HAPPY   BIRTHDAY!!!   

to 

GRANT

19 years old on April 19.

We love you!!!

Eoa

Hello closest friends and family!

just to first tell you all, i love you all very much. this week was amazing. it first started off by enjoying the beautiful beach and sea breeze. hangin out with members and playin some beach soccer. then we taught two good times! good way to start off the week! then tuesday was full of work and good stuff, as well as wednesday. we did a member split about half the day and got over seven hours of teachin time combined and a total of 10 lessons. whew. doin work. then on thursday we had our beach side bon-fireside. i have pics but the silly thing wont show up on the computer. i think there might be a virus (sad day) ill get it looked at next week. so on friday we just did more and more work. and on saturday we had a baptism! (pics but...ya know) and then on sunday it happened to be the 19th of April which is a day dear to my heart. probably cause thats the day my heart started. my body is now 19 years old. i kept it on the DL, my comp barely knew cause i told a member and he talks pretty loud haha all in all it was an amazing week. we finished the week with 41 lessons, over 30 hours of teaching, and a lotta laughter and love.

Being out here, so far away from family, America and even the mission office, a lotta things become clear and it is easy to love. i truly have recognized what is important in life. relationships. family, friends, and especially God. not once upon being out here have i missed facebook, or instagram, or my smart phone. the things i truly miss is a nice day talking to a friend, a family game night, a three hour church block with your family and friends (in english). i miss you all and i love you. but i know that it is only these beloved experiences that truly make it worthwhile and will make our reunion that much sweeter. This week i have truly come to appreciate love, understand more about it, and to experience and express it. please know, that i love each one of you and i know that God knows and loves you individually. please read Alma 7:11 and 12.

i attribute this understanding to my understanding and knowledge of the Atonement. theres a line in preach my gospel that i love "Your desires to serve and work hard will increase as you better understand the Atonement of Jesus Christ" i have prayed dilligently for that desire and i have a strong testimony that if we pray and seek that, our desires will increase. it starts by giving your desires to him. give your heart to him. my personal prayer has, as it is obviously stated should be, become a lot more personal and meaningful. it all stems from understanding the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ.

I have also been reading a book about Joseph Smith titled "The History of Joseph Smith given by his Mother" it is amazing and i can hardly put it down. the sacrifice, the trials, the testimony, the strength. he truly was a prophet of God and the prophet of the Restoration.

I love this life and this area! oh i nearly forgot! my third world probs! (pretty good this week if i say so myself haha)

scrubbing youself down with soap only to have the water go off whilst showering #jirama #patienceisavirtue #myeyesburn #TWP

the power going out at four o'clock pm while working and not coming back on till 11:30 at night...gave a new meaning to "wetting the bed" #jirama #psalmssixsix #TWP

i love you all. truly.

am-pitiavana,

Eldera Sorôdera

Akoriaby

Karakory? Inona no kabary? 

thats a lil tenin'mahajanga for ya. its nothing special or too different, just the accent really. i love it. so! a little about this week. (no pictures im sorry. my card reader shows up empty when i stick it into the computer. dumb) so this past monday we had an amazingly spiritual experience with the Priesthood. we had the opportunity to give a blessing and i felt the Spirit testify in my heart and soul that this person would be healed. Just another testimony of God's true power on the earth. 

In other news, i have not been sick lately due to food or dehydration. thank goodness. me and Elder Obioma cook every meal at home. i have not eaten out once upon being here and im not even mad. i have become pro at mahamasaka-ing rice and laoka. ill have to teach you how to cook when i get home. also my cereal and noodle cooking skills are on point. we actually came up with a meal plan for ourselves and coordinated meals such as making hamburgers, fried rice, coconut rice, navajo bread (like scones) and other delicious concoctions. i cant wait. i love food. 

As far as work this week. we did. we taught over thirty lessons, plenty of hours, and 14 investigators at church. It was a good week and i only expect those numbers to go up. Weve had a lotta member help from the recent convert Lucien. he is a baller and teaches really well. i cant imagine teaching and testifying so well as he does for just being a member a couple weeks. 

We have over 20 baptisms planned and the biggest problem is vita soratra (legal marriage) that hopefully will still be taken care of though in the coming month and hopefully they will catch there bap dates. i have faith i will see at least 20 of these people baptized into the true Church of Christ and through the true authority of God. My testimony of that increases every day. i love this chruch and this life. the mission is flying by and i know its flying by because of love. I love it so much.

Another cool experience we get each week isssss, we lead a fireside thing each week for random members and mainly youth. two weeks ago we had a bon-fire-side testimony meeting about being a disciple of Christ at the beach (yes we had a bonfire) it was amazing. then we all went to visit a sick family member of an investigator (the one we later gave a blessing too) it was cool to see the branch family extend and include those around them. this past week we wrote letters to this girl who was sick and went to her house to deliver them. amazing moments.

I hope you are all doing well and doing your best to help those around you. I cant wait to help the missionaries when i get back. i regret not doing more. dont be complacent like i was. they need your help. and itll only help you!

i love you. Mahajanga loves you. Jesus loves you.

am-pitiavana,

Elder Grant Ross Schroedter

Majunga - La Playa na Ny Morondranomasina‏

So two cool things that happened this week. And they happened within a couple hours of each other.

We taught an amazing lesson, full of the spirit and understanding to one of the humblest families I've met here. They understood. They committed to baptism and they even came to church this week. Rija and Prisida are the parents. AMAZING.

Then a little while later we were waiting at the church and there's a little alley between our church and another and the alley goes to the back patio of the church where most activity is and whatever so we go back there and pass this couple who is in the alley. I go get our member help and Elder Obioma waits at the door cause the couple looked suspicious...the guy (prob drunk) would not let this girl go. She was trying to push away and was like "go home. you need to stop" and stuff like that but he wouldn't. So she shoves him off  and slaps him square in the face. Then he cocks back and pops her with his fist.  My comp just thought "oh no you didn't man" so he runs over to her (I'm barely getting down the stairs and I see and hear the bike drop that he was holding up) and just hear "petreka! petreka tsara!" (sit! sit good!) and I get out and see him holding this guy, laying on him and keeping him on the ground and I see the girl run away.  I'm just like...whoa. Then I heard the story and I had hope for humanity in my companion and I'm glad he stood up for that young lady.

cool stories! love you!


BYE