[Weston] Anaheim Weekly November 24, 2014

Hello Everyone!

This week was a very difficult one, but I learned a lot. To start off I will talk about our rock star investigator Erik. I have been praying a lot lately for success with somebody In our area, especially with hitting our goal of a baptism for Christmas, and now we are too to get it. For a year the Elders have been working with Erik, who is a former marine, as well as he know a ton about he church because of a buddy he has from the marines. Erik had a huge problem with smoking and drinking, until Monday night. We went over and shared with him a scripture about the Plan of Salvation, and then talked lightly about the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and then my companion extended a baptismal date, and for about five minutes we waited, silently. He accepted, and immediately said, I need to get some patches. Meaning he is going to quit smoking. As of today he has made it now six whole days without smoking. There have been instances this week where he has picked up a cigarette, and thought about it for a while, then he just throws it down and says no. His will power is so strong now! Mainly because he is praying and reading the Scriptures! I can't even explain the experiences we are having with him. Literally since Elder Fonnesbeck and I have been seeing him, he has changed so much. He is converted now, because of the knowledge that he has of God answering his prayers when he needs help. 

There have been times when we have decided to stop by unplanned and we catch him at an all time low, and we bring him up to a such a high level because of the Spirit. On Friday we had one of those experiences. We were weekly planning, and we had told Erik that if he ever needed anything he could call us or text us and we would leave whatever it was if he needed us. On Friday we texted him in the afternoon to see how he was, and he immediately responded in Panic Mode that he needed us ASAP. We booked it over to his apartment as soon as possible. He fell asleep with a Nicotine patch on, and apparently they induce terribly real and nightmarish dreams. With him being a marine, he had the most vivid memories and experiences fill his mind. He was scared, he said he broke down to tears, and that he did not know what to do. It was just an hour nap, and we texted him right when we woke up. Imagine that? And he fought smoking until we got over there. We basically save him. 

Erik is changing my life, just like how all of my other converts have changed my life, I feel the spirit strongly in my life. Something that I could not always admit. Erik is going to make it, and he will be an amazing member. Elder Fonnesbeck said the other night, that we are the only two that could have gotten him to this point. No other companionship was able to. Us. Why us? We have been having so many problems, to the point where I have felt he is just a flat our jerk (still do for the most part) but I legitimately yelled at him hard last night. I do not yell, I have not yelled a single time on my mission if I can recall over a year of time. Not once. We had a long companionship inventory for about and hour and a half where we talked exactly about what happened. I was threatened a little, but what came out of it is that we will never be a companionship were we are friends and want to be around each other, or that we even have anything in common, but what we have in common is Erik and the calling of a representative of Christ. We are focusing on that, and being more friendly. 

The District Meeting I taught this week was very difficult as well. I could not teach as well as normal. But this week I think my plan is to teach about Love, and it's relationship to the work. 

We had our Thanksgiving activity this past Saturday as well, in which the missionaries were in charge of everything, we decided several weeks back that we wanted to do a posole contest, and so the relief society took care of that. But in this ward, we missionaries are always in charge. We created this activity about the plan of salvation in which we made the overflow room of our chapel as a airplane cabin set up. We acted out a scenario in which we all died, and that our Heavenly Father had prepared three different places for us to go. We tried to help everyone understand more about the decisions we make here in this life and how they affect us after we die. It was great! We had best plane sound effects, and great presentations about the kingdoms of glory. Very stressful though! Our Ward mission leader is new, and is still learning how to be a leader, so we are being patient with him, it was hard to get him to full on plan and prepare the activity with us. But we got it done. 

So yeah that seems to basically some up the week. During our Elder's Quorum on Sunday we were talking about worshipping and about where and where and how we worship Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Most people were saying through prayer, and through reading the scriptures, and going to church. We read in alma 32 when alma tells the zoramites to be of good comfort because they can worship God in any moment, not just once a week. My thoughts were very interesting, and I Commented that the manner in which we live our lives reflects our worshipping of God. As in we must keep the commandments, and do all we can each day to live according to His will. That is how we can honestly worship. Food for thought. :)

Your Favorite Missionary in So. Cal.!

