The last one.....

Hi Mom!

It was great to finally talk to you yesterday! I'm glad you had a great Mothers Day! I'm sorry I couldn't be there to celebrate with you, nor arrive home the next day like we had thought! But I will find some way to make it up to you!

I cant believe this day is finally here... The last time I write home as Elder Skalla! This is a day I have been looking forward to as well as dreading for a long time! However, I think I am ready and 

can honestly say I have given my all and am ready to return home and start what is next in my life.

I haven't been a perfect missionary, not even close. I have made mistakes and done things I probably shouldn't have. I have had hard times and moments of discouragement and trials of faith and testimony. My life has even been in danger once or twice ;) But I wouldn't trade these two years for anything in the world. If I had the opportunity to start over and do it all again, there isn't much I would change. And that's not because I have always made the right choices or said the right things or been the best missionary. Quite the opposite, actually. Through all of the mistakes and setbacks I have learned and grown. I have been shaped and molded into a slightly less flawed man, and slightly more Christ-like. I have a long way to go still, but I am eternally grateful for the opportunity I have had to serve these two years in Tampico. I have learned to rely on my Father and my Savior and I have learned that I can truly be happy by seeking and following their guidance and council. I have learned about, taught about and most importantly lived Christ's atonement in my life. I know He lives, I know He loves us and I know He will guide our lives, if we let him, and take us places we could never reach alone. I am forever grateful for the people He has placed in my path throughout my life and my mission who have shaped me and been an example to me, and most of them probably don't even know it. I am grateful for the opportunities he has given me to be an instrument in His hands and bless the lives of others. I have realized that that is what truly makes me happy. I look forward to continually growing and learning by His side and maybe being the means through which others come to know Him as well. I haven't been a perfect missionary nor have I served a perfect mission, but through Him it has been perfect for me, and that's what matters. 

Thanks for being such a great mom. I love you and cant wait to see you and hug you and thank you in person for all the things you have done for me. One day I will find a way to pay back at least a portion of what you have given me. 

In the MTC, Brother Doman shared with us a poem that describes perfectly my thoughts both beginning and ending the mission:

My Mission

As I stared out the window,

the tears still in my eyes,

I saw the vision of those I loved-

We've just said our last goodbyes.

The flight was long and tiring

as two questions plagued my mind:

"Do i want the life that's up ahead?

Or the one I left behind?"

Two years is such a long, long time

to be going door to door.

In my reflections I said to myself

"There really must be more!"

I dragged myself down off the plane

and stood staring at the skies,

when a man turned me the other way,

saying "Elder, go find and baptize!"

I sit reflecting once again

as this day is my last.

"Please, Lord, this just isn't fair,

the time goes much too fast!"

As I stare out the window,

the tears still in my eyes,

I see the missionaries and Members I love-

We've just said our last goodbyes.

The flight is long and tiring

as two questions plague my mind.

"Do i want the life that's up ahead?

Or the one I left behind?"

It's hard to think about this special time of my life finally coming to a close, but I feel like I am ready for what is to come. I have learned what I needed to learn and am now ready to take all of that and use it out in the real world. 

Thanks for everything you have done for me throughout these two years. See you next week!

For the last time,

Elder Skalla

México Tampico Mission

Heatwave in Tampico....snowing in Colorado

Hello!

Don't worry, I will write next Monday as well haha... Not much, but I will... And I definitely want to skype you, why wouldn't I? I mean ya it will be weird because we will see each other a week later but its mothers day and I want to see you! I have 50 minutes so don't worry about that :) After all its for you, not for me! i will probably call around 4 our time... All 14 of us in the zone have to call the same day in the same chapel so we volunteered to be last... sorry! 

Leslie's baptism went great! She was super nervous and really dramatic about it haha but that's just her personality. She was confirmed on Sunday and it was really great :) Her baby was also blessed on Sunday so double fun! 

I am honestly a teeny bit jealous that you have snow and I hope it lasts til I get home! At least just a bit! But then after that I hope it is warm haha. I am sick of the warm already haha it is so hot here! We are dying but its ok. It will just get hotter from here... I admit I am glad I don't have to endure ANOTHER Tampico Summer haha. 

Okay that is CRAZY that David is getting married! Good for him, but CRAZY!!! I hope they do well together.  Good for them. I'm happy for Rebecca! Even though I still think of her as a 6 year old in my head haha. 

