Well, hey there everybody!

January 5, 2015

I don't have a whole lot of time this week because I sent the pictures!!  But things are great here in Brasil.

This week was crazy.  We spent 2 and a half days in other areas just knocking doors in the blazing hot sun.  And 2 of the days that we were in our area were New Year's Eve and New Years.  Now, if you all don't know, when Brazilians have a holiday, THEY HAVE A HOLIDAY!  That means they drink, a lot.  Ha.  But, we went out and worked like crazy anyway.  We found a family that ended up not living at the house they were at.  They were super cool and we gave the referral to another are after.  But, it was a family that we would not have found if ti wasn't New Years.  just goes to show that we have got to give it all we have every day.  all the missionaries here didn't want to work because "no one wanted to receive us"  but we had 2 really good lessons that happened because of the fact that we just worked.  The Lord works in mysterious ways.  Most of the people really didn't want to talk to us that day, but we found a couple that were the Lord's elect.

I went on 2 divisions this week.  This week has been all sun until Saturday when it rained a ton.  It's been SUPER HOT.  And Hot here is not like hot there.  The houses here are different adn it just amplifies the heat.  We sat at a lesson where I was literally just dripping with sweat, and my companion for the day, Elder Vedia from Bolivia, didn't speak much because eh's really new and doesn't speak much Portuguese.  He's incredible.  When he does speak he's awesome.  I love spiritual missionaries who just want to work and do what's right.  They are a huge blessing in the life of a leader.

Then the other division was very different. I went with an Elder that only has 2 transfers left on the mission.  Well, they say the mission is constantly moving.  If you are not moving forward, then you're automatically moving backward.  I won't say his name, but it was very difficult.  He just doesn't want to work or be obedient any more.  So, it was very interesting.  I showed him that it is possible to have success even in a hard area.  It was a very interesting learning experience.

It love you all and love all of your emails.  don't every stop.,  And feel free to send more pictures!

I LOVE GETTING PICTURES OF YOUR FACES!!!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

This is Christmas in Brasil!!

Christmas Eve barbecue with Irmao Anor.

Happy New Year!  Our New Years resolution is to only drink soda one day each week.  So, we went out big and drank this 2 liter Guarana all by ourselves.  For those of you who have never had Guarana, I'm sorry!!

The Boa Vista Crew on Christmas.  No.  We didn't swim!

Yuichi's baptism!!!!!!!!!!!!

FELIZ NATAL!!!!!!!

December 29, 2014

So family, I'm super glad you sang "A Child's Prayer" in sacrament meeting.  That has always been one of m favorites, if not my most favorite songs.  "Meu Pai Celestial, Estas mesmo ali"  That's the beginning in Portuguese.

IT WAS SO NICE TO SEE YOUR STINKY FACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I love you all.  You're all real cute.  haha.  Elder Maia was saying "sua familia e linda"  which means you're all beautiful.  ha.

So I just decided to recap the experience that happened that I told you all about.  Kind of.  I'll tell it again.

On my mission, I've struggled a lot.  This has been really hard for me and many times I find myself feeling that I have no purpose being here.  One time, President Brum said to me in an interview, "These two years on a mission just may be your time to prove to Heavenly Father that you can endure to the end."  It was very interesting to me.  I had been having a really hard time.  The experience happened while giving a talk in sacrament meeting on the 21st.  but, there were some other experiences leading up to it.  A couple weeks before, I was angry.  It had been a hard week, I was tired, hungry, and grumpy.  I just wanted to have a p-day.  Ha.  And that night I started to think, I was in spiritual agony.  I would like to say that I felt a little like Alma the younger.  Note quite to that degree, but it wasn't good.  and I started to get mad at Heavenly Father.  I started to ask how it was all possible and why.  why was I suffering?  I have been obedient and worked hard my entire mission.  and for that I have been called a Brown Noser, A Pharisee, A Hipocrite, A liar, and many other things.  I was MAD that night.  And I just wanted to know why but I just wasn't willing to be comforted.  I was asked that Sunday to give a talk for Christmas about "He is the Gift."  About 4 days before, I started a fast with my companion.  It was the hardest of my life.  It was HOT.  I had a headache by 5 P.M. And was unable to sleep and lay in bed crying until about midnight.  When I finally decided to take some ibuprofen.  While thinking, I was in a lot of pain.  And I thought about Jesus and His pain, still not understanding how it was possible that he suffered for everyone there in the Garden of Gethsemane.  I once again, was mad.  I wrote my talk and prepared for Sunday.  As I was going to the pulpit, I had a feeling to just leave my talk in my pocket and speak from the heart.  I began to bear my testimony and I felt it stronger and stronger.  There at the pulpit I started to cry as I bore my testimony.  He was there.  Who?  Our Savior.  I didn't quite see Him, but I knew He was.  I didn't say it, but I thought "as sure as we all live, the Savior is here and He lives."  I was promised years ago that I would receive my own testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

I would like to bear my testimony to all that I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer.  And he loves us.

the week was awesome.  Yuichi was baptized on Saturday and I was able to confirm him on Sunday.  It has been incredible to see the change in him.  His mom was so happy and so was he.

