Slow Week...New Mission Pres.!

Dear Family

This week has been kind of a rough one here in missionary land.  But it's ok.  That seems to be how it goes... you have a good week, then a bad week.... and then a good one rolls around again. So the good news is that it can only go up from here!

 

We got a new mission president this week, and the mission split is official.  Happy Birthday to the Virginia Chesapeake Mission. I got to meet the new mission president on Saturday!  We were lucky enough to get some one on one time with him. He seems great. I'm really excited to get to work with him.  My week is FULL of meetings this week, and I'm looking forward to it!  My new calling has me doing lots of trainings and stuff, so it keeps me busy and it keeps me sharp. :)

 

I don't know what we'll be doing for the 4th of July... but light something on fire for me, ok? Send me pictures!

 

Anyways, I'll try and come up with something good to tell you all next week.

 

Love you lots!

sis Skousen

Theresa's Baptism

Hi! How is everybody back home? Good I hope... glad to hear that Jake's tumor wasn't cancerous.  Sounds like you all are living the life and enjoying summer! We are having a good time here as well. The heat is certainly starting to set in, and we are more motivated than ever to progress the work here. 

We had a baptism on Saturday of a sister that I taught in my last area.  It's only about 15 minutes from where I am now, so that's convenient.  Plus, I've been able to continue to teach her a little bit as we've gone on exchanges with those sisters. It's been great.  Her husband Oscar, was baptized 20 years ago, and has been less active for about 19 years.  Long story short, we got him coming back to church, he felt the spirit and kept coming, brought his kids.... and Saturday was able to baptize his wife Theresa.  I was asked to give the talk on the holy ghost, and I could barely get through it, because the spirit was so strong. There is something uniquely special about convert baptisms.  You feel heaven so close. It's a reminder to me every time of just how essential baptism is, and how sacred it is when we make covenants with God.

We had three investigators at church on Sunday, plus we got to see the broadcast... wasn't that amazing? Grandma said she cried through a lot of it.... I think I was right there along with her.  It was just soooo good! Makes me want to be a missionary forever!

Sister Moon and I have been staying super busy with our exchanges, and we are seeing so many miracles as we go in and blitz the area's of the sisters we work with. There are just so many people out there who are ready for the gospel.

President Perry leaves this week.  I am so sad to see him go.  We get our new mission president, President Wilson, on Thursday.  I am excited for this new chapter of the mission though, and looking forward to learning and being led by President and Sister Wilson.

Well, I love you all so much - hope you have a good week!

love love love,

Sis Skousen

On a side note;  Thanks again for the package you sent with the pic for Katie... and the gummy bears. They all melted together, and I told everyone that my mom sent me a gummy bear steak.

 

It was delicious.   :)

George Washington

Here I am casually hugging George Washington....

 

And again inside St Johns church where Patrick Henry gave his "give me liberty or give me death" speech.  We got to hear the reenactment last Monday.... it was amazing!

 

Also I attached a picture of me and my companions - sis Pond and sis Moon - at the Jefferson Hotel. 

 

Don't let all the P-Day pictures fool you - we work hard! :)

 

As a follow up to last week - We had a miracle in that, after James's blessing, he found out that the cancer is GONE. I guess the odds of that are pretty slim.  It's neat because of how the Lord was really pushing for that blessing to happen, so much that he prompted many of us and aligned things perfectly.  So James is cancer free!  Miracle!

 

Also as a follow up on Shawn, where they thought they would have to do 2 surgeries with her, they only had to do the one.  That was really good news. The power of the priesthood is real.  It truly is God's power on earth, and it is here to bless us...most of the time not to take away suffering completely, but to allow us to feel the power of our Heavenly Father and to align our faith with his will for us. There is great comfort and strength in that eternal truth.  It is one of the greatest blessings of the restored gospel, and I am thankful to have it so prevalent in my life. I am humbled and full of gratitude for a dad who lives and honors his priesthood.  Who never, at any point in my life, has been unable to exercise his priesthood on demand because he lives worthy of that sacred responsibility and trust.  Likewise, I am blessed to have brothers who stand as stalwart and righteous examples of priesthood power.  It's not an easy road - but the ability to call upon the powers of heaven is a most sacred privilege.  I love you all so much! The church is true. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't.

 

Love,

Sister Skousen

One of the Best Weeks of my misson....

This week was one of the best weeks of my mission.  First of all, we had our last transfer meeting with president Perry.  This was the transfer that determined which mission we will be in, so I'll be staying in the Virginia Richmond Mission.  It's pretty sad though because so many people and friends are on the other side of the split, and when that officially happens on July 1, we won't be able to talk to each other or see each other anymore.  So I hate that....

