Monday, March 16, 2015

Don't forget who you are!

March 16, 2015

Well, I am on a bad computer.  I was just about done with this email and it just erased and disappeared.  So, sorry if it's not a detailed email now.

We had Leadership Counsel on Tuesday.  It was awesome!!  I saw a bunch of missionaries that I hadn't seen for 8 months or more.  I got to talk a lot to Elder Souza (my trainer), Elder Schrenk (Provo MTC companion) and Elder Lloyd (Sao Paulo MTC companion).  All missionaries that I hadn't seen since I left to Aracatuba.  The counsel was awesome.  It was like an elevated Zone Conference with just really good missionaries that all wanted to be there and work.  Presidente Brum talked a lot about seeking the Spirit more in all phases of our work.  It was something that we were really needing here in this mission.  It has been a lot of just work, work, work and a huge focus on numbers.  A lot of people forgot the importance of really staying in tune with the Spirit.  He talked a lot about qualifying for the Spirit as well.  Especially in what kind of music we listen to.  I'm glad and grateful that I haven't had any problems with music.  I love music, but I haven't had any problem giving up the worldly music for this time.

Then we came back to Araraquara.  That was quite the experience.  My companion forgot his Visa papers.  It's law here that you can't travel between cities on the bus without it.  But, between Araraquara and Ribeirao Preto they don't usually check.  So, going to Tibeirao, they didn't check.  But coming back they did.  I went first and got up on the bus and sat down and waited for y companion.  and waited and waited!  But he wasn't coming.  Then I heard him and the bus drive yelling at each other.  He was made that the driver wouldn't let him on without his I.D. and the driver was mad that he thought he could get on without it.  Tuesday was when I realized how much patience I've developed on my mission.  I just calmly took my stuff off the busy and calmed down the situation.  And, we had to just let the busy go.  so, we went back in to trade our tickets, and you had to have I.D. to do that too.  So, my companion just started fighting with the guy at the ticket window as well.  I had to go calm that down as well. and I got everything situated and going.  We finally were able to get them traded after having to go to the LAN HOUSE and print off a new I.D.  It wasn't official, but better than nothing.  all of this while carrying my bag and 2 boxes of Book of Mormons!
Definitely grounds to be angry.  But I'm proud of myself.  I stayed relatively calm even though my comp made some smart alec comments to me after all of this.  Oh, that was a nice trial of patience!!

Other than that it's been alright.  Friday I went on a division with Elder Neves.  He's from Santos, Brasil.  It was cool.  I went to his area and we just went and worked.  It was a good division.  We ordered pizza when we got home.  It was sooo good.  They have a really good pizzaria in their area. (that's rare here)  haha.  It was us two and the other two that live there.  One of them lives in Curitiba mission!  He's from Ponta Grossa, Parana, Brasil.  Trev knows where it is.  I forgot to tell him that I've already had two assistants here also from Curitiba.  One right now and one that went home about 5 months ago.  Elder Zolet is assistant right now, and I'm not sure what Bairro he's from.  and the other missionary is from Chihuahua, Mexico!  Where Cayden Womack is at.  Sadly, he didn't know Elder Womack.  But it was still cool.

The other companionship in our ward had a baptism Saturday as well.  It went really well.  The ward here is doing really well.

Well family, I love you!  My spiritual thought is from a talk yesterday in Sacrament.  I spoke really fast, then another lady after me.  She talked about Elder Ballard's talk about staying in the boat.  "Those who jump out of the boat during the storm die drowned."  She said it really simple.  Those who jump out of the Gospel when trials come, drown in their trials and spiritually die.  So, as the talk says.  Get in the boat and hold on!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

Hello from Ribeirao Preto!

March 9, 2015


I GOT TRANSFERRED AGAIN.  Emergency to Ribeirao.
JUST KIDDING.  We have "Conselho de lideranca" (Leadership council.  Or as my good buddy, Chase Womack, always says, "Jedi Counsel").  Tomorrow, and we had a choir practice today.  Mom, remember when you said to use my talent?  I'm  using it.  There's a seventy coming to our mission on the 21st and he asked to have a special musical number.  So woohoo.  I'm singing.

