Mom, Thanks for the email. There are a lot of questions so I’ll try to answer them all. Sorry if I end up missing one.
So I have some good news and some bad news this week. Good news is that Sister Erlinda Alcala is now saved in the kingdom. She was baptized and confirmed this last weekend. We spent 2 hours on Saturday morning cleaning the font. There is sand in the water so we had to clean up the sand box from last time, and then turn on the water really slow so no sand would come out. It ended up being really clean. Yay! We wanted to make it special, and since they literally have no money, we decided to make spaghetti for everyone. Elder Nicoleta wanted to buy 2 kilos of noodles, so we did, with three bags of sauce. We also bought ground pork and hotdogs to put in it. I’ve never had hot dogs in spaghetti, but it wasn’t too bad. Elder Nicoleta cooked the noodles, a huge pot full. We didn’t have a way to strain it so he just left them in the water. When I realized they were done I tried to pour the water out, but there was none. The noodles had soaked in ALL of the water! we ended up serving it in balls with a spoon, So the next time you make spaghetti, don’t forget to strain the noodles, or you will get pudding.
The bad news is that we were supposed to have our district activity today and go back to the awesome waterfall in Carmen, but we have no money. Today the support was supposed to come and there is no money in our account. Out of the 8 of us in the district, only 2 had money saved, the two Americans. Weird how that works out. And then it started to rain. So we didn’t go.
Brother Taoy didn’t come to church and smoked 3 cigarettes a day. But we recommitted him. Hopefully he will have faith. I have plenty of space left on my sd cards. Elder Nicoleta is from Manila, the big city filled with tons of people.
Hope you all had a good Thanksgiving! I had fried chicken with plain mashed potatoes and a little salt with some fake gravy. We found some sabau, any kind of saucy soupy broth, and bought that without the main dish for our gravy. I went on splits with Elder Frecker and he wanted a legit thanksgiving. That was the best we could do.
Thanks, love you all,
Elder Schenk
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Monday, November 29, 2010
A letter that came in the mail from Devin today!
November 18, 2010
Family,
I promised to write about Quinton L. Cook’s talk when he visited and I haven’t yet, and I have some time now. Today is p-day. We cannot write letters any other day. This morning we got up at 5:30 to go play basketball in Danao, 20 min. away. Usually our district and some ward members from Danao play. It was fun. It gets so hot that by the second game your shirt is completely soaked. The members here are really good and so is my companion. Somewhere along the line I lost my basketball skills, but they are slowly coming back.
This really is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I love it here. The word beautiful in Visaya is nindot. Nindot is also used for awesome, sweet, amazing, great, super, so it is hard to really show that you are excited about something. You can add a few emphasizers so it is nindot hayod kayo! But that’s as exciting as it gets.
When Elder Cook came he talked a lot about our serious responsibilities as missionaries here on Cebu because we have a temple so close. We are obligated to teach that message. He also prophesied that the Philippines would open the doors of missionary work to the rest of Asia, that this country would play a key role. We have a big responsibility here as missionaries. We need to prepare the people here for the second coming of Jesus Christ, because it is indeed coming. He also gave a fireside to the members. In that fireside he talked about the importance of families. He prophesied that disasters would be coming. Not only hurricanes and earthquakes, but disasters with our own families. We need to strengthen our brothers and sisters, both in our families and in the church. I feel like Satan is working overtime right now. New temples are being built all over the earth. The church is growing and expanding. We need to each do our part.
President and Sister Hansen had the opportunity to feed Elder and Sister Cook dinner. President told me later that he expected Elder Cook to tell some funny stories or something like that, but the entire time he was serious. Elder Cook said that we don’t have time to lose our focus now. There is too much work to do. In the missionary fireside he talked about how we need to be serious about our work as missionaries. After he closed and we had a closing hymn and prayer he got up again. And again he talked about the serious nature of our work. The second coming is indeed coming, we need to help in any way we can and be prepared.
Please do all you can. Work hard in your callings. Reach down and pick up those who have fallen from the church and reach out to your friends and family. Bring them to the gospel. Like you said mom, we need all the people on our side as we can get. Someone not against the church is better than an enemy. Someday maybe they will accept.
We also had the opportunity to shake Elder Cook’s hand and tell him our name and home stake. I told him my name and said I was from the Mt. Vernon Stake. He responded, “Mt. Vernon Washington?” Yes!
