Yep, got nothin creative today for the title.

Did you know that here in Phoenix they celebrate Cesar Chavez Day? Well they do. And that means all the libraries are closed. I clearly remember saying on Easter, "well at least Easter is on Sunday so we can still email on P day like normal. Then WABAM!! Text from the ZLs saying that all the Phoenix libraries are closed. And since we're lucky enough not to have a family history center in our area here we are emailing on Tuesday.

So a little bit of exciting stuff happened this last week. One of the hermanas in our apartment went home a week ago today. She had some medical stuff and needed to go home. So once again, here I am in a trio. Man. A trio. But this time it's only for two weeks. A week from today is transfers and Hna G will be getting a new comp. Word on the street is that we're getting 8 new spanish hermanas. PS that's the amount of hermanas than we have to train them. It's going to be intense. They're going to have to open up a lot of new hermana areas. Did I mention that it's going to be intense? =) And so with all the new mission changes, they accidentally made the new boundaries public to the missionaries already. Oops! So where I am currently working will not be in the Arizona Phoenix Mission, in fact NONE of Phoenix is going to be in the Phoenix Mission. We'll have the Phoenix North Stake and that's it. And well, with all these new missions it also means some people may have new missions and new mission presidents. Yep, that's right. It's intense.

Hna C had her MRI a week ago yesterday that will determine if she has to go home or not. And of course the doctors think they can just be all slow in getting back to her with the results. She's going a little crazy. Which is completely understandable. I would be too. In fact I am a little bit for her. She thinks something has changed and she will be going home. Apparently one of the ways her MS manifests itself is through her eyes. The first time she had symptoms she couldn't see at all. And from there they found out she has MS. Her and her dad were diagnosed around the same time. Anyway, she says her eyes aren't focusing anymore and as of two weeks ago she could see the words on this white board that we have and now she can't. So she thinks she'll be leaving soon to get new medication worked out for her. Even if there are no results on the MRI she's still thinking that it would be a good idea to go home.

This week was a slow week because of all the dr appointments we had, then we had to drive all the way to 100th Ave to go to Costco to get Hna C's medicine since it's cheapest there (which by the way they said they didn't have her one record so we had to call Sis T who then had to call the dr then she called the pharmacy then she had to call us back then she had to fill out paperwork then we had to wait 30 minutes for them to prepare the medicine. So that trip took quite a while) and we're in the trio so twice the amount of meetings to go to and twice the amount of work with the same amount of time to do it all. It's a little crazy. But we finally found Amelia again and she still wants us to go over, Olivia is reading the BoM on and off and her whole perspective on the trials God has given her has changed and she actually thanks Him for things in her prayers, Carlos still hasn't smoked since the day we taught him la palabra de Sabiduria. So good things are happening, even if it seems like its happening slowly. It's all God's timetable.

My Easter was just like any other normal day in the mission field. We went to church well the first 45 minutes then had to rush over to Cielito then we tried to see all the people we would normally see, but they were all off having their Easter celebrations. So we checked out the referrals that we've received recently and then contacted a little bit. It was cool. Normal.

Hmm. Anything else...yes, it's already hot here this morning when we left the house it was 86 degrees. We have the air conditioner on. The church is true and I am SOOOOOOOOOOOO STINKIN EXCITED FOR CONFERENCE!!!!! My companions and I have already decided we're sneaking in to the mother's room to listen to priesthood session. ;-)

Love you all lots and lots.
hna Scott

"Some blessings come soon, some come late, and some don't come until heaven; but for those who embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, they come. It will be all right in the end. Trust God and believe in good things to come." - Elder Holland

Have I mentioned that I really am learing to love the Bible, like a lot? Because I do. I still haven't worked up the courage to read the Old Testament yet, but I've started my second time through the New Testament and still love it. I especially love Paul and how he says how he glories in tribulation, how it's through afflictions that he can put on the divine nature, etc. He was legit. He said that his afflicitons are light in comparison to how great his blessings are and will be. Did I mention that he was legit? The sad thing is that as we're in the middle of our trial, at least this is how it is for me, we forget to look beyond the now. At least for a little bit and then I start to remember. I remember that evrey trial I go through now will help me put on the divine nature, I will be able to use it for my good. They will help me in my future. But like I said, how often do we actually remember that in the midst of things. Thank goodness Dios tiene patience or else I'd be in trouble. =)

Helaman remembered. Man, one day I'll be like that. As he's leading his little sons to battle as he's surrounded by blood and carnage, probably away from his family, even when his friend Antipus dies, he always found something to rejoice about. Yep, one day I'll be like Helaman.

