We'll Bring The World His Truth

Sunday evening some of Britten's friends gathered together, as they were preparing a song to sing.
I had asked the Bishop if some of Britten's good friends could sing a special musical number, when Britten talked in Church.  I didn't even know if they could sing or carry a tune, but the Spirit prompted me to do so. 
When I asked these young men if they would sing, they all enthusiasically said, YES!"
I was so thrilled!  A song came to my mind with such power and meaning,  "The Army of Helaman".

As they entered the chapel they greeted each other with hugs and handshakes.  Steven and I sat there and watched with tears filling our eyes, for it was such a wonderful sight. 




Each Return Missionary stood tall and proud as they sang with the Spirit.  They looked and sounded like the Army of Helaman.  Goosebumps and chills overtook my entire being, as I listened to them sing.  They were Gods servants, who had served the Lord faithfully through out the world.








       Each one of these young men have been born of goodly parents who loved the Lord.  They have been taught and they understand, That they must do as the Lord commands.
They have been saved for these latter days, to build the kingdom in rightous ways.  They hear the words our Prophet declares "Let each who's worthy go forth and share.


     They know his plan, and they have prepared, increased their
knowledge through study and prayer.  Daily they taught with the Spirit of God and took the gospel to all the world.     

They are as the Army of Helaman,  They have been taught in their youth,  And they have been The Lord's Missionary's, To Bring The World His Truth!

His Future is Bright!

       As I ponder over the past few weeks Britten's recovery is going well and we are so grateful for the "Good Days" as we see so much progress, but last week he had a few rough days which affected his whole week.     Our family went on a little trip two weeks ago and Britt had such a wonderful time.  He was only nauseous a few times and didn't have one dizzy spell.  He enjoyed spending the week with his family and Grandparents, going to "Aladdin, at the Tuachan",  going to his first movie,  swimming,  and watching Canon play in a Ball Tournament.  Britt was the "life of the party"! 

When we got home, Britten got up in the middle of the night and had a dizzy spell where he blacked out, fell and hit his head on the wall.  It was a tough night, which carried over into the next few days.  His vision was worse and he was not feeling well.  Time was spent in the ER making sure everything was okay.  The Technician asked why he was wearing sunglasses and Britt proceeded to tell him "he was hit by a bus in Brazil, and his eye is very sensitive to light".  The gentleman's eyes got big and he asked, "are you Elder Schenk?"   Britt said, "yes",  to which the man replied, "our family has been praying for you!"  He could not believe he was looking at the missionary who Doctors said, would not live.
     Later in the week our family was eating in a restaurant when Britten was walking out with his little brother Jaxon.  Britt didn't see a black bench and whacked his bad leg on it, leaving him in a great deal of pain.  Britt is so independent, we honestly forget that he has minimal sight.  His positive attitude and his cheerful personality is the reason people have Loved being around him.  His friends came over that night to cheer him up.

Britten's therapy's are going well!  His vocabulary is increasing each day, and it is thrilling to see improvement every week.  He got a new phone where the print is large enough on it that he can text and call his friends now.   He is starting to read a little and reading text messages from his friends is actually good practice for him.  Oh, how we are grateful for his good friends!






Britt's physical therapist pushes him each day, as he is increasing his strength, mobility and flexibility.  Four weeks ago, Britt couldn't bend over to pick up the basketball or sit on the floor.  Now his trainer has him doing squats, lunges, while increasing his balance.








                                          I marvel and rejoice in Britten's miraculous recovery!

Britten is preparing to talk in church and the Stake President suggested he could talk on the atonement.  When we got in the car Britt asked, "what is the atonement?"  When we started to explain then he said, "Oh, that's what Jesus Christ did for us".
Britten still has so much to re-learn, we just know it is going to take time.   The wonderful part is...  He Is Doing It!
Before Britten served his mission he had two years of college behind him, majoring in Pre-Med/Pre-Dental.  Steven and I honestly believe that in one to two years he will be ready to attend College again.  It might not be in the medical field, but we Know that "His Future is Bright". 
We are grateful for the strength that has been given to us from our Father in Heaven, because we truly feel blessed as we have gone through this incredible journey with Britten.

24th of July Parade

Britten and his family were sad they had a prior commitment and were out of town and couldn’t participate with us during Logan’s 24^th of July Parade.   The purpose of our parade entry was to make people aware of Britten’s Run. 　 http://brittensrun.com/   

It was a privilege and an honor to walk with over 30 missionaries currently serving a full-time.mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cache Valley.

I told everyone the parade started at 10 a.m. and to be there at 9:45 a.m. to line up when, in fact, it started at noon. I had to admit my mistake and ask the missionaries for forgiveness. Even when I told them they could “hit me first and then forgive me”, no one took me up on the offer and they were extremely gracious and kind!


The parade route was crowded all along the way and as we walked it was fun to hear and see the crowd react with loud cheers, clapping, rising to their feet, while others yelled out, “There’s the missionaries”. It was inspiring to watch the missionaries giving out “high fives”, hugs and vigorous handshakes.










