1 week left

So, this will be my last email as a missionary. How crazy to think that it is almost all over.

So this week we had to help Miguel and Julia get some papers from some other cities. Tuesday after the district meeting we did divisions and my companion and the other Elder from Saenz Peña went to du Grati just outside of villa angela. I stayed in Saenz Peña, and the assistants helped us out a ton by going to pampa del indio and bringing us the birth certificate to Saenz Peña. It was a crazy day and luckily everything worked out really well. hopefully they will be getting married and baptized this week.

Elder Skouson and Elder Sanchez

We are still teaching Daniel the pentecostal pastor. We invited him to be baptized in the water by the restored authority. and he said he would be willing to do it. When we told him that we were preparing the baptism for the 9th of July he told us no because it is the anniversary of his church. We are going to keep working with him until he can get enough faith to make the transition. Hopefully sooner than later.

The work is going forward. We keep working all we can and as we do we keep seeing the merciful hand of the Lord every day. I want to invite all men to repent and come unto Christ and be baptized in his name by his authority and in his church.

Love you all.

Elder Dallin Skouson

some pictures of Quitilipi and also of a food place in saenz peña where we eat with a huge dog.

Our pentecostal missionary friend said, "I loved the Book of Mormon."

This week felt very short. we started out with Pday in Saenz peña came back to Quitilipi and worked here until Wednesday night when we went back to saenz peña. I got to go to a lidership counsel and then Friday morning we had a zone meeting and we got back Friday afternoon to do our group night and then work the weekend. it was a lot of time out of the area but it was a good week any way.

I enjoyed leadership counsel meeting. I learned a lot there and a lot of the messages that president transmitted to us were just what we need.

We also had an interesting experience with a pentecostal missionary who we met when our investigators told us that he lived next door. We knocked the door and first met his wife. she brought out some chairs into the front yard and then the man, Daniel got home. we explained we are from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and asked them what church they went to. They told us they go to the Pentecostal church the house of Restoration. Well we told them we also share the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It was a good lesson and when we presented the book of mormon there was an initial rejection but then the wife was looking in it and reading parts even before we left.

We were walking in the neighborhood a few days latter and he jumped up and said hey hold on hold on. I loved the Book of Mormon. I just had a few questions. He asked us if Mormon was a Prophet and he asked about the nephites and laminites and a few other things. He even said he was preaching about the book of mormon in a meeting they had with the leaders of his church.

He told us that if we had told him at the beginning we were mormons he would have rejected us but he now knows we only talk about Jesus and his gospel. We will see if he will stay so excited as he reads and learns. We for sure hope he will. We gave him a plan of salvation pamphlet and he was already asking us what the some scriptures mean in the bible. like Jeremiah 1:5.

We are really hoping he will be able to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon and be able to withstand the social opposition I imagine he will find. Or maybe he will bring his entire church with him to ours. haha.

The word of God does have a really powerful effect on the hearts and minds of others or even ourselves. If we have a tradition, habit or addiction that is evil and If we allow the word of the Lord to enter in our hearts, we will come to the truth and will be able to change.

I hope we will all be able to apply the atonement of Christ even more personally in this week. I know he loves us. I have felt his love as I have tried to come closer to him. I know he waits and invites and we can accept. What peace that can bring us.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

The Lord has answered so many of my prayers

This week I feel like the Lord has answered so many of my prayers and done so many miracles that I'm not sure how many more he can perform. But I know I need to continue with faith. He is the same yesterday today and forever and can keep doing as he has done.

We were able to help two new members into the church this weekend. Maria and Rocio her 8 year old daughter got baptized. They were both excited for their baptism and we were excited for them too. They then got to get confirmed after the district conference.

The baptism was a good experience brother Avalos and Rocio that got baptized a few weeks ago gave messages. they did well. they read in the guide for the study of the scriptures. and then gave a short testimony. Brother Avalos even read the list of related terms and explained baptisms for the dead. They are getting practice though and that's the important thing.

This week was really good. Brother Avalos is planing a missionary trip to a rural town. He is actually going out there for other reasons but he told us he is going to share the gospel with a few people he knows out there and invite them to church. He is very excited to always share what he knows with everyone.

The district conference went well. A lot of our investigators were able to come and I think they had a good time. Some of the members were sick and so they couldn't come. but there was the highest attendance we have had with 20 people coming including us and 7 of them were investigators.

Yesica and Sebastian came. They are super excited for the gospel and told us last time we visited them that they are seeing differences. they said they fight less and they have been kneeling to pray and reading the scriptures. They thanked us for bringing more happiness to their lives. Of course they were the ones who invited the happiness in by completing with the commandments. We just showed them how. They are on the road toward baptism.

Also Julia and Miguel came as well with their son Angel. Julia invited her mother in law as well and she came with them to the conference. They have come 2 times to church now and are just waiting on papers to get married. They might have to make some trips out to the places where they were born to get the papers to get married. We are going to be trying to help them out with that.

The 10 year old son of Maria that might be getting baptized soon also came. he seems to be good friends with Angel so we will be trying to help them both want to get baptized together.

One of the coolest parts of it all is that brother Avalos gave us the referral of Maria. we found Julia and Miguel while we were contacting close to her daughter who she had told us where to find her. then Julia invited her mother in law and maria is inviting her kids and other friends and all of this is thanks to the bother Avalos giving away a book of mormon to his friend after many people told him no. We found Yesica and Sebastian talking to everyone while we were in front of the house of her sister in law. We never know who the prepared person is and we can help out a lot as we pray and do our part. We just have to seek. The lord promises we will find.

I don't have the cable to my camera right now so I'll have to send you all the pictures next week.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

It is true that being a missionary really changes you

So, this week was really good. we were able to work super hard and we had a ton of lessons 29 in total. we were able to also have 7 investigators in church on Sunday. we felt very very blessed. we are working super hard and we beat the record of how many people came to church. last transfer we had 18 but yesterday we had 19 that was super awesome. We are going to try to fill the little small bus to go to the district conference next week.

We are super excited this Saturday for a baptism of a woman named Maria and her daughter Rocio. they might end up getting baptized the next week but we are hoping they will be able to make it this week. Maria is stoping smoking so we will have to work hard with her. we also have 2 couples we are teaching Julia and Miguel came to church this week and received a phone call during my companions talk. they cut it off. then they got another one and answered it from their seat. I had to catch the attention with a smile of one of the members with more time so that she didn't look at them a little bit impatiently. I think we were able to laugh a little bit through our eyes as Miguel said yeah right now's not a good time... yeah I'll call you back in a few minutes... yeah we're in church right now... yeah... bye. I guess they will get the idea in the future.

Miguel wants to get baptized. we are excited for him and Julia.

We are also working with a couple named Yessica and Sebastian. they are excited but are seeing opposition. their alarm didn't even go off Sunday morning even though it always gets them up. hopefully they will start to be able to progress.

We are working super hard and are seeing success. we are going to keep trying our best.

So in this area I feel like I've finally figured out missionary work a little bit but i'm already finishing the mission. well I guess better late than never. It is true that being a missionary really changes you. but more especially as you devote it to trying to help others.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

Our actions really do have a big influence in the investigators we teach.

This week we worked really hard. it was a good week and it went fast and well. we were able to have a lot of lessons and meet a lot of our goals for the week.

We were also able to have a baptism this week for Rocio. She is 18 years old, her aunt is a member of the church and she now lives here with her aunt. we are going to work hard with her to help her stay strong in the church and learn the good habits that we all need to be able to make it.

For the baptism we had to go to Saenz Peña. We invited all the members and a lot of investigators and more members than I was expecting showed up. Rocio's aunt, her cousin, a sister from the group and Maria our investigator and her kids were all able to come. Maria really liked the baptism and is now super excited for her own baptism. We waited the 2:30 bus until 3:15 all together in the bus station and then we got there just at 4:05 or so when the baptism was supposed to start. we got everything in order and had a very good baptismal service.

