blender

May 25, 2009

Hey family and friends,

So this week went by well. We worked hard and some sort of success. We had one baptism this week the son of the lady that got baptized last Sunday (Adrian) and they both got confirmed on Sunday. It was good and they are progressing. We also went to a family home evening with a cool family in our ward with them. They and we had fun and we ate pizza after. (The member guy sells pizzas from his house).

But the rest of the week was kind of lame. We worked hard and me and my comp get along well but we didnt have much success. A lot of the lessons fell through and we didnt have any success in the church. We found a cool lady and her daughter but they left on vacations until Tuesday. Wel will see if they keep progressing or if they fall through too. This week was pretty hard but im sure that the Lord will help us out this week and will bless us with a really cool family.

So last week me and my comp were thinking that it would be pretty cool if we had a blender. So we decided to ask, really sly-like, all of the members that we ate with where we could get a blender real cheep. So last Sunday i asked this sister and she said hey i got 3 take one for free. SCORE. That was completly our plan, get one for free. So this week i have had liquados (milk, chocolate, banana) every day. Its way fast and fills you up good.

So when Mom asked me if it was rainy season and i said “yea, but it hasnt rained much” i think i jinxed us. It has rained 5 days a week for the last 2 weeks. Lame. But the good thinbg is that its not cold.

Tihs week we had interviews and it was cool. I didnt really get any hints about if i will stayt or go this change. But Pres Doxey told me that me and my comp are like the zone leaders of our district. And that they are finding more success when they have two leadership-kind missionareies together one as the district leader and both as an example to the district. So i dont know if he was hinting at anything there or if it just means that we need to be a good example to the district. Ill take it that way for now.

I hope you are all doing good. Love ya lots.
Amor y dedos,
Elder Skaggs

Ps family: i hope you can remember to send some pics. And if not i might forget to send an email. Got that idea from another missionay. Pretty cruel eh? Hehhehe but seriosly i might forget.

Hey fools,

How are things going in the states? So evrything is getting back to normal here in Mexico. So we started to wear ties again but the bbishop and his counsolers didnt on Sunday. It was funny.

So this week i got a new comp. His name is Elder Gonzalez. He is from Sinaloa. He is pretty cool and likes to work. He has so many self care products. Like colon, locion, face cream and other weird stff that i have no clue what it is. But thats fine as long as he dosnt get gay with me. Hehe JK. He`s cool. He is the new district leader. This change shoulkd be real fun and we should have lots of success.

Funny story of the week. It wasnt so funny at the time but after it was pretty hilarious. So i contacted this old guy on the street. And when we contact we like to talk to people about the day or if they have kids talk about their kids. Just to start up the conversation. So this old guy had some plastic cups and cookies. So i walked up and said hello and asked him if he was going to the party. And he said no. And so i presented us and asked him if we could share a message with him and his family. And he told us that he didnt havfe time because his wife had just died and he was going to her rosaries (?). its like a funeral that lasts like a week long here. So it was pretty bad. I asked the old guy if he was going to the party when he was going to the funeral of his wife. It was pretty funny later. Hehehe.

So this week we had a baptism. Susana Soto. We were suposed to have 2 but her son lied to us and has still been smoking but he has a baptismal date for this sat. Thier family is pretty cool. The ladys other two daughters came to church for the first time. We will start working with them too.

So the work is going good. We will keep wortking hard and hopefully see the results soon. Hope you all are doing good and hope you can write me back.

Fam. So i have been waiting for opening day pics for about a month. Whats up with that?

Love ya Lots. Amor y Dedos
Elder Skaggs

No corbatas

May 11, 2009

Hey fools,
So this week was pretty lame as far as the work goes and my comp but it was cool to talk to the fam and get changes. So today we played soccer at 9 then we came back and washed our clothes witha family that also fed us. Now we are here writing emails and then at 5 we are goinmg tpo go play pool with some other elders here close. Then in the night Marisol invited us to go eat tacos at this place near the church.
So some other random stuff that i think are worth writing about.

NO corbatas: so we as missionaries havnt worn ties for 4 days now and it feels really weird. I have gotten so used to wearing a tie taht i feel weird without it. Especially on Sunday when we went to church in suits without our ties. So the reason for not wearing a tie is that the government says taht the viruses and germs get cought in the knot. How lame huh? Some people are just down right stupid. Hehehe.

