atonement and told him that everything would turn out fine. :) Elder Muralles then invited him to the baptism that the sisters were going to have the next day, and he said yes! He even came the next day and just loved how everyone seemed to be in family!

It really was a miracle that we found Hugo. I know that God put us there in the right place at the right time so that he could come to know the true church. It really was incredible. :)

The other part of this week was the work visit with Elder Barreno! Man, is he an incredible missionary! I don`t know many other missionaries that are that focused in on the work! It really was a pleasure to work with him, especially because there is a possibility that he could be my next and last companion! We`ll see what happens.

This change has been incredible with Elder Muralles. We`ve been able to be super honest with each other. At times, I feel like I have been very direct with him. I try very hard to have good companionship inventories. I have looked for the good in him, and have been able to identify what is bothering him. He doesn`t have self confidence. In fact, he is constantly belittling himself, which really makes me sad! He`s an amazing missionary! That`s why he was called as Assistant! However, he just doesn`t have that self confidence that he needs. Hopefully this week I can help him with that. I`ve been trying to do it, but this week we have the goal to write 3 things in our journal that we`ve done well every day. Hopefully that helps. :)

Well...love you all! I hope that you all know how much I love this work. As time winds down, I am sad. I really love being here. Yes, it is INCREDIBLY hot. The work is the hardest thing I`ve ever done in my life, and there are a lot of stresses involved. However, I wouldn`t trade it for the world. Missionary work is the work of salvation. People are saved!! That brings a joy to my heart like none other. I hope to continue working and never stop until the day I die!!

Love you all! Have fun this week!!

Elder Schofield

Tumbes!!! - Email from 12 August 2013

So this week we had a blast going to Tumbes! First, we had a Multi Zone Conference here in Piura and then we were going to head up at about 5, but turns out that there weren`t any bus tickets, which meant we had to go up at midnight! We were pretty upset about that, but it turned out to be a good thing because we were able to have one lesson with Jaime! The elders have been teaching him for a while, but we were able to help him put a baptismal date! I really hope that it can come through.

The bus ride to Tumbes was quite the event! We woke up about two and a half hours into the ride to find that we had stopped!! Apparently, the bus broke down, which made a 5 hour ride turn into 7 and a half hours in that tiny, very smelly bus! It was a great time. :) We got there just in time to begin personal study, even though I was DEAD physically and mentally.

Tumbes was really great! I got to go out with two of my groupies! Elder Smith and Elder Smith!! Haha, it was pretty funny, but way fun. :) they are both great missionaries and it was fun to be with them again. It was cool to hear about their experiences, challenges, and everything else that is going on with their Zones. They both are so different in their styles of teaching. I really like how each and every one of us bring something different to the mission, yet all of us can still teach the same thing, with the same spirit! It really helps me to believe what it says in the Book of Mormon, that God will teach every man in `his own tounge.` To me, that means more than just a language, it`s also a specific person that will be sent to a specific home, be it an elder or member, God truly is in charge of the work.

On Friday we had our last Multi Zone Conference! It was really the best out of all of them! The spirit was really strong and quite a few elders participated! It was cool because i got to see Elder Turcios again, and he gave his last testimony! He`s really a great leader, and it sounds like he could be getting home just in time to get married and called as 1st councellor in the bishopric!! Haha, he`s pretty nervous about that, but I have confidence that he`s going to be a great leader in the church, and will help a lot there in Nicaragua!

After Tumbes, we ended up getting to Piura pretty late. We were able to go to the baptism of one of my ex-investigators, Ana. She`s the daughter of Oscar and Danitza, one of my favorite families from the mission who lives in Tacala. After that we had the not so nice pleasure of hearing about two elders that are having dinner with teenage girls alone at 11 pm. After dealing with that, we had to plan for the changes this week! It`s crazy how things are happening here in the mission now. We have changes about every three weeks now because of the age change and everything. We have to organize all of that which is pretty interesting and kind of frustrating because the elders aren`t always very punctual, but I guess that`s just how it is!

Sunday was great! The ward got together and made a Mission Plan! I`m super excited to see what happens, they seem really excited to work now. Hopefully we can keep them excited and work together in order to help other people to come unto Christ!

Well...sorry that this letter is so wacky...lots of things to do and lots of things on my mind! Just know that all is well in Piura and that I`m working really hard to help this work go forward!!!

Love,

Elder Schofield

Multi Zone Conference​s!!! (Trunky Conference​s!) - Email from August 5th, 2013

This week has gone by incredibly fast! We had 3 Multi Zone Conferences this week, which meant a ton of work for us as Assistants! However, it was a great learning experience where I really was able to feel the spirit really strong.

The downer of these Multi Zone Conferences is the fact that they will be my last. :( In our last Multi Zone Conferences, we always have the chance to give our `Final Testimony` to all present. That means that I get to see all 61 sisters and elders give their last testimonies! That`s a LOT. It also makes it very plain and clear that my mission isn`t going to last much longer. It`s hard to admit that...even harder to admit it and keep working hard! However, that`s the test these last couple of months of the mission!

These conferences have been focused on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have been really impacted by a few points, and I would like to share those with you. The first one would be repentance. I have learned a TON about repentance this past week.

