Hello friends and family! There is SO much to squeeze into this email...
First off, SISTER SCHANK IS GETTING TRANSFERRED TO BUFFALO! Not actually Buffalo, but in the Buffalo zone which means I'll be full-time proselyting (no sites). The area/ward is called Amherst but the city is actually called Clarence. My companion will be Sister Brown (from the MTC) and I am really excited about it. I was praying for a companion who will be exactly obedient and work hard, and I know that Sister Brown does both. That honestly is the highest compliment I think a missionary can get, and she deserves both of them. She also has a foreign, shy companion right now (she's Chinese), and we are both stoked to just get out there and give the Lord everything we've got. It will be excellent. :) I don't have a mailing address yet, but I will get it to you asap. For now, keep sending stuff to the mission office and I will get it eventually.
Okay, now pageant. Pageant is AWESOME. First of all, the performance itself is very cool. Really awesome effects and it tells the story of the Book of Mormon; let's be honest you can't get any better than that. The Spirit is there and so many non-members comment on how they felt and on the positive interactions they had with members also in attendance. One of these days our family needs to come out for the pageant. You would all love it and it is really cool to have a visual of some of the stories in the BoM. Think Quest, but with 800 actors and Broadway-style effects. Way cool.
Really the best thing about pageant though is the missionary tool it is. For members and non-members both. Most of the really awesome experiences I had were bringing members closer to Christ... the teenage boy who isn't sure about a mission, the hard-working mom of 4 little kids, the family with a speical needs sibling, the widower who is just feeling lonely... it is amazing how the Lord really can just fill you with love for these people and how there is a connection there. And then there are the non-members. The best was when a guy from Webster walked right into the visitors center! He was super interested and wanted not only a Book of Mormon but to be taught! He's coming to church next week and I've already taught him over the phone (since we were living in Palmyra) and we have another appointment this week. His name is James and he was a huge tender mercy.
Let's see, other updates. I saw Katie and we got to chat. The volunteers that come to help during pageant are AWESOME; mom and dad you should look into that as soon as you are able to get away for a couple of weeks. My health is doing better; the chest pain has spread especially into my left shoulder but I'm functioning and seeing another doctor out in the Amherst ward probably this week or next. I think that's all for now... love you so much! Thanks for all you do and especially all your prayers. The Book of Mormon is true, and it changes lives! And it's all because of the Savior. THAT is why the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith, and the pageant, and all of those things are important... because they bring us to the Savior Jesus Christ, and He can heal us. I love Him.
Love,
Sister Schank
