A Family Reunion That Motivates and Encourages

So great to see everyone!

Hi guys!!!!  How are all of yous? Because I am doing great!!  What a privilege it was to see all of you guys last week.  Man it was AWESOME!!!  I'm glad you guys are all doing good and you guys all look awesome!! I don't know if I told you mom but I love you hair!:)  It was so good to see all of you guys!!  I remember when I was set-apart as a full-time missionary by my stake president in the blessing he gave me he said that I would not have to worry about my family and that they would all be taken care of while I was serving my mission.  That has happened while I have been out and I am so grateful.  I have not worried about my family at all while I have been out because I KNOW that God will watch over and protect my family.  He always has and He always will.  1 Nephi 10:18 "For he is the same yesterday, today, and forever;..." From the beginning of man He has watched over us and protected us and blessed us.  He loves us no matter what!  and we show our love back by trying our best to keep His commandments, serve faithfully in our callings, and repent when we make mistakes.  We try our best and we will be rewarded for our efforts.  So great to see you guys and just man it was awesome!!!:)  You know how we talked and how we wanted the Skype call help rejuvenate me and make me not lose focus.  I know that we all prayed and fasted for this to happen and I know for me that it did happen!:)  The call was so awesome for me.  It helped recharge my batteries so to say.  It helped pump me up and encouraged me to keep going.  I know that after we Skype in Christmas it took me a couple of days to get back into the swing of things and back to fully focused but this time after the call right after I was back focused and ready to go.  I didn't miss you guys for long after the call and I was definitely rejuvenated.  Haha I kept telling Elder Delahunty the whole day "it was good to see the family."  haha I think he got sick of me telling him that but haha oh well.:) 

Love this work!

The Skype call and a lot of other times on my mission it has made me realize that ya  I do miss my family and I miss things back home but there is no other place I would rather be in my life then out here on my mission.  Haha I'm sorry mom I love you guys to death but I love every moment of my mission.  I hang on to every memory and experience that I have.  It is weird at time that I love it so much.  It is weird that I love all of the disappointment and rejection but I do.  Haha in 2 Nephi 2:15 it tells us "For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things. If not so, my firstborn in the wilderness, righteousness could not be brought to pass..." It tells us in the scriptures that wherever  there is a good thing there is a bad.  That is just how it works haha and I think it is the same with a lot of missionaries that even though we are constantly disappointed and rejected we still love this work and I definitely l love this work and hold it so dear to my heart.

Anyways this past week has been good.  We have been very busy which is always good and man this week has flown!!  This transfer is flying!!  We only have this week and then next week and then this transfer is over.  Crazy huh?  It seems like I just asked this that's how fast it goes but what do you guys think is going to happen.  Do think I'll stay or go?  I have been here for 3 transfers and have loved it here but you know I am kind of ready for a new view but I know that whatever happens is what the Lord has in plan and that is where I will go.

The week...

Ya so this past week has been good. 

Monday

After our Skype call we had just a normal P-Day with shopping and sports and stuff and had FHE with a member family  the Matamua's.  

Tuesday 

Just a normal day a lot of finding that day and nothing to exciting.  

Wednesday

In the morning we did service for an older sister in our ward and helped her in her yard and then she fed us an awesome lunch!:)  Wednesday afternoon we took a trip down to Mortdale to the mission office because we had to pick up some stuff for the zone and talk to some people down there.  

Thursday 

We had a good day some more finding and weekly planning and that night we had a really good  dinner at a Sister's house.  It was an AWESOME meal!!  it was a very typical Australia meal.  We had mashed potatoes with corn beef, cabbage, roasted pumpkin, and garlic bread and then for dessert we had this bread pudding thing with custard over it.  It was so delicious!!!  Haha ya so there you go that is about a typical Aussie meal.  The member's house we went to she had her sister there who is not a member so that was awesome to get to meet with her and hopefully we can start teaching her.  

