Family,
I got a new companion this week. I LOVE him! He is a Filipino. His name is Elder Mera. He is 24 from Luzon, the big island up north that Manila is on. We entered the MTC the same day, but on opposite ends of the world. They only go to the MTC for 3 weeks where we go for 9 so he got here a transfer before I did. He is a lot of fun to be with. He is always happy and helpful and clean! This morning we cleaned the apartment. That was great! It looks so much better now. It is nice to have a companion as clean as you are. He is a great teacher, and is so loving. He is willing to give up what he has to members who need it and don't have the money for it, like ties and shirts. While we were cleaning, we found some extra socks and belts and things like that. I would just throw them away, but he came up with the idea of giving them to members and investigators who don't have them. That is a much better idea!
We also did have our baptism this week! Resly Racho is now a member of the church! And this week he will receive the priesthood! I am excited. He is the most prepared of all the baptisms I have had. Also this transfer we have the opportunity of having a lot of baptisms. We have 4 other progressing investigators, 3 who could easily become progressing, but don't keep their commitments yet, and 3 more who are good potential investigators. We have the possibility of many baptisms in the next two transfers! We are EXCITED! My companion talks to everyone and says hi to everyone. He said there were some sisters who talked to everyone and were always smiling and happy and eventually people started to get to know them and say hi back. Eventually they began to ask about them and then would refer themselves! We are trying to do that here. The missionaries have been here for so long that a lot of people call us Elders, or whispers "Mormons" as we walk by. And if not that, there is the constant chorus of people yelling "HEY JOE" and the little kids yelling "Americano!" It's fun.
Katie, congratulations on your baby! and if you haven't had it yet, good luck. I am excited to be a tito, or uncle.
Salamat kaayo sa inyong mga letters ug emails. they are always nice to receive. Salamat kaayo sa inyong mga prayers ug googma. Nagdawat ko lig-on sa inyong mga pagampo. Salamat!
Love always,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
January 18, 2011
Family,
I hope you are all doing well. I think Katie has already had her baby, but I'm not sure, so CONGRATULATIONS KATIE AND JOSH! I am happy for you! You have a lucky child to have you as parents.
I sent my companion home yesterday and am staying with elder Ashdown who also had his companion go home. He has only been here for 2 transfers so I know more Visaya than he does. I am learning well, and I can pretty much talk to people about anything and understand a lot. It is really a great blessing from the Lord.
My new companion will be Elder Mera. He was in my zone back in Lilo-an when I was in Carmen. I am excited. He is a really good missionary and is fun and Filipino. Our baptism is finally going to happen this weekend, it fell through the last two weekends because he has had other obligations in Cebu. He decided to skip last weekend and be baptized, but his leaders told him he had to be there. So this weekend it is! If all goes well we could have 7 baptisms this transfer, but most likely some of them will not pull though. They are:
Resly - being baptized on Saturday
Kesha, Filip, and Melissa - all siblings of an inactive family who were never baptized. they come with their aunt to church.
Johnly - 12 years old and has had almost all the lessons, but struggles to get to church because his parents are not members, but his cousin who he lives with is inactive. Also the ward mission leader lives across the street.
Serjio, Macmac and Isa - Serjio is the father and the others are his children. Serjio is really promising. He has almost no money but drives tricycle sometimes. He gave us a ride worth 42 pesos and wanted to give it to us for free. That is a lot of money! I am excited to continue to teach him.
Terry and her daughter Mariss - still investigating, I don't think they will be baptized, but they are still progressing, so we will keep trying.
It turns out our mission has the lowest investigator to baptisms ratio for all of the Philippines! That means we should baptize the most! Last year the average was 1:30. one baptism for 30 investigators. Ours was 1:24 last year and this year is 1:16! That is almost twice as many baptisms as the average last year! I feel so blessed to be in such a great place where the work is moving forward. It is great to work for the Lord. I think that Elder Mera is a hard worker, so I am Excited for this next transfer!
Elder Ashdown got some brownie and muffin mix from home so we are going to go bake it at a members house here in Naga, his area, since we don't have an oven. I am excited!
I love you all! Take care!
