Letters like these make it all worth it!

Hey!!

I am glad that scouts is over for him (Ryan got his Eagle)! haha It's good to have and I am glad I did it, but man it's rough haha.  I got a little freaked out looking at those pics of (pregnant) Jenni too…  that's just weird! haha

So I think this week was one of the busiest, most exhausting, best weeks of my mission.   Monday we went to Warren and played tennis with Elder Dowley and Elder Porter and went to the mall and stuff.  It was way fun.  I have only been to the mall twice on my mission haha I don't like it.  Too many distractions haha but tennis was fun!  We had 4 rackets and I got stuck with the wooden, long 1930's racket haha It was so weird.  It took a while to get used to but after I did I still beat them all.  I did end up breaking the strings on it though haha oops.  It was nice to play again.  Monday night we met with some crazy guy we got a media referral for.  He was ridiculous.  He went up to the Palmyra pageant for 3 days and went every night to pretty much argue with cast members.  He is like a professional anti-er.  He is really nice and not contentious but still wants to bash.  I am pretty sure he knows more about the church than I do though he was like quoting the scriptures, discourses, lectures on faith and Mormon doctrine and stuff with page numbers.  It was crazy.  We had a good talk though.  It didn't get anywhere but it was kinda fun.  Elder Berryessa didn't even say 2 words the whole discussion though haha.  I hate talking with people like that.  I don't know everything but I feel like I know what I need to to defend what I believe and I am not one to concede to those people.   So I just talk with them and it gets intense sometimes.  I need to work on that though.  I swear anti follows Elder Berryessa haha I have never seen so much since I have been serving with him! 

Tuesday Wednesday and Thursday were pretty much all meetings and exchanges.  We had mission council in Cleveland and then 3 different district meetings to go to.   On Wednesday we were down in Alliance for DM and after we went to see the J family .  I don't know if you remember but I taught Mary there the whole time I was there.  It was fun to see them again.  I guess Mary is progressing really well and is getting baptized on Sunday.  When I was there she asked if I would baptize her so I am excited for that this Sunday! 

So like a week and a half ago we were coming out of an appointment with a recent convert and the truck pulls up and has us stop.  He rolls down his window and says, "Man I have been looking for you guys for forever!"   We set up an appointment with him and then left.  We saw him on Wednesday and he is awesome.  His name is Jeremy.  He was baptized like 5 years ago in Chicago, was active with his family for a while, went through a nasty split and then fell away.  He was talking about how he kept calling the church to get them to send him a Book of Mormon so missionaries would come by but no one ever did.  We had an awesome lesson with him and now we are teaching his 12 year old daughter and 7 year old son that aren't members.  It was sweet.  I love when God puts people in your path.

On Saturday we finally got to take Tina and Alicia to Kirtland.  Andrea was supposed to come as well as another investigator but the morning of they both bailed.  We have to have one to go to Kirtland so I had to call President to get permission to go.  It wasn't an easy yes either haha.  But Kirtland was amazing as always.  Tina LOVED it.  It was cool cuz when we were in the School of the Prophets in the Whitney store the sisters had me bear my testimony and I talked about how exactly one year ago almost to the day  (one day late)  I started my mission on my knees in prayer in that room on the same chair Tina was sitting.  How I prayed that I would be able to find and teach people like them and help them to feel Gods love.  It was an amazing experience and a great reminder to me of that prayer I said sitting there with someone I had watched gain a testimony and seeing that prayer answered.  Man I have trouble explaining it all but it was just awesome.  The sisters let Tina and Alicia have some time to ponder in there alone too.  Such a great day.  

Man this week was seriously just awesome.  There is even more but I don't have time to write it all.  I am just grateful for the experiences I have had this last year and all that I have come to understand.  The Lord truly is anxiously engaged in our lives and especially in His work if we only allow him to work the miracles.  Notice them in your life because they are there every single day, all because He loves us.  I know he does. 

I hope you have an amazing week!!  I love and miss you!!!  Elder Skalla

Elder Skalla and Elder Berryessa