Palawan visit/training

1/31/16

Hello Everyone!

This week was a very busy week, and we got a lot done! Monday was preparation day and very busy like always. Tuesday morning we flew over to Palawan with President and Sister Ostler and began interviews and training. It all went really well. We have now taught that same training class 9 times, I think. So I could probably deliver that training asleep doing a handstand with my eyes closed. It is going really well though and I feel like everyone really enjoys the training. Elder Burgos and I teach really well together and enjoy doing it. We get to do a practice teaching demonstration every time in front of everyone. Always great. 

Anyways, the next few days were spent with the interview schedule. President and Sister doing their things while we kept everything organized and gave training. We got out to work every night for a little bit in our old area and were actually able to teach 5 lessons and get 4 new investigators for the zone leaders area while we were there in Palawan. That was nice and it helped them out. So we have a standard of 190 oyms a week as well... that was a struggle to get this week since we have about 10% of the time that a regular companionship has to work... but it was all good. We worked hard and we got it. Also taught quite a few lessons in the area and found a few new investigators. We were really blessed with the time that we had to work in our area. 

SO we got back Friday around lunch time, had weekly planning, and went out to work. 

I really like the family cycle that you mentioned. That is really good because that actually comes from a leadership training given by the 12 apostles. We got to watch it. I don't know if you did. I really like the way that the ward did it in teaching it. Really good idea. Elder Bednar actually talked about that family cycle in the training. It is really great. That is how we can build multi-generational families. The biggest drop off we see in the church is between baptism and temple endowment. If we can help one another to make it to the temple endowment, we will see greater and greater growth in the church. 

We had 4 investigators at sacrament meeting this week! We were blessed so much even though we only got one full day of work and a few hours of work in our area this week. It was a real blessing to see the family we invited to go to church actually show up and even be on time! The ward did a great job fellowshipping and there is a strong chance that this family will continue to go to church. I really hope it all works out. They are a really great family. 

Here is my spiritual insight for the week.  a quote from President Monson. He said, "no failure ever need be final". I really love this quote. Often times we mess up and give up at the same time. Messing up does not mean that you need to give up. I really love how the Savior 

instructs us...

 21 ¶Then came Peter to him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times?

 22 Jesus saith unto him, I say not unto thee, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

This instruction can also apply to ourselves. We need to forgive others, but we often forget that we too need to forgive ourselves. As we make mistakes, we need to repent, forget it, and move on. When we fall, we can always get back up again and try one more time. If we do not repent, then we will not get back up again. 

I was reading an article on LDS.org that gave 4 simple steps to change. One-ask for direction. Two-think small. Three-Take time to reflect. Four-keep trying. As we do these 4 things, we will be repenting. As we do this, we can forgive ourselves or others for mistakes and move on in the Spirit of God changing our lives until we become perfect, even like He our Father in Heaven is perfect. 

Have a great week!

Elder Schroeder

Press Forward...

1/24/16 

Wow it seems like wedding plans are coming along and you are all getting busy with everything. It is really exciting... I wish I was there then I could fix kyles car the right way so he doesnt mess it up haha. Just kidding. I am doing great! It is weird to think that kyle is getting married. He hasn't even been home a year and he will be getting married, best of luck to him. 

I am excited to see what the wedding invitation looks like. I bet Joy did a great job.

I am just about ready to go out and do all the other preparation day things that I have to do. We have all of our meetings done and all that... I just need to eat and finish writing this last email here to you all. 

This week we are going to Palawan for 3 days. We are leaving tomorrow at 9:55 and getting back on Friday morning. So we are not going to be able to work in our area that much this week. But we get to go "vacation" on Palawan and work in our former area. I am really excited and also sort of bummed. We are going to eat "Tamilok" while we are there. You can look it up this week to find out what it is... otherwise I will send you a picture of it next week. 

I am working super hard and we are  being blessed a lot for it. We were able to have 22 new investigators this week. We have so so many people we are teaching... bummer thing is that none of them went to church this week. Satan is working hard on these people and has a lot of power over those who don't know the gospel well enough. We will keep working with them and their faith will grow. I know that they will go to church one day and will be able to feel the Spirit as they do so. 

