Mom,
It sounds like you have all had a good week. Please thank Brother Bingham for me for his nice email to me. I can’t email him directly. I’m not sure when their independence day is here. I haven’t heard. We are planning to have a bbq for it as a district for the 4th of July. That will be fun. Good luck Eric with your job application at Panda Express. Elder Pasikala from Hawaii thinks that they have the best sweet and sour chicken on earth and talks about them all the time. We'll have to get some when I get home.
We had a nice surprise last Saturday. While Elder Casio was taking a shower upstairs the plastic water spigot broke and water started shooting across the bathroom! He came running downstairs in his towel yelling "Guba ang gripo sa taas! Guba ang gripo sa taas!" So while he tried to find the water shut off valve I was upstairs bailing the water into the toilet so that it didn’t overflow out of the bathroom and down the stairs. We finally got that fixed today. It has been a long 5 days washing and cleaning and showering with a trickle of water. Thanks Mr. Plumber!
Yesterday we had a good experience. We went to the house of a potential investigator in the morning, but he had not woken up yet, so we started talking to his neighbors. One of them was putting shells in small mesh bags for exporting. She had tons of them. There were probably 200 1/4 kilo bags of shells and a garbage can full of shells not yet bagged and a ton more out drying in the sun. They were cool shells, and since I can’t go find them for myself in the ocean I asked if I could buy some. She of course said she couldn’t because they weren’t hers. She was just working. But the owner lived in the house next door. She said her name was Sara. So I went looking for Sara. She invited me in and gave me a whole bunch of really nice samples that they had gotten from the company they buy the shells from. That was nice of her. Then we started talking about the gospel and I asked if we could come back later and teach them. She said her kids would be home that evening, then remembered that that right after lunch they were going to their neighbors house with a bunch of friends. She told us we should come with her and that we could teach them all! So we did! Most of them weren’t that interested, but we taught 6 new people about the Restoration, and maybe something will come of it. It was nice to have someone be so excited for us to share with them. Sara said she would read the pamphlet we gave her every day. I hope she really does. That would be great! We have also been having more success finding people to teach lately. That is nice, there has been quite the drought lately.
Well that’s all for now. Keep helping out your missionaries back in the mainland. Remember, the members are the full-time finders and the missionaries are the full time teachers. That is how success comes in missionary work. It is as much responsibility for us as members to share the gospel as it is for them.
Love you all!
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Thursday, June 23, 2011
June 22, 2011
Mom,
I wrote Eric a lengthy email, so I don't have a lot of time, but I want you to know how much I love my mission. There are so many missionaries who can’t wait to get home, but then I think of how much I have learned in the last year and realize that it couldn’t have come any other way. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I am being prepared for a life I couldn’t have lived if I wasn’t serving here in the Philippines Cebu Mission under President Hansen and President Smutsch (SP?). I have just come over a huge hurtle and I feel like I am almost to the top. I can see the progress I have made and the Lord has just poured blessings down from heaven. We went to the temple today. What a great experience to be away from the world. I am so grateful for what I learned there.
I want to include what President Hansen wrote me last week. It surprised me, but it is one more way that the Lord is trying to prepare me for bigger and better things. He said'
"You continue to grow each week elder Schenk.....Perhaps you will be called as a mission president in the future......it wouldn't surprise me a bit. It is wonderful to see such an outpouring of the Spirit in your zone......May the Lord continue to bless all of your efforts. Pres.Hansen"
I love that man so much! I am so grateful for his love, guidance, and teaching me. He is my hero, just like Dad.
Love you all so much. Take care,
Elder Schenk
I wrote Eric a lengthy email, so I don't have a lot of time, but I want you to know how much I love my mission. There are so many missionaries who can’t wait to get home, but then I think of how much I have learned in the last year and realize that it couldn’t have come any other way. I wouldn’t trade that for anything. I am being prepared for a life I couldn’t have lived if I wasn’t serving here in the Philippines Cebu Mission under President Hansen and President Smutsch (SP?). I have just come over a huge hurtle and I feel like I am almost to the top. I can see the progress I have made and the Lord has just poured blessings down from heaven. We went to the temple today. What a great experience to be away from the world. I am so grateful for what I learned there.
I want to include what President Hansen wrote me last week. It surprised me, but it is one more way that the Lord is trying to prepare me for bigger and better things. He said'
"You continue to grow each week elder Schenk.....Perhaps you will be called as a mission president in the future......it wouldn't surprise me a bit. It is wonderful to see such an outpouring of the Spirit in your zone......May the Lord continue to bless all of your efforts. Pres.Hansen"
I love that man so much! I am so grateful for his love, guidance, and teaching me. He is my hero, just like Dad.
