Right now I am writing out this draft on a plane to Singapore for zone conference! They moved our Pday this week to Wednesday so that we could have the day to explore Singapore a bit! I will email you next week with pictures and adventures. It is always hard to leave Miri for a few days though. We got people to meet and places to be!
It was transfer week. Transfers were supposed to be last week, but the MTC sent in the new missionaries a week late. So this transfer were in right now is only a five week transfer. Sis Ray and I are staying in Miri to finish my training. So all is good.
Maybe, for this email, I can send you a couple lessons and an experience from this week.
The biggest lesson I have learned this week, is that when the Lord called me to be a missionary, he called me to be ME. I am teaching a lot more kids than I thought I would on a mission. I feel like I connect better with the kids and the teens than the adults. The Lord knows me and knew where I would need to go to best help others.
This week, I have used my small talents to help teach the kids and teens. I have been drawing a lot of visuals for the kids we teach. They love to color them, and it helps them follow along! I also taught a new PI how to braid hair (Which is very hard when you don't know the words for right, left, center, hand, over, under, or part) but by some miracle we figured it out together! I also taught two girls a patting game I learned in the MTC. When they saw me at church this last Sunday they were we excited to showed me that they still remembered.
There is no set way you need to teach the lessons. There is no secret code to being a good missionary. The truth is, if I am the best version of me that I can be, and try to use the gifts God has given me, I will be a tool in his hands.
I want to promise you that this is true for you too! God has given you gifts. Rely on him, and use your gifts, and he will help you bless the lives of others. I just want to challenge all of you to use your gifts this week. Find one, and just develop it a little this week.
The next lesson I have learned is to rely on the Holy Ghost. I know that this gospel is true! I know that when you turn to Christ he brings complete and everlasting happiness and peace. Sometimes I just want to smack people with the Book of Mormon because they don't understand that it is the key to eternal joy! I can share, tell, beg, and plead others to come to Christ. But ultimately, the Holy Ghost is what will help them understand.
Sister Ray is very good at listening and following the Holy Ghost. About a week ago she had a feeling we should visit a house of a less active family we hadn't met with. We texted them, but they didn't respond. So without knowing for sure if they would be there, she still felt like we should try. When we got there, we learned from the neighbor that they had moved over a month ago. But as we talked to the neighbor, she invited us in. We taught her a lesson and prayed with her and she wanted to meet again!
On Sunday, we texted her to see if she wanted to come to church with us. She gave us a half excuse, but we both felt like we should go try to walk with her to church anyway. When we got there, we learned that her excuse was real. But get this. In the three days since we had been to this twin house, people moved into the house where the less active family had moved out nearly a month ago. We started talking to them and turns out that the dad was a member, but the wife and kids are not. The dad had work right then, but told us we should come back to teach his family because he loves our church.
So, basically. We went to a house looking for less actives. Got new investigators. Came back for the investigators, but got a part member family.
Both times, we only went to the house because we felt like the Holy Ghost guided us to not give up.
The Holy Ghost is a real member of the God Head. He talks to us, and is with us constantly. He represents God, and wants to help us. What a powerful gift from God. I have learned that as we listen to him, he not only helps us teach, but guides us in everyday decisions as well.
Sorry this is a long email! I love you all and hope you have a good week! All your support means the world to me!
Sister Skinner
No comments:
Post a Comment