The aunt and cousin gave the messages of baptism and the holy ghost. they just read the scriptures that we gave them to help them out. then they sat down. the 2nd counselor in the branch was a little surprised but he was calm about it all. I was privileged to perform the baptism. Rocio was very happy afterwards.

Sunday it rained a little bit and the taxi driver that always takes Rocio's aunt to church almost didn't show up but we called a different taxi and they were able to make it a little late and we could still do the confirmation.

We also did a lot of work this week with all our investigators. Isabel who needs to get married before she can get baptized came to church and did a fast with us that her boyfriend will be willing to get married with her. We are excited and anxious to see what her boyfriend says. Hopefully she will be getting baptized soon too. Pray for her and her future husband.

Elder Sanchez is a good worker when he wants to be and i'm excited to keep working with him for the last few weeks of my mission.

The work of the Lord keeps moving forward and we can be a great part of that work if we are willing. let every man lift where he stands and do his part. that will help this work come together a whole lot more.

I also am learning a lot about how our actions really do have a big influence in the investigators we teach. if we are well prepared and have the spirit they are going to understand a lot more and be able to progress a lot more quickly.

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

I'm going to work super hard this last transfer.

It was great to talk to my family on Mother's day.  They all looked so happy.  I hope you had a great Mother's day. Thanks for skyping with me. it was fun to get to see you guys. thanks for everything. :)

So, I stayed here in transfers. it looks like I'll finish up here in Quitilipi. I did get a new companion though. he is a good missionary from Chile named Elder Sanchez. We are planning on working hard together and we are going to have success. He has about 10 months in the mission.

yesterday we started out well. we were able to work hard and have some good lessons.

We got to know Rocio a few weeks ago. She is preparing for her baptism this Saturday. She came to visit her aunt and came to church then when we visited her she prayed and asked God about the church and now is going to get baptized. We are super excited for her. She has been reading a lot all of the pamphlets we gave her and some of the book of mormon

The tricky part is that we don't have the equipment to do a baptism here in the church building. The missionaries in the past have traveled to Saenz Peña and we are planning on doing the same.

Elder Salas came to visit the mission right before transfers. He spoke to us about how we could possibly baptize every week and also how we can baptize more. We are super excited to put into action what he told us. He related the missionary work to a sink where if there are bubbles in the pipe the water doesn't come out constantly. He said that if we want to have baptisms constantly the lines have to be full going back for weeks. we are going to be working hard to help all the investigators on the way toward baptism. we are going to try to not let any air into the tube.

We were able to go hear Elder Salas with the entire zone and the next zone over where I started the mission in a small bus like what we took with the members to the branch conference. We had a good time but it was a long trip.

The mission is going well I'm enjoying a lot and I'm going to work super hard this last transfer.

Love you all,

Elder Dallin Skouson

I will have to send pictures next week because my camera died.

MOTHER"S DAY 2016

IT WAS WONDERFUL!!!!

New convert says, "It's better than anything else you've ever felt."

This week we had more non members than members in church. excluding children under 8 there were 4 members and 5 non members. 4 came for the first time ever and 1 the second time. it made for in interesting testimony meeting. we shared our testimonies and 1 of the recent converts shared his testimony then I got up and shared another testimony briefly and finished the meeting.

The recent convert's name is Brother Avalos. He's about 40 years old and works in a brick yard. He was baptized a few months ago and has a powerful testimony. He shared with his friend the gospel and invited her to church saying that it is one of the best things you will ever see. the peace you can feel inside and the calm. It's better than anything else you've ever felt.

In church he shared his testimony by sharing his experience of his conversion. he was sitting outside and the missionaries passed by in front of his house. He said to God if those are your sons send them back here. They turned around and went to his house and asked if they could come in. He said sure. a few days later they gave him the book of mormon and he started to read it. He said he felt changes in his life. One day he told the 'brothers' (missionaries) that he wanted to stop smoking so they said a prayer for him and he didn't touch another cigarette since that day.

