MTC

MTC
Going to the temple

Thursday, November 15, 2012

Hna P's B-day Party

I know you're all laughing about me feeling cold in 77 degree weather. Well, do not fear. I have had a mental peptalk and now it is no longer cold. It feels splendid. Last night at Hna P's surprise birthday party (it was her birthday yesterday) all the people there were commenting on how cold it was and I felt fine. =) It's perfect here right now.
 
Hna P had a birthday party last night. It was pretty awesome. I told a member that it was her birthday and then we were able to secretly arrange a little get together. It was pretty small at least as far as Mexican parties go with all of the inactive families we've been working with and a few others it was great. We have a fridge full of legit tomalies (nope, no idea how to spell that word) tres leche cake which is one of my favorite things ever much better here then when you get it at Cafe Rio, pasta y frijoles (beans). They have this tradition for birthdays that after you sing this mexican happy birthday song the birthday person has to take a bite right out of the cake, so they're the first one to eat it. But always someone pushes that persons head into the cake. That's the unsaid part of the tradition. =) Anyway, it was no different for Hna P. It's a good thing we didn't have another appointment last night because there was cake all up in her hair nose etc. =)
 
Anyway, this last week has been pretty intense. I didn't tell you earlier because I forgot, but we had some visitors here in the Phoenix mission on Saturday and Sunday. Any guesses? Elder Niel L Andersen. Apparently I'm supposed to learn something from this guy because he's also the only apostle who came to the MTC while I was there. =) But it's all good. Elder Maynes one of the seventy and Elder Cassau (or something like that) he's one of the counselors in the presiding bishopric also came and is French. It was legit. We all got to shake their hands and Hna P and I got to shake Elder Andersen's hand twice. One before the meeting as we made a quick trip to the bathroom and then once during th emeeting with everyone else. It was pretty cool. =)
 
Before the meeting started we were all instructed to stand when they entered the room. At one point everyone stood up like they were coming in, I don't know how to explain it, but I knew they hadn't really entered. The room didn't feel any different. And it was just Pres Taylor coming back in. Then when they really did walk in there was such a change in the Spirit in the room. It was amazing. And we all stood respectfully while they shook all 200 something people in the Arizona Phoenix mission. Legit. Elder Andersen all four times I've heard him speak outside of conference has always testified about Pres Monson and told us that he brings the prophet's love. It's pretty cool.
 
Then on Sunday the three authorities divided up into three of the stakes in the area and came and spoke at a special meeting. And it just so happens that Elder Andersen is the one who came to our stake. And our ward meets in the stake center. So we got to be in an apostle's presence again. Legit. Oh and our oh so amazing invetigator Olivia and her son Eric came so earliy they got to sit in the fron and they got to shake Elder Andersen's hand. =) WABAM!! Olivia has a baptisimal date for Nov 17.
 
THe next intense thing that happened is that we got to go to the temple yesterday!!! YAYHOO!!! We're allowed to go every 3 months. It just so happens that that three month mark for Hna P was in Oct. And her birthday is in Oct. So she made the arrangements even before I arrived go to the temple on her birthday. The APs did want to let her go since I went to the temple a little over a month ago and technecally shouldn't be able to go for another 2. But they eventually said yes!! So we went. Very early in the morning. The Mesa Temple is gorgeous inside and out and it's so different than the temples in Utah at least format wise. It was very beautiful. Then after that since we went to the temple that's the day that's supposed to be our P day. But apparently Pres Taylor set up a doctor appointment for Hna P on Wednesday and as soon as I sat down to read my emails we got a call telling us to head up to Peoria for this appointment. There went our P day.
 
So yep. That's all of the intense stuff that's happened the last little while. =)
 
Just a littl eabout the work:
We have 7 people with a baptisimal date. One was supposed to get baptized tomorrow but he felt like he wasn't being diligent enough in his scripture reading and prayers so we moved it back. Which is totally okay. I thought it was really cool of him to admit and realize that himself. He's dating a member of the ward, the one who arranged Hna P's party actually.
We have set appointments with most of our investigators and with all of the people who have dates. So if all of those citas (apointments) go through we have 23 lessons a week, not including the new people we try to find every week. Now we're working on setting schedules with the ward missionaries and members to come to the appointments with us.
We met with the bishop of Tuesday to ask what the ward mission plan is and to ask how we can better help the ward. Turns out ( like we already knew, but didn't want to tell the bishop) that they don't have a ward mission plan. So we are having a meeting next week with the ward mission leader bishop and all the missionaries to come up with one. We were also given the assignment to help with the visiting teaching for the people in our area. It was really cool because the bishop said that if the ward depends on the missionaries too much then they get lazy (which is true. A member of the ward said the other day, that it's their fault (the ward) that so many people have fallen away because they just ec[ected the missionaries to take care of it) and because so many people are converts it's our job as missionaries to teach them our to do their visiting teaching so then they won't need us any more. I used to be a little annoyed with obispo ( bishop) because it seemed like we had no support, but now I see that we just weren't communicating all that well. =)
 
Anyway, things are good. Love you all. Read the Why of Priesthood Service from the May 2012 Conference Report by Pres Uchtdorf. It's legit. VZery legit. I've read it twice now and keep finding good things in it. And it's from the priesthood session. Who knew, right?
 
Much love
Hna Scott

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