This week was CRAZY.  First week as a zone Leader.  I don't know how I'm not asleep right no.  I'm so tired.  but I actually really like being a zone leader.  My companion didn't really explain much to me this week, so I just followed and felt like I was running around like a chicken without a head for most of the time, but it was good.  We spent a lot of time on buses lately.  Today was our second practice with the choir, and we had a baptismal interview to do on Friday.  We've spent alot of the time in the bus terminal.  and I don't know what it is or how they always get in, but it just seems that the drunks are always immediately attracted to the missionaries.  ha.  And trust me, there aren't few!  It's a new adventure every time.  I sat talking to this guy for lik 10 minutes and he was wasted.  when our bus finally came we got on and a guy looked at me and said basically, "dude.  You got patience."  I celebrated a little.  I have been working on having more patience.  haha.

Mom, Wanderson Silva did not get baptized.  I forgot to tell you.  He actually was dropped when i was still in Americo.  He didn't want to commit to it.  He stopped coming to Church too.  But I saw Jane at the bus terminal yesterday!  It was cool.  She's doing good.  The missionaries are still visiting her a lot.  She should get baptized soon.

This area is good.  We had 6 investigators at Church yesterday.  I'm thankful for people who work even if they're leaving.  ha.  Every area I've entered before was start from ground zero.  This one, HOPE.  We are teaching two ladies named Marcia and Bell. I think her name is Isabel, but everyone just calls her Bell.  they are both awesome.  They have been going to Church for a little over a month.  Marcia has a problem in her legs and can't walk without a walker, but she is always there.  It's awesome.  She hopefully will be baptized this Saturday.  She's super cool.  and Bell, she's INCREDIBLE.  she also would have been baptized this Saturday, but she isn't married.  Her "husband" is fasting got know what to do.  She reads everything we give her and goes to every activity and Church.  she's super smart too and knows that the Church is true.  So, hopefully this month she will also be baptized.  We are also teaching Leunilde.  She's awesome.  she already read to Mosiah 13 and she's been being taught for two weeks.  WHAT.  Yeah.  and we're teaching a couple named Antonia and Lourenco.  they also went to Church yesterday.  They were on their last chance, but they went yesterday!  so, that was good.

The zone is doing good as well.  there should be quite a few baptisms here this transfer.  So, all is looking good.  We have leadership counsel tomorrow with President Brum and I'm super excited.  Both of my MTC companions also became zone leaders this past transfer.  Elder Schrenk and Elder Lloyd.  I have only seen Elder Schrenk once really fast in the bus station since the Provo MTC.  And I haven't seen Elder Lloyd since the Sao Paulo MTC.  So, that'll be cool to see both of them tomorrow.  My trainer is also a zone leader!  It'll be like a big party.

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

Que a foca esteja com voces!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

ZONA ARARAQUARA. BOW DOWN TO YOUR LEADER

March 1, 2015

So here's the huge news.  We had transfers this week.  I just barely got to Americo Brasiliense, So I thought I would pass and just get a new companion.  Well,

I'm now a Zone Leader.  I was transferred.  Not very far away.  I was already in the Araraquara zone.  One of the ZL's went home and I got the call and I am now here in Araraquara.  It was pretty crazy.  A lot of people had said I would be, but I didn't think that President would whitewash our area.  Well, he didn't.  He just closed it.  Americo returned to only having one companionship.  My new companion is Elder yaple from Sacramento, CA.  I did a division with him and sent a picture the other week.  Sadly, in all the moves recently, I lost my camera cord.  So, I've gotta find me one of them.  I know they have one here, I just gotta find it.  ha.  It's pretty crazy.  I didn't think I would be a zone leader.  I live here with Elder Archiprette form Buenos Aires, Argentina.  The other is Elder Ananaias from Bahia, Brasil.