Either he knows the church very well, or he is very close to inspiration. Probably both. It was an amazing experience to be able to meet and listen to the counsel from a special witness of Jesus Christ. I loved it. My area was the furthest away! How cool! I am glad I was able to go. I learned so much.
I love you all and pray for you often. May the Lord bless you.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Devin also sent these photos, and some requests for things to send to him, including pictures from home, he would love to see what we are doing, and he said "If you could send Eric, I would love that! I miss him! That would make for a good Christmas!"
Family,
I promised to write about Quinton L. Cook’s talk when he visited and I haven’t yet, and I have some time now. Today is p-day. We cannot write letters any other day. This morning we got up at 5:30 to go play basketball in Danao, 20 min. away. Usually our district and some ward members from Danao play. It was fun. It gets so hot that by the second game your shirt is completely soaked. The members here are really good and so is my companion. Somewhere along the line I lost my basketball skills, but they are slowly coming back.
This really is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I love it here. The word beautiful in Visaya is nindot. Nindot is also used for awesome, sweet, amazing, great, super, so it is hard to really show that you are excited about something. You can add a few emphasizers so it is nindot hayod kayo! But that’s as exciting as it gets.
When Elder Cook came he talked a lot about our serious responsibilities as missionaries here on Cebu because we have a temple so close. We are obligated to teach that message. He also prophesied that the Philippines would open the doors of missionary work to the rest of Asia, that this country would play a key role. We have a big responsibility here as missionaries. We need to prepare the people here for the second coming of Jesus Christ, because it is indeed coming. He also gave a fireside to the members. In that fireside he talked about the importance of families. He prophesied that disasters would be coming. Not only hurricanes and earthquakes, but disasters with our own families. We need to strengthen our brothers and sisters, both in our families and in the church. I feel like Satan is working overtime right now. New temples are being built all over the earth. The church is growing and expanding. We need to each do our part.
President and Sister Hansen had the opportunity to feed Elder and Sister Cook dinner. President told me later that he expected Elder Cook to tell some funny stories or something like that, but the entire time he was serious. Elder Cook said that we don’t have time to lose our focus now. There is too much work to do. In the missionary fireside he talked about how we need to be serious about our work as missionaries. After he closed and we had a closing hymn and prayer he got up again. And again he talked about the serious nature of our work. The second coming is indeed coming, we need to help in any way we can and be prepared.
Please do all you can. Work hard in your callings. Reach down and pick up those who have fallen from the church and reach out to your friends and family. Bring them to the gospel. Like you said mom, we need all the people on our side as we can get. Someone not against the church is better than an enemy. Someday maybe they will accept.
We also had the opportunity to shake Elder Cook’s hand and tell him our name and home stake. I told him my name and said I was from the Mt. Vernon Stake. He responded, “Mt. Vernon Washington?” Yes!
Either he knows the church very well, or he is very close to inspiration. Probably both. It was an amazing experience to be able to meet and listen to the counsel from a special witness of Jesus Christ. I loved it. My area was the furthest away! How cool! I am glad I was able to go. I learned so much.
I love you all and pray for you often. May the Lord bless you.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Devin also sent these photos, and some requests for things to send to him, including pictures from home, he would love to see what we are doing, and he said "If you could send Eric, I would love that! I miss him! That would make for a good Christmas!"
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
November 23, 2010
Family. (sorry there is no comma on this keyboard... yay!)
This week is a half way mark for this transfer. I can't believe its almost over! I like my companion Elder Nicoleta. He is a really good missionary. He teaches really well and is a good listener. I have learned so much from him. I am learning the language faster with him as well because he helps me to speak it well. Also in 9 days I will have been on a mission for 6 months! That means my mission is almost 1/4 over! That is crazy! I still feel like the new one.