This week was a bit crazy with preparations for Leslie's baptism and then on Friday in the morning we had Mission Council, so that's where all those pics are from. Probably the last time I will see a lot of those missionaries, especially the Latin ones. 

This week can be defined by 3 words... HOT, SWEATY and TIRED! Haha since we are kind of dropping all of our investigators that aren't progressing, we are just spending most of our time contacting and finding, which is always a brutal process. Its nice when we actually have people to teach because we can break up the hours of brutal heat and finding with teaching appointments, but went here are no appointments, its just straight hours under the sun! But its fun and its the heart of missionary work and I love it. But there is nothing more tiring. And especially with this heat we have had this week it has been brutal, but always rewarding. We have found a few new investigators with some potential.

Roberto didn't come to church... again. So who knows when or if he will be baptized. he is a great guy but its just so hard with him because he doesn't have a dang cell phone haha. I'm going to buy him one before I leave :p

Margarita went to church. We are hoping she fulfills her baptism date of may 14th... The only thing she needs is to decide! So please pray for her! We visit her Thursday and if she decides to be baptized the 14th her interview will be this Saturday. I hope she says yes because we have worked so much with her and we don't really know what to do if she doesn't want to get baptized... We have taught EVERYTHING haha. She just needs to take a step of faith :)

I am doing well. I am incredibly tired almost always but on borrowed strength I get through each day haha. There is a wise purpose behind only serving 2 years. I know if I was asked to serve more I could but man am I worn out! Physically, mentally and spiritually. But I guess that's the point, work hard and use all your energy so that at the end you have nothing left to give. so i will keep giving my all every day. I keep learning and remembering every day how much I rely on the Lord and his strength. I just finished Alma and reading the war chapters I always love when it says "In the strength of the Lord" and it is so true haha. So, In the strength of the Lord I am going to work my bum off these last two weeks.

Tomorrow I go to the temple with my generation, we have a lunch together and then a self-reliance training. Wednesday is my exit interview with president... Then next week on Sunday at 6:00 Elder Tipton will drop me off at the mission home and I will have dinner with president and Sister Ramirez and my generation, we will have a testimony meeting and then early Monday morning we will go to the airport. My flight leaves at 7 and the rest of the missionaries leave at 6 so I will be alone with president waiting for an hour haha so that will be interesting.

Keep me in your prayers! I need it now more than ever! Love you! See you next week!

Elder Skalla

México Tampico Mission

Only a short time to represent Christ....

The Tampico Mexico Mission with Elder Rasband

Hey mom!

Wow! This week was kinda crazy! First of all thanks for all the birthday wishes! It was great! Bricios family spoiled us and made it a really great day! I am so full of cake though! We took the leftovers home and now I am a bit sick of cake haha.

The video was really nice. I´m not going to lie it was a tad bit weird with everyone saying see you soon and it was kinda hard but it was good other than that... Just took a while to re-focus is all. But I really appreciate it. 😀 Don't think I am not excited or happy to come home... Its just different. Its hard to explain. I miss you all and love you all but I will only be a missionary once and now its almost over and I will have the whole rest of my life to be with my family, but only a short time to represent Christ and be a missionary. I have a poem that President Doman gave me in the MTC. I will send it to you in the next 2 weeks. It explains my feelings pretty well haha. 

Nax is getting better, but she is still really worried about it. Don't worry, we already gave her a blessing. She loves you a lot and loves talking to you. We will have to skype them when i get home!

Other than my birthday nothing super exciting happened... We did divisions with some elders in the zone and that was fun. Leslie had her baptism interview on Saturday and is going to be baptized this Friday! Yay! Elder Tipton is going to baptize her 😀. She has made so many big changes and is really excited to be baptized and the gospel has and will continue to bless her so much. 

Roberto went to a baptism on Saturday that the other elders in the ward had. He liked it a lot and said he was going to come to church on Sunday, but never showed up. He doesn't have a cell phone so we cant really communicate him but the RS president works with him and is going to find. But unfortunately his Baptism date fell and wont be able to get baptized until after I leave :( 

Margarita also couldn't go to church, and also wont get baptized til after I leave :( She had to go to the hospital because of a surgery she is going to have in a few weeks. But the rule is they have to have at least 4, preferably 5 attendances in a row to church before getting baptized. But eventually they will be baptized so I am OK with it.

