Transfer #8

HI EVERYBODY!!!!!!  

Fefe Hake?!?! Haha that's "how are you" in Tongan :)  So how are you guys?  Man thanks for the awesome emails and WHAT??????? I heard this past week from members that Kevin Durant went to the Warriors!!  What is he doing?????  Man he should have stayed with OKC they would have had it this upcoming year.  I heard they were so close to beating the Warriors and then they would have just smashed the Cav's man that is crazy that he moved!!!!  Haha I think it's a good thing I'm out here on my mission so I don't really have to worry about all of that crazy stuff and I don't hear of to much of it haha I just work as a missionary and hear all about Rugby. :)  Well things have been good here I can't believe how fast it is going!!!!!  I hit 11 months today!!!!  Haha what the heck!!!  It seems like yesterday mum and dad I was in the Dart driving down to the MTC with you guys and that was 11 months ago!!!!   That is so crazy!!!!!  The time goes so fast.  Next month I will hit my year mark and everybody just always says that once you hit a year its just downhill from there!!!  Haha my mission is crazy and the only thing I hate about it is how fast it is going I wish it would slow down but I am putting my head down and going to work and I know that is all I can do!!!:)


 

Crazy so another transfer over!!!!!  

I have been in MacArthur for 7 months which is a pretty long time to stay in one are especially for our mission.  So everybody was for sure that I was moving haha all of the members and all of the missionaries in the zone haha even I thought I was going to get moved to a new area which I was excited about.  Haha Saturday night we got the transfer details and only one of us out of the four in our flat was moving.  Haha and it wasn't me.  Elder Ferreira from Brazil was the only one in the flat getting transferred.  We were all shocked!!!  Haha it was crazy!!  I am staying another transfer in MacArthur!!!:)  Haha by the end i will have been here for 8 1/2 months haha which is almost 1/3 of my mission is one area!!!:)  It's crazy and a lot of people are surprised but to be honest I am excited!!!!  I KNOW that I need to stay here for another transfer I have no idea why but I trust in the Lord and the plan that He has for me and I will follow Him.  We have a lot coming up this transfer which will make this transfer super fun!!!  We have J____'s baptism coming up on the 23rd of this month and so I am excited to get to stay for that!  We have some good things coming up in the ward and we have been having some success while finding as well so I am excited!!!  To be honest I was kind of bummed a little at first because you know I would like to move around and see some different places but after we got our details I went upstairs in our flat and said a really heart felt prayer and I was comforted so much by the Spirit and I know it is all according to God's plan.  We have had one change though!  So me and Elder Delahunty are staying together but this transfer we are going to be in a Trio-companionship with another Elder named Elder Ledbetter.  He is a cool guy from Sacramento California!  He has been out one transfer longer then me so just over a year and I am excited to have him join us here in MacArthur.  I don't know how Elder Delahunty feels about it but I know it will all be good and it will all work out.  Haha it will be a little bit different being in a trio and I'm sure it will take a little while for us to all figure it out but I'm sure it won't take to long and we'll get rollin' real good and get a lot of work done!!!:)  Dad were you ever in a Trio on your mission?  I am excited for this transfer a little change to be in a trio but still here in MacArthur but it will be good and keep working hard wherever the Lord calls me to serve.  Haha everybody is starting to call me the Grandpa in MacArthur haha it's kind of crazy how long I have been here it does not feel like I have been in MacArthur for 7 months.  Oh ya we also have another new Elder in our flat.  Elder Li who is companions with Elder Ghanadan.  Elder Li is from Hong Kong China who all I've seen so far has eaten noodles and rice but he is a good guy and I'm excited to serve with him in the ward.  

Our new trio (best trio ever!)

 

This past week has been another good one!!!!  