He is a great example of faith and is super excited. he has a vision. he says Brothers, this church needs to be full. We are excited for him and he is sharing the gospel with everyone he can. pray for him that he can get the aaronic priesthood as well.

We are now teaching his friend Maria and a girl named Rocio who is the niece of one of the members here. She lives in a farming village outside the city but came to visit her aunt for a few days and says she is planning on coming more often. she came to church and the activities every time she could. we are excited for her and hope she will be able to keep attending when she can from her house about 70 kilometers away.

we are also teaching a man named Ramon. We found him raking outside his house and we asked him for help to show us the house of a man nicknamed goat. He helped us out and then invited us in to share with him first. We were able to explain the restoration outside his 6 by 6 mud house and then invite him to read the book of mormon come to church and pray. he was very willing and showed up to church the next day. We are very excited for him too.

This gospel is very true and can touch the life of anyone. that includes mine and yours. I have felt that Christ is looking over us and I know that he can help to touch our hearts when we most need it.

A story in the Book of mormon has been on my mind Moroni lifted a title of liberty on a pole that said 'In memory of our God, our religion, and freedom, and our peace, our wives, and our children' As the Nephites fought for those causes they were upheld by the Lord and were able to win their battles. Jesus is the Lord of hosts and the God of our fathers. He can help us fight our daily battles.

I invite you all to look more for him in your lives and I know that as you do you will find more peace and joy.

Elder Dallin Skouson

Interviews, miracles, and haircuts

We had interviews with president this week. It was quite an adventure. President usually gets there just a few hours after the hour and we started to get a little worried when he didn't show up. the zone leaders tried to call him and found out he had forgotten his phone as well. We ended up finding out that the assistants had told us to all go to the wrong chapel. 2 hours later we were all there and had our interviews. We were very happy that it all worked out in the end but it was a long day.

We also had a lot of rain. I am for sure glad I have boots. the water sometimes gets up to the top of my boots. my companions boots are a little bit smaller so I sometimes explore in the murky water to find a path and then he follows me. one time though the entire street was so full that water got in his boots.

We had branch conference this Sunday. that means that the Groupo Quitilipi got to travel to Saenz Peña for the regular church meetings. It was a very special experience and I think the members all enjoyed it a lot.

Well this week we also for sure saw some miracles. one of the families that my companion was teaching before I got here was not making any progress so we stopped passing by their house. Monday they sent us a message and we went by their house again. We were able to teach them that the living water of Christ comes when we are willing to go look for it in church and reading the scriptures and praying. We even made a cool drawing that explained it and everything. We related it all to turning the sink on. They made it to the branch conference.

I love you guys.

Elder Dallin Skouson

pictures:

my companion and I wearing River and Boca jerseys.

us with a sign that says Quitilipi Oramos por vos. (Quitilipi we pray for you)

we live in the apartments above the barber shop. we live behind. so you don't see our apartment

The barber shop. or really the front yard of a members mom. he said he is a barber but I think my hair was the first haircut he had ever given.

6 of the 8 elders in my zone.

The members on the way home from Presidencia Roque Saenz Peña.

I love these people and this place.

This week was good. We have been working hard but finding is a little bit slow here we keep on trying and trying but the area is big and we can't pass by every day so when they aren't their for their appointment it is hard for us.

We are also working with the members to try to help them and we have been able to get some of them excited to work with us. it is tough being the only priesthood holders in the sacrament meeting but we are able to get everything done between the two of us.

Yesterday we were able to visit the only other active priesthood holder in the group. he is a 70 year old man and I think he is either a deacon or a teacher. We were able to share a message about the priesthood and his opportunity to serve. We shared a story that was told in the last conference, not this one that just happened but before, that has to do with passing the sacrament with him. The spirit was strong as we explained to him that Christ can be with him as he passes the sacrament. 

I have realized that the small and simple things we are doing here in this group can really make a big impact. It is much easier to see on this small scale here in this little town with so few members.

This weekend we are going to travel to Roque Saenz Peña again but this time for our branch conference. not very often do you get to travel for branch conference but here we do. The branch is going to pay a van driver to take us all over there together Sunday morning.

The work is moving forward little by little here in this city. we are going to keep pushing to help everyone we can. I love these people and this place.

Elder Dallin Skouson

Quitilipi semana dos. I love this time to be able to testify of Christ.

Wow these weeks go faster and faster and faster every one. This week we worked hard at finding by the spirit more and trying to catch back up with the investigators we have found. We had some very good experiences finding and were able to also do some good follow up with some investigators.

We were able to find 3 young men in the rain. we were walking and it was just starting to rain. because the sun had been out when we left we didn't have umbrellas or anything to protect us. so we talked to some guys that were out in front of their house under a roof thing that was there. They let us come under the roof thing and paid quite a bit of attention as we explained the restoration to them.

We also found a young couple. the man is 19 the woman is 16 and they are living in a little brick room that's about 7 feet by 7 feet. they asked us some good questions about Christ and we are looking forward to getting to visit them again.

We in general have been really blessed by our finding efforts here. I think the lord for sure helps us find when we seek faithfully and diligently.

I also got to attend church here in the group for the first time this Sunday. there were 7 people in attendance and 2 of them were small children. 4 of the 5 of us big people all got up and bore our testimonies it was a very powerful spirit that was present to help remind me that the lord has his people numbered and we are all very important to him even if we are in a meeting with only 7 people there.

I'm excited to be able to be here and help the members out here in this small group. they are few but the church started with very few members and look at what it is now. well hopefully the same can happen here little by little the group can go growing until it becomes a branch.

I love this time to be able to testify of Christ. He is our redeemer and he can give our souls rest. He died to break the bonds of death and hell and set us free. He makes us free to chose and free to decide where we want to end up. He is the reason we are able to continue every day. I'm grateful for his sacrifice for me.

Elder Dallin Skouson

more pictures from the zoo from last week. not sure how the bear survives in the heat here.

Conference zoo and miracles

This week was very good. We got to watch the conference and today we got to go to a zoo. It was cool.

We worked hard trying especially to find here in Quitilipi and the work keeps on going forward. The people here are very nice and willing to chat and a little more willing to let us sit down and talk.

For General Conference we had to come Saturday morning to Saenz Peña to the district center to watch it. I got to watch it in english with the other American Elders. I also got to see one of the sisters from my first area who came here to watch it.

We rented a van to help the members were able to also come to Saenz Peña to see the conference as well. They were very happy to come. One of the men told me he has never seen a chapel so nice before he was happy to be able to attend and hear the prophet's words.

We were able to arrange an interview with the branch president for one of the members to be able to receive the Aaronic priesthood and the members were able to pay their tithing.

We also went to the zoo here today in Saenz Peña it's actually rather large and we filled in 2 hours without getting bored for sure and still didn't see all the animals. They had birds and tigers and lions and all sorts of stuff. it was cool.

We were about to watch the Sunday morning session of conference and the internet went out right before it started. We tried everything, checked all the cables but it did not come back on. We decided we had to say a prayer and the instant we finished the internet came back.

That experience made me wonder how many things the Lord wants to tell us and help us learn that we have to just pray to fully receive. It helped me think of how important prayer can be to help us go through this life. It helped me think of what was said, there are things that we can only learn by faith.

We may have to make sure we have all the settings right and the cables plugged in. the habits of prayer, scripture study, and church attendance and then ask him and the knowledge can come rushing in just like the conference did for us.

I hope you have a good week. I love you all,

Elder Dallin Skouson

Quitilipi---We can make it step by step.

So, I'm in a place that's called Quitilipi. It's a little town that is a little more than half way to Campo Largo going out of Resistencia it reminds me a lot of my first area but here my companion says there is a group and that about 12 members attend on an average week.

My companion's name is Elder Montes from Cordoba Argentina. He is 19 years old and has been out here a little less time than I have.

