Wake Village, TX - Week #77

Downloading Darren and I's Halloween pic, McKennah is onto 3 weeks with no pictures being sent. Maybe this will make sure she sends me pics next time around.  

Happy Halloween! BOO Y'ALL! 

This week has been some pretty fun stuff! We had some service at the food bank that we were invited to help, we had more service painting in the park, and we were able to help out at our ward fall festival! Unfortunately, I don't really have any awesome stories this week other than we tracted, and we tracted some more! Hahah we have been on the search for new people to teach! Everyone has been gone this week because of the holiday, but next week we are going to start booming again! We got a lot of work to do here and so much good to bring about to the amazing people of Texarkana! Thanks for all you do for me!! I hope y'all be safe this Halloween and don't get too scared! hahah I love y'all! 

Love,

 Sister Scott

Pretty girl, pretty old pic....but unsure if I previously posted it.

Dear momma, 

So..this week has been kinda uneventful...been kinda a harder week but it is  all good! It is part of the work of the ministry! Sounds like yall have had a blast this week! I miss you so much! I just talked with a missionary mom on Sunday and her daughter had been out for over a year too! She is serving in Brazil right now. Her mom seemed to be doing good but she said she was ready to have her daughter home, she said "Only 6 more months and I will have her back again"! I just feel like these next 5 weeks will feel more like 3 months. I do miss you, and literally CAN'T WAIT to see you again. You look great in all of your pictures! I can't wait to see you in person. I love you mom! There is also a letter coming for you! Thanks for all you do for me, you are amazing! ALSO! SIster Steadman and I are going to be wearing our "costumes" tonight! hahah thanks for the package, we loved it! (: 

Wake Village, TX -Week #76

 Sister Steadman and McKennah. Thank goodness for members who are kind enough to send pics.  McKennah may be feeling a little "trunky" no pics directly from her this ENTIRE transfer! =(


HOWDY! 

Hey there everyone! This week has been one of diligent efforts. We have exercised a lot of faith and as a result we now have 2 NEW families we can teach and a potential that came as a referral from lds.org.  How did this happen? It happened through the prayer of faith. 

I just want y'all to know that when we pray sincerely, TRULY sincerely Heavenly Father will help us. I only know that this is true because I know what it is like to NOT pray with that "Sinceriety or Real Intent" That Moroni talks about (Moroni 10:3-5). As missionaries, it is easy to get robotic..it is easy to just say meaningless words because we say a total of 5-7 prayers a day depending on how much we depended on the Lord's help that day. I know that there are some days where I just run my tongue and forget to stop and think about what I am saying and who I am really talking to. For me, I have found that when I pray like that, almost 90% of the time the Lord doesn't answer my prayers. It is pretty frustrating when that happens because this work is soo dependent on that prayer of Faith. I know that the work goes soo much more smoother and more successful as we pray in faith.

 SO, Sister Steadman and I really put the Lord to the test. We felt prompted to go tracting for 4 HOURS on Saturday. That is a long time to be going door to door and did I mention that it is in the hot heat? And that families are usually gone over the weekend? Yeah not really fun huh? Well, at this point 3 and a half hours go by and FINALLY someone lets us into their home. Her name is Amanda, and she has 2 cute boys and she was open to the Restoration. Isn't that soo cool?! We also met another family (who  lives on the same street) who told us that they were looking for a church to attend and said that they would try to come and visit us on Sunday at the church and see for themselves what we have to offer. Unfortunately they couldn't come this week but we hope we will see them next week! It was still an amazing experience. 

Y'all I know that the Lord loves us, he LOVES YOU! That is seriously one of my favorite things as a servant of the Lord to tell people. I know that the our Savior Jesus Christ is a resurrected being, and that Heavenly Father is a resurrected being as well. I know that they have flesh and blood like we do. There bodies function just like ours do. He can SEE us, He can HEAR us, He can touch us and make us whole. They are just like us. We are truly His children. He does hear us. Please take the time to pray to Him. I know that as you pray with "Sinceriety and Real Intent" He will answer you. I love y'all! Have a blessed week! 

Love,

Sister Scott

Dear momma! 

