[Mason] biking or swimming?

Ok, so this last week was pretty darn crazy, so I will go ahead an start off with the story of the week...

--> So, Monday night right, after p-day, and whatnot, we decided that we will bike into Lynn, you know a good ol' 25 minute ride...., so our appt was for 6:0, and also one at 8:00...we had to change the plans due to some prior planning of the weather.  We make the turn onto Revere Beach, about 2 minutes from our house, and the rain drops start, and we decided to keep going...until the next minute it was like a tsunami hit us from the left side and we were like under water....it was raining sideways!.....and it was really wet. Now seeing as we just left we then returned home, amidst the raging storm, and when we arrived back home, it stopped....conveniently.  So we were like "now what?", we missed the bus if we were to take that, and so we were stuck.  So we called a member for some help and he came to get us.  He asked about why, and we explained to him, that it was raining out and we couldn't go out, but he didn't see the rain...so whatever, he picked us up anyway....we then arrive at the appt, and it is pouring out as soon as we get out, and after the appt as well, and so we came to the conclusion that God wanted to test our willpower in doing His work, and so he gave us some harsh weather and sat back and watched....and so we had to prove ourselves to Him to see if we are deserving of a good week, of the which we definitely had......(btw, it was really wet. I took a picture, but you can't tell. We literally were soaked head to toe, as if we went swimming, and our shoes were like pitchers of water, and they are still wet....)

So Tuesday, we were picked up by a member, Hermano De La Cruz, and we visited a less-active member, then we traveled to his home, and ate a wonderful Dominican meal, and then he took us to Wakefield to visit William, and then back to the church...it was a great day.....we love this member so much, he is just so awesome. We taught English as well and some other lessons.

Wednesday, we were supposed to have 6 lessons, (and on bikes is ridiculous), but we tried our best, but several of them cancelled so we stopped by other houses and taught some other lessons as well.

Thursday we had weekly planning, and a good one at that, and then we were supposed to meet up with our ward mission leader at 2:00pm, but he thought 6:00pm, so we were kind of messed up so we had to bike a lot alot to these appts, and we decided that we would take a late lunch break and stopped in at this place called El Tical; an El Salvadorian restaurant, and we ate papusas.  At the same time, the branch president's family walked in and wanted to eat with us and pay for our meal...I still hate it when people pay for me......as well as my companion does too....we then decided to visit some less actives, and then visited an investigator, Elpidio and had a lesson about prayer.  

Friday...the deal breaker and the beginning of the eternal exhaustion.....woke up early, like 5i:45, and got picked up by the Revere 1st Spanish Sisters to go clean the old Swampscott apartment used by the Lynn Spanish Sisters, and we met like the whole zone there, and boy was is gross...the refrigerator was moldy moldy and moldy....and gross..  We then went home and got ready for district meeting, and left for that. after DM we had a zone lunch at Wendy's, and then we got dropped off at our apartment, which was a change in plans, and so we needed to get to Lynn asap....took the first bus and ran from the bus stop to the chapel to get our bikes, and then rode for a half hour to our 4:00pm appt in Swampscott. we then decided after to visit a member in Swampscott, whom we gave a blessing.  We then had to ride for a good solid 45 min back to Lynn to get to the Branch presidents house by 6:30pm.  We barely made it on time. We then left with them to go to a baby shower in Beverly, and it was supposed to start at 7, didn't start until 9 and we didn't get out of there till 11, and it was a nightmare. we were like running the whole show....and its not weird that we attended a baby shower...this is the 2nd so far on my mission, and in the Spanish culture, men go to them, especially if your Dominican. the party was for the Family De La Cruz....and it was the coolest and best put together party i have ever been to or seen, and it was absolutely beautiful in there.  I thoroughly enjoyed it....and I think I'm going to marry someone that has some type of Spanish in their family or something....because that seems to be growing on me now.....jk totally kidding,  I'm not even thinking about that.....my companion is always saying that he is going to marry this kind of person this day and then the next day he has another reason of why...and he always asks me....and I don't have a preference....although gringos these days just are not cool anymore....they just are not very nice compared to everyone else.

Anyways Saturday, we had to leave the house by 6:15am to catch the first bus we could to Lynn, and help load tables and chairs for our branch picnic, which started at 10:00am in the Salem Willows park. which is legit!.   So we were there from 8:00am till 7:00pm, because we had to run it, and also, nobody could figure out the grill that was brought or how to turn it on....and so naturally it fell to me....so I turned it on, and showed them how, and then they asked me to cook....so I grilled for about 8 hours and boy was it fun....I absolutely loved it and it was good

food....like seriously good food. and it was hot....like I am tan now. no sun burns just tan lines and good color....although I could definitely use more.  We finally get back to Lynn, and get changed at the chapel, where our clothing was...and our appt that night fell through, so we decided to visit 3 other families. and nobody was home....and by that time we needed to head back to the chapel and park our bikes and catch the bus home......we missed it because we were on the wrong end of central square....and so we waited for an hour...because the bus comes every hour after 7:00pm.....arghh....so I fell asleep...and then I hear Pennington say, "Scott is that our bus?", and he says the bus number and it pulled into the other side...and so I go from sleeping to running and shouting to flag down the bus on the other side of the station....nightmare....and then we finally get it.  We got it at like 10:15pm.....with a few min to spare!

Every Sunday we are forced to get up early due to the bus schedule and our the time of our Branch Council meeting.......but,,,, the good thing is that we made it a deal, that we would be home by 915 tonight to jump in bed at the decent hour and get a full nights rest.....it was amazing, I don't know how I'm alive, but some how, I survived.

I absolutely loved it because I feel like this week was a trial of endurance, and if we were to endure it well, we would receive a blessing at the end...and we did, and the blessing came in the form of a Baptism....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

William  was Baptized and it was amazing. I had the chance to help another child of God receive the truth and be baptized and truly create a relationship with God that you can't make unless you are baptized.  It was great....yet stressful, but I will not talk about that...its not important.

Funny thing is that we had to get buckets to fill the font and then after the baptism, President Fuentes went to pull the plug, and it wouldn't come up....so he had to dive under and wedge it out with my keys....it took a good 5 minutes.

One thing that has really hit me hard this week, and what I have really learned is how connected the words, patience and endurance, really are.  I encourage all of you to fined out for yourselves the connection, more so than the obvious, and how you see these two characteristics in your own life, and how you can develop them more so.

Often it is hard to be patient, when something is annoying you, or when you really need to wait, but can't, and often it is to hard to just keep going, and to just never quit. but it is always worth it.  Last night when I got home, I decided that, although I'm super tired, I am going to read my scriptures. it has been hard for me lately to read with questions, or to simply have a question.  But i was just reading, and then I came across a passage of scripture in Mosiah 10, and it just simply triggered a question i had before. now if we are desiring, and are patient,and can endure the "time to wait, or the task at hand, or the whatever it is," it is then where we are able to move forward. i found a new story to use and to help in a training in  district meeting.  i have realized that i need to think more about others, and how i can help them....more so than what i need to know. for the investigators.

Its not about what we say, its about what we do, which is why my mind hasn't had any Q's. "It's not who we are underneath, but what WE DO that defines us."...its the same with us.....in who we are. we must be patient and endure and then we can Do.

Please take notice than often I say things that make sense in my own mind, but on paper, are quite awful.

Anyways have a good week.

The bikes are fantastic and tiring. we climbed a massive hill yesterday, and I almost turned around, and went around, but I stuck with it because i knew it would get easier at the top.

Elder Mason Scott

Picture 1)....baptism.. William is the one with the slight afro

picture 2) a puppy that a family brought to the picnic....she was so cute....whats wrong with me.....I'm so lame