Meet the Robinsons!

First things first - WE ARE HAVING A WHITE CHRISTMAS! 

We had this RAD ROCKIN miracle and one of our investigators, Reyna (she has a crazy home life and all her kids live with her and don't do anything and life has just kind of beat her up BUT things are turning around!) I haven't talked about her much because we haven't been able to see her as much as we want but she accepted the date to be baptized (or baptizezed as she says haha) on DECEMBER 31ST to start her year fresh. BAHHHH it was so amazingg!!! This weeek was so great ahhhhhh. 

Second things second...

I'm getting transferred... President called me last night...

"Sister Skidmore, we would like to extend you a call to serve in the Tracy area. You will be the Senior companion with Hna Griffith (she was in my MTC district!) and you will have the entire area of Tracy (it was 2 areas but they're combining it). After this transfer, we will split the area again and you and Hna Griffith will both be training. I have great confidence in you to work hard to build this area. Will you accept the call?"

LIKE WHAT!?!?!!?!!?!?!!?!!? 

I said:

"Yes President. Thank you. But I have one question.. Who is going to tell Sister Schow? You or me?" 

He laughed... "I'll leave that to you." 

I hung up the phone and CRIED like a baby. We hadn't had a chance to eat so Hna Clonts was eating the dinner the Delgado family gave us to take with us and I'm crying and she's like.. "Hey sorry to ruin the moment but will you hand me a napkin? my face is burning... (lots of chile)." hahahahaha I love her. 

I'll be living with another member family! The Robinsons! AYAYAYA a family for Christmas! #tendermercy 

It'll be okay. I'm really sad to leave East Sac. This week has been full of miracles and there is no doubt in my mind that I will be coming back for lots of baptisms. 

Sister Schow has been really upset all morning.. She said "Tell your family that I'm more sad about you leaving than you are about leaving." AHHHH :( I made her breakfast this morning. It's become kind of our tradition when big things happen. I love that woman. I can't wait to bring you back to meet her. 

I'm a little overwhelmed right now. I have so much to tell you but ahhhhhh it's just so crazyyyy I have to pack!? WHAT!? 

Fun Facts from this week:

Hermano Delgado PRAYED. The whole family knelt and he said family prayer. One of my favorite experiences so far. Definetely coming back for their baptisms. ahhh I love them it's so hard to go ahhhh.. :( 

Some spanish people paint their walls Red and green in their house for Christmas. Go big or go home right?

Met a little girl named Metzlie. like that name mom? it's like mayan or something?

We are teaching a woman who is from Romania that speaks spanish because she learned spanish form watching novellas (soap operas) IT IS THE COOLEST THING! we teach her in spanish, she translates to her husband in romanian and he responds to us in broken english. Also their daughter stuck her hands down her pants and then touched my face with her poop hands... hahahaha Whatcha gonna do?

Steve - Sister Schow's neighbor who's wife passed away - is gettting baptized!!!!!!!!!!!! He invited me:) I wonder if I'll be allowed to come back for it...

We were tracting and I met a girl that just graduated from UCLA with a degree in cognative science. I talked to her about it for a good amount of time and I think it's something I'd like to do. FO REALZ THIS TIME GUYS! haha. Does BYU offer that?

There's a guy named Dancing Dan that is always on the corner of Watt and Marconi when we go out to work each day. He wears a batman suit and asks for money but he's still super cool!

We randomly knocked on this house and it was a Spanish family. I felt prompted to ask if we could say a kneeling prayer with their family before we left (They weren't super interested). The father said yes, we prayed for each person by name. and then after the prayer, their 20 year old daughter Estephania asked if we have any youth programs, we told her about the Young Single Adult ward. We told our Zone Leaders about her (the YSA missionaries) and she has a date to be baptized in JANUARY! AHHHHH MILARGRO! 

I guess I just want to tell you how grateful I am to be a missionary in the California Sacramento Mission. This is what I've waited for for a very long time. No one could have told me how hard it would be; just as much, no one could have told me how great it would be either. I am the happiest I have ever been. And it's not like a short term... carnival ride, adrenaline rush- happy. It is heart swelling, smiling from ear to ear, I feel so full of gratitude I'm going to explode - kind of happy. 

I have loved my first area of East Sac for the past 7 months. I could not have asked for a better experience with which to start my mission. This past transfer has been the most fun, the most spiritual and most rewarding transfer yet. Our zone is so unified, so supportive and SO FUNNY. These people will be my friends for life. My companion Hermana Clonts, will be one of my best friends for life. She is an obedient, dedicated, and loving missionary. She follows the Spirit and I know that that is why we have seen the success that we have. She thinks about our investigators all day every day, prays for them, and we have seen miracles as we have taught specifically to their needs. AND SHE IS HILARIOUS.

I love this Gospel. I love my Savior and I know he lives. There is no doubt in my mind that every encounter is for a purpose and that as we follow the Lord's game plan, we will know success. 

Here we go on the next great adventura.

Les quiero siempre.

Hermana Skidmore

Winds of a White Christmas

hola hola!

so we don't have anyone with a baptismal date for december.. YET! I still have hope! 

