LETTER: Elder Brayden Schneider • October 11th, 2010

Hey family, if you havent sent the package for my birthday dont send it!!!! it like 40 bucks (or more) for a little package to be sent here! its really ok if you dont i promise! you already do plenty for me! thanks

So i met 2 ladies this week from Utah, one lived in sandy, and the other in Lehi, hahaha funny huh, the lady from Lehi told me where her house is, and its right across the street for wal mart! hahaha small world!

Ok so are you ready for this crazy information!!! so everything went good this week, Sveto is getting baptisted on the 15 (this friday) and we are so stoked! He is doing way good, but.... random problems keep coming up (the devil works on investigators pretty bad), but everything will work out! so we figured out who is baptising him! his name is Franjo, he is the biggest guy i have ever seen, he is so cool though! hahaha he calls me "easy rider" hahaha not really sure why. (probably cause thats about all he can say in English) but we are working on getting him some white pants, its going to be hard cause his pant size 66 (in american its 54) haha so hopefully we will get them all ready! its going to be great because he has been a member for only 1 year, and he needs some branch support so its going to be so good for him! When i talked to him about it he was so happy! Sveto is as studdly as always, he fasted this sunday! oh man he is just to good.

Um... and also a different member is going to give him the holy ghost, his name is Samir, and he has been a member for like 1.5 years! so we are super stoked for everyone.

Ok cool story time, so this week we did a service project with are branch president and his family! hahahahaha it was so fun, so we show up at his moms house with his whole family and we picked grapes on a massive hill. It sounds pretty boring but the hill was super steep, and the grass was wet, hahaha and my comps shoes had no traction! haha oh man i was laughing like the whole time, cause we would be picking some grapes and then out of nowhere someone would just fall down the hill! hahaha (mostly my branch president and my comp) just cause it was so hard to stay up there. So we picked grapes for like 4 hours and had dinner with the family/extended family. And they were so funny and nice (they didnt really act like slovenians) haha but then we were about to go and they made us stay so we could see them press the grapes and make........ juice, hahahaha but it was crazy because they press the grapes like they did in the oldin days, it was fun! but...... i forgot my camera, i was so mad! I drew a pix in my journal though! well thats was the highlight of my mission, i had to much fun!

Thanks for everything, and all the letters! love

ME!

ps.... tell Andrew Schneider i miss the little guy!!!! thanks!

LETTER: Elder Jensen • October 4th, 2010

Dear beautiful mom who I love so much. =)

Please tell Crystal and josh and lindsay and brett that I love them. And please tell them how I am doing. I would Write each person But as I said before. They only give us 1 hour to write anything and I only have about 6 hours on P-Day to do everything I need to do. I wish I could tell you all more on the things that have been happening here but ill just have to write a summary on what has been going on.

Things here have been going so much better then when I first arrived. I was so overwhelmed and had no idea how i could even come close to lasting 2 years and doing all this stuff. I didn't like knocking on random doors, I didn't like talking to random people, I didn't like having no time at all with how busy I was. But now i'm really getting use to it. I dont mind knocking on doors any more and I dont mind talking to people i dont know. I'm actually feeling very comfortable just starting conversations with everyone. I'm starting to get all the lessons down too and learning how to better teach them to there understandings. I'm still not use to the waking up at 6:30 though. I wouldn't mind more sleep =) But I know god is helping me do what I need to do. And i'm really glad to have met all the families here that I have. There so many people here in this poor town that need help and only a few will let us help them. There's so many drunks and drugy's and parents that dont know what to do with there children. Many divorces and addictions to all sorts of things. There are some that look at us like a living devil. And there are some that look at us as people that can help them. There are so many that could just use this gospel in there life's. But ya Andrew is getting baptized this friday so that should be exciting. This guy is really just ment for the gospel. He shared his testimony with us yesterday and he said the reason he even decided to learn more about the gospel was because he saw how happy the Mormon familys were with each other at a party and he saw that no one was drunk or fighting. Sadly that is/was what he was use too. That just shows how much people really do watch Mormon families though. So make sure you guys are always happy =)

I love you Beautiful mom and I miss you.

LETTER: Elder Brayden Schneider • October 4th, 2010

Oh man i am jealous that everyone went to lake powell! ok so mom said to tell her what candy i wanted.... ok so if any of these are possible, buggles, candy corn, startburst jelly beans (those are dang good) um... yeah otherwise we have most candy over here.

Ok so, conferance was way good, we watched 6 hours straight (its way to long to sit there, especially after a 3 hour train ride... and reading subtitles and stuff) haha but it was good.

So hopefully you remember Sveto, well listen to this, he was on vacation this week but then we told him about conferance.... so he decieded to come home early so that he could come to conferance! So he came to church and watched the 7 hours with us!!! hahaha i dont think any members even stayed for that long. But after 6 hours (cause he didnt bring any food) i told him like he didnt need to feel obligated to stay for like 10 hours. Then he just said, "i love this, this to me is so beautiful!" its kinda of a wierd translation, but i was so amazing. So he stayed and just loved ever min.

