Dirty Boots, Busy Week, Working Hard, Tired As, Having Fun

We Are Busy, Busy, Busy

These Boots were made for Working!!!

HI everybody!!!!!  Haha well I attached a photo that pretty much summed up this past week.  We have been so busy from 10 after studies pretty much until 9:30 which is latest we can be back in our flat.  Everyday has been filled with awesome work and activities and this upcoming week is just the same.  Haha it's crazy and me and Elder Newman are so beat and tired all of the time but we love it because we know we are on the work of the Lord and that He does give us enough strength to do His work.  We are seeing not so much miracles but so many small little tender mercies and blessings each and everyday down here.  And it is all because of our obedience.  Now we are not perfect and I am no where close to perfect and there are some mornings where I still sleep in haha because we are working so hard but one truth that I do know is that God does not expect perfection but He does expect a willingness to try.  We are trying our best each and everyday and we are seeing so many tender mercies each day because of it!!!!!  Man I just love this Gospel and I love my mission!!!!!!!!!!!!!:):):):):)  

General Conference

Mum I loved what you said about our Church History trip back to Nauvoo and stuff and haha it was really cool because I gave a talk yesterday in church and my topic was the Restoration and I talked about that trip that we went on.  I still remember that trip to this day and how I loved it so much because it strengthened my testimony of the Restoration and of the Prophet Joseph Smith so much!!!  I loved what you shared about how we don't worship our leaders but we do support and love them.  I am so excited for General Conference!!!!!  Man I can't wait and haha it's hard because we get it a week later over here but it'll be awesome and man just can't wait.  General Conference is just a spiritual feast for us to go to and listen to and learn how we can become more like Jesus Christ and follow in His footsteps and how we can run our family to be the happiest and what we need to do to prepare for whatever is coming next.  That is the most amazing thing about the Prophets and conference is they can prepare us of things that are going to happen!  How awesome?  Haha can't wait for Conference weekend.

 The Week

Okay so yep this week has been great!!!  We have been very busy and this upcoming week is the same.  Haha we already have at least one or two things already planned for each day this week and man it's great!!!!  Staying busy and the times just flies by.  This is the last week of the transfer!!!  Wow I can't believe it already!!! Me and Elder Newman are both hoping that we are both going to stay and we are pretty sure that we both will haha because we are so far down here.:) 

So on Monday last Monday was good P-day after emails we did our shopping and everything and then we went on another hike with the S_______ which was probably the coolest one yet.  We went to this sweet tower that they used to use along with a lighthouse on the other side to help the ships come into the bay and dock it was really cool.  After that D____ wasn't able to come on the hike but we all met back at the S_______ home and had dinner and had a lesson with D_____.  D_____ is doing GREAT!!!!!  Man he just wants to learn so much and is so smart and understands so much and he is great!!  Haha me and Elder Newman are having a hard time prepping his lessons because we have already taught him everything we usually teach people before they are baptized.  He is the man!!!:)  

Tuesday we had to get our car serviced out in Bega about 30 minutes from Merimbula so while we were waiting and haha it took me back to the days when I serviced cars at your work dad. :)  So while we were waiting we did our weekly planning and did a little bit of finding and had some lunch. :)  That afternoon we did some service for Mandeni and spent some time with the S________.  Haha so Merimbula is a lot like Mudgee where we have to try and think of different ways to do finding and out of the box ideas.  Brother S________ is very smart and he loves to do War Gaming.  I don't know if you guys have heard of it but it's just like really advanced board games with little guys that you fight with and man it's so much fun!!!!!!  Haha me and Elder Newman joke around saying that we both found our nerdy side to ourselves and that is War Gaming haha.  But anyways there is a game night every Wednesday that we go to with J_____ S______ and we play and we use that as finding and it works really good and that is actually how we found D_____!!!:)  Anyways so me and Elder Newman aren't to good yet so Tuesday night J_____ set- up a match for us and we are starting to play and get a little bit better.  The one game that we play is called Flames of War which is WW2 era and it's so much fun!!  Haha Tuesday night I beat Elder Newman but when we played at game night on Wednesday Elder Newman beat me.  Haha it's heaps fun and me and Elder Newman want to play when we get home. :)  

Wednesday so I am sure you guys are getting lot's of pictures of a shed that we are building with the S_______ and this past week we have pretty much finished the outside!!!:)  It's coming along great and haha I am learning a lot as we go.  Elder Newman is awesome and a great builder and know's what he is doing which is good haha because I am totally lost so I just stand there and hold the things up and haha do as much as I can without screwing everything up.:)  So Wednesday morning and afternoon we did that and then we had game night that night with D_____ and J____.:)  

The Shed.

Thursday was another busy day full of service we helped the S_______ a little bit more and we went over to the P_____'s home and helped them out in the afternoon building some desks and chairs and tables and stuff.  Haha  am learning a lot of good things to use after my mission.:)  Things that my awesome dad has always known. :)  That night we had an awesome visit with B___ and C______ P_____ and there kids and we had dinner and guess what they fed us??  Haha Kangaroo!  Haha I can finally say that I have had Kangaroo and it was pretty good.  I tasted a lot like deer and it was pretty gamy but it was pretty good.  

