Having the time of my life

3.22.2015

Hey!

Another week gone by. Man they are flying by too fast...but I am having the time of my life.

To answer questions first, we have had a setback with Erem, he hasn't come to church the past two weeks so we want to wait until we know he has a testimony of the importance of coming to church so he doesn't come, get baptized, then just stop going. Estino on the other hand is doing awesome! On Saturday we did a service project with him where we built a pig cage, it was super fun. Then he showed up to church the next morning in his white shirt and tie at 8 in the morning. He is seriously the man and is doing so well. He told me that he really wants to be strong again and feels like now is the time where he isn't gonna look back and really endure. We just got to get the rest of his family on track! His wife comes on and off, mainly because of their baby, but there are a few more relatives in that house we will be working with.

There is also a guy named Pako (23) who was strong and then all of the sudden moved out of his family's house and just went super less active, but we felt like we should go by his family's house and there he was after 1 year or so. Just said he felt like it was time to come back and he missed going to church and seeing all of his friends in church. And sure enough he came to church yesterday. We will be working with him to get the Melchizedek Priesthood and go on a mission.

Elder R. has been doing good with the language, just pronounces some stuff wrong but when he gets it right he will be super good. So I actually haven't gotten the boxes yet, or the letter. So maybe it will come today? So you are getting a car for me and Amanda?? haha sweet. Like does that mean we like trade off or...haha jk but thanks you guys are the best! About the sports camp job, Jess just emailed me when the job was posted and saying I should apply for it then I did and they emailed me saying I needed to sign up for an interview time so I told them I am in Chuuk so they said we could Skype haha so at 6am here I skyped them for a total of like 12 mins but I mean hey we will find out if I get the job.

I know this church is true! I have been seeing so many miracles lately and I am so blessed! thank you for all of your love and prayers.

Elder Schroath

Awesome Week!

3.15.2015

Hey!

So here I am to report another week. It was an awesome week! Mainly because I finally got to do normal, real proselyting for the whole week. It was like a big burden was lifted off my shoulders!! Haha tender mercies of the Lord, really.

This time around in Neao I am planning to do stuff a little differently. The first time, I just tried to go out and teach everyone and just baptize everyone and felt like that was the best way to do things. This time after learning a lot from President Zarbock, I am going to slow down and let the Spirit lead me to those I need to teach. It is different in Chuuk, where you don't really need to open
your mouth though that much, mainly because 95% of the time they WILL talk to you just because its culture so we have gone around and get a lot of referrals from members so we can find legit investigators that already have some connection to the church. Instead of talking to a random guy who acts super spiritual and takes it all in but never actually does anything...ha.

So we have already 4 or 5 solid investigators that have come to church at least once. One is a 17 year old guy named Erem. Chiro (going on a mission) is good friends with him and started bringing him to church. So we have been meeting with him and he should be good to be baptized on the 28th of this month.

We have also been meeting with a lot of less actives and striving to get them to keep commitments. Estino and Jean (a family I worked with before) have ever so slightly been starting to come back to the church, and now they are doing super good and their whole family has been here the past two weeks, and Estino has stayed for all three hours. They are doing great, they will be back to full activity this week!

No new elders this transfer. We had 4 elders go home this last transfer and 2 left to Guam so we had to close 3 areas. hopefully the mission will get some big intakes this summer to start reopening areas.

The members were happy to know I was in Neao again. Ha I saw them all the time because they come to the Mwan branch. So really I have been working in the same branch since I left Udot.

Things with Elder R. are super good, he is learning a lot. All the members in Neao tell him that in just a few weeks he will know Chuukese really well. Wow, that is rough about the Vanuatu storms. I don't know if you remember but Elder Garae (comp from Neao) is from Vanuatu, and Elder Hokao (also in our Zone) is from there so I hope their families are doing okay, not sure if they have even heard about the storms. dont worry about us in Chuuk though, storms never really hit here. But hopefully it brings some rain cuz it has been dry the past two weeks.

Well, I will write next week! I love you all!

Elder Schroath

Crazy Transfer

3.8.2015

Hey there!

So it was a crazy transfer ha let me tell you. Anyways so about last week.

