Mom, We have to get to the temple so I have almost no time to write, but I included my email to President Hansen so you have a little more to chew on. Elder Plania transfers this Friday and my new companion is Elder Casio. Filipino as well. Things are going great here. I am learning so much and my testimony is becoming much stronger.
Love you,
Elder Schenk
President,
This has been a good transfer. I have learned so much from being senior companion and from my companion, the area, the investigators, and especially from the Lord as I pray and read the Book of Mormon. I am also reading Our Heritage. That has given me such a respect for the pioneers of the church and for the prophet Joseph Smith. I have never had a stronger testimony that he is the prophet of the restoration and that he was indeed called of God to restore His church. I think this is the first time that I have understood what it means to have no doubt that something is true. There is just no way I could ever deny it because of the spiritual witness I have gained as I read about his life. The stories of the first missionaries are so inspiring too, how one missionary or a companionship can convert over 100 people. I feel like we have let our standard of missionary work down and that we don’t exercise the faith that is required to produce such miracles. I feel like the people here are ready. Missionaries have been sowing seeds here in the Philippines for 50 years now. It is our time to harvest. After reading of their experiences, I feel obligated to do my part.
I love you president. Thank you for your firm example of righteousness here in the mission. Your legacy will linger far longer than you will.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Thursday, May 26, 2011
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
May 18, 2011
Mom,
Thank you for the pictures. I am once again amazed at how great and successful my family is. I have great soccer playing Spanish student of the year genius brother and two great sisters, one who is running yet another marathon... I ran 6 miles once... and the other who has a cute little baby and a sweet new house. Seeing pictures of houses in America is weird. They are so small here. Last night we had a lesson at a recent converts house, the one I got to baptize Saturday (I forgot to write about it last week. Sorry... I’ll give details later) and we had 4 ward missionaries come with us. It was hard pressed to find a place for the 7 of us to sit in her house because it is so small. She doesn’t own a chair, but she has an old footrest to a recliner that she piles things on and a little wood stool that two can squeeze onto that sits about 6 inches off the floor. Other than that you just sit on the floor. That is just half of the house, but the other has a dirt floor and is where she cooks. The room where they eat, watch TV, read and sleep is about 6x10 feet. It has bamboo woven walls and a metal roof. The roofs here get rusty and have little holes in them. Or they lash some palm leaves together and stack them like shingles. Those don’t last that long. So your house is sweet Katie! Nice work. You also make more than $7 in a ten hour work day. That makes a difference.
Thank you for the pictures. I am once again amazed at how great and successful my family is. I have great soccer playing Spanish student of the year genius brother and two great sisters, one who is running yet another marathon... I ran 6 miles once... and the other who has a cute little baby and a sweet new house. Seeing pictures of houses in America is weird. They are so small here. Last night we had a lesson at a recent converts house, the one I got to baptize Saturday (I forgot to write about it last week. Sorry... I’ll give details later) and we had 4 ward missionaries come with us. It was hard pressed to find a place for the 7 of us to sit in her house because it is so small. She doesn’t own a chair, but she has an old footrest to a recliner that she piles things on and a little wood stool that two can squeeze onto that sits about 6 inches off the floor. Other than that you just sit on the floor. That is just half of the house, but the other has a dirt floor and is where she cooks. The room where they eat, watch TV, read and sleep is about 6x10 feet. It has bamboo woven walls and a metal roof. The roofs here get rusty and have little holes in them. Or they lash some palm leaves together and stack them like shingles. Those don’t last that long. So your house is sweet Katie! Nice work. You also make more than $7 in a ten hour work day. That makes a difference.
Last Saturday Susan was baptized. I got to baptize her. It was such a good experience. Before that we were able to go with her to a 50th anniversary of the church in the Philippines. All the youth in the entire Philippines put on a dance festival to celebrate. That was neat. The baptism was so good. We had a program and speakers who were ready to give talks and not a ton, but quite a few members there. Afterwards we had chicken and rice that the ward provided. That was the most organized baptism I have ever been to. This ward is amazing. The only baptism here that I have seen food at was when Elder Nicoleta and I cooked spaghetti and brought it ourselves. It was great to have the wards help. Right after the baptism - while I was changing - I felt such a joy, just like it describes it in the scriptures when we are able to help someone with their salvation. I love this work! I definitely underestimated the worth of a mission before I came. I can't blame the RM's though because it’s not something you can really put into words, you just have to experience it. And when you do, you will never be the same. When you give the Lord the crust, He really does give you a loaf in return. I love this work so much. It is so rewarding!
Now for the "What to Pray For" section you asked for Mom. Prayer is so important (3 Nephi 18:18-21).