Elder Weston Scott

[Mason] Hello, Hello, My freaky deaky friends of the West...or wherever you maybe residing currently

Ok so to start off with the apartment situation...we should be moving anytime between now and the end of the month, due to the fact that we have no heat, and when I say we have no heat, there is a story.  Thursday morning, we woke up in our apartment, cold as usual, but this time, it was a bit different, we looked over at the thermostat, and it read 59.2 degrees......it was freezing, we died...  I got out of bed, because I'm the only one that does on time, and I began to work out, and so I was fine.....but everyone else stayed in bed....it was terrible, but normal, due to the laziness of those in my apartment. One of them is under the impression that 10 push ups is actually a workout, and so he brags to everyone that only himself and I work out....but so be it.

This week's DM (District Meeting) was great, and I have been trying to find ways make them more productive, special and powerful, and spiritual.  So the week prior, I had made a promise to the district that if they get up at 6:30 and workout every day, then I would give them a candy bar......I only gave out 3 to those who did it, but I planned on giving them to everyone, it was an object lesson, I got very annoyed during it, due to the aforementioned Elder but its whatever at this point. This week, I gave the training on "teach when you find, and find when you teach", and the whole district walked away with the whole concept understood finally....so it was great to know that Heavenly Father really helped me teach.  It was a fantastic day on Friday.

Sister Guzman snapped photos of me at the Dia de Accion de Gracias party...[thanksgiving party] and she is like Elder Scott, Give me your mom's number, and I'm like um....and then President Fuentes came over and says, "here you go".....somehow he saved your number from when he sent you the pics 6 months ago...it was insane.....these members are the best people in the world....if I ever come back to live, I will be near there so I can attend this branch...I dont care how far.

Um So this week we have the good ol fashion Turkey Bowl....and I will be playing in East Boston, with a bunch of people.....it will be sweet.  I'm stoked to toss around the old pigskin, eh...

Um this week was week 11 in the training for missionaries,...and so my companion took charge of everything....and I basically acted like a greenie.....except in lessons.  He figured some of it out....but, I think he now understands how much I do, and that he does need me more than he thinks....because he is under the impression that he does all the work. ...but its all good now, I think. 

Oh, please don't send anything to me for a few weeks, I suppose, because I may be moving twice due to apartments and transfers...so we will see.

This morning, I woke up and weighed myself, expecting the worst, and I was way wrong.....I'm sitting at 232...and dropping again.....woohoo....working out pays off more than ya'll think. um....this whole sugar thing is terrible, but it works for those losing weight.....

For P-day, we went to this Masonic Lodge in Boston, one of the main ones in the world, and an investigator gave us a tour....it was sweet. we get to go back, due to the fact that there are 2 or 3  1st edition copies of the BOM there sitting the Library that was locked when we went.  So we get to see them.....Masons and Mormons.....its weird...oh right I am a Mason and a Mormon. hahahaha

Recently I have come to find that Patience is a virtue that I really struggle with.  I have no "release" in terms of anger....or frustrations because there is no rugby...nor thing of the sort to vent.....and so when things happen, my coolant in my body overflows much easier....and it is terrible, I hate it because it makes everyone get scared of me....my temper is so much worse it seems like. and the more i pray for patience and the ability to let things be what they are and not worry about it, God blesses me with harder and worse trials....and it is almost funny.  I just want to laugh. because God knows I know that I have that little problem,and I know that I don't have to blow up, but its so natural...and so easy to ....ugh...its terrible.  But I have found that there are only a few things that control it. 

a) Prayer

b) Scriptures

c) not my companion

I guess its between me and the Lord right?... Our trials we have are always personal and they are given to help us learn something.  If we don't seek for the learning in our trials...it will not go away. that is God's Purpose in giving us these challenges. He knows we can get through it, and when we will get through it. and he expects us to figure out for ourselves what we need to learn and what kind of growth can come from this.

