Mission Reunion!!

HELLO EVERYONE!!!    This is Britten!
On April11, I went to the SLC airport to see my cousin, Elder Tyler Condie, when he just got back off his mission from Texas. It was so amazing to give him a huge hug and talk with him. I was so happy because I saw how it would have been if I just got back off my mission. We went to eat after that and him and I talk about so many fun, amazing and spiritual things that happened in our mission.
After I was with him and his family, then my family and I went to a hotel close to the SLC temple.

Then that night, I saw my Mission President Moreira and Sister Moreira. I was soooo excited to see them! It was amazing to see them again, since the last time I remember that I saw them was a day or two before I got hit.  I gave Pres. Moreira a hug, and the first time I saw him I talked in Portuguese. I gave sister Moreira a giant hug too, and that was the first hug that I was able to give her. While I was with them, I felt the spirit so strong, and I felt the love that they have for me. I'm so thankful that they were like an awesome teacher, parent and friend.
That night, I met one of the 70's, from Brazil. He told me that his wife went to the same hospital that I was in Salt Lake. And he said that one of the times when he went there, he went to my room and gave me a blessing. He is an amazing man, and I'm so blessed for all those that have gave me blessings.

Then the next morning, I was with Pres. and Sister Moreira's kids, Diogo and Ruth. It was fun taking them and showing them church history sites, like "This is the Place Monument". 
While we were there we ran into a family from Brazil that knew Ruth and Diogo.  I recognized him and asked him if he was from Penha, Brazil?  (He was over institute there).  He said, Yes, are you Britten Schenk?  I said, Yah!
He said, "Your Mission Pres. asked me to have all the institute teacher ask all the students in Brazil to pray and fast for you."  He said, "I'm so glad that you are doing so good.  I know it is because all the prayers to Heavenly Father.  That was amazing that so many people would pray for me.

That night I went to Provo, for a Mission Reunion! I drove with Elder and Sister Moreira and my mom. We talked about so many spiritual thoughts, that were so delighted. When we got there, I saw and talked to so many people that I knew that were on my mission. It was so much fun to talk with all of them about funny and spiritual things that was through our mission. I felt that I was back on my mission with all of the missionaries and my Pres. and Sister Moreira.

I loved so many of them, excpecially my dad (Taylor Fox), and a lot of those that were in my district or zone areas that I was with.
Like Junior Toala, McKay Meyer, Karen Ogden, Jesi Sommers, Steve Clark and many more. We were all so cheerful and it felt like we were back on our mission haha!

All of us feel so blessed for all we did and for all the many people that we helped. We all LOVED our mission.  I'm so glad that I have so many good friends.

I'm SO thankful for all of those that prayed and fasted for me. I honestly dont think any one can comprehend how thankful I am for each and everyone of you. I know that this is the biggest reason why I am doing so well.  I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me, and I hope I can help other people the way you have all helped me.  Thank you!
Love,  Britt :)

USHA Convention

 

  Britten is this year’s recipient of the USHA Communication Ambassador Award. This award is given to someone who has participated in Speech/Language/Hearing services over the course of the year and has inspired others with their strength, perseverance, and success.    -Lisa Millman

 

    What a great honor this is for Britten to represent the profession that has helped him so much in his recovery. He had the opportunity to speak at their convention.

Remarkable....Inspiring

                                                              Dear Britten,

I want to thank you for sharing your remarkable story and giving such an exceptionally moving speech at the Utah Speech-Language Hearing Association Awards ceremony on March 8^th2013. 

It was genuinely inspiring to learn about some of the seemingly insurmountable obstacles that you have overcome along the way. Even more inspiring is what you seem to have taken away from these experiences: inner strength, a growing sense of empathy and caring towards others, and a heroic commitment to celebrating life and being happy. Your message was extraordinarily insightful, optimistic, and uplifting.

Your speech was remarkable not only in content but also in its delivery. It was soft-spoken and powerful, evenly paced and calmly delivered, as well as heart felt and deeply moving. As you continue your journey of recovery, I hope you will continue to think about how your experiences and words might help and inspire others in the future. You are clearly a very gifted speaker with a powerful and important message to share.

Thank you again for sharing your story and your inspirational message.
Sincerely,
Lisa Milman, Ph.D., CCC-SLP 
Language & Aphasia NeuroRehabilitation Lab
Department of Communicative Disorders & Deaf Education
Utah State University                 

We were so proud of Britten when he was asked to be the Ambassador for the Utah Speech and Hearing Association. There was no way we were going to miss going to Park City to hear him speak there. Again, we were so amazed at how well he spoke.  I don’t think anyone there had any idea of some of the problems he still has. He spoke so fluently, without any hesitation, expressing his feelings and just giving such a wonderful, uplifting talk.  He has a way of giving credit to others that is so gratifying.  He doesn’t seem to take credit for how hard he has been working.   I had a few ladies tell me afterward that he should be a motivational speaker, he just inspires everyone.                     -Grandma & Grandpa Schenk

After Britten's accident in Brazil it was so hard to follow the day by day things he was going through those first 3 months in the hospitals, and know there was nothing we could do to help the three of them but pray. We could only imagine how hard this was for Steven and Karla too.

