Trials Are Just Bumps In The Road

Love you ALL!

 

Haha....so Mom and Dad you keep telling me, "You know you can say when things are hard etc." Well things are ALWAYS hard. But the one thing I'm learning is when we are first given a trial it is hard but the moment we find the positive in it and ask ourselves why did Heavenly Father give us this trial it doesn't become a negative thing anymore. It doesn't become a burden but as we see why this so called bump in the road was given to us it becomes a blessing. It's just like in Ether 12:27, our Heavenly Father gives us weaknesses for a reason, not because He hates us but because He loves us. We are given weaknesses because He wants us to turn to Him to rely on His son who sacrificed His life for us. As we turn to Him He will turn these weaknesses into strengths. That's exactly why we are given trials, so that we can turn to Him and to grow into who are supposed to become. Of course we have our own agency and so sometimes trials (consequences) come from the way we used our agency in a situation we were in. But no matter what, our Father in Heaven loves us. We need to do His will.

 

Alma 30:

Can I just say how grateful I am to have this gospel! To have a living prophet on the earth today! And to most importantly know this for sure. As I was reading in Alma 30 today it just broke my heart as I read the things Korihor was saying. On any given day we come across this exact situation that is outlined in Alma 30 and it just breaks my heart that people don't have that firm understanding that they are children of God and that we really do have a prophet upon the earth today. Sister Ferguson and I had an interesting situation with a women on chat today who was less active. There were several things she didn't have a firm testimony of anymore. As we walked away it just broke our hearts that this daughter of God didn't have this firm testimony anymore. Here were all these blessings that are awaiting her but she can't see them. If I could just say one thing, please don't give up on your Heavenly Father. Don't let these doubts about things you know to be true sneak into your mind.

President Monson

Listen to the prophet. There is a scripture that talks about how whether God says it or the prophet says it, it is the same. The prophet is the mouth piece of the Lord. I feel so blessed that our Heavenly Father loves us SOOO MUCH that He not only restored the church after being lost for centuries but he called another prophet and still calls prophets today (with our current prophet being Thomas S. Monson) to lead and guide us so we can return to live with Him again some day! I just LOVE Heavenly Father so much!

 

 

 

Raymond:

I'm so excited -- Raymond gets baptized this week! He met the missionaries about 3 weeks ago on the street and then he came on line asking questions about what the Doctrine and Covenants was all about. We ended up staying in contact and as of right now he is doing amazing. He mentioned he watched ALL of General Conference and just LOVED it! Oh and get this!! So, we can only communicate with him via e-mail and text. So last Wednesday I logged onto my e-mail (we have an online area book in this mission which allows us to e-mail via a separate account. We can send emails through our Online Area Book) and he just mentioned that his baptismal date was moved from Nov. 1st to Oct. 18th! He is so excited! I'm so happy for him and this step he is taking in his life. Here is this man who in just a short 3-4weeks has come to understand that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored in it's fullness. He is so excited to be baptized this week. He is like, "Jennifer, (we met on chat and we go by first names there so that's what he knows me by) I have my baptismal interview this week. Oh and I'm reading in 1 Nephi 20-22 etc." He is just so excited. Are we ever that excited?? I will have to tell you about it all next week if he e-mails me to let me know how it all goes...which I'm sure he will!

 

Familiar Faces:

Sister Skaggs and Mrs. Runkle

Being on Temple Square we have a higher probability of seeing people we know since it is a tourist destination. So about once a week or so I usually bump into a familiar face. This particular story I thought was pretty funny/funny coincidence! Sister Ferguson and I were walking up towards the Church Office Building and we looked over and saw this couple at the spot where you stand on the pedestal thing and then take your picture with the whole temple in the background. Well, we ask, "Would you like us to take your picture?" They say, "Yah sure. We aren't a couple, if you were thinking that. We are brother and sister." We say, "Haha, that's totally fine. So where are you guys from?" (we ask pretty much everyone that question). The lady replied, "Oh, I'm from Southern California just up visiting my brother." I say, "Oh that's awesome. Me too! Where in Southern California do you live?" The lady said, "I'm from Temecula." My jaw dropped and I almost had a heart attack. I replied, "Wait me too!!" The lady says, "What's your name??" Me - "My last name is Skaggs." The Lady said, "NO way!!! Do you remember me? I'm Mrs. Runkle, John Runkles mom. I live near you!" Yah, so that was really neat!! We took lots of pictures. We were both in such shock! It was so nice to see you Mrs. Runkle (if you ever read this)!!! Can I just say small world!!

 

Lundquist Family!!



Sister Skaggs and the Lundquist family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was soooo nice seeing you yesterday!! I seriously love you ALL so much! I still can't believe you guys were actually there. It was funny. Out of nowhere my companion looks at the phone and says, "The Lundquist family is here wanting a tour from you. They are at map." Totally made my day and then seeing you, Sister Lundquist, running over to me and then seeing everyone just made me so happy! I'm so glad I got to take you around. It was funny, like I said, earlier that day I was thinking about you guys and wondering when you would come up to see me and then you did, not even 12 hours later. Tell Sadie thank you for the card! It was so sweet, and hearing what she said about wanting to see me made my day. I love you all so much! I'm SOOO EXCITED to make the cookies this evening! I will have to take pictures and send them in my e-mail next week. Thank you!! Love all of you so much!

 

It was so good to see you this week, Parker! Good Luck in Guatemala. You will be an amazing missionary! It's crazy to think that so many of my friends are getting ready to leave on missions again. I remember earlier in the year a bunch of my guy friends left, then this summer A LOT of my close girlfriends left and then again A LOT of my good friends are getting ready to enter the MTC soon.

 

MISSION FIRESIDE by..... DAVID ARCHULETA!

Yup. You read that right. David Archuleta came last night and gave a mission fireside/devotional. He is amazing!!

Devotional/fireside with David Archuleta. Sister Skaggs
is standing next to him on HIS left.

Some of the things he said to us last night were things I really needed to hear. He made a comment that said "More than ever we are trying to become more like our Savior and so we are seeing everything that isn't in harmony with Him. It is really discouraging." (talking about being on a mission). Which is something I have really struggled with lately and so when he made that comment, it all just made sense. But I love that statement too because then we can realize that this is a prime example of why we have been given the Atonement. David Archuleta talked to us about his journey with being a member of the church and being a big 'pop star'. The one thing he said that he has really learned is "No need to be afraid of who you are." David said that before the mission he was afraid of telling people that he was Mormon. But he regrets that so much! Now he doesn't care at all. He isn't afraid of sharing with the world that he is a Mormon, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. He sang to us the featured song in "Meet the Mormons" the song 'Glorious' and then several church hymns. I could seriously sit and listen to him all day. Afterwards each zone got to shake his hand and take a picture with him. We have better pictures coming but for now these are the only pictures I have. Sorry!

 

Be aware of those around you

Sister Skaggs (pre-mission) by the
Reflection Pool in front of the
Salt Lake Temple

A week ago Tuesday Sister Ferguson and I were walking by the Reflection Pool kind of in a hurry to get to an appointment on time. However, we looked over and saw this lady (mid 20's) just sitting there. To me she seemed kind of sad. She was just sitting there, with her temple bag and phone. I felt I just needed to go over and talk with her.  As we started talking we asked if everything was okay and she said that she had just gotten out of an interview. But as we continued to talk we asked, "Is there anything we can do for you?" (97% of the time people are like "yah we are fine thanks for asking.") But April said, "Do you have an experience where nothing was going right but at the same time it was?" (those were along the lines of what she said.) Sister Ferguson and I shared with her our various experiences and several thoughts we had. As we were getting ready to leave she shared something with me that I will NEVER forget. She talked about how she was talking to her dad right before we came up. He was somewhat giving her a blessing over the phone and he mentioned that her Heavenly Father loves her and is aware of her and that He would show his love for her. Apparently right after she hung up with her dad we walked over to her. She said, "Heavenly Father sent you two to me to show me His love. He sent two of His disciples to come over and talk with me and to comfort me." That really stuck out because the thought to go talk with her wasn't a huge prompting, it was just a thought and then we just did it. It made me wonder -- are we, far too often, shoving those thoughts aside? What if we had kept walking, so focused on the appointment we had? It made me realize that we sometimes get so focused on getting from Point A to Point B that we aren't stopping to smell the roses. We almost missed this opportunity to help our Heavenly Father, to help one of His children who was in need.

 

I'm loving it here! I'm learning so much about who I'm expected to become not only as a missionary but as a person. When you do what you have been asked to do everything will work out. When we are focused on our purpose, whether it be on the mission or whether it be in life, the Lord will help us out. I feel so blessed to have this Gospel in my life! It kills me to see those around me on the Square, on chat, etc. who don't have the Gospel in their life because it is such an AMAZING BLESSING to have the protection, the freedom, the understanding, etc. that I have from having the Gospel in my life and from striving to apply it. It is something I WILL NEVER trade!!!!

 

I love you all....even if I don't know you! If you're reading this I hope you know just how much you are loved! Your Heavenly Father loves you and I love you. I may not know you personally but I do love you and care about you! I hope all is well!

 

Family, I miss you and love you so much! I feel so lucky to be able to spend ETERNITY with you!! Boys, you are getting sooo big and soo grown up!! I'm scared as to how much taller you will be than me when I get home. EVERYONE I know is taller than me... go figure, I'm just short. hahaha!! Mom and Dad, I love you!! Thank you so much for everything you do for me and for the amazing examples you both are to me! I feel so blessed to have such great examples in my life! Be safe this week and know I pray for you each day.

 

Anyways, love you!!!

 

Sister Skaggs