Blink of an Eye
Hello how is everybody? Can you believe it another week gone in a blink of an eye man it scares me how fast it goes by. I dread the day that I have to leave this area, I dread the day that I have to leave my mission, I dread the day I have to go home and why is this? Parts of me is actually excited to go home and to do the stuff that I love to do once more. Go golfing, hang out with family and friends, watch movies, take a nap :) but I feel like the bigger part of me doesn't want to go back. I feel like my heart wants to stay but I know that can't happen. My life is in the Maker's hands and I will go where He wants me to go even if that means return home after my mission is over. I think at times why don't I want to go home it'll be great?! Missionary life is so hard you get constant rejection and persecuted, you are uncomfortable almost all the time, you talk to people on the street about something they want nothing to do with and it is hard draining work that gets very discouraging at times so why don't I want to go home? Why did out of the 12 Nephite Apostles 3 of them wanted to stay on Earth until Christ returns again. They could have had anything in the whole universe, a Ferrari with a big house and a heap of money, they could have asked straight then for Eternal Life and they would have got it. They could have taken advantage of the situation but yet they didn't.
3 Nephi 28:1 "And it came to pass when Jesus had said these words, he spake unto his disciples, one by one, saying unto them: What is it hat ye desire of me, after that I am gone to the Father?"
3 Nephi 28:6 "And he said unto them: Behold, I know your thoughts, and ye have desired the thing which John, my beloved, who was with me in my ministry, before that I was lifted up by the Jews, desired of me."
Why did these 3 men desire this above anything else? I feel there are a couple different reasons one is because of the first and second great commandments.
Matthew 22:36-39 "Master ,which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love thy Lord thy God with all they heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."
A mission teaches young men and young ladies how to really love people and that is what this life is about. Elder Holland teaches us that the first great truth of Heaven is that God LOVES us. That is the first truth is LOVE. I think that is the reason I dread the day I go home because I see so many of my Brothers and Sisters over here in Australia lost and confused and I love them and want to help them. Yes of course I love my family and friends back home I cannot express my love I have for them in an email but the people of Australia have also become my family and friends. For the past 6 months or so I kept denying the fact that I was going home and didn't want to talk about it at all but my out look on this has changed. Another big reason that I and also many others missionaries don't want to go home is because we fear the future. We are comfortable now as a missionary and we just want to stay that way and not change again. Over the past couple of weeks in my studies in the Book of Mormon in the Preach My Gospel and in my prayers I have been comforted a lot to know that I am in His hands and as long as when I return home I stay faithful and try my best to be worthy and apply what I learn everything will work out and my future ya might be hard but it will be fun, enjoyable, and life changing. It was the same when I came out on a mission. I was so excited when I came out and then my first couple of days I was scared, nervous, lost, and wanting to return to the life I knew back home. I then read this scripture in Alma 26:27 "Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success." Haha now look the time is coming soon for me to return home and I don't want to go back. Same with the Sons of Mosiah after this experience they served for 14 years! Haha I don't think they wanted to go home either, so they didn't.:) It is insane to me and always blows my mind to think about how much God loves each and everyone of us and helps all of us in our individual lives. I read this scripture in Alma not to long ago in my studies and that is when my outlook of returning home started to change. That is, "All will be well!!" Life will continue to move forward and one of my favourite sayings which I'm sure you know, "HOLD TO THE ROD AND NEVER LET GO." Will apply in my life forever. It is crazy mum to get all of these things from you about my flight info and about my homecoming talk with my best friend and to know that my mission is winding down. I still have 6 months left and we will sprint to the finish but how grateful I am for these 2 years and I look forward to my future back home with Faith, Excitement, and Trust.
Hi Mum and Dad well here we are another week and another letter that seems to come out of no where haha it's nuts cuz I never plan anything but all of this stuff just comes out and that is why we are here to be instruments for the Lord to testify through us. Anyways, this week has been a good one and man of man it has flown I honestly think this might have been the fastest week yet it was insane. We were so busy this week running around helping people Elder Lammi is pretty beat and we have been as busy as ever! Man it's great and such a surprise. I remember when I first came down here expecting not a whole lot going on and there wasn't much going but as we have "Thrust in our sickles" and put our shoulders to the plow we have seen a bounteous garden start to grow. How honoured I am to have the Lord use me as one of His tools in His vineyard here in Australia.
We had our Stake Conference this past weekend and it was great stuff!! Our Mission President and his Wife were there and there was a member of the Seventy there as well Elder Johannsen currently assigned to Fiji. It was a great weekend and great talks given, how uplifting and edifying it was. It has been a great week and we have gotten to meet some new people through the members of the Branch and were able to help them out and plant some more seeds.:)
I am glad to hear all is going well back home is it warming up? Haha yous are right it has been so hot here lately we have been dying Saturday was the hottest day on record for years up in Canberra which is where we were at for Stake Conference. We hope for it to cool down soon.
