19th of May

Well family and friends another week has come and gone, this week for me was pretty laid back, much more so than for you guys. But it was a good week. This week was international family week (in case you hadn´t heard) so every day there was some sort of activity focused on the family. Which was way cool. On Friday there was a Stake activity where they gave some award to the highest military official in El Salvador, I got to shake his hand, and he said "wow what a firm handshake!" NBD. They had told us that it was a talent show and so as a zone we prepared the first vision hymn but sung it to the tune of "come though fount" which turns out really good. But they announced that we were singing some hymn about the family, which they had never told us about. The stake presdient gave us a funny look but we just sung what we had prepared.
  This week we finally got to visit and meet with the bishop to try and build a better relationship with him. Some of the Elders before had done some stuff to tick him off and apparently they had lost his trust. But my hope is to get it back again and start working more with the ward. In this area it is basically useless to street contact because 1 people are only working here, but live far away or 2. aren`t interested because they are too busy playing on their ipad, etc.. So we are going to try to keep looking for people but our best hope is to work with the ward leaders, and less active members. All starting with the bishop. Hopefully it will give fruit
   This week we started teaching A, the girlfriend of an RM, she is pretty positive, she has been attending church for like 5 or 6 months now but the missionaries only visited her once. We had a family home evening that went okay, and we have an appontment for this Thursday. She is studying medicine so she doesn`t have a ton of time, but we have our fingers crossed and are hoping for the best. The baptismal date with F fell because of some legal issues, she had some problems with her mom and is now living with her grandma and aunt who are members. But they don`t have legal custody yet so they can`t give permission for her to get baptized. Really it never should have been counted as a baptismal date but when I got here they had already reported it. We are going to keep working with her so that in a few months when everything settles down she will be totally ready. The good news is that a less active family that we have been working with came back to church yesterday! It made me happy to know that we are doing something right. There are many more families we are working with and hope thay they too can come back and enjoy the blessings that come from keeping the sabbath day holy.       

   This morning we woke up and started praying, when we heard a loud BANG! We ran to the window to see what happened and later left the house to see what had happened. A squirrel had gotten shocked by the High voltage power lines and had shorted out the whole network for our colonia. It even exploded a transformer about half a block away. Poor little guy, we found him and he was pretty darn fried, all black from being burnt. But right now we don`t have power in the house so that's a bit of a bummer. Oh well. Well it`s good to hear that you are all doing well and having fun Congrats to Eli and Shih-Ping for their marriage, and Anna for almost being done with high school! Have a good week and I will talk to you all on monday!
Elder Schriever

12th of May

Well everyone another week come and gone,
   These past seven days were super busy but very fun, we had a mission leadership meeting, temple trip, and of course the mothers day Skype call. All of which are something that doesn´t happen every week. the truth is right now I am super worried, this week President and Hna. Hintze are coming to check every single house to make sure that it is clean. YIKES!!!!! President Hintze said (kind of jokingly) that the test will be to throw some food on the bathroom floor, and then be able to eat it afterwards. What we were wondering really is what kind of food it will be. a baked potato wouldn´t be too bad, but chicken noodle soup would be the worst. I guess we will need to do some more cleaning today and get it all ready for when he comes tomorrow morning. Today we are hoping to go bowling as a zone so that should take up some of the time. We also have to go grocery shopping, and if I could get a nap in that would be great. Hopefully I can get it all in.
   In the leadership meeting we watched a mormon message entitled "The Will of God" which was one that I was obsessed with before my mission, If I remember right I mentioned it in my farewell talk. Here is the link if you want to watch it. I really just love the lesson from the story by Hugh B Brown. It really is a great example of what happens on the mission. All of the progress and work we have made in things that don´t matter get trimmed away, and we become the instrument that God needs us to be. And then we are able to give fruit. I can see now how I have been guided, and taught through difficulties and challanges to what I am today. It really is wonderful to see. and assuring to know that he loves me. 

