3.26.13 Newest Photos

Sister Schieving sent lots of pictures this week!

Sister Schieving with her MTC companion

Alb. NM district temple day

Sister Schieving and Sister Harlan love Baskin Robins!

The Sisters with some member kids and their bunnies!

Albuquerque Temple

New Mexican Flag

"The Slab".  She wasn't kidding. Concrete box! 

Sister Schieving called this one "Me being thoughtful"

Sisters Schieving and Harlan outside the slab with the truck "Macho Nacho" in the background. 

3.26.13 Letter

Dear Family,

First of all, let me do some house keeping. You got my address which is great, but we don't know if we even have a mail box. So those packages you sent... I hope I get them somehow! Say some prayers! For the future though, you can send things to the elders that live here in Taos. Their address is 108 Carbajal Road. Taos, NM 87571. They said it would be ok for us to have our family send letters and packages there, they'll get them to us. We see them almost every day. But as soon as I know if I can get mail to my home right now I'll let you know so you can send things there.

Because I'm as far north as this mission goes, therefore COLD! Colder than home! And as you know I sent home my leather jacket, and didn't bring anything warm. I'm glad I had you send me my boots and my other sweater. That's helped.  I was praying and praying they'd send me down south to El Paso or La Crusas. But just my luck, I'm here in Taos! The over night lows have been in the single digits. The days are usually sunny, but in the 30's and 40's. And the wind is INSANE! Mom, it would really scare you. I don't like it cause it likes to blow up my skirt. Immodest! haha. So that's the weather... They say it'll warm up, but I would still like to have those things because they also say the weather is unpredictable. Like Utah. The weekend before we got here it was in the 60's. But this week... 20-30 degrees cooler. We brought the cold with us! Haha.

So my companion rocks. I told you a little about her already, and I'll send pictures. But she's so happy and kind to everybody, amazing testimony and prayers. She comes from a reservation in Nebraska. She's from the Omaha tribe. Her brother is chief! Legit, right? She's a plains indian. Taller than the natives here. She went BYU and has traveled the world with the performing group she was in at BYU. She and I are so similar in style and personality. We're both just a little weird... She's like one of 3 other people on the earth that knows who the Lower Lights are, that was cool. We have great conversations about many things in our PICK UP TRUCK we named MACHO NACHO that I'm the designated driver of... :) She's such a great trainer and has so much wisdom. I'll be her last companion. I feel so honored cause she is so great! Heavenly Father is blessing me with an amazing start to my mission so I have these things to look back on when things get hard.

The area of Taos is absolutely gorgeous! We live my the mountains. Dirt roads everywhere. One main street. Art galleries everywhere! I can't wait to visit some and tell you how awesome they are. Thrift shops everywhere! Everyone is small and brown. Well, most everyone. My companion and I are both on the taller side.

The night sky is so vivid and bright and clear. People live in either Pueblo looking houses that look nicer than others or like trailers or cement slabs (like me) or rundown shacks. It seems like there's no middle ground. Everything is so spread out. We live 12 miles away from the church. It's like every house should have it's own zip code! There are animals everywhere. Lots of dogs. People raise horses and cows, and bunnies, goats, chickens, everything. It's all so amazing!

So let me tell you about my cement slab. It's awesome! Remember how I wanted to live in a trailer? Well I think our cement slab is even better! Better in that it's smaller and probably dumpier. In a good way! The outside looks a little sketch. There's 4 apartments on this cement slab, ours is the end. The main room has the kitchen and a couch and a table and a book case. Then there's our bedroom in which the beds barely fit, and a study room. And a bathroom of course. The first night we took cold showers... :) But then the elder's fixed our water heater. I killed a big spider which in my cold shower too. AH! We finally got curtains to cover the giant windows. The curtains that were on there were like trying to cover a car with a small blanket in stead of a tarp. Haha. We have everything we need though, thanks to the AMAZING MEMBERS! They've given us dishes, cookware, a little bit of food, cleaning supplies, everything. Anyway, our cement slab has great heating, which is nice. We don't freeze besides the first night with our cold showers.

The members. Amazing. Like I said. They've given us everything we need. They love us already! They're all so excited to have a set of elders and a set of sisters.  They haven't had sisters here in over a decade. And they weren't even expecting another set of missionaries until the end of April, and on top of that they didn't know they were getting sisters! Because of our unexpected appearance, they weren't really prepared to give us names and referals. But they've done a good job of getting us a few. And they are working really hard and are so missionary-minded. It's really heart warming to see the love these people have for their friends and neighbors. Tracting isn't really realistic because there aren't any really neighborhoods. But we're going to try anyway. The teaching we've done have mostly been to recent converts and members. Which still counts, but we don't have any investigators. Yet. We will probably have one tomorrow! I'm really excited to have a crazy ridiculous schedule where we are gone all day, teaching multiple people, that kind of thing. So far it's just been following the elders around because they know where they're going. We've gone with them to members houses for dinners who have welcomed us with open arms. And make really awesome food. Green Chiles are the THING down here, Abbi would love it. And you'd all be so proud of how much I've been eating. A lot! And there's a member family who owns the Baskin Robbins here in Taos that give us free ice cream whenever we want! We don't abuse that privilege. But when we go to their house for lunch or dinner, they have so much. So I indulge. So yummy. I think you won't worry about me starving!