Friday we were very busy.  Early in the morning about 7:00 AM we helped B____ and C______ P______ with some concrete which was hard work but fun and then at 9:30 we had our DTM over the phone which is always good and then that afternoon we met with the W_____ family and with a Sister in the Branch Sister S_______ which was a great night with her and her non-member husband.  

Saturday was another good day!:)  Haha in the morning we had our 5k run again.:)  So last week I got 30:25 so my goal this week was to break 30 minutes.  Haha and guess what my time was???:)  This week I got 30:05. Haha dang it so close but that's okay I have something to work towards this week as well.:)  We are also using the run Saturday morning as a good finding tool as well and it's going great!!:)  After that we did some service for a non-member friend that we have and did some finding in the afternoon.  We then had our MCM meeting with our branch mission leader and dinner with his family as well. :)  

Sunday we had Church and Church is awesome as always and I gave my talk on the Restoration and we also had an awesome lesson with D_____ and man he just keeps surprising us in how much he knows and how fast he learns!:)  In the afternoon we did some visits to some members and less-actives in the branch and had a good day.   On Sunday night's we go home at dark and we always cook a lot of food haha because we have been doing this transfer which is working amazing is every Sunday we fast for our area and our investigators and for those people we will come in contact with.  Haha so Sunday night we always cook a lot of food.  Last night we had Spaghetti.:) 
 

Yep so this has been the past week and it's been great!!!  Haha this is a picture of my work boots that I wear doing service that I got from the P_______'s out in Mudgee but haha this was after I tried to clean them off a bit.  Working hard and it feels great!!!!!:)  

We Asked He Answered

Okay this week I know I have been bad lately but I will answer your guys questions.:)  Haha yeah!!!!!  

So dad your questions first.  Fish and Chips?  Nope I haven't had a whole lot but everybody is saying that, that is because we are just coming out of winter and into spring so once summer hits we will definitely for sure have some.  Haven't had to much seafood here but in my other areas we had some and it's okay.  I like fish but all of the other sea creatures like prawns and oysters and squid and stuff haha are pretty weird.:)  Yep so what we eat here is a lot like Mudgee and that is just the Aussie food.  Which is a lot of baked veggies with a lamb roast or sausages and we have a lot of eggs on a bread roll with some bacon and stuff.  We have a lot of pasta dishes like aussie's love there Spaghetti Bolanese what they call it but haha it's pretty much just Spaghetti.  Things we make at the flat we make a lot of pasta dishes with different simmer sauces because they are easy we just cook either chicken of beef and then some noodles and then whatever sauce we like.  We also do a lot of Chicken with a sauce packet over rice which is nice and easy.:)  We also do breakfast a lot for dinner and we do Mexican Bars.:)  Lunch we do mostly just quesadillas or sandwiches just whatever is fast and easy.  Haha and of course about twice a week I make popcorn at night after planning and stuff.:)  

Yes we have been very close a few time to hitting some Roo's especially when we were out in Mudgee.  And yep that like one of the first things they tell us when we are learning to drive it to not swerve to just hit the Roo because it can be more dangerous to try and swerve to miss the Roo.  But thankfully we haven't hit any yet and I'm doing good haha knock on wood I haven't gotten any tickets or anything on my mission.:)  

Mum's questions a grey bag???  What grey bag the one when we go hiking with A____ (one of the S_________ kids in it) or my little one that I use to proselyte with?  

(Mum asked "where's your dark suit?)Haha ya I have 3 suits cuz I have my grey one (which I'm sure you can tell I love) I have a blue one that was given to me by a member in MacArthur ward and then I have my black one.  So that one I don't wear to much because it doesn't fit the best but I do wear it sometimes but I am saving it just in case someone needs a suit like another missionary or something.  Haha maybe it will be like my suitcase or my other pair of shoes.  

Yep so we have 3 hours of church it starts at 10 and goes until 1.  We have Sacrament first and then Sunday School and the all of the kids have primary and then the 3rd block is Priesthood and Relief Society and yep we have YM/YW we have two of each in our branch.  It's just like normal church just with less people but the branch is great! We have about 35-40 members a week.:)  

Yep I gave my talk yesterday and we don't teach to many lessons in church this branch is run very organized and it's great and so we don't have to do a whole lot on Sundays unless we are asked to but we are in charge of the Sacrament and blessing it.  

Oh something you asked dad was about giving Priesthood Blessings.  I don't think I have shared a whole lot about this on my mission but some of the coolest experiences I have had and most spiritual was while we were giving people Priesthood Blessings.  My testimony has grown so much of the Priesthood power that we really do have.  We do not give them all of the time but we do when we are called upon to do so.  We like to have the family members give the blessings but if that is not possible we are there to help.  I wish to share some of my experiences with you guys but I don't think I can express my feelings over an email so we will have to save those for after my mission.:)  

We are suppose to be in our flat at 9:00 unless we are in a lesson then we can be out until 9:30.
 

Well I gotta get going but thanks for everything Elder Newman hit his year mark this past week and wow how fast it really does go!!!!  Love you guys all and have a great week!  Remember the basics of the Gospel and stick to them.  Thanks mum and dad and Dani and all family for everything that you guys do I love you guys heaps!!!!!:)
Love Elder Stott