Week 74 - the last... melon... :)

Hello again from Western New York.

It has been an incredible, packed week! Saturday morning we got to go to the temple as a district. I LOVE THE TEMPLE! And there is a special place in my heart for the one here in Palmyra. Then we went to lunch. Sister Dimick split me a junk plate, mmmm upstate NY. :) Then a BEAUTIFUL walk though the grove (it's turning green!), and a shift at the Smith farm. And then a dinner appointment. Could you ask for a more perfect day?

Sunday was just about as good. we barely had time for studies because we were so busy with church, teaching appointments, and a baptism! I don't know if I told you about Rebeca, who got baptized last month (not our investigator but still our ward), but her excommunicated husband got rebaptized Sunday after church! There was a lot of support there and President Christianson even spoke. Sister Killen sang a solo of Come Thou Fount that I accompanied/arranged. It turned out to be really beautiful. Since Monday, we have been SO BUSY with meetings and the sites. Sister van Geenen is training and we had meetings for that, and we helped someone clean their house because they are moving, and we were able to teach Lizz and Carol as well. Both are doing great. Steve is doing notsogood, still coming to church but we aren't teaching him anymore :/ I worked my LAST shift at the Hill Cumorah yesterday, SAD! I love that place. Luckily I was smart enough to forget my planner there (I have been so forgetful this week!), so we will have to go back. :D It was nice though, I spent some time studying in the Christus room... the peace there is incredible. It is thick and real.

Oh! I almost forgot, guess who came to our Wednesday night site meeting—Don Enders and Gordon Madsen. No big deal, right? Dad, you might be the only ones who knows who they are, but basically everything we know about the Joseph Smith family during their time in Palmyra is because of research done by Bro Enders. He was the one who did the archaeological dig for the log home, etc. Basically, he knows everything you could know about the site I give tours of every week. Bro Madsen is a top-guy working on the Joseph Smith papers. Haha, I'm probably a dork for being so excited about getting to hear from these men, but it was so cool! It is interesting to me how much they make a point to defend the Smith family and their work ethic.

Oh, speaking of, we also got to go on a tour this week from Bob Parrott (the man who cares for the grove/Hill/all the trees a the sacred sites) of the temple grounds. He's not a member so he can't say much about the temple itself but the grounds are on the west end of the original Smith property and it took over two hours to learn about some of the detail there that connect us to the family. We got to see the original rock boundary wall that they built. So much skill and work involved! Also a well dug by the Smiths. And the place where the original pageant was performed. And a couple of places where you can look out at the whole farm. It's so cool to see how talented and driven the Smith family really was. You get a feeling for their personalities as you spend time really observing their work. I love the Smith family.

So because Don Enders showed up kind of last-minute, our normal weekly site meeting got bumped to Thursday (last night). Your last site meeting is kind of a big deal, because it's the last time you'll get to see most of the site Elders and Sisters we've worked with so closely. So they have you bear your testimony, and a lot of times the sisters leaving will do a musical number. Sister Brown is awesome and arranged a BEAUTIFUL version of I Need Thee Every Hour. We had performed it Wednesday for the Don Enders meeting but the site director asked us to do it again last night. I had been fine when I sung it Wednesday because I'd heard it for the first time less than an hour before and I was focused on singing the right notes at the right time. But last night, I really thought about the words. Haha, big mistake. I was singing the first verse solo so luckily that went okay. Then we started with the words "I need the every hour, stay Thou nearby. Temptations lose their power when Thou art nigh." I totally lost it. I haven't cried at all about leaving, but I realized in that moment that the hardest thing for me won't be leaving the sites, or the culture, or even the people, (as much as I love all of those things)... it will be leaving the call to represent Jesus Christ and have Him "nearby" so constantly. But, I know that the Spirit isn't a magical thing you get with a missionary call. It comes by keeping covenants. And even though I'll have to be a lot more "in the world" next week (scary!), I'll be okay if I just stick with those covenants. Which is the master plan :)

The rest of site meeting was good. We were actually trained on a new way of doing referrals at the sites that our mission is piloting. It was developed by Sister Raines (the one I'm planning on living with at BYU) and her companion, and immediately approved by Salt Lake. It focuses on "teaching the members how to fish" but getting THEIR contact info rather than their friends', and inviting them to invite their friends to act, then following up. Brilliant! We are giving members tools to learn how to be missionaries themselves instead of doing it for them. I'll only have 3 days to see it in force, but I am excited to hear how it changes things.