Love you all, 

Elder Scott

[Mason] La hora esta ya para recibir mi correo electronico

Ok y'all

Sorry I kept some of you waiting, I had interviews yesterday with the Man, the myth, the legend, President Packard. It was fantastic. I asked some questions about what I can do to help the district me more focused on how obedience brings blessings. He simply responded with, Elder Scott, I can see you are trying to be 100% obedient. Everyone will see that and will change. He proceeded to read Alma 37:6-7,41 with me, and it was sweet.  I also asked about how I can help some investigators.

This week, we had some great times, and some exchanges took place.  I went to Cambridge this time with Elder Wharton, (Weston's companion from the MTC), and we spent a day having some fun teaching the Gospel and speaking in Spanish.  It was pretty good stuff.

Let me see, I got the hint from President Packard that I will be staying in Lynn to hit up my 7th transfer in a few weeks.

Let me see things I studied this week have little to none importance compared to what happened on Saturday Morning, and I will explain that later in my email.

Santos is getting baptized on the 28th of November, so next Friday.....it's sweet, and I'm so excited.  This guy is literally one of the reasons I needed to come on a mission. He is LEGIT

District meeting this week was great....and I had to literally change how everything is going to work.  President Packard a few months ago told us districts who meet in the same building, to hold opening exercises together like a zone meeting, and then split off for the rest of DM...I'm losing my mind with it.  I'm the only one who plans for the DM.,on my knees I might add, and everybody shows up in the other district like 30 minutes late. we are supposed to be there by 1045, not 1115.....we need to start on time....So I got permission from President, and this Friday, my district is starting at 11, and maybe even at 1045 if they are all present.  Also reverence has been a big issue.  I want ot have fun, no problem, but there is a time and a place for that, and in DM, during counseling or the training, thats not the time....so we are going to be working on it.  All I am trying to do is help this district to be the best one in the zone/mission, be it obedience, reverence, be it work load, be it business....everything.  But I have to remember, that I am the oldest in the district, other than 1 sister, and most of these missionaries just graduated high school.  My district has 6 18yr olds....who have never dealt with meetings like this before....so it's  a bit of a learning experience, on both ends.

This weekend I will be singing in a duet with another Elder, and its quite possible that I will be singing at the Christmas Concert in December.

So what happened on Saturday, was that I was reading in 3rd Nephi, and I came to the section found in I believe chapter 17, where Christ is about to leave, but he had Compassion on the people and blesses them all,and upon reading this section, this passage of scripture, I had a question. "What does Christ mean by my bowels are filled with Compassion towards you?" and I knelt down in prayer to know...and it may seem like such an easy question, but I would ask you then, "How could you be filled with the compassion he had?"...let me tell you, that the spirit hit me so strong, and now I know what that passage of scripture means and it is very sacred to me now.  Because in the instant of feeling the spirit unrestrained in me, my testimony went from me knowing that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer, to I know and I don't have to even see Christ to know.  I solemnly proclaim that my testimony is that Christ is our Savior and that He lived, that He died, and that He Lives today, and that He stands at the head of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and That He Is God's Son, The Ultimate Gift Given To The Earth, By Which All Man May Be Saved. I leave my special witness of Christ this morning for all to understand and feel for themselves, and the invitation is there, to seek Him out, for it is Truth, that if you ask with a sincere heart and real intent, the spirit will manifest the truth of it unto you.

Remember, that "If any of ye Lack Wisdom, Let Him Ask of God"

Elder Scott

Pics:

#1) Me and Elder Wharton

#2) and the a true Boston Parking job done by yours truly...fit enough for a credit card....and due to the business of the one-way, Vizcardo couldn't help.. .so I shall be prideful here and declare that eu sou o melhor [Portuguese for I am the best!]

[Weston] Anaheim Weekly November 17, 2014

Hello Everyone!

So, to start off, I want to apologize for such a lame letter I wrote last week. Right? It was terrible. I am so sorry! To be honest when we skip P-day originally, I cannot remember what happened the week prior. There is a reason we need to write the same day each week. Anywho, last week I had an interview with President Taggart which was really great for me. We talked about my companionship and how it was going,many basically about how I do not know exactly what to do to improve it. He basically said he said I can't by myself, he said the lot falls upon my companion to change his attitude. So that was interesting. 

