A Week of Blessings….and Staying in Alliance!

Hi!!!  

Man it has been a crazy long week!  Lots going on!  Well, I will be spending a quarter of my mission in Alliance!  I'm happy with it.  I love the ward and everything.  The crazy thing is that Elder Buxton is staying here with me! That was a shocker just because you dont stay with your trainer for 3 transfers very often.  We are both happy with it, but honestly I wish he would have transferred.  It's not that I don't love him, but I wanted him to get out and experience the work somewhere else and on his own ya know? I think I grew the most when I left Elder Johnson and had to figure things out and adapt to another area and companion.  He is officially done being trained now but it wont be much different this transfer.  My whole district got shotguned too. We are getting 2 new Elders in Lisbon and they are putting sisters back in Ravenna.  It will be very different.  Although I am not sure how excited I am to be the DL to sisters! haha We had 4 here when Elder Warner was DL and there can be a lot of drama that comes with sisters, but they bring a special spirit and very different input to meetings so I am excited.  The ward is going to be excited we are staying.  People have been calling and asking us for days if we know who is leaving yet. haha I have never seen a ward so curious about transfers haha.  

So the baptism this week went awesome!  I wish President would have showed up tp this one instead haha.  Everything went well and Elder Buxton and I gave a really good restoration presentation.  The spirit was definitely there!  The _______families non member parents were there and were asking Sister ______ questions and came up to us after and said they really enjoyed our testimonies so hopefully we can teach them!

So this week I feel like the Lord wanted me to learn something about the priesthood...  I think I used it in about every way I know how this week!  Tuesday we were on exchanges and Elder Meza came here with me in Alliance. We had dinner with our ward mission leader and his non member parents and daughter.  It went really well and Elder Meza and I just had a simple lesson on Christ.  After the lesson his mom asked us if we could pray for her.  We told her we could do one better and explained the priesthood and told her we could give her a blessing.  She accepted.  I was excited because it was an opportunity for her to see her son use the priesthood and give her a blessing.  Then he asked me if I would do it.  I was like kinda mad at him and didnt understand why he was not taking the opportunity to give his non member mom a blessing.  I said a quick prayer to know what to say since I was kinda shocked he asked me and a little mad haha.  I gave her the blessing and by the time I was through half the room was in tears.  She thanked us and then we had to get going to another appointment.  The next day at the baptism our ward mission leader came up to me and thanked me again for the blessing.  I asked him why he wanted me to do it and then it all made sense. He said he asked me to because he knows all the issues she is having and trials she is facing.  He asked me to do it because I didnt know anything about her and he wanted her to understand that the blessing was from God and that even though I knew nothing about her,  I could tell her what she needed to hear.  I never thought about that!  haha He said after we left, her whole attitude was different.  Late that night his dad called and thanked him again and told him how much it meant to them.  It was a pretty cool experience.  There was also a very old member of the ward that is passing away.  The bishop went to give her and her daughter a blessing in the hospital but they refused and told the Bishop that they wanted the Elders to do it.  haha I dont know why, but we went.  It was really cool.   We gave the blessing and talked to the (excommunicated) daughter about the plan of salvation. 


 _______the 16 year old who was baptized this week also asked me to confirm her in church on Sunday so I got to do that as well!  It was pretty cool.  Also Sunday I taught Elders quorum.  They brought the priests in too and we had a lesson on the priesthood.  It went really well I showed that clip Sanctify Yourselves so hopefully it will help them in some way.  But I think I gave some sort of blessing every day this week and I feel I learned more of the power of the priesthood. 

Well we have a lot of work to do this transfer...  We either baptized or dropped all our investigators haha so we are kinda starting from scratch but its all good we will find people hopefully haha 


So today we get to do something fun for p day.  We are going bowling with my "brotha" Tommy haha He is a less active, the guy that took Elder Warner and I to Kirtland.  He is awesome!  We met with him this week and he said he was drinking these coffee things from McDonalds and asked if it was bad.  I told him not to ask me but to pray about it and see how he feels next time he goes to McDonalds.  He got orange juice this week and called and told us about it right after!  He came to church on Sunday and bore his testimony in sunday school on prayer since that was what the lesson was on.  It was cool!