 We were so very grateful to Logan and Lora for the way they just moved in with Canon and Jaxon and took care of things at home so Steven and Karla wouldn’t have to worry while they were away..

    I know the Blog was a wonderful thing for all of us.  It was incredible to see the numbers of people who were checking the blog each day and making such wonderful comments. As Steven and Karla would read them to Britten in the hospital, we knew it was helping him, as well as the rest of the family.

    

Now each time we see Britten, and see all the progress he is making, we can hardly believe it!! Truly our Heavenly Father has blessed him, and continues to do so. We are amazed at the progress he is making and his positive attitude and the devotion of his mother and family. I don’t feel he could have come this far without that support from them.

Britten’s story has touched a lot of people, in and out of the Church. I don't think his mission ended last March. He is still on his mission. I don’t know of one person who knows them who doesn’t love and care for Britten and his welfare and are so concerned about him and his future. We just continue to pray that his eyesight will improve. We love them all more than words can tell, and can hardly wait to see what the next few months brings.   -Grandma & Grandpa Schenk

Britten has an exciting week coming up, as his Mission President is coming to the States and having a Mission Reunion.  His is coming here to our home to see Britten for the first time since his accident.  It will be a wonderful reunion!   We hope to have a post in a week and let Britten tell you all about it.

We thank you for your continued prayers, as you are in ours.

Love...-Schenk Family

A Time To Celebrate!

One year ago, Britten's life changed and so did our family's. As we look back we are amazed at all that has transpired. We marvel at the love and miracles that our Heavenly Father has showered upon us.  It has been a very difficult year, especially for Britten, but it has also been a year of faith, hope, trust, and growth.     There is a purpose and a reason why Britten's life was spared when Heavenly Father has called others to "come home".  There is no other explanation for the many miracles we've experienced.  We know that Britten has unfinished work on this earth and he is working hard to discover what that is.  No one is more determined, dedicated, and motivated to recover than Britt!  His attitude is amazing and infectious!

A few of the things Britt is doing to progress and keep busy are: He attends speech therapy 4 days a week advancing in his reading, writing, and thought process.  We are thrilled with the progress that he is making each session.  He is attending two Institute of Religion classes at USU 3 days a week.  He volunteers at a local Elementary School tutoring some children with Math.  He serves one day a week in the Logan Temple Baptistry with his Grandma & Grandpa Andreasen.  He is Team-Teaching a Sunday School class with another super RM in our Ward and enjoys sharing mission experiences and his testimony. What has kept him the busiest, and what he enjoys the most, is talking in church and at youth firesides. This is a great challenge for him but he loves sharing his story, his testimony, and experiences from his youth.  With what he has learned from these experiences, he has developed qualities that have made him a strong, determined, and happy individual, which has helped him get through the challenges of this past year.  Britten is an inspiration to all he comes in contact with.
In his free time he loves cuddling with his nieces, playing basketball with his brothers and hanging out with his friends. I feel Britten is happy and doing well, even though his life is different than was planned!
Britten inspires our family daily as he keeps us laughing and reminds us how precious life is.


Britten is experiencing improvement in his vision and he has amazing faith, patience, and hope that it will continue to improve. He still has no vision in his right eye and only has 1/4 of the field of vision in his left eye.  His field of vision has improved ever so slightly, but the clarity has changed dramatically.  It was 20/150, 6 months ago, and in January it had improved to 20/80, and we know it has improved even more since then.


Earlier this year Britten was nominated to be the ambassador for the State of Utah Speech and Hearing Association (USHA) for 2013. On March 8, they presented him this award at their annual convention. Britten gave a very moving speech as he touched all that was in attendance. (We will post a link next week of his speech, for those of you who would like to hear it.) Our family was very proud of him as he shared his feelings of the past year.

Saturday March 16, 2013 was a beautiful day for our family as we celebrated the past year with family and friends. We gathered at the Temple with gratitude, giving thanks to our loving Father in Heaven for the blessings bestowed upon our family the past year.
We headed to the church where we ate and enjoyed each others company.  A video was shown of Britten's recovery over the past year titled,

"Celebrate a year of.... Tears, Prayers, Faith, Hard Work, Accomplishments and Miracles!"

