The Heart of a Mormon

¡Hola!

Yet again, time to write another letter to you all. This past week here it was FREEZING!!! But really though I was so cold! Last night I even slept with a hot water bottle... don´t worry I made sure that is wasn´t too hot so that it didn´t burn me again like last winter!! :) Today though it seems to be warming up so that is good. Hopefully it will stay nice for at least a few more weeks!

Yesterday was one of the coolest sacrament meetings that I have had on my mission. Since it was the fifth Sunday of the month the theme of sacrament meeting was missionary work!! Of course when it was brought up that one of the missionaries should talk (there are 6 now in the ward that I am in) the Elders jumped at the chance to volunteer me... The Elder´s excuse was that I am leaving soon. The ironic part is that both he and his companion are coming home with me as well. I was quick to point that out but the damage was already done. So in typical me fashion I "stewed" about it all week, as mom would put it, writing about 3 different talks as I was on sure what exactly I wanted to share. Well when Sunday finally came we got there to realize that 1. we were going to have a confirmation 2. about 5 people were suppose to talk 3. all the missionaries were suppose to sing and 4. we started sacrament meeting about 20 minutes late. So in short I ended up basically just giving my testimony and then sitting down. So I didn´t actually end of giving any of the talks that I hade written! ha ha oh good times. :)

This week was fantastic though as we had a BAPTISM!! A young man named Jonathan got baptized!! It was so incredible. We also had other investigators that came to the baptism and they loved it. It really was one of the most spiritual baptisms that I have been to! It was interesting because jonathan has shoulder length hair that he usually wears in a pony tail but when he changed into his white clothes he left it down, and to be honest he really looked a lot like Jesus. I wasn´t the only one that thought that either. I was kinda laughing to myself about that as he and our ward mission leader got into the font and then I looked at the picture on the wall of Jesus being baptized by John the baptist and I could just feel the spirit so strong. This really is what it is all about. The first step that we take to make it back to our Heavenly Father!!! Then after he was baptized it was so interesting to see the change in his face when he came out of the water. It is truly incredible how when we keep the commandments of God he really does bless us and as we come unto Him we really do change and not just in a spiritual sense but physically as well. Anyways all in all this weekend was definitely one of the best in my 
mission.

On a lighter note, yesterday we got to a members house and I went to pull up the socks that I was wearing in my boots since they always fall down. I fixed one side just fine but when I got to the other side I couldn´t find my sock!!! I finally pulled my boot all the way off to see if it was stuck down in the toe of the boot and I just couldn´t feel it... nope. I was quite confused as to what had happend and my comp and the family were quite amused and couldn´t stop laughing. Well last night when we got home I found my sock laying on the floor of the pench. I guess in my rush to leave I just hadn´t put it one... So the moral is that I am just as crazy as I have always been. :)

Yesterday we went to the house of some members to eat lunch. The mom was telling us how this past week her son had to get some breathing treatments so they were talking him to the doctor every couple of days. The doctor that they always went to see soon became a good friend to them and the mom of this family told me that she had been praying for a opportunity to share the gospel with this lady. Finally on one of the last days, the doctor pulled in one of the older kids in the family and said, "I just love your daughter, I don´t know what it is but something is different about her.". The mom saw her opportunity and responded, "could it be the heart of a mormon?". This response lead to a deeper discussion about the church and the mom asked us to give her a book of mormon to take to the doctor so that she could begin reading it. At first I thought to myself, "what a strange response" but as my companion and I left and every sense I have been contemplating what does it mean to have "the heart of a mormon"? This morning I read the talk by Elder Andersen from this past conference entitled, "What does Christ think of me?" and loved some of the suggestions of what a true disciple of Christ is. It really is more than just actions, it is what we are, what we have in our hearts. This is what others notice, this is what makes us different. One of the scriptures that he used that I really like is found in Lucas 9: 23 and I liked this scripture because it talks about how we must take up our crosses EVERY day. I think this is something that I have definitely learned on my mission. Every day we have to choose to serve Christ. To really be His disciples. I am not sure why but for some reason I had felt that it was like a check-list and once the decision was made that was it. But this is so not true. One of my favorite quotes in preach my gospel talks about how the gospel is made up of steps that we are meant to take not only once in our lives but many times EVERY day. So for me this is one of the biggest indicators of a disciple of Christ, the firm resolve to make choose EVERY day whom we will serve! To every day be a little be better in the process and I think gradually it will probably get a little bit easier. In my studies this morning that was one of the things that I thought of that makes a "heart of a mormon" but I am curious to see what you all think... truly was does make a "heart of a mormon"?!?

Well I think that is all for this week! I love you tons! Hope all is well with all of you! I miss you like crazy!

I think about you often, pray for you always, and love you forever!

Hna Scanlon

(The view from my apartment)

FYI...I'm Still Alive!

¡HI!