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week.  I will try to send pictures of the week right now, but if not, next week. :)

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

And the pictures aren't working today. :(  for sure next week.

Holy cown!  I'm already on the "serve" of Called to Serve.  That's so crazy....

It's practically here!

December 22, 2014

Tomorrow isn't Christmas, but it's still practically here!

And no, the package hasn't arrived.  I'm on the other side of the mission and it didn't arrive before the Christmas conference so I probably won't get it for a little while.  BUT, Irmao Anor and his sister gave each of us a present.  so that'll be fun. ha.

So, I'll probably be calling around 2 or 3 in the afternoon Utah time.  We won't be calling until about 6 or 7 here.  I don't remember if it's a 3 or 4 hour difference.  I thought it was just 3, but all of the world clock's that I see say 4.  So I think it's 4.  If anything changes, I'll let you know.

This week was good.  and really hard.  I'm dealing with a lot of stress as a District leader.  Each companionship has something that I have to take care of.  ha.  It's pretty crazy.  but it's awesome.  I really like it actually.  It helps me to try and forget about myself and go to work.

I got to speak in Sacrament Meeting yesterday.  I spoke about "HE is The Gift" and it was awesome.  I had a talk planned and I had a feeling to just leave it in my pocket and speak from the heart.  I talked a lot about the sacrifices that people made to bring the Savior into the world, and then the gifts that He left us.  how He is the Gift that keeps on Giving.  how he gave us gifts His entire life.  His example, His Gospel, His teachings, and most importantly, His Atonement.  He suffered for every single one of us.  Sometimes, I really don't know how He did it.  but I know He did.  I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World.

This week was really hard.  We are teaching two families that have been doing well, and it came crashing down on Sunday.  As you know, my dream is to baptize a family.  If I do nothing else, I just want to find a family.  I pray that the Lord will lead us to a family this week that can be baptized.

But, overall it's all good.  I'm super excited for Christmas with Irmao Anor.  I'll probably cry when I see you all.  We had a young man in our ward get his mission call on Saturday to Porto Alegre.  And I told him to hug his mom every chance he gets.  And when I said it I just cried.  ha.  I love you guys so much.  I'm so thankful that families can be together forever.

Have an awesome Christmas.  Remember what it's really about.

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

Ele E O Presente

December 15, 2014

Yes.  We are using a lot of the "Ele E O Presente" or more known to you Americans as He is The Gift.  It's pretty cool.  We've shown it to a lot of investigators.  I don't know that it's had much of an impact her ein Brasil, but it sounds like it's been good there in the US.  I love the video, ha.  And if you watch it on YouTube, the next video that comes up is "Gracas a ele"  I think it's "Thanks to HIm" or something like that in English.  I always click on it and say "just one more" to all the people we show the video.  Mormon Messages are incredible.

This week has been good.  And Crazy.  First week as a District Leader was BUSY.  I went on an exchange with Elder Maia on Friday.  That was fun.  ha.  And yesterday, it was all phone calls between 9:30 and 10:30.  It's so crazy.  But, I like it.  I also received a surprise call from the Zone Leaders on Monday night saying "So, we don't have leadership council any more this week, so it'll be district meeting tomorrow.  You ready?"  Um...well, I had to plan a training pretty fast.  but, ti went really well.

