Dear Family,
I am trying to write my weekly letter to you and all I hear in the background is a Big LOUD BAGPIPE. Don’t worry Elder Heszeltine is playing Christmas Carols so that better than the three songs they know in Nauvoo. - Play a Bagpipe, go to jail!!!! It’s really quite amazing actually. In a loud almost obnoxious kind of way. Haha.
Christmas Season is setting in here in the Mission Office. We have been setting up Christmas Decor all over the Office. President put up a poster with all of the title Jesus Christ and it really sets the tone and reason for the Season. President invited us to stay with him and Sister Kirkham overnight on Christmas Eve and Join them for Christmas. How cool is that!!!! I love the both of them so much. They are just absolutely great.
Well I can’t remember if I said in the short email I sent last week but we did get to eat Goat. I was the lucky candidate who ate the Liver which is very rich with Livery-flavor. We truly were fed like Kings. The man who fed us his name is Bro. Bryant. He is all into the whole because we are APs we should be treated like kings. He gave us soft drink after soft drink and plate after plate of food. He is a Loma man, from the Loma Tribe, which means He loves a soup called "To-Bo-Gee" and beans which can most of the time make your stomach run or give runny tummy. I don’t think I have been that full in a long time. Which the after affects are just always so much fun. But it was a great Thanksgiving to be had not on thanksgiving.
We again we privileged to instruct throughout this week. Most of the time gets nervous but starting to get used to it though so that is good. I love to be able to assist president with things to help the mission run smoother. Now the fruits of my labor have turned from recent converts to help others to have more quality converts, if you know what I mean. But this doesn't mean we have totally away from Liberian just not as much time working with investigators. Got to love the missionary work here in Liberia as well as all around the world.
I have been thinking about it lately of how bad a missionary I was back at home before I came on Mission. I was so scared to share the gospel I really wouldn’t just in case they would ask me a question I didn’t know or talked about something that I wasn’t aware of. I kind of kick myself for thinking these things. My mind refers to the title "you know enough".
Now that I have been a missionary for over a year, testifying to people every day that Jesus is the Christ, It’s easy just to tell people what you do know and what you have a testimony of. I know I had a testimony of Jesus Christ and about living day prophets and the Book of Mormon. I think about the people I could have helped if I had just been a little bit bolder about my testimony. I seemed to think a testimony is something in needed to work on by myself and never let it come out, or only come out during church and maybe youth activities, when others had a similar testimony so they would understand. Which no doubt I did need to work on it by myself at times, but the amount I share it needed to be different. I'm not going to dwell too much on regrets though Pres. Utchdorf told me I should avoid negative feelings and thoughts of regrets. So I guess I can take what I have now and share it with others. There are so many reasons for a mission. One big impact I have seen in the last week has been what I am talking about now. Being confident enough to bear my testimony really to any person or place I go.
As we walk down the streets of Monrovia many time people will say under their breath to a friend, " Dat Latter-Day Saints there-oh." Nobody here (unless they are American knows what "Mormons" are. My heart starts to pound small and we ask how do you know us?? They will usually say that they have sat down with missionaries before and it provides a great conversation and most of the people want to have a chance to sit with the missionaries again. This is always one of the small moments were we are able to bear a quick but heart-felt testimony to them and tell them to come to church. Liberians are just so excepting to the Gospel and we love it even more when they accept the Restored Gospel.
Well now I am just talking now I love you very much and tank you plenty-oh for the support you always give me. Oh and thank you so much for sending me those 4 packages!!!!!!! I haven’t opened all of them yet but I have received them all!!!! WOO HOO my family really does love me plenty. Haha. You guys are the absolute best family I could ever ask for. I keep praying that someday your bodies will be back to normal and healthy.
Love, Your son/Brother
Elder Sousing
(The White African)
P.S. Quote of the Week: "Work until your ears ring!" Henry B. Erying’s Father
P.P.S. Here is my letter to President Kirkham.