We are still looking really hard for investigators but everyone we have found hasn't progressed and we have had to drop or have been dropped by lots of our investigators. Its been a hard couple of weeks but we aren't discouraged yet and will keep on workin and we know we will find someone soon that will progress and be baptized. 

Thanks for all the love and support and prayers! I don't know what I would do without it!

Love you!

Elder Skalla

Happy Birthday Elder Skalla!!! WE LOVE YOU!!

Sis. Nax and her sweet family spoiled Ryan rotten on his birthday and I can't thank her enough!!  I just love this awesome family!!!

Elder Rasband Visits!!

Hi mom! Thanks for the birthday wishes! Don't worry, I have had enough big birthdays in the past to compensate for two mission birthdays! Plus its the last time I will ever have a birthday as a missionary so I'm sure I will enjoy it! And about afterwards... well we´ll just wait to talk about that til after I´m released haha.

I am super jealous of your snow storm! I wish I could be there! Not really but I wish it could be snowing when I get home in May! That would be cool :p

Yay for going out with the missionaries! I´m sorry the investigator wasn't there :( make sure to let the missionaries know you are still willing to go out with them haha or ask them to let you know when they have a return appointment so they don't feel too bad! Sometimes its discouraging bringing members to appointments and the investigators aren't there!

Nax showed me the pics and videos of the snow and playing with Tate! Looks like fun! I was surprised that Brad wasn't wearing my blue coat!

We are going to eat with Nax on Wednesday so I am guessing they have something planned haha. Hopefully not too much! I´m not here to party... But a little cake and celebration won't hurt haha.

This week was kinda weird. We had lots of weird circumstances and meetings and we didn't have as much time to work as we would have liked but it was still a great week in which we learned a lot and made lots of progress! I will talk about a few of our progressing investigators... still haven't found anyone new that seems like they have lots of potential, but the ones we have already found are starting to progress!

Lesli: We finished teaching all of the lessons this week and she will have her baptismal interview this coming Saturday! She keeps surprising us and coming to church on her own and she is learning and making great changes! She should be baptized the 29th :) 

Margarita: Doing really well as well! We finished all the lessons and have been going over some stuff we have already taught. She is doing well and should be good for her date on the 14th of may. My last Saturday in the mission! Crazy!

Roberto: Roberto finally came to church! We have been waiting more than a month for that! Woooo! He is doing great and fulfilling all his commitments and we only have to teach him tithing and fast offerings and he is ready to be baptized! He still has to attend church a few more times so his date is also the 14th of May! He loved church and looks forward to coming the next few weeks! Yay! It will be cool having two baptisms my last day in the mission...

We are working hard and seeing miracles in the zone and the area... I will admit it is hard to focus and work hard but I am doing okay still. Keep me in your prayers! Love you lots!

oops!! Forgot to talk about the best part of the week! Elder Rasband!

Elder Tipton and I were in charge of helping the assistants and secretaries do crowd control, mainly because it was our chapel and we have a bit of experience from already being in the offices. So we got there at 7 and they have been cleaning and preparing the stake center for the past 2 weeks for this so it was all really nice and they even brought sofas and made a little lounge out of the high council room. We had to set up the stand for the photo and get everyone seated in their zones and it was crazy because the whole mission got there at once haha. It was a good thing we had backup! We got almost everybody seated and quiet and more were on their way in when the power went out! So everyone started freaking out and we had to get everyone calm again and figure out the power situation haha which was crazy... The maintenance people came and brought a generator in. So after that we had to order everyone on the stands for the foto but not everyone fit so we had to use chairs and crazy stuff for people to stand on haha but eventually we got everyone in! Elder Rasband pulled up and said hi to us all. sat down and took the picture. Then we all walked in to the sacrament room and we all got to shake his hand which was cool. There was a church photographer there and she took a pic of me shaking his hand so I hope I get to see that... The meeting was really cool. He talked about how we are all called to serve where the lord wants us to serve, from the mission to the very area and companion and investigators we have. It was really cool. but I will have to share more what he talked about next week because I don't have much time. Remind me! Love you!

Elder Skalla

México Tampico Mission

Mission Council with Elder Valenzuela of the Seventy

Edgar, the investigator Elder Zufelt and I were teaching in the offices, 

got baptized a few weeks ago!

Time is going too fast!!

Monday again? That's not fair!

