Change is a miraculous thing

She said they filled up for 20 dollars!

This past week was probably the longest of my mission so far. Not in a bad way at all, just because it felt like forever ago that I emailed! It's a time warp of speed or slow motion in a mission and there's no telling what it'll be or why it feels a certain way. But this past week was New Year's Eve and all the hullabaloo, which included for us missionaries being in at six and voluntarily going to bed at eight! Yeah, Happy New Year! It was totally sweet besides the fact that I laid in bed and couldn't fall asleep until 10:30, our normal bed time.
Also on Saturday night we got some snow which is still mildly exciting for me   as a California native. It's supposed to get real frigid this week! Like the high on Wednesday will be FOUR degrees! We'll see how I fare.

This past week the Sister Training Leaders came in from Keokuk, IA. One of them, Sister Nye, is my grandma in the mission, meaning she trained Sister Ramsey, who trained me! She goes home at the end of this transfer, next week. Sister Paul, my companion, goes home next week too! It'll be sad to see her go. It's super weird that she'll be back in California in almost a week! So I'm definitely staying here in Kirksville for another two months almost. I might spend half my mission here by the time I leave! Good thing I love it. 

So this week, being that it's a new year and all, I studied change. You're probably thinking, "oh boy here's another one of the self help lectures on how to make and keep new years resolutions." Wrong! I did set some goals for myself and that is what prompted my study on change, but I wont pump you up for new year's resolutions. You can get that from your spouse who wants to eat more healthy or your mom who wants you to clean your room more than once every three months. Change is a miraculous thing. It is a divine trait in every human. We all have the ability to change and grow and progress. There is no stagnancy in being a son or daughter of God. I learned from my study in the scriptures that change is a spiritual process; faith, repentance, and righteous living are its clear antecedents. When we include our Father in Heaven in our quest to change and become better the results are amplified. We become "new creatures", with "no more disposition to do evil", and experience a true "change of heart." It is remarkable, astounding, miraculous. Whatever amazing word you want to use. Our ability to enact righteous and lasting change in our lives should not be taken for granted. It is within all of us, as we are sons and daughters of a Father in Heaven who wants us to return to Him.

Love yall,

Sister Skaggs