Saying "Goodbye" to Kenya

Conrad's flight took off at 12:10 am (2:10pm Idaho).  We are so excited to see him and we know he is excited to come home, but we also know he is a little heartbroken as he says goodbye to a land and people that he has come to love so dearly.    He will be arriving in Idaho Falls at 8:20 pm tomorrow, the 10th.

Getting on the plane in about 5 hours!

HE'S COMING HOME!!!

The End!!

I have no time, but i also have nothing to say that i can't tell you in one week! I love you all with all my heart and we will talk much when i come. Please keep Kenya in your prayers, and know that I intend to catch up with each of you individually. Love you forever, see you soon :)

With all my love, Elder Schneider

p.s. Please bring no music in the car to pick me up. Please bring me a giant winter coat. Please bring some cookies or almond roca. And at the house, please have Christmas music ready. Love you :)

Second to Last

that... is a weird thing to type. and even weirder to think about.

This week went fantastic. Sunday the branch President wanted us to have a missionary sunday, and it went AMAZING!! I gave a talk, taught the adults Gospel essentials class, and also taught Relief Society. The spirit was so strong, especially because we were also fasting as a branch for missionary work to pick up. I have faith that it will. Maybe I will be gone, but it will pick up. if i can just prepare the field for harvesting, then I will be happy when future missionaries here harvest. We had NINE less active members at church on sunday and 5 investigators. We got 3 on baptismal date this week, 15th of December :) Happy birthday Jessie :) Elder Beacom and I are working really well together, so I am super happy about that.

I have no time this week, but I want you all to know that I love you very much. I have a testimony of the necessity of application of Gospel living. Faith without works is dead. Even a drunkard can say that he believes in Jesus Christ, but it is our actions and words and appearance which set us apart from the rest. We are, as Paul said, a "peculiar people". The greatest commandment is to first love God with everything that we are. Next, second only to loving our Almighty and Omnipotent God, is to love our neighbor. Make sure we have love within the family please. We are together eternally. When we learn to love celestially now, Heaven comes much closer. Love you all with all my heart. Please know that I really do have high expectations for our family because I am a witness of the blessings He has given us. they are uncountable, trust me, I will explain more when I see you all in 2 weeks. Go to the temple. Read your scriptures every day. Pray to the Lord and speak to your Father as you would speak to our Dad, Dale. Observe strictly the Sabbath day. And know that I love you forever. See you soon :)

With eternal love for you all, Conrad

Third to Last..

(Received November 18)

Yeah, it is not registering with me either. In three weeks from today, I will be on a plane back to Idaho.

I have no time, but this week was really nice. Elder Beacom, my companion from South Africa, is AWESOME. He is my first white companion and we get along really well. He is alot like us boys, weird and dorky. But being around him has shown me that I have grown up a bit..... makes me feel kidna weird haha. But we are rockin and gettig TONS of new investigators. Soon we should have quite a few on baptismal date. Like, over 10. The Lord prospers the work when our faith is high and we work hard. I am seeing that that is true.

I am FLIPPIN excited for MoTab. What will be the game plan for that? Where will we stay? How long will we be down in Utah? How was Ben's brithday? Why have Ben and Dan fallen off the face of the Earth, never to email their Kenyan brother ever again?? ;)

We'll talk more family, shoot me some final emails. By the time I write again, I will have 2 weeks left. 14 days. Nashuhudia kwamba kazi hii ni kazi Yake, hata Yesu Kristo. Tukinaimani, na tukitumikia na bidii, Yesu atatupatia matunda. Anatupenda sana, na tunampenda pia, sindio? :) (I testify that this work is His work, even Jesus Christ. If we have faith, and if we serve with hard work, Jesus will give us fruits. He loves us so much, and we love him too, right?)

Love always, still Elder Schneider

It's..uh...STILL THE FINAL COUNTDOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 Clever title, eh?

Well this week wasn't quite as great as last week. I had my last zone conference! Crazy to think about that those are over.

Remember that family that I told you about? His name was James and his wife is Julie. We taught them the Restoration on Sunday and AH! Amazing lesson for sure. Everything went perfect, and they were excited when we finished the lesson. So much so they are asking us to come multiple times per week. This Thursday we are committing them to baptism, so I will let you know how that goes. 5 of them :) This Gospel is TRUE, kabisa.

We also have some good potential investigators as well, so we'll see how all that goes. I don't have much time, that's why I am being short. But as for school, I haven't even thought to ponder about it. I don't know, the whole idea of what's gonna happen there kinda makes me tired to think about. I will try and fit time to ponder on it this week if all the other responsibilities are taken care of. But I am pretty sure I will be coming home for a while. It is true that I would be rushing things if I jumped into it so quickly. Why don't we say that that is my decision for now. Come home. Get things sorted and then get down to business. I mean school... man i'm so flippin hungry right now.

Well I started a branch choir and they aren't half bad! None are severely tone deaf, so we have good things ahead!! I wrote an arrangment for "Redeemer of Israel", and it is pretty simple but cool. I will make a copy of it before I let Sister Anderson, who is my pianist for this, takes it. We are planning to sing at the dedication or opening of the new chapel that was built here :) history in the making.

I wrote an email to the mission and thanked them for their friendship and love and everything while I was an assistant, and many of them wrote back some touching things! I love these Elders and Sisters so much. I feel like I have made a difference. In my mission, I know I have done the will of the Lord so far. His Spirit has confirmed that to me, and that is the best blessing I could ask for. I simply need to push harder for these 4 weeks and the Lord will accept my service, I know it.

Ben, HAPPY FLIPPIN BIRTHDAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll write more in a personal email. :)

Love you all to death. Miss you guys, for real. But time is short :)

Love always, Conrad

From Conrad's Dad....Can't wait to watch Major Payne with you!!!

PREACHIN IS MY BIDNESS LADIESSS..AND BID--NESS--IS--GOOOOOOOD!!!