12/23/13

Dear Family,

Yes it is true like 2 day until i have the chance to speak to you.

Some of the questions i have that you should start thinking about the response you will have for me in the phone call home:

What should i be when i grow up??

How should i make money for school?? You know my plan is to be able to work from my computer from any where around the world and come back to liberia and live in a mud house with power for like $15 u.s. a month. I think it can work so that i will just be able to get enough money for college. Know of any jobs i could do when i get back. Has Brenden Horn talked about saving a job for me when i come back??

If anybody has any questions they want to ask they are welcome. Just i want to know everything about everybody in the family. I love you all and just feel like i am only getting the run down version of everyones life story. Especially since some dont write or email. haha oh well.

 I hope you have a lot of questions for me though i am just trying to work hard out here and focus on the work. I didnt have the chance to email president last week so here are the two emails i sent to him. I love youall very much and cant wait to talk to you on Christmas!!!

Love,

Elder Skouson

 

 

 

 

Dear President Kirkham,

This week has been the week I have finally got out of Montserrado County. I was my first time in a year or so. I was really nice to see the other side of Liberia. A much more quiet and clean place were the people are even more humble then here in Monrovia.  I was amazed to see the humble circumstances in Kakata and how in Harbel the place seemed well like a small ghost town with a lot of people living there. It is not a ghost town but, just that’s what it reminded me of.

 Before we went out to Kakata and Harbel we did a lot of things in the office and really didn’t get a chance to proselyte in our area this week. But Heavenly Father is looking after our people because we had a few of them come to church even though we never sat down with them. 

Elder Dlamini and I had a wonderful exchange in Kakata which I learned a lot. I learn also a lot about Elder Dlamini. He knows all 11 official Languages in South Africa.  I thought that was pretty impressive. When we taught together it seemed we had been teaching together for weeks. They have some great investigators. Kakata itself is just a wonderful little village. We, like we had discussed before, worked in Morris Farm village. There is a great deal of strength in this village, many branch leaders are living in this community. There seems to be much strength and will be continually growing due to the wonderful members who are already there.

  As we worked with members we worked with one in particular named Gladys. She was a recent convert and our first lesson of the day. She had many friends that we would be teaching that day and she agreed to come with us to be the member present inside the lessons. We sat down and taught and told her what example she would be setting to her friends and what things she would be teaching her friends through-out the day. I was a great day and she even did the evaluating at the end of some lesson, she ask questions like how did we think the lesson went, it was absolutely great. Elder Dlamini and I had just a wonderful time teaching together.

The next day on Friday we trekked on over to Harbel to have an exchange with the Zone leaders on that side.  We got there, planned small, and set out to teach the wonderful investigating saints of Harbel in a place called Camp 2. This is the community that the branch president lives in and a lot of the members as well. I had the privilege to proselyte with Elder Oni. Elder Oni taught me many things on how to be a better missionary. It was quite interesting that all of these things that he helped me with he didn’t need to say but did it in a way in which it was so great the I just wanted to follow his example in doing it. Needless to say he is very good at leading by example. He teaches in a way that nobody mis-understands the things he teaches. He cares very much for the people out in Harbel.

It was just an awesome experience in which I learned so much about Harbel, the people and how the church is progressing as a whole. We noticed that communication between Elder Oni and Molahasta with Elder Elliott was kind of sparse and we could see there needed to be improvements there so we suggested changes to make the improvements. Elder Elliott sometimes doesn’t feel the need to have a strong influence as a District leader because I believe not many people treat him as one. We talked about this a little bit before on how even the Couple missionaries are surpassing E. Elliott and going to Elder Finau or Dlamini to talk about Kakata things.  We talked to the Zone Leaders how they can truly show him the respect as the district leader and keep in touch with Elder Elliott so that nothing like Zone Meeting, Leadership training, or exchanges will be a surprise.