I had the opportunity to exchange with a good Peruvian friend of mine named Elder Quito. He and I will end our missions together. Yippee! Haha, anyways, we extended a baptismal date for the 21 of December! It will totally happen! Let's see, it was just an overall excellent time to spend with him, he has been struggling a bit with his companion, so I was able to offer some help and advice. 

Let's see, I had a doctor's appointment for my shoulders this past Friday, and it was basically no help to me because they cannot do much until I return home after the mission, but I guess I am being sent to a physical therapy place to see what they can do. Fun!

Let's see, we got to perform service on Saturday morning by cleaning our chapel, because nobody would from the ward haha. It was funny, we then spent time cleaning the Bishop's offices. It was awesome. Haha. So much confidential stuff that he didn't care if we saw. Cool haha. 

On Sunday we had church, and during Sacrament meeting, Hermana Corona who is a returned missionary spoke. She spoke spoke specifically on the difference between having a testimony and being converted. It was awesome! She recently came back to church about 5 months ago after being inactive for over 5 years. She did incredible. It was so powerful, it reminded me of the talk I gave a few months ago on the same topic. 

Testimony versus conversion? Well, conversion is the result of acting with your testimony. :) it was a pretty good half week. Haha. Anyways. Thanks for the support! :) #I'mdreamingofawhitechristmas!

Your favorite Missionary in So. Cal.!

Elder Weston Scott

[Weston] Anaheim Weekly November 12, 2014

Hello Everyone!

It has been a long time! Did you all miss me? That is what I like to hear! So this past week and a half have gone super well! Not too much to share though!

So last week we had an awesome family night with the Terán family, and we got of our recent  converts there! It was super great! I was asked to recite the First Vision. It was so spiritual, I don't think I have shared it as spiritual as well. It was quite amazing. We also met this new family in our ward who are becoming active again, they are so cool! I have never worked with a family that has so much desire to return to the Gospel. They have so many problems, but have so much faith.

This past week we had a district leader meeting, and so I got to go and learn from President Taggart. It was intense. I have a lot of stuff to do that is added upon my other duties. Woohoo! We had a sweet service project this past week as well, all of the Spanish missionaries were recruited to set up this huge cultural event. We worked way faster than they expected, and so we did so many random things that they could think of because we ran out of work! Missionary power! So this week Elder Cardon (General Authority) came and toured our mission. We ended up having a zone conference with him in which we learned a lot about following the spirit. It was super great!

I also participated in a missionary choir we made for a devotional that Elder Cardon spoke at. This is letter is pretty short, I know, I apologize. Yesterday we went and visited one of our investigators, Eric, who is part of a part-member family. It was a blessing that literally changed his life. I am so excited for him. Success is on its way that is for sure. Eric has struggled forever with the Word of Wisdom, and this week he finally hit a stumbling block with it and realized what it is doing do him and his family. 

Anyways, I am still working hard! I am still living and loving the mission! I love you all!

Your favorite missionary,

Elder Weston Scott

[Mason] Good morning from the East

Wow...so many things have happened this last week, which includes some exchanges, some emergency exchanges, some good eating, and a New Baptsimal Commitment, oh and some good exercise and hope...

Ok so I went on exchanges to Lynnfield with My Zone Leader and Dear friend Elder MacJanet and boy was it a blast.  We gave a devotional about the Restoration at a Campout in Salem on Friday night to start them off.  It was Fantastic! We worked out a bunch though.  Friday night before bed and Saturday morning we got up early...We did some Bi's and Tri's and then some chest...man it was exhausting. We have come to some new knowledge about building more muscle that is stronger and it is intense and it hurts so good.....so there is hope because I'm still one of the strongest in the Zone so...theres hope....hehe

Ok emergency exchanges happened for two reasones, but the elders with whom we exchanged only know one.  I will not elaborate, but boy is it hard to help to complete opposites work together in unison.  Also there was a baby blessing that I was asked to participate in and so we had to split because it was in another ward in revere, not Lynn. Funny story....the baby's butt was in my hand.....and he totally ripped butt into my hand.....it was nasty....

ok so The food is just good, I thought it was time to mention it

um Santos' date is now the 30th of November and it was a sweet lesson.