1. Pray for the spirit of the Lord to be spread throughout the world and that the people will open their hearts and be prepared to receive the the gospel.
2. Pray that we will be able to find all the people that the Lord has prepared to receive this glorious gospel and be able to share the gospel with them and that they will have the faith to be baptized (2 Nephi 33:12).
3. My investigators who need extra help:
* Zenida Algabre. She wants to be baptized so bad, but her husband is mad at us because his wife is not always home to fulfill his every wish... while he is drunk... because she is at church or visiting the temple or having lessons with us. We can’t even meet with her anymore because her husband won’t allow it. Pray that her husband, Pedro, will have his heart softened and eventually join the church so that they can be sealed as a family. Also pray that Sister Zenida will have the strength to continue through the persecutions.
* The Castillio family. They need to gain a testimony that the church is true. They came to church the first week after they were taught, that never happens here, but they do not yet have a testimony. They will never become strong members of the church without it.
* Maribel and Haymi. Pray that they will gain a testimony as well. Sister Maribel is so smart. She thinks things through so thoroughly before she will commit to anything. When we asked her if she would pray about Joseph Smith starred at the floor for about thirty seconds. I asked her what her feelings were, and after expressing herself she said that she needed to pray, and then very thoughtfully she said that she needed to really read the Book of Mormon, not just the introduction. In her prayer at the end of the lesson she said that maybe this was the reason why they were transferred here (they just moved) so that she could learn about the church. If she receives an answer she is going to be so strong. She is so sincere. Unlike that, her husband just accepts everything we say and readily commits to everything we give him.
If we will help with missionary work, we will see, like the people in the time of Helaman, a "great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance." The blessings were so great "that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure" (Helaman 3:25-26) What a great blessing. We all have the opportunity and responsibility to do missionary work. Every member a missionary. The blessings are so rich! All we have to do is talk to the people we love the most. They will listen because we really do love them.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Now for the "What to Pray For" section you asked for Mom. Prayer is so important (3 Nephi 18:18-21).
1. Pray for the spirit of the Lord to be spread throughout the world and that the people will open their hearts and be prepared to receive the the gospel.
2. Pray that we will be able to find all the people that the Lord has prepared to receive this glorious gospel and be able to share the gospel with them and that they will have the faith to be baptized (2 Nephi 33:12).
3. My investigators who need extra help:
* Zenida Algabre. She wants to be baptized so bad, but her husband is mad at us because his wife is not always home to fulfill his every wish... while he is drunk... because she is at church or visiting the temple or having lessons with us. We can’t even meet with her anymore because her husband won’t allow it. Pray that her husband, Pedro, will have his heart softened and eventually join the church so that they can be sealed as a family. Also pray that Sister Zenida will have the strength to continue through the persecutions.
* The Castillio family. They need to gain a testimony that the church is true. They came to church the first week after they were taught, that never happens here, but they do not yet have a testimony. They will never become strong members of the church without it.
* Maribel and Haymi. Pray that they will gain a testimony as well. Sister Maribel is so smart. She thinks things through so thoroughly before she will commit to anything. When we asked her if she would pray about Joseph Smith starred at the floor for about thirty seconds. I asked her what her feelings were, and after expressing herself she said that she needed to pray, and then very thoughtfully she said that she needed to really read the Book of Mormon, not just the introduction. In her prayer at the end of the lesson she said that maybe this was the reason why they were transferred here (they just moved) so that she could learn about the church. If she receives an answer she is going to be so strong. She is so sincere. Unlike that, her husband just accepts everything we say and readily commits to everything we give him.
If we will help with missionary work, we will see, like the people in the time of Helaman, a "great prosperity in the church, insomuch that there were thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance." The blessings were so great "that even the high priests and the teachers were themselves astonished beyond measure" (Helaman 3:25-26) What a great blessing. We all have the opportunity and responsibility to do missionary work. Every member a missionary. The blessings are so rich! All we have to do is talk to the people we love the most. They will listen because we really do love them.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
May 10, 2011
Mom,
It was great to talk with you all on mother’s day too! Sorry the feed from my end was bad. I’m glad you are all doing so well. Thank you for the pictures. Eric is growing up. I can’t wait for him to serve a mission here in the Philippines. What a great place to be! You learn so much on your mission. You learn about things you have never thought of before. I love it. It seems that everyone who got up to bear testimony here cried too, but we had a primary program. Tons of little 6 and 7 and 8 year olds got up and cried their eyes out while they talked about how much they loved their mothers. I love my mother too! She is the best!
