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