MTC week 5

Everyone,                                                                                                           

August 21, 2014

Travel plans came on friday. Time went crazy fast this week it feels like Tuesday, but it's Thursday. I have my travel plans now as well. The basic idea is go to main campus at 6:00 am Monday morning (I think any dear elders and mail that doesn't get to me Friday won't get to me at all but some letters might make it through on Saturday, I don't think dear elders will) and then catch an 11:00 flight to Atlanta where I will be for 4.5 hours and then get on a 9:00 pm flight to Buenos Aires and arrive at 8:00 am. that's all I know right now. From there I will probably fly one more time into Resistencia and then I am there! I'm pretty excited. Those times of course are estimates but that's the plan they gave me. I also have no Idea what time zones those are in, the plan didn't say.

So, it's crazy knowing I have so few days until it's all spanish, but that's what i've been preparing for.

We got a 3rd companion for 1 day. He stayed with us Monday night and then left Tuesday at 4:00 for the Provo mission. His visa didn't come through so he is staying here until it does and he goes to Panama. The sad part about it is for whatever reason he hung a Panama flag up in our apartment and it is still there. It's interesting to have a 3rd companion and see what his views are and get insight from him.

This week I have been thinking a lot about the atonement. We all make mistakes and sin. Since the fall of Adam all people have been prone to temptations and imperfections. I think it is so great that God knew that we would all be imperfect from the beginning and He was willing to give his son. God loves us and we are so blessed that Christ atoned for our sins. let us not forget how great this is for us. Remember the words King Benjamin heard from an angel "...thou mayest rejoice; and that thou mayest declare unto thy people that they may also be filled with joy." Mosiah 3:4 we should all rejoice in Christ, change our hearts, and repent no matter how small the mistake.

The pictures include me + Elder Skouson (cousin), Me + Elder Stevens (Andrew Stevens from my home ward), a picture of some of the people in my district in front of the map.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

Two Elder Skousons in the MTC---Dallin to Argentina and David to Korea, Daejeon mission. Good luck! 

Cousins.  So glad they were able to see each other at the MTC. 

Fun MTC map pictures 

MTC One month down

Everyone,                                                                                                                    

August 14, 2014

Time here is really weird. It's been a month but nothing really changed at all. So it doesn't feel like a month has passed at all. It is cooler though a little and that is nice. Of course, it is going to be another summer in Argentina in 2 weeks.

Tomorrow I get my travel plans. I'm pretty excited but the trip is going to be a long one I think. That is less exciting. We will see how that all goes. Yo siento como yo puedo hablar español un poco más que antes. Yo sé que este posible no es lo mejor español perro yo intentaba. I hope that that makes sense when you paste that into google translate or when you read it if you know spanish. Our lessons are going well though and I feel like I understand a lot of what goes on. I'm working hard to learn the language. 

My district tried to play a game where we pick a "native" with an x on the paper and then all try to guess who it was by who tried the hardest to speak spanish. Day one worked good I was the native and I spoke hardly any english except at gym time.  Day two one of the sisters passed the papers one of which was supposed to have an x out and we started the game, and I got the x again. I didn't want to be it again but then everyone tried to convince everyone they were the native way more than the day before. we figured out after lunch that everyone had an x. it was the most spanish we have ever spoken in the morning though.

We got to host again yesterday. it was a cool experience and I saw one of our investigators out on a bench by the river. I talked to her a little and she told the new missionaries I was pretty good at spanish that made me feel good. I really hope I can make it.

I got a hair cut just a few minutes ago. It is amazing how much you can get done if you wake up early. the days seem so long here.

I have pictures that I will hopefully be able to email to you latter today. I forgot my camera in my apartment. I got one with Andrew Stevens (friend from ward back home) and one with David Skouson (cousin). I also got to sit by Conner Hewitt (byu home teaching companion) during the devotional on Tuesday because I didn't get a seat in the choir but went early to be in the choir. It was good to catch up with him and we sat almost right behind David. so that was super lucky.

I know that missionary work is great and I know that I have been brought closer to Christ by studying the discussions and praying. prayer is powerful and as I have prayed I have found myself thinking of the work more and more and all the things I'm missing out on less and less. I am excited to go preach the gospel in Argentina. God is our loving Heavenly Father. He hears the prayers of his children and He will answer them in His own way. when you are reading the scriptures next remember that those are real people it makes the stories so much more meaningful.