Chile: this is just straight up tourture. So mexicans dont go without salsa or chilis its just a rool. So me being a good mexican have gotten used to eating chile and salsas. And they are dilicious. That really isnt the problem. The real problem is that i dont feel how hot or spicy it is until it comes out. It berns pretty good.

Casa: so we have changed houses. The house is cool but its in the most dangerous drug populated areas of my area. O well. But i think its lame that evry single area i have been in i have changed houses. Either i am really pickey about houses (dont think so) or i just have some bad luck.

Comp: so my companion is a jerk. He is so rude and never gives me respect. He is always mad at me for no reason . this last week we havnt studdied or even prayed together. Well at least the changes are tomarrow and i will be getting another comp who im pretty sure will be much better.

Trafico: so in my area there are two major streets. I think they would classify as free-ways in the states. But these two streets we have to cross them constantly. And there are nice bridges taht we could use but we are too lazy to climb them so we just cross. There is a nice median in the middle that helps a bit but still sometimes we havef to dodge a few cars to make it alright. Dont worry mom its not too bad. Hehehe.

Mom of all the talking we did last night i didnt say HAPPY MOTHERS DAY!!!! Sorry i feel like a bum. Love ya lots. Tell me when you get my letter i sent.

Amor y dedos
Elder Skaggs

May 4, 2009

Hey family and friends,

So this week was a little crazy with the swine flu and all of that but we kept on working and actually had pretty good results. So because of the flu scare i was wearing a face mask thing that the docters wear. I forgot how to call that. But it was so freaking hot and from my nose to my mouth was sweating for 3 days. Then i come to find out that they only work for 8 hours and not 3 days. Lame. At least i might have lost some weight around the mouth nose region. Hehehe. O and the best was that my comp was walking around with a black scarf tied over his mouth and nose. It was funny he looked like a crazy ninja-missionarie. Im sure he had alot of hot.

So im pretty jealous of mexico kids. About evry week they have vacations or holidays. This week was dia del niño and dia de trabajo. Day of the kid and day of work. Both respected holidays in all of mexico and many southern amçerican countries. Im thinking about making an suggested amendment to add these holidays in the States. I think its a good idea.

So we had changes. And im staying. Im geting a comp named elder gonzalez. He will be the new district leader. So thats pretty cool. I thought i would be the new district leader. But thats fine. On saterday night i was thinking about that and i came to the conclusion that all i want is a comp that wants to work. And i think thats what i got and im prety stoaked.
Love ya lots. Keep in touch.

A few random questions: when does trevor blanc get home? Is cousin Brandon working on his papers or has he already sent them? any progress with the YM and mission papers?

Paz
Elder Skaggs

More Swine Flu

April 25, 2009

Hey family and friends,

So lots of stuff to talk about this week. Lots of cool stuff and lots of really sad discouraging stuff. Ill start with the good.

Good.

So one day we met some friends in the street. Two dogs one black and one blonde. And they followed us for about half an hour about a mile. It was funny cuzthey were justlike us one whitty and a dark one.

This week we had interviews with the president. It was awesome. He reallyhelped me out and made me have lots of desires to keep on keepen on. He talked about how are trials are more precios tan gold (1 peter 1:6-7). It was really great to talk to him and he reallyhelped me out anmd i have seen how this week the Lord has blessed me and my comp.

we have had lots of success this week and have progressed lots in finding. my faitha and trust in the Lord has grown alot in these last two weeks.

Bad.

So this timeof year is when i start to get meore headaches be cause the weatrher charncges so fast every day. In the morning it is cool then it gets really hotat 11 and then it rains in the afternoon and then gets hot agian right beforethe night. Weird huh?

So today wazlking back from the food. We see a dominos guy laying on the top of a car. With blood coming out of his mouth. So i guess like 1 muinet before the car hit the dominoes guy on his motercycle and he was either uncouncious or dead. Im not quite sure. Kind of freaked me out.

