11/18/13

Dear Family,

 

What do you know another busy week!!! Gotta love being here in the office! To answer you question i have no idea how long i am going to be one of Presidents Assistants. Elder Pentreath and I were trying to work it out but it all depends if President keeps Elder Pentreath here for another transfer or if he is going after this one. Either way i will probably be here for 2-4 more transfers or like 3-5 months. Woohoo!!! I love being here in the office with all the great people we get to work with.

Well we have seen some of our own miracles come in and out of here in the office this week. Wednesday our brand new baby missionaries came in from Ghana. Woo. No these Elders werent babies at all. Elder Sanders, Gunnell, and Backman arrived at about 5:00pm and we are in charge of them having a great first night in Liberia. We feed them some great rice and stew with some legit BBQ sauce and tasted amazing. We then talked and planned with them so that they would be able to have some down time and write in their journal.

 Everything in the mission gets better when new missionaries arrive. President sees the wonderful impact new missionaries can have on the mission and so he takes this opportunity and magnifies it. He calls the best trainers to train these new missionaries and puts them in the best apartments. You really can notice a difference in ever part of the work. And these missionaries are totally prepared for the job. Its no small thing to be here on mission especially in Liberia. In this mission because it is so young, you learn to be flexible. Each apartment is lacking reliable resources which really can effect the work. Such as water, power, Natural gas etc. So when you arrive it can be a little bit weird when the first time you try to open the tap and no water comes out ( or its different colors). This is why I love the missionaries here just because they are able to adjust and quick. It is so sweet.

 

Dad to answer your question about am i getting the hang of this whole Assistant thing yet to be honest, After doing another week of training and doing different instructions, no not really but i am getting there. Hopefully someday it will just come when i am able to speak where people just understand me and i can clearly get a message across. I think this is going to take some practice though. haha i think i am too hard on myself sometimes as well. I just need to gain that confidence in what i am saying. But like i said its a work in progress.

 

Interesting thing that i noticed this week. My companion and i were teaching a young man named Wilobah about the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We taught him how Christ had established his church and due to the great apostasy it fell. We then had the wonderful opportunity to explain Joseph Smiths first vision with a picture of the vision.( Its always cool to see every ones reaction to seeing the picture when they see it for the first time." Wow, that Jesus??) When we teach this no matter how many times i have on my mission it always strengthens my testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I love to explain about The Book of Mormon. Even now as i am writing it i feel just peace inside my heart. I know these things are true and i love being on this mission to share my beliefs and things i know to be true with absolutly everyone around me. It is very uncommon to meet a stranger and not talk about anything besides the church or the Book of Mormon or what we believe as missionaries.

I met a man from India this past week, we got talking about why he was here and what he believed in. He explained he had come here for business and his wife was back at home and he was Hindu. Very interesting and nice man. I love having something to talk about with everyone. How easy is it just to simply explain something you believe in. Never did i think this back at home. I was always to worried that they would ask me a question that i wouldn't be able to answer. But now thats not the case.

 

Welll as you can see i am just enjoying my mission immensely. I love Liberia and Liberians so much. I know why they call it the best Two Years. I am just glad its not soon finishing there is just much i still need to learn here.

I love you all very much and cant wait to here from you again.

Love,

Elder Skouson

11/11/13

Wing apo, Greeting from Pocahonts

 

Big email here-oh.

 Here in Liberia is really the only mission that actually allows missionaries to ride on motorbikes. Woohooo ya lucky us. But last Tuesday the government decided to take all the motorbikes from the major road in Monrovia and surrounding cities. This means that if we want to travel anywhere we either have to take car which is very difficult because they are always packed or Walk. Just picture our old saturn with about 300,000 miles. That would be what the typical taxi looks like here. You know how there are suppossibly 3 seats in the back and 1 passanger seat up front well those each add one. There are always 4 in the back and 2 up front. Lets just say that it isnt the most comfortable ride especially when you have a bigger body compared to most liberians.

 

Because of this we have walked a lot more then usual. I think i can say i am use to walking now being on mission for a year. I really can walk all day. But we cant teach nearly as many people as we have been privilaged to in the past. President really saw this as a good thing when i first happened cause there would be a lot less accidents with missionaries and motorbikes but it is taking a toll on the proselyting time of all the missionaries with the additional walking. Just means we need to plan a lot better.

