The Start

Everyone,

So, we started to have branch counsel Sunday.  I took notes in spanish which was interesting and we talked with our presidents of the Primary, Relief Society, and Young Women. It's so weird we only have us and a bunch of women. It was an interesting experience to be on the presidency side, and more interesting to be in a real branch counsel.

That is all the callings we have in the ward right now. Us and 3 presidents. We asked them to pick counselors to complete the presidencies of their organizations. That's why I called this the start. I feel like we are just starting a branch.

We had an investigator named Blanca who attended chuch 2 times with us but then had a trip to Buenos Aires for medical tests. She got back Friday or Saturday but didn't make it to the church. We talked to her Sunday night and her pastor is working on her as well. I don't know if she is going to want to continue to come to our church now, but we are going to visit her a few times and see if we can help her.

We also ran into 3 sisters one day as well. One is 17 and has 2 kids I believe and the other is only 14 and the other 9. We taught one lesson to all 3 and taught 2 or 3 to the 14 and 9 year olds, but they are pretty young and we still have not been able to get in contact with their dad. He works a lot. I think they are interested in coming to the church though. We will see what happens with them.

We also had a cool experience with the lady who runs a store thing. In general the people who have stores live in the back or next to their store, and we went to the window and my companion said something like ¿tiene agua? ella dijo ¿agua? si. So, we waited and she came out with a cup and put it in her well and got a drink for my companion. he wanted to buy a bottled water so it was a little funny,  but then she started to ask us questions and we started to talk. We explained that we were missionaries and shared a part of our lesson with her. Then we were going to set up a return appointment and she said how about tomorrow. We asked if Wednesday would work and she said yeah so we are going to meet with her tomorrow.

This is me in front of some purple trees. really weird.

So thats about my week. A'n interesting difference between here and back home is that we don't knock on doors. We clap at the gate and the people come to greet us (or send their kids to say my mom says she isn't here) that was one of the biggest differences.

Also, they have these things called alfajores they are 2 pesos each so it reminds me of the 33 cent fruit pies at Aldi a few years back. They aren't nearly as good though. haha. They are pretty good. The bread here is all more like home made bread as well.

So, those are some more differences and cool things about Argentina.

Elder Dallin Skouson

Lots of travel and We can repent!

Everyone,

September 22, 2014

We had so many trips this week we did hardly anything here. We had monday night from 6 to 9 (after p day) to work here but a bunch of that time was for a family home evening with a member. Then we had a district meeting Tuesday in las breñas (if you know what a breña is let me know I'm interested) haha. Then we did splits with the zone leaders there because we didn't want to have to travel back that night for another trip to Saenz Peña to drop me off with some random elders from another zone and my companion (district president and the zone leaders in my district went to a leadership conference). That was Tuesday. Wednesday I was with both of my new companions they are native spanish speakers. I could understand them pretty well by the end of the day and they weren't tired of all my questions so I asked them a ton about how to say things in spanish and what things meant and I learned quite a bit.

I did one lesson pretty much on my own one time with an older lady but another time I repeated myself 3 or 4 times and the guy finally said no quiero ofender pero no puedo entender. haha 

After that we slept Tuesday night in Saenz Peña (because we didn't make the bus back that night) then we returned to Campo Largo in the morning, studied and then worked all day. We got a little bit done, but we had to travel again for a multi zone conference in Resistencia. We left at 3 in the morning and the bus didn't have seats for us! it was quite an adventure, but when we got to Saenz Peña again we switched to another bus where we got to sit down. We had our conference which was pretty good and I learned a lot. Then we got back around 9 at night that was friday. so we worked Saturday.

This is our room in our apartment

Sunday we had church then lunch and a little bit of study and afterward we learned how to submit the finances for the church and how to use our debit card and write up what we spend. That took quite a bit of time. but it was good to learn. We now know how to do all that. We can now do activities with the church. Also the guys who are at the district level for finances came and talked about donations paid by members, and help received, to see what actually happened with everything here in the branch before. It's sad that a man who was once called as a branch president is now inactive and the church had to double check the finances.