So I am sooooooooooo excited for 2015 now!!!!!!!  I dont know how soon in advance you can buy tickets to a game but you better get me 2!  I dont care how much they are!  I will walk if I have to! And I am sorry mom, but its in Nebraska and I will not be caught dead wearing anything but red in Lincoln Memorial...   My mind is already made up haha   

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

Elder Skalla

Faith=Personal Righteousness

Hey!!  

Man im not gonna lie I want to go to Powderhorn!! I think I have been like every year since middle school.  Oh well...  I got to go to Kirtland this week!  We went up there with the _________ family on Saturday.  It was way fun.  Nice weather and I think the girls really liked it.  We drove there in their station wagon and Elder Buxton and I sat in the seat that faces backwards. haha It totally reminded me of Brian Regan.  We just like stared at people that stopped behind us, haha it was fun.  I am very excited for the baptism this week!  We have grown really close to them.  Sister _____ calls us her adopted sons and Brother ______ likes having us around to talk about guy stuff haha.  I think Kirtland just gets better and better every time I go there.  Its so amazing.  

So yesterday we had Stake conference.  It was soooo good.  Elder Christoffel Gelden Jr. came from the Seventy.  Man he was good.  My favorite part was his equation for faith.  He said Faith = Personal Righteousness.  Our faith is only equal to our personal righteousness and if were not living the commandments and doing the best we can, our faith is low.  No wonder why so many people struggle with faith.  After conference all the missionaries in our zone got to have a meeting with him.  It was so awesome.  He applied that equation in the work.   If we want to baptize more we need increased faith and if we want to have increased faith we have to be more righteous. He was a masterful teacher.  He has a cool voice too, he is from South Africa.   

So during that meeting President Sorensen informed us that our new mission president received his call this week. That like hit me hard for some reason.  I got a little teary!  I am sure our next president will be amazing.  I knew the whole time I would have 2 mission presidents but the thought never crossed my mind President Sorensen would actually leave us!  I cant imagine the work without him!  I want both!  

I got your DVD!  Thank you those are awesome!  I have already used them a ton!  I dont think I need those Hymns.  I have listened to them and I dont think I need them.  Thats exciting Megan and Issac got their calls!! I didnt even know Megan was going!  Speaking of the Bunkers I was on exchanges in Lisbon a while ago and  a letter got delivered to Elder Brandon Barlow and it was from the Bunkers!  It was weird haha but I guess they must know him.  I served with him for a day this summer. Small world... 

I am gonna look into buying some space bags.  I thought of that this week.  Speaking of packing, transfers are on next week!  That went by FAST...  I dont know whats happening so  if you send mail make sure you send it so it gets here by Tuesday next week!  I cant believe my time in Alliance may be up.  I dont really want to leave! haha I dont feel like I have been here for 4 months.  But I guess we will see what happens.   I think I'll be ok with it if I stay or go.  I dont want to leave but it will be fun to go somewhere new.  I just hope I can fit all my stuff! haha Well I hope you have a great week!  Love and miss you!  Dont forget p day is Tuesday next week!  


Love you!

Elder Skalla

Proud Brian Regan moment!  

Happy Valentines Day

Hi!!  

