Week 69

Hi family :D,

It has been a very busy week. I honestly have barely seen my area at all in the past week, which is a little hard but we are doing our best to teach whenever we can and to trust the rest to the Lord. We haven't even had time to get all of our studies in most days, it has been go go go.

Probably the biggest news in the mission this week was transfers. Sister Hatch in our apartment went home, as did a couple of sisters that flew out with me because they spent more time in the MTC learning a language. It is weird to think that I'm next, and a few weeks ago that was a really hard thought, but now I'm "content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me" (Alma 29:3), which is to be a focused, hard-working missionary right up until the end. I'm still His full-time representative today, and I'm happy with that. :) We got 10 new sisters (ALL of which are under 21) and 8 or 9 new elders, many of whom are 18. So exciting to see the response to the Lord's call for more missionaries! One of them is living with me now, Sister Dimick from... somewhere in Utah I hadn't heard of. She's 19 and full of fire, and she'll be awesome. Sister van Geenen and I are still together, and loving it.

Another exciting event this week was the 183rd anniversary of the publication of the Book of Mormon. We had a morning shift at the Grandin Building that day, which ended up going longer than usual because the afternoon shift was coming from transfer meeting. We also spent the whole evening there, because we had an open house for the Rochester and Palmyra stakes. The open house was a lot of fun, all of the senior couples dressed up in time-period clothing and acted out the roles of those who played a part in the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. We had quite a few less-actives and non-members in attendance, and the Spirit was strong. It was a blessing to spend literally all day on the anniversary of the Book of Mormon's coming forth in the place it was published. We only left for lunch, and I got to spend that with Sister Brown (she broke her leg just above the ankle last weekend and had a metal plate put in---still recovering from surgery.)

We worked at the Smith Farm yesterday, which was a major adventure because of the inclement weather. It was sunny one minute, stormy the next. We got sun, clouds, hail, snow, rain, and sleet. None lasted for more than 10 minutes at a time. After our shift, we went over to a senior couples' house (the Strouds') for dinner. They are from NC so they invited me and Sister Raines (grew up near Winston-Salem) over for NC barbecue sandwiches. :) So good.

As for investigators, we are still stumped with Carol. It's hard because she is praying to know the truth and reading her and there, but it seems like her desire to keep the commandments comes in spurts. Steve is doing awesome; we taught him Monday and he committed to watch all of October conference this week. He is just grasping at anything that will help him to feel the Spirit. He's totally off nicotine now and is clean-shaven. It is amazing to see what the atonement can do with a life that is completely turned over to the Lord. We're teaching the Allgood family tonight, which I'm excited for. I don't know if I've mentioned Liz, but we are teaching her separately now (19 year-old step-daughter of Matt who has moved in, not a member). She has prayed for the first time in years this week and is enjoying learning. There is an elder she thinks is cute and says she needs to get baptized so she can marry him in the temple lol. We're working on right motivations, but it really surprised me that she was even joking about being baptized already compared to where she was a couple of weeks ago. We haven't really had time to see anyone else (and most of them have been sick/out of town/hard to get ahold of anyway), but we are praying for them! I got back in touch with Vicky by phone this week (had her name taken off the records when she was a teenager, we were teaching her a couple of months ago) and she wants to come to church; just sorting out a new fellowshipper for her that she would be comfortable getting a ride with.

I guess that's pretty much it. We worked the Whitmer Farm Monday which is an all-day affair (we have half-day shifts at the other sites but since this one is farther away we stay all day). We get to help out at a youth conference about missionary work tomorrow, which should be fun. Missions are really hard, but I am definitely of the opinion that no matter who you are, a mission will bless your life. I'm excited for all of these youth preparing!

Something that's been on my mind this week has been relying on the Lord. I found out last p-day that it was the SECOND year of the masters program I got accepted into, and spazzed out a little. It is a pretty overwhelming thought, but I have had such strong and immediate answers that I know it's a blessing and the thing I should do. Once again, I've had to evaluate my faith in the Lord and my level of humility. For some reason, the natural man in me wants to do things myself, but He keeps kindly placing me in situations that I could not do alone so that I have to rely on Him more and more. It's scary, but I am grateful for that. I've seen it bless my missionary work as my prayers have become more sincere and as I've sought the guidance of the Spirit and the strength that comes from the Atonement more and more.

I guess I'll just wrap this up with Happy Easter wishes! I love Easter. :) A great time of rebirth and second chances. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior, and that He lives! I love Him. <3 Please do your best to remember Him and to share the exciting message of His deliverance this week especially. I love you all!

Love,

Sister Schank

Mosiah 3:9-10,13

Week 68

Dear family and friends,

It has been a pretty great week. I am really, really tired but working hard! We have been at the sites a lot this week, and it has been way slow. Seems like fewer schools have spring break this week than normal. We did get to go to the temple yesterday though. I love the temple so much. We also had a specialized training this week, about recognizing the Spirit. I am really coming to understand what the Spirit "tastes" like to me. It has been such a huge blessing and I've received so much guidance about how I can be a better disciple as I've sought revelation for those I teach.