The good news is that he can repent and change back. Remember the story of Alma the younger. He saw an angel who told him if he wanted to destroy himself do it but quit trying to destroy the church. He thought on that and realized he had lead many others to eternal death, and later in his life he was able to repent. Remember what the Savior did for us no matter what we did we can always repent. Like the woman accused of adultery we can have a second chance.

On pdays we don't do much. We have to stay in our zone, I think, and there aren't very many sites to see. It costs quite a bit to go anywhere out of Campo Largo and we can walk all the way across the city in 30 minutes, but to leave is 28 pesos for the bus so we just stay in Campo Largo all the time.  We wash our clothes by hand and cook and clean because there is always so much dust.

Now I'm going to write a little about here in general. If you aren't interested you can stop reading here.

The roads are crazy. You can pass anywhere pretty much. There are very few cars but a ton of motorcycles. There are at times 10 year olds driving them. Helmets are a thing for warmth not safety. haha. You can tell if people will use them based on the temperature. There are laws I think but the police are almost always just parked in front of the bank. There are no stop signs you just slow down if you are smart and in the big cities they put speed bumps to make one street slow down.

Elder Dallin Skouson

Adventures--Clean font? Where's the key? I'm a counselor

Everyone,

September 15, 2014

This week was very busy and exciting. First, my companion and I were going to clean out the baptismal font because it was quite dirty. We started and got stuck taking the legs off of the frame. We were just leaving in defeat when the maintenance guys of the church showed up. They had tools and helped us get the legs off and took the thing away because we have a new one. They also took the new one to clean (it was dirtier than the old one). that's adventure one.

Adventure two. The maintenance guys came back and put up some clocks and things that spray good smelling stuff too. They also locked the closet with the trays for the sacrament and other stuff we wanted to use. We could not find the keys anywhere to the closet and had an activity Saturday. We also had church sunday morning. We prayed and looked and prayed but couldn't find the keys before Saturday. We got that figured out and then 30 minutes before church we found the key with one of the sisters here. It was awesome that we found it in time to not have to improvise for the sacrament.

Adventure three. President Franco came to our church for meetings this Sunday. He talked in sacrament and Sister Franco as well. They are awesome. They invited the spirit in their talks and I felt like they helped to give the members a sense of purpose they were lacking. He also called my companion as branch president and I am his counselor. We got briefed a little that we need to be more than exactly obedient now. We need to be exceptionally obedient.

Also, I got questions about our apartment. It is actually a house that we are renting. We have one of the nicer houses here, too. We are back a little off the street which is nice. We have a big area without any furniture right through the door and have 2 rooms one for our clothes and one where we sleep. We have a small kitchen and have a room where we do laundry. We also have a nice bathroom but the toilet leaks a little so that is a problem. We are talking to the owner about it now.

Me in our house with our socks drying in the background

the weather/climate as well--so far it hasn't been too bad. It was hot for a few days and then pretty cold one day and it has been just right like 70's or so for the past few days but the plants are all deserty type plants. There are trees with trunks that are huge. The trees aren't extra tall but the trunks are like 10 feet around or more. Also, when it feels like about 60 degrees to me the people are all saying to us "hace mucho frio hoy, ¿si elder?" so I think it will get much hotter. Also, we walked through a field next to the train tracks the other day and the ants make these paths through the plants its really cool. One huge ant hill and a bunch of paths leading away from it.

The food is really good here too. Someone remind me to tell about it next week and I will. It is very similar to the United States. We eat a lot of chicken. I had chicken and rice the other day and it reminded me of home although not nearly as good as my mom makes it.

Anyway, that's whats going on here.

Elder Dallin Skouson

This is my companion eating what we had for lunch today.

