Already Preparation Day!?

Hello!

This week has flown by! Hope all is well back home in Katy/Houston, Pleasant Grove/Orem/Provo, Sunnyvale/Palo Alto/Stanford. I love you all!

BIG thing of the week....AH! I gave a talk yesterday!!! WHAT THE?! Week 2. The Branch Mission Leader and 1st I think or 2nd counselor in the Branch Presidency is really cool. His name is Marius. And his mission papers are in and should be getting his call anytime soon. I think he is about 20, just a little older than me. But he asked me to give it Thursday during our District Mtg/Correlation Mtg. It was a good experience. And I'll get to there soon. :) Also big things, stuck in Sibiu after Training Meeting for 2 hours. Pretty cold but not shivering. Eating Spanish and Chinese food while in Romania. Weather wise it really cooled down latter end of the week. But I like it, get to actually use my coat! and other jackets and pants. Shopping list, need ear muffs and sweats.

So this past week I'll just go through the days! I have a feeling the e-mails will be a lot of the same things but I'll try to include neat experiences, good lessons, contacts, and everything like that. Sound good? I thank you for all the e-mails Dad and Mom. And letters and support everyone gives me. It really helps.

Last Preparation Day, after e-mail went and ate in Centru (middle of town....uh or center) We went there. Me, Elder Betteridge and the Sisters, Sisters Puckett and Walker. Went and ate at a Spanish restaurant, Dos Amigos, think it was spanish, not sure. I got a 20 (little less than 7 dollars) taco soup, burrito, and apple cake/pie creation. It was pretty good and that is a pretty good deal. Right now, I think that dollar may be going up? Nu stiu ( I dont know) but it's like 1 dollar = 3 ron/lei (FYI) After lunch went shopping at Kaufland, like Costco/Wal Mart Europized. Right next to church. And there are a lot of stores or different sorts. "Carrefour" right there. Then went home, dropped off groceries. For checkout line we had to buy or bags to carry our groceries?! What?! Bought three and I tried a chocolate bar, "Lion" Bar. Pretty good, similar to a KitKat. Then after we dropped by Gabi, wasn't home. Knocked a couple blocuri/blocks. Then went over to the Trefan family, really nice, read with them from 3 Nephi 11. Need to set up another time with them. Get them baptized. Really nice couple. Hopefully they'll keep the interest going. Learn more. And pray! Reading and wanting to know is key! Then Prayer is what counts. After that we went home.

Tuesday: Pretty good day. 3 lessons. Woke up and went running. Went to Parcul Tractorul and did a little contacting, met really cool guy, smoking and drinking a cup of coffee or tea. Sincere and had experiences in Italy with Jehovah's Witnesses. Everybody asks us if we are them! And sometimes don't even give a chance to tell them who we are! But this man, name was Iulian, lives out in a little town just south east of Brasov. Sacele. Met up a time to teach him again. Then we went to referrels Christen and Bezgiu. Both not interested and we knocked a bloc or two around them. Then we went and had some lunch. Just some sandwiches. Salami, cheese, tomato! (yes I did have some) and mayonnaise too, with bread. Made some area book calls, Elder Betteridge did the calling. I took a nap. Then we went to the church. Stopped my Mihai's mici (meat) stand. Wasn't there. His Dad was working. Then we taught Marius Bogdon, real potential the 1st lesson, and then taught an english student Graier Adrian. Committed him to read and meet again. 1st lesson. Then we had English class. Taught future tense I think and about how to tell time. Good show, about 30 people. I don't really say much, but people we ask me how to say stuff in English and I'll tell them. After English, No Eujun or Buium lesson that we had planned. Said hi to Mihai who was working (right by church, Carrefour). But getting on the bus we met an English guy. The church is at the end/beginning of a bus line so the driver always takes a break. We were sitting on the bus. And this American I should say who speaks English came up to us, and wanted to know more about our church, he is studying here in Europe, from Louisiana. So we talked a little bit. Really cool guy. Kinda a lesson. Talked a lot about Free masons. and he knew a bunch about that. It was funny. And might eat Thanksgiving with him or something. After that went home for the night.

Wednesday: After studies. Went to church and talked to people walking by. Tried to invite them to come in and teach them about our church. No success. Iulian canceled who we met yesterday. Didn't go out to Sacele. After church a bit, went home, made some rice and ate with carrots and peas. Pretty good. It's fun cooking and at the same time a hassle. I like it though for the most part. Comsa family gave us back the BOM. What the?! You gotta read it! Then no Gabi-wasn't home. Then area book calls. took another nap. I AM ALWAYS TIRED. We walk a lot and the days we go running i seem to be a little more tired but not really. basically the same always. After calls went over to Mihai, said he would read what we gave him. Alma 7:11-16. And found out next day he DID. Haven't been able to meet yet at his house. Then at church we had a lesson with Ivan. Recent convert. Strong. Girlfriend, soon to be wife was baptized the same day but in Bucuresti. Good lesson and he asked some deep doctrine questions, Priesthood, Millenium, Ressurection. Stuff I had no idea about in English or Romanian.