"Tears filled our eyes as we watched the first part of the video showing Britten in the hospital in Brazil.  It made me heart-sick to think that really happened to him.  As I think of the progress he has made, we have to know it was really a miracle, and that Heavenly Father was watching over him and still is. Seeing him every week, and realizing the things that he contiunes to accomplish in speech, physical strength, memorizing talks, teaching Sunday School, confirming and baptizing in the Temple, is amazing as we acknowledge how far he has progressed. We know it has been a lot of hard work, a positive attitude and Heavenly Father helping him.   Britten is still in missionary mode and has never lost that missionary glow that missionaries have when they come home from their missions. He has touched so many lives including ours and we love him so much."      Love, Grandma and Grandpa Andreasen

As I made the video of Britten's past year and reminisced of what "We" have been through, reality sets back in to where he was and how far he has come.  As I look back to the first 3 months in the hospital and the first few month home, I wonder, "how did we do it?"         Then the promise in Mosiah 24:14-15 came to mind.  Verse 14: And I will ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs. That ye may know of a surety the I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.  15: And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light: yea the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. 

I testify that we were given a strength, a strength beyond our own capacity and our burdens were made light.  As we look back we can see vividly our Saviors love and hand in our lives. 


As a family, we want to make sure that we never forget or take for-granted our many blessings and the miracles our family has witnessed this past year.

 

Gift's of Love

This week has been great and positive as we have been able to get Britten involved  at the University.  He is now attending Speech Therapy at USU  2 days a week, while continuing at the Hospital the other days.  Britt is excited to be up on campus as he bumps into many friends.  He is thrilled to be able to attend an institute class (Miracles of Christ), where the Instructors have been so willing to help.  Britten is now involved on the Activities committee and had a great time passing out pizza for "game day!"   Britten cheered the Aggies on, where he thought it was so cool to be standing on the 3rd row in the student section.  But he soon found out that 3 hours was too long to stand on his foot, as it caused him great pain and the loud cheering  gave him a headache.  I texted him to see how he was doing and he said, "I can't really see anything, but I'm doing great!"

So many acts of service are shown to our family on a weekly basis.  Grand Parents , friends and neighbors continue to help us drive Britt to and from his therapy's. The sacrifice on their part helps me tremendously as it gives me a few hours to get something done (like the blog). Haha




A few weeks ago, two little neighbor boys came to visit Britten one evening.  They handed him some money and said,  "We made these braided wrist bands and sold them at school, so we could raise money to help you pay for your therapies."   What great love was shown by 2 young primary children, as they sacrificed their money and time to serve Britten.
Another kind act of love was shown by a young women in our Ward, as she had a baked food sale for her Young Women's project. She and class members spent many hours in preparing, baking and selling foods, as she raised a generous amount of  money to help Britten with his therapy's.

We are so deeply touched by the gifts of love that we have felt, that others have given of themselves to bless our life.     No greater present could be recieved than that of love.

As Britten finished speech therapy this week, I was so excited for the great progress he is  making.  My heart fluttered with gratitude as the therapist started to share her feelings with me about Britten, She said,

"As one of Britten's therapists, I have been so thrilled and excited with his motivation and eagerness to learn. He is such a hard worker and is so involved in his therapy. He wants to be challenged and it is so wonderful to have a client who is so invested in his treatment and is willing to work hard at every session. He even lets me know if I am not challenging him enough, or if I jump in to help him too soon (and I appreciate that.) 

I told him that I have never had a client (in 20 years) that worked as hard as he does, or is as motivated as he is. I have also never had a client who made documentable progress at every single therapy visit.

It is so fun and rewarding to work with him."

-Debbie
.

Our Labor Day weekend was great as we enjoyed spending time with family. Britten was thrilled to be on a jet ski with his brother (one of his favorite past times) for the first time in two years.  It was exciting to watch Britt play football with the guys as he was the quarterback for his team.   Britten's balance continues to improve each week with physical therapy, as we watched him play volleyball.
We couldn't help cheering when he jumped up and block Canon's Spike!   I continued to be amazed while being grateful, for how well he does with such little site!  My Father says, "someone is helping him see."






Two weeks ago, August 22, 2012, I took Britten into the Ear, Nose Throat Doctor for a check up dealing with his Vertigo and being so nauseous. The Doctor decided to do an Audio Test on Britten to see where he was at. The Doctor had the reports that were done at the U of U on June 21, just 2 months earlier that showed he had a 30-35% hearing loss in his left ear. They said that surgery could be done to possibly correct this problem.
The Audiologist performed the test and said, "His hearing is normal." I looked at him with a puzzled look and said, "No, he was just tested 2 months ago and he has hearing loss." He said, "Well, it's normal now." Again, my heart started to flutter as tears welled up in my eyes.
The ENT (who knows Britt) came in and said, "I don't know why I am surprised. Why should I expect anything else." I left the Doctor's office and sat in the waiting room for minute. I had a hard time trying to control my emotions as we continue to to see the Lords merciful hand in Britten's recovery












It is amazing to us see Britten's progress.  It is also amazing to us that so many wonderful people are keeping Britten and our family in their thoughts and prayers.  We feel so blessed as a family to be witnesses of the continued blessings and love from our Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ.  It is a humbling experience to witness and be involved in.  We love you all for all the love that has been shown to us.  We love our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ and know all good things come from him.


