Dec. 17th Letter…Calling as Assistant to the President

Well I have a lot to write and not a whole lot of time so I am gonna try to remember everything.  So I know I say this a lot but this has by far been the most insane week of my mission/life haha!

 

So it all started on Monday.  We were playing basketball and like the first 2 seconds I was in the game I was going for a ball that was headed out of bounds and Elder Morse, (he is 6'8)  comes flying over me and tries to hit the ball and it smashed right into my finger.  It hurt like crazy but I have had tons of jammed fingers so I just kept playing.  I went on a triple up exchange with Elder Higgins and Elder Lincoln in Strongsville which is another story in itself.  But I iced my finger and stuff that night but when I woke up it had like doubled in size and it was like black and it was tingling and I had no feeling.  We went to district meeting and when we were in the office sister Jacklin saw it and made me call Sis Vellinga.  Sis Vellinga made me go to the doctor after much arguing haha.  Brother Thompson drove me to the doctor and after forever waiting they took x-rays and the doctor said I did everything but break it.  I have some torn ligaments in it and it was just badly bruised and swollen.  So that was dumb, it will be the most expensive splint ever.  Speaking of that I apologize if you get an urgent care bill for me....  I was confused about the whole insurance thing and went to a place that was covered by missionary medical but I don't know if Kaiser covers it and I was told to use my insurance first soooo, ya I am sorry if you get a bill haha. 

 

The rest of the week went really well.  We taught a couple good lessons.  Had another awesome lesson with Sam and did a lot of good work.  Friday it starts to get crazy....

 

I don't know if you will believe me when I tell you this because I still don't believe it but Friday afternoon President Vellinga called me to be an assistant....    I went and met up with Elder metcalf and Weaver and have been in a triple up with them since Friday night. 

There were 4 things I didn't want to have happen on my mission.  1. Shotgun (train a greenie in a brand new area) 2. Triple up ( 3 missionaries in a companionship) 3. Midnighted (assignment change mid transfer) and 4. AP.    All four of those have happened in the last 2 transfers....  I am glad Heavenly Father has a sense of humor haha.

I wasn't really sure what to think when I got the call.  I honestly would have expected it more 2 transfers ago but this was a total shock.  I was just like Heavenly Father I hope you know what you are doing because I sure don't.  It is definitely humbling though...  I have done a lot of thinking since Friday with not much sleep.  Multiple times I have woken up thinking it was all a dream which has never happened to me before. It still hasn't really hit me haha.  I am scared out of my mind but I know with the Lords help I can do what He and President ask.  I am grateful for the assignment and am excited to see what is to come.  The last three days have already been insane. 

 

Its amazing the information that keeps piling on when you are an assistant...  All the sudden the assistants and President are telling me things I have never heard or been able to know before haha.   Sunday nights are gonna be a blast.  I was at the office late late last night and back there early this morning.  haha I am still sleeping in my apartment and I was in bed well after Elder Hicken and Curtis went to sleep and was up and out the door well before they got up haha.  But President is changing a lot about how much the Ap's have to do in terms of administration and office work.  He wants us to spend more time in our area and training instead of doing office work which will be nice.   Elder Metcalf said he hasn't had a full P day once in his 7 months as AP so there goes my basketball days haha.  This morning we made some last minute transfer changes which was intense.  Then we had a staff meeting and went over the next few days with arrivals, departures and transfers.  Its gonna be crazy.  Right after this I have to go to Kirtland to pick up all the departures and get them ready to go in the morning.  I have to say bye to Elder Johnson again now! haha  President doesn't want anyone to know about me yet so I have had to make up story after story of why I am not at district meeting or taking numbers anymore.  Some missionaries came in to the office this morning and he made me hide in a corner behind his desk haha.   He is seriously so funny.  We had lunch and a sacrament meeting with them and a couple sick sisters at the mission home yesterday and it is so weird to see them like not in serious meeting settings haha I love it.  This is going to be quite a ride.  I am nervous but excited. 

 

I have appreciated so much every ones support and prayers throughout my mission.  I need them more now than ever though so please keep me in your prayers.  I am pretty overwhelmed already and I haven't even really started. 

 

Sorry I couldn't write more I love and miss you!

 

Elder Skalla

December 10th Letter-Uncle Brad meets Adalynn via pictures

Man she is adorable!!!  Tuesday morning Sister Debaltzo called and asked if we had dinner and our dinner appt actually had the flu so she told us to come by later and pick up dinner so she gave me a cool little laminated page with pictures and stuff on there.  I didn't know if you made it or if she did but it was awesome!  I had no idea.  Definitely really special.  I am so excited to meet her in person.  It still hasn't hit me that that is like Jenni's baby haha.  I am sure it will when I meet her though.  I am glad she and Jenni and Greg are doing so well!!  I wish I could be there...

 This is what sweet Sis. DeBaltzo made for him!  I love her!!

This week has been amazing for me though.  Not really like investigator wise but I guess personally.  The last like month with being stressed in the triple up and never having this much lack of success my whole mission I was just like in a rut.  I sucked at tracting I didn't care teaching I was just doing missionary things just to do them.  I obviously prayed for help and tried to fix it.  On Thursday we had a leadership training.  2 guys from the missionary department came and met with us and it was amazing.  They ripped us apart on things we are doing wrong and then fire hosed us with more things to do.  They also gave us a little taste of what will be changing in the next couple years.  They talked about iPads too.  They said they already have the apps and software developed they just need to test them.  A lot will change though.  The way things work now and the way things will work when Ryan goes on a mission will be worlds different.  He probably wont do any of the same things I do.  It was seriously exactly what I needed and I think I learned more there than I ever have in a meeting.  I just felt an incredible urgency after that haha.  That night after the meeting we taught Sam.  I don't know if I have told you about her but she is a really cool 18 year old girl we have been meeting with for a while.  She is like a super Christian and really involved in her church and stuff.  We have had like ok lessons with her but nothing too earth shaking.  We usually meet with her at like coffee shops and stuff but we are trying to avoid that so we went to a study room in the library.  It was a pain cuz we all had to get library cards and all this other stuff but we finally got to meet with her somewhere that is a little quieter.  The lesson was probably one of the best of my mission.  I just like talked to her and we read 1 Nephi chapter 1 for 2 hours....  It was one of the only times in my life I just felt the spirit just take over what was coming out of my mouth.  Elder Curtis and Elder Hicken and the member we were with didn't say 2 words the whole time, they said they didn't want to ruin it haha but it was just an amazing lesson.  After I asked her how she felt and she said she felt like God was sitting next to her and she wanted to give me a hug haha ( I didn't let her btw)  Honestly I don't think Sam will get baptized anytime soon but I do no she felt the spirit that night and that all I can ask for.  I just hope I can start teaching like that all the time.  I really do wish I would have had that meeting way earlier on in my mission though. 