Friday 

We had DTM in the morning which is always good because my awesome companion is the District Leader so he is always in charge of it.  And then Friday night we had our ward activity which was so fun!!!  We just had a big feast with a DJ and the theme was old school so we listened to old school music all the night.  Haha it was awesome!!  As missionaries we have strict rules on music and what we can and can't listen to haha but not to lie it was nice to hear something beside church music for a little while.:)  But it was all good because it was a ward activity so it was ok that we listened to that music.:)  

Saturday 

It was kind of a boring day. Well because Elder Delahunty is the District Leader he had to go on tradeoffs with another elder in the zone so I was with the other elders companion who is sick right now.  He has the flu  and throwing up and has migraines so we didn't do anything all day we just stayed in the flat to let him rest.  But that's ok I just hope he gets feeling better.  We had to go and buy some medicine for him but he didn't have any money so I bought it for him I hope that's okay that was what the $20ish dollars was for.  Also I hope it's ok but I am going to buy another blanket today haha because it gets cold here at night's.  Haha you know me I need like 8 blankets at night to stay warm.:)  Oh ya so Saturday night after our trade offs ended me and Elder Delahunty had a very interesting experience.  Our former investigator S_____ texted us and invited us to a prayer meeting of her faith.  We thought it might be good to go to and support her and hopefully gain some trust from her and we can start teaching her again.  Well anyways we went to the prayer meeting haha and it was definitely interesting.  S_____ is Presbyterian and it was very interesting to go to another faiths religious service.  I did feel bad for the people though because almost everything they talked about led all to the restoration and the priesthood and that is why I am grateful that I am out here on my mission right now sharing the truth to those that want to hear it.  

Sunday 

It was an awesome day!!!  I always love Sunday's as a missionary because we get to go to church and I love church.  Thank you mom and dad for teaching me the importance of going to church each Sunday and I am so grateful for it especially as a missionary.  Sunday night was awesome as well.  Our ward put on a fireside and it went very good!!  Us missionaries were in charge of it and we were kind of nervous about how it was going to turn out but it turned out awesome!  It was a musical/play fireside and the spirit was so strong there!  It was titled "I'll find you my friend" if you ever have a chance to look it up it is amazing!!! We also had musical items during the play to break it up.  Us missionaries in the ward did one of the musical items and sang a missionary song called "How can I be" Click Here to listen to the song "How Can I Be?" we also sang in another choir with the youth in the ward and sang "I'll find you my friend" Click here to listen to the song "I'll Find You My Friend" and also mom and Dani you will be so proud of me I played the piano for one song. (Mum is so proud! )  There is a family in the ward that we are getting very close to and that is the M_______ family.  They are the one's that we Skype from last Monday.  Anyways they have a x year old son named C_____.:) The family is Samoan and islanders are known for being really good singers but anyways C____ is an amazing singer and he sang "I am a Child of God" at the fireside and the family wanted me to play the piano for him so I did.:) (Mum is even more proud!)  It was awesome he did such an awesome job.  I wish I could have recorded it and sent it to you guys so you guys could see it.  Also President and Sister Back were there at the fireside so it was awesome to get to see them and I got to have a chat with President Back which was awesome!!!:)  This week has been a very good week and I am having so much fun out here.:)

We asked, he answered....

We noticed you have a slight Aussie accent, are you trying to get the accent?

  Thanks actually I don't even notice it.:)  But I"m glad that I do have an accent.  No I haven't even tried to pick up in accent I guess it has just happened which I am excited about haha now I just have to keep it forever.:)  

When do you get to go to the temple?

  We get to go to the temple next Tuesday and that will be our P-day so I won't email you guys until next Tuesday after we go to the temple.  Ya so we are going as a whole zone and we are the MacArthur zone.

Wise words from the elder

 

Well anyways I gotta get going but thanks for everything guys you are the best!!!  I feel your love and support all the time and I am so grateful for all of you guys in my life and the wonderful example you are to me.  Have a great week and do something you normally wouldn't do for somebody this week.  Mosiah 26:30 "Yea, and as OFTEN as my people repent will I forgive them their trespasses against me." I KNOW THIS IS TRUE BECAUSE IT HAS HAPPENED IN MY LIFE TIME AND TIME AGAIN.

Love Elder Stott