We have Mountains to Climb and Rivers to Cross

Hello Everyone!

So I hit six months this week. What a weird experience that was. Do you know what else is weird? For the first time in five months I'm not wearing tights. That's right! It's finally warmed up here in eastern Canada! It's a beautiful 75 Degrees Fahrenheit today and sister Chen and I are enjoying it!

So this week was an interesting one. The big things are of course that with out sister Penrod sister Chen and I are really having to strive in our languages. I do think that my Chinese has already improved so much in the last week alone! It's going to be so exciting to see where it is by the end of the transfer. I love sister Chen to pieces though! absolute pieces! She's so sweet and patient with me. I'm really so blessed here out in the mission. 

The next big thing this week was we had skills and interviews! The last one with President Clayton on the mission. He'll be leaving in July but he's going to the very end he's working as hard as he can. It was a great meeting and we all enjoyed it so very much. I learned so much about turning out ward and working on the people. Really seeing what they need rather than guessing. It was so good. 

The actual interview was good as week and in the end after a wonderful testimony from president and the closing prayer... President Clayton gave me his approval for Star Wars the Force awakens. He told me that it was worth waiting for. It was good to laugh with someone about that. 

Back into the area sister Chen and I spent most of this week working with the members and getting to know them. It was really good to reach out and connect with the people around us and I look forward to seeing them all reach the goal of regular temple attendance. Investigator wise this week was slower. We had to reschedule our appointment with the investigator family and we had to slow down with Chong a bit. But this coming week is going to have all that we can do in it! We're so excited to meet with the potentials we found this week and the people that we'll be working on!

Really it's a time of great hope and joy. There is so much to be thankful for and it's such a comfort to know that we have this chance to work with God in His work. There can be no greater reward and that's so cool!

I hope you all know how much I love and appreciate all of you. There's so many things that looking back I didn't realize how much those little experiences changed me until I got out into Canada and realized how truly blessed I am. You are all such great influences to me and I hope you know that!

God lives, and Christ is His Son, and the Holy Ghost testifies that this is true!

-Sister Skinner

 

 

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...

 

 

 

Transfers and the Work of Salvation

Hello Everyone!

So Transfers, it was fun stuff! I didn't even cry! (Teared up a bit when hugging sister Liao for the last time for a while but no real tears!) I guess I should start from the beginning. Monday we finished packing and we went to dinner with our members and investigators. It was so sweet to have all of them there and supporting us. I'll miss them but I have the feeling that Kitchener hasn't seen the last of me yet! So when the time comes again I'll be ready! We also went to see Tangier for one last lesson that night and we all just ended up bearing testimonies and he made us all tear up when he started talking about what a blessing knowing this gospel is and how he will keep on sharing and living it for the rest of his life. He's the sweetest most humble person I think I've ever met and I can't wait to see him again someday!

Well we finished packing that night and we started towards the mission office. Long drive but that's okay I enjoyed it. I don't think it felt real until we actually reached the mission office. I felt out of sorts for the rest of the day but it really did turn out okay. I am now working with sister Chen, who is super sweet and is from Taipei, she's about at the same level of English as I am Chinese so we have a hard time communicating sometimes but we're getting there! This does mean however that sister Penrod does a lot of translating between the two of us. Sister Penrod's mom is from Taiwan and her dad's american so she's pretty fluently bilingual. It's a good thing too or else sister Chen and I would be pretty lost! She's follow up training both of us which has been interesting since we're both at different points this means that I actually do most of the training of sister Chen (When I can) and we try and working things out together. She's super cool and reminds me more of sister Erickson than sister Liao which is interesting. We both thought that we would never serve together though since we're the only two Chinese sisters that can drive but we are and she's the designated driver. She's also a California driver so there have been a few points where I've been just a bit frightened. Still she insists that she's the safest driver I'll ever meet and I just kind of smile and keep on praying. (No she really is good just a bit... faster than I am)

Besides that working in a trio has been a learning curve. It's not easy especially with sister Chen and I barely being able to communicate with each other but we're getting better and I look forward to going through this transfer. There's going to be so many miracles! We're going to baptize this transfer too!

Meeting the members here has been fun. The ward I'm working in right now is multi lingual so during Sunday school there's Chinese, English, and Spanish, classes to choose from and to go to and so unless you speak all three languages there's going to be someone that you can't quiet communicate with. Still it's been great getting to know the members and being able to be in a family ward again. (I didn't realize how much I missed primary...)

This area is going to be a little bit different then the last one I think we're going to have to work harder to find people to teach but like sister Penrod likes to say. "The whole mission is run on faith... this area is just running on a little more faith then the average." But I think it's going to be great once we can really get started. We managed to find two new this week anyways. Both of who look really solid. Jane and Brother Tian are going to get baptized I know it! 

Something important I learned this week is kind of an interesting thought. Sitting in church I was pondering on the fact that we are living in a fallen world and therefore subject to Satan's influence. I was thinking about the fact that in a real sense we are living in a battle field. We hear all the time that Satan is working against us but something in the passing phrase of 'God is hastening his work caught my attention. 

If we are living in a battlefield and not just any battle field we are living in the climax. That critical point in history when all outward signs show that the bad guy is gaining strength and good is loosing ground. We are living in the point of the story where everyone is hanging on to their seats and waiting to see the final triumph. That is our day. And yes Evil has it's power right now, but do you ever think about the other side of that battle. If Satan is working against us then do you ever think about the fact that God is working for us? Do you ever think about the fact that God is actively working for us?... isn't that so cool! We are the climax this is the point where God is more active in the lives of his children then ever before. Christ is working with us. The Holy Ghost is urging us on wards and in the face of the opposition God stands at our head. He is not idling He stands. This is His work and His Glory. His work...

Work is hard. But it becomes easier through love. Always through love. 

I know the ending to this story. I know that Christ will reign triumphant. I know that the work that I do now is just a small portion but also infinity important. We must be active as well. If God Himself is working for us then we ourselves can't be idle. That example should make us realize how much more we need to be active. 

God loves us enough to work for us. The least week can do is work for Him as well. 

Have a great week everyone!

-Sister Skinner