So some cool experiences so far. Our first district meeting was last week. My companion and I asked some elders for blessings. My comp always gets one for every new area, so I got one too. They were really great and inspired blessings. Next... My companion basically rebuked a dog that was vicious looking like it was about to attack us. She put her hand out and softy but firmly said "puppy, no." It was not a puppy though. The dog was about to put a paw on the bottom stair, we were on the top. He looked at us, and backed away and ran out of sight. So terrified. But angels were watching over us! Something else is this family that's really 3 separate families but all somehow related. All new converts. Most adorned with tattoos and been in and out of jail. The kids love us and exclaim "SISTERS!" when they see us. They love having the missionaries over. We've been to all of their houses for dinner. We've been helping them remodel on of their trailers. They all live down the same hill all a stone's throw away from each other. They have an incredible capacity to love. I've been able to witness their conversion as they've unknowingly shared their testimonies with us, telling us how much the gospel has changed their lives, improved their relationships with their families, and it's just amazing and heart warming. I'm so blessed right now and have hardly done anything to deserve it!

Well that's all I have for right now. I can't wait to hear from you again and I hope I get those packages you sent!

MUCH LOVE! Think about charity and work on it with me. Moroni 7 is golden.

SISTER Hannah Marie Schieving

3.24.13 Letter and photos!

Hey everyone! 

We got some letters, a couple of photos and new address information from Sister Schieving this week, all of which are posted below. She left the MTC on the 18th, and is in New Mexico! Sister Schieving is doing well, and seems very happy. I get the feeling that she's right at home!

Email is the best way to reach her right now, until we figure out weather letters to her home address or the mission home work better. She can only check email once a week, and may not get to replying to everyone all the time, but she would love to hear from you!! Her email address is hannah.schieving@myldsmail.net. Letters can be sent to:

Sister Hannah Marie Schieving

New Mexico Albuquerque Mission

4400 Presidential Drive, Suite E

Albuquerque, New Mexico 87109

Thanks for reading, everyone! Please feel free to share the link to the blog with anyone who is interested. We love to feel the love and support for Sister Schieving! 

Dearest Family, 

You would not believe how blessed I am! Get this: I'm pretty much as far NORTH as this mission goes. We're in Taos West. My companion and I are OPENING this area. Can you even believe that! It's pretty far north, therefore it's cold. Just my luck. But I'm ok. I might ask you to send me my leather jacket... 

Anyway, Taos! Julia Roberts lives here, I guess... my companion and trainer is the lovely and talented Sister Harlan. Would you believe me if I said we're pretty much the same person so fat? We have sooo much in common. I love her so much already. She's 1/2 Native American from the Omaha tribe. She's absolutely beautiful, inside and out. She's got an incredible back story and testimony. She's been out for 16 months. I'll be her last companion and I'm honored.

I live in a cement box! And it's awesome! It's got a kitchen and living room that's 2/3 of the apartment. There's a tiny room that our 2 beds barely fit in and a study room. The bathroom doesn't get much hot water. That'l be fun to get used to! WE DRIVE A TRUCK! Our apartment is on a dirt road! It's glorious and I'm not being sarcastic. I really do love it! I can't wait to send pictures!

the members so far (only met a few) are so excited to have us here. There's also a set of elders. The members have basically given us everything. Our beds, dishes, a vacuum, a couch, curtains, toilet paper, and they told us to keep a list of things we still need and to let them know. It's so incredible the love I feel just after a day of being here in Taos. 

Everything is either rundown or looks like a Pueblo. It's asmall town of 8 or 9 thousand. THere is civilization though, so don't worry :). This town has so much character. I love it so much already. We're by mountains too! Animals everywhere -- lots of stray dogs! Ah! Also a stray cat staring at me from outside my window. Lots of open nothingness. A few trees here and there. Very hilly. There are cow crossings with space ships on them, lol. This is my home for the next 3 months! It could be longer, it depends on if I get transferred after that or not. It's more than a mile above sea level, and very dry. I'm drinking lots of water and eating lots of fruits and veggies and carbs for energy. 

Like I said, this rocks. Heavenly Father has already been blessing me and I feel like I haven't even done anything yet. I now it won't be peaches and crean my whole mission, but I hope I can keep a positive attitude through everything I experience, good and hard. Pray for that! 

I love you all more than you know! Thanks for all you do! :) Choose the right!

                                                Much love, 

                                                       Sister Hannah Marie Schieving 

Sister Schieving with President and Sister Miller. They sent this to us with a letter saying that they have met with her and that she is happy and filled with great anticipation.

The Albuquerque, New Mexico District on their last day at the MTC. Sister Schieving said, "An Elder from my district was the only one to take this picture and he's a computer genius so he could figure out how to upload them and send them. So here's a picture with my district! In the middle not wearing a suit jacket with the flaming red hair is our favorite teacher Bro. Balzer. He will probably be an apostle one day."

 

3.12.13

Below are some excerpts from Sister Schieving's most recent email! She's adjusting well and it's so fun to share in a little bit of they joy she's experiencing!

She leaves the MTC for New Mexico on the 18th, so if you are sending physical letters instead of emails, keep that in mind. I'll post the mission home address again when she's there!

-Sarah

HI MOM!!

  

Anyway, the last few days have been great as the other days. Today is PDAY thank goodness, I cannnnot wait to put pants on. We just got back from the temple and lunch a little while ago and that was so great. I can't wait to be able to send you pictures of my district. Can you believe I like these people? I'm still struggling a little bit with my comp, but that's ok. We're getting better. The worst thing is that we're never on time to anything. I'm an on-time nazi and she is the opposite. We're always lagging behind and it's a little frustrating. But the Lord is teaching me patience.

 

So wanna know something cool? The oooodles of personal revelation I keep getting. A really awesome one was from last night. I was reading in 1 Nephi 2:19-20, 22. Sub Nephi for my name and think about commandments as exact obedience and the promised land as Albuquerqe. SOOOO COOOOOL. I love how now that I'm a missionary I have kind of a different mindset and can apply the things I learn and read to me. It's amazing.

 

Well I plugged in my camera to upload pics but that's not happening. I'll have to either send you my memory card or wait till I get to ABQ to attach pictures in my email. I got some pretty sweet pictures involving me and a New Mexican flag. And a bunch of my district and I in front of the temple.

 

What else.... today is Pday like I said. We're going to go do laundry in a little while. Not too excited for that, but it's necessary! I'm sure you feel the same way x6 people's laundry you so kindly do for us. I will definitely miss that. And I miss your food. It's gotten better, I'll eat it. And I might be gaining weight just from the chocolate milk. :) But yesterday I ate something and it made me feel sick. I think it was the pancakes. Ew. I can't wait for REAL food! I'm so grateful for my box of Cheerios. Thank heavens for winning bets with Scott! hahaha. And my bed is still uncomfortable but I've slept much better the last few nights. Not a fan of six girls in one TINY room though. We all get along, but it's like there's no room for us to think or be ourselves. And being with a companion 24/7 is defintely something to get used to. Kind of difficult cause you know me and my introvertedness. Well I'm MUCH more extroverted than I used to be, but I like to be alone sometimes, ya know? Anyway, STILL not homesick. :) I was for like 15 minutes while I was watching "Legacy" on Sunday. There was a little girl in it that looked like and reminded me of my sweet Na-Na stinky pants. I do miss you all, but I've got an eye looking forward with faith.

 

Well I gotta go. But I want you to know how much I love you! I hope all is well. I love being a missionary, and I love seeing my name tag out of the corner of my eye. It's a great reminder that I'm a missionary and I have things to GO and DO!

 

LOVE YOU!!!

SISTER Hannah Marie Schieving

 

Email 3.11.13

Hey family! (mom you can forward this to whoever, I don't have email addresses yet cause I can't check my email right now, just sending one)

My p-day's not actually until tomorrow, but someone said we could send an email to our family before then. So I'm doing just that! I also sent a letter on Friday or Saturday, I hope you guys got that. Today I got a picture from NAOMI! I loved it! So thanks my little stinky. I actually wrote Naomi a letter and sent it today too. Just so you know I can't read what's been emailed already until tomorrow. But I noticed that I got some dear elder notification emails but never got the letters. Apparently we're supposed to get those the same day. oh well.  

Well I'm surviving! In a good way. :) We like to relate our experiences here to trying to catch all of Niagra falls into a bucket. Just not enough room to retain everything! But it's so great. I've learned a lot (not that I've remembered everything... like I said not enough room to keep it all) and I'm super stoked for New Mexico. We leave on March 18th! Not even a full 2 weeks here! 

I love the people in my district. We're just a bunch of missionaries, but we have fun and we love each other. I hadn't expected to like anyone that much, you know how I am. But my district is great and we do everything together. We're in class a lot of the day together, we eat meals together, and tomorrow we get to go to the temple as a district. Super stoked for that too!

So before I leave I'll probably be sending a lot of things home so my luggage doesn't weigh a ton. But I would like for you to send me a couple things for the time that I have left here. I would like my grey boots, my teal sweater (not cardigan, don't let Abbi steal it), and my black peep toe flats. Those are in a baggie on my desk. Anyway, I'll send some money (Lisa and Laura and Sherie gave me a bunch, plus I have my $200 in emergency money) to make up for that when I send some things home. 

Alrighty, well, I don't have a lot of time right now to email, but I will tomorrow! I want you all to know that I love you and miss you, but I'm not homesick yet. :) Best wishes and much love!

Sister Hannah Marie Schieving