Um so for the week,a spiritual thought is that I have been really thinking at how the Lord really does prepare a way for us to accomplish that which he has asked us to do.  1 Nephi 3:7 is a clear scripture that has always made sense but now I have meaning behind it. I have never had to fix situations before or had to be the guy who everyone looks up to to fix everything...or he who is in charge.....nor do I feel like I could be that guy...but the Lord has helped me to be able to step away from Elder scott, and become the Leader.....The Lord filled me with Words and with solutions and answers and I never thought that I would have been able to fix anything, but I trust in the Lord and I am doing what he askes of me.  So he fulfills his promise...

So I know that that the Lord will prepare a way for us. Because that is what the Gospel is all About....a way for us to return home. If you cant believe me, or don't believe me, or are a little doubtful, I challenge you to Read the Book of Mormon, EL Libro De Mormon, o livro de mormon, or which ever language you are comfortable with, and you will find that Nephi does not lie. That God and Jesus Christ Live, and as they live thus will the Promise be that they will prepare the way for us.  They Love us more than how good chocolate tastes....they love us infinitely more than A mother could love her child, and with this love, they prepare the Path. remember that we have to put in our part though....

I know the Gospel is true and on the earth and that we all, as sons and daughters of God, will return back to him if we do as he says.

Have a great week, and have some fun, because fun is fun.  It wont beat the fun I'm having, but you can try.

Elder Scott

[Weston] Anaheim Weekly November 3, 2014

Hello!

This week was an interesting one haha. It was pretty great. My companion and I are doing great together now. Quite honestly I do not know what changed. Anyways, this week we had a lot of this that happened that caused us to lose time to work! On Tuesday there was a going away party for a senior couple that worked in the office, the Wades, and they will be missed. Everything seems to be changing in the mission, both bad and good changes. On a side tangent, there has been so much disobedience in the mission since we had a change of mission president, which is absolutely terrible. I can be 100% honest as well that it is not in the Spanish program. I know every single missionary in the Spanish program in my mission, and everyone is incredibly obedient, and it is so awesome and inspiring for me to always to my best and live the missionary standards. But anyways, it has been kind of ridiculous with the lack of obedience and respect for the mission President. President Taggart changed gears, and is now not going to put up with anything.  He has sent several Elders and Sisters home recently. 

Anyways, we had a super powerful Zone Meeting this past week,many we learned all about the Spirit and relying on him, receiving personal revelation, and recognizing the spirit. It was so powerful. I will attach the outline I received from the zone leaders. You all should check it out! :) We had exchanges on Thursday, and I went with my best friend out here, Elder Maughan. It was super great, I have such a great respect for this Elder, and we got some serious work done. My enthusiasm and excitement for the work has been recharged again and I love everything! :) I love exchanges like that. On Friday we had a 12-week follow-up meeting to review his training his going, and we watched this super spiritual video about the atonement. 

For Halloween we ate with a member and then we went to out bishop's house so that we could prepare for the Ward Activity that we were throwing the following day. On Saturday we set up the entire gym with tons of different activities, including a pumpkin pie walk and there was a bounce castle for the kids. It was super fun. I ran a donut station, so of course you can tell me how that went ;). It was great!

We had two investigators come to sacrament meeting this week, and we also finally got a baptismal date, but the guy is all talk and no action, so I am worried about him, his name is Mario. Sunday night we ate dinner with our Bishop's family. I got to wash all of the dishes! It was glorious! Haha Elder Quito and I washed together and we were doing hymns the whole time. It was fun.  

Anyways this week was great. Thanks for the support. Keep up the good work!

Your favorite missionary in So. Cal.!