Man this has been such a crazy week!  It went by so fast!  Zone Conference was awesome.  Thats like my favorite thing to go to, haha it just like revives you and keeps you driven.  The tiwi guy came and talked to us.  They put Tiwi in our car last zone conference in November but it wasnt on.  They lied... haha it was on and monitoring us the whole time.  He gave us the stats for how many speeding violations and stuff. haha It was in the thousands just in the month of January... But don't worry NONE of those were from me hahaha ;)  Its super annoying now cuz it never shuts up and beeps and yells at me all the time haha like every time I drive over rail road tracks over 2 miles an hour it gives you an aggressive driving warning.  Its gonna be a long year and a half driving...  haha

So Chloe got me in a door this week and we were able to teach them haha.  On Wednesday we were just tracting and she opened the door and I didn't even say anything I was just like ah can I pet your dog haha then they let us in and we taught them.  They were a nice couple I don't know if they were super interested but it was a good lesson.  They assured us many times that they would be voting for Romney though haha I don't think they understood we weren't concerned with who they were voting for haha.  Lots of people do that.  We will knock on the door and then they will say "no thanks but I think I might vote for your guy" its funny.  So I had another way good experience tracting this week and a bad one.  The good one This lady just like opened the door and said come on in!  Then she was like I have no idea why I let you in you have come before and I never had but I think God told me to let you in.  She was way cool but her friend that was there her husband was a pastor so she was like way rude.  I hate it the people that are the most Christian are the rudest.  Which leads to the bad experience.  We knocked on a door and it was funny at first because a little girl opened the door and screamed "AH mom there are Jewish people here!"  haha but then the mom came out and she was nice at first but then she was just saying all these horrible things!  Elder ___ didn't really know what to do but I just was calm and talked to her.  Then I think I was offended for the first time in my whole life.  Like I cant think of a time where I have ever been offended.   But she said "I think what you are doing out here is disrespecting and dethroning the name Jesus Christ."   OHHH that did not make me happy...  I probably shouldn't have said this but I told her "I have given up my family, my girlfriend and everything I love to be here and wear his name on my chest every day of my life.  I am representing Him and here to share his love and teachings.  Read for yourself and then tell me I am dethroning and disrespecting Christ."  Then I put a Book of Mormon on her table and we left.   I was so upset after that.  I probably shouldn't have said that or done that but it got the best of me.  I don't know maybe she will humble herself enough to find out one day.  It bothered me for like the whole day but then I prayed I would forget about it and I did.  Haha gotta love tracting...  

Grayce and Presleigh are doing awesome.  They are getting baptized on the 22nd!!  I am way excited.  That family has come a looooong way.  We have come really close to them and the girls.  Last night she gave us their address and she made us promise to send her our wedding announcements hahaha it was funny.  They are mad that one of us may be leaving on the 29th.  They made sure to choose a baptism date that was before then haha 

I am so jealous They are going to Powderhorn :(  has anything changed there yet?  I got your package this morning!!  Thank you!  No more food for a while though I am gonna get fat :) The mail usually comes at 4 but the mail lady came this morning because I got a package from you and Hillary and a Giant Valentines day card from Hill.  haha it was like Christmas again!  I will send a picture of this card its awesome haha. 

So I got the Mormon message DVDs and they are AMAZING!!! They work on our DVD player too.  Thank you SOOOOO much.  I am so sorry I feel so needy but I had an idea for teaching a lesson to our young men and then a couple guys preparing to serve missions.  I want to use the videos "inviting all to come unto Christ"  its about these kids in Miami that just invited all their friends to church and then the video "sanctify yourselves"  That's on youthlds.org.   I hope its not too hard to make those but I really want to show them so if you could get them asap that would be amazing.  Thank you so much!!  Hopefully those weren't too hard to make but I have no doubt they will help change lives! 

Well I hope you have a great week this week!  I love and miss you all sooooo 

Love 
Elder Skalla


Oh and I forgot to put this in there but our furnace broke this week!!  It is soooooooo cold in our apartment.  We woke up on saturday and my thermometer said 39 in our bedroom!!!  Then I went out and my little bottle of oil was on my desk frozen solid!  Its been misrible... A member gave us a little space heater so that kinda helps but we are getting our furnace fixed this week.  (therefore the beanie and blankets in the photos!)  BURRRRR

Going Up….