I feel so blessed to be a servant of the Lord here in the Rochester mission. I know that this was the right place for me, at the right time, and I'm so grateful to the Lord, who chose me to be here, now (John 15:16). I also know that He still has a plan for me, and even though I don't have the perspective to see how all of this will work out, He does. And that is enough.

This gospel is true! This is Jesus Christ's Church. He loves us enough that He restored the knowledge, authority, and ordinances necessary for us to have help in this life and to live with our families forever. Joseph Smith is the Prophet of the Restoration; Thomas Monson is God's prophet today. I love this work! It is God's work, and it is one of joy. The Book of Mormon is God's word. When I read that Book, I feel a light on my soul that doesn't come any other way. Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World, and He has power to forgive sins on Earth and in Heaven. And to strengthen us to do better. He lives. I love Him. And I love each of you! I will see you soon!!

Love you forever and a day,

Sister Schank

Week 73

Hi :)

My birthday was awesome! We had district meeting and interviews with the President. Everyone look forward to interviews because President is kinda like the closest thing we have to a parent who we can actually see and he is really busy so it's really the only one-on-one time we get. Also, he knows EVERYTHING. In between, my roommates were awesome and surprised me with pie! (We had like 3 cakes for Sis Killen's bday last week and were kinda caked out). We also had site meeting out at the Peter Whitmer Farm that night. I really really love that place, and haven't got to spend a lot of time there on my mission. The Spirit is particularly strong down there. BUT the best part of my birthday was that Kathryn got to go to the temple for the first time to do baptisms, and I got to go see her and do them also! It has been a long time since I have done baptisms, but the best thing ever was seeing Kathryn in the temple. The gospel is so cool!! I felt so blessed to see someone I love so much, who has come so far and been so richly blessed by living the principles of the gospel.

Other than that, it honestly hasn't been a really extraordinary week. It has been a good week though. I've had some great tours at the sites. It is such a blessing to be able to meet so many different people. I worked my last shift at the Whitmer Farm yesterday :/ That was weird. I am really going to miss it, but I am working on remembering everything! We have been really busy this week but somehow have kept busy without teaching lots of lessons :/ Everyone keeps cancelling. Steve has had a rough week but we had a really miraculous lesson on Monday that was very Spirit-led. His walls were way up but we felt inspired to send him some seemingly-random reading for beforehand and it was exactly what he needed. Lizz is doing pretty good but has been busy and we haven't seen her in church for awhile. Yep! I guess that's my week :) It has been so so good. President said in my interview with him that obedience is directly correlated with love, and it is love that makes us happy. That just made sense to me :) I am obedient and I serve so I feel love, and I am happy. It all boils down to being really simple.

I love this gospel! It's true :) Joseph Smith is a prophet, and the Book of Mormon is the word of God. His commandments bring us peace. Covenants bring forgiveness. Love brings us joy. It really is that simple. I love you all!

Sister Schank

Week 72

Such a good week!! The best part was Saturday; Sister Brown, McManama, and I got to go out to Amherst to visit for a couple of baptisms!! Dawson got baptized in the morning (we taught him and his mom Sandy, who has been LA since she moved to the area until recently), and Kathryn in the afternoon. There are very few people (besides you of course) that I love as much as the people in these pictures. The sister missionaries sang at Dawson's baptism, and I got to give the talk on baptism at Kathryn's. In between, we ate at Sister Walsh's (the one who fed us on Thanksgiving and Christmas Eve) and visited Bill. :) After Kathryn's baptism all 5 sisters here went out for real Buffalo wings at Duff's. We also got to see Scott (who is doing so well!) at both baptisms. It was a glorious day.

Lots of miracles have been happening in our area as well! We are so busy we hardly know what to do with ourselves! It's a great problem to have as a missionary :) We've been at the sites quite a bit, which is just... awesome :) Oh, we went on a grove tour with Bob Parrot, the caretaker of the Grove. I don't know if you remember me talking about going on one last year, but I remembered a lot more this time, having a little bit of a foundation from last time. I learned a lot of really cool things (which we'll have to talk about at a later date because I haven't had a chance to upload those pictures yet), but the coolest thing really is the Spirit in that place. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith in that Grove to open the dispensation of the fulness of times. How lucky are we to know that?! I think in some ways I kinda expected that my mission would be full of big events that would strengthen my testimony of that principle, but really as I think about it, the only way anyone comes to really, truly, deeply know that is through study and prayer. That is how I knew it before my mission, and how I still know it now. :) And I am grateful to know that Heavenly Father loves us enough to restored the truths, ordinances, and authority of Jesus Christ’s Church.

