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
