Everything we do is a choice

So, this week was less eventful than normal. They had 2 days of national holidays, Monday and Tuesday, and a parade at night, so we all got into the apartment at 7 the two days. When we left from p-day at 630 it made it really hard to teach anyone. Monday we got in, got relaxed, and the zone leaders called us and said you can leave it turns out we aren't having the parade tonight. So, we left and as we walked out the door they called again and said get back in President just wants everyone in.

Then Wednesday we had to be in our apartment at 5. They told us that there might be nation wide riots for something that happened in Buenos Aires and the border to Paraguay is somewhat blocked off now to international trade. There is a line of trucks that can't pass that winds along the side of our area (I'm not at all sure what exactly is going on because I don't get the news, but we had to stay in for one of the 2 reasons at least). I am safe though and feel very safe here. The mission is taking care of us.

They then had the parade again Saturday and Sunday and we were in the apartment at 7 both those days again. 

We spent about half our time building companionship unity and sitting in our apartment.

We also got Pizza Hut pizza one of those days. We asked a member to bring it over for us with the temple trip that they were doing in Paraguay.  It turned out that a medium pizza ended up being about 18 dollars but we still got one!!! It was very good. We were super excited.

Ahhhhhh-----Pizza!!!!!!!

We also have been working hard around our dead time. We have an investigator named Angel that made it to church last week. He has been reading and enjoying the Book of Mormon. He is super excited and is really feeling the peace that the spirit speaks to your mind as you read that book and go to church. He is living with his girlfriend though, and so we are talking to him about marriage and she is less excited about the church.

We found a family that lives next door to a member that's active in neighborhood Aca (very far away) and they ended up having read about 5 chapters of Isaiah in 2nd Nephi and really liking it. They were sick and so decided not to go to church this week but are looking forward to reading more of the Book of Mormon and coming next week.

Working with this family and others has taught me a lot about commitment and responsibility for your own actions. This man said that his wife was throwing up and they couldn't sleep and they finally feel asleep in the morning so they CHOSE to not go to church... not that they couldn't go but that they chose not to. A man in our area also showed up to church alone because his wife just didn't want to go.  One other woman we have been teaching always has an excuse... it rained and there was mud, or I made it to the gate to the church and then just left because I was nervous so I COULDN'T go. Another woman got married and they gave in the original papers so she is really worried about her daughter going to school. The thing is though that she doesn't want to act much to fix it because it was the missionaries fault, "they submitted the papers"... Everything we do is a choice. We choose to go to church or not. We choose to read or not. The rest is just distractions. We all have choices so we should make the good ones.  

Happy Birthday this week Mom!!!!  I hope you have a super happy birthday and know I'm thinking about you!  So much happened this year. Thanks for all your help and support while I was at college, and going on my mission.

A big hole in the road in our area

Thanks for all the letters I enjoy them and sorry this is a little long.

Love, 

Elder Dallin Skouson

Changes---Small things matter

There is a member here that is 22 he recently stopped smoking and doing drugs and even received the priesthood. He had to completely turn his life around and he did it. He was reading the Book of Mormon almost every day. He also was coming to church every Sunday. We saw that he came to Christ and really changed his life.

A while ago he was not reading the Book of Mormon and was telling us about how the temptations for drugs were coming back but he was staying strong. We tried to help him want to read and we involved him in our lessons with other investigators in his neighborhood. This week his girlfriend moved in, his mom and sister moved out because they were not happy with his girlfriend coming and going in the middle of the night and smoking. 

We ran into him in the street and it was obvious that he wasn't sleeping and Saturday we talked to a man completely different from the man I gave the priesthood to. He said the devil is laughing at me. It is very true.

The small things matter so much. I remember a lesson they taught me in drivers training. It was about accidents. They said that there are always many small things that lead to the bigger problems. For example, running late and eating breakfast in the car and  didn't have time to put on a seatbelt. Then the crash comes. Probably wouldn't have happened if one of those things was different. The same applies to the Gospel. There are so many things we can do to avoid the bigger problems and stay away from the spiritually killing accidents that can come into our lives. Read the scriptures. Pray each day, and repent when we commit sins.

Love, 

Elder Dallin Skouson

¡Bautismo!

So this week was quite eventful. We had a baptism, we had transfers, and we lost the keys to our apartment one night, and one of our investigators moved to Nainek.

The Baptism was for the older brother of Luciana and Elian, Gordo (at least thats his nickname). He has been really excited to be baptized and we talked to him Tuesday to have a baptism this Saturday. He seemed really excited but then we couldn't talk to him again until his interview Friday. He luckily remembered what he needed and hadn't changed his mind about living the commandments. He was super excited on Saturday and the baptism went well. He also made it to church and was confirmed the next day. It was very cool. He was very excited and we were very excited for him.

Elder Skouson, Gordo, and Elder Whiting.  Happy day!

