YEah I LOVE pROVO

Okay, So this has been a fabulous week. I am trying to remember what happened this week and what is important for you to know.


This week has been a week of trials.  Nothing bad, but I am actually having to learn how to communicate with other people and not just drive away and go get Little Ceasars and call my mom and realize that is all going to be okay. I am relying on the lord for him to let me know how to best handle the different situations that arrive.

I am learning things from my companion. She is strong in the gospel and has a very strong knowledge of the scriptures. I learn things from her everyday when we do companionship study. It is such a blessing to me to have such a steady companion who knows which way is up.

 I am also learning patience, which is something I never had to have before. Doing things other peoples ways is always interesting.

I love the time that I talk with Sister Miller. (Other sister is their room) She really is such an angel.  I really enjoy her perspective because she knows that this gospel is true.  Even though struggles and trials, she knows that the Lord is where true power lies. Each night we go for a little walk around our dorm and discuss things of a spiritual nature. I really do enjoy this. I love talking about what I am learning and how to understand certain things better. She has such a testimony of the Atonement and of The temple.

Sister Scott is a loving and kind sister that always trys to be better. She is a great person with a different perspective than I have ever had. She got a letter from her sister yesterday that said that she was getting baptized.

Oh goodness, I wish I could just sit down with you at the end of each night and share the many experiences I am having by being here. I was sitting in a Devotional last week and got the impression that I need to be gentle and kind. When I first meet people I have a hard edge because that is my defense, but through talking with Sister Miller, I know that this is not who I am, nor who I want to be. So I have been praying to be a better person and trying to know how to be the best I can be. I am being obedient, but I know that I can be kinder with my words and with my actions. I have made this week more benificial by making an effort to get rid of the slang in my vocabulary especially the word "crap". Yesh mom, you were right, I know that I can use other words that would be better and not make me sound so unrefined. I guess I am mainly working on being refined. This is hard because my sisters were used to me being one way, but sister miller came up to me and said, "Don't be afraid to change on our account. Yeah it may be different for a while, but that is okay. You are changing for the better."

And bless her heart for saying this because I really have felt like I can actually keep my mouth shut and not say things that are hurtful or sarcastic.  people have been offended through the sarcastic things that are said to each other. I know that this form of humor does not bring us closer to gether, it is just mean. I am holding my tongue. Dad, you would be so proud of me. I am becoming the person I have always wanted to become. Mind you, I still have a good time and quite frequently enjoy a good joke, but I am dropping the sarcasm. I know that this will help to make the spirit more apparent in my life.

Oh--saw Elder Sanborn!! That is so great he is here!

Shayla, I am going to write you a letter! I am hoping your visa gets here ASAP and that we could fly to Madrid together. When you get here we should go talk to the travel office. Heard your musical number was great!

Some spiritual experiences: my spanish is coming along. i can carry on a conversation for quite some time, even about gospel related things. (for some reason i am not able to capitlize anything). i am really loving spanish. i am finding that i really enjoy speaking spanish more than i enjoy speaking english. my goal, speak like a spainard. i am working hard on this, but the only problem is that i do not know what a spainard sounds like. no bueno...

i think i am the branch pianist now, which is no bueno because i don't really know how to play all of the songs and sometimes it gets sticky. but i love it. last week another district of 9 elders left for argentina. man, do i miss the dzj. jo me jamo. (yo me llamo). you get the picture. i think they are pretty.

trc: this last week we spoke in spanish for 15 mins and then we taught the plan of salvation. i love this lesson. what a great way to help people throught the hard times and give them perspective. always gives me perspective, especially when it comes to granni.

well, in closing, i just wanted to let you all know, thank you for the support. i am getting all of your dear elders. i would love more. i love hearing about your lives and your successes. i am loving it here at the mtc. i can thing of no better way to spend my time than by being the lord's investigator and then turning and teaching my own investigators. we had a seminar thing where all the teachers in our zone got up and told one of their conversion stories. sister newman told a great story about when she was in chile. she was so great about having the spirit in her life and having that soft spoken knowledge of what is right and wrong. i really want to emulate her and here ways of doing things. she is so wonderful. she is my mtc role model.

well,

another week has come and gone with great heaps of knowledge.

please tell me about your lives. i love the blessings that come from serving a mission. i love this learning

i love my comp. we are becoming better friends as we work through the things that are hard. i love this mission

bueno

love you mucho-

hermana skouson

dad, thanks for the package, i love the rice crispies....you are all muy bueno.