                      

A lot of parade spectators told us they would be at  Britten’s Run for sure and a kind stranger walked up and handed me a   $20.00 bill.   As he pressed the money into my hand, he said,  “My daughter has had a similar accident".    It was truly was a tender moment.  
                                                                                      
We live in a special place with wonderful people who are will to help and serve in every way possible.

It's truly been a privilege to be a part of this great cause.              

We Love You!           David & Mary

We Witnessed a Miracle

    Last night, we had the opportunity, as a family to visit some friends we hadn't seen for a few months. It was great to see them again. One was "our adopted daughter" from Brasil who is attending BYU and hadn't seen Britten since he was teaching her brother, who is now serving a mission. The other visit was with a recently returned Senior Missionary Couple who were one of the Church doctors in Brazil who took such wonderful care of Karla and I and also of Britten from just moments following the accident.

    It was such an great experience to see them again. For Britten, it was his first time meeting them, at least in his memory. Britten does remember up until a few days before the accident, but then he skips to the air ambulance transfer to Utah. So, he doesn't remember any of the accident or of the Hospitals in Brasil.
    That visit reminded us of several things. We realized again how indebted we are to so many wonderful members and leaders of the Church in Brasil, and in the U.S. Also, we are so thankful to the many health care professionals in Brasil and in Utah. Some have speculated that health care is better in the U.S. but in our experience that is absolutely not true. Britten had wonderful people caring for him here and there. I would recommend Albert Einstein Hospital every time.
    We are reminded as well of all our friends and family throughout the world who fasted and prayed in our behalf. Our visit reminded us again also of the many miracles that we witnessed and continue to see in Britten's life. Some I'm sure are getting tired of us referring to Britten's recovery as miraculous. I'm sorry to them, but that will probably not change. As we reviewed our experience in Brasil with our Friends we were reminded that scientifically and medically speaking it would be impossible for Britten to have survived, and even then if he had survived the expectation for any recovery would be extremely low. Karla and I feel, at times, that some feel that we are exaggerating. The fact of the matter is, with no blood flow to the brain for a period of time maybe even a few hours or days, the prognosis really couldn't be worse. However, one of the foremost Neurosurgeons in the world will also tell you that "we all witnessed miracles and God's hand at work"!
    We know that Britt's life was preserved for a reason and he is a walking miracle. I hope that when you get to see or meet Britten that you will help us remember that. He is doing so well, we don't want anyone to forget what "The Lord Hath done". I really don't have words that adequately express our love and gratitude to Our Loving Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ for all our blessings. We again thank all of you for your faith and prayers. We are also very grateful to all the generosity and all who are working so hard to make Britten's Run a success.

A Memorable Week!

What a wonderful week our family has had, full of fun-filled activities. A family tradition for many years has been watching the Fireworks in Idaho Falls, ID. sponsored by Melaleuca. Britten had a wonderful time, as usual, watching the spectacular show. We want to express our appreciation to our "Melaleuca Family", for the love and support given to our family, especially over the last few months.


 Another great thing about summertime are the Family Reunions!










We all enjoyed being together, but Britten thoroughly enjoyed seeing a lot of family for the 1st time in 2 years. Spending time with cousins his age that recently returned from missions and some that are leaving in the very near future.  It was a very sweet reunion for them!

Britt was thrilled to play volleyball with his cousins, and still has his wicked serve!

We are amazed at Britten's desire and determination to include himself in activities that would be very difficult with limited eye sight.  You would never know his vision is only coming from 1/4 of one eye.  He just wants to do everything he used to do.  And the best part is.... He Does.

             




Britt enjoyed a visit with his Cool "special" Uncle, that he loves so much!

                         

                       The best things in life are the people we Love...
       the Places we've been.....and the Memories we've made along the way.









Britten was so excited, as fifteen 4-wheelers headed for the Top of Baldy.  This has been an annual trip for our family, as Britten and his Dad lead the way.

Britten has a group of friends that did so many fun things together in High School, including playing basketball. They called themselves "the Cyclones." As all of these young men left to serve the Lord, their Mothers stayed in close contact, getting together every month to share their sons emails and experiences as each month passed.




What a great love we have for these young men and their amazing families. This week we enjoyed our annual summer cookout, as they have all returned home from their missions around the world. Britten absolutely beams with joy as he spends time with his many awesome friends and extended family.















Elder Schenk's expected date to return home from his mission was aproximately June 28th. He would have reported to our Stake High Council probably on July 10th. We marveled at the realization that, that actually occured, the same day as if his accident hadn't happened. The spirit was so sweet and strong as 2 other wonderful Elders shared their experiences and testimonies. Britten also gave a wonderful report as Mom and Dad, his siblings and Grandparents listened. His spirit was sweet and pure as he told a couple of his experiences. He testified of the greatness of missionary work and how grateful he was that he could serve a mission. He loves his Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ so much and he loves to testify of his love for them and of their love for him. He also told of one of his "friends" from Brazil that is now serving a mission. This is the same friend that sat at Britten's bedside day and night the first days after the accident til we could get there. He also talked about another "friend" from Brazil that is preparing to serve. Tears filled many eyes as the Stake President testified of the "Miracles that we have all witnessed"...."God is in charge."

