Atonement

This week I have done more knocking than I ever have on my mission combined. I was dreading it a little bit but I quickly got over that and went to work. I have really been working on being persistent and not letting people go with one rejection. It was hard for me at first because they think they really do not want to hear what Sister Nicholas and I have to say and that has always scared me. However this week I decided that it doesn't matter what they think they don't want. They need to hear what we have to say. So we taught. A lot of the time it was barely long enough to get a declaration in, but other times people would listen. Yesterday while we were out knocking, we found this woman named Arlene. She is such a sweet lady, we already love her! We had a great lesson with her that flowed so easily. It was more of a gospel conversation than us preaching at her, which was really cool for me. She accepted a Book of Mormon and set a return appointment! We will be seeing her next Sunday and we are praying so hard that she will be able to feel the spirit of the Book of Mormon and be able to recognize it as well.
        We also got to teach a woman named Carmen while we were out knocking. We started to teach the restoration and she didn't seem too interested. Right after the first vision she asked us what our purpose was in coming to her door and explaining this to her. We told her that we invite others to come unto Christ. That through the Book of Mormon people can feel and know of His love and grow closer to the Savior. At that point she started to cry. She told us that she had been praying for answers to her prayers and she asked why Heavenly Father waits until she almost can't take any more to answer her prayers. We explained that everything he does for us is for our own good and that everything was done with perfect timing. We asked if there was a time we could come teach her more about her Heavenly Father's plan for her and she told us that she didn't live in the home we were at. She lives in Santa Barbara. She isn't in our stewardship, but I believe that she had to be in that home 
so she could be introduced to the Book of Mormon at that time. She wouldn't let us refer her to the 
other missionaries so we told her that if she wanted to have them come she could check out mormon.org and request them. I hope and pray she does so.

     We had zone conference this week and as usual it was the best meeting! We focused on how to better use the Book of Mormon and how important it is. I think that has been one of my favorite things to learn about since coming on the mission. The day after zone conference we were able to use one of the ED-PEPS (ED-PEP is a role play that helps us practice what we are learning) and apply what we learned. 
We have an investigator named Jess. He was a Jehovah's Witness but when his sister passed away from not being able to receive a blood transfusion, he decided there was something wrong and has been studying the bible closely since then. He is a former but I have a lot of faith that he is really close to finding out the truth of the Book of Mormon. He is weary about falling into a trap of 
following a false prophet and in the bible it says that we can tell if a prophet is of God because his prophesies come to pass. Jess is very focused on this and wants Joseph Smith's prophesies to come to pass before he will believe. When we met with him on Wednesday however, we realized that all of 

his concerns relate back to the Book of Mormon and if it is true or not. We explained to him that he can ask Heavenly Father if it is true and that if the Book of Mormon is true then Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that we have His church on the earth again today. We committed him to read 3 Nephi 11 and pray about to know if the Book of Mormon is true. We are also praying for him and pleading with Heavenly Father to help him recognize the spirit and the promptings he gets while he reads the Book of Mormon.
That is what's going on in my neck of the woods! "Here's what's happening in your neck of the woods!" Can anybody tell me what that famous lineIt kind of does have a Christian Valley feel to it.  Much of Huntsville reminds me of that area...wooded, rolling hills and lots of water. is from? I bet my dad could.

      Anyway on to more serious matters. The Atonement. Since being a missionary I have really been able to study the atonement and learn about how crucial it is in our conversion and our salvation. 

What does the Atonement mean to you? What is the Atonement?

I don't understand much about it, but here is what I do know. Without a doubt

*It is ALL encompassing. Nobody can fall so far that they are out of it's reach.

*It changes hearts.

*We cannot be forgiven if we are not forgiving. Matthew 6:12, 17-18

*Anything that is unjust will be made right through the Atonement.

*The Atonement can be applied to anyone but we are opened to the enabling power as we follow The Savior's perfect example, try our hardest and do as the Savior would do.

Do you agree with this? I would hope so. I have been hearing stories of people at home who have not quite learned the concept of this incredible gift. YOU are putting it to waste if you cannot forgive others, if you chose not to apply it to yourself and others. It is there for a reason. If you have been 
hurt, use the atonement to change your heart. See how it can help heal all wounds. As we forgive we 
are lifted of a huge burden. When we don't forgive we carry around thousands of pounds of unnecessary baggage. There is this quote that I love that says, "Not forgiving is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." I want you to know that this is the truth. When we don't forgive we are bound by these hard feelings. We feel like life can't move on. 

The Atonement is there for all. Who are we to say that we won't forgive? The atonement is there for everyone. Including ourselves. Use it.

Sister Skeeter

Addendum- Madi didn't have time to finish this so she sent me a letter with the rest of what she wanted to say. Here it is: I am so grateful for the positive examples of my family who have shown me how to be truly Christ-like. I can see how the atonement has healed them and the peace that it has brought to them. It has had such a huge impact on me and how I react to every situation. Because of the things I have gone through and seen, I have been able to love more fully and use the enabling 
power of the Savior's sacrifice.
     I can testify that as we use the atonement it can heal us and comfort us. No matter what the circumstance, no matter how offended we are, and no matter how much we hurt. He can ALWAYS help. He is always there to pick us up and get us back on our feet.
     On the other side of things: the Savior's sacrifice is there for us to use and ask for forgiveness. He will never condemn you. If anything he is waiting with arms outstretched for you to come to Him. Don't ever feel like hope is lost. It is never too late. The adversary would love for you to feel like nothing can be done. If you feel that way then you won't repent and possibly fall further. Do not feel into that trap! The Savior begs us all to come unto Him. How will you use this gift that he has freely given? Use it to become like Him. Show your gratitude for what He has done. Don't let this eternal gift pass by. He loves you, I can promise you that as a representative of Jesus Christ.