Here is my spiritual insight for the week. Here is a quote from the words of Neil L. Andersen about pressing forward,

Press forward implies something more than simply going forward. Press implies something is preventing your advancement, and you must push through it. To go forward in this life, you must press temptations aside, press through obstacles, press the doubt and the fear under your feet, and embrace the divine qualities of faith, hope, and love.

There are many examples fitting for the words of Elder Neil L. Andersen. One that I really like has a picture that goes along with it. When Peter came unto Jesus as he walked upon the water. Peter initially felt resolute and firm in his faith, and was able to walk upon the water. He "press[ed} the doubt and fear under [his] feet" and did exactly as the Savior did. When he saw the large waves and felt e would be overcome, his doubt won over faith, and he sank. At this very moment, possibly after quite some struggle, he reached to the Savior and the Savior reached to him. He was saved. The picture that I attached to the email is one of my favorite pictures of this event. It shows how Peter must have really felt as he came close to drowning in the sea. It shows us that when we lose faith and hope in the Savior, then we suffer, however, he is always there to lift us up out of the depths of despair when we need him most. We must too press forward in faith and always keep our eye on the Savior. Keeping our eye on him will help us to push those doubts, fears and struggles that we have under our feet, where we can overcome them. Then we will be able to embrace the divine qualities that the Savior has and live like him. 

Love you all!

Elder Schroeder

here is a picture of the church we go to on JB Roxas street. If you want to look it up it is on the corner of Enfanta street and JB Roxas in brgy Olympia. 

And here is the picture of Peter and Jesus

What matters most...

Yeah Courtney is just about to go home. Time sure does go by fast! Her friend actually got dengue two weeks ago if you didn't  know that. So they have been in the hospital. But she seems like she is having fun on her mission. I know a couple of the going home missionaries in our zone here pretty well so it is going to be sad to see all of them go this next transfer... including my companion. I hope I get to see him after my mission. He is such a great missionary and I don't know if I will ever even get to see him after he goes home, but it will all be good. 

Wow! That is super good that you were able to go and help the Roper's out. I guess they are probably going to be moving pretty soon or going to a home or something like that. They have been really good neighbors... never had to worry about loud parties with them haha. 

That is great that Kyle e was able to speak in Bear Valley ward this week. I am sure he did a great job. 

I will have to think of what it is that I am going to send home in the next few weeks. It will have to be soon because otherwise I won't be able to get it to her in time....

So for my spiritual insight for the week. I just have one small quote from M. Russel Ballard. He said, "What matters most is what lasts the longest." We can use this simple quote to prioritize the things we do in life. For example, playing a video game gives you enjoyment only during the moment in which you are playing. And quickly leaves when the game is done. Playing basketball gives enjoyment during the game, and can give enjoyment afterwards as you enjoy better health. Being baptized can provide a lifetime of enjoyment through the Gift of the Holy Ghost and further blessings in the life to come. Being married in a temple of God for eternity makes an eternity of enjoyment possible. If we think about our actions and ask ourselves, "How long will this last?" we can kow what is of no worth, what is important, and what is absolutely necessary in our lives. And if we make a priority those things that last for eternity, then we will receive blessings that will likewise last for eternity.

I love you all!

Thank you for all that you do!

Elder Schroeder

1. philippine flag at the american war memorial cemetery

2. a picture of some writing on a wall

P.S. this is where Elder Hinckley dedicated the Philippines for missionary work.

Here is a short excerpt from a talk I found on it. from augusto a. lim in 1992 general conference

I would like to express my love and appreciation to my eternal companion for the support and love that she has completely extended to me through all these years of membership in this Church. I suppose many of you already know I came from the Philippines, home to close to 67 million people, the Pearl of the Orient, but now a land devastated by earthquakes, typhoons, floods, and even volcanic eruptions. But I will not, however, talk about the calamities that have caused much hardship and tested the faith of our people, but I would rather talk about the great spiritual blessings that have been experienced in abundance as the gospel is spread in the land.

