Welcome to Spotsylvania‏

To All I Love,

So first of all yes that is an area and yes I'm assigned to serve there.

My "little" brother, Chubby
Cheeks - I've always got
his back! ;)

Happy Birthday!

Okay so first of all HAPPY BIRTHDAY Chubby Cheeks!!!

I love you soo much Broski and I cannot believe you are turning 14! I hope I got that right. You are so amazing and I feel beyond blessed to have you as my little brother. I hope everyone around you can see just how amazing you are! You mean the world to me and I love you more than you know! Continue to listen to mom and dad. Know that I love you but most importantly your Father in Heaven loves you! Happy Birthday on Wednesday!!!

Love your Favorite Sister! Happy Birthday Brandon!

New Mission, New Companion, New Area, New Environment and I get to work with a WARD:
 

Okay so I have no clue where I should start.

So I have been assigned to serve in Spotsylvania, VA which is in Fredricksburg, VA which is about 45 minutes to an hour, I think, from Washington DC. This area is just amazing in ALL aspects! The work is going great here, the area is so pretty, and the ward is phenomenal! We had Zone Conference on Thursday so I didn't meet my new companion until right before Zone Conference started. She is AMAZING!!! I'm pretty sure I'm the one being trained in this companionship. Yup, I'm training! Which I don't know why because she came out already trained. I'm actually follow up training her. Sister Lytle, another Temple Square Sister who just left, trained her and then President Wilson is having me follow up train her. Her name is Sister Stoddard and she is from Sandy, UT. You would think she was born and raised in the church. However, she has actually been a convert for only 2 years and today is her 2 year anniversary. Crazy, right? She graduated high school last year however I'm only like 4 months older than her. She is just AMAZING though. I truly feel like I'm the one being trained by her. If I wasn't told I was follow up training I truly would've thought she was in her last transfer. She is ever so slowly showing me the ropes of tracting, which by the way, is petrifying! Haha, so not good with that thing yet. But it will be mastered before I leave in April.

The drive to Lake Anna with my
comp - Sister Stoddard

Lake Anna

My new area is HUGE! It takes us about an hour to get to the other end of our area. We are up near Fredricksburg and our area goes all the way down to the county border at Lake Anna. We decided to drive out there yesterday because we wanted to tract out there and we were having dinner with our Bishop who lives out there as well. It is absolutely gorgeous. Just picture rolling grass hills, lots of trees and back country roads and that's what you would have seen. The work out here is going pretty well. We have about 7 people who are progressing and who are coming to church pretty regularly however none are on date [for baptism] for certain reasons. I'm hoping that changes though this week.

Lake Anne through the car window

Spotsylvania Ward equals my WARD! Ahh I just LOVE this ward so much already! I have never met a ward before so supportive and in love with missionary work and with missionaries. It's just amazing. They are always asking what they can do for our investigators. I haven't met her yet but Sister Stoddard says there is a lady in the ward with 9 children, two of whom have a disability, and she will come on splits with us pretty much all the time. I'm like wait what?? She is apparently amazing. I just LOVE our Relief Society Presidency! They are some of our best friends. They are always willing to help us out with anything and are just so supportive. I have only been here for what, 5 days? But I'm going to be so sad when I have to leave this area. So on Sundays we have Ward Coordination meeting. Haha, yah it's at 6:30 a.m. and our building is a 20 minute drive... So our wake up time is like 5:30 in the morning on Sundays. Haha, gotta love missionary work.

I'm trying to think If I'm missing anything. Oh here is my new address before I forget:

Sister Jennifer Skaggs

11818 Forbidden Forest Circle #104

Fredricksburg, VA 22407

Please feel free to write me! We check mail Monday-Saturday! :D

 

Ezra Taft Benson:

Saying goodbye to my
trainer!

I loved serving with my
French companion!!

On Saturday we went to a special Fireside where we got to hear from President Ezra Taft Benson's daughter. She talked about him and shared about his life with those who showed up. He is truly amazing. It makes me feel so blessed to have a living prophet on the earth today. Heavenly Father didn't just love those who lived back when Abraham and Moses were alive but he loves each of us. And so he called another Prophet to lead and to guide us and to share with each of us this plan that our Father in Heaven has established for us. I'm so incredibly grateful that we have a living Prophet on the earth today. Our Father in Heaven has called some truly remarkable men to lead and to guide us. Ezra Taft Benson was one of those amazing men that our Father in Heaven called. He did so much and truly did the best he could to live the Gospel. How are we following the Prophet? We read in the Bible in Deut. 18:18 and Amos 3:7 that our Father in Heaven has called these men to share with them this plan that he needs each of us to know about. I can testify with my whole heart that as you listen to the council these men share you will not be lead astray because they are the mouthpiece of our Father in Heaven. There is a scripture that says whether by my voice or by the voice of my servants it's the same. It's so true. Please listen to the prophet and do all that you can to hold on tight to the Gospel.

A Miracle Tracting:
 

Sis. Skaggs signing a song
in Dec. 2011

As I mentioned earlier, tracting is so scary! Well, we decided to tract out near Lake Anna which is super nice homes. We were in this particular area and no one was answering their door. Well Sister Stoddard sees this human, as she puts it, down this little hill. We looked over a couple minutes later but didn't see anyone. We decided to head to that home however no one was there. As we were walking up we saw the lady and were trying to talk to her but she wasn't responding back. She sees us and then starts talking back but it was kind of hard to understand. She then started using her hands and that's when I immediately realized she was hard of hearing. So, I got to sign with her and tell her who we are and what we do [Jennifer, Sister Skaggs, took three years of sign language in high school]. She was so sweet and was signing back to us that she loves God but that she wasn't interested. I got to sign back and forth for about 10 minutes with her. It was a simple miracle that Heavenly Father allowed me to see. I was becoming discouraged as it was my first time doing it and people weren't responding. It made my day allowing him to put that lady in my path. Heavenly Father truly knows each of us and he knows what we are going through in our lives. Look today for those simple miracles he puts in your life. And don't give up! We found a lady at the very end of the day down there right before dinner with Bishop who was interested and receptive in learning more. It was on a street we had passed by multiple times. Trust in the Lord and don't give up. We don't see a witness until after the trial of our faith.

Well I have to go! I love you all!

Family PLEASE BE SAFE! Oh and get those security cameras in asap please! I love you four so much and feel so blessed to have you as my Eternal Family! Again please be safe. I'm not worried though because I know Heavenly Father is watching over and protecting you. Know that I pray for you! Good Luck this week!

Love,

Sister Skaggs