Family Tree, Elder Maynes and Haynie's

11/22/15

Hello Family! 

This was another fast and crazy week! We just finished transfer planning meeting earlier today and it was pretty complicated. But it is almost all figured out now and we are ready for going home missionaries, arriving missionaries, and regular transfers. So it should be an interesting next two weeks.

Also, I am getting my license tomorrow so Elder Wilson is going to have me drive everywhere so that I can learn how to get around this place. So wish me luck that I will be able to drive safely and not get lost too many times. 

Can you ask grandma to give me some background on Mary ann Kelchner, Magee, and Grandpa Arthur! I am trying to figure out some things on the family tree. There was some kind of adoption done at some point in there? I just want to know because I found some records and may be able to match them to extend the tree.

This week Elder Maynes came through and did a special meeting with us. The Haynies were also there so that was really cool! Since we were sitting on the stand with them, he didn't really see me at first, but then everyone had the opportunity to shake all of their hands... and when I shook Sister Haynie's hand she paused for a second... looked at my name tag, and said, "you look just like your mom!" They were really surprised to see me. He said that he would try to find a way to get together sometime while I am still here. So that was really cool. They wanted to stop and talk to me a little bit but there was no time before or after the conference. 

For Christmas, I am thinking that I will be available maybe around 10 or 11 am here. I think that will be the best time... but I will probably have to play it a little by ear since we sometimes get random assignments. Would you like me to call on the 26th here, so that it is Christmas time there, or what day would you like? Because we have a laptop and mobile wifi at our apartment, or I can come into the office here. So it is not a hassle no matter what really. Probably 11am -1pm would be the time slot that I would be able to skype you for 40 minutes. 

So as far as teaching this week, we found a great investigator who is totally prepared to be baptized. She is a former investigator, and is so so prepared. So I will send you a picture of that baptism in the first few weeks of January. We are really excited for her. 

This week was great with Elder Maynes coming, and my spiritual insight for this week comes from Elder Maynes message he shared. He said one thing that I don't think I will ever forget. "Leaders learn quickly, but implement immediately." In whatever assignment that we ever receive, we will be expected to lead in some way, whether large or small. To be an effective leader, we do not need to learn everything and be perfect, but when we have improvements to make, we need to implement those needed changes immediately. 

It was really inspiring to see him teach because he did not come prepared with a specific talk or teaching that he wanted to focus on. He asked all of us what we wanted to learn, and had us chose 2 or 3 things. And he taught us on those. He really is a master teacher. I learned so much from him in the hour and a half that he taught us. 

Sorry, I wish I had more time but that is all I have got for you.

Love you all!

Elder Schroeder

our snowman and friend

picture of elder burgos, wilson and i in the office

Transferred to Manila

11/15/15

Hello Family!

How are you all doing!? I am doing really well! My back is feeling a lot better but still a little twitchy sometimes. If it ever hurts really bad again, I have got some extra medication that will help me out. 

 Well, I got a surprise this week that I was not expecting. On Friday, I got a call from president during companionship study. He told me that I was transfering back to Manila. Makati actually. So I am back pretty close to where I was assigned before. Just on the other side of Makati. I am companions with Elder Burgos again! We were only separated for about 4 weeks. I am also with Elder Wilson too. They are both really great missionaries!! 

I was actually Elder Wilson's zone leader in Makati East when he was brand new in the mission being trained. So it is super strange being companions with him. He is going home in 2 weeks and then Elder Burgos and I will be on our own again. So these next few transfers are going to be an interesting expereince. We are always super super busy. One cool thing is that I am going to get a Philippines drivers license. I am kind of nervous to learn how to drive in Manila. But it will be a good experience. 

So the work in my new area isn't doing too well. It needs a lot of help. We don't have much time to be able to work sometimes so when we do work in our area we really hit the pavement and work hard. We had one investigator at church this week named "P". The last time she attended church was general conference. And we actually didn't think she was going to come. So we were blessed a ton to be able to have an investigator there. We fasted and prayed that we could have a "white christmas" like you heard about. So this week is going to be a big week of work. 

