21 NEW INVESTIGATORS!!! and then TRANSFERRED!!

I love the pictures! The one of Garrett in the pool doing the thumbs up
made me laugh super hard!




Before I answer any questions, transfers came in and I am now in Morichal!
They changed how they do transfers now and so we leave Monday in the
mornings. Giving us NO time to say goodbye to anyone because they tell us
at 10:00 at night... So Elder Critchlow and I were up until 3 in the
morning packing and left the terminal at 8 AM. But now I'm not with Elder
Carbajal and my new comp is from Ecuador! His name is ELder Yanzapanta. He
and I left the MTC together and started in field at the same time.
 It's kind of sad (but not. Companion issues...) that I left because
this week WE FOUND 21 NEW INVESTIGATORS. We have third place in all of the
mission for this week. It was super awesome. Carbajal even started to work
harder and get more motivated. So that's cool.

This week we taught the Restoration about a hundred times because of all of
the new people we found. It was really cool to be teaching actual lessons
again instead of just little scriptures or Q and A type things. We gave
away a ton of Books of Mormon and that was cool. The thing is that about 18
or 19 of the new investigators are girls. So that's a little lame because without the
man of the house, the family cannot progress too far very fast. BUT
SERIOUSLY!!! 21!!!!

I've been studying the New Testament lately and I'm in Acts 3 or something
like that. It's really cool to see all of these controversial topics
in between all of the Christian beliefs answered right here in the Bible.
The same Bible that a TON of churches use. Makes you wonder why they are so
controversial and misunderstood.

This week, nothing too funny happened. Elder Critchlow got transferred to
Morichal 1 and I'm here in Morichal 2. So we are in the same district
again! That was pretty crazy. The ward mission leader took a pic of
Carabjal sleeping in ward council that I'll try to get to you guys.

Some thing new we did was explore a TON of parts of the area that we had
never been too. We went to one area that was suuuuuper rich. It was so safe, I
would've taken out my camera to take pictures but I didn't have it with me. >:(

I have not received any packages but I think I should this next week. We
only get them when we have zone conferences or meetings with mission
leaders. Only once or twice a transfer. So that's lame but thank you so
much for even bothering to do that.

I really can't think of anything to tell you because at times it just feel
so routine that I overlook things that might be interesting to you guys
but are super boring or normal to me. My old pensionista (person who made them lunch)

is trying to get me this bottle of some weird hippy fruit juice that helps you sleep better
and have more enthusiasm. I don't know how well Sister Pricoli will take it
because it comes at around $45 a bottle. But hey, if it helps, FAR OUT. ??

OH YEAH! Fabian was ordained a priest last Sunday and blessed the Sacrament
this Sunday! The only not cool thing is that he messed up about a hundred
times and ended needing to have someone else do it. But he's a very upbeat
person so he took it with a lot of humor and gusto!

Well, I love you mom! And the rest of you guys, I guess... You are the best
family in the world and I suck at writing letters.!!!!

Love

Elder Jenky Baby

A Baptism! And a "Perfect" Brain!

 
Whoooooooooaaaaa!!!! Family of mine!!!! Sounds pretty good up there in the
OKC!!!!
I did get to listen to your recordings and I about died laughing. You guys
are the best.

We had interviews and I never did find out why my comp called president. I
didn't want to bug about it. He did not ask for changes being as he's
still here. But the interviews went well. The AP's always have some sort of
enthusiastic boosting interview which is helpful but super dorky. I told
president everything and he said that he would talk to my comp about the
whole not sustaining his leaders thing and that he would change slowly.
Since then, we've only had one enlargement (which wasn't a very good one, if
those even exist) and he's been a lot better about getting things done and
just doing things. It's still a manner of patience though.

Transfers will come in next week and I'm 95% sure that we are both staying
here... But I can take it... I think...

