Happy St. Patrick's Day!

Hope everyone's St. Patricks Day was good! Apart from the parade, most people don't actually wear green. American's just make it a big deal haha :)

We weren't allowed to go into the city or anything for safety reasons so we made cookies and "sneakily" ding dong ditched them.

Apparently I am not a good "sneaker." 

OKAY. It's not my fault people hang out by their windows and I'm not very fast in a skirt soo... but it was so fun and the members loved it.

We went chalking and did a True or False about the Mormons. 

SO FUNNY.

We typed up all the crazy things people have asked us and asked them to people on the streets.

True or False
Mormons:
- can't wear red.

- can't kiss til they're married

- have horns

- have multiple wives

- don't believe in magnets

- have to take dad/brother with them on a date

and so on. (Those are all false by the way).

It was good for people to see that we really are normal!

Something I learned more fully this week about the Atonement was that Christ suffered just as we do. He literally suffered/experienced the same thing that we do. It wasn't any less because of who He was, it wasn't made any easier for Him. The same heart breaks, pain, guilt, sickness, and all else, He has felt. He has endured so that He can help us when we experience it. How much love He and our Heavenly Father have for us!

I am so grateful for this knowledge. I'm grateful I can serve and teach and wear Christ's name every day. Til the work is done!

Sister Skagen

What Didn't Go Wrong...?

Probably one of the craziest weeks of my mission.

1. 

Our washer = full of water after the dry cycle. 

Sisters = "We have got to get the water out."

Sisters = try to drain it using the drain whole about the size of a quarter.

Sisters = UNPREPARED FOR THE VELOCITY AT WHICH THE WATER EXITED MACHINE.

Drain = won't allow sisters to screw stopper back in

Door = bang bang bang!

Sisters = o___O  ?!?!? 

Door = BANG BANG BANG BANG!!

Sisters = Trying to deal with massive amounts of water flooding our house AND freaking out because of previous experience of creepy people at our door

Door = BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG BANG!!

Sisters = Call Elders

Elders = come speedy quick and half without shoes on

Our Polish neighbors just about broke our door down because their house was raining...

We are good tenants, promise!

2.

May or may not have flushed our phone down the toilet. 

Either that or some youths stole it.

Can't be sure.

3.

We were nearly mooned.

4. 

Patrick is awesome, came to church AND he drew a little ghost in the margins of the Book of Mormon where it talks about the Holy Ghost. So cute!

5. Super size Diet Coke at BK.

Basically, It was super crazy.

I love mission life. 

Sister Skagen

"Choose eternal life as your highest priority, and notice how other choices fall into place."

 - President Russell M. Nelson

Hip Cramps Are Real

We went to West Cork again and visited some friends. They are so great but they live so far so they don't get a whole lot of interaction with church members. But they are amazing people!

AH. I feel like nothing funny happened but I know that there is laughter in each and every day. 

Oh! Our photo in the car was quite funny. It was literally the smallest car I have ever been in.

And it was so full! Things on our laps, by our feet, behind our heads. 

I legitimately had a hip cramp from two hour ride. 

We had a District Conference in Limerick and it was so good.

Something that was said was this:

"He has no hands but ours."

We are responsible for spreading the message of Jesus Christ. To love, live and serve as He did. That is our duty! He can only use us if we are willing. 

"When obedience ceases to be an irritant, but becomes our quest, that's when God endows us with power."

I have witnessed this! I have a testimony that we are powerful and we are happier when we follow the commandments of God. It is true! I know it. 

I am grateful to represent Him and serve the people of Scotland and Ireland. 

Sister Skagen

6 More Weeks Of Winter

I'm staying in Cork my last transfer with Sister Buhler! hollaaa

Sis. Buhler: "Hey! You're on your last planner!"

Me: ":''''( WHY WOULD YOU SAY THAT TO ME?!" 

hahaha I'm going to miss this...6 more weeks of the best experience of my life!

We visited a few more friends in West Cork this week. Josephine is in a nursing home but guess what she did when she was 17?

FLEW PLANES DURING WORLD WAR 2! 

She is the coolest. 

Sometimes at members, Sister Buhler likes to make me be "Samuel Lamanite" and the children get to throw things at me. #bestcompanionever 

One of the Elder's investigators taught us some yoga this week. Who knew it's actually pretty hard? The Elder's were totally lying when they said they weren't sore from it! 