Sorry, I was emailing earlier but it kind of got cut off. We had a meeting that we needed to attend really quick to be prepare for a big meeting that we will be having tomorrow. Elder Maynes is going to be coming. So all the missionaries in the Metro are going to be coming to a single church building tomorrow. So were were organizing all of that. One really cool thing is that Elder Maynes is going to have personal interviews with all of the office staff. So I am going to get to have an interview with a general authority.

I am really excited to be back here with Elder Burgos and Elder Wilson. The work is going to be great! And the mission is doing super well. It is great to see how the mission runs and how much it takes to keep it all going. So here is a spiritual insight for the week. 

This is a story that President Mosguera (District President of Puerto Princessa) shared in the last talk that I heard him give. There were two sons, and a Father. One, the older brother and one the younger brother. The older brother was big and strong, while the younger was small and still quite young. One day, their father went and cut down two trees, both the same size and weight, and he told his sons that they both needed to carry one log to a part of his land that was vary far away. Then the father told them that whoever was first, would inherit all that the father had. The older could not quite lift the log even though he was big and strong, but he could still move it quite quickly. The younger had to push and pull with all his might to get the log to move just a few feet. The older thought that he would impress his father by getting there very quickly, so he cut off a foot of his log so that he would be able to pick up the log and just walk all the way to the end. The younger pushed and pulled and pushed and pulled, and had very slow progress. What the older brother did not realize is that there would be a river to cross at the end of his journey, and that the log his father had cut was just the right length to make it across this river. He tried to use his log to cross the river, but it was not long enough, so it fell in the river and was washed away. After a very long time, the younger brother arrives at the river, and is able to cross and receive all that his father had, because his log was just the right length. 

From this we learn that we should not cut short our potential. Even though it looks like things are hopeless and that we cannot accomplish the things that seem so easy for others, we all have a divine nature and destiny that can never be taken away from us, unless we take it away from ourselves. 

I love you all!

Elder Schroeder

P.S. here is a funny picture that was used in last MLC. We talked about the Army of Helaman and how we can be more like them. Caleb (Ostler's son) photoshopped the picture with faces of some elders 

Things just go Wacky sometimes...

11/8/15 

Hello Family! 

Doing really well this week. I was also negative for gall stones and pancreatitis, so no worries. Nothing super serious. I stopped taking the muscle relaxants because I couldn't think while taking them. My back feels pretty good now.

I didn't  do anything out of the ordinary to make it aggravated or anything. It happened the night that we came back from Roxas. So we were sitting on a bus for a  lot of the day actually. Apparently, things just go wacky sometime. That's what Sister Lemmon said. I don't think anyone really knows why it happened. It just did. But I am doing a lot better. oh and also not my appendix. not in the right spot. 

And about the examination. I did not end up going over to Manila early becuase I was already feeling pretty good. SisterLemmon  did a short examination at mlc. and a doctor on Palawan before that. The medication I was taking is called celecoxib if you were wondering. You can look it up if you want. also eperisone for a pain killer. 

So this week was great! We went to MLC and got to laminate hundreds of maps for the office elders. That was a ton of fun.... 

MLC was really uplifting and a great experience like always. I can't believe it but that was the 8th mlc that I have been to. only the 3rd with President Ostler though. 

Sorry, I don't have much time to email again. We are in a rush today. Lots of things that need to be done.

The work is going well and we are working towards a great goal that was introduced in MLC. Having a white Christmas. Every companionship in the mission to have 2 baptisms on the 26th of December . A total of 200 is our goal. So that is going to be a big focus of the next month and a hallf

Here is a great quote that I liked from this week.

