CELEBRATION TIME

ZONE CONFERENCE

12 Months . One year I MADE IT.!!!

Yes this week was BY far the best week on mission since I hit my year mark!!!!! Honestly, it was a great week and im a little in shock that I made it this far.

So yeah this week was filled with a lot of spiritual moments that honestly I will never forget. So Wednesday was great, since we had the chance to participate in our Zone Conference. (Pics coming soon). Honestly it was so great. We got a chance to hear from different speakers but most important, President Erickson. He spoke alot about the priesthood and the spiritual blessings that we can obtain from the priesthood and through our calling as a missionary. He told us that this is the time of our lives that Heavenly Father can teach us more than we could have ever learned. We also discussed D&C 121 and what it means to be called and to be chosen. It states that Many are called but few are chosen. There is a difference between the two, but I never really paid attention before. He said that everyone can be called because that simply means that you have a desire. When we want to serve God then we are called to the work. But to be chosen we must be obedient and our heart must be in the right place. We must be favored. We must exercise our agency righteously.

Something else that was really powerful was the lesson by Sister Erickson. She told us that there are 4 wys to have good realtionships that will bring us happiness in our lives. Not just our companionships but in our relationships and marriages. These 4 skills will help us be happy. 1.  Be impeccable with your word. We should be careful of the words we say. Use only words in truth and righteousness. 2. Don't take anything personal. She said that we should not take offensive easily. Always remember that nothing others do is because of you. Dont go through life being a victim of what others say and do. 3. Don't make assumptions That is pretty easy to undesratnd and 4. Always do your best You will avoid regret if you always do your best.

So I can say that it was the most inspired conference and I truly learned more than I ever could have. It was so great! So other than that we had a really great week with really great lessons as well. Friday was great since I hit one year. I can't even believe it had been that long! The other sisters were so great to us. We went out for milkshakes and then we got home and they surprised us by throwing baby powder on us and then they decorated and we had a big dinner together. It was so very nice and I enjoyed it alot. I can't believe that one year ago I was leaving my home. I know that I have grown SO much. Much more than I thought that I would. I have went through more than I could have imagined on mission. People always tell you what to expect and it has been much more than that. Truly.

One inspiring moment that I had this week among the others was a lesson that we had with one of our new investigators Domiciano Timbo. He is about 30 or so and a very humble and kind man. We met him just on the road one day, he is a garbage collector and he came up to us and talked to us and said he wanted us to come and see him. I have to be honest, I didnt really think much of it at first and I wasn't exactly sure how educated he was so I had doubts in my mind. But we went and taught him and then he came to church. This past week we didn't get to teach him but yesterday he came to church again and looking so great! He honestly looks like a different person. So after church we sit down to teach him and we start with sharing about the Plan of Salvation. As I was teaching him about the pre earth life the spirit that I felt was so strong! Honestly, I could feel it as I explained to him that he lived with God and that God loved us so much that he provided a plan and then a light went off and his face just lit up and he said "Wow, so you mean that God did all of this because he loves us?" It was amazing to see his spirit just soak up everything and testify to him. As we continued to talk to him he just understood everything so perfectly. I knew then that it was right. We invited him to ba baptized and he accepted. As soon as we were done his face just turned and he looked so sad. He started telling us that he cant come to the Lords house with all of the things in his past and he opened up to us alot about his struggle in the past and the struggle that he had with alcohol and how they destroyed not only his marriage but his family. The sadness in his eyes was so real. I honestly had tears in my eyes. I could feel his pain and also his desire to change. I told him that Heavenly Father sees him and loves him. The Atonement is real. The Savior paid for his sins but he always has to learn to forgive himself. Right when I said that he smiled and he even said he wants to get baptized. I know that Heavnly Father is real. That Jesus Christ lives. I know that for a fact and with surety. I know that these are his children. I know that we have a work to do. I am looking forward to baptizing him and hopefully his family. The gospel can change peoples lives. Honestly. I'm so grateful I chose to serve a mission. I know that it will impact my life for now and eternity. I love the gospel. We will be tried and we will be tested but we must be true and faithful.

I want you to know that I love you all and I hope that you have a great week!!!!! 

   Sister Scott

                                                        Sisters

                                                 My new companion

                                            Celebrating 1 year

Prayer Is The Passport To Peace

Happy Monday everyone!!!! Well its a holiday here and very festive I might add but here we are at the email shop updating our family and friends on the happenings :)

I hope everyone is doing well and had a wonderful week last week! Our week was a good week as well. I am just loving the new branch I am in, I can't lie. It is super awesome and I hope I stay here until I go home! The people are wonderful and great and we even have 4 baptisms scheduled and we have more we are planning to invite this week! Our area is definitely on fire!