Time feels so much more longer now because I am excited to see you! I am sooo blessed mom. I have had some pretty cool emails from a lot of different people. I have had an email from Bailey Robinson a couple weeks ago asking me when I am coming home because she wants me to come to the temple with her and watch her receive her endowments and it made me super happy! I guess I made an influence on her and now she wants me to watch her take part in one of the most important covenants that we can make in the temple!! Isn't that soo sweet? I believe she is planning to do it in January so that is awesome. I also hear from Sister Lueckler (Cortnie) She is a clearfield high friend that I absolutely adore! She is going to the Ecquador mission. She is about to enter the field right now!! I hear from Julie Johnson every week usually, and then I hear from Emily Qualls, other missionaries that I am serving with, or old comps! April Saunders (Sister Saunders mom) will write me every once in a while, I used to hear from Garrett at the beginning of my mission but after my first 3 months of serving he stopped, I hear from Bob Buckner every week, or some members that I have served for/with. It is awesome. My inbox is full every week and I love it! It all has to do with the Lord helping us. I have receieved some pretty neat emails. I can't wait to show them to you! (: 

This week, I have been asked to start the my plan program..It is super exciting and scary all at the same time! I am excited to get it started and get to help and be prepared for these changes in my life. I know the Lord has my back! I feel of His love constantly and gentle whispers that gives me the strength I need. I have been seeking direction from my patriachal blessing and counsel from my leaders. It helps to talk about it sometimes and so this my plan will really help me! I am excited about it! I will tell you everything as I go. 

Wow, I am sad about the no pictures this week!! :( Man, I know how you feel! I for reals look forward to seeing your faces on this screen every week. Oh well, y'all are probably just as busy if not more than I am over here! I have been praying for both the Stetler's and the Giacalone's, they are both amazing families. Please keep me posted on them! If there is anything I can do let me know! 

Wow, those are crazy news! It sounds like these are changing all around us eh? It sounds like fun. I was also thinking, I think it would be super cool if we could go to one of the temples that I could not go to on my mission? There were 2 of them that our mission could go to and that is Baton Rouge, LA and also Dallas, Tx temples. We don't have to go to any of those if we don't have time or if they are too far but that is one of the thoughts that I have had. We can always go to a different temple in Utah when we come home home, that would be amazing too (: 

Time went by very fast. I have been blessed to know the people in each of my areas. I still remember them and think about them. I will miss them soo much! I can't wait for you to meet them and get a little taste of what my mission was like. I love you and think about you and pray for you. Blessings await us and I cannot wait to see them come for all of us! I love you! I hope you have a great week! 

Love,

Sister Scott 

Wake Village,TX- Week #75

No new pics, AGAIN! Thank goodness to members who will take pics and pass them on!

Hey there y'all!

How is everyone doing? It was a pretty average week for us! We made our weekly visits to people and did some service! It was a very great week! Elder Standford, Sister Steadman, and I performed in a musical number on Sunday! We sang "Be Still My Soul" The members said we did pretty well, and that they all felt the spirit! I love to sing! It brings the spirit every time without fail. I just love how other people react to the spirit, they seem more receptive to what we have to say. Unfortunately we didn't have anyone at church this week, but we will do better next week to bring somebody! I just have a strong testimony of going to church! We go there for the edification that comes only through the Sacrament. We are cleansed each week, isn't that amazing! I am so grateful for a loving father in Heaven who really does have a plan for us. I grateful for the gift of the Atonement and that it Heals, Sanctifies, Brings peace and Solace to our lives. I know that as we rely on the Savior miracles will work in our lives.

I wanted to share a little experience we had at a members house. We were there for a meal appointment and we gave each person a piece of paper. We gave them pretty vague instructions and told them to draw on their paper exactly as we told them to. At the end, we all saw that each of our pictures were different. We asked them why it was so hard to follow our instructions? It was hard because they didn't see the big picture, they didn't see the end result of what that picture would look like. We told them that God has the big picture, he sees the beginning and the end. We have to learn to have faith in his plan, and make sure that we are worthy of the spirit. His spirit will lead us in the right direction. We can know God's plan as we listen to him. We then read Isaiah 55:8-9 and it says that "His ways are higher than our ways, and his thoughts are higher than our thoughts." I know that to be true. He has a plan for us. Trust in that plan. Trust that God knows you personally and will direct your path. I know that to be true! 

 I love y'all! Have a blessed week! (: 

Here is my address again! I know y'all have been waiting for it! 

Sister Scott

523 Redwater Rd 

Apt #29 

Wake Village, Tx

75501

Dear mom,

I am really really REALLY bad at pictures this transfer! I absolutely love sister steadman though! She is amazing.(: We will get on it! 

As for people to visit, there are many people and I know we don't have time to see them all! But here is a couple things that I have in mind! 

Hattiesburg: I would love to see the Fitzgerald's ( Bishop family) Kristen Ulmer ,Bob Buckner, Brandon Crouse, Brocks, Flo, Thomas and Rachel (new recent converts for me) And the Silas's! They are all really amazing people. I love them with all my heart! There is a really yummy place to eat that I want y'all to try, it is called Newk's! There isn't really anything too special/fun to do in Hattiesburg, but there are cool streets, memories and stories I wanna show y'all there! 