You should all definitely watch this video. I love it so so so so much. I've seen it before, but then I found the talk that's it's from and....well, as you already know Elder Holland is legit. http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#good-things-to-come

I went to the Pagaent on Friday. My goodness gracious. I loved it! It was really very cool. The costumes were so COOL!! And the dancing and everything. Yep, cool, and it was in Spanish and I understood most of everything. =) Yep, it was cool. I'm definitely coming back here to see it again next year. We should come as a family. It would be pretty awesome. =)

CARLOS CAME TO CHURCH ON SUNDAY!!!! WABAM!!! He's so COOL!!! He doesn't have a car so he had to walk. And I guess he didn't realize that he could cut through the neighborhood because he walked the long way and it took him an hour!! He walked an hour to church!! And he still did it!! Man, he's so legit!! He has a dae for the 13th of April and he gave up smoking cold turkey. He says he hasn't smoked since the day we taught him about the Word of Wisdom. He used to smoke 3-4 cigarretes a day and now he doesn't smoke at all. Did I mentionthat this guy is legit? =)

Well, that is all for now,
much love
hna scott

Little purple pansies touched with yellow gold

Well, we've had a lot to do these last couple of days and the week coming up is going to b equally busy. In the next week we get to go to the temple three times oncefor the sisters conference, once for the spanish easter pageant on the 23 and oncefor the time we're going to help host on the 28th (okay that's more than a week but you know...=) )

this computers space bar doesn't work very well just so you know.

Okay, so this week... I have talked more than I every have when teaching andmost of the time the people can understand me.=) I'verealized that I'm doing the same things to Hna C that my past companions have done to me that I've hated. I was just there andI remember what it was like, but still I do the things to her that my past companions did to me that just made it hard for me to progress. I would guess this is kind of like being a parent. You always say before you have kids oh I'm never goingto be like that with my kids I'mnot going to be like my parents that way or oh I'm never going to do that and when you become a parent you end up doing the same thing. =) Not that I'ma parent oranything and not that I'm dissing on my own parents or anything. =) I'mjust guessing. I always tell Hna C that I haven't been the sr comp before andso I'm goingto make mistakes and that I really do want her to tell me if I'mdoing something that iskeeping her fromprogressing if I'm not lettinghertalk if I said something that she doesn'tagree with. I frequently just look at her and say how did you feel about that. How could I have helped you more was there a moment when I just didn't stop talking and you wanted to say something etc. And then I ask two orthree times if she'sbeing honest with me. =) I think sometimes she gets tired of it.

We have a lot of really good investigators. Like really cool, really awesome full of potential investigators. But they never come to church. We've had zero people at church in the las three weeks. It's really a bummer. And I'mat a loss of what to do. How many times can you teach them about the importance of keeping the sabbath day holy and taking the sacrament? Or how many times can you call them in the morning to wake them up orstop by? But wehave three people on date. One of whom has a mental illness. But he'sso cool! and he really wants to change. He even called us at 7:30 on Sunday morning to tell us he was coming to church...but then his friend who was going to give him a ride didn't come.=(

