I am happy to hear how things are going. I can see that there are many trials and challenges but that is just how we come to feel happiness and joy. It is after the greatest grief and pain that comes the greatest joy and happiness. As for myself now I am beginning to enjoy my difficulties.
One day everything was falling through and we weren´t having success. As the last hours of the day approached and we headed to our last appointment we met someone that truly had the desire to change and hear of the gospel. In the last appointment we met a family that is interested and willing to hear. The miracles truly come after the trial of our faith, and it is exactly this reason that I want to face more trials.
I wish that every day could have such trials so that we can see miracles every day, but the Lord understands better when our faith needs to be tried. When the time comes that we can glory in every affliction, we will see miracles without understanding and bounds. Miracles on an eternal scale. Obedience leads to blessings, faith to miracles, repentance to eternal life and glory. Life is set up to succed, to fulfill our purpose, not fail.
It isn´t important your past or how much you have to overcome, the Savior will lift you up and make you what you are meant to be ifyou will believe on Him. If you can just believe, anything is possible. He will save His people and conquer their enemies. They just have to come to Him.
I love all of you and pray for you. I hope everything goes well and you can face your opposition in happiness and joy.
I´m glad to hear that Brent is well accepted among the family. He is a great man. I am looking forward to meeting him in a little less than two years.
Time is really going fast here. Last week went by so fast. The Lord is truly in charge here. We can hardly take care of one person at a time much less a whole family and nation. I have seen miracles here and am learning a lot about the power of the Atoning Sacrifice of our Lord. There is nothing He can´t do when we have faith. There is a promise in this mission of weekly baptisms, if we have the faith and comply with the standards set in the mission. I am trying to reach that goal but it is difficult. Our zone is baptising a lot though. Already more than 12 baptisms this month. The work here is beginning to progress more. Well I love you and am grateful for what you have taught me and done for me. I pray for you and know that as I work with all my heart you are all okay. May everything continue to go well and the Lord bless you.
Your friend, son and brother,Elder David Skiles
Monday, February 23, 2009
Monday, February 16, 2009
eMail of February 16, 2009
I´m glad things are going so well. That is some news :) [referring to Carlene and Brent planning to get married]. I´m glad Carlene is happy. I have some great news too. Javiera F******, a young women of 12 years entered the waters of Baptism yesterday the 15 of Febuary, 2009. She comes from a family of two brothers and a mother with the partner. Her older brother was baptised two years ago, and now we are working with her mother and to-be step father so they can get married and then be baptised. The family really is great and doing well complying with the commitments and everything.
It is really a joy to see people make these covenants with the Lord. To see someone truly begin to take the steps to find infinite joy is really something else. I am truly enjoying the work here. This is just about all the exciting news from this week, nothing else is near as important. I am doing well and am doing my best here. I have learned so much about faith and the Kingdom. I just finished Jesus the Christ as well and am going back through to study it with the scriptures. I hope to learn much more about the Gospel of Christ and the great Plan of Happiness of our Father in Heaven.
I truly am grateful for the opportunity to serve here among the peoples of East Santiago Chile. The work is rolling forth and there is no power that can stop it. I love all of you and pray that you are well, knowing that my Lord and Savior will always care for you and prepare a place for you in the Kingdom of our Father.
It is really a joy to see people make these covenants with the Lord. To see someone truly begin to take the steps to find infinite joy is really something else. I am truly enjoying the work here. This is just about all the exciting news from this week, nothing else is near as important. I am doing well and am doing my best here. I have learned so much about faith and the Kingdom. I just finished Jesus the Christ as well and am going back through to study it with the scriptures. I hope to learn much more about the Gospel of Christ and the great Plan of Happiness of our Father in Heaven.
I truly am grateful for the opportunity to serve here among the peoples of East Santiago Chile. The work is rolling forth and there is no power that can stop it. I love all of you and pray that you are well, knowing that my Lord and Savior will always care for you and prepare a place for you in the Kingdom of our Father.