Love you all so much. Take care,
Elder Schenk
I love you so much. Thank you so much for your letter. It is evident that you are already a servant of the Lord. I love how you want to get 2 years of missionary service in before your mission even begins. Serving a mission helps you in ways you would never imagine. I never thought I would receive so much revelation for what will happen after my mission, but I have. Our mission theme/ motto is "Success Through Obedience." I have come to find in the last week that that statement is exactly what it says. I have strived to become more obedient, and after that little sacrifice for the Lord, He truly gave me a loaf. He has blessed me in so many ways. I have been struggling more with the language lately, but the last few days I have seen dramatic changes in my ability to understand and speak. Someone told me yesterday that I have better Visaya than my companion (I was on exchanges and he has been in the mission about 9 months, and speaks tagalog) She said my accent was better than his. That is a huge comment because Filipinos learn the language so much faster. Often they can be almost fluent in 6 weeks, where us Americans are more like 6 months to a year. All that and more will be yours on your mission. You are better than I was, and I am sure you will be better than I am. Thank you for your stalwart example to me and to the family and your friends and the ward and all who know you. I guarantee that more people look up to you than you know. They notice your example. You will never truly know your affect on others.
Well keep preparing and start your mission now. That will make the Lord so happy, for this is His work. "Be Prepared." There is no better way to be. My mission president, President Hansen, said, "If you fail to prepare, you prepare to fail." What words of wisdom. So prepare now little brother.
Love,
Elder Schenk
PS. You can call me koya. It means older brother.
Dad,
Have a great time on your John Day trip. You will have to tell me all about it. That would be fun, but I am where I need to be. The Lord has a work for me here. I feel like I am just beginning to really understand that. There is more to give than what I have been giving. I love my mission so much. I learn more every day. Love you dad, Happy Fathers Day!
Love,
Elder Schenk
Have a great time on your John Day trip. You will have to tell me all about it. That would be fun, but I am where I need to be. The Lord has a work for me here. I feel like I am just beginning to really understand that. There is more to give than what I have been giving. I love my mission so much. I learn more every day. Love you dad, Happy Fathers Day!
Love,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
June 15, 2011
Mom,
Thank you for your email. I love hearing about all of the good stuff happening back home. I got my package last Friday at zone conference. Thank you for that. I love the flashlight. It is nice to have. My other one struggled sometimes. The only thing that didn’t fare that well in the shipping was the wheat thins. They were a little smashed... but still tasted the same. Did you get that sweet hot mustard from Wisconsin? Katie mentioned that they have a lot of different kinds of mustard there at the brat fest. I could go for a good brat with mustard and relish, they do it a little different here. I’m glad Carson’s graduation went well. I can’t wait to see them again. I need to write them. It has been a while. I wish I could send more packages, but it is just so expensive. Richards LOST game looks really good. Tell him "Nice work!" for me. And tell grandma "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" for me as well. She looks great for her age. Must be that good green salad with that amazing ranch dressing she always has for dinner. I miss that a lot, they don’t eat many vegetables here, especially raw. So Keegan is home! I can imagine he is thin, probably similar culture to here. I would die in cold water. I haven’t even felt cold for months, with the exception of our zone conference on Friday. The aircon does wonders... but us Filipinos can’t take it too cold anymore.
