Great Experiences

 Hey!!  Ya usually I wouldn't e mail you on a holiday but I am at the office so you get them haha.  Well this week was pretty boring.  Didn't really do much except teach and find people.  Kidding... I wish it was like that!  It was crazy as usual. I am starting to get used to it though.  I just miss getting to spend time going out and talking with everyone and finding people and just being out but this is still really fun and I get to do things I wouldn't normally get to.  On Tuesday I went on exchanges with Elder Kay on the East side of Cleveland.  Him and Elder Buxton are the Kirtland Zone leaders right now.  It was fun. He was one of my roommates in the MTC and we have never served anywhere near each other so it was fun to catch up.  He has come such a long ways since the MTC.  We had a lot of long talks there and his first couple weeks in the field and it was cool to see how much he has grown.  It was so different working on the East side.  Brought me back to Youngstown.  Its interesting how you have to go about the work differently and talk to people differently depending on the area.  North Olmsted ward is kinda like the Highlands Ranch of Cleveland so we go about things a lot differently there than in Cleveland.  We met some nice people and taught a really good lesson with the first counselor in the mission presidency to a new investigator.  We have been having some problems with cleanliness in the mission and apartment functionality so president had a senior couple go to every single apartment in the mission for an inspection.  When I was on exchanges it was their turn to get checked and Sis. Vellinga came along to see because she has never been in a missionary apartment and was curious to see how we lived.  While the senior couple was inspecting with Elder Kay, Sister Vellinga was just asking all these questions about missionary living and life and it was so funny.  It was just fascinating to her haha.  I love her--the whole mission thing is just so new and cool to her.  The rest of the week we pretty much did office work had a bunch of meetings with president trying to figure out what were gonna do in March with missionaries and apartments and cars and beds and a million other things. Thursday we finally had like a couple hours to go find but of course something came up.  We planned to go stop by a former investigator and then contact around her house. So we pull up and park and shut the car off and we are looking at her teaching record. While we are reading it we get hit by a car.  I about fell into Elder Weavers lap in the passengers seat. Turns out the former investigator backed into us.  She like got out and started yelling at us for being in her way and we should have seen her and moved and all this stuff.  I were just like well I'm sorry we were parked and our car was off.  We got her insurance info so I think she is gonna take care of it. Needless to say I think the relationship was damaged so we decided it was best to no ask if we could come back and teach her haha.  Friday we had a really good leadership training meeting with all the zone and district leaders.  Sunday there was a fireside in Kirtland.  They have one every month for investigators and we can go if we have one but ours fell through but Elder Jacklin needed us to bring a car out there so we went anyway.  It was way good.  They had a recent convert speak and then Elder and Sister Edman spoke.  They are the directors of Kirtland and they go home this week. Elder Edman is amazing he has been a mission president and MTC president.  We met a lot of cool investigators from around the mission and heard some pretty cool stories.  A family named the ______ were there from the Youngstown ward.  They were on the PA side so I was surprised when she recognized me and that they were even there.  I was on exchanges with Elder Marshall when I taught them and they were great, but I thought they were a long shot to get baptized honestly.  That's why I was surprised to see them there.  We talked for like 20 mins and she told me about how the night I came over with Elder Marshall and Brother Nichols and taught them was her turning point and made her want to be more committed to the gospel and be baptized.  They are getting baptized this Sunday now! That was really cool to hear.  It kinda lifts your spirits when you hear things like that and realize that sometimes the things you say do get through to people.  

Well we have another busy week ahead.  We have the trainers meeting for the new trainers this week and transfer meeting to decide where everyone is going so that should be fun.  Tell everyone in AZ hi for me!  Love and miss you!!  

Elder Skalla 

18 months!!!

Hey!

 

I cant believe it either...  I try not to think about it.  I have already been an assistant for a month too.  Fastest month ever and it is only gonna get faster.  Its ok, I don't need packages haha I don't get much mail anymore.  I did get the calendar though!  It was perfect!  The sisters in the office LOVED it.  They wanted it to be hung in the office.  They liked that they were in it too haha. 