We had an awesome experience this week.  so, w've been teaching Marcio and Carol for quite some time now.  They go to Church (well, usually just Marcio).  Marcio has been ready to be baptized for quite some time.  The problem:  they're not married and they have a child.  We've been trying to ge them married for a while, but Carol is pretty difficult.  So, finally, we had basically a do or die lesson.  It was just with Marcio until the end when Carol got home from work.  so we said "alright, we want to help you better, if you could ask one question to Jesus Christ, what would it be?"  Marcio said "how can I build my faith and do everything I need to in the day to day things."  And Carol "What do I need to do to go to Heaven?  Well, she's very stubborn, especially when it comes to baptism.  We've talked about it a lot.  Well, we studied, got a lot of scriptures, and returned on Saturday.  Marcio was home alone.  so, we responded to his question.  At the end, we finally said, well you might have to show the example alone.  We're gonna have your baptism o January 17 that give you time to get married and everything.  What do you think?  And he said, yes.  So, here we go.  Then we stopped by last night to respond to Carol's question.  Basically we just prepares somethnig super simple.  John 3:5, Matthew 7:12, and 2 Nephi 31:17.  Straight up baptism.  At the end, she finally just said, "It's like I've know it the whole time but never really understood."  So, will you be baptized with Marcio on the 17th.  Yeah.  So, here we go.  It was awesome.  She has never really been open when we talk about baptism, but finally was.

It's been good in the neighborhood this week.  Working a lot, praying a lot, and raining a lot.  Thankfully it hasn't been too hot because of that.  It's rained for a little eery day, thankfully.  Because when it's not raining ti's SUPER hot.  so I would die without the rain!

I love you all and I will call from Irmao Anor's computer on Christmas.  When would be a good time to call?

I love you all.

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor.

Well, Hey there.....

December 8, 2014

BOA TARDE

Here it goes again on the transfers..........................

I'm once again staying here with Elder Digiorgio!!  This will be our 4th transfer together.  In my mission, I've actually never seen anyone be together that long.  I've hard of others (like Syd, but she's a sister, different)  but I've never actually seen it.

The Difference........

I'm now the District Leader.  It's pretty cray cray.  Our District Leader finished his mission last week and I already had to get numbers and everything.  Basically goodbye to any free time to relax on Sunday night.  haha.  It was actually pretty cool.  I'm excited.  I still won't give any trainings for two more weeks, this week is Zone Meeting and next week is our Mission Christmas Conference.  So it'll give me some good time to settle in and prepare.  My district is me and 7 more Elders.  So, a lot of Divisions.  Ha.  At least 7, 6 with my district and one with the Zone Leaders.  That'll be fun.  I did a lot of divisions in AZ when my comp was the DL.

This week was good.  Sadly, still no baptisms.  Matilde's sister is sick and lives in another city and she is going every weekend to take care of her.  so, sadly we're not too sure how that'll work out for now.  And Yuichi hit a little bump in the road with the Word of Wisdom.  But it's all good.  He'll live it and he'll baptize soon.

We also had an interesting experience.  so one of my recent converts from this area is no longer active.  We have still worked and worked with her but she faces a lot of adversity from family and stopped going.  At first, she still was firm in reading and everything, but slowly stopped.  She has completely stopped reading the Book of Mormon and she also has returned to going to parties and drinking.  It has been super sad to see this, but we will not give up on her.  We know that she knows how to make the right decision and we will visit her and bug her until she does.

I love you all!!

That's about all I have to say because I have to do this stuff ofr Utah State.  I love you all!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

ALMOST!!

December 1, 2014

Well, I got on the computer ready to just ell you all my problems and lament for this week, but then I got an email from my big brother telling me that I should do the opposite.  Thanks Trev!

To wrap it up, we almost had a baptism in a big baptismal service Sunday.  4 other people were baptized.  On Friday night, we had visited Matilde and confirmed everything, but Saturday night and Sunday, she disappeared.  We called and called and called but to no avail, passed by their house, and they weren't there.  But, hopefully in these coming weeks everything goes well and she gets baptized.

The Assistants were here this week and they stayed at our house.  good thing it was CLEAN!  Ha.  I know both of the assistants really well so it was actually super fun.  They stayed two nights and did splits with some of the Elders here.  One of them is Elder Madrid.  Basically the best missionary I've every lived with.  I lived with him and he was my zone leader for 1 transfer in Vila Virginia.  It was awesome to talk to him again.  I haven't seen a lot of missionaries for a long time.  ha.  Aracatuba is that Zone that basically is another mission.  I didn't know that we had 2 other assistants until this week...and they've been there for over a month.  HAHA.  Welcome to zona Aracatuba!

But this week was good.  We're working a lot with Yuichi.  He's a 19 year old and his mom is an active member that was baptized about 2 years ago.  She just now started going to our ward and Yuichi has a marked date to be baptized this week!! So, pray that everything goes well because I am really needing a baptism right about now.  He's super smart and understand literally everything.  He read, pray, and goes to Church.  He'll get baptized.

