From 6/18/15
To All I Love,
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| My Eternal Family!! |
Okay for starters I would be in trouble if I didn't talk about some of the most important people in my life!! Haha my mom and dad!! One - because it's FATHERS DAY on Sunday!! And two - because Mom, it's your BIRTHDAY on Sunday!! Haha that will be interesting with you both celebrating each others big day.
Happy Birthday/Fathers Day:
Mom and Dad, I love you both soo much!! I can't believe Sunday is your day! I feel so blessed to have two parents who are so giving and dedicated to their Father in Heaven and to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I look up to you both so much and am so grateful for everything you have/continue to do for me! I often wonder how I was so incredibly blessed with such dedicated and devoted parents. I hope I, one day, can become the parents that you are to me. One of my favorite things to testify of each day is when I'm at the Temple Model testifying about Eternal Families. Often I inform the guests about how my family is my best friends and it's such a blessing to know that through the Temple I will be with them for eternity! Thank you Mom and Dad for everything! I love you more than you will ever know! Mom and Dad, you are my absolute Best Friends and I know I can go to you about absolutely anything. Since being on my mission I have really come to cherish you both so much and my two little Broskis! Love you!!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY & HAPPY FATHER'S DAY!! Oh, by the way, Mom I forgot how old are you turning?? I don't want to say the wrong age. Wait, now I know. You're turning 29 right?? ;) jkjk
Blessings From Heaven:
This past week has just been MARVELOUS! I can't explain enough how it's been just so marvelous! Maybe because all the little tender mercies. Whether it's the spirit warning us of danger, the work just excelling, witnessing the Lord's hand in all things or just little things people have done for us. Something that is really neat to recognize is the little tender mercies the Lord shows us each and everyday. One of them is the work. I'm just amazed with how the work has been going this past week!
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| Sis. Lin's "passed off" dinner at the Lion House |
Manna from Heaven - It's interesting because I don't feel as if we are doing anything all that spectacular to see so many simple miracles. And no, it isn't blessings of food but it's blessings of missionary work. It's interesting to see what the Lord does. On Monday Sis. Lin passed off in Mandarin - yay!! That means we now can take Mandarin Tours! It was interesting because ever since she has passed off on just about every Mandarin Tour, someone will refer. One of my favorite stories is of this couple from Mainland China. They are here in the USA for 6 months. Before they came to Temple Square they stopped in Monterrey, CA and wanted to go to a Christian Church. The first one they found on their GPS was "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints." As they attended the services the missionaries gave them copies of the Book of Mormon and briefly taught several principles and then that was it. Well they just so happened to show up to Temple Square. We weren't supposed to take them around but Sis. Lin and I, even though we were at the point of being really tired, we decided to take them anyways. As we were showing them around you could really feel of the spirit every time we testified and taught a certain Gospel Principle. At the end they both decided to refer and stay in contact with us. Since they will be in the States for another 3 months we have the go ahead to continue to teach them and prepare them for baptism. We sat down and continued to teach them more and as we were doing so they mentioned that they had already been baptized but they would be baptized again. This couple mentioned that they know for sure that God answers their prayers and they have seen him answer each of their prayers. It was a really powerful lesson as we were able to teach this couple right then and there next to the Temple Model about the importance of baptism and receiving the blessings that the Gospel of Jesus Christ has to offer them. It just amazed me seeing this couple so humble and so willing to submit to the will of their Father in Heaven. We have only 3 months to prepare them for baptism and it will be challenging because they will be traveling for the next 3 months. Some asked well how can they be baptized if they aren't staying in a specific area to be taught. My answer is, "Will their Father in Heaven deny them the right to be baptized because of that simple little thing?" No. It will be a little challenging but it's 100 % possible as we rely on our Father in Heaven. People can be baptized in one week. Oh and something that is so AWESOME!!! This couple met a total STRANGER IN A LAUNDROMAT down in New Mexico and they referred him to us. We called him the other day and he is open to meeting with us. It just blows my mind! Are we that willing???? Here, a couple completely foreign to the Church comes and then refers a complete stranger they met for but a brief moment at a Laundromat. It just shocked me! It was a great example to me of all that we must be willing to do!
Being In-tuned to the Spirit - [NOTE FROM SIS. SKAGGS MOM - I wish she had provided 
pictures of THIS experience!!] Okay so this is a 'what not to do' situation!! The other morning Sis. Lin and I decided to run up towards the state capitol like we used to do. We originally weren't going to but then changed our mind. We were going to run around the capitol this time instead of just running up the stairs. As we got there we started going around the Capitol. I just felt weird but nothing super serious. I looked ahead and saw a lady walking toward us. Well, I didn't really think much of it because people walk by you ALL the time on the sidewalk and its just normal. As we came closer I recognized that she was just different. I recognized that she may be homeless but I was like okay. At that moment the spirit started whispering to me that this wasn't a good situation based on what I was witnessing (she had a white stick/straw sticking out of her ear) which isn't normal and it just didn't feel right. I then moved onto the grass so I wouldn't come near her and have to be in contact with her. She was about 20 feet in front of me at this particular moment. She then moved directly into my path and then let out an evil laugh and her eyes got really big. I then caught myself screaming for a brief second. One - because I think it just really startled me and two - because I realized we needed to get away from her ASAP. I then turned to Sis. Lin nearly running into her and just saying "Run. Run Sis. Lin. We need to run." We start booking it back to the capitol steps at a pace I haven't ran in a while. As we were at a good distance away from her we were able to catch our breath and unannounced to me she apparently started chasing us down the street for a bit and then stopped. A car nearby stopped and asked us if we were okay and what had just completely happened as he witnessed the scene. Several other joggers came back and watched her briefly get away. We didn't call the cops because she didn't harm us in anyway. It was just a really good lesson about the importance of listening to the spirit and how the spirit will always warn us. I pushed this particular situation away and was getting ready to push it a little further until I recognized she was at the point of charging towards me. But it was a blessing as we were able to recognize the spirit and recognize the importance of listening to the spirit.