Oh, I forgot to tell you.  Elder Yaple will be the first companion to die with me.  He goes home at the end of this transfer, in the middle of April.  He'll be the first.  Ha.  That'll be weird.  I've never spent so little time with consecutive companions.  It's weird.  3 weeks, 6 weeks, and this one can only be 6 at the most.

It was hard to leave Americo.  I've only been there 6 weeks, but I loved it.  That branch is awesome.  They are all excited about the Gospel and all willing to participate in everything.  A member showed us a video of their activity that they did.  It was a dance presentation.  It was SWEET.  I just thought, "man, I don't think that would happen in Kaysville.  Everyone would try to be 'too cool'."  But, I guess not.  We'd do it and it would be cool.  But it was super cool here.  The youth in Americo are awesome and willing to all work with the missionaries.

And Jane went to Church Sunday!!  Sadly, we won't be teaching her anymore.  but the other Elders will be and hopefully we get word here in the next couple weeks of her baptism.  she has said a lot in the last lessons that she really wants to and feels that she needs to.

So, now I'm here in Araraquara!  It's super weird and I'm still in shock from the change.  My heart is beating like a million miles per hour since Friday night when we got the transfer call.  This transfer will be CRAZY.  but, I'm excited.

I love you all and hope you know that I know this Church is true.  It is in our weakest moments that The Lord shows us how much he truly loves us, but we must also seek Him in our strongest moments.  He must be at the center of all we do and all that we are.  If we center and build our lives around Christ, we cannot fail. (Helaman 5;12)

I love you all.
Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor


Charity if the pure love of Christ

February 23, 2015

Well hey there kids!

This week has been super interesting.  It was really hard, but good.  We had some good lessons early this week.

Jane is doing really good.  Ha.  I said Jiani a couple weeks ago.  But it's not spelled like that.  In fact, her name is Genicleia.  But she thinks it's ugly and gets called Jane.  (pronounced Jaw-knee).  So like I said the other week, she had lived a life very different from the standards of the Church.  We taught her the word of wisdom this week, and the only problem she had was coffee.  But, ti's Brasil!  when you tell someone no coffee, you better have a REALLY good reason.  It's sacred.  So, at first she didn't think there was any way.  So, we challenged her to go at least one day without it.  I had my doubts.  But, we returned the next day...AND SHE DID IT!  It was sooo cool.  shame on me for doubting.  Ha.  but then, she didn't go to Church and wasn't home last night.  So, we still don't know what happened.  We'll go there tonight and see.

We also got a cool referral from a member.  Sadly, it was the area of the other Elders, but we taught him.  The member, Amarildo, went to a lesson and wanted to take us to his friend after.  So he did.  the other Elders taught him and his wife last night and said it went really well.  so that was cool.

That was about it for this week.  It's been real slow here in Americo.  ha.  Nothing very interesting happens here in this city.  Everyone just kinda does the same thing over and over and over and over and over and over every day after day after day after day after day after day.  ha!

But I also started a cool study this week.  I decided to start reading the Book of Mormon and identifying and applying the Christlike attributes, one at t time.  I started today with Charity and Love.  It was a really cool study and I'm really excited because I'm going through a little test on that with some Elder in the house.  Haha!

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

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

EMAIL TRUNKY

February 16, 2015

No.  I'm not trunky.  That's just what the Email is called.  It means that you're going home in six months and you have to send in all your stuff for them to buy your plane ticket home.  Yep, and I got it today.  WEIRD!  I hit my six months to sexy this last Tuesday.  That's so weird!

This week was good.  Carnaval started, so it's been interesting.  I'm not anywhere near a big city, so nothing happens on CARNAVAL.  But things have got to be CRAZY in Rio de Janeiro, Recife, and Salvador.  Those are the 3 main cities with the biggest parties.  Every big city has a little something, but when you think of the iniquity of Carnaval, it's these 3 cities mainly.  The rest, even here in the little cities, is just a lot of alcohol.  Which is a normal weekend here in Brasil.  HA!

It was a pretty good week workwise.  We had quite a few lessons and did lots of contacts.  The problem: Work and Carnaval.  So sadly none of our investigators went to Church on Sunday.  But, hopefully they will this Sunday.