This is the family of Javiera with my companion and I. Her older brother is baptised the rest are not.
Monday, February 9, 2009
eMail of February 9, 2009
I´m sorry to hear about Marc [referring to Marc being sick during the wrestling tournament] and everything but I´m happy that things are still going well. This week was difficult as always with the work but it was fulfilling. I am learning significantly from the people here and am truly beginning to love them. I truly care for them and their eternal salvation. I am also finding a great love for the other missionaries here as well.
I am learning how to use Preach My Gospel as well and how much it helps. It is truly Revelation from God in how we should do the work. The one tip I can give is to do exactly what it says, it is all there for you. Study it with the purpose to learn something specific and you will learn every time. Another thing I must say about missionary work is we have to be more bold. Truly we declare repentance and the remission of sins by baptism. We need to declare this always because it is a part of our purpose. Every time we bear testimony of this we remind them of things they knew but cannot recall, their knowledge from the premortal existence. It really does work.
Sounds a bit like what I´m having to do every day [referring to his Dad's busy Sunday], appointment after appointment with meetings and work to do in the mission. My companion is the District leader again so I´m traveling with him in his labors as well.
It is really discouraging when things go wrong, but I understand the principle of striving through the discouraging times optimistically. Saturday was tough. We had much to do, our appointment with three baptismal dates fell through in the sense that we only taught one of them, we were outright rejected and insulted, and we didn´t get lunch, but in the end we met up with two people that really have been searching the truth. After the hard times come the blessings if we live with faith. One thing I have learned is that our spirits and the gospel and everything are much more involved in every decision we make than we think. We are very connected with our bodies as spirits, more connected than we realize. What affects our body does affect our spirit.
I do have a question for you, did you know an Elder Trumbo? A new missionary here is Elder Trumbo and his father served in Buenos Aires Sur for a year and a half like you. I was wondering if you recognized the name. Well I am grateful for what you have done for me and hope everything is going well. I love you and your example for me. You have truly taught me the right path and I thank you for that. I pray for you and hope that things continue to go well.
Well I don´t have much time today so I need to go but I love you all and hope everything is going better. The Lord loves you all and will always take care of you when you lean on Him.
I am learning how to use Preach My Gospel as well and how much it helps. It is truly Revelation from God in how we should do the work. The one tip I can give is to do exactly what it says, it is all there for you. Study it with the purpose to learn something specific and you will learn every time. Another thing I must say about missionary work is we have to be more bold. Truly we declare repentance and the remission of sins by baptism. We need to declare this always because it is a part of our purpose. Every time we bear testimony of this we remind them of things they knew but cannot recall, their knowledge from the premortal existence. It really does work.
Sounds a bit like what I´m having to do every day [referring to his Dad's busy Sunday], appointment after appointment with meetings and work to do in the mission. My companion is the District leader again so I´m traveling with him in his labors as well.
It is really discouraging when things go wrong, but I understand the principle of striving through the discouraging times optimistically. Saturday was tough. We had much to do, our appointment with three baptismal dates fell through in the sense that we only taught one of them, we were outright rejected and insulted, and we didn´t get lunch, but in the end we met up with two people that really have been searching the truth. After the hard times come the blessings if we live with faith. One thing I have learned is that our spirits and the gospel and everything are much more involved in every decision we make than we think. We are very connected with our bodies as spirits, more connected than we realize. What affects our body does affect our spirit.
I do have a question for you, did you know an Elder Trumbo? A new missionary here is Elder Trumbo and his father served in Buenos Aires Sur for a year and a half like you. I was wondering if you recognized the name. Well I am grateful for what you have done for me and hope everything is going well. I love you and your example for me. You have truly taught me the right path and I thank you for that. I pray for you and hope that things continue to go well.
Well I don´t have much time today so I need to go but I love you all and hope everything is going better. The Lord loves you all and will always take care of you when you lean on Him.
