To EVERYONE,
Due to the holiday yesterday that is why I'm emailing a day late, but it's all good. Life is going great! This past week was just amazing! :) I should start with the nice little SNOW Storm we received yesterday.
Adventures of Working in a SNOWstorm:
Just because a storm comes in doesn't mean the work has to stop. Yesterday was an EXCELLENT day to work! The snow didn't start till about 1 pm yesterday which was good. But when it started coming in it actually started sticking pretty fast which meant our cars were grounded. Well how does that work if you're not allowed to drive, its snowing and you live 2 miles from your area? Solution is you WALK! :) That's exactly what we did. Just imagine two Sister Missionaries in the snow walking down a back road with no sidewalk with traffic and that would be us. As we were walking out of the apartment complex one of our investigators [someone being taught the Gospel] called to say that due to the weather they didn't want us coming over because it was getting too dangerous. I was like, "Umm, well, Scott we are already going to be in your area." Scott was like, "Wait. What? Are you crazy? How are you going to get here?" I responded with, "Well, we can walk. In fact, we actually already are." He said, "That road is not a safe road for you to be walking on in this storm. You're going to get killed." I said, "Well the work still needs to go on. We will be careful." Scott said, "Where are you? Tiffany and I are coming to get you right now. You are not walking in this. I would be devastated if I showed up to church on Sunday and found out you and Sister Stoddard were killed by a car sliding off the road." They ended up coming to pick us up and then we went to their home and ended up teaching them. 
Teaching Scott and Tiffany - I just love them so much! They have become family to me and will always hold a special place in my heart. We didn't have a specific lesson planned for them because we have taught them everything at this point. Sister Stoddard and I decided to ask them questions that they have about everything. Scott was mentioning about Prophets and having one today. It was funny because for personal study I have been studying Mormon 9 and that morning I studied Mormon 9:9 about how the church is the same yesterday, today and forever. Then I cross referenced that to Hebrews 13:8. I remember role playing with Sis. Stoddard during companionship study about how people today still don't believe that the true Church, the one Jesus Christ established, had been restored back on the earth today. Out of nowhere I just started testifying to Scott about why wouldn't we have a Prophet today? If we read right here in the Book of Mormon and in the Bible that God is the same yesterday, today and forever and how he called Abraham, Moses, Noah etc. to be his mouthpieces then why wouldn't he call another one today? I went on to testify that we did indeed have a prophet today etc. I can't really remember what I said. But I remember afterwards Scott was just like, "I never thought of it that way. You just answered a lot of my questions." I was like, "I was just saying what the spirit needed me to say." It was interesting because after we left, Sis. Stoddard mentioned to me that they have shared that with him before but for some reason today it just clicked for him. They are definitely making progress towards baptism and making that first covenant with their Heavenly Father. It is just going to take a little bit of time. They are a truly remarkable couple and I love them so much! We are having dinner with them Friday night and I'm so excited!
Hanging with Sister B - Okay you have no idea just how amazing Sister B is! I attached a picture of her and I together. She is the one who gave us flowers for valentines day. She was super busy with everything going on and still hadn't made dinner so we offered to help. She was making gyros - I have no idea how you spell them. But she made ALL of it from scratch-- the dough, the meat etc. Two hours later dinner was ready to be served! It was so much fun. Oh dad, you aren't going to like this, but guess what the meat was made from???? LAMB! Yup I actually had lamb for dinner last night. It reminded me of your lasagna story [from his mission]. hahaha! It was actually really good!!! Her kids have A LOT of food allergies so she has to get really creative with her meals. She is just so amazing! At like 8:30 Brother and Sister B took us home. We had already about a good 5 or so inches of snow on the ground and it was still coming down. They were so sweet to drive us and they had no issue doing so. I just love the members here. They are just so amazing! They make me laugh all the time and I'm learning so much as to how I can be more effective in life now and when I'm off my mission.