Have you liked this new youth stuff?  I was online looking at it and it looks way good.  I hope the youth are responding to it.  I wish they understood how much it can help them.  the Godhead is such a simple but deep and widely misunderstood doctrine.  I don't know if I told you this but back when we taught that guy you were talking about it was bothering me one night so I was up until 4:30 in the morning studying the Godhead so I knew what was true for myself haha.  President Uchtdorf gave an awesome devotional last night about truth.  What it is, if you can really know it and how.  He talked about how a lot of stuff out there is true a lot of it is not true and most of it is partially true.  He said Truth Exists beyond belief.  If something is truth and no one believes it it is still true and if something is not true but a lot of people believe it it is still not true.  I think were moving toward a time in the world where there is so much information available and so many different opinions and beliefs on literally everything its hard to see what is true and whats not.  Anyway I am rambling haha its good you should watch it. 

 

I have been everywhere....  I drove back and forth from Toledo 4 times in 24 hours this week.  Its like ridiculous how much we drive.  But I dont have to worry about miles anymore so I am happy about that haha.  This week was interesting as always.  We went on exchanges with the Toledo ZLs and Elder Hapairai is out there now.  I dont know if you remember him but he is the one from Tahiti and we got to be friends in Alliance and then we were on opposite sides of the mission for 9 months.  anyway he came to North Olmsted with me.  It was fun it had been exactly 1 year to the day since our last exchange.  We taught Holly about the Book of Mormon and committed her to baptism.  She wouldn't set a date yet because she wants to read and pray first but she is pretty excited.   We also had to take that sick Elder to the airport.  He had to go home for a while to get better.  It kinda stinks to see that.   Saturday was really good.  So we are getting A LOT more missionaries.  2 home 11 coming this transfer and 3 home and 30 coming next transfer.  By March we have to open 33 new areas...   and were not getting anymore cars and they want us to try to not have to get any apartments.  So I am just lucky enough to be an AP at the time where we have to figure all this out haha.  We have been talking with president a lot and it has just been crazy trying to work with stake presidents trying to figure out where to put missionaries and where we can open bike areas.  We have 2 biking areas right now ad we need 30.  Anyway president had what he called a "deployment meeting" on Saturday. We brought everyone who had been an AP in to figure it all out (there were 5 of us).  We sat in Presidents office for 6 hours meeting.  Not gonna lie, you have 5 assistants in one room discussing something and there is a lot of personality and opinions, haha but it was actually an incredible meeting.  We came up with all 33 areas without buying one new apartment or car.  It kinda sounds easy to do it writing but if you knew the dynamics and all the things that go into areas and stuff in the mission it was daunting.  We honestly weren't sure if we could do it.  But it all worked out and I think we are good to go for the next 2 transfers after we figure out if all the apartments will work and getting more beds and furniture and figuring out how we will transport all these missionaries and their bikes/luggage.  The biggest transfer we have had in 10 years is 13 so 30 is going to be a struggle. 

 

I do remember sister Pusey.  We served in the singles branch together.  I think she went home shortly after I came out.  Thats weird he met her haha.  The Bishop here works for NASA and goes to Lockheed all the time and stays in HR every time so he knows the area well.  Small world. 

 

haha President is just a goof sometimes.  He just calls randomly and says hey do you want to have a free meeting?  He is a funny guy, I enjoy spending so much time with him and sister Vellinga. 

 

Well I gotta get going but thank you for the pictures of Addie? Addy?  I don't know how I am supposed to spell it.  

Love and miss you!

 Elder Skalla 

"Free meetings" and cold calls

Hi!  

I do like boring weeks!  I wish I had one of those once in a while haha.  I love staying busy but it would be nice to not be so exhausted alllllll the time haha.  I guess that's gonna be like the rest of my life though.  We had zone training meetings this week so we were traveling all over the place.  The 3 of us had to take turns driving and sleeping and stuff haha.  It is fun spending so much time with president though. He has what he calls "free meetings" with us where we get to talk to him and he won't charge us for it.   haha I seriously have learned a lot though spending time with him.  

