Short people aren't all Leprechauns!

March 17, 2014

Yes, I am wearing my green tie today!! Ha!  All of us in the house are!

This week has been great!!  Dawn got baptized!!  The baptism was awesome!  Quite a bit, in fact most, of her extended family is LDS.  It stopped with her parents.  but her parents were there at the baptism, along with her daughter!  They all live in another ward, so we're trying to hook the missionaries there up with some referrals.  The guy that baptized her is from California.  they took her to Church a few times there, but she said she just wasn't ready then.  but, she still attributes them for introducing the Gospel to her.  and what's their last name???   TAYLOR  !!

Yep!  It was pretty legit.  We fooled some people when I told them it was my family.  They were pretty shocked before we told them the truth.  Then it was followed up by a Taylor for the confirmation!  She asked me to do that.  It was awesome.  I was super nervous, but it was awesome!

We saw some awesome stuff this week!  A family that we've been teaching got put on date for baptism!  It was awesome!  I'm sad that I won't be here for it, but I love them and know that the Lord will provide for them.

We also had another investigator make alot of progress.  He's been really stagnant.  Probably where most would be dropped, but for some reason we felt like we needed to keep going.  Well, he finally got over one of his big concerns.  He's very protective of his kids, but this last week he finally said he would be cool letting them go to Nursery!  So, he should finally come to Church this week!

We also had some members give us free Suns jerseys and shirts on Wednesday.  That was pretty legit.  Their family is awesome.  We just met them finally because they've been working a lot.  And now that they love us, I'm leaving!

Well family, I love you all!  You are my favorite!

Les amo mucho!!  Spanish.  What's up!

Love, Elder Scott Jackson Taylor

GET YOUR BIBLES OUT.  THIS IS HILARIOUS!

See look!!  Suns jerseys!!

So, recently we talked to a guy from Romania.  He had been to Salt Lake and he had a Book of Mormon.  But he couldn't understand the old time English.  He loved Salt Lake but had no idea what was in the book.  He and his wife don't speak very much English, so we ordered a Romanian Book of Mormon.  When we talked to him, he wasn't too interested, but it's because he couldn't read!  So, we Google Translated simple testimonies of it into Romanian, and delivered the Cartea Lui Mormon.  He wasn't home, but his wife was.  She was so happy and couldn't find the words in English to thank us.  but she tried.  It was INCREDIBLE!

This is how I feel every morning when I put on my tag!!

NACHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

This one if for you Trev.  I know how much you love Owl City.  Basically I thought this picture was the coolest thing since sliced bread!

#Brazilbound

March 10, 2014

Well, family, I just got a call from President Toone.

MY VISA HAS ARRIVED1

I will be leaving to Brazil with transfer, so I will stay here in Casa Grande until around April 8th.  I'm so glad that I got it.  And I'm even happier that I will be able to stay for Dawn's baptism.  I love Casa Grande and I'm so thankful for my time here.  I don't think it has sunk in that I will actually be going now.  It's seemed lik a dream for the last 6 months.

HERE. WE. GO.

Eu Amo Brasil!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Waaaay too close for comfort

May 10, 2014

So, here's the story.  So you can see this picture right?  And see that the front of the truck is aimed at the crosswalk, and that the truck is only a couple feet form the crosswalk.  Well, directly in front of the truck, near that white line is the crosswalk, is where I was.  We were on our way home, when we went into a crosswalk near our house.  The truck was coming from where the light that you can see is and going straight.  On the other side, there was a car turning left.  That car was waiting for us to cross, and instead of watching oncoming traffic, he was watching out for us so he wouldn't hit us.  So as soon as we passed the two lanes, he started to go.  I was about 3/4 of the way through the cross walk when we heard loud screeching of brakes and looked back to see this truck slammed the car at nearly 45 mph.  It ran over th engine, and immediately sheered the front left wheel off of the truck.  As you can see, the impact turned the truck.  The axel where the wheel fell off dug into the ground, stopping the truck, because the brake lines were also sheered.  If that wheel would not have been sheered off, I am afraid that the truck would not have stopped in time, and I would not have walked away from that accident.  The guy driving the truck is actually one of our investigators.  Earlier Friday, we saw him for the first time in a couple of weeks, and he told us about his new truck.  That night, this happened.  He hurt his back in the wreck, and we went and gave him a blessing Saturday night.  He told us that the thing that keeps sticking out in his mind is looking in my eyes as the truck came to a stop.  he said he doesn't want to think about what would have happened if the truck would not have stopped.

So family, I'm grateful today that I am alive and uninjured.  Thankfully, all involved in the wreck are doing well.  The other driver was uninjured.  As our investigator said, "thankfully ti's just material stuff.  cars can be replaced."  I'm thankful for the protection we receive.