Thursday: Running. Studies. Packed for overnight in Sibiu (2.5 hours away) Garments and toiletries and all that stuff! Went to Mihai again. Said he read. Then played some ping pong with Companion and Marius (Branch Mission Leader) and played the piano a little bit before District Mtg. with the Sisters. That went well. Talked about how to begin teaching and all our investigators. Then had lunch with them just at the church. Sandwiches. Then we went to the park by our house contacted some. Then went to blocuri (Dona) wasn't home. Knocked her neighbor blocs. Then had a lesson with Daniel, who was contacted a while ago by older Elders here. Good lesson. I taught about profets and apostasy! :\ It was slow but he understood the gist of it. Then he had a car and offered to take us up to the Gara or Train Station. Bought some viva snacks! I really like them. Especially for cereal in the morning. Like a chocolate....i don't know. Chocolate cereal. Then we got our bus/maxi-taxi smaller than a bus, big van/small bus. And went to Sibiu with Sisters of course. We got there and took a taxi to the Elders there. Met them, pretty cool guys. Elder Schafer and Elder Harvey who was in Elder Betteridge's District from the MTC. Talked some then went to bed.

Friday was good. Had training meeting. With our Zone. Elders and Sisters from Cluj-Napoca, Sibiu, and Brasov (6 zones in our mission...this coming week, is zone conference where we meet with 3 zones) Before meeting got beat by Elder Schafer in Ping Pong, bought a paddle here and has played a lot. I am still rusty, haven't played in forever and I am used to my paddle, no excuses. I know. At meeting met Elder Nemrow from MTC and Elder Kebkar, both or whom are in Cluj. Meeting was good. We talked about 8 points from Preach My Gospel about how to become better teachers. Talked about "Our Pupose: The Doctrine of Christ," "Holy Ghost," and "Book of Mormon" I forget direct titles but that's basically it. Talked about those the whole day with President Lundberg and we took lunch break where we had some Chinese food, had chicken with bamboo and rice. Pretty good and with some suc/juice. For meeting we would role play and practice teaching, watch some videos from Preach My Gospel videos, "District 2" great learning tool seeing other missionaries doing the same thing. Then after the meeting, we went to the autogara (bus station - intercity and also coutry) our bus was full! NOOOOOOOO and the next bust was 2 hours plus away. :( so we had to wait for that time just sitting talking and we bought some snacks from the store, I had a delicious croissant covered in chocolate, joe (wafer chocolate treats) bread as always - staple of life! some water, and oreos. On bus, bourne identity finished up and then 21 started playing, both not the best movies but good ones. I tried and fell asleep like RIGHT before we got into Brasov. Tried not to watch the movies. But did a little bit.

Saturday was excellent! didn't really plan much for it but it was a good day none the less. Got back late last night 11:30 or so and still woke up at 6:30 so tired!!!!!!!!! Studies, wrote about half my talk. For personal and language study. Went to church, taught English. Words having to do with work and jobs. THen no lesson with ghita or nicu, went to mihai had some mici, pretty cold, then went home bought bread and tomato, had lunch, sandwiches. Then we went over to Bartolomeu and found a really awesome guy. Ovidui. Older maybe only 45 or 50. Married. Lives a little outside of Brasov. About 35-45 minutes I think Fagaras. Really interested and had a great lesson with him. Then towards the end, his nephew comes in and starts bashing us (He's an adventist) and Ovidui just walks out of the room. Doesn't say anything. The nephew like 25 or 28 throws out scripture. Sabbath on Saturday...i dont even know. He talked so fast and my companion talked to him. I just sat there.

Sunday: church just took it out of me. I was the first talk. Passed the Sacrament again with Marian. His Dad Gheorghe never made it to church but he was totally free today! Said he had to pick up his computer at the shop. UGH! Ovidui-we invited to church but he didn't come either, but....Marius Bogdon did come to church. He said he enjoyed it. My talk went well. On power of prayer, read some scriptures, read from true to the faith, and preach my gospel, scrips: matt 7:7, isaiah 55:8-9, Revelation 3:20, and Alma 37:37. Like each of those. After church met with Marius and taught him a lesson, he only stayed for the first hour. Sunday School taught youth about word of wisdom. Then Priesthood I was dozing off, I was so tired. Trying to understand. Maybe fell asleep for 5 minutes. After lesson with Marius. Went home had sweet lunch, Love SUnday lunch/dinner to break our fast everyweek. Had pancakes, and biscuits yummy yummy! Then made area book calls. Then went out to Mircea in Sacele. Good lesson with him, his son in law and daughter were so close to joining the church a while back. Hopefully Mircea will get baptized. He has potential for sure. Then we came home knocked some blocks by our house. Then finished up weekly planning we started yesterday (usually Friday but got pushed back because of training mtg) Then bed!

Overall it was a good week but we can do better and our lessons need to follow through. I hope all our investigators will have that desire to be baptized and want to learn more. I love you all I love this gospel. Hope you have a great week. I miss you and will be sure and take pictures of course!

By the way in my morning Studies. Personal Study reading a little bit or I try to read a chapter in Jesus the Christ (Talmage) I am now on Chapter 9 and really enjoying it. Learning a lot. Then I read a chapter in Book of Mormon in English, restarted that, today I read 1 Nephi 3-6. Really like Chapter 6. His purpose! Then in Romanian I also try to read a chapter, today read 2 Nephi 1.

Love,

Elder Schroedter

And PS. If you would forward it to the 5 teachers? Multumesc frumos! Va iubesc!