The Christmas Flood

December 24, 2013

I will Skype and can do 11am Christmas day (my time) very easily. I am only allowed 45 minutes but that is more than enough time. I can't believe I have been out for over 8 months! It is going to be fun to talk to you!!

I am going to see what I can do to get it approved for me to speak to Connor.  I know he is going to start at 10:30 pm my time but I will talk to the mission president to see what I can do. So maybe I will surprise you and show up while you are talking to Connor Christmas Eve.

  
Just to give a little information about the week, I know I will get to talk to you guys soon but never the less.

We have a baptism coming up on January the 4th! and if I am not transferred I will get to be there. The only problem is that Zone conference will be in St. Vincent so I will be in St. Vincent from January 2-4th getting back around 4:30 on the 4th. I think it will all work out though. She got an answer to her prayer that she should be baptized on that day so the Lord will make it possible. She also chose me to baptize her so I hope I will be here to do that.

We have been seeing a lot of miracles here in Castries the numbers we are putting out wouldn't show any difference in our missionary work but we have been having loads of miracles. I am super excited for the future missionaries here, they have a lot of great people to work with! I hope I get to stay and see more of them progress towards baptism.

This week has been a great week and my mattress has finally broken in enough so now I am sleeping like a baby. (brand new mattresses here are stiffer than a board) once they break in though they are the best! 

Ahh.. we had a branch Christmas party this week and I have got some fun quotes for you guys.
"I'm sorry we don't usually start late" circa 8:00pm - supposed start time 7:00pm

"We asked Brother Felix to be Santa Claus but he couldn't make it so you are stuck with me" - Brother Marquis (in front of all the children)

It was a fun activity!

Well, I have got to go now I will talk to you tomorrow (or tonight) love you all!
Elder Schroeder


We had a wonderful Skype session with Elder Schroeder Christmas Eve for just a few minutes when he was trying to surprise his brother calling us from the Philippines. It was so nice that President Mehr approved such a late evening call 10:30pm Christmas eve when he thought Connor would be Skyping us so he could talk to his twin brother. The problem was that Connor was calling 1 hour and 45 min later @12:15pm. Which was pushing it to 12:15 am for Kyle so it didn't work out this time around. We will try again on Mother's day! Lots of family and friends were here  when the call came in, so he got to see many people who love and care about him.   FYI- The missionaries live in an apartment below the Church and they use the computers at the church so it was convenient to Skype at such a late hour when they are supposed to be home per mission rules. It was home:) The locals refer to them as the pastors that live below the church. haha... this is not very common.

We had 5 different locations on at the same time at one point during the call.

Technology is GREAT!!! 

December 30, 2013

Sounds like you guys have had a pretty fun week!

I am staying here is St. Lucia another transfer that will make it 6 months in St. Lucia crazy! We are going to St. Vincent for Zone conference on Thursday and will be back on Saturday then we will have a baptism! exciting! Her name is "S" and she is amazing, she understands the gospel so clearly and is so excited to get baptized. I am excited for her!

As you guys know this week was a little bit crazy with the Christmas storm and everything. (Google St Lucia Christmas Storm) The storm did however keep all the crazy parties form happening which was good. I heard a great quote form one of the members here at church on Sunday. To give you a little background for this quote: everyone here (the locals) after the storm has been saying that God sent the storm to warn us and to punish the people here for their wickedness. Sister Marquis turned it the other way, she said "maybe the Lord this season sent the storm to teach us what Christmas is really about, helping others" I just think of the great destruction that occurred and how many people were affected by the storm. The people here truly did have to reach out and help others; that is what Christmas is all about anyway. More miracles happened from the occurrence of the storm than would have ever happened without. What prompted her to say that is actually of some interest, she said that she learned that because she heard of four missionaries out in their shirts and ties on Christmas eve pushing cars out of the water and helping people. One of those missionaries was me... it is incredible to know that I was a tool in the hand of the Lord to teach, not by what I say but what I do.

President Mehr has asked that we all memorize one chapter from the Book of Mormon. Yet again... a ton of memorizing. I chose 3 Nephi 12 I really just love the teachings that come directly from Jesus Christ, you could write a book about any one principle Jesus Christ taught. I am excited to know those teachings by heart, great power comes from memorization. The reason President Mehr wants us to memorize such long scriptures is to strengthen us, he wants us to do things that are hard for us and to - in the future, be able to draw form the experiences we have had. That is what fasting does, memorizing scriptures, repenting all of these things are common in the fact that they strengthen us.

This week has truly been a great week, Elder Pierson and I are having more success than ever we really are teaching the people what they need, not singularly but in unity. It is amazing to see the power evident in two united missionaries. Elder Pierson is a great missionary and I am excited to serve with him for another transfer.

A shout out to all those who put up with me in my young age. I love you all and thank you for your diligence, you each truly were great tools in helping me become who I am. If you look back on the times you may remember the frustration but just know that I remember the great spirit and love I felt form each of you. Your example of unequivocal love taught me more than anything else. I am thankful for all you each have done for me.

Love,
Elder Schroeder

They had 4 missionaries who live somewhere else on the island and couldn't get back to their apartment because the storm came fast and hard with lots of flooding. Many people were stranded and couldn't get home. They had 8 Elders in the Apartment at the church for Christmas eve.

Great week!!

December 16, 2013

Bishop Dye asked  Kyle to write a paragraph or two to share his testimony of Christ for our Christmas church service today. This is what he wrote: 

Firstly, to the ward- Hello to Everyone!

Everything in this world is evidence that there is in fact a God, and every word that has reached us from him, points to the fact that there was to be and is a messiah or savior. That savior is Jesus the Christ or by other names Jehovah, Yahweh, that great I am, and the son of man it is the same. I know that this man and all the titles he is spoken of is a witness of who he truly is. He is the Savior of the world chosen by the father to be a sacrifice for the sins of the world. I know he came to the world not to destroy the law but to fulfill it in every wit and that through him the sting of death is swallowed up.

