Elder Skalla!!!  We love you!!!

Photos!!!

Missionary Calendar pics??  Haha!

Birthday Week

Dang Angels Landing looks sweet!!!  I am glad you guys had a good time.  I am jealous.  I dont have a lot of time cuz we have appts today but this week was pretty quiet which I was honestly thankful for after everything last week.  I honestly cant think of anything too exciting that happened.  Everyone is still doing really well!  Elder D is doing so good.  Like I honestly dont even know how he does it.  Last p day we went to Warren and played tennis with them.  Man I can not tell ou how good that felt after not playing for almost a year.  There was a kid there that played for the local HS that I hit with.  He wasnt bad at all but honestly I was impressed with my self cuz I smoked him with a Wal Mart racket.  hahaha I think I was just so excited to play again that I was all amped up and just didnt think about it and played good haha it was way fun though.  Elder D is like obsessed with playing tennis now to and wants me to teach him haha He bought 2 new rackets yesterday too so we will probably go up there and play.   We are having a zone birthday party next p day haha.  Me, Anderson, Barlow, Brignac, Sister Hansen and Elder Newy all have June birthdays and Elder Johnson and Elder Helton are in July so we are just gonna celebrate next week haha

 

I didn't get anything from Mr. Mac in the mail... Hopefully it comes today and doesn't disappear like the DVDs.  Did you ever listen to those 2 songs??  Well I am sorry this letter is so lame haha next week probably won't be exciting either cuz we have to stay in Cleveland this week for 3 days for meetings.  blahhhh  President is going crazy trying to change everything and do all he wants to do before he leaves in 4 weeks. haha It's gonna be so weird.  Well I hope you have a good week and are safe traveling!  I feel like you are always gone!  I guess thats the good thing about not having any kids or pets haha 

Love you!!

 

Elder Skalla

Mother's Day & A Wonderful Baptism!

It was so good talking to you!  I will just write a little about the baptism since that was the only really exciting thing that happened.  Well there was probably more exciting things but its all the same to me now haha.  I miss like being way excited about all the crazy people I meet and crazy things that happen but its just like normal now.  I need to be better about telling you stuff haha. 

The baptism was amazing!!  We had a little trouble with the font but other than that it went really well.  On Monday President Sorensen interviewed them for baptism.  It went so well.  They talked for like an hour and both came out in tears.  President was sooooo excited about her.  After she left he was like talking to us about her and saying what a good job we did with her, haha I have never seen him that giddy! haha He even offered to take us out to dinner.  Too bad we had an appointment.  Then 2 days before the baptism we met at the church to do a walk through and Tina asked if she could talk to us and brother Patton alone.  She just started crying and feeling like Satan was doing everything he could to tear her down and she just couldn't shake it.  We explained that that is exactly what he was trying to do and how every time anyone takes steps in the right direction he does everything he can to stop it.  We then gave her a blessing to comfort her.  That was probably one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission.  Just seeing someone want to change so bad and want to rely on the Lord in every aspect of their lives.  That's really what being on a mission is all about, its the best part.  You get to see real change.  Its all possible because of the Atonement.  We just need to LET it change us like Tina did.  No matter if we are the worst sinner or a GA the Atonement needs to constantly change us and make us better.  I love seeing that in others who are not members of the church or have strayed from the path.  It reminds me to always change and continue to become.  At the baptism she bore the sweetest testimony of that change in her life and how grateful she was.  It was an unforgettable journey with her and Alicia. 

I hope you all have an amazing week.  I always keep you in my prayers.  I appreciate all your prayers and support.  I need it and I can feel it.  Thank you.  Ill talk to you again at Christmas!  Which will probably feel like next week.  Time goes too fast….  

Love you! 

Elder Skalla 

Mother's Day Skype!

Ohio Cleveland Zone Leaders

Shortest letter yet!

Hey! 

 

I am glad you are getting your cast off and everything soon!  I bet you will be excited to drive haha.  Elder Anderson hasn't driven in almost 3 years. haha He got his license stolen his 2nd week on his mission and can't get another unless he shows up in person at the DMV in Georgia haha so that kinda stinks.  I am so sick of driving everywhere haha I wish he could drive. 

This week was really good.  We had Zone Conference on Tuesday which was way good and more meetings all week.   We have a ZDM on Wednesday and then that is our last big meeting we have to plan for for the rest of the transfer so I am excited about that. 

