Please take the flashlight!

Tutti!!!

I have mixed feelings this week as I am being transferred to Pisa! I will miss my bastian baby but excited to bottle break Sorella smith. I am sad to leave my Florence friends. Oh I love them here. They will forever be in my prayers. I hope they can continue to move forward and trust in the lord knowing he is the only true source of light and hope. 

I said goodbye to Julia which broke my heart. Tommaso and Alberta also. And Francesca. And so many other dear friends. I know the lord has blessed me here with people to touch my heart. I hope I have touched there's and I trust the lord will help me find people in Pisa that will also help me grow to know who I am. 

And I will also be your light in the wilderness; and I will prepare the way before you, if it so be that ye shall keep my commandments; wherefore, inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall be led towards the promised land; and ye shall know that it is by me that ye are led.” 1 nephi 17:13

Because of the gospel I know who I am!!!! My life...it has meaning. I am not wandering. Are you wandering? Do you want to wander? Do you want a flash light...it's easier to see with the light on. Oh no I can do it by myself. But you can get hurt...well I want to see what it's like. It can't be too bad. 

I love you friends back home. I love you family back home. I love these Italian friends and friends who live in Italian. I know that God has provided us with a light. We don't have to be in darkness. 

Last cool bastian miracles in Firenze: we found a phillipines while telling others about English class. Surprise she speaks English but is very interested in the gospel and we had a great first lesson with her. Mary Joyce!! 

Have a great week. 

Sorella skinner

 

 

No Smooching Sister

Ciao tutti! 

I know that the spirit guided me. This last week was a pretty hard week for me and my companion. We got lost a few times and didn't have many appointments at all. But...as we had weekly planning Saturday we decided things needed to improve for our last full week together. (My baby grew up so fast!) We went out with a different attitude and that made the difference. We found Some cute new potentials. Please pray for us to be able to meet with Nellie and maribella. 

I know that this is the lords work. Man it's incredible and unbelievable sometimes.

Sorella bastian bought me some tronky chocolate for my one year mark. We also burned one of my skirts that was a bit too snug. We also went to an American diner here in Florence that we decided that some think a milkshake consists of milk, ice cream, bananas, peanut butter, and two shakes. Hahahah....milk shake...they follow the name perfectly. 

Helaman 5:12.... If man build they cannot fall! This is one of the scriptures I have memorized from freshmen year seminary. Love it. It's one of my favorites. This week as we were studying for a less active who wants to go to the temple but is smoking. We each have our weaknesses and habits. But I read this scripture in a different way. If we build upon the teachings of Christ and live his gospel we CANNOT fall. He won't allow us to fall...yes we can still be tempted but we will have right with us the force and strength not to be blown away. 

I know this is true. The gospel blesses lives. I love my Savior. I know if my life is centered on him I cannot fall. 

Awkward moment. I was hugged by our member friend Ruben the Cuban. Haha I didn't move at all I just stood there awkwardly. It's foreign to people in Italy the land of hugs and smooches that we can't do none of that during the mission. Sorry no smooching from this sister!!! 

Have a good week. 

Sorella skinner 

Next week I find out if I go or stay. I will be separated from my baby bastian. :( 

 

                                                                 Italian Milkshake

 

My one year skirt burn!

 

One year in the mission....a year without my back popped by dad!

Haha hope you appreciate the title of this email. I have had to learn new techniques to Pop my back. I have loved all of my companions but getting your back popped by a small girl. Yeah it's not enjoyable it hurts. I can't believe it's been a year tomorrow. This journey has been amazing. It's like a beautiful dream! And yay I still have 6 months! 

Ok enough of that....this week.....

Remember Sabrina?? Well she is great. We are hoping to get her a Book of Mormon in Swedish. 

Coolest thing is that slowly we have seen people coming. The other Sunday we had 2 Africans we met in the park come to church. We didn't really remember them but they remembered us and now the anziani are teaching them.