We had a really good zone conference, one that I think will change my life. I am so grateful for my mission president. He is such a scriptorian and knows so much doctrine about all topics that it is fascinating to hear him teach. You learn so much, and there are so many little tidbits of knowledge you can just chew on. I love it. He taught about being an effective missionary and taught about the life changing experience of Peter. In the last chapter of John the apostles go back to fishing after the Savior dies. The savior comes to the beach where they are fishing and asks how their fishing is going. They answer that they had not caught anything. He then replies that they should throw the net on the other side of the boat. When they do they catch 152 (I think that is the number) fish and can’t pull in the net. Peter realizes that it is the savior and swims to shore, leaving the others behind to pull in the fish. The Savior had prepared them breakfast. After they eat Jesus asks Peter, "Lovest thou Me more than these?" meaning the boats and the fish and the nets and oars and the ocean. Peter responds of course I do. Jesus responds "Feed my lambs." and then asks again. Again Peter answers in the affirmative and the savior responds, "Feed my sheep." followed by the question the third time, "Lovest thou Me?" Peter is grieved at this point. This question three times gives us the opportunity to really examine ourselves. Do we love the Savior more than "these"? Do we put other things before the Savior in our lives? Again Peter says yes. By this the Lord meant, When I called you to be an apostle, I called you for life, never again to return to your fishing or your nets and boats. You are to "feed my lambs" all your days until the end. For us, we have each been called of the Lord. Do we go back to our nets and boats, or do we serve the Lord every day of our lives until the end, turning from the worldly things that are always calling us another way, or do we yield? Do we serve on Sundays and go back to our nets on the other days. There have been many times in my life when I have done that. But as Peter I want to turn from that forever. He, if not in that very moment, that day, or that week turned from his nets never to return. He became the prophet for whom people would beg to be left in the streets on their sickbeds, hoping that even the shadow of Peter might fall upon them. That day he became more. We each have that responsibility in our lives. We all know what our individual nets and boats are, and we cannot go back. We have all been called to serve the children of God, never to be released. I know this is true. I testify that doing as Peter has done and leaving our nets will bring the power of the Savior into our lives and we will find a greater joy than we have ever known, because we are drawing nearer and nearer to God, the source of all truth, light, and joy. This is my hope that we will each do. He is waiting for us to come, to "Come follow [Him]." In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all very much. Take care,
Elder Schenk
Thank you for your email. I love hearing about all of the good stuff happening back home. I got my package last Friday at zone conference. Thank you for that. I love the flashlight. It is nice to have. My other one struggled sometimes. The only thing that didn’t fare that well in the shipping was the wheat thins. They were a little smashed... but still tasted the same. Did you get that sweet hot mustard from Wisconsin? Katie mentioned that they have a lot of different kinds of mustard there at the brat fest. I could go for a good brat with mustard and relish, they do it a little different here. I’m glad Carson’s graduation went well. I can’t wait to see them again. I need to write them. It has been a while. I wish I could send more packages, but it is just so expensive. Richards LOST game looks really good. Tell him "Nice work!" for me. And tell grandma "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" for me as well. She looks great for her age. Must be that good green salad with that amazing ranch dressing she always has for dinner. I miss that a lot, they don’t eat many vegetables here, especially raw. So Keegan is home! I can imagine he is thin, probably similar culture to here. I would die in cold water. I haven’t even felt cold for months, with the exception of our zone conference on Friday. The aircon does wonders... but us Filipinos can’t take it too cold anymore.
We had a really good zone conference, one that I think will change my life. I am so grateful for my mission president. He is such a scriptorian and knows so much doctrine about all topics that it is fascinating to hear him teach. You learn so much, and there are so many little tidbits of knowledge you can just chew on. I love it. He taught about being an effective missionary and taught about the life changing experience of Peter. In the last chapter of John the apostles go back to fishing after the Savior dies. The savior comes to the beach where they are fishing and asks how their fishing is going. They answer that they had not caught anything. He then replies that they should throw the net on the other side of the boat. When they do they catch 152 (I think that is the number) fish and can’t pull in the net. Peter realizes that it is the savior and swims to shore, leaving the others behind to pull in the fish. The Savior had prepared them breakfast. After they eat Jesus asks Peter, "Lovest thou Me more than these?" meaning the boats and the fish and the nets and oars and the ocean. Peter responds of course I do. Jesus responds "Feed my lambs." and then asks again. Again Peter answers in the affirmative and the savior responds, "Feed my sheep." followed by the question the third time, "Lovest thou Me?" Peter is grieved at this point. This question three times gives us the opportunity to really examine ourselves. Do we love the Savior more than "these"? Do we put other things before the Savior in our lives? Again Peter says yes. By this the Lord meant, When I called you to be an apostle, I called you for life, never again to return to your fishing or your nets and boats. You are to "feed my lambs" all your days until the end. For us, we have each been called of the Lord. Do we go back to our nets and boats, or do we serve the Lord every day of our lives until the end, turning from the worldly things that are always calling us another way, or do we yield? Do we serve on Sundays and go back to our nets on the other days. There have been many times in my life when I have done that. But as Peter I want to turn from that forever. He, if not in that very moment, that day, or that week turned from his nets never to return. He became the prophet for whom people would beg to be left in the streets on their sickbeds, hoping that even the shadow of Peter might fall upon them. That day he became more. We each have that responsibility in our lives. We all know what our individual nets and boats are, and we cannot go back. We have all been called to serve the children of God, never to be released. I know this is true. I testify that doing as Peter has done and leaving our nets will bring the power of the Savior into our lives and we will find a greater joy than we have ever known, because we are drawing nearer and nearer to God, the source of all truth, light, and joy. This is my hope that we will each do. He is waiting for us to come, to "Come follow [Him]." In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
I love you all very much. Take care,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
June 8, 2011
Dude! My little brother is a beast! That tall, buff, scholar award winning Haka man is... well, the man! Nice work Eric. I am so proud of you! Keep going on being the smartest person you can be, and the pinakabrite (most smart) person in the school. It honestly doesn't matter where you come from, you can be smart. There is a girl in my ward who has no father and is extremely poor. Their house is built above the ocean on bamboo poles. They hardly have any food and no electricity or running water (except when it rains, then it runs through the roof and into the house), but she is the valedictorian for her school. So just keep going and be that genius college student who gets that rocking job afterward.
