I´m glad to hear that everything is going so well. I am grateful for your prayers and support. I´m pretty sure Marc can get in to BYU, he just needs to keep his grades up for this semester.
As for my side of the story, not much happened this last week. I was sick for a couple days but I´m okay now. We have been doing our best though. Today we had changes and I´m training again. It´s going to be fun I´m sure. I think it is very probable that I´m going to be in this sector for a long time. I´m looking forward to seeing how much we are going to be able to get done. I am so grateful to be here and for the experiences I have had. I have learned a lot already. And I have a lot more to learn.
Yesterday I did have a good experience though. I got to go and talk about preparing for a mission in the youth Sunday School class. I talked about my experience when I received a strong spiritual assurance of the truths of the gospel. The summer before I went to BYU I decided I really wanted to know whether all these things were true or not. The week before I left if I remember right I got to give a talk in sacrament meeting. To end I got to bear my testimony and in that moment I felt the Spirit come and cause my heart to burn. As I shared that experience again the Spirit came and testified to me and I actually got quite emotional. I am grateful for the testimony I have and know it will take me through many things.
I am grateful to be here and know I will greatly appreciate this opportunity for many years to come. I love you all and pray that everyone keeps doing well.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Monday, November 9, 2009
eMail of November 9, 2009
It has been a good week, for me at least. There wasn´t all the progress that I would have liked, but we're moving along. One investigator we met the week before started out saying that she didn´t want anything to do with us. She already had her faith and didn´t need to listen. But we just talked and helped her feel comfortable. She began talking to us about the gospel on her own and listened. The next time we went by she was all excited and wanted to learn more. She has decided to go to Church on her own. She couldn´t yesterday but she wants to next week.
Sometimes the least likely is the best investigator you can get. You just have to follow the Spirit. Yesterday I had prayed that we would find the person that was prepared to hear us. I felt very strongly while planning that we should go to a certain place. We went there and found one lady that let us in and is very interested. She listened and wants to keep listening. The power of prayer is real, but it has to be done with the right motive. The only motive that is right before the Lord is love. Of all things that is what I´m learning right now. Faith, hope and charity with an eye single to the glory of God. And that comes through the prayer of faith along with all other things.
Everything about the gospel seems to be clicking now as well. I read the scriptures and I can feel it, see how everything works. I connect the scriptures automatically in my mind and the principles. It seems that I am more able now to explain those principles and help others not just to understand them, but live them. And that because I am learning to live them.
I could say that I had a testimony before the mission, but that testimony is nothing like what I feel now. My testimony has grown an hundred fold at least. Time and time again I see the power of the gospel help others change and become better. I also found a great scripture that I really like. 1 Timothy 1:5; Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. The end of everything is that we have love and faith. I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and support.
Sometimes the least likely is the best investigator you can get. You just have to follow the Spirit. Yesterday I had prayed that we would find the person that was prepared to hear us. I felt very strongly while planning that we should go to a certain place. We went there and found one lady that let us in and is very interested. She listened and wants to keep listening. The power of prayer is real, but it has to be done with the right motive. The only motive that is right before the Lord is love. Of all things that is what I´m learning right now. Faith, hope and charity with an eye single to the glory of God. And that comes through the prayer of faith along with all other things.
Everything about the gospel seems to be clicking now as well. I read the scriptures and I can feel it, see how everything works. I connect the scriptures automatically in my mind and the principles. It seems that I am more able now to explain those principles and help others not just to understand them, but live them. And that because I am learning to live them.
I could say that I had a testimony before the mission, but that testimony is nothing like what I feel now. My testimony has grown an hundred fold at least. Time and time again I see the power of the gospel help others change and become better. I also found a great scripture that I really like. 1 Timothy 1:5; Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience, and of faith unfeigned. The end of everything is that we have love and faith. I love you all and am grateful for your prayers and support.