We saw the Elder that is in the hospital this week again too.  He is doing much better but he is still going to have to go home to get better.  There is like a ton of sickness going through the mission right now.  Sister Vellinga has been on the phone constantly with missionaries and stuff.  She has gone crazy trying to make sure every ones apartment is clean too.  I am just glad I have never really been too sick to work my whole mission. knock on wood....  

So like I told you AP's have their own phones and mine has like 600 contacts in it so I have been going through and just calling everyone in the phone.  I called a woman named Holly who had met with missionaries a couple years ago and we taught her this week.  It went really well!  She has a rough personality because she works in inner city Cleveland high school and has been stabbed before but she really opened up and she looks promising.  Its so hard to find people to teach in this are because we are always doing office work or traveling or at other appointments.   We had a mission fast yesterday to be able to find the elect which went really well so I am excited to see the results of that around the mission.  

I am hangin in there in this assignment.  It has been exhausting and hard but I know I have received help.  I have loved every minute of it though.  Time is gonna fly though.  The weeks are just more of blurs than they usually are.  

Well I hope you have a good week!  Love and miss you!

Elder Skalla

I did get the blue tooth and it worked great.  It took me forever to get it into pairing mode and once I got it I had a password for it so I spent like 30 mins putting every number combo I could think of in until I finally got it.  But thanks for sending it!  No rush but I need a couple more hair gels in  the next package you send me.  Thank  you!!! 

Busy, busy, busy…..

Hey!!  

I am glad I got to see the baby finally!  I love the pictures haha I think I have like 100 of her.  Poor girl.  I would hate that many pictures taken of me.  

This week was pretty slow with the holiday but it was fun.  Christmas night we had dinner with a family here and helped give their new baby girl Evalynn a blessing.  She had surgery the day after Christmas.  She has a ton of fluid in her head putting pressure on her brain so she had to have surgery to drain it all.  We had a ward fast for her last week and the surgery went well and it was successful so that was good.   This week was pretty slow teaching wise with the holidays and everything.  Its a hard time of the year.  It did snow a bunch though so we got some good service in.  Slow teaching but fast with the mission stuff.  

Friday was a pretty insane day.  That morning and afternoon we had our training meeting for the new missionaries in Kirtland which went really well.  Friday night every appointment cancelled but for good reasons.  We were just doing some stop bys and President called us and told us we had to come with him to the hospital in Sandusky.  Funny how when things cancel it's usually so something else can happen.  There is an Elder in the mission who has been sick and hasn't worked for 2 weeks and no one knew.  He ended up finally going to the hospital because his legs and feet were crazy swollen and they were hurting.   They don't know what is wrong with him so they are still running tests. He is feeling better though.  But we were out with President till like 2 am Friday night.  The poor guy has been exhausted with all his family in town and trying to run the mission.  You can just tell he has been running on fumes the last week.  He made us drive his car so he could sit in the back and make calls and stuff.   On the way home I drove and President was knocked out in the backseat haha.  I never woulda thought I would be driving the Mission presidents car at 2 am with him asleep in the back seat haha, the life of an assistant is so different.   So we get home and its 2 in the morning and Elder Hicken and Elder Curtis locked the dead bolt in the apartment and we couldn't get in.  We pounded on the door but they didn't wake up so we ended up crawling through the window.  President let us sleep in on Saturday morning which was nice.  We only slept till like 8 though.  I felt weird sleeping in.  It's funny how this thing has been happening where I realize that I have things I need to be doing that are more important than sleeping and I can't waste the day away haha.   Its like I am becoming a responsible adult with priorities now or something crazy like that. 

 

Well I am still at the office and have been e mailing off and on between President calling us in but I gotta go now for staff meeting.  I am gonna miss my p days haha.  I love and miss you!

 

Elder Skalla 

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