Trials and Love

December 2, 2013

Hello!
So I don't have that much time this week. Long story. I will type fast. So I got my Christmas package... I didn't see the hand written letter from Grandma Evans. It was in there?

Anyways... that is sad news to hear. The first thought I had while reading your email about Grandma Evans passing was, I am so glad she is with Grandpa again. This scripture comes to my mind, Alma 34:32. "This life is the time for men to perform their labors..." I am happy to say, and to add my testimony as a representative of Jesus Christ, that grandma and grandpa have performed all their labors. Meaning that they have fulfilled the gospel of Jesus Christ while here on this earth. Knowing and feeling the joy in my heart and soul of this knowledge that I have is such a great blessing. I know that the power to bind in heaven and in earth was restored to this earth, never to be taken away again. They truly and really are sealed for time and all eternity.

I would like to share an experience I had this week... The past few weeks have been particularly trying with the work here. I am tired, worn out, and feel the burden on my body, mind, and testimony. As my companion is sleeping, I kneel down, and I say a sincere honest prayer to our Father in Heaven. I know I am not going to give up. I know that I will press forward, no matter how hard the work is, no matter how alone I feel sometimes. As I am praying, I feel nothing. No comfort, no help, nothing. As I am pleading, I stop, and listen to the Spirit... I think, what does God want me to learn, what is the Spirit telling ME to ask for?And I know and say the words, "Please Father, help me to feel thy love." Immediately I was surrounded and encompassed by something REAL. I felt our Father's love for ME. It was what God wanted me to learn, it was what the Spirit was telling me to ask for. And my testimony is stronger than it ever has been before. The work hasn't changed. My situation isn't any different than it was before. The work is still hard, people still reject our message. But I know that I am not alone in this work, in this life. Our Father in Heaven is on our side, no matter how hard this life may seem to get. Our situation may not change for the better, and it probably won't change at all... but the Love of our Father in Heaven, the love of our families, and the love of our friends can carry us through any trial or hardship. I know that our Father in Heaven loves us. His love is real. And I know that I love you. Our family is united in the Gospel and sealed by God's own power. There is no doubt in my mind. Grandma and Grandpa are reunited. And we WILL see them again. Remain faithful, remain strong, and remember the love that God has for every one of us.

I know as Alma says, "And then shall the righteous shine forth in the kingdom of God." We shall all shine forth together in the kingdom of our Father, if we but endure the trails and hardships that we must face in this life.

Love from the Philippines,
Elder Schroeder


December 9, 2013
Hello Family!

I was planning on sending a bunch of pictures this week to you guys but this computer is not
working.. maybe I will be able to get it to work. Oh well.

This week ha been great! I feel the inspiration of the Spirit so much in my life. Elder Aguinaldo has been making huge strides in his teaching skills, finding skills, and everything! He is doing so great and we are having a lot of fun working together. Now that I am getting a lot better at Tagalog, we really are having a lot of fun together. He is such a funny guy and we really entertain the members and investigators a lot (without being disobedient, i might add). It is so fun to be with a companion that knows how to have "righteous" fun and to know how to make people laugh. It is still hard sometimes with cultural differences but we never fight... cause I don't let it happen. One thing, I have definitely learned from having a companion (that isn't my brother or best friend or anything like that) is patience. I have grown so much in patience. Patience and love is so key to being a good companion. I hope I get along with all the companions that I have in the mission... because I definitely like to get along with people. I have seen how spiritual gifts have also helped me with having a companion. Diane mentioned spiritual gifts to me in her email to me this week, and it just made me realize how great of a tool spiritual gifts can be to us in this life to endure through the hard times and press forward.

Our investigators have been doing great and I feel like I really know how to be an instrument in conversion..... I feel like I haven't been able to make any baptisms happen in the last couple months because of my inexperience.... it is a bummer but the truth for sure. Now that I actually know what I am doing... we have 5 baptisms that are going to happen here in this area by the end of January... But I will probably transfer just before these baptisms take place... bummer. I have finally figured things out enough to be able to get missionary work done and to hasten this work. I am so glad I have been able to be an instrument in this area though and I have been so blessed to learn how to be a better and more effective missionary. I am probably transferring on 18th of December, about 95% sure. I will probably know next week...

About our investigators, we have a lot of good ones! I have really learned well how of set up and work an even and dispersed teaching pool... where baptisms will come consistently. I cant believe how much the Lord helps in this work. None of the work that we do here would go forward without his hand in it. One of our investigators is the wife of an American who was baptized in Puerto Rico.... long story, pretty cool though. She will be baptized in January. I love missionary work! Love you guys! Send my love to Everyone at home!

Ingat Kayo Palagi!
Elder Schroeder

Gifts...

Hello 

I am running out of time here really fast, this will be kind of short. We have 2 people being baptized in December! Good story. So both of these investigators have been "eternal investigators" like 3 years of investigation. Super solid and know the gospel very well.... they just don't want to get married (these are two separate families by the way) I went into lessons with them filled with the Spirit! Filled like I never have been before. I was inspired to give a lesson of the Plan of Salvation, and to elaborate on the 3 degrees of glory... and they both decided to be married. Go Spirit!! Without the Spirit bearing witness to them in their hearts, they would never have made these steps. I love teaching with the Spirit! Greatest feeling we can have as missionaries.

Oh, we went on exchanges last week, and the Zone leader I was with told me that he was absolutely amazed at my Tagalog.... he told me that it is like I have been out on my mission for more than a year. Now he is going around telling everyone he meets about how amazing the gift of tongues can be. He said he has never seen anyone with Tagalog as good as mine with the amount of time that I have been out. So I have got a huge jump on the language... (about 6-7 months ahead of where I should be). Such a testimony to me of the gift of tongues. Spiritual gifts are real. There is no way I could speak this language like I do now, without the gift of tongues. When God calls, He truly does qualify.

Elder Schroeder

P.S.  I will probably get the package either tomorrow, or the 2nd week of December. I will let you know. If you guys could send me a picture of the temple some time, everyone from the Philippines always wants to see a picture of it.

Santa Monica is Great!

Wow!
I just read that article about those 10 sister missionaries, almost cried about 15 times while reading it.

Article: Surviving the typhoon: Fear, faith and miracles for 10 LDS sister missionaries trapped in the Philippines

I cannot believe what they had to go through. It is amazing how hard the church has worked to make sure all those missionaries where safe. I can't believe how hard that must have been for them. What a miracle that they were all safe. Especially being a missionary here, and knowing the culture and everything, that really would be a very, very difficult thing to do.

I hope I can answer all your questions... there was a lot in there.
So this past week, we did a service project for the survivors. It was coordinated (sort of) by Abs-Cbn here in Puerto. We packed supplies and clothes and things to send to the people down there in Tacloban. They actually filmed us serving... and being one of the only white guys there, I actually ended up on the news here, pretty cool. I cannot believe the destruction from the typhoon..

Oh, yes things are great here in Santa Monica. It's one branch but there are two areas, Santa Monica A and B. President Maico is our branch president. He is super awesome! Super cool that the Sister you met served here way back when.

We are going to be getting 15 missionaries here on the 18th of December. They were originally going to come here today, but they are going to wait for the next transfer. I was going to get 4 new sisters in my district, but now they will come on the 18th. All of the names of the missionaries in my district are: Sister Fancisquete- from Davao, Sister Jones - Utah-I think? Sister Bechichino-from Tacloban, Sister Delietubuna-from Fiji. Yep, my whole district is Sisters, except for me and Elder Aguinaldo of course...there is another district pretty close to us here though. Sister Brockbank-Utah, Sister Thompson- Idaho, Elder Osguthorpe-Utah and some more... but those are probably the ones you will be able to find. Sorry, I am out of time now.

Love you guys,
Elder Schroeder

Just keep praying that's for sure

Hello Family!

So the good news is..... that there is no news. I am still here in (Central Palawan). We are doing great here in Santa Monica. I have seen some of the footage and pictures of Tacloban and other areas... it is ridiculous the amount of damage. Basically, the only things standing are the big concrete buildings and palm trees... and the ground is just covered in rubble of houses.

We got a pretty good storm here. A lot (like A LOT) of rain. It got a little windy too. I did find out that we were only 60 miles away from the eye of the storm. We were not allowed to work the day the storm hit. Northern Palawan did get hit pretty hard. Apparently there is a lot of damage on Coron. We did watch a little bit of news on the storm. We had about an 85% chance that the storm would come down to us... but it didn't. I kind of wanted to experience one, but at the same time, didn't want to. Thankfully, all of the missionaries are safe and well in our mission. 

Oh, before I forget, President Stucki did tell us to email our families the day after the storm to let you know... which would have been Friday for you... we just got so busy working that day that we didn't have time and I forgot. But, we are doing alright now.

That is crazy about Tacloban mission. The thing is that Tacloban City is right on the coast and the hurricane passed right over it. So they got a crazy storm surge and a super powerful storm right on top of them.  There are a lot of Filipino missionaries with family out in those hard hit areas which is sad. They are all very worried for their families... because people are just near impossible to find right now. I hope those missionaries can be found safe and accounted for in Tacloban.
11/12/13  Update: All missionaries are safe!!!   LDS Newsroom Philippines

Not many precautions were taken here by the locals.... The news here heightens up every single typhoon that comes to make it "exciting"... so when a real storm comes along, it is like the boy who cried wolf.  Not many people took precautions as far as I am aware... and a lot of people suffered because of it... for example... the day before here was a regular day. I didn't see anyone making any real preparations for the storm. That's about all I know about it.  Just keep praying that's for sure.

Love you guys! 

Elder Schroeder

P.S. Oh, by the way, I did get a little wet... we had a leak (really more like a faucet) in our apartment right at the foot of my bed.... well the bunk bed... I am on top. But that's about it. Worked on Saturday in some of the tail end of the storm. We definitely got wet, that's for sure. Had to walk through some flooded spots.   

Interesting to me how he started his letter because through all of this, I have been saying to myself in regards to his safety, "no news is good news"  The church is good about keeping us informed. We did hear from President and Sister Stucki which we were so grateful for.  Please continue to pray with us for all those affected. I hope they can  replace feelings of worry, fear, and grief with faith and hope. The Filipino people are so loving, kind and a resilient group. They all need strength from our prayers. Robin

11/3/13
Hello Family!

This week has been great! What a great letter this week! I am loving the mission more than ever now. My love for the work seems to grow more and more every day. Transfer day is on Wednesday... I don't know yet if I am transferring. I find out tomorrow. I am pretty sure that I am staying here. But who knows, anything could happen. We found a new family to teach this week, the "S" family... and they are so awesome. We have only taught them one lesson. But they are so amazing. I am so excited to teach them again. We taught them the restoration lesson last time and focused a lot on families... The husband has basically accepted everything already. The wife is super interested. She just needs to read and ponder and pray. Then they will be baptized!!! I sure hope so anyway. It is so great to find someone that is truly prepared for the gospel.

We were able to be part of an elders quorum activity earlier this week. We hiked through the jungle to this super cool river. Then all the members went swimming... Since we are allowed to cross rivers(up to our knees) here in this mission, I helped build up their little dam that they had to make a swimming hole... So, I made a very large and very sturdy dam for them and made the swimming hole a good foot deeper. Pretty cool. Then we had lunch there at the river. They cooked some fish over the fire and made rice. One thing that kind of was a bummer is that they washed the fish in the river downstream to where everyone was swimming... and the branch president had just finished "hiking up river" to take care of some business.... and they used dirt and rocks to wash the pots and plates and things... It's way different here when it comes to hygiene... Good week. I have been doing great and feel super healthily. I am loving the mission. Have an awesome week!

The new senior couple is going to come in another week... the other couple is already here but they are in Manila. So it is probably the Newsons that will be coming here next week. Pretty cool. Pretty good week this week otherwise. We set a goal as a district on Tuesday to baptize 21 people before the end of the year. So we are working hard and acting in faith.

Love, Elder Schroeder

p.s. that is so awesome with the filipino mail guy! Keep talking to him! Maybe if you become his friend, I can come and talk to him in Tagalog. That would be fun to do. Keep up the great missionary work mama!

p.p.s. I am super jealous. Drag racing.

Blessings and The Standard of Truth...

Hello Family!

So I looked at those pictures before I looked at the email... got worried there for a second about Walker. It's good that he is doing better now:) (pictures were of his nephew going in an ambulance to Children's Hospital the email explained that he's home now.) I don't really know much of what croup is... (haha, I just wrote that last sentence totally wrong in English, I corrected it though).  It sure is strange speaking more Tagalog than I do English now. The language is coming along great! I still have a lot to learn but I can really learn and improve a lot more as a missionary now that I can speak alright. I actually taught gospel essentials on Sunday... We have no gospel essentials teachers right now, so the missionaries teach... meaning me.   I love teaching. Can't get enough of it as a missionary, its basically the only thing we ever do... teach and sleep.

The work is progressing that is for sure. We are getting a senior couple here in our little branch! November 6 they are coming. I am so excited! I get to train them in the area and help them learn all that they need to here. They are brand new missionaries coming straight from Provo, I am pretty sure!! I am so excited, even though they only speak English, they are going to be such a strength to the branch here... now that I am thinking about it, the Brother that emailed me last week said that his sister and her husband are coming to the Manila mission as a senior couple starting November. It could be them.. that would be so cool!

Well, the work here is moving forward. The senior couple will be such a blessing for this little  branch. They really do need it. We are just now starting to get things figured out. The Lord has definitely reared up His people now to be ready for the gathering of Israel... there are so many great leaders here that have such great desire to fulfil the work, they just need to learn how to do it. We are so blessed to have an open conduit into heaven. To shape our work and get it just how the Lord wants it. We will never be perfect at it here... but we are expected to get perfect at it eventually, and it WILL happen. If we just get our matigas na mga ulo (hard heads) out of the way and work the way we are intended.... It is so great to be a missionary and to spend all my time working for this great cause.

I know this Church is the true and Restored Church of Christ. I never knew before how sure of a knowledge this could be, but I really do KNOW with all my heart and soul. Nothing will ever stop this work from progressing.
Love, Elder Schroeder

P.S. Oh, look up something called "The Standard of Truth" for me please). It is about this work. And send it to me please. It is just a quote. Read it, ponder it, and pray about it.... see where you fit in. What is your part in it? How can you fulfill it? Then, DO your part.
Love you guys. Your perspective of being a gardener is perfect. Have a great week!

This is the quote Connor is referring to:
Joseph Smith knew that no enemy then present or in the future would have sufficient power to frustrate or stop the purposes of God. Here are his prophetic words:
“The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done”  Joseph Smith (History of the Church, 4:540).

Intense week!

Hello Family!

This week has been intense! To start of, after I taught district meeting on Tuesday, we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders. I learned so much. Elder Belnap and I got 10 new investigators in a single day! We really went to work. I learned so much about finding from him and have really been putting it to work. This week, we found a total of 18 new investigators. Basically double of a normal week here in Santa Monica. Before, I was basically working and finding, but waiting for the members to join the work.  Elder Belnap told me that the last 10 baptisms in his area were OYMs....(open your mouth) From this, I decided. I am NOT going to wait for anything to keep this work from progressing. I am not going to wait for the members to fellowship, I am not going to wait for a referral, I am going to be an instrument in the Lord's hands, I am going to find the elect, those that the Lord has prepared, and I am going to BAPTIZE! It is my purpose. And I am going to do it no matter what it takes. I will not wait for anything, and I will not let anything hold me back. This has just sunk so deep into my heart and into my mind. There is almost nothing else that I can even think about now. I don't understand it.... I try to daydream and take a break for 5 minutes to relieve some stress... then I realize, I am thinking about the members, the branch, the investigators, commitments, missionary work. I am IN this work. I am the work.

We have been working so hard in this area to get it moving... We have been finding so many people willing to listen that it is hard to keep tract of them. It is easy to find someone to teach now, and even easier to drop those that aren't progressing. I found this scripture the other day. Alma 5:52, It talks about an ax that is laid at the root of a tree. If the tree is bad, the ax is there. And as a missionary, if the tree doesn't bring forth any fruit. We chop it down. Now this doesn't mean that I don't love these people...in Doctrine and Covenants 121:43, it says that we need to be "reproving betimes with sharpness" and then afterwards to show "an increase of love... lest he esteem thee to be his enemy." I see now how reproving betimes with sharpness, can actually be a tool to show even greater love to those we teach.
It is so amazing to be a missionary. I love this work and can't believe that I have been given such a great opportunity as this. I am a missionary. I have waited for this time in my life for so many years. Now it is here. The time is now, and I am going to do all I can to fulfil the work of God, as his servant. 

Okay, here are some fun stories.
Last P-day, we were waiting in line at a restaurant place called Manginasal. As we are waiting, these two American girls walk up to us and ask "Can we buy your lunch?".... it turns out that one of these girls is a Member of the Church. She is working here with the Navy building schools. She was so inspired to see missionaries here in the Philippines spreading the gospel that she bought our lunch. God blesses us in ways we couldn't even imagine as we go about doing His work.
Another one, we were walking and a little kid started talking to me in Tagalog, he thought I had no idea what he was saying... he was talking about seeing an American... so I asked him in Tagalog, "Do you see an American? I don't see one..." haha, you should have seen the look on his face... so we keep walking, and we passed this store a place where people just sit and get drunk... and all these drunk people start asking me in English "how you doing?" to make fun of me. This little kid heard them.. so the little kid says "Tagalog yan!"..... meaning I know tagalog.... but when it is translated, it means "that thing is Tagalog".... haha. Elder Aguinaldo and I laughed about that one... haha, I bet it is more funny when you understand Tagalog.

Here are some pictures.

                                             next to some boats and some mangroves

                                                               millipede I caught  
(sparing you the wide open mouth portion of this photo, use your imagination. Robin)

                                                         blurry picture at evening

Love you guys so much!
Mahal na Mahal kita
Elder Schroeder
p.s. sana nga ipatuloy mong gawin ang pagmimisionary work bilang mga miyembro.
You should really continue to do missionary work as members.

Rain and Adidas

10/6/13
Hey Family!
I am doing so great here. The power or fasting and prayer is so incredible. I never realized how amazing it really can be. We fasted like normal but had a really hard week. Pouring rain all day, every day... bah. Everyone was sleeping all day it seemed like we were not able to meet with anyone... on Sunday we really had a reason to fast. We were blessed so much! Every appointment on Sunday went super smooth and none of them fell through. We had the spirit with us and we were able to set some really good commitments. There is REAL power in fasting and prayer.

I didn't get to tell you much about my companion last week, he was reading over my shoulder... haha. So he is from Isabella, Gamu an area in the mission where Taylor served. (Taylor is Connor's cousin) He was baptized just over a year ago and has such strong faith. I teach every lesson right now and he gives a short testimony at the end. I had no idea how much Tagalog I could speak before he got here. Tagalog isn't too big of a deal now. I can speak it alright, I just need to learn more words. So that is going pretty good. I am learning words super fast now because I understand how I can use them. That is definitely encouraging. I can really see how my desire to teach better is motivating me to learn it faster. I am loving being a missionary here.
Okay, I am going to send this email with these pictures.,... you may get some more too later

Crocodile farm Near Puerto Princesa

Ahhh, here are some stories. We were working Saturday with a member, 3 people, 2 umbrellas and Filipinos think if they get wet from the rain that they will die from a sickness called pasma... so it rained, like rained rained... and I let them use the 2 umbrellas. I got a little wet.... and we had to cross a rising river at the same time. haha.., I was soaked! so soaked! Never thought I would get that wet in church clothes before.

oh! What is going on with the US government!? partial shutdown????? People kept asking me what it meant cause I'm American. Please let me know what is going on.

Love,
Elder Schroeder


10/13/13
Hi Family!!!
Wow! those costumes look great! Disneyland looked like fun, you guys really went all out! Wish I could have gone, but being here in the Philippines is much better:) Phew, thanks for filling me in on the government shutdown. Ahh, I miss Idaho a little bit. Snow and stuff cause I don't think it is going to snow here any time soon. It is funny seeing all the Filipinos in sweatshirts now because it is "winter time here"... still super hot!
So I saw the biggest worm ever this week, probably almost 2 feet long and we found a millipede while walking so we took some pictures with it for you. super cool. Ate some chicken feet this week, called "paa ng manok" or Adidas for short. Yes, the Filipinos named it after the shoes. No joke, that is their nickname for chicken feet here, pretty funny. I will hopefully be able to send pictures about all of this.
So the work here has been going okay. It's has been hard work.... I am trying to get my companion to open up some more. He is awesome though and we always have so much fun together.
The investigators we have are doing ok. They're reading and praying but they NEVER EVER EVER go to church. They are not going to get baptized if they don't do that.... bah. so I am really working hard on trying to get people to go to church. If not, we have to drop them. That's basically it. It's not very fun because we see these people with such a great desire to change their lives, but they don't do all that they need, to be able to actually change their lives. so that's that. Drop find, find drop and if we get a golden one, we baptize:) And the gold ones are always from member referrals. It is a challenge because of past disobedient missionaries. Sometimes we meet former investigators or less actives, and they say something like "we stopped going to church because after Elder ____ left, we stopped getting centrum from the Elders" or "can't you give us money for fair like Elder ____ did?" Bahhhh. Just shows how one persons disobedience can really hurt others down the road. We are working hard here and trying to fix past mistakes.
We got to watch conference this Sunday. Super super good, we listened all of Saturday and Priesthood in English and Sunday in Tagalog on very very hard chairs. I sure do miss being able to watch conference at home, but it was uplifting and great nonetheless. I think I am getting sick right now. I have been working harder than I ever have before and I am just so run down. Oh well, the work must go on. Love you guys!

Love, Elder Schroeder

p.s. the computer I am using stinks. the pictures aren't uploading. So next week for those pictures. Also, the Palawan Binturong (bear cat) isn't too heavy, maybe 20 or 30 pounds. Like a very very large cat.