Elder Schenk
Mom,
Thank you for the care package. I appreciate it! Thank you also for your prayers. I have found an increased sensitivity to the spirit in lessons lately. There are a lot of times where I end up sharing different scriptures than I would have thought were appropriate. Last night I shared a scripture in Ether about faith in order to get members back to church. It ended up being what they needed to hear. I know I shared the two scriptures the Lord wanted me to. I have found that I have been doing that more and more. It feels so great to be doing the work of the Lord!
Thanks for everything!
Love always,
Elder Schenk
I hope you are all doing well. I think Katie has already had her baby, but I'm not sure, so CONGRATULATIONS KATIE AND JOSH! I am happy for you! You have a lucky child to have you as parents.
I sent my companion home yesterday and am staying with elder Ashdown who also had his companion go home. He has only been here for 2 transfers so I know more Visaya than he does. I am learning well, and I can pretty much talk to people about anything and understand a lot. It is really a great blessing from the Lord.
My new companion will be Elder Mera. He was in my zone back in Lilo-an when I was in Carmen. I am excited. He is a really good missionary and is fun and Filipino. Our baptism is finally going to happen this weekend, it fell through the last two weekends because he has had other obligations in Cebu. He decided to skip last weekend and be baptized, but his leaders told him he had to be there. So this weekend it is! If all goes well we could have 7 baptisms this transfer, but most likely some of them will not pull though. They are:
Resly - being baptized on Saturday
Kesha, Filip, and Melissa - all siblings of an inactive family who were never baptized. they come with their aunt to church.
Johnly - 12 years old and has had almost all the lessons, but struggles to get to church because his parents are not members, but his cousin who he lives with is inactive. Also the ward mission leader lives across the street.
Serjio, Macmac and Isa - Serjio is the father and the others are his children. Serjio is really promising. He has almost no money but drives tricycle sometimes. He gave us a ride worth 42 pesos and wanted to give it to us for free. That is a lot of money! I am excited to continue to teach him.
Terry and her daughter Mariss - still investigating, I don't think they will be baptized, but they are still progressing, so we will keep trying.
It turns out our mission has the lowest investigator to baptisms ratio for all of the Philippines! That means we should baptize the most! Last year the average was 1:30. one baptism for 30 investigators. Ours was 1:24 last year and this year is 1:16! That is almost twice as many baptisms as the average last year! I feel so blessed to be in such a great place where the work is moving forward. It is great to work for the Lord. I think that Elder Mera is a hard worker, so I am Excited for this next transfer!
Elder Ashdown got some brownie and muffin mix from home so we are going to go bake it at a members house here in Naga, his area, since we don't have an oven. I am excited!
I love you all! Take care!
Elder Schenk
Mom,
Thank you for the care package. I appreciate it! Thank you also for your prayers. I have found an increased sensitivity to the spirit in lessons lately. There are a lot of times where I end up sharing different scriptures than I would have thought were appropriate. Last night I shared a scripture in Ether about faith in order to get members back to church. It ended up being what they needed to hear. I know I shared the two scriptures the Lord wanted me to. I have found that I have been doing that more and more. It feels so great to be doing the work of the Lord!
Thanks for everything!
Love always,
Elder Schenk
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
January 11, 2011
Family,
How are you all?
Our baptism this last week fell though, the candidate had a school dance competition in Cebu and was planning on coming back Saturday afternoon, but his leader wanted him to come back with the group and not alone and so he got home late. They have another competition this week, but he decided to skip so that he could be baptized. I know the Lord will bless him for his sacrifice.
Other than that, your question last week, chocolate comes just fine to the Philippines and gratefully accepted. If you put it in a bag and then put that bag(s) in another ziplock and fill it with air, I hear it gets here undamaged. Peanut M&Ms are really good, but they get smashed the worst. Most other chocolate makes it just fine.
This Tuesday Elder Felipe is going to the mission office and I will be without a companion until Friday. I’ll end up working with ward mission leader or Elder Ashdown from Naga, about 45 min north.
Nothing else exciting is happening right now, just a lot of mud and rain. My pants were brown up to my calf. But we got 2 new investigators!
Tell Diane thank you for her letter. I really appreciate it.
I love you all! Take care!
Elder Schenk
How are you all?
Our baptism this last week fell though, the candidate had a school dance competition in Cebu and was planning on coming back Saturday afternoon, but his leader wanted him to come back with the group and not alone and so he got home late. They have another competition this week, but he decided to skip so that he could be baptized. I know the Lord will bless him for his sacrifice.
