Paul's letter from week of June 12, 2012

Glad to hear that you (mom) and MB had a good time in NY celebrating her birthday. I wanted to try and send out a snail mail letter wishing her a happy birthday (I am trying to get better at that) but I do not have her address. It is interesting to hear about certain fashions that are coming out there. Like bright colorful skinny jeans? Who would have thought? Oh also, I got the package. It was about perfect! Especially the pictures that you selected of my friends. It made me super happy to have them. Also with the long distance hugs. Those made me smile a really big one. And the scripture markers are perfect!

So this change I wouldnt say is the hardest change i have hard, because I have learned in my past changes how to better deal with this kind of stuff, but I would say these past few weeks have been very hard. 

BUT apart from all that, we baptized 2 this past week. 

Outside of that, something that I have learned this week is we can get a lot just by asking. I was in a lesson yesterday with my ward mission leader who is 18. And we were in a house of a family where the hermana is 18 and the hermano is 21 and they already have a kid that is almost 2. The guy was a little drugged up, with what I dont know, but he was right enough to the point where I wanted to share the lesson. They had been reading the pamphlet we left them and had a question about the apostasy (wonderful sign!) and so we started to explain. In the beginning it was just like an explanation and I didnt really feel the spirit very strong. I said a little prayer asking for the spirit to be present. By the time we finished and said the first vision the spirit was really strong and we were able to leave with them promising they were going to pray to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet. It is amazing how just a simple asking lead to exactly what I wanted to happen happened. 

I know that this church is true and that if we abide by the precepts of the gospel we can be physically and spiritually healed. Christ lives, and he loves us.

Love,

Elder Skousen