Monday, November 2, 2009
eMail of November 2, 2009
I´m not sure I really remember who he is, Ed. I´m glad he came to Church though. I will see what I can write this coming week. I´m glad to hear that things are going so well in the ward. As for the Christmas package, I really don´t feel like I need anything. Everything is going well. Candy and snacks are just about the only thing else. I don´t have batteries though, AA at least. I have a ton of AAA but I need AA. I messed up I guess and brought two things of AAA instead of a thing of AA. It would be cheaper to send me them as well. It´s like $2.50 for two AA batteries here at least, and the most you can buy is four. But nothing else.
As for what happened this week there are a few things. We met a bunch of new investigators. We have a few that nearly got baptised a year ago and seem like they are going to progress right now. During the week we helped a less active family move from their house. I had fun. I couldn´t take any pictures though because my camera doesn´t have batteries. I need to fix that. Anyway, It wasn´t the easiest week in the world but we had success.
Yesterday though, during the last hour of Church a mother with her young daughter walked in and said that she wanted to get baptised. She had heard a friend talking about the Church, he´s a return missionary, and she just felt a strong desire to join. So she walked in and asked us what she needed to do to be baptised. The bad part is that she lives just outside our sector. But she is set and getting baptised and I´m sure she will. In the end I am glad to have been of help to someone else.
I am grateful to be here truly. I have also been learning a lot about relationships. We are teaching a family that has been nearly torn apart. They went into a viscous cycle of blaming one another and not changing. We are trying to help them get profesional help. From the outside perspective you can see how relationships go bad when one accuses the other always and never accepts their own faults. It is better to be kind, than right. Marraige is too great and sacred a thing to put away because you can´t just swallow your pride. That same problem
keeps many people from joining the Church and accepting the Book of Mormon and prophets.
We have had many people straight up reject us. Some have lied, others are just rude. But at the same time many do accept us and listen. There are many people who just simply don´t know and don´t realize what we have even when we tell it to them. We just hope that they will accept when they realize the importance of these things. In the end, you just learn that everyone is a son or daughter of God and you just need to love them and show them respect. God is no respector of persons, and neither should we be.
Well, I love all of you and am grateful for your prayers and support. I hope that everything continues to go well. Have fun, be happy, and know that we are all children of a loving Father.
[email to Dad] To be honest I feel like I haven´t kept up on my journal as I should.
I am relearning lessons right now that I remember to have taught to other people before, and learned before. I need to just write more of the experiences I have and what I learn from them. Not just how I feel. I just felt before like I didn´t need to make anyone worry about me. Nor do I want to fall into pride. But I am beginning to understand those things better, though staying away from pride is impossible in the state we are in. If we could, it wouldn´t be so much of a trial this life. Sometimes our greatest trials are with ourselves, not others. I will share more of those experiences with you. I will also try and keep the right balance between what I should and shouldn´t say.
As for losing a companion prematurely, there were a lot of learning experiences there. His actual leaving wasn´t the trial though. It would have been the same to me if he was there or not. In fact I would have liked to keep going with him. It was most difficult not to have a true companion in the sector. I learned why you need a companion. To be honest, I am still learning from the experience. In truth, the trial is still going. My current companion really isn´t that different and is having some similar difficulties.
I am learning more than anything right now how to develop good relationships of trust even when it is difficult to do so, with those that trust very little anyone else. However, despite all that the sector is improving, and so am I in my work. This is perhaps one of the most fruitful times of my labor, even though there haven´t been any baptisms. We have a good set of more solid investigators that I have felt and am sure will be baptised some day. We are just trying to work on getting them to progress now.
I have some more experiences to share but I will share those with everyone. Well, thank you for your prayers and support. I love you and hope you know how grateful I am for the example you have been to me in my life.
As for what happened this week there are a few things. We met a bunch of new investigators. We have a few that nearly got baptised a year ago and seem like they are going to progress right now. During the week we helped a less active family move from their house. I had fun. I couldn´t take any pictures though because my camera doesn´t have batteries. I need to fix that. Anyway, It wasn´t the easiest week in the world but we had success.