We also have been busy teaching this week. Steve is doing great. We taught Holle once and she cancelled our return appointment, saying to come back in a few weeks, so we will see what happens there… Finally get to see Carol today which is good. We stopped in on Jenny again this week and she was home but her kids were not (they speak better English than her and she wants them around to translate), but she was really touched that we had remembered her and came back as promised. We gave her a Spanish restoration pamphlet and said we’d come back on a weekend. We went to the Allgood home to teach Alissa yesterday and that didn’t work out super well because the landlord came by, but just as she had to leave, Lizz came down and we got to teach her about the Gospel of Jesus Christ (lesson 3). We talked a lot about baptism and she recognized that she has changed a lot for the better since she started coming to church, and said that she wants to be a member! She still has some concerns about promising to keep the commandments and wasn’t ready to set a date, but she is really open and we see the Holy Ghost working on her heart and I think that as she learns more about the commandments that concern will dissolve. We also started teaching Katie (20 y.o.) this week; the elders have been teaching her for a long time and she’s had all the lessons but hasn’t come to church so they are transitioning into us teaching her as well so we can help her get to know women in the ward. I really like her and we set a date yesterday for May 4…which as I’m typing this I just realized in my last Saturday as a missionary, so that would be cool. :) Also, one of the senior site couple elders called us late last night. He was checking out at Sear’s and his cashier said “Are you Mormon? I’d like to learn more about that.” And she lives in Canandaigua! Her name is Jacqueline, and we plan to contact her today so hopefully that goes well. :)

Oh also, we went to the Family History Center yesterday… we had plans to bring someone with us but they had to cancel so we decided to just go anyway to see what resources there were and how we could prepare people to come. So cool! Mom, have you used FamilyTree yet? It is a really awesome website. I had dug out the four-generation chart you printed out for me and was able to fill in enough information for myself to link back to ancestors from the 1500s. There are some pieces that are still missing on my tree that I know we have somewhere… I’d love to get into it more when I get home :)

Speaking of home, that is getting closer :S <-- mixed feelings. Do you have my flight itinerary? Sister Brown says she got hers a long time ago, but I haven't seen it at all and I need to let the mission office know if you haven't heard about that. Anything specific anyone wants from New York? Cool mother's day gift?

Oh, health update (joy). My doctor took me off dexilant because it was kinda working but was giving me headaches. He’s putting me back on ranitidine at a dosage twice as high as last time. I’ve talked to a few other doctors (members) I know about that and they think it’s a good idea so I filled the prescription this week. I’m waiting a couple of days before I start taking it just so I can have a fair comparison between no meds and the ranitidine. By the time we know whether it works, I will be home and we can make further decisions from there.

Well I need to get going I guess, but I love you all a bazillion and I'm so proud of everyone! Hearing from you all after conference was the best! I am trying to get back to every one of you, even if it's just a couple each p-day.

Life is good. I am happy. The gospel is true. “What else matters?”

Be happy, be healthy, be safe, be good. I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Schank

2 Timothy 1:7

Celebrating Sister Killen's birthday. I love my roommates!!

Dawson's baptism 

Lunch at the Walsh's in between baptisms

Kathryn's baptism

Real Buffalo Wings at Duff's 

Week 71

Thanks so much for the pictures and letters! I got them last night and it totally made my day :) Everyone is growing up and I'm so proud! It has been really rainy out her but pretty much, it's heaven :) Between the sites, a training meeting from the President yesterday (focused on testifying and goal-setting), and general conference and all of that, I feel soooo lucky. Even luckier to know that home in Utah is also a heaven on Earth. I am so grateful for all of you. Each of your letters was really wonderful, and I especially enjoyed hearing about all of your favorite conference talks! My favorite was Elder Bednar's talk on chastity... holy cow, talk about powerful! It made me really excited to go out and preach the truth with unapologetic boldness and love. I also really loved Elder Holland's talk; his talks are always good but this time around I really resonated with his words. I know I have faith but as a missionary especially I face tests of faith every day and it was such a good reminder to me. :) Also, I loved the missionary theme, and the theme of having strong, Christ-centered families, homes, and lives. I was really lucky, we had site shifts on Saturday AND Sunday, but at the sites I was at, the sessions were largely uninterrupted and I was quickly able to catch up on everything I missed (including Priesthood session). I took tours immediately after the session ended both days. Good timing :)

To answer some questions in those letters, my health is doing okay. The medication has been kinda-working but it gives me headaches every evening. I just got a call from my doctor's office this morning saying they wanted me to try Zantac (ranitidine). Which I have already taken, and it did nothing :P The lady who called said it might be a different dosage or something, but I'm skeptical. I'll consult with Bro Boyle (who gave me the first ranitidine prescription), but probably I just won't fill the prescription and will wait til I get home.