Love, Elder Scott Jackson Taylor

Stopped in time!!

Too close for comfort!

March 10, 2014

So.............my mind is all over the place again.  I got a call from President Toone this morning and we weren't able to answer.  He said he needs to talk to me.  and now he's not answering his phone.  So everyone keeps saying things about my visa.  So, I'm kinda freakin out right now!

But, this week was great.  I even wrote down things that i want to tell you guys so my email might actually make sense this week!!

So about a month before I got here to Casa Grande, a couple overage youth in a less-active family got baptized.  They are 11 and 8.  The family is a convert family who has always liked church but never been super strong.  Well, immediately after the baptism and confirmation, they went inactive again.  I've been here for 4 1/2 months, and they've never come.  We have visited them countless times and had some nice talks, but we've never been let into the house.  Ward members have asked about them like crazy because we seem to be the only ones who can even catch them at home or get any kind of response.  Well, this last Tuesday, a lesson fell through when an investigator had to go to the hospital.  We were already in the neighborhood and both of us had a strong feeling to visit the family.  Well, we ended up having an incredible lesson.  We just did what we could at the doorstep because the husband wasn't home.  We finally got some of her true concerns.  The mom has some health issues that cause her to not be able to talk very well any more.  So she would get some weird looks, and felt judged at Church.  So we showed her the last half of Elder Uchtdorf's "Join with us" talk.  It was fantastic.  She was still hesitant, but her 13 year old son goes "I'm coming to churhc.  Yep.  We're going."  And so the 8 year old joined in and goes "I'm going too." So she finally joined and said she would go.  We got her very excited for it. She will be coming this Sunday and we will be visiting her again this week.

We also had an awesome lesson with Jose in the YSA branch.  And guess what!!  He has a bunch of cousins and other family in our family ward.  So basically we're gonna baptize his whole family.  What's up.

Sadly, our house is now down to 4.  The Toone's are really cracking down on cleanliness.  Things are needing to be "military clean".  Yep.  So they've done away with all 6 people housing.  The most is 4.  Apparently 6 gets too messy.  Our house was actually pretty clean (we all thought) but apparently not.  So we spent 2 hours this morning cleaning every nook and cranny of that stinkin house.  It was great.  We jammed to Vocal Point.

Friday Night.  I almost died.  You think I'm exaggerating huh.  Well, I'm not.  Heavenly Father definately is protecting his servants.  I heard about the missionary from Richfield in Sweden, and it still blows my mind.  But I saw Heavenly Father protect me.  I'll forward the story with the picture in a second email because it's not working to attach it to this one.

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO.  We have a batismo on Saturday!!  Dawn passed her interview and is ready to go.  Her friends from California (The Taylors.  WHATS UP).  are coming and brother Taylor is baptizing her.  And guess what!!  she asked me to confirm her on Sunday!  So, I'm kinda nervous but STOKED!  I've gotten to stand in the circle for confirmation twice in the last month.  The only tow times of my life!  And, the Spirit is super strong.

I got to speak at a baptism this week!  It wasn't a convert, just a family that we've become really good friends with in the ward.  The mom was baptized about 2 years ago, and she asked her son who he wanted to speak at the baptism.  And he said the missionaries!  So we did!  (Ask the missionaries, they can help you!)

This week has been pretty crazy and pretty great.  I love you all and hope all is well in Zion. :) Haha!

Eu amo voces muito.

Love, Elder Scott Jackson Taylor

I'm huge!

Hey kids!

Mary 3, 2014

Sorry if my thoughts are all over the place today.  Ha.  I'm tired.  Yesterday was a long day.  Not a bad day, just crazy.

This week has been awesome though.  It really has.  We finally focused on really getting the ward involved, and nearly doubled our member presents this week, as well as our people on date.  ( it went from 1 to 2)  :)  It's been really good.

THE TEMPLE.  It was so good.  We got to watch the cultural celebration at the Stake Center on Saturday night.  Many, actually all, agree that the Casa Grande stake did the best.  Haha.  But it was so cool to see all these youth out there.  It was almost set up like a musical revue.  It reminded me to the good ole days and I just wanted to bust out singin'.  Maybe one day.......

But really.  Then yesterday we had the dedication.  It was so good.  President Monson got up to give the dedicatory prayer, and an incredible feeling just came over me.  It was so good.  I know he is a prophet of God.  Which means God is real, the Gospel has been restored, and we have a Savior.  Those 3 main things bring me peace.