Yesterday though, during the last hour of Church a mother with her young daughter walked in and said that she wanted to get baptised. She had heard a friend talking about the Church, he´s a return missionary, and she just felt a strong desire to join. So she walked in and asked us what she needed to do to be baptised. The bad part is that she lives just outside our sector. But she is set and getting baptised and I´m sure she will. In the end I am glad to have been of help to someone else.
I am grateful to be here truly. I have also been learning a lot about relationships. We are teaching a family that has been nearly torn apart. They went into a viscous cycle of blaming one another and not changing. We are trying to help them get profesional help. From the outside perspective you can see how relationships go bad when one accuses the other always and never accepts their own faults. It is better to be kind, than right. Marraige is too great and sacred a thing to put away because you can´t just swallow your pride. That same problem
keeps many people from joining the Church and accepting the Book of Mormon and prophets.
We have had many people straight up reject us. Some have lied, others are just rude. But at the same time many do accept us and listen. There are many people who just simply don´t know and don´t realize what we have even when we tell it to them. We just hope that they will accept when they realize the importance of these things. In the end, you just learn that everyone is a son or daughter of God and you just need to love them and show them respect. God is no respector of persons, and neither should we be.
Well, I love all of you and am grateful for your prayers and support. I hope that everything continues to go well. Have fun, be happy, and know that we are all children of a loving Father.
[email to Dad] To be honest I feel like I haven´t kept up on my journal as I should.
I am relearning lessons right now that I remember to have taught to other people before, and learned before. I need to just write more of the experiences I have and what I learn from them. Not just how I feel. I just felt before like I didn´t need to make anyone worry about me. Nor do I want to fall into pride. But I am beginning to understand those things better, though staying away from pride is impossible in the state we are in. If we could, it wouldn´t be so much of a trial this life. Sometimes our greatest trials are with ourselves, not others. I will share more of those experiences with you. I will also try and keep the right balance between what I should and shouldn´t say.
As for losing a companion prematurely, there were a lot of learning experiences there. His actual leaving wasn´t the trial though. It would have been the same to me if he was there or not. In fact I would have liked to keep going with him. It was most difficult not to have a true companion in the sector. I learned why you need a companion. To be honest, I am still learning from the experience. In truth, the trial is still going. My current companion really isn´t that different and is having some similar difficulties.
I am learning more than anything right now how to develop good relationships of trust even when it is difficult to do so, with those that trust very little anyone else. However, despite all that the sector is improving, and so am I in my work. This is perhaps one of the most fruitful times of my labor, even though there haven´t been any baptisms. We have a good set of more solid investigators that I have felt and am sure will be baptised some day. We are just trying to work on getting them to progress now.
I have some more experiences to share but I will share those with everyone. Well, thank you for your prayers and support. I love you and hope you know how grateful I am for the example you have been to me in my life.
Monday, October 26, 2009
eMail of October 26, 2009
Our investigator hasn´t truly received an answer yet and had to work yesterday but is moving along. She has had a tough time recently though. I don´t know when she will do it but she should soon. If everyone could pray for her with us it will happen.
We did find a great family last week as well. I have felt very good about this family and am hoping for the best. It is a mother and her two children. They are very religious and have had some amazing expriences. We are going to keep going with them though and I hope they keep going on with everything.
That's what we really have to work with right now. I am really happy with how everything is going right now. We are improving in everything. I am grateful to be here as well. I am learning so much right now it is rediculous. It´s as if there is an open conduit from heaven directly linked to me so that I learn quickly and rapidly and more every day. Really it is amazing being on the mission. You learn a great deal in a very short period of time.
Well I hope that everyone is as happy as I am. Í am grateful for your prayers and support and for all you´ve done for me and taught me. I love you all and pray for you.
