Letter from Lexie:
This week we taught Jessi, an inactive member, and it went really well
for the first time in forever. Usually she is very distracted when we
come over and it is very hard to share a message with her, but this time
she was different. When we walked in the door of her home, I reached
out and gave a her hug but then she said, "Careful, careful." Apparently
I didn't even notice but she had a nasty spider-like scorpion resting
on her shoulder!! AND I HUGGED IT. disgusting. But she thinks it is cute
and calls it her baby. an supposedly it is from the movie harry
potter...eeww. scary.
yup. I hugged that.
Then Jessi whooped another one of her babies...a baby python. She said they can grow up to 30 feet! These are the types of snakes that can eat human beings! But it was really pretty and rainbow color, and I held it! And then Charlotte, the snake, pooped on Sister Watson! HAHAHA. it was so funny. "Awww, that means she likes you!" said Jessi. lol. She said that snakes only poop like once a week and I guess Sis Watson was the lucky one.
We taught Jessi about repentance and forgiveness. She said that she has been reading the Book of Mormon (which is AWESOME) and she finished 1 Nephi! Jessi said that one thing she noticed is how much forgiveness was in the first book. Over and over Nephi's brothers mess up, but he is always filled with love towards them. We are so grateful that we've been able to see the Lord soften Jessi's heart. Hopefully she will make it to church in the near future!
Do you all remember Mario? the singer? Yes, that's him! Well we had lunch with him one last time before school ends. Finally he asked us to teach him more about our beliefs and we shared the restoration. He seemed to like it and then out of nowhere is piled a bunch of deep-doctrine on us. Although it was pretty daunting, he was sincere and really wanted to know the answers to his questions. Mario attends Calvary Chapel and we discovered a little more about what they believe.
That moment, while teaching him the gospel at "Mr. Taco," I felt like Lehi when he exhorts his family to "hold to the rod!" and "come to the tree!" I wanted so badly for him to taste the joy of the true, restored gospel. I just want him to have the FULLNESS! But no matter what we said, Mario wouldn't change. His heart is hardened and he is not yet prepared. It was sad to see that and disappointing to hear that he wouldn't read the Book of Mormon. Someday he will. I'm grateful that he could sing us two more songs before he left. He sang my favorite song again, How He Loves. It always brings the spirit.
On Saturday, we were so happy to go to the temple with Rylee for her first time! She was astonished at the sight of the beautiful San Diego Temple. You could see her eyes light up as we walked inside. It was a very special day that I won't forget. I remember the very first day we taught her. She walked into the church building, pointed at a picture of the temple and asked, "How can I go inside there?" The temple has always been a major desire of hers. After we performed temple baptisms, just me, Sister Watson, and Rylee sat in the baptistery. She asked about the 12 oxen and what they represent. We then got on the topic of Patriarchal Blessings and how we can discover what tribe we are from. She is so excited to get her own patriarchal blessing!
Anywho, I love you all. And you should read this chapter...This is what I have experienced on my mission so far...
1 Nephi Chapter 8
Lehi sees a vision of the tree of life—He partakes of its fruit and desires his family to do likewise—He sees a rod of iron, a strait and narrow path, and the mists of darkness that enshroud men—Sariah, Nephi, and Sam partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel refuse. About 600–592 B.C.
1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.
2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.
3 And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.
4 But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.
5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.
6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.
8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.
9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.
14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.
17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.
18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.
19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.
20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.
29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.
30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.
32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.
33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.
34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.
35 And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.
36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.
37 And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.
38 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.
--
♥ Sister Alexis Skabelund
451 W Bobier Dr
Vista CA 92083-1906
United States
yup. I hugged that.
Then Jessi whooped another one of her babies...a baby python. She said they can grow up to 30 feet! These are the types of snakes that can eat human beings! But it was really pretty and rainbow color, and I held it! And then Charlotte, the snake, pooped on Sister Watson! HAHAHA. it was so funny. "Awww, that means she likes you!" said Jessi. lol. She said that snakes only poop like once a week and I guess Sis Watson was the lucky one.
We taught Jessi about repentance and forgiveness. She said that she has been reading the Book of Mormon (which is AWESOME) and she finished 1 Nephi! Jessi said that one thing she noticed is how much forgiveness was in the first book. Over and over Nephi's brothers mess up, but he is always filled with love towards them. We are so grateful that we've been able to see the Lord soften Jessi's heart. Hopefully she will make it to church in the near future!
Do you all remember Mario? the singer? Yes, that's him! Well we had lunch with him one last time before school ends. Finally he asked us to teach him more about our beliefs and we shared the restoration. He seemed to like it and then out of nowhere is piled a bunch of deep-doctrine on us. Although it was pretty daunting, he was sincere and really wanted to know the answers to his questions. Mario attends Calvary Chapel and we discovered a little more about what they believe.
That moment, while teaching him the gospel at "Mr. Taco," I felt like Lehi when he exhorts his family to "hold to the rod!" and "come to the tree!" I wanted so badly for him to taste the joy of the true, restored gospel. I just want him to have the FULLNESS! But no matter what we said, Mario wouldn't change. His heart is hardened and he is not yet prepared. It was sad to see that and disappointing to hear that he wouldn't read the Book of Mormon. Someday he will. I'm grateful that he could sing us two more songs before he left. He sang my favorite song again, How He Loves. It always brings the spirit.