The restored gospel was first introduced by Latter-day Saint servicemen and women while serving in the Philippines near the end of World War II, but missionary work officially started in the Philippines (from the records of the Southern Far East Mission) on April 28, 1961, when Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, then a member of the Council of the Twelve Apostles, met with a small group of members at the American War Memorial Cemetery in the suburbs of Manila to offer a prayer invoking the blessing of the Lord on the missionary work in the Philippines.

Before giving his prayer, President Hinckley, in a brief talk, made this prophetic statement: “What we begin here will affect the lives of thousands upon thousands of people in this island republic, and its effects will go from generation to generation for great and everlasting good.” (Philippine Islands Area Conference, Aug. 1975, p. 20.)

After his brief remarks, President Hinckley offered a prayer in which he said:

“We invoke Thy blessing, Father dear, upon the missionaries who shall come here, that Thy Spirit may touch their hearts, that their lives may be clean and virtuous, that their examples may be marvelous before the people, that they may be blessed, as it were, with the ‘gift of tongues,’ that they shall speak the language of the people, that they shall work with singleness of purpose to Thy name’s honor and glory, that they shall go forth without fear, that none shall stay them, and that they shall declare with teaching and testimony, the restoration of Thy holy work for the blessing of Thy children. Father, give them joy and courage and faith and satisfaction in their labors, and make them fruitful.

“We invoke Thy blessings upon the people of this land, that they shall be friendly and hospitable and kind and gracious to those who shall come here, and that many, yea Lord, we pray that there shall be many thousands who shall receive this message and be blessed thereby. Wilt Thou bless them with receptive minds and understanding hearts, and with faith to receive, and with courage to live the principles of the gospel, and with a desire to share with others the blessings which they shall receive. We pray that there shall be many men—faithful, good, virtuous, true men—who shall join the Church and who shall receive the blessings of the priesthood, and who shall accept and grow in leadership, that Thy work here shall be handled largely by local brethren, under the direction of those who hold the keys in this day and time, according to the law and order of Thy church.” (Gordon B. Hinkley, “Commencement of Missionary Work in the Philippines.”)

A few days after that historic meeting, the first four full-time missionaries arrived from the Southern Far East Mission based in Hong Kong. From a handful of members in 1961, the Church in the Philippines has since grown at a remarkable rate, now increasing by more than two thousand members per month. As a result of close correlation by the full-time missionaries and members, membership is now three hundred thousand distributed in forty-eight stakes, sixty-five districts, and thirteen missions. Five of the thirteen mission presidents and all the eight regional representatives, all stake and district presidents are now native Latter-day Saints. Sixty to 70 percent of the more than two thousand full-time missionaries now laboring in the field are also native Latter-day Saints. And now, standing majestically in an elevated grounds overlooking a valley where hundreds of thousands live in the heart of Metro Manila, is the Manila Philippines Temple.

Hope you enjoyed it. It is really great to stand in the same spot in which missionary work started in the whole Philippines! and to know that it was dedicated at that very spot

love you all!

Busy week and enjoying it!!

1/10/16

Hello Family!

This week is going to be a busy one. I am doing really well and feeling a lot more comfortable with my leadership responsibilities. So that is good. I can't believe that I have been here for about 8 weeks now. It is weird how fast time flies when you are always busy and have no spare time. I am going to be happy when I don't have to look at my watch every 10 minutes. We are always squeezing our time to get the most out of it. 

I am enjoying the work a ton! We found out this week that one of the families that Elder Burgos reactivated just got sealed in the temple. And my trainer, Elder Avila, just got married in the Manila temple on Saturday! I cannot believe it! He got married to the girl that he would always tell me about way back even in our first areas. That was over 2 and a half years ago!

And then Kyle is also getting married. Everyone I know seems to be getting married. And that is a big focus we have here in the mission too. Temple sealings are the goal here for this mission. We have pictures up here in the office for all the return missionaries that are married and all of the families (recent converts and returned members) that have been sealed in the temple. Every week the board gets more and more full with pictures of families at temples. It is a really great blessing to see and experience as I am working here to do the same. 

