Officially 21

Greetings my dear family and friends!!

So yes its official im TWENTY ONE!

Words definitely cant express how great it is to be another year older and wiser too :) 

So this week was a very great week and so sweet! So since we have a baptism coming up on the 12th for our three kids we have been teaching we have been spending everyday with them helping them to prepare and to get ready. Honestly I realized that mission teaches you patience to a greater level. I love teaching them and seeing them grow. Each time we go I see them improve in their English and in their praying and its so great! I am super excited! They have such sweet spirits and im super excited!

So That is what we have spent most of our time doing and also we are focusing on another investigator that we have. We found her a few weeks ago and her name is Merian Nasilele. She is an older woman who is a recent widow. Her husband was a teacher and he passed just a few months ago. She was taught by missionaries before but when her husband died she had to stop coming to church since she was mourning and in their culture they have to wear all black all of the time and stay home most of the time. So she stopped coming to church but we have been visiting her and I can honestly say that she is the most prepared woman that I have met. She has such a passion and devotion to the church even if she has nothing. When her husband died the family took everything they had. The mattresses, tv, and everything that she had. She doesn't have anything, but the only thing that she says every time is that God will take care of them. She doesn't worry about not having food or money because her faith shows. You know something that I have seen in the African people that I have never seen back home is gratitude. People here barely have anything. Sometimes they don't even have a roof over there heads but they praise God. They never turn away from Him. I have been thinking a lot about myself back home and before mission. I definitely see the difference in me then and now. I understand more of my purpose in life and about the important things. I am so glad that I have the chance to meet some amazing people who teach me so many things. I pray that God will continue to open my heart and to change and mold me. We are planning to give Sister Nasilele a baptism date and so im excited for that.

So this week I also had an awesome birthday party! It was great! We went to dinner with all of the sisters and its was great! We got to also spend the day with a sweet family the Shonga family (the kids we are preparing for baptism.) Its amazing that even though they barely have much they still took time to buy food and to cook and to even buy me gifts for my birthday. They got me lovely earrings and an outfits too. All of the kids wrote me notes and then they sprayed me with silly string which was pretty adorable! Haha. It was great. Mosiah 2:17 is so very true and so real. That day I felt true joy.

So this week was also great because we had interviews with Mission President. They were very nice and successful. He told me that I have 4 months left so its that time where I can decide what kind of impression I will leave for the other missionaries and what kind of example they will follow. He also told me alot about spiritual self reliance. He said that now im a seasoned and mature missionary so sometimes Heavenly Father isn't there anymore to guide every decision that I make but he will leave me to do the work because he trusts me. It was very great and inspiring. 

So this week was by far a great week! I learned alot and I realize that im not getting any younger! Its time to start making big decisions! Welllllll I have to run but love you all very much! I know that this truly is the work of our Heavenly Father and that we are his hands! He loves us and he is there for us! I pray for you all and I hope that you continue to lean on the Lord for strength and for peace. He is the rock. He should be our foundation!


Love
Sister Scott