My story this week is about Brother Taoy. He is 70 years old and is inactive. His wife is active and works in the primary. Last Sunday I visited him with a 19 year old member. Kenneth. who is preparing for a mission. He doesn't talk much so it gives me a great opportunity to work on my Visaya. I have to initiate the conversation and if I don't talk nobody does. Then I have to understand their questions and concerns. That is the hardest part for me. I can teach almost any lesson and can teach a lesson straight from the scriptures. I have learned how to express myself with my vocabulary. The problem is other people”s vocabulary. Much larger than mine. We asked him why he wasn't coming to church. He simply said he just didn't want to. But we committed him to come the next week. This last Sunday he didn't come to church. We visited him again to follow up. He said that his knee had been hurting him as after effects of a stroke he had had a long time ago. He also has a smoking problem but wants to quit. He had been smoking less this past week. We are focusing on commitments in the mission right now. So I went for it. I committed him to read his scriptures and pray every day and to go to church the next Sunday and to not smoke this week. Then I promised him (that is a big part of committing. You should always promise blessings.) that if he would do these 4 things that his knee would not hurt him this week and he would be able to come to church. And he willingly accepted! "Buhaton buhaton" he kept saying which means Ill do it. Great! So now we just pray he will follow through. After the lesson Kenneth said that I taught really well and clearly in Visaya. Yay! Thanks to the gift of tongues I can teach people all the way on the other side of the world. That was a good experience. I am so grateful for the blessings I am receiving from being a missionary. I love the work. I love the people. It is so rewarding.
We have a baptism this Saturday! Sister Erlinda Alkala. We are excited for her. We are also teaching a family of boys. Leonardo. Hector. Josue. Renante. Their mom and dad also join in some times as well as friends and relatives. It is great. We just started teaching Fransis and his wife Jessyl. Fransis is from Manila and is Tagolog speaking so I don’t do a whole lot of teaching. He understands some but not all. And their daughters are so cute! Only 8 and 5 though. Not much potential there. But they are fun to talk to. They are always so happy and laughing. I love the kids here.
Thanks for all of your support and love and prayers. I really appreciate it all. And a special thanks to Bill Sparks who sends mail all the time. Thank you so much.
Love gikan sa Philippines.
Elder Schenk
This week is a half way mark for this transfer. I can't believe its almost over! I like my companion Elder Nicoleta. He is a really good missionary. He teaches really well and is a good listener. I have learned so much from him. I am learning the language faster with him as well because he helps me to speak it well. Also in 9 days I will have been on a mission for 6 months! That means my mission is almost 1/4 over! That is crazy! I still feel like the new one.
My story this week is about Brother Taoy. He is 70 years old and is inactive. His wife is active and works in the primary. Last Sunday I visited him with a 19 year old member. Kenneth. who is preparing for a mission. He doesn't talk much so it gives me a great opportunity to work on my Visaya. I have to initiate the conversation and if I don't talk nobody does. Then I have to understand their questions and concerns. That is the hardest part for me. I can teach almost any lesson and can teach a lesson straight from the scriptures. I have learned how to express myself with my vocabulary. The problem is other people”s vocabulary. Much larger than mine. We asked him why he wasn't coming to church. He simply said he just didn't want to. But we committed him to come the next week. This last Sunday he didn't come to church. We visited him again to follow up. He said that his knee had been hurting him as after effects of a stroke he had had a long time ago. He also has a smoking problem but wants to quit. He had been smoking less this past week. We are focusing on commitments in the mission right now. So I went for it. I committed him to read his scriptures and pray every day and to go to church the next Sunday and to not smoke this week. Then I promised him (that is a big part of committing. You should always promise blessings.) that if he would do these 4 things that his knee would not hurt him this week and he would be able to come to church. And he willingly accepted! "Buhaton buhaton" he kept saying which means Ill do it. Great! So now we just pray he will follow through. After the lesson Kenneth said that I taught really well and clearly in Visaya. Yay! Thanks to the gift of tongues I can teach people all the way on the other side of the world. That was a good experience. I am so grateful for the blessings I am receiving from being a missionary. I love the work. I love the people. It is so rewarding.
We have a baptism this Saturday! Sister Erlinda Alkala. We are excited for her. We are also teaching a family of boys. Leonardo. Hector. Josue. Renante. Their mom and dad also join in some times as well as friends and relatives. It is great. We just started teaching Fransis and his wife Jessyl. Fransis is from Manila and is Tagolog speaking so I don’t do a whole lot of teaching. He understands some but not all. And their daughters are so cute! Only 8 and 5 though. Not much potential there. But they are fun to talk to. They are always so happy and laughing. I love the kids here.
Thanks for all of your support and love and prayers. I really appreciate it all. And a special thanks to Bill Sparks who sends mail all the time. Thank you so much.
Love gikan sa Philippines.
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
November 17, 2010
Hello everyone!
Thank you all for your birthday cards and packages and letters. I really appreciate it. We just had transfers and the 2 weeks the zone leaders have been in almost all of the mail was for me. I thought it was awesome, they just wish they could get more. So thank you all for that.
