To All I Love,
Changes On Temple Square:
iPADS:
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| Sister George and Skaggs in Guest Services |
Well one of the BIGGEST changes on Temple Square is we became an iPad mission while I was in Virginia. That was weird coming back and learning more in depth as to what will happen. It's a great thing on many levels because the work will hasten at a greater level than ever before. But it also means more responsibility and accountability to the Lord and temptation. I received training today on what will happen with the iPads. I will receive my iPad tomorrow which we will keep for the rest of our lives. We were told that things will occur in multiple phases. The first step is getting our iPad, learning how to use it and share media resources with the guests so sharing videos, pictures, talks etc. while on the square. Which is really neat because as I have browsed other sisters media devices I have noticed the Church has updated A LOT of the resources we have been using in paper form. But they made it so much more interactive to share and engage the guests with. I love it because it will allow us to teach to the guests needs through using the resources like the online pamphlets etc., instead of going through the motions of being a visitor center sister. One thing I LOVED about being outbound is using the pamphlets and I'm glad we will be able to continue to use them in a way that will be more fitting for the guests as we teach them through giving them a tour of Temple Square. One of the steps after that is the Missionary Department will authorize us to have our area books on our iPad which will be such a blessing!! We already use online area books but its hard when we go home at night and we are planning for an investigator but we can't see their teaching record and other stuff. So that will be a tremendous blessing to have access to. Our Daily Planners will be on our Ipads as well. Which will be kind of sad because I love my paper planner, but the Lord has authorized this as a way he sees fit for us to be more efficient and effective with how we use our day and resources. One of the last phases that I'm not super thrilled for but yet I'm excited for at the same time, is SOCIAL MEDIA! As of right now we are not authorized to access Social Media however 1/2 the training talked about the dangers and safety precautions of using Social Media for when we do receive permission in the coming weeks and months. We haven't been given a timetable but it will for sure be before I get off my mission. Which scares me because I thought I got rid of Facebook for 18 months. But I know that it will be a great tool to use in regards to sharing the Gospel! These tools have been invented as a means for us not just to share our personal life stories to the world, or to show off or brag about the great new thing I got or did but it's a tool for us to hasten the work. If the Lord didn't see it has a valuable resource he would not of given the largest missionary force in the world access to use it. Think about how many people you reach each day just by posting a simple status or instagramming that selfie you and your best friend took at school the other day. Whether you believe it or not, a wide audience of people have seen it. Now just imagine the Lord's army having access to being able to flood the earth (Social Media) with the key to peoples individual salvation. It will be interesting to see what our protocols will be with how they would like us to go about it and what we will have permission to do. All I know is the time is coming and so the Lord is hastening his work. He wants each of God's children to receive Eternal Life and the only way people can have Eternal Life is if they accept the Gospel of Jesus Christ first. In the new manual we received that talks about how we are to work with our Digital Devices they made this comment "Many people will open their hearts to the restored gospel as they communicate and learn with missionaries through the comfort of the Internet and other technological mediums." This is true. And what better way to teach people if they are comfortable behind a screen than getting the largest missionary force on the earth on board with it as well! Ahh this just makes me so excited! What are you personally doing to hasten the work through your Social Media use? Can people recognize that you're a disciple of Christ?
Secret Service Agents:
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| Sis. Ferguson (2nd comp) coming back to visit!! |
Okay, so no, the Secret Service did not come to Temple Square. I just like to call our Security Officers our personal Secret Service Agents. I just wanted to express just how grateful I am to have them here. The other day we had a special training with them for certain things and one of the head officers looked at all 200 of us and said, "We are here because we love you sisters. We think of you as our daughters and we are here to protect you." While this is the safest place in the world I do believe it's the most dangerous due to the fact this is Church Headquarters. But honestly, that is no surprise. I am just so grateful for the the selfless service these officers go through on a day to day basis not only to protect us from the people that we interact with, but to protect the people that step foot on Temple Square. We were talking to a Security Officer the other day and he mentioned that he and another officer had a prompting one time that they needed to go to this certain place asap. As they started over there a call on the radio motioned that those same officers were needed at the same spot they felt prompted to go to. I learned a big lesson from him as he was relaying the story to us. The Lord will always warn us but we must first be in a place that the spirit can warn us. It made me stop - am I always open to the things the spirit is going to motion me to do or is my mind crowded with other things which causes the spirit to not communicate with me? In our handbook, for the digital devices, is a quote from Boyd K. Packer, "No member of this Church - that means each of you - will ever make a serious mistake without first being warned by the promptings of the Holy Ghost." This is so true. The Holy Ghost will ALWAYS warn us but we must do our part and listen. Listen intently.