So he is still doing amazing, he finished the Book of Mormon this week (its only been less then 2 months) and said he knows its true! So October 15 at 6, he is for sure getting baptisted!

So me and sveto are like super close, and i wanted to baptise him super bad, but me and my comp are trying to get a kinda new convert on his lessons and really encourage that members baptise members, so that members will have a better relationship with other members. Its hard though cause just when i think of missionaries baptising investigators, but because maribor only has 8 active members we really need them to stay close and stronger!

But we have a new investigator, he is actually an former investigator. But we went and visited him and he said missionaries havent visited him for about 2 or 3 years... But he is way good, he said he reads and knows the Book of Mormon is true and he said i want to be baptisted! (another miracle) haha but then he said his dad wont let him. (p.s... this guy is 40 years old) then i just told him he was 40 years old and he needs to start making his own decisions in life! he loved it, then he decieded to talk to his dad about it and his dad said he wants to meet with me and my comp, so this week we have a meeting with him and his dad (to see if we are trust-worthy kids). So i am super excited, cause if his dad says yes then we will get another baptism in Maribor!

But one of our baptismal dates didnt show up, Žan, we think he started smoking again and is ashamed so doesnt want to get with us.. and he wont answer our calls!

Well thanks for the emails, and love you!

LETTER: Elder Schneider • September 27th, 2010

AWWWW!!! so sveto is still dominating it up!! he is so cool, he was taught the word of wisdom, and he said, " well i dont drink to much but me and my friends go out and drink, so next time i will just tell them i cant drink, or just not go with them anymore!!! talk about a humble guy! he is so cool. He is still going strong!

ok so.... only good news this week! well i own in risk again (without cheating)!! haha and so remember how nelson came to Slovenia and blessed it saying the people will listen and bless the people! well i have to tell a secret... i knew it would help out the country but i thought over time we would see a little seccuss!! but that was FALSE!! we are seeing miracles every single day now! every day! I thought we would slowly start growing the church but no... its going to be growing so fast because of that blessing.

We have 3 investigators with a baptismal date! with more to come, and 3 other investigators,

So i will list a couple miracles real quick... one lady that called us last night, drive 2 hours to us, and then couldnt find our church and so she walked around until 8:40, she ended up finding the church and luckily we were there, came in and said she wants more about christ. and set up with us again this week.

Žan a 18 year old kid, siad oh man... i need to be baptisted! haha so we talked about the word of wisdom and we have this "stop smoking program" he said he wants to stop smoking so he can be worthy to live with god. Well we planned on teaching him the program, but yesterday he showed up to the lesson and said i am 3 days without smoking, and i dont need that program! hahaha we were pumped.

We met this guy and he said... you guys talk about god right, sweet can we get together. (which maybe that happens in america but never in slovenia!) haha

Another kid that is 18 walked into church, during sacrament. (he hasnt ever met anyone from the church, he just thought he would stop by!) and so we talked to him after and had a lesson... new investigator. And the best part, is it seems like we are only doing like 100 hours of contacting now rather then 500! haha just cause it seems the investigators are coming to us, wanted this church!

Oh man the mission is alot of fun when you have investigators! haha but besides that i am good, i love maribor, but.... i was missin my friends this week, alot! but everything is good and love you guys!!

ps.. mom happy birthday again, i sent you a little letter this week! :)

pss.. i am going bowling today, and i will dominate! hahaha i am so stoked!

psss... hey dad i will send my memory card home this week or if not, next week! i have another card so i will do that! thanks dad for everything!

LETTER: Elder Schneider • September 20th, 2010

HEY tell mom happy birthday for me!!!! So this week was good! we kept meeting with sveto (our baptismal date) oh man he is a stud! He is so cool. He wanted us to come to his house this week (which is like a hour drive away) and he drove and picked us up. But his house is in the middle of nowhere. We had a lesson with him and at the end he prayed for understanding. But he is still coming to church and still doing way good! oh and i forgot to tell you, but he is almost finished with the BOM, he reads like 2 hours every single mourning, and loves it! so Oct. 15th he is forsure getting baptisted..... but there is only one bad thing.... his wife is crazy, 100% crazy, she came to church and stood up and started yelling crazy things, and waving her arms around! yeah it wasnt good, but Sveto is way patient with her and we as misisonairs cant teach her cause she is crazy. Oh yeah one more thing about her, so we had a lesson after church and she walked into the room when we were starting and starred yelling the wierdest stuff.. again.

But ok i have the funny story, so we went over to a family and had family home evening with them. And then they wanted to play Risk again, hahahaha oh man it was to fun. So i didnt want to lose this game so.... i had to cheat! haha Žan, (he is like 16) i needed a card he had, and he needed one i had so we switched! then i made a truths with my comp and told him i would leave him alone.. hahahahahaha, so then i needed another card and so my comp gave me on of his. Then i totally just destroyed my comp when my turn came! hahahahaha oh man i was laughing so hard cause every time he had to role he would get so mad at me! well i ended up killing my comp, and he was so mad he just didnt talk the rest of the night, and every time i laughed he just told me i was gay! hahahahahahaha but i ended up dominating everyone!

well we met another kid this week, he is 18 and he is super elect! we had a visit with him and he talked about the plan of salvation, and he loved it! he said he wants to live with god, and he will do anything! so we talked about baptism and stuff, and he said... crap..... i havent been baptisted! haha so we said well lets set a date, so Oct 23, he said he will be baptisted! he is good but he is going to be alot of work! but he met with him again and talked about what baptism is. it was good, and he is still on tract for being baptized!