I can't believe that President Koster is going to be assigned bordering our mission! I don't know if i will get to see him or not though. That is really cool though. I will know three of the mission presidents here, and all but one of the area presidency. 

Anyways.... I am pretty much out of time.... 

oh on a side note, our battery died in our car yesterday. So we got a new one today. so thats that. They use no maintenance batteries here in the mission so they tend to go bad every now and then. 

Ah we had MLC this week which was really good. Second MLC down and everything went really well. It was different this time because president gave Elder Burgos and I about three hours of the whole meeting to present training and to practice teaching with the whole MLC. We set up the whole meeting and selected topics that we thought the mission needed with President approval So it was really interesting to really make everything and get everything ready for a meeting like that. I only have one more with elder Burgos and then I will have my new companion. Then if anything ever goes wrong then it will be my fault. I am nervous but feeling pretty good. My companion will be great whoever it is.

And the work is going well. We had 3 investigators at church this week... highest since elder burgos and I have been here. And we are looking to have 5 next week, or more. We are going to be super busy and not get as much time to work this week though so we need your prayers. We taught a lot of really good lessons this week and have a few people that are getting ready for making some covenants. It has been a great few weeks to be able to work a lot and take a small rest for New Years from having such an intense schedule. I am excited to welcome in these new missionaries onWednesday though... and to say farewell to the departing ones. It is so interesting to see the old ones go and the new ones to come in. You can just see how much a mission changes a person. It is hard to explain. You can just see it in their countenance and in the spirit that they carry with them.

Well, I am sorry I am really out of time.

I love you all!

Elder Schroeder

here is a picture of a baptism that we had in our ward, not ours but we had an investigator be able to attend  

Check out the Manila Philippines Mission blog! The Ostler's update it often. As a mom, I sure appreciate all they do for the missionaries under their care!! I love every post and to watch for pictures of my boy! http://thephilippinesmanilamission.blogspot.com/?m=1

Happy New year!

1/3/16

Hello Family!

Our mission had 76 baptisms in December. Highest month out of the whole year. Our goal this year is to have 100 baptisms a month. We have 10 zones so each zone is responsible for 10 baptisms a month, it is definitely possible and I am excited to work on reaching this goal. 

Oh so I have one question. Or I guess an assignment for you mom. So My phlebotomy certification expires in october for the state of california. My national certification has already expired. Could you please check and see what I need to do to renew my certification. I want how long it will take to process everything in order to renew. I am a little concerned with the timing and when I get home.. So could you do that for me?

Sounds like you had a fun trip up to rexburg.... beach theme reception is a pretty cool theme for the wedding.  Kyle could wear an eyepatch. That would look good. Haha..

Our baked mac and cheese was okay.... The middle of it got a little burnt on the bottom because the oven had a big flame burner at the bottom... but it still tasted good... it was expensive because we bought real cheese. And the ham was good. I managed to make a glaze for it which was really good. I think the elders liked it. Then we ordered 4 pizzas which is always good, and we made deep fried oreos. It was a pretty good new year. I didn't  take many pictures... and I don't think I got any pictures of the fireworks because there weren't meny before 10:30... at mid-night the noise woke me up so I peeked out the window from my bed for about 5 seconds then went back to sleep. The fireworks weren't that crazy though this year I heard because it was raining super hard aparently at 12. How was your new years? You didn't have to go to the youth dance this year, a first for you for lots of years. 

It is strange that you are all doing wedding plans now and that Kyle and Cathy are doing engagement pictures on saturday. 

Elder Burgos and I had a good week teaching a lot of people and inviting a lot of people to come closer to Christ. It was a great week and we were able to teach quite a few lessons. Saturday was a super hard day. It was the first saturday I think in my whole mission that I was not able to teach a lesson. We were walking around all day long and didn't get to teach a single lesson. But we got to talk to a TON of people about the gospel and we got a lot of return appointments. Elder Burgos and I think it is because a lot of people were hungover and resting from the last few days of partying that they had. We are having a hard time getting investigators to come to church so we are really working on improving that. We feel like we are doing everything we can but they just aren't going to church. So we are going to work on that. We had one come this week but not any of the ones that we were actually planning for...