This last Sunday about 5 min before the meeting the Branch President asked us missionaries if one of us wanted to speak. My loving companion turned to me and asked if I wanted to. Sure! I replied. I had never given a talk in Visaya (Cebuano) and with 5 min to go before sacrament meeting, eh why not! "How long do you want me to speak for?" I asked. Just a short talk. 20 min, 15 min, Whatever you can do. 20 min! That is not a short talk. That is a full length High Councilman time period. So I decided to go with the "Whatever you can do" option. I liked that better. I asked him what the topic was. He replied that I should talk about whatever I think the members need. Oh thanks for your outstanding advice. But it was effective. I should learn to sustain my leaders. About the time the meeting started (it started about 5 min late so it gave me an extra 5 min to prepare) I had picked my topic. The members here get baptized, but then many go inactive and do nothing to support the branch or the church. So enduring to the end was my topic. I though the tree of life and the iron rod would work well for that. I quickly found the scripture. But I wanted one more scripture. The words "Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ" popped into my mind. Great! I'll take it. But where was that scripture? I didn't have a clue. Then I thought of the hymn "Press Forward Saints." That I could find. I grabbed the hymn book next to me and found the scripture linked to it in 2 Nephi. Great! So I had my topic, and a story from the scriptures and an additional scripture to go along with it. Now I just had to make it all work together, invite the spirit, keep the congregation from sleeping, help the people change their lives, and do it all in Visaya. Walay problema! So that is when you rely on the Lord.
When it was my turn to speak, for the first time ever teaching in visaya, I could worry about what to say and not how to say it. My companion said later that my Visaya was good, only a few errors. It was very understandable. When I went to share my scripture about pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, I accidently read the scripture before it, which happens to talk about the strait and narrow path, the topic I had been speaking on. It was an accident for me, but not for the Lord. He picked that scripture, helped me remember it, gave me a way to find it, had me read the one the congregation really needed, and then helped me to teach it clearly in Visaya. I know there is no way that I did all that. I am not that capable.
I know that when we rely on the Lord, ask Him for His help, and then do something, that He will gladly help us. I have seen that with my Visaya. I prayed for help with the language for a long time, but didn’t work that hard on it. I spent my time studying doctrine and the lessons and the Book of Mormon. But the day that I decided I needed to learn the language and that I was going to do what it takes, and then did something about it, I had 2 conversations with people on tricycles, which usually doesn't happen. Usually peopled don’t talk back. Both of them commented on how good my Visaya was. That doesn't happen very often, and I know it was because I put my faith in the Lord, and then did something. President Uchtdorf quoted President Monson who said, It is not enough to say we are going to make the effort, it is in the doing that the Lord can bless us. I know that is true.
Nasayud ko nga tinuod kining simbahan. Nasayud ko nga tinuod propeta si Joseph Smith ug tinuod ang Basahon ni Mormon. Nasayud ko nga tinuod propeta si Thomas S. Monson karon panahon. Kon buhaton nato mga butang diri sa kalibutan, makabalik ta sa atong Amahan sa Langit ug makapuyo ta sa atong mga pamilia sa wala kataputsan.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. I really enjoy my companion that I have now. We have a lot of fun together. This last week we taught 25 new investigators. Hopefully some of them will progress. We have a baptism scheduled for next Saturday the 27, Sister Erlinda Alcala. We are also teaching 4 brothers, Oswe, Renante, Leonardo, and Hector. We need their priesthood in our branch. We just split the branch and now have 3 active Melchizedek Priesthood holders, and one only comes about half the time. The people of the Philippines need all the prayers they can get. Their lives are such a struggle. Many men make enough money a day to pay for between 4 and 8 meals. Many of them have that many kids. We are teaching a family who have 13 people living in their house about the size of our dining room. There are 2 rooms and one is divided by a sheet. They sleep on the bamboo floor. They cook over a fire, many people do, out back. I worry every step I take that I am going to fall through the floor. I am the biggest person that goes there. I have to aim for the floor joists so I don’t fall through. I have never seen the husband. He is always working. Their 12 year old son drives a secad all day long, a bike with a little sidecar attached. You pay 5 pesos for a ride. That is about 10 cents. They need all the help they can get.
Thank you all for all you do. I know the Lord loves us and watches over us all. In the hard times, it is Him who can make the difference. Christ is the difference between sorrow and happiness. He is on our side, we just have to accept His help. He really does love you.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Thank you all for your birthday cards and packages and letters. I really appreciate it. We just had transfers and the 2 weeks the zone leaders have been in almost all of the mail was for me. I thought it was awesome, they just wish they could get more. So thank you all for that.