The highlight this week was that Elder Magalhaes hit 1 year on Friday.  and it was Friday the 13th.  We bought him a cake.  I also found what I thought was silly string, but it wasn't.  HA~!  It was "artificial snow".  So, it was really just white foam.  but we still sprayed him with it Friday night.  Haha!

Friday was also interviews with Presidente Brum.  It was really good.  The assistants also did a little training with him before starting the interviews.  I was one of the first ones to be interviewed since we're from another city.  So, that was probably good.  I got to him early before too many missionaries bugged him.  HAHA.  But he shared a message with us about all the characteristics of the army of Helman.  Obedient, Strong, Humble, Diligent.  but the main thing, they had a vision of what they could be.  All of these traits without a vision of what we can be will ever take us to our full potential.  Because if we don't have a goal that we want to reach, any path will do.  But, any path will not take us to oru full potential.

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






Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor

Cachorro Quente and people going to Church.

February 9, 2015

Well hey there kids.  This week was real good.  AND no one got kidnapped.  At least that I know of.  If someone is missing, well, they aren't rich like the other dude last week.

This week was AWESOME actually!  We saw a lot of success.  Things have continued to just keep going up and up.

First was Jiani and Erico.  They are 2 investigators that we found about 2 weeks ago.  Erico is Jiani's Uncle, but they are both 19.  They are from Bahia, Brasil.  Ha.  And they are awesome.  We started teaching them and they have just eaten everything up.  they live a life very different.  Well, they live the life of Brasilians that live in a poor area.  Everything is kind of just a party.  Last week, Jiani had to work on Sunday.  but this week, she didn't.  And even though they live a ways from the Church, THEY WALKED.  It was so awesome.  and the branch received them very well.  They have a date for baptism, but we hae to talk to her about her work.  As of now, it would be less than once a month that she could go, so, we're gonna pray for a miracle and teach her better the Sabbath day and she will continue to progress.  They also went to an activity that the Branch had on Friday.  Noite do Cachorro Quente (Hot Dog Night).  It was awesome.  And real good.  We have a couple recent converts here that are about that age, and they were awesome with them.  They even texted them all Saturday to make sure they would be at Church on Sunday.  I love people.


RAINBOW.  I love rain.  It's been so nice lately.


An investigator/member not baptized from the other area, gave us shoes this week.  I totes wore them with my black suit.  HAHA!


I went on divisions this week with the Zone Leaders.  This is Elder Yaple from Sacramento, CA.


The CREW.  (Elder Inacio e Elder Echard from Atlanta)


the CREW of Americo Brasiliense.  Elder Magalhaes (Maceio, Brasil)  Jackson, Inacio, Condemarin (Lima, Peru)


Yep.  My area has Waffles and Ice Cream.  this is a one of a kind here and makes me SUPER trunky.  Haha!!


We also started teaching Wanderson Silva this week.  Not Anderson Silva, the Brasilian UFC fighter, Wanderson Silva.  With a W.  He's a member's cousin.  He moved here from Bahia about 2 months ago.  We were at his cousin's house to teach Adriano, the youngest member of the other family.  And at the end of the lesson, he showed up.  So we sat him down and taught him, too.  He accepted really well.  He's Catholic, so he resisted a little.  But prayed and read and had a pretty solid answer in a dream.  He went to Church and accepted a date to be baptized on March 1st.  So, we will continue praying and fasting so that he can make this covenant on that day.

We've seen a lot of miracles this week.  It's been a great week.  And it even hasn't been too hot.  It's been so nice.  The problem, I will DIE when I get home.  haha !  I felt cold at 18-20 degrees Celcius this week.  that's like 60-70!  Haha!  and I was super cold.  I guess you can say I've adjusted to heat.  It's been 1 year and a half since I've had REAL cold.

Well, I love you all!!  Tell Lauren congrats on the engagement!  That's so weird that the cousins my age can get married now.  I feel like we should all still be in Junior High.  haha!

The Church is True.  don't ever forget that.

Love, Elder Scott JACKSON Taylor