We also had interviews with President this week.  It was REALLY good.  He talked to me about how he's proud o the work that we have done here in Boa Vista.  And how it's not easy.  How a mission is not meant to be easy.  He talked to me about how my mission is probably meant to be my time to prove to the Lord that I can endure to the end.  There's nothing easy about it, but the blessings of the gospel come when we live them.

I was studying in the end of Alma this week, and it was awesome.  The story of the 2,000 stripling warriors if my favorite.  The wars and everything at the end of Alma are always super interesting.  The leaders of the Nephites sometimes do things that don't make a whole lot of sense, but it's what the Lord told them to do, and it works PERFECTLY.  We need to have that kind of faith to just do what He says.  They lived and survived and thrived.

Abbey, I got your letter this week and I'm sending the response today.  Ha.  I hope you got my other one.  I had three letters come back that I sent about 3 months ago.  One to Kate Simpson, Madi Mouritsen, and Trevor.  so, to those 3, sorry that they didn't get to you.

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

PS  Thanks for the email this week.....ha!
Just kidding.  I know you're probably busy, so I still love you.  Oh yeah, and next week is transfers, and everyone is about 99 percent sure that I'm getting transferred because I have easily the most time in this ward...so if I email late or on Tuesday, don't think I died.  I might have died, but probably not!

What a week!!

November 24, 2014

Well, this week was crazy.  Lots of ups and downs.  This week was actually really hard.  It ended well, kind of.

Ha.  This week we just had a lot fall through and people bail out on us.  But it's actually been good.  We've been working A LOT with less actives and recent converts.  We had an official "RESGATE" (rescue) this week with a less active.  Vera.  She had already been through the temple but her husband doesn't like the Church very much and she gave up for awhile.  Her whole family is members and her and her sister went less active.  Her dad was actually one of the first ones baptized in Aracatuba.  She was just waiting for us to invite her.  She was visited by us and the visiting teachers and BOOM.  She's back.

Yuichi also came to Church and we put him on date for December 6th.  He's super smart, and yes, he's also Asian.  There's a lot in Aracatuba.  He understands everything and reads and prays and goes to Church.  It seems like now it's just a mater of baptize him.  Ha.

I love you all.  Just thought I'd let you know that!  And be careful with guns.  I was really sad to hear about that story, but remember that she is in a better place than us and her family will all be together one day.  We've had a member for some weird reason crazy about dying kids and how we need to pray for them lately.  But, I reminded him that they are basically received straight into the Celestial Kingdom, so we really shouldn't be all that sad for them.  We ought to pray for their families to live worthily of being with them again.  I love you all and pray for your safety every day.  I'm so thankful that we were able to be born into a sealed family.  Every time we see a picture of the Manti temple, I make sure I tell everyone that that's where my parents got sealed.

So I also have decided what college to go to.  I've been praying real real hard lately between BYU and Utah State.  I've just felt the need lately that I need to choose, then John Garrett sent me an email a couple weeks ago saying that he had to decide, and we talked about rooming for awhile.  So I made a list of the pros and cons of each and prayed and prayed and prayed.  And I didn't feel like I received an answer.  Then one night, I was praying and I had the feeling "go to the Guarda Roupa. (I don't remember the word in English) and I had the feeling to grab my Spanish Book of Mormon and read a random verse.  I don't remember what verse it was or what it said, I just remember it was somewhere in Ala and I just had the feeling or thought "who will teach you Spanish?  John boy Garrett."  and now, I just feel really good saying I'm going to Utah State.  So, let's go.

I know the Lord answers our prayers.  In His own time, in His own way.  He answers.

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week!!!!

Com amor, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

Laying it down!

November 17, 2014

This week was really good.  It started out with a pretty sweet experience.

So first off, this ward is really hard.  It's really good.  But, it's famous in this stake for being hard.  But, that doesn't stop us.  We have felt that we need to work better with the ward and the members.  So, we 4 missionaries decided to fast about working with members.  Well, the day that we ended the fast, we were passing the house of a member who is a counselor is the Stake Presidency.  We talked to him really fast and he said that the Stake Presidency will be focusing on this ward until it returns to where it was about 10 years ago.  We've shown that it can baptize, and now it needs to retain and reactivate.  So, the whole Presidency will be at our Church for a while.  It was a really nice response to what we have needed.

This week was good.  We have almost officially reactivated 3 people this week.  Technically they still need to go to church next week.  But, they basically are reactivated.  One if Vera.  She's the sister of a member and her whole family is members.  She married out of the Church and it just go really hard and she stopped going to Church, but we visited, and little did we know the Relief Society was thinking the same!  They visited the same week!  (This was like 3 weeks ago).  And she has been to Church 2 times since and tells us that she wants to be active again and go back to the temple.  All she was waiting for was an INVITE.  Remember, we've been instructed to invite people to come back to Church.  So get out and do it!