This last Sunday about 5 min before the meeting the Branch President asked us missionaries if one of us wanted to speak. My loving companion turned to me and asked if I wanted to. Sure! I replied. I had never given a talk in Visaya (Cebuano) and with 5 min to go before sacrament meeting, eh why not! "How long do you want me to speak for?" I asked. Just a short talk. 20 min, 15 min, Whatever you can do. 20 min! That is not a short talk. That is a full length High Councilman time period. So I decided to go with the "Whatever you can do" option. I liked that better. I asked him what the topic was. He replied that I should talk about whatever I think the members need. Oh thanks for your outstanding advice. But it was effective. I should learn to sustain my leaders. About the time the meeting started (it started about 5 min late so it gave me an extra 5 min to prepare) I had picked my topic. The members here get baptized, but then many go inactive and do nothing to support the branch or the church. So enduring to the end was my topic. I though the tree of life and the iron rod would work well for that. I quickly found the scripture. But I wanted one more scripture. The words "Press forward with a steadfastness in Christ" popped into my mind. Great! I'll take it. But where was that scripture? I didn't have a clue. Then I thought of the hymn "Press Forward Saints." That I could find. I grabbed the hymn book next to me and found the scripture linked to it in 2 Nephi. Great! So I had my topic, and a story from the scriptures and an additional scripture to go along with it. Now I just had to make it all work together, invite the spirit, keep the congregation from sleeping, help the people change their lives, and do it all in Visaya. Walay problema! So that is when you rely on the Lord.
When it was my turn to speak, for the first time ever teaching in visaya, I could worry about what to say and not how to say it. My companion said later that my Visaya was good, only a few errors. It was very understandable. When I went to share my scripture about pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, I accidently read the scripture before it, which happens to talk about the strait and narrow path, the topic I had been speaking on. It was an accident for me, but not for the Lord. He picked that scripture, helped me remember it, gave me a way to find it, had me read the one the congregation really needed, and then helped me to teach it clearly in Visaya. I know there is no way that I did all that. I am not that capable.
I know that when we rely on the Lord, ask Him for His help, and then do something, that He will gladly help us. I have seen that with my Visaya. I prayed for help with the language for a long time, but didn’t work that hard on it. I spent my time studying doctrine and the lessons and the Book of Mormon. But the day that I decided I needed to learn the language and that I was going to do what it takes, and then did something about it, I had 2 conversations with people on tricycles, which usually doesn't happen. Usually peopled don’t talk back. Both of them commented on how good my Visaya was. That doesn't happen very often, and I know it was because I put my faith in the Lord, and then did something. President Uchtdorf quoted President Monson who said, It is not enough to say we are going to make the effort, it is in the doing that the Lord can bless us. I know that is true.
Nasayud ko nga tinuod kining simbahan. Nasayud ko nga tinuod propeta si Joseph Smith ug tinuod ang Basahon ni Mormon. Nasayud ko nga tinuod propeta si Thomas S. Monson karon panahon. Kon buhaton nato mga butang diri sa kalibutan, makabalik ta sa atong Amahan sa Langit ug makapuyo ta sa atong mga pamilia sa wala kataputsan.
I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a missionary. I really enjoy my companion that I have now. We have a lot of fun together. This last week we taught 25 new investigators. Hopefully some of them will progress. We have a baptism scheduled for next Saturday the 27, Sister Erlinda Alcala. We are also teaching 4 brothers, Oswe, Renante, Leonardo, and Hector. We need their priesthood in our branch. We just split the branch and now have 3 active Melchizedek Priesthood holders, and one only comes about half the time. The people of the Philippines need all the prayers they can get. Their lives are such a struggle. Many men make enough money a day to pay for between 4 and 8 meals. Many of them have that many kids. We are teaching a family who have 13 people living in their house about the size of our dining room. There are 2 rooms and one is divided by a sheet. They sleep on the bamboo floor. They cook over a fire, many people do, out back. I worry every step I take that I am going to fall through the floor. I am the biggest person that goes there. I have to aim for the floor joists so I don’t fall through. I have never seen the husband. He is always working. Their 12 year old son drives a secad all day long, a bike with a little sidecar attached. You pay 5 pesos for a ride. That is about 10 cents. They need all the help they can get.