We had a Top Secret Party with the Stapleton children.. SIster Buhler and I were scarfing down pizza right before the branch activity because we hadn't eaten... CAUGHT. Niamh and Mark found us so we snuck them a piece and took a photo :)

Til The Work Is Done!

Sister Skagen

West Cork.. Best Cork?

Okay so apparently there were issues with myldsmail and nobody got my e-mails :( I'm so sorry! I wrote you all back! I will try to forward everything and send last weeks e-mail again. 

Wow. What an insane week. 

First lesson with a former investigator--

Him: "Can you have boyfriends?"

"Not here but at home, yes."

"Do you have boyfriends?"

We both say "Yes."

"Well, it was great to meet you."

SHAKES OUR HANDS- 

GETS UP-

AND LEAVES.

hahahahaha. 

The member with us was just like "Uh.. what just happened?"

hahaha we are still laughing about it. 

We went to West Cork which is BEAUTIFUL. I will attach photos. :)

We had this whole day planned out to borrow the elders car and go to West Cork to visit some less active friends and so we are driving and..

I get this feeling we shouldn't go. o___O

but.. but.. we planned this whole thing! And even had diet coke and chocolate in the car!

We'd driven about an hour so we pulled over, prayed and decided to drive back to see how we felt. But we had to use the toilet so we stopped in a little town called Clonakilty to find one.

This lady sees us in passing:

Her: "Hi!"

"Hello! How are you?"

she keeps staring at our badges

"Have you met missionaries before?"

Turns out she is a member that moved here about a year ago and has had no contact with the church. She has been praying for a year to find missionaries or members and WHAT ARE THE CHANCES THAT WE STOPPED IN THIS TOWN.

God is real. He hears our prayers. He will accomplish what He needs to - His work will not be frustrated!

AND WE GOT TO SEE INGRID. A member from Germany who lives at the very bottom of Ireland on an island called Baltimore. I've talked to her on the phone every week since I've been here and have developed such a friendship with her and we FINALLY got to go visit her!

I am so thankful to be a missionary! I know that Christ's gospel has been restored to the earth and that is our beautiful message to the world! It is the truth!

Love,

Sister Skagen

I think all I talk about is Food

Happy Valentines Day!  <--- it's so cute! can you see it? 

I hope everyone took a bit of extra time to show your loved ones that you care.

Sister Buhler was such a grand (such an Irish word) valentine! She even decorated my desk with fake rose petals hahaha so funny. 

It's a good thing we both like the same chocolate and are both addicted to diet coke.

Seriously. It's becoming a problem haha. It's so good! I am getting large. Don't be surprised if I roll outta the airport! 

Tuesday of this week was one of the best days on my mission. All of our appointments kept and we stopped a man on the street who sat down with us right then. He even bought us diet coke at a super posh restaurant!

I love meeting so many people. Everyone has a story! I'm grateful that I have so much time to really listen to people, spend less time attached to my phone and learn from these other humans who, although they sound a bit different, are my brothers and sisters. 

Jesus Christ is the Light! Miracles do happen! I love this work!

Sister Skagen

p.s. my hair is getting so long!

I like pineapple on my pizza

Woah. Crazy week.

I had the same pizza 3 times.
To be fair, we didn't really have another option with all the traveling and moving. 

Sister Buhler is hilarious. We are going to have 6-packs by the end of our time together because we literally laugh every second. 

We went to Dublin for a conference with President Hallstrom and Elder Obando who were wonderful. 

Something that really stuck out to me:

"Too many of us have grown up active in the Church and less active in the Gospel."

Are we active in the gospel of Jesus Christ? Is it a part of us or only words we hear as we sit in the congregation on Sunday's?

The time of change is now. Be courageous, fear not to move ahead in all areas of righteousness. Be who you were meant to become. 

I'm so thankful for this time I have to be in Ireland and learn so much each and every day!

I love my Saviour Jesus Christ!

Sister Skagen

p.s. Amanda Crawley, LOOK WHO IS WAITING ON HIS VISA BUT SERVING IN DUBLIN!!!!! Elder (Nathan) Reid!! whaaaaaaaaaaatttt.