One of the things that President has really wanted people to learn is what is in Preach My Gospel. It says, `Our faith in Christ and our love for Him carry us to repentance, or to change our thoughts, beliefs, and actions.` I really love that word: change. That really means a complete change of heart, mind, and the vision that we have for the future. I`ve thought a lot about the vision that I have for the future. Part of my repentance process is to change that vision so that it will be in harmony with the vision that God has for me.

He believes that I can make it to the Celestial Kingdom. Do I? He believes that I can change lives and really be a representative of Jesus Christ in all times and places. Do I? He believes that I can live worthily in order to enter into the temple and be married for time and all eternity. Even more importantly, He believes that I can keep the promises I have made and will make in the temple and endure to the end. Do I REALLY believe that?

I think that our beliefs are closely linked to our repentance process. That`s way it says that it`s our faith that makes us want to repent.

The other thing that has really impacted me comes from Alma 11:40-41. The way President explained these scriptures just really hit me in the moment, and it`s just so clear to me that it makes me wonder how people can possibly believe that Christ will save ALL mankind, regardless of their actions or attitude. There`s also the belief that by simply being baptised, I can be saved! Or being married in the temple! That`s not true, and this is why:

40 And he shall come into the world to redeem his people; and he shall take upon him the transgressions of those who believe on his name; and these are they that shall have eternal life, and salvation cometh to none else.

41 Therefore the wicked remain as though there had been no redemption made, except it be the loosing of the bands of death; for behold, the day cometh that ball shall rise from the dead and stand before God, and be judged according to their works.

We must BELIEVE and then we must have GOOD WORKS. Belief carries us to repentance, which carries us to making a covenant with God. It could be baptism, it could be investidura, or it could be eternal marriage. But that`s only the first part!!! If we don`t have good works, if we don`t truly change our very character, our very souls, then we will not be fit to enter into the kingdom of God.

The greatest gift that God has given us as His sons and daughters, second only to this life, is agency, and the ONLY gift that we are physically able to give back to Him is the decision to do His will, and not our own.

His will really isn`t that complicated. All you have to do is make the decision to follow ALL His commandments. All of them! I love the picture that came out in the Liahona. I`m pretty sure it`s in the Friend as well, but there`s a boat in the middle of the sea with the quote from President Monson saying that we don`t need to wonder where we have to go, obedience to God`s commandments gives us a very clear direction and shows us the way to go. If we decide to only follow 99% of His commandments, it`s not enough. He requires all of our agency, the only thing we can truly give Him.

That`s what I`ve learned here on the mission. I can only feel good, feel truly happy and successful, when I decide to turn it ALL over to God and do His will. I know that this will apply in the many months, years, and decades to come. I just have to keep working on changing this very hard heart of mine. :)

Love you all, and I hope that you have a great week!

Elder Schofield

What a Week!!! - Email from 29 July 2013

Well, this week was pretty insane! There just seemed to be a lot of things to do, and not a lot of time to do it! Elder Muralles and I have been working hard together as Assistants. There`s quite a few things to get done, but we`re doing our best.

This week we had two work visits! It was kinda fun because I got to go back to Sullana with Elder Vargas again! Honestly, I felt much more at home there. :) We visited all the same investigators, and a few more that they had found. I`m super excited because two of the families that we visited are getting even closer to their baptisms! Gloria and Fernando are getting everything together for their marriage and seem super excited. Sara, Julio, and Piero are also progressing. Sara still hasn`t attended church, but I feel confident that they will be baptised soon as well. Another suprise was Walter! We didn`t get the chance to visit him a lot, but he also has a baptismal date.

Although I did feel right at home, it`s a bit different visiting when your Assistant. I felt super responsable and did my best to try to help Elder Vargas. He is an amazing missionary so I really don`t worry about him much at all. I basically just told him to keep it up and to train the missionaries in his zone because pretty soon 64 of us will be going home! That`s a lot of us all at once!!!

The other work visit that we did was with Talara. I had the opportunity to work with Elder Cabrera here in Piura. It was my first time without my companion in our area, and it was a bit difficult, but we managed. Our area is really different. The people here are really closed off. They don`t accept us nearly as much as the other areas of Piura and Tumbes. We`re having to get creative, and are using the members a lot!! I`d imagine that the states are very similar, so for you members out there...go to work!!! The missionaries need a LOT of help finding people to teach! Pray for inspiration, and then open up your mouth to teach!

We did have two SUPER great lessons this week! One was with the friend of our Ward mission leader. He invited her to his house and we taught the restoration. It was a super spiritual lesson and she paid a lot of attention! I really hope things turn out well for Teresa.

The second great lesson was on Sunday with Ingrid and the Gonoza family. We went over for lunch, and were able to talk a lot with them. After lunch, we went to their family room and shard the message of the restoration. The spirit was so strong there, it was awesome!!! It was really cool because while we were eating lunch, Ingrid was all smiley and happy and everything, but when we taught her...you could see deep into her eyes, it was a new type of joy and happiness, something that can only come from the spirit. She`s been confused for a long time by the catholic church. She mentioned the fact that they recite prayers, they have saints, and they don`t seem to follow what they teach. It was really awesome when I was able to teach the first vision...the spirit was just SO STRONG!

I have a great feeling that Ingrid is going to progress. The only problem is that it will be kind of hard to get in contact with her. She`s 22 and is studying and working. That suprises me because most of the young adults here are pretty lazy!