Time is going by SOOOO fast! It´s not fair. It is weird because we are now putting baptismal dates with new investigators for the 21st of May! So anyone we find this week wont be able to be baptized til after I am gone, which is really weird... It doesn't really bother me thinking that I wont be able to be here when they are baptized, its just weird thinking that I am that close to going home! It is something I have avoided thinking about for so long and have always thought was so far away but now its here and literally everything reminds me of it. I am using it as a motivator though to just work even harder and harder every day instead of getting trunky and lazy. 

Looks like you had a busy week! Sounds like fun though! That's the kind of stuff I had to figure out in the office! How to feed and house a ton of people that are all coming at once haha. It makes for some fun memories. I am glad Brad gets home on Wednesday. One less thing to worry about! What is he going to do all this time at home? Seems like he did more play than work in the Philippines! He has really been gone for 4 months? That seems like it went by way fast...

I have been listening to the conference talks again this week. They are SO MUCH BETTER in English! it´s crazy how much of a difference that can make! I think Elder Hollands was everyones favorite! I really liked it, but I also really liked Elder Uchtdorfs. That seemed to be a general theme of the conference though: Just keep going and don´t give up! Have faith and everything will work out!

I´m glad you and the Tiptons had a good time! I'm glad you had a lot in common and it wasn´t awkward haha! We were a bit worried! Just because you had never met. But I am glad it went well! I bet you probably know Elder Tipton better than I do now haha. 

So This week was great but just kinda normal.. A bit of good, a bit of bad. A bit of miraculous, and a bit of... well not so miraculous.

Francisca: So I kinda told you about her last week. She was progressing SO WELL... Until we taught the law of chastity. She kinda just hardened her heart and now doesn´t want to change. She totally knows that she isn´t living how God wants her to live but she has made up a lie and is starting to believe it herself, just because she doesn't want to make the sacrifice or do anything difficult. Its kinda sad but we are going to have to drop her. We have done everything we can and she just doesn´t listen anymore. She has completely closed her heart, and the spirit cant teach a closed heart. She is like the rich young ruler who, after being obedient to almost all the commandments, was asked one thing more, and he turned away because it was too hard. We are still praying for her and her fellow-shipper is going to keep in touch with her, but we probably wont go by as often anymore. She was so close! It was probably one of the most heart-wrenching and hardest things to hear on my whole mission. She has progressed so well up to this point. She didn't go to church yesterday :( Keep her in your prayers.

Margarita: So on Friday ( i think) we were teaching her and well she is working on not drinking coffee and she is reading and everything! She is progressing really well. The only thing that has held her back was her work. They wont give her Sunday's off :( BUT We asked her if she could maybe change to an afternoon shift on Sundays and that way go to church in the morning and work in the afternoon, and she said yes that she could definitely do that! And yesterday she came to church! yay! A step in the right direction! She has a baptismal date for the 14th of May. Pray for her! Oh and her son came to church on Sunday! He is actually a former investigator that almost got baptized a year ago. He knows the church is true but he didn't get baptized because he wasn't married and was living with a girl but they aren't living together anymore! We knew about him but could never seem to meet him because he was working every time we went over. But he went to church and well we are going to see if he can start progressing. The only think that was keeping him back now was his work on Sundays, but hopefully that changed!

Lesli: Lesli is progressing well! We went with Nax and Bricio on Friday and she is reading and praying and is doing well! She still struggles to understand but she is doing better every day! We talked about the word of wisdom and it was a really cool lesson. Bricio bore his testimony and shared his story and so did Nax and it was really great. Just what Lesli needed to here. It makes me so happy hearing Bricios testimony and seeing how far he has come since we first met him. He seems so happy and his family too!

Gabriel: We found a new investigator this week that we hope starts progressing soon. his name is Gabriel he has a wife and a 5 year old daughter. He has never really been part of a church but is looking to join one so he can be a good example for his daughter and raise her in a better environment. We contacted him in the street and he was really interested. On Saturday we were finally able to teach him and we taught the Restoration and He really enjoyed it and understood and is going to read and pray. He said he was going to try and make it to church but he didn't show up. That's normal though. 

Alejandro y Paola: We visited them this week and well they are doing well, they have read and are really interested in learning more, but we still don't see a very high level of priority or commitment. We are going to bring Bricio and Dania with us next time so that they can have friends in the church and maybe feel more comfortable, and also see how the gospel can bless them and maybe help them have a desire to more fully keep their commitments. They weren't able to go to church on Sunday.

