Walking on Broken Glass

Hello Everyone!

This week was one of the more interesting ones I've had so far on the mission. We did find new people this week though so that was fantastic! Mississauga is one of the hardest area's to find Chinese people because they're so intermixed with the other Asians! I've talked to quiet a few Filipino, Korean, and Japanese people with the odd person who speaks Cantonese thrown in the mix. There was one day where I only talked to one person who spoke Mandarin and they couldn't understand me because they don't comprehend white people speaking their language. (I've been called that white person so many times by people who don't think that I understand them, it's crazy! I'm actually okay with all of it but I do think it's kind of funny)

So Yes, there were miracles this week. People showing up from referrals and new people to talk to on the street. We had an ESL meeting this week and president Clayton is going to be completely overhauling the program and replacing what we have with something else a bit shorter. It's been fun practicing this more hand's on approach to teaching English but it's been such a blessing too. 

We had some really good food this week too! I'm very fond of hot pot by now as we had a member take us out to it again! Dinner appointment left overs are also fabulous.

We worked a lot in YSA this week which was really nice. I love YSA and their enthusiasm and spirit it's definitely a place to learn and grow!

Yesterday was a holiday so no P-Day but that just meant we got to go to some really cool lessons. All of which ended with FHE that night at a members home. Sister Low had a baby recently and seeing that little one in her arms as we all talked about the atonement and Christ's resurrection really pulled why he did it into perspective. He loves us so perfectly... and I will forever be grateful for that. 

So I should probably explain that title a bit. This week we had a day of freezing rain! We got out of the house the next morning to find everything covered in a centimeter of ice. The cars, the trees, the ground, everything was completely covered. The trees crackled and swayed making it sound like the storm continued on as they tried to break their icy prison. Sorry that was only half poetic but that's pretty accurate. We marveled for a minute and then we set to work clearing off our car so we could head out and continue in our efforts. It took a while because we wanted to be thorough and make sure that there wasn't any ice that would come off while we were driving and hit someone else's car. This was a common occurrence to see on the high way that day it looked like car windows would come right off and go flying just to shatter on the ground. (It was actually super cool as long as it wasn't about to hit someone) It also meant that when walking it was like constantly walking on breaking glass. It seemed rather poetic as that day we were trying to break the glass box that's been holding us in. We've been stretching and pulling and grunting and groaning and all this time we failed to realize that there were things we needed to do inside the glass before we would be ready for what is on the outside. 

So this week we broke free. 

It was like waking up at the right moment or the light turning on in a room. Everything you expected was right in front of you and logically you know it's there but you can't reach it until you flip the switch, open your eyes, and break the glass. We found new people to teach we were able to help in the lessons we taught the spirit was felt and understood. I wish I could describe more of what I'm feeling but I don't know how to put this into words. All I know is that even when walking on unsteady ground broken and slippery all at once there was a loving Heavenly Father right there with His arm's outstretched. And a perfect savior Jesus Christ, with the joyous news that death has loosed, mercy reigns, peace is a reality and you can do this.

I do know that He is Risen! He is my Lord and my King and we would be so lost without His atoning sacrifice. May we praise Him forever and ever. 

Hallelujah!

-Sister Skinner

 

 

All of us plus some dollarama Chicks given to us randomly.
I think the expressions convey who liked them and who didn't...

 

 

 

Of Days Ahead and Days to Come

I'm not sure where to start with this week. It's been one of the more trying ones on my mission thus far. There have been no new investigators for three weeks in a row now and it's been so difficult to try and find people to teach. And yet through this I've really felt like I've been growing a lot as a missionary. There's a lot of blessing that are hanging just above our heads often times we forget to ask about them and so they stay nearby but just out of reach. There is so much power when we just ask. If there has been one thing that's really grown in my testimony this week is that God really does listen to me. He is really reaching out to us even in the times where we aren't listening He's still there.

Despite not finding any new we still had some great lessons this week. Peter is an exchange student who's living with a member of the Stake presidency and he's hard to pin down for lessons but when we do he just glows with the spirit and it's so inspiring to hear him share what the spirit is teaching him as we share the gospel. 

Brother Tian is a part of a part member family. He's been coming to church for a while now and we've been teaching him about once a week this week we were able to get him and his wife, Ilean, at a members house for dinner and it just lit him up. He completely opened up about what he needed and admitted tearfully that he did want to know where his mother had gone. It was such a tender moment to be able to say simply. "We know where she is, and we can promise you that you will see her again." I don't think I've felt that level of spirit poured out before in my life. 

I know that God lives and I know that He watches over each and every one of us. I wish I could convey everything that has come to me in this last week but that would take more time than I have. This is consecrated time. There are people out there who need this gospel and we've got to find them. I feel your prayers your support your love and your hope and I express my gratitude in the only way I can. By praying for you as well. So thank you. Thank you and Thank God, for He is our Father and the giver of all blessings. 

Hallelujah

-Sister Skinner

 

PS... 

Guess what? I let the young women play with my hair as part of a service project while we were on exchange. (I know I was a little shocked too but look! Miracles do happen!)

 

The one in the Blue jacket is Peter and the ones on the ends are the second councilor in the stake presidency and his wife and the one in the middle is the BIRTHDAY GIRL!

 

Life in Moments

Hello Everyone!

So thoughts on this week. Guess what? I got a camera! and it's beautiful and yellow and it takes wonderful pictures and now you're going to get so many pictures! So to whoever sent me the camera and will be forever grateful!

Anyways this week has been so fabulous! The Easter initiative started up this week and we've been working on that all over if you haven't seen the stuff the church has put out I would recommend it to everyone because it's beautiful and so cool! We did a lot of street contacting this week and it was actually pretty successful we've had a lot more people at ESL this week and that's been such a blessing. One of the day's we were out putting signs up I did get an angry man tell me that I was a menace and that I should go back to my own country. But when he was yelling at me all I could think was that I am in Canada on God's errand and this person wasn't going to stop me. There really is such power in knowing that God is on our side. There is so much to be grateful for.

We also had Stake conference this week and it was so good! There was such a focus on what baptism really means and that's been the focus of my study all week. Why we baptize is so important if we really understand the fact that Baptism is a gift a promise and a journey then we will reach for it! there is great power in knowing that God has promised to be with you when you get baptized... is that not amazing?

We fear not for we know that we are not alone!

I love you all so much!

Sister Skinner

Count Your Blessings

Hello Everyone!

This week has gone by so fast and there were a lot of things learned and lessons shared. 

I'm not even sure where to start so forgive me if this letter is all over the place! So one of the big differences between here and Kitchener is that there's no one place where all the chinese people gather. So that means we have to go about trying to find people through other ways. The three big ones I've seen work so far is ESL (English as a Second Language), Badminton Friday nights, and member referrals. To get people to come to the first two we basically go to any busy intersections and we post flyers on as many light poles as we can. This city is just covered in ESL flyers and we have our chinese badminton flyers floating around too. That being said we have had some really good success from both of those activities this week and it's been great being able to find new investigators. We also open our mouths in all places. We've had some success at the local campus but the only problem we have with that is that we have to hike into campus. and I'm not kidding when I say hike. All the campus parking is ridiculously expensive and so we park in the local city park about fifteen minutes away and then hike up a hill and go through a gap in the fence to get to campus. So unless we already have a lesson on campus or we have a least two hours in a row to go contact we are rarely on campus. On another side note we've been driving way to much this transfer. We have a girl by the name of Joy who is 20 minutes away by car that would get baptized but is 17 and her mom is currently not taking her seriously. This is a problem we've been working on and praying for a LOT in the last week or so because she is so ready the only problem is she doesn't want to upset her mom. Still having to meet with her three times a week means that in the last 7 days we've driven 600Ks roughly 370 miles with going back and forth so much. 

So yes we were in the car a lot last week. 

Sister Penrod was also super sick this last week to the point of getting dizzy during lessons. But she's been both inspiring and frustrating in her drive and her desire to keep on working. Luckily she's on the mend now which was such a miracle and such a blessing. 

We've taught so many good lessons this week. We've been able to meet so many good people. I feel so blessed just to say that God really is looking out for us. I know He lives and that there are people here that are going to be so blessed by the message that we carry. I'm so grateful for that reality. 

Also back in Kitchener. JIM GOT BAPTIZED!!! Even if the record states that the elders were the ones who baptized him it was sister Liao and I who found him and I'm so happy for him!

I also got to go to a baptism this week, even if it wasn't ours. It was a little old lady from Nigeria who doesn't speak English and was taught though her daughter translating everything the missionaries taught to her. But her face just lights up when she's in the church and she was radiant at the baptism... Which is a good thing because looking back at the baptism so many things that could have gone wrong did. The reason we went to this baptism is because one of our recent converts Shyce was the one who was going to do the baptism. He speaks English but he was freaking out the entire time. While practicing before hand he actually dropped the little old lady on the ground, and while in the font they took five minutes just trying to figure out where to stand. The baptism that had to happen twice because Aregash (The little old lady) just let herself float the first time and the second time he held her down for so long that sister Penrod looked away. After helping Aregash get out of the font Shyce also slipped down the stairs himself and belly flopped right into the water with a huge splash. But then when they all came out Aregash had a white dress on and looked absolutely on top of the world and the spirit came rushing back as we were all reminded that it's not the ceremony but the ordinance that matters. She bore a simple but beautiful testimony and it was such a faith building reminder that the gospel is for everyone the young and the old. (Oh, and to top it all off President Clayton was there too)

 

 

Really this week was a week of miracles both big and small and I'm grateful for the chance I have to be serving with both sister Penrod and sister Chen. 

We'll keep pressing forward!

Love,

Sister Skinner