Love

Elder Dallin Skouson

Oh, I do have one picture this is from the second week I was here. I guess the very end of the second week. This is 8/10/14 from my district. from front left to right then back left to right (I think) everyone in the picture is hermana Cowitz, hermana Beecher, hermana Phister, hermana Davis, elder Remund, me, elder Allred, and elder Miles. All except hermana Cowitz are going to Resistencia Argentina hermana Cowitz is going to California. elder Takapu and elder Felkins are missing.

MTC week 3

Everyone,
                                                                                                                      
August 7, 2014

So, half way done with the MTC. I'm pretty excited to get out to Argentina although I'm a little nervous as well. I don't think I know spanish well enough. I am getting a lot better and there is a native Venezuelan speaker that is our investigator. She is talking slow but one time she did pick up the speed and I could still understand her pretty well. That was good. I was glad. Of course in Argentina they have a different accent, but I will figure it out. We now have 2 or 3 investigators each day and each investigator is a different experience. One of our investigators (our teacher brother McGhi as Armando) is super receptive to us but everyone else in our district is having a hard time teaching him. Our TRC investigator (Ivelise) is very hard for us to get through to but everyone is having lots of success with their TRC investigator.

So, my mom asked me to be one of the guys that helps out the new missionaries (a host) but that's by assignment and it's usually for people that are 5 weeks in. We got super lucky and got to do it this week. It was cool to remember how I felt that day and try to help the new missionaries feel better. Some of them were really nervous and you could tell. Others were super excited. One of the excited ones was from Las Vegas and he said I got Baptized last year. That was way cool. He was really excited to meet his companion see where he lived and find his class. Being a host was way fun. :)

It's really cool to get to study the book of Mormon. When I pray and focus on what I study I find some really cool things. Each verse has a ton of information. It's really neat. There is also so much I don't know. I feel kinda overwhelmed and they don't really teach us how to teach, which is interesting. They do give us tips and examples and lots of practice but I kinda don't feel like they are telling me there is a way to do it. Maybe that's the math part of me that thinks there needs to be a step by step process but I'm figuring it out.

So far I have gotten I think 3 dear elder letters to Elder David Skouson. It's unfortunate that our name is so uncommon that they mail the letters to the wrong person. I think that he may have gotten one or 2 of mine too. I gave them back to the post office in an envelope with his address on it. I hope they get to him.

I've seen tons of people from BYU here and I saw Andrew Stevens and Emily Hoskins from home as well. We didn't get a picture because We didn't have our cameras it's hard to get pictures. I saw my home teaching companion,  a few of the other elders in my ward at BYU and a ton of sisters from BYU, too. It's nice to get to see them again.

The devotionals here are awesome. They are all aimed at the missionaries and that is way nice. It's super cool to get to hear things that are said just for us. I get a ton out of the devotionals. I'm glad they have them.

Elder Remund and I have been getting along better and better as time goes on I feel like I am finding ways to be kind and loving to him. We are going through the same thing we are just different people. it's nice to have a friend but it's nicer to get to pick your friends. haha. We are getting along better and better.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

The picture is just one I took right before gym time with some guys in my district Elder Takapu and Allred.

MTC week 2

Everyone,   
                                                                                                                     
July 31, 2014

So, 2 weeks 14 days down. Only 102 weeks left on a mission or 26 days in the MTC.

I hope things are going well for you guys.  It sounds like it is for my family back home. Kate got her job and things are going well. To dad, I'm not sure how the apartment numbers work they have renumbered the buildings to make it more like the MTC main campus.

This week was interesting we got a third guy in our companionship. He had some cool stories. Of course, I'm sure they were slightly exaggerated but he was in a band that got some pretty good gigs it sounded like and his dad is working on research for different diseases. His name was Elder Gibbs. Elder Remund loved him! He would be sitting next to him and if we met someone he would just say this guy is awesome. He was a good guy having 3 people I thought was a little harder though.

I've been getting better at studying and learning the language I think. For me it is hard to break the study time up into such short segments as they recommend, but i'm working at it.