Well I was way sad to hear about Chloe :(  She was a good puppy.  I cant even remember when she wasn't around.  I forget that she has been in my life since before I can even remember.  I am glad I wasn't there though when you had to put her down.  That must have been hard. I knew she probably wouldn't make it another 2 years when I left. I am glad I said bye when she wasn't suffering so much.  We will see her again though.  I know the atonement covers dogs too! :) "The grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ."  Mosiah 16:8   (I want that on my grave if I die young by the way)  haha sorry that probably freaked you out haha but hey I like it and its true.  Death it just another step in eternal progression!  If anything we should be looking forward to it! 

Everyone told me about how snowy it has been in Denver.  I am glad I'm not there haha.  It has been way nice here!  I hope it stays like this.  We even rode our bikes on Friday it was like 60 degrees!   

This week went pretty well.  Wednesday I went down to Lisbon on exchanges.  It was fun I got to go to West Virginia!  Never thought I would ever go there but I guess there is a little part that is in our mission.   I don't think I have any plans to ever go back to West Virginia haha but hey at least I can say I have been there.  The work has been slowing down here though... Our investigators are kinda in a stand still except for the girls.  We have found a lot of really good potentials but no one really goes anywhere.  We did meet a way cool lady this week that thought some very very strange things about Mormons... I seriously have no idea where these people hear some of this stuff but she was way glad we found her and taught her what was right.  I think that's one of the things that keeps me going.  People don't want to commit to living the gospel because it is "too hard" but hey at least I clear up some crazy ideas people have about the church.  I guess that's still good and plants a seed.   I really loved that talk you sent me about keeping covenants by the way!  It was very good!   

So tomorrow is Zone conference again.  I am excited.  It is only every 3 months.  Although I swear it was just like last month haha but everything just kinda blurs together and then you realize how much time it has been when a transfer or zone conference comes up.  I am not excited though because we are getting this little box called TIWI.  He is basically the most annoying drivers ed teacher in the car with you at all times.  I had him for a week my very first week on my mission but he got turned off.  Now they are turning him back on.  He talks to you and tells you to buckle your seat belt and gives you all kinds of violations.  I guess when they had it this summer 1/3 of the mission lost their driving privileges because of him haha its gonna suck having him back.  

SO there is a family of recent converts (like less than a year) in our ward the _____family.  They are seriously awesome.  This week Brother ________ has been texting us and calling us all the time because of this guy that is trying to prove the church is wrong and wants to go to Kirtland with us and brother ________ so he can prove the Book of Mormon wrong.  Super annoying guy, he has no idea what he is talking about, but it was awesome because he was going to meet with this guy this week, but the stake president called him randomly wanted him to come help on his land the same day.  He chose to go with President K and then that night he was reading in Mosiah about trusting only those that walk by Christ and follow his commandments (or something like that) to be your teachers and ministers.  Anyway that probably made no sense to you, but he then called the guy and pretty much told him he knew it was true and stuff.  He called us and had us come over the day after to tell us about it!  He was all excited.  Then he bore his testimony for the first time ever in church on Sunday.  They are preparing to go to the temple in April.  They are the kind of people that keep me going.  I want to find a family like them.  

SO you know the movie UP?  When the old man rides his little chair up the stairs?  Ever since I saw that movie I have wanted to ride one of those and I got to on Tuesday! hahaha It was awesome.  We just stopped by a less active members house.  They fed us lunch and had a chair thingy on the stairs and let us ride it! 

Well I think that's all that happened this week!  I hope everyone had a good week!  I love and miss you!!

Elder Skalla 

200 days! It is going fast!

Hey!!  

This week was really good!  The work is going pretty well. Still looking for new people to teach but that will come. Yesterday was another busy sunday... Whoever said it was a day of rest lied.... haha jk its all good its the Lords work.  Jacob and Mackenzie were confirmed yesterday so that was good.  Also we spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday.  I think it went well.  I spoke about having urgent faith in sharing the gospel and kinda trusting in God.  I think it went pretty well I dont know.  

