Hello Family!
Nice work Dad, you snuck that email in just in time. It’s great to hear that things are going well back home, that Mom is getting the house all tuned up and Eric is trimming the bushes well. Keep up with the double shifting work schedule. It’s hard sometimes, but you are saving for your mission and that's what is important. Katie emailed me. Eleanor is getting bigger! I spend so much time around kids here. They are everywhere! I haven't had those experiences at home, Eric can change his own diaper now.
In news, we have three baptisms coming up next week. They have interviews on Friday. Hopefully they do well. I have been hoping for two more baptisms this transfer, before August when I think I am going to transfer, but I don't think we can get them. None of our investigators have been progressing enough. None have come to church yet.
Our new mission president is great! I absolutely love him. He talks to us on a very personal level and often tells you exactly what you need to hear, in fact the 4 times I have talked to him I have received the answer to what I need to do next in becoming a better missionary. He is very different than President Hansen. President Hansen was a genius. He could spend 20 min expounding one verse. You learned so much from him. He taught us like a class, as he was a school teacher. President Schmutz is different. For his workshop we sat in a U around him and Sister Schmutz more like a family. He teaches very simply, but the spirit teaches you what you need to know. He writes long emails and really tries to give each missionary exactly what they need and what the Lord Himself would give. I am grateful to serve under such a man. He is so full of love, the very same principle he is teaching me. Love is so important, and we cannot gain it by ourselves, it must be bestowed upon us by He who is Love (Moroni 7:48). I love that verse. It is powerful.
Take care! I love you all. I’ll send pictures soon, my SD card is almost full.
Elder Schenk
Funny Story
Today we got together as a zone to play basketball. After we ate at Mang Inasal. They have BBQ chicken and pork. Elder Doxy had asked them the last time he was there for an ice water. They said they didn't have ice water, but tap water. So this time he just asked the waiter for a tap water. It took them forever! Everyone else had gotten their drinks first and he was like, "How long does it take to put Ice and water in a cup!" A little later they brought him a cup of water. It looked SUPER cold with steam coming out. He excitedly went to drink it and when he touched it realized it wasn't cold, but scolding hot! He said "What the heck man! I asked for ice water and they say they only have tap water. So I asked for tap water and they give me hot water! What do I have to do to get a cold water!" Then later, after he suffered down his hot water the waiter came around to give us refills. He was so excited for it! The waiter filled up my cup, then Elder Oliver’s cup and then when he got to Elder Doxy he only got a drizzle and then it ran out of water. We laughed so hard. About 5 min later the waiter came back and finally gave him a full cup.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
July 12, 2011
Well Howdy there amigos! Those are some mighty fine Australian cowboy hats you got there. What’s interesting being here in the Philippines is when a pair of shorts or a hat or a souvenir says "Hand Made" it’s true. There are people here who spend all day making Adidas shorts and weaving baskets and doing things I would never imagine would be done by hand, but day after day that's what they do. I’m really working with the shell lady trying to get some cool ones. They make designs on them and put cool polishes on them and make them into shell statues and stuff like that. They keep showing me new stuff and I think I might get a whole bunch. I can get it custom made. They turned out to be good investigators too. We have taught them 3 times and the last two lessons we had 7 and 8 investigators! They get all their neighbors to join in the lessons. One of their neighbors, Cristojan, or Chris, is a really good investigator. He always reads and is ready for the lessons. I hope him and some of the others get baptized.
We have 3 baptisms lined up for July 30. Mark and his 9 year old daughter, and 11 year old Jameson who is living with his member cousin. Mark is a really good investigator, and all three of them come to church every week, even though we go to the next town over because our church is being renovated starting last week. They are going to make it 3 stories and put an elevator in it! I haven't even seen a 2 story church in America, and this will be the first 3 story I've seen here. The plot of land the church is on is super small, so that is probably why it is being built taller. Half of the parking right now is under the chapel. We have 3 wards that go to church there. My area is about the size of the country club and our neighborhood. Super small! But there are a ton of people there. I have probably only tracted maybe half of it in 3 months. They would probably have 10 or more houses in the same size of property as our house. They are not too big, lots of poverty in my area. I met a lady on Saturday who is split from her husband, has 4 kids, the oldest is 19 and the youngest is 6, and she works like 12 hour + days 6 days a week and makes P1200 a week, less than $30. It’s such a hard life. I hope we get to teach her. She just has a really busy work schedule from early morning to late in the evening. Sunday is the only day. I think she would accept the gospel very well.
I get to meet President Schmutz this Saturday at Zone Interviews. I am super excited for that. From what I have heard he is a great guy.
I have started eating better food lately. Instead of just opening up a can of tuna or sardines and putting it over rice I have been starting to cook vegetables. My companion has been teaching me. I LOVE VEGETABLES! I made myself a salad last week... Delicious! I am excited to try out Eric’s fried rice and chow mein. They call chow mein pancit here. It isn't nearly as good. Too salty. We will have to have a cook off when I get home. They eat a lot of spicy food here. I like it.
Thanks for your email dad, it is sure good to hear from you. You always seem so happy, along with all of you. Good work. God wants us to be happy. 2 Nephi 2:27.
