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

Week 65

What a great week! Sent Sister White off on Tuesday, which was actually just really weird... maybe hasn't sunk in yet that she's back home in Washington. BUT I picked up Sister van Geenen that day also, and it has been awesome. She is from Holland, but her English is perfect and she actually served in Amsterdam for a month before the MTC while she waited for a visa, so she pretty much already knows how to be a missionary. She is 24 and really wonderful. Lots of fun and very competent. Of course, she still has a lot to learn, particularly about the sites and the people we are teaching, but she has been really diligent. It has actually been really good for me to "take over the area." I don't know everyone or everything (Sister White was here for a long time and actually opened the area), but I know that the Lord will make the most important things happen. We have been able to adjust our focus a little bit, drop some investigators that haven't seen missionaries in months, pass some less-actives off to the senior couples in our ward, and are really focusing on helping our investigators and a few less-actives we've been working with closely progress. It has been a huge blessing to have those couples and to be able to have that focus, because we are SO busy with meetings, the sites, the people who are progressing, and our studies. Hooray for being busy! We are loving it.

That really is all of the new news this week. We hardly taught any lessons because of everything else we've had going on (new missionary meetings, sites, 4 hours of study/day). But this week will be better with the lessons, we hope. We have a few exciting appointments coming up. Thanks for all of your updates, love, and support. I really am so proud of all of you and excited to hear there are some letters on the way! Our family is amazing, thanks to each of you for who you are. Be good!

Love you,

Sister Schank

   

Week 64

What a week! This was Sister White's last week on the mission so we got to work at all four sites, plus I went on exchange TWICE this week. It has been an adventure. Probably the best day of the week was Valentines day. I got to be companions with Sister Wall for the day up in Fairport, because we had plans to attend Tina and Keith's wedding! They are both recent(ish) converts from Irondequoit, and it was such a tender experience to be able to see everyone from that ward and to see Tina & Keith so happy. The Spirit was actually really strong, which I don't know that I expected (they were married civilly, because Keith has been a member for under a year and I expect because Tina was recently sealed to her deceased husband Bruce). It was awesome! I also got to sit in on a baptismal interview done by our mission president with one of Sister Wall's investigators that day. Her name is Jenn and I was blown away by her faith. Her husband has been a less-active member since he was a child but she decided that even though he's not fully back on board yet, she knows it's true and she's going to live it. Wow. Oh, we also had a really awesome lesson with Christine this week. She has a 17-y.o. family friend named Gabby sit in on the lesson and by the end of the night, both Christine AND Gabby had a baptismal date for March 9. She is a little nervous but she KNOWS Joseph Smith is a prophet and the Spirit has really changed her. Gabby kept saying things like "I have never felt this way before... yes, I believe everything you taught." I am excited to teach them again this week! Oh also, I think I talked maybe last week about Kristy and her daughter Abbey. Since it was Sister White's last Sunday, Kristy came to church this week (even though she'd been up all night delivering papers). The last time she was in the chapel was at her mom's funeral (her mom died like the day before she was supposed to be baptized), and she felt really close to her there. She has been studying a ton since then and is ready to really get moving to progress toward her own baptism and especially Abbey's (her own will be harder because she's living with her fiancé and their wedding date is in like 5 years. This is pretty typical of NY it seems.)

So, we have a little bit of news this week... first off I went to a GI specialist on Thursday and he said my symptoms are weird and don't directly point to reflux (which I could have told him, that's why I was at a specialist), but that it's probably not dangerous to my health since cardiac has been ruled out. Because I'm still in daily pain, he suggested I get an upper endoscopy, so I am scheduled for one of those on March 7. It sounds like a not-a-big-deal kind of procedure, and I am ready to get this figured out, so that should be good.

