una buena semana!

wowowow. what an amazing week. 

Angeles bought me this mexican rubbing fluffy thing that you use in the shower, what's it call? A talufa? Anyways, she's helping me get rid of the skin bumps on my arm.. hahaha like talk about calling attention to my imperfections haha. But she is determined! And she follows up with me every time she sees me "Has curado tus brazos!?"  missionary style :) 

There were lots of ups and downs but we just kept pushing forward! Hna Sheffer has really helped us to be super diligent and we are exactly obedient!

MILAGROS!

Last week we had dinner with a member named Hna Sanchez, and she off handedly mentioned that one of her clients for "Herbalife" ITS SWEEPING THE LATINO PART OF THIS NATION, asked her about church and wanted to go. 

UM, HELLO MEMBER REFERRAL. 

Her name is Graciela, funny story; her house FACES the Church building...she asked Hna Sanchez about the church because she always sees so many cars there, SHE LIVES THAT CLOSE! No transportation issues there, HALLELUJAH AMEN!

We went to see her yesterday - She has two little boys that we entertained with Wizard of Oz stickers and notecards & she accepted a BAPTISMAL DATE OF NOV 1st!!!! She really wants to make sure she knows about the church and I'm like GIRL WE GOT YOU! In a much more dignified way, of course. haha. She's also from El Salvador!!!!! WOOOOO. Also, Hna Sheff had her first, latino woman breast feeding in front of you experience, I almost died laughing hahah she told me "I DIDN'T KNOW WHERE TO LOOK!" hahahahah 

Okay, running out of time! 

The Church is true. The Book is blue. Jesus was a Mormon, too. - Hna Sheff's Dad. hahah

PICS!

Les quiero!

Hna Skidmore

noche de hogar

this week everyone and their neighbor (literally) has wanted to plan a family home evening - noche de hogar en espanol! It's amazing - our members are on the ball, referring people like crazy and sacrament meeting was nice and full yesterday - i had a huge smile plastered on my face like a proud mom - our (not so) little Barrio Rio Tierra is growing!!!!

I don't have much time left so I'll send pics!

WE WENT TO DO BAPTISMS FOR THE DEAD WITH ANGELES! There's a new rule in the mission that we're allowed to go with our recent converts to do their first baptisms for the dead as one of our visits to the temple. it was so special. Angeles was SO excited and I had to translate everything for her :) i love it! She had to roll up the little legs of her white jumpsuit and when she came out of the changing stall aftewards she looked like an emporer penguin with her red hair standing up all crazy and a pure joy like little kid just went potty for the first time kind of smile just pure happiness and pride :) that's the only way I can think to describe it hahahaah. 

We found a woman this week and her name is Lurdez, we found her tracting and it turns out she already has a Book of Mormon! Her boss is a mormon and then she cleans the house of a Mormon family and the dad of the family gave her the Book of Mormon for Christmas! She is interested in coming to church! Ah miracles!

This week I learned a lot about Hope - the worlds Idea of hope and then the Gospel's idea of hope! Here's some scriptures - Psalms 146:5 

and Proverbs 28:25 - Lets get  #FAT ;) 

Les quiero con todo mi corazon! 

Hermana Skidmore

muy ocupadas!

We have been so busy lately! So many great things on the calendar here in North Sac. Gosh, I love this area so much!!!! We are still working on helping our fellow hermano y hermanas out there to accept the invitation to come nearer to Christ through baptism - but heyyyy salvation isn't cheap (just ask Jeffery R. Holland ;) 

I gotta take a minute - just sit right there - I'll tell you how I became the prince.... 

just kidding :) 

real time. 

OUR MEMBERS ARE AMAZING! I adore this ward. Rio Tierra Represent! 

Get this: Noe, one of our investigators that comes to church every week, even came to stake conference, we had stopped visiting him.. because he wouldn't let us.. haha but then he agreed to an Appointment and came to english classes, this is where it gets good! 

He asked us all to say a prayer for his family.. they're having a rough time and the members that were there launched in on their testimonies like it was Fast Sunday! telling him how the Gospel can help in every aspect of life and asking him why he's not baptized yet! hahaha YESS! Unfortunately, Hermana Skidmore was out the door trying to give directions to another investigator who was very lost. The other missionaries said it was amazing! Hna sheffer "from what i understood!" haha i love her! She continues to amaze me with her insight, diligence and passion for the work! She has so many good ideas and is working so hard! 

Later on in the week we had a lesson with Noe and I joked with him that he was basically a member and he acutally said that he'd noticed his progression and "Vamos a ver..." we will see! THAT"S THE CLOSEST THING I'VE EVER HEARD TO HIM ACCEPTING BAPTISM! hahah the little things ;) 

Next up, Jose on Inca. we don't know his last name so we just call him by the Street he lives on... haha. Jose reminds me of Hno Salinas - holler at Hna Pitcher! - he's super real and just a good tempered guy. Hno y Hna Cassal nos acompanaron to the appointment and THEY WERE FIREEE!!!! yesss! We didn't tell them anything about Jose's concerns and they hit on every. single. one of them. Hna Cassal bore a powerful testimony on the Atonement: 

"When Jesus was here for His short ministry on Earth.. he didn't spend his time with Saints... he went to the criminals, the...ladrones.. (sorry i...spanglish brain.. ahhh..stealers?) anyways and so we can't just assume that just because we mess up again and again, he doesn't want anything to do with us! In fact, He would rather us spend more time with Him. to do more to grow closer to him. the most important thing he cares about is that we're trying. and inevitably, as we give up our hearts to let him change us, we will actually change ourselves." 

So that made Jose sit back in his plastic black chair and think a little bit. As we all sat there in his garage, I had to point something out to him...

"Jose, tonight when we knocked on the door, you were asleep... your daughter woke you up and you came out here... that doesn't happen very often that people do that... but you did. because you have felt and are currently feeling the Spirit..." 

He was like "yeah... I have noticed a change.. since I've started meeting with you.."

Then Hno Cassal proceeded to committ Jose to know if what we share is true. Bomb. Gracias!!!

Jump to last night, we're driving and we drive past a street where some old investigators live - Hna P - sylvia (frind of hna chicas)

At first I just kind of shrugged off the prompting... but then on the way back decided to go - I gotta quit doing that! Just go the first time hna skidmore!

Anyways, we get there... Sylvia no longer lives there. Maria and her three daughters. Turns out they're going through some rough stuff. We helped one of her little girls say a prayer and Maria was in tears by the end. Just know that maybe we were an answer to someone's prayer...no matter if they accept the restored Gospel or not...fills me with gratitude.

Me encanta ser misionera.

Les quiero con todo mi corazon,

Hermana Skidmore

#thestruggleisreal - gettin that skirt stuck in the bike #rookie ;) It happens to the best of us. 

GENERATIONS! Hna Cuesta with the hermana she's training! and then me with my 2nd!

soy una mama

holllerrrr at your missionary.

Hermana Skidmore is. so. happy.

Training is the best thing in the world and I have the most wonderful companion. I'm PUMPED for these next two transfers.. we won't talk about what happens at the end of those two.. ew. Dad, to answer your question - yes! I will still be an STL, it's super fun and a few of us are training so we bounce ideas back and forth about how to help our new missionaries :) 

HER NAME IS HERMANA SHEFFER! - she is from Richfield, Idaho and went to 2 years at BYU before her misison! She. is. fantastic. very humble, teachable, and she is SO WILLING TO TRY NEW THINGS. Like I have had to pick up my walking pace to keep up with this girl, she also happens to have long legs, so that's part of it ;) 

On our first day together, I asked her to pick a street from our area and we would go knocking/contacting there. WHATDOYAKNOW - we get there and there's a spanish woman outside sweeping her drive-way (is that like a thing that people do?) haha. regardless, we fast walked over there to her (old neighborhood lady style, arms pumping) and it was Michelle. Hna Pitcher, I know you know who I'm talking about. She's Eduardo's wife, wasn't able to be baptized because they aren't offically divorced? remember!? Hna Sheffer invited her to be baptized in our first lesson the next day, Angeles went with us and was perfect, as usual, and SHE SAID YESSSSS!!!! We know there will be some road blocks but nothing a little faith and prayer can't change. 

This sunday, the famous President Martinez (couselor to our Mission President) came to give a class to the Spanish congregation and it was phenomenal. Really solidified my testimony of the Book of Mormon, that we need both the Book of Mormon and the Bible in order to have the complete Gospel of Jesus Christ. Ahhh then afterwards I asked him to train our little Spanish district - it changed everything about my mission. I am so grateful. Like I was almost in tears. I told hna sheffer she's super lucky because she learned all this stuff at the beginning haha. 

Funny thing:

we're in a zone of all elders... so sometimes I catch myself talking like an elder...I don't eat like an elder though, so we're still in business - holler. 

Example:

"Yeah, I've been running every morning..." Elder Herd

"Is that why you look so swoll?" - Me 

Elder Gardner heard me and laughed so hard... hahah 

Les quiero mucho! 

Hermana Skidmore