So on Friday night we had dinner with the Thompson's.  We printed out that picture of all of their missionaries in Kirtland and put it in an 8x10 frame and gave it to them for Christmas.  It was sooo funny.  Sis Thompson has a rough exterior and personality but she teared up and was like "Damn you boys"  haha I love them they are probably my favorite members. 

Ha referrals, I wish, we don't get any of those.  We pretty much find them on our own.  I talked to Dads friend and he is talking to the people he knows and said he would let us know what happens. The friends of the Gibbs are members already...   

That is so sweet about Rachel!!  I am so excited for her.  I cant believe Brad is home and Eric and Kris are coming home.  All my friends are gonna start flooding home the next 6 months.  It is crazy how fast it goes.  I got called an  "old" missionary the other day by some other Elders at the meeting.  It made me sad haha, I liked being the young one.  I remember when I was new and seeing like all the old ex zone leaders and thinking how awesome they were.  That's just not me haha.

So crazy story.  Saturday night we were walking in Lakewood and we were crossing an intersection and there was a guy on the other side coming the other way with what looked like a cane.  I was like all ready to talk to him and give him a card and stuff but then he just like runs to this car with this lady in it and tries to get in!  She was like screaming and floored it into the intersection almost hitting us.  Luckily we didn't get hit but then the guy just like casually walks the other way like nothing happened.  haha It was crazy. I have seen lots of fights and drug deals and stuff like that on my mission, but I think that was my first car jacking! haha 

Transfers are the 19th and I will find out if I am leaving on the 18th so I will let you know then.  I have no idea whats gonna happen.  So many crazy things have happened I am done trying to predict transfers haha.  I would like to stay in Lakewood though.  I just want to be a junior companion to someone who has been out over a year haha but I doubt that will happen anytime. 

Well I hope you have a good week and enjoy your granddaughter.  I love and miss you!!!

Elder Skalla

Doing great!

Hi!   Man you are gonna be in Boise for a long time, haha I am excited to see the baby!  Tell Jenni and Greg good luck for me and that I will be praying for them.  Also ask Jenni if she ever got my birthday letter I sent her.
I never met that girl but that is way cool!!!  Do the missionaries have a lot of success around there?  I have always wanted to spend some time with them and look at their numbers and find out how the mission works there. 

That is funny about the Fb requests. It is probably just a bunch of RMs from here.  I am glad your friends with Tina too!  I saw Elder Berryessa this week and he always gives me an update on her.  I am so excited for her to get her patriarchal blessing!  Man I dont think anything has ever made me happier than seeing her progress in the gospel.  That is so crazy all these girls on missions!  I was hoping Cassie would come here.  I could totally see her as a Kirtland sister.  So hearing that some of those boys could be on a mission before I am even home made me sick haha and maybe question the new age change! haha kidding!  There is a little difference in the ones that haven't lived away from home.  Not so much in the work but just like street smarts and stuff.  Like Elder C and Elder H have a hard time shopping, haha they are just confused and don't know where things are or what to buy.  I never realized it, but living away from home gets you used to things like that. 

That's cool Steph wrote you!  I love her, she is one of the few girls I know that has her crap together in her life haha. 

This week went really well.  We had our Christmas conference in the Kirtland Temple which was awesome as always.  I don't think it was as good as last year, but it was still cool.  We got to go look at the nativity display at the historic site and it was so sweet.  There were like 700 nativities and stuff, it was cool.  Also the Thompson's came.  I don't know if I have told you about them but they are like my favorite members ever.  He was reactivated and she was baptized a couple years ago and they LOVE missionaries.  Like its crazy how much they love them haha, but I told them to be in Kirtland at 4 on Tuesday for a surprise. Then all 8 of the missionaries they know that are still here met up with them and surprised them.  They loved it!  Sis. Thompson said it was one of the best days of her life haha.  They have a huge picture frame on their wall of missionaries wedding announcements haha that's how much they like their missionaries.

Then Elder Johnson and Elder Dowley bore their testimonies and Elder Johnson made me cry. haha I am gonna miss that kid so much.  It sucked saying goodbye to him.  It was such a good day on Tuesday though.  Probably one of the best. 

We went on exchanges with the zone leaders this week too.  It was funny I went to Garfield heights with Elder Morse and he has only been a zone leader for like 2 weeks and he was like Elder Skalla I have no idea what I am doing or what I am supposed to train you on.  I think this exchange is more for you to train me haha.  It was fun though.  He is like 6'8 so I felt tiny the whole time haha This week should be a good week.  There are some people coming from Salt Lake for an LTM on Thursday so that should be good.  Still no one significant to tell you about teaching wise unfortunately.  Just gotta keep working though.  I hope you have an amazing week and have fun with the baby!  I love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla

Happy Thanksgiving

Hi!

Well it was another pretty slow week...  seems to be going that way across the mission now for some reason.  Winter is tough.    I got your package!!  Thank you!  I wish I had something exciting to tell you but its been pretty much the norm.  Thanksgiving went really well!  We had dinner at the Carlson's.  They feed us every week, they are pretty cool. I couldn't really taste anything though...  The night before we had dinner with a member in his way cool apartment.  It's right on the shore and it overlooks the bay and all of Cleveland.  He lives on like the 20th floor too so its pretty cool.   But anyway we had tortilla soup and I burnt my tongue from it way bad.  I woke up Thanksgiving and had like little blisters on it and couldn't taste anything haha it still hurts really bad.   Thursday morning we went over to the Jacklin's and had breakfast with them and the other senior couple and the 2 new office sisters that came this week.  It was so fun.  The Hokansons are going home this week though so I am sad about that.  The office staff is like our grandparents out here haha especially when we are neighbors with them.  After dinner we went and played basketball for a few hours.  It was fun and it was nice to have like a full day off to relax.  Much better than last Thanksgiving haha I read my journal from last Thanksgiving and I wasn't very happy haha
I am so excited to see the baby!  Especially in an NU hat! haha Have they decided on a name or anything yet?  I cant wait to see her at Christmas.  What are your plans for Christmas?  Are you just going to Boise?

Well hopefully we have a better week next week.  I am excited for tomorrow.  We are having our Christmas conference in Kirtland.  We are doing it with Youngstown so I get to see my whole zone.  Although it is bitter sweet because I have to say bye to Elder Johnson and Elder Dowley...  They are going home on the 17th...  haha honestly that will probably be the hardest goodbye yet.   I love those 2.  Both of them changed my life.  Hopefully I will get to see them soon though.  I may have Elder Johnson convinced to go to USU with me in the fall but we will see. He doesn't think he is good enough at football to walk on at USU now that they are good haha
Well I home you have an awesome week and I cant wait to hear about the baby!!

Love and miss you!
Elder Skalla 

Slow week….

That is sad about the funeral and stuff.  Thats is good they are taking it so well though.  I dont know what we would do without the gospel and plan of salvation...  It'd be tough.  

This week was horrible teaching wise… We couldn't get any appointments or anything all week.  It was nice weather though so we got to bike and stuff so that was fun.  I really don't have much to tell you since it was so slow.  I did get a little good news.  I was talking to Elder Newey and Elder Read on the phone and they are ZL's in Tallmadge together and Elder Newey just spent the last 6 months in Alliance so I was seeing how everything was in my old areas.  Do you remember like 9 months ago when I was all excited in the library about some guy named Jay coming up and talking to us about food storage and we gave hima  Book of Mormon and stuff?  Well Elder Buxton and I tried to teach him but we could never get a hold of him and he was always busy so we never saw him again.  Like a month ago Elder Newey and Elder Read ran into him again somewhere else.  He just came up to them and started talking to them and said how he met a couple missionaries a few months back. They made an appointment with him and taught him at the church and Elder Newey said he thinks he may have read the whole Book of Mormon we gave him.  When we first found him he had no idea what was in it and Elder Newey said he was talking about everything up until the 3 Nephites in 3 Nephi.   I guess they had a really good lesson and he is still hard to meet with but really interested.  That like made me so happy though!  God is good! 

Thats about the only exciting thing that happened this week though.  We are going to a members for Thanksgiving and then probably playing basketball.  I dont know what the difference is about football and basketball or what the difference is about not playing football on thanksgiving but we can on any other p day but whatever. 

I will keep thinking about the christmas thing.  I dont know if I want to do the DVD thing but I will let you know.  I have a couple of those DVDs with it on there from last year.  It is only like 6 mins long though I don't know if I need to give it to people, we will just show it like we did last year. 

Well I hope you have a good week and a nice quiet Thanksgiving!  

Love and miss you!  

Time is going fast…

Hey I am glad there aren't any vacations to tell me about!  The election was quite disappointing to everyone here.  Most people are mad because voter fraud and all this other stuff about how there were some counties in OH where Romney did not get one vote and all kids of stuff so we are still hearing about it every day haha.   The other day tracting this lady on her porch yelled at us and was like "Romney lost guys, go home!"  I started walking across the street to talk to her and then knocked on the door but she wouldnt open it.  We have been doing this like what 180 years now and people still dont understand, its crazy to me haha.  

Sorry I am e mailing you today,  we were at a funeral ALL day yesterday.  The lady Elder Curtis and I gave a blessing to our first night here passed away so we were helping out with the funeral.  She LOVED the missionaries cuz most of her family are not members so they wanted to make sure we were there.  Thats my third funeral I have been to on my mission.  I never really thought I would go to any.  Especially people that I kinda know.   We had a pretty good week though.  We started the triple up on Wednesday.  Ill be honest, it's not my favorite.  It takes longer to do anything and its weird tracting with 3 and bringing 4 people into teaching appointments and stuff.  My new companion is Elder Hicken.  He is from Sandy and is actually in President Sorensen's ward.   (Found out he is the new stake patriarch)   He has only been out 3 months so he just got done being trained.  I am the only missionary I know of who has ever trained and greenie broken at the same time haha. **mom note: I love missionary terminoligy

Its a long story with the Subaru (photo below) haha I thought I told you but I guess I forgot.  We were in like an alley type street one of our first nights here and it was dark and raining and we had 2 members in the back seat and I couldn't see out the back very well so I was looking at elder Curtis out the side window backing me and I guess he didn't see the telephone pole and I backed into it.  haha It's pretty sad when you back into a pole with someone backing you haha.  Thats why we were driving the van because ours was getting fixed.  I am the driver all the time. Again...   You are supposed to get like transfers off driving but I have been driving every day since December 7th last year when I got Elder Buxton.  Since he couldn't drive, Elder Anderson got his license stolen and Elder Berryessa lost his, I had to drive.  Its ok though I dont mind it. 

Man it makes me sick Kris is coming home so soon.  That went by so fast...  Its gonna be my turn before I even know it.  Elder Johnson and Elder Dowley go home in 4 weeks.  I am seriously gonna cry haha.  I get to see them one more time before they leave.  I still remember Elder Johnson and I talking about how weird it is gonna be when he goes home when we were together and it just seemed like the day was never gonna come.   I hate when people go home haha. 

I like your DVD idea for Christmas!  But what is gonna be on the DVD?  I will keep thinking of other things too and let you know if I come up with anything.  Dont mail anything to me until you find out if I am getting transferred or not.  I will find out on the 17th and let you know the 18th.  Its ok if I dont get anything till after Christmas.  Dont spend more to get it to me by then haha.  Oh and Yes!  please send me a conference ensign!  With some stamps in there too :) 

That is so sad about Dads friend...  I cant even believe that.  Do they know what happened?  Was he the one with the girls my age? 

I hope you have an awesome week!  Sorry this letter is kinda boring.  Love and miss you!

 

Elder Skalla

Dent in the Subaru :(

Back to normal…

Oh man I don't even know where to start with this week.  This has probably been the longest, craziest week on my mission.  It seemed like it took FOREVER.  Maybe it was just because everything was out of the norm and I wasn't getting the groundhog day effect of doing the same things every day haha.  I hope I will remember everything... 