So we went out to lunch with a guy in our ward Rocky.  We call him Rocky because no one can pronounce his full name haha.  He is from Tonga.  You know the island from the other side of heaven?  He was born there.  The missionaries that movie is about lived with his grandparents.  Anyway we went to a buffet and I think I gained 30 pounds...  He made us eat so much.  When I was full he made me jump up and down 50 times and eat more haha I thought I was gonna die but Rocky is a body builder trainer so you have to do what he says haha. 

Hopefully we will have 2 more baptisms coming up in February! There is a less active family we started going to like 2 weeks before Elder Warner left who have 2 teenage daughters who arent members.  They havent been to church in forever but they have come 3 weeks in a row and the girls Grayce and Presleigh  (I guess they are Elvis fans?)  are getting baptized.  We are very excited we needed that family in our ward.  The bishop says we hit a home run haha.  I really like the ward here.  I think they like Elder Buxton and I too.  Someone came up to us and said that some people were talking and saying how much they like us and how long its been since they have had 2 good missionaries in the ward.  Now hopefully they will find people for us to teach haha.  

Oh guess what!!! Brian e mailed me!!!  I was so excited haha he said he was doing awesome and hasnt met with the Elders there since before christmas but is meeting with them this week.  Its gonna be the happiest day of my life when him and his family get baptized.  I wish I could still teach him.  Although I think he taught me more than I taught him... haha  

haha I am glad President sent you a letter.  He still hasnt even sent me one saying I am DL yet haha.  Its fun though getting to run District meeting every week and hearing about who everyone is teaching and going on exchanges and stuff. Sunday nights kinda suck because I spend like 2 hours straight on the phone but its all good.  

Hahaha Tim didnt put that there, haha actually the first counselor in the stake presidency is the one that did the surgery.  He is getting another one in a couple weeks to get the metal thing out.   He hasnt come to church but we still teach him once in a while.  He kinda just wants to hang out with us though haha.  

So yesterday we gave a blessing to a members uncle (non-member)  who is in the hospital.  He just kinda like went crazy one day and couldnt remember anything but it was so funny.  I started giving the blessing and said his full name and he was like what?  haha it reminded me of when Ryan did that when he was little.  It was also the first blessing I have had someone ask for a cigarette in the middle of too haha crazy stuff... 

I dont want you to stress about the mormon message DVD haha maybe you could just buy one?  I dont know but I dont want you to spend hours making me a DVD haha its fine.  Well I think that is all I got for this week.  I hope you have fun the rest of the time you are in Utah! Travel back safely!    Love and miss everyone!!  

Elder Skalla

Baptism

Finally some snow

He sent this picture with a note saying that he hoped we were saving our money to buy him one of these when he gets home.  LOL  Yeah right!

Baptism and a call to District leader

HEY!!!!

I am glad you got to AZ safe and got to see everyone.  I am jealous!!  I loved the pictures but I didnt get the video.  

I had a really good week this week we got a lot done!  The weather has been so weird though...  It snowed like 6 inches the other day and then today its like 45 and raining. Ohio is so weird. its funny how many people had to cancel our appointments and things because of the snow but I got around just fine in my little corolla haha I hate excuses.

The baptism went pretty well!  We would usually teach the restoration while they are getting changed but the family requested we didnt because of the non members that were there and I dont know she doesnt want to push the church on them or something so we kinda just bore our testimonies about the restoration instead.  So like the second I get up there and start speaking President and Sister Sorensen walk into our baptism.  He didnt tell me they were coming and he didnt know our circumstances. So I start talking and the whole time I can just see it in his face like what the heck are you doing this is a horrible restoration presentation so I am like freaking out this whole time.  After the baptism I had to like explain ourselves to him because he was probably thinking we were horrible teachers and didnt know how to run a baptism haha it was so bad but hopefully he understood.  The rest of the baptism went really well though haha.  I think they should give you like an hour break after a baptism when your a missionary haha I was super stressed trying to get everything ready and Elder Buxton didnt really know what to do since he had never been to a baptism so I was way stressed all day sunday plus I had to teach the Elders quorum lesson haha I wanted to catch my breath after church but we had an appointment we had to get to haha I swear it never stops... 