 

Well with the week.  Presidents focus with our mission right now is teaching new members the after baptism lessons or what we call the new member lessons. In other parts of the world really the ward or branch usually heads these lessons but this really hasnt been happening here due to such a rapid growth of people coming into the church.  So we have given a couple of instructions on this in the past week or so.

We had the chance to see more recent converts this week which was really good. We dont have much time in our proselyting area so we rieally try to do the most efficent thing while we are in the area being real missionaries. Hehe. We had a great lesson where we went on splits with our Elders Quorum Presidency and taught the Gaye Family. We taught them about the priesthood in action. President Williams told a story of how he was able to pray for someone in his family. Really sweet.

I go back to my first blessing i ever gave. Dad and i went to mountain view hospital for someones father from our ward. I dont remember what i said at the time but i just remeber the peace the man recieved before he went into surgery. I knew that is what Heavenly Father wanted for him at that time. Times with Dad like these i will never forget.

 

Thank you so much for the family history you sent in Dear Elder. Yes i beg would you send more about the skousens as the arrived in America.

Thank you Lynn and Mary Marrott for sending the wonderful cards and ice cream money!!!! I really enjoyed with that!!

 

I hope that you know i am working hard to learn as much as possible. I love being a missionary here in Liberia. The Hand of the lord is really over this wonderful country. I Love the gospel and all it has to offer. I love seeing such change in so many peoples lives. There is nothing i can do about where they live but how they live in the places they do.

I love you all, even if you are enjoying Lake Tahoe without me. Its alright you all need it very much. I will need it sometime next year.

Love,

Elder Skouson

(the White African)

11/4/13

Salah Mali Com, (hello from all the Muslims here, just a little Arabic)

Thank you for sending me the quote from President Monson about giving thanks. I love quotes now, Like Crazy. I have started this new thing to help me be better in writing in my journal every day. Anytime during the day when i hear a quote or somebody saying something that i like i write it down in my planner and when i get back i write it in my journal. Sometimes they are just Liberian sayings or phrases and just funny things that people say but its something to write about. New accomplishment: i have written in my journal every day this week!!! Ya sorry to disappoint you mom but i havent always been the most consistent in doing this but that is what is great about repentance.

For the first time in a long time i am not only using my planner to look back on as a reference of what we did this week. I get to use my journal as well.

My companion and I had the opportunity to go on an exchange with two missionaries Elder Nabende and Elder Morrison. I was privileged to go with Elder Nabende. E. Nabende is from Uganda. As we were walking together he was telling me some of his tribe traditions which are really kind of weird. They have to deal with Circumcision and dancing and really I don’t think it is appropriate to talk about over email. But after walking for a while we met up with his Elders Quorum President, President Biah, who was going to be our member present in the lesson. We walked a little bit further to go and meet the man we planned to see. His name was Elijah. He was about 38-40 and he has children and a woman not wife which happens too often here in LIB. Now Elijah has been coming to the church faithfully for over a year now. He isn’t baptized because he isn’t married. We planned on teaching the importance of living the Law of Chastity. Pres. Biah started to teach how he has a family and how they were strengthened just by keeping this law. I started to just be a normal lesson when i look at Elder Nabende and nodded that we need to make this lesson cater to his needs.

A couple of minutes later his son Darius walked in from school and sat down and listen to us speaking. I could tell Darius was a good kid but the way he looked up to his father. After a couple minutes he went inside to go and change out of his school uniform and go a play football with a couple of other kids. We took this advantage to speak to Elijah about his son. He looks up to him with great respect as a good father and he will do anything that his father tells him too. We went on to say even by the examples he shows he will follow. If you drink then he will drink, if you beat your children he will be his children, if you dont get married he will do likewise. This really put a spin on the lesson. I began to tell about my wonderful parents who have taught me things that they probably don’t even realize. I think it got a little stuffy or i got a sudden cold because my eyes and Elijahs eyes began to swell and tear up. I continued to tell how great my parents are and how he is such a great example to his son already.  That point when we talked about he could start now with going and talking to his soon to be wife about marriage preparations.