Ruston: We can see a investigator named Vernon, and sharon (if she is still there, she is pretty old) , and also Bertha she is a sweet lady too. As for members, I loved the Moore family! I also loved the Huckaby's! They are all really awesome too! Ruston is a cool place to stop by, they have the Louisiana Tech college right down the street, I thought it would be cool to watch a football game their but football season is over :( Monroe Louisiana had a lot of fun things you could do there! 

Sandhill: There isn't much to do there...there are more cows than people there, but that was hands down my favorite area! (Next to the H-Burg) I LOVED IT THERE! I loved the people and the experiences that I had there (: I am hoping you can meet Charles, Bristle and Mandy! They are awesome! As for the members, I hope you can meet Judy Carol Parnell, Lynda and Gary Balch, and the Price's! They are all super amazing buuttt these ones have left a huge mark on me! I love them. 

It is hard to choose who to see in what places but I absolutely loved my mission. It is hard to believe it has been as long as it has been away from you and everyone back at home, but there are experiences and feelings that I have felt here that have changed my life in ways that I didn't think were possible! Thanks for supporting me and helping me on my mission. It has been an incredible journey and I am just trying to soak it all in! (: 

Also, I am soo sorry to hear about the Giacalone's..that is too bad...It sounds like it has been a hard week for everyone over there.:/ Man, I will definitely add that sweet family in my prayers! That is too bad, please tell Heather that I send my condolences and please tell her that I love her and praying for her! She has always been such a strong tough lady and I look up to her soo much for her example. I do love her family so much! How are you doing? Are the boys sad? I know that they loved Joe! Do they know what the funeral plans are yet? Anyways, I will be praying for them. I love you all and hope that you have a blessed week! (: 

Love, 

Sister Scott

Wake Village, TX - Week #74

Howdy Y'all! 

This week has been a goodn'! We have been going place to place which is what I love! We had ZTM at the beginning of this week in Shreveport,LA! It was fun making a trip over there and see some of my friends in the zone! We talked about the importance of expressing love to others and also being bold as we do so. It was super good! The STL's taught us as well, and they did a fantastic job talking about Charity. We also had the Assistants to the president come and teach us and Elder Vest talked about how he LOVES being "Awkward" And how he says that is his natural personality! He also told how missionaries are just awkward and we need to embrace it. He says that despite how awkward we may be, they will recognize the love we have for them and we will be able to share the gospel with them! So, being members of the church, we are all AWKWARD. We are different than other people in the world, we have high standards and live in a what seems a peculiar lifestyle. Other people can recognize that and will see the light that we carry and have and eventually want it themselves. I know sharing the gospel can be awkward and we may not know how someone may react when we approach them about it but just like Nike says.."Just Do it!" and then miracles will happen! 

We had a couple cool experiences this week that I wanted to share. The Texas Elders came with us to do a service project for the city in the park! We painted some pavillions green and it was super fun! While we were there we met a man named John. And he came and we were able to answer some questions he had about our church. He wanted to know why we were called Mormons and what is the Book Of Mormon. It was soo cool! So the Texas Elders and us were able to team teach this man the restoration. We all bore witness of the Book Of Mormon and he said he wanted to come to church! So cool right?!?! 

We had another experience this week while tracting. We were in the hot humid sun going door to door to share our message with some people on Carrol St. We felt prompted to go there and we got nothing but rejection for an HOUR! It was not fun being told that we are part of a cult and that our message is not worth their time or they just don't feel like talking to church people. It is hard at times doing that for a good while without seeing any fruits come! Well, we were halfway down this street and we knock on the next door and we tracted into a lady named Sister Allen! She is a member of the New Boston Ward (which is the ward next door to us) and had been praying for sometime that the sister missionaries would come over and meet with her! We didn't waste our time tracting after all! We were an answer to somebody's prayer. We said all the right things she needed to hear in our lesson, and then the next night the Elders called us and wanted to tell us thank you for following the spirit because she ended up bearing her testimony on Sunday the next day saying that she was grateful God heard her prayers. It was soo amazing y'all! We were incredibly blessed that day! We didn't find anybody new to teach (which we really needed new people to teach) on that street but God used us a tool to be an answered prayer for a daughter of God who desperately needed it. I love the power of prayer! It works! I know that the Lord was aware of Sister Allen. She was literally the only reason why we were on that street. 