J___ is still doing awesome!!!!  And were still working towards the 23rd which is next Saturday for his baptism.  I can't believe it's already almost here it is so crazy and so cool and I am so excited for him.  Were also gonna start working with him a lot with family history and working on going to the temple right after he is baptized.  That is something President Back has really made a priority for our recent converts is to get them into the temple 30 days after baptism to do baptisms for the dead for there own family names they found through family history!  It's so awesome and that's what we are working with him now and just keep progressing for baptism.  We had a really good lesson this past week with him about Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy and how important it is and he loved it and I loved it to cuz as we were preparing for the lesson I learned some things that I never knew.  It's so awesome that is where I learn the most and feel the Spirit the most is when I am studying and preparing for the investigators and less-actives that we are working with.  It is good!  Um...let's see what else happened this week?  Oh ya!!  I don't remember if I told you guys last week but we had another mission conference this past week with an Elder and Sister Graham who are the area psychiatrist for this part of the world and they are based down in New Zealand.  We had an awesome time with him and we talked a lot about the things that I was going this at the start of this year.  It made me feel so good to look back and say I went through all of that and I made it through.  I still struggle at times but I am strong enough now and have things I can use to be able to fight back and not let my mind get the control of me and tear me down.  It was really good and we also had an awesome training by Sister Back about what true success means as a missionary and I know it helped so many missionaries including me.  I wish members could hear her training cuz I think so many people think that baptisms determine a successful missionary.  Her training was super good!  I know you mum and dad that you guys know what is a successful missionary because there are some things that no matter how hard we work we can't do anything about.  I am so grateful for you mom and dad and how understanding you guys are.  Thank you so much for what you guys said about my weaknesses that I am struggling with you guys helped me out so much everything you said was perfect.  I am trying to find out what that perfect missionary is like and then becoming that perfect missionary and one thing I have found out that a perfect missionary is never going to be perfect and he needs a good balance.  That is what I try to do and just have fun doing it!!!:) 

Fears

Mom and Dad I will tell you guys one thing and that is my biggest fear on my mission.  My biggest fear is that I don't want to return home in vain or return home with any regrets from my mission.  I know that I need not worry about it because my future is in the Lord's hands but I just at times think about it and that I don't want that to happen.  I know that as I keep working hard and trying my best that is all I can do and the Lord will take care of the rest and I just need to trust in that.  Haha I know how to overcome my fear but I just have to get myself to just believe it! :) 

I definitely will apply what you guys say and let my mind wander at times which I already do but not to often but now I know that I don't have to feel bad about doing it.  I love what you guys said just keeping a good balance!!!:)  I love that!!!!  Haha it is kind of exciting to think about the future though haha cuz we have so much to look forward to after my mission but haha I never want my mission to end.  Haha don't worry dad I'm sure we won't be going anywhere to far away from home haha but I guess there will be two voices on that one (me and my wife lol)

Family and Stuff

 
Man that is way cool congrats Peter at work!!!!:)  

Happy B-Day John!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Wow your gonna be 3!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Your growing up!!  Next year your gonna get to go to pre-school!!!!  That's crazy!  I love you John tell your parents to get you some golf clubs so you can start practicing! :)  

Haha Dad your b-day is still ages away!!!! :)  Haha maybe I'll get you a meat pie. :)  

That is so crazy that Kolten Pierson comes home next week.  You will have to tell him to email me. :)  

Haha nope dad I never got my suitcase back and I don't reckon I ever will.  Haha it's somewhere in Tonga. :)  No I haven't gotten another one but I haven't had to haha because I haven't moved for a while.:)  

Um...the funnest thing we have done on P-Day was most definitely when we went golfing out in Mudgee with Ethan Pritchard!!!!:)  But bowling and lazer tag is fun and so is just sports at the chapel is always fun!! :) 

 

Well I gotta get goin but thanks for everything!!!  I love you guys!!!  I am excited to stay another 6 weeks here in MacArthur I know that is what the Lord needs and I will go and do.  Love you guys have a great week!!!!!  HAPPY B-DAY JOHN!!!!!!!

Love Elder Stott :):):):):)

Happy 3rd birthday John!