Selamat Pagi! Family and Friends!
And for those of you who don't speak
Indonesian, good morning! Speaking of which, you'll never believe it,
but I was able to practice a few more Indonesian words this week. As I've mentioned before, we recently got a
new Bishop and when we were having dinner at their beautiful house (it had such a wonderful home feeling) he told us he
lived in Indonesia for a couple years. I told him I spoke a little (very
little) :) and said our Church's name in Indonesian. He said he thought that was good :) and now we are good friends! So I'm counting that as another one of my many blessings of going to BYUH, and that going there helped prepare me for my mission :) Like my Grandpa Jordan always says 'there are no coincidences'. The Area
We were able to have two more spiritual lessons with (J) this week. They both went really well. We taught him about the Priesthood and bore our testimonies about following our Latter-day Prophet, who we love so much :) (J) has been reading the Book of Mormon daily and you can see that he is really starting to gain a better understanding and appreciation of it. We plan to watch the Restoration video with him and try to have two more lessons this week.
He is excited for his baptism at the end of this month and has even volunteered to give our closing prayers at times, which warms our hearts. He has also mentioned that he will be happy and thankful to be able to do the work in the temple for his
parents someday. He has had to deal with a lot of loss in his life, and has lost both of his parents. As he has begun to believe more with time, he is truly happier and brighter. And hearing him talk about eternal families and wanting to see family members again is very touching.
Our ward also had a really nice Relief Society Social
this week that had a great turn out. We were able to have a less-active
sister come with us and she had a wonderful time. And to make the week even better she came to
church yesterday! YAYAY :) Her name is (S) and she has such a
wonderful spirit, with such a kind personality. We will go by her house this week to do service and
have a lesson. We are looking forward to it, it's going to be great!
Bearing Testimonies
So far on my mission, when the missionaries move to a new ward/area the bishopric ask you to say a few things in church, during the sacrament meeting part, and to bear your testimony. I enjoy hearing the other missionaries bear their testimonies. It has also gotten a little easier for me and not so scary:) I am grateful to get the opportunity to let my new ward know how much I love my Savior, this church, and my family. And it also helps to look down and see smiling faces looking back at you:)
We Are Family!
Speaking of church meetings, my testimony today is on ward families. I have been thinking a lot lately about how amazing it is that we have a world wide church. It is so neat knowing I have friends who are serving missions and family and friends who are going to church all over the world. And it's great that I can be out here in California and feel like I've known these wonderful members here forever. I can go to any type of church building and feel at home because it is the same feeling everywhere. We have sacrament meeting, Sunday school, Relief Society, and Priesthood. Even though I have only been in Pismo Beach a few weeks, I feel so comfortable here.
The ward has
welcomed us missionaries into their ward family and into their homes. I love that we can feel a connection
to each other by knowing we are all brothers and sisters of our
Heavenly Father. Heavenly Father loves us very much and wants us to feel loved, and having wards and ward families helps us feel that love. I picture heaven one big family reunion! It will have all the different 'family members' meeting and smiling and caring about each other, all the people that we have met during our life here on earth. And this is amazingly possible because of what our Savior, Jesus Christ has done for us, he paid the price so that we may each return to live with Him, Heavenly Father, and our brothers and sisters some day.
Sorry I am out of time on the library computer like always!:)
Have a wonderful week!
You are in my prayers,
Sister Skinner - Karatassos
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