It’s exciting to hear that Keegan comes home this week. I was thinking about that the other day and figured within the next month he would be home. I can’t wait to be able to talk with them about our missions. And I am excited that Justin is going to serve. That is awesome. Tell Richard congratulations and Grandma Hart happy birthday for me. I'm glad everyone is doing well.
We have a baptism this Saturday, Janice. She is 14 and she loves the gospel. She understands everything. Her neighbor is an awesome member who is good at missionary work.
Susan, our recent convert here is doing great. She got kicked out of her son’s house because his wife doesn’t like Mormons and they fought about it. Then she was in the neighbor’s house that is scary to walk in because I have to watch my step so I don’t fall through the floor. Then yesterday she was down the path a little at someone else’s house. So she has no money and is homeless, but has never been happier. She just feels at peace because she trusts the Lord, something that didn't happen before her baptism. She spends her days reading the gospel principles manual and the Book of Mormon. She is learning so much. That is awesome to see. Last Saturday she had absolutely no money, but needed money to get to church on Sunday, and knew that she needed to come so that the Lord wouldn't be mad at her. That was what she said. So she prayed with faith, and when you do that miracles happen. She was able to somehow get 15 pesos so that she could get to church. That's about $0.32 in dollars. Even though that is only enough to buy a few small pieces of bread, that was the miracle she needed, and she came to church. She is such a good example of exercising faith and not using problems as an excuse for not keeping the commandments.
On Saturday while we were tracting we saw a picture of the Manila Temple in someone’s house so we went to the door and said, "Ayo" "Ayo" until he came to the door. He didn't talk much and didn't seem too friendly but asked what time church was and said he would come the next day. When we would ask him questions he would just stare at us. So we shook hands and left. Then the next day I saw him in church! Afterward we asked bishop about him and the bishop said he is almost deaf and you have to yell so that he can hear you. So we went back on Tuesday and it turns out he is a really nice guy, he just doesn't answer your questions if he doesn't hear you. We asked if we could come in and he said "Why wouldn't you come in?" We shared a lesson with him and it ended in a good experience. He is a good faithful man who teaches his son well.
My investigators
Zenida Algabre - pray that her husband Pedro will let her be baptized.
the Castillio family - they need the faith to be baptized, even though it will be a life changing experience that will bring many struggles... no money.
Luz
Janice
the Tinimbacan family
the Requerme family
Carson’s Advice
If you want someone to like you, make them your best friend and treat them like it. They will learn to like you too.
Nothing can make you happier than living the gospel and keeping the commandments of the Lord.
I sure love you all! Take care,
Elder Schenk
It’s exciting to hear that Keegan comes home this week. I was thinking about that the other day and figured within the next month he would be home. I can’t wait to be able to talk with them about our missions. And I am excited that Justin is going to serve. That is awesome. Tell Richard congratulations and Grandma Hart happy birthday for me. I'm glad everyone is doing well.
We have a baptism this Saturday, Janice. She is 14 and she loves the gospel. She understands everything. Her neighbor is an awesome member who is good at missionary work.
Susan, our recent convert here is doing great. She got kicked out of her son’s house because his wife doesn’t like Mormons and they fought about it. Then she was in the neighbor’s house that is scary to walk in because I have to watch my step so I don’t fall through the floor. Then yesterday she was down the path a little at someone else’s house. So she has no money and is homeless, but has never been happier. She just feels at peace because she trusts the Lord, something that didn't happen before her baptism. She spends her days reading the gospel principles manual and the Book of Mormon. She is learning so much. That is awesome to see. Last Saturday she had absolutely no money, but needed money to get to church on Sunday, and knew that she needed to come so that the Lord wouldn't be mad at her. That was what she said. So she prayed with faith, and when you do that miracles happen. She was able to somehow get 15 pesos so that she could get to church. That's about $0.32 in dollars. Even though that is only enough to buy a few small pieces of bread, that was the miracle she needed, and she came to church. She is such a good example of exercising faith and not using problems as an excuse for not keeping the commandments.