It started Monday right after I got done e mailing you.  It was raining and windy but nothing crazy when we left the library but we got a text saying we all had to be inside by 1 Monday afternoon and weren't allowed to leave until they told us we could.  We were just super board in our apartment all day Monday but then president said if we had appointments Monday night we could go but other than that we had to stay inside.  We had one at like 6:30 so we went to that.  After that is when things started to get crazy.  We were walking out of the appointment and the wind had picked up a ton and the sky kept lighting up green from transformers blowing up everywhere and the power kept flickering.  Driving home we kept getting hit with branches and stuff from the wind.  We were driving down Lake Rd which is this way long straight road and as we were driving everything just went black.  It was kinda cool, it was like a movie.  I looked in my rear view mirror and just saw all the lights going out in a row till the whole city was black.  No stop lights or anything.  It was actually really weird being in a big city but having it be completely dark.  We kept driving and made it to the bridge which goes over the bay and man I thought it was gonna blow the van right off the bridge.  We like kept going back and forth, I couldn't keep it straight.  We finally made it home and luckily Elder Curtis had his little flashlight so we found our way in.   We just planned like normal and then hung out with the assistants for a while before bed.  The wind was just howling at that point and you could even hear the waves crashing and sometimes a tree falling inside our apartment.  It was seriously so loud.  I took some Advil pm and put some ear plugs in but neither of us slept very well.  It got pretty cold in our apartment and the wind was just so annoying.  Tuesday morning we got up and got ready and showered with our little flashlights. Luckily there was still enough warm water for both of us to get 5 mins each of luke warm water before it went freezing.  We had cereal with warm milk over candlelight for breakfast, haha then we just had our normal studies with our flashlights.  It like didn't even get a little bit light till like 9 and even then it was still pretty dark.  Then it got rough.  I went back to bed for an hour, studied, worked out a little and just like sat around board to death until like 6.  Then president called and told us to come to the mission home to spend the night.  It took us like 30 minutes to drive 5 to the mission home cuz every road we took had a tree down but we finally got there.  It was us, the assistants and like 12 sisters there who all didn't have power.  It was actually pretty fun, we just studied the scriptures about storms and sang hymns and stuff, it was a good time.  Slept much better that night and then in the morning we all studied together again and then everyone left at like 10.  We went back and our power was still out Wednesday morning.  We went out that day and did our best to work and stuff.  Our power came back on at about 7 Wednesday night.  We were lucky.  Some members just got theirs back Sunday night.  It has been interesting the damage you see driving around. Just hundreds of trees down, some smashed on houses.  Out of everyone I know here only 3 members had damage to their house.  Saturday we literally spent the entire day helping people clean up yards and chop up trees and stuff like that.  It was fun, but man my back was soar.  I haven't worked that hard in so long haha. Everything is pretty much back to normal now.  I have never seen so many power trucks in my life so it looks like they were working hard to get everything fixed.  I am sure it is still a mess further east though. 

If the storm wasn't enough to make the week crazy we had some more curve balls thrown at us yesterday.  We had our ZDM yesterday and President pulled Elder Curtis and I into his office.  He had to let Elder Curtis know his grandma passed away.  The mother of his uncle that just passed.  Poor kid cant catch a break.  He is taking it really well though.  He was pretty quiet the rest of the day.  This one was unexpected.  Then President pulled me aside and let me know we were gonna be in a triple up this next transfer...  He said he hated to do it to me while I was training but we had an odd number and needed someone that knew what they were doing to take on a "newer" missionary...  So now I pretty much get 2 greenies haha.  I assured president I still had no idea what I was doing but he wouldn't change his mind.  So this transfer is gonna be pretty weird.  I hate being in triple ups but oh well we will make the best of it.   Oh and in other bad news President nixed us playing in turkey bowls this year.  I was upset cuz I didn't get to play last year and this ward has a huge one.  Not sure what the difference is about playing football on p day and on Thanksgiving but whatever.  Its not like I came here to play football anyway.  Well that's about it I think.  I just can't wait to move on from last week haha. 

 

I like your Christ and the government thing!  I may use that sometime.  I am so excited for this to be finally over though ha ha.   It has been wonderful for the church but man I am sick of hearing about it haha.  Some guy just walked up and he was like so you think Romney is gonna win tonight?  I just said Who? with a confused face. haha  His face was priceless.  Well I hope you have an awesome week!  

Love ya! 

 

Elder Skalla 

Storm info….

I got a surprise note from Elder Skalla this morning along with some pictures of the storm damages in NE Ohio.  I will add pictures later but here is his note:

Well it has been a crazy last couple days haha I will tell you more on Monday but I am safe and doing well.   We were inside all day yesterday and about 14 of us had to stay at the mission office last night.  Looks like we will be there again tonight.  Power has been out since Monday at about 8pm.  Our landlord says rumors are we may not get it back till the weekend.  Elder Curtis is doing some training stuff online so I figured I would send you some pics.  No one has power and no one wants to meet with us and we can't tract cause it's still raining like crazy.  It has been tough!  The closer to the lake you are, the worse it was .  And you can throw a rock into the lake from our place so it was pretty insane.   On Monday we were at Wal-mart and before we left I was like I am gonna buy a flash light just in case cuz I don't know if mine works and if this is gonna be as big as everyone says it is I don't wanna be stuck.  Dang good thing I did cuz mine was broken.  We spent all night Monday and all day Tuesday with our tiny flashlights.  We still had a little bit of warm water Tuesday morning so we got a quick showers in the dark haha. Then had to study with our little flashlights and I had a candle a member gave me in Y-town.  There are like a billion trees and power lines down ALL over.  It took us like 30 mins to drive the 10 min to the mission home last night cuz there were trees blocking roads so we kept having to find new roads hahahaha and we didn't even get hit that bad… 

This is the home of a member.  

Comforting note from the MP…

Dear Parents/Guardians of Missionaries in the Ohio Cleveland Mission,

 Tuesday 30 October 2012   11:39 EST

Due to hurricane Sandy and its impact in the US Northeast Area of the United States, we want to report to you that each and every missionary in the Ohio Cleveland Mission is safe and accounted for.  We have experienced much rain, strong winds, some snow, and some power outages.  Please know that your son/daughter is well.  Thank you for sending him/her to serve the Lord as a missionary.  We pray that the Lord will bless you and your family.



Sincerely,

Michael L. Vellinga

President, Ohio Cleveland Mission

Riding out the storm…that they don't know about!

Hey! 

 

Well I got my ballot in the mail a couple days ago so I guess I did my part haha!  Mitt is in Ohio today and a bunch of people were going to go see him this morning.  I guess it's getting pretty crazy here with the election.  Still annoying… no one wants to talk about anything but the election haha, even members.  We can't talk about missionary work, it's either politics or some big storm that is supposed to be coming.  I feel so out of the loop on everything haha.  I am supposed to tell you that the mission is prepared for the storm and to not worry haha. President sent us a message and made us all promise we would tell you that.  It's funny, we have no idea what is going on yet they just tell us to have food and flashlights and to plan on staying inside the next couple of days haha. It has been raining and really windy the last couple days.  Like all day every day…  It's been miserable.  Wednesday and Thursday last week were beautiful though.  We rode our bikes all day both days.  Lake Erie has been crazy though.  The waves are HUGE and you can hear them from inside our apartment.  I guess its supposed to get even crazier.  I will be way upset if we don't get to go out...  It will break my streak.  I have done missionary work every single day I have been here.  Haven't had one sick day or full day off.  Which is a blessing cuz missionaries are constantly getting sick here. 

 

So I am very grateful for the package I will be receiving and I will enjoy it as my LAST one.  I am begging you, please don't let anyone send me food or candy in a package.  I have been eating healthy and its bad enough eating desserts at members houses. I don't need any at home.  I know you want to send me packages and stuff but trust me I don't need it.  Nor any ties or clothing haha. I already have too much stuff that I cant pack.  Everything has been holding up well and I have taken care of it all so most of it should last through my mission.  Gift cards to anywhere are good! There is a QDoba in my area now that I have been catching up on.  haha but don't bank on that for Christmas cuz odds are I will be gone before Christmas.  I do have a couple things I want for Christmas though.  

I did get the letters from the ward!  They were awesome.  I will write back to the Robbins and send Bishop another letter. 

 

That's sweet brother Chipman is Bishop!  Good thing it wasn't dad haha.   Man it will be so weird coming home.  EVERYTHING is changing.   Oh well.  

 

This week went really well!  Found a couple new investigators.  We tracted into a mom and son and went back to teach them this week and it went so well.  They are a way nice Catholic family.  The son is 12 and is like 6"2 and super mature.  He studies religion on the weekends for fun.  He plays basketball obviously.  I told him I knew a few young men that would probably worship him if he came to play on the church ball team.  It was an awesome lesson though, basically they were really curious about the church and she wanted to know why we were so dedicated and why we wanted to do what we were doing so we just bore testimony of why we are on missions and then taught about the Book of Mormon and how it relates to the Bible and how they support one another.  They thought it was the coolest thing ever how you could cross reference it.  That was basically the most exciting thing that happened this week. 

 

Your taco bar thing sounds awesome.  Just make sure there is enough.  Zone conference lunches are something we always look forward to haha. 

 

Well I hope you have another good week and you can keep recovering from all your vacations.  Love and miss you!!!

 

Elder Skalla 

Cleaning out week…

Hi!  Looks like you guys had fun! By the way that shirt Ryan is wearing in the zip line is totally mine unless he got the exact same one.  Ali K gave that to me when she went on her cruise.  Those shirts will still be good when I get home so tell him to stay out of my clothes.  :) (brotherly love 2,000 miles away)

My week was pretty uneventful.  Lots of tracting and stuff.  Met a lot of new people though. I spent like 2 hours calling everyone in the phone with PI next to their name.  (potential investigator)  Got like 3 appointments out of it so that was good!  I still have another 50 to call though haha, there were 546 contacts in our phone so I am kinda cleaning it out. I have done a lot of that in this area haha, the apartment, the dead pool, the ward mission process the car.   Sister Jacklin even brought us over a carpet cleaner and is making us clean our carpets today.  That's just what I want to spend my P day doing...  oh well. 

We taught a family named the ______ last night.  They are friends of the people the Gibbs are friends with.  It went really well and the wife has sooo much potential but the husband just won't give it a chance.  He just thinks the Bible is all he needs and anything God wants him to learn is in there and he just wants to debate doctrine with us.  I read him Jacob 4 like 4 verses from the end.  It was cool cuz I was reading it that morning and never noticed what it said.  But basically told him the Jews literally had the promised messiah, the very son of God in the flesh standing right in front of them and the "looked past the mark" and "sought for things which they could not understand"  Basically I told him we are offering him the fullness of the gospel and more truth and he is looking past the mark and wont let go of his traditions to see what is right in front of him.  He  (along with a ton of other Christians) is just denying that God can reveal more and they are limiting his power.  He didn't really change or anything, but hey maybe the spirit will touch his heart, I don't know.  Awesome family though.  Would be amazing members.  

That's about it for my week.  I realized I haven't sent a memory card home since like March so I am gonna send it home this week so be looking for it.  Hope you have an awesome week!! 

Love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla

Is the election over yet?

HI! 

Glad you are having fun on the cruise!  That is a small world about Max.  I never thought there would be so many weird connections with people and places on my mission.

This week was pretty normal.  Nothing too ground breaking.  We're finally getting to know the area and the members better and have been doing a lot of tracting.  I swear if one more person asks me who I am voting for I am gonna punch them!  haha it is getting so old.  It's like every other door now.  I can't wait till this election is over.  Finally at this one door this guy asked me and I was just like "we're voting for this guy, pointing to Christ's name on my tag, but were not here to talk politics were here to talk about Him."  He wasn't interested in talking about Christ.  I have just been trying to think of creative ways to use the question cuz I am getting sick of trying to be indifferent and avoiding it haha  Oh!  Also I was really mad because I was talking to a senior couple in the office this week and found out since I have been here over a year and have an address I could have registered to vote in Ohio. Some missionaries did.  Wish I woulda known that sooner.  She said they didn't tell everyone cuz they don't want us to be worried about that stuff.   (that's ok, Colorado needs his vote too!!)

It was cool to get a hand delivered package in church yesterday! haha thank you!  They were way cool and Sister Gibbs was way nice and excited haha.  It was funny cuz we had this investigator Shaun at Church.  He is a LONG story but he is this 25 year old from Afghanistan.  But after Sacrament meeting he was like asking me who the Gibbs girls were and if I could introduce him and all this stuff.  Finally I was just like Shaun did you come to church just so you could meet girls.  He was like ya why else would I come.  He is really weird.  Needless to say we pretty much dropped him after that! haha

That girl I was telling you about last week Kara is still doing really well.  She came to church and we met the rest of her family and her sisters friend wants to start coming to church with us so that's good!  We are still just trying to meet everyone and figure things out here but the members are awesome here.  I think it is a more "westernized" ward that any other I have been in so it's good.