Miguel PROMSIED he would come to church this week but said he got lost finding the building... which he said he already knew where it was... it's fine! he's still got 3 more sundays to make it to church!

The Delgado fam! 

We had a lesson with them and the kiddos were crazy. We tried to read from the Book of Mormon and Alondra (the mom) was ba da ba ba ba lovin it. And apparently Aranza (the 10 year old) can read in spanish! Anyways, It was really unfocused... so i was like, ya know,

"When we exercise our faith in Jesus Christ and know these things are true, when we repent and try to be better everyday, this faith leads us to want to keep God's commandments.. one of which is.. the B word.. BAPTISM." 

How's January 18th? 

Alondra's like.. "YEAH! actually.. no.. wait... let me check my work schedule..." hahah 

I LOVE THEM!

We have been trying really hard to inspire our ward to help us out by going to lessons and fellowshipping the investigators. I wouldn't want to go to a church.. or anywhere for that matter.. where I didn't think I'd be bombarded with hugs and big lipped hispanic kisses! (not racist, I'm allowed to say that because I'm a spanish missionary :)) 

President Lewis (mish prez) is really stressing teaching simply and to needs. We really think about what our investigators need personally and not just checking off a list. Hna Clonts and I have been really good at that from the get-go so I feel really blessed to have my comp! 

This week I've really been studying repentence. It is such a gift. If we ask our Father in Heaven in humble prayer to help us over come our natural selfish tendencies, He will! and through the atonement we can be forgiven of past mistakes. que bonita es eso!? All we have to do is ask, and do our best. 

I love this gospel. and I love being a missionary. no better time of the year.

Fun facts this week:

- Hna Cardullo ran over Hna Clonts foot with the car and.. MIRACLE - nothing was broken

- Sister Schow's Handy man brought us EACH a pie.. #phat

- "Baile" is the word for "club" in spanish.. like a dance club. So people that go to the "baile" a lot have a bad reputation haha

Les quiero simpre,

hna skidmaaaas

Sacramento in the Fall

hola hola!

el dia de accion de gracais fue biennnn divertido. 

Hna Clonts and I went to Sister Schow's daughter (Debbie's) house, her husband Kelly is the Bishop of an English ward so the sisters serving in their ward came, too!

Hna. Clonts and I went over early to help set/decorate the tables, I'll try to send pics if I have time! It was so fun! Most of their extended family was there and they are HILARIOUS!

I felt like I was in a sit com on ABC Family. I was right at home. They just talked back and forth so fast and are all so witty!

Nick (Sister Schow's grandson) told us their new baby was skinny and going through some medical difficulties but now he's "Fat and Sassy" hahaha and the other grandson (recently married) proposed to his girlfriend by a comic strip in the Sacramento Bee and there's like this huge story about how he emailed their favorite comic artist to create the whole thing so that when he and his girlfriend read the comics together she'd see it! crazy! and the story made the newspaper like alll over i guess. ALSO, Kelly (the bishop) is super crafty and made his own Gandolf Staff! It's so legit #nerdalert He's a 5th grad teacher so he made the staff so he could dress up for Halloween. Haha they're just really awesome. Felt right at home and very blessed.

The day after Thanksgiving was a little rough. No one was home.. just blahhhhh. We were both just kinda like whyyyyy? We're trying our best!

For comp study the next day we talked about Faith and what we need to do to just keep moving forward and be happy through the tough times and identify the little miracles that inevitably occur every single day. This is the work of the Lord after all. 

We had a member with us and we went to one appointment a little early because we wanted to have the member (hna. Mcfarlane) with us for this lesson, too! 

His name is Miguel and his esposa is Lurdez. IT WAS A STRAIGHT UP MIRACLE. We call him "Mi-Golden." haha All our investigators have nicknames.. 

He just explained that he's never prayed.. that his son is a christian and a really good man and he wants to make God a bigger part of his life... He wants to feel closer to God and he's been waiting for that sign. He even had a dream about it and there were 2 messengers that came to help him in his dream - Hna. McFarlane looked at Hna. Clonts and I, looked at Miguel and was like "here they are. This is the truth. God knows your heart, knew you were ready, and here they are." WOAHHHHH BABY. tears. the Spirit was so strong as we invited them to be baptized. Miguel said he wants to learn more but then he is willing to make the step. He had never prayed before but we invited him to say the closing prayer, helped him start...

"Querido Padre Celestial... 

Te doy gracias..."

and he just talked to God like he was talking to a friend. no words to describe it. so cool to see someone make that connection for the first time.

BUT THEN HE DIDN'T COME TO CHURCH! ahhhhh 

Another miracle, 

Our family the Del"Goldens" (original, I know) their actual name is Delgado's. We FINALLY got to have a sit down lesson with them and their 4 kids. We taught the kids the primary prayer song to help them learn how to pray and when we went back last night they had it memorized and they LOVE praying. Their oldest is 10 - her name is Aranza, then Fernando (totally gonna serve a mission) who's 8, Camelia whose like 3 and a baby!   

