20!!!! You Old Man!!!

Thanks For the Birthday Wishes!!!

Good'aye Everybody!!!  Thanks everybody for the awesome Birthday wishes!!  I had a great day yesterday and haha man can't believe I'm turning into an old fart like my Dad!:)  All is well though and I'm grateful to be in my 20's and especially excited to see what this year in my life brings I already now that it has a lot in store and a lot of change and a lot of big decisions but that is why I am so grateful for my Faith that I have in my Father in Heaven and in my Savior Jesus Christ because I know with them helping me no matter my future it will all work out because it always does.  For example like this week.  

This past week has been one of the craziest weeks of my mission a lot has happened but you know we come to the end of the week and I look back and think man what a great week.  I'm still alive and happy and what could I complain about.  

Wombats!!!

So first off we will start off with an experience that we had Thursday morning.  We had gotten up pretty early about 5:30 to go out to the Shoobridge's to lift some weights and on our way out to there place we hit a wombat with our car and it basically destroyed the front of our car.  So right now it is in the shop getting repaired and the last few days we haven't had a car but the members as always down here have been awesome and helping us out as much as we can to get us to the places where we need to go.  Hopefully by the end of this week our car will be fixed and we will be back and mobile again.  Haha but we are making the most of what we can.  At first I felt really bad for destroying the car because I was the one driving but everyone kept telling me to not worry it was all just an accident and there was nothing I could have done about it just one of those things and that made me feel better so I know it's alright but now we just have to wait and see what happens and how long it all takes to get the car fixed.  The big thing was the radiator broke so the the car couldn't be driven because it would overheat so it had to get towed but the awesome Shoobridge family helped us out and then later that day Josh was driving us back to our flat and right before we got to our flat he ran over some metal popping his tire.  So we had to change his flat tire.  Thanks again Dad for teaching me how to change the tire.:)  Thursday was a very interesting day but all is well and the Lord is watching over and protecting us.  

A Date.........

With the Mission President and 

His Wife That Is :-)

We also this week had our Mission President and his wife come down for some interviews and to do some flat inspecting on if we keep our flats clean.:)  So they came down on Wednesday night and took us out to dinner which was such a treat and then we had a good chat with them and some interviews and it was a great night with them.  A lot of it was about this upcoming transfer and what is going to happen now that I have been here for 5 transfers President Back and Sister Back think it is time for me to move on.  They asked me what I thought and I told them first off that I am here to serve the Lord and I will go where and when He needs me to go so if I need to go to a new area this transfer then I will go but as for me and my feelings I truthfully honestly wish to stay in this area of Merimbula because it is my home and these people here are my family.  I love it so much here and wish never to leave but I know some day I will have to and when that day is it is up to the Lord.  So for this upcoming transfer I wish to stay because I love it here but if I am asked to leave and go somewhere else that will be alright as well.  Wherever the Lord and President Back need me and that is what I told President Back.  What do you guys think about transfers and what is going to happen?  Do you reckon I'll stay or go?  Go to another bush area or go to the city?  We will have to see crazy how fast this transfer has gone only 2 weeks left man they seem to just go faster and faster.  

"Performing" Some Missionary Work!

What else happened this week so on Saturday night we went out to a place called Nethercote and went to a Music Night.  I'm sure you guys have heard of this before maybe me and Elder Newman went to it before a while ago with M___ and D____ P____ and Naomi Shoobridge.  Well anyway this time it was very special because Elder Lammi is quiet the musician and he joined with Naomi and M___ in some songs played out there and it was awesome!!!  They did such a great job hopefully I can get the videos some time and send them to you guys to hear them they did a great job and it was a very fun night out there and I believe we planted a lot of seeds but people just seeing us out there and Elder Lammi just playing some Christian music.  Haha out of the box seed planting ideas.:)  Take that Satan!!!!!:)  

Dalton getting his tambourine on while Naomi sings and Elder Lammi plays the guitar.

Happy 20th Birthday!!!

And then to end off the week yesterday I had my birthday and man it was the best day ever!!!!  To be honest I just see a  birthday as just another day but man it was so nice to have my birthday on a Sunday the best day ever to have a birthday!  I was spoiled rotten and I am going to be spoiled rotten today!  The Shoobridge's have something planned to do this afternoon for our p-day and I told them they didn't have to do anything and they said ya we know we don't but we want to.:)  Haha how grateful I am for them and yesterday was great!  

 

 Birthday Day Fun Pictures!!!

M_____ and D_____ P______ had us over for dinner for my birthday with all of there gigantic family and it was great!  We had Shepard's Pie for dinner which is one of my favourite's and brownies and ice cream for dessert it was great!  Also man thank you guys so much for my awesome package it was the best like always!!!!  I always love so much receiving the best packages from you guys and no matter what's inside it's always just the best so thank you guys so much!  There was some awesome stuff inside and how about the coolest shirt ever!!!  Haha when I saw the In-N-Out shirt I was ecstatic!!!  Haha I'm wearing it today for P-day for sure!! 

The In n' Out Shirt!

