Saying Goodbye, and Saying Hello. I am all to used to it!!

This past week, the dearly beloved Elder Martin left me for the land of Sibiu. Timisoara will be different without him and Elder Ward too and Sora Zimmerman too. But I am excited to be working with my new companion Elder Ealy, who has been in the country about three months. Elder Green, M. from my MTC group is also here with me who is with Elder Cox, M. And Sora Hosking is here with Sora Bulloch. It's a new transfer and new district. And we have some good ideas and goals for the upcoming transfer. Things are happening and hopefully they all happen. Martin left for Bucuresti Tuesday night. We said goodbye to English students and some investigators and members. Then I spent the day with Elder Cox all of Wednesday, we had a good exchange and met some cool people. Then met Elder Ealy thursday morning. Took us a while to get a taxi, helped the others and sisters first. Then we finally got one right out outside of the gara. Went home, dropped off our stuff and went to a member's house to help him out with a couple things. It was really great to see a member from Arad on Friday, he is here for a week working on a house, one of my favorite members for sure and we went and visited him where he's working and it went well. I love the members here so much in Arad, Brasov, Timisoara and Bucuresti.

Next week English will be starting up again. Hopefully we'll have a lot of students!

This week we also have some activities planned and hope to have a good turnout from members and non-members.

The Church is true. The Gospel is restored in its fulness. Read and pray.

I love you all.

Love,

Elder Schroedter

A New Look, Village Visiting, Badminton in the Rain.

So this week seemed like it just flew by. Monday was fun, we just went to a random village not too far away and we went exploring and got some cool pictures and had some fun memories and saw interesting things. The village is called Vinga.

Then Tuesday for english class we couldn't hold it in the church vila because the painters were occupying it all week Monday to Friday. And there was a free room, but just not three. So we decided to do English in the park right by the church, next to the Bega Canal going through town and we just chatted with a few of our students and really didn't do anything special. We brought out the badminton sets and about 15 minutes into the game it starts to rain. About 12 of us were playing and then it dwindled down to Me, Ward, and Zimmerman and Bulloch. It kept gradually getting worse and worse the rain and we kept playing and playing and then it was just too bad and we had to stop. We took temporary shelter under the tree and waiting for it to die down...it didn't, so we book it over to the net, take it down real quick and gather all the stuff. Cox stayed back with us at this point. The others already took shelter right by the Flora restaurant. So then we dashed over to the cover point. And we set up camp for about 15 minutes. Finally died down and we went to the church, dropped off the packages and continued our evening like nothing happened. A great day. Tuesday night, coming home, fairly late through Centru, I meet none other than Caruntu and we set up for the next day.

But the next day came and Caruntu was not there. We planned to meet up right after school, but something happened and he wasn't able to come. He doesn't have a phone, but he does have our number. I'll see him again. He lives here in Timi with Razvan and nearly a year later and a week, crazy that I ran into him again. I also met Razvan, but we haven't been able to meet up since.

The church looks great. Ene from ploiesti was here and did a lot of little things that makes the church look great. Thanks!

We had a good turnout at a karaoke activity we did for English students, not as many people showed up as we were planning but it went and met some new faces that the students invited themselves.

Things are going well. This week is transfers, I'll miss Elder Martin. It was great serving with him, someone my age. Both able to share the work load. He really helped me a lot with the branch and just how to make things run. I love him and wish him the best in Sibiu. Might see him again while I am in Utah. I will be serving as of this Thursday with Elder Ealy. He is in Ward's group, and Ward is leaving me too to Ploiesti. And Zimmerman is leaving to Chisinau. Hosking will be here with Bulloch. And Elder Green, from my group will be here with Elder Cox. This District was a great one. Lots of different personalities, but we had a lot of fun and enjoyed the time together. Enjoy the journey.

I love Romania so much. The work is tough and hard, but it is rewarding. Put Your Shoulder(s) to the Wheel. One or two.

I love you family and friends.

Love,

Elder Schroedter

A Jammed Thumb, Singing Karaoke, and Speaking Romanian.

Hello hello, is there anything I can do for you? achtung! Life goes well and things are just great. This past week went really well. We had a great exchange me with Elder Cox, one of the other Elders here in Timisoara last Wednesday and also on that same day we did a thing Zone Wide (Us, Arad, and Oradea) we did an English Fast, where we only spoke Romanian all day! And it went really well. Sometimes, I wanted to speak English really bad but, I just had to think how to say it in Romanian and we did well. I almost spoke no English at well.