Dear President Kirkham,
I would first like to thank you for the opportunity to give on instruction on How to Receive and apply Correction. I already have some ideas that I would like to use inside this presentations. I think this will give me an opportunity to understand how I need to receive and apply correction that others give to me.
Well this week was a good one as usual. We didn’t have a whole lot of time in our proselyting area this week but still had a good number of investigators come to church. Of course, baptism and confirmation is a big step in the conversion and the ultimate goal for our investigators is to attend the temple, but I feel as though church attendance is just as important. I guess this kind of goes back to our fundamentals, Revelation through Church Attendance. When investigators come to church it truly is a sign of how willing they are to follow through with commitments and really prepares them for big commitments such as Baptism and Confirmation.
This week as we saw many of our investigators come we were able to see which investigators are really progressing. One in particular Patrick Toe is doing exceptionally well. He recently with the last couple of years has come from Ivory Coast. He speaks manly French but is starting to know English pretty well. This last week we haven’t had the chance to sit down with him due to both his and our busy schedule. Nevertheless he was there about 5 minutes before church began. In talking with him after sacrament meeting we made an appointment with him after church and began to think about who could come with us to teach him. Thankfully we have many men (who just received the Melchizedek Priesthood) who can speak French and fluently. We ask one member named Wilson who came with us and followed up with Patrick about the Plan of Salvation in really a way that we couldn’t do, because our French is so rubbish. We then talked about the Word of Wisdom and The Law of Chastity both of them he has committed to himself that he will turn away from them and repent. We know that these things won’t be a hard thing for him because he has so much Faith in Jesus Christ.
President we have already seen some of the effects on the new emphasize of the Fundamentals. Zone Leaders have begun to train on focusing on a specific fundamental during their exchange with District Leaders. This already has begun to show missionaries that the way we can be successful is going back to the basics. The feedback from people seems very positive. This was very inspired to discuss in our mission council meeting.
I would first like to thank you for the opportunity to give on instruction on How to Receive and apply Correction. I already have some ideas that I would like to use inside this presentations. I think this will give me an opportunity to understand how I need to receive and apply correction that others give to me.
Well this week was a good one as usual. We didn’t have a whole lot of time in our proselyting area this week but still had a good number of investigators come to church. Of course, baptism and confirmation is a big step in the conversion and the ultimate goal for our investigators is to attend the temple, but I feel as though church attendance is just as important. I guess this kind of goes back to our fundamentals, Revelation through Church Attendance. When investigators come to church it truly is a sign of how willing they are to follow through with commitments and really prepares them for big commitments such as Baptism and Confirmation.
This week as we saw many of our investigators come we were able to see which investigators are really progressing. One in particular Patrick Toe is doing exceptionally well. He recently with the last couple of years has come from Ivory Coast. He speaks manly French but is starting to know English pretty well. This last week we haven’t had the chance to sit down with him due to both his and our busy schedule. Nevertheless he was there about 5 minutes before church began. In talking with him after sacrament meeting we made an appointment with him after church and began to think about who could come with us to teach him. Thankfully we have many men (who just received the Melchizedek Priesthood) who can speak French and fluently. We ask one member named Wilson who came with us and followed up with Patrick about the Plan of Salvation in really a way that we couldn’t do, because our French is so rubbish. We then talked about the Word of Wisdom and The Law of Chastity both of them he has committed to himself that he will turn away from them and repent. We know that these things won’t be a hard thing for him because he has so much Faith in Jesus Christ.
President we have already seen some of the effects on the new emphasize of the Fundamentals. Zone Leaders have begun to train on focusing on a specific fundamental during their exchange with District Leaders. This already has begun to show missionaries that the way we can be successful is going back to the basics. The feedback from people seems very positive. This was very inspired to discuss in our mission council meeting.
It’s wonderful to be just a part of the missionary work here in Liberia and see all these wonderful miracles if we just let ourselves to be molded by the hands of the Lord. I guess that’s really what it is all about. If we are willing to be submissive and flexible with willing attitudes the Lord can truly work through us with no resistance. Not saying I am there yet but I am trying hard to be there.
Love,
Elder Skouson
Love,
Elder Skouson
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