BAM!! Be A Missionary!

November 5, 2012

Dear Mom, Dad, Rachel, Spencer, Ryan, Kyle, and Tyler,

How are you doing? Okay. So once upon a couple times this week I was showing people our family pictures. And every single time people pointed to Rachel and said "Look! It's you!" I would just laugh and tell them that actually I was the other one. :)

This week was pretty good. Sister Sheffer has been kind of sick. But I think we did quite well despite that. To be honest, I can't believe it is already Monday again. We were supposed to go on a turtle tour today, but our tour guide is up helping out with Hurricane Sandy. How are Holly and Jared and their family? Did they have to evacuate?

Let's see... what happened this week? We had a baptism! I was so happy! Not only that, but her nine year old daughter decided that she wants to be  baptized too! So we set her date for this Sunday! She is super excited! Her mom texted us last night because she wanted to know what she should be reading in the Book of Mormon.

We are also teaching a couple children of a less-active member. That lesson was pretty interesting. The mom told our Relief Society president that her children wanted to be baptized. However, when we got there they didn't really show any interest. But Sister Sheffer was basically amazing. The kids were talking and telling their stories and not really paying attention, then Sister Sheffer was like, "Okay, after you tell your story it's my turn to tell a story." The kids agreed and said what order each of them were going to take in telling their stories. Then Sister Sheffer told Lesson 1 like a story. When she was done the kids didn't even care about their stories anymore. They were quiet and they listened to the rest of the lesson and took it a little bit more seriously. I don't know if that really made sense, but it was pretty great.

This week we also went and helped our Catholic friend who feeds us every Sunday. We helped her for a little while and then she fed us some of her amazing food. And while we were eating she asked us some questions about our church. And she told us about how one of her friends whom she had really looked up to in her faith had just committed suicide. She then told us that if there was anything that we knew that she didn't know, she would like us to tell her. This was perfect! In Zone Conference a month or so ago Elder Cardon (member of the 70) told us that we know something that everyone else doesn't know. And that is what went through my head as we were talking with her. I really wanted to leave her with a Plan of Salvation pamphlet, but of course I didn't have one. I love this woman so much! And I would love to see her find happiness in the gospel!

I have learned a lot about perspective this week. It is our choice whether something is a good experience or not. We can laugh or cry about something depending on how we think about it. We don't know what other people are going through. Before we get offended or mad at what someone does or says think about maybe what they are going through. I guess you could say that I am a firm believer of giving people the benefit of the doubt. It makes life better and happier when you aren't holding grudges against people.

...Sister Sheffer may have been late to a conference call. Our ward mission leader didn't yell at us or anything, but you could tell that he was frustrated. You know how it talks about having your heart pricked in the Book of Mormon. That's basically what happened. My heart was definitely pricked. Pricking might not be as bad as a stab, but it still hurts. The worst part about donated blood is having your finger pricked. Anyway. Sister Sheffer was not super happy about how he acted towards us, but I definitely feel like we deserved the pricking. Plus, I feel like he has been under a lot of stress lately. He just hasn't really been himself. I really love our ward mission leader. He is wonderful. And we will just work harder so we can keep his trust.

I have learned so much by being a missionary. You boys should be excited! (And Rachel, and Mom and Dad, if you decide)  :)

I love you all so much! Have a super-duper terrificly wonderful week!

  Love,
     Sister Scott