Last night the stake had the first Recent Convert activity in the stake center and it went really well. Bricio and Dania bore their testimonies along with other converts in the stake and it was very edifying for members, converts, investigators, and missionaries! The stake president wants to do one every month with all the new converts!

So I guess that's all the big news... This Saturday the apostle is coming! And its officially Elder Rasband! We are super excited!

I hope you have a great (and calm) week this week! Tell Brad hi! Love you!

Elder Skalla

México Tampico Mission

No Transfer!! Last 6 weeks!!!

Hey mom!

So the news you are waiting for (Unless Nax alread told you), Elder Tipton and I are staying together another change! So I guess we are either doing something right or doing something wrong haha. Hopefully the first! We are excited and ready to work our butts off these last 6 weeks. With the 3 changes in the office together and 3 changes in the field we will have been together a total of 9 months! Crazy! Its a miracle we havent gotten sick of eachother yet haha. 

Thats crazy you are going to dinner with the Tipton's tonight haha. I hope you have a great time. I am sure you will get along great haha. 

Its so weird reading about Kelsie and her family when I have no idea who she is. I am excited to meet them all though! 

Thanks for getting all of that stuff taking care of :) It will be nice not worrying about that these last 6 weeks! I cant believe its already here... 

Wow sounds like you do have a busy week! I hope everything goes well! I bet you are excited to have Brad home, haha It cant be easy having your two boys in weird foreign places. Soon you will have them both back, dont worry!

So about the area... We dropped almost all of our investigators and are trying to be more efficient about dropping and finding and dropping and finding and dropping and finding to not waste too much time with people that, unfortunately, will not progress. So we have found some seemingly good people this week! But about the investigators we are teaching...

Francisca: So we found out this week that Francisca actually has a husband (well not really) that she lives with and isnt married to! Apparantly he is like never home because he plays softball a lot and well she didnt want to tell us because she knew it wasn't right but she finally did and we are working with her so she can either get married or separate. The trick is he doesn't really want to get married and is already married with another woman, so he would need to get divorced first. So its all pretty crazy. But we have been helping her have the faith to make the correct decision and she went to the Sunday morning session of conference and the prophets talk was PERFECT for her and several other talks. She was crying and said she really, really liked it so hopefully that helped her. Pray for her!

Lesli: I dont know if I have said much about Lesli but she is a 20 year old with a 2 year old baby whose mom is a less active recent convert. Lesli never wanted to get baptized but about a month ago she talked to our ward mission leader and said she wanted to learn more and be baptized. We have been trying to help her but she hasn't been progressing much but the last two weeks she has gone to church and has been reading the scriptures so yay! It's a bit hard because she really doesnt understand very much but we are teaching her very simply and trying to help her understand the Book of Mormon. So little by little she is progressing! yay!

Bricio: Bricio is doing well. He went to both sessions of conference on Sunday and I think it was perfect for him. Especially all the talks about fathers! He is doing great and progressing. We are going to work on his family history this week so he and Dania can take names to the temple!

Roberto: We were finally able to teach him and he has read almost all of first Nephi and is doing great! The only problem is his boss won't give him Sundays off and none of his coworkers will trade shifts with him which is weird because normally everyone wants to work Sunday morning so they can go do stuff in the afternoon! But we are going to pray and fast lots with and for him so he can start coming to church. He is a great investigator and we dont want to lose him.

We had a zone council this week during our district class and we invited the assistants and Stake President and basically every area gave a report of what they have been doing in their area and what difficulties and stuff they have and we established a plan for the next few months. It was like a sort of mini mission council and it was very helpful. I think we will start doing it every month. President Flores is really awesome and is really willing to work with us and help resolve some of the difficulties in the wards that dont have much success.

On Friday we had mission council which was fun. It was nice to see all my friends. In two weeks the apostle is coming and the entire misison is coming to our stake center so we got assigned to set up and help the assistants manage everything and everyone. It should be a fun experience! 

I can't really think of anything else very exciting... I feel like you and Sister Tipton should exchange stories because my companion and I always leave the ciber and then say we forgot to write about a certain thing but the other one always writes it haha so together you have the whole story.

Hope you are all doing well! Love you lots!

Elder Skalla

México Tampico Mission