Sent: Monday, June 11, 2012 10:15 AM
To: Julie Schouten.; Mike Schouten; mjs1@utah.edu; Jordan Schouten
Subject: The Usual 6/11/12
We had zone conference this last Friday. It was great! I loved it. We talked a lot about asking for referrals and working with members and how to study effectively for our investigators. It was really great. I think studying for investigators is one area that I could really use some work on. I have never been good at that and it hasn't been until I got to this area that I've even improved very much. It's hard work but it's definitely worth it. It got some good ideas how I can do that better and how I can make my studies more inspirational and uplifting. It has been working pretty well so far on the 2 days I've had to apply it but we'll see in the future.
Another thing I am grateful for is the ability that we all have to be different. My current companion and I are almost as different as can be. This companionship is a lot like my companionship with Elder Baker, just a step down. Elder Taylor isn't a giant ball of emotion (thank goodness). We definitely have our differences and we think completely differently but the Lord makes up the difference. As long as we are working hard and have patience and charity for each other and others we do really good work, but when we aren't patient and charitable then we have little disagreements. I'm grateful that we are all different. If I had to be like someone else I'd go nuts. By the way this comment is not in any way, shape, or form meant to be me bashing on Elder Taylor. I really like him a lot and he works hard. We are just different people and being with him has helped me adjust to different personalities. He has a tendency to "run faster than he has strength" and beat himself up and I have a tendency, sometimes to procrastinate. We are both really obedient and work hard and we teach well together. Our companionship was definitely inspired by God. I get to help him slow down and he gets to help me speed up. We both have moments where we don't want to change but we get over it. God has really helped both of us grow and become better missionaries and servants of God through serving with each other.
We taught June Smith a few times this week. She has a baptismal date for the 8th of July. She is the 9 yr old daughter of a guy who used to be less active but we stopped by and found out he didn't have a ride so we got him one and he's been coming ever since. June is doing really well. She is definitely a 9 yr old girl that rules the roost. She has her little tantrums when we start but if we use the gospel art book and visuals she is just riveted to the lesson. She's a really good girl.
Mom- I'm glad to hear you're crazy week all worked out. When we do our best God makes us the rest. I'm very grateful for that fact. Those things you did were both very important and God helped you to do both.
Dad- It sounds like you were slammed this week. What exactly do you do as a precinct captain? Do you just try to get people to vote for Dan? Have fun with all you do.
Jordan- The reason we got in at 9:35 was because we were late getting in. We were trying to get in but we got held up at an appointment so on our way walking in to our apartment we saw the lady we asked for a referral from. I'm also glad to hear you enjoyed your conference and had a good week. Always listen to the spirit and it will lead you where you need to go.
Austin- You need to chill and take a break sometimes. I know that there are a million things to do but you just need to schedule some time to relax. Also I bet if you used your nifty shnifty (shh-nif-tea) iPhone calendar and scheduled out your time then you would find a lot more time to accomplish things. My companion was a person that was always running before his mission and he said that as soon as he started planning out his time he found a lot more time to do things. That will also help you prepare for your mission. You do a lot of planning on a mission. We do, on average, 5-6 hours of planning a week. 30 mins. each night=3.5 hrs. and then 2-3 hrs. on weekly planning on Thursdays. So anyway the point of this blurb is that you need to take some time to unwind. Mosiah 4:27 says "...it is not requisite that a man should run faster than he has strength. And again, it is expedient that he should be diligent, that thereby he might win the prize; therefore, all things must be done in order." You have to take some time out to let your body rest or it will quit on you and make you lay on the couch like it did on Saturday. I realize that sometimes there are things that just need to get done but an extra hour of studying for a test after you've already studied forever in a week isn't going to do that much more. I'm not telling you to not study but just to make sure that you are nice to your body and that you don't stress yourself out too much.
Natasha- I have seen the Iron Man movies. Both of them. Also I don't think that the avengers is going to be the first movies I'll seen either because I'd much rather watch Harry Potter 7 a and b first but I'm not too concerned with what movies I'm going to watch first when I get back. That is still a good ways off and if I start thinking all about that now my mission would be miserable and I wouldn't be able to do all that God needs me to do.
Shaylee- How is summer? Do you like it?
Well everyone I'd better wrap up. I know the Gospel is true. God lives and loves us. Jesus Christ truly is our Savior. I have never loved Him more than I do now. I've never realized how much hope a belief in Him brings because I've been "born of goodly parents" (1 Nephi 1:1) who have taught me the ways of the Lord. I know that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can all be forgiven of our sins and and return to live with God. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that Joseph Smith translated it through the power of God. I know the President Monson leads and guides the church today. I know that divine authority is again on the earth.
Love,
Elder John Schouten
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