Teaching in Tacoma : Mexico City - LDS Missionary Training Center

Elder Skoubye's time at the Mexico City Missionary Training Center (MTC) seems to have flown by. He made it to Tacoma, Washington yesterday. All seems well, we heard from Sister Blatter (the mission president's wife) that Nate made it there safe and sound.

Here are a few highlights from his letters while he was at the MTC:

"Mexico City is crazy! I actually think that I would be scared to walk around here... On the 12th [of December] they have the celebration of Guadalupe, I heard it is going to be crazy! I can only imagine, there is lots of fireworks or maybe bombs that go off on the surrounding mountains. This past Sunday was the craziest that it has been yet! Tons of explosions. But don't worry, we are all safe in the MTC. It is also supposed to be crazy on new years. I'll let you guys know how crazy it really is. Also there was a fire on one of the mountains last night and it looked awesome! It didn't last very long which I guess was a good thing, but I didn't get a good picture when it was really ablaze."

"I know the gospel of Jesus Christ is true and that families can be together forever! and I am so grateful for that."

"Well I took out some pesos from ATM so I could buy starbursts for my bg [blood sugar], I used up all the glucose tablets about 1 to 2 weeks ago but don't worry I am good and got it under control. the lowest amount I could take out of the ATM was 200 pesos and with the transaction fee it was about 230 pesos which is less than 20 dollars, it is only 12 pesos for a pack of starbursts so I am good:) The starbursts are only for bg [blood sugar] so we will see how disciplined I can be about that, hopefully very disciplined. Other than that I am good, just tell all the family in Utah that I love them tons!!"

"The devotionals here at the MTC are wonderful and super spiritual. One person gave a really great talk; it was about his companion when he was first out on his mission. He was a new missionary and he was companions with a missionary who was about to go home. The first or second day with this new companion they went out to the train station so they could hand out pamphlets about the church. It was time for breakfast and the new companion was wondering when they were going to eat. They kept working and then it got to be lunch time and the new companion asked, "When was lunch?" The companion said he didn't have a time planned and so they went to the store and bought a piece of bread and a soda for the new companion. And the more experienced companion ate nothing. Later the new companion asked, "What do you have planned for dinner?" The experienced missionary said he hadn't planned anything for dinner, then he asked the new missionary for a favor. The experience missionary said, that at the beginning of his mission he asked God that if he worked as hard as he could that God would help his family at home to get baptized. He was on a fast that day and then asked the new missionary to help him. He said that he hadn't received any letters from his family yet while he had been on his mission, because he left without the support of his family. He said he had prayed everyday that his family would accept the gospel. It wasn't until the last week of his mission that he received a letter from his family. In it his dad said they were sorry and to please forgive them, they had been seeing the missionaries and didn't want to get baptized until their son came home to baptize them.

Now, I can only imagine how much that letter meant to him. He had been writing to his family every week, and the whole time probably dying to find out how his family was doing and if they had accepted the gospel. I am so grateful that families can be together forever. I love you guys so much and miss you tons! I have been having an awesome time and am loving my mission. I love feeling the spirit all the time, it's great! The spirit is so strong when you are doing The Lords will."