[eMail to Dad] I don´t feel any different right now than I did before I reached the "hump." Elder Sharp who was in the MTC with me said that he felt it was completely overrated and doesn´t change anything. It really doesn´t. But time has gone fast. Time just doesn´t mean the same thing to me anymore. I just feel that when there is a time on something, it just means that it will be over and when its done its done. You just have to do the best you can on it now.
My attitude is changing a lot in dealing with school and everything. I want to get things done when I get them, not just done on time. That goes with life as well.
As for everything else I am doing well. I know a lot of things now that I wish I´d known before but everything has to come in a learning process. You can´t just know everything at once, in that way you would never have full, true agency to choose. Sometimes you just have to choose without knowing everything or even why.
I am grateful for all the experiences I have been given and for what I do know. Many don´t know these things and for that reason trip and fall. Just the same there are things I don´t know and so sometimes I trip and fall and it hurts. But that's how we learn.
As for the mission right now, the President keeps saying that he keeps giving me tough assignments, but I really don´t feel or see how that should make anything any diffirence in my mission. Everything is difficult, you can learn and grow regardless of the circumstances. But I´m sure he is right to a degree and I know I will thank him in the future for the experiences he has let me have. The Lord knows exactly what He is doing. I am truly grateful to be here. I am learning a great deal and feel the Lord´s hand in my life more directly than I´ve ever felt before.
I thank you for supporting me and teaching me so much about all these things by your example. I´ve never been able to apreciate it enough, what you have done. As time goes on I realize more and more what you have done for me, thank you. I love you and pray for you. I hope that you know that and feel it.
We did find a great family last week as well. I have felt very good about this family and am hoping for the best. It is a mother and her two children. They are very religious and have had some amazing expriences. We are going to keep going with them though and I hope they keep going on with everything.
That's what we really have to work with right now. I am really happy with how everything is going right now. We are improving in everything. I am grateful to be here as well. I am learning so much right now it is rediculous. It´s as if there is an open conduit from heaven directly linked to me so that I learn quickly and rapidly and more every day. Really it is amazing being on the mission. You learn a great deal in a very short period of time.
Well I hope that everyone is as happy as I am. Í am grateful for your prayers and support and for all you´ve done for me and taught me. I love you all and pray for you.
[eMail to Dad] I don´t feel any different right now than I did before I reached the "hump." Elder Sharp who was in the MTC with me said that he felt it was completely overrated and doesn´t change anything. It really doesn´t. But time has gone fast. Time just doesn´t mean the same thing to me anymore. I just feel that when there is a time on something, it just means that it will be over and when its done its done. You just have to do the best you can on it now.
My attitude is changing a lot in dealing with school and everything. I want to get things done when I get them, not just done on time. That goes with life as well.
As for everything else I am doing well. I know a lot of things now that I wish I´d known before but everything has to come in a learning process. You can´t just know everything at once, in that way you would never have full, true agency to choose. Sometimes you just have to choose without knowing everything or even why.
I am grateful for all the experiences I have been given and for what I do know. Many don´t know these things and for that reason trip and fall. Just the same there are things I don´t know and so sometimes I trip and fall and it hurts. But that's how we learn.
As for the mission right now, the President keeps saying that he keeps giving me tough assignments, but I really don´t feel or see how that should make anything any diffirence in my mission. Everything is difficult, you can learn and grow regardless of the circumstances. But I´m sure he is right to a degree and I know I will thank him in the future for the experiences he has let me have. The Lord knows exactly what He is doing. I am truly grateful to be here. I am learning a great deal and feel the Lord´s hand in my life more directly than I´ve ever felt before.
I thank you for supporting me and teaching me so much about all these things by your example. I´ve never been able to apreciate it enough, what you have done. As time goes on I realize more and more what you have done for me, thank you. I love you and pray for you. I hope that you know that and feel it.
Monday, October 19, 2009
eMail of October 19, 2009
My week went well and I have learned a lot. As for the weather it is heating up but has rained a bit. I did get the package by the way, thank you. We didn´t have a baptism this week though, she is sick and hasn´t really received an answer yet.
