Of Missing Letters and Missionaries

January 21^st, 2013

Hey family, 

I'm so sorry I didn't email last week. This last week has been super crazy. We have transfers coming up and I'm staying with Elder Xiong in Pioneer Park East.

Hope inauguration day is going well for all of you. Not going to lie. I'm pretty bummed out about the Caps losing. Bro. Peshel told me (he's a member of the ward council) and he told me at 7ish in the morning at Ward council. Church now starts at 9 so it’s pretty tough.

Also, on the note of other depressing news; Elder Doane is being transferred up to Atwater. Super sad! (Elder Doane was Scott's companion in the MTC and he was in Fresno West so he would see him every day, so this is a big change...a member texted me these pictures of them + another Elder who I don't know and can't read the tag)

Just to explain how transfers work. The zone leaders and district leaders fill out a stewardship report which goes to the assistants and president. They then take a few weeks and map out transfer boards (usually 2-4 transfers ahead). Then the Saturday before the next Wednesday transfer, each zone receives a mass voice mail about who will be transferred in the zone. 

Answers to your questions: 

I saw baby pics of me in the movie montage at Christmas. Super funny! For service we do everything. We help people move, remodel, clean up apartments, go farming (lemon grass and peppers). More recently we cleaned leaves off a roof at an apartment complex. Work is going really well. We had 3 kids (part-member family) baptized on the 9th. We are still continuing to contact all the Hmong New Year’s referrals. We're finding a lot of families and it’s going really well. 

Spiritual Thought: 

“Faith precedes the miracle. It has ever been so and shall ever be. It was not raining when Noah was commanded to build an ark. There was no visible ram in the thicket when Abraham prepared to sacrifice his son Isaac. Two heavenly personages were not yet seen when Joseph knelt and prayed. First came the test of faith–and then the miracle. Remember that faith and doubt cannot exist in the same mind at the same time, for one will dispel the other. Cast out doubt. Cultivate faith.” - President Thomas S. Monson

I love you all so much! Continue to ask me questions and I'll be sure to write you back :)

LOVE YA ALL!!! 

TSEEM FWV LEEM!