This week we continued to teach an investigator in the YSA.  He lives like half an hour away by car.  So, we get to go on road trips. :)  It's nice to get out of our 4 square mile are sometimes.  haha.  i love our area, but it's so small.  And, we live in it, so we rarely ever leave it.  But we went to AZ city and Coolidge to teach him.  Both long drives.  And, he is legit!  Our Branch Mission Leader came to the second lesson.  He just recently returned from a mission in Costa Rica.  it was so awesome.  He provided a lot of answers and support to our investigators questions.  He is on date for the 29th of March.

I crashed my bike yesterday.  That was fun.  Hit the front brakes.  Ha.  That wasn't too smart.  Almost did a front flip.  And then just started laughing - so it's all good.  i wish someone would have had a camera.

Well kids, sorry it's so short today! ha.  Things are going really well.  I love Arizona.  I've accepted this as my home.  Ha. For now.  I mean my mission home.  Meaning if something crazy happens to my visa the I'd be ok staying here.  I know we are put where we are needed.  Not just where we need someone, but where we are truly needed.

Love you kids!

Love, Elder Scott Jackson Taylor

This is what scorpions look like under a black light.  :)

We found this on Toni's porch!

Sadly, I had to retire my $10 pants from Ross.  They did well.  I'm not quite sure when I got the hole.  Sometime Saturday.  So, I'm not quite sure how embarrassed I should be.  And don't worry, I have shorts on in the pictures.

This guy - his name is Brother Nightingale!  He is a fellow Davis Dart.  Yep!  Ha!  When he graduated he wasn't a member - but now he it!  They're moving back to Centerville so I had to get a picture before they left.

Found this gem on Facebook.  Yep!  We have to be Dodgers fans to be saved.  Doctrine!

YEP!

HELLO, UTAH! (And Argentina, Mexico, Idaho, and anywhere else this email goes!)

February 24, 2014

What is is, YO?

This week was fantastic.  We had a baptism.  A BAPTISM!  Toni got baptized on Thursday and it was awesome!  I had the privilege of speaking at it and talked about what it means to be baptized.  It was cool.  Salt Lake has cracked down on how things are supposed to go.  They have had meetings and referred everything back to the handbooks.  A big part of the hastening of the work is getting back to the basics.  Convert baptisms have a very specific schedule that they are supposed to follow.  Part of it is that the talks are supposed to be no longer than 5 minutes.  So, it was cool to do that.  you say what's important and don't ramble.  And, her baptism was awesome!  Do you know who Debbie West Coon is?  She's an LDS singer from Gilbert with a couple of CD's.  Anyway, she is how Toni came in contact with the Church.  Toni met her at the Easter Pageant at the Mesa Temple and Debbie told Toni that she would sing at her baptism.  And that she did!  It was the (second) best part!  (obviously the actual baptism has to be the best part.)

So, Saturday we had a lesson with one of our "eternigators."  Well, it went really well.  We taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  He also didn't quite know how to pray, so he asked us to teach him that.  He also didn't kow what Atonement meant, so it was super cool to talk about that.  Anyway, at the end we invited him to be baptized and he said yes!  So we extended a date.  And he said no!  He has some things he wants to take care of first and has some goals of when he wants to do that.  And, he says he wouldn't be ready yet.  It was hard, but I understand.  Well, the real fun then came at Ward Council the next day.  We told them what happened.  Well, one of our members got on our case pretty hard.  he was not too happy that we tried to "push him" into a date.  He told us, "I remember when i was a missionary too and tried to rush things.  You need to not do missionary things with him and go outside the bos."  And h was chewin us out.  Well, here's the awesome part.  He was kind of eyeing me down the whole time, so I stopped him and told him that this was a day that we had prayed and planned for.  That we know we were supposed to extend the commitment.  And then we had everyone else in the ward council back us up.  It was just nice to have ward members really know what our job is and have trust in us.

So, those are the grand happenings of Casa Grande.  GUESS WHAT!!  This Sunday we don't have Church.  Why?  Because it's the Temple dedication.  Ha ha.  When they first announced when the dedication would be, I was thinkin - "that'd be kinda cool, but I'll be long gone to Brazil by then."  HAHA boys was I wrong!  Yesterday was four months here in good ole Casa Grande.  And I'll be here 6 more weeks!  We had transfer calls yesterday and I will stay here with Elder Andra.

Well fools, I love you all.  Sounds like you all are having fun.  And staying busy.  That's good - stay out of trouble.

Eu sei que esta igreja e verdadeira!  woohoo!!!!!!!!!

Com muito amor!  Elder Scott Jack Taylor

One of the massive Black Widows we found in our yard!

I want to be a missionary now!

Does going on a mission count?

This is what we do while we wait for our lesson at the park!

Even on a mission Siri is still my girl!

Arizona sunsets, my friends!