They all speak english and spanish so we watched a few mormon messages and explained about prophets. Alondra, the mom, was SO receptive. She LOVES the idea of family prayer and scripture study. She's all about the family and thinks that Church should be something you bring home with you and not something you just check-in and check-out every sunday. AMEN SISTER!

We watched the Mormon message "Mountains to Climb" with President Eyring. the Spirit was so strong. Especially during the part where the mom comes in and sees her little boy praying.. ahh. It was perfect for Alondra with all her crazy kids and busy life. We left them the Book of Mormon and are going back tomorrow to check up :) I can't wait!!!

I love being a missonary. Me encanta mi mision. Me encanta este evangelio y todos de ustedes.

I know the Gospel is true and has been restored by a prophet today, Thomas S. Monson. I know the Book of Mormon is true. There's just no way that it's not. 

Que tengan le mejor semana de sus vidas!

Hermana Skidmore

Survivin & Thrivin

Where to start!?

ROXANA WAS BAPTIZED!!!!!!! AHHH IT WAS WONDERFUL! She is amazing. I am so incredibly happy for her :) pics to come!

The day/the weekend of Roxana's baptism was probably the most stressful day of my mission so far.. BUT SURVIVED! still kickin!

- We had Zone Conference so we had to actually look decent haha

- Got a flu shot...

- Gave a talk in front of a General Authority...WAHHHH!

- Roxana's baptism

- Gave a talk in Sacrament Meeting on sunday!

So for Zone Conference (When all the missionaries within a certain radius get together with the mission president to talk about how we can improve our teaching skills and become better missionaries. aka: my favorite activity every 12 weeks #nerdalert) 

Elder Baxter of the Quorum of the 70 came!! He's from Scotland so he has this rad accent and it made everything sounds so official.

Here's where it gets good.. Elder Baxter like rebuked all of us.. hahaha hard core. Scottish people are BOLD. WOAH BABY - at least that's the assumption I'm making if all Scottish people are like him.. hhaha. I really appreciated everything he said, though! We definitely needed it! He just talked a lot about how confusing we make things that should really be simple. and how we need to watch our vocabulary because it's very unique to the Church. so true! He did throw in some jokes though.. I took really good notes on those ;) haha

"I have 12 years left in my calling as a member of the 70.. then I can do what I really want to do.. be a Sunbeam Teacher (the class for the 3 year olds on sundays). Seriously, you get to nap, have a snack, and even someone to accompany you to the bathroom... High Priest meetings aren't like that.. we've just perfected the art of sleeping with our eyes open.." 

"We all know that when missionaries take their investigators to church for the first time.. this is what their respective prayers sound like..

Investigator: Please don't let anyone be weird....

Missionary: PLEASE DON'T LET ANYONE SAY ANYTHING WEIRD!"

"As we say in Scotland - There is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing." 

hahah just imagine all of that.. with a Scottish accent. 

Every Zone Conference, all of the missionaries are requierd to write 2 minutes talks about an assigned topic, then president reads them throughout the day and picks 2 of them and those missionaries read their talks to errbody. 

The topic was "The Doctrine of Christ."

I'm really weird guys.. I LOVE public speaking. Really. So I worked really hard on my talk. I prayed about what to say for several days and rewrote it a few times... I can see Cameron shaking his head and laughing at how nerdy I am.. haha.. I really tried to think about what the Lord would have me tell my fellow missionaries.

Well guess what... I was late getting back to the main meeting because I was getting a needle stuck in me. So the APs come running to find me and then I walk into the main meeting and everyone's staring b/c President said my name and no one knew where I was.. llike heyyyy everybodyy... President Lewis "Sister Skidmore, you're going to give your talk.. that'll teach you not to be late haha." 

So yep. I used a line from an email Mitchell sent me a few weeks ago, "The Gospel is not about perfection, it's about progression." Something I've really been trying to understand myself lately. It's funny.. sometimes we give talks and the one speaking learns the most haha.

I don't have much time left! and I want to send pictures! 

My talk in sacrament meeting went well! I spoke on prayer! I think everyone understood! 

I love you all and I'm so grateful for you. Really. I feel so lucky to get to spend my time serving the Lord but I couldn't do it with out all the support from home. 

Les amo siempre. 

Hermana Skidmore

Rox & Talks

OKAY READY FOR THIS!?!?!?!

ROXANA IS GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!! This Friday at 7pm. 

I feel as though I have been ungrateful. I have been praying and praying that we find someone prepared and feeling that we haven't really found the ONE. THE ONE WAS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME! 

Roxana is the sister of Ana Mata, the woman that Hermana Thomas taught and baptized right before I came. One night Ana wasn't home so we talked to Roxana and she said the most beautiful prayer - just like she was talking to a friend. I have been blessed to see her progress from the very beginning and now I will see her enter the waters of baptism and start her journey back to our Heavenly Father. 

She is amazing. I feel like I haven't bragged about her enough.. she laughs when she tells God things in her prayers that are funny.. it's SO COOL. She understand that we can't just confess that Jesus is our Savior in order to be saved. it takes WORK. we have to keep the commandments and pray and go to church. she gets it! 

She is a miracle. I feel so lucky that I've been able to teach her from the beginning. 