I did a couple more exchanges, the first was with Elder Beard in Neao and they had like few investigators so we went around the first day to members and less actives and asked for referrals and we got a ton so that was awesome. We met with Amie (the mother of a less active family Elder Garae and I worked with a lot to reactivate) and while I was in Neao before they had huge family problems and the husband would come home drunk like every day and the kids weren't in school and Remes (18) stopped coming to church and at one point didn't want to go on a mission anymore and it was just a really hard time in their lives. So we worked with them a lot and got them to say family prayers and Amie would always say it was hard to be peaceful and happy in their family so I told them if you can't find any peace at home, find peace in church and church activities and baptisms and whatever else. And then I was transferred from Neao but I would see her at church every other week and she would show up at baptisms with some of her kids and went to Relief Society activities and so on the exchange we went and talked to her and she was so happy! just a happy expression on her face. And her kids weren't home because they were all back in school! She said that her husband still gets drunk sometimes, but only like 2-3 times a month maybe. and overall there is just a happier spirit in their home and we are currently working with Remes to submit his missionary application!! It just taught me about fruits of our labors and when I thought what Elder Garae and I did wasn't enough, turns out the Lord through us really helped change around their lives for the better and they are stronger and happier members now, even though it wasn't immediate. It was awesome.

I also did an exchange in Wichap with Elder Vanisi where for the most part we helped the youth get ready for a special performance on a fireside on Sunday. It was a fun time. The rest of the week we were getting ready for transfers and stuff, and on Sunday Elder Vanisi had to leave Chuuk:( he was one of my best friends out here as well, we started in the same district and when I came to Neao he went to Wichap (next to each other) and was my district leader the rest of his mission so we got pretty close, he will go back to Tonga and I will miss him, he really was a beast of a missionary. All the missionaries that go to his area after him always feel like they have big shoes to fill!

So transfers, a couple days before President called us and asked me if I was getting tired of being Zone Leader haha and I said I was indifferent and he told me he wanted another Elder to step up and get leadership and told me I would be getting a challenge the last two transfers of my mission (as if ZL wasn't enough haha) but I was transferred BACK TO NEAO!!!!!! I am actually whitewashing it as the two elders there got transferred. So I will probably die there! 1 year in the Udot Branch, 1 year in the Mwan Branch. I am one lucky dog!! I am also District Leader there and my companion is Elder Robinson who has been out 6 months and is really struggling with the language. I am really excited to work with him and teach him out to be the best missionary he can. He was the second ever born on Udot so he is like blood to me hahah we are going to do work!! I am so excited! So yeah I am still inner island so I will email. It was a crazy transfer cuz 3 areas were temporarily closed due to lack of missionaries and 4 areas were whitewashed. But it will be good! A fresh start for Chuuk. I think that is about it for me, um mom if you could send me some more of that protein that would be awesome!! I love you!!

Elder Schroath

Mission Leader Conference

Trip to Guam

3.1.2015

Hi Mom!

So questions first, yes I got the boxes you sent and Devin sent. They were very much appreciated, they are the only things that keep me sane;) haha but really though they were awesome, i am surprised you didn't come up with the seal fresh cookies earlier!

Guam was super good like always, the meetings were good and really we are getting training on helping out new inexperienced missionaries cuz that is all we will have in a few months, crazy. This transfer on Sunday might be kind of crazy, not really sure yet on any details.

We are hoping to go contact all our referrals this week and build up our teaching pool again. None of our investigators from before have come to church so I am guessing we might just drop them all. It's been rough from the work side of things, but I feel like in a few weeks or months that Chuuk will really take off again.

I love you!

Elder Schroath

(email to Dad)

BYUUUUUUUUUU wow I am so glad to hear that. Too bad like none of the missionaries care for college basketball and Chuukese people don't know what it is so i can't rub it in anyones face but just know I am happy to hear it and can't wait to hear about the next matchup in the conf finals.

News for Chuuk...still working on getting problems sorted out and trying to look for the future, we are trying to build up Chuuk the right way so things are getting slow with focusing a lot on helping the leaders and the branches run well. Well, I love you dad!

Elder Schroath