Elder Weston Scott

1) Zone training
outline

2) Andrew, and I am wearing his Halloween mask. Looking good eh?

[Mason] Wow.....P-day nightmare.

Pues para empezar....well to start, we decided to do p-day a little different. we went ahead and shopped, Cut the good ol' hair, and then played some soccer for a few hours and then we went to a Brazilian Steak house and now we are here.   The nightmare comes to us in the rare form of stupidity brought to us by the people at the Brazilian Steak house.  We told them to charge us 16 missionaries separately.  We get to paying, and they can only accept  6 cards....what why.....they put us all on the same bill and the bill can only take 6 cards.....now the manager is mad.  OK nobody has cash...so I'm just like, get me cash asap, but I will pay now, so we can leave.  I pay, and it is $100.00, and we are like, what? why so much?....there are 6 of us, which would be 75......and the guy is like, well you guys should have paid separately, and we were like, excuse me, you can't do that.  So I was charged too much, which got fixed when Elder Arouja paid the difference.....but these guys wouldn't give us the money....so he went off in portuguese on these guys, and we ended up just walking out.  We can't have contention....not right now...

So this week was interestingly freaky....just so you know...don't be near Salem near Halloween, it is spooky...and there are a bunch of idiots....in terms of wearing all black and jumping out in front of cars at night time......ugh...guys....do you want to die?, hello? think about it....living or not?...ugh

Ummm also this week, we had a mission conference in Weston....that is the town name....and Elder Lawrence came, he is a 70, and he taught us of our lineage and about consecration and the gathering of scattered Israel.  Normally, when he does mission tours, he ends up speaking about obedience, and he didn't here.  He then said over the pulpit...."I know exactly what Elder Holland was talking about a few months ago, this mission is the best mission I have seen in a long time....you guys have a real chance at getting to the next level...in fact you are the closest I have seen....it was sweet!"

Let me see here...in the mission, we set a goal of baptizing 70 people in the month of November as a mission total....historically, the Massachusetts Boston Mission has never baptized more than 59 in a month.  So we set this goal and currently we have 110 dates set for the month. OK here is the catch.  In order for us to accomplish this goal, we have all, as missionaries, and some members, decided to sacrifice something in our personal lives, such as 30 minutes of sleep every day for this month, or candy, or sugar, or things of the sort.  Something that is important to us, that we enjoy and love, but are willing to do without to show our Heavenly Father that we want this Goal....its a sacrifice for more Blessing.   So, if you want to help out, you are invited to.  Pray about what it is that you could give up for a month to support the goal over here.  It is a stretch, that WILL HAPPEN. WE WILL DO IT.  There are no doubts over here.  In all of our prayers, public and Private, we are praying for this as well.....

IM SO PUMPED TO DO THIS.

We had a zone meeting this week, and I had to help the ZL's in motivating the Zone and helping the Zone to create a Zone Sacrifice as well. AND i realize now that for some reason, I like motivating people......its something that lets me be fun and energetic and lead....its sweet.

Let me see here.....we don't have heat in our apartment...so we are living at 64 degrees....It isn't too pleasant...but we found out today that we are moving either this week or next week...so yippee. We will be getting a gym near our new place...and so I'm pumped for that as well.

Something cool that we learned as part of the mission conf. was that the reason people are most likely interested in the message we share is because they have what Sister Lawrence calls "Believing Blood".  What that means is that they are most likely Descendants of Abraham and with that they are naturally inclined to heed to the message and precepts taught because they are from that blood line.  They are the chosen people of the Lord, literally.  Those of us who are Descendants of Abraham, or of the covenant people, we are more inclined to like it.....food for thought....and I encourage all who don't really know too much about their lineage, to study it and understand their role in the building of Zion on the Earth today.

Well love you, and have a great week.

Elder Scott

pic1...so i had an itchy back....and i grabbed what was closest, and i thought i grabbed a closed pen and use the back of it. turns out it was wrong....way wrong....completely and 100% wrong. but it sure did feel good at the time before realizing it...we got the stain out though....so no worries.