I learned something really really cool the otherday. And maybe it was somehting you've thought about before but it was new to me.So we were at an awesome member's house one night at 8:45 because we can't go home until 9 and we didn't have any miles to drive to anyone else. She gave us ice cream. Yes, it is warm enough for ice cream and for the air conditioner to be on. Then her mom says to us "what do you tell people when they say that we all believe in the same God?" I thought for a little bit then told that we agree with them. That no matter what religion you are we all believe in the same God. Then she says, "this is what I say, no. No wedo not believe in the same God. You believe in a God who is unknown. You believe in other gods like the Virgin Mary. You believe in a God who is different now than he was in the past. We do not believe in the same God." Okay not word for word but you got the idea. =) And it was in Spanish so I don't remember exactly how it was said. And I waslike...MIND BLOWN!!!. No joke. So all during church yesterday I was pondering this little bit of wisdom she had shared with us and I realized it really is true. Oneof the first thing lost during La Gran Apostasia was the naturaleza de Dios. People do not understand who He is or what His proposito is. They think He lives in the heavens, which He does, but really He is as close as our prayers. They don't realize or fully comprhend that He is involved in every aspect of our lives. That He loves us as much as He loves the people in Moses' time and that's why we have a profeta today named Thomas S. Monson. It was a pretty legit musing session for me during church the other day. =) Don't worry I was paying attention to the talks...ok no I wasn't. =)

Love you all!! Have splendid week!!

PS last week I learned how to water color. Hna Z taught me. Soon I will finish my picture of the mesa temple.=)

Hna Scott

Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things - Alma 26:12

And yet another week has gone by. We're already on week three of this transfer!!! Crazy sauce!! We have exchanges this Saturday, then we have Sisters Conference on the 21st (and we're doing a session at the temple in the morning!!! SO excited!!) then on the 27th Hna C Hna G Hna Z and I are all going to the Mesa Temple to help host for the Easter Pageant (again, so excited!), then after that we only have a week and a half until the end of the transfers. Yep the time is just flying by.

This week was pretty intense. We knocked door for 3 and a half hourse on Saturday and nobody let us in and only three people said we could come back. Two of which are single men. Have I mentioned the probably 70 percent of the people we're teaching are single men? which means we are not allowed to go in without a member, which is good because it forces us to get members to come out with us, but it also is hard because they all want us to meet with them in the middle of the day and most of the members work or take care of their kids during the day. Such is the life of a missionary. =) And have I mentioned that out of the three baptisms I've had they're all men.

So we have this one investigator, her name is Ameilia (one of the few women we're teaching, but we're also teaching her boyfirend and her brother) and she is adorable. Super nice, and she just wants to change really bad, but hasn't quite found the strength to do it. So we were teaching her the other day, and apparently, whenever I teach her I always stare at her more than everyone else. I've never noticed, but that's how she feels. And when we were teaching her just the other day she mentioned it, that even when I hardly talked while Hna G was my companion she said she felt like I would stare at her all the time and that she could see in my eyes that I see her as more than she is, that I see as how she can be, as something more. It was really a very cool experience for me, to have someone say that they could see that I saw them that way. IIt's a little hard to explain, but I've always had a connection with Amelia. And well, I love her very much. She'll get baptized eventually. Though because of certain circumstances it may be very hard for her. But we'll get her there. =)

Well, this is shorter than normal, but I've got to go. Love you all. Alma 26 is a lovely chapter. The church is true. I have a quote placemat that covers almost all of my desk as well as a quote notebook. I do love me some quotes.

Love Hna Scott

I'm a nut. I'm a nut. I'm a nut in a rut so what.

Well, I would like to introduce you to Hermana Scott the official senor companion.

Yep.

And it's hard man.


I think the whole senior jr companion stuff is silly. Like I understand why, but shouldn't it be equal? You talk then I talk. You share a scritpture I clarify and testify. You take the lead on this door I take it on the next one. At least that's how I think it should work out, but I still have yet to see it. My companion is Hna Carter. She's cool and legit. She's just only been out here in AZ for three months. And I've been out for five. I know am the one who knows more Spanish, I'm now the one who has to handle all those awkward situations that all of my companions had been fine handling for me in the past. Yep, now I have to be responsible. =) It's been stressful. It's like God is saying okay that trial is over but now I'm going to to give you this one of a completely different type. But it's good training because well, we had twelve Hermanas this last transfer, we got 4 new spanish hermanas last Tuesday, one Hna is going home and we're getting 6 new hermanas this next transfer. So that means everyone but 2 hermanas will be training this next transfer. CRAZY!!! So I'm just training to be a trainer probably.

