Ugh!! Sorry everyone:/ I'm a little behind with posting for Elder Schroeder. This will be a long one... Robin
11/25/14
You will be surprised to know that Elder Beck and I when we went to the mall to get something were interviewed by a couple people about Christmas in Trinidad and we made it on their video.
Pictures of a meeting with all the zone leaders in the mission! You should be able to find me, if you look hard enough.
Sorry, I have neglected to give advice to the young men! It has slipped my mind each time I email.
So here it is:
Just go and just love it! It's not hard to go and it's not hard to stay! If you know the Restored Gospel is true, then do your best and serve the Lord! If you do not know its true, do you best find out because the greatest thing that will ever happen to you is knowing the gospel is true. A mission simply provides an incubator, you will grow and develop in ways you never even imagined! Never even imagined!
Now to you guys!
We finally got moved into our new apartment.. we still don't have all the furniture yet but we should be receiving it shortly! During the moving of the apartment, I got to drive the mission van! One of the wishes of my mission!!! It's a 15 passenger Nissan, right hand drive with a standard transmission. I mostly just wanted to drive a right hand drive stick! I thought that was fun! Sadly, I didn't get a picture of me driving it, oh well!
We also had Thabksgiving yesterday at the mission home! Thats why I didn't get to email cause we had to get to the mission home early and didn't have time to email. As part of our thanksgiving we also went to a local food court and sang Christmas hymns. We gathered quite the attention (40+ white missionaries) Elder Beck and I were also invited to the Wilkes for Thanksgiving on Saturday. They are an American couple who live in our ward, they are great!
We did have a great lesson with "K"and her family! We taught the plan of Salvation and did not get past the fall of Adam and eve since they had so many questions! They were loving it! We just have to get them to church!!!!! They will come, I know it!
Transfers is next week I really hope I get to stay one more, but I don't think it is likely.
1) my closet (elder beck has his own too)
2) bathroom walk in shower and unlimited hot water!!!!!
Caroling at the mall
12/01/14
Congratulations Sidney!!!!!!!! I am glad all went well! I had a little apprehension about that. I just wonder how I am going to feel when it is my own wife and child. I will probably die of nervousness.
Papa Scott and Mama Sid! wow.. they will be grandparents soon...haha
My week down here was great! Probably not as great as yours .. it is hard to trump a new baby!
Another moment you have all been waiting for....... I am being transfered to ........... nowhere.
I get to stay in Diego Martin for one more at least! Booyah! Christmas in Trinidad! I am excited especially since I know all the members so well down here. We have already got 3 appointment lined up for Christmas! haha... can you believe that? Talk about planning ahead.
Another interesting thing. As of now, I will be the oldest Zone leader in Trinidad.... Wow! That is weird to think. Everyone is counting down my days... I don't even have to do it, cause everyone is doing it for me.
Some great experiences this week though.
A family I am super excited for the mother and father are already married and strong in the Christianity. The mother doesn't really feel the spirit at the church she is now attending so she is looking for a little bit more. She has encountered a great deal of skepticism. It seems that the negativity has made her more curious. She has tons of questions, sadly the man of the house is a little more elusive but he apparently is really interested also. We have only been able to teach him once, we will pin him down one of these days.
I forgot to menion about this last Saturday (the thanksgiving at the american couples house) it turns out that they basically invited everyone from the ward to their house. Well, not quite the whole ward but alot. There was at least 30 people there so we had a real thanksgiving with kids running around and everything! It was great and the food was spectacular!!!
We also had an great success this friday. We travelled with a young man, well not so young ~30, to the sports night we have at the church every friday night. He really enjoyed it and made some good friends at church. So hopefully you hear more about "S", in the time to come!
That is about all for the week! We have got some great plans for Christmas sodon't worry about that, it should be great!
Love
Elder Schroeder
ps. If you really do want to send a christmas package the only thing I can think of, is black or grey nike socks (mid calf)
12/08/14
Wow he is tiny!!!!!
The house is going to be totally different when i get home.
I will really have to check out a nativity set made here .. they had them in St. Lucia but I didn't think to get one.
This week was really great! We had a sweet lesson with the "F" family (an awesome recent convert family with super strong testimonies!) We taught them about the 5 different temple coventants and they loved it. Bro "F" had about a 30 minute lecture on chastity and virtue, it was incredible! It is awesome to see people embrace the gospel so fully! To come out of such darkness and to behold such light!
Right now, the mission is focusing on Balanced Effort Real Growth, so Elder Beck and I are teaching the Zone about that tomorrow, should be fun. I really love teaching missionaries, it is so much easier!
