RE: May 21, 2012

Dear Family,

   Well this has been quite a week. Tuesday I had an exchange with Elder Mecham, (my oh so wonderful Zone Leader) and turned out not to be too bad. We had some minor disagreements but nothing out of the ordinary. We got along and I showed him that I work hard and am a leader. He seemed impressed with the fact that I have my act together, especially since he knew me when I was in bakes.

   Wednesday we had District Meeting, during which we talked about Christlike attributes a little bit. I got into a deep study and didn't pay attention the rest of the meeting, But I learned a lot. I was reading about humility and got a slap in the face, Let me explain why... I have adopted the mentality that EVERYTHING in life is a competition. But I figured competition is healthy right? Wrong. As I was reading about humility in Preach my gospel I read that "Pride is Competitive." and pride is condemned in the scriptures. crap. Pride has been something I have struggled with and was under the impression I had gotten over it. Boy was I deceived. It all makes sense why I have issues with people and leadership and stuff... 

   Anyway it kinda put me into a shock like state and I felt like poop. I imagine kinda like Alma felt. So in order to help me out after lunch my companion let me take an additional study time to get my ducks in a row... and overcome my depressed feeling. I know I need to change, but I liked the current version of myself. ugh... So I ended up reading the bible for like 3 hrs... I felt a little better but it wasn't until I prayed that I actually overcame it. Weird, it actually works. 

   Thursday was the kicker. We started out the morning doing service to help out a potential investigator. Then we came home and cleaned up to go out to work.  As we were about to leave I stopped and thought to myself, "I need to call Ken," (another potential investigator) So I called him. He was overjoyed that we called because he was having a bad day and we set up an appointment to come over right then.

   When we got there we learned that he had been having a rough day and had been in the house for only 5 minutes before we called, (spirit impeccable timing). As we began talking I was prompted to tell him about the Addiction recovery program, he was so ready and willing. This was before he even told us he was having problems with alcohol abuse. We chatted, listened, and testified of the truth of the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ our savior and it was crazy how it felt. I cant explain it. He told us about the crap he had been dealing with. Recently out of prison, Drinking, Girlfriend stole all his stuff and some of his parents, Divorced, and his family hates him right now so he cant talk to them about it. So he is utterly alone... (Side note: as we were talking the whole time he had this familiar feel, almost like I had known him for a long time, like an old friend, it was really weird)  He and I really connected and I could feel God's love for him radiate inside and through me. He just kept going on about   how I specifically meant to him. (I had only talked to him twice, and on the phone once) And how I was his brother. It was like I was sent here for him. I also learned that he and his family are highly involved with a background in computer science. I was just thinking to myself. "WHOA! I was meant to find you!" It was absolutely crazy.

   We then offered him a blessing of comfort and I gave it. I was nervous, like always, and about halfway through it he whispered to me, "don't worry about it brother don't be nervous." As soon as he said that the feeling instantly changed. I felt a flood of power just 'channel' through me. I don't even remember what I said, but I KNOW how I felt. We made a difference in his life.
   Riding home from that I was just in awe and dumbfounded, because there was like a series of events that clearly led up to that. God was basically saying, "You idiot, you do feel the spirit, stop whining!" Because I have been worried my whole mission that I don't recognize the influence of the spirit. And usually I don't until afterward. The phone call, the prayer my companion uttered, the scripture Ken shared with us (which I had read in my studies 2 days earlier) (Romans 15:13), My companions brief message, and the whole thing was directly led by the spirit. And I didn't have a clue!

   SO yeah its been a crazy week, my bike tire broke on Friday and I had to drop $75 to fix it. Ugh... And now I have finally realized how much I have changed in my mission. Sometimes a mission wears you down and other times it enlivens you. It has its ups and downs of teaching and business, and leadership is always annoying. but when it comes right down to it, it is about the people and experiences. That is Ultimately why we are here. To learn how to love like God would. To comfort those that stand in need of it. To physically serve selflessly, beyond our body's capacity, and then continue spiritually. To be an example for future missionaries. And to show others that we care, enough to adapt and change to their needs. Always. Obedience and Fun are possible, you just have to find a middle ground. And; A Mission Strips Away What Your Not, And Amplifies What You ARE...

TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS:

Garments, Lg Tall shirts

Bottoms...I forget... um, I will let you know next week.

We have about 5 people in our pending teaching pool and were working hard to get that all situated, 2 solid investigators though.

This email was one of my journal entries

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- Elder Tyler Scott