Sister Jennifer Skaggs: Diligence and Listening to the Spirit

From 10/12/15

To All I love,

Me and my comp

This email isn't going to be super long because I have to get going due to the fact I spent so much time writing my mission president today on the sisters, etc. But this past week has been amazing filled with a lot learning moments! Which is always the best! I will just share with you tidbits of what I shared with my mission president this week.

Diligence and Listening to the Spirit:

The only Mongolian Sisters in the
mission - in my zone!! :)

Probably one of the biggest lessons I learned this week, well, it's more a 2 in 1 lesson, was being diligent and recognizing the spirit. At the start of the transfer we decided we would do 24 hour exchanges. But at the start of last week I just started doubting it and wondered if I should. However I felt that I shouldn't make that executive decision until I sought my comps counsel. She looked at me and said, "Sister Skaggs. I feel we need to do 24 hour. That is the best way for these sisters and for you to truly get to know them and to help them." She is like, "This is your goal right?... Then you need to do 24 hour exchanges." We started with me going on 24 with Sister Wong and then the next day going with Sister Javzandulam. As I was on exchanges with Sister Javzandulam I could just feel how tired my body was and I just didn't want to do 24 hours that following night and at the same time it just didn't feel right. But I thought to myself "I'm just thinking about myself right now and I need to stop and focus on the needs of the sisters and not my will." After pondering about it and praying I felt that it didn't matter how I felt or want but that it was vital for me to be diligent and to continue on exchanges with Sister Mere the next day. I recognized that if it wasn't right the Lord would interfere but I needed to show my faith and diligence and continue.

Let's get crazy!!

Just being crazy with my
"sisters"!

It was interesting because Saturday was a really weird day. Due to ZTM [Zone Training Meetings?? - that's my guess - Sister Skaggs' mom saying that] preparations, the start of exchanges was pushed back 2 hours which is what I was thinking of doing the night before but realized I just needed to be diligent and start at the original time. Then little things occurred within that companionship which caused me to start speaking with Sister Wong later on. When we were getting ready to exchange, Sister Wong's countenance was off and I could feel that before we started exchanges I needed to speak with her. As we started talking she opened up to me about what was happening and I started asking her questions. I could sense that what was causing her feelings to be the way they were was stemming from something else. I asked her one question about what is really troubling her right now. She just started crying. A lot of what followed was things that she is personally struggling with from home. We continued to talk and I was really seeking to know what was needing to be done and all I could think of is she needs to find her own solution. I gave her an example of how I was able to find direction last transfer through reading the Book of Mormon and invited her to do what the AP's (Assistants to the President) invited us to do. Issue, feeling, need, The Book of Mormon. When my time with her finished I still went on exchanges with Sister Mere. Half of it was also because I spent time with Sister Wong and so I needed to spend the same amount of time with Sister Mere hearing her side. As we talked, the same thought came to my head. So I invited her to do the same thing: Issue, Feeling, Need, The Book of Mormon. What ended up happening was we ended exchanges because I had the distinct impression that even though they really wanted exchanges to happen it wasn't the appropriate time for it to happen. That whole day was interesting to see how the spirit told me to go on exchanges and to continue to be diligent but how at the same time it tested my faith. When in reality it wasn't going to completely work out. It just shows the Lord's plan isn't ever our plan.

Someone Grandpa Skaggs gave a
Patriarchal Blessing to - over 30
years ago!

I have to get going but know that I love you each so much! One thing I want you think about is what legacy are you leaving??? A lot lately I have met people who know a lot of the extended family. Several with whom got their patriarchal blessings done by Grandpa Skaggs and we are now teaching this gentleman's friend who was companions 10 years ago in Brazil with my cousin Dan. It is so crazy how small of a world it is. But on all instances they just raved about how much they loved them. It made me stop and think what legacy are we leaving.

Know that I love you and hope you each have a marvelous week!!