Akory Aby [nothing new] 28-Sep-2015

Hello Friends and Fam,

I am sorry for my absence of words, but my absence of work is no where to be found. I am just tryin' to kill it and give the Lord everything every week.. Things are great here. First things first, happy birthday to Kristi and Jonathan! (last tuesday?) love y'all, and also to sweet little Millie. I miss you cutie. gettin' so old (5). Oh secondly, I recently got two letters here! that doesn't happen much! One was from the Katy Third Ward (or whatever the name is now Grand Lakes or something) and the other from Emily Field. Just a heads up. I got 'em. probably came a couple weeks ago, but i just went to the office last Tuesday. responses to come...maybe. haha

Anyways, I am still in Ivandry. which is in Tana. Rich is still in Tamatave. I had an interview with president the other day and he may have mentioned we could be companions haha that would be sweet if rich could kill me out here! (be my last companion) he's doing great. I talk to him twice a week of so now a days. He's a great missionary, Elder Bassett.  

More about the area real quick. Another plus thirty hour teaching and finding week, with over 40 lessons again. hard work. the desire to quit increased each day. but no. not this time Satan. push through. smile. have a good time. serve. i love it. service with a smile. if you are truly serving, that smile will never be forced.

Agency is great. I can teach so many lessons but i cant pray for you. i can work so many hours but i cant drag you to church. The message is simple! learn, pray, search! just do it. your life will be changed for ever.

So a couple cool stories. Elder Cooley and I tracted into a two neighbors a while ago then he left. It turns out those two neighbors are brother and sister. and it turns out that pretty much every other neighbor by them is fam. we recently started teaching another sister and a nephew. the nephew has since dogged us every time and lied to us about not being home and ya ya ya. thanks chief. but the work is going well. i love it.

Another one...i forgot it. this message has been cut in about 4 piece. the current couldn't support the computer i was on so it died like three times then i switched to another one and then that died twice. #ThirdWorldProbs sorry peeps.

Oh last thing! i almost got in a fight this week! it was way funny. So last night i was walking to our last time at about 7 at night. it was already dark and I'm just walking up the busy path. a guy walking towards me outta no where cuts into a chest bumps and says "Miseur" and I push him off me like "ataovy serie letsy e!" (be serious dude) and he studders like four feet backwards cause he's drunk haha and he starts coming towards me again but luckily for him his friends stopped him haha another shove and he woulda been on the ground haha i dropped my pen and one of his friends helped me find it and was like "sorry man, have a good night" and me and my comp just laughed about it. thats the closest I've been to danger here. so dont worry.

I got some pics this week. But only from my comp. I lent my camera to our first counselor in the Bishopric. He got married last week and today hes going to South Africa to get sealed in the temple! good for Haja. solid guy. served a mission in Congo a year or two ago. anyways I got pics of a service thing we did for an investigator. and some other stuff.

i love you!

love,

Elder Grant Schroedter

we played soccer a few weeks back against ankorondrano. we got destroyed haha they got new jerseys so we used their old ones.

 

one member in our ward literally has an american house. they have a pool. this is her sons wardrobe. hey batman.

 

the district. probably the most diverse one youll ever get. only one ute. one texan. a californian. a philipino. and a new zealander. oh and my malagasy.

 

building benches. we cut long wooden sticks. into smaller sticks with a hachet or saw then used the hachet to make em into points. 

 

thanks boy scouts. and thanks mission for giving me no endurance in my arms... 

cutie

 

Elder Calimpong choppin

 

our ballin investigator - Heritiana. Solid guy. stallion.

look whose in tana. the middle two i knew from mahajanga

 

sunset.

 

oh Marinah. cheesin.

14 Sep 2015 Message - Pictures - Tsisy Vaovao‏

14-Sep-2015

      Dad, I loved your pics -- you've got crazy travel plans, holy cow you are going everywhere (San Fran, Portugal, NY). that's awesome. did i get a keychain? haha..   sorry i dont have much time.  still gotta send some pics for everyone. and i gotta make some brownies here soon (we call it mofo kadradraka) aka cockroach bread haha good stuff.

      Oh yeah, the Mahajanga story. so i get a call Saturday morning from the elders out there. he calls me and tells me he had a meeting with the branch president. but he never ended up showing. The Branch President apparently had gone for a swim. so the next morning they get a call from the counselor in the mission presidency telling them that the branch president drowned and passed away.  they had to go indentify the body and stuff and it was really sad. i loved Filoha Tahina.  he was a young guy. His wife just gave birth to their first child the day i left mahajanga so he is only like 9 weeks old right now. the wife is only 24. oh its way sad. i hope they are ok. death happens. God has a plan.

Mahajanga Branch President Filoha Tahina and his wife

     i love this work dad. i love these people. i love God. i love you.

     love,

Eldera Schroedter

Tsisy Vaovao‏

       Nothing new according to the title of this message. Just pics and love. oh and work. my other missionary friends will be annoyed but 30 plus hours of teaching and finding and 41 lessons. and a baptism. take that Satan!  hahahaha have a great week and enjoy the pics! love yall!

gettin the mane cut. guy stopped there and went and grabbed something and i got a lil scared haha

what keeps me organized. the areas. the people. the map.

cleaning the church.

girls cleaning. me taking pics haha

during the bap. taking pics. organ. songs programmed in. i wish i stuck with the learning.

anyone else digging the matching suspenders and pants? holy cow. style. Liazy! aka the bap candidate.

just workin my comp to sleep.

yes we are in the girls bathroom. it had the best lighting for pics!

the plaque i wear vs the one i dont...dang it tana. dirty.

cool.

hes literally mexican haha

these adorable things are my weakness.

coaxing his sipa.

Tsimahagaga. Just got back from Congo. his mission.

a view of tana.

the planner.

my ap's signature. itll be worth millions one day.

De Ahoana Misama‏

Hey Friends and Fam, how are you? been awhile since some info about life out here. nothing really new here. We killed it in stats this week though. enough being lazy! first of all, happy birthday to my beloved brother Taylor L Schroedter. stallion. hes on a cruise right now. yes i'm a lil jealous ha ha been a long time since water and what not.

so here's the vaovao from this week. we did work this week. taught 12 father led families (a big stat for us here-teaching the whole fam and whatnot) we got nearly 30 hours of teaching and contacting time. and had a good time with it too. 

cool story of the week. We are walking to the church to go teach english on wednesday. we hear this scream, don't think anything of it. we walk about 3 or four minutes down this path and here "Elders! Elders!" we turn around and see this African girl (coulda been malagasy) and she starts speaking french too us, and we're like great...so in malagasy we say, uhhh no. then she speaks english and has been like "i've been looking for you guys forever! please come back to my house real quick! please please please." so we reluctantly follow here. she refers to us as mormons (not common) and never as missionaries. so ok...we get back to the place we heard the scream (it was her but she never called out elder or anything...)so we go up to this way  way way nice apartment. and shes like hold on, she goes into her room and brings out a bom trip deck and a little new testament study guide in french and me and Elder Cooley are just like"...what??" and shes like "oh i'm a member! i am from cameroon. i'm so happy to finally find you guys. i got here on saturday. wheres our church?" and we end up sharing a lil spiritual thought and talk a lil bit and it was way weird cause the whole time we are holding back malagasy and unable to speak english. ha ha her name is Yolange. she is working here or something. we picked her up for church and we had some mahay french speakers translate for her. she had a good time. way cool experience.

besides that...just work! finding new people and having a good time about it! we have 7 soareès planned this week...YES! people like my companion and we got a lot of dinner times ha ha transfers are next week! i have a strong feeling i will be training. way excited! oh also this past week we went on a split with the zone leaders. (who work in my old tana area) BUT i got chosen to stay in my area so my comp could go out there. had a lotta fun though. i went with Elder Covey! we came in country together and went on a split about this time (add two weeks) last year down in antsirabe. we are a lotta better at malagasy now thank goodness ha ha i love that kid. it was fun! oh yeah and we had a baptism! Sr Suzanne! she is a way cool lady that has been learning for about four months. way good spirit. way cordial and i love her! Elder Cooley baptized her this past saturday. it was a good experience!

and today we played soccer in the morning. we lost. it was 8 on 8 on a big field for only that many. it was way fun. we lost though 8-6 (i scored 4. confidence boost.) like i sent last week, i got new cleats and its weird to wear cleats again. it felt so goooood. way better at kickin. got a lil scratched on one of the goals i scored but no worries cause i scored right? ha ha

well, work hard! play harder during that time. don't let life get too serious. don't forget who you are and what you are doing here. if you don't know what you are doing here talk to the missionaries in your area. i love you all! stay sweet!

Eldera Sorodera 

Few Words for the blog Followers...busy in a new Area - Ivandry

Few Words in August 2015, but lots of pictures of the people and country he's grown to love!

 Saying Good Byes to friends in Mahajanga

 So long Mahajanga...back to the capital and the Ivandry area

 New Companion Elder Cooley - great camaraderie from Day 1

 Kids love having their picture taken

 Elders and Sisters smiles--not much better than that

 plan, plan, plan with the planners

 Investigators - gent on the right to be baptized this weekend

 Grant loves the little one!

 New suit for < $50....

inside lining is stylin!

Back to 'Tana - Ivandry!‏

Hello fam and dearest friends,

hows it going? not much to say this week! im in a new area and im back in the capitol of Antananarivo. youd be amazed how fast and fluid i can say that now. ill have to wow you later. but my area is called Ivandry. and its reminding of America everyday. weve got the tallest building in Mada right by our house. (over thirty stories) its called the Orange Tower (not Orange but orange is the name of the cell company here) i have no idea how malagasies contructed that but it looks safe. i really wanna go up it haha theres also the ivandry mallwhich is literally an american mall and i have been in it once and i dont ever wanna go back. wow. 

my new comp is awesome. his name is Elder Cooley and he is from Pleasant Grove Utah. hes a stud. we were pretty good friends before (hes only a transfer after me) but now we are definitely bestfriends. we are already super close. its awesome. hes a little like chase but not but is haha no fannypack though. Besides that there is really not much to say.  Just living and loving out here! Oh i didnt get the chance to see Rich darn it. I flew in late Thursday night and by that time he had already left with his trainer out to tamatave which is on the east coast of mada. hes with Elder Koplin! my friend back in the mtc. i also lived with him for 3 months or so. Good for them! 

Anyways i love you all! have a great week! be safe. stay sweet.

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera

Grant and the good people of Madagascar!!

Lasa avy @ Paradisa‏

Tena malahelo ny foko nefa fantako fa misy ny fahafahana mifankatia olon-kafa sady hanao zavatra be dia be ho an'ny mpikambana, naman'ny fiangonana, ary ny misônera hafa.

Well you got google translate good luck! unless you happen to speak malagasy. mazatoa!

So this week was full of pics and memories and work. I am having mixed emotions. I am leaving Mahajanga this week but i love it so much, but i need to leave. im ready, but not. different reasons pulling me to stay and others telling me to leave. (one of those being the fact that the mission president is in charge of transfers and i dont wanna disobey him...haha) but hey there are a lotta things new. not really but this is what i got!

We took a ton of pics this week (all to come). First off, a couple of the apostles have passed away. Boyd K. Packer and L. Tom Perry. okay so thats pretty old, but not one person had emailed me and told me. so thanks guys. i dont know whose gonna tell me when im in Mahajanga, Madagascar. luckily someone mentioned to my comp about a week after each of em haha anyways, continuing on. So we had a few soareè's this week and that was way fun. I love these members and thankfully they love me! (i think) We had some baptisms this past Saturday (thankfully i was salama tsara this past week except one day we went home early cause i ate some bad sikay...mivalina...lol) anyways it was a great Saturday! Stael and Flavien were baptized and i had the glorious opportunity to do those. Its an amazing experience, a baptism is, especially in the ocean. I love these guys. i love these people!

As far as transfers go, i will be leaving sometime this week. apparently there has been some problem with the airlines here (classic) so i might get to go take a 13 hour taksibrosy ride! its alright! itll be an experience no one else can say theyve had haha ill take a lotta pics hopefully. I will be returning to Antananarivo. in a place called Ivandry. I will be working with Elder Cooley, from Utah. he is just a transfer after me, and me and him are real good friends so i am excited! he is a way cool guy. 

Richie! so it looks like i might see him. But! theres is a chance i might not...In tana there are the most missionaries (over 40) BUT 6 of the 8 trainners are not in tana, but in other cities. what are the chances...so hopefully ill at least get a pic with him before he heads out somewhere else or maybe he'll be in tana! he'll know his area and companion on thursday. three of the group that came into country with me are trainning so maybe itll be one of them! also it looks like Rich...Elder Bassett will meet the new president before me that lucky duck! the new president is awesome! hes so full of energy and love! ive only talked to him on the phone once for like 2 minutes haha but ill probably meet with him this friday. probably get into tana thursday. we'll see! everything is up in the air...dang madgascar. #TWP #noorginization.

anyways, i love you all and i hope you enjoy my pics! i tried to take some good ones! ready to see some of my members and investigators? i hope you can feel the love we share in the church.  i love you. stay sweet. send an email my way.

veloma ary from Mahajanga,

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera

Mpihatsaravelatsihy sy Fieboeboana‏

Quick shoutout to my little brotha Caleb who had a birthday a couple weeks ago (i wished him personally dont worry) and also to Katy Gillespie...even though thats not her name anymore...someone tell her for me (its the 8th) and then lastly to my favorite sister in laws mother, Joni! and to my best friend and brother Scott Fairwell! the 9th is a big day!

Here are we. Pasted another week. Good is life. Work is the life. How doing today are you all? Whats new? Great was our week.

Oh man its hard to talk malagasy in english, kinda backwards isnt it? oh well thats malagasy! thats my language! imagine that but take out all the "to be" verb forms (is, are) and that malagasy. its great! i love it.

