Hello Everyone!

So this week was another crazy one. Up days and down days are pretty normal but everything is starting to come forward.

So Monday night after less then 12 days I went back on exchanges this time I got to drive though so all was well on that department! I spent Tuesday with sister Mamarova from Bulgaria who is very driven and yet has a silly side that was continuously making me laugh. We met with some of the same investigators from last time and it was fun talking to them again and seeing the progress that they've made. Meeting with my own investigators it can be hard to see the growth sometimes because we're right with them all the time but after seeing the investigators that I hadn't seen for a couple weeks I realized how much my investigators really are growing. It was such a blessing.

Wednesday was a special missionary broadcast which was absolutely amazing. Teach Repentance and Baptize converts was the title and we got instructions from several members of the twelve and to get further direction in how the work is supposed to come along. It was fabulous. We spent quiet a bit of the rest of the day packing and moving furniture to the new apartment. Because the new apartment was in a better place for English work the English YSA elders moved into the new one and sister Liao and I took their apartment as it was also closer to our most frequent proselyting areas. Since our car is the biggest we had to help the Elders move around furniture for a couple of hours before we ran off to an appointment. It was a busy day and we didn't get the chance to do any street contacting at all since the moving made us late to just about everything. It was hard going home that night to a new (and slightly messy) apartment and realizing that not only did we not have roommates any more but that we hadn't met our goal for talking to people that day. Still, occasionally we are called to do service in other ways and the instruction that day was beautiful.

Thursday we had more lessons and more teaching and a dinner appointment with a sister who had one of the most beautiful laughs I've ever heard.

Friday we had 6 lessons back to back and that was so much fun. We just sat in the same university building and they all came to us one after another.

Saturday because of the crazy schedule for the week we didn't have time until that day to do weekly planning but it was great to sit down and really think and pray about the people we are going to be teaching over the next week and how we can best help them.

This week really was great. Sister Liao and I are working better together and I can feel my language starting to become so much better. Something that I learned this week is that we are all doing our best to progress and to lift up others. Something that I've heard repeatedly throughout my life is that in the last day's it won't be the wickedness of the world that heralds the second coming but the righteousness of the saints. If we want to get to that point then the best thing we can do is leave everything and everyone better than when we found them. If we are striving to become better then one of the best ways to do that is to be a positive influence both on others and on your surroundings. The things that we see every day really do affect us so if that means your facebook page, the pictures in your house, the music in your car, they all have an effect on us. If we fill our lives with positive influences then we will be lifted up and we will be in a better place to lift others up as well.

One of reasons I noticed this was that when we were sharing an apartment with the Hermana's between the four of us there were lots of pictures and quotes on the walls and in the house that made me feel at home. Coming to the new apartment where there was one picture of the first presidency and no color at all on the white walls made me feel empty. As sister Liao and I unpacked and started putting more reminders of Christ throughout the house I started to feel more at home. When we fill our lives with His presence we will feel more at home as He is the one who will lead us to our eternal homes with Him above.

This is where I will set forth a semi invite. Go to your room, or the place that you spend the most time. Look around. What is on the walls? What is on the dashboard, the page? Does it invite the spirit? The thought of Christ? If not I'd invite you to go get a picture of Him. And place it in an area where you will see it everyday. I promise that having His presence in your life will help you so much.

If we want to change we need His help. So invite His presence in.

Thank you so much for all your prayers. Thank you for your thoughts. I pray for you all and I hope you know how much God Loves you.

Lots of love,

Sister Skinner,

PS... I wasn't even sure if I should put this here but seeing as my birthday is coming up, if you feel so inclined I would love pictures of Christ. Don't feel obligated but if you wanted to know what would be good to quote "He is the Gift"

 

Pictures from last week: