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....