I learned a lot from this experience with Elder Nabende. He taught me a lot and even the things we experienced together really strengthened our testimony of the gospel and missionary work. Its lessons like these that you just want to keep working for. I love this work. Sure its challenging but to be honest it is way more rewarding than anything else.

One quote i have in my Journal this week is this,

"Effective Missionary Work is always done in Love"

This one really helps me to understand that we should "Never let problems to be solved become more important than a person to be loved!" -President Monson.

I like both of these quotes; they help me to see the importance of love over anything else. When we love we are able to lead. I have seen this throughout the times where i have been given the chance to lead on my mission. I love mission!!!

President Kirkham is a great example of that. Working with him very closely has taught me many things. His example how he deals with individuals as well as the whole group is just inspiring. He really loves us missionaries and cares what the best thing is truly for us. It’s been interesting to be a part of the transferring process to see how much actually goes into it all. Heavenly father knows what is best and President Kirkham very much seeks his inspiration and guidance to help his missionaries.

I hope you know i love and care for you very much!!! I know everything might be a little bit difficult right now but i also know Heavenly father has a plan for each and every one of us. Through obedience to his commandment we will be blessed in all things.(Mosiah 2:41)

I love you!!!!

Love,

Elder Skouson

 (the White African)

View from the Mission office

Yup just the view i have to see everyday from The Mission Office. Just kidding isnt it sweet!!!!

October 28, 2013

Ohana!!! ( i think it means family) (ask Lilo and Stitch)

Another week has gone by, I’m pretty sure it gets faster and faster each week. I like it but then at the same time I don’t. Might sound weird but its true.

President Kirkham has been gone all this past week and so its been Elder Pentreath and I trying to run this Town. I’m just glad i am just one of the assistants to President. He really has a lot on his plate and we do our very best to help carry the load. We had 3 Elders go home this past week and really it’s been a hit to all of us. Elder Robb has had some hip problems that have been too painful to manage. Sad to see him go but i am glad that he is hopefully able to rest a little bit. He is a hard worker and him and his companion really have done work here. The two other Elders were struggling too but now they are safe and sound back in Uganda and Zimbabwe.

Well we ourselves have had a little bit more time to do "real" missionary work. And when i say little i mean little. President left us to complete a couple of ongoing assignments this past week that have needed some attention. But We have had the chance to meet with some new investigators who are very promising. We are teaching this young women, her name is Ruth Cassell. She is 17 years old and her Mother went to the bush because she is very sick, her father is out of the picture so she lives alone with her younger brothers and sisters. The people in the community call her Ma Ruth because she does everything for her family. Never is there a time when we go to her house is she ever sad or down or not smiling. She is such a wonderful young women who yearns for the gospel so much. In this situation it is hard for her to trust that everything will work out and she will be blessed for the service she is giving to her brothers and sisters. Try being a full time babysitter for years without a day off. She goes to school on when she can and tries to earn money anyway she can. Very difficult for her. The great thing is she knows that church is a safe haven for her. There she doesn’t need to worry about really anything just to go and learn. Its helping people like this every day that i get my spiritual gospel high from. She lights up as we come because she know that what we are going to teach will help her in more ways she can believe. She is just wonderful.

Also the Lorpu Mulbah family is doing great. We had our first official lesson with them yesterday after church. Not going to lie this lesson has been planned for a while now and we were a little bit apprehensive about doing it. We definitely wanted everything to just peachy. Thankfully through much pray it did. Before we went we tried to see if we were the best teachers we could be. We then realized that we need to have more faith that the Spirit will be the teacher. From then on we didnt worry. We still prepared but we left it in the Lords hands. What a great lesson it was! We talked about the Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ focusing on the Restoration of the one and only True Church. Their family are strong Lutherans and love the Lutheran church but it was amazing to me there willingness to listen to us. The spirit was very strong in the lesson and they really saw the importance of why they need to pray about this wonderful message. I love explaining to people why would i travel halfway around the world just to tell you something i think is right or just logically makes sense. I came here to Liberia to tell you of this wonderful restored gospel because i know it is true. I have prayed and received an answer from Heavenly Father that this is true. There is no doubt in my mind that it isn’t true. This is what makes it all worth it. This is why i am here to bear my testimony and to help others bear their own. I love the gospel so much!!!