Our Message Can Help

Everyone,

September 8, 2014

So, I accidentally used English 2 times. Once in a prayer and corrected myself only after saying today. The other time was at lunch with a member when they offered me more food and I said, "Oh thank you, I'm okay". They looked at me funny and I realized.

So, this last week was pretty tough, but we kept teaching one of our investigators who came to church with her grandson yesterday. She is going out of town for a week though and we aren't sure how much of our lessons she is understanding. She cannot read and I think that makes things a little harder. We will see.

We taught a lot of people this week though. Some of them seem interested and others seem more indifferent. We taught a man who we think was a little bit drunk but we found him smoking in his one room house. He told us some of the problems he is having with his wife and family. We gave him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read it. We told him it could help give him peace in his life. I sure have felt it give peace in my life. It has answered many questions in my life. We invited him to church but he didn't answer the door when we stopped by. We'll have to follow up with him this week.

It's really cool that all the people we meet can be helped by our message. They don't know it, but we can help them find what they need.

We are also working a lot on activating the branch. We have tons of members. There are about 10 elders in the ward for example and 15 young men. We had one man who may or may not be an elder show up and we had 2 young men show up.  We have plans to visit all the members we can.

neither of us is a branch president right now. We are both acting as counselors and secretaries right now but president Franco said that he is going to come Sunday and make some changes so maybe we will be official secretaries or one of us might be president. Our current branch president is inactive. We got trained on how to do the membership stuff with the ward and how to do financial stuff as well last week by the district president and the district secretary.

We taught one of our investigators the plan of salvation. It was really neat. I could feel the spirit really strong. I'm glad that we know that we can return to live with God after this life--That if we do what's right it won't matter what happens to us in this life, Just how we act. It's also really awesome that God gives us our agency that we can choose what path we go.

Elder Dallin Skouson


Editor's note: A letter from Elder Yaicate.

oh muchas gracias!!!!! cada dia élder skouson y yo nos divertimos un montón, debe saber  que apenas en  dos semanas su español es excelente......

hace dos semanas, cuando recibi la llamada del presidete franco para decirme que dejaria de  ser lider de zona para entrenar a un nuevo misionero, mis oraciones fueron contestadas, puesto que casi toda mi mision he servido en esa posicion de liderazgo y nunca antes entrené a un nuevo misionero, cuando vi a elder skouson por primera vez dije;wao, ahora más que nunca miraré al cielo para ver el rostro de mi compañero, estuve nervioso!!, porque era algo nuevo para mi....pero ahora es muy divertido!!!!!!!

como lider en la mision he visto a muchos malos y buenos entrenadores, y la manera de cómo éstos influyen en la vida de cada misionero durante estos dos años, y yo quiero ser uno de las buenas influencias para él,,,,,

me gusta entrenar  a su amado elder skouson, él será un gran lider para la mision en el futuro!!!!!

con cariño

elder Yaicate

Elder Skouson in Campo Largo

He's from Peru and only speaks spanish

Everyone,

September 1, 2014

This keyboard is for spanish so if I put weird symbols or don't spell things right I guess that's just how it is!  Editor's note:  I've added apostrophes to words that need them.  It looks better that way. :) 

So we left the MTC rode a bus to the train, rode the train to the trax in Salt Lake City, rode them to the airport and then took a plane to Atlanta where I got to call home which was nice. We had about 4.5 hours for a layover and then got on an international flight to Buenos Aires and that was overnight. We arrived and got in a bus to a hostel by the temple there where we ate then sat around for a little got in another bus to the airport where we sat for 5 hours and talked in spanish to some random people. The next flight to Resistencia was only about 2 hours. We arrived and went to a hotel ate dinner and slept. This is now Wednesday. We then went to the mission office in vans talked a little and met the mission president. After that we met our companions. We got what we needed and caught a taxi to the bus. This is the last time I hear english. Then we got to a small town called Campo Largo about 3 hours away from Resistencia. We arrived at 9. that was so much traveling!

