From 11/09/15
To All I Love,
Haha - you know how I mentioned to you the other week at - least I think I emailed it home about how sometimes we are held captive in our own bondage because we don't give our will to the Lord???? Yah, well that was me this past week, in a complete nutshell. When you're on your mission it seems as if every single weakness you have just stands out like bright colors. At first it is okay but then they just get brighter and brighter and during moments you just can't stand to see them and you get so annoyed because they are so bright you just can't stand it anymore but you don't know how to get rid of it. But its not a tangible thing. It is a trait or a piece of pride that isn't as easy to get rid of. Honestly, that is what occurred this past week in my own life. It caused me my own pain and heartache, well mainly because I kept myself captive and didn't really give my will, my internal desire, over to the Lord. What it is, is pride. My pride and not deep down accepting the Lord's plan. We can give our will to the Lord but have we been converted to giving every little will to him? Sister Ferguson shared with me some words of wisdom today, things that we all need to hear. She asked me to reread this paragraph in our call letter 'You will also be expected to devote all your time and attention to serving the Lord, leaving behind all other personal affairs. As you do these things the Lord will bless you and you will become an effective advocate and messenger of the truth. We place in you our confidence and pray that the Lord will help you meet your responsibilities in fulfilling this sacred assignment.' As I read it the first sentence really stood out, of the importance of leaving behind all other personal affairs. That doesn't mean the tangible but it is whatever thing will hold us back from doing the Lord's work. For me, that is who I was before my mission, letting go of my internal selfish desires. As I continued to read her email I really pondered over, well what is the
action step that we must take now in order to let go of those internal traits that don't allow us to become like our Savior. Something that came into my mind is are we truly centered on our Savior? One- we must pray and turn our will over to him, two - we must then focus outward, we tend to focus on me, or I do, whenever we say "us". We are a team, me and the Savior. If we are looking outward towards him when we are in a situation, do we say 'if the savior were here what would he do? What would he say? What would he think?' Then we seek for the self control to refrain from the natural man creeping back into our lives. It is a hard process but together this can be conquered. I'm sure that if it isn't this will hold us back from becoming what our Father in Heaven intends for us to become. It just really reminds me of Ether 12:27 right now.
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| Sisters that served outbound in VA |
This past week was phenomenal! I'm so sad that Sister Gomes and I won't be together next transfer. I feel as if the mission is just constantly picking up speed. With the speed picking up that just means we need to make sure we aren't holding back and onto the past but making the necessary changes that allow us to move forward with the speed. But so much is being learned and together we have seen a tremendous amount of miracles together! My favorite miracle of my entire mission though occurred this past week!
Flavia... Miracle Baptism:
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| Some of the Sisters from the Square that served outbound in Virginia |
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| Sisters that served in VA |
Flavia is an amazing example of someone who has her heart set on God. Sister Gomes received a Portuguese chat from this lady who was interested in learning more. We had to go and so Sister Gomes scheduled a time to call her. Well, when she called her later on in the day it became a 1 hour and 45 minute phone call. Flavia ended up sharing with Sister Gomes everything that had occurred in her life over the past month. Everything that Sister Gomes was saying to her she was soaking it all in. When she asked "When can we call you again?" she expected her to say in a couple of days, however, she said "Call me tomorrow. In fact, can you just call me everyday?" Everyday this past week we have called her and have taught her. She wanted to meet the local missionaries as well and so Sister Gomes gave her the number to the local missionaries. Tuesday night she called them and it was 10 PM - past the time we can answer phones - however, the next morning they called her back and scheduled a time to drive 1 hour the next day which is Thursday to meet her. Something that is really interesting is about the time we started to teach her the missionaries who are assigned to her area received a feeling that there was someone in their area who really needed them, they just didn't know who. Long story short, Sister Gomes invited her to be baptized. The local missionaries showed up Thursday to teach her and had a very strong feeling they needed to invite her to be baptized that Sunday, so yesterday. We didn't find out about this though until Saturday. As we called her Saturday she informed us that she was getting baptized on Sunday, she was driving an hour to church to meet the bishop and would be baptized. Sister Gomes talked with her yesterday and she said she could just feel that love that she had. It is a phenomenal example of how the Lord truly does prepare us and when we have the desire how our hearts will be prepared for what the Lord has in store for each of us.
