Happy Halloween from Arkansas

New address:   Elder Dane Eskildsen
                           302 So Mock Apt A4
                           Prairie Grove, AR 72753

Hello there Y'all,

I use the colloquial term Y'all simply because
I am currently in a small town in Arkansas called Prairie Grove,
where everyone seems to use y'all. (Yes, I do defend my use of
southern slang).

I flew into Tulsa on Thursday with another Elder from Moses Lake
named Elder Cacchiatti. We spent that day with the mission President
and his wife. They are both amazing, and I have already grown to love
them. That night we did a bit of "sightseeing" in Tulsa, and did a few
new missionary procedures. I was informed Friday night that I have
been assigned to serve in the Prairie Grove area of Arkansas.
Prairie Grove is a small little town. Also included in my area are
Farmington and Lincoln Arkansas, both of which are minuscule in size,
and remind me of Connell, but with more trees.

I love the area around here already, and the ward members are really
great. My companion Elder Eyre, who hails from Mapleton Utah, is
top notch as well. He has done a great job of getting me acclimated
into missionary life, and in teaching me about the area and our
investigators. It was awkward meeting all these new people at first, but
I really have already gotten used to it. That and the staring. I have gotten
used to being stared down by everyone in a public place. The next step
is simply opening my mouth as much as my companion does.

My last few days in the MTC were grand, and I really enjoyed the
district that I stayed with my last few days. It was sad to leave (because of
the people, not nearly on account of leaving the MTC). But I got up
bright and early on Friday morning to catch my flight to Dallas
and then to Tulsa. Oh, and I found out why I had to stay that
extra week in the MTC. As it turns out, they had someone to
send with me to Tulsa, but it wasn't an Elder. In fact, it was a
sister missionary whose first name was Kyle, thus generating
all kinds of confusion. So they couldn't send her posing as an
Elder, so the best alternative was to keep both of us in the MTC,
until they could get everything worked out.

The good news is that I am here in Arkansas and loving it. I know
that this is where I need to be, at least for the moment. If you have any
questions, feel free to write! I would love to hear from you.

I hope you are all doing fine!
-Elder Eskildsen

last week in MTC October 25, 2011

Hey there folks, Things are changing here dramatically.
As of right now my entire district is gone, while I have
the pleasure of staying in the MTC. I am effectively the
Moroni of this district. But all is well, I switched over into
district A who came in the week after me. They are all
cool guys so I'm pretty stoked about that. It was really
sad to see my companion Elder Pole'o leave this morning.
Luckily I will probably see them all again in Brazil. (Because
we are definitely going to be there.)

Well I was reassigned to the Oklahoma Tulsa mission
and will stay there until my VISA comes in. I'm pretty excited
for this assignment because not only is it not Texas, it is all
farmland. And none of the cities in the mission are terribly big
so I like that as well. I head out on Friday. (I'm pretty sure
I am the only Elder leaving so late, but thats super cool as
well). I'm just excited to get into the field.

Well this last week was a bit crazy as well because our district
members were dropping like flies. Therefore each day was spent
packing and saying goodbyes. Two Elders in my district (Lipps
 and Nelson) are going to Birmingham Alabama, another two (
Pol'o and Strout) just left on a bus to get to Salt Lake City, and
Another (Elder Andersen) left yesterday to go to philidelphia.
They will all probably be proselyting while I am here eating and
sitting to my hearts content. I'm very excited to get out of here
and start changing peoples lives.

Other than that the MTC has remained static. I will essentially
be here revolving around the same routine until Friday when
I get to leave at 3 in the morning. This may very well be one of
my shortest posts ever, because I honestly have nothing more to
say. I miss you all and wish the best for you!

-Elder Eskildsen

MTC another week Oct 18

 Dear fans, stalkers, etc,

 

I have had an awesome time here at the MTC this week.

At this moment however, it is all quiet on the VISA front. There

have been a hundred or so VISA's come in for other missionaries,

yet not a single person in my district has gotten theirs. We however,

follow the admonition of Paul, and we HOPE all things. Hopefully

to some avail. But anyway, I will most likely be getting my

reassignment tomorrow or on Thursday, so that is super exciting.

I'm praying for cold, but I will probably be sent to Texas to

be chastened.

 

Well this week Elder Pole'o and I were chosen as one of eight

companionship's to teach in a "Preparing to Teach" seminar for

the new missionaries that come in on Wednesday. I'm pretty

excited, but now Elder Pole'o and I have to be careful not to be

too intimidating to the new missionaries. We can't expect them

ALL to be as great as us! Haha, but really we need to take care

that we don't screw these newbies up too much! Im really excited

for it, but teaching in English is going to be challenging. Perhaps

I should just teach in Portuguese to avoid being caught

in any mistakes! I think we will do great!

 

Well our district has been getting along just as good as ever.