So right now I have a new Book of Mormon goal. I have been reading a lot in Cebuano and it has helped my language a lot, and usually I understand most of it, but the revelation has dramatically decreased. So my goal to get back on track with the Book of Mormon is to 1. Finish it this week (I am just finishing 3 Nephi, that’s 12 pages a day) and 2. Circle every reference to Jesus Christ or Heavenly Father. I started yesterday and enjoyed it so much I didn’t want to stop. I think I read 15 pages. What a great experience. I am also finding out why both Nephi and Jesus say Great are the words of Isaiah and that Jesus commanded us to study his words. The doctrine is so pure, if you can get around the way he says things. I love learning! I’m glad Katie and Josh had a good time in Hawaii. I am sitting next to Elder Pasikala from Hawaii. He loves it there too, but doesn’t know what hula pie is. Shame...
Sure love you all! Can’t wait to see you all, especially Eric and that little bundle of cuteness you call Eleanor.
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
May 4, 2011
Family,
It’s good to hear all the good news coming from your neck of the woods. I will be skyping this Monday at 8am our time. If my information and my math is right that should be Sunday at 5 pm for you. I am excited to be able to see you all again. Get the questions ready!
We have one baptism scheduled for next Saturday, Sister Susan. She is a really good investigator who loves everything about the gospel. I just hope we have time to teach everything to her. She is a little long-winded and often we don’t get to teach very much in lessons. We are learning to teach a lot in a shorter amount of time. Each Thursday there is a free temple tour that the city missionaries guide. We went once last transfer and it was very successful. You get to watch the temple movie they show in the temple open houses, and then you get a tour around the outside of the temple, a talk about baptism at the baptistery, and a closing room where you can ask questions and get copies of lots of church literature. We are taking hopefully 6 investigators and an inactive member tomorrow. I doubt they will all come, but they said that they have desire. It is a great opportunity to better address the importance of families and for them to feel the spirit.
We also found a good investigator last week. We had originally talked to his mother who wanted her other son to learn about the church so he could fix his life and find some self worth. He said he would try learning with us. The next visit the mother didn’t join but his brother did. And then last night it was just the brother. Unlike the first brother we taught, he is 27, has his life in order, has graduated from college and wants to drive boats for a living. He has already been all over the Philippines for his work and sometimes drives, but his goal is to be the driver of a cruise ship like the one you took mom. We taught him the restoration and then asked him that when he knew that the church was true through prayer, that he would be baptized. He looked straight at us and said "oh! Ganahan ko mosakop sa tinuod nga simbahan." In English, "Yes! I want to join the true church." He was excited about praying about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and the church. He has so much desire. I love it!
Well I have to go save some souls. Talk to you all (or as many as I can) this Sunday/ Monday.
Eric, good luck in your game tomorrow. Don’t loose ok! Get a hat trick for me!
Love,
Elder Schenk
It’s good to hear all the good news coming from your neck of the woods. I will be skyping this Monday at 8am our time. If my information and my math is right that should be Sunday at 5 pm for you. I am excited to be able to see you all again. Get the questions ready!
We have one baptism scheduled for next Saturday, Sister Susan. She is a really good investigator who loves everything about the gospel. I just hope we have time to teach everything to her. She is a little long-winded and often we don’t get to teach very much in lessons. We are learning to teach a lot in a shorter amount of time. Each Thursday there is a free temple tour that the city missionaries guide. We went once last transfer and it was very successful. You get to watch the temple movie they show in the temple open houses, and then you get a tour around the outside of the temple, a talk about baptism at the baptistery, and a closing room where you can ask questions and get copies of lots of church literature. We are taking hopefully 6 investigators and an inactive member tomorrow. I doubt they will all come, but they said that they have desire. It is a great opportunity to better address the importance of families and for them to feel the spirit.
We also found a good investigator last week. We had originally talked to his mother who wanted her other son to learn about the church so he could fix his life and find some self worth. He said he would try learning with us. The next visit the mother didn’t join but his brother did. And then last night it was just the brother. Unlike the first brother we taught, he is 27, has his life in order, has graduated from college and wants to drive boats for a living. He has already been all over the Philippines for his work and sometimes drives, but his goal is to be the driver of a cruise ship like the one you took mom. We taught him the restoration and then asked him that when he knew that the church was true through prayer, that he would be baptized. He looked straight at us and said "oh! Ganahan ko mosakop sa tinuod nga simbahan." In English, "Yes! I want to join the true church." He was excited about praying about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith and the church. He has so much desire. I love it!
Well I have to go save some souls. Talk to you all (or as many as I can) this Sunday/ Monday.
Eric, good luck in your game tomorrow. Don’t loose ok! Get a hat trick for me!
Love,
Elder Schenk
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