Church was great on Sunday, there were about a million return missionaries there because they were having a return missionary conference. The self reliancy people (I don't know what you would call them) from the church held a seminar for the return missionaries on being self reliant. It is really cool that the church is reaching out to the countries where that kind of training is not available. There will definitely be many more successful members because of this.
I don't really have much else to say about the week. Except that Elder Church one of the new missionaries in the Zone is awesome an you will probably hear more about him! He will probably replace me in Diego since he was already a zone leader.
Hope you each have a great week! I love you all! This holiday season I am reminded of you.. to think it has nearly been two years since I have seen you.. wow ..
the zone .. i wish i had time to give you everyones name
oh yeah it is trinidadian but they say "trini" usually
Love,
Elder Schroeder
P.S about the skyping home thing .. We can probably do it pretty much any time .. I will talk to the members about it tonight and see what time works best for them. Let me know next week what time would work best for you guys, and we will see what we can do!
12/15/14 Exciting News!!!
Chrstmas will be good down here! I will be skyping you between 1-4 my time ... our location has yet to be determined that's why we can't give a definite time but it should be around then. too bad the Todds won't t be there for it...
Some exciting news though... here is a quote form my mission president the assistants called us this week with the exciting news and President emailed us today about it.
"Dear Elders and Sisters,
I have been authorized to announce by the First Presidency that as of July 1, 2015 the West Indies Mission will be split. The new missions will be named Trinidad Port of Spain Mission and the Barbados Bridgetown Mission.
The Trinidad Mission will consist of Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana and the ABC islands off the coast of Venezuela.
The Barbados Mission will consist of the Islands north of Trinidad already in the mission including French Guiana that is part of the Guadeloupe District.
I will received from the missionary department further instruction on what to do to prepare for these changes and I will let you know as soon as I do.
Please continue to work as you would normally do.
I sure love you all,
President Mehr"
I have been authorized to announce by the First Presidency that as of July 1, 2015 the West Indies Mission will be split. The new missions will be named Trinidad Port of Spain Mission and the Barbados Bridgetown Mission.
The Trinidad Mission will consist of Trinidad, Suriname, Guyana and the ABC islands off the coast of Venezuela.
The Barbados Mission will consist of the Islands north of Trinidad already in the mission including French Guiana that is part of the Guadeloupe District.
I will received from the missionary department further instruction on what to do to prepare for these changes and I will let you know as soon as I do.
Please continue to work as you would normally do.
I sure love you all,
President Mehr"
So that wont effect me, but it is exciting nonetheless... I will have served in an extinct mission! Happens to tons of people though. Connor should try and serve in the barbados mission ;)
The baptisms we have set for December have all pretty much fallen through, so that is sad we just continue to work hard.
Love,
Elder Schroeder
12/22/14
I am excited to talk to you guys!
Today is going to be a sweet day! We are going to a mall to do caroling and then off the the mission home for dinner after that. We are also going to a senior couples house for a movie. We chose to watch frozen.
Christmas should also be good!! Christmas eve we have a dinner appointment with Donna a recent convert. Then we are going over for smores at another converts house. They have never had smores, so it should be awesome!
Christmas day we already have 4 meal appointments .... I plan on gaining about 10 pounds that day! I also have 2 workout sessions planned that day, so I can be as hungry as possible!
I will be keeping my eyes peeled for a natvity ... I haven't seen one yet :/ I really would like to get one... Thank you so much to everyone who sent me money! I am most appreciative! You all might get some souvenirs also! I will definitely be bringing some traditional trini foods to make for you when I get home. Curry, Mauby, Malta! It will be fun for you guys ... You can taste what I have been eating for the past two years! You might also be able to experience the other end of the business, if you know what i mean.....
This last week was great, we had zone conference and the missionaires are hard at work. We have been having almost every appointment for the past three days fall through, as Christmas is drawing near. The Trinis really celebrate Christmas well! I was surprised to see how many people have trees and lights and stuff! It is really cool. Christmas here is definitely better than St. Lucia. It actually kind of feels like Christmas. Especially since I am used to a warm Christmas.
The baptismal dates we have had set have been falling through.. I think cause everyone is so busy during Christmas!
We should be doing some Christmas souvenir shopping next monday! Hopefully, there are alot of things on sale after Christmas!
I think that's it from me this week..
Love,
Elder Schroeder
Talk to youThursday!!!
PS the call will probably come closer to 2-3 my time on thursday