Day of LOVE (Valentines Day) <3
Happy belated VALENTINES DAY!! I just loved valentines day!! Well, besides going to the doctor. We thought I may have been getting a possible UTI and so we went to the Doctor to verify if it was or wasn't. The results came back negative but the symptoms were showing it could be starting so he gave me a 3 day antibiotic. I was still able to work the whole day and I'm still going strong now! Sister Skaggs is all good now! :)
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| Packages from home! |
Where do I even begin? So first of all thank you so much, mom and family, for my valentines day package!! It came on VALENTINES DAY! Sister Stoddard went to check the mail and we both received packages and a letter on V-Day. I was super happy when I got it. Oh and the funny thing is that I saw the sweater and was like, "That is so cute. I'm going to wear that. I put it on and we left and then I read you card for me, mom....about how I should wear the sweater on Valentines day. Thank you! I truly have the best family ever! So glad I have you four for all of Eternity! Oh and thanks for the cookies they are almost gone! :) 
So there is a picture attached of Sister B and I. We were out doing things and we get a text from her saying, "Where are you two? I want to meet up with you." We were like, "Well we can just come to your house." We show up to her house and she hands us each a bouquet of flowers. It totally made our day -- that was before we got the packages and so it just made us both super happy! She is so funny! After she gave us the flowers we were like, "Hey, we are going to a lesson right now. Want to come?" She is like, "Yah!" She is like, "Do you need to ask me twice? Yes I want to come." She is so funny! I just love her sooo much. I'm going to miss her when I leave!  |
| Sis. Skaggs with LDS author, Traci Abrahmson |
That evening we had dinner with Sister Wangberg, or what I will reference now as Sister W. I just love her!! She loves to get super creative with everything so I took a picture of what dinner looked like. She has been telling us about it all week and was so excited! I felt so bad though because we were like 45 minutes late because we were at the doctor. Not fun! But they were like, "Don't worry about it. That was more important." After we had dinner she drove us to stake conference. Yah, crazy right? We had stake conference in Feb. I didn't know that was even allowed but apparently people have it in Feb. Anyways, I just love Stake Conference! Guess who I met there?? I met one of my all time favorite Mormon Authors, Traci Abrahmson!! She spoke because she lives in this stake and after her someone else spoke and he was like, "Yah, I love reading Traci's books." Sister W looked up on her phone all of her books. I was like , "They are probably going to be books I have never heard of before." Well I was WRONG! Sister W shows me all of the books and I about freaked out. In fact I did. I was like, "No way! That is her. She wrote those books. My mom and I have read ALL of them. I love her!!" And then after the meeting, I got to meet her. That is the picture that Sis W she sent you mom. It was such a treat being able to meet her!
This is The Time To Prepare:
One of the only things I want in life is to be able to see my Father in Heaven again and my savior Jesus Christ. But in order for that to happen we must prepare! This time here on earth is our time to prepare. We aren't just here to go through the motions. But we are here to prepare ourselves to live with our Father in Heaven again. I have heard A LOT lately about the last days. We are here, we are in the last days. We must not be procrastinating the day of our repentance. We must be making that change of our heart now! Don't you want to see your Father in Heaven again? Don't you want to say, "I endured to the end. I strived my hardest to do all that I could to see you again?" If that's what you want then what are you doing specifically to prepare? We are promised that as we hold tight to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As we have Faith in him, Repent (Change of heart), make that first covenant with him (Baptism), receive the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost, and most importantly endure to the end, we will be prepared to see our Father in Heaven again. Being on a mission we hear tidbits as to what is happening in the world around us. As we prepare we won't fear because we know that we are doing what our Father in Heaven is asking of us and we will live with him again in the Celestial Kingdom. I know with my whole heart that this is true. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is Jesus Christ's church that he established on the earth. The true church. I invite all to find out for yourself. Is this truly the church Jesus Christ himself established when he was here? The only way we can return to live with our Father in Heaven again is through taking the Gospel of Jesus Christ and applying it to our lives. Life most certainly won't be easy but it will be okay. We need not fear as long as we are striving to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ and do all that is required of us. Look towards the Temple. As we look towards the Temple we will strive our hardest to align our lives so we are worthy to enter into his Holy House. I know these things are true. I wouldn't be here on a mission today if I didn't know it was. I know we are in the last days and I know that holding tight to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and keeping an eternal perspective is what will allow us to return home. If you don't know this for yourself I invite you to think to yourself right now, "What is holding me back?" Know that you are a child of God. You have a Father in Heaven who cares for you deeply and desperately wants you home. But, it's your choice as to whether or not you want to prepare to meet him again. You're a child of God, one of Infinite worth! I leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.  |
| Sister Skaggs & Stoddard being cute |
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| Skaggs and Stoddard being crazy! |
Sister Jennifer Skaggs
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