Dear Family and Friends,
This week has been great. Nothing too exciting, but great. I am still trying to get used to North Carolina. It amazes me how completely different it is over here, even though it's part of the same country as the west. For one, there are no sidewalks, and there are barely ever crosswalks. People just kind of amble across the street where and whenever they feel like it. They pretty much just expect cars to yield to them, and the crazy thing is that they do! That's been tough for us, because we have to ride our bikes in the middle of the street. Last email I mentioned the diversity of the people here. This week I got a little taste of how diverse their living situations are. We've been in and out of a lot of ghettoes. They're kinda scary in broad daylight, and we look very out of place with our light skin and nice dress clothes. We get a lot of stares. It can be difficult to visit some of the people who live there, because we can't really go there at night (too dangerous), but we're supposed to make visits with church members whenever we can, and they're usually available only in the evenings. The last time we went to visit someone in a ghetto at night, though, we brought a police officer in our ward with us. He works at the prison in town, and he said most of the people in that particular ghetto knew him. He brought his gun, just in case. On the other hand, we've also gone tracting around some neighborhoods that have the most beautiful houses I have ever seen. They've got all these columns and they're made of brick, with climbing vines and gigantic trees on huge lawns. Some of them are 3 stories high, and others are bigger. There's one particular neighborhood with $15 million houses, and you can see grand staircases and chandeliers bigger than our car in the window. It's sad to see the ghettoes that are barely held together with molding wood and rusty nails next to these pristine mansions with 5 muscle cars in the garage(s). It's also pretty interesting to see the difference in the way the rich and the poor people receive us. Whenever we're in the ghettoes or other poor communities, we see a lot of scary people. They're covered in tattoos and their faces are filled with piercings, their homes are filled with the smell of alcohol and drugs, they wear dirty and cheap clothes, and a lot of the time they're missing half of their teeth, and the other half are just about to fall out. But they are (almost) always so nice! They'll just talk your ear off like we've been old friends, laughing and thanking us and offering us water and shade. Then there's the rich people. At first, they seemed like the ones with the greater potential to hear us out. Their houses are big and comfortable with nice air conditioning, they wear nice clothes and look clean and neat, and a lot of them have little signs or carvings decorating their front lawns and doorsteps that say something among the lines of "Welcome". And then when they figure out that we're missionaries, they wave us away or interrupt us or even just close the door before I can finish introducing myself. If they do actually listen to what we have to say, they tell us "I am satisfied with my salvation" or "Don't waste your time" or "I'm too busy". It reminds me of the differences between the shepherds and the innkeeper at Christ's birth. The innkeeper was probably pretty well-to-do, and he had no room for the Savior. On the other hand, the shepherds, who were undoubtedly very humble, immediately came to see the Christ as soon as they heard of His coming. I hope that we never think to ourselves, "I'm too busy to grow closer to the Savior." I am very confident that if we put Him on the backburner, it will take us a very long time to put Him at the top of our priorities, if we do at all. I hope you know that I pray for all of you every night before I go to bed that you will grow closer to the Master as individuals and families.
This last week we have obtained two tracting treasures! On one occasion, we knocked on a man's door while tracting. He had a cool-looking cattle skull in his flowerbed. As he opened the door, Elder Westley and I mentioned that we thought it looked really cool and that it reminded us of home. He wasn't very interested in our message, but he did tell us that his wife hated the skull and that we could take it! So... we did. It's on our dresser right now.
On another day, we were tracting in this little rich neighborhood of town homes. The founder must have been Irish, because the streets were called Rainbow, Clover, Shamrock, and Blarney. And, believe it or not, Blarney was a pretty lucky street! We talked to an old man for about half an hour. He was a very kind Methodist who told us that he was preparing to die soon because of his old age and the poor condition of his lungs. He told us of his family who he loved dearly. I testified to him of the Book of Mormon and its ability to bring happiness into our lives by teaching us more about the Savior. He wasn't too interested. Then I felt that I should ask him about his beliefs as a Methodist. He stated some basic Christian truths about Christ and His Atonement. I asked him about his belief in life after death. It was pretty in line with what we believe: that we will be judged according to our works and that if we are righteous we will inherit a place in heaven. Then I asked him if he thought he would see his family again after he died. He said he wanted to believe that, and that he hoped so much that he could. I then testified to him that I know that families can be together forever; that God loves us and created the family, that He wants us to be able to live with our families for eternity, and that He provided a way for us to do so through His Son, Jesus Christ. Tears began to well up in this good man's eyes. He praised the two of us for our faith and our dedication to and love for God. He invited us in for water. We accepted. He gave us each a glass of water and a cayenne pepper. He explained that he grew them himself, and that he didn't have a lot to offer us as an expression of his gratitude, but he could give us some of his peppers. I could tell that they meant a lot to him, and we gratefully accepted his gift. He told us that if we put a drop of pepper juice on bug bites, it resolves the itchiness almost instantly. However, I am going to let it dry out and keep it for as long as a reminder of his hospitality and that the Spirit testified to him that the words of my testimony of eternal families were true.
