October 19, 2011

Family, Today we get to hear from Elder Holland! We are all so excited to hear him speak in about 4 hours, and also the entire mission is going to be here! So we get to see ALL of our friends. That has never happened in Cebu Mission history. We are going to get a picture with all of the missionaries and to top it off Elder Holland agreed to be in the picture! How many people have gotten a picture with him before! I am so excited. Yesterday was zone interviews. President Schmutz is such an amazing man. We were all there early and when he got there 20 min early we started. He taught a great workshop for almost an hour and then took us one by one into the interviews. He doesn't let anything rush him, he just takes as much time as it takes. Elder Windmil, who is now an assistant to the president, who just transferred from my zone said that in Negros they had a boat ticket for 3:00 after their interviews, but at 2:00 he still had 16 interviews to go. So President sent the APs to reimburse the boat ticket and buy him and Sister Hansen an airplane ticket for the next day. As soon as they landed the next day they went straight to Bohol for more interviews. While he interviewed me he said that he had been pondering and praying about some of my concerns for my district. Out of the 150+ missionaries he has taken that much time to think and pray about me. That meant so much to me. It is such an honor to serve under him. He loves me so much. After the interview he gave me a hug. He is a big man, a lot like dad, and for a moment I felt like I was hugging my father. That was so special to me. I haven't been able to hug my father in a long time.
We also found out yesterday that my companion, Elder Laboson, is being emergency transferred today. There is a missionary who has really bad asthma and is being released. There are 4 companionships being shuffled around and we get to be one of them. So today I get a new companion, Elder Sureta. He was assigned in San Remejio, the area next to mine, two and a half transfers ago but had tuberculosis and was isolated in his apartment for a few months and really didn't get much time to work in his area. I was surprised to hear about the transfer, but afterwards felt so peaceful and at ease, I have no doubt that it is the will of the Lord.
About your talk on Sunday, Mom, just make up something to say like a mission is the most important thing I have ever done in my life and I am learning so many lessons each day. I never thought it would affect my life in this magnitude. It does so much more that teach you doctrine. It teaches you in a personal way about the plan of salvation and your part in it. I now know where I want to go and why I want to go there, and I know what I have to do now to get there. You learn so much from the people, your companions, and your leaders. You get put in situations where you have to learn, and afterwards you are so grateful for all that the Lord has taught you. And missions are great because you get to meet apostles! You see the difference between people who are just good people and live some gospel principles and the people who embrace each part of this gospel and learn to love to be obedient and keep the commandments, like Captain Moroni (Alma 48:16). Also the doctrine just gets engrained into you. You learn to look at the different principles of the gospel from different angles and learn more fully what they really mean and how through Christ they are all inner-connected. And if you go to the Philippines Cebu Mission (The best mission in the world!) you get to learn Cebuano! Nindot kaayo pitaw! Hopefully you got something from that to share. Good luck.
Eric you crazy sun of a gun! Good work in your tennis. You got way further than I did. Don’t feel too bad, not everyone can be the best. At least you are still good looking.
Love you guys!
Elder Schenk