Missionary Life is GREAT

January flew by February flew by and now March is here!!! 

I can't believe my birthday is this week.  19 holy crap!!!! I'm old haha :) I am excited to be out serving my mission and to have a birthday on my mission.  It will be a super cool experience and I am excited for it.   I thought to myself there is nothing I would rather be doing on my birthday then serve and fast and help my brother come closer to Christ.  SOME STEAKS!!!!!  Haha oh man that sounds so good right now!!!!  Were definitely going to do that and plan for a night that works I'm thinking we might do that Sunday night cuz were pretty busy this week.  Haha dad I loved your pictures they made me crack up!!!:)  Haha I love the shorts.  I haven't really seen very many pictures from your mission but your lookin stylin' with those shorts.:) We have an elder in the zone that is from Georgia maybe you served in his town I'll have to ask him where he lives.  Thank you all for the birthday wishes I know that it is going to be a memorable birthday I am just so blessed to be able to celebrate it out on my mission.    

(Georgia Atlanta Mission 1986-88 Dalton's Old Pops cooking up steaks)

Soon to be Uncle Dalton (Elder Stott) again!

Danica wow are you excited about Friday? Haha I bet!:)  Patrick is such a lucky boy to be born into the Spendlove family.  He is going to raised on the gospel principles and raised with a loving parents and grandparents and of course an awesome uncle!!!:)  I have prayed and fasted for everything to go right on Friday and I know and I know that all of you guys know that everything will work out the way God has planned for it to work out.  If we put our trust in God he will do the rest.  I can't wait to see him when I get home he's going to be big when I come home which is perfect cuz we'll get him started into golf right when I get back.:)  Good luck with everything I know it will all go well.  

  This past week has been a very good week.   

Haha this week has flown by man oh man time just goes faster and faster it is crazy!!!  We had zone conference this past week and that was great!!!  I always love zone conference and it is always a spiritual feast.  I always learn so much and grow.  President Back is amazing!  I have had to lean on him and Sister Back so much on my mission and every time he has been there.  Whether it has been through asking for help mentally or with my weaknesses or confessing and repenting of mistakes or having a chat to lift me up he has been there for me every time.  One of the big thing that President Back emphasizes is to have others see the example of Christ in us.  I see the example of Christ in President Back.  He is so loving and so kind, he is patient with all us missionaries, he understands all of us, he is knowledgeable, I could go on and on and on but President Back is a great servant of the Lord and he has and continues to help me so much.  One of his favorite things that he likes to say is that the Atonement is real.  I want to testify of what President Back tells all of us all the time.  The Atonement of Jesus Christ is real and it changes all of our lives.  It has changed my life so many times.  It is so amazing that we are able to make mistakes no matter what it is no matter how many times we are able to ask for forgiveness be forgiven and move on.  Before my mission I used the atonement but I wasn't very good at the last part in forgiving myself and moving past it but through what I have learned on my mission is that is what makes the Atonement so amazing that, that is exactly what we are able to do.  If we make a mistake we come before the Lord and repent and once we do that we are forgiven "He remembers no more" and so we should not dwell on our mistakes we have been forgiven and so we too must move on.  I have learned that on my mission and so much more about the Atonement.  I challenge you if you have not used the Atonement in your life to clear up mistakes then use it.  If you are scared to talk to your bishop your are making the biggest mistake of your life because the peace and joy you feel once that burden is lifted is indescribable.  Don't keep moving forward in guilt and darkness.  2 Nephi 2:25 "Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy."  The Atonement is what brings that joy that we are all suppose to have.  President Back told me one time that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is suppose to be taken advantage of we are suppose to use and it is a shame if we don't use it because we are missing out on some of the best blessings we can receive.  This Sunday we also had a stake broadcast from the church to all of the members in the pacific area.  It was really good we got to hear from Elder Quentin L. Cook and a few other speakers and it was really good.  It was a lot about faith and scripture study.  One of the speakers Elder Callister said "do you go to bed at night not eating? then you shouldn't go to bed at night without reading your scriptures sometime during the day because the scriptures is what feed us spiritually."  It was a really good conference and it was cool because it was broadcasted from Salt Lake City. 

 We have a new investigator!!!

We have a new investigator and his name is C_____.  We are working with him with another pair of Elders.  The other Elders were the ones that started teaching him but he lives in our ward boundaries so we are both working with him and he is doing really good. This Saturday we are going to be fasting with him to know if the Book of Mormon is true and if Joseph Smith is a true prophet.  He is a really great guy and he really has a desire he just wants to make sure that this is the right church.  He is reading in the Book of Mormon and we know that as he continues to read he will come to find out that it is true.  Our other investigators are still the same it's been hard to meet with them but we are really focusing on the Less-Actives in our ward.  We are working with a lot of them right now and we really want to help them come back to church we are working hard with them and hopefully we can rekindle that fire that was once inside of them. 

How are all you guys doing?

  I know you guys are all doing good because I reviewed over my notes the other day from when I was set-apart and one of them said that my family will be watched over and protected while I am out serving.:)  God truly is amazing and watches over all of us.  Haha Rickie's golf shoes are SWEET!!!!  Haha I'm gonna have to get me a pair when I get home.:)  It's been really hot here lately on Wednesday it got to 43 C (109.4 F) with 60% humidity it was awful!!  Haha we were blessed to have zone conference that day so we were inside that A/C chapel mostly all day.:) How is work Caleb are you almost done with school? How is my car dad? Do you still have it or did you sell it haha I loved that car.  Hi John how are you mate? Have your parents bought you some plastic golf clubs yet?  If not you better tell them to get on that.  Hi Rotor hope your not causing to much trouble.  Dani I love you thanks for being the best big sibling anybody could ever have.  Good luck with everything on Friday can't wait to see some pictures.  Thanks Hawkins, Larsons, Grandma for the birthday wishes and everybody else.  Parker holy crap man your getting married!!!!  I'm surprised she said yes with your grizzly bear adams beard.:)  Haha just kiddin you guys will be great and will raise a great family in the Church.  Happy late birthday Livvy and happy birthday this week Lexi.  Love you Aunt Jami and Uncle Dan thanks for the cool email.  Mum and Dad thanks for everything celebrate my birthday at home because were definitely going to have a party here with our STEAKS!!!!! :)

How's your UKE skills coming along?

  Ya Elder Delahunty is teaching me quiet a few songs on my Uke and I am getting pretty good I'll have to record some songs and send them to you guys.   

Are you learning any word in any other languages?

Ya I am starting to pick up a few words especially in Tongan because we have a lot of Tongan members in our ward.   

Wise Words from the Elder

 Tips for reading in 2 Nephi.  Haha everybody struggles with those chapters.  I have read them  couple times on my mission and what I like doing is first pray for help to understand them, second use the footnotes, and third take my time reading them.  Whenever I read those chapters I read each verse a couple of times and make sure I understand them.  Even if it takes you a while to read through the chapters it is ok.  Some things other missionaries have told me and when they read those chapters is as there reading them they write down notes for each verse and then read over them after the chapter. :)

Well I got to go time is short but I love all of you guys and thanks again for all the birthday wishes I know this going to be the best birthday ever!!!!  I only get to celebrate my 19th birthday once and I wouldn't want to celebrate anywhere else then on my mission.  The church is true and the Atonement is real.

Love Elder Stott :)

NEVER STOP SMILING it takes more muscles to frown then to smile :)