I have been exhausted this week... but that's not really anything new.  Saturday we taught Brian and his friend Travis.  They are the younger guys I told you about.  They remind me a lot of the Brian I taught in Akron.  I just know how to talk to them now.  They are really cool they don't want to like argue or anything, they just want truth.  They feed us every time we see them too so that's a bonus.  But on Saturday I guess I looked tired (surprise)  so Brian gave me a 5 hour energy.  I haven't had one since I threw up after drinking one at that church ball game but I felt like I had to and it was like 7 at night.  I ended up not going to sleep till 4:30 Saturday night.  haha I was soooo tired Sunday.  I spent like 3 hours that night studying the Godhead though, haha it was good.  I really did try to see where people get that doctrine from the Bible but I couldn't find any haha.   Oh well we all have our own beliefs. 

But nothing else exciting really happened this week. My mind is kinda going a million miles an hour right now.  Hopefully I will remember more when I talk to you Sunday.  I don't know what time church is there but somehow I will let you know when I will call.  I get out of church at 1 my time so anytime after that.

The mail has definitely declined the last month or 2 haha I guess its getting to that point.  I hear from some of my friends like once a month or every other month.  I got a letter from Lee this week,  It was good to hear from him.   I got your post card by the way!  And I talked to the mail carrier about my package and she said she would have left me a slip and she never saw anything for me.  I guess it just got lost!

 

Well I hope you have an awesome week and I am so excited to talk to you on Sunday!!!!  

Very Busy Week & Austintown Apartment!

Hi!  Happy Birthday Dad!!!  

Glad you got to go to St. George!  I am jealous!  Not gonna lie I wish I was there haha I could use a vacation right now...   But whatever, I have more important things to do!  I just wish it would slow down a little! 

We went on exchanges this week with Alliance.  I spent a couple days back in Alliance with Elder Johnson. It was so weird, but way fun serving with him again.   We have both changed quite a bit.  They are doing really good.  Elder Johnson works himself to death still haha he is probably one of the hardest workers in the mission.  It was fun to get to teach with him now that I know a little more and see some of the investigators and members in Alliance again.  Even though I was only gone for 2 weeks it felt good to go to my home again haha.  It was weird like not sleeping in my bed and stuff cuz Elder Johnson took it haha. 

I think I spent like 10 hours driving this week going to New Castle, Warren and Alliance and Cleveland.  I think that's what I hate most about being a Zone Leader-- all the places you have to drive.  I am about ready to blow TIWI up too... haha.  We had mission council in Cleveland Friday which was way good. That is just a meeting with Zone leaders, president and the APs.  It was cool, they tell you a lot of stuff there you don't get to hear when you are a normal missionary.  We have zone conference all day tomorrow and then stake meetings tomorrow night and then zone development again next week.  Way too much planning and way too many meetings! haha I am sick of giving workshops haha!  Elder Anderson and I have to do one together tomorrow at zone conference.  Then prepare for another one for ZDM.  Oh and I had to speak in Sacrament meeting yesterday which was crazy.  I had like no time to prepare and the youth speaker and Elder Christensen left me a whole 35 minutes to fill...   I think it went well though, haha people came up to us after and told us about people they were going to invite now and I even made one lady cry.  haha I don't know why but she just came up to me in tears right after sacrament haha . 

Our investigators are doing so good.  Tina and Alicia are still looking good for the 12th so we are excited about that!  We met a new guy this week named Brian.  He is 22 and is a big evangelical guy.  He even goes door to door talking to people.  He is way nice and feeds us lunch and we have discussions haha. 

So yesterday this lady from Oregon called us and said that her aunt wanted to meet us or something I don't know, it was a weird situation.   So we go over to this lady's house and the lady from Oregon is there and I guess she is on her way to Washington to speak because she was mother of the year or something like that and stopped at her aunts house for a few days and started talking about the church and gave her a Book of Mormon and stuff and wants us to teach her.  We didn't even talk to the aunt but she wants us to go back in a few days and try to teach her.  I don't know, weird situation but the reason I am telling you this is because she has a son on a mission in St. Louis and says he is companions with an Elder Lewis. haha So I may have met Dillan's comps mom yesterday...  haha weird huh? 

Well I think that is all that happened this week. I cant wait to see what you do to the kitchen.  I feel like I am not even gonna recognize my house when I get home...    I hope you guys enjoy your time in St. George!  I have no idea about Mother's day yet...  Honestly I haven't even thought about it.  We will figure it out after this week when things start to calm down.  I cant believe its already time to talk to you again...  I love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla

Looks like a pretty nice missionary apartment!!!  

Except who put Bambi in the kitchen???  EWWWWWW Gross!!!