We will always be so grateful to Our Heavenly Father and Our Savior Jesus Christ for their love, mercy and watchful care as they answer all of our prayers and your prayers. We marvel at the support and help that we as a family have recieved from all of you. It is humbling to us to feel of your love. Britten truly has so many friends! It is overwhelming to see so many who love and care for him. Many have put in so much time and effort into making "Britten's Run" a success! We are so thankful. They have asked that we again include the link to the run information.   http://brittensrun.com/

All our love,   Steven, Karla & Britten

Come Run With A Champion!

Hello all!   It has been a while since I have had the opportunity to leave a post on this blog. I have some exciting news that I wanted to share with all of you!  Countless people have offered and insisted that there must be something that they could do to help our family. A few weeks ago a group of amazing friends and family gathered together for this great cause. They came up with an awesome idea. They are going to have a 5K or 1 Mile Run/Walk on August 18th called "Britten's Run"!
This will give the family financial help for Britten's ongoing medical costs. It will also give people the opportunity to "help out". This will be a great venue for people to do this. This will also give many the opportunity to come and see/meet Britt. There have been so many that have wanted to come and visit Britt and have not either had the time or been able to connect with his schedule. He wears out easily and we know that this will be a perfect opportunity for him to see so many all in one place!
The committee has done such a great job already in planning this event. It will truly be a great time, for the runners, strollers, walkers and observers. After the races we will be doing a breakfast. Upon hearing the menu, I decided that it could be my favorite part of the day :-) During the races and breakfast there will be a silent auction. Then, after breakfast, there will be a live auction. There have already been so many awesome and generous items donated! During all this there will be games and activities for children who would be bored with the "grown-up stuff".
We have had many ask about finances and what the needs the family has. First and foremost we would like to thank The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints for the help recieved in Brazil and Britten's transport to the U.S.A. We feel very thankful for the blessings from above and feel great about Britt's progress so far. Britten has several therapy sessions each day and those will continue probably for the next year or so. We anticipate that he will also need some more sugeries and there will be future medical costs.
We are still early in the preparations for this event and yet we have already had so much support from sponsors. I'd like to thank all of them at this time.
I invite any and all who would like to come and participate in this great event and thank you all so much for your love and support! If you would like to visit the website for "Britten's Run" you may click on this link and it will take you directly there. http://brittensrun.com/
We know Britten's future is bright, so Come Run With A Champion!
Thank you all once again,
Logan Schenk

Brother's Biggest Fan

     It has been a busy week! What am I thinking, all weeks are busy. The beginning of Britten's week was filled with appointments with Doctors, Specialists and Therapists. Britten is doing well. He has a long way to go, but, with a great attitude, support of wonderful friends and family, and faith in the Living God, he will succeed! Rarely have the Medical Professionals we have associated with, give any kind of time frame on or scope of Britten's recovery, and we understand that they cannot, there are just too many unknowns with Brain Injuries. Several have indicated that they expect it to take a couple years. With all the miracles that we have witnessed to this point, we know that we must continue to have faith and be patient, because as always has been, his recovery is in the Hands of the Lord. We have already been so tremendously blessed.

    The later part of the week was spent visiting family, being visited by mission "buddies" and watching a basketball tournament. As a family we have loved participating in and watching each other play sports. Britten loves most sports but as much as he loved swimming, he might prefer basketball. He loves watching and cheering for his younger brothers as they play. Even with his limited sight, he follows Canon with his eyes. He even sometimes sees the game better than the referees! haha. Britten is his brothers biggest fan!  It was awesome that several of Britten's friends came to help cheer Canon on to victory as they won the "Big Mountain Jam" Tournament.

   









We so appreciate the many mission "buddies", that have gone out of thier way to come and spend time with Britt. He has felt of thier love and it has been wonderful to see them reunite and talk about the mission.  We are grateful to friends that have called and have come by to cheer up Britten's day.










 Another, talented, sweet friend came to sing and play her harp for our family and it certainly made our Sabbath Day complete!   Britten has so many amazing friends. We love you all for your cheer, support, prayers and faith!




As we read the testimony's being shared on the Blog, we are so appreciative to you, for sharing your strength with us.  The day's are not easy and sometimes it is very easy to get discouraged and down.
So thank you for your continued support because it gives us strength and encouragement to carry on.
    I thought today, as I watched another wild fire dangerously close to homes, of the many trials, challenges and hardships that so many families and individuals face everyday, I need to be more grateful for all the many blessings that I have been given. Our Heavenly Father stands ready to bless us as we try to be obedient and faithful. Our Savior has paid a tremendous price to save us and help us in our struggles.   If we will follow him.   All our love,    The  Schenks