The other thing that was really a great experience this week was a planning session we had with President Rowley. This week we are going to have the Multi Zone Conferences, and we`re planning what we`re going to do. President is talking about changing up our Normas de Excelencia (sorry, can`t remember how to translate it). I felt the spirit very strong with us as we discussed the challenges and strengths of the mission. We also discussed the vision that we have here in the mission, and I`d like to share some of that with you.

Here in the Peru Piura mission, we are going to baptize real converts in every area every month. In order to do that, we are going to work with the ward council to find, teach, and fellowship each and every investigator. We will also work to strenghten the new converts and rescue those that have fallen away. All of this will be done with the help of members, because we know that without them, this work cannot progress the same way. We will train them, strengthen their testimonies, and follow them as we work to furthur the work of salvation here in Piura and Tumbes.

Doesn`t that sound so exciting?? Honestly, I can`t think of any other work in the entire universe that can bring as much joy as this work has brought to my life.

On Saturday, we had the opportunity to visit the Young Single Adults with President Rowley. They were supposed to give us an hour to talk to them about serving a mission and how to prepare themselves. However, one lady ended up giving a half hour lecture about Mission Preparation class, and then another man talked for about 15 minutes about having good health on the mission. BORING. They didn`t have any class participation, and I could tell that they were bored to tears.

Then we had the opportunity to share. I felt the spirit super strong, honestly. We were able to have class participation, and I shared my testimony using Alma 26 talking about the joy of being an instrument in God`s hands. That scripture has come to be one of my favorites of all times. Is there anything else more wonderful in the world? I love being His servant, and hope to be able to continue serving Him all of my life, not just these two years.

Well, I have to go now...but I want you all to know that I love you! I`m working hard here in Piura, and hope that each of us can do our part to help further God`s work. All we really need to do is open up our mouths and He will fill them!! Trust in God.

Love,

Elder Schofield

Assistant to President.​..baptism by fire... - Email from 22 July 2013

So...where can I begin? I guess that Tuesday is a good day to begin with.

Tuesday morning I took one of the longest bus rides in my life...thinking about the new assignment I would be receiving, being assistant to the president. There was no way that I could really be ready for what was coming. I don`t feel like I really am as good as the other missionaries that have been assistants here in the mission. Sure, I try very hard to do the best that I can, but am I really at that level?

When I got to the chapel for changes, basically everyone already knew. President was running late, which really suprised me! He`s never late, and he was supposed to interview me before calling me as assistant. However, he got there just in time to announce the changes. `Elder Schofield will be in Piura Central with Elder Muralles serving as Assistant to the President.` The words simply confirmed what was already known.

The changes seemed to go super quickly, and then we immediately had to head off to receive the new missionaries! 18 new missionaries, and 15 of them are from the states! It was pretty cool to see them get here, and it reminded me a lot of when I first came here. There`s so much unknown! So many new things! I was talking to a couple of them, and it was funny how they were suprised by the simplest of things, like the 500 stray dogs that are running around and fighting all the time, or how the taxi drivers drive like crazy in the streets.

The next day proved to be one of the hardest days of my mission! President informed us at about 7:30 am that he wouldn`t make it to the training meeting with the new missionaries. That meant that we would be training all the new elders and sisters by ourselves, and it was scheduled from 8 to 2! President was going to do the majority of the training, we were only going to help him out for about an hour or two with some practices and some basic safety guidlines.

When those kind of moments come...there really is only one thing you can do: pray for help and just go for it. With Elder Muralles, we simply did our best to teach the missionaries what President had planned. We pulled out some examples and experiences in order to try to help them understand how important these two years really are, what it means to really be obedient, and what they are meant to do and become here in the mission.

Honestly, I think it turned out ok. I wouldn`t say it went great, just ok. However, there was a very noticable difference when President finally found a moment to come and make the assignments. His presence in the room was very obvious. I could feel the spirit very strong, and knew that it was because he really does have the priesthood keys for the mission. He is directing us, and it can literally be felt. I know that God really has called him and he really is capable of leading us.

So...you may be wondering why President showed up late to the changes and couldn`t be there the entire training for the new missionaries. Well, what happened is that there was an elder that was very sick, Elder Litano. He`s from Lima and is actually supposed to serve in Argentina, but was waiting for his visa here. President was spending as much time as he possibly could with him. His parents were flown up from Lima to be with him.

The day after, on Friday morning, we got a phonecall at 6:20 am. Elder Litano had died. Honestly, it was one of the toughest phonecalls I`ve ever received. We had to hurry to the airport to change flightplans. The parents were going to fly out that very morning, but arrangements had to be made so that they could take the casket with them. We quickly ran to the airport to do that.

If receiving the news was hard, having to deliver it is even worse. At first, we weren`t supposed to tell anyone, but then President told us that we were allowed to tell people if they asked. Time after time, I had to pronounce the words: Elder Litano is dead. The silence that followed. The silent screams of `No...` and then the questions of how? Why? etc.

Today we held funeral services for Elder Litano. Honestly, it was a very humbling experience for me, and also very spiritual for me. President Rowley shared with us some of his feelings and the experiences he shared in the hospital with the Litano family. His mother and younger sister arrived at the hospital first, and President Rowley shared with us how Elder Litano lit up when he saw them, and he testified of how powerful family relations really can be. However, what touched me even more was the blessing that Elder Litano`s father gave, sending him on to the next life.