 

Discouraging Days

For the past 3 months since we have been home, Britten has been so cheerful, with such an upbeat positive attitude.  He has had a few days of discouragement, but has been able to stay focused and happy.  The past 2 weeks have been extremely difficult for him as his friends are headed back to College and involved with their studies, work and social life.  Some friends are engaged to be married and excited for their future.
   





Britten is starting to question his future.  "Will I ever be able to go back to College?"  Britten's studies are relearning to read and write in the simplest form.  As tears are running down his face, he says, "I know my eyes will get better some day, but I don't know if it will be 1 year, 2 years, 8 years, or even 20 years. I won't be able to be a dentist until my eyes get better."  Other questions are consuming his thoughts like, "Will I ever be able to drive a car again?  What will I do for work?  Will I ever be able to work and make a living for my family?  What girl will want to marry me?"

My heart cries,  because these are very legitimate questions.
I try to reassure Britten that Heavenly Father has been with him every step of the way, everyday.  He will not abandon you now.  He will help you know what you can do and he will allow opportunities to open up for you so you can have a happy, successful life.  Sometimes things don't turn out how we plan, but if we have faith and rely on our Savior, he will help us everyday.  We just need to concentrate on one day at a time.
I asked Britt, "are you progressing each day?"  He replied, "Yes, I'm doing amazing!"  I then  tried to assure him that we just need to concentrate on, one day at a time.  It's like President Monson said, "Life by the yard is hard, but by an inch...it is a cinch!"  Britten agreed and smiled that he can do that!

Probably one of the most frustrating things for him, is knowing how his personality traits were before the accident, and how his brain injury has altered some of that.  One of Britten's best attributes that has blessed his life as well as our family's, is that he is a peacemaker.  He has had the patience of Job and this has blessed him to stay calm, not get irritable with others (especially his brothers), to not speak unkind words in any situation.  He never raised his voice at us, even when he was upset and showed up most respect for us.  The song, "I'm try to be like Jesus" was Britten in every way.
 



Now, due to the injury, he gets frustrated with himself, because certain things can agitate him.  He doesn't let out his frustrations very often, but will let them build inside until he finally lets it out.  He will say, "I don't want to be this person.  I want to be the person I was before.  I would never get mad.  I don't like it when I get mad over little things.  I just want to be the person, I was before."

 I also feel bad, because many aspects of his life have changed, and yet...He is still the same person.  He is still that same kind, loving, compassionate, patient person.
  I have been amazed at how well Britten has been able to contain his frustrations and emotions.  I tell him, "he is probably more normal now, like me and many others, that speak too quick and regret it or get mad easily, when the situation really doesn't matter."   
  


While we were in the hospitals I posted the quote above Britten's bed, "The future is as bright as your faith".  I looked at it several times a day. When days were so discouraging and hard, I wondered, how can we do this,  I would look up....and see..."The future is as bright as your faith."  Along with all the encouraging words from family and friends (old and new), that is what got us through the day. 

I think it is now time for this quote to hang in Britten's room, to encourage him to: "Be of Good Cheer, The Future is as Bright as Your Faith".  
Thank You President Monson for your profound words of encouragement that have gotten us through, even the darkest days.




On occasion I have read to Britten his own words sent home on Oct. 31, 2011.
There have to be challenges and trials in our lives, to make us rise just a little higher and do just a little better.  It is those challenges and trials that shape who we are, and depending on how we react to them, we can become even better and stronger and more prepared.
There is a famous quote that says, " Just as a Gem cannot be polished without friction, a man cannot be perfected without trials." 
Challenges and trials are a part of this life.  We agreed that they would be a part when we accepted Christ's plan.  I don't believe that God makes things happen to us, but allows them to happen, because He knows that it is through those challenges and trials that we will become better, and that we can become the best we can.
Because of my trials....I'm becoming a better missionary and I'm more prepared for life after. 

 love,  Elder Schenk













Yes, Britten Schenk, You are prepared for life!  You will overcome your challenges and trials with your determination and great faith.    You continue to inspire your family and everyone you come in contact with!  We love you.

Carol Mikita did a short story on Britten if you would like to visit the website.  It is on:  mormon times.   Dated Sept. 2, 2012