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