“Keeping the sacrament special for me actually requires a whole week of preparation. If I take time every night to ask for forgiveness of the issues that I caused to burden me that day, then when Sunday morning arrives, the sacrament has greater purpose in my life. I usually find my thoughts on Sunday morning turning to all the covenants I've made my whole life, and I'm motivated to recommit to keeping them, knowing that I can start new every week. During the actual partaking of the sacrament, because of the weekly preparation, I'm more able to fully appreciate and reverence the Savior and His Atonement and what it really means in my life and I have a greater commitment to always remember my Savior Jesus Christ and am more willing and able to keep all of His commandments.” —@lowanda1 (Instagram)

I found this on LDS.org, The sacrament really does take more than a morning of preparation. Or even a day. We need to remember the Savior and what he had done throughout the week, be constantly repenting and improving ourselves for the atonement to have a greater effect in our lives. I know if we do this, that we will feel greater love from our Father in Heaven, and we will know the answer to the question posed to all of us in general conference by Larry R. Lawrence, "what lack I yet?" 

I invite you all to prepared more throughout the week for partaking of the sacrament on the Sabbath day. And to answer the question for yourselves, "what is keeping me from progressing?"

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and love

Elder Schroeder

Mission Leadership Meeting

Airport and Christmas Songs

11/1/15

Hello family!

Haha those pictures are funny. Acting like a nerd sure comes natural to Glen for some reason.

So this week was an interesting week. Something happened to my insides at about 9:45 pm on Wednesday night and I was in extreme pain for about six hours. I couldn't sleep and it was terrible. It has been coming and going ever since. I threw up once the pain was so bad, it was right where one of my kidneys are. So I thought it was a kidney stone. But I got checked out and I have no kidney stones. I am doing well though. The last doctor I talked to thought it was muscle pain so I took a muscle relaxant and a strong pain killer. The pain seems to have gone away so maybe they figured it out. I  didn't take any time to rest this week so maybe that is why it didn't get better. Who knows. We will figure it out though. 

Don't worry about me though mom. I am doing well! Still working hard and helping others to come unto Christ. Elder Sorronda has been a champ the past few days making sure that I am doing well and taking the lead on a lot of lessons. 

oh yes, and tell dad that I am interested in selling the motorcycle. I would like to get 1500 for it if not more. I have seen people asking about 1700-1900 for them on craigslist. I think the lowest. So if dad can sell it to that guy then that would be great! 

Sorry I don't really have that much time to write something very long today,

but here is something cool president wrote in his letter to all of us this week.

This is from President Ostlee: (and I am one of the 6 elders in the story)
"Recently, Sister Ostler, Caleb, six  elders, 2 sisters and I spent many hours at the Manila airport trying to  get on a plane to fly to Puerto Princesa. After waiting several hours we finally boarded the plane, put on our seat belts, and then the pilot announced that our flight was canceled. We waited another 30 minutes, de-boarded  the plane, picked up our luggage and went back home. We got up very  early the next morning and again boarded the plane to Puerto  Princesa. I watched our missionaries closely. What would they do? How  would they react to waiting and waiting, getting to bed late, getting up  early and then doing it over again? I am pleased to report that I never  heard a single word of complaint. What did they do? They talked to  everyone around them about the gospel and received some referrals. After  that, they pulled out their hymnbooks and sang Christmas hymns and  other gospel hymns to the crowds of hot, frustrated people. They brought  smiles to people's faces. Many people (including Sister Ostler)  videotaped these smiling, singing, happy Mormon missionaries. I would  not be surprised if the whole purpose for these flight problems was to  bring the gospel to these souls!

FIRST INVITATION: NEVER COMPLAIN ABOUT ANYONE OR ANYTHING. Never  complain about the weather. Never complain about your companion. Never  complain about the leaders or the members. Never complain about your  area or the bugs or the pollution. Never complain about people who  reject you or who don't keep their commitments.