SORRY!! (she was 3 days late sending her email. We were only freaking out a little!) I just wanted to write you all a letter and tell you that I did not in fact die... just that we had problems with internet this week and I couldn´t get an email sent out to you until today... and with that I actually don´t have any time to email you... I am just going to print out my emails to read them and then I will have p-day again on Monday so I will respond to everything then!

For these few days I get to be with Hna Tucker because she is staying in our pench until she goes home... so that has been a lot of fun! Really strange that she is leaving though... I sure am going to miss her.

Things here in Ramos Mejia are really good. No I didn´t get transferred and neither did my companion. We were pretty happy about that. :)

Thanks for the emails this week. I will enjoy reading them tonight when I get a moment (there are 5 of us in the apartment right now so I am not sure when that will happen! :)

I hope that you are all happy and healthy! Oh pray for me on Sunday I have to give a talk in church... oh geeze. Hope it goes well. 

I am doing really well!

I think about you often, pray for you always, and love you forever!

Hna Scanlon

(Familia Caballero)

Continue on in PATIENCE

¡Hola!

How are things going for you all?!? I hope that they are going well! As usual I can´t believe that another week has FLOWN by!

This week was a lot more laid back then the last week. So there aren´t as many things to report. Honestly I am struggling to remember what specifically happened this past week! They all just kind of seem to blend together! Last week I forgot to mention that we found this AMAZING investigator... but really though like so incredible. His name is Jonathan and he is basically a saint. One lesson that we had with him this week he started off by saying that there were major things in his life that he needed to change... in my mind I am thinking oh great he smokes or drinks etc... then he finished by saying that he thinks about himself too much and that it really is a huge problem for him in his life.... wow. As usual I am learning more from my investigators then I can possibly teach them!

This morning I was reading one of my favorite conference talks of all time again, Continuing in Patience by Elder Utchdorf. It really is so incredible and I am sure that I have already shared things with all of you from it before but I love it a lot and I think that we can all always remember to be more patient, especially with ourselves. Elder Utchdorf says, "Often the deep valleys of our present will be understood only by looking back on them from the mountains of our future experience. Often we can´t see the Lord´s hand in our lives until long after the trials have passed. Often the most difficult times of our lives are essential building blocks that form the foundation of our character and pave the way to future opportunity. understanding, and happiness". 

Elder Utchdorf continues, "Patience is a process of perfection. The Savior Himself said that in your patience you possess your souls. Or, to use another translation of the Greek text, in your patience you win mastery of your souls. Patience means to abide in faith, knowing that sometimes it is in the waiting rather than in the recieving that we grow the most. This was true in the time of the Savior. It is true in our time as well, for we are commanded in these latter days to ¨continue in patience until ye are perfected¨." 
"... the work of patience boils down to this: keep the commandments, trust in God... serve Him with meekness and Christlike love, exercise faith and hope in the Savior and never give up. The lessons we learn from patience will cultivate our character, lift our lives, and heighten our happiness."

I know that what Elder Uchtdof said is true. As we continue on in patience God can make more out of us then we can. I love the analogy of the mountains and valleys... maybe because I am missing them a little bit and also because I love the poem "It´s in the valleys that you grow". SO TRUE!!! It also makes me think of Janet Evan´s favorite quote "The harder the climb, the better the view!". This life is suppose to give us experience and help us grow but also "men are that they might have JOY"!!! So to all I would say CONTINUE ON IN PATIENCE!! It´s not just about enduring it´s about "enduring well"!

I love you all tons. Thanks for all that you do to love and support me! God really does send angels to bless our lives, I have just been lucky enough to have them as friends and family members! Continue to send dearelders and letters :) I love getting them!!!

Please know that,
I think about you often, pray for you always, and love you forever!

Hna Scanlon

(Yes, she is opening the baptismal font with a fork. Gotta love the mission!)

The Focus of Our Faith

¡Hola Mi Familia!

What a crazy week! Lots of weeks I feel like I don´t have much to tell you but this week is DEFINITELY an exception! The excitment started on Monday when we went out to work and found a family from Paraguay that has 9 people in it!!!! So incredible and they actually want to listen to us! So we will see how that goes. The mom in the family actually reminds me of Chris Smith...it´s kinda funny but a nice little piece of home. 

Tuesday it would be safe to say was a no good very bad day. BUT luckily I had heard Elder Wirthlin´s talk "Come what may and love it" that morning so my companion and I decided to just laugh about everything. To start with I wasn´t feeling very well that day. For some reason I felt light headed like ALL day wich was weird. So as we were walking in the street there are always these puddles of water along the curbs... well thinking that I could clear it I went to jump and landed right on the end of the water where there just happened to be a nice growth of mold... needless to say I slipped and went hurttling to ground, landing directly in the water. THEN when I tried to get up I slipped again and feel again into the water. My comp only saw the second fall but started laughing as soon as she saw that I was laughing. I was pretty wet, my bag included and with a few scrapes but for the most part just my pride was injured. I asked my comp if she thought anyone had seen me fall... When she said no I think she was a little surprised at my response of, "Dang it, that was good at least someone else could have enjoyed watching it!". There was a train passing on the other side of the street so maybe some bored passenger got to see a good show and got a laugh out of it... :)

On Wednesday we had an appointment with THE family so we were super excited all day. When we got to their house it was pretty windy outside but not too bad so we started talking to them just outside their house on the sidewalk. Within a few minutes it started raining like crazy and so we entered into their house to finish teaching them. Within about 5 minutes after that there was a ton of noise from the wind and then this huge crashing sound... I literally thought the house was going to break apart.... and they live in the middle of the block sharing walls with their neighbors on each side. When we looked outside there was literally a river flowing down the street and a ROOF from one of the neighboring houses in the door of the house that we were in. I looked at my companion and said, "I don´t think we should leave just yet!" Within the next 10 minutes the river that was in the street had gotten so large that the family was worried about it entering into their house (which a little bit of water eventually did). It really was SOOOO crazy... We watched colectivos (buses) come by that were having a hard time because of all of the water. After about 30 minutes the stormed stopped and so then we just had to wait for the water to leave the streets. When we finally left it didn´t seem like the damaged was too bad.. that was until we walked by a car dealership. All the windows were smashed out and the tiles/lights were all falling from the ceiling. On Thursday we could see more of the destruction in the daylight with trees literally being ripped from their roots out of the ground. It really is so crazy. People are still doing a lot of clean-up stuff but mostly it is back to normal. We were really blessed here in that we didn´t lose any power in out apt or anything. Some missionaries have had to be relocated in the mission due to lack of water and electricity, but no worries we are all safe and good here, especially in my area!

It was really incredible to share with people a message of the true reason that we celebrate Pascua (Easter). I found a quote that I really loved from Pte Hinckley, He states, "We know not all that lies ahead of us. We live in a world of uncertainty. For some, there will be great accomplishment. For others, disappointment. For some, much of rejoicing and gladness, good health, and gracious living. For others, perhaps sickness and a measure of sorrow. We do not know. But one thing we do know. Like the Polar Star in the heavens, regardless of what the future holds, there stands the Redeemer of the world, the Son of God, certain and sure as the anchor of our immortal lives. He is the rock of our salvation, our strength, our comfort, the very focus of our faith. 

(Me with Perla, a lady who got baptized a few weeks ago)

In sunshine and in shadow we look to Him, and He is there to assure and smile upon us.
He is the central focus of our worship. He is the Son of the living God, the Firstborn of the Father, the Only Begotten in the flesh. He is ´risen from the dead... the firstfruits of them that slept´... None so great has ever walked the earth. None other has made a comparable sacrifice or granted a comparable blessing. He is the Savior and the Redeemer of the world. I believe in Him. I declare His divinity without equivocation or compromise. I love Him. I speak the name of Jesus Christ in reverence and wonder. He is our King, our Lord, our Master, the living Christ, who stands on the right hand of His father. He lives! He lives, resplendent and wonderful, the living Son of the living God."

I have seen how this messages changes lives. It has changed mine and countless millions across the world. This is the messages that we have for the entire world, that the Garden Tomb was empty, and because it was eventually all tombs will be empty. 

I know that God lives and that Jesus Christ is His son and that He too lives. He guides this church to help us return to live with Him and His father in happiness forever. 

I think about you often, pray for you always, and love you forever!

Hna Scanlon

Choose You This Day Whom You Will Serve

This is the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, UT

¡Hi My Family!

How are you all doing? Sounds like it was an exciting Conference weekend! My companion and I were exciting all week for the weekend and talked with EVERYONE about the chance that they would have to come and listen to a living prophet and receive more guidance in their lives.
It really was incredible and so amazing to share this with the people here. It was really incredible because we were able to bring people to almost every session. How powerful the spirit is when you know that you have someone sitting next to you that is listening to a prophet of God for the first time. But as a consequence of trying to get all of our investigators to the church I actually ended up missing a good portion of conference so I look forward to reading the talks when they come out! Does anyone know when they will be available online? Mostly I would like to get Elder Holland´s talk asap since I missed most of it....

This is the interior of the Conference Center

There really isn´t much to report on my end of things. I loved the conference talks. In between the sessions on Saturday I was only half listening to what was being said but I heard one man say, "You become what you think about the most." I really liked that because I know that is definitely true. I think that a lot of the biggest battle in life is a mental battle with ourselves. That was one of the biggest things that I got out of conference. We have to learn to let the power of the atonement work in our lives and forgive EVERYONE... including ourselves, which a lot of times is the hardest. I know that we are free to choose what we want (2 Nephi 2:27) and that "our eternal destiny with not be the result of chance but of choice" ( Elder Bennett Oct 2011 Conference). I hope that we can choose this day, as Pres. Eyring challenges and as we can read in the bible, to serve the Lord and do what He would have us do. Only through this can we have LASTING peace and happiness.

I love you all!

Think about you often, pray for you always, and love you forever!

Hna Scanlon

I got all of these photos here.