Monday, February 2, 2009
eMail of February 2, 2009
Caleb turning 12 is just another sign that our family is maturing and growing more and more rapidly. I am a little surprised as well that Brother and Sister Eves are about to return as well. Rob Perry already got back and it seems like he just left. Time is going fast, it already is Febuary and it feels like no time at all, yet a lifetime ago that I left.
As for my study journal, I really should write more. I have learned much from reading Jesus the Christ but I haven´t written much down so I will have to read it over again to remember everything. I thank you for this because I went out of habit of doing it when I arrived [in Chile]. I did write my testimony two weeks ago though so I will send it now. I love all of you and hope things are going well.
Everything is really cheep, almost everything, and I don´t need much. I get about 65,000 pesos which is only about 100 dollars per month. I don´t use all of it still. The work here is going better. We are working a lot more with the members and are helping them understand how they can do missionary work. We have in this mission what is called "Familias BEEH," or in other words families that look, find, teach and befriend. We specifically help them understand each part and do each part. The members really are a lot more willing to help than I thought previously. But truly I can see here that families built on the gospel are truly much happier and have a plainer, more fulfilling life.
I am truly grateful for your example for me and what you taught. My foundation is truly in my family and for this I am grateful. You taught us the gospel from our infancy and so now our foundations are truly being built on Christ. You have done your children right, and we love you. We have parents that are strong and built on the foundations of the gospel that we can always look to. Examples of our parents in Heaven in whom we will always look for. Truly you may be at peace that you have taught us correctly and raised a generation unto the Lord, to raise a righteous posterity throughout all eternity. I really cannot express my gratitude and know that my gratitude only comes from one, that is my Lord and Savior.
The youth are built upon the foundation of their parents, and come into the world ready to learn from them. You are truly key in the Lord´s work in your children. Thank you. It makes all the difference in the world to have parents that are truly following the principles of the gospel and keeping their eternal convenants. You are a great blessing to your children and as such to the world.
Well as for how things are going here, I am having fun. My companion is great and I am learning Spanish very quickly. I really don´t have to think about it, speaking at least. I have to think about constructing sentences correctly as I would in English that´s just about it. I´m no great speaker by any means but I know enough already. I am still working on it though so that I can speak with more clarity and in a more effective manner. I have been truly blessed. I love you and have truly grateful for what you have done for me.
As for my study journal, I really should write more. I have learned much from reading Jesus the Christ but I haven´t written much down so I will have to read it over again to remember everything. I thank you for this because I went out of habit of doing it when I arrived [in Chile]. I did write my testimony two weeks ago though so I will send it now. I love all of you and hope things are going well.
Everything is really cheep, almost everything, and I don´t need much. I get about 65,000 pesos which is only about 100 dollars per month. I don´t use all of it still. The work here is going better. We are working a lot more with the members and are helping them understand how they can do missionary work. We have in this mission what is called "Familias BEEH," or in other words families that look, find, teach and befriend. We specifically help them understand each part and do each part. The members really are a lot more willing to help than I thought previously. But truly I can see here that families built on the gospel are truly much happier and have a plainer, more fulfilling life.
I am truly grateful for your example for me and what you taught. My foundation is truly in my family and for this I am grateful. You taught us the gospel from our infancy and so now our foundations are truly being built on Christ. You have done your children right, and we love you. We have parents that are strong and built on the foundations of the gospel that we can always look to. Examples of our parents in Heaven in whom we will always look for. Truly you may be at peace that you have taught us correctly and raised a generation unto the Lord, to raise a righteous posterity throughout all eternity. I really cannot express my gratitude and know that my gratitude only comes from one, that is my Lord and Savior.
The youth are built upon the foundation of their parents, and come into the world ready to learn from them. You are truly key in the Lord´s work in your children. Thank you. It makes all the difference in the world to have parents that are truly following the principles of the gospel and keeping their eternal convenants. You are a great blessing to your children and as such to the world.