Thank you all for all you do. I know the Lord loves us and watches over us all. In the hard times, it is Him who can make the difference. Christ is the difference between sorrow and happiness. He is on our side, we just have to accept His help. He really does love you.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
November 10, 2010
Dad,
Thanks for your email. Things are going well this week. I am still loving it! It is great to hear that you have snow in the foothills. I could go for some of that right now. It is stinking hot here and it’s not even the hot season yet. My Philippino companion from Manila, which I hear is even hotter than here, is dying from the heat. We played basketball today. We are going earlier next week. 6:30 is too hot. Better before the sun is really up. I love what you said about teaching a full family. I have only had that opportunity once, and it was back in Cebu. I don’t know if they got baptized or not. Usually you just teach mothers. The fathers are always working.
It is a pretty poor area I am in. There isn’t a nice restaurant here because nobody could afford it. Instead they have calendarias. They just cook up a bunch of food, and put it out on a table on the side of the road and you buy whatever you want right out of the pan. Usually it’s not too bad. They also have barbeque. They have lots of different kinds of meats, mostly chicken and pork, on shishkabobs and you just throw it on the grill and cook it. Then you buy some puso, rice wrapped in some type of leaf that they weave into a diamond shape, and dip it in soy sauce and vinegar with chilies. The chilies here will kill you! One the length of your pinkie nail is strong enough to make your entire meal hot! But here in the Philippines they like it hot. So you put 3 or 4. I am getting used to it.
Thanks for your letters dad! I am so grateful for the example you have set for me. I have become who I am because of my parents and leaders. You have been a huge influence in my life. When Elder Cook came, the 70 over the Philippines spoke and talked about our legacy. What will be left behind when we leave. Your legacy lives in me Dad. I am trying to become the example you have always been to me. Thanks for everything. I love you all with all my heart. I am excited for the day when I can hug you all again!
Love you Dad,
Elder Schenk
Thanks for your email. Things are going well this week. I am still loving it! It is great to hear that you have snow in the foothills. I could go for some of that right now. It is stinking hot here and it’s not even the hot season yet. My Philippino companion from Manila, which I hear is even hotter than here, is dying from the heat. We played basketball today. We are going earlier next week. 6:30 is too hot. Better before the sun is really up. I love what you said about teaching a full family. I have only had that opportunity once, and it was back in Cebu. I don’t know if they got baptized or not. Usually you just teach mothers. The fathers are always working.
It is a pretty poor area I am in. There isn’t a nice restaurant here because nobody could afford it. Instead they have calendarias. They just cook up a bunch of food, and put it out on a table on the side of the road and you buy whatever you want right out of the pan. Usually it’s not too bad. They also have barbeque. They have lots of different kinds of meats, mostly chicken and pork, on shishkabobs and you just throw it on the grill and cook it. Then you buy some puso, rice wrapped in some type of leaf that they weave into a diamond shape, and dip it in soy sauce and vinegar with chilies. The chilies here will kill you! One the length of your pinkie nail is strong enough to make your entire meal hot! But here in the Philippines they like it hot. So you put 3 or 4. I am getting used to it.
Thanks for your letters dad! I am so grateful for the example you have set for me. I have become who I am because of my parents and leaders. You have been a huge influence in my life. When Elder Cook came, the 70 over the Philippines spoke and talked about our legacy. What will be left behind when we leave. Your legacy lives in me Dad. I am trying to become the example you have always been to me. Thanks for everything. I love you all with all my heart. I am excited for the day when I can hug you all again!
Love you Dad,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, November 3, 2010
November 2, 2010
Mom,
Thanks for your letter. First tell Dad that he cannot wait for me to get home to start shooting birds again. It is a lot more fun to hunt when you shoot things. I haven’t gotten the second package yet. Maybe next week. But I am excited to open my birthday cake this Saturday. I haven’t even unwrapped it yet. And I bought ice cream! For 120 pesos! Cheap in dollars, and worth over two meals in pesos. Tell Grandma Schenk thanks for the birthday money. It helped with the ice cream. And it tastes so good!