As far as your questions about my reaction to the integrated program... I guess when I failed the comprehensive and decided to come on a mission, I felt like I had given my best and had still not been able to succeed. I still wanted a masters degree, but before my mission I had talked with professors in a few other departments (public health, microbiology, math ed, etc.) I have desires to be more balanced when I get home, and I didn't succeed at that either... really at any point in college. Considering taking on something I feel that I failed at once before is a scary thing. I expected to be accepted in to repeat the first year, as I had performed poorly, failed the comp, and have had 2 years to forget everything. So when I found out it was second year, it was really overwhelming because I'd been doubting my abilities to succeed in first year material that I'd already taken before. Does that make a little more sense? I feel at peace about it, and I am really grateful for this opportunity, but I am still pretty nervous at the idea of taking on second year when first year was so difficult for me.

Anyway, back to missionary work. We had a cool experience this week on Tuesday. We had worked at the sites in the morning and had to be there a little longer than expected, so after studies we realized that we had half an hour left to fill. We had planned on going down to Canandaigua because we expected to have more like an hour, but it takes about 25 minutes to drive from our apartment into our area and back (since we live with other sisters, we live in their area. It is about 6 miles to get to the far north border of our area, and another few to get downtown where most of our work is found). We considered just saving the miles and sticking around the apartment, because it didn't really feel worth it to go way down there for the amount of time we would have. But we want to be diligent and we don't have a lot of time in our area as it is, so we decided to go down and just knock on a couple of doors of former/potential investigators. The first door we decided to knock was Holley, a former investigator. She opened the door and was gruff at first, but when she realized who we were she said that elders had met her three years ago, but never came back and she didn't know why. We were able to talk with her for about 45 minutes on her doorstep and gave her a Book of Mormon. The next day when we returned, she had read the introduction and had lots of questions about a living prophet. We taught the restoration and she is really interested, and we are going back Monday. So glad we took the time!

We have also gotten a lot closer with Lizz this week (she's Matt Allgood's stepdaughter, but is living with him and Alissa). We texted her during conference to ask if she'd watched any, and found out that her grandfather was dying. We were able to be there to support her both before and after he passed away, and taught her the plan of salvation this week. It has done a lot for her trust in us, and she has opened up a lot. She is keeping her commitments and we are seeing a change in her receptiveness. The funeral is today, and we have a dinner appointment at the Allgoods tonight, so we'll be able to see her again.

Steve is doing great. He is just like a sponge, and he was diligent about watching all 5 sessions of conference. He is mostly just struggling with discouragement right now, but we try to check in on him through text/facebook every couple of days while we're at the sites, and the almost-daily contact has been a huge blessing in keeping him focused on his successes.

Okay last miracle and then I need to get off! We had a member family and then the bishop mention to us a less-active lady in the ward they thought we could visit. We'd stopped by before and she wasn't home. We stopped again this last Wednesday on the way out of Canandaigua and knocked... still no answer. But then, a car pulled up behind her truck in the driveway. Awkward! (There are a lot of streets out here where you can't park on the street so sometimes we just pull into people's driveways, even if we don't know them, as long as we won't be there long.) Anyway, we walked up to the car... in the rain... and she got out and her ride drove away. We introduced ourselves and she let us in (the only good thing about rain while contacting is that you look so pathetic that more people will let you in) and didn't have time just then, but said we could come back. I really don't think she would have answered her door if she had already been home, but the timing/situation (while kind of awkward and not my idea of ideal) was perfect.

Something I've been thinking about recently is what a blessing it's been for me to be able to call/contact referrals from my area but also all over the country at the sites. I would invite everyone who is reading this to think about someone who needs the gospel at this time in their lives, and then invite them to learn more! If you want to invite them yourself that is great, but the really easy peasy way is just to let your local missionaries or any visitors center missionary (ahem) know their phone number and why you love them and I/we would love to give them the opportunity to choose for themselves. I have really gained a testimony of giving people the opportunity to exercise agency. :)

Okay, gotta go. Love you all a million! Thanks again for writing.