On Saturday while we were tracting we saw a picture of the Manila Temple in someone’s house so we went to the door and said, "Ayo" "Ayo" until he came to the door. He didn't talk much and didn't seem too friendly but asked what time church was and said he would come the next day. When we would ask him questions he would just stare at us. So we shook hands and left. Then the next day I saw him in church! Afterward we asked bishop about him and the bishop said he is almost deaf and you have to yell so that he can hear you. So we went back on Tuesday and it turns out he is a really nice guy, he just doesn't answer your questions if he doesn't hear you. We asked if we could come in and he said "Why wouldn't you come in?" We shared a lesson with him and it ended in a good experience. He is a good faithful man who teaches his son well.
My investigators
Zenida Algabre - pray that her husband Pedro will let her be baptized.
the Castillio family - they need the faith to be baptized, even though it will be a life changing experience that will bring many struggles... no money.
Luz
Janice
the Tinimbacan family
the Requerme family
Carson’s Advice
If you want someone to like you, make them your best friend and treat them like it. They will learn to like you too.
Nothing can make you happier than living the gospel and keeping the commandments of the Lord.
I sure love you all! Take care,
Elder Schenk
Wednesday, June 1, 2011
June 1, 2011
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
Thursday, May 26, 2011
May 24, 2011
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
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
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
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
April 26, 2011
Family,
I had a great week here. We had a lot of success, and met all of our mission standards and got more I2L's (Inviting people To Learn) than I have ever gotten or even heard of. The Mission standard is 140 and we got 209! That was sweet. My companion is great. He has been in the area for 2 transfers now (3 months). Our area is really small. It’s about a 10 min drive on the highway from one end to the other, and we only have one side of the street. We ride motorcycles almost all the time, there really isn’t any other form of transportation but walking when you get away from the highway. We have 2 really good progressing investigators who both attended church last week. One is for sure going to be baptized. She is an older woman, Susan, who really wants it. Her baptism is in 2 weeks. The other is Zenida Algabre who has bounced around from church to church and finally decided she likes this one. She was finally able to come to church last week because her husband let her. That was a great success. She really wants to be able to pay tithing and fast. She understands the principles and blessings behind them. Her only concern, which is one I am really grateful for, is that when you get baptized you make a covenant to the Lord. In other churches there is no covenant. So she knows that if she joins, she has to be 100% for the rest of her life. That is HUGE here. So many people don’t understand that and end up going inactive. I am confident she will be baptized. We also have 3 sisters, the Pador family, who know the church is true, and are willing to accept baptism, but socially are afraid to leave their church. They have a lot of neighbors and relatives telling them things. They don’t want to have to sacrifice. They could use some prayers. Also May-ann. we taught her last week for the first time in almost 2 months. She needs some strength.
Yes dad we do have a shower, but it is kind of lame. It’s alright though.
Mom, Sounds like you had a good time on the cruse. It looks really beautiful there. The problem with the ocean here is that it is really dirty. Lots of trash. I’m glad you had a fun time. I have met quite a few Filipinos who work on cruise ships. That would be a fun job, travel the world.
Take care, Love you all!
Elder Schenk
I had a great week here. We had a lot of success, and met all of our mission standards and got more I2L's (Inviting people To Learn) than I have ever gotten or even heard of. The Mission standard is 140 and we got 209! That was sweet. My companion is great. He has been in the area for 2 transfers now (3 months). Our area is really small. It’s about a 10 min drive on the highway from one end to the other, and we only have one side of the street. We ride motorcycles almost all the time, there really isn’t any other form of transportation but walking when you get away from the highway. We have 2 really good progressing investigators who both attended church last week. One is for sure going to be baptized. She is an older woman, Susan, who really wants it. Her baptism is in 2 weeks. The other is Zenida Algabre who has bounced around from church to church and finally decided she likes this one. She was finally able to come to church last week because her husband let her. That was a great success. She really wants to be able to pay tithing and fast. She understands the principles and blessings behind them. Her only concern, which is one I am really grateful for, is that when you get baptized you make a covenant to the Lord. In other churches there is no covenant. So she knows that if she joins, she has to be 100% for the rest of her life. That is HUGE here. So many people don’t understand that and end up going inactive. I am confident she will be baptized. We also have 3 sisters, the Pador family, who know the church is true, and are willing to accept baptism, but socially are afraid to leave their church. They have a lot of neighbors and relatives telling them things. They don’t want to have to sacrifice. They could use some prayers. Also May-ann. we taught her last week for the first time in almost 2 months. She needs some strength.
