This last week was a pretty good one. A lot of random stuff.
On Friday night we were under a tornado watch. Winds were pretty bad, but nothing really came of it.
On Saturday it was still a little windy, but I felt good enough to get on the bikes. I don't know if it's really because my back was feeling better that day, or if I was just sick of not being able to bike and contact people that way, but we did finally take up the bikes again to contact some less-active members of our ward, at the request of the bishop. It was a good workout... I think the wind was blowing in our faces 100% of the time, and it's a lot hill-ier in Spring Lake than it is in Greenville. A few hours and several miles later, we came back and my legs felt like jelly. I forgot how long it had been since I had used a bike that much! And the best part is I think it helped my back out a lot! We'll see if it keeps helping... I hope it does! :) If anything, it might strengthen the inside part of my quads, which should slightly pull my kneecaps into the groove they're supposed to be sliding in (I don't remember if I mentioned last time that the xrays show that my kneecaps are moving just a little bit to the outside of where they are supposed to be sliding---it's nothing we didn't already know, but biking might help address that problem a bit). After biking, we attended the adult session of stake conference, which was great.
On Sunday (yesterday) we had the general session of our stake conference, which was awesome! It was a broadcast for many stakes along the east coast. The speakers and topics were:
- Elder Pieper of the Quorum of the 70: choosing the right rather than "going with the flow"
- Sister Silivia H. Allred, 1st counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency: Strengthening home and family through family prayer and scripture study
- Bishop H. David Burton, Presiding Bishop: Following the counsel of the prophets
- Elder Richard G. Scott of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles: the sanctity of womanhood.
Not much else to report, which is good cause I'm running out of time. Oh yeah, remember the cardboard cut-outs from last time? If not, go back and read about it or this won't make sense (http://www.elderschank.blogspot.com). So we went to Lena's house to teach her again last Thursday. When we presented our gifts to her she laughed and began to cry. Through her tears, she said, "Thank you! This is the nicest thing that anyone has ever done for me!" She cried for several minutes after mulling our little makeshift missionary-replicas over in her hands and reading our testimonies on their backs. She expressed her deep gratitude for these little pieces of cardboard that we had made for her, and I learned a very important lesson that day: it is the minuscule acts of charity that we can choose to perform each day that makes a profound effect in the lives of others. I had no idea that Lena would find so much worth in just some simple slabs of decorated cardboard. Later that night, the little reminders influenced her to study a chapter we had left with her to read (Alma 34), and she was so engrossed in it that she continued to study beyond what we had assigned her, even into the early hours of the morning. She was able to find deep self-applications and receive personal revelation for her own life because of that study, and she has been improving since that day to understand to a greater extent the role and power of the scriptures. And this because of a couple pieces of cardboard. Never, ever think that your little actions don't matter. We can create dramatic differences in the lives of others by making small, righteous choices.
I know that the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures are true. They lead us to Jesus Christ and show us how we can become more like Him. They bring us happiness and when we read them, we have the opportunity to feel the Holy Ghost: the Foretaste of eternal life. I know that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6); by the simple media of prayer and scripture study, we can receive wonderful revelation to guide us into greater peace and joy in this life and to prepare us for that life which is to come.
I testify that Christ is the perfect Exemplar. He is our Savior and Redeemer, and has the power to free us from the self-bondage that sin creates.
I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!
With love,
I know that the Book of Mormon and the other scriptures are true. They lead us to Jesus Christ and show us how we can become more like Him. They bring us happiness and when we read them, we have the opportunity to feel the Holy Ghost: the Foretaste of eternal life. I know that "by small and simple things are great things brought to pass" (Alma 37:6); by the simple media of prayer and scripture study, we can receive wonderful revelation to guide us into greater peace and joy in this life and to prepare us for that life which is to come.
I testify that Christ is the perfect Exemplar. He is our Savior and Redeemer, and has the power to free us from the self-bondage that sin creates.
I love you all and hope to hear from you soon!
With love,
Elder Schank
