Hey everyone!
I don't know if you heard, but over the last week we had a fire... and an earthquake... AND a hurricane! I don't really know what was up with the fire, to be honest. It happened almost a week ago. The earthquake was actually just the aftershock of an earthquake up north, but I could feel it when we were teaching a woman about the Book of Mormon on her porch. The hurricane, though, has messed a lot of our plans up! Our mission president instructed us to evacuate Greenville and stay with missionaries in Rocky Mount, which is farther inland. So on Friday morning, we headed over there before the storm began to come in on Friday night. Hurricane Irene hit Moorehead City on Friday. It was a level 3 at only about 110 mph (apparently they can be a lot worse), but it was very destructive because it was traveling laterally by only 15 mph. We had no power Friday night, all of Saturday, and Sunday morning, but we were completely safe... just hungry and very very bored. I did a lot of studying, and we watched some church videos on the little DVD players they gave us for training. On Sunday morning, we were finally allowed to leave the apartment and see the destruction. Fences and signs were torn up, and I was really surprised at how many trees were taken down. Sacrament meetings all over our mission were cancelled because trees blocked parking lots and meeting houses had no power. We had permission from our hosting missionaries' bishop to hold our own sacrament meeting. That was an awesome experience. Our sacrament meeting took place in a bedroom and consisted of opening and closing hymns and prayers, the administration of the sacrament, and each of us sharing a scripture and testimony. The whole meeting lasted about 15 minutes, but the Spirit was very powerful. After the meeting, we changed into jeans and t-shirts to go do service. One of the members in the local ward owned a golf course, and we went to help him clear up the greens. It was incredible how the winds had taken down some really big trees! They were as big as 70 feet tall and 4 feet in diameter! It amazed me how a tree so strong and so heavy could be completely torn out of the ground by the wind. As we used chainsaws to reduce the fallen trees into smaller pieces of lumber that were manageable enough to be removed and collected in piles, I began to realize the reason that these trees didn't stand a chance against the winds. I looked at the roots, and observed that they were only shot about 2 feet deep into the ground. The trees were also planted in soil that was very loose because of the humidity and moisture. It didn't matter how tall or heavy or thick these gigantic trees were... when it all came down to it, it was the root and the foundation that could make or break the tree.
As I pondered over this, I remembered a different service project that I had been involved in many years ago as a Boy Scout in Arizona. We were camping in the desert, and we were working to clear part of a hiking path. I found a little bit of sagebrush in the middle of the path and tried to pull it up. It wouldn't budge. My scout leader noticed my efforts and told me not to waste my time. He taught me that sagebrush, even though it looks very small and weak (it usually grows between 1 and 2 feet tall above the ground) is actually very hard to uproot because it has a huge root system. The roots of the sagebrush grow wide and deep (up to 10 feet deep!) in search for any water they can find in the hot and dry climate of the desert. The hard, rocky ground in which the roots are set cling tightly to the roots as well, making it nearly impossible to rip them out of the earth. As I compared the fate of the gigantic trees torn down by the hurricane to that of the little sagebrush, I began to learn the importance of growing our own personal roots in a solid foundation. It seems that most people in the world focus all of their energy to grow above the surface, focusing only on improving in areas that will bring them recognition and admiration from people around them. In doing so, they grow their roots down just enough to survive. Few people these days are like the humble sagebrush; they don't so much care about how strong or great they appear to others, but rather they focus on expanding their roots deep into their foundation and continue to expand, knowing the true source of strength. However, these people still can never find greater strength unless they build themselves in the right foundation. What is this foundation? I think you already know. The Book of Mormon prophet Helaman knew, and he taught the answer to his sons: "Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12). I have learned throughout my life that it is vital for us to focus our strength on pushing our roots into the foundation of Christ. I have a testimony that if we do build on the Savior by having faith in Him, repenting of our sins, making covenants, and enduring to the end, that the hurricanes of life will have no power to bring us down. It is my prayer that we will all be better able to do so. To me, it seems that life has two difficulties: hard and harder. No matter how difficult we find life to be, we can ALWAYS find peace, comfort, and a helping hand in Jesus Christ. Remember what He told Joseph Smith as the Prophet was suffering in Liberty jail:
"If thou shouldst be cast into the apit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the bdeep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to chedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of dhell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee eexperience, and shall be for thy good. The aSon of Man hath bdescended below them all. Art thou greater than he? Therefore, ahold on thy way, and... efear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever" (Doctrine & Covenants 122:7-9).
Well things are beginning to pick up now that the storm is over. We're actually expecting another hurricane in about a week. The big concern with this one is going to be flooding... after all the rain we got with Hurricane Irene, this next storm is going cause a lot of flooding probably. Even more service opportunities! I'm really excited to be able to serve more. Tracting is the worst possible way to find people to teach (remember that... if you know of any one who missionaries in your area could teach about coming closer to Christ, let them know! You will make their month. Referalls are like Christmas to a missionary, and missionary work is 100 times more effective (literally) when Church members work with the missionaries!) These service opportunities will hopefully become teaching opportunities.
Greenville is doing considerably well. A lot of trees are down, but there wasn't a lot of flooding... just a little bit in our kitchen and living room, but none of our personal property was damaged.
Have you heard? My older sister Christa got her mission call! She will be serving in the New York Rochester, English-speaking mission! That includes the Hill Cumorah visitor center! I am so happy for and proud of her and I know she will make an incredible missionary because of her wonderful example to me.
I love this work! If any of you who aren't members of the LDS church want to learn more about what I do and teach, I would love to hear from you!
How are you doing? Yeah, I'm talking to YOU! I would love to hear from you and get an update on your life! I hope all is going well. To those of you who have written me, thanks! I loved reading your letters and I will be writing as many of you back later today when it's letter-writing time! For those of you who haven't written me (including my own siblings!), I would still love to hear from you!
I love you all and continually pray for each of you! God bless you!
With love,
Elder Schank