Cool fact if you haven't heard yet, two saturdays ago they announced 58 new missions in the world, 2 of which will be in Arizona!!! Yep, that's right! There's going to be a Scotsdale and another one that I can't remember the name of right now. They'll be opening in July after all the new mission presidents get trained. And the mission presidents that are in AZ right now the ones over the tuscon and mesa missions they all go home this July so Pres T is going to be the only mision president in AZ that isn't new. Crazy. The Lord is definitely hastening His work. We got 29 new missionaries this last transfer and we are getting 20 more (that we know about) in April. Woah. Did I mention that it's intense? =)


Okay, so a little more about Hna C. She's from Washington State. She wants to be a writer or a lawyer. She's the oldest of four. She studied at BYU-I before the mission. She really likes animals. And we're both going to have to learn together how to teach, since we're both so new. It'll be good for both of us. She has MS and she has to take this shot medicine every morning. If there's another lesion (sp) on her brain at the end of this month it means her medicine is not working and she may have to go home to get it all figured out. She really likes studying Revelations which is cool. I don't quite understand because I think it's depressing. Except for the last couple of chapters when it tells us about what the kindgom of God is going to be like. But she likes it and people often have questions about what it says in Revelations. Together we had the first, not awful comp inventory of my whole mission. Comp inventory: when you talk about successes and ways to improve problems your having etc etc. I never did it with Hna P or Hna F and I only did it once in the MTC. So our comp inventory together was really good. We talked about things we wanted to accomplish this transfer and we wrote them up on the big huge white boad we have. It was cool legit and a nice change.


Well, that's about it. Questions comments concerns? If so please address them to Hna Scott 475 N 43rd Ave #104 Phoeniz AZ 85009. =)

You have a splendid week and remember the church is true and that God loves you!

Hna Scott

Mat 5:48 --> D&C 67:13 This is what I learned today in personal study today.

Love is a super power. Use it

Man. Sometimes I feel like I can't get more tired or that things can't get more intense...and then they do. =) It's pretty intense man.

Okay, Ryan I can't believe you went to Bountiful temple!!! I love that temple oh so much. It's super duper pretty. Unfortunately I've never been inside inside, but I will for sure when I get home. =) And thank you for the pictures. It sounds like you all had a splendid time Saturday night. Know I was with you in spirit and one day Ryan, in two years and two weeks, we will sit in the Celestial Room together and I will hug you. And there ain't nothin' you can do about it. =)

This week we've been finding a lot of people by using the former investigator sheets, the teaching records of people who had been taught previoiusly and never got baptized. We always talk to the neighbors when they're outside and if the person has moved we contact the new person that lives in that house. It's pretty legit. So we've found 18 people in the last two weeks. Now we just have to move them from new investigators to people with a date who are progressing. Yep, there's always room for improvement. =)

We went bowling yesterday for our zone activity. It was pretty fun. But very worldy. I had just finally managed to no longer get worldy songs stuck in my head and then of course just about every song that they played at the bowling alley was one I had had on my ipod. =) A couple of Zumba songs too. Dancing and singing to worldy music...man, it's a good thing there's repentance. =)

I have grown to hate Monday holidays. I'm sure you were all so excited that there was no school, but it also means the libraries AND the post office are closed. Which means no emails and no hand written letters. LAME. But I made it to Tuesday and recieved a whole bunch of emails from all of you. And a lovely letter from Melissa.

(MELISSA!!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!! Girl, I love you sooooooooo much!! Loved your letter and I WILL be writing you back next P day...next tuesday. Love you girl. From the very bottomest of my heart.)

