From: Jordan Schouten
Date: November 12, 2012, 7:08:08 AM MST
To: Mike Schouten <mikesphotomm@gmail.com>, "schouten.julie" <schouten.julie@gmail.com>, John Schouten <stringbeanjohn@gmail.com>
Subject: my letter 11/12/2012
To: Mike Schouten <mikesphotomm@gmail.com>, "schouten.julie" <schouten.julie@gmail.com>, John Schouten <stringbeanjohn@gmail.com>
Subject: my letter 11/12/2012
First off, Congratulations Lauren on your mission call. I can`t believe all 3 of them are going to Austrailia. Weird. Maybe Austin, David and Phillip will all go the same country if the all put their calls in the same day. But that`s cool.Congrats, Lauren, if you read this.
Well, this week was interesting. But, i had a really cool experience yesterday, which probably was the best part of the week. For the 1st time in my mission, i got sick this week. It wasn`t terrible, but i was definitely sick. i had a killer headache starting friday afternoon and i still had it Sunday after church. My body felt terrible. I felt like i had no strength at all and i just felt like i needed to sleep. I feel asleep in church yesterday, for the first time in the mission. Basically, it was terrible. I had no energy and felt like crap. So, yesterday, before leaving the house to go work, i asked for a Priesthood Blessing. I live in an apartment with 4 missionaries (it`s terrible living with 4 missionaries, by the way, but that`s not the point) and i asked the other 2 missionaries in the apartment to give me the blessing. Me and my comp gave about 4 blessings this week, so i figured he`s already had his turn, so i asked the others to do it. And after they finished the blessing, i still felt crapy, but i left the house to go work. and the minute that i got into the streets, my headache went away and my body stopped hurting. I felt about 95%, which was way better than the 55% that i was feeling beforehand. So, basically, yesterday, i learned that the Priesthood is real. It literally is the power of God here on earth. We`re so blessed to have this power and authority. Joseph Smith really did receive the Priesthood from Peter James and John. It`s real and through this power, the Lord can work miracles here on earth. Then, yesterday night, the second i entered the house after working, my headache came back and my body started hurting again. The Lord really blessed me because i wanted physical strength to be able to do His work. It was a miracle.
As for missionary work, we`re struggling, but we talked a lot yesterday and today, and we realized what we need to change. We realized we`re working with out faith. We`re working hard, but we`re working alone. We`re not involving the Lord in His work. We`re trying to do everything on our own. So, we`re realized where we need to change and we`re going to do it and this week is going to be great. AS for being a zone leader, it`s interesting. We have to make a ton of phone calls basically. I have literally NO free time at night or in the morning before studies. But that`s alright. I`m able to serve more, so, it`s okay.
I did divisions this week with an area in my zone that`s really been struggling. But, we had an awesome day. We taught a guy who`s wife is an active member, and we committed the guy to be baptized on Nov 17th. He came to church yesterday and he`s ready to go for his baptism. And we also found a super cool family. They`re really really poor, but they accepted everything really really well. I hope they get baptized.
As for the Presidential Elections... As much as i would like Mitt Romney to be president, i`m okay with Obama. After being in Paraguay, i`ve realized how blessing the U.S. really is. It doesn't matter if a monkey was president, we`d still be more blessed than pretty much any South American or central American country. Maybe Obama health Care will be a disaster, but it will still be a lot better than Paraguay health care (which doesn`t exist.) So, i`´m just grateful to be from the U.S. because it really is the most blessed nation in the world.
Well, this week was interesting. But, i had a really cool experience yesterday, which probably was the best part of the week. For the 1st time in my mission, i got sick this week. It wasn`t terrible, but i was definitely sick. i had a killer headache starting friday afternoon and i still had it Sunday after church. My body felt terrible. I felt like i had no strength at all and i just felt like i needed to sleep. I feel asleep in church yesterday, for the first time in the mission. Basically, it was terrible. I had no energy and felt like crap. So, yesterday, before leaving the house to go work, i asked for a Priesthood Blessing. I live in an apartment with 4 missionaries (it`s terrible living with 4 missionaries, by the way, but that`s not the point) and i asked the other 2 missionaries in the apartment to give me the blessing. Me and my comp gave about 4 blessings this week, so i figured he`s already had his turn, so i asked the others to do it. And after they finished the blessing, i still felt crapy, but i left the house to go work. and the minute that i got into the streets, my headache went away and my body stopped hurting. I felt about 95%, which was way better than the 55% that i was feeling beforehand. So, basically, yesterday, i learned that the Priesthood is real. It literally is the power of God here on earth. We`re so blessed to have this power and authority. Joseph Smith really did receive the Priesthood from Peter James and John. It`s real and through this power, the Lord can work miracles here on earth. Then, yesterday night, the second i entered the house after working, my headache came back and my body started hurting again. The Lord really blessed me because i wanted physical strength to be able to do His work. It was a miracle.
As for missionary work, we`re struggling, but we talked a lot yesterday and today, and we realized what we need to change. We realized we`re working with out faith. We`re working hard, but we`re working alone. We`re not involving the Lord in His work. We`re trying to do everything on our own. So, we`re realized where we need to change and we`re going to do it and this week is going to be great. AS for being a zone leader, it`s interesting. We have to make a ton of phone calls basically. I have literally NO free time at night or in the morning before studies. But that`s alright. I`m able to serve more, so, it`s okay.
I did divisions this week with an area in my zone that`s really been struggling. But, we had an awesome day. We taught a guy who`s wife is an active member, and we committed the guy to be baptized on Nov 17th. He came to church yesterday and he`s ready to go for his baptism. And we also found a super cool family. They`re really really poor, but they accepted everything really really well. I hope they get baptized.
As for the Presidential Elections... As much as i would like Mitt Romney to be president, i`m okay with Obama. After being in Paraguay, i`ve realized how blessing the U.S. really is. It doesn't matter if a monkey was president, we`d still be more blessed than pretty much any South American or central American country. Maybe Obama health Care will be a disaster, but it will still be a lot better than Paraguay health care (which doesn`t exist.) So, i`´m just grateful to be from the U.S. because it really is the most blessed nation in the world.
Mom- i`m glad you had a good week. I hope everything goes well in your class. It`s nice that you get a break for December. I`m glad Young women's in excellence or whatever it is went well. I`d love a snowstorm right now. Today actually isn`t to hot. A rainstorm came in and cooled things down, but the other day is was like 105 degrees and 60 or 70% humidity. So, i`d take some snow.
Dad- I hope work is going well and everything else. Don`t worry about Obama. He can only do so much damage.The U.S. constitution is an amazing document. One person only has so much power.
John- you should do something with your life, because you`re right, your letter was pretty boring. and you pretty much just blabbed. :) Thanks for the advice about helping people. I liked it.
Austin- so, are you going on a mission, going to college, or have you dies already? If you`re dead, i don`t expect a letter. But if you`re alive when i get home, i`ll do something really really bad to you. I don`t know what, but we`ll see.
Tasha- your joke was terrible. Funny, but terrible. have a good week.
Shaylee- so, i hear you`re quite the singer. Keep it up.
I know that this is the true church of God. I know that the Priesthood has been restored. I have no doubt of that after yesterday. Priesthood blessing work. They`re real. It`s His power and Authority. They work according to our faith. I had faith that the Lord would help me do His work, and He helpèd me. I knew it would be hard at first, but i knew He`d help me. God is a God of miracles. This is His church. Thomas S. Monson is His prophet and the Book of Mormon is His word. It contains the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I love that book with all my heart.
Love you all,
Elder Jordan Schouten
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