 

The transfer meeting was really good.  President Perry will definitely be missed here.  He is such a powerful teacher, and he has a unique perspective as a convert to the church.  We had 19 new sisters arrive in the mission on Thursday, which means that Sister Moon and I are extra busy with our calling.  It's the best kind of busy though, and I love working with so many missionaries.  More than that, I like to be able to actually do something to help!  Although our resources are limited, we can make a difference by virtue of our calling.  I am loving it, even though it's hard. 

 

Sister moon and I also got a third companion, sister Pond.  So we are in a trio.  She's been struggling a bit and President Perry asked us to help her out.  She's really great though.  I've worked with her a little bit over the past several months, and we are good friends.  This is one of the best companionships I've ever been in! I absolutely love it.  The ability to get along and work with your companions makes all the difference in this work... and it makes it easy when your companions are your friends.  Even though trio's have the reputation for being difficult, so far we are so good!

 

We saw some pretty amazing MIRACLES this week.  I am learning how to set goals by faith, and that's tough for me sometimes, but I've seen miraculous things happen when I do.  Sunday was one of the best days of my mission.  We have been worried about James and Susan, because we haven't been able to have a lesson with them since they came to church last time.  They loved church, but things have been crazy and we think there is some other stressful things going on.  James has been fighting prostate cancer for a few years, and he has a big time test tomorrow (June 11) to see if the cancer is back... and I am sure that is adding stress and anxiety and all sorts of emotions to their lives right now.  But yesterday, we were wating by the doors and greeting people as they came into church, and we saw James coming through the doors!  Sister Moon and I almost passed out on the spot because we were so excited.  No Susan though.  But James came.  We have been teaching their lessons with the stake Patriarch, brother Whyte, who has been their fellowshipper, so we all sat together. 

 

Fast and Testimony Meeting was beautiful.  The spirit was so strong, and everyone that got up just bore testimonies about the Savior.  It couldn't have been more perfect. Sister Moon and i also bore our testimonies.  I love to do that every chance I get.  James was trying so hard to feel the spirit, and I think he did.  He is really making an effort to feel something and to know for himself if this is true.  Sister Moon and I had an impression during sacrament meeting to ask if he wanted a priesthood blessing, so I explained what a priesthood blessing was and offered it to him at the end of sacrament meeting.  He seemed a little unsure, and said he'd think about it and let us know, then he left. 

 

THEN...... just as church is getting over we get a text from James saying that he would like a blessing.  We immediately called the patriarch, his fellowshipper, brother Whyte, and asked if he could do it.  Brother Whyte said that Saturday he had been thinking about James and Susan, and had the prompting to offer a priesthood blessing.  Then, Sunday, he had that same prompting in sacrament meeting when they were sitting by each other, but he had been to nervous to ask. After church, bro Whyte was talking to his wife on the phone and she brought up James getting a blessing... and by this time he's just feeling guilty because he didn't act on a prompting, and he had decided to call us.  Well, as soon as he hung up with his wife, and before he could look up our name in his address book, we called him and asked if he could come give James a blessing.  The Lord had been preparing him and telling him that it needed to happen for days!  And obviously the Lord was working on James too, because he didn't jump on the offer right away, it took hours, and him even coming back to the church for it to happen.  Anyways, it was one of the most beautiful blessings i have ever heard, and the spirit was so strong. I am sure James felt it. That's been the thing with him all this time - he needs to feel it.  He hugged us afterwards.  He is so sweet, and we just love him so much.  He his really reaching out to God, and I hope he can feel hands reaching back, because I can see them.

 

We also had another investigator at church, her name is Shawn.  She is the wife of a less active member who doesn't want anything to do with the church, but she is strong and has a lot of faith.  She also got a blessing because she has a giant kidney stone and has been in a lot of pain.  They told her the only way to get rid of it was to have surgery, and she has been scared about that for a few reasons.  After her blessing - which was also incredible, she said - "I'm going to cancel my surgery".  <----- holy faith, batman!

 

This is going to be a long letter, because it just keeps getting better. We had a lesson with our investigator Hannah.  She's in her twenties, and she really wants to do what's right.  Her whole family is pretty against our religion, but she loves it.  We have had some great lessons with her, and last night, I asked her to be baptized and she said she would and we set a date. So that, I'm telling you, was a miracle!

 

Lastly, if you remember from my short stay in Chickahominy (my last area) I taught a family called the Delgado family.  The dad is less active and has been for 20 years, and his wife Theresa is not a member.  We activated Oscar (the dad) and got Theresa to church, and I have been able to visit her and teach her a little bit while going on exchanges with the sisters over there as per my calling. And she is getting baptized on the 22nd! And what's more, is that Oscar will be able to baptize her!  Another Miracle.