Yes dad we do have a shower, but it is kind of lame. It’s alright though.
Mom, Sounds like you had a good time on the cruse. It looks really beautiful there. The problem with the ocean here is that it is really dirty. Lots of trash. I’m glad you had a fun time. I have met quite a few Filipinos who work on cruise ships. That would be a fun job, travel the world.
Take care, Love you all!
Elder Schenk
ERIC!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY my BIGGER than me little brother!!! I can’t believe I forgot to email you last week. I think I remembered on Friday. I’d send you a package, but it would probably cost about 4 times as much as the gift just to get it to America. I hope you know how proud I am of you. You are such a great kid. What kind of cake did you have for your birthday? Rhubarb or chocolate chip apple sauce? I can’t tell from the picture. And when I get home you are going to have to teach me how to Jimmer. That sounds like fun. I loved hearing about your soccer game against Squalicum how your goalie scored. That’s just sweet.
Take care buddy. I think about you all the time. Keep up the good work.
Love always,
Eld er Schenk
Take care buddy. I think about you all the time. Keep up the good work.
Love always,
Eld er Schenk
Mom, Please send this to Brother Bingham. I wrote one by hand but don’t have time to snail mail it to him. I wrote this really fast so there might be some errors. I forgot the original copy and I don’t have an English Book of Mormon so you might double check the quotes for accuracy. Thank you so much. Love you Mom!
A mission is one of the greatest things in the world. There is no other way to learn the lessons like you do while serving for two years as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would not trade the knowledge I have learned and the testimony I have gained of my Savior Jesus Christ for all the wealth in the world. It has helped me see the Lords plan for me and find direction in my life. I am learning how to truly be happy and have the opportunity to share that message with so many people. There is no greater joy than working in the Lord's vineyard.
So how do we prepare for a mission? That is a question that I asked myself many times before my mission. One of the best pieces of advice came from a friend of mine who had recently returned from his mission. He said to "Get to know the Book of Mormon before your mission." The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ. The purpose of missionaries is to "Invite others to come unto Christ... (Preach My Gospel)" There is no greater tool to help you fulfill your purpose as a missionary than the Book of Mormon. We cannot teach powerfully about Jesus Christ until we ourselves have gained a strong testimony of Him. Nothing will help you gain that testimony more than reading, studying, and pondering the teachings and stories in the Book of Mormon each day. When you gain that testimony, you too can teach with the "power and authority of God" like Alma and Amulek, Nephi the son of Helaman, and Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. President Gordon B. Hinckley challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon more. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that he had a vision of missionaries entering the mission field with hundreds of scriptures memorized from the Book of Mormon ("Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon"). That is my challenge to each of you. Read from the Book of Mormon daily. Study it. Learn the stories. Liken the scriptures to yourself and learn to live a Christ like life. Begin now to memorize scriptures so that the spirit can "give you in the very moment what ye shall say. (D&C 84:85)" If you will do that now, my promise to you as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, is that you will teach with the Power and Authority of God.
Nasayud ko nga tinuod ang Basahon Ni Mormon. Kining basahon makatabang kaninyo sa inyong mga kinabuhia. Kon magkat-on mo karon gikan sa Basahon ni Mormon, mohimong mo andam sa pagface sa mga pagusay sa kinabuhi, ug magduol mo ni Jesukristo. Mohimong mo successful mga missionario. Sa pangalan ni Jesukristo, Amen.
Elder Schenk
Philippines Cebu Mission
Cebuano Language.
A mission is one of the greatest things in the world. There is no other way to learn the lessons like you do while serving for two years as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. I would not trade the knowledge I have learned and the testimony I have gained of my Savior Jesus Christ for all the wealth in the world. It has helped me see the Lords plan for me and find direction in my life. I am learning how to truly be happy and have the opportunity to share that message with so many people. There is no greater joy than working in the Lord's vineyard.
