What I Learned

My "funeral" to mark the end of my life in the mission field!

 

Hey Everyone!

So What My mission means to me.

My first transfer I learned to take the unexpected and to see blessings in my trials. I learned how to fix a toilet and how to convert Miles into Kilometers.

My second transfer I learned that miracles do happen based on your faith. God will not make a miracle happen against your will. But This is his work. I also learned what Hot pot was.

My Third transfer I learned that change can be a good thing and that different is not a bad thing. I learned how to love a ward like a family, and how to lead and follow. Also I learned how to make Chinese soup.

My Fourth transfer was the transfer I learned to adapt and to love it. There are people all around who need our help and we can find them out there or right beside us.

My Fifth transfer I learned that dreams can come true, and that cars need to be taken in as soon as they are broken. I learned that God sometimes waits to answer prayers and that it's always a good thing.

My sixth transfer I learned that I can not understand Taiwanese and that the members everywhere can help in everything. I learned how to lift even when I was hurting and how through supporting others God can help support you too.

My seventh transfer I learned how to train and how to keep commitments to myself. I learned that Christ takes imperfect people and lets us decide how fast we will progress.

My eighth transfer I learned that love can change people for the better.I also realized that people in Canada like wearing construction fashion.

My ninth transfer I learned how to kill cockroaches, how to bear testimony and how to take care of myself and others.

My tenth transfer I learned that I am improving and I am progressing and I am loved. I also learned that Chinese food is actually my favorite.

My eleventh transfer I learned to work hard and to play hard and that God is always in your corner. I also learned to take serious things seriously and ridiculous things ridiculously.

My twelveth transfer I learned how to take real world problems and solve them. I learned how to give inter muscular shots. I learned how to say hello in Syrian.

Over all I learned that things do work out. God lives He is more active in our lives than we really think He is and that there is always hope. Peace can be found even in the darkest of times. If you are sad go and serve. Love. Love. Love.

My mission has meant so much to me and I do not regret a single moment. For this is God's work and I will never regret giving my all to my God.

I'm going home. But I'm not the same and I'm so grateful for that. My homecoming party will start at my house 10:30am on Sunday the 30th and then my talk will be given in sacrament meeting starting at 1 at 555 S. Averett Ave. Springville, UT.

I love you all so much.

Thank you for supporting me.

signing out

Sister Skinner

A Week in Pictures

Hey Everyone,

This was a crazy week and I probably wont go into detail but I'll do this in pictures!

This was Monday! Glow in the dark mini golfing and Dinner with the snakes!

 

 

 

This was Tuesday and Wednesday fun stuff... And awful pictures!

 

This was Thursday and when things started getting weird. But we still had fun and sister Moody is being taken real good care of.

Friday... and then some.

Saturday it was a fun day!

Sunday! Happy Easter Everyone~!

 

I've Run out of Witty Titles

 

 

Hey everyone!

So This week has been crazy and wonderful at the same time. Tuesday we had no appointments but that meant that we had plenty of time to go out and find new! We found a lot of interested people but since this week is finals a lot of them had no time to meet in this week but we'll give them a call afterwards and that's going to be great! Tuesday we also taught daily dose and loved that! Always enjoy that :) 

Wednesday we taught William and I'm not sure how much I've shared about this 87 year old Taiwanese man who we visit once a week and who always comes to church and thinks that we're the most amazing people under the sun because we speak chinese and we're white. But he's the sweetest and while teaching him is difficult sometimes because he's just all over the place. He also is really very sweet! He asked us this week if Eden was a canning place in America and why Adam couldn't go there anymore? He was kind of close... Kind of, we also had dinner with our branch president and wife who are going on a vacation to Jerusalem (just casually, you know) and it was bitter sweet but they were very kind to us. 

Thursday it rained all day again! But we still taught our usual Thursday group and that went really well so we generally have five appointments every Thursday and then we try and throw in coordination in there too just for good measure. But it was a good day and we got to share the Easter video with a lot of people and that went really, really well. The spirit is so strong when we just open our hearts to it. We did have to wait half and hour in the rain for the bus to come but it we sang songs and laughed at ourselves when the rain turned into snow and then kind of froze our feet off because my boots have holes in them after wearing them for a year and a half... It was great though!

Friday we had zone council and it was fabulous! Hermana Rohner and I instructed together on what our missions meant to us because we're both dying! Ah! But it's actually really cool because I don't know if you all remember but my first transfer out in the field we didn't have an apartment so sister Liao and I stayed with the Spanish sisters and so Hermana Rohner and I were actually greenies together in Kitchener and now we're dying together in London! It was really good and then we had interviews and that was fun. President litterally stopped halfway through talking about things I would need to do when I go home and was like "Wait... You're not leaving for three more weeks! Forget everything I just said don't get trunky!" And then he ended the interview... I was all like... "Thanks for that president." and then because sister Moody and I are so nice and because most of our appointments cancelled due to finals we then went and became the Zone Leaders errand runners and picked up dinner for the starving mission president and wife and the other poor mission leaders who were stuck at the chapel all day. Service is a great way to come closer to Christ. 