 

Family, I love you, and I know that the Lord guides this work.  He is so aware of us and our needs and our desires.  I know that we can get answers to life's greatest challenges on our knees.  I know that the power of the priesthood is real.  So so real. It blesses my life so much, and the lives of all of those who come in contact with it's power.  It is so important to live in a way that we can be instruments in the Lord's hands, whether it be through the priesthood or by some other means.  To be able to call on the powers of heaven is a great privilage and trust. I am so grateful for all of you and for the good examples you are to me. I love you so much!  The church is true.

 

love love love

sister Skousen

 

Bed bugs!

Thanks family!  I was glad to hear about Jake's Patriarchal Blessing.  You know it was in my patriarchal blessing that i had a strong prompting that I would serve a mission.  But he never came out and said it, but it was strong and I knew it.  I've remembered it all these years because it was so clear.  And when 21 came and went I thought that I was wrong and that it wasn't real.  But, obviously it was :).

The musical fireside went really well.  I wish I could attach a video for you... but I can't seem to make it work.  I actually ended up singing a song  I wrote, and arranging two more for the fireside.  One I just accompanied, and the other I accompanied and sang with someone else.  I told them they weren't allowed to put my name on the program more than once, because I didn't want it to be the "skousen show".  I worry about that sometimes.  But all of their people kept falling through last minute and so they needed a ton of help.  It turned out great though, we had a few non members there, and several people told me how they cried all through the song I wrote, followed up with requests for a digital copy when I get home.  So that made me feel like a million bucks.

James and susan are coming along great.  Susan is a little more so than James.  The problem with him is that he is analytical to a fault.  I think she'd be in the water next week, but he's got a little further to go.  He just has a lot of questions and over thinks everything.  But I'm certain he will get there.  And when he does, he'll be the next EQ pres.

We had transfer calls last night, and president is giving us a third companion to take care of.   We have a lot on our plate and we travel a ton, and it will just be ineteresting to see how it all plays out.

In other news - we have been dealing with bedbugs.  The sisters before in this apartment had them and didn't take care of them, so we have been.  It's seriously been the hardest thing! I haven't been able to sleep at night because i feel bugs, so I stay up, and... well... I found a safe place to sleep finally where the bugs couldn't get me.  I'll attach a picture.... being short has it's perks sometimes.

That's all for now!  Love, Sister Skousen

This week...

Hi family! I hope you are all doing well.  Sounds like you had a fun trip to Idaho for those who went. This week has been really good for us.  We have some pretty amazing investigators.  We are seeing so many miracles.  It's hard because we don't have a lot of time to work our area because we are traveling so much.  We spend a lot of time helping other sisters in their respective areas and working there.  As a result, we have had people literally dropped into our laps.  It's incredible.  We are teaching this one couple, James and Susan, and they came to church on sunday and loved it.  The whole sacrament meeting was just tailored for them - it couldn't have been more perfect!  It was a testimony builder for me, because the speakers didn't know they would be there or anything, but all that was said was just right on the dot perfect.  We also had another investigator there - this lady who just showed up because she moved in and wants to get baptized.  We have a few more investigators on top of that, so things are really moving along here.  The Lord has definitely been blessing us.

 

In other news - Katie and Bradley came up from Smithfield for memorial day!!! It was so great to see them.  I just cried when I saw her, because I love her so much.  They are amazing.  We got permission to go to Kings Dominion!  It was the funnest day ever. I attached a picture of us in front of the Intimidator rollar coaster.  Look it up - it's AWESOME. 

 

 

Anyways - things here are going great.  The  gospel is true and it changes lives. It's the ticket to lasting and eternal happiness.  Each day I am in awe at how aware our Heavenly Father is of me and of His children who I serve and teach.  He is in the details. 

 

I was just asked this week to sing a song I wrote at a fireside on Sunday, so that will be fun and I'm looking forward to it. 

 

Well, that's about it for this week for me.  A BIG THANKS TO MY WARD FRIENDS for sending me a CARD!!!!! It made my whole MONTH! :D I have the best friends in the world.  I love you all so much!!!! Have the best week ever!

 

Love love love

sister Skousen

One Year!

Hi family!

 

I loved getting to talk to all of you. I don't really have much to say... but I wanted to send a couple pics of lately.

 

1- Here's a few of us at the Richmond zoo

2- And here we are skyping!

 

I thought I had more, but apparently I don't. Things here are going super well though.  This area is great and we see miracles every day.  I know that the hand if the Almighty directs this work.  It's such an incredible blessing to be a part of it.  Thanks for all your love and support and prayers. 

 

Love,

Sister Skousen