Could you imagen sending your son on to the next life? Giving the last priesthood blessing that he will ever receive here? It brought tears to my eyes, thinking of how sacred of an experience that must have been. I am so grateful for the priesthood. I`m so grateful for revelation, and how God really can tell us what His will is for us and for those that we serve. I know that it was His will that Elder Litano is in the spirit world. He has a plan for him.

Being Assistant really isn`t what I thought it would be. A lot of people have the secret desire to be Assistant. Honestly, I never have and never will. However, I am here and am doing my best to be an example for the Peru Piura Mission at this time. I hope and pray that God will be able to strengthen me in my weaknesses and that He will work through me to bless the mission and help others come unto Christ.

Thank you again for all of your prayers, and I hope that you all know that I love you and am praying for our family.

Love,

Elder Schofield

Gpodbye Sullana... email from July 15, 2013

Well, that´s right! I have only survived one change here in Sullana, and boy has it been quite a change!! With Elder Vargas, a lot of things have happened. I have never felt the spirit so much in my life, and felt so close to God. He really has guided us so much here...it´s incredible. Before the mission, I did believe that the Book of Mormon was true. Yes, I believe in angels. I believe that God can change an entire people and that 2,000 people can be baptised at once. However...did I REALLY believe that??

Now, more than ever, I can say that I believe in Christ. He lives. He is beginning to do a ´marvelous work and a wonder among the children of men.´ It´s funny that I say that he´s beginning to do it, because it´s been going on for centuries! He has ALWAYS sent missionaries to preach His gospel. They have ALWAYS found success as they search to do His will, and He has always guided them to the people that are prepared. I have seen miracles. I have found the people that He sent me to.

The bad part about changes is saying goodbye. Right now, Elder Vargas and I have quite a few people that are going to be baptised with the next month! There´s Sara, Julio, Piero, Gloria, Fernand, Joaquien, Josselyn, and possibly Flor. That´s two families and two young women!!! ALL of them have been miracles. I have felt the spirit SO strongly with every single one of them. It´s sad to think that I might not be at their baptisms...but I know that Elder Vargas will do a great job finishing off all the details!

The most amazing thing about Sullana has been the work with the members. Honestly, I never felt like a part of the ward in other places. Sure...I was there every Sunday and I tried to work with the members, but it was different here. I really felt like the relied on my. The trusted in us as missionaries, and because of that we were able to see a lot of success here.

TRUST in the missionaries. Give them the names of your family members and friends. Ask them to help you get started on your own missionary work, because there´s nothing else that can bring as much joy!

This week, I had the opportunity to see that with Antonia, one of our ward missionaries. She´s a bit overweight, and has the BEST smile in the world. She´s been helping us a lot with the two families we´re teaching. Sara and Gloria are friends of hers because their kids study with her 14 year old son. A couple months ago, Elder Turcious (yep, my first companion!) told her to write a list of her friends and to begin praying that they could receive the gospel. She did that, and even invited Gloria to listen to the missionaries, but she said no, she was catholic and would be catholic until the death!

That´s when she kept praying! She didn´t know what would happen, and neither did we, but God knew.

On Saturday, we watching an hour long movie of Joseph Smith with Antonia and the young men we´re teaching. Gloria only made it for the last 15 minutes or so, where it showed how Joseph Smith died for the cause. We weren´t able to explain anything because it was 9 o´clock and we had to be home! However, Antonia told us on Sunday that she was really moved by it and because of that had a lot more desires to attend church!

Sunday rolls around, and they came! I taught the class to the investigators, about gifts of the spirit. I could see that Gloria and Fernando were paying a LOT of attention! That´s always good, because it means that the spirit is flowing there. :)

Antonia grabbed us after the meetings, and gave us a HUGE suprise! Gloria and Fernando, who didn´t even want to accept baptism before, want to get married and baptised within the next two or three weeks!!!! I was so excited!!! However, what gave me the most joy was the look in Antonia´s eyes...I could tell that she was just FULL of gratitude for how God had entered into the life of one of her friends and helped her make the decision to be baptised.

The work still goes on...we have to get their papers and everything, and then get the money together so that they can get married. Also, there may be some repentance to be done...but I know that God will be there every step of the way.

So...tomorrow there are changes! I don´t know 100 percent if it´s what I think...so I´ll post it next week, but let´s just say that I will no longer be a Zone Leader, and I have an interview with President tomorrow before he announces the changes.

Want to know something incredible? This week I have felt the spirit very strongly. I feel more satisfied with our work than ever before...but we had ZERO new investigators...for the first time in my entire mission. Normally, that´s very depressing for a missionary. New investigators turn into progressing investigators, then with baptismal date, and then baptisms, and then CONVERTS.

However, I´m learning something very important: why should I be upset with something if God´s work is rolling forth? He overcame death. He overcame sin. Is there anything that He can´t overcome? He can turn a little family group into a stake in just a couple of years. That´s why I have decided that when things go bad, there´s no reason to be afraid or upset...unless things are going bad because we´re straying off the path. One little sin that we don´t correct can be held against us in the last day. That´s why we need to be humble and accept His love and help. He´s the only one that can take us to our Father in Heaven.

Life is amazing. For those of you passing through challenges, and I know that they are many and that it may appear very bleak...just remember that Christ has overcome the world...there is NOTHING He can´t overcome. I testify of that as one of His representatives.

Love you all!