There have been a few dissensions and arguments within our

district, but nothing that can't be resolved to easily. It is really

hitting us now that we will be leaving very soon. I'm really going

to miss all of these guys! But there are bigger and better things

out there for us to do.

 

So I love rambling. It is one of the greatest pastimes. The only

problem is that I have nothing left that I feel like I could talk about

that is at all interesting. Oh, actually there was somehow a pen in

my dryer this morning that EXPLODED all over my whites.... Luckily

I only suffered the casualty of one shirt (May it rest in peace). I am

so unfathomably lucky that that is all that happened, because I enjoy

wearing things that aren't covered in ink. Well I only have about 45

seconds left, so I miss you people! (Unless you are strangers [But you

are cool too]) and I hope you are doing well!

 

-Ate Mais!

Elder Eskildsen

MTC Oct 11

Boa Tarde everyone!
I hope you are having an excellent day.
Remember that time that I had nothing new to say about
the MTC, but I'm going to struggle to do so anyway? I do...

This week has just been a little bit more of the same. Pleasant
and full of joy, but static in every sense of the word. The indolence of
a long weekday is made more bearable by an awesome district. I'm
lucky to have them in my district. By what I've just said, it seems as
though I don't like it here. I can assure you that that is not the case!
I have not yet been unhappy here. I love everyone that I have met
and I am incredibly thankful for all I have learned. I just know that
there are things of tantamount importance for me to do somewhere
else. Thus I relish the opportunity to use all that I have learned here
to bring blessings into other peoples lives.

On another note, Elder Empey got his VISA and is headed out
to Brazil today. On a much more unrelated note, I am green with
jealous rage right now. But really, I am happy for him and know
that he will probably love it there. My one reservation concerning
leaving the MTC here early to go to Brazil is leaving my district
behind. Needless to say it will be hard to say goodbye when that
time comes.

We sing alot in our district. I don't know if any of you know that.
Hymns of course. Anything else is worldly and evil. Haha, I really
enjoy the musical potential that my district has. There isn't one of
us who can't carry a tune. Thus we display our talents for the benefit
and upliftment (not a word, but bear with me) of all those that are around to hear. (In a reverant,
friendly manner of course). Also, on Sunday evenings a bunch of
Tongan and Samoan missionaries get together to just sing, and I,
through Elder Pole'o's Tongan-ness have been priveleged to
join in. It is so much fun, and the Polynesians are just
awesome people.

Basically, this is a wonderful place, full of joy and optimism.
Oh, and tomorrow I get to host new missionaries. Stoked.
I can't wait to see what the future will hold!
I hope you are doing well and that you are all prospering and such

Ate Mais!
-Elder Eskildsen!

October 6, Provo MTC

Ola everyone!

 

I hope all is going well for you in the real world!

As for being in the MTC things are going pretty well. Elder Bryant

Andersen came in this last week and we practically have the same

schedule so I see him quite a bit. As for big news of the week, Elder

Mathieu has departed our presence as of 10:30 this morning to head for

the Sao Paulo CTM, much to the jealousy and reviling of our district.

Yes, it is difficult to see a member of what is practically our family

leave us, but Elder Pole'o and I are excited to finally be able to bask

in the glory of a true companionship. No more of that "triplet" business.

In related and astounding news I have inherited BOTTOM BUNK!

No longer will I be subjected to the altitude and discomfort of

hoisting myself onto my bed each night. Stoked.

 

Well in terms of my district things are going well. We are

continuing to be best friends ever, which is why a certain change was

not simply inevitable, but requisite. Our district is no longer known as

"District 54F" as we here-to-for have been called. We are now known

as "Team Friendship". I decree it, and it has been done. Also our district

found a way to successfully MacGuyver ourselves into any of the locked

residence rooms. However, we will NEVER reveal our secret.

 

I hope that everybody enjoyed conference this past weekend!

Talk about a stacked program! Saturday had some amazing speakers, so

I really hope that you have the opportunity to read or hear them sometime

in the future. You won't regret it! I don't think I've ever been so excited for

conference, and rightly so. I felt like so many of the speakers were talking

directly to me as a missionary. If anyone in this MTC didn't want to

get out and serve, they do now.

 

Well, I filled out my electronic VISA application, so this means that

the prospect of actually getting to Brazil is all the more tangible. Basically

in the next few months I may or may not get to Brazil. We will see what happens.

 

Anyway, we had some very good discussions with our "investigators" this

week. The changes that we have made to our teaching approach are helping

immensely. There is no happier feeling than when an investigator accepts your

message and fulfills commitments that we extend to them. Even if they aren't

real investigators. I simply can't wait to be released into the wild that is the

mission field to start teaching for real!

 

Well, I hope everyone had a great conference weekend and that you are

all doing very well. I wish you all my best!

 

- Elder Eskildsen