And then Julia is brava and fed us a huge meal yesterday. We don't have to eat now for the rest of our missions. There were 2 desserts!! ;)

I just want you all to know that you matter to your Heavenly Father. Yes we might be one in a world of a ton of people but we matter.

John 15

5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

We are nothing without the vine. But yet the tree would not look as good without the branches. Right? 

"This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God. While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation--worlds without end--within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it."

Elder uchtdorf 

Love is not just a feeling...it's an ability. ---Dan in real life

Faith is not just a feeling...it's a decision.- elder Andersen

I know in hard times we can say we don't have faith. But really faith is not just a feeling....we make the decision to have faith to trust in our Heavenly Father and believe. I believe that Heavenly Father is waiting to help each of us. We are the ones who need to decide now whether or not to have faith. 

 

Decide on faith!! 

Love you all! 

Sorella skinner 

He sent me lost people!

Ciao tutti!!! 

Wow this week was so great!!!!! Full of miracles.

1. Julia was baptized!!!!! She is the cutest thing her story has made me see how the gospel really helps families. Also she wasn't interested in the gospel at first but it slowly came. Now here family is in the gospel and we will continue to help them learn and grow and prepare to enter the temple!!! 

2. Well to tell you a cool story in just a few words...During the preparation of filling the font we had to help two blind people find a bus stop and on the way we got their numbers and got an investigator named Sabrina. We thought we would be reading our scriptures in the church. No way...instead God put us to work...Sorella skinner was having a mini freak out that the church would overflow and we saw many miracles!! I love my life. 

3. We met Sabrina again and we feel like she's got some great potential. 

I hope you see that God sincerely leads us. He sends us people who are lost...and if they don't need us...we lead them down the path and God gives us someone else. How can you help someone who is lost today? I invite you to look around you...reach out to someone who needs you. As you reach out you can help others but more than anything you help yourself. 

 

This is the church of Jesus Christ. I love that I can dedicate my time to this. I don't want to be anywhere else. I am so happy. Living the mission dream in Florence Italy. 

I pray for you. Thanks for your prayers for me. 

Dio vi benedica!! 

Sorella Skinner 

 

 

DASH!!

Ciao tutti....

Last week we had an incredible conference with president Kearon of the 70. He focused on doing all we can with attacking the day with real intent. Yes we can even eat with real intent and shower with real intent!!! Let's not drift!!! I loved all the spirit taught us. And my favorite British word he used was dash! 

This week....well Julia's baptism is Saturday! We are so excited!!! 

We had a neat experience with going and teaching miria and her daughter Lorena. They are excited to read and pray about the Book of Mormon! 

This week it had been neat to see people slowly change their hearts and open up as we looked at them like other children of God. I saw people going from not wanting to talk to us Mormons to talking for 20 minutes about families being together forever. 

Scripture thought: 

This morning I was reading in 2 Nephi 31 one of my favorite chapters in the Book of Mormon. It outlines the gospel of Jesus Christ...tells us why Christ was baptized. I came to my favorite verse...its verse 20. I remember at efy...(yes I sound like a Molly Mormon...forgive me) one year my counselor asked us what our favorite scripture was. I replied...2 Nephi 31:20. As my 16 year old self I shared my testimony that I knew that the Book of Mormon was true because of this verse. I said that it tells us exactly what we need to do to have eternal life. I've reflected on that small sometimes crazy testimony answer I gave 4 years ago. As I read that verse this morning I also am blown away still at how direct God is. Do we have all the answers to life? No way! But that is okay. We know the direction to go. I have a testimony that God does not leave us. We only choose to leave him. I pray for you my friends at home....my adorable family...my distant Facebook friends, haha my fellow Americans! I hope you choose to hold on in times of trial knowing that you have a Savior ready to help you endure the rough days! Please don't give up! Turn to him....he is there. Press forward...have hope...love those around you...read his words he has given us in these days...and continue in happiness! You can and will accomplish what you need to with him!!!

20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

Love you all!! Have a dashing good week!!! 

Sorella skinner