We started teaching Liz this week. Do you remember the Allgood boys? She is Blake's older half-sister, so their dad's ex-wife's daughter, but she is living with them. She is 19 and not really religious but she is coming to church most weeks and enjoying it more than she expected. Steve is doing really awesome, he is really giving himself over to God and letting himself be healed for the first time in his life, even though he's been in and out of the church. We haven't had a chance to see many more people this week, but I feel the Lord blessing us.

I'm sorry this is really really short this week.  The gospel is so true. Jesus Christ heals and strengthens us. Feeling the Spirit in our lives brings us the greatest joy. I love you all a million!

Love,

Sister Schank

Week 67

Hi!!! :D Lots of great things happening this week...

As you've heard, I had an endoscopy last week (that does not get to be included in the "great" things; whatever they gave me to knock me out was in my system for like two whole days :P ). I got a priesthood blessing the night before from some of the senior elders we work with at the sites. It was much needed, more because of everything else going on than for the procedure. The priesthood is real! I've had a much better week this week... and I don't think it's my circumstances that have changed very much. I've just been able to deal with them better. The procedure was not a big deal. It was really weird feeling normal and being wheeled into the room on a gurney lol. My biopsies came back on Wednesday, all negative. They had specifically tested the area that looked irritated in my stomach (normal), esophageal tissue to look for reflux signs (no sign of wear), and the bile in my stomach for microscopic crystals or stones (nothin). So... they are trialing me on a stronger reflux med for the next three weeks... Which is a little frustrating, given that tests say it's not reflux. But... I suppose I'm grateful there is no damage. :)

We have had some really good success contacting people we haven't heard from in awhile this week. We have been dropped by a few (including Christine! :( ), but some are still interested and at least we are all on the same page now. Our biggest teaching miracle this week would definitely be with a man named Steve. We've met Steve a few times before at dinner appointments because he's good friends with some members. He actually used to be a really strong member, until about 2009. His scriptural knowledge is still fantastic, but he had his name removed and has been kinda anti for the past 4 years. Dinner was running late on Sunday and he kinda jokingly said we could stick around and teach him, and the Spirit really led us and touched him. Since Sunday, he has been to the sites, read his scriptures, put away his cigarettes, took the earrings out of his ears, and listened to conference talks. He requested that we teach him again last night, and he is coming to activities and to church. He's been in contact with a bunch of members. That one experience with the Spirit has led him to crave it. It has been really cool to see. He served a mission, and the only reason he trusted us in the beginning is because we have consistently been obedient, hard-working missionaries and he has noticed. The Lord's way works!

My other favorite miracle of the week has just been in how the Spirit has helped Sister van Geenen and I this week. We haven't taught a LOT of lessons, but it seems like all of our lessons and especially our tours at the sites have been especially guided. We are somehow asking the right questions and people are opening up. Yesterday especially, we worked at the Whitmer Farm all day, went straight to a lesson with Steve and then straight to a district meeting to give a training. We literally didn't have time for dinner until 9:45. But we taught with unity and power more than we have had, in all three settings. This is God's work. We are His imperfect servants. But He is qualifying us. And I am grateful.

I'm getting kicked off, but I love you all a million! Thanks for being awesome! You're all the greatest! LOVE YOU !!!

Sister Schank

Week 66

Hi :) Today has been a good day. We are emailing late because we helped someone move all morning... it is really nice to do physical labor-type service. Good change of pace.

This week... has been interesting. Or maybe not interesting enough... I think we had two appointments go through this week, and it seemed like no one that we dropped in on was home. Wake up New York! It's okay, this week is going to be better. I am a little worried about Christine and also the Cicero family... well, and the Rotz family too. We just haven't seen hardly anyone much this week. But we have lots of time this week, and if everyone was sick or out of town last week, they don't have an excuse this time around! :)

I am loving the sites more and more. Some days are busier than others, but we always have plenty to do, showing Sis van Geenen the ropes. She is awesome. The only thing she brought up in companionship inventory this week is that she wants to take on more of the load, and it would be nice if we could practice more so she is better prepared. She is such a hard worker and her English is fabulous.

Even though our area has been slow (and we've dropped a LOT of uninterested people recently), I still love Canandaigua. The ward is really awesome, and there are tons of prepared people. We just need to find them.

We are running short on time today, but just a quick reminder... the gospel is so true! I love it. It all makes sense, and feels right. The Book of Mormon and prayer are the key to knowing the truth. I'm so grateful for this gospel.

Thanks for the updates, letters, and prayers you have been sending. I love you all so much!

Love,

Sister Schank