We are STILL trying to find people. We really don't have many people to teach. I'm trying not to get frustrated here, but it's difficult because people's views of God here are so warped and they're so sure that they're right that they won't even give us the time of day. The few people who actually have let us speak to them only seem to like to talk about Jesus; when we talk about any other important beliefs, they tell us that it doesn't matter and ask us to leave. I don't understand it... these people swear by the Bible and say the believe everything in it. And then we learn that they think God is some amorphous spirit, or that by grace alone they are saved and that their works have no effect on their salvation, or that salvation is a single event that they have already achieved, or that the Father, Son and Holy Ghost are all one being. I don't understand how anyone can believe those things and call themselves Christian! The Bible clearly shows that these ideas are not true. We have given away only three copies of the Book of Mormon because we are discouraged to give them away on first contact unless we feel prompted to do so. Most people hate it anyway, even though they've never read it and they don't know what it is. It's like they think we're handing out Pandora's Boxes or that evil will enter their homes if they accept it. The prophecy found in the Book of Mormon is being fulfilled, as written in 2 Nephi 29:6-9: 6 Thou fool, that shall say: A aBible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible. Have ye obtained a Bible save it were by the Jews?
7 Know ye not that there are more anations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the bisles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the cearth beneath; and I bring forth my dword unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the atestimony of btwo nations is a cwitness unto you that I am God, that I remember one dnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two enations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the asame yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my bwords according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one cword ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my dwork is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
This scripture just makes sense! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it is a gift given to us because our Heavenly Father LOVES us. That is what the entire gospel comes down to. Every ordinance, every commandment, every prophet, scripture, and teaching are given to us by our Father in Heaven as an act of love. The Atonement is the best example of them all. People here are very familiar with John 3:16:
16 For aGod so bloved the cworld, that he dgave his eonly begotten fSon, that whosoever gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have heverlasting ilife.
While they understand that Christ's sacrifice was a manifestation of love, I think they fail to realize that it is really just the beginning.
I know that the Book of Mormon is true! If you aren't reading it, please do! If you don't have a copy, let me give you one, as my gift to you. It is the best gift I could ever give. If you would like a copy, please let me know! I would love to mail one to you. (Don't worry, it's free.) I promise and testify to you as a representative of Jesus Christ that the teachings of this book can help you to be more happy than by any other means. I PROMISE you, with a 100% surety that this is true. It testifies as a companion and help to the Bible that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of our souls.
While it has been hard to find people who are willing to listen to our message, I have not given up, and I never will. I know that there's someone out here that the Lord has prepared for me to teach, and they are "kept from the truth [only] because they know not where to find it" (Doctrine and Covenants 123:12).
I love you all and hope all is going well. Again, I pray for each of you EVERY DAY! Please let me know how you are doing! I don't have a lot of computer time, so please send snail mail rather than email. I stare into the mailbox everyday and sob.... Ok, just kidding, but really, please send me mail. Thanks! My address is:
6508 Falls of Neuse, Ste. 100
Raleigh, NC 27615
With love,
Elder Schank
7 Know ye not that there are more anations than one? Know ye not that I, the Lord your God, have created all men, and that I remember those who are upon the bisles of the sea; and that I rule in the heavens above and in the cearth beneath; and I bring forth my dword unto the children of men, yea, even upon all the nations of the earth?
8 Wherefore murmur ye, because that ye shall receive more of my word? Know ye not that the atestimony of btwo nations is a cwitness unto you that I am God, that I remember one dnation like unto another? Wherefore, I speak the same words unto one nation like unto another. And when the two enations shall run together the testimony of the two nations shall run together also.
9 And I do this that I may prove unto many that I am the asame yesterday, today, and forever; and that I speak forth my bwords according to mine own pleasure. And because that I have spoken one cword ye need not suppose that I cannot speak another; for my dwork is not yet finished; neither shall it be until the end of man, neither from that time henceforth and forever.
This scripture just makes sense! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it is a gift given to us because our Heavenly Father LOVES us. That is what the entire gospel comes down to. Every ordinance, every commandment, every prophet, scripture, and teaching are given to us by our Father in Heaven as an act of love. The Atonement is the best example of them all. People here are very familiar with John 3:16:
16 For aGod so bloved the cworld, that he dgave his eonly begotten fSon, that whosoever gbelieveth in him should not perish, but have heverlasting ilife.
While they understand that Christ's sacrifice was a manifestation of love, I think they fail to realize that it is really just the beginning.
I know that the Book of Mormon is true! If you aren't reading it, please do! If you don't have a copy, let me give you one, as my gift to you. It is the best gift I could ever give. If you would like a copy, please let me know! I would love to mail one to you. (Don't worry, it's free.) I promise and testify to you as a representative of Jesus Christ that the teachings of this book can help you to be more happy than by any other means. I PROMISE you, with a 100% surety that this is true. It testifies as a companion and help to the Bible that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of our souls.
While it has been hard to find people who are willing to listen to our message, I have not given up, and I never will. I know that there's someone out here that the Lord has prepared for me to teach, and they are "kept from the truth [only] because they know not where to find it" (Doctrine and Covenants 123:12).
I love you all and hope all is going well. Again, I pray for each of you EVERY DAY! Please let me know how you are doing! I don't have a lot of computer time, so please send snail mail rather than email. I stare into the mailbox everyday and sob.... Ok, just kidding, but really, please send me mail. Thanks! My address is:
6508 Falls of Neuse, Ste. 100
Raleigh, NC 27615
With love,
Elder Schank