And as for my spiritual insight for this week, I just want to share my testimony with you all. I know that we have a loving Heavenly Father. He wants to bless us, and His only desire is for us to be happy. I know that we have a Savior who has experienced all of our pains and afflictions. Whatever it is that we have done wrong, we can repent. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God. If we read it, ponder it, and pray about the truthfulness of it, we will know it is from God. I know that Joseph Smith was called as a prophet of God and was made an instrument in the hands of God to restore the Church of Jesus Christ to this earth. I know that we have a living prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson, who leads and guides the church through prophecy and revelation, and that he holds all priesthood keys necessary for the salvation of man. I know and proclaim all these things to be true in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you all!

Elder Schroeder

here are pictures of all our food for New Years.

more food and my kabahy (people that live in the same apartment with me).

left to right: Elder Burgos, Packard, and Ballif

oh and by the way i cut the ham with a machete because all of our other knives are dull and we dont have a sharpening  stone.  

Christmas...

12/27/15

Here are some pictures from our Christmas skype with our son Elder Schroeder!!  It was awesome to see him and chat. He is still his our sweet, and funny boy! 

Robin

Worn out shoes...

New socks though!! 

And insoles...

He's not worn out though! Continues to SERVE ONWARD!!! 

He is healthy and happy!! 

Hello Family! 

This week has been great! I am enjoying the work like always and having fun in my area and my stewardship. 

So are you all getting ready for wedding plans? There is only a few more months then you will only have one left that's not married. 

Santa was really nice to you all this year! I found a filipino nativity here and some other cool things that I will probably be getting for the each family.

I don't really feel like I have much to say because I just talked to you all just a few days ago. 

We don't really have time to go to the temple here. We are supposed to have a temple day tomorrow but I don't think it is going to work out. I think we are just going to have district meeting.

I'm glad you are staying busy with everything in the temple. That sure is a lot of marriages to handle in one day. It is probably fun to be able to help out so many brides. 

It is still weird go me thinking that Kyle is going to be getting married. 

This week Elder Burgos and I got rejected a ton. It was hard in the moment for the few hours. It seemed like it was just back to back. I have never experienced Filipinos being so rude before. I had to hold my tongue a few times... But later that day we were blessed greatly because of the trials and persecution that we faced. We found two part member families that we didn't even know about and were not on our cmis. So we have some great potential with those two families. We also have one child from different part member family. We have to be really careful with baptizing kids here because a lot go less active if they don't have really strong member support. 

I am looking forward to new years and the crazy firework here. I just hope it isn't too loud so that I can still get some sleep that night. But we will be going home an extra 2 hours early that night so I should be able to catch up on some other assignments that we have as well as my journal writing. I am planning to teach Elder Burgos how to make baked mac and cheese,  and ham as well. So he will enjoy that. He told me this week that when I made the bread pudding that it was the first time that he has ever seen anyone use and oven in his whole life. 

oh and I ate shark fin this week. Just to let you know, it tasted like shark. Also talked to a guy this week that kept trying to tell us that Jesus' real name was Patrick. He was nuts-o

also I heard that Philippines won Miss universe and that there was some kind of huge mistake or something. 

Well for my spiritual insight I would like to share a story from James Rasband BYU

The Analogy of the Forgiving Landlord

To help explain the two sides of the Atonement, let me try a rather homely analogy. Like most analogies and metaphors, it is not perfect in all respects. I hope, though, that it can aid understanding. Suppose I find myself in a home built for me by a very generous landlord. It is a nice home. He encourages me to maintain and improve the home and gives me a number of instructions for making the home a nice place to live. 

