Thanksgiving Night

Thanksgiving Week

Dear Friends and Family,

I leaned many important lessons this week.

Lesson 1: Mexicans throw a better Thanksgiving dinner than Americans (but of course, Grandma Maughan's dinner rolls will always be #1).

Lesson 2: Don't eat Mexican meatloaf, unless you know what kind of meat it is made of #rockymountainoysters #itwasactuallyprettygood

Lesson 3: If a hispanic offers you chapulines, say yes, but make sure you have a lot of salt and limon.

In all seriousness, this was one of the greatest weeks of the mission--even though Thanksgiving was always my favorite holiday and I loved spending time with the whole fam damily--we had Thanksgiving with a few families from the ward and I honestly felt like I was right at home. 

This week my companion and I had a little tirst and were a little salty about it for a couple of days. One morning we woke up and decided to go biking; so we biked a couple miles and then went back home, but I just had to worst attitude the entire time. We got home and he went off and started making breakfast and I decided to hop in the shower. Little bit of backstory before I continue:

We went on exchanges with the Assistants a couple weeks ago and they told us that they were "taking cold showers to overcome the natural man". They sold us on the idea by telling us that all successful people do it, that it's healthy for your body, and most importantly, it helps you overcome the natural man. I was a little skeptical, but it totally works. Anyway.

I hopped in the bathroom and was shaving when I thought to myself, "It was cold outside and you deserve a hot shower today. You're mad at your companion and you should just take it easy and relax before you start your day." I considered it for a minute and then realized that that was exactly what Satan wanted me to do. Just push a problem down the road a little ways and worry about it later; just take the easy way out. So I turned that lever as cold as it went and I screamed like a little girl, but when I got out, I think I shouted something like ,"I'm awake!!!" or something like that; I went out and apologized for my bad attitude, we talked it over and we havent had a problem since.

You should try cold showers--they totally work!

With love,

Elder Arkoudas

Pic1: My friend Luis Kabemba!

Pic2: 12 mile bike ride

Pic3: Thanksgiving crew

Pic4: Chapulines

Pic5: Turkey run

My Jesus

"I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell."

2 Nefi 33:6

Dear Friends and Family,

I am so greatful for all of you (not just because it is Thanksgiving) for all the prayers and the support--both physically and spiritually--that you provide for me. I would not and could not be here without all of you (if you are reading this email you are included in the above statement!).

This week was a roller coaster of emotions and spiritual experiences (both good and bad) but it did end on a high note!

I would like to just share with you a brief story and testimony: After all of the things that happened this week, this morning I just felt a little overwhelmed. I was frusterated with myself, with my companion, with the work, etc, etc. and finally I just sank to my knees and started to vent my frusterations to the Lord and tell Him what I really thought about myself, my companion, this area, and being a missionary. When I finished, a feeling of peace came over me and it honestly confused me. Why should I feel peace when I had just been angry with everyone, including myself? How could the Spirit be with me now? The realization came when a thought came into my mind. I don't know if it was the Spirit speaking words, or my mind just interpreted what I was feeling, but I thought to myself about my efforts to change the last week; about me taking the Sacrament and conciously promising Heavenly Father that I would try to be better this next week. I knew then in that moment, that the Lord is mindful of me and that He has been with me every step of the way.

I would like to share with you my testimony of our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know that He has rescued my soul from hell and that He is making something out of me that is more than I thought was possible. I know that as we take the Sacrament each week, we draw Him into our lives and let Him heal us. I know this independent from what others have shared with me or have experienced, because I have experienced it. I know that this is true and I am most greatful for Him, who loves me enough to walk with me on my sometimes difficult path. And I know He walks with all of you too.

Again, I love you all and am so greatful each and every one of you! Happy Thanksgiving!

Elder Arkoudas

Pic1- Moving crew

Pic2- Takes me back to the good ole days (my companion wouldn't take a picture of me milking it).

Hello, everyone!
We are looking for opportunities to serve in the area of Geneva, Batavia, st Charles, and West Chicago. If you need help or know that you need help contact us! It could be with leaves even to remove the snakes in their yard. We're ready to help!

"Los Flacos" Bluegrass country band

Dear Friends and Family,

My dad put it best when he said that emails are kind of just becoming a routine. I hope that this email doesn't just sound like that because this week really was fantastic: a huge contrast from last week!