Other than that, your question last week, chocolate comes just fine to the Philippines and gratefully accepted. If you put it in a bag and then put that bag(s) in another ziplock and fill it with air, I hear it gets here undamaged. Peanut M&Ms are really good, but they get smashed the worst. Most other chocolate makes it just fine.
This Tuesday Elder Felipe is going to the mission office and I will be without a companion until Friday. I’ll end up working with ward mission leader or Elder Ashdown from Naga, about 45 min north.
Nothing else exciting is happening right now, just a lot of mud and rain. My pants were brown up to my calf. But we got 2 new investigators!
Tell Diane thank you for her letter. I really appreciate it.
I love you all! Take care!
Elder Schenk
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
January 4, 2011
Mom,
It has been cold here too this week. No snow though. It keeps on raining and the sun just doesn’t get a chance to warm everything up. So I have actually gotten cold at night, but that is because I sleep in shorts with no covers and a fan blowing. It has been off most of the week.
I got your other package! Thanks so much! And thank you for General Conference CD’s! That is what I was going to buy anyways. I am half way through them and I got them on Sunday.
Tell both grandmas to get well soon. I will pray for them. Also thank grandma schenk for the umbrella. My companion has been using it. Just about everyone we visit either wants me to give them mine or his. They love them!
Winston Baring will definitely have a great time cooking up some buad! That is just something you don’t find in America. Tell him I said kamusta.
Restly is right on schedule for baptism this week. He still has a good testimony. I am excited. And I get to go to the temple today! And my companion is good.
With the money from my savings account, I thought I had a few thousand, but don’t remember. What happened to the money from the truck? Did that go to my mission fund? Anyways, gather all you can and give it all up. It can do someone else some good. I’ll try not to go over my limit here.
I’ve got a good story for you! So I thought I had the Philippines about figured out, and that there weren’t really any more surprises. Then came New Years... HOLY CRAP!!! BANG!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BANG!!! They don’t really have nice good looking fireworks here. Pretty much the rule is the louder they are, the better. So while we were sleeping on New Years Eve, about 11:30 things started to get loud. So I woke up. Then at midnight... I have never ever in my entire life heard so many loud sounds coming from so many different places. If you had something that made a loud noise, you were using it! Ground shaking firecrackers, revving your engine, yelling, music, and anything else you can think of. Needless to say, I missed some sleeping time. Quite impressive.
Thanks for everything!
Love,
Elder Schenk
It has been cold here too this week. No snow though. It keeps on raining and the sun just doesn’t get a chance to warm everything up. So I have actually gotten cold at night, but that is because I sleep in shorts with no covers and a fan blowing. It has been off most of the week.
I got your other package! Thanks so much! And thank you for General Conference CD’s! That is what I was going to buy anyways. I am half way through them and I got them on Sunday.
Tell both grandmas to get well soon. I will pray for them. Also thank grandma schenk for the umbrella. My companion has been using it. Just about everyone we visit either wants me to give them mine or his. They love them!
Winston Baring will definitely have a great time cooking up some buad! That is just something you don’t find in America. Tell him I said kamusta.
Restly is right on schedule for baptism this week. He still has a good testimony. I am excited. And I get to go to the temple today! And my companion is good.
With the money from my savings account, I thought I had a few thousand, but don’t remember. What happened to the money from the truck? Did that go to my mission fund? Anyways, gather all you can and give it all up. It can do someone else some good. I’ll try not to go over my limit here.
I’ve got a good story for you! So I thought I had the Philippines about figured out, and that there weren’t really any more surprises. Then came New Years... HOLY CRAP!!! BANG!!! BOOM!!! BOOM!!! BANG!!! They don’t really have nice good looking fireworks here. Pretty much the rule is the louder they are, the better. So while we were sleeping on New Years Eve, about 11:30 things started to get loud. So I woke up. Then at midnight... I have never ever in my entire life heard so many loud sounds coming from so many different places. If you had something that made a loud noise, you were using it! Ground shaking firecrackers, revving your engine, yelling, music, and anything else you can think of. Needless to say, I missed some sleeping time. Quite impressive.
Thanks for everything!
Love,
Elder Schenk
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