Story of the day. So i guess there is a crazy super flu that evryone is freaking out about. Our steak president cancled church for tomarrow so all of our baptismal datestthat we set this week will get pushed back another week. Lame. But we are going to keep working (with precautios of course). Me and my comp havnt gotten sick. So thats good cuz wecantleave our investigators alone this week cuz we have alot of great prospects for baptism.
Hope your doing good. Love ya lots talk to ya next week.
Elder skaggs

Swine Flu

April 24, 2009

hey reasd this it should help your stress level go down. im not sick or my comp im going to write tonight. prez told us to. love ya
elder skaggs

Because of the announcement yesterday that Mexico and the world are facing an outbreak of a new strain of influenza, many people have become worried about the risks and are not sure what to do to prevent illness. The memorandum below has the purpose of informing you and establishing the precautions for you to take in the Mexico City South Mission. Please send this email to your families so that they will know what is going on. This sort of challenge has happened before. This will not stop the Lord’s work. We are not minimizing the risk, but we ask you to go forward with faith. TAKE THE PRECAUTIONS RECOMMENDED, BUT DO NOT FEAR. The Lord will bless you. We love and pray for you always.



Atentamente,

President Doxey




MEMORÁNDUM EN ESPAÑOL E INGLÉS

¿CUÁL ES EL PROBLEMA?

WHAT IS THE ISSUE?



Las autoridades están preocupadas porque más o menos mil personas en el último mes se han contagiado de un nuevo tipo de influenza. Se ha confirmado que la muerte de unas 20 personas se debe a esta influenza, y se supone que otras 48 personas murieron por causa de esta influenza. Esta nueva influenza es un tipo de influenza porcina, es decir, una influenza que normalmente afecta a los cerdos. En este caso, parece tener la habilidad de contagiarse directamente de humano a humano. Cada año, hay nuevos tipos de influenza, y muchos centenares o miles mueren. La mayoría de los que mueren de los tipos usuales de influenza suelen ser personas que ya están débiles, incluso los muy ancianos y los muy jóvenes. Esta nueva variedad de la influenza porcina presenta una preocupación más importante, porque la mayoría de los que han muerto eran jóvenes y estaban gozando de buena salud antes de contraer la influenza.



Officials are concerned because about 1,000 people in the last month have had a new type of flu. Some 20 confirmed deaths are due to this flu, and an additional 48 deaths are attributed to this flu. This new flu is a type of swine flu, that is, a flu that usually affects pigs. In this case, it appears to be able to spread directly from human to human. Every year, there are new types of flu, and many hundreds or thousands die. Most of those who die of the usual types of flu are people who are already sickly, including the very old and the very young. This new strain of swine flu is a greater concern, because most of those have died were young and healthy before getting the flu.



El tipo de influenza porcina que es peligroso causa que los pulmones se llenen de líquido, como ocurre con neumonía. Esta influenza es muy agresiva y da fuerte a los pulmones dentro de 24 horas. Así que si usted ha estado enfermo por más de un día sin tener síntomas semejantes a los de la neumonía, es casi imposible que tenga la influenza porcina. Si su respiración se hace difícil, y hay dolor o sentimiento de peso a nivel de los pulmones (lo cual es muy diferente a una nariz tapada o dolor de garganta con tos), llame inmediatamente al Dr. Brunt al 044 55 5217-1664.



The type of swine flu that is dangerous causes the lungs to fill with liquid, as happens with pneumonia. This flu is very aggressive and strikes the lungs hard within 24 hours. So if you have been sick for more than a day without getting pneumonia-like symptoms, it is very unlikely that you have swine flu. If your breathing becomes difficult, and there is pain or heaviness at the level of your lungs (which is very different from a stuffy nose or a sore throat and a cough), call Dr. Brunt right away at 044 55 5217-1664.

Polies

April 20, 2009
Hey,
So this week went good. We had lots of work and I finally am finding out how to really work by faith. It makes all the difference. The Lord has blessed us a lot this week. And we need to keep working hard to make sure everything pans out well.

In two weeks we have changes and its most likely that my comp will leave cuz he has almost 6 months here. So I need to work hard these next two weeks so that I will have lots of work and prospects for baptism when I get my new comp.