We also had transfers and that's why we are writing on Tuesday. For me nothing exciting happened. Still here in Clorinda, still here with Elder Whiting. We are working hard and are starting to work a new neighborhood in our area. We are excited for this transfer together.

To get to this new neighborhood we have to go to the highway and walk a good distance. Sunday on our way over the branch president of the other branch stopped us and gave us a ride in his car. It turns out the branch mission leader from their branch moved down there and they were going to visit him. We visited him as well. He is building his house out of wood slats reused from his last house and it looks good so far.

When we were on the way home I checked my pocket to find it empty and we didn't know where the keys were. We thought and thought and decided to call the branch president to see if they were in his car. We called and he said no. We slept with the Zone leaders and 4 other elders because they were all there for transfers and then the branch president called us in the morning to say he found our keys. We felt very blessed, but also very tired.

Standing in rain water.

Also Javier fell back into the drugs pretty bad and is living out of town. We told the other Elders over there to visit him and we are hoping that he is willing to accept the help and work back out of this stuff we will see.

I also thought about the situation with the keys and that so much depends on your attitude. I could have been really upset about the whole thing---Sleeping on part of a matress without a blanket and feeling quite tired in the morning, walking all over the city to get our keys back and everything. But if we trust in the Lord we can know that he puts trials in our life to help us grow. We can see the blessings in even the hardest things that happen. At least we had a house, we got to say bye to the other Elders that were leaving. we found our keys after all. I am going to try to look at everything with a better attitude. I remember the story of Nephi in his afflictions he was able to still trust in the lord after being tied up by his brothers on their ship he was able to say:

¨And it came to pass that we were about to be swallowed up in the depths of the sea. And after we had been driven back upon the waters for the space of four days, my brethren began to see that the judgments of God were upon them, and that they must perish save that they should repent of their iniquities; wherefore, they came unto me, and loosed the bands which were upon my wrists, and behold they had swollen exceedingly; and also mine ankles were much swollen, and great was the soreness thereof. Nevertheless, I did look unto my God, and I did praise him all the day long; and I did not murmur against the Lord because of mine afflictions.¨

1 Nephi 18:15 & 16

So, I'm really enjoying this area a lot. I'm having a good time and feel like I am having success. It is really cool with Elder Whiting. When we teach and both work hard we really have the spirit in our lessons. We just sometimes have a hard time with getting a second lesson a lot. I think the opposition gets to them. An example,

One lady Maria we found in barrio Aca (the new part we are working) said her husband was a member. We met him for about 2 minutes in the end of the chat. She was excited to hear us and also to commit to go to church and all. We passed by again 3 days latter and she said that her husband had left her. She was really sad and we were sad with her. She said now the divorce is going to be expensive and she is worried about it.  There is always opposition.  

Love you guys,

Elder Dallin Skouson

Me standing by a palm tree in our area.

The work is progressing

So, this week we heard a story from Javier, he used to be a drug addict who almost got killed. We asked him if he had ever been in problems with the law. He said, "I never went to jail for more than 2 days." Sometimes the police would come and say "Javier, get in the car we are going to drop you off in a few blocks." He would ask why and they would tell him "just to shut the neighbors up." So we are super happy that he hasn't had any big problems with the law that he would have to work through to get baptized. He was super excited to be feeling well enough to get to church yesterday.

We also have been talking to his aunt Casilda she is a return missionary who stopped attending church a while ago. As we talk to her nephew and she is there she is learning a lot and changing a lot too. She made it to church with Javier. She has been thinking as well about some of her friends deceased relatives and has a goal to find their data and get their names to the temple so that baptisms can be done for them. She is also looking to be able to get worthy to perform some of them.

We also talked to Oscar, it was a good lesson we were able to explain the law of chastity is so important. We shared that the world may say one thing, but God's way is always higher. To drink will make you forget for a day, but only through repentance can you feel guilt free.

We were very blessed with guidance this week as we found people just at times when we needed to be there. We were able to have powerful lessons with our investigators and help them see what they need to do, and we were even prompted to leave our class in church just in time to greet some of our investigators as they arrived to help them feel comfortable.

The work is progressing.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

This is me on a bridge in a park.  Like my hat?

We had a few more questions for Dallin.  Here they are:   

How do you do your laundry?  

By hand. We have a bucket fill it up and put soap and then rub the clothes together. My washing motto is at least it's cleaner. :)

Does your apartment flood when it rains hard?  

No, but I think the drains get a little backed up--it smells way bad.

Tell us about your shower arrangements?  Do you get warm showers or cold ones?  

We have an electric shower head that is all on or all off, and just a little water comes out so we just flip it on and off and on and off as we shower. But, some just shower cold and others just shower with a bucket and cup (I did that on exchanges 2 times now).

Anymore dog stories? 

Nothing too exciting. They just ignore us mostly.

Do you have an air conditioner in your apartment and does it work? 

Yes, and it's actually really nice.  I'm grateful for it because it is very hot here right now.  

Did the ties ever make it?  

Yes they did. Thanks so much.