We also brought a couple name Joao (John) and Deulinda yesterday to Church.  it was their second time and they are also talking about how they want to get firm in the Church again.  They are way cool and are both like 80 years old.  Ha Really.  He's 82 if I'm not mistaken.  They can't read anymore, but a member gave us a Book of Mormon on CD to give to the. So we did!

AND YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I GOT THE HALLOWEEN PACKAGE ON THURSDAY!!!!  Just a heads up to any girl that may read this.  If you ever would like to win my heart, buy me Nike socks!  Yeah, but, that wasn't even the best part of the package.  MOM SENT HER PEACH-RASPBERRY JAM!!.  I LOVE YOU MOM!!
Holy cow.  It's just so good.,  I love you guys so much.  And the BYU football stuff.  Man you make me all trunky and stuff and I love it!

Things are going well here.  I love you all and pray for you every day!!

Remember that the Lord is always with us no matter what.  Do your best and know that we are here to lease Him and not other people  I LOVE YOU!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

Yes.  I don't care what you say.  My family is the BEST!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BYU football, Nike socks, Old Spice and peach-raspberry jam, and candy.  Does it get any better?

We slept in hammocks one of the nights this week.  It was pretty legit.  It actually was a really good night of sleep!

O Livro De Mormon

November 10, 2014

Well hey there kids.  How are you?  I'm good thanks.

IT'S SO HOT!  It rained all week finally, and it's still SO HOT! Ha.  Everyone has to sleep with a fan and it's still hot.  If you don't have a fan, you literally wake up in the middle of the night soaked.  It's crazy.

Sounds like y'all are having some nice adventures there.  Mom, keep going to the temple.  I love the temple.  I am trying so hard to show the members here the vision of the temple that I have.  That we all need to attend more.  It costs about 50 dollars to take the bus to and from the temple when the ward organizes it.  I love the temple and want to go so bad but we can't.  So keep going for me.  When I get back, oh, I'm hittin up the temple so much.

I had a really cool experience this week.  So I was doing my daily reading in O Livro De Mormon (for you gringos that's the Book of Mormon).  And I was in Mosias (Mosiah) and I really don't remember exactly what was going on.  it was about the sons of Mosiah, and I just had this huge feeling of love and excitement.  I love the Book of Mormon and all of the scriptures we have.  They are some of the only things that always have the power to just calm me down and focus.  I love our Savior and all of the people who have testified of him.

This week was pretty normal.  Nothin real crazy.  We had some good lessons with our families.  Antonio and Valeria and Yago.  They're doing good.  We have to help them stop smoking and drinking.  And the it's agua.  They went on a cruise this week thought, so they still weren't able to go to Church.

I hope everything is well in all parts of the world! (Kaysville, Provo, Argentina, France, and all the rest of you people wherever you are.)

I love you all!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

This is my boy Gabriel.  Ha.  We're teaching his brother, Jude.

This is Antonio, Valeria, and Yago.  They're awesome!

Noite do bolo macho

November 3, 2014

Well I am out of time.  This is gonna be real short.

It was a long week.  But it's going well.  Jaqueline got confirmed and everything.  She's doing really well.

We finally had some members that are trying to set up visits with us and really help in the ward.  Which is really good.  That's what this ward has needed for a long time.  It's ready to baptize a lot.  We just need the help of members.

We had a SWEET activity.  MANLY CAKE NIGHT.  It went really well.  We marked to start at 7 and no one showed up until 8:15 (Brazil) But it went really well once the people were there.  I won the most flavorful with my american imported box cake of Reese's.  Ha.  It was awesome.  The sad part was that some brothers were legitimately mad that I won with my American stuff.  But then they got happy again and ate lots of cake!

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

So do you know what this is?  It's one of those awesomely weird toilets that you use one and the other one sprays you with water instead of toilet paper.  They have them in Brazil.  And I totally used it.  It's super weird!

Ward activity that we finally organized.  (I organized.)  Noite do Bolo Macho.  (Manly Cake Night).  Me and the brethren of our ward, and an investigator, Antonio (the one in the pink to my right) with our awesome manly cakes.  I totes used the Reese's thing you sent me!

Pizza with Irmao Anor.  He's so legit!

Churrasco (barbecue) with our investigator family Matilde, Emerson (the parents) and Arthur e Humberto (the kids).

Jaqueline and the missionaries.

Jaqueline's family at the baptism.