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

The Past is Behind Us!

What's done is done, and all we can really do is learn from it, fix the mistakes we can, and do better next time. Life goes up and down, and we can't only dwell on the good times in the past, thereby inhibiting our growth and future lives. Of course, what happens in the past is very important and we learn so much from it, but we need to make the future. We won't be making any good future of ours, only just talking and thinking about oh how good it was back in the day. We have to live in the present, doing what we need to do now so that we can make the future what we want, and making it what it was in the past. So many people dwell on the past and can't move on. There was a great lesson I learned when I was in Bucuresti the second time around and that is from another missionary, who is from the Republic of Moldova. Past, Present, and Future. All are important. But I would say the present in the most important. The past is gone, learn from it. The present is here, live it. And the future is coming, prepare for it. Time is a valuable thing for sure. Make the most of everyday and make the change, if you can. You can't control everything, but you just have to meet the trails and problems of life with positivity and hope. You CAN control how you react and how you think.

Things are going well here in Timisoara. Nothing is perfect, but it's on its way to perfection. I love Timisoara so much. It's such a beautiful city, and so many nice and open people. The members here are awesome. And there is hope. It is never lost. I have my work cut out for me and I am simply trying to do my best. I want to leave this place, better than I found it and with the help of other missionaries and others it'll happen. We meet with a few investigators, but they aren't quite as interested as when I was here a year ago. This Saturday, we were up in Oradea for a training and I got a lot out of it. Hope for the future. A vision.

Life is great. I love my companion and my District is great. Lots of help from others and it makes it a lot easier.

Anything is possible, and nothing is ever too hard to accomplish. I hope you all are doing great. Take care this week!

Round Two in Timisoara

 It was great seeing and talking to all of you two days ago. :)

 

Happy mother's day mom, again, hope it was a great day for you. Sorry I couldn't make it and be there with you. Next time? sound ok.

 

It was a sad and happy week. I hate good byes. It was harder than ever to leave Mihai Bravu. So many members, that i have come to love and get to know better. I am already excited for the day that i'll get to go back and see them all again. Hopefully next summer? Monday, almost everyone went paintballing with leaving elders too, but me and Elder Taylor (who was in Oradea before) we went on a little exchange and did some service for a older member here and helped her move and move small tables and other things from one apartment to the next. super cool, because right by the Cismigiu Park (where country was dedicated) the member was one of the first here in Romania. She told us how basically the first discussions were given in her apartment and i was right there. missed paintball, but the service was way better. i know i said it earlier, but i'll say it again, some missionaries don't really understand and i am not putting myself on a pedestal, but i didn't come on a mission for p-days. some people, have to have the perfect p-days, but we forget it's to prepare for the week. i love giving service. then monday night, i said goodbye to the firaru family. i love them so much. husband and wife and two boys are members. i helped translate for some of the first aaronic priesthood - deacon quorums and i'll miss them a lot. then tuesday, finished packing and then, met up with a couple other members and investigators. then wednesday, spending time at the gara, one last visit to subway, greeting all the other missionaries, i hadn't seen in months. met my new companion, Elder Martin, from Orem, Utah. said goodbye to elder Green. then went on a mini exchange with Elder McBride, super cool guy, companions with Elder Taylor, previously above mentioned. And then our train left wednesday night, as opposed to last time when i was here with just 4 elders, my second transfer in Arad, sisters replaced a set of elders. and then just last transfer, another set of elders was put here. So apparently I am district leader, organize district meetings, every tuesday. Elder Martin is my comp. Sisters are Sora Zimmerman, 2nd transfer here. And Sora Bulloch, just transferred from Brasov. And Elder Cox was whitewashed here last transfer, training Elder Ward. Everyone is pretty cool, i don't know any of them except for companion already, who i served with (same district in Mihai Bravu, he was with Elder Lee just for one) Things are going good. met with a couple people and talked to them on the phone, when I was here. Hopefully, they still will want to meet up. And lots of people, that I can't contact, but need to find!

 

With Branch President, I will be doing interviews for people, making callings, visiting everyone, conducting sacrament meeting, giving talks and givning out talk assignments, doing the finances, and some other things as well. it's quite a bit of stuff to do, but i won't let it overwhelm me. I am excited and happy to be back. I love the members and I already have the relationship with them. I want the branch to get back on it's feet and hopefully i'll be the last branch president missionary. hopefully, i'll be able to find my replacement among the members.

 

A week of work. Hope you are all doing well. Love you all. Take care and be happy.

 

Love,

 

Elder Schroedter

Hey. Just so you know, lots of people don't have the greatest view of the country I am in, but I have such a great view of this country. I have seen lots of things and poorer circumstances than here in Romania and I just love this country so much and want it to be successful and be happy. People aren't choosing to be happy, but I do understand. I love my mission so much and the people I have come to know and meet on the streets, in the apartment flats, at church, and in the parks. I love my experiences here and I have learned a lot from them and gotten to know myself better and to become a better person and a happier person. A more grateful person. My time is slowly coming to an end, but I am grateful for all those who have supported me, put up with me as their companion, and the patience of members and people around me. I love being a missionary and bringing others closer to God. People honestly don't understand the message, until they read from the Book of Mormon. I love the people here and want to keep making a difference. Simply making the invitation to others and giving them the choice. Everyone has a choice to accept or not. 

Hey Family, I love you so much. Marissa. I am so proud of you and for you getting married. Wish I could be there, but in Spirit I will be there and some of my thoughts will be thinking of you in a few days more than ever. I am grateful for you and your example. I love you all Dad and Mom. Shelby and Garrett and Marissa and Grant and Caleb. You mean everything to me.

Have a great week you all. Take care and be happy. Always.

Teaching the "Plan of Salvation" with sidewalk chalk. Enjoying his 'Subway'.