BTW i am in what they call the Sinkor Branch. It is in Monrovia town, i live in the Mission (mansion) Office with just my companion Elder Pentreath. I always thought that living in a mansion would be super sweet. But i guess its only sweet when you have a lot of people living there. It gets lonely when its just us two. To look this place on Google earth i think i would be hard. It is right next to the pin for Monrovia. There is a small curve on the ocean line and we live in the big white building right next to it. But its really hard to see if you dont already know where it is. You are most welcome to try. Maybe better yet i will try to send a panoramic photo of what the beach looks like instead.

Anyways I was asked kind of late notice to give a talk in chuch about family history. It really kind of made me depressed cause i couldn't share any really good experiences because i just dont know any. If there is any way would you mind sending me just a tad bit of family history just so i can show off my family to everyone around. The talk i gave was alright, mostly it was about the importance of temple work and how important it is for us to go to the temple. Saints here in Liberia are starting to catch on and every temple trip we are having more and more people want to go. The Sacrifice amount to go to Ghana is $50 us. It’s really difficult for most to even save that much. But the blessings are well worth it. I guarantee it. I can’t wait to return back home and enjoy the calming spirit of the temple and enjoy the temple food, Umm did i say that? Yes.

I have been trying to follow my New Year resolution by working out and writing in my Journal every day. I have found a way i think i can discipline myself into doing it. I look for quote of what people have said or funny Liberian sayings or just anything that inspires me. Our newly called Elders Quorum President, President Anderson from America, said something that really stuck out to me in a way that i never thought of before though i try to do it every day. He said," When People see or understand what there potential can be, They wont want to return to there mediocre lives." He said this while talking about home teaching to the Elders Quorum. This really hit me hard i think because i felt the spirit testify of what he was saying. During my mission i just want to show people where they could be with Jesus Christ and help them to get there. This i guess is my purpose.

I am so thankful for this time in my life to really have a purpose now and to know exactly what i should be doing that is pleasing in Heavenly Fathers eyes. Mission is the best decision in my life. I love all it has to offer!! I love you all very much and pray for your health and safety every day.

Love,

Elder Skouson(Cowskin)

(the White African)

October 21, 2013 and a Photo

Dear Family,

Simply this has been a sweet week!!!

This is kind of how our week was!!! This is a part of Elder Pentreath's email to president about a women and her family that we are going to start teaching:

"This week's been great. Straight after coming out from our interviews with you we went out to buy something to eat and we prayed together that we would find a family. So we went and bought a bowl of 'fried beans' from the Lady who sells on Redemption Drive, the road just outside the Office, which heads down to the Beach. So we started speaking to the Lady, asked her name, asked if her last name was her family's name or her husband's; it was her family's because 'he hadn't given her a ring yet'. We asked if her man had paid her dowry though and she very strongly said 'oh, yes, before we moved together, absolutely!' Elder Skouson and I felt that this meant that she deserved more of our time and so we've been buying food from her ever since. We've learnt that they are very strong in the Lutheran church on 14th Street, but after meeting with them after church on Sunday they informed us that their church had been closed down on Saturday because they hadn't paid the rent so they don't have anywhere to go to church anymore. I don't have anything against the Lutheran Church, but this news made me pretty happy and we didn't lose any time as we excitedly told them 'well that's no problem, you can come to church with us next Sunday'; sounds a bit insensitive now that I'm writing this, but the spirit was there and we feel it went down well. From further asking of questions we learnt that the whole family came to the Gayes wedding; know the family very well and have seen the changes each of them have made. Sister Yargbo attends night-school with a Relief Society Sister who lives in the house right outside the office as well, so we're really excited for this family's future!"

We are truly excited for this family that we are starting to teach. Heavenly Father has blessed Liberia I wish you all could see the miracles that happen every day here.