So how do we prepare for a mission? That is a question that I asked myself many times before my mission. One of the best pieces of advice came from a friend of mine who had recently returned from his mission. He said to "Get to know the Book of Mormon before your mission." The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ. The purpose of missionaries is to "Invite others to come unto Christ... (Preach My Gospel)" There is no greater tool to help you fulfill your purpose as a missionary than the Book of Mormon. We cannot teach powerfully about Jesus Christ until we ourselves have gained a strong testimony of Him. Nothing will help you gain that testimony more than reading, studying, and pondering the teachings and stories in the Book of Mormon each day. When you gain that testimony, you too can teach with the "power and authority of God" like Alma and Amulek, Nephi the son of Helaman, and Ammon and the sons of Mosiah. President Gordon B. Hinckley challenged us all to read the Book of Mormon more. President Ezra Taft Benson taught that he had a vision of missionaries entering the mission field with hundreds of scriptures memorized from the Book of Mormon ("Flooding the Earth with the Book of Mormon"). That is my challenge to each of you. Read from the Book of Mormon daily. Study it. Learn the stories. Liken the scriptures to yourself and learn to live a Christ like life. Begin now to memorize scriptures so that the spirit can "give you in the very moment what ye shall say. (D&C 84:85)" If you will do that now, my promise to you as a representative of the Lord Jesus Christ, is that you will teach with the Power and Authority of God.
Nasayud ko nga tinuod ang Basahon Ni Mormon. Kining basahon makatabang kaninyo sa inyong mga kinabuhia. Kon magkat-on mo karon gikan sa Basahon ni Mormon, mohimong mo andam sa pagface sa mga pagusay sa kinabuhi, ug magduol mo ni Jesukristo. Mohimong mo successful mga missionario. Sa pangalan ni Jesukristo, Amen.
Elder Schenk
Philippines Cebu Mission
Cebuano Language.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
April 19, 2011
Family, Good news! I love my new area and new companion and new district! I am learning a lot here. Consolation 2 is in the same zone as Carmen, my second area, and today we played basketball as a zone so I got to see some of the members I used to play basketball with. They remembered me so that was fun. We used to do a lot of stuff with them, even though they were in Danao area. We spent a lot of p-days there.
There are about 100 active members in my new ward. The bishop is a very nice guy. He laughs a lot. Each Saturday we have a community service project and he is always there. Then after, he works with the missionaries. That is great. Then on Sunday we brought a new investigator to church and He greeted her, we sat her down with the old relief society pres who is also her neighbor, and then the bishop welcomed her by name in sacrament meeting. That was good for her. She really liked the service.
It is different being the senior companion. I feel that the Lord has blessed me with the ability to better fill the position. The week before transfers I felt an increase in my ability to teach clearly and discern the needs of the investigators. Now that I am in my new area with Elder Plania I can see that the areas that he struggles in have become my strengths, and he definitely has strengths that I don't have. He doesn't have a lot of class and flare when he teaches, but he is so humble and has some great Christ-like attributes that I need to learn from. We are so strong as a companionship.
I hope your cruise went well mom. I’m sure it was nice to relax for a few days. I just hope you took President Uchtdorf’s advice and ate all the food that was included instead of powdered drink mix and canned beans and crackers. The buffet is much more delicious.
Sorry for emailing early, no time for you all to write. Next week. Salamat kaayo sa inyong nindot nga mga examples. I’ll give you a word for the week to practice. It is one of the hardest sounds to make for Americans. Ngit-ngit. Ask Bro Baring how to pronounce it. Good luck!
Take care! Love you all,
Elder Schenk
There are about 100 active members in my new ward. The bishop is a very nice guy. He laughs a lot. Each Saturday we have a community service project and he is always there. Then after, he works with the missionaries. That is great. Then on Sunday we brought a new investigator to church and He greeted her, we sat her down with the old relief society pres who is also her neighbor, and then the bishop welcomed her by name in sacrament meeting. That was good for her. She really liked the service.
It is different being the senior companion. I feel that the Lord has blessed me with the ability to better fill the position. The week before transfers I felt an increase in my ability to teach clearly and discern the needs of the investigators. Now that I am in my new area with Elder Plania I can see that the areas that he struggles in have become my strengths, and he definitely has strengths that I don't have. He doesn't have a lot of class and flare when he teaches, but he is so humble and has some great Christ-like attributes that I need to learn from. We are so strong as a companionship.
I hope your cruise went well mom. I’m sure it was nice to relax for a few days. I just hope you took President Uchtdorf’s advice and ate all the food that was included instead of powdered drink mix and canned beans and crackers. The buffet is much more delicious.
Sorry for emailing early, no time for you all to write. Next week. Salamat kaayo sa inyong nindot nga mga examples. I’ll give you a word for the week to practice. It is one of the hardest sounds to make for Americans. Ngit-ngit. Ask Bro Baring how to pronounce it. Good luck!