So the two words up top are like my favorite words cause they are hard to pronounce and they are problems that we all have. the first one is:

Mpihatsaravelatsihy - hypocrite. why so long? i think cause it carries so much meaning. haha jk. but its way cool. you sound way good at malagasy when you use it. as long as you pronounce it right and not studder haha

the second word:

Fieboeboana - Pride. most everyones struggle. these two words are interconnected and related on all terms within, around, and about eachother. 

I dont have much inspiration as to how to conquer these but i just give you the words of a simple scripture that is my motto in all things...Jacob, the brother of Nephi, son of Lehi, from the Book of Mormon counsels in chapter 5 verse 12 "O be wise; what can I say more?"

Ill talk about Joseph Smith next week i promise! i felt like i needed to share about those two, for you and especially me to watch out for being a hypocrite and prideful.

Anyways i got a ton of pics! yall ready? i love the mission! 

love your favorite!

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera

                                                           Another day in paradise!!

Ny Antony

"Faly mirahaba anareo androany ny tenako. Eldera Sorôdera ny anarako ary androany, te hiresaka aminareo mikasika ny Famerenana amin'ny Laoniny ny Fahafenoan'ny Filazantsara."

That was how i started my talk this past week. Yes, i was asked (more like told) to give another talk this past week. Its ok, i loved it! I spoke on the Restoration of the Fullness of the Gospel and thats pretty much gonna be my group email today.

Before i get into my talk ill just give you a recap of the week. we worked everyday. im healthy now dont worry. we spent time with members all of friday cause it was the day of madagascars independence! which is great. so we chillled and visited members thursday and friday. the work was pretty slow this week cause of preparations and people leaving town and stuff and what not. Mahajanga is still the best area of the mission and the best area youve ever been to and i love it! life is the mission and mahajanga.

So back to the talk, when church was supposed to start at 9 i was asked to give a talk haha but it was about the Restoration and thats like in every lesson of my teaching sooooo it was not a problem at all. I stood up and talked. started like what has been said above, and began.

The Reason/The Why: First off its important to note that we need authority to do the things we do. You wont pull over if a random car tells you that you forgot to put your blinker on or you wont necessarily quiet down in class unless the teacher or a principle tells ya to be quiet. We need authority in what we do! Without that authority our works are meaningless. 

When Jesus was on the earth he had that authority! He was set apart from the rest of us because he is God's Only Begotten Son. he had the authority. John baptized because he was ordained of God, not some school he went to to preach the gospel. Jesus wasnt baptized of John the Shoemaker, or the Bike fixer but John the Baptist! authority. we need it. The authority is like a key! (read Matthew 16:18-19) "Ianao no Petera, ary ambonin'ity vatolampy ity no haoriko ny fiangonako...Omeko anao ny fanalahidin'ny fanjakan'ny lanitra." ("You are Peter and upon this rock i build my church...i give unto you the KEYS of the kingdom of Heaven.") boom. authority. mazava ho azy, Jesus died and later the apostles died and there was no successors. no one to continue writing the Bible. no more authority! lasa. so the authority is gone but God already knew it would happen! lets look at Amos 8:11-12 - The people are searching for spiritual safety but cant find it! theres a famine in the land. or in other words no authority. Ephesians 1:10 there will be a restitution of all things in the fullness of times. We can talk about experiences during Jesus' life. Matthew 7:21-23 (summarizing) Not everyone who calls "Lord, Lord." will enter into my kingdom. But the people have done great things in the name of Christ (casting out devils, healings, etc.) but in the end Jesus says to them "Miala amiko ny mpanao-meloka" (get away from me ye doers of iniquity) what the flip? explain that one to me? no authority. its simple. Jesus set up a church here on earth (go back to Matthew 16 or see Ephesians 4:11-15 or Ephesians 2:19-20) and its called the Church of Christ. not the church of Luther (the Lutheran Church). not the church of Rome (the beginning of the Catholics - a few name changes here and there), not the Evangelists, etc. ya get it? if i set up a church it would be the Church of Elder Schroedter, right? its my church. but if its Christs let it be called Christ's chruch! "Render that of which is Caesers to Caeser and that which is God's to God." (John 7? sorry i dont remember where that one is exactly) We need the authority! we need Jesus Christ! and we need the same structure as before! (Ephesians 4:11-15). I know that when a church has the authority, when it is structered on Christs previous structure and when it is based on Christ and his teaching then it is the true church! "Toko telo mahamasa-nahandro" people! without all three bricks we cant cook our food! we need that foundation! i know it. i know it exists in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

That wasnt exactly my talk cause i still talked about Joseph Smith, but i'll get to him next week! have a great week! i love you all! send me an email. stay sweet.

love,

Eldera Sorôdera

                                                    Tried pig ear.  It was gross!!

                                                                 Green and blue.

                                                      Church in Antananarivo.