 Yesterday was just a crazy day.  Elder Buxton had his first run in with a crazy drunk last night haha it was pretty funny.   He was like about ready to bolt for the door.  I had had a couple run ins with this guy so it wasnt too bad but it was still pretty funny. 

Well that was probably the most exciting things that happened this week.  Just still workin hard and  doin missionary things haha  oh ya and president called me to be the district leader last week so now I get to spend lots of time on the phone reporting numbers haha but its all good I have liked it so far. 

Well i hope you travel safely to wherever you are going.  And dont forget to keep reading the Book of Mormon!  Its easy to start forgetting now!

I love and miss you!!!

Elder Skalla

Hard Week, Wonderful lessons learned

6 months!

Mom I am so thankful for you and how in tune you are with the spirit.  I have no idea how you knew other than that God is aware of each one of us.  I am so glad you paid attention to your feelings because this week was so hard.  I struggled mentally emotionally and physically all week.  I am fine, I think everyone has their weeks out here...  Have you ever really thought about prayer?  I think that is the only thing that got me through this week.  What a gift it is to be able to communicate with our Father.  This all powerful all knowing person that is there waiting for us each and every time we call on him. I read my Patriarchal blessing a lot this week.  "Always remember that he will be there, even in the darkest night. There will never be a time a time where He will not be available and listening."  I had some dark nights this week...  I found myself praying in places and at times I never thought I would.  I am so grateful for the strength that can come from prayer.  I cant say after praying this week I had some overwhelming feeling of peace or anything but I knew God was mindful of me.  He knows what I need better than I know what I need.  I have a quote I thought of a lot this week.  "pray as if everything relied on God and then work as if everything relied on you"...  Thats what I did.  Have you ever studied in the Bible dictionary? I love what it says about prayer.  " prayer is the act by which the will of the Father and the will of the child are brought into correspondence with each other.  The object of prayer is not to change the will of God, but to secure for ourselves and for others blessings that God is already willing to grant, but that are made conditional on our asking for them. Prayer is a form of work, and is an appointed means for obtaining the highest of all blessings."   I dont feel like I have ever focused on aligning my will with Gods in my prayers until this week.  I have never asked for strength to keep going and turn my will over to him. But this week I did.  I prayed as if everything was dependent on Him and then worked as hard as I knew how to work.  I am so grateful for the power of prayer.  No matter what He will be there.  I know that now.  

As much as I struggled this week I still think it was good.  I say physically because it snowed a few days ago.  We were walking and it was like a blizzard and 15 degrees and the wind was blowing like crazy. I saw an old lady taking her trash to the dumpster and ran up to her and took her trash for her.  I took about 4 steps onto what I thought  was dry pavement and it turned out to be pure ice and ate it so hard.  haha it was probably like what you would see in a movie I flew in the air and threw the trash bag up and landed right on my back.  It is pretty bruised haha but I just keep telling myself its ok because I will heal and I probably saved that old lady from breaking her hip haha.  

Jacob and Mckenzie are all set for baptism this sunday so I am excited for that!  We also went on exchanges this week.  I went up to Ravenna for a couple days.  it was awesome Elder Hapairai and I "shovel tracted" into this guy James.  He is awesome and was like sex drugs and rock and roll for most of his life and has given all that up the last 2 years and wants to come to church and stuff!  It was a way cool lesson I am bummed I wont be able to teach him.  

I am glad you are all still reading the book of Mormon!  I feel like it is going so fast haha.  I did buy a blanket.  They didnt have one like I have at home.  The lady wouldnt let me separate my stuff so I had to put a couple grocries on the CC so you can take 20 out of my account if you want.  

Well I hope everyone has a good week and you have fun in AZ!  I will have a better week this week I know I will.  Thank you for your prayers!  I love and miss you!!! 

Elder Skalla