In Reconquista we were teaching a man named Sebastian and Veronica that sell bread door to door. Sebastian is a very good man and is really interested in the Church. Hopefully they will be able to get married and baptized. It was tough to leave them there.

on the way here I had an interesting thought about goal setting. I was sitting in the Bus and just watching as we stopped at every little town and dirt road that goes off seemingly into the middle of nowhere to pick people up and drop people off. at one of the roads that went way far away with just one building off to the side way out there I saw a rather small woman get off the bus with a rather large and heavy bag. it was heavy enough she had to lean to one side to pick it up.

I felt sorry for her and had the thoughts why is she getting off here and how is she going to carry that bag so far? I might just give up if I were her. I watched a little bit longer and noticed she was making some distance even though it was very little. She was doing it one short step at a time. She was determined and was going to make it step by step.

In the mission I have seen that goals are that way when we have a vision. Maybe the vision is an eternal family. something we don't see quite yet. maybe the church or temple is the building that we have to pass by on our way to go get that. whatever the case may be the important thing is that we never give up because if we do we might end up in a ditch by the side of the road or getting back on a different bus that will never take us where we want to go.

I know that the savior knows us and that on the roads of our lives we are never alone or without his help he can guide us and help us get to eternal life. We just have to accept his help.

I'm really excited for my new area and for my new companion and we are going to do all we can to be able to reach high goals and help lots and lots of people.

Elder Dallin Skouson

Elder Montes and me.  

I think it's amazing, the priesthood.

The weeks go by really fast. And today is the 3 months left mark of my mission. it's crazy how fast the time goes! It's starting to get colder here as well this week.

We have been working with a family that sells bread in the street. The man is named Sebastian and the woman is Veronica they are both interested in the message of the gospel. Sebastian came to church yesterday as well. It was very good. They are living together without being married and have 4 kids. We hope that they will be able to feel the love of the Lord and be able to change their lives.

For church we had a district conference as well. it was interesting because they tried to do it over a skype type of program. it was a little bit low quality because there were 3 chapels involved and ours and the district center both had speakers so when we spoke there was quite a bit of feedback. apart from that the messages were very good and inspired.

I think it's amazing, the priesthood. Through Christ all the world is blessed and we can be a part of the blessing that Christ gives to others as we magnify our callings. 

Love,

Elder Dallin Skouson

pictures:

Me with a member that was about to get his haircut by my companion.

and the room where we are writing right now in the family history center of the church.

The good news is that anyone who is willing to come unto christ can 'shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast'. (2 Nephi 9:45)

This week was good. We found some good people who are interested in learning more or maybe not. We will see.

We met a man who invited us into his house. his house was mostly empty except for a few chairs and a computer. He almost the moment we got in proudly announced to us that he is a professional poker player. He said he plays poker and smokes about 60 cigaretts a day. He explained how he lost everything he has and how his friend bought his house from him and that helped him get enough money to keep going. this month he is going to get back enough to buy the house back though....

Even though he seemed so sure even he knows it is driving him to ruin. He said and if I don't have anything left my other friend owns a supermarket and is going to give me a place in his apartment when I need it and will give me food. It's a deal we have.

I don't think I am ever going to play poker. We gave him a book of mormon and we know that if he reads it and applies what he learns he will be able to change his life. hopefully he does it now while he still might be able to get some of his life back.

We also found a new investigator named Milagros (miracles in english.) She is a neighbor of a member that lives in our area. She made it to church yesterday and said she liked it a lot. We were happy for her.

We also got to talk to a man that has pigs that he grows and sells. they are super fat and weigh about 200 kilos or 400 pounds (or so they say) and apparently they die if they have to walk in the sun because they are so fat and their heart just explodes. They explained to us that 2 of their pigs had died in the heat recently.

I think it's pretty good evidence that we should avoid addictions of all types be it of food or gambling or smoking or whatever they are really the chains that the devil has to cover the entire earth.

The good news is that anyone who is willing to come unto christ can 'shake off the chains of him that would bind you fast'. (2 nephi 9:45)

I am confident that we can escape from those things that bind us fast 

Elder Dallin Skouson

I got new shoes!

and made pizza with eggs and ground beef.