So I feel like I should tell you that we have some of the greatest investigators. Good and bad haha but greatest! So here is an update just so you know who we are working with! There is one that we have named Brother Mwape who is a 32 year old man who is slightly obsessed with America and Me. He is very smart but LOVES to talk. This week we taught about the Plan of Salvation and we were trying to explain how the fall of Adam and Eve was part of Gods plan but he just couldnt accept it. We read in 2 Nephi and even in the bible but he is struggling to see it as a good thing. He is so funny. He cracks jokes alot and tells us that he is dating Bill Gates daughter. Any time he calls us he tells me to say hello to all the people in America so this is on his behalf. Ah. He is great. Hopefully we can help him progress! :)

Another one that we saw this week was a man named Domiciano Timbo. He is a man from Malawi that moved here for work. We found him one day becase he just came up to us and said he needed the word of God. So this week we went and visited with him outside of his work place and we sat and he told us that he wants to change and grow closer to God. He said that all of his family and friends don't think he can but he wants to show them. Honestly I felt it in my heart and happily enough he came to church on Sunday and he told me that ''Im part of you. I will come every single week.'' So that was exciting. I can see the potential in him!

So those are just a few but this week was great. Even Friday we had to chance to do District service and to help clean one of the members home! Hopefully you all see the picture! We had a great time and it was wonderful. Even Sunday was very great as we had our first fast and testimony meeting. It was honestly so powerful! I felt the spirit so strong and I learned so many things! I truly understand the importance of testimonies and how we need to be firmly rooted in the gospel and in our testimonies. I know that our testimonies will be our weapon in the fight against Satan. They truly are recorded in heaven and I even know that our testimonies are there to help even on the other side of the veil. When we share them, we grow. When we hide them they will eventually die. It was very powerful.

So for me this week was a very good one and even some thoughts that I have had I would  even like to share about doing the will of God. In Helaman chapter 10 we read about Nephi and how because of his strict obedience and even his unwearyingness that he was blessed with the power to accomplish anything that he commanded to happen. I love verse 4  and 5.  But especially verse 4 that states, '' Blessed are thou Nephi for those things thou hast done; for I have beheld how thou hast with unwearyingness declared the word which I have given unto thee unto this people. And thou hast not feared them, and hast not sought thine own life but hast sought my will and to keep my commandments.'' Something that we learn is that Nephi did the will of God and he was blessed. Often time we think that WE know the best thing and we try to succeed and even justify the things that we do but we learn that when we seek the will of God we will be blessed like Nephi. God will also trust us. One thing I learned was that we should always seek the will of God first. Selfishness is our ''natural man'' and thinking of how this will affect us but we should always think how would  God react and seek for his will to be done. I know that when we do this, when we align our will with Gods we will find success. Satan will try us of course, but we will have more help and aid from our God when we do his will. I love you and I pray that you have a great week! This friday is my ONE YEAR MARK. I can't believe that I have been here for a year already but i'm so grateful for the things that I have learned and experienced because they are shaping me into the woman that God wants me to become. Be faithful and fearless.

Love 

Sister Scott

Ether 12:27

Mulibwanji !!!

Wowzer this week has come and gone! The days really do fly by when you're having fun! So this week was a very good one of course since we did what we do best, MISSIONARY WORK.  :)

But really I do love the area that i'm in and everything is going on as well. The branch that I am in Chainama is booming. There are about 5 people preparing for missions and so mst of our days are filled with working with them and giving them the whole missionary experience. Its pretty sweet. Since we are whitewashing we spend alot of time just tracting and contacting but we actually have been finding alot of new people and i'm pretty excited.

Nothing big happened this week but we did have interviews with the Mission President. It was very nice and I really enjoyed it alot. It makes me realize that I don't have that much longer on mission and I really just want to give it my all these last 6 months and how I want to really focus. So this week I actually had things that I was trying to decide and decisions I was contemplating and I took the opportunity to fast and pray. As I studied the scriptures and other things I came across chapter 12 in Ether that talks about faith and also our weakness. Lately I have been filling very insufficent and even sometimes comparing myself to other people especially missionaries. Ether 12:27 states, "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." I know that all of us are weak in different things. God has given us weakness that we may remember him and that we may rely on him more fully and completely. Something that I have realized is that nothing is possible without God. Sometimes we try to do things on our own and its not what God has planned for us it will fail. But its not enough just to recognize our weakness but its also essential that we strive to strengthen ourselves in those areas that we are weak. That we seek after God. Throughout the scripture repeatedly it says "Ask and ye shall find, knock and it shall be opened unto you." I know that God wants us to seek. To strive to become better people and better disiciples even in our weakness. We have to rely on God our father and also his atonement for that is the only thing that will lift us up. But its up to us because God will never force us. I know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world and that he lives.No matter our weakness, our faults, or our mistakes he loves us perfectly and infinitely. I love you all and im so grateful for family and friends that are always there for me, you don't know how much it helps me!

I hope you all have a great week! Love you!!!

Missionary Life