Take care! Love you all,
Elder Schenk
Saturday, April 16, 2011
April 14, 2011
Dad and Eric,
Thank you so much for your emails. It is great to see how well you are doing. Dad talks about how good Eric is and Eric talks about how good Dad is and you both talked about how good conference was. I’ll be the echo from the other side of the world that you are both great! I can see improvement in both of you. Eric said that, “I really love our Dad. I can feel so much he cares about each and every one of us. It's great to have a dad like him who is so involved in just being a good guy." It’s true. You are a great guy and a great example to me, Eric, and all of the young men in the ward. You always strive to do what is right. And Dad said that, "Speaking of Eric...He played the best that I have ever seen him play. He was really playing hard and got a lot of touches on the ball. As hard as he plays he works even harder to be like his older brother which is a great priesthood holder. You can be proud of your younger brother." Keep going Eric. Become the best that you can be. Do like President Uchtdorf said and become an expert at what you do. But even more, to become an expert on the doctrine of the gospel, especially the priesthood. Knowledge is so important. The more we know, the more the Lord can use us to help others. Thanks for your good examples.
Yesterday I transferred to Consolation 2 and my new companion is Elder Plania. He is a good missionary. He has been out a little over six months and I am the senior companion. That is the first time there. It will be a good learning experience to lead again. It has been almost a year since I was a leader. He is really humble and willing to learn all he can about the gospel and apply it in his life. I think we are going to have a great transfer. Consolation is a bigger area than I was just in. It is just outside of the biggest city on Cebu. I think we are going to have a lot of success. We have some good investigators and I don’t think we will have a hard time finding more. There are a lot of people here. The Lord will lead us to them, or them to us. I am really excited to see how things turn out.
Conference was amazing! I started ranking talks from one to five so that I would know which ones to read first when they came out in the Liahona. I marked a lot of 5's, but then the talks started getting better and better. So I had some 6's and 6+'s until we hit some really good ones that ranked a 200% number 10! Needless to say, I absolutely loved conference. I realized how much more I need to be doing to become what the Lord wants me to be. And like Eric said, everyone learns and notices different things. That is the Lords way of helping each of us specifically.
Thank you both so much for all you do. I miss spending time with the two of you. Take care! Love you tons! Good work Eric on praying for missionary experiences. Don’t be afraid of the questions. They are a blessing that could one day become the biggest blessing in the life of one of your friends. Send my love to Grandma Schenk. I’m sure George is watching over her night and day, as are hosts of other angels.
Love always,
Elder Schenk
Thank you so much for your emails. It is great to see how well you are doing. Dad talks about how good Eric is and Eric talks about how good Dad is and you both talked about how good conference was. I’ll be the echo from the other side of the world that you are both great! I can see improvement in both of you. Eric said that, “I really love our Dad. I can feel so much he cares about each and every one of us. It's great to have a dad like him who is so involved in just being a good guy." It’s true. You are a great guy and a great example to me, Eric, and all of the young men in the ward. You always strive to do what is right. And Dad said that, "Speaking of Eric...He played the best that I have ever seen him play. He was really playing hard and got a lot of touches on the ball. As hard as he plays he works even harder to be like his older brother which is a great priesthood holder. You can be proud of your younger brother." Keep going Eric. Become the best that you can be. Do like President Uchtdorf said and become an expert at what you do. But even more, to become an expert on the doctrine of the gospel, especially the priesthood. Knowledge is so important. The more we know, the more the Lord can use us to help others. Thanks for your good examples.
Yesterday I transferred to Consolation 2 and my new companion is Elder Plania. He is a good missionary. He has been out a little over six months and I am the senior companion. That is the first time there. It will be a good learning experience to lead again. It has been almost a year since I was a leader. He is really humble and willing to learn all he can about the gospel and apply it in his life. I think we are going to have a great transfer. Consolation is a bigger area than I was just in. It is just outside of the biggest city on Cebu. I think we are going to have a lot of success. We have some good investigators and I don’t think we will have a hard time finding more. There are a lot of people here. The Lord will lead us to them, or them to us. I am really excited to see how things turn out.
Conference was amazing! I started ranking talks from one to five so that I would know which ones to read first when they came out in the Liahona. I marked a lot of 5's, but then the talks started getting better and better. So I had some 6's and 6+'s until we hit some really good ones that ranked a 200% number 10! Needless to say, I absolutely loved conference. I realized how much more I need to be doing to become what the Lord wants me to be. And like Eric said, everyone learns and notices different things. That is the Lords way of helping each of us specifically.
Thank you both so much for all you do. I miss spending time with the two of you. Take care! Love you tons! Good work Eric on praying for missionary experiences. Don’t be afraid of the questions. They are a blessing that could one day become the biggest blessing in the life of one of your friends. Send my love to Grandma Schenk. I’m sure George is watching over her night and day, as are hosts of other angels.
Love always,
Elder Schenk
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