Hope you have an awesome week!  Love and miss you!

Elder Skalla

This is the Gibbs family from Highlands Ranch who were on vacation in Ohio and able to take Elder Skalla a package from home!  What a treat for mom!!

Truly Converted

HI!  Dang I feel like you guys have been going everywhere lately.  I think I might rather go see Dave Ramsey than a cruise though.  I read like 1/4 of his book a couple years ago.  Besides probably nothing will top the last cruise we went on and its more fun at that age too.   If I can live through dad going to sporting events without me I can live through a cruise haha  as long as you make up for it September 2015 if ya know what I mean ;) (The BYU vs Nebraska game)

This week was really good but we didnt get  any work done in our area.  We spent almost every day planning or in meetings and conferences.  We had our training meeting on Friday.  It was pouring rain but we still went contacting downtown.  We were soaked and Obama was in town so everyone thought we were there for other reasons.  

Conference was amazing as always.  Cant believe it was already my 3rd one...   I couldn't believe that announcement though.  It will definitely shake things up a bit.  It will be interesting to see the young ones starting to come out in the next few transfers.  I'm guessing the number of missionaries will shoot up at first but probably level back down.  It was weird to think Ryan could be gone before I get home too.  But that is definitely not something he should ignore or decide right away. If the Lord needs him this summer he better be ready and you better be ready to let him go haha.    Something he will have to pray hard about.  Elder Holland totally stole my talk too haha well  kinda, I gave a talk on that same story my last week in Youngstown.  I have to say his was much better and much more convincing haha.  I hope you all got something out of conference.  I think the theme of it was that in the world we live in it is no longer enough to only have a testimony and knowledge of the gospel.  With the temptations and peer pressure we all face we need to be rooted and personally converted if were gonna make it.  And its something no matter how long we have been in the church or how old we are we need to be doing every day.  Every day being more converted and willing to follow the Lords counsel.  It was cool because Elder Perkins spoke in Priesthood and Elder Nash in conference.  2 GA's that have been to our mission since I have been here and have spent a day learning from.  It was cool to see them again and hear them speak. 

So last week we just got a random call from a girl saying she wanted to come back to church.  We met her on Friday night and she is 19 and going to school in Cleveland.  Basically she said she was sick of the way she was living her life went in and told her work she was taking Sundays off and going back to church and then called us.  Her and her family were baptized when she was 12 and fell away shortly thereafter.  She even came to the church with us on Sunday and watched conference.  I am pretty impressed with her.  She just decided to change one day and is actually acting upon it.  So many people, especially younger, realize they need to change but never do anything about it.  Or they do for like 3 days and then get bored and go back to what they were doing before.  I am excited to start teaching her and stuff though. 

Well I hope you have an awesome week and safe travels on your cruise!

Remember to ask the missionaries!  Cuz apparently we can help with everything!  Oh conference humor.  Its only funny to us out here haha,  but the statement is true haha 


Carlos H. Amado: “Some men are willing to die for their faith but will not fully live for it" 
 I think thats the difference between someone with a testimony and someone who is converted.  If you believe you would die for it if need be but if you are converted you will both live and die for your faith.  


Love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla

Message from MOM:
I got to respond right back to this email and was worried he would be mad at me for doing this cruise without him.  This is the response I got back:

"I have been out 15 months mom, I am at the peak of my mission, not much is gonna make me not want to be here haha  It's just a cruise.  Of course I wanna go though.  And Dave Ramsey will probably help me with my future a lot more than a cruise would haha"

I didn't ever think he would want to leave his mission for a cruise, but I did expect him to whine a little!  I  think I should have sent my girls on missions and my boys when they turned 16!!!  I love the growth, maturity and insight that a mission has given to Brad.  I love this boy with all my heart and I couldn't be more proud of him!  I highly recommend this mission thing!  Hardest thing and best thing EVER!!!

Transferred to Lakewood, Ohio (letter from 10/2)

Hi!!!  I am glad you had fun on the cruise!  It looks like it was a blast! 

So I am now serving in Lakewood Ohio...  Honestly its a place I never thought I would be.   It is TINY (area wise) compared to my last 2 areas which is weird to not have to worry about hour long drives and going over on miles.  It is right outside Cleveland and covers Lakewood, Rocky River, Fair View Park and Bay Village.  It is like the super nice suburbs of Cleveland so there is like not much ghetto and the houses are beautiful here.  Much different than downtown Youngstown.  Its so weird cuz there are just people everywhere and everything is so compact and there is just stuff everywhere.  I am way excited though, it is going to be a fun area.  The mission office is in our area too and all the senior office couples and the AP's live in the same apartment complex so that's fun we get to see them all the time and last night the Hokansons brought us a ton of food haha.   The AP's are our neighbors so we work out with them in the mornings.  The ward is really small but I think it might just look small cuz we meet in a big western type stake center and we aren't even close to filling it up haha.  It is weird because President lives like 5 mins away and his ward meets in the same building, so it was weird seeing them around the church building. 

My new companion is Elder Curtis from St. George Utah.  He is a great kid.  Really impressed me with his teaching already so I am excited to work with him.  He is scared to death of tracting though so we have been working on that a lot haha.  It has been kinda funny.   I love it though just cuz I have been doing it for so long tracting is just tracting and for him its like this huge thing that we do. It's so fun though, I am excited to train and we get along well already. 

Our first few days here were crazy.  I thought being a zone leader was hard but shotgun training takes it by far haha.  The previous Elders were so kind as to leave us 0 appointments for the week so we get here and neither of us knows anything about the area and my greenie is just waiting for me to say what we are gonna do.  haha I had no idea what to do!  We figured it out though and met some of the members and less actives and stuff so it was good.  Not much going on investigator wise here. That's probably why it was shotgunned, but we will figure it out eventually haha.  Again the apartment was disgusting and smelled like mold just like it was when I first got to Alliance.  We spent a lot of time cleaning and scrubbing the shower and stuff.  The complex is really nice and is by all these huge houses right on the lake but the apartment was nasty. The night we got there we went to the store and bought a little food and some cleaning stuff and air freshener.  When we were leaving the lady checking us out comes over and like whispers in my ear "hey where could I get a Book of Mormon?  I had one years ago and lost it and I want to read it."  We got her info and stuff so that was pretty cool.  She hasn't picked up the phone yet but we will keep trying.  It was cool for Elder Curtis though.  That night a member called us and there was a LA in the hospital so we went with him to give her a blessing.  Elder Curtis got to give his first blessing so that was cool for him too.  I think for both of us not knowing what was going on we did pretty well our first week. 