Elder Schofield

 

 

 

 

The Week of Miacles! - Email from July 8, 2013

This week has been simply amazing. There´s no way that I can tell you everything that has happened in this week because I only have 20 minutes remaining! However, I want you all to know that God is a God of miracles, and that we are seeing many of them here in the Peru Piura Mission, especially here in Buenos Aires, Sullana!

It all started Monday night. As we left our apartment, I felt the spirit SUPER strong. Something told me that something big was going to happen. We headed off to a few appointments we had, but no one was there! I think that God really was setting us up for what happened.

We had been teaching a less active and his wife for quite a while, but they just hadn´t shown interest in attending church, so we dropped him two weeks ago. However, when everything fell through, Elder Vargas suggested that we pass by. Something told me that it was a good idea, so we went. We knocked the door and yet again, no one was home! I wondered to myself why I felt the spirit so strong, and began praying to know what it was the God wanted us to do. That was when Marcos came up to the door!

We entered in and began talking. He asked why we hadn´t come in a while, and we just said we were busy. Then he said that he´d been reading a book called ´The Secret.´ He talked a bit about it, but I had already heard about that book from before the mission. It makes a lot of people doubt about the existance of God, trying to call him some kind of force instead of someone that has a body of flesh and bone.

I don´t know why, but I was SUPER direct with Marcos. Basically I told him that the world can say what they want. They can say that God is just some sort of force that is within all of us, but that doesn´t change the truth. God is REAL. He has a body of flesh and bone and He is our creator. He loves each and every one of us and has a plan, that has been revealed again through a prophet, the prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is God´s word, and one can come to know the truthfulness of all things if they will simply read, ponder, and pray.

I know that we answered Marcos´s prayer. Elder Vargas pulled out some great scriptures that really reached his heart, and he even told us that he had been super confused and was praying to know what the truth was. That was just when we got there!

Tuesday we had a Council meeting with the leaders in the mission! It was AWESOME because this last month there was a miracle! Before, we were baptising about 65 or 70 people a month, but last month we baptised 93!! It felt really good, and we talked a lot about that. We then talked about working with our ward leaders, especially our Ward Mission Leader. Elder Vargas and I have an INCREDIBLE ward mission leader! He´s really consecrated to his calling, and I am happy to be here.

The next few days were SUPER busy. We had a lot of things to do, and a lot of lessons to teach! Our ward has been very supportive of us and I have said many prayers thanking God for that support. This week, admist all of our to do´s and things, we were able to have 13 lessons with a member present! It was AWESOME! We feel great about that!

I also had the opportunity to go on a work visit with Elder Henriquez, which really opened up my eyes, a LOT. There have been quite a few missionaries in this area that have not been super obedient. The members have become great friends with the elders...going out to eat...to play football...etc. They have also entered into the elders apartment on a number of occasions and are just WAY too accustumed to it. Elder Henriquez told me that he has had to be the bad guy on more than one occasion in order to tell the members that they weren´t going to be able to do things.

I want to bear my testimony that I KNOW that we as missionaries are representatives of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I take this calling very seriously, and am doing my absolute best to live up to those expectations. We´re not here to have fun, we are here to help God´s children be saved! This is a war, and God requires the best from us. At times, some elders decide that these two years are to be enjoyed, and they decide that they can take the badge off for a while. That´s not what God expects of us, and we should do better than that. The members can help us with that. They can treat us with the respect that we deserve and show us that they really do expect us to be obedient, and that they are going to HELP US BE OBEDIENT.

After that work visit, it felt really nice to be with Elder Vargas again, where the members really are helping us.

Last experience! Not enough time!!

Today we got a phonecall from a district leader about Elder Martinez that is struggling...we had to go to his room and talk with him again. I had the opportunity to talk with him, and really felt the spirit guiding me to help uncover the problem and help encourage him again.

Elder Martinez is a GREAT missionary. However, he is very self councious. He feels that God is not proud of him. He feels that everyone makes fun of him and doesn´t appreciate him for who he is. I felt honored to be able to talk to him and tell him that God IS proud of him. Because of that, God has called him to be His missinary. This calling is INCREDIBLE. No one is REALLY worthy of it. No one can REALLY take Christ´s place. However, God has confidence in us. He could use His spirit to do all the work, without sending us out. He could do it all! However, He has confidence in us.

God trusts us with His children. Every parent in the world has felt that. God trusts us as Home and Visiting teachers. As Quorum advisors. As young Women´s president, or whatever calling we may have! He places His trust in that we will do our part in spreading this gospel.

Do your part. Share this message. Feel His love for you.

I love you all!!!

Elder Schofield

 

 

The Week of Miacles! - Email from July 8, 2013

This week has been simply amazing. There´s no way that I can tell you everything that has happened in this week because I only have 20 minutes remaining! However, I want you all to know that God is a God of miracles, and that we are seeing many of them here in the Peru Piura Mission, especially here in Buenos Aires, Sullana!

It all started Monday night. As we left our apartment, I felt the spirit SUPER strong. Something told me that something big was going to happen. We headed off to a few appointments we had, but no one was there! I think that God really was setting us up for what happened.

We had been teaching a less active and his wife for quite a while, but they just hadn´t shown interest in attending church, so we dropped him two weeks ago. However, when everything fell through, Elder Vargas suggested that we pass by. Something told me that it was a good idea, so we went. We knocked the door and yet again, no one was home! I wondered to myself why I felt the spirit so strong, and began praying to know what it was the God wanted us to do. That was when Marcos came up to the door!

We entered in and began talking. He asked why we hadn´t come in a while, and we just said we were busy. Then he said that he´d been reading a book called ´The Secret.´ He talked a bit about it, but I had already heard about that book from before the mission. It makes a lot of people doubt about the existance of God, trying to call him some kind of force instead of someone that has a body of flesh and bone.

I don´t know why, but I was SUPER direct with Marcos. Basically I told him that the world can say what they want. They can say that God is just some sort of force that is within all of us, but that doesn´t change the truth. God is REAL. He has a body of flesh and bone and He is our creator. He loves each and every one of us and has a plan, that has been revealed again through a prophet, the prophet Joseph Smith. The Book of Mormon is God´s word, and one can come to know the truthfulness of all things if they will simply read, ponder, and pray.

I know that we answered Marcos´s prayer. Elder Vargas pulled out some great scriptures that really reached his heart, and he even told us that he had been super confused and was praying to know what the truth was. That was just when we got there!

Tuesday we had a Council meeting with the leaders in the mission! It was AWESOME because this last month there was a miracle! Before, we were baptising about 65 or 70 people a month, but last month we baptised 93!! It felt really good, and we talked a lot about that. We then talked about working with our ward leaders, especially our Ward Mission Leader. Elder Vargas and I have an INCREDIBLE ward mission leader! He´s really consecrated to his calling, and I am happy to be here.

The next few days were SUPER busy. We had a lot of things to do, and a lot of lessons to teach! Our ward has been very supportive of us and I have said many prayers thanking God for that support. This week, admist all of our to do´s and things, we were able to have 13 lessons with a member present! It was AWESOME! We feel great about that!

I also had the opportunity to go on a work visit with Elder Henriquez, which really opened up my eyes, a LOT. There have been quite a few missionaries in this area that have not been super obedient. The members have become great friends with the elders...going out to eat...to play football...etc. They have also entered into the elders apartment on a number of occasions and are just WAY too accustumed to it. Elder Henriquez told me that he has had to be the bad guy on more than one occasion in order to tell the members that they weren´t going to be able to do things.

I want to bear my testimony that I KNOW that we as missionaries are representatives of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. I take this calling very seriously, and am doing my absolute best to live up to those expectations. We´re not here to have fun, we are here to help God´s children be saved! This is a war, and God requires the best from us. At times, some elders decide that these two years are to be enjoyed, and they decide that they can take the badge off for a while. That´s not what God expects of us, and we should do better than that. The members can help us with that. They can treat us with the respect that we deserve and show us that they really do expect us to be obedient, and that they are going to HELP US BE OBEDIENT.

After that work visit, it felt really nice to be with Elder Vargas again, where the members really are helping us.

Last experience! Not enough time!!

Today we got a phonecall from a district leader about Elder Martinez that is struggling...we had to go to his room and talk with him again. I had the opportunity to talk with him, and really felt the spirit guiding me to help uncover the problem and help encourage him again.

Elder Martinez is a GREAT missionary. However, he is very self councious. He feels that God is not proud of him. He feels that everyone makes fun of him and doesn´t appreciate him for who he is. I felt honored to be able to talk to him and tell him that God IS proud of him. Because of that, God has called him to be His missinary. This calling is INCREDIBLE. No one is REALLY worthy of it. No one can REALLY take Christ´s place. However, God has confidence in us. He could use His spirit to do all the work, without sending us out. He could do it all! However, He has confidence in us.

God trusts us with His children. Every parent in the world has felt that. God trusts us as Home and Visiting teachers. As Quorum advisors. As young Women´s president, or whatever calling we may have! He places His trust in that we will do our part in spreading this gospel.

Do your part. Share this message. Feel His love for you.

I love you all!!!

Elder Schofield

Life keeps rolling on ... Email from July 1, 2013

June is already gone! Can you believe it? Life is just going by WAY too fast. Here in the mission things are pretty great! Every week I´m learning something new and working as hard as I possibly can to help everyone I see come unto Christ.

This past week brought quite a few experiences...many of which I simply won´t be able to explain exactly how I´ve felt. I think it will take a lifetime for me to process all of the things that I´m learning here on my mission. Haha, when I get home at night, I always want to write in my journal ALL the things I´ve learned that day. However, it´s impossible! So many things are happening here on a daily basis. The spirit is teaching me so much it is simply impossible for me to transmit all of that onto paper. The feelings I´ve had, even those that I´m having right now, are simply incredible. I hope that someday I´ll have enough time to sit down and reflect on all that I´ve done and learned. However, for now, I just have to go to work!

So this week we have been working with Sara Pingo and her sons, Piero and Julio. It´s been kind of hard to get to them, because she´s working a lot. However, we had a great lesson with her the other day! We talked about attending church and how important it is for her to know that this is true. I feel really confidnet that she will be baptised. We just need to help her to gain a testimony and stop working on Sundays! We have a lot of support from her friend that´s member, and we hope that it continues to motivate her.

I also wanted to tell you about our amazing new investigator! Her name is Flor and she is 17 years old! Johnathan, a recent convert, was accompanying us on a visit when our appointment fell through. We didn´t have much planned as a backup, so I decided to ask him if he knew anyone before we began knocking doors. He took us to Flor´s house!

