Feb 14
Hello, everyone! Greetings from the MTC!
When I first arrived at my residence, I thought, "Wow! Six beds! Are all of them going to be used?" I didn't find out until later, after I had met my district, that all but one were. That meant that we would have to share the four closets and desks among five people. One was content with just throwing his stuff on the top bunk that wasn't used. That worked for only a short time.
I went to my classroom after dropping my luggage off in my room, and met my district. I was the last to arrive. I sat down next to my companion, Elder Babbitt (whose name I actually learned of before coming to the MTC, via the mission website. . .). From his left were Elder Raulston (later the District Leader, from Salem, UT), Elder Clements (from Arkansas, but originally from UT), Elder Woestman (pronounced "Weest-man", from Ohio), Sister Castellano (from Oregon; I personally found her name intriguing, due to the fact that it reminded me of the primordial version of Spanish), Sister Davis (from UT, but I can't remember where. . . Left that book I took down that information in back at my room. . .), Sister Brox (from Oklahoma, near Oklahoma City in a suburb called "Mustang" or whatever that was about. . .), Sister Hollingshead (who I think is also from UT, but I'm not sure. . .). Three people in my district are going to the Washington Kennewick mission: Me, Elder Babbitt, and Sister Brox. According to our itineraries, Elder Babbitt is going to be our travel leader, and we other two are the only other ones going to the Washington Kennewick Mission in the MTC and leaving on that date (Feb. 21). The other three elders and Sister Hollingshead were going to Eugene, Oregon, so we have a subtle rivalry, but we've all been really close the whole time. Sister Castellano and Sister Davis are going to visitor's centers respectively to M_____________ (I'll fill in the blank later) and in Los Angeles (I think. . .).
So much more to type. . . I don't want to have to wait too much later to tell it. . . But. . .
I'm running out of time. . . I'll email again later, if I can.
Feb 20
Hey, everybody!
I'm sorry that I haven't been as faithful in writing home. I've found life is very busy, and what little time I have can't cover everything I want to say.
LIFE HAS BEEN DIFFICULT, but not all of life has been. The biggest problem has been in a single missionary that transferred into our district.
Elder X is the new missionary that transferred into our district. He hasn't obeyed like he should, so we have been losing him, he's been cussing (including taking the Lord's name in vain), amongst other things. It has been our constant struggle to get him to obey, and now it has reached a point where he may be leaving tomorrow to go home instead of to go to the field like the rest of us. He has one more interview, but it's a 90% chance that he won't be getting off this time. Due to our efforts focusing on him, I haven't found much time to write. I'm on the third draft that goes into greater detail about the above situation, but my apologies all the same. (As per Sam’s phone call, he said after praying and trying to support this young man, he was actually able to go to his mission field.)
I'm doing fine, despite all of the Elder X issues in our district. We all are great friends in the District and expect to keep in touch after our missions. The food here is great, and I've had a couple glasses of chocolate milk for every meal since arriving here. BYU Creamery Ice Cream is served every Wednesday during lunch and dinner, and I make sure to make it more delicious via toppings. I will have to tell you more later, since I'm cramming it all it, now in the last five minutes. . .
Elder Bednar gave a great devotional on Christmas of last year, and we watched it as the whole MTC. But we didn't see an apostle or prophet in devotional besides in movie clips. And I did see Elder Holland's "Miracle of a Mission" (nicknamed "Don't you Dare Go Home"), which can only be seen in the MTC. I urge the last two of my brethren to watch it when they get here, too. All of this, I need to talk about later.
We have some amazing district teachers, Brother Peterson, Brother Woolf, Brother Cowan, and Brother Medeiros. I found that I've actually seen that last name a few times around here. Brothers Woolf and Peterson are the usual teachers, but the other two sometimes comes in to help teach.
I saw both Elders Andrue Cosman and Anthony Gonzales. The first one I guessed I would see, but the second, I was surprised. And he approached me, so it was strange.
The Zone leaders are Elders Purcell and Manuma, and they are some pretty cool people! I will have to address this later, too. It doesn't like me staying on this long, and my thirty minutes has already expired, so I'm kinda rushing through the rest of this.
There's a new 12-week program I'll be going through in the field that has to do with training. It just barely came out, so it's somewhat being "tested" on us. There was also a "Missionary MTC Experience" booklet that they gave to us on checkin, and it's also a newish program. And it is quite possible, from what I hear, to maybe use other forms of social media on my mission. It's becoming the excitement of the missionaries to hear that it most likely will happen in our missions that Facebook and Twitter and such will be used by us to spread the gospel. There's also a new thing called "In-Field Orientation", where it brushes on everything else a missionary does besides teaching lessons. That includes street contacting, the key indicators, working with members, etc. So I've not been approached to be contacted by any missionaries while here, and there hasn't been any door approaches, either. Would be fun, but just hasn't been taught except for then.
We have some cool Branch Presidency. We have President Connors (who I didn't meet until the second Sunday here, since he was having another hip replacement), Brother Laumatia, and Brother Johnson. President Connors actually was a mission president in the Washington Kennewick mission a few years ago, but I hadn't really been able to talk to him about it, since he's been largely recouperating. His recovery has been quick, and though it has taken him a month before to be able to stand using crutches, it had only taken a week, and the week after, he used a cane, and not even that much. More about this later. . . :P
There is something new around here! You can use ID cards (swipe them) to get into buildings and such! Meals are free, laundry is free, other stuff like that is free, and because you use your ID card. The card has made me feel cool (like, authoritative-cool)!
I've been to the temple twice, and it was my great misfortune to only have two preparation days before my departure. :'( But it's all good. I've had breakfast in the temple both times, and I'm glad I could have that chance! It's about $6.00 for a large Belgian waffle with berries and whipped cream, an omelette, a couple sausages, and some red cream soda. THAT was a good meal.
I've been fortunate to be able to play the piano for both sacrament meeting as well as priesthood meeting. I've enjoyed every single minute of it! But as for the rest of my piano repertoire, it will have to wait until the field.
And while I've been here, we've had opportunity to teach (we found out later) members of the church that are pretending to be current investigators. What they are doing, are essentially acting out their own conversion stories, that the teaching experience can be more realistic. I taught this "progressing investigator" (which essentialy means that we met with him more than once here at the MTC; it would mean something totally different in the field) four times, and he was from Haiti. When I learned this, I was excited! The official language of Haiti is French (but there is definitely French Creole), so I hoped that he could speak French, which in the first lesson, I did. He was a diplomat for Haiti, and lived on the Bahama island of Nasau(?). It was awesome to meet with him(!), and we ended up in some deep conversation (not necessarily talking about "deep doctrine", but just getting far into it; one of his questions was "If we are equal to Christ, then why do we pray to God in His name?"). I wish I could tell you everything, but I'm already thirty minutes over the time I was given because it was necessary to give you more information on my well-being.
Cheers!
Elder Skeen
Feb 28
Hello everyone!
Now for my fourth attempt at a letter…
First off, my MTC experience is over. There were rocky roads most of the time along the way, but everything worked out along the way too. As I’m writing this, I’m thousands of feet in the air, now no longer in the somewhat protective bubble of the mountains of Utah. Off to the mission field and to many the unknown.
This letter may be in two parts – one to say I left without incident, and one that says I arrived without incident. Yes, this is ultimately a boring letter. Most of the major events came in my most recent email, so I won’t bore you with any more details of those things floating about my mind.
I’m happy to say that my luggage weighed 40 + 35 lbs. I listened to your suggestions and stuck a whole bunch of heavier items in my carry-on so that it wouldn’t exceed the 50 pound weight limit. However, I do have a story to tell about my carry-on.
When we were packing my carry-on before reporting to the MTC, Mom put all of the office supplies into the hygiene bag in my carry-on. I didn’t realize it was there until airport security took my bag aside and located the scissors. I was completely surprised when they stuck the scissors BACK into the carry-on and gave it to me. I was so stunned, I wasn’t sure exactly if I saw it correctly, so as soon as I could get a moment to investigate, I did. (I’m finishing this at a temporary apartment in the field.) I got through AIRPORT SECURITY with SCISSORS! What are the chances of that?