Love you all,
Elder Schenk
We have 3 baptisms lined up for July 30. Mark and his 9 year old daughter, and 11 year old Jameson who is living with his member cousin. Mark is a really good investigator, and all three of them come to church every week, even though we go to the next town over because our church is being renovated starting last week. They are going to make it 3 stories and put an elevator in it! I haven't even seen a 2 story church in America, and this will be the first 3 story I've seen here. The plot of land the church is on is super small, so that is probably why it is being built taller. Half of the parking right now is under the chapel. We have 3 wards that go to church there. My area is about the size of the country club and our neighborhood. Super small! But there are a ton of people there. I have probably only tracted maybe half of it in 3 months. They would probably have 10 or more houses in the same size of property as our house. They are not too big, lots of poverty in my area. I met a lady on Saturday who is split from her husband, has 4 kids, the oldest is 19 and the youngest is 6, and she works like 12 hour + days 6 days a week and makes P1200 a week, less than $30. It’s such a hard life. I hope we get to teach her. She just has a really busy work schedule from early morning to late in the evening. Sunday is the only day. I think she would accept the gospel very well.
I get to meet President Schmutz this Saturday at Zone Interviews. I am super excited for that. From what I have heard he is a great guy.
I have started eating better food lately. Instead of just opening up a can of tuna or sardines and putting it over rice I have been starting to cook vegetables. My companion has been teaching me. I LOVE VEGETABLES! I made myself a salad last week... Delicious! I am excited to try out Eric’s fried rice and chow mein. They call chow mein pancit here. It isn't nearly as good. Too salty. We will have to have a cook off when I get home. They eat a lot of spicy food here. I like it.
Thanks for your email dad, it is sure good to hear from you. You always seem so happy, along with all of you. Good work. God wants us to be happy. 2 Nephi 2:27.
Love you all,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
July 5, 2011
Mom,
Thanks for your email. Sounds like you have all had a fun time lately. I miss the fireworks, that would have been fun. But today we had a BBQ with pork chops and Filipino hot dogs. It was super good. We laid out banana leaves on the table and then dumped a bunch of rice down the middle and lined the outside with the meat. It was good! Mmmmm... I’m glad you had a good time in Leavenworth. Brittney told me that they used to go there every year for some festival and they always had some WORLDS SPICIEST SALSA! She used to always get it. We eat a lot of spicy food here.
We found out today that there are no transfers for us. Both Elder Casio and I are staying in Consolation 2 for another transfer. It will be good. I learned a lot from the new mission president in his email today about my responsibility and how I can improve and have more success both with my companion and in the area. He had only been in the mission for 1 day when he wrote that email, but it felt like he already knew me. The spirit is strong with him. I am really excited to serve under him. I think we have zone interviews next week so I will get to know him then.
We have an investigator named Mark who has been to church twice an is living with the Villarete Family. Elder Villarete was a mission president and an area 70, so needless to say that Mark was prepared well. He has been living there about a week. He understood everything we have taught him. He accepted baptism on the first visit, actually in our Gospel principle class on Sunday before we had even visited him and he accepted! We think he and his 9 year old daughter Andrea will be baptized this month. We are excited about that. Also we are teaching Jameson, a 11 year old who is living with his member aunt. We expect him to be baptized this month as well. Success finally! I expect a lot more will come this transfer. I feel an extra burst of enthusiasm that will help me boost up my enthusiasm, excitement and effectiveness in the work.
I have started reading Jesus the Christ this past week. I am only 30 pages in and I have learned so much and felt the spirit so strongly as I read. It is such a good book. It is the only one in the approved missionary library that I have not yet read. I am excited to keep going.
Thank you so much for your prayers in my behalf and for my companion and investigators. They are very much needed. It really is amazing to be in the work of the Lord.
I love you all, thanks for everything.
Love,
Elder Schenk
Thanks for your email. Sounds like you have all had a fun time lately. I miss the fireworks, that would have been fun. But today we had a BBQ with pork chops and Filipino hot dogs. It was super good. We laid out banana leaves on the table and then dumped a bunch of rice down the middle and lined the outside with the meat. It was good! Mmmmm... I’m glad you had a good time in Leavenworth. Brittney told me that they used to go there every year for some festival and they always had some WORLDS SPICIEST SALSA! She used to always get it. We eat a lot of spicy food here.
We found out today that there are no transfers for us. Both Elder Casio and I are staying in Consolation 2 for another transfer. It will be good. I learned a lot from the new mission president in his email today about my responsibility and how I can improve and have more success both with my companion and in the area. He had only been in the mission for 1 day when he wrote that email, but it felt like he already knew me. The spirit is strong with him. I am really excited to serve under him. I think we have zone interviews next week so I will get to know him then.
We have an investigator named Mark who has been to church twice an is living with the Villarete Family. Elder Villarete was a mission president and an area 70, so needless to say that Mark was prepared well. He has been living there about a week. He understood everything we have taught him. He accepted baptism on the first visit, actually in our Gospel principle class on Sunday before we had even visited him and he accepted! We think he and his 9 year old daughter Andrea will be baptized this month. We are excited about that. Also we are teaching Jameson, a 11 year old who is living with his member aunt. We expect him to be baptized this month as well. Success finally! I expect a lot more will come this transfer. I feel an extra burst of enthusiasm that will help me boost up my enthusiasm, excitement and effectiveness in the work.
I have started reading Jesus the Christ this past week. I am only 30 pages in and I have learned so much and felt the spirit so strongly as I read. It is such a good book. It is the only one in the approved missionary library that I have not yet read. I am excited to keep going.
Thank you so much for your prayers in my behalf and for my companion and investigators. They are very much needed. It really is amazing to be in the work of the Lord.
I love you all, thanks for everything.
Love,
Elder Schenk
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