Zone conference

 April 14, 2014

Wow that is super weird (about Blake) getting married. I met Maddison on a couple occasions! Super weird..... anyway I am happy for them!

That sounds like a great opportunity for Connor! As soon as I heard about the FAFSA/scholarship papers I became slightly terrified! Just kidding, but it really is a little eye opener. terrifying prospect. (back to school next spring)

Zone conference was great this week!  It was focused on topics that I have been pondering a good amount about. One topic specifically was the law of consecration. My interview with president was great! He quizzed us all on our knowledge of the scriptures. We had to do a short role play with him, He gave us a topic and then we had to give a brief doctrinal statement, use a scripture, and leave a commitment. I got two super easy ones... He asked me to teach about the apostasy and then baptism. He said I have a good handle on things and that he hears good things about my teaching skills, so that is good. 

We got a few new solid investigators recently. The first goes by "A" He actually spent most of his life in the states,  he played basketball and football for a college in AZ and also boxed. He served in the Vietnam war (got shrapnel in his hip and head) and right now he is very sick, he thought he was basically dying and it has given him some great perspective. He just found out he is a Syliac (celiac)  I don't know if that is proper grammar and I am 99% sure I spelled that wrong. It's the disease were you can't process any gluten. So he is now on a new diet, hopefully he feels better soon. He is planning on being baptized May 17! We are excited for him.

I love you guys and hope you have a great week!

Love, 

Elder Schroeder

April 21, 2014

That's super cool to hear about  M. Russel Ballard, sounds like a great experience!

I hope you guys have fun in Idaho, and just curious how did connor manage to convince you to rebuild that bike? 

Sad to hear about Kim's little boy... it seems as though our two families are meant to bear one another's burdens.

As far as this week has gone. I recently have been pondering a good deal concerning the law of consecration and how that affects me. I have decided upon this - when we truly consecrate ourselves to the Lord it does not mean we give up worldly things for our Savior but that we subject our will to His. The doctrine behind the law of consecration is interesting. If you think about it -as we all came to earth, took upon ourselves a debt. A debt we knew that we could not repay, hence Christ became our creditor. What however does the Lord require on our part.... total and complete consecration. It is the only way back. Not consecration of our material goods but of our souls. We are his because he is our creditor, he can do whatsoever he pleases with us. If we do not consecrate our lives to him he has the right to make us suffer even as he suffered, and he has sworn that he will if, we do not repent. 

In relation to this I have realized that I have a great potential for good. A potential to lift everyone up. It is so easy to make degrading sarcastic comments just for a laugh or two but in the end it is just that .. sarcastic and degrading.... I am trying to flip the way I think around .. it is challenging but it's going well. It is hard to reverse your thought process. 

The work here is gong well...not as well as we would hope... we haven't had an investigator come to church for over a month. ugh it is hard but we are keeping our chins up and working hard. 

I am 2/3 of the way done with the teachings of the presidents of the church: Joseph Smith. Super good,  you should think about reading it. He truly was given a great gift to expound the simple doctrines of the gospel. I am going to try and send pictures, I hope it works.

I tried ... didn't work sorry :( 

I love you. Have a great week!

Elder Schroeder 

Love...

I did get to watch all sessions, L. Tom. Perry's talk rung out to me quite a bit where he spoke about who drives our team of horses. The Lord truly is the master conductor. I guess that's if you are an obedient horse or you could say if all of your passions are properly trained and bridled. I also enjoyed the talk about women and the priesthood it was interesting to hear him speak so frankly about it. That is one of the talks that will be referred to for many, many years to come as a source for much learning. April 2014 conference messages link

Before I go on, I need to see a picture of Madison, I also need Blake's email address!!!! Exciting!

My thoughts have really collected a bit this past week.  Elder Brown and I are still hard at work here. We still have a tremendous amount of Baptismal dates it is just so hard to get people to church. We do however have a great new family that should come next week and be well on the path to baptism. They all (especially the mother) have expressed a great desire to find a church to settle down into. After we taught them two times we called them to check up on them. You should have heard how excited they were to tell us that they read from the Book of Mormon. They basically exclaimed "we read what you asked us to, it was great, when you come back we will tell you all about it!!!" I am super excited for them!

Recently, I have been reading form the teachings of presidents of the church Joseph Smith and that book is incredible. Joseph Smith really was taught the doctrine of the gospel by angelic ministry. Powerful stuff. Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith

I also have been working on memorizing a many scripture references to points of doctrine. I will have to take a picture of the sheet I am using, its pretty good information!Elder Brown and I have finally been starting to work with members more in this area. We have finally found out how to work it out since our area is so far away from most of the members.

To Dad - Paul is also one of my favorites. He had one of the greatest if not the greatest missionary ministry among mortal men. He is a powerful teacher.  I quote him all the time!

A little update about me right now. Right now I am working on getting my Trinidad drivers license, fun stuff!!!! haha.. I stood in line for over an hour today. I think that was the longest process, I'll have to send a picture, when I get it. Of all the time I have been driving here you would not believe the amount of "close calls" we have had. When I say close calls I think of driving back home. If you passed someone on a surface street back home and there was oncoming traffic, people would call you nuts. Also, squeezing through a gap were you have less than three inches on each side of the car is a daily occurrence. I am glad I learned to drive in California! I could only imagine coming here as an Idaho farm kid. The car would never move anywhere, haha... being able to proficiently parallel park has helped a lot too. I have only fell into one of the ditches on the side of the road twice!(with the car) proud to say! haha!

What talks did you guys specifically enjoy? and also I need a picture of all of you guys together. I don't think I have anything else to say. Be strong and of good courage I love you guys loads! Have a great week!

Love,
Elder Schroeder



Tuesday April 1, 2014
The mission truly is full of magnificent ups and downs... right now is really hard.  I love you guys and I also love the people out here. That's really it.

I really am learning what it is like to have your heart constantly pour out to God. I mean I have done it before but not this intensely. I know that everything is perfectly orchestrated for our progression and this is -part of it all. I have learned so much the past couple days.

Firstly, I want to know how my Love for the people here can become as strong as my love for my brother. If that were so I would be so much the better tool in my Lord's hands. Oh, I love Connor and I know that together we are unstoppable (that was actually a bit of revelation I received at one point of my life) Connor and I were together during the war in heaven and together we withstood ALL the fiery darts of the adversary (I mean all). We had each others back and we came to the Earth together because separate we would fail. We do however have each other and we will succeed.

Just hard at work here with Elder Brown. Loving the work!

I send my love!
Elder Schroeder

P.S. We did have a p-day switch cause it was a holiday yesterday (some spiritual baptist holiday) so all the email shops were closed.