   The temple trip was fantastic as always, I have said it before and I will say it again. The only thing that I dislike about the mission is how little we get to attend the temple. Once every six months is not sufficient for me. But I went this past week, and in June the Alas family is getting sealed!!!! so I will get to go again. That will be one of the best days of my life. I am really looking forward to it. From what I hear from all of you you are doing great, babies are being born, people are getting married and graduating. It's a time of change and new beginnings. I am glad to hear that you are all doing well. I keep you all in my prayers always. We had a pretty successful week this week. We were super worried about one of our investigators C, because she wasn´t answering her phone, and we couldn´t get a hold of her, but we ran into her on Saturday and because of some troubles she had to change here phone number and didn´t leave the house for a few days. But she is still super interested in the church and came this sunday. She is making friends with some of the young women in the ward and is loving it so far. We got several reference from members in the ward, and are hoping to contact all of them this coming week. All in all things are looking up, and the future is bright (so bright I might need to buy some shades as Mark would say) Great to hear from you all and talk to you soon!
Elder Schriever

Cinco de Mayo

Well everyone today happens to be Cinco de Mayo, which here doesn´t mean anything, and really doesn`t mean much other than everyone in the states who likes to drink and eat mexican food. but since its a holiday I guess I'll wish you all a happy fifth of May. This week was a pretty average week, we had a multizone, and we are all getting ready to go to the temple this week, and to call home. I am super excited to see you all and talk to you guys a little bit. It's weird to think that this will be the last time while on my mission that I get to call. Depending exactly when I finish. But most likely this will be the last time. (baggy thought of the day) The Multizone was really good, very long, but very good. We talked about obedience and strengthening our faith. I learned a lot. I think the Multizone really helped out our zone 'Los Hèroes' (the heroes) because in the next two and three days we put 9 new baptismal dates. It was really amazing to see. So now our zone as a total has six people baptized and we have 5 baptismal dates for May, we have many more people who have been to church that will hopefully get baptized as well in May. Our area is having some problems but I know that if we keep working hard we will start having more success.
   Its weird to think that there are only 12 more days until the big wedding day, I keep singing to myself the Lumineers song "the big parade" where its talks about the wedding day. It makes me happy. which is good because this week it rained, hard. Almost every day around 3-5 in the afternoon. Wednesday it was a suprise and I didn`t have an umbrella or anything so I just got soaked, luckily for the past few weeks I have put my scriptures in my drybag so they were undamaged, but everything else was soaked through. Then on friday I had my poncho, but the rain and wind were so heavy that the rain was falling almost horizontally that my pants got soaked. But I enjoy the rain, it means that it`s not quite so hot. My companion complains that
after it rains it is just hotter and humider but I feel like it cools everything down.
   This week a family gave us some avacados and they are soooooooo good. I have been eating them just plain with salt, but I am thinking about trying to get more creative. You can buy the biggest avocado you have ever seen here for like $.75 and that's expensive for here! I am going to enjoy them while I can, mangoes as well! I have started to make my own pupusas to save money and to learn how to make them really well. I am getting better, but its hard to make them on an electric stove because it doesn`t get very hot. you have to leave them cooking for like 15 to 20 minutes each side if you really want to cook them well. the corn masa just doesn`t cook very fast. I think it would be much more doable on a gas range. but If I can get it down now it will be much easier later. So when I get back everyone is invited to a giant pupusa eating party. I am going to look for rice flour as well to practice making rice pupusas, the masa has a little bit different feel to it when its rice. but all in all I am eating well and enjoying the cooler weather that comes with winter here.
   Well that's all I'm going to write because we are going to talk this sunday, otherwise we won`t have anything to talk about! but I am glad to hear you are all doing well and getting ready for weddings, graduations and summer. Exciting times. Love you all and wish you the best,
Elder Schriever

P.S. We live in the third floor of the yellow apartment in the backround of this photo