Well as for how things are going here, I am having fun. My companion is great and I am learning Spanish very quickly. I really don´t have to think about it, speaking at least. I have to think about constructing sentences correctly as I would in English that´s just about it. I´m no great speaker by any means but I know enough already. I am still working on it though so that I can speak with more clarity and in a more effective manner. I have been truly blessed. I love you and have truly grateful for what you have done for me.
Testimony of Elder Skiles
Each and every one of us is a living testament of our Father in Heaven. Every rock, stick and bug is a testament of a Supreme Creator. Every breeze, cloud and ripple of water is a testament of His living hand. Everything we do, say or think is centered around a purpose, even if we cannot see it. Everyone feels like we have a Father in Heaven even if they don´t realize it. Every testimony given and experience had is a reminder of what we knew, in a time seemingly far distant that we cannot remember.
We read of one Jehovah and Jesus Christ. We hear about God and an atonement. Always we feel something testifying to us that there is a God who is our Father in Heaven. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Savior and Redeemer of the world. That they truly love us. We see and hear testaments of Christ-like love and desire to do the same. Our hearts begin to turn to Him and always think of Him. We search His word and begin to understand His ways are not our ways, nor our thoughts His. We come to know we are sons and daughters of God, that He has a life of eternal happiness prepared for us.
Every day we begin to change through the power of the atonement. We ourselves have a testimony, and testify of Him. We learn of a comforter, a witness of God and Jesus Christ. We learn that He has been testifying to us every day of Jesus Christ and is whom gives us our knowledge. We then begin to be able to bear ever stronger witness through the Holy Ghost. Our testaments are made sure through Him, and what we cannot say is brought to the heart.
Following the path laid by the Savior we find joy, peace and happiness. We know our purpose and that we are free from the bonds and misery of the Devil. Through Jesus Christ we will gain eternal life. We truly understand that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and through none other can we achieve our purpose. We are living testaments that Jesus Christ is the Son of God our Heavenly Father, and that we are His children on the path to live with Him again. He lives, has a body and spirit like us, as does Christ. We are becoming like Him and through the atonement, death and resurrection of Christ we are made clean in the presence of the Father. We are literal spirit children of our Father in Heaven, and thus heirs of the Kingdom. Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God in the flesh, and the very Eternal Father of Heaven and Earth. We are His disciples, and so He is our Father. We are each testaments and witnesses of Christ. This testament I leave in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
We read of one Jehovah and Jesus Christ. We hear about God and an atonement. Always we feel something testifying to us that there is a God who is our Father in Heaven. That Jesus Christ is the Son of God the Savior and Redeemer of the world. That they truly love us. We see and hear testaments of Christ-like love and desire to do the same. Our hearts begin to turn to Him and always think of Him. We search His word and begin to understand His ways are not our ways, nor our thoughts His. We come to know we are sons and daughters of God, that He has a life of eternal happiness prepared for us.
Every day we begin to change through the power of the atonement. We ourselves have a testimony, and testify of Him. We learn of a comforter, a witness of God and Jesus Christ. We learn that He has been testifying to us every day of Jesus Christ and is whom gives us our knowledge. We then begin to be able to bear ever stronger witness through the Holy Ghost. Our testaments are made sure through Him, and what we cannot say is brought to the heart.
Following the path laid by the Savior we find joy, peace and happiness. We know our purpose and that we are free from the bonds and misery of the Devil. Through Jesus Christ we will gain eternal life. We truly understand that Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and through none other can we achieve our purpose. We are living testaments that Jesus Christ is the Son of God our Heavenly Father, and that we are His children on the path to live with Him again. He lives, has a body and spirit like us, as does Christ. We are becoming like Him and through the atonement, death and resurrection of Christ we are made clean in the presence of the Father. We are literal spirit children of our Father in Heaven, and thus heirs of the Kingdom. Jesus Christ is the literal Son of God in the flesh, and the very Eternal Father of Heaven and Earth. We are His disciples, and so He is our Father. We are each testaments and witnesses of Christ. This testament I leave in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)