Solongwaysolongtime

Haha! This week has been kind of insane. First Millie doesn't want to get baptized anymore so we had to work a lot with her and try to help her out. Then we hear that we are getting a new companion. Then we baptized thousands. 

    So here is the story. Something came up and Millie did NOT like it at all. She was so upset that when we walked into her apartment we asked how she was and she said "You aren't going to like this." I told her that we would be fine and then she said "I'm cancelling the baptism." We had been warned by the bishop's wife already so we knew that was coming. We talked for a little bit and unfortunately said the wrong thing which made her more upset. But some how we were able to schedule another appointment with her the next day (3 days before her baptismal date). So we went again after LOTS of prayer and fasting and we were able to get her to reconsider the baptism. She was struggling with something that wasn't too big of a deal. (Satan, hes the worst!) So again we went back the next day and talked to her and we were super nervous. Well actually we weren't really we knew things were going to work out the way they needed to. Before we went to Millie's we talked to Bishop's wife and she said something that I hadn't thought of before. Millie has been doing family history for over 20 years now. She has over a thousand names ready. That means when she gets baptized we are not only baptizing her but over a thousand of her family members as well. No wonder satan was working so hard. When we got to her house that day, she was totally fine and ready to move forward. Her baptism was incredible! It was so powerful! I am sure her family members were all there cheering her on. And Sister Thompson and I were able to sing again. We sang the song that I did at my farewell. People really liked it so now we might be doing it in Sacrament meeting next week. Yikes!

      Oh, so I got another companion. We had an emergency transfer this week so now we are in a tri-pan. It has been really fun so far! We only have a small one bedroom apartment though so we are super crammed. But what is new? Thus is the life of a missionary. Her name is Sister Dixon. She is so sweet!

Oh dang it! I already have to go. Gah! I will update you more next week!  And thus I end my epistle! Love you all! 

Sister Skeeter 

It's Enormous Like a Dog!

"It's Enormous Like a Dog!"

 That quote came from a 4 year old. His mom served him too much food and that was his response. Such a cute kid!

 This week was such a good one! Patricio got baptized!! Dad this was my birthday present to you. Patricio was baptized on your birthday and then confirmed on Sunday. HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADIO! Also guess what!! He is going on a mission. I know what you are thinking, he probably just said he wanted to go and that is why I say that. Nope! His confirmation blessing talked about how he will serve a full-time mission and remember how he was taught and share that with those all over the world. Um, YES!!!! That is I think the best thing a missionary can hear. I will be coming back for his farewell. Ha even though that is still 6 years away.... :)

We also went and contacted a referral from a young man in our ward. The referrals name in Justine, and at first we were a little hesitant to teach her. We had stopped by once to meet with her last transfer but after she texted her friend and asked why we had come and that she was not looking to become mormon. However, we went last night and saw her and she told us that she had just been diagnosed with depression and that high school has been really hard for her. We talked about the Restoration and the Book of Mormon. We were all able to testify to her about how the Book of Mormon has been a real source of peace and comfort to us. She was really able to connect with Sister Thompson through experiences they have both had. We were able to set up another appointment with her which is really exciting.

Millie is getting baptized this Saturday!! People. This ward is incredible.
We also had a great lesson with a friend of one of the Laurels. His name is Brennan and again wasnt really interested in meeting with us. We were able to go to this member's home and have dinner with their family and Brennan and after we had a powerful lesson on the restoration. We also have a return appointment with him at this members home. 

    I am so excited to be in this area. We have had so much success and it is all because of the youth and members doing their job finding people for us to teach. I don't want to leave this area. I think I would be ok being here for the rest of my mission. The other day Sister Thompson and I had a good laugh. We ran out of toilet paper on Friday. Ok when you are a missionary this is not fun. So we were going to grab some from the church on Sautrday when we went to the baptism but then we forgot. By the time we remembered it was way too late. So we went without. Ha you have to get kind of creative when you can't go to the store. 