Saturday we started off with Daily dose then supported the YSA sisters with their baptism and then went to go teach a lesson when sister Moody finally told us that she had a crazy bad headache and then we had to go home so she could try to rest and it didn't work. She's had the headache since Saturday and Sunday was really hard on her. She just keeps trying though and I'm just so proud of her. 

Things I learned this week is that we are all really trying for conversion to God not to anyone or anything else. This Church is His Church but it is the path not the goal. The goal is God and I will keep reaching out to Him until I get there. 

Thank you all for all your love and support and I hope that you all know how much you are all loved. 

-Sister Skinner

Conference and the Crazy Life

 

 

Hello Everyone!

Wasn't conference amazing! Got to love the words from our apostles and prophets! I assume that it was amazing since I felt the spirit so powerfully but sister Moody and I due to different needs of our investigators new converts and returning members ended up watching three of the four sessions in Chinese, so by the time Elder Cook went to say his closing remarks my brain was a mush of good spiritual feelings and a Chinese headache! To all my friends out in countries that actually speak Chinese I salute you and to all my Asian friends here in Canada the same goes to you!

Once again I don't remember a lot that happened this week. But I do know that we had Zone Conference in Kitchener! I got to go back to my home stake building and I love it there! Walking around with sister Moody was precious and I loved every moment of it. Sister Moody and I actually did an instruction on diligence and it turned out really well! We both really enjoyed teaching and it was nice to see so many people around that I've grown to love. I also said my dying testimony so that was weird too! I'm not ready to die! Actually who am I kidding I feel like such an old missionary by this point!

Wednesday we chased down Grace who changed our meeting place three times but when we finally found her she was so pumped to read the book of Mormon it was so cool! Also on Wednesday we went to the first dinner appointment that sister Moody has had in three months! I had some just three weeks ago in bayview but the Chinese sisters got a little forgotten here in London for a little while and I kind of had to ask the branch president if he would have us over but now that they realize how much fun we are to have over they invited us again for this week! yah! Afterwards we went to go visit a less active on the other side of town and then when we got out at like 8:40 we thought we would be able to get home before 9:30 the missionary call in time but due to the fact that the London bus system is awful we didn't get home until 10:10 and got to see some sketchy people heading out to sketchy places but God's protection is real! Lesson learned do not stay out after dark in London!

Thursday it was raining so much we just got soaking wet. And I found out my boots have holes in them. But no worries because a second dinner appointment (this one was set up by sister Moody badgering the elders to get us onto the 1st ward's meal calendar... not like we've been serving here since January or anything! HA!) But when we showed up they took one look at my sopping wet tights and had me go change and put duck tape on my shoes. Very fashionable but I've only got to wear them till the end of April so the rumors of missionaries just wearing shoes completely out it true! I did it! Goals accomplished!

Friday we weekly planned... and met with some people... I don't remember much but I do remember that Amy and Guo were both super pumped for conference!

Saturday and Sunday was obviously general conference good stuff!

I feel like something I really learned this week is that God gives us exactly how much we can handle He'll take care of us no matter what we do! and when we have that trust in Him all things will work for our good!

I love you all so much and I hope you have a great week!

-Sister Skinner

Us outside way too late, the random distress carnival at the college, pictures, and William a very old investigator and I switched glasses, and sister moody is a boss for learning so many characters.

 

 

Teaching and Learning

 

 

Hello Everyone!

I feel like from this point out my letters are just going to get shorter and shorter! Sorry about that! It was a good week though, we taught really good lessons to the new converts in the area Amy and Guo and we also taught a ton of other lessons one that particularly stands out was to Nizzy who is actually Lizzy but we put her down as Nizzy for everything and she like it so... She loved learning about the plan of salvation and the doctrine of baptisms for the dead. She seems to excited to learn more and we are so excited to be teaching her!

Other things that happened this week in no particular order.

Sister Moody asked on of our members to make a cake for break the fast and he did. It was made in one of those fancy removable bottom pans and sister Moody had never seen one of those before and so he hands her the pan with left overs and she takes one look at the switch and goes. "Oh what does this do?" and the next thing you know the cake in on the floor. It was hilarious the good news is that it only spilled a little and we still got to keep it.

We went on exchanges this week. Fun stuff! English work! I enjoyed it and met a women who reminded me so much of my beloved friend sister Holm! I think that was one of the moments where it really hit me that I'll be coming home soon!

We also ran into a girl on the bus who I talked to for a long time about the plan of salvation and what it would mean to her and then she got off the bus before I could set a return appointment! No!

This morning I bought clothes from Roots because it's so Canadian and I'm going home soon! AH!

We also had fast and testimony meeting and it was just so good! I love church.

I love you all so much and I'm sorry to keep this so short this week! Good luck with everything!

-Sister Skinner

 

 

 

 

Sister Moody Calls Me Mama Skins

 

 

Hello Everyone!

Sister Moody and I are having a blast and she's made it her personal goal to get me to take more pictures on my camera this transfer then I ever have before so... yes you might get some good pictures and you might get some random ones we'll see how that goes.