My companion is from Peru and he only speaks spanish. He knows some small phrases in english and says good night to me each night but we speak in only spanish and he throws in some english occasionally. He is a good friend and knows what he's doing as a missionary too, which is really helpful. I am so grateful for that. He was a zone leader for more than 1 year before training me and he is now district leader as well. One of the sisters, Hermana Davis from my district in the MTC is in my district now. He is pretty short as well.

Elder Skouson and His new companion Elder Yaicate at the bus station 

So, here in Campo Largo the previous missionaries didn't leave us much to work with. We started meeting members and I am not good at names and when I can barely tell what parts are names it doesn't help. We also found a few people who aren't members. everyone is very friendly and kind. Most people are very willing to talk. We taught the restoration and first vision a couple times now and its amazing how every time we say the first vision in whatever language it brings the spirit. We also have a branch here that is pretty small. There are a bunch of members but only about 24 came and there were only 2 other men and we don't know how often they come also there were 2 priests and 2 young women. The rest is relief society. We had one of our investigators come to church as well. She is 60 or more years old and her mom is a member living on the other side of town. So cool. Her mom can't come to church because of her health. I think I am going to be a counselor in the branch presidency and my companion president but we don't know that (I could be president and he counselor but I hope not).

My spanish is coming along well. Speaking spanish from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep is helping for sure. Having to explain the things I want to helps too. I sometimes think in spanish now too. I can sometimes talk about food or the gospel or other things. One time I tried to ask if an investigator had had time to pray about our message. I accidentally said, "you have an opportunity to pray about"? she looked so confused and I didn't know what I said so my companion helped out.

So. the only thing I can think to share with you is that we tell all of our investigators a few things. Remember John 3:15 to 16 I think. God loves us. He gave His son as a sacrifice for us. This is amazing. Also, we tell our investigators what James 1:5 says that if you don't know ask God. He will give to all men. If at any time you don't know what to do ask God in faith that you will receive, be prepared and act and you will receive. I know I have experienced the truth of this at times.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

We received an email from Elder Yaicate, too and a picture.  He's awesome.

Hola famila Skouson,

hola mi nombre es elder yaicate, soy el nuevo papi para su adorado hijo, estoy muy orgulloso de ustedes porque han preparado a un gran misionero, como elder skouson, él es un capo!!!!! ojala puedan entender mi español......en la primera carta de elder skouson yo hice el dibujo, pero ara les dejo una foto real....disfruten de su semana, y quedense tranquilos, porque elder skouson ahora tiene "gran padre" en la mision......

con cariño

Elder Yaicate

I'm in Argentina!

Everyone,                                                                                                                   Aug. 28, 2014

(This was a handwritten letter from Dallin that the mission office took a picture of and sent to us.)

 So, I am in Argentina now.   The flights were not so fun but went well and my suitcases made it as well. My trainer is from Peru and speaks a little English but I just met him so I don’t know much.  His name is Elder Yaicate pronounced I-cata, I think.

President and Sister Franco, Dallin, Elder Yaicate.  We hope Dallin doesn't hit his head on to many door frames!!

The airport was cool because I got to hand out a few pass along cards.  The food here is pretty good so far and the tap water is not supposed to be drunk, I don’t think.  I’m excited.  Also, I don’t know exactly but my companion is much shorter than I am.  (Dallin’s companion drew a stick figure picture of one very tall person and one very short. It made us laugh) 

I’m a little nervous, but calling you guys in Atlanta was a lot of fun. Spanish is hard, but I can get by.

Love you.

Elder Dallin Skouson

MTC district---Elder with white tag is their teacher. All but the sister in the middle are off to Argentina, Resistencia

Talking to Dallin while he had a layover in Atlanta.  It was AWESOME!!

27 new Elders in Resistencia

7 new sisters in Resistencia