Week 5 - I think

Apa Khabar!

I am freaking out! last night Sister Dayley and I realized that we only have TEN more days here in the MTC. How did it fly by so quickly? Next week is our last full week. We fly out next next Monday. We will fly from Salt Lake to Hong Kong and then fly to Singapore, we will arrive on a Wednesday. Then from there we will fly to Malaysia. It's crazy to think that almost in a week I will be moving to a completely different country.

Also, I have known this for a while but I actually don't know if all of you know. I was called to the Singapore mission, but the Malaysia region. In the Singapore Mission there is the Malaysian Region, but also the Singapore Region. So even though I told almost all of you I was going to Singapore, I will be serving in Malaysia. In fact, the way my visa works, I am not really allowed to teach in Singapore at all. 

What a crazy week. I don't even know how to begin! I guess I will begin with the 4th of July. We were all excited for the 4th, but I guess the MTC didn't really get the memo. So almost everyone was wearing red, white, and blue, people were carrying around little American flags and would randomly burst into patriotic songs, and all the internationals would look at us like we were crazy. That was fun. My favorite people to watch was Sister Katepu and Sister Aluesi, the Samoan and Tongan I share a room with. They were so excited to celebrate their first 4th of July! They kept saying things like, "Go America go!" Which is funny because I have never heard an American say that. They got way into the spirit and I just wish we could have helped them have the real 4th of July experience.

The MTC also let us stay up and watch the fireworks from the stadium of fire. They assigned us all a window facing the Stadium, and we stayed up til 11 watching them. I have to say though, the Springville Art City Day's fireworks are better. It was funny explaining to the Aussies in our district why no one was worried about all of the fireworks going off though.

So I am not sure if I have mentioned this, but our district only has one teacher for Malay. Usually each language has three or four, at least two. But we only have one. On top of that. She decided to go and get married this last week. To the Marshallese teacher of all people.

No, we're really happy for her. But the last week has been really hard without a Malay teacher. We have been combined with the Indonesian class, because our languages are very similar, but they are still different. When I first got my call I was shocked at where I was going, and I almost felt like the Lord trusted me too much. This last week though, one of our substitute teachers said that the Lord sent us not only to this language, but also at this time, with only one teacher, because he trusts us and knows we can do it. How in the world can anyone trust me, of all people, THAT much? I really don't know.

The talk that really helped me decide to go on a mission was something along the lines of, Hard is Good, Do we Trust the Lord? Well, the Lord trusts me SO much. I have been trying to feel worthy of that trust and keep moving forward. In one of the devotionals this week someone said something along of the lines of "Don't forget to sustain yourself" That really hit me hard. I have always heard about the importance of sustaining others, but am I sustaining myself? It's funny how everything fits together like a puzzle here at the MTC. 

I know the Lord trusts me, not only do I need to trust him to know that I can do this, but also I need to sustain myself as a missionary and put in the work so that I can be the best I can be in my calling. 1 Nephi 3:7 my friends. Don't ever forget that you can literally do all things through Christ. He trusts you! You can face challenges with confidence that you will succeed. IF you do face your challenges with Christ on your side.

Funny story of the week, I had a dream that was basically the exact plot line of Beauty and the Beast, except Mariah (My sister) was Belle, and my whole family was in the castle. At one point, when Mariah and the Beast were falling in love, I sat the Beast down and told him that he needed to accept the gospel if he was going to marry my sister. I then proceeded to give him the first missionary lesson about God's love for him. We both cried. It was very spiritual.

I am glad that even in my dreams I can teach with such moving power.

Along the same lines, this week I heard Sister Dayley talking in her sleep. I got up to go to the bathroom, when I was passing her bed she turned to me and almost yelled "Testify!" When I came back and was getting back into bed she said "But who said the prayer?" She was very concerned. When I asked her about it in the morning, she said the only dream she remembered the previous night was of getting chased by wolves. I just hope she found our who said the prayer.

Thank you all for your emails! I am sorry I don't respond to every one, but they mean the world to me! Thank you so much! I love you all! Have an awesome week!

Sister Skinner