The other news is, I found out Wednesday night that I am training again! We have 20 missionaries coming out this transfer, and more like 30 coming out in 5 weeks, so LOTS of people will be training pretty soon. This time around, only 2 of the 20 are sisters. So my new companion is either Sister Day from AZ, or Sister Van Geenen from The Netherlands. Your guess is as good as mine! The other sister trainer is Sister Larsen; she's with Sister Wall right now so her comp is also going home, and she came out with me so we have the same amount of time left. She served with Sister Aiello in the other area of the Canandaigua ward right before I got here, so we can't really make a good guess either way. Sister Larsen and I are pretty different, so it will be interesting to see what happens once President meets our new comps (they are on a plane to NY RIGHT NOW!) Pray for them. And me :) I'm a tiny bit nervous but mostly excited. Training was really hard last time, and I still feel like I'm new to this area, but the Lord makes it work and I am excited just to get back to basics and end my mission with some serious work and missionary fire :) The Lord knows just what we need and when.

Okay, more to catch up on my area: We met with a young woman (mid-20s) named Brianna who has been less-active for the entirety of her adult life. Found out that her sister is getting married int he temple this summer and she's really upset she can't go. It is sounding like she is willing to meet with us weekly to see if she wants to change things and prepare herself to be able to go. How awesome would that be? Especially if her husband became interested... she is a really sweet girl, and the gospel would really help her raise her young family. I am excited for her :) Likewise, we taught a less-active family named Rotz last night. They are really busy but are looking for more direction and purpose in life. They know the gospel is the right way to live but are just a little overwhelmed with all of it... But the Spirit is already working on them, and they are a really wonderful family. I get the feeling I am really going to come to love and become close with them.

Love you all a million!

Sister Schank <3

Love you all a million!

Sister Schank <3

Here is a picture from a really magical day a week and a half ago in the grove. Pictures don't do it justice, but it snowed and there was no wind and it turned out to be beautiful. 

Week 63

This has really been a week full of miracles. We are working at the sites 3-4 days a week right now, and even though it's the non-busy season, it feels like a lot after proselyting full-time. But the Lord is really consecrating our efforts and filling our time with people who are prepared. On Monday, we ran into a man who was cashiering the next aisle over who wants to meet with missionaries. The next day, we got a call from a young lady who is investigating in Utah, and she referred her mom who lives in Canandaigua. The mom's name is Laura and I don't think I have seen someone so excited to see me since I've been a missionary! She has seen how it's changed her daughter and she sincerely wants to learn. Wednesday we had planned to be in Palmyra all day... to teach one of our investigators at the sites in between a shift we were working and a meeting up there that evening. The investigator cancelled, so we decided to try someone in our area. She wasn't home and we were a little frustrated because we were trying to use our miles well... but instead, we contacted a member referral who wants us to teach his family, and found a less-active family home (who is NEVER home), and they want us to prepare their son for baptism and help the rest of them come back to church. :) I know the Spirit was directing us to be able to find both of those people at the perfect time, and that same Spirit softened their hearts. It is so incredible to see almost visibly as hearts are softened by the Spirit.

That will need to be all for this week. Happy Valentines Day, all! <3

Week 62

Dear friends and family,

Just a quick update today.  Thanks so much for writing, sounds like everyone is doing great. We had dinner at the Ciceros this week.  Bro Cicero was out of town this Sunday for the superbowl so they didn't come to church but they are doing well. Haven't seen Monique yet. Christine got anti'ed this week, so we've been cleaning up that mess but I think she will be okay.  My leg is doing well, I have a big scab but it's healing just fine.

Weather is up and down, 60s some days, single-digits days later. We proselyte almost every day, right now we are at the sites 3 half-days per week. We don't work with the stake very much because we have 3 sets of young missionaries and 2 senior couples attending our ward and president is thinking of putting another set of young elders in, so just juggling the ward is crazy enough. We use the online area book for referrals from the sites, but our mission isn't using it for proselyting areas yet. We do still get to use facebok which has been a huge blessing and now that I'm back at the sites we do mormon.org chats sometimes, which can be fun. The BoM publication site is my "favorite" but really it depends on the day. I love working at the Hill also... I just feel very lucky to be in any of these sacred places and especially recently I have felt a lot closer to the people who once walked here... in Joseph Smith's time, but also in BoM times too. :)

Cute story of the week: We went to visit a little girl named Abby we've been teaching (with her mom) to drop something off for her 8th birthday this week. She was at her dad's house, but her mom told us that her birthday candle wish had been that she could be Mormon. She is really zealous about the gospel and even reads the BoM at school instead of other books. Her dad is opposed but her mom has full custody so we are trying to see what we can do to make her wish come true :)

I need to run but hopefully I answered everyone's questions. If not just ask them again. Love you all a ton, give Kenny lots of love for me! I will be praying for him and all of you. Keep me updated!

Love,

Sister Schank

Week 61

This week has been really excellent! Lots of really random things happening...

First of all Sarah, congratulations! So proud of you :) We had a really good day on Thursday, but it had ended kind of hard. We showed up to one of my favorite investigator's home, and she was having a really huge fight with one of her family members. When she finally let us in, she was shaking and crying and kind of babbling... it was pretty scary. We calmed her down and read some scripture and the elders came over to give her a blessing, but the whole evening was just a little intense. And then I got to call home to a loving family and feel an overwhelming spirit of love and truth as Sarah opened her mission call to San Jose, California. What a contrast. I don't have words to say how grateful I am for each of you making good decisions in your life, for parents who raised us in the gospel, and that we truly love each other. Sarah, I know that your call is from God because of the strong Spirit that I felt from 2000 miles away when you opened that call. I am so excited for you and very proud :)

Friday morning started interestingly... I was making my bed and the bed frame jumped out and bit me :( It sliced through my leggings and cut an inch-and-a-half long gash in my leg near my left knee. I actually ended up having it seen by a doctor who is a member of the Palmyra ward and works next-door to the Book of Mormon publication site, where I was working later that morning. She said it definitely would have needed stitches, except that we got butterfly strips on it really well early on. I'm still not allowed to get it wet and will have the butterfly strips on for another week or so, but it should heal just fine. I'm taking good care of it :) It is healing miraculously quickly.

This week I got to meet the Ciceros. They are a really awesome family with 3 kids we are teaching and they are so sincere about wanting to learn the truth! We hadn't seen them since before I got transferred here, but they've been reading and had lots of questions. We fasted and prayed for them really hard this weekend and they all came to church! It is really wonderful to be teaching a happy, functional, honestly-seeking family. I already love them so much :)

We also taught a lady named Monique last night. She has a lot of questions and her confusion sometimes comes out as a little bit rough and even attacking, but it was a good experience overall teaching her. It feels good sometimes to stand and defend the church and it's doctrine. It definitely backed me up against my "wall of faith" and made me remember why I really do believe in all of this. And it comes down to the fact that I have received a witness for myself that it's true. It reminds me of Joseph Smith, when his mother asked him what was the matter after the first vision. He said "All is well, I know for myself." And that is really true for all of us. All will be well when we know for ourselves.

I've had some really neat experiences in the last couple of weeks touring the Tomlinson Inn, the Young Farm, seeing the Palmyra cemetary and Oliver Cowdery's schoolhouse, and getting an in-depth tour of the Smith frame home and the Hill Cumorah. Rand Packer was here to talk about Willard and Rebecca Bean, and I was able to read his book "A Lion and A Lamb." We took our investigator Christine to the visitor's center this week and watched the Joseph Smith video with her and listened to the Christus recording. All of it has really increased my love for this gospel and for those who sacrificed so it could be restored. "I know for myself" that Joseph Smith is God's chosen prophet to restore the fulness of Jesus Christ's gospel and His church. I love the Smith family and Joseph's friends who made it all possible. That love is making it easier and more joyous to take tours and to proselyte, and overall to testify of my Savior and the coming forth of His saving gospel. I love Him, and I love the happiness and peace that comes only through the first principles and ordinances performed by His sacred authority.

Hope everything is going well with the family. I love you all soso much!

Love,

Sister Schank