My brain is all good. (He actually had it scanned! They have a dr. friend who insisted

 because Justin is tired ALL the time!   The doctor said that it's perfect actually. Perfect? Wow. haha

 They have no idea what could be wrong with the whole tiredness though. I really hate
it though... Why can't I just feel energetic? ;) haha I am not really worried. I know so many RM's who 

have said they were exhausted their entire mission, and with Justin being a rather "low energy" guy to 

begin with... I think the mission is just amplifying that. ??? I do feel sorry for him though..  :(

WE BAPTIZED ANDREA!!!!! (the pensionista's (the lady who gives them lunch every day)

son's girlfriend). She was finally baptized by our pensionista's husband and it was SUPER spiritual.
It ties for Fabian's baptism. :) It's been such a long process getting her prepared but she was

 baptized Saturday  and confirmed by me Sunday!!!!  It was incredible!

Well, I'm super happy that I got to hear your voices and here about the
stuff that's been going on in the family. I love you mom! You're the
greatest!!

Love you all,
Elder Skinner

 Andrea's Baptism!

Happy Birthday, Justin! And 9 new investigators! (with videos)

20 years old! Not a teenager anymore!!!!! 

(More companion struggles, but they are working through them. 

I can see they just seem to butt heads. Both can probably do better. 

I love Justin's inspired ending to the conflict however.)  

It's been a bittersweet day so far. We started out the day doing some funny
and dorky things but that turned into a huge argument with my companion
when he tried to use my "special day" as a an excuse to do no work. I told
him that I didn't want anything to be different than a normal Pday and he
asked if I was sure about 7 times. When I made it VERY clear that we were
going to work and have a normal day, he called an investigator to try to
set up an appointment at three (during Pday, trying to get me to crack). So
that didn't end well and then I started to do exactly what we do on pdays
(clean, do laundry, and just get everything ready for the week) while he
just sat in our room. well, I was washing out the mop to start cleaning the
bathroom and just thinking and being super worried about what I was going
to do when the time came to talk to him again and I had some personal
revelation. I felt an overwhelming peace that said "Peace, Be Still". I
then had the impression to just stick it out until our interviews with the
president this Friday. Well, that was awesome and well timed (thanks to our
Heavenly Father).
Well, at about 1:30  I received more revelation to invite my comp to eat
pizza. So I did! I woke him up and said, "what Kind of pizza do you want?
I'm buying." 

He was taken off guard but he said that the Extravaganza from Dominos was
good without onion (my thoughts as well) so we went and got that. We've
been on a good note ever since. But when I went to call Dominos, I saw that
he had called president and that president had called him back. That could
mean he asked for changes. We will find out tonight but I still haven't
said anything. I hope it's all ok.

We are hoping to baptize the girlfriend of our lunch lady's son this Saturday 

and I'm super excited about it! FINALLY!!! She's super awesome and she'll be 

an awesome member.

A baptism the other elders had. 

 We found 9 new people this week which was an answer to our prayers and
fasts. Thank you so much for all of the prayers you've been sending out to
us! They are being answered here left and right.

I love you guys so much and I hope everything is going super well. TELL IAN
TO WRITE ME BACK!!!! ;)

Love
Elder Skinner

 

First Big Mac in 10 months! 

(Probably longer since we didn't eat at McD's before he left that much.) 

 Just when you think you have a mature 20 year old, you get this. 

 And this!

Aigh!

This picture may sum up how he's been feeling about a certain companion this week! 

That's all I'm gonna say about that. ;)

Heyyyyyyyy Ya'll!!!!
Happy fourth of July!!
I hope it was all good this year.

we celebrated with hot dogs and REAL american salad! I found some ranch
dressing and bought it just for the occasion.

Our recent convert is getting excited about being a member and really excited about family
history work. that's a good thing that help the encouragement stay high! And we finally got the papers to help a couple that's been investigating the church (for over a year) get married so they can baptize!!! WHOOOOOT!!!! Super stoked.

Connor his old band mate-the drummer Leaves this month for his mission to  Paraguay Asuncion Mission !! Give a big shout out to him!!!

Justin and Connor -The Contras! (Click to hear them play!)

I love you guys!!! I'll keep praying for you guys! Thanks for all your
support and love!

Elder Skinner



NICE! These are the ones with a guarantee from Missionary Mall. They did send new ones to our house for free with just a picture! So that's cool. Now we just need to send them to him. (It'll cost about $50. So all in all still a pretty good deal.)