Les necesito decir que yo estoy lo mas feliz que yo he estado en toda mi vida.
I gotta tell ya I'm the happiest I've ever been in my whole life.
This week has been so JAM PACKED with miracles and uplifting meetings, boom boom. I feel like a lucky lady.
1. Members - We managed to have 7 member present lessons which is like unheard of in this area! I love taking the members to lessons (mainly for selfish reasons :)) because we get to hear their conversions stories!
2. My love for teenagers continues. We taught a 13-yr-old named JJ about the Libro de Mormon and I just love how real he his. It was fun to be like "hey pal, I've been where you are." He also told me the first time he heard me speak spanish, he legit thought I was from Spain!!! Griteeeee (holler!) at your Spaniard! (don't know how to spell that..)
3. We had interviews with President/Sister Lewis this week - Sister Lewis says, " I could tell when you and Sister Griffith walked in, that you LOVE this area and you are giving it all you've got." like awhhh thanks mission mama.
4. Tried to go see Hector and Renaldo.. Renaldo was like walking out the front door and around the trailer.. I was like.. "hola...?" Trying to decide if we should go after him.. Then we hear him peeing.... they were both drunk.. #awk. Renaldo has a 13 year old son so we talked to him for a few minutes. Again, teenager. Adore him. I don't know what it is.. it's like when we talk to him.. we know there's so much good inside him. He hasn't been totally slapped around by the world yet. I just hope we can keep teaching and help his fam. We were super blunt with Hector like "No se tome la proxima vez, hombre." Don't drink next time, sir.
MILARGROS!
* Went to contact a referral from a neighbor that said the house was Spanish, at first the young mom was really skeptical. Then we started talking to her about the Church. She said she's strong in her church.. Hna. G "why do you like it?" She was like.. ya know what.. I don't actually like it that much.. it tore my family apart because my Dad got fanatical. She started to cry. She felt so alone. Like if all these churches teach about God, then why would God want her family to be torn apart?
We talked about the Book of Mormon. She said she'd been taught it was bad. We asked, "Have you read it?" she responds, "Nope, can I have a copy?" Yeah. I think we can arrange that. It was amazing. I feel so blessed to be in this area when so many people have been prepared for RIGHT NOW.
*Had exchanges and I got to take Hna Thomas around Tracy :) It was so good to talk to her again and catch up! We laid awake till like midnight just talking about everything that had happened since she left East Sac.
We went to contact a media referral.
Adrian Sachez. Another 20ish guy from Mexico! haha. Hna G and I can't escape them!
I don't know if there's such a thing as a perfect lesson, but it was pretty darn close. We went to a Subway restaurant b/c he said the people he lives with wouldn't understand. We sat there for an hour and a half and helped this humble, sincere man feel the love of his Savior for the first time.
As we started teaching.. asking questions.. trying to figure out his background, he goes. En puro espanol, he speaks no english, "Hermanas, I'm going to be straight up with you... I know nothing about God/ Jesus/ All of it.. I walk into different churches and see a Man on a cross. I know who he is.. I know he died for me.. but I don't know what that means.. I don't know why that's important.. I need you to start from the ground up."
We taught him how to pray, we read to him from the Bible and the Book of Mormon (can't read very well) and he just.. got it.. we taught him about Joseph Smith and the Restoration of Christ's oringinal church. He was like.. Where is Church and when can I attend?
It was stake conference in the buidling 20 mins away.. He's like "I'll be there sunday!"
Sunday.
He got lost getting there.. for like 30 mins.. he arrived, calm as could be carrying his Book of Mormon :) and he just seemed content as we listned to Elder Packer of the 70 (super cool guy, btw) talk to us about the importance of sharing the Gospel with others and how east it is. and alllll of these stories about how people have found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints and how it's changed their lives.
Afterwards the members all greeted him and one member explained some of the unique vocabulary that was used in the Conference. We invited him to baptism afterwards and he said he wants to keep learning :) and he'll be at church on Sunday ahhh!! milagro. milagro. milagro.
Se que esta es la Iglesia verdadera. Se esto porque yo he visto las camibas que vienen cuando personas se sienten El Espiritu por la primera vez in sus vidas. Yo he visto milagro des pues de milagro porque Dios quiere que todos sus hijos esten en lo mejor lugar posible.
I absolutely love being a missionary. and I love all of you with all my heart.
Hna Skidmore