SECOND INVITATION: FIND SOMETHING POSITIVE IN EVERY SITUATION.  For  example, if the weather is hot, be thankful that it is not hotter. Use  your umbrella. Be grateful you don't have to buy expensive jackets,  hats, gloves and scarves for your mission. Find positive things about  your companion. Say true, positive things about leaders and members. Be  humble enough to realize that you are not perfect, so express faith and  confidence in the people you teach. If they don't keep their  commitments, trust the Lord, do your best and the Lord will bless you.  Complaining never blessed anyone.

Elder Orson F. Whitney said: "The spirit of the gospel is optimistic;  it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite  or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the  dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience." 

Well that's all he said about that

I love you guys! Thanks for all our love and emails

Elder Schroeder

Be Prayerful and Faithful...

October 25, 2015 

Hello family!

How are you all doing! I am excited about the Volkswagen! All it needs is the steering column!? You should send me a video once it is all done.

That is really great mom that you get to help out the brides there in the temple. That is probably a pretty sought after position. I would imagine a lot of people like to help out brides. 

Things are going well here like always. My new companion is from an area called Zambuanga. (I am not sure if the spelling is right)... anyways, it is an area in Mindanao with a ton of muslims and a alot if rebels. He lives close to that city that the little war broke out in when I was here in the mission before. He speaks visaya so I am going to have him work on teaching me some so that I can oym in that language, since it is the second most common language in the Philippines. 

Oh and yes the Handy's took my companion and I out to eat. We met them at a place called Robinsons and they fed us. She said she is pretty sure she knows you... and that she may have yelled at you once before. Anyways, they said that I could come over and hang out with them sometime and go out with them on one of their yachts. so I am going to take them up on that offer when I get home. haha

Also, another missionary named Elder Ingram also got picked up by his mom and sisters. I got to see them as well which was really cool becuase Elder Ingram and I lived in the same apartment in Tondo together. He is a really great guy and it was really good to see him. 

The work this week was pretty good. I had 4 different companions this week. Elder Eteaki on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, then Elder Panugao and Wake On Thursday and half of friday. Then I finally got Elder Sorronda. He came off transfer becuase he was attending the sealing of some of his converts in Manila. So I was a single Zone Leader for about a week. Transfer week too! Since the Wolcotts are still new out here I had to organize how all the transfers and things would go down. With Elders from Narra coming up and Elders from Taytay coming down. It was quite an experience to figure it all out. It would have been impossible without the Wolcott's van and the Wirthlin's truck. It was quite an adventure I'll tell you what. 

So becuase of all that I didn't get to work very much in the area. But we had 2 investigators go to church and 4 less active members. So that was great! The branch in increasing in effectiveness and It is great to be a part of it right now. 

As for my spiritual insight for the week, I would like to share a quote that we recite from President Hinckley.

 "The time has come for us to stand a little taller, to lift our eyes and stretch our minds to a greater comprehension and understanding of the grand millennial mission of this the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. This is a season to be strong. It is a time to move forward without hesitation, knowing well the meaning, the breadth and the importance of our mission. It is a time to do what is right regardless of the consequences that might follow...We have work to do. Let us get at it with a new commitment, putting our trust in the Lord. We can do it, if we will be prayerful and faithful. We can do better than we have ever done before. We have nothing to fear. God is at the helm. He will overrule for the good of this work. He will shower down blessings on those who walk in obedience to His commandments. Unitedly, working hand in hand, we shall move forward as servants of the living God, doing the work of His beloved Son, our Master, whom we serve and whose name we seek to glorify." (Gordon B. Hinckley)

I love the part when he says, "we can do better than we have ever done before." Can we say to ourselves that we are always a better person than we were the previous day? Can we say that we have done more to progress the spreading of the gospel today than we did yesterday? It does not mean that we have to talk to every single person we meet about the Gospel, but it does mean that we will do everything we can so that others can see the difference the gospel makes in our lives. It means smiling more, forgiving more, being nicer to those around you and having more patience, and, when the time comes, to invite others to do the same through the Gospel of our Master, Jesus Christ. 

I love you all!

Elder Schroeder