This last week has been an interesting one. I got a new companion. Also my area got split in half and the other two elders are living with us. For the first two nights they slept on our wood bed frames while we slept on or mattresses on the floor. We only have one stove burner, and the only food we had was what I had bought for myself for the next week. But all is well. Elder Francisco, one of the elders up in the new area, Catmon, has been doing most of the cooking. That has been nice. I am starting to get fat again. It feels good to be full! We don’t have a baptism this weekend. We have Sister Erlinda Alcala being baptized on November 27. The one we had planned for my birthday hasn’t come to church yet and was still struggling to talk to her father about baptism. We taught her father twice now and he is really receptive, not ready to change yet, but making progress. She is now in the new area, so we won’t teach her anymore. My new companion is super good at remembering things. He can hear someone’s name once and then refer to them, and their entire family by name for the entire lesson. He remembers all of their names when we come back. He is learning the area super fast. He has this ability to have people open up to him. Within a few minutes he can have them laughing and gain their trust. He is a really good teacher. He is a great example of that for me. I am stretching myself to keep up.
Oh tell Diane and Dad Happy Birthday for me. I kept forgetting to send them emails. Everyone says they have Halloween here, but it came and went in silence. So I’m not sure.
I am loving my area. I really do love the people here. They really are our brothers and sisters even though they look different, speak a different language, and live half way around the world. We are all
God's children. It is an honor to serve them for the Savior. I love you all! Keep working hard. The Lord likes hard workers. No matter how hard our situation is, Dieter F. Uchtdorf says that work will always help it change. Mom, it is exciting that you got a new calling! Good for you for volunteering! My branch could use some good activities. Maybe you will have to come and visit.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. Missionaries really do walk closely with the Lord. We just have to remember to turn to Him. I wish I had more time to write. I really had the scriptures come to
life this week. I am reading them for me and for my investigators, and the stories amaze me how well they really do apply to us. I love the Book of Mormon! Read it every day. Study it. Ponder its doctrines. It is in the pondering that the personal revelation comes. Thanks for everything! I love you all. Thanks for the mail. I think I get more mail from the US than anyone I know.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Thanks for your letter. First tell Dad that he cannot wait for me to get home to start shooting birds again. It is a lot more fun to hunt when you shoot things. I haven’t gotten the second package yet. Maybe next week. But I am excited to open my birthday cake this Saturday. I haven’t even unwrapped it yet. And I bought ice cream! For 120 pesos! Cheap in dollars, and worth over two meals in pesos. Tell Grandma Schenk thanks for the birthday money. It helped with the ice cream. And it tastes so good!
This last week has been an interesting one. I got a new companion. Also my area got split in half and the other two elders are living with us. For the first two nights they slept on our wood bed frames while we slept on or mattresses on the floor. We only have one stove burner, and the only food we had was what I had bought for myself for the next week. But all is well. Elder Francisco, one of the elders up in the new area, Catmon, has been doing most of the cooking. That has been nice. I am starting to get fat again. It feels good to be full! We don’t have a baptism this weekend. We have Sister Erlinda Alcala being baptized on November 27. The one we had planned for my birthday hasn’t come to church yet and was still struggling to talk to her father about baptism. We taught her father twice now and he is really receptive, not ready to change yet, but making progress. She is now in the new area, so we won’t teach her anymore. My new companion is super good at remembering things. He can hear someone’s name once and then refer to them, and their entire family by name for the entire lesson. He remembers all of their names when we come back. He is learning the area super fast. He has this ability to have people open up to him. Within a few minutes he can have them laughing and gain their trust. He is a really good teacher. He is a great example of that for me. I am stretching myself to keep up.
Oh tell Diane and Dad Happy Birthday for me. I kept forgetting to send them emails. Everyone says they have Halloween here, but it came and went in silence. So I’m not sure.
I am loving my area. I really do love the people here. They really are our brothers and sisters even though they look different, speak a different language, and live half way around the world. We are all
God's children. It is an honor to serve them for the Savior. I love you all! Keep working hard. The Lord likes hard workers. No matter how hard our situation is, Dieter F. Uchtdorf says that work will always help it change. Mom, it is exciting that you got a new calling! Good for you for volunteering! My branch could use some good activities. Maybe you will have to come and visit.
Thanks for all of your prayers and support. Missionaries really do walk closely with the Lord. We just have to remember to turn to Him. I wish I had more time to write. I really had the scriptures come to
life this week. I am reading them for me and for my investigators, and the stories amaze me how well they really do apply to us. I love the Book of Mormon! Read it every day. Study it. Ponder its doctrines. It is in the pondering that the personal revelation comes. Thanks for everything! I love you all. Thanks for the mail. I think I get more mail from the US than anyone I know.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