So then we find flippin huge nasty spiders in our apartment (like we did this morning) and we have to get creative in how we kill those because we are too scared to squish them but we also don't have a vacuum to suck them up either. And who even knows if that actually kills them. What if they are still alive and crawl back out!? SKETCHY! 

Then during the week we had some real Indian food. Wow. It was so delicious! It was a scone like bread that you flatten out and put cummin rice and some kind of sauce (that looks and tastes kind of like curry) and some vegetables on top. I loved it! And it was spicy. It made me miss my dad's curry that he makes when I am craving it at home. 

So the joke these past couple of days is that even though we are in California we are totally serving a foreign mission. Sweet! I always wanted to go to a different country! 

Compliment of the week goes to my mom. She is always taking good care of us children and making sure that things are ok for us before she thinks of herself. She is selfless and loving to more than just her family. She has set the perfect example to me of what I want to be like when I grow up. 

    Ok, I can't remember what else I wanted to talk about but yeah. Have a fantastic week!

Sister Skeeter

Summer of the Cars

   Hey all! Did you miss me? Good. I feel like so much has happened this week!    

    We had a lesson last night with some youth and one of them came up and reminded us of a commitment we had extended to his family on the fourth of July. He told us that he went to EFY that week and each morning they had an hour to study. He told us that one day he didn't know what to study and then he thought about the commitment we had extended. He then told us that he had been struggling to be nice to people and asked Heavenly Father how he could change that. After that he randomly opened the Book of Mormon and turned to Mosiah 2 which talks all about Service. He was excited that his prayer had been answered and that now he was working on being a better friend to people. It made my day to hear that the youth are listening (even when I think they aren't) and they are doing the things we ask them and trying to be more Christlike.
     We also taught two classes yesterday at church. We were able to teach the 12 year old youth in sunday school and the Deacon's quorum 3rd hour. It was a good learning experience. We taught about ordinances and covenants and how this could help them prepare for a mission. We really had no clue how to turn that into a lesson, but what we ended up doing was having a discussion on ordinances and covenants and what we are missionaries do to help people make and understand them. In Deacon's quorum we did something similar but tied it all back to the priesthood and how they could prepare to hold the higher priesthood and perform the ordinances.
     Other than that, this week was fairly busy. We have been working a lot with Patricio and Millie to make sure they are prepared for baptism. They are both moving along very well. We have both of their programs put together now and we are making daily contact with both. Yesterday we taught Patricio about the priesthood and we asked him if he knew what priesthood keys were. He gave a better answer than I could. He has been paying attention to his teachers and really learning about the church. I am so excited for him to be baptized and hold the priesthood. I feel he will be a great asset to the Deacon's quorum.
      Well, that is the major stuff that is going on. Sister Thompson and I are loving the area and are so excited that Heavenly Father trusted us with His children here.

In case you were wondering I also killed like 10 spiders this week. BLECH!!!!

   Well, hump day was this week. That is weird! I still feel like I am a brand new missionary. I should still be on the upward climb!

    Guess how cool my area is. So cool that I got to hold a real Emmy award. Yeah it is one of the member's. He is so cool! He has worked with Marilyn Monroe, Judy Garland, Elvis, and Frank Sinatra. Sweet huh? I thought so.

   Oh, and I am a wedding planner now. We were able to set up for a wedding this week as a service project/dinner appointment. It was fun. It made me excited for the day when I get to have a cute yard decorated in deep purple and yellow things. Not that I am focused on that at all......

     Is anyone else excited for Saturday? I am! Yo tengo uno bautison! hahaha I am pretty sure that is awful Spanish but that is ok. You get what I mean! Patricio is getting baptized this week!!! He is so awesome!!

   And then Millie is next week! She is the cutest little lady. I wish you could all meet her! Every time I see her I love her even more. She is so funny and has such an attitude! She is also so sweet! She stepped on a rat this week and flipped out. She hated the fact that she hurt something. Then she says "who steps on a rat!?" haha It was a REALLY slow one apparently. Poor lady.

   Ok, this is for Jamie. Yesterday at our lesson there were two Chinese Exchange students there. One of them is named ManMan (sp? its pronounced monmon). She is so cute! The home we were at had a Chinese Book of Mormon so she was able to follow along with us. So cool! Then after the lesson she sat at the table just reading the Book of Mormon. I am sad she is going to be leaving shortly! There is something different about her.

    Oh for the compliment of the week: Mikayla! you have been such a wonderful example to me oh how to work hard and reach for the goals that you want achieved. Thank you so much for always being there for me. You really have a strong impact on all of those you come in contact with. I wish you could see the changes you have made in so many people's lives. I love you! Thanks for choosing me to be your twin in the pre-existence! :)

Baptisamos!

     "In the great California Ventura Mission; we are preach my gospel missionaries. We baptize. We obey with exactness. We seek to be trusted more than loved. And we teach with power and authority." That was something we recited everyday with President Castro. These were what we call the 5 areas of focus. This is who we are in the mission. 

      On Saturday we had a baptism. Sister Woodland and I along with a little bit of help from Sister Thompson put together a baptism for Mayra this week. Her missionaries that taught her are in Simi Valley but she moved into our ward so we had (strike that.) We got to put everything together and see her baptized! And the Hermanas that taught her were able to come to the service! That was a blessing because we can only go to baptisms that are in our district, and they are out of our zone. So it was so fun to see them! I have missed not being able to talk to them. I served around one of them in Santa Barbara so I really got to know her there and then the other Sister I have looked up to since the first day of my mission. She is Tongan and that automatically makes her great. But on top of that she is such a powerful teacher. So I have always wanted to get to know her. Through this baptism I was able to which was so fun! And then to make it better she gave me the sweetest compliment as she was saying goodbye. She told me that she was so grateful that she was able to get to know me better because she had seen me at all of these meetings and thought "she seems like such a powerful missionary I want to get to know her better." This coming from a sister training leader who I have looked up to forever now. Made my day.

      So anyway, Back to Mayra, we are now teaching her son who we are hoping will be baptized by the end of this transfer as well. I know it will happen one day because in her confirmation blessing it talked about that. So cool! I wish you all could have heard it. She is going to be a powerful influence for good from here on out! Wow! So that is the exciting news.

     OH!! Millie is set for July 26th as well! We have been teaching her the last few weeks and at first she told us that she dropped the Elders because she felt like they were forcing her into baptism and she didn't like that. So she let us come teach her and on Father's day she says "I think I need to start thinking about baptism before I get any sicker." WHAT!? so we just kind of left it at that thinking that nothing would come of it, but then when Sister Woodland and I were saying goodbye last Monday she told us that she was thinking about getting baptized around her birthday which was July 15th. So we set her with an official date a couple of days after that. So excited! You guys, she used to be atheist and now feels bad that she ignored Heavenly Father for so long. It is a miracle that she wants to be baptized. She had the coolest near death experience a little over 10 years ago where her family members told her that she came early and that they weren't expecting her yet. They also told her she had a choice to stay with them or come back and fulfill her purpose. Whoa! I wish I could tell you all of her amazing experiences. But that would take too long. Ask me after the mission :)

      Oh! We welcomed in a new mission president this week! And Sister Thompson and I were the first Sisters to meet him. Yeah buddy! He and Sister Felix came to the baptism which was so cool! They also forgot their name tags at home. Not that this is a bad thing, but President Castro would have died before he let that happen. Needless to say, we are so excited to have President Felix here and the mission is going to be doing a lot of changing I think. Also he is the type who stares into your sole when he shakes your hand. I love it but it is intimidating at the same time.

     Ok, quick spiritual thought for this post;

I was studying Ruth this morning and i just realized how great she is. She lost her husband and then left her home and family to be with him mom. Then she sets to work in a field all day long. After that one of the people over her shows her kindness and tells her that because of her faith the Lord is blessing her. So not only is she a hard worker but she is has a lot of faith in the Lord and knows that He will watch out for her. I want to be like her.

Oh and compliment for the week goes to Dad. He is a very hard worker and has shown me a lot about how to work for the things you need and how to really earn them. Thanks for your example dad!

Ok have a great week people! Love you all!

Sister Skeeter