I am trying to remember that exchange with Elder Read...  I don't remember visiting an ex member.  I remember him telling me about one but not teaching him.  I don't know you do so much stuff you can't remember them all.  (He remembered when I told him the story correctly!)  And I am not the best at writing in my journal… :/   I write but not a lot.   He got called to be a zone leader this transfer.  Its funny cuz we both went to each others greenie areas.  He started here in Lakewood and I started in Tallmadge where he is at. 

Well I hope you have a good week recovering from your cruise!  

Love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla

Saying goodbye to people he has come to know and love.  That was hard!

Elder Berryessa and Elder Skalla

Leaving the truck behind…now he drives a Subaru Outback!

 Elder Skalla's roommates from the MTC together for the first time in over a year!

Elder Curtis is his new companion and "Greenie" that he is now training.

Elder Anderson, a former companion went home this transfer.

Elder Skalla's "sons" Elder Curtis and Elder Buxton

Missionary lingo for missionaries he has trained.  

Transfer Week--Sept 25th Letter

Glad you guys are having a good time on the cruise...  Im jealous.  I was reading an article the other day about adjusting to post mission life and a psychologist from the missionary department said one of the best ways to adjust is to go on vacation when you get home... hint hint haha just kidding kinda

This week was soooooooo crazy. I guess that's normal now though haha.  Tuesday I had my trainers meeting up in Cleveland.  It was really good, it just takes the entire day to go there so you don't get to do missionary work.  I feel like I didn't do much of that at all this week.  Friday was the best day.   Elder Perkins of the Seventy came and spoke to us.  It was cool because at the beginning of the meeting he asked us to write down two questions.  One personal and one about the work with your companion or an investigator concern and see if it gets answered.   One of my questions was how can I stay motivated during hard times.   Like 5 minutes after telling us to do that he says well I felt impressed to do this at the other meeting yesterday and didn't and now I feel like I need to do it today.  He then spent like an hour talking to us about why we serve, why we obey, why we do anything and different levels of motivation and how we can achieve the highest level.  It was sooo cool to see one of my questions answered like that.  We were all supposed to come prepared to teach a 10 minute lesson on the sabbath day.  Of course Elder Berryessa and I get randomly called up to role play this lesson.  Let me tell you there is nothing more nerve racking than teaching a lesson in front of 70 other missionaries, your mission president and a general authority and then having them evaluate you!  I feel like we did pretty well though, it was fun.  On Sunday I spoke in sacrament meeting about President Hinckley's talk Find the Lambs, Feed the Sheep.  That went pretty well too! 

SO this week was pretty rough having to say bye to people....  This area has been like my whole mission.  I have worked in every single proselyting area in this stake over the last year.  I never thought I would grow to care about a stake so much and the people there.  We had dinner with the Warner's Sunday night.  I don't know if I have told you about them but they are in the Alliance ward and he is a resident from Utah.  We had farewell dinner #3 haha this one for real though.  He is like one of the smartest guys I have met out here in the gospel and I have had long talks with him about all kinds of stuff about life and the gospel.  I have learned so much from people like them and many others and it sucks to leave!  Missionaries usually don't stick around for a whole year so I have gotten pretty close with some of these people.  I had to say bye to Tina and Alicia and Andrea last night too.  Man that was hard.  You get to see someones conversion process and grow and change in the gospel and then you just have to leave them!  I made a lot of promises to come back though haha I hope I will keep them!  I know the Lord has other places for me to go though and others I will grow to love.  I am so grateful for serving here though.  Something I will never forget. 

I still have no clue where I am going though... My greenie is going to find out where we are serving before I do haha.  Oh well I am stoked its gonna be quite the adventure trying to figure it all out haha

I hope you guys have a great rest of vacation!  Love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla

New Assignment....

Thanks for the pictures and stuff!  Talmage is getting big!  So is Jenni!  ;)   Her house is nice too!!!!  Not bad for their first home.  I am glad they are doing so well and the shower went well.  Hillary said she loved seeing you guys again.  I bet thats weird for all of you without me there haha.

So another crazy week in the life of Elder Skalla.  I feel like I havent written a good letter in forever so we have some extra time today so I can tell you more of whats going on. First of all transfers are next week the 26th and I found out I will be getting transferred.  President called yesterday and released me from being a zone leader and asked me to train again and be a district leader.  It honestly scared me a little.  Everyone, Elder Berryessa being the worst, kept telling me I was gonna be AP and stuff and when President called last night he was like "Elder Skalla I am releasing you from being a zone leader and I have a new assignment for you next transfer."  Elder Berryessa was like freaking out at this point, but then he asked me to train haha I was so relieved.  I thought I was gonna faint before though haha.  Being a ZL went by soooo fast.  4 transfers is the norm but I felt like it just flew.  I am soooooooo excited to train again though now knowing a little bit more of what I am doing haha.  The only thing I am terrified of is that I am shotgun training.  So I have to go to a brand new area with a brand new missionary and won't know anything about the area.  That is gonna be hard but oh well you gotta have some kinda fun.  I am kinda sad I am leaving Youngstown behind...  I have been in the stake and with some of the same members for 11 months now and I dont wanna leave Tina and Dylan and everyone behind.  I kept saying I was ready to leave but now that I actually am I don't want to haha. 

The work this week went really well.  I don't think I have told you about E.  We were tracting last week and just knocked on her door and talked for like 30 mins and set a return appt.  We called to confirm and she was telling me on the phone that she was already almost done with 2 Nephi and couldn't seem to put the book down.  I just like didn't know what to say!  No one has ever said that to me before!  haha We taught her the next day and it went really well.  Her husband is on tour in Iraq and comes home in 3 weeks and has a 1 year old daughter.  She already told her husband about us and he is glad she is meeting with us so its like perfect!  We were supposed to see her yesterday but her baby was in the hospital all night so we didn't get to, but we are gonna baptize the whole family!  Well I won't but whoever comes here will!   We also taught this crazy Hungarian lady and her husband.  Its a long long story how we found him but the lesson was just funny.  She has a thick thick accent and like during the lesson they would start getting really excited about things and stand up and start yelling and walking towards us. haha I was trying so hard not to laugh.  Then she was flipping through her Bible for like 10 mins while her husband was talking and then stands up and reads the last few verses in revelations (never heard that one before) and like said we were wrong and all this funny stuff.  haha But lets just say we are probably not going back there to teach anytime soon haha.  We also took Anthony on a "Mini Mission"   he came and spent the whole weekend with us and stuff.  He is getting ready to put his papers in so we took him out to motivate him a little.  It was so fun, he has had a rough life but he is a good kid and it was fun being with him for the weekend.  The H Family is still doing amazing.  Brother H has just left me speechless.  He just got called as the young men's president and is doing amazing.  We gave him a copy of Jesus the Christ like last week and he finished the whole thing and like told us all this stuff he learned.  Its incredible.   Tina is still doing well.  She fed us dinner on Friday and we talked about temples.  She HATES that she has to wait till May to go.  She is still struggling.  She got laid off and is having a hard time finding another job.  We gave her a blessing yesterday after church.  She is great though she will pull out of it. 

I am so excited for this week.  Tomorrow I get to go to the mission home for trainers meeting and Friday is mission conference with Elder Perkins so its gonna be a good week.  I am running out of money though...  I have been eating MUCH healthier lately and healthy food is way more expensive so it is kinda draining me.  Plus with getting shotgunned I may need to use the credit card to get some food here in a couple weeks.  Well I hope you have fun on your cruise...  I am jealous.  Tell everyone I say hi and that I miss them.  Have a good week!  I love you!

Elder Skalla

Short and sweet….and pictures!

Hi!  I don't have a lot of time so this is going to be quick!  Zoned out is once a year when 3 zones go to the Johnson Farm for p-day.  Its like the highlight of our year pretty much haha.  It was way fun though, we got to take another tour of the Johnson farm and read D&C 76 and stuff and play football. We don't spend too much time with the AP's. We just go on exchanges with them once a transfer and then see them at meetings and stuff.  (I told him it seemed like they were with the AP's a lot)  haha I laughed about what Papa said cuz he is right. (Papa Dean wondered what a city kid missionary needed a truck for) We have a 2012 Chevy Colorado.  We don't need that nice of a car but we need a truck cuz we have to haul every ones stuff to transfers and things like that so that is why all the zone leaders have trucks.  I did get all the packages and CD you sent me.  Thank you!  Although I'm sorry but that is the absolute worst Lead Kindly Light I have ever heard (no wonder it was a free download!) haha but I like the other song so thank you! 

So this week I finished the New Testament and have also been reading Jesus the Christ.  I am like half way through but I have been studying parables this week and man they are amazing.  Like you always talk about Christ being a master teacher and everything but like when you read and seek to find the deeper meanings in the parables and things He says, it is like incredible.  I just wish people in the world and especially members of the church read and understood the scriptures more.  It's incredible the things the spirit can teach you and the real life application they have. 

Well I am sorry this is so short but we have to go cuz we have to drive up to Warren for their district meeting.  I hope you have an awesome week and I promise I will write more next week.  

Love and miss you!!! 

Elder Skalla

ZONED OUT…

MANY ARE CALLED BUT WE ARE CHOSEN

Too Busy to write…(that's a good thing!)

Hi!  Sorry I haven't e mailed you yet.  This has seriously been the busiest week of my mission. haha I have been exhausted.  I am glad you got back safe in the 4 runner!  I promise I will write that letter as soon as I can.  I have just been up till like 12 every night getting stuff planned.  That is cool that experience you had with Nikki!  Now just imagine that every day, all day and that's what I get to do!  It really is amazing, the constant spirit and getting to invite others to come unto Christ every day.  Its something that will probably never happen again so you have to cherish it. 

So I don't even know where to really start this week.  Last Wednesday we had our zone conference which was way good!  Then we got a new truck and went on exchanges with the assistants and Elder Prince stayed here in Youngstown with me.   We had an awesome lesson with J.  He was the guy that came up and said he has been looking for us for forever.  We like went in and didn't really have a plan to teach anything, but it was one of those completely guided lessons.  He said the closing prayer and we stood up and he just stayed there on his knees crying.  He is such a good guy.  After that our appointment cancelled and Elder Prince and I ended up rolling up our pants and scrubbing the baptismal font, haha it was so nasty.

Thursday as it sounds like you already know we moved the Patton's and had dinner with T and A.   It was sad to see them leave.  Everyone is moving out, it's not good for the ward.  Dinner was really good though!

D did get baptized on Saturday!  It actually went really well.  A kid that is getting ready to go on a mission baptized him.  D even bore his testimony there and everything.  It was a really good service.  I don't have my camera but I will send you some pictures next week.  Now we just need to make sure he stays active haha.  He is a good kid though,  he is just still an 18 year old.  Sunday he was at work from 6am to 10am so he had to book it from work to get confirmed, but he ended up making it so it was good!

Monday was actually way nice.  No offense but I was actually way excited not to e mail on Monday.  Right after studies I just slept for like 2 hours haha.  Then we went and played basketball all day with some other missionaries and a couple members.   Tuesday it started to get even crazier.  We had mission council in Cleveland that morning which went really well but then that night we had stake coordination with the presidency and President Vellinga.  It takes a good 2 hours to get to Y town from the mission office and mission council didn't end till 4.  So after we had to book it back to Youngstown.  It was pouring rain and a ton of traffic the whole way so we thought we were gonna be late.  We took the toll road and ended up making it, but it was quite the drive.  We were going like 70 and it was just dumping and I could barely see.  Then we just hit this massive puddle of water and started fish tailing and turning sideways.  All while not even being able to see out of the windows haha (Glad he is laughing!!)  It was scary but I got out of it and we ended up being fine. haha   After the meeting was kinda cool.  We had planned to just go home and plan for our ZDM we had today but they were talking about this guy in stake coordination and President Vellina wanted to go see him with us.  He ended up not being home but President took us out to McDonald's for dinner and we ended up just talking with him about the work for like 2 hours,  it was kinda cool.  You don't get to spend much alone time with President, so it was fun.  This morning we had our ZDM which went really well.  I am getting kinda tired planning and doing meetings but this one went really well.  Well I don't have much more time but next Monday we have zoned out so I probably wont e mail you on Monday.   I hope you have an awesome week! 

Love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla