He hears every word

Well, yet again, another week has gone by. Goodness gracious. I honestly just can't believe it. Before you know it...well we don't think about that.


This week has gone really very well. We had zone conference last Thursday. It was delightful. And I mean that in all honesty. Believe it or not I am trying to give up sarcasm. =) Not sure how well it's been working but it's the thought that counts right? PS last time I said that to Hermana Day she responded with, "But faith without works is dead. So your thoughts don't matter one bit."


Head desk.


Really? I mean come on.


It's true though. I can say I'm going to work on giving up sarcasm but until I actually act on it, it's no use. It's a lie.


Anyway, Zone Conference. Delightful. We learned this new way to involve members in missionary work and it's pretty awesome if I do say so myself. All you have to do is say when someone asks you a question about you, like why you don't drink coffee, or why your family is so important, or why you go to church every Sunday, you respond with "would you be willing to hear a brief message about ____________?" Fill in the blank with what they asked about. If they say no continue on with your conversation like normal. If they say yes, tell them you know two amazing young women/men who would love to share the brief message, get the needed information and WABAM!! You just did member missionary work! The key is to say "willing" and "brief."


So, the next time someone asks you about why you are the way you are, will you try the willing and brief approach?


I promise you the joy that comes from sharing the gospel. It is indescribable and I really believe a taste of what heaven really feels like.


I also spoke briefly with President Toone, which was also delightful and got a priesthood blessing. I really do understand that the priesthood in the boy (aka the normal little 18 year old missionary) is the same as the priesthood in the man (aka big seven foot giant mission president) but the big seven foot mission president always gives blessings that are beyond understanding or beyond explanation.


I really did love all the talks from conference about the priesthood and the respect and how we all are blessed from it. My goodness. I got chills from them. I'm even going to print one of them off right now so I can study it later.


Love you all.
Have a splendid day/week.
Hna Scott

Conference man.

“There may be times when you feel detached—even isolated—from the Giver of every good gift. You worry that you walk alone. Fear replaces faith. When you find yourself in such circumstances, I plead with you to remember prayer.”

—President Thomas S. Monson

Well, I loved conference. Every single moment. I learned a lot, but I hope to actually this once be able to do what Elder Hales said. To study and pray and ponder the messages. The greatest blessings really come AFTER conference. I want to focus on that this time around. But there's always so much to do! How am I ever going to find the time to study all of the things I want to study?!? What is the deal with my life?!? =)

In case you wanted to know I did a covenant count this conference. Just on Sunday because I didn't think about until Saturday night. The Sunday morning session mentioned covenants about 10 times. The Sunday afternoon session about 14 times. I printed off the Relief Society broadcast and read those talks counting every time the word covenant was there. How many times do you think it was mentioned in Relief Society? Any guesses?

About 81 times.

WABAM

That's right. =) Once the other talks are available to be printed I will be doing the same with the Saturday sessions.

Have you ever noticed the difference between when woman talk about covenants and when men talk about covenants? Well, there's a difference. Both are good, but just pay attention next time.

This week has been fun. We managed to teach some more lessons. We're being really good with our miles. We have an investigator named Bianca. She's so prepared! If only she realized how prepared she was! Her oldest daughter has a friend, a member from the church, who tragically died a few months ago. Bianca knows that she was a member of this church, she even took her whole family to the funeral in the chapel. Last time we were at her house she thanked us for everything we've taught her, it's helped her so much etc etc. My it touched my heart. IT's moments like those that you look forward to on a mission. But she has no desire to change her religion. We've thought about it and prayed about it and we feel like we're supposed to continue teaching her. So we told her that. We also told her we would continue to keep inviting her to be baptized. But she's free to say no if that's the answer. She agreed. And it became an agreement to disagree. =)


We were out contacting people last night, looking for places with Hispanics in them, and we ran into this lady. She had a...um how to explain her accent? Black? Gangster? Hood? She told us how she used to do drugs, she used to be invloved in gangs and drinking and selling drugs and all sorts of bad things. Then one day she got shot in the head. No one but God knew where she was that night. And He saved her. She said the bullet is still in her head, but she's not dead and she knows that it was God who spared her life. She said, "Jesus is in my heart." I responded, "and that's what's most important." She then looked at me and said, "Girl, when you're talking to me you don't talk like that. You say, 'that's what's up." Yep, I was taught how to speak a little more gangster/hood-like last night. =) We got a good laugh out of it. This same lady then told us that she doesn't need another church and that's she's going to take the whole road with her to her church. So we'd better not be preaching to any of the people on her street.
Yep, learned how to talk correctly and got warned to not proselyte on her street. =) It was pretty funny.