As for Marc, I really think he is okay for getting into BYU. Just because BYU has or hasn´t sent a letter yet doesn´t mean a thing. I actually don´t remember getting a letter from BYU to apply. Not everyone gets one either. BYU still accepts more of the students that apply than just about any other university in the nation. I think he is okay with a 25 considering that BYU Idaho can accept with with a 2.0 and a 16 on the ACT. Most people only get around 25. Just stay calm and do your best. As for AP Euro, talk with Miller. See if he can set something up to lessen the busywork load on Marc. Three pages of definitions and events is a little rediculous even for college level clases. I´ve seen the class before, just focus on learning what you need to learn and talk with Miller about it. Marc will be okay.
Well, as for me I am learning a lot about stress and how to manage it as well. I am happy and feel much more prepared now for everything in life. I have a lot left to learn, but I am making progress. I love you and pray for you. I hope you can find joy in all that you do.
As for Marc, I really think he is okay for getting into BYU. Just because BYU has or hasn´t sent a letter yet doesn´t mean a thing. I actually don´t remember getting a letter from BYU to apply. Not everyone gets one either. BYU still accepts more of the students that apply than just about any other university in the nation. I think he is okay with a 25 considering that BYU Idaho can accept with with a 2.0 and a 16 on the ACT. Most people only get around 25. Just stay calm and do your best. As for AP Euro, talk with Miller. See if he can set something up to lessen the busywork load on Marc. Three pages of definitions and events is a little rediculous even for college level clases. I´ve seen the class before, just focus on learning what you need to learn and talk with Miller about it. Marc will be okay.
Well, as for me I am learning a lot about stress and how to manage it as well. I am happy and feel much more prepared now for everything in life. I have a lot left to learn, but I am making progress. I love you and pray for you. I hope you can find joy in all that you do.
Monday, October 12, 2009
eMail of October 12, 2009
Another week goes by along with another year. Time doesn´t stop, it just goes by faster. Even still I am learning a lot. This last week I´m sure has been a defining week for my life. I have learned a great deal about attitude and love and charity, along with humility and all those things.
The greatest attribute a man can posess is Charity. Charity being the attitude of a person of divine love towards another. Every commandment is to help us have charity, every single one. Every law and commandment and experience is meant so that we learn charity and become more like Christ. I am just amazed at how much I have learned this last week about that. This is in part because I felt that charity fill me the whole week. It was strange but I felt my pride just disappear in certain aspects and just felt that many things of the world were no longer a part of me. I am not sure how or why that happened, but I am grateful. I changed this last week, more than just learned. It is an amazing feeling. I feel free from many burdens. It is difficult to explain but thats how it is. Along with that came success and other blessings.
Saturday we taught a new investigator that I hadn´t realized wasn´t a member before. She has been to Church twice and watched conference. She has felt the Spirit and wants to know about the Church. We taught her and she accepted baptism and everything. It was amazing and if everything goes well she will be baptised this Sunday. I am so grateful for the blessings I have received. The only thing I can say is that I know that the Lord wants us to succeed. There is no other explanation.
As for everything else I am grateful for your support and love. I hope everything continues to go well. I love you all and pray for you.
--
Elder David Skiles
The greatest attribute a man can posess is Charity. Charity being the attitude of a person of divine love towards another. Every commandment is to help us have charity, every single one. Every law and commandment and experience is meant so that we learn charity and become more like Christ. I am just amazed at how much I have learned this last week about that. This is in part because I felt that charity fill me the whole week. It was strange but I felt my pride just disappear in certain aspects and just felt that many things of the world were no longer a part of me. I am not sure how or why that happened, but I am grateful. I changed this last week, more than just learned. It is an amazing feeling. I feel free from many burdens. It is difficult to explain but thats how it is. Along with that came success and other blessings.
