Only 6 Days Left!!!

Hello family,


How are you all doing? Thank you for your letters this week. After Tuesday it will probably take 2 - 4 weeks for me to get mail, and then another 2 weeks or so to get it back to you. But don't let that discourage you! :) Thank you Grandma Schenk for your letter. I’m sorry it didn’t send right the first time. I really appreciate your love and care.

This week has been fun. We are getting so excited to go. Here is a story with many meanings, personal revelation, stupidity, competitiveness, and fun. As a district we decided to have a competition a day for our last week here. Yesterday, being our first day, we decided to start out with a good one, who can drink the most cups of juice at dinner, followed by who can hold it in the longest and not use the C.R. (Comfort Room) or in English, the bathroom. After I had drank 8 cups I started feeling quite full. I looked over at the rest of my district. Elder Johnson, Stirland and Sister Robison were all at 10 cups. I didn't feel too bad, but they looked like they were in a lot of pain, something I didn't want to experience. I stopped at 8 cups. Sister Robison won the drinking competition with 12 cups, Elder Johnson drank 11, and Elder Stirland drank 10. Elder Seupule and I were behind with 8, but I didn't care much, there was still the second part of the competition, and I had the advantage. They were hurting bad afterwards. Elder Johnson immediately hit the bathroom, along with Elder Seupule. Aparently too much apple juice makes bad things happen to you. Latter when we tried to get Elder Seupule to move, I found out he drank 8 cups of thick chocolate milk! He couldnt move for about 45 min. He slept helplessly on the floor, not wanting to move. Soon after Sister Robison had used the CR. It was just down to Elder Stirland and I. Through a painful personal study I lasted out! He broke down and I won! 1 point for Elder Schenk! That was the stupidity, competitiveness and fun part. Now for the personal revelation. During Leadership Training latter that evening that Elder Johnson, Elder Stirland and I attended (3 out of the 6 Elders there) Brother Jensen was teaching about not yealding to the enticings of the body. He then said, I have never thought of it this way, but imagin you are at a members house and the dinner is really good. You stuff yourself so full (an appetite of the body) and then after cannot focus as well as you should, thus not allowing the spirit to dwell with you as well as it should. Then he challenged us to really ponder on that example, one he had never before thought of. The three of us got a bit of correction. It was really funny. We learned well that the Lord works through others to correct us.

I love you all. Mom and Dad, if possible could you send my electric razor so that I can shave my neck, also if I could get some pictures of what Washington looks like (I have some nice ones on my computer), and some more pictures of the family. I would also like some more razor blades for my regular razor. It is a Gillete with 5 blades and one on the back. I think it is the same one dad has. It is not the power version though.

Thank you! Love you!
Elder Schenk

Letter from the Baileys

We met the couple who will be running the mission office in Cebu when we were shopping with Devin just before he went into the MTC.  We exchanged email addresses and they were kind enough to include us on their email list.  I got this email from them on Saturday:

Our Dearly Beloved Family and Friends


This is just a short note to give you an update. Sister Bailey and I have completed our first week at the Missionary Training Center or MTC. It was really hard to get used to the grueling schedule but we managed, up at 5 am, classes until 8 pm, homework until 10:00 pm and in bed by 10:30.

The Spirit of the Lord is so strong here. There is no doubt we are on the Lord’s errand as we are taught how to present His message of love and salvation. I have always had a strong testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ but I also know it has become stronger this week. I have felt the Spirit of the Holy Ghost in all we are doing here.

We have had a little tutoring for the Cebuano language that is spoken on the island of Cebu. It is a very difficult language to learn but the classes have been fun. Our tutor speaks Finnish not Cebuano. He is really good about teaching the basics of how to learn a foreign language. We also have a volunteer who speaks Cebuano who is teaching the language. As hard of a language as it is to learn, it has been fun trying to learn. The 7th Article of Faith says “We believe in the gift of tongues, prophecy, revelation, visions, healing, interpretation of tongues, and so forth”. It is our belief in this Article of Faith that I know we will succeed in learning this language.

We are getting very excited to get to the Philippines and start the work the Lord has called us to perform. We know He will bless us with all that we need and we also know He will bless our family and friends while we are gone.

We want you to know that we love you and will miss you while we are on our mission.

I testify to you that I know our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ lives, that He loves everyone of us and He wants only the best for us and that we can return to our Heavenly Father if we simply have faith in Jesus Christ and live according to His teachings and His commandments.



May the Lord bless you in all you do.

Elder & Sister Bailey (Juan & Beckie)

I Leave in 2 Weeks!

Pamilia!

Kamusta ang iyang adlow? Maayo kaayo ko!
How are you all? I am really good! I have been so excited this week! I leave in 2 weeks! Saturday was my teacher, Brother Latimer's, last day. He brought in pictures of Cebu. It was so fun and eye opening to see what it is like there. At first I was a little nervous because of the low standard of living, but by the end I was so excited! I can't wait to meet all the people and find out where I go and who my companion is. It will be somewhat interesting if he doesn't speak English, because I don't speak Cebuano very well. Some of the older district that left for Cebu a transfer ago have written the teachers. They said it is a huge culture shock and that they have had breakdowns because they can't understand everyone because they talk so fast. But I think it is all in your head. It sucks if you let it. It will be hard, but can still be enjoyable if you want it to be. I am so excited to go! I am really excited for in 6 months when I can say whatever I want to and understand what everyone is saying.
The temple opens up again soon. I hope we will be able to go one more time. I am really excited to see the Cebu temple! It is so beautiful!
Last Thrusday at the TRC (that is where we teach members who can speak our language) we taught for the second time in full Cebuano. Elder Seupule did most of the talking last time, but was still really tired from his surgery. He was actually one of the investigators this time. He pretty much just sat there. But about 2 hours before it we had been practicing teaching in class. I could not remember anything and was having such a hard time. When we go to the TRC I prayed for specific help with the language and for the gift of tongues and the gift of the interpretation of tongues so that I could understand and be able to talk back. When we got in there I could understand most of what was said and was able to have them understand what I was saying. I am sure my grammar was not good, but they could still understand me. Using the words I knew I was able to teach about 80% of the first lesson. It was 35 min long. That was an amazing example to me of the strength the Lord can give us. I know it was not my doing. I know that the Lord was blessing me. The gift of tongues is so real! I love being a missionary!
Last night our devotional was from H. Russ Workman, the Hawaii temple president. He taught an amazing lesson on the spirit and the body and their roles. He taught how someone can go from being a servant of the Lord (he used Balem, a prophet) to a servant of the devil. It was amazing to have him put all of the pieces together and link them all with scripture. One of the things he talked about was that when we obey commandments we are blessed with faith. When we are blessed with faith, we are blessed with knowledge. Knowledge is light and truth, and light is the spirit of the Lord. When we obey commandments, we are blessed (D&C 130: -one of the verses one the right side, 34? "there is a law irrevocably decreed in heaven..."). As missionaries we have a greater opportunity to grow in this gospel than anyone else. Not because we are set apart, because every ward and branch has priesthood leaders set apart. It is because we have more rules than everyone else, more commandments. If we get up right at 6:30 we are blessed because it is a commandment. If a normal member gets up at 6:30 they don't receive that blessing. Because we have so many rules, each time we follow one, we are blessed. That is just another way that the commandments we follow in the church really do make us free! I love having all these rules! What a blessing!
I hope you are all doing well! I love you! Take care
Love,
Elder Schenk

More News of Devin

I got this text from Devin's cousin Brittney today:
I just saw Devin again.  I've seen him a few times but today will be the last time before he leaves.  He sounds super excited.  It sounds like he has had a great teacher who loved his mission and so Devin is so excited to finally get out and experience all that his teacher has been telling him about.  It made me laugh how exctied and pumped up he is about his mission.  You can tell he is ready!

Week 7 Begins Today!

Hello! How are you all!

