Elder Kyle Schroeder: Awesome weeks and interesting eats!

To our family and friends: I'm a bit behind on updates, we are still out of town but I've found sometime between everything to blog. We have been enjoying our visit with my parents, nieces and Sidney and Scott for their graduation at BYUI, and having lots of fun! (bike riding, bridge jumping, river rafting, fishing, enjoying the outdoors) Enjoy! Robin

7/15/13
For transfers this week (Wednesday) Elder Salima is going down south to a place called San Fernando and Elder Kramer -he is one of the zone leaders, is going to the south to a place called Couva (I have spent a lot of time with Elder Kramer and Whitlock, they always run out of water at their apartment so they come to ours, and we also spend every p-day together) I am staying in my area and my new companion will be Elder Jamison. He seems pretty cool. I was able to talk to him on the phone a little bit. Elder Whitlocks new companion will be Elder Hatch, he is the Elder I went on trade offs with the other week and I'm done with the 12 week training program!

Good work mom on the deck! I am impressed, that doesn't seem like very easy work! I also hope you guys have tons of fun in Idaho for pioneer day that sounds like a load of fun parades, fishing, shooting! All around patriotism and hearts of children turning to fathers.

Also, Sister Kelly sent some letters from the primary to me so expect some letters in the mailbox in the next couple weeks for the kids in the primary, and don't open the letters cause they are for the kids, you know how much they love opening letters. You can just ask Sister Kelly to give you the letters, after the primary is done reading them.

So far as the work here it is awesome! We should have some baptisms next transfer, and I will probably get to baptize them!!

Love,
Elder Schroeder

Also, don't forget to tell Sid and Scott congrats for me when they graduate! Love you guys !!

This is the national dish of Trinidad - called pelow or paylow
depending on who you ask

This is the American family that feeds us every Sunday and I skyped from their house on Mothers day, they will be in California soon.

7/22/13
This week has been awesome !!! My new companion, Elder Jamison is from Riverton, Utah and has been on his misison 15 months - about the same as Elder Salima. He is awesome! We are very similar, we have the same ideas, both not fans of EFY music, love classical music, love to work, and keep the apartment clean (which is extremely nice) The only difference between him and I, is he has experience. Elder Jamison is a genius when it comes to missionary work. Just in the short time that he has been here our missionary work has drastically changed. We already have all day Tuesday and Wednesday planned out with solid appointments and many other appointments for the following days. I have learned and am going to learn so much from him and at the end of this transfer. I am going to be more than prepared to be an awesome missionary. I am super excited to learn all I can from him, and let me tell you it's a tremendous amount.

This week was a little slow though because it was transfer week. However, we have found quite a few new investigators who seem very promising and awesome! I am excited to bring some of the members to go teach them. Basically, right now we are focusing on the investigators we already have and getting member work going here. We are trying to become the missionaries our mission president and Bishop want us to be, which feels good. You can tell that when you follow the structure outlined in preach my gospel the Lords hand is there behind you. I actually read a cool quote in the teachings of Lorenzo snow on Sunday, " The work in which you and I are engaged can only prosper and be forwarded through the blessings of God upon our faithful and honest exertions."

It definitely is true the work is in our hands to do, but the progression of it is in Gods hands. So all I can do as a missionary is work honestly and faithfully and hey according to Doctrine and Covenants 121: 20-21 He has to prosper the work. The same goes at home, I know if you guys at home try your hardest to bring souls unto Christ He will bless you and those whom you teach. Man I have begun to preach... haha

Anyway here is an update on "M" his birthday is today and he will be baptized on August third !!!!!! whoohoo!! He is awesome has a testimony of Jesus Christ, Joesph Smith, President Monson, and of everything we have taught! He has a bunch of friends at church! He is super excited to be baptized and his parents are very supportive of his decision.

"T" is basically at the same stage, (he needs to finish the legal paperwork and get married) the only thing now is we really want more members to befriend him so we are trying to take more members over to his house and get to know him.

Two of our other solid investigators "M and S" are out of the country :( they will be out of the country on vacation for about a month :( so that's kind of a bummer.

"J" is doing awesome (he is 11) only now his mother is very hesitant in allowing him to be baptized. His father is a member of the church but the mother is not, we feel that the mother is hesitant because she doesn't know who goes to the church or anything so we are making very strong efforts at bringing members by so she can meet people from the church. We would love to get her to come to church and we always invite her.

The work here is going awesome, no doubt with our work and faith, the work here in Port of Spain is going to explode! I am super excited to see it happen! It has already begun!!

I love you all so much have a great week, until next.

Love,
Elder Schroeder