Loooooove, Sister Schank

Week 70

Is everyone excited for general conference tomorrow?!

Well it has been a really crazy and good week. Now that it's April, our site shifts are an hour longer than before but we do have more sisters after last transfer and we have dropped/been dropped by most of our teaching pool so we actually had some finding time this week! Wednesday in particular, we had 3 appointments set up and all 3 fell through but we accomplished a LOT: tracked down some people we've been meaning to contact, found out that some had moved, found a few who are interested in us coming back, and were able to help an investigator who was struggling with self-doubt at just the right time (he had relasped with his smoking the day before). The sites have been really busy (well, except yesterday our shift was randomly dead) and I have met some really neat families. Cecil O Samuelson actually came through right before I got there yesterday... Also, Sister Chatterton and her family were there this week and I got to see her! She was wearing pants, and had a first name! IS that really going to happen to me next month? :S

Easter was great. We worked at the Book of Mormon publication site (suuuuuper busy) and then went to dinner with the Jacobsens, a family that has kind of adopted the missionaries. They gave us filled Easter eggs to bring home (picture below is my roommates and me with our eggs once we got back to the apartment). It really stuck out to me this year how Easter is not only a celebration of the Atonement and Resurrection, but it is a celebration of our belief in miracles, since the resurrection is really the biggest miracle of all! I'm grateful for everyday miracles in our lives.

One fun miracle this week was that I got a call from a guy named Nahshon... it took me awhile to figure out who he was but then I was so excited. There was ONE night last summer during the pageant that we got there late enough that the missionary parking was full and we had to park way out in the field with everyone else. On the way back to my car I saw a sister at the Spanish booth who I hadn't seen in awhile so I went over to say hi and met Shaun (turns out to be short for Nahshon). He was waiting for a friend of his who was talking to another missionary at the same info booth. Shaun (living in NYC) wasn't a member but his grandma had died like that morning and he just needed to get out of the house, so when his friend was walking out of the house to go to pageant and invited him he said yes even though he had pretty much no idea what it was. Anyway, I got talking with him and gave him a Book of Mormon. He emailed me and asked some questions and told me he felt something, but we lost touch when he switched email addresses. But he called and said he'd moved to Rochester, had met with elders, and is getting baptized! He was going to be baptized tomorrow but he got sick and hasn't been to church so it probably won't be for a couple of weeks, but hopefully I'll be able to attend.

On that note, Sister Brown, Sister McManama, and I are going out to Buffalo next week for 3 baptisms! Kathryn is being baptized in the evening, Dawson (Sandy's son) in the morning, and a child of record (I'm not sure who) in between. I am so excited!! I feel so blessed to have met these people, and I know some of them will be friends for life.

Oh, we also had the opportunity last week to help out with a missionary-themed youth conference. My companion and I were assigned to the group that got "called" to Seoul. We got to sit in on that presentation and then just talked for awhile about what it's like to be a missionary. As I spoke, I realized that most teenagers see missionaries as robots in some sense. I am so grateful that the Lord called me to this specific place at this specific time for MY talents and personality! I have found that I can be myself, and I can be my BEST self as I follow Him. :) Also I'm SO grateful for the opportunity I've had to serve. I have learned so much about following the Spirit and keeping my covenant to take on His name.

Other funny/random things. Sister van Geenen and I accidentally climbed up to somebody's third-floor apartment up their rickety fire-escape and knocked on their porch door. Oops! It was REALLY high! Thankfully no one was living there (he'd moved). That could have been a lot more embarrasing. We also found some time to walk in the grove this week (other 2 pictures). I've been on my new meds for two weeks now and I've noticed decreased pain (as in, it happens less often and I think less intensely). It's still not gone, and I do often get headachey in the evening from the meds, but it's only been two weeks so hopefully it works better and better. I haven't had a bad headache in probably 3 days.

I think that that's pretty much all of my new news this week. Everyone enjoy conference. I'd love to hear what everyone's favorite talk is! Remember to make it a revelatory experience by coming prepared with a humble heart and a question in mind! I know that the prophets/apostles speak for God and that we can know of His individual plan for our lives by listening to them.

I'd love to see Easter pics from the family also! Best of luck to everyone, I know that this is a really crazy time of year with school. Love you all!

<3/ Sister Schank :)

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