President I just want to take the time for sitting down with me at the Mission Home to really help me see the roll I need to play as your assistant. Your advice about my presentation will help and I really have been a blessing in preparing this instruction. I have not only learned how important it is to receive instruction but also be the one to give it as well. As you know I have never been comfortable to make someone else feel uncomfortable for their own good. I can see why now that mission is the best time to be doing this. At least if I correct on rules or commandments that need to be followed I will have spiritual strength behind me.  So thank you for giving me this topic to instruct on it is helping me to see the bigger picture of what I need to become. I know Jesus Christ is my Savior and Redeemer that God truly loves us enough to let us pass through trials and tribulations so we can be so much better in the end of it all.

Love,

Elder Skouson

Dear President Kirkham,

                Well this has been a week of much growth. I had to do things that haven’t been the most comfortable but been the right thing for the situation.

                Today was good to see a more business side of you President. It kind of makes me wonder if I do want to do some sort of business after mission. Luckily I have a long time until I have to think about after mission things.  My parents think it would be a good idea for me to go to school in the spring time after I get back but I think I’m going to try to keep with your advice about not thinking about too much after mission life until after mission.  Hopefully this won’t put me behind as I go home though.

                Just like I said President I have learned a lot this last week. I know the presentation that you gave me to present was very inspired.  It not only helps me become more apt to receiving correction but being able to give correction to lift and inspire and help people become better. I feel as though the second time I gave the presentation it was much better than the first. I would like to hear about things I could have done to make it better.  Just like you always say “improvement requires change”. I have recognized the change I need to be making to truly help others to become who they need to be. I pray that I will be able to love people enough to help them improve even though I may not feel comfortable doing it.

                Even though we didn’t get much time to proselyte we still had some great lessons on Sunday. On Saturday before we came to help set up the Christmas Devotional ( which was great by the way),we were passing by a fairly new investigator of ours when a man who looks about 30 years old called us over to talk to him.  His name was Owen and of course all he wanted to know was about the thing we are doing here in Liberia. We briefly explained to him that we are missionaries that have a message that will bring joy and happiness in this life and the life to come.  He then asked a few more questions and we invited him to know more by coming to church the next day with us.  He is a very intelligent man and told us that his cousin was a member.  Funny it turns out that his cousin is Benedictus Freeman, what a small world.  We gave the invite just as usual and hoped that he would come.  The next morning about half-way through sacrament we got a call from Bro. Owen he was outside and didn’t know if he could come in or not.  We quickly ushered him in and sat him down with the congregation.

After church we went to the appointment with him and sat down with two great members as well. One name Charles (who was wearing the salmon colored shirt today that introduced you as the key-note speaker) and another member who Bro. Owen knew from before named Michael Jerry.  We had a great lesson and just before we closed we talked about the young single adult activity that would be happening on Christmas Day. He then said well I should really not be invited to that because I am married…. Let me go get my wife.  Both Elder Pentreath and I just about jumped out of our chairs. So yes he has a wife and 2 kids together and works for a company who maintains public wells.  So yes we are teaching a great Husband and Wife who will be such strength to the Sinkor Branch and the Church in General here in LIB.  We are so excited to be able to sit with them as a family next time we sit down. The only problem is he works a lot through-out the week but says that Sundays with be free for him and his family.

We also had another great lesson with a man and his women William and Satta. His only real concern right now is he is just a tailor and can’t read or write very well if at all. He says he has had shame to sit down with the missionaries before or go to the church because of that. We sat down with him after Bro. Owens lesson and really tried to help him feel the love that God has for him. We mainly focused on How to Begin Teaching by introducing us to him and also the Church. We ended up also teaching him about the Restoration of the Gospel and invited him to pray about that message. They too are very promising and are actually a member referral for Comfort Moore who is now helping us teach them both. We very excited for this area to really progress and prosper.

Thank you President for the opportunities you have given me to be able to serve others and grow myself.

Love,

Elder Skouson