Oh another thing, me and my comp took a bus out of the city cause we were supposed to visit someone and we got losted, we ended up walking 3 hours back home cause no buses were coming for like 2 days... it sucked! hahaha well glad all is good with the family! love you and have a good week!

LETTER: Elder Schneider • September 13th, 2010

so listen to this when Elder Nelson gave his talk (cause he came to slovenia)... it was amazing! He said some amazing things, about Slovenia and also about the people here (He came to dedicate the country for missionary work, because the last blessing was under the yugoslavia name, so he came to dedicate Slovenia, Croatia, and 1 other country) but during his talk the spirit was so strong, and my investigator Sveto came! He loved the whole thing, his wife is crazy though. (there always seems to be a little catch) but she walked out of the meeting for some reason but Sveto was awesome and stayed! and guess what else.... awwwww!!!!! so i have some bomb news.... Sveto, well he has a baptism date!!! for Oct, 16. oh man i am so stoked. We had a lesson with him this week and we talked about how he can become a follower of christ. And that is thru baptism! So i asked him when would he like to be baptisted and he choose his own date! But yesterday at church he sat next to me and listen to what he told me, he said, "ok well remember how Elder Nelson said how we are here to help build gods kingdom on earth, well i want to be a part of that, i want to serve and build that church!" I was so stoked, i was just like... people do care in Slovenian!!! Sweet! But oh man i am so excited for him!!!

Ok so this week was good, not only did we have success but we also got to do tons of service! so we went to help a member cut her grass in this field and for cutting it, guess what i used a CYTHE (i hope thats how you spell it) yeah you probably dont know what that is, i didnt until i used it! I thought people only used that it the oldin days! but... in slovenia they are still like in the stone age. But it was so funny/fun, we worked for like 8 hours, my hands were so wasted after. But i totally cut a huge frog it half... on accident! cause you swing a cythe and i didnt see the frog and totally got him. But i took a couple pictures so next week i will send some pixs! they are sweet, and this week we are going back to help her again! i am stoked!

But everything is good, thanks for everything! and glad the family is doing good!
ps... mom i didnt hear about camon or bryce likin anyone, inform me! :) love you
starešina schneider

LETTER: Elder Schneider • September 6th, 2010

hahaha thanks mom and dad for asking if i need anything from america!! its totally ok here though, i think i have most stuff just not JCWs and some good fast food. But no i think i am totally ok, i dont really need much!

Oh dad last letter you asked if we do anything fun on Pdays.... nope not at all, its super boring, we go shoping which is 1.5 hours, email 1.5 hours, and then eat and we have like 2 hours till we start work again, and we are the only elders in Maribor so there isnt much to do, cause the nearest elders are like 2 hours away!

Ok so if you remember the lady from last week, she is still crazy, so we arent going to teach her! BUT this is the best part ever, so we went to church again and we only have 8 members show up...... but this investigator named Sveto showed up.... he is bomb!!! it was my first time meeting him, and you could tell he just felt wierd when he walked in cause he didnt know anyone. So i told him to come sit my me, anyways after the meeting i talked to him forever, we pretty much had a little lesson about baptism! i just asked him, why he showed up and like how he meet the missionairs and this was his exact word, "I just wanted to be a servant of christ and i want to follow him!!!!!!" i was shocked, so then i read 2 nephi 31 with him, that talks about bapitism and how christ was baptisted and how its a step to follow christ. Oh man he was bomb he is getting baptisted for sure!!!!! And this is the other best part, he was talking about prophets and guess who is coming to Slovenia today, Elder Nelson of the 12! And so i invited him to come to listen to Nelson tonight with us. And he accepted! So he was super stoked and he is for sure getting baptisted!

But i have another cool story, so we have a family that is less active, except for the dad! he always comes! but we went and had family night with them... hahahaha it was the most fun i have had on the mission! so it started off with a little lesson but one kid was on the computer the whole time and the little daughter didnt want to listen, so gave just a little spirtual thought and i said one thing me and my family do is play games together and it stregthens our relationship! And then i saw the board bame RISK that they had on the tabel and so i said, "i have never lost at that game," and that i never could!!!! hahahahaha (its funny cause i am not that good at RISK) and so they challenage me!!! hahahahahaha i was getting wasted and my comp had never played so they just all ganged up on me, but then before i was about to lose luckily we had to go! so i still ended on a good, but i would have died in a couple turns! Oh man i was having so much fun, its so fun to talk trash in slovenian! hahahahaha oh man they challenged me agian this week!!! but i will dominate for sure!

But others wise its going good, and thanks for the support fam!
starešina schneider!