Jordan's Letter: 8/22/2011

Hola!!!!

Well, this week has been a lot better than the last week. this week has been super cold, and the cold is really good for my feet. where i have the pain in my feet swells up, and i have to ice it at the end of the day to get the swelling down, but for the last few days, it hasn't swollen much because of the cold. I also went to asuncion again this wednesday and got x rays on my foot and they sent the x rays to the area doctor in argentina and he's going to look and them and then we'll go from there. hopefull i should know more in the next day or two, but as of right now, everything is a whole lot better. Thank you all so much for your prayers. i really have felt them this week.

well, yesterday, i had my first investigator in sacrament meeting. We actually had two invest. show up, which was weird. We taught this guy and his wife two lessons, and then we haven't been able to find them since. Apparently his wife kicked him out of the house because they're having marraige problems, so she kicked him out. We don't know for sure where he lives now, because he doesn't know, but hopefully we'll be able to teach him more. The other invest. that came to church yesterday is our only progressing invest. he's name is bernardino. his wife's a member, but he isn't. we teach him pretty much every night and he's really progressing well. I met him for the first time the 2nd day of my mission, and he had absolutley no desire to listen and change his life, but something changed in the last couple of weeks, and he's really excited for his baptism and he's really progressing well. His baptism date is the 3rd of sept. and I'm 90% sure that he'll do everything that he needs to to get baptized.

we really struggled this week to find people. we found 2 new invest. which is absolutely terrible. , i've learned that the BEST way to find new invest. is through the members of the church. our area is about 10 times the size of centerville, maybe more. there is no possible way that two missionaries can find all the people that the lord has prepared for baptism. The members have to help for missionary work to be successful. the members here are good people, but they have no desire to help us with the missionary work here. i've learned that it doesn't matter if you're afraid your friend will reject your invatation to hear the gospel. Do it anyways. If they reject it, that's their problem, but we as members have the duty and have been commanded to share the gospel. Joseph smith said "When all is said and done, the most important thing is to share the gospel." and i've really learned that this is true. And i've also learned that the excuse "i live in centerville" isn't valid. I've thought a lot about opprotunities i could have had to share the gospel in centerville that i didn't take. Share the Gospel. Don't have that regret. you don't have to go up to everyone and say "let me tell you about joseph smith" but if there is a nonmember that you know of, become their friend first, then share the gospel with them. Do it.

Mom- wow, the stories of Shaylee's teeth don't sound like fun. I thought i was the child with health problems (glasses and braces) but shaylee takes the cake. Wow wow wow. Thank you for sending the package with arch supports. Hopefully i'll get some custom made one's here before yours get here (sister callan knows this guy that makes custom arch supports) but i don't know how long that will take, and it will be good to have two options. also, my package with the study journal hasn't got here yet. i'm thinking that maybe it got stolen. i hope not, but i don't know. my comp. got a package a few days before i got here, and it had stickers of Christ and the Virgen Mary on it to prevent thieves. So maybe the next time you send something, try that. But thank you so much for sending everything.

Austin- have fun in school. That's something i wish i had done more of. Grades are very important, but friends and social skills are probably more important. that's not an excuse to not do your homework and study, but make a lot of friends and be able to talk with everyone.


Natasha- your first day of Jr. High. have fun. make friends and choose the right. I saw a lot of people fall off the deep end in Jr high. Always choose the right.


Shaylee- i didn't understand a word of your letter. But thank you for sending it :) i hope everything goes alright with your teeth.


John- keep working hard and the Lord will bless you. Obedience is the key to everything in missionary work. Work hard and the Lord will bless you.


Well, i know that this church is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and he restored the true chruch. The Book of mormon is true and the keystone to our gospel. it truely is another testament of Christ. Thomas S. Monson is the living prophet today. I know that this is the true church and Christ is our Savior.


Love, Elder Jordan Schouten


by the way, are you all doing the PMG Read the book of mormon and mark christ's name activity?

Here´s some pictures. the first one is with a less active member that had to go to the hospital and we gave her a blessing. The second is with the kids of a less active family that we are working with. They´re my favorite family that we work with and their kids are awesome! the thrid is a typical house in paraguay. its really tiny, but there´s always a fence and a gate around it. we go to the gate and clap, and the people come and answer, and it´s considered kind of rude to just randomly clap someone´s gate, unless you know them, or someone told you to visit them. and the last pic is of Argentina across the river.

Love, Elder Schouten

Also austin if you ever want a girlfriend, come to paraguay. Whenever i show a picture of the family, all the girls around 13-17 years old fall in love with you. It's quite hilarious. So if you can't get married when you're 25, go to paraguay and someone will marry you.

Also, everyone read Elder Nelson of the quorum of the 12's talk about faith from the april 2011 conference. It's amazing that's all i can say, it's amazing.