I’ve met with President Greer, as well as the two AP’s, the senior couple missionaries who are working in the office, and a few others. I will meet with my trainer tomorrow, when the transfers happen. He is Elder Ottley and from what it sounds like, he is a great missionary. I hope to learn much from him as I begin the work in the field.
On that thought, I actually have done a bit of tracting already. I went on a half-hour split with an Elder. (My MTC companion went with the other.) We did what is called “OYM”s, which means “Open Your Mouth” and is something along the lines of start a conversation with somebody, share a principle of the gospel, and them a pass-along card with Mormon.org on the back, and depart with (hopefully) an appointment set. I did very little, talking about the Book of Mormon once, and might have actually bgun a conversation, but we ran out of time.
I’m absolutely sure that I have come on this mission because of God’s love and mercy for all. I know that I made the right choice on coming on this mission, and feel the Spirit strongly here. God loves you all, and want the best for you. May you ever be blessed by His hand! OH! And may the Force be with you.
- Elder Skeen
Feb 28
My mission field experience. . .
I roomed with the Assistants to the President my first night, after talking with the mission president for the REAL "in-field orientation". I also had my first tracting experience that day, too. . . Just walking around, talking to people, in all honesty. . . I finished my letter then gave it to Sister Bodmer (of one of the senior couples serving in the office; the other one is the Wilsons) who sends off letters and is in charge of the finances in the mission. She and Elder Bodmer actually live locally, so they didn't have to leave their home for this mission. The Wilsons are in charge of cars, as well as being secretary in the office. Elder Bodmer is in charge of apartments.
In Benton City, I am living in a member's home. We live in Sister H’s house, and she affords us with a bunk bed, a chest of drawers, a hanging rack, hangers, a refrigerator/freezer (all to ourselves!), a microwave, a toaster, and a bathroom. There are a few other things, but I'll let pictures tell the rest. Since I don't have the means whereby I can purchase ingredients, nor do I have much of an ability to cook something (even though Sister H says we can use her kitchen, I'm finding it difficult to have the time to use it. . .), I have been eating mainly cereal for breakfast. But now I'm also eating bananas, yogurt, and English muffins for breakfast. Yum!
The members here are awesome! The people here are awesome! The only deviations from that are the house that gave us anti-Mormon literature and the house that smelled strongly of marijuana. . . But from who I've seen, I've enjoyed it.
One of the people is Brother N. He isn't a member, and as far as he is concerned, he's never going to be. His wife is, and is active, too. He seems to know that the Church is true, but refuses to comply. Oh, well. . . We still love Brother N.
One of the first lessons we taught while I've been here was with a Latino woman. Neither of us speak Spanish, but we have members who are very willing to translate for us. Actually, the members teach mainly, but we oversee what they teach. Both times we've been to their trailer (I've never seen so many trailer/RV parks in my life. . .), we've come with members who went to Spanish-speaking missions. So we actually let them teach for the most part, as they are knowledgeable about what to say. But it's all good.
I'm running a little short on time for now, so this will have to suffice. I'll get more word to you later!
Elder Sam Skeen
March 5
Hey, everyone!
Elder O (my companion in Benton City and my trainer) has been out for ten months (reaching his halfway mark in April) and been in Benton City for three. He's the district leader, so we have a bit more responsibility than (I guess. . .) normally. He loves all kinds of music, and it seems I'm the first of his companions to like classical music. But since he also likes Coldplay, Taylor Swift, and a few others, he's bent on "educating" me on what other great songs are out there. (really?) He is from Harrisville, UT, and is a farmer, so he works hard. He even has overalls! His goal is to work me so hard for these first few months that I can't think straight. Hmm. . . Let's see if that works. . . I'll also send pictures when I can. .
Benton City is definitely an agricultural town. Appointments are far spread out that using a car is sometimes necessary. It used to be a bike area, but it seems that a car works out just fine. (Elder Babbitt, my MTC companion, went to a biking area. But I'm good with a car for now. . .) The feeling here is very relaxed, as that is the way the people are. They also like to talk. A LOT. They get to talking, and you just can't find a way to say much. But we're trying to figure out a way that we can have more input in our lessons.