We had the opportunity today to do something a little bit different. We were privileged to take a tour of the old abandon Mamba Point Hotel. This place has always been an eye catcher because it is at the top of the only hill in Monrovia. During the war the rebels came in and took everything from the hotel and used it as a base for a battalion. We saw a before and after photo which really is kind of sad to see what Liberia used to look like before the war. We paid the guard 100Ld which is like $1.15 US. and climbed up 9 stories to have “a moment that takes your breath away”. As we learn from Will Smith “it’s not about the breaths we take but about the moments that take our breath away”!! What a moment/view that really did. Liberia is beautiful!!! I love it so much. I will try to send some more photos. But sorry to say photos just can’t do it justice. My fear of heights came back to me for a couple of seconds. Haha what a cool experience we had today.

Dear President Kirkham,

Thank you President for emailing me.

We have really tried hard this week to implement what you have instructed us to do to have a model proselyting area. After our interview last gone Monday we found just what Liberia needs- A Family. Elder Pentreath explained the whole situation in his email. It is just wonderful to see that when we truly look for someone he just can simply put people in our path; we ourselves just need to open our eyes.  This work really is divine and i am glad i have another year to enjoy the work we do here in Liberia.

On Wednesday we were able to go on an exchange with Elder Zolo and Elder Ngobi in Caldwell New Georgia. Elder Pentreath went out with Elder Zolo and I went with Elder Ngobi. Before our exchange we planned on what would be the purpose of this exchange. We wanted to focus on having good members in each lessons. To have the member be taught as well as the investigator. Also to have evaluations with your companion often. Elder Pentreath and i find it very successful to talk about the lesson we just had while walking or going to the next lesson. It really brings unity in our teaching. We know when one person should stop and the other start. We wanted to get this same attitude in teaching for Elder Zolo and Ngobi.

The actual exchange was great and we really had a good time with these elders. Elder Ngobi is a great teacher who may be quite any other time of the day but really you can see him open up when he teaches people. This for me just goes to show how much love he has for his investigators. We had a great experience in one lesson we taught together. The girl we were teaching was really not saying anything in the lesson. Come to find out her aunt has been discouraging her by telling her false things about the church. Once we could understand why she was being so quite and uninterested, Elder Ngobi bore one of the most powerful testimonies i have ever heard. He talked about how Jesus Christ was disrespected and hated for doing nothing wrong. He bore his testimony on Joseph Smith how he had come to know the truth and how always he would be laughed at, persecuted, and even killed for the things he knew were true. He boldly bore his testimony to her in the most loving spiritual manner that we all could feel the spirit. As he finished she committed to pray about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. The way that she looked at the church change not because of his testimony but by hearing and feeling the holy Ghost bear witness to her that this work is true. This lesson that i had the opportunity to be a part of really strengthened my testimony and helped me see just how truly important this work and that no outside force could ever stop the progression of this work.

Elder Ngobi and I had a wonderful time teaching and talking with each other. He is really a great example to me as a leader. I have learned things that i would like to improve to become a better leader. He is a great example of leading by example.  We had a great exchange which we were able to give training and receive training. Haha its really great how it works like that.

Being a missionary has taught me so many things. It has shown me the importance of things too. I am just thankful everyday that i have this experience in my life to help so many great people, whether a missionary, member, or non-member. I love it them all. And we can all learn from each other. That's why heavenly Father puts us in groups we call families because when you are close to someone you automatically love them. In this love there is much learning involved. Thankfully my parents love is unconditional and they were able to see past the bad and seek the good that i did and complement me on that. My mother goes into surgery tomorrow. I know everything will work out just fine but i guess why this email has turned to my parents. I pray for them continually but i know that you ask me about my family and so i just wanted to give a small update.  Thank you for always being so loving to me and helping to understand and see the bigger picture.

Love,

Elder Skouson

October 14, 2013

Na fuede!!!!,(Hello from the "Kru" tribe)

Exciting week-o!!! Just another week in the office. Actually really a crazy one as well! I really like having a extraordinarily full week. It helps me from being idle.

Mom and Dad first off i love you very much and thank you for always being there for me. It really means a lot to me that i now am an Eagle Scout. The things i have done for it really have made me be a better person. I wasn't the easiest thing to accomplish in my life but now i can look back with no regrets. Or maybe i should have got it before i started smelling things like Perfume and Gasoline or hit the age of 16. haha well at least i got it. I think it really has an effect on way i got a call here in Liberia. Every American missionary either has there eagle scout or has been in the military its probably because they can consider this mission to be of a rugged nature. I truly don't know why because the people here are so great.