Over the years I sometimes improve the home, but other times, through my negligence, I make it worse. One time I flood the home when I fail to set the faucets to drip during a freeze. Another time my kitchen catches fire because I fail to turn off a burner on the stove. A couple of times I lose my temper and put my fist through a wall. In each instance the landlord forgives me and encourages me to pay a little closer attention to my home and to his instructions for making the home a joyful place to live. He does not charge me for the damage caused by my mistakes. Instead, sometimes he is patient while I figure out how to fix things on my own; sometimes he sends someone over to fix the problem; and sometimes I wake up and things are fixed in ways I don’t quite understand.

This same landlord happens to have a son who is quite wayward. The son is always up to no good, and I don’t particularly like or respect him. One night the landlord’s son, as a prank, sets fire to the shed attached to the back of my house. The fire gets out of control, and the entire house burns down. I lose the home. I lose all of my possessions, including some particularly valuable possessions that I can’t replace, such as photos and heirlooms. I’m angry and distraught. I want the no-good son to pay. I want him to fix things and to make me whole. A part of me knows he can’t really make it better. He may not have the resources to rebuild the house, and, even if he could rebuild the house, he can’t retrieve the photos and heirlooms. And that makes me even angrier. As I sit in anger, the landlord comes to visit me. He reminds me that he has promised to take care of me. He promises me that he is willing to rebuild my house. In fact, he says that he will do more than that: he will replace my house with a castle and then give me all that he himself has. He says that this might take a while, but he promises it will happen.

“What’s the catch?” I say.

“Here are the conditions,” he says. “First, you need to put your faith in me and trust that I really will build you that castle and restore all that you have lost. Second, you need to continue to work on implementing the instructions I gave you about keeping up your house. Finally, you need to forgive my arsonist son, just as I have forgiven you all these many years.”

We are commanded to forgive all men, without condition. And as we do that we will be forgiven and receive a greater gift than we ever deserve. We need generously forgive all those who have wronged us and be willing to move on. With the new year, let us forgive anyone and everyone that has wronged us, move on, and receive the blessings of forgiveness in our own lives.

I love you all and I hope you have a great new year!

Hoping it rains,

Elder Schroeder

1. Bread Pudding

2. Bread Pudding with Vanilla Sauce

Another Great Week!!

12/20/15 

Hello Family! 

Wow you guys had quite a week! Busy busy!! We have been busy here too of course. I will be calling about 1-1:30 on  Christmas day here. I will be doing it from the office but there isn't going to be anyone here in the office because it will be closed. It should be really nice though. The internet here should be good and fast, so it seems like it will be good. 

I am thinking about maybe trying to make bread pudding this week or next but I dont know if I will have enough time. Could you send me the recipe for that? then I will see if it is possible. 

Yeah I don't have any pictures of myself in that suit.. I am going to ask around... I think Elder Burgos has it so I will get it from him. Sister Ostler loved it haha. President Ostler was willing haha... but he just said that you do whatever your wife wants you to do. Haha I could tell that he was happy to get out of that santa costume though. 

That story with the Lopez kids is great! It is really good that they were able to earn some money, good experience for them. 

This week was great! It seems like the Christmas  party was already two weeks ago. We also had to do some emergency pick ups for some choir performances near my old area in Makati on Wednesday night.

We got to work a lot this week! It was super great! After having the mission tour and being on Palawan and all of that, it was great to just feel a little bit like a normal missionary for a while. One day this week was super different though.... a big storm came through and it rained all day long on Saturday... and our area flooded in a lot of spots. We really tried hard not to walk in water that was above our ankles but there was one spot that we had to cross that was just a few inches past our ankles. 

Sorry, I replied earlier to everyone else's emails. Elder Burgos had a doctors appointment that we needed to go to. Then we had a meeting in the office right when we got back... and  I  had to translate for an interview with President Duford. 

We just found out a few minutes ago actually. President Hiatt, the former 1st counselor to President Stucki and Ostler. He was called as a mission president. And his assignment is Cauayan mission! Where Taylor served. He is coming here in July or someting like that! And I might get to see him!

Well, I am all out of time. Lots to do, so I will have to cut out my spiritual insight for the week. 

Oh and our baptismal candidate is not ready for baptism yet, so we moved him to January. He is getting really really close though. 

Love you all and I am excited to see you!

Elder Schroeder