Also everything else thanks so much it's the best!   So thanks Mum and Dad for everything and the awesome package and also for the birthday video Naomi showed it to me yesterday and it was awesome!  

Also thanks Dani and Caleb for the b-day present man I'm so excited to play that game with you guys when I get home!:)  You guys are the best we will have to have a stellar game when we get home.:)  Thanks for spoiling me rotten and don't worry mum I am getting treated like a king over here for my birthday which I really wish I wasn't but I am so grateful for it.  

Well that is all of the big things that happened this past week and we are all doing okay haha except for our car but it will work out.  

Life is Good, Life is Hard

Hi Mum and Dad I'll get to your question in a minute but for this next part I'll let you guys decide whether yous should put it on my blog or keep it out and I don't care either way if you guys think this can help somebody then put it on my blog if not then you guys can keep it off.  It was just over a year ago now that I had my first struggles with depression and anxiety and going through that trial was one of the hardest things that I have ever done but I came to love the Lord so much and rely on him so much and I learned so much about myself and about Jesus Christ and the Atonement and what it really is about.  I remember meeting with the psychiatrists and professionals and stuff and them telling me that this won't be a one time thing and it will be over that most likely I will struggle with depression for most of my life and I'll have good times and then other times that are harder and ups and downs and all arounds.  The past couple of months I have kind of been in the downs and have been getting very anxious at times and nervous and at other times sad and lonely and wanting to give up.  I was trying to do everything by myself and not letting others help me and trying to achieve perfection.  I mean I was saying my prayers, reading my scriptures, working hard, and happy but at times I wasn't and I felt like I wasn't doing enough and I wouldn't do enough unless I did everything which isn't humanly possible.  Then last P-Day it all changed.  Last P-Day after my emails I had one of the best P-Days on my mission and we really didn't do anything special but I watched a Mormon Message called "Like a Broken Vessel" by Elder Holland.  Have you guys seen it? Watch it Here.  If not you guys should watch it right now when you are done reading my email it is amazing and I had seen it once before a while ago but this time I watched it and it hit me so hard and I felt the Spirit so strongly and I heard the Lord talking to me through the video telling me what I need to do.  Especially one of the girls in the video I think her name is Bethany her story helped me so much.  But what I got out of it was I need to not over burden myself and try to do everything and please everybody and be perfect and be happy all the time.  A couple of things people have told me on my mission is that I am always happy and positive, that I am like a bulldog and don't give up and that I am a hard worker.  What amazing compliments those are but at times I think I put to much pressure on myself to perform to be the best and the most happiest and the best missionary and that if I don't do that no one is going to like me.  I am honestly coming to understand how my trial and other people's trial of depression works.  That Satan takes control of our minds and influences the way that we think and if he gets a strong enough hold he can ruin our thinking and our lives.  But the best thing of it all is God and Jesus Christ are there to help us and they definitely helped me last week.  I have tried to just hide it all and try my best to stay positive.  I have always seen as a mission is to help others for 2 years full-time 24/7 for 2 years and that if you take any time for yourself that is being selfish but last week through the Mormon Message I learned that, that is not true and that we need to take time for ourselves to relax and unwind.  I even noticed that in the scriptures that when Alma is serving his mission that he takes a season to rest from his labors and retires to his home to rest.  A prophet of God takes time to rest and relax and that made me realize that I can and must do the same and that I must not try to do everything on my own and put all of the burden upon my back but share it with my companion and those around me so we can all help and be uplifted.  I don't know Mum and Dad it is very hard for me to express my feelings and emotions into words and especially over email but I guess basically what I am saying is that I worry about so many things that this past week I remembered that it is all just as simple as Faith in Jesus Christ and that it will all work out.  I feel like I have become very independent on my mission and now how to survive and do things on my own with the Lord's help but I need to remember that others are around me to help me and serve me just like I serve them.  I am learning that I need to humble myself to let others serve me not just me serve them all of the time and I feel like that is how I am.  All I want to do is give give give but in return at times I need to let others give back to me and enjoy it.  Does that all make sense what I am trying to say once again it's kind of hard to express my feelings.  But all in all I am doing good I want you to know that I am not as bad as I was last year not even close because I now know how to overcome and that is through Jesus Christ and He is giving me strength to keep going.  He is my Elder Brother and I love Him to death!  

"Oh Mum!!!"

I thank you Mum for what you said about marriage and haha at first when I read the first sentence I laughed a bit and said "oh mum" but then I kept reading and what you said helped a lot.  Because you know that is one thing I have thought about in the future and I know that it will all work out but it always helps to have someone reassure you that it will so thank you mum.  You guys are the best and I really want you guys to know that I am doing good but this is one of my trails to face in my life but it won't stop me from being who I am or from being happy or from being a missionary or from being a Stott.  I love my life and would not change it from anybody's.  I hope this makes sense to you guys but if not just know that I am doing good but we all have trials right? Right :)  All is well and thanks for the awesome birthday package and everything!  Love you guys forever have a great week and haha you know what I'm gonna end with!:)  HOLD TO THE ROD AND NEVER LET GO!
Love Elder Stott :) 

Weekly Parkrun Pix!