Monday we went into this music store just to look around and see if we could find a violin for Elder Jeppson and I found--the the back corner--this harmonica and harmonica beginners book. It was super cheap, and I've always wanted to play the harmonica (can't you just see me jammin out by a campfire?) and so I bought it. That first night, I think I spent a little too much time practicing (but I can now play Kumbaya!) and so the next night, when I went to practice again, I got a distinct spiritual prompting that I needed to focus and put that harmonica in my suit case. Wow. Only 1 day. Well the story gets better: I was a little bugged that Heavenly Father was taking away my harmonica when I had just barely got it, so I asked why. Why cant I play the harmonica in my free time? Why can't I develop my talents?

The next morning I got an answer. I realized during a personal study that I had been neglecting things (like updating our records, writing in my journal, etc.) even before I got the harmonica and so I sat down and made a list of all the things I need to do every night and even a few extra things that I wanted to get done and entitled it: Things I need to get done before I can play my harmonica. So a couple days passed before I was able to get a hang of it, but by Friday I finally had completed all the things on my list and I sat down on my bed and pulled out my harmonica. Immediately I was able to play songs quickly and effectively. Within 10 minutes I had a good technique going and within 15 I had figured out the entire song, "Silent Night". I realized that God didn't take away my harmonica, and in fact, he blessed me to be more effective and he even blessed me to play it better when I did what he wanted me to do first!

So when "Los Flacos" Bluegrass band gets big, here's the success story!

Love you all a ton! Good luck this week!

Elder Arkoudas

Pic1- Morning exercize!

Pic2- We ball hard

Pic3-We made carmel (dont tell my mom, but I think it was maybe a litte better than her's;)

Pic4- Dinner with los De la Pena

Pic5- Exchanges!

gratititue

Today, I'm very grateful for all the partners I've had here in the field field. I've learned a lot from every one of them and helped me to be the man I am today. Thank you Samuel Tate, Gerardo Fong Baeza, Dirk Frehner, Karsten Boettcher, Jeremy Royce, Tyler Hale, Jose Vazquez, Austin Wright, Caleb Wightman, Caleb Wightman, Brayden Lance Buttars , and Kaleb Jeppson for everything I've been taught! I love you so much!

A Week in the Life

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was a pretty tough one; It got cold, we got sick and our investigators cancelled all of their lessons this week. Sounds pretty depressing right?

I learned a ton this week about gratitude and the power that it has. If you aren't following me on Facebook and would like to, my name is Samuel John Arkoudas--I say that, because I decided to post something of gratitude everyday from now until Thanksgiving (except Sundays), and it totally changed my outlook of the entire day. We would come home cold, wet, tired and grumpy and I would sit down at my desk, and have to think about something that I was greatful for. As I did that, I realized just how blessed I am and just how much good there is in my life.

I know that God gives us trials to strengthen us and I know that as we focus on what is good in our lives, we can feel happiness even when we are stumbling in at night cold and wet and tired (and maybe a little grumpy). Thanks for everything you all do and your prayers! Love you!

Elder Arkoudas

My mind totally blanked, so you are all going to get two emails from me this week.

We totally went to Chicago this week!

It's a long story, so bare with me...

Tuesday after Zone Conference, we started heading home (we needed to be inside for Halloween at 6:00pm) with the goal of inviting someone to be baptized before we got home. We were heading down the highway when we saw a car pulled off on the side of the road. We pulled over to see if we could help, but we couldn't get over in time, so about 1/2 mile down the road, we finally pulled to a stop and I guess I was so full of adrenaline that I just jumped out of the car and started running with a Book of Mormon in hand down to this car (I know, it was dumb, I already repented for it). So we get there, talk to the lady inside, turns out that they were fine and we actually did give them a Book of Mormon and did invite them to be baptized! So goal accomplished!

We then started heading running back to the car and as you can imagine, running a mile in the ditch on the side of a highway is pretty tiring. So we made it back and started driving back towards our home. Well, I messed up with directions and we missed our exit. We continued for a good 30 minutes and when I looked up, I saw this really tall building. Jokingly I said, "Hey look, it's the Sear's tower". I then curiously looked at the map to see where to turn and I could not find our dot. I zoomed out and out and out until finally I saw it about 10 blocks from downtown Chicago. We literally almost entered chinatown but we turned around right away and high-tailed it back to the mission. It was a Halloween to remember!

That's all, hope you like my story; have a great week!

Elder Arkoudas

Pic. 1- Little blurry, but I think it's a good picture