[Weston] Anaheim Weekly March 2, 2015

To those who read,

How goes life in the other realm? I hope it is swell! This week was pretty good. I am going to start with a joke. ¿Por qué la ballena no come? Porqué ballena. (Va llena). [ Ok I don't get it. ]   For those that understand Spanish explain it! It's super funny. Hahaha. Anyways, to the good stuff then.

So, in my apartment building live the men's and women's U.S.A. Olympic Volleyball teams. On the men's team is a man named Ben Patch. He returned from his mission a month ago. Anyways, he invited us over to his apartment to eat dinner with him and his volleyball teammates. So that was pretty fun! They are some very tall creatures. I feel like I am on my knees when "standing' next to them. Ya dang tall humans. Haha.

Physical therapy is moving along, I feel some improvements, and the therapist says I have come a long way over the past month and a half. I just wish it would improve faster.... But whatevs.

I taught District Meeting again this week, it was super good again! I feel that I am getting better at it every week. I can definitely see the improvement in my preparation, and how I teach! I love being district leader, because I love having that chance to teach and inspire other missionaries. This week we discussed the phrase, "Begin with the end in mind." Specifically we talked about How to Begin teaching as mentioned in Preach My Gospel. But his concept is really cool. Just look as the scriptures. They for sure begin with the end in mind. Look at Moses 1:39, "For behold, this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." What is the end? Immortality and eternal life. This concept and principle has helped me plan more effectively for my investigators and the less-actives we teach. One of the last actions we always take before we end a teaching visit is to extend a commitment. Commitments help others to repent and come unto Christ. This is our purpose. 

When I plan lessons now, I first start with the end. What will I commit the person I am teaching to do so that they can grow and progress in the Gospel and build their faith? Then I plan what to teach according to that. It works. It is more effective. I use it for my district meetings. I will use this for the rest of my life now! I am learning so much about how to teach effectively. I am so grateful to be a missionary.

As I may have mentioned a few weeks ago, I and some other missionaries have been training and now we are certified Red Cross volunteers. Elder Bickmore and I had the opportunity to volunteer this week for it. It was fun! We get to talk to a ton of people, not about the gospel, but we are setting a first impression which is great!

We had a ward activity this week. It was a disaster. Nobody came. I repeat, nobody came. We tried so hard. We were supposed to start at 7pm. And Hermano Lima our Ward mission leader was supposed to be there early to set up his projector and everything,mp and he showed up at 7pm. He fidgeted with his crap for an hour so we ended up starting at 8pm. Which pushed back what we had planned to teach about the Book of Mormon to the point the point where we didn't get to teach anything. The whole thing just turned into a movie night with like ten members present. Our Ward Mission Leader is giving me a serious Headache. Yikes. I am done with him haha. He just does not understand missionary work, yet he served a mission. I am not going to start on this actually, because I don't have time to write about it.

I gave myself another haircut this week, so that was super fun. It looks interesting. I kept the sides short and blended it to the best of my ability and didn't even touch the top of my head. New look I guess. Weird. Elder Encinas is begging me to cut his hair now. It's so funny how there are so many missionaries that ask me to cut their hair.

There was a funny 10 minute period Elder Bickmore and I had this week. We were meeting the Gaytán family for dinner at Subway, and we walk up to subway, and there is this gentleman that stops us and asks if we know these two missionaries, and we were like yeah! And we though he was going to start asking questions, and talk to us about the Gospel, but he just started ranting about life then about how he hates everything and does not believe in God. Then member walked up and was like whoa....... And awkwardly walked out of the conversation. We bore our testimonies then walked off and as we were walking, he said and I quote, "Burn in Hell!!!!" So that was interesting, during this chat with this guy, another lady walked by U.S. and was like "hello how are you?" And we were thinking yes a normal person. Then she walked farther off and said, "My, you are looking handsome today." It was so flipping funny! We were like what?!?! Then immediately after a homeless lady asked us for money. (This was a span of 5 minutes). We ate, then when we walked out we saw another lady we had seen a two months earlier. She started the conversation responding to my question of how are you with, "I am pregnant! Two months now!" (Now started the second span of 5 minutes making it ten super strange minutes of funny missionary life). 

We have been working with Daisy a lot and her mom just returned from Mexico so now we can continue working with her. They still have not come to church, so it is getting hard to continue with them! I don't know how much more emphasis we can put on going. 

Church was so funny. Actually all of Sunday was hilarious. Ward council was funny because the elders quorum president was trying to rip on Bishop and get after him about something, which there was nothing that caused such a reason to do so. The whole ward council exploded, it seemed, defending the bishop. We the missionaries felt awkward being in there. During gospel principles our WML taught false doctrine about prayer. So that was fun, and so I sat there finding scriptures to back up the real doctrine. During Elder's quorum we learned how to give a blessing and how to anoint. Actually, sorry, we learned how to do it the wrong way. I wish that the leaders and the members would read the manuals. I couldn't believe what I was hearing during that hour. I talked with one of the high councilors and now will be talking with the bishop about it. Fun!

However! We had success with getting people to church! The Herrera family which we have been working with lately has come to church two weeks in a row now! They are coming back! Woot! Woot! Maria another investigator came, and than Zeltzin a less active member came as well. That was the biggest success. For 6 months, since I have been in this area I have tired with my companions to get her to church. Finally she came yesterday. It was great! 

Anyways! This week was great! Slow, but great! Never forget to begin with the end in mind. Apply it to everything! 

Your favorite Elder from So. Cal.!

Elder Weston Scott

in Anaheim Hills