We may never know who will cross our paths, and that is why it is soo important that we are prepared. That our testimonies are prepared, that we have and had spiritual experiences, so we can be ready to share what we know. I know that the Lord wants all of his children to have the gospel. I know he desires to bless us, help us, and strengthen us. Especially, through the trials of life that come our way. He urges us to follow His son Jesus Christ, I know that leads to eternal happiness. We can and will be happy as we live the gospel. I love y'all! Have a blessed week! (: 

Hello mom! Good morning!! (: 

Thanks for the update on the trip! I am sad you wont be able to see wake village, but honestly I have so many more stories about other places I have served. YOU WILL LOVE IT! I am soo excited for you to see everything and feel a few of the feelings that I have felt while i have served our Lord and Savior! Have you talked to president olson? I know that he needs to know beforehand about things like this. Just let me know how I can help! 

Sounds like you have been having a hard week..I am sorry:( I am so sad about that news..I hope that their family will be blessed and I know that God is very much aware of the circumstance that their family is dealing with. I know that he has a plan for them and that His will and plan is far greater than anything we could come up with ourselves. I am so sad that happened to them. I will pray for them. That is just too bad..great family. Please let them know I love them and will pray for them! 

This transfer is going well! Sorry..we have been really bad at pictures this transfer but i have a few I can send if they will upload today! So crazy that time is getting short. Sister Bartsch is getting excited and nervous. All the emails I get are all talking about me coming home now.. it is weird! I really just don't know how to respond to people when they bring it up cause it doens't feel real! Thanks for the pics I have some letters headed yalls way! Have you heard from Logan? Is he doing alright? 

Wake Village, TX- Week #73

No pics from Mckennah from the week!  Here's some oldies but goodies

Hey y'all! 

I hope you have had an amazing conference weekend! We were so busy with transfers and all and just getting back into the routine of things.  We are so excited to work hard this transfer! 

SO. To start off my new companion is ..drum roll please..is SISTER STEADMAN! She is a pretty awesome sister! It is pretty funny so she came out a transfer after I did and she served in the same zone as me in my first area! (Hattiesburg,MS) On top of that the district she was serving in at that time was the Petal District which is funny because I eventually joined that district not too long after she left that area. It is pretty crazy! 

Soo we had a couple cool experiences this week. When Sister Steadman first got here we went to Wal-mart and as we were walking into Wal-Mart there was a girl walking with her dad! She came up to us and said " Hey Sisters! I have been meeting to talk with you. I wanna do family history, I wanna learn more about it!" It was so awesome! We then exchanged numbers and scheduled a time to meet this Thursday! How awesome right?! Right timing, Right place. 

  We had another experience just yesterday. We happened to have the keys to the church (which we never have) And one of our members said they were locked out of the church and they needed us to come and bring the keys to them so they can get their stuff and go home and have dinner. Well, we come by and there was another family that was there that I had never seen before. Anyways! I start talking with the family and come to find out they are super good friends with our members (the Martendale's) It was their first time at General Conference and they really enjoyed it. We asked them if they would be interested in taking the missionary lessons from us and they said YES! Isn't that so cool?! Right timing, Right place. 

We just had General Conference this week and a lot of the speakers focused on our missionary lessons! Throughout this whole weekend we were able to learn about the Restoration,Plan Of Salvation and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. These are the 3 lessons we teach to people! It was just amazing the inspiration that came and the direction I was able to receive as I have heard these talks. I know that the messages that were shared this past weekend are true. I know President Monson is our prophet today, he has been called of God to lead this church. I know that through that same power and that same authority I have been called to share the Gospel to his children here in the Mississippi Jackson Mission. I know the Lord is mindful of us, he does know our needs. I pray that we will all put our trust in him more fully. Let him take control and everything really will work together for our good. I love y'all!! Have a fun week! (: 

Love, 

Sister Scott

I DID get your package! Thank you sooo  much! We loved it! (: I did have a dream about you last week though! I remember it was of us reuniting again and I just remember holding your hand and just not letting go! I was soo happy to see you again! 

yes I am getting ready for the my plan program that will help me to plan everything in more detail. I am excited! (:

Mom that was such a fun email to read! It is perfect because I really do miss watching those kids play! 

I am VERY nervous about having my Homecoming report the day after we return from Mississippi, I just know it will be all raw emotions up until that moment I speak.(and even after) I think it will be great though and an amazing experience for all of us. I just sent Logan and dad some letters! I GOT DAD's letter and oh I just cried when I got it. I was soo happy to get it! Perfect timing. 

I miss talking to you ALL of the time but this has been worth the sacrifice. Worth the changes and the people I met. My favorite speaker was Elder Nattress!! He did an incredible job! That would be weird to see your brother up there though that is crazy!! I also really liked Elder Eyring talk..he did amazing (: