May 28, 2012 Email

Hey, everybody!

I remember when I first came to Benton City, and I thought, Hmm. . . I wonder what this is going to be like. . . Quite honestly, I had a few doubts of my effectiveness in a country town.

It took some time, but I realized just how much the people are amazing, and I fell in love with them.  That's something I'd heard about, but I wasn't sure of the fact that I'd get to love the people in the way that I do.  I have been able to get to a point where I felt I had lived there my whole life, knowing the people now in the way I do.  Benton City is a place of rough exteriors, but soft innards.  My whole soul is being fed by the love for these people.

That, though, was one of the biggest reasons I felt a mission would be beneficial to me.  Sure, I cared for people before, and I did feel love for my family and friends, but I knew that there was a different kind of love associated with this work, a love that is found in our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, His Son.  I remember a verse I came across that just moves me deeply, found in Romans chapter eight, verses 35 and 37-39.  I knew that I would learn to love people as much as He loves me, and so I grew eager to share in that love.

I have felt that love, and know that it is manifest greatly in "invit[ing] others to come unto Christ by helping them to receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."  The WHOLE concept of missionary work is based on His love through you.

The best way that you can feel this kind of love is being a missionary yourself.  It took me until I was out here before I realized just how much that means.  Every member is a missionary, and no greater joy can we feel than when we have brought a person into the fold of the Good Shepherd (such as D&C 18:10,15-16).  Our love for them increases, and it brings about blessings on your head.

Lately, we've had a specialized training talking about how we are falling short in our mission goal of baptisms.  We learned that finding more people is the key to bringing those who dwell in darkness to the light.

I've seen this come true, and I know that it can be.

I love you all, and I hope you have a good week!

Elder Skeen 3.0