pictures of THIS experience!!] Okay so this is a 'what not to do' situation!! The other morning Sis. Lin and I decided to run up towards the state capitol like we used to do. We originally weren't going to but then changed our mind. We were going to run around the capitol this time instead of just running up the stairs. As we got there we started going around the Capitol. I just felt weird but nothing super serious. I looked ahead and saw a lady walking toward us. Well, I didn't really think much of it because people walk by you ALL the time on the sidewalk and its just normal. As we came closer I recognized that she was just different. I recognized that she may be homeless but I was like okay. At that moment the spirit started whispering to me that this wasn't a good situation based on what I was witnessing (she had a white stick/straw sticking out of her ear) which isn't normal and it just didn't feel right. I then moved onto the grass so I wouldn't come near her and have to be in contact with her. She was about 20 feet in front of me at this particular moment. She then moved directly into my path and then let out an evil laugh and her eyes got really big. I then caught myself screaming for a brief second. One - because I think it just really startled me and two - because I realized we needed to get away from her ASAP. I then turned to Sis. Lin nearly running into her and just saying "Run. Run Sis. Lin. We need to run." We start booking it back to the capitol steps at a pace I haven't ran in a while. As we were at a good distance away from her we were able to catch our breath and unannounced to me she apparently started chasing us down the street for a bit and then stopped. A car nearby stopped and asked us if we were okay and what had just completely happened as he witnessed the scene. Several other joggers came back and watched her briefly get away. We didn't call the cops because she didn't harm us in anyway. It was just a really good lesson about the importance of listening to the spirit and how the spirit will always warn us. I pushed this particular situation away and was getting ready to push it a little further until I recognized she was at the point of charging towards me. But it was a blessing as we were able to recognize the spirit and recognize the importance of listening to the spirit.
Seeing My Best Friends (Eternal Family) -
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| Sept 2013 |
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| June 2015 |
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| My baby brother in June 2015 |
Something that is a little different here is we are allowed one visit from our family while on our mission where we can go to dinner and take them around on a tour. On Saturday I got to see my family. It was such a marvelous blessing being able to see them! I love you 4 more than you will ever know and I recognize that as a pretty marvelous tender mercy from the Lord. Just the day before was a part on my mission that was a really hard day for varying reasons. It's interesting because whenever I have hit really rough points on my mission I usually will see someone I know or love right after. It's been really interesting, it happened when I saw Uncle Rich, Aunt Nancy and Lauren and when I saw Uncle Bob. When Friday was a really hard day it was comforting knowing that a huge tender mercy was coming by way of my eternal family! I loved being able to spend time with each of you. Sorry if it was different. It was just weird being a missionary but being with my family. I didn't really know how to balance it. Haha - I'm going to be soooo weird when I come home in Feb. It was something I really needed! It is a blessing to have each of you in my life! I wouldn't be who I am today without you in my life. I love you so much, family! Showing you around my home and going to dinner will always be a moment I will cherish. It was something special seeing you while being on a mission.
After the mission we will go on an even more in-depth tour of Temple Square. I promise! There was so much to get done in such a short amount of time. It's crazy to think I have been out longer than I have left. Only 7 months left until I will come home. And I don't want to think about it because I'm truly getting to the point of I just want to be a missionary. Family, continue to just excel in the Gospel. Do all that the Lord requires of you! It is a blessing to be a part of this latter day work. Seek for ways to magnify this divine calling he has given you! Each of you have a responsibility to learn and to grow. What are ways you are magnifying the call to prepare to meet your Father in Heaven again? I love you you!!
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| My baby brother in Sep 2013 |
After the mission we will go on an even more in-depth tour of Temple Square. I promise! There was so much to get done in such a short amount of time. It's crazy to think I have been out longer than I have left. Only 7 months left until I will come home. And I don't want to think about it because I'm truly getting to the point of I just want to be a missionary. Family, continue to just excel in the Gospel. Do all that the Lord requires of you! It is a blessing to be a part of this latter day work. Seek for ways to magnify this divine calling he has given you! Each of you have a responsibility to learn and to grow. What are ways you are magnifying the call to prepare to meet your Father in Heaven again? I love you you!!
So MUCH has happened this week! Sis. Lin and I are doing AMAZING!! She is truly becoming one of my best friends! Haha - we have a little too much fun sometimes! I wish I could share with you all the tremendous blessings of this week! I have learned that the more we give and do the Lord's will the more he pours out the blessings of Heaven upon our heads. We have sacrificed so much this week and have seen tremendous miracles! The work is hastening!! And are you a part of it?? OH and LEARN MANDARIN!!!
Love you!!!! For all ETERNITY!!
Sister Jen Skaggs
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