But honestly. What if all of us had the same attitude this lady has. She knows Christ saved her. She knows His words and teachings will bless her. She even described that when you listen to His words it sounds like honey. And now she's going to get the whole street she lives on to go to church with her.

What if we all did that?

It makes me think of M Russell Ballard's commitment he gave us. To find one person and lead them by the hand and introduce them to Jesus Christ, If everyone of us did that then millions of people would feel of the love of Jesus Christ.

That's a promise from an apostle people! It has to happen! Are you going to lead someone by the hand to Jesus Christ before Christmas?

Conference really is His conference. The talks are given and directed by Him and the SPirit takes the message you need to hear to your heart.

I love this church. I love my family. I'm so thankful for all of you that pray for me and support me everyday. May we keep the feelings we felt in conference with us. May we remember the love we felt from out Savior.

Hna Scott

"We go to the temple to make covenants. We go home to keep them." -one of the wonderful women in the General Relief Society presidency

Sept. 30, 2013
Well, okay. Can I just tell you about what happened on Saturday night? Relief Society broadcast man!


So the last few weeks I've been studying covenants again. They really tie into everything. Honest they do. So I've made this summary paper of all the things I've learned and even when I thought I knew it all... =) ...God taught me more. So of course I've been sharing everything I've learned with the lovely sisters that I live with and my companion (poor girl has to hear it twice. Once when I tell her during companionship study and again when I tell everybody else in the house). They're all loving it too. They've started their own studies of covenants, reading old conference talks and noticing how many times covenants are mentioned and they never noticed. This morning we had a discussion about - okay, now I'm off topic. Anyway, We go to the broadcast one one of the first things that Sister Burton said was about keeping covenants and being covenant keepers.


There was an audible gasp from all four of us. Best thing ever.


Then The sisters who spoke quoted the talks I've been studying, mentioning all the things I've learned, solidifying what I knew and expanding on it.


It was totally awesome!


Now I'm expanding my study of covenants to encompass a few things mentioned in the broadcast and I'm going to buy a notebook today specifically for covenants and all the branches off of it.


Oh! And something I learned on Sunday while reading a talk about the sacrament! He talked about how important the sacrament is, then he commented on how all of the ordinances in some way or another are tied to the Atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ.. Think about it. It's true. Then today I was reading a talk by Elder Hales and he said that the blessings we receive from our covenants are possible through the Atonement. I'm a little unsure of how that works, I mean I trust that it's true something about grace and the enabling power. But by golly, I'm going to figure out how. =)


Just in case you were all wondering and I'm sure you are, I'm being fed quite delightfully here. So much so that I feel like I'm permanently full. The only reason I feel like I'm hungry is because my body is trained to eat at 7, 12, and 5. Just a heads up, I'm going to come home a little softer around the edges. Spiritually, emotionally and physically. =)


Hmm.


Oh yes.


There's this awesome family here in the branch. They arrived from Mexico 6ish months ago. They're awesome. They're a middle aged couple with their kids all grown and gone. They've only been married for 2 years now and the husband has only been a member of the church for 2 years. They, my heavens, are the most proper people I've ever met. They're always wearing their best clothes. Their house is always spotless, they speak so refined that at first I had a hard time understanding them because I'm used to hearing not refined Spanish. He used to work for one of the presidents of Mexico. She has all sorts of degrees and learning. They've both held high prestigious jobs in Mexico. Then something happened that they decided they needed to come to the United States. Things have been hard for them here because of immigration. Only she has a work permit, he is a dependent of her until he gets his. And she can't find a job, even with all of her qualifications.


Though most importantly, they are disciples of Jesus Christ.


The other day, he went to another member's house right as she left to go pick up her mom. Like usual, he was dressed in a suit and tie. Instead of leaving or sitting in his car with the air conditioner on, he got out and started pulling weeds while he waited for her to come back. We've heard tons of other stories about this family that are similar. They are disciples of Jesus Christ. They are keeping their covenants through service to their fellowman.


Due to their circumstances they may not be able to stay here. I pray they find a way because our little branch needs their example of discipleship.


Have a splendid week. Watch conference. Drink in the words of Christ. Receive the personal revelation you need. Go with a question and it will be answered.


Hna Scott