Thank you for you mail and for the packages. Diane, the cupcakes are amazing! Thank you! Mom, Dad, Eric, that package will probably keep me full for the next three weeks! Thank you so much. I have run out of the NeilMed Flushing packets. Could you send some please. My nose is drying up without them.

This week has been exciting health wise! Elder Allen had physical therapy for his knee for 2 hours last week, and has another check up today. Elder Seupule Has had an X-ray and 2 checkups and had shoulder surgery yesterday. That was a fun 5 hours. So I have already left the mtc 3 times and will again today and again next monday. It isnt as fun as I thought it would be. It is kind of a waste of time. It is really hard to study in doctors offices. Elder Seupule Spent the night sleeping and today is in the heath office, again sleeping. He is usually so wired and energetic, it is weird to see him barely able to move. He struggles to sit up in bed even. We have been pushing him around in a wheel chair. I got to help him put on his underwear and spoon feed him pudding! The exciting moments at the MTC! He is going to be able to leave with us in 3 weeks. Hopefully he is feeling well.

Yesterday I somehow lost 2 dear elders, so if you are not mom, or if mom sent me two, and you sent me one yesterday, I didnt get it.

We get 4 more Cebuano speakers in the MTC today! That is exciting! We have been the only 6 for 4 weeks.
I love you all. Thanks for everything!
Love,
Elder Schenk

There has been a sighting of Elder Schenk in the Provo Area

This afternoon I got a text from Brittney, my niece, it said "I just saw your son.  He looks good and happy!  He's at my clinic with his companions.  I actually didn't see him at first but I recognized his companions from the pictures on his blog and then I looked harder and found him!"

I wrote back "So glad!  Snap his picture quick!  Tell him to write us!"  (We didn't get our usual email from him on Wednesday this week).

She said " OK, he just went back to the doc with his companions and I will get it on his way out."

I wrote "Did he see you?  Tell him hi from us.  We're on our way to the temple for him."

A few minutes later Brittney said " I went and said hi and asked if he needed anything and he said Cream Cheese Cupcakes, so Diane will make those for him :)"

I said "Cool!  Give him a hug from mom and dad!"

And then I get the inevitable "Am I allowed to?"

"Well, he is your cousin"

"OK, I will give him a huge hug from everyone!"

"Yes!  Thanks Brittney!  And thanks for telling us you saw him.  This was a tender mercy for us today!"

So then Keith and I did a session at the temple, thinking a lot about Devin and how well he's doing and how happy we are that he's on his mission, and when we got back to the car, we had this picture waiting for us.

With this message,

"Your missionary!! He says he loves you!"

Then when we got home, there was a letter in the mailbox from Devin.  It was the questionairre I sent him last week with all the answers filled in. 

Here are a few of the questions and answers:

Tell us more about your companions.  Elder Allen is from Cache Valley Utah.  He worked on a dairy farm and loves hunting/hiking more than anything. Elder Sepule was on the Samoan National Rugby team and won the championship 2 weeks before his mission.

Favorite P-Day activity? Going to the temple.

What would you like to receive in a package? Something to fill you up after 5 hours of not eating before bed.  Chips, jerky, cookies are good but get smashed in the mail.

Do you listen to the music you took?  No, we can't listen to music in the MTC.

What is the coolest thing that happened this week? I cleaned the temple.  We cleaned the women's initiatory with industrial strength toothbrushes, Q-tips, and toothpicks then wiped down walls with rags and cleaned hundreds of chairs, each one gold plated.  It was really amazing.

You are free to write anything else we should know.  I am only supposed to write on P-Day.  But I think I can still fill out surveys.  Next Thursday we have to teach the first lesson in Cebuano to investigators.  That will be...interesting.

First Pictures from Elder Schenk

We just got pictures in the mail today.  This is Devin with his two companions, Elder Allen, senior companion, and Elder Seupule from Samoa.  What a fine looking trio!

And here is their District.  This group of 6 are now the only missionaries at the MTC speaking Cebuano.