Week 18

This week is going to have to be really short, so I apologize in advance. The biggest news is my new companion! Sister Aiello arrived last week. She is from Sicily (Palermo), and is doing great with her English. We only sometimes can't understand each other (which can be frustrating for both of us as she is trying to learn to be a missionary), but the Lord is blessing us and we are making improvements together every day. The four of us in our apartment can communicate pretty effectively almost all of the time, but she is still working hard to communicate well with people she doesn't speak with often. It has been interesting trying to teach/learn with her since I still feel like a new missionary, but I know that the Lord qualifies those He calls and that things are working out.

We haven't had a ton of proselyting time this week because we are working so much at the sites (4 days next week!), and because both of our investiagtors have been out of town. We are doing some really great less-active/recent convert work though. We had some people attend church this week, which was exciting, and we have been working with people to gear them towards family history and the temple. It's been a good week. We actually are going down with some people we teach to the Grandin Building tonight for a special FHE activity (the BoM was printed 182 years ago today). It's going to be a huge event (President is dressing up as Joseph Smith, which will be funny), and I am singing for it (His Image in Your Countenance; it's based on a verse in Alma 5). I'll have to report on it next week.

I love you a whole lot but today has been crazy so I gotta run. I'm going to attach a quick picture we tool this morning with my new comp.

Much love!

Sister Schank

Week - 17

From: Christa Schank

Sent: Monday, March 19, 2012 9:11 AM

To: Lynn Schank ; Steve Schank ; Kenneth Schank

Well, we got transfer calls yesterday. Sister Chatterton is leaving me to go to Farmington (Palmyra) and site train! Site trainers are like zone leaders in charge of all the sisters, plus also APs for the site directors. So... it's a big job. She will do awesome. I will be training a new missionary from Italy, which will be exciting! She has taken 7 years of English, so she should be pretty fluent, but it will be interesting to see how it goes. New missionaries have a lot of fire and faith, which will be awesome. My other two roommates are staying the same, which will be nice. I love them.

  

Other exciting news this week: We had a meeting with all of the missionaries in the Rochester mission. Elder Cook, an area 70, came and addressed us, and then we got some additional training from our mission presidency. It was very enjoyable and uplifting (although all meetings with our mission president make me feel like I'm trying to drink from a fire hose). That night before site meeting, we were able to stop in at the Palmyra temple to be with two recent converts for their first experiences doing baptisms for the dead. One of them, Tina, had brought the names of several family members, including her husband, mother, and grandparents. Such a cool experience to see how the gospel changes people. I love the temple!!! The feeling inside is so beautiful and peaceful... i wish I could have that feeling always.

The sites are picking up because a lot of people in the US are on spring break. We had over 50 people come in during my shift at the Hill Cumorah on a weekday this week, which more than triples anything I've seen so far. Pageant is getting closer, so we should be getting busier and busier from now until about August. It's crazy but fun and exciting. :)

Between sites, the mission meeting, and the meeting for new trainers this week, we haven't had as much time in the area as we'd like. But we are still working with less-actives, and it's going really well! Laurel (who is trying to quit smoking/drinking so she can get a temple recommend) has now been to church for 3 weeks running. Brandon, an 8-year-old in an inactive family expressed the desire to be baptized yesterday, so his family is trying to come back to church as well. We are also seeing miracles with non-members in the area. We have one "official" investigator, but quite a few with a lot of real potential. We have been in the right places at the right times, and are starting to get return appointments! Pray for us, that those people will be home for those appointments...

That's all my time for this week. Thanks so much for your updates. I love you all and hope that you have a fabulous week.  

Gotta run!  

Sister Schank

Week 16 - BIG WEEK

Okay... wow it's been a week. First of all, new investigator! Kathy, around 50, three kids. She's a former investigator and doesn't currently see the need for organized religion, but we already see the spirit working on her. Had a first lesson, it went great. Her daughter is coming in town so we won't be able to meet with her for another 2 weeks. Pray for her please! That is kind of a long time to keep commitments for a new investigator between appointments.

It's amazing how many people we have contacted this week by tracting who are VERY interested in learning about a modern-day prophet! It is such a blessing to know we are led by a prophet today, and it makes me even more excited for general conference (19 days!) So far, none of them are interested in investigating, but we will see how things pan out.

We're working at the sites twice a week now, and it is getting busier and busier. Giving a lot of great tours. We started training to give bus tours this week, which is crazy but exciting. Pageant is coming!

Small miracle this week at ward correlation. We presented the Perry plan to our ward mission leader last time. He didn't seem too thrilled. This time though, he'd been to a stake leadership training and he was totally on fire about it and had already contacted the auxiliary presidencies about getting on board. It's going to be awesome; our ward is also revamping the ward area book. They are already really good at doing missionary work, but this will organize it better and streamline communication to get a lot of great work done and recorded! We are so excited.

Went on exchanges this week. Elders go on exchange with their district leader. In my mission, sisters exchange with the site trainers (a companionship who are basically like the assistants, but for the sites). It was awesome, learned a lot...wish I had more time.

Okay, running low on time so last thing I'll say... got a call last night, and I'm training a new missionary next transfer!! I'm really excited to work with a new missionary; they are so full of fire. Sad to see Sis Chatterton go though...

Gotta run, but I love you all!

Christa

Week 15

Hi family and friends! It's been an exciting week. We are working twice as often at the sites and tours are coming in MUCH more often than previously. It is a blessing to be so busy. It is the coolest thing ever to give a tour and visibly see the scriptures I'm prompted to share touch someone's life. The Christus room at the Hill is so awesome.
Good news for my area: we have three first lessons with non-members this week! My area is a really slow one recently, so this is big news. We are excited to be getting investigators; the Lord is really blessing us. We are also working more with less-actives/part-member families, and seeing success there as well. We have a return appointment this week with one woman in particular who doesn't even remember much about the church. It will be really cool to work with her.
We are still trying to tract every day, and almost accomplishing that goal. We have definitely seen multiple days where we have been in the right place at the right time, or have been prompted to try a door or a specific door approach that we wouldn't have thought of. Because of these experiences, we found a new investigator we never would have known about, and we were able to share who the prophet is today with people who believe in a living prophet, but just don't know who he is. The Lord knows which people are prepared.
We also had stake conference this week, and a less-active we have been working with for MONTHS named Laurel came to church!! It was the coolest! Hopefully this will turn into a pattern for her. We also invited a less-active family to church next week, so we are saying lots of prayers!
Did anyone get to see the CES broadcast last night? SO good. It was weird to see how few Young Single Adults there are out here, but I was really grateful to be able to see the devotional.
Thank you all for supporting me out here. My mission is teaching me so much. In stake conference, A recently returned missionary talked about how others can see the truth through our countenances. That's something I really want to work on this week--- being so clean and so EXCITED and happy about our message that people can see the good of the gospel in my face. It is so important to become like Jesus Christ as we teach His words. I love the gospel! I love you all. Have a fabulous week!
Sister Schank