I fall more and more in love with Liberia everyday. Being in the mission Office i get to meet Branch Presidencies and District Presidencies this helps me see everything on a wider scale. Even we receive numbers for all the missionaries in the mission. This too helps me see as a whole of Liberia. And i absolutely love it.

Liberia had its first ever District showing of General Conference. We watched the Sunday morning session. Although it was a week late, it really had an impact of the whole district. Really there is something about meeting together and watching the Prophet and Apostles speak. I really took it for granted back at home. All we have to do at home is just turn on the TV and watch a session. Sometimes even get into our nice air conditioned cars and drive 10 mins to the stake center to watch priesthood session. I think the only car that was in the parking lot was the Missionary Senior Couples. Everybody else had to take a motorbike or car taxi. Its an all day event for most because they live so far away. I wont go into to much detail but it does bring a new outlook on the simple General Conference. Come listen to a prophets voice!!!! Oh how i love it!!!

Luckily the District center is right in our area so we had many of our investigators there. We followed up with them how they enjoyed the conference and they shared some of the wonderful experiences they hear. I was so very grateful they could hear when the people were talking it some time hard to hear true American (ceries) talking.

Missionaries here are just off the hook. We are doing so well as a mission. The lord is truly opening the hearts here in Liberia. President has been really inspired to focus on having Members in Every lesson we teach. This helps our the investigator and the members. We have set a goal that we would teach more member present lessons then other lessons(just us missionaries teaching) in the whole mission. Its a very hard and time consuming thing but we have already seen very big improvement towards members coming to church really progressing in the gospel. We are very close to be able to do it. I really believe we have the best missionaries in the world right here in LIB.

Well i really am out of time. I just wanted you too feel the same enthusiasm i have for this work. This is such a great time in Liberia and very happy that i have a full year again until i go home. This has become my home away from home.  I love Liberia and the people that are here as well.

I Love you all very much  and miss you like crazy.

Love,

Elder Skouson

(the White African)

  Here is the email i sent to president Kirkham.

Dear President,

Well we just got out over our interview. So i will just some up the last week cause you already know everything else that happened, basically I'm fine, my companion's fine, the area's fine, our investigators are fine and the Branch is fine, so everything's fine here President.

Honesty president everything is going very well. Elder Pentreath and I are doing great together. One thing i really have learned how to do since i have become his companion is how to evaluate. I never really knew the importance of evaluation. Its no that we come back at the end of a teaching day and talk about what went well and what didn't. With these past few weeks it has been more then that. Really in everything we do, as we give an instruction, as we talk to certain elders about something, as we go on exchange, Even when we cook food. Now i can look back at the things i was lacking or didn't do correctly and step forward. I have always been a "put the past behind you" kind of person. Now i know it is always better to learn from it first before you put it behind you. As they say, History always seems to repeat itself. If I can learn from the situation the first time then when it comes around again i will now how to best go about that certain situation.

Elder Pentreath is such a great example to me. He is always very loving even when i do make a mistake. He really can help me see what should have been said or done not in a forceful or criticizing way but in a way were i see the need to improve. I love the things that we are able to do and go through together. 

It was great to have everyone from Monrovia District come and enjoy a session of General Conference. Really for our Investigators and Recent converts its a big thing to actually hear the prophets voice. Well for everyone really. I feel it really unify us as a church. I found my self looking around while President Monson spoke and seeing everyone's eyes really glued to the projector screen. It touched me to see everyone so willing to excited to hear the Prophet speak. We have asked some of our investigators what they learned and liked most about the Conference. It was great to see what they like about it through a non members eyes. Even one of our investigators expressed how much she enjoyed hearing from Sister Oscarson about choosing this day whom ye should serve. She like it a lot because she could relate to it. She knows about the story and loved the description she gave about it. Really it has helped her to see a bigger picture. I know you like to talk with us missionaries about vision and what our vision needs to be. For her she was able through conference to see why she needed the gospel in her life. Thank you very much for the insight and advice that you gave me in our interview today.

Love,

Elder Skouson