The cool thing about this was that I was with Elder Lindsay on a work visit. She accepted us wholeheartedly and had a ton of questions. We taught her the restoration and basically told her that the answers were in the Book of Mormon and that she should read it.

That was Thursday. On Saturday, Elder Vargas and I returned with Johnathan to teach her again. She had read up to 1 Nephi 12!!!! It was a miracle!!! We were very suprised, and you could tell that she´s really interested, but still had a lot of questions. We explained to her that all she really needs to know is if the Book of Mormon is true, because everything depends on that. She seemed to understand, and I have confidence that she will receive an answer and will be baptise! The first time we challenged her, she said yes, but not very forcefully. The second visit, she said yes a lot more directly!

Johnathan was also very suprised about how she has received us. To me, its just another testimony that there are people just waiting for us to share the gospel! All we have to do is open up our months, and invite them to listen to the missionaries! Who knows what can happen? That´s what faith is all about.

This week we also had our interviews with President! It was a great interview, and I feel like I have progressed so much since the last time I was interviewed. President also said something to me about how he can feel a difference, which made me feel good. He said that Elder Vargas and I seem to be giving a great example to our zone, and told me to keep it up! I am so grateful for him. In his prayer, he prayed for our family as well, without me having to ask. He really is an amazing mission president!

It´s kinda crazy to think that this time is going by so fast! I don´t know what will happen within the next few months, but I am excited to be here and just hope to continue doing God´s will. He really knows the way. I am so blessed to be a member of His church. Do you know how amazing a blessing that is? To know the truth. To feel the company of the Holy Ghost. It´s simply an amazing blessing. I hope that you can all recognize that.

It doesn´t matter what challenges we face, we can have confidence that God loves us and He knows where everything is going to lead to. He´s constantly preparing us to be instruments in His hands. On Sunday, as I witnessed for the very first time an effective ward council, I could feel the spirit whispering to me, telling me to watch and learn. I know that God is preparing me to apply what I´m learning after my mission, and I hope to be able to help many more people in my life!

Love you all, and hope that you´re enjoying the hot weather! Honestly...it´s SUPER COLD! I have to study with a blanket now...I don´t know what I´ll do when I get home...maybe you should send me some pocket warmers so that I don´t get frostbite!!! Haha, just kidding...it´s not that cold. ;)

Love you!!!

Elder Schofield

AMEN FIRST PRESIDENCY AND QUORUM OF THE TWELVE! - Email from June 24, 2013

So...basically I just want to hear a big AMEN. That was AMAZING. I hope that all of you were able to see the two hour special session of ´Hastening the Work of Salvation.´ That was the most incredible thing I have seen in a long time. God truly is pulling out the best in us now, and we are ALL called to the work. Home teaching has never seemed so important to mankind before! Now, every time you go out and make a visit, just remember that you are a part of this work! You are helping them to be saved, quite literally, from death!

This week has been super great for us! We have some really great investigators that are coming along great! We did have one not so good thing happen...our investigator that had a baptismal date was way too busy this week with the armed forces! I guess they want to force him to serve for a year, and so he´s dealing with all of that political stuff to get out of it. Because of that, we haven´t seen Jank all week! He didn´t come to church yesterday either, which means that we´re going to have to put off his baptism for another week. :(

However, good news! We had SIX people that came to church on Sunday! I was super excited! We had Piero and Julio, that are both at the age to be deacons, and Juaquin who can be a teacher! They came with a member friend, and we´ve been teaching them. It´s really cool because they seem to be really excited about coming now! Also, their mother told us just yesterday that after reading the Book of Mormon and praying, she´s been having a lot of dreams and hears a voice telling her that this is the right path! I really hope that we can help them to be baptised this month.

We also had Roberto Carlos and Jenny come to church! They are a couple that we´ve been teaching that are kinda at a standstill because they don´t want to get married yet. However, this last week the spirit really worked in them and they decided to come to church! I hope it can last enough for them to be married. If they do that, I have faith that the spirit will enter in and they can be baptised as well!

We found another great family on Sunday! Juaquin was just another friend that we invited to join us, but this Sunday we were able to teach his mother and father. They are GREAT! It´s easy to see that they´re great parents because Juaquin dresses and acts really maturely. It´s so cool to see that there really are good parents here! They seemed very accepting, and we had a member there who is best friends with the mom, Gloria! Come to find out, her husband is also really good friends with Gloria´s husband, Fernando! If they would have shared the gospel with them earlier, I´m sure they would have accepted, but now we´re going to go to work!

I feel so happy to be here on a mission right now. Things are picking up speed! We have felt a very noticable change here in Sullana. The stake seems to be more active in the work. We are working hard with the members. Some of them are eager to help. Others...not so much. The hardest part for me, honestly, is knowing who really wants to help, because everyone just waits for us to look for them! Then they tell us that they´ve had references for a long time, and that they´ve been waiting for us to ask them.

For those of you who are members: LOOK FOR THE MISSIONARIES. MAKE THEM WORK!!!! We are more than happy to help. We WANT to help you with your less active spouse or children. We want to help you baptise your parents. BE PROACTIVE AND DON´T WAIT! This is a matter of life or death! I´m not kidding...we really are talking about life and death, and if we decide to wait or we aren´t proactive in the missionary work...it may be too late for our friend or family member.

I hope that you can all watch the training from Sunday! It got me SUPER motivated. Be that missionary family that you always wanted to be! By small and simple things, you could bring about a huge change in your ward! Just look at what happened in Canada when a branch president set a goal with FAITH and the DID IT!

Love you all and hope that you all feel more commited to do God´s work. There´s nothing more enjoyable than feeling the spirit. Some think that breaking the rules to do something funny is enjoyable, but that never lasts. As a friend said in a recent letter, we suffer in wickedness and rejoice in obedience! Rejoice in this work! There´s nothing better in the entire world.

Love,

Elder Schofield

Sullana! What a Zone... Email from June 17, 2013

Well...this week has honestly been a huge blessing for us here in Sullana! I don´t think I´ve ever seen so much success in a zone, in all of my time here in the mission. It´s really inspiring to see the efforts of the missionaries, and I really hope that it continues!

This week we taught 102 lessons with members! To give you an idea of what that means, last week we taught 72, which is also a high number!!! Way to go Zone Sullana!!! I am really excited about it, and just hope that we can continue to have high numbers. Also, we baptised one other person this week, bringing our total to 8 baptisms! We have 5 scheduled for this weekend as well!!! I feel great about the work that is going on here, and just hope that we can keep the missionaries focused on doing things the Lord´s way.

As for our area, things are going great! We have received some great references and are really feeling blessed by the Lord. We have at least 5 people that really could be baptised within the next two months! Seriously, things are going great. One of them, however, is a young woman that is 17 years old. She is a reference from another investigator in a neighboring ward. Yuli, the young woman, came to church this Sunday! She even told the teacher that she would like to be baptized, even though we´ve only taught her once! The big problem there is that her mother doesn´t want her to be baptised...we´re going to have to overcome that hurdle for her, but I have faith!

The investigator that we´re really focusing on right now is Jank. He´s 19 years old, and really is a great guy. He has a baptismal date for the 30th of this month. However, we´re going to have to help him make some big changes before then! He drinks, and we also had a scare a week ago when he thought his girlfriend was pregnant...so obviously the law of Chastity will be a challenge as well. However, I feel confident. He is reading the Book of Mormon, he´s got a lot of good friends there to support him, and I know that he´s willing to put those things behind him. If you get a chance, a prayer could really do him some good!

We also had a very funny thing happen this week...we knocked a door, and a lady answered who just said, oh elders! Come in quickly! She then went to the back and shouted for her sister and nephew that actually live there telling them, ´Your salvation just knocked on your door!´ Haha, it was pretty cool. :) We tuaght them a bit of the Restoration, and were hoping that they would come Sunday, but they ended up heading out for Father´s Day.

Another family we´re working with is a single mother with two deacon aged sons. It was kind of interesting how we ran into them. We were talking to an old investigator when they came up playing football. I kind of casually made conversation with them, and then handed them some little pass along cards and invited them to listen to us the next day, not really thinking they would accept. However, to our suprise, they came! We then met their mother, and it seems like things will go great!

Our ward mission leader, who I have to say yet again is the BEST, was accompanying us one afternoon when we went to visit this young men. It was kinda funny because come to find out, their uncle is our ward mission leader´s cousin!! Small world. We´re also going to begin teaching him and his wife this Tuesday.

So many things are happening right now, it´s kind of crazy. Last week I went on two work visits! I was able to go with Elder Rice again! He was my second companion in the CCM, so it was cool to be with him again. We also visited with Elder Martinez and Elder Boror. Things are going great with them! It honestly was one of my best work visits, Elder Boror and I had a lot of success together, and found some great investigators.

I think that I am learning here how important obedience is. Elder Vargas and I are really focusing on being obedient, and it´s paying off!

The other thing that I´m learning to do right now is how to set goals and fulfill them! The whole mission, I´ve set goals every single day. However, now we´re really focusing on reaching those goals and doing our absolute best every day. It really is turning out tow be one of my best areas, and I hope to see some baptisms soon!!!

In my studies I have really kept a focus on the Book of Mormon. I feel like I´m discovering it all over again!! It´s amazing how many times I can read it and how much I still love it. For instance, this last week I finished reading it for the 7th time! I am just that much more excited to read it again!!! This time I´m going to be looking for how the power of the Atonement can really work wonders in our hearts, and change our very desires.

Oh, just a quick shout out too...I LOVE PINE SOL. This week I saw it in the grocery store and we definitely bought it. I´m pretty sure that today is the first time in over 5 or 6 months that our room has actually been CLEANED. It is amazing. :) ´Lemony fresh....´ Seriously, I miss having a clean room...(haha, Mom, can you believe I said that?) But really, being a missionary doesn´t give you a lot of time to do it, and if you really aren´t that excited about doing it, your room simply doesn´t get cleaned! However, this week it is. :)

Well...I´m kinda running out of things to say. I hope all of you know how much I love you. People are starting to talk to me a lot about how little time is left in my mission...it honestly scares me! Haha, I am so used to life as a missionary. Our ward mission leader was telling us how it took him 2 months to adjust. It may take me longer! Only four months left...it´s crazy. Time has flown by. I´m doing my absolute best to stay focused and make every single second be the most important in my mission. Hopefully I can do miracles in these last couple of months. It´s really my goal to be able to do that!

Well...love you all! Take care of yourselves and HAPPY FATHER´S DAY!!!!

Elder Schofield