I am a personal witness that the power found within Jesus Christ is real. I know that through him we each can be changed, wrought upon by the power of the Holy Ghost and that we can become the sons of God through him. As we exert all effort to follow the commandments, even though we are not perfect, we in the end can become clean through the blood of Jesus Christ.
Elder Schroeder

This week has been great!
Baptism on Sunday morning I got to be a witness. Where the water was waist deep we couldn't stand cause the ground was covered in basketball sized rocks. We had to walk out to where there was sand, at one point I was up to my neck in water. It was fun!

We have had quite a good amount of success this week we had "S" and his daughter come to church, we have been working with them for almost two months now and I think they will come every week now. They really enjoyed church! We also got an investigator named "B" to come to church he hasn't come to church in over a month so that was good, he actually brought all his kids and they loved primary! I hope we can get him to come each week now.

We also had a very successful youth activity on Saturday, we played basketball with the youth. It was really sad because we weren't very good but it was fun none the less. That reminds me something interesting happened this week.  President Mehr recently authorized the branches to use missionaries to help with auxiliaries so the Branch President took that as "hey I can call a missionary to an auxiliary" so I am now the young mens president.  I know weird... it's pretty good though because we have a group of about 5 investigators that are all around 15 and they are great! So now I actually have authority to organize activities for all of them, so that will be fun! We still have to check with President Mehr to see if that's alright but for now I am the Young Mens Pres.

This week has been a fun week with a lot of really good spiritual lessons. I have been focusing recently at improving my knowledge of the Book of Mormon. The work here in Castries is really picking up. I hope I get to stay here next transfer, we have got a lot of very good investigators! I am loving the work!

Love,
Elder Schroeder

The pumpkin pie he made from
scratch starting with a fresh pumpkin.

yeah we barbecue                                                                 

with Sister Gubler in Soufriere

Eternal Perspective and Dengue Fever

Dec 1, 2013
I just got your Christmas card! I love you guys thank you so much for that!

I also just heard about Great Grandma it really is a great loss in our family, she was and is one of the progenitors of all of us. My Mom told me that she was a faithful follower of both Connor's and my blog, I had no idea, and I'm glad you forwarded my emails to her. It really makes me think about how much she really cares for all of us in her family, I know that she loved us and that she still loves us. To have that knowledge is the greatest gift God can give us, knowledge truly is power. Imagine what it  would be like, to not have the knowledge you each have of the plan of salvation. I am glad you do, as I am glad that I do! What would life be like without eternal perspective?

I know I can't really offer any help but I do love both of you! Thank you so much for all you have done for me and my family, it really is likely more than I can comprehend. I can tell you what has helped me through my small trials is the scriptures, above all else. Contained therein is the WORD OF GOD I know that they are true and it truly is sharper than a two edged sword. Just as it has fierce power to judge and conquer, it has power to comfort. As you study the scriptures your faith will grow (Romans 10:17) and with that your knowledge of the plan of salvation will grow! When your knowledge becomes sure - when anyone's knowledge becomes sure, we gain faith and hope for a greater world.

You got a missionary letter haha.. but I do know that the things I said are true and that the plan of salvation can bless both you and your sisters. Grandma and Grandpa Evans are together again.

Love you grandma and grandpa and I am thinking about you guys especially you grandma (no offense grandpa) have a great week and don't forget to "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith"

Love,
Elder Schroeder

Here is a link to the Plan of Salvation. God's Plan For Your Life & Happiness | Mormon.org
The above email was to his Grandparents after his Great Grandma Evans passed away Nov. 30th, 2013. In addition, the letter below was sent also. 

Hi!
I sent an email to Grandma and a Grandpa now I don't have much time. Elder Pierson is really becoming a great teacher now, it's cool to see your trainee progress. We had a great Thanksgiving President Mehr actually paid for a Thanksgiving meal for every missionary in the mission. We had a turkey and the whole shabang it was super good. the pumpkin pie turned out great ! In spite of the fact you cant get any allspice here it still tasted like super good pumpkin pie though. I made two pumpkin pies and a strawberry pie .. I took pictures but I don't have my camera today.

Thanksgiving was not the highlight of the week though. We did it on Tuesday cause that's when it worked out best and then we went out proselyting around 6:00 that night I became a zombie! I felt like the walking dead, it was horrible! We kept going though, I thought it was just cause I ate a lot. When I got home that night and just fell on my bed and went to sleep. I then proceeded to sleep for about 3 days, I had dengue, a very mild case though. Dengue feels super weird, your skin is super sensitive, your not hungry, hot flashes and chills ugh and tired like there is no tomorrow. I still don't quite have my appetite back but I feel better other than that. That was the highlight of the week.

Yesterday President Mehr came to the island to set apart a new branch president and he decided to go out teaching with us. Oh goodness, President Mehr  did most of the teaching. It is awesome to hear him teach. We had quite a few lesson this week which was great! Something funny also happened in Priesthood,  President Mehr volunteered me to teach the plan of salvation to the priesthood quorum "alright i can do that"  I got up and start teaching by drawing on the board,  it was interesting. He had lots to add and I feel he was was instructing us missionaries more than anything else. ... fun week!  Sorry I have got to go.  I wish I could email more but I spent all my time writing to grandma.  I don't have much more to say about this week cause I was sick for most of it. I will send pictures next week.

Love, Elder Schroeder
Also, I will be sure to get some of those leaves and also before you plant them you are supposed to press them in a book until roots start coming out of the leaf and then you plant it. and you will probably have to water it twice a day ... I had to water it every day down here when i planted one here.