Dad,
Thanks for the email. You too Eric. It’s good to hear that you are doing well. Just so you know I hit my 1 year mark in the mission tomorrow. It goes by so fast, and they say the second year is so much faster. I am excited for what the Lord has in store for me here. I learn so much as a missionary. It has definitely prepared me in ways I would have never imagined. I have a new companion. His name is Elder Casio. He is 23 years old and from Mindanao Philippines. He did live here in Consolation when he was younger though, but only for about a year. He went to church in our building, but was in the next ward over. He is lively, talks a lot and likes to smile and have fun. I like him a lot. It is going to be a good transfer. Although we have some really good investigators the work is going slow right now. We have so many appointments where people aren't home or are busy. We have cell phones now and we text most of them, but usually they don’t get the text because their phone is dead or they just didn’t look. And they hardly ever text back because they don't have the money to buy a load. They don't use contracts here, they use loads that you can get anywhere, usually at the little tindahan (store) across the street. Monday was district meeting so we didn't start working until after lunch. In 6 hours we didn't have a single lesson. Yesterday we worked from 10am to 8:30 pm with 2 hours of meal breaks and we only had 3 lessons, and two of them were members. But that’s were faith comes in. The success will come in time. We hope to have 4 baptisms in June.
This week I have learned a lesson in humility and how much I need the Lords help and how I need to master Cebuano. I have noticed a decrease in my ability to teach, focus in lessons, listen to the investigators, and be able to discern their needs and teach to meet them. I have also found it much harder to understand Cebuano. During a lesson on Tuesday I was thinking about this because despite my effort to listen and understand I was really struggling. There have been lessons where I can feel the Holy Ghost guide me to meet their needs, but not this one. I finally realized that it was the Lord trying to teach me to be humble. Even though I pray for His guidance and know He can help me, I have not truly appreciated how much I really do need Him and how this work cannot be done without Him, for it is His work. I also realized that if I don't master this language I will never be able to meet the needs of the people effectively. Yes the Lord does bless you with the gift of tongues, but He will not continue to translate for you for your entire mission. I need to do as Jeffery R. Holland taught and master the language in every way possible. Then after I have treasured up knowledge He can bless me in the very moment so I will know what to say (D&C 84:85). It was a good lesson I learned. I know that applying it will help me in my work tremendously.
Investigators:
Zenida Algabre
Yolanda and Jolyvic Garsia
Janice
Roger and Elizabeth Castillio
Mhean
Rodel
Maribel and Jaime Tinimbakan
Luz Carang
Josing
Jenny Roquero
Love you all! Take care,
Elder Schenk
Thanks for the email. You too Eric. It’s good to hear that you are doing well. Just so you know I hit my 1 year mark in the mission tomorrow. It goes by so fast, and they say the second year is so much faster. I am excited for what the Lord has in store for me here. I learn so much as a missionary. It has definitely prepared me in ways I would have never imagined. I have a new companion. His name is Elder Casio. He is 23 years old and from Mindanao Philippines. He did live here in Consolation when he was younger though, but only for about a year. He went to church in our building, but was in the next ward over. He is lively, talks a lot and likes to smile and have fun. I like him a lot. It is going to be a good transfer. Although we have some really good investigators the work is going slow right now. We have so many appointments where people aren't home or are busy. We have cell phones now and we text most of them, but usually they don’t get the text because their phone is dead or they just didn’t look. And they hardly ever text back because they don't have the money to buy a load. They don't use contracts here, they use loads that you can get anywhere, usually at the little tindahan (store) across the street. Monday was district meeting so we didn't start working until after lunch. In 6 hours we didn't have a single lesson. Yesterday we worked from 10am to 8:30 pm with 2 hours of meal breaks and we only had 3 lessons, and two of them were members. But that’s were faith comes in. The success will come in time. We hope to have 4 baptisms in June.
This week I have learned a lesson in humility and how much I need the Lords help and how I need to master Cebuano. I have noticed a decrease in my ability to teach, focus in lessons, listen to the investigators, and be able to discern their needs and teach to meet them. I have also found it much harder to understand Cebuano. During a lesson on Tuesday I was thinking about this because despite my effort to listen and understand I was really struggling. There have been lessons where I can feel the Holy Ghost guide me to meet their needs, but not this one. I finally realized that it was the Lord trying to teach me to be humble. Even though I pray for His guidance and know He can help me, I have not truly appreciated how much I really do need Him and how this work cannot be done without Him, for it is His work. I also realized that if I don't master this language I will never be able to meet the needs of the people effectively. Yes the Lord does bless you with the gift of tongues, but He will not continue to translate for you for your entire mission. I need to do as Jeffery R. Holland taught and master the language in every way possible. Then after I have treasured up knowledge He can bless me in the very moment so I will know what to say (D&C 84:85). It was a good lesson I learned. I know that applying it will help me in my work tremendously.
Investigators:
Zenida Algabre
Yolanda and Jolyvic Garsia
Janice
Roger and Elizabeth Castillio
Mhean
Rodel
Maribel and Jaime Tinimbakan
Luz Carang
Josing
Jenny Roquero
Love you all! Take care,
Elder Schenk
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