We were a little worried about her having friends in the ward but we prayerfully chose a member to take with us to talk about Thomas S. Monson (our living prophet today) with Roxana and Hna Cadarone (the member) was PERFECT. She was just like "welcome to the family, welcome to your new start, welcome to all the blessings that are waiting for you." words can't describe how perfect it was. Also turns out some of her in-law family is Mormon! Her husband speaks only english so her english is perfect and so she might end up going to an English ward if he decides he wants to follow her example but for now she's good going to the Spanish ward with Ana (: 

ahhhh I'm so grateful to be a missionary.

This week we've also seen lots of really cool miracles by follwoing the spirit. There are parts of our area that we haven't been to. So hna. Clonts and I say a prayer with the map in front of us, open our eyes and pick a street. When we got to Luna Lane, we picked a house. And in that house lived the only Spanish person on the block. LIKE WHAT!?! We both feel so good that we're worthy to have the Spirit work through us to guide us while doing the work of the Lord. SO RAD.

Oh.. I'm giving a talk in sacrament this Sunday because Hno Pallares (basically my grandpa in the ward) thinks my Spanish is good enough. He's like "Use the Spirit you can do it! I'm signing you up! I'll call the bishopric tonight!"  I'm the 3rd youngest out of 8 missionaries and I have to give a talk.. I'm flattered but then again really nervous.. I don't want to get comfortable with the Spanish I can speak.. I really want to keep progressing and help my companion improve too! 

Detalles Divertidos: 

I can almost play 3 hymns on the piano! Used to only be able to play 1! (mom I know you're so proud haha) 

Sacramento has very distinct smells (I think b/c we're in a valley) it's like 10 feet.. grass smell.. next 10 feet.. grilled cheese... gasoline... next 10 feet.. cotton candy... so strange! but fun to identify! haha 

This week Sister Schow goes "Sister Skidmore... Was it you that said you're good with toilets..?" why yes it was sister schow! haha I helped her unclogg her toilet hahaha yesss. 

This week I've really been trying to say gratitude prayers. It's sometimes during our toughest times that we plead with the Father and have really good heart felt prayers. I'm trying to get out of that habit and always make time to talk to my Father in Heaven and thank Him for the miracles we've seen and really express how grateful I am. 

I love you all so much and I love this Gospel. I love being a missionary. I'm 4 days away from being 1/3 through my mission.. WHAT!?!? 

Les quiero muchisimo y siempre

Hermana Skidmore

Hermana Cadarone and I wore matching outfits :)

Habla Español?

Hola familia! 

Ahhhhhhhh I have great news! I CAN SPEAK SPANISH!!!!!! AND I CAN UNDERSTAND IT!!!!!! WAHHHHHHHH LIKE ALMOST EVERYTHING!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH 

Here's how it went down:

We had transfers. I love my new companion Hermana Clonts! Serioulsy. She's so fun and someone that I feel like I would have been friends with before the mission! She's been out for 8 months and she's from AZ and she went to BYU before her mission so we may or may not have seen each other before... trippy.

Anyways, it was up to me to plan our days and help her get to know our investigators so I have been pretty stressed and praying a lot.. I just feel like I have a lot of responsibility because I've been in this area for so long. I quickly realized that we will be helping each other grow a lot this transfer.. this is the first time Hna Clonts will be a senior companion so it's just kind of a weird transition I guess. We've been talking about it a lot.. like how we're going to teach in unity and things like that. 

The miracle though: as soon as we went out to work together for the first time, I could understand everything people were saying. just like BAM. I got it. I get it. I can do this. I could understand and respond really fast. There is no doubt in my mind that it was the Lord helping me out. I guess it's because I knew I HAD to be able to understand. sorry if this is a little confusing.. it's been a long week haha.

I also translated in sacrament meeting! I'm the youngest missionary besides the trainees who just got here...it went well i think! The bishops wife is the only one who listens so I basically just gave my own talk peppered with jokes about how I can't understand the speaker because he's mumbling haha Sister Woodland (bishops wife) is a good sport (: 

Enough about me though! Update on the area and investigators!

Another fun fact about the first time Hna Clonts and I went out to work, EVERYONE WAS SO NICE! Like sunshine and butterflies all around. We also found some super solid potentials. People that we will be going to visit this week and hopefully start teaching. The whole day I just felt like "okay, this is our time. this is our transfer to thrive." We both haven't been a senior companion and we both have the same goals to follow the promptings of the Spirit and completely relying on the Lord to help us. 

Investigators... well.. haha... we basically are starting from the ground up. This area is relatively new so I'm excited to go out and find those apartment complexes that we haven't been to yet and get some good potentials for the next missionaries that come! 

Roxana! (sister of Recent convert, Ana) we gave her the baptism date of Nov 22nd. So she is praying to know if that's her day!!!! She is going to be an incredible member of the Church. 

Sister Schow!

She had her hand surgery this week and OH MY GOSH IT WAS HILARIOUS! She's been SUUUPER drugged up and she is histarical! She wakes up and she's all smiling like "BOY I'VE NEVER HAD SUCH A GOOD NIGHTS SLEEP!" Then she made some jokes about how she can't put her bra on because of the bandage on her hand.. I don't think she'd want me to tell you exactly what she said.. hahaha

I'm so incredibly grateful for that woman. 

I love this Gospel. I know it's true and I love the opportunity I have to share it with the world. It's amazing to me that it takes an hour or a day for everything to change. At any time we could meet someone, share gospel with them and answer the questions they've had their entire life. I pray each day for the people we will meet. That they will recognize us as representatives of Jesus Christ and that we will recognize them as the ones that have been waiting for our message. GOSH I KNOW THEY'RE OUT THERE! 

Alma 29:9 

Les quiero muchisimo! Don't forget to pray :) 

Hermana Skidmore

Transfurz

Hola hola!

I don't have much time! Always seems like there's so much to do and not enough time to do it!

TRANSFERS:

Hermana Romero is headed home! She's different than anyone I've ever met... We didn't speak about her going home. AT ALL. I wasn't allowed to say anything about it. It's been a quieter transfer, much different from Hna Thomas but I've learned so much from Hna Romero. She's grown a lot on her mission and I feel like she knows EVERYTHING about the Gospel! haha. 

I AM STAYING IN EAST SAC! Del Norte North Area (: 

They surprised Sister Schow and told her they're putting a trio (3 missionaries) in her house.. Me, Hermana Clonts, and Hermana Arndston (visa waiter). Sister Schow kinda freaked.. she's having hand surgery and doesn't want to move a bunch of stuff around to accomidate 3. So we'll see what happens there! I'm excited to serve with Hna Clonts. She's really fun! I go back to riding passenger seat :( haha errbody thought I was going to train but I'm one of the youngest missionaries still so.. not yet! But I know I still have a lot to learn before I'm trusted enough to train. I'm looking forward to really working hard to find new people to teach, we're basically starting from the ground up. I feel like we're on the brink of something big.

The rest of our district.. the Elders I've come to know and Love.. are BOTH leaving.. I'm so sad.. and Hermana Hansen is headed to South Sac. Hermana Cardullo is training! It's bitter sweet... I feel so blessed to have had all of them as my first district. 

Halloween was fun! I was the only one who carved a pumpkin.. with a steak knife from the church's kitchen, HOLLER! haha. We watched that new movie "Ephraim's Rescue" and as I was reading the end credit things that like tell you what happened to each person ( I was reading them out loud because some people were too far away to read it) and i started CRYING! OH MY GOSH i"M A BABY! WHAT"S WRONG WITH ME!? 

Just got a soft spot for mis antepasados.

Hermana Romero and I dressed up as Sister schow for Halloween (: I'll send pictures. And I made her Ghost toast (toast shaped like a ghost) for breakfast haha. 

As far as investigators go.. yeah we're really just going to hit the ground running trying to find those people who are waiting. I know they're out there and I feel a great sense of urgency to find them. The mission has a goal of 101 baptisms for Decmeber! Woah! We're calling it "White Christmas!" 

I love you all so much and I love this work!

Siempre,

Hermana Skidmore

Faith is Allowing God to Work

"Faith is Allowing God to Work." that's my new slogan haha. Gotta get myself out of the way and let God work through me to touch the lives of other people. Can't do it on my own, ya know?

Short run down of the week and then some spiritual insights, aye!

Andrea said she doesn't want to get baptized.. and we're not sure about Roxana. She hasn't called us back in a few days. We wrote Andrea a little note and took it to her just to tell her we love her and will support her, but we hope she makes the right decision. 

Eausavio and Jose (brothers and investigators of the other Hermanas) are getting baptized tonight! Finally! I am really happy and excited about this baptism because I have gotten to know E & J really well at church, english classes, activites, etc. they've been through a lot and this will be a great step. Mom - I'm going to use one box of brownies for them i think (: so thanks for sending those!

Miracles despite difficulty: We were walking away from an apartment complex and I remembered meeting someone that lived there, her name is Magda but she'd never let us talk to her for more than a minute at the door. I felt we should go see her.. and I was a little nervous about asking my comp to change our plans. But I did. We knocked. and she let us in. Talked to Magda for an hour. She has 2 sons that live with her and they remind me so much of Mitchell and Cameron it's hilarious. It was just a sweet tender mercy. Hopefully we will talk to her again.

I want to share a story with you that explains how I've been feeling this past week and how my testimony and Faith in God has grown as a result. My mission prep teacher at BYU read it to us and I asked him to email it to me right before I left on my mission.

Pushing a Rock:

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Lord appeared. He told that man that he had an important work to do. The Lord then showed him a large rock in front of his small cabin. The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all of his might. So, obediently, this man did.. day after day!

For many years, he toiled from sunup to sundown, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving boulder, pushing with all of his energy. Each night the man returned to his cabin, exhausted, worn-out, discouraged, the adversary (Satan) decided to enter the picture, as he always does...

He placed thought in the man's mind such as "you have been pushing against that rock for a long, long time and it hasn't moved! you aren't strong enough. It can't be done." He gave the man this impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure. These thought disheartened the man. 

"Why am I killing myself over this?" he asked himself.. "I'll just put in my time giving the minimal effort and that will be good enough."

And that is what he planned to do.. until one day he decided to make it a matter or prayer and take his troubled thought to the Lord Himself.

"Lord," he said in desperation, "I have labored long and heard in your service, putting all my strength into doing what you asked, and yet, after all of this time, I have not even moved that blasted rock by even a millimeter! What is wrong with me? Why am I failing?" 

The Lord responded compassionately, "Who told you you were failing? My friend, when I asked you to serve me, and you accepted, I informed you that you task was to push against the rock with all of your heart, might, mind, and strength and you have done that! Never once did I mention that you were expected to move it! Your task, my son, was to push and now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed.. but is that really so? Look at yourself! Your arms are strong and muscled, your back sinewy and brown, your hands are calloused from constant pressure, and you legs have become massive and hard."

He continued, "Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass those which you used to have... yet you haven't moved the rock. But remember, your calling was to be obedient and to push and exercise your faith and trust in my wisdom. This you have done... "

"Now I, my friend, I will move the rock." (Author unknown) END.

Friends and fam, I don't know why sometimes things don't work out.. but I know there's a reason. and I know with all the certainty of my heart that we have a loving Father in Heaven that DOES know. He challenges us for our benefit and I have seen that more than ever as I do His work. 

I have noticed a great difference in myself since starting my mission. My faith has grown. I rely on the tender mercies of my Savior and I fall to my knees in gratitude when things DO work out. And, for some reason, I have developed a sense of unshakable peace. Not gonna lie to you, I get discouraged sometimes, but as I read my scriptures and pray for help and guidance, I am filled with a reassurance that everything is going to be okay and everything "will work together for your good." 

I love what it says in the Book of Mormon: 

Jacob 4:7

 Nevertheless, the Lord God showeth us our ^aweakness that we may know that it is by his ^bgrace, and his great condescensions unto the children of men, that we have power to do these things.

I love you all so much. I love this Gospel. I know our Savior lives as does our Father in Heaven. I know the love they have for each of us is incomprehensible and yet beautifully simple in that they never leave us to figure things out on our own so long as we are willing to ask for that divine assistance. 

Have the best week and know that you are in my constant prayers.

Con amor,

Hermana Skidmore

Drops & Dreamz

Que pasa calabaza!?!?  (What's up pumpkin?!)

Right now Hermana Landon (One of Hermana Romero's companions that has been home for her mission since feb) is visiting with her family and she is hanging out with us for the day and driving us around to do some shopping! First trip to target on my mission! WHAT UPPPP! it's funny the little things that make me so excited now haha. 

Hermana Romero has like 3 weeks left of her mission :( waaaahhhhh

Esta semana!

We had exchanges and I went out to North Sac with Hermana Clonts (from AZ) and Hermana Washburn (from Utah).

I got some great news from Hna. Clonts when we woke up in the morning!

"Hermana Skidmore.. did you know that you talk in your sleep in spanish? Like really fast? It sounds really good.. you were saying..'Estamos ensenando.. blah blah blah..'" 

YES! Now if I can just transfer that fluency into the conscious part of my brain.. we'll be in business! haha

Drops....

This week we did lots of dropping.. meaning we're going to stop seeing some of our investigators.. 

Isidro: old teddy bear man, didn't come to the baptism or church.. i have faith that some day he will realize that God needs to come first..I'm sad, but yeah. There's other people waiting for the Gospel in this area, so we've gotta move on :(

Juana: (pray with scarf on her head lady) she dropped us.. she basically just said that she can't accept anything without hard evidence or like doctrinal proof.. donde esta su fe?  That helped me realize that faith is crucial...

Lightbulb moment: I do not know the answer to every question about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I don't. Basically there are A LOT of things I don't know.. I'm only 19, people!

But, there are things that I do know. Without a doubt. Because I've asked the One who does know everything. 

I know that God lives. I know that he is aware of every single one of His children. I know that my Savior Jesus Christ died for each and every one of us. He knows how we feel in every trial, every tribulation, and every joy. I know Jospeh Smith was the prohphet chosen to restore the same church that Jesus esstablished when he was here, to the Earth so that we could all have the opportunity to enjoy the blessings. I know it. I know it. 

There's more but I gotta finish telling you about my week (:

SUNDAY! 

We had a really tough week dropping people and tracting and stuff but SUNDAY! was the greatest. 

It was the primary program where all the little kids sing and give little talks during the first hour of church (: 

Andrea was pumped! Ana Mata (her mom - recent convert) was so proud! and then! Roxana, Ana's sister SHE CAME! We had visited her on saturday morning and we invited her to be baptized with Andrea on Nov. 1st and she said YES if she's ready. She's incredible. Gosh. Yes. 

AND Maria Orosco (our future relief society president in the making) came also! 

All of them stayed all 3 hours and the ward members just did a great job loving them and welcoming them (: it was a great sunday! OH! and Jesus Gutierrez is now a primary teacher hahaaha. that sharp lookin guy in a suit up there singing with those kids. I'm lovin it. Ana and I just laughed and cried through the whole program. 

Miralce of the week:

We were tracting (knocking doors) and we ran into a less active man from the english ward. He shared stories about his mission with us and he said something that really hit me.

"When I was serving my mission in Brazil 60 years ago, we didn't have language training. They threw you right into the country and you had to learn. And then the missionary work in Brazil really took off and missionaries who had only been out 3 months were expected to train.. and didn't even know the language...

Those missionaries came back from their misisons to become the greatest bishops and stake presidents because they learned to rely COMPLETELY on the Lord. They had no other choice. Their own intellect would not suffice. And they establish that pattern for the rest of their lives."

Boom. I love that. I really need to work on completely relying on the Lord.

I love all of you so much. Have the best day and don't forget to pray :)

Hermana skidmaaas

Don't shake what you're momma gave ya...

This week was hard.. but good at the same time. Ups and downs. Welcome to missionary work. Am I right? We have really had to discern what people are ready for the Gospel and to make these changes in their lives and who needs to wait for the next great missionaries that come along. It's taken a lot of faith.. I get connected to these people really fast and it's hard remember that some day they will be ready for what their Heavenly Father wants them to know. 

Update on Investigators!

Andrea: Keeps asking me if she has to be baptized.. YES YOU DO haha she's 9 and she can't make up her mind about anything (girl after my own heart ;)) Hermana Romero is so cool about it all. I'm freakin out and she's all "It's fine. She'll get baptized." OKAY HERMANA. haha she has so much faith. I love it. 

Gabriel and Jose: Well.. my heart broke. We had to drop them.. which means you don't try to see them/teach them anymore.. that was rough.. but like I said.. God has a plan and their conversion story isn't over. I just know it.

Isidro: Old teddy bear man. I sent a pic to grandma i think! This week his wife was like.."I feel like you're pressuring us.." and then Isidro was like "nahhh I know i need to be baptized.. I just don't know when" HOLLER AT YOUR PROGRESSION! Paso a paso, people. The other elders in my district have a baptism on Saturday so we're inviting Isidro and we're hoping that will either make it or break it. He basically said he wants to see God before he gets baptized.. and we're all.. that's not how it works, hombre ;) Necesita tener fe. 

Juana: (little older lady that prays with a scarf on her head) We had exchanges this week and so Hermana Toro, from North Sac came to East Sac with me. I felt like I was under a microscope... but I know I'm doing my best and criticism means improvement so I'm pumped to see my transfer report.. not to mention I kept saying "crap" and "rad" hahaha some things never change.

ANYWAY Juana is excited to keep learning about the Book of Mormon and said that if she recieves an answer that it's true, she will stop going to her church, which would make a serious dent in her social life and be a huge sacrifice, and go to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. WO WO JUANAAA! 

Maria Orosco: came to the ward activity this saturday! And our ward members were great! super friendly! She even brought her esposo!

Jaime: Miracle man. We were miracle tracting, basically going to apartments and picking our lucky numbers to knock on haha. hermana Romero picked #5. Jaime had been crying. He was like "It feels like Jesus himself is in my presence. I know that you were meant to be here right now." so cool. He's had a rough life. Seriously, like he wrote a book about it and it's been published.. also turns out he's the only spanish person in that complex. Not a coincidence. There is no doubt in my mind that God's hand is in every thing that we do and every person we encounter is not by accident. 

WARD PARTY! If I have time I'll send pictures! 

LA CENA INTERNACIONAL! 

So fun. Ward members from Del Norte (our ward) and Rio Tierra (North Sac) brought food from their respective Hispanic countries. So delicious. I actually had a tamale for breakfast the other day.. I'm officially a spanish missionary. haha. 

IT WAS SO HARD NOT TO DANCE. They even played Ice Ice Baby (in spanish) Shout out to Taylor! One of the ward members, Hermana Mora, and I were talking about how I took a social dance class and so I like to think I know how to Salsa. Before I knew it, she grabbed my hand and forcefully took me to the middle of the gym.. Hermana Romero was freakin the freak, YOU CAN'T DANCE. haha 

Our investigator maria was there and she even brought food and Hermano Mora did a great job fellowshipping them. It's so important that people feel welcome and like they have a place. Members are so crucial! Don't forget that! There's always something you can do. Someone you can talk to! 

Hermana Melix (my lady jam) also surprised us all.. HER HIPS DO NOT LIE. and she got a hair cut. Basically a new woman. Come get her, hombres!

Fun Facts of the week: 

Hermana Romero and I got hardcore lost. like 50miles in the car lost. Yep. My sense of direction still sucks haha. Then the distict leader called us to remind us about something and I'm just screaming like AHHH ELDER LADUKE WE'RE SO LOST. and then i hit some button and the wind shield wipers were going.. then we were in this private driveway that look straight out of the "Goosebumps" books series (blast from the past haha). Then we were like reversing in the middle of an intersection and the hole time.. I was on blue tooth via phone in Elder LaDukes car so all the elders got to hear our stuggle hahahahaha. 

Hermana Romero was trying to describe a cradle and called it a "baby nest." 

In church we were asked to share a thought in Young Women's with about 5 minutes notice. It needed to be about Christ. Totally by the Spirit, I shared the story about the 3 men in the rooms waiting to go to heaven and how the angel visited them and was like "Who was Jesus Christ?" and the last guy recognized him. The story from Mitchell's mission? The Spirit was so strong and it really made the girls think. It's so true that it will be given us in the very moment we need it. 

Spritual thought:

 D&C 18:15 "If ye bring but one soul unto me...." IT BETTER BE YOU. Read that scripture and think about that. It's so true. As missionaries, our first and most important convert is ourselves. And it's not easy.

Vale la pena.

It will be worth it.

Con amor siempre,

Hermana Skidmore

creative title

Hola hola! 

CAN WE JUST TALK ABOUT HOW GREAT GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS FOR A SECOND!?

We can't! haha but we can email about it (: 

So inspiring. Hearing from the prophet is like WOOO YEAHHH!!! And when President Utchdorf spoke about inviting others and reactiviating people my heart was swelling with pride. WE HAVE A PLACE FOR EVERYONE! 

"doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith." yeah Presidnet Utchdorf! YOU GO, SIR! 

Love it. 

I really liked Richard G. Scott also. Normally I'd be struggling to ya know.. keep myself from staring at the inside of my eyelids but during his whole talk i was mesmerized! I loved how he talked about the fathers in the Book of Mormon and how they must have felt knowing that their past choices had negatively affected their wives and children even though they'd repented and everything. It was a perspective I'd never thought of before. But  how beautiful that through the Atonement we are all forgiven and it's important not to live in the past but to learn from it!

And the talk about women! and the importance of mothers! How he described that one woman as "love personified" oh my gosh I thought I would die I loved his sentence structure and word choice so much #geekinout :) I hope that's how my kids describe me one day! 

And finally - I loved the talk that said "I sent him to you because I knew you could and would love him no matter what." about the grandmother trying to do her best to love her wayward grandson. Totes got cloudy up top during that one. It's so true. Some people are just "wont to swim in deep water" as mom and dad always say. Meaning that you are meant to go through some trials because Heavenly Father knows that others of His children need you. So cool.

I've been thinking a lot about the pre-existance.. like how we lived with God before this life.. and who we've met so far that we already were friends with up in heaven. I think about that a lot with my investigators.. like "hm.. I bet we were friends up in heaven.. and I wonder if we talked.. and you said to me "I won't have the true gospel, so come and find me. and by you serving a mission, I'll be baptized. So please come and find me." " 

That's so weird. but it's totally possible! We read the story about the kid who served in Costa Rica and found "his friend" in Zone meeting this week so that's why that's on my noggin. 

ANYWAYS!

We had 3 investigators attend a session of conference! yyayay!

Juana - so cute! Just found her this week and literally had the most incredible lesson with her. Going back and forth from the Bible to the Book of Mormon, expalining that it's a second testament of Jesus Christ and how the Bible talks about it! and Joseph Smith and how we don't worship him or anything. He was just the prophet chosen to restore God's true church to the earth and she was like OHHHH. She's a bible expert so it was really intense but she sinserely wanted to know so it was a really cool experince to see her feel the Spirit and finally find those answers she's been seeking. Like how Heavenly, Father and Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are all separate but one in purpose. Yes. 

She prays with a scarf on her head.. so we're working with that haha but she's the sweetest! 

Maria - found her this week! and she was like.. "I've been waiting for you! I've been waiting to find my place and the true Church." I was in shock... I just kept telling her "we found you. this is your place. we found you. your search is over." 

I love being a missionary.

Gabriel and Jose- my heart is breaking.. they have had to work SO MUCH, didn't come to church, and we found out they're not ACTUALLY married. Spanish culture is funny that way "esposa/esposo" doesn't mean ACTUALLY tied the knot..and Gabriel is saying he's going back to Mexico forever in November.. so we are kind of stuck on what to do with them.. My heart hurts. They are so incredible. Such miracles! It's one of those "I feel like we were friends before this life, PLEASE don't deny the gospel I promised I would bring you.." Yeah.. so that's a struggle but I know that Heavenly Father has a plan and it'll all work out, whether it's us that baptizes them or not. They won't be lost. 

Roxana - Ana Mata (recent Convert) sister came to conference and totally felt the spirit - we're giving her a baptism date this week (: 

SISTER SCHOW'S BIRTHDAY WAS ON the 3rd (: You know me. I went all out! 

We put streamers all over the kitchen and made her a smiley face out of pancakes and eggs for breakfast (: she loved and and told EVERYONE that called her that day about what we did for her. She's the greatest. She had been really sad about having to get surgery on her hand, she has MS and so her other hand doesn't really work and it's just going to be a struggle.. so her birthday was just what she needed to get her out of the slump. I'm trying to convince her to get a tape recorder and record stories about her life (like grandpa kluber!) because she NEVER kept a journal! But she's stubborn haha. 

I love you all so much! The Church is true and the work is moving forward. Heavenly Father knows each of us personally and is aware of what we need in order to grow and progress. Don't forget to pray & have the best week (: 

Siempre,

Hermana Skidmore