Can't Breathe!

     This week. Let me tell you. First I got my first official wedding invitation from Eleanor! I was so exctied when I saw it! (Mom, she is a friend from College) I think that makes 5 wedding announcements since I have been out. People! You cannot be getting married without me! You can't wait 13 more months?.....ok, yeah that would be hard. But worth it right? Who doesn't want Sister Skeeter at their wedding?

     Things here in Goleta have been kind of tricky. Mom remember when I said I was emotionally sound? Well I would make fun of ( kind of) the people who would get super stressed while they are out working. There really isn't much to stress about. You put your faith in the Lord and things will work out as they need to. Well now I understand. While still keeping the faith I am totally stressed. But it will be all over next Sunday. I am giving a 15 minute talk in church next week (which by the way I don't have a topic for which makes it hard) with an RM and then my companion and I are doing an ED-PEP (teaching on how to be a better missionary basically) in district meeting this week. I don't think these people realize how little time I have to study and prepare. It would be ok if these were on different weeks. That would be no problem, but of course the ED-PEP is on something that I am terrible at as a missionary. But that is how it always works. We are never assigned one that we are good at. I swear these things are SO much more for the missionaries teaching it. So I am excited to see what I am going to learn from this but I am worried that I won't have the time to prepare well enough. Guess we will see how this goes! Pray for me!

      As for the work, well I really have no clue what to say about that. Its moving bit by bit. We are just waiting for the Lord's timing to kick in now. We are doing all that we can and that is all that He asks of us.

     And this week I almost died don't worry. We did some service at someone's house and I don't think I have ever seen so much cat hair and dust collected into one little room. By the end my chest got super tight and breathing became difficult. I took some benadryl before I went, which was smart on my part. But anyway, don't worry I am still alive and just trying to survive in a world where people love cats. Oh the joys of serving a mission!

Well, my time is up already! Love you all! Don't forget about m

Rotten Milk

     New area, new sense of purpose. In this area we have little to no previous work going. Sister Nicholas and I are working so hard to get the ward to give us referrals and people to teach. We REALLY need it. I am not used to this slow movement. But this first week we have continued to see miracles and the Lord answering our prayers.

    I was really afraid that because I was in a new area I would shut down a little and lose my confidence. That is what most missionaries were telling me would happen. Surprisingly this was not the case. When I got here I felt like I had been here forever and I had no fear talking to people and taking the lead. I was a little stressed about being a senior companion and driver too. After being here though it has been really easy to work with Sister Nicholas. She is such a great missionary and I am so excited to be her companion. She is one of the sweetest missionaries I have met out here and she has a real desire to do what is right and to get out and work. This area has been kind of slow the past few transfers and that doesn't seem to phase her or her desire to get out and work. She has been so patient with me while I try to get the hang of driving around this huge area. Together we are both excited to find and baptize while we are here. We are determined to get this area growing and the ward even better member missionaries.

We received an awesome referral from President Hulme. He had met this man Jason at a car repair shop and wondered what someone like him was doing as a runner for this shop. President went up to him and told him that if he wanted to get a better job to give President a call. Jason recently lost his job and called President Hulme. They went out to eat and they talked a little about how Jason wanted to start going to a church again. He has been married for a year and a half and they have a five month old son. We were able to set up an appointment with Jason and his family and teach the Restoration. It was a great lesson and Jason seemed very interested. As we talked about the spirit we described the feelings associated with the spirit. We then asked Jason if he had any of those feelings while we were talking. He told us that he had and we explained that that was the Holy Ghost testifying to them that what we were saying was true. We committed them to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon and pray about it. They told us that they were excited to come to church and that they would be there. They were true to their word. They were at church ready to learn on Sunday morning! We were so excited to see them. It was a pretty good Testimony meeting and both Sister Nicholas and I got up to bear our testimonies. 
After the meeting we asked how Jason and his wife, Mishayta, how they were feeling. They said they had really liked the meeting and they felt good. As we explained again that that was the spirit Mishayta told us that she knew what it was and that last night while they were reading the introduction of the Book of Mormon they felt it as well. We have another appointment with them this week and we are so excited to teach them!
This week we also had a baptism for Tyler. He is a great kid. I am sure you have heard of him from Sister Reyes and Sister Nicholas. I have only been able to teach him a couple of times but I can see that he is an incredible guy. His baptism was really powerful and we were able to have about 5 nonmembers there. One of those is a wife of Brother Henry. He is a less active in the ward. His brother Steven was actually in my last area and he is very active. Brother Henry has been less active for years and his wife is a Seventh Day Adventist. She looked into the church at one point but her Brother Henry kind of turned them away from the church. She is a very sweet lady and they both welcomed us into their home when we came. We are hoping to get them on the focus 15 and possibly help Brother Henry's wife to feel the spirit as we teach and have her become an investigator. We have really been praying for them and this goal and we will be working toward it this transfer.

       Just so you know, if you want to be a good member missionary the best thing you can do is think of your friends who aren't members. Pray to know who would be open to hearing about the gospel and then act. Members play such a big part of conversion. It is so much more effective if members find people instead of us knocking door to door.

      Also today I had some really sour milk. I almost threw up don't worry. I have never had milk go bad. I usually chug it down with my cereal so it doesn't last much longer than a week, but this half gallon went bad fast. Gross! I am still alive for right now but if I die, you will know why. 

Ok, it is time for me to get going. I love you all!

Sister Skeeter