Winds of Change

UPDATES, fastttt!

Adrian - his ex-esposa said that she would never let him see his son again if he joined a church.. that was hard. it didn't seem to phase him much but he really misses his son...

we had a really sweet experience with him this week. we FINALLY got to meet with him on Friday after 2 weeks, we met in a Subway (he bought a gatorade and stuff so we were paying customers! haha he's so honest!). He told us about what's going on.. and tears filled his eyes as he talked about how much he loves his son and wants to be with him. It was so humbling.. I couldn't even imagine some of the things he's been through and yet we're sitting there like these 2, 20 year old girls, and HE'S asking US, for comfort and how to find peace... we tried to explain that religion and life shouldn't be 2 separate things, we take what we learn at church, by reading the scriptures and praying, and then apply it to help us in our daily lives. Life is hard. the Gospel is simple. we will keep praying that Adrian will be able to work things out, for now he doesn't want to comitt to a date. 

Randy and Ronny Promised they'd be at church, we got a ride for them and everything, no shows... it broke me. and they haven't answered our calls...

I just wish I could tell them.. Don't you know how hard I pray every night for you? Don't you know how much I think about what it is you need to hear from me? Don't you know that the gospel of Jesus Christ will make more of you than you could ever make of yourself? 

Then I stopped.

Maybe that's how our Savior feels sometimes. 

Don't we know how he suffered so that we can return to live with our Heavenly Father again? Don't we know how much They love and worry about us? Don't we know? 

I am suddenly aware of how much God loves us. and how much he is pleading to hear from us. 

If I am going to be His missionary, I have to be willing to go through at least a little bit of difficulty to experience the joy right? right. 

I love this Gospel and I love each of you so much. 

Contodo,

Hna Skidmore

Chill Thyself

Gotta type so fast! This week was so fun! Lots of fotos! (that's how you say pictures in spanish, my english isn't THAT bad..) haha

I love having Hna Cuesta as my comp. We have the BEST time together. We laugh 24/7 and this week especially. 

BADADADDA READY? LISTOS!?! This is gonna be a whole lotta random comin at ya real fast. 

Mi cumpleanos: P-day! Hna Griffith planned a rad party in the park with our favorite member, Leilani Gomez (her birthday is 2 days after mine and we're the same age so we did a combined thing!). We ate cake. Threw water balloons, and somehow ended in hitting Hna Cuesta in the face with a whole lot of whipped cream.

Then we went to a different memeber's house: Hna Bastias - the one who wants me to marry the bishops son and she made Empanadas! She's from Chile :) We already have the trip planned to go visit. She said "Diga a su mama que yo soy su mamacita de la mision, mi princesa!" hahaha google translate that. 

The other night we were walking to the car through a parking lot, saw some hispanic men, they say, "Hola mamacitas, hola guapas...!" I'm all, YES contacting opportunity! Hna Cuesta: No hermana, No hermana, keeping walking keep walking keep walking... hahaahahaha. They were hitting on us.. I mean I guess I realized that later? She thought it was hilarious... she told some of our investigators and they thought it was hilarous, too... like okay let's all make fun of the help-less white girl.. haha. 

VASQUEZ FAMILY! Referral from the english elders from Livermore (different city). They couldn't find her, we went over randomly, she opened the door, we talked. We love the whole family. 3 daughters. 2 oldest ones remind me of Lauren and Leah haha. Super down to earth, gorgeous and hilarous. La mama is really interested and she already agrees with a lot of the things we teach! I'm so humbled to have the opportunity to teach these amazing people. I can just imagine seeing them going to the temple as a family... woah i love being a missionary. 

Hna Cuesta got chased by a chicken named gato (cat) that was in the middle of a neighborhood.

"Chill thyself." we were at dinner with an english member and her real voice is like Syd the Sloth - SHOUT OUT TO T$. It was the BEST. Her son was being rowdy and she just looks at him and goes, "Ryan, chill thyself." 11th great commandment. you better belive I'm going to turn that into a wall sticker for my future home. 

All the dogs around town are lookin to mate... our arms and legs have had a traumatic week and that's all I'm going to say about that.. 

We met a Puerto Rican named Ray. He's a model... in his spare time.. we actually a great conversation with him about his purpose in this life. That everything unjust about the world can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It didn't really get through.. his response to an invitation to church was.. "I don't know.. I go to the gym every day, I basically live off my body." haha. Never a boring moment.

Adrian came to church :) our Ward Mission Leader tailored the Gospel Principles class right to him and he was striaght up like, "Adrian, do you think you need to get baptized?" Adrian said, ..."..si...." and put his head down just nodding. BREAK THROUGH. 

Met an english guy named Dave, he wanted to know why our church is different. We explained baptism! That we believe the Church of Jesus Christ has the true authority of God restored on the earth. His whole attitude changed. He was willing to pray and ask God if it's true! He races motorcycles and his solgan is "I ride faster for the Master!" haha

GET THIS: 

remember Randy and Ronnie, the awesome twins that dropped us? THEY CALLED. They want to meet. They had a falling out with some family and are willing to listen. Hna Cuesta was the one talking on the phone and they asked her if the smiley missionary was still here? haha that's been happening a lot lately, people have commented that i smile a lot and seem really happy.

Mosiah 2:41 is the answer to why :) 

Se que la vida es dificil pero el evangelio es sencillo. 

pictures aren't working.... booooo

con todo mi corazon, 

Hna Skidmaaas

Walk the Field

Fun facts: Spanish calendars have names on every day, so if you're born on a certain day, you're usually named that name.. 

FEB 17th = Teodula... hahaha 

No longer a teenager. NOOOOOOO responsibilty... ahhhhhh.... 

The elders have serenaded me twice #yes birthday wish come true! Just kidding. lock your heart, todos. 

T$ - go to Matt 8:30 and think of the cannon center.

In Mexico, when someone dies, for 9 days everyone that loves them gathers at the catholic  church the person attended at 7pm to pray for their salvation. 

Zone Conference:

So good and uplifting! I got to see some of my good friends from my first area and meet some new friends, always a good time to be spiritually uplifted and to remember that the social skills of missionaries are SO AWKWARD. 

I learned that Satan is the master of Fear and discouragement. I have a really hard time with this. I get scared of approaching people sometimes and afraid of rejection or immediately jumping to dispair when things don't go perfectly. BUT I've decided that I'm trading Discouragement for Determination. I've really seen the difference in my attitude as I pray for the ability to stay motivated and keep the mind set that every day has the potential to bring miracles. 

"walk the field." we heard a story about a farmer. his crops weren't doing so good. he was told to walk the field, as he walked, he was able to find each little problem and fix it, then keep walking. As a result he had a fruitful harvest :)  I like this because we walk A LOT now. Also DAD - you could apply this to sports, in Remember the Titans, Coach Boone walked the field before the championship game right? yesssss. gottta know what you're workin with.  

We had exchanges! I stayed in Tracy and Hermana Cardullo was my companion for a day :) We served in the same district in East Sac so it was fun to catch up!

Miracles: We were walking to go contact and we stopped to talk to a girl named Gabi, she's from Mexico and she's studied with alllll the religions but she still feels like she's missing something. She is concerned about the strength of her family. She invited us in and we testified to her about how the Gospel of Jesus Christ is based on families because the home is where the teachings of the Gospel are taught and implimented first and foremost. She told us that she usually takes a different route when she walks with her son.. but that day she felt to go a different way, and she met us. AYYYY LA VIDAAA! 

A recent convert from Lodi (area a little bit north of Tracy) came to church because his parents live in Tracy and he wanted to invite them (they're not members). We stopped by Damiens house last night and had an amazing lesson with his family. He cried as his bore his testimony that his relationship with his Savior has grown from reading El Libro de Mormon and his deepest desire is to have his family enjoy the same blessings. It was really humbling and sweet. Damien rides his bike to church every week several miles. Vale la pena. It is worth it. I love being a missionary. 

Adrian! he came to a baptism this week and really liked it! He is still really timid about his own baptism and was sick on Sunday so he wasn't able to come to church :( We want to talk to him and just get a feel for where he's at. He's got the social conversion and he's really enjoying the reading in LdM but the key is prayer. He needs to know that this step is what God wants most for him. 

Muchas gracias por todo que hacen para mi. Les amo muchisimo. Se que este evangelio es verdadero porque muchas vidas han sido camiado como resulto, incluiendo la vida mia. Me encnta mi mision. Estoy muy adgradecida que mi Padre Celestial me dio este oportunidad a compartir la felicidad y las bendiciones del evangelio y del sacrificio de Jesuscristo con otras personas. 

Que tenga la mejor semana de sus vidas! 

Hermana Skidmore