So today I completed 14 months in the mission and it has gone by so fast. I can’t believe that I only have 10 months left. I can remember just getting to the MTC and meeting my first comp elder Glenn. Now I’m here in mexitown speaking Spanish like nothing. Kind of sucks that I only have 10 months left to serve the Lord with all that I have. These 14 months have been some of the most challenging but funnest months of my life.

So yesterday (Sunday) Marisol made Tamales and invited lots of peeps from the ward. Marisol is the lady that just got baptized and she is really excited and pumped to be in the church and is making lots of friends. So last night we ate tamales with her and about ten members from the ward. It was cool.

This morning we went to her house to get our hair cut. She is a hair stylist and does a real good job. When we were walking back we came out of her colony (which is pretty dangerous in the night and is well known for drug trafficking) and these Polies came up to us and started asking us who we are and what are we doing here and why am I so white and all that stuff. Well when it all comes down to it they searched us for drugs and then let us go. It was pretty exciting and im sure it didn’t look to good from the street but what are you gonna do? It is what it is.

This week was good I hope it was good for you too. Love ya. Keep on keepen on.

Tu misionero,
Elder Skaggs

Bad Carl's Jr.

April 13, 2009

Hello
Well this week was much better. We worked really hard and actually found some results. This week went by pretty fast. I hope that this week was good for all of you guys too.

So this week we got some money from a member because she didn’t have time to feed us. So we went to Carls Jr. it was pretty good. I got a double western meal. Then the next day we had a really gross meal and I got food poisoning from some ketchup that was over its time limit. Saturday night I was in the bathroom all night throwing up and with diarrhea. Lame. One of my goals down the drain. I wanted to go through my whole mission with out puking. I made it almost 14 months which I think is a pretty good success.

So this week was Easter. It was cool. The mexis go all out for this week. In iztapalapa they have a live representation of the crucifixion and this guy dresses up and carrys the cross through the street and everything. We had a pretty good Easter. We had a baptism. Marisol got baptized and it was a really good service.

Today we just relaxed and washed the clothes. So the Pads are doing great. That is awesome. I think Ekstein is really what we needed a fast energetic lead off guy. I hope you all have a good week and keep in touch.

Alex: ¿como va su compania, Levant? espero que bein. cuando vas a ir a Bama a trabajar? quidate mucho. te amo amigo.

Marisol

April 6, 2009

Hola family and friends,

So this week was good and bad at the same time. Ill start with the good.

So I really liked conference. It was pretty direct and that’s what we really need here in Mexico cuz the people just don’t seem to get it. Hopefully they were paying attention. Probably not. I really liked how the speakers really focused on the Atonement and Faith. That’s what we have been focusing on in the zone meatings. Its cool to see that President Doxey really knows whats up and recives revelation for us missionaries.

We had zone conference on Friday morning. It was cool. I saw E. Glenn , E. BAmgartner, E. Smeadly ,and E. Loser. Elder loser and bam are zone leaders. It was cool to see them and hang out for a bit. President Doxey talked about working with faith and if we don’t work with faith then we wont recive all of the blessings that the Lord has prepared for us or our investigators.

So Marisol came to conference on Saturday and really liked it. She has a baptismal date for this Sunday. Keep her and us in your prayers. I think that she is pretty ready and feels the need to recive a baptism. We are going to help her move her haircutting stuff today so she can start cutting hair in her house.

So this week was pretty hard as far as the work goes. We had lots of activities that took up allot of time but the time that we had we worked hard and contacted lots of people. But no one wanted anything. We didn’t find any new people. It is pretty frustrating but I know that the Lord will really help us out this week if we keep on keepen on.
My health is good. Im getting along better with my comp and we are working hard. I love you guys and hope that everything is going well. The church is true. God is our loving Heavenly Father and He wants us all to return to Him with our Families. ONLY through the true gospel of Jesus Christ (faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, and the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and ENDURING TO THE END) can we reach this goal and return to live with our loving Heavenly Father.

Los amo mucho. Amor y dedos.
Elder skaggs

Mom and g-ma/pa: thanks for the packages. Im set for a while. Don’t send me packages until Christmas cuz they are expensive and it would be better if I could use the money to buy you guys gifts and suveniers. Ok? Love ya

GO PADS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! SEND ME REPORTS AND PICS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!