Christmas Week:)

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!  And man am I merry!!!! 

Smiley and Elder Leal

Elder Stott, Elder Leal and Elder Mills. Good lookin group of missionaries.

 Yesterday was our Christmas Conference down in Sydney with every missionary in the mission.  Man it was so cool to see all of those missionaries and to catch up with old friends from past transfers and the MTC.  I got to see Elder Cummings and we were so excited to see each other we gave each other a huge hug!!!  Man I love that guy!:)  He's serving down in South Coast and is smashing it down there.  Hey!  Guess what????  He told me while we were talking that I have picked up a little bit of an accent!!:)  Haha I guess you guys will be the judges of that when we skype on Saturday!!  Man I'm so excited to see you guys it's gonna be so much fun.  Haha it's gonna be so much fun!!!!:)  I got a picture with Sister Stott my cousin!!!!:)  She's going to Utah State when she gets home!!!!  So I told her that she'll have to meet all of you guys when we get home.:)  

Elder Stott and Sister Stott, yes they are cousins!

Note of how these two are related: Danielle's great great grandpa and Dalton's great great great grandpa are the same William Henry Stott (came from England made there way up  the Mississippi river to St Louis and then across the plains to Salt Lake and settled in central Utah. William Henry had 17 children, so if you are a Stott and have ties to Utah, YES we are related. Go Stott clan and spread the "Good News" to our friends in the Land Down Under!!

 Sorry for all of the smiley faces I am just so happy!!!!

I have been so happy since I have came out on my mission.  Everybody always comments on my smile and how I never stop smiling and I was thinking to myself why do I smile all of the time?  I thought to myself why not smile!!!:)  I have always wanted to serve a mission and here I am doing it.  I am fulfilling my duty as a Son of God.  I am living my life the way God wants me to live my life.  I am making my family proud I am making my God proud and I am making myself proud!!!  So why not smile!!!!:)  I tried paying attention to how much I really do smile and how much more I smile then other people yesterday at the Christmas conference to see if I really do smile that much.  Everybody yesterday came up to me and said how much they loved my smile haha and like 5 missionaries who I didn't know at all wanted a picture with me because oh my smile.:)  Haha I'm known in the mission as "the missionary that smiles":) I am so grateful for my loving Heavenly Father for giving me this gift to share with others.  Mudgee has been really really slow lately.  We have been working really hard and getting absolutely nothing.  Nobody wants to talk to us or anything.  So I thought a couple weeks ago were just gonna walk around town and all I'm going to do is smile at people.  Not try and talk to them just smile at them as we pass by.  So far no visible success but some people I can see them smile back and they are happier.  We are so blessed and have every cause to be happy in life and sometimes all we have to do is let other people see that happiness and light through our smile.:)  So smile!!!!:):):)  

I LOVE MUDGEE!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe next week at this time it will be transfers and who knows where I will be.  I have mixed feelings about this upcoming transfer.  I have worked hard here in Mudgee over these past 4 months and I feel like it's time to move onto another page in the book but this little town of 9,000 people has changed my life.  Through this little town the Lord has molded me into the man he wants me to become.  He is not done molding me but my life has changed because of the blessed privilege I have had to serve here.  I love this town so much and I don't know if when the time comes I will be able to leave it.  I am so blessed to be a missionary and to be able to serve in Mudgee.  I got to give a talk this past Sunday about the Gifts of Christmas and I asked this question "What is the greatest gift you have ever received during Christmas?"  My talk was based off of President Henry B. Eyring's talk about this exact topic. https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/christmas-devotional/2011/12/the-gifts-of-christmas?lang=eng I invite you to read and it answers that question.  This Christmas season has been different it still doesn't feel like Christmas cuz it's blasted hot outside, no snow, and no family.  It's different being with no family during the Holidays.  It has made me come to realize really what CHRISTmas is about.  I have one present wrapped underneath our little tree and I am so grateful for that.  CHRISTmas is not about the presents or Santa or decorations don't get me wrong these things are great and I love them just as much as the next person but these things are not what CHRISTmas is about.  We all know what CHRISTmas is about and I encourage all of us to remember that.

Skype!!!!!!

 I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!:):)  I remember being in the MTC and thinking man the next time I get to see my family is Christmas that is so far away that's gonna take forever to get here and now in a blink of an eye I get to see you guys in 4 days!!!!  We'll skype around 10:30 here so what is that 4:30 there so you best be ready.:)  Can't wait to see your guys smiling faces I have missed seeing them all of the time.  I have a picture in my white bible that I look at every morning to see you guys haha but this picture that I will look at on Saturday will move and talk back.  Can't wait!!!!  Love you guys!:)  

Wise Word for the Elder

 One thing we all can remember The Lord is always at the door, His hand is always outstretched, His back is never turned, it is just up to us to open that door, or grab that hand, or to not turn our backs on Him.

Love Elder Stott :)

See you on Saturday 10:30:):):):):):):)