I've actually given my first priesthood blessing. It was interesting, as it was a blessing of comfort. I felt good about it, and I feel like I was guided by the Spirit, so I'm glad it turned out well. I have yet to see how that situation is resolved, though.
Just today, we were helping to paint an investigator's house, and the investigator found out that it was our preparation day. She asked why we were there if it was our "day of rest". Elder O shrugged, and said, "Because we like to do service." She was perplexed as to why we would use a day like that to do service. This is one of the great reasons why we are out here; to give service to those who need it. We are always glad to help wherever is needed. I've helped chop wood at someone's house (with a chainsaw ;D) and also clean up a member's yard. There is a great quality to work, and I enjoy doing it.
I'm running out of time, so I hope all goes well! I love you! I love you all!
MY MAILBOX IS HUNGRY!
Elder Samuel Skeen
March 12
Hey, everyone!
My general address is:
Elder Samuel Skeen
Washington Kennewick Mission
8556 W Gage BLVD STE 205
Kennewick, WA 99336-7145
I'm getting to liking this area greatly. I'm feeling far more acclimatized to it than I have thought. I mean, I thought I wouldn't have to acclimatize as much as I did. But I'm faring well. I'm living with a member, and she's AWESOME!!! She's an older lady, and she's more independent than some people are by themselves.
I need to go soon, so hope all's going well! I'll send letters when I can. I'll be trying my hardest to get those out to you!
Love,
Elder Samuel Skeen
March 19
Hey, everybody!
First off, my mission president knows Spencer's mission president. They live somewhat geographically together in Arizona, so they are familiar at least, though I think the relationship is a bit more than just an acquaintance. That's all I remember specifically from them when I talked with them. And I met with a family in Benton City called the McBrides, who have a grandson in the Argentina Buenos Aires North mission. If you come into contact with him, Spencer, let me know.
Benton City is a farm town. Therefore, there are a lot of Hispanic laborers and much Spanish work to be done. We already have been teaching a few of them lessons, with help from a ward missionary who is currently on the job hunt who knows Spanish. Elder O and I do not speak Spanish very well (but I'm trying to read El libro de mormon(Spanish) and Le livre de mormon(French) to see if I can't learn it a bit better; don't worry, that's my last priority in study), and have found it a blessing to have someone there to translate for us.
My first contact with street contacting was in Kennewick the Tuesday that I got to Washington. It was mini-exchanges with the zone leaders in that area. I feel less shaky in "OYM"-ing (I'll explain later) now than I did at first, but that was my first experience tracting.
We had a Seventy (Elder Cardon) come out for stake conference for the stake I was in, and the missionaries were able to listen to him speak once before the sessions actually started. He is a powerful speaker, and has a great testimony of the truth. We missionaries were all able to shake his hand, too, and it was cool! Then we had another great talk from him during stake conference itself, which was piped into the other buildings, including my ward's building. The broadcast lasted until halfway through the prayer. Since nobody had their eyes open and looking at the screen, they didn't realize that the connection had been interrupted, so we sat in silence for just a bit, then a wave of laughter swept through the room, and everyone said their own "amen".
I learned how to tune a piano (a little) because of a member in the ward, who is legally blind, but can still tune pianos. It's awesome to see that!
For P-day, I play sports with others in the district and zone, or play the piano. This week, though, we have an interesting new thing: P-day (as a zone) at a member's house (or, mansion, from what I hear). He is an Ostler, and I'm wanting to know if there is any relation to our bishop or not. . .
I've never seen so many trailors and trailer parks in my life! They're EVERYWHERE!!!
I saw a missionary at the MTC that had a 32 GB SD card. How? I have no idea. Apparently, he got it for really cheap, though.
I've been able to down quite a bit of food lately. It's surprised quite a few people on how much food I can intake. I'm surprised, myself, quite frankly. . .
They have this thing called "specialized training" that is a supplement to zone conferences, where the mission president and zone leaders teach the zone a bit extra. I have little distinction between the two so far, since I haven't had a zone conference yet. I'll see soon, though.
There is a restaurant here in Benton City which is called Woolfies. It has the BEST fries EVER!!! And missionaries eat there FREE!!!
Thanks for everything. I've run out of time, so I'll have to see you later!
Bonne chance!
Elder Samuel Skeen