Tabitha... Desire to Try Again:
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| Sis. Skaggs and former companion - Sis. Ferguson |
Her story is something that makes us ponder. Tabitha, several years ago, had a desire to learn more about the church. She started to meet with missionaries and even though she had a lot of doubts, was baptized. After her baptism there were a lot of things she was confused about and eventually left the church. Towards the end of last week she came on chat sharing with us her story and how she wanted to try again. We started talking about The Book of Mormon and she mentioned how she never really got into it when she first started meeting with the missionaries. As we were talking with her we expressed to her the importance of The Book of Mormon in our conversion and how it plays a role to it, that all truth comes from the teachings established within the Book of Mormon. It is our keystone and so if the Book of Mormon isn't true then all other principles of the Restored Gospel would be taken away as well. We said that our testimonies need to be based and founded off of that. She mentioned that she would like to read it again and that she had been thinking that she needed to meet with the missionaries again. The other day Tabitha texted us and mentioned that she set up an appointment to meet with the missionaries and is planning on going to church this Sunday.
Julio... To Endure:
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| Leah - my investigator from the MTC |
Enduring to the end is something that must remain constant in our lives. It was interesting because I believe it was Thursday... Yah it was Thursday, we came into TC (teaching center) and I just had this thought "you should call Julio". We didn't have an appointment with him and I didn't know how he would take us calling him. Anyways, I decided to call him to see how he is doing and he actually answered the phone. At the start he gave me his typical response "uhhh I'm okay I guess, you know how I'm doing..." As we got talking to him I was really trying to think about what he needed to hear and how I could help him just act. To just do. We eventually got onto the topic of 'if people know what they must do then why don't they do it?'. Julio replied back by saying "well it's fear". In life do we lack faith due to fear. I can say that for myself, I will get to that later though. Julio started singing to me a song that has to do with faith being a seed and how we can move mountains through our faith. It brought to my remembrance Alma 32 and how what is stated in that plays a huge role in our life. Faith starts off by being just a simple belief and as we have the desire it can swell within us, from there it grows just a little bit more until it has completely swelled within us. Where is our faith really? When we have that true faith we truly trust in our Father in Heaven and most importantly our Savior Jesus Christ. This past week my own faith was greatly tested and made me see more clearly where my faith is and what I must do to get it growing. I invited Julio to go back to church to witness of the blessings that can come back into his life as he does so. The things he is struggling with can be rid of as he takes those steps of faith by just doing. Haha I feel as if I write this I'm being chastised. Because this is what I must do in my own life right now which is something I will share with you. Julio proceeded to mention that he knows he must do so and that he had the desire and thought to try and go back to church on Sunday. He never mentioned to us if he actually did get to go or not. But he took that step of faith of having that desire to do God's will instead of giving up.
Learning to Humble to the Lords Will:
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| Sis. Skaggs and Becky "Kiwi" |
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| Proof that "Kiwi" brought my mom's homemade cookies and more New Zealand chocolate |
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| Spending p-day in a nursing home |
Well I have to get going. Know that I love you all! Oh I forgot about transfer news. I will be a District Leader again next transfer. Which honestly, apart from being a regular missionary, is the best. It is just the best being able to just focus in on the sisters and to help serve them!! I will have Monday p-day, be in Westgate... Temple Square control center is the best way to explain it (tours, movies, lost children, etc.) and my new companion is Sister Rodriguez from Spain.
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| Fun ladies at the nursing home |
Well I love you all and feel so blessed to have you in my life!! Be safe!
Love Always,
Sister Skaggs
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