So Monday sister Chen and I went through our last p-day together and we got a lot done! We also stopped by sister Lee, sister Tsui, and sister Cheng's houses and said goodbye to all of them and I loved it so much! They all really took me under their wings while I was in Bayview and I love them all so much! They are all super sweet!

Tuesday I said goodbye to sister Chen for the next six weeks and got picked up by another sister to go to Brampton for the transfer and it was awesome! I love missionaries. That probably sounds a little odd coming from me as I am a missionary right now but it's the truth, I love seeing them and getting the chance to be with so many wonderful elders and sisters. It's such a blessing. We then traveled the long two hour drive out to London and since then sister Moody has been showing me around like a pro and I've been trying not to fall asleep because I'm to tired! HaHA ha!

Seriously though this week has been amazing and sleepy at the same time.

I don't remember a lot of what happened this week except that Saturday was sister Moody's birthday and it was so much fun! We had appointments and we stopped by William a really old investigator who loves sister Moody and threw a mini party for her and it was so sweet! and then we got to go to Smokes which is only the best poutine place in Canada and it was the first time sister Moody went so that was delicious and also probably took a few years off of my life but that's what happens when you stick French fries, gravy, and cheese curds together and call it a meal! Seriously though we got home so full that night it was crazy.

So I really am like falling asleep on the computer but at the same time I know that we were just so blessed this week! There were so many miracles and working with sister Moody has been so much fun because she is one of the hardest workers ever and I just need someone to pull me along just a little bit this last transfer and I know with her I'll be able to finish strong! I love this girl to pieces and it's the best.

So I guess the biggest miracle for this week though was seeing all the wonderful people that I'm going to have a chance to work with over the next several weeks. I love seeing all these people and knowing that we are moving forward with them into eternity! Church really is such a blessing though!

Spiritually I've found a lot of solace in knowing that everyday even if all I can give is just a little bit God really does just take that and work miracles. We've been talking and teaching, laughing and loving every minute and I know that this is a blessing from God. Going forward is going upward and we fly every time we strive!

Anyways, I love you all and I wish you all the best. I might get transferred again this week because there is a new sister coming out today but president doesn't know where to put her yet because she's white... hey that sounds like my first transfer out! Ha! It'll be great love you all! Sorry for emailing so late we went to the mall and took squad pictures with the mannequins it was sweet.

Love you!

-Sister Skinner

Dying in London!

 

 

Hey Everyone!

No I'm not getting transferred across the pond, there happens to be a city called London in Ontario. I'm sure all of you knew that already but I figured I'd clarify! Ha! Though mind you, it might be fun to get transferred to a different Continent.
 

Anyways, I'm going to keep this email short partially because I'm kind of freaking out and don't remember much of what happened this week and partially because I'm also exhausted because my mind would not go to sleep last night! I'm actually super excited! I'm just never good with big movements until I know where I'm going to be sleeping! Ha! Seriously though, I'll be spending my last transfer with sister Moody working as hard as we can and I'm so ready!
 

I will miss Bayview though, I learned so much while serving here and I'm just so grateful for all those little lessons I learned while just interacting with the precious children of God who call this place their home. I know that God has a marvelous plan in store for all of us and I've seen the love and care that He has for all the people here. Sunday night we had a family home evening with sister Wei, Tony, and Dennis at the Lee's house and it was just so amazing to be surrounded by so many people that I've grown to care for so much. They are truly an example of the love of God.
 

So an interesting thing spiritually this week was that I read all of D&C 88 in one study session and I loved it. So much. Like I'm not even sure I've ever truly understood the doctrine of Judgement. I don't think I even knew why we needed a judgement until I read this chapter. It was one of the most spiritually edifying study sessions I've had thus far. I've had people ask me before on why some people will go to Hell and I wasn't sure how to answer them at first but this chapter truly helped me peek behind the veil and see the Justice and Mercy of our Perfect God.
 

We had some great lessons this week too and I just... I know that this church is true. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that through him the priesthood was restored. I know that you are a beloved child of God and He's going to do everything in His power to help you. Never doubt that. He loves you so perfectly that I can't even truly explain it.
 

I love you all too and I hope you have a wonderful week.
 

-Sister Skinner

P.S. For some reason I feel the need to add this part right now. We all go through spiritual roller coasters sometimes. You will have points in your life where you feel like you are drifting away and you don't know what to do. You know that you want to be better you know that you want to come back but you're not sure how. Something I was thinking about this week is that sometimes we just need to pray until we want to pray again. That may sound a bit odd. But if you ever feel like you aren't getting an answer then take a page out of Enos's book and just pray until you do get one. I did that this week too and God really does listen to us sometimes we just need to pray until we can listen back. He's talking to you right now prayer isn't just us talking to God and sometimes He'll answer back it's literally a two way communication. Prayer can help pull us back onto the spiritual plane where we can hear His words.
 

Don't stop praying. Don't stop trying. If you are feeling like you are far from God then do something about it! He'll help you! Our purpose as saints of God is to help everyone draw closer to Him.

That includes you.