Bob Came to Church!

I just realized that today is my eight month mark! That's one third of my whole mission. It's crazy how quickly this time is passing by. It definitely motivates me to work even harder and never waste a single moment!

Bob came to church yesterday! It made us so happy to see him there finally. He seemed to really enjoy himself. He was very involved in the classes and asking really great questions. It always seems like whenever we have an investigator at church, the lessons always seem too veer off into super deep doctrine nonsense. And that's exactly what happened yesterday with Bob. But, he's heard worse things from his roommate, Boyd. So Bob is still going strong! 

We also had another one of our investigators from the Spanish Branch come to church too! His name is Donaciano, and he's a really amazing guy. He's had a pretty ugly past with drugs and alcohol. But he's been making some incredible changes in his life. He's been coming to church and reading in the Book of Mormon. So we've been really blessed to have all of these amazing investigators to work with. 

We did some service this week for the Huntley's! It was pretty enjoyable stuff. Working with chickens, goats, cows, and of course the sheep! They're just so awesome. They're still reading the Book of Mormon as a family. But Brother Huntley is pretty hard to read at times. He's not a very expressive person. So it's hard to tell how much progress he's making. But we're having dinner with them tomorrow so it should be a great lesson!

We're getting transfer calls this Friday. I will be more than likely staying. It's insane how quickly these transfers are going by. It seems like every transfer I'm in is the one that goes by the fastest! 

Thank you so much for all of your love and support. I know that this church is true and this gospel truly blesses peoples lives. 

Love you all!

Elder Scott 

Huntley Farm

SDA Field Trip

I'm truly starting to understand the phrase, the weeks feel like days. Every single week here just seems to go by quicker and quicker. And it's pretty hard to keep up! But the work is progressing and it's such a joyful ride.

We had an interesting turnout at church yesterday. Like I've mentioned in the past, the majority of the people here in College Place are Seventh-Day Adventist. And there is even an SDA High School. Apparently they have a "World-Religions Class", and a part of their assignment is that they have to observe three different religions. So yesterday we had basically a high school field trip at sacrament meeting. In total there were about six or seven students. And thankfully, we heard some of the best sacrament talks we've ever heard, they were both from the stake. One of them talked about the enabling power of the Atonement, and the other talked about the power of receiving a testimony through the Holy Ghost, specifically about the Prophet Joseph Smith. So we knew that all of the students were in good hands. Only one of them, Quentin, stuck around for all three hours though. Afterwards we talked to him for quite a bit. He had a lot of questions about some things. Even though he was there only for a school assignment, it was still a very cool experience to teach and to be apart of. At that moment I truly felt like one of the Lord's representatives.  

   

We've been able to get quite a few of our investigators on date for baptism this week. It's been a huge focus in our zone. All you have to do is invite! It's going to be an action packed next couple of weeks maintaining all of these amazing investigators!

We were able to meet with the family I mentioned last week about the sheep, the Huntley's. We watched the Restoration with them and had a pretty candid talk with Brother Huntley and if this is what he wants to pursue right along with his family. It was a great lesson. The Spirit was very strong and we were able to say what needed to be said. We did learn that his conversion is going to take a little longer than what we hoped. But he'll definitely come around.  

Bob was not able to make it to church yesterday. And for the first time ever on my mission, the investigator actually had an okay excuse not to come to church. He had to take care of some pretty serious and personal matters. So we will have to move his date back a little further, but everything should work out okay though. Bob is such a great guy and so hilarious. We were able to teach him the Word of Wisdom this last week and he completely accepted it--and more! He told us that wants to give up eating chocolate too. We're both so excited for Bob and the changes that he's been making in his life. Keep him in your prayers. 

I love this gospel and I love this church! Every single week as a missionary, my testimony grows stronger and stronger. I'm so grateful for this chance to serve as one of the Lord's representatives

Thanks for all of your love prayers and support. It continues to strengthen me everyday.

I love you all! 

Elder Scott

The Sheep are Out!

Today at 12:36 PM

Hello family! 

Well, nothing too crazy happened this week. Pretty much a normal week. Which is great! A normal week as a missionary is the greatest! 

We were able to find quite a few new investigators this week. Only a few pretty promising ones. Especially this part member family that we met last week, The Huntly's. Last Sunday we were visiting a bunch of formers from old teaching records and one of them was a part member family. Everyone in the family is a member except for the dad. We called them up and asked if we could come over this week. It was great because we ended up having dinner with them and it was one of the funnest dinners I've ever been to. They're pretty big farmers and randomly in the middle of dinner one of the daughters came in and yelled, "The sheep are out!" And without a word, everyone from the table ran outside. So we ran out with them and wrangled up some sheep! Yee-Haw! So once things settled down, we talked to them about how the gospel can bring families closer and that we would love to start meeting with them. And they said they would love that! Elder Shugart and I are very excited for them. 

Something pretty sad happened this last week. One of the members here in the Spanish Branch, Jesus Huerta, moved down to Portland. He's one of those amazing members who's willing to come out with us every night--and he did! So it was pretty sad when we found out he was leaving on such a short notice. 

Unfortunately, our investigator Bob was unable to come to church yesterday. Which was REALLY tough because we've been having some amazing lessons with him this last week. Bob is such a great guy! And we want him so badly to accept the gospel. He's reading in the Book of Mormon everyday and he loves it. He just can't make it to church. Keep him in your prayers!  

We had interviews with our mission president this week. I always look forward to them. Every time I meet with President Ware I receive so much strength and courage to keep moving forward despite the obstacles. I'm so grateful for this chance that I have to be a missionary! 

Yesterday at church we studied the chapter in the Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson about the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration. The Relief Society President and the Elders Quorum President asked Elder Shugart and I to bear our testimonies in their class. It was such a great experience and such an amazing privilege to share what I know to be true. Through this experience it made my testimony so much stronger about the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that he truly was a prophet of God and this truly is the work of the Lord. And I'm so grateful for the chance that I have to be apart of it! 

Love you all!

Elder Scott   

Me and Elder Jensen!

Where is Elder Richard G. Scott???

Today at 12:50 PM

Hello everyone! 

This last weekend was so great! With Easter and General Conference all in one it was definitely one to remember. 

This last week I was able to go on exchanges with Elder Dale Jensen. The one from our home stake! It was so weird being with someone who went to the same high school as you. But we had a blast together. He's been out for a little over a year and he's such a great missionary.  

We were able to get a few of our investigators back on date for baptism which is super exciting. One of them was Bob. We met with him yesterday. He's such an interesting man. He's very shy and kind of socially awkward. But he's really warmed up to us and he's so excited to be baptized. The other ones from the Spanish Branch who are on date are Maria and Neli. It's pretty cool because they're both in their 40's and they're best friends. So they've been helping one another along this path. WE just have to so many incredible people we're teaching and that the Lord is preparing.  

We had a SUPER awkward experience yesterday. We got a media referral that someone had requested a Book of Mormon. We went to the address and it was one of the dorm rooms for the University here. We decided to stiffen our upper lips and go for it! As we walked up to the front desk asking for the referrals name, every eye in the room was glued to us. They then told us that they couldn't give away that information. So we left her a message and hoped for the best. We got out of there as quickly as possible--or so we tried. As we walked out of the doors, a large crowd of 18 year-old, Seventh-day Adventist, college girls came up to the door with all of their luggage. We both held the doors open for them. But once they got through the doors, an even bigger crowd of girls came around the corner. By the end of it we must've been standing there for about five minutes holding the doors open for all of these awkward, horribly confused college girls. We got out of there as quickly as possible...so awkward.     

General Conference was as great as ever! I enjoyed it so much (despite not hearing from Elder Richard G. Scott! What's up with that??). Anyways, I remember feeling this way about the last general conference that maybe it's just because I'm a missionary, but these last couple conferences have been absolutely amazing. Since being a missionary, everything about the gospel has become so much more meaningful. And hearing the words of the prophets this last weekend has strengthened my testimony in so many immense ways. The talks that stood out to me the most were Elder Bednar's, Holland's and Renlund's. All of them, and many others, emphasized the healing power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Something that we should all be reminded of during this Easter season.

We had such a great week. After General Conference it made me so happy to be apart of this church and to have modern prophets and apostles today who can lead and guide us. 

Love you all!
Elder Scott  

 Elder Street...Get it?

 

 

 

 Omak is known as "Sasquatch Country"



The Famous College Place Water Tower...well, kinda famous

Me and Elder Shugart! :)

Walla Walla Washington!

Hello everyone! 

Well I'm in my new area in College Place. And it's super great! I love it here! we have a lot of amazing members and investigators. So I'm really looking forward to serving here. We cover all of the College Place Ward and then all of the Spanish that's North of the Washington border in the zone. There's A LOT more Spanish here than there was in Omak. So it's been a pretty new experience going to the Spanish branch and we've been teaching a lot more lessons in Spanish. The branch actually meets at the church building in Milton-Freewater, which is actually in Oregon! So we have to go to another state just to go to church! It sure is a long way away from Omak. Sunday;s are pretty busy too because we also attend the English Ward in the afternoon! So church is pretty much an all day thing. But it's great! It's also kind of weird being around other missionaries. We live in an apartment with the Zone Leaders. Whether as before in Omak, we would never get to see anyone else. So it's been a lot of fun.  

The main school here is Walla Walla University. And it's a Seventh-Day Adventist school. Here in Walla Walla is pretty much Provo for Seventh-Day's. I had no idea it was such a huge church. But apparently it is! Sometimes when we're out knocking on doors pretty much EVERYONE is a member of that church. And it's pretty hard too because it really is a great church! The people are so kind and they are all about the family. They could all totally be Mormons! So it makes it pretty tough because they're all just so close to the truth, but just not quite there. 

My new companion is Elder Shugart. Where do I begin! He's such an amazing missionary. He's from Colorado and he's been out for about 6 months. What's really amazing is that he's a convert of about two years. He told me he wanted to serve a mission even before he was baptized. And actually a few weeks ago (I wish I was here to see it), our mission president allowed his mom to come up to the mission so that Elder Shugart could baptize her. He's such an amazing example to me. And he has one of the strongest testimonies I've ever heard. I've been so blessed to be able to serve with him. 

The church just put out an amazing new video! It's called "Because He Lives". We've been showing it to our investigators ever chance we can get. I definitely invite all of you to watch it if you haven't already. 

I'm so excited to be able to work here in College Place. This area is really so amazing and I've blessed in so many ways. 

This week I've been thinking a lot about my Savior and His atoning sacrifice. Since being on the mission I've really learned how to rely on the Atonement. I'm so grateful for the chance that we all have to be cleansed and enabled through Christ's suffering. I'm also very grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who loved His son enough to send Him to this earth. 

I love being a missionary! Thank you all for your prayers! 

Elder Scott

p.s. So... here's my new address:

1040 SW Puff Ln #8 

College Place, WA 99324