Elder Lammi is great!! Him and me are going to become great friends while serving together for this transfer and he is a great guy hard worker and wants to be obedient which is such a blessing for this area. I have been having feelings of late that this will be my last transfer here in Merimbula which makes me sad so I wish to give these members everything I have these last 5 weeks here. I wish to train Elder Lammi into the area so at the end of the transfer he feels comfortable and confident enough to lead the area I know when I leave this part of Zion it will be taken care of and watched over.
Man how crazy its almost the middle of February and March is around the corner. Haha man I don't feel old enough to be 20 how nuts is that 2-0 haha insane I'm an old man.:) Haha sometimes I feel like that cuz I'm so tired all of the time. Haha I have gotten to the point on my mission that whenever we have 10 mins of free time and I sit down for a minute I fall asleep for those 10 minutes. Haha when I climb into bed it seems like not even a second I am fast asleep but I have noticed that the Lord does give me enough strength to do the work He needs me to do.:) Well first off you guys make the best packages ever!!!!!!! The love inside of them are so strong and I can feel it thank you guys so much. Whatever you guys put in it will be the best and no special requests. Thanks for all that you guys do for me I truly am like Nephi of old. (1 Nephi 1:1)
Questions
Dad your questions my favourite service that I have done for someone? Haha wow that is a good one! I gotta think about that one. But what you did talk about dad happens to us all the time. There is so many people that don't understand why we do what we do and we will do something for them and then they will say, "how much do we owe you?" and we will tell them nothing and they look at us weird. But I love it! I think Dad to my favourite service on my mission and I have so many but one that keeps coming to mind was about a month ago we helped a man change his tire cuz he had a flat. It was something we were not planning on at all and we did not know the man at all but he didn't know how to change a tire so we gave him a hand. We didn't push the Gospel on him at all we just went about doing good and we helped him and he actually asked us who we were and why we do what we do. We have not seen him since and I might not seem him ever again but that day I know we planted a seed in his heart just by changing his tire. Sometimes we do service for people or the community to get our name out there and to try and teach them the Gospel but I love the times when we do service and not many people notice if any at all. I remember another one when I was up in MacArthur with Elder Delahunty and we wanted to make cookies for the ward and our investigators and less-actives we made them and Elder Delahunty had the idea of making it secret and leaving the cookies on there door-step and doorbell ditching there door. It was great to go to church that next Sunday and have the members talking about "ghost cookies" :) Some things we should do for others to see but some things we should do in disguise and for the right reasons and I think that is one of the hidden treasures inside the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Those are my feelings Dad I hope they help and I know you'll do great!!!
Good food lately? Haha yes always the Branch always makes such good food for us we went to a member in the branch a Sister her husband is a non-member but he does deep-sea fishing and they had us for lunch this past week and we had fresh off the boat fish that he caught that morning man it was so good!! Haha I could't stop eating it and they made so much it was the best!!:)
Ya Elder Lammi is great at singing and playing the guitar he sings sometimes at night and it sounds great!:) I told him that you love his music he said "thanks"
Wise Words From the Elder
It makes me feel good inside to help people because I love them and I believe that is what the Parable of the Good Samaritan is all about. Why does he do what he does? Because he loves his fellow man. When Christ gave this parable a man was asking him how he was to inherit eternal life. He then listed off the 2 great commandments and then asked who his neighbour was. Christ then gave this amazing, profound parable about loving our neighbours. What is amazing is to realise the background of the Samaritans and also the background of the two other men in the parable that pass by. The first to pass by was a Priest. Someone in the Church, you would automatically think they would stop and help but no he had to much other stuff to do and he knew if he was to help he probably would not get praise or recognition from others for his service to the man. The next man to pass was a Levite. Now what is important about a Levite? We could say that a Levite is like a goody-to-shoe. In the Old Testament they are the people chosen to be the workers in the temple and so the Levite's are usually righteous and nice, helpful people but he was the same as the Priest. Not enough time and I only do stuff for my neighbours when others are watching so I can get praise and recognition. But then came a Samaritan, who at that time are kind of like the outcasts but this man no matter his background truly loved his neighbour. He helped his neighbour not for praise or the worldly things but because he loved his neighbour and saw somewhere for him to help. He accepted the call and gave all he had for the injured man. That is what we must do look out for our neighbours whether they be our enemies or best friends. Samaritans and other Jews were not good friends but that did not matter to this man he was still his neighbour and he would help him no matter what. Christ taught us the same thing and we must follow His example and I think that is why I love doing service so much on my mission. Mosiah 2:17
Well anyways this letter is getting heaps long man just seems to go and go and go just like my mission I love you guys heaps and have a great week! Thanks so much for all you guys do for me and all of us over here your Prayers definitely help. I am doing good and move forward each and everyday working on my weaknesses and working hard. I know each and everyday that you guys love me.:) Love you guys to and talk to yous again before we know it next week will be here before we all can think. Haha remember don't get trunkey and HOLD TO THE ROD AND NEVER LET GO!!
Love Elder Stott
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