Thursday we played some basketball with some of our English students and towards the end/middle of playing. I was going for a steal, threw my hand and the pass was pretty quick and it just nails my right hand thumb and it hurt so so so bad. If you remember dad and marissa. At my graduation with the much needed jumping picture and coming down from the jump, hitting my thumb on your leg Dad, jammed it pretty well and ever since June 2009 it hasn't been the same and nearly 3 years later to the day, I make it worse. It is just a little swollen and nothing serious. Just can't bend it or feel it. But other than that, really it's great. I actually finished the basketball game, we lose because of it. And then I went to playing soccer, and did great in goalie with just one hand. haha but seriously the thumb is so much better than what it was, still hurts, but it'll be fine. DON'T WORRY! Relax.

For an activity Saturday night, we did a Karaoke night with us missionaries and invited our english classes. Not the best turnout, but it went well and everyone had a lot of fun. There are some really great Romanian songs I love to listen to and we sang a few of them Saturday night. Us 6 missionaries. And surprise appearance by the office elders from Bucuresti. And english students.

The office elders were here because we were changing servers for our cell phones. Orange is pretty well known here in Europe and we recently just changed to Cosmote. And without having our new phones the contract ended with Orange last Friday which really was inconvenient, because we weren't able to call anyone to invite them to activities and to meet up with them. But it was just for over a day we didn't have phones. I wondered how the early missionaries did it with no phone, just the clothes of their back and maybe a bible and book of mormon. I am grateful for my day in age, for medicine and a healthy body, and the gift from God to know Romanian to the level at which I know it. I am blessed.

We are all blessed. Keep counting them everyday.

Have an amazing week.

-Elder Schroedter

Time Presses On!

 We went biking last pday around Timisoara. The sisters from Arad came down to hang out with our sisters, we the 4 of us went together.

 Then also we had a zone conference this past week up in Arad. Sad because we had to go right from the gara straight to the church to the hotel then to the church, then back to the gara to come home. But I was able to meet up with a friend, a neighbor that we talked to a lot.

I can't believe it's been nearly a month since I have been here in Timisoara. Things are going well. I love the city a lot. Great missionaries here. And some great members. We are just trying our best. Not a whole lot more that we can do. I love this work and wish things were better, but it is how it is. We have to make the best use of our time. I know people are out there looking for the true gospel and I know we will find them. All in due time...all in God's plan and time. Endure and all things shall work together for your good. We have a lot of investigators and I have met up with a couple of mine since being back, but no one is really progressing as we would like them to, but we are still meeting with people and making phone calls and contacting on the streets and in the parks. I know the church it true. Yesterday was a great church meeting with the Wahlquist family there and also the Hill's. I bore a simple first testimony of the meeting and helped translate for President and Sora Hill. Sundays are always such a busy day. The Zone Conference in Arad was great. I feel like I know exactly how to do missionary work, but the thing that it's hard to have control over is finding the investigators, or maybe just my faith is too weak. Just keep going on. Missionary work is tough and I would rather it be tough, than easy. If it was easy, than...well I really don't know what to say. It'd just be too easy. It's hard for a reason. Makes us grow spiritually and closer to God. It has always been tough and difficult, but this work will go on and this church will grow.

I love you all. Take care. Make the best of everyday and don't let a day go by where you don't learn something from someone else and teach someone a lesson or two. Be happy.

Love,

Elder Schroedter

Hey Everyone,

Hope all is well with you all. Life is great as always here in Romania. Companion, Elder Martin is awesome and the branch here in Timisoara is doing well. This past week, had a great opportunity to visit a former city of mine, known as Arad. It was great being back! Able to meet up with some members and saw some familiar faces. I love Arad so much. As I do Timisoara, it is a great city and I just love walking down the streets to and from our apartment, saying Hi to our usual people we see on the street and stores. This past week it rained some, not as bad as two weeks ago. It rained forever! English started up, me and Martin are teaching the advanced class. We combined Tuesday but actually had students Saturday. Visited some members and investigators. We played some basketball and made some friends over by the campus close to centru (center of town) and building some friendships over there. We're going to make it a regular thing, playing basketball and hopefully soccer too. Trying to get permission from the city hall to be able to do street boarding and also trying to find places to give service. And other than that, walking on the streets, finding, finding, finding, going through parks, meeting up with the others and thinking outside the box to find those who are ready for the Gospel. Remember to keep a good attitude and outlook on life, don't try and forget and not even recognize the hardships and trials, but meet them with positivity and keep going on! Don't let the trials bring you down. Choose to be happy and have fun. Be joyful always. Because life is beautiful, in all aspects.

Take care. And keep doing the small and simple things that matter most.

With much love,

Elder Schroedter