Saturday we taught a new investigator that I hadn´t realized wasn´t a member before. She has been to Church twice and watched conference. She has felt the Spirit and wants to know about the Church. We taught her and she accepted baptism and everything. It was amazing and if everything goes well she will be baptised this Sunday. I am so grateful for the blessings I have received. The only thing I can say is that I know that the Lord wants us to succeed. There is no other explanation.
As for everything else I am grateful for your support and love. I hope everything continues to go well. I love you all and pray for you.
--
Elder David Skiles
Monday, October 5, 2009
eMail of October 5, 2009
I got to see the whole conference live this last weekend. I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of it even though it was hectic surrounded the sessions. This last week I was with a borrowed companion from another zone about 30 to 40 minutes away. We had to work both of our sectors. It was fun to get to know another sector.
Saturday though they had me change houses. That took up a good deal of time, all the time in between sessions. Today I did get my new companion though. His name is Elder Divitry from Logan Utah. He has about 9 months in the mission. I am looking forward to this coming transfer and the blessings we are going to recieve.
I hope that all of you are enjoying what you are doing as I am. As for the force of the talk of Elder Holland, he wasn´t alone. Others spoke strongly as well. The Book of Mormon talks about the power of strong, pure testimony to change the lives of people. Alma the younger at one time found it necessary to bear down in pure testimony on the people that they would repent (Alma 4). Other than that I learned a great deal about the Holy Ghost and following the whisperings of the Spirit. I also learned a few things about love and service. This conference was uplifting as they all are and very instructing. It seems that every time more that I watch and listen to conference the more powerfully it impresses on my mind and affects me. I am so grateful that we can listen to the prophets as we do in this way.
As for Grandpa I hope that they can figure out the problem and that nothing serious happens. But if anything at all ever happens to anyone it is all part of the great plan of Salvation. Everything leads to us being able to do the will of the Father and choosing to do that, while still being subject to the wills and demands of the flesh. To require the Lord to heal all men every time they suffer is directly in contrary to the plan of happiness, its the plan of the adversary. We must suffer to know good from evil. We must be subject to the things of this world so that our own agency works. He can´t choose for us, we have to choose. He can´t keep us from suffering all the time, because we are subject to it. We just need to overcome in patience and faith what comes before us.
Well, I hope that everyone is happy despite all the challenges and busy times we meet up with. I love you and and am grateful for your thoughts and prayers. I am praying for you too.
Saturday though they had me change houses. That took up a good deal of time, all the time in between sessions. Today I did get my new companion though. His name is Elder Divitry from Logan Utah. He has about 9 months in the mission. I am looking forward to this coming transfer and the blessings we are going to recieve.
I hope that all of you are enjoying what you are doing as I am. As for the force of the talk of Elder Holland, he wasn´t alone. Others spoke strongly as well. The Book of Mormon talks about the power of strong, pure testimony to change the lives of people. Alma the younger at one time found it necessary to bear down in pure testimony on the people that they would repent (Alma 4). Other than that I learned a great deal about the Holy Ghost and following the whisperings of the Spirit. I also learned a few things about love and service. This conference was uplifting as they all are and very instructing. It seems that every time more that I watch and listen to conference the more powerfully it impresses on my mind and affects me. I am so grateful that we can listen to the prophets as we do in this way.
As for Grandpa I hope that they can figure out the problem and that nothing serious happens. But if anything at all ever happens to anyone it is all part of the great plan of Salvation. Everything leads to us being able to do the will of the Father and choosing to do that, while still being subject to the wills and demands of the flesh. To require the Lord to heal all men every time they suffer is directly in contrary to the plan of happiness, its the plan of the adversary. We must suffer to know good from evil. We must be subject to the things of this world so that our own agency works. He can´t choose for us, we have to choose. He can´t keep us from suffering all the time, because we are subject to it. We just need to overcome in patience and faith what comes before us.
Well, I hope that everyone is happy despite all the challenges and busy times we meet up with. I love you and and am grateful for your thoughts and prayers. I am praying for you too.
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