April 19th

I love long emails! I'm a fast reader and it's nice to hear your thoughts and feelings Mom :) As for rain, oh ya. Every day!! LOTS, too. We even got hail, and it hurt haha! We were soaked. But it's cool because the people here, the Luuyas (that's the main tribe, the subtribe is Bukusu) just invite you in their home if it is raining. They are so hospitable and sweet. I MUST come back to Naitiri after my mission. There are many people that want me to return and visit. People even ask me to live here haha! They are so great. and I got my galoshes. The mission's working fund paid for them, so it didn't cost me a shilling! They are heavily used :)
My Easter dinner was the best, but you forgot the BEST part - sunflower seeds!!!!! Man, that made my Easter. I really like Apricot jam, alot now. In fact, it's funny what being hungry will do to you. With no Mommy around, and very few things to cook with being so far out in a rural area, I LOVE tomatoes now!!! Yes, tomatoes :) As well as onions and fresh meat. Onions and tomatoes are in just about every meal. We also like to make smoothie things with paw-paw (native fruit), mango, avocado, banana, oranges - ya, it's nice :) 
Quick request - in the package with the CD, can you send some candy? Haha, not too much tho, enough that I can share with Elder Arineitwe. Also, he needs a good watch. If you could, at Walmart there are cheapo $5 watches that have a stopwatch, the date, the time, an alarm, etc. Can you send 2? One for him and a backup for me? Just those cheapo $5 ones please :)
Ok now for my companion - Elder Habibu Arineitwe. He comes from a Muslim home. His grandfather started Islam in his village in Uganda, and he investigated the church. At first, he hated it. Then, he prayed and for the first time felt like he was praying to someone. Muslims pray recited prayers with hand signals and junk. When he prayed for the first time, he knew it was right. From there, he joined! In Muslim tradition, if you convert to Christianity, they stone you. However, due to his grandfather's prominence in the village, they spared him. His mother is the only one who supported him on coming on a mission. His father was originally very angry, but now is just apathetic. I am trying so hard to be like a big brother to him, and we are really growing close. He is so intuitive about missionary work I don't even need to train him. He is awesome, teaching me incredibly much, and we are getting along so well, better than my last companion already. I love my last companion though for sure. 
Jessie emailed me and was just ecstatic!!! I am so glad she is happy :) I want her to be happy. I realized how much I love her when I came out here. She is a princess, and any man that wants to marry her better realize how lucky he is. If I EVER hear of mistreatment.... wow.... it will not be well with him. Jessica is so special. She deserves to be happy because she works so dang hard!! Please tell her she has my utmost love, and she better be happy, cuz I am :)
Mommmmmma, I am happy. This mission is flying by, and I already want to stay. I am going to miss this mission life, and ESPECIALLY Naitiri. It is home to me! People know me, we talk and smile and laugh, and it just feels like home. Whenever I return home, the Spirit is there. I am happy and healthy, and everything is wonderful. The work, now that my companion and I are giving it more attention and structure, is progressing. Things are about to turn up :) I am even creating a Branch Mission Plan which I am handing out and presenting next Sunday :) Life is great Mom, and I am sooooo happy you are great. Give Laurie and Franny my love, and tell them they are both in my prayers, even from all the way over here. Mom, I will talk to you in 4 weeks :) Yes, 4 weeks. Get ready to plug up those tear ducts so you can talk to me ;)
With truly eternal love from your forever-son,
Elder Schneider