Okay, I apologize. I just couldn't contain myself. =)

So there's this one apartment complex in our area, and it's not one of the safest areas to be, but we have an investigator who lives there and a few old investigators as well so we go there often. And for some reason there's always this one apartment that we knock. I'm not sure why we knock it, but we do. And no one answers. Well, at least until yesterday. =) We knocked the door and this little old lady opens it and lets us in, because we're two women. We start talking to her and she tells us she's Christian and loves God all this stuff. Then she tells us that if we ever hit on hard times, if we can't pay the bills we are always welcome to come live with her. Ok, that may sound creepy, but it wasn't. It was one of the sweetest things I've ever heard. Her house was so full of love and peace. It was so cool. God really does put us exactly where we need to be. =) I also understood everything that she said to us. I understood the whole conversation. =) WABAM. That's right. I, mas o menos, know Spanish. =)

Well, that is all my dear friends, until next tuesday (because it's transfer week).
Much love.
Hna Scott

Jericho, Jericho!! And the walls came tumbling dow ow ow ow own!

Okay, so I have the best family ever.
It's just that simple. Scotts from Colorado, thank you so much!! One we've been driving around listening to the same two cds the last five weeks and I was just about ready to pull my hair out, two I love that song that MOTAB does about the wall of Jericho. I heard it in the MTC and immediately fell in love. How did you know? =) It was also really time for a new toothbrush. =) You all rock.

This week was good. It was slower but good. We started seeing Olivia again. I don't know if you remember her, but she's a lady I met when I first got here. We knocked on her door and she let us in even though I didn't make sense. We taught her for a while. She had two baptism dates two interviews, one of which she passed, and in the end she said she didn't want to get baptized because of Joseph Smith and his thirty three wives. It was sad, but we had to let her go. Well after a month Hna Garcia and I decded it was time to go back. So we've seen her about four times since we decided to go back. The last lesson with her was intense intense. Like REALLY actually intense. I'm not just saying it.

We went in with this scripture chain in mind to share with her. (my mind has just been connecting scriptures into these chains during my studies lately, I'm not really sure why) We went in wanting her to understand that the Book of Mormon in the key stone to our religion, that if the book is true, Joseph Smith was called as a prophe, meaning the church that he restored is the same one Jesus Christ established when He was on the earth. We also wanted her to understand that the Book of Mormon is centered on Christ and that everything in the book will lead one to do good. So it started with 2Ne 25:23,26. That the bofm was written by prophets so that we would know that they knew of Christ that they spoke of Christ rejoiced in Christ and knew they could look to Christ for a remission of their sins. That was the first scripture we read with her and explained a little bit about it. Then we read 2N 30:10. Which says if you believe in Christ you will believe in the words of the bofm because the book of mormon will always lead a man to do good. After that we read Joseph Smith words about the BofM, that a man would get closer to God by reading the BofM than any other book. And my goodness gracious, the Spirit was so strong. So strong. Then I bore down in pure testimony with power and authority. I can count on one hand how many times I've felt like that, that I've known God was speaking through me. And...well, it's intense. =) It's probably one of the coolest/scariest feelings ever. I can't even possibly describe it to you, as much as I would like to. Afterward I was shaking and super tired and super drained. I kind of felt like Lehi after he has that vision and it says that he caused him to tremble and he cast himself on his bed. Yeah well, that what I wanted to do. But we had another lesson. =) So we went on.

It's interesting because, well, after feeling like that, you want to feel like that all the time. Feel like you're teaching with that kind of power all the time. And it just made me think. Can one always have that kind of power when they talk? If they do, they can't have it because they want to, because they like the way it feels, because it has to be for the edifying of another. You can only have it if you are truly doing and saying exactly what the Lords wants. It's like how the mission will change you, but it won't change you if you're always thinking about how it will change you. Or about how we must develop the Character of Christ, but we can't develop it if we're always thinking about developing it because the character of Christ is looking outward when the natural man would look in. Okay now I'm confused and I'm sure you are too. I don't know. It's just a little something I've been thinking about lately. But in that moment, I know with my whole heart and soul I was saying what He wanted and that the Holy Ghost carried it to her heart, now she just has to chose to let it in her heart.

Oh and transfer news: I'm staying in Encanto once again and Hna Garcia is leaving. I can't seem to keep a companion for more than a transfer. =) Maybe God is trying to teach me something...something about how change is god and I shouldn't resist it. =) Who knows. =)

And I'm off
I hope you all have a splendid week until we meet again, next week.
Hna Scott