Companions with Sister George:
Things are going REALLY WELL for us. We have gotten along so well, which honestly, has been such a blessing this transfer. Because the transition of learning how to work with new companions at moments on my mission has been rough and so I'm grateful this has been a smooth transition. She is a phenomenal teacher! I love just sitting there and watching her teach on tours and how she is bold with her invitations. The other day we were closing a desk assignment and with about 10 minutes till 9 PM when we were needing to leave, this couple comes up and asks us this simple question. The wife said, "What is the difference between my church (Catholic) and yours?" I started to respond but then allowed Sis. George to respond. She boldly just shared her testimony of the Restoration but the need and importance of a Restoration was such a growing experience for me. She LOVES to invite! Which is something that is so powerful and is that gateway to repentance. If we aren't invited to make a change then we aren't progressing to that ultimate goal of Eternal Life. This morning the Missionary Department came again and gave us a training on our purpose as missionaries. They mentioned to us that the second we see a guest we need to think Eternal Life. What does God desire for...? He desires Eternal Life. What is it that I'm going to say and do that will help progress them towards Eternal Life (Moses 1:39)? But then we need to invite to their needs. Not just say "Well, umm, we want to invite you to pray." But take the time to recognize this is their progression to Eternal Life. Now what is it that God needs me to say to them at this time and what is it that they need to be invited to do that will allow them to take that action that will help progress them towards Eternal Life? I wish you could have been there. I love their trainings they are so powerful and eye opening!!
But things overall, have been going so well with us. We laugh ALL the time! It's funny how we don't always know why things occur but as time presses forward we are made aware as to why. I'm grateful we have the next 5 weeks now to be companions and to have this time to learn and to grow from one another.
The Work and Transition Back:
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| Sister Skaggs and George with Zone leaders |
Honestly it has been a little bit harder to transition back than I thought it would be. A lot has changed. We have 2 new exhibits the church put in while I was gone and I kind of lost touch with how I was to approach certain things. But as time has progressed I'm definitely readjusting. The first about 5 days were brutal in regards to how tired I was. But it was because my body wasn't used to the physical demands of Temple Square. We worked hard physically outbound but apparently not as much as we do here. It has been harder to find people since being back. We are starting to move into our busy season and so people are here but it has just been a little bit more difficult remembering how to interact with people at a visitor center instead of going door to door. But don't worry. Things are really starting to come back to my memory. I transferred pretty much everyone I was working with before Outbound or dropped them so we are working on building our teaching pool. Oh, so Raymond, who got baptized back in October, I called him the other day to see how he was doing and he is just flourishing in the Gospel! He said "I haven't missed a Sunday besides the one time it was snowed out." He is being called as a Ward Missionary Sunday and is singing at Stake Conference soon. He was just beyond excited to tell me about everything. Everyone I'm in contact with from Outbound I have heard are doing so well as well! Which makes me happy to see how the Gospel is blessing their life. A member in Spotsy emailed this to me about the Whalens "The Whalen's are moving along. Brother Whalen has being going out with the Elders often and his testimony is just blossoming along. It is really neat to watch their family grow strong, and to see their countenances continue to change and radiate." It just makes me so happy to see how the Gospel is blessing their life.
The Gospel is true!! It really is! This is proof that it is true. When we look for proof we can find it when we witness people who have gone before us accept it into their life and then as we witness how it changed them for the better. I just love the Gospel and am blessed to have it apart of my life.
I love you all! Continue to progress towards Eternal Life and don't be afraid to use your Social Media to hasten the work.
Love,
Sister Skaggs
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