I'm having a little bit of a hard time with my companion.  He doesn't really want to be on time, and he feels like I'm pushing him a little too much on that front. I probably am, so I'm going to try to be less pushy with it and instead think of better ways to encourage him. Also he is not as interested in studying as I am, but that's not as big of a problem because I can study while he goes and bugs other companionships that don't want to study either. I'm praying to love him and find ways to serve him and I think I'm getting better at that.

Companions Elder Remond and Elder Skouson

The attached pictures are me and Elder Remund and the other one is me and some of the guys in my district. We built a fort on our last p-day because the temple was closed for pioneer day. We are all going to Resistencia. I think there are only 2 guys missing in that picture. Elder Remund, Allred, Felkins, and Skouson(me) are in that picture. the other 2 elders are Elder Takapu and Miles. There are also 4 sisters or hermanas as we call them hermana Cowitz, Beecher, Phister, and Davis. They also closed down the book store and mail room so I couldn't buy stamps or anything else I needed. It worked out though.

P-day fort building. Elder Skouson (standing), Elder Remond (sitting on floor) and Elders Allred and Felkins. (Blurry picture, but we're still grateful to have it).  

I've run into a bunch of people I know from BYU and I ran into a guy who lived in Prattville right before we did. He lived there and he was at BYU while I was. he actually knew one of my roommates from spring term. it was really cool to get to talk to him about the Bryants (I'm pretty sure that was our bishop) and Simon at BYU.

The dear elder letters I've been getting are getting here the day of or the day after so that is working well I really like all the letters and emails you send me and getting updates on you're lives. I wish I could email you back more often.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

MTC week 1

Everyone,   
                                                                                                                      
July 24, 2014

So the MTC is a pretty cool place. I feel the spirit a lot here. while reading the scriptures, while reading Preach My Gospel (PMG), while sitting in the lunch room thinking about things. so yeah that's pretty cool.

I miss you guys. I know it's only been a week but it feels like I've been here forever. My companion isn't better than me at spanish sadly so I can't learn much spanish from him. I really want to be able to speak!

We taught an "investigator" en español on our 2nd or 3rd day that was crazy too. He used some easy to understand language which was nice. I´m learning a lot of gospel words in spanish too that I didn´t know before. That´s cool as well.

My companion is about 5'11" or so. So he isn't short, but he's not as tall as me. We don't mesh super well but I'm looking for ways to serve him and try to build my "love" for him. It's going okay. I think going to college before I came out here made me a little more mature than when I graduated. I'm here to work. He walks slowly to class/doesn't want to study/would rather goof off.

Yes, you read that right I'm here to work. I decided that If I'm going to be here for 2 years I may as well work as hard as I can. I try to study every moment I have. No wasted time is my goal. So far, I think i'm doing okay at that.

July 16, 2014 at 5:30am just before we left for the airport. 

I'm glad I'll be here for 6 weeks we didn't do super well with our investigator and we need to work on our unity as we teach and on how well we listen to our investigators. Trust me it's easier said than done.  In spanish it takes so long to think of what to say. I have to think of the answer to the question then how to say the answer in spanish then actually pronounce the words. Then I have to ask if he understands because sentences like... I we know that this is the gospel true will come out.

We get to play volleyball and soccer sometimes here. I'm much better at volleyball than soccer and its still fun to play volleyball even though no one else thinks to do three hits on the ball. I get a perfect pass and over the net. I wish they would set more often. One elder is actually pretty good and we try to set each other sometimes that's fun too.

My testimony is growing. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this church is true. Thanks for your letters if you use dear elder .com or something ( I don't know how to use that of course) I get the letters sooner and then can reply in letters other times or through email later. Thank you.

I miss you all and hope you guys are doing well.

Elder Dallin Skouson

After Dallin got through the security stuff---We all yelled really loud, "DALLIN, WE LOVE YOU."  It was awesome!  One of the ladies working there said, "that was cool."  

Elder Dallin Skouson arriving to the Provo MTC 

Arriving at the MTC. Thanks to Aunt Rae and her boys, Kyle, Brian and Tyler, Dallin received some TLC before being dropped off at the curb of the MTC.  

Elder Skouson's mission map