Well Jordan I'm glad to hear that you and your companion are doing better. I'm glad that you're getting along, or at least you were as of Saturday. I hope he works hard and chooses to stay out on a mission. It will bless his life WAY more than anything else he could've done in the two years if he hadn't gone. I'm glad to hear that learning Spanish is going well. I don't know much of what else to tell you just that I hope all continues to go well and make sure you are obedient. The Lord is able to bless us more when we are obedient. The more obedient we are the more he can bless us and vice versa. Stay strong and enjoy the mission while it's there. It goes by real fast. I've almost been out a year and it's been probably the fastest year of my life. Enjoy it while you can because it will soon be gone.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir concert was AWESOME! The whole night was super fun. We went up with Wes and Angela. (Wes is a Recent Convert and Angela is a soon to be Recent Convert.) The whole night was great. It was about a 2 1/2 hr. drive to get up there and it was a lot of fun. The music was amazing! I guess I never really appreciated how good the concerts are before. I guess it's probably because I just took them for granted back home and I wasn't into that kind of music as much but now that there is less selection it makes me realize and really appreciate how good they are. So basically what I'm trying to say is that it was a super great concert and I really enjoyed it. I think it was also because there were a lot of other missionaries there. Mom to answer your question I'm pretty sure that all of the missionaries could've gone because we are pretty far from Philly. It was a great concert. As you already know I got to see Morgan and Amy there. That was really cool to see them there. Also Dad do you know a Glenn Fisk? He saw me when I was over talking with Amy and he asked me "is your dad Mike Schouten?" I said yes. He said that you and his brother were really good friends in High School and that he was your friend's older brother.
While I'm still on the note of talking about connections with people I know or that know someone I know there is one more. I got to talk to Scott Hunter the other day, I think it was Saturday. For those of you who don't know, or don't remember, he was one of my friends in High School. He was in Madrigals with me. He got called to the Pittsburgh mission and I was able to talk to him. It wasn't at the concert but there is a partly active member in the ward here who we know really well who has a friend up in Pennsylvania that he is sitting in when the missionaries teach her and it just so happened that B. Ireland's friend happens to live in the area that Elder Hunter is serving in right now. Somehow they mentioned my name and B. Ireland called us and told us that he was "sitting there with my friend." It was pretty cool. What are the odds of him going up to the one area in the Pittsburgh mission that the one person I know serving in that mission is? Pretty crazy huh?
Well now for what has been happening here in Harrington. Well we've been praying recently for the Lord to help us increase our teaching pool with people who sincerely want to learn more about the gospel and to get updated information on the people we've taught but we've kind've lost touch with. God definitely answers prayers when we sincerely ask and it's according to his will. We haven't been able to get in touch with Renee or James and another investigator named Anita and we prayed to be able to be able to get in contact with them and either get some closure on them not meeting with us or to be able to meet with them again.
So Saturday we had some appointments and after a few of them a member in the ward texted us and said "hey I'm here weeding Renee's garden (something he's been planning on doing) I talked to her a little bit but she had to leave." So after our appointments we went and stopped by and talked with the member and he said that he talked with Renee and he found out that she had been bitten by a spider and that it got really bad and that she had to go to the emergency room and have it lanced and all that stuff, and that she also had felt like she was jumping the gun but still wants to meet with us but she felt she was going a little too fast. We didn't actually talk with her face to face but we were able to get information on her.
Then after that we decided to go and stop by James and he answered the door and long story short he basically said that he's really busy with work right now and that he doesn't really have time. He says I'll try to make it to church on Sunday but we'll see. We then asked him if he wanted us to set up another time to meet with him and he said "Umm no because I'm just super busy. I haven't been able to read the Book of Mormon as much as I like but I'm still reading it." So basically he doesn't want to meet much but he said he still has the BoM and is trying to read it so that's good.
Then finally with Anita we called her and she basically said that she's done some "research" and some "reading" and that we just don't believe the same things, but we were able to set up a time where we could go and get the Book of Mormon back from her. (Our mission president has asked that if the people aren't going to read it to try to get it back so that someone else can read it and because the books aren't free and that they cost money and they want the books to go to someone who will actually read it.
God definitely answers prayers if we ask. We prayed Friday night and then Saturday we got a whole bunch of information.
We've also been praying for more sincere investigators and we've found a good amount this week. This Tuesday we were able to find a 14 yr old girl, named Bhriana, that is living with a member for the summer who has had a SUPER TOUGH life. She has had some horrible things happen to her and she is living with a member for the summer and she wants to learn about the gospel and she is looking for a way to get over the tough childhood she has had.
Then Wednesday we had a pretty cool experience. We went to stop by a less active on the ward list and we were going to knock some doors around there but we didn't have much time and no one looked like they were home so we decided to go on down the road to some housed that looked more populated and as we pulled out of the driveway of the less active (the less active person had moved) Elder Baker saw some cars in the driveway next door that were parked back around the back of the house that I didn't even see. We kept driving for a little while and Elder Baker just said "UGH! Sorry Elder but I'm pretty sure I saw some cars at that house and I think we need to knock on the door." So he turned the car around and we knocked on the door and the people there let us right in and were very nice and they said that they would like to hear the message we share. It was a cool experience. It was the first time something has actually came of an experience like this since E. Baker and I have been together. Well the first time something that we've been able to see right away. (He's done the whole turn around thing quite a few times.)
Finally, just yesterday after church we were able to find another investigator. It's kind've a long story so I'll abbreviate. Bhriana, the new inv., brought her boyfriend to church and her boyfriend wants to learn too but he's a minor so we needed parental permission so the member Bhriana is staying with called the boyfriends mother and asked and come to find out the mother is interested as well. We went and saw her last night and had a good short lesson with her. Her name is Cindy.
We've also been praying for referrals this week and we received 2. The one I just told you about, Cindy, and we received one Saturday morning. This week has definitely been a testimony builder to me that God DOES answer prayers. God loves us and if we ask in faith, in accordance with His will, he WILL give it to us. (James 1:5-6)
My mission is definitely the BEST thing I have ever done. I have learned so much and these last 2 months with Elder Baker have helped me grow TONS. I'm so glad I chose to come out on a mission. The Lord has blessed me so much. I'm so grateful for the opportunity sharing the gospel is and the happiness it brings. Sharing the gospel is definitely where true happiness lies.
Don't have time for the individual things. Love you all.
Love, Elder Schouten
P.S.- We didn't get home until 1:45 am from the Motab concert.
Wes and Angela are still on track for the 3rd
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