On Saturday, we were so happy to go to the temple with Rylee for her first time! She was astonished at the sight of the beautiful San Diego Temple. You could see her eyes light up as we walked inside. It was a very special day that I won't forget. I remember the very first day we taught her. She walked into the church building, pointed at a picture of the temple and asked, "How can I go inside there?" The temple has always been a major desire of hers. After we performed temple baptisms, just me, Sister Watson, and Rylee sat in the baptistery. She asked about the 12 oxen and what they represent. We then got on the topic of Patriarchal Blessings and how we can discover what tribe we are from. She is so excited to get her own patriarchal blessing!
Anywho, I love you all. And you should read this chapter...This is what I have experienced on my mission so far...
1 Nephi Chapter 8
Lehi sees a vision of the tree of life—He partakes of its fruit and desires his family to do likewise—He sees a rod of iron, a strait and narrow path, and the mists of darkness that enshroud men—Sariah, Nephi, and Sam partake of the fruit, but Laman and Lemuel refuse. About 600–592 B.C.
1 And it came to pass that we had gathered together all manner of seeds of every kind, both of grain of every kind, and also of the seeds of fruit of every kind.
2 And it came to pass that while my father tarried in the wilderness he spake unto us, saying: Behold, I have dreamed a dream; or, in other words, I have seen a vision.
3 And behold, because of the thing which I have seen, I have reason to rejoice in the Lord because of Nephi and also of Sam; for I have reason to suppose that they, and also many of their seed, will be saved.
4 But behold, Laman and Lemuel, I fear exceedingly because of you; for behold, methought I saw in my dream, a dark and dreary wilderness.
5 And it came to pass that I saw a man, and he was dressed in a white robe; and he came and stood before me.
6 And it came to pass that he spake unto me, and bade me follow him.
7 And it came to pass that as I followed him I beheld myself that I was in a dark and dreary waste.
8 And after I had traveled for the space of many hours in darkness, I began to pray unto the Lord that he would have mercy on me, according to the multitude of his tender mercies.
9 And it came to pass after I had prayed unto the Lord I beheld a large and spacious field.
10 And it came to pass that I beheld a tree, whose fruit was desirable to make one happy.
11 And it came to pass that I did go forth and partake of the fruit thereof; and I beheld that it was most sweet, above all that I ever before tasted. Yea, and I beheld that the fruit thereof was white, to exceed all the whiteness that I had ever seen.
12 And as I partook of the fruit thereof it filled my soul with exceedingly great joy; wherefore, I began to be desirous that my family should partake of it also; for I knew that it was desirable above all other fruit.
13 And as I cast my eyes round about, that perhaps I might discover my family also, I beheld a river of water; and it ran along, and it was near the tree of which I was partaking the fruit.
14 And I looked to behold from whence it came; and I saw the head thereof a little way off; and at the head thereof I beheld your mother Sariah, and Sam, and Nephi; and they stood as if they knew not whither they should go.
15 And it came to pass that I beckoned unto them; and I also did say unto them with a loud voice that they should come unto me, and partake of the fruit, which was desirable above all other fruit.
16 And it came to pass that they did come unto me and partake of the fruit also.
17 And it came to pass that I was desirous that Laman and Lemuel should come and partake of the fruit also; wherefore, I cast mine eyes towards the head of the river, that perhaps I might see them.
18 And it came to pass that I saw them, but they would not come unto me and partake of the fruit.
19 And I beheld a rod of iron, and it extended along the bank of the river, and led to the tree by which I stood.
20 And I also beheld a strait and narrow path, which came along by the rod of iron, even to the tree by which I stood; and it also led by the head of the fountain, unto a large and spacious field, as if it had been a world.
21 And I saw numberless concourses of people, many of whom were pressing forward, that they might obtain the path which led unto the tree by which I stood.
22 And it came to pass that they did come forth, and commence in the path which led to the tree.
23 And it came to pass that there arose a mist of darkness; yea, even an exceedingly great mist of darkness, insomuch that they who had commenced in the path did lose their way, that they wandered off and were lost.
24 And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
25 And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
26 And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
27 And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
28 And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.
29 And now I, Nephi, do not speak all the words of my father.
30 But, to be short in writing, behold, he saw other multitudes pressing forward; and they came and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press their way forward, continually holding fast to the rod of iron, until they came forth and fell down and partook of the fruit of the tree.
31 And he also saw other multitudes feeling their way towards that great and spacious building.
32 And it came to pass that many were drowned in the depths of the fountain; and many were lost from his view, wandering in strange roads.
33 And great was the multitude that did enter into that strange building. And after they did enter into that building they did point the finger of scorn at me and those that were partaking of the fruit also; but we heeded them not.
34 These are the words of my father: For as many as heeded them, had fallen away.
35 And Laman and Lemuel partook not of the fruit, said my father.
36 And it came to pass after my father had spoken all the words of his dream or vision, which were many, he said unto us, because of these things which he saw in a vision, he exceedingly feared for Laman and Lemuel; yea, he feared lest they should be cast off from the presence of the Lord.
37 And he did exhort them then with all the feeling of a tender parent, that they would hearken to his words, that perhaps the Lord would be merciful to them, and not cast them off; yea, my father did preach unto them.
38 And after he had preached unto them, and also prophesied unto them of many things, he bade them to keep the commandments of the Lord; and he did cease speaking unto them.
--
♥ Sister Alexis Skabelund451 W Bobier Dr
Vista CA 92083-1906
United States
