- The Bus Driver - Week of 8-29-13

So I`m on week four, guys! How on earth is that even possible? Life moves crazy fast here, and I know that as excited as I am to get out in the field, I know I will miss it here. I`m sitting here, full on a lunch of beans, rice and steak (The steak was pretty great, by the way) and feeling fantastic after having gone to the temple. So many people here say,"I can`t believe its been two weeks since last we went to the temple..its been way too long!" You Utah people..used to having a temple down the street. Jajaja...esta bien. I feel so incredibly blessed to have gone twice within the last month. I get to go one more time before heading to Panama!

 

      So...by far the best experience of my mission...and honestly of my entire life? I`m about to tell you all about it. So. Tuesday morning, as we always do in the mornings, we had a Grammar lesson. That day, we were focusing on asking the questions, "¿Que esta leyendo en El Libro de Mormon?" , and different things about praying, etc. One of the many ways we put this to practice is by talking to employees and other missionaries on campus. Hno. Zamipla usually just points toward a person or group of people, calls out a companionship´s names, and we run to catch them. Hna. Johnson and I had already talked to a few people, jaja, and one of our favorite employees here was giving us a hard time, saying "¿Cameras aqui? No cameras aqui?" Anyway, we were sent to go to talk to new people. We saw a guy parked outside of the Comedor, (the Caf), he was a bus driver, and was washing off the sides. Hna. Johnson and I greeted ourselves, and instead of asking what he was reading in his Book of Mormon (we were using that question por que generally all of the people on campus are members of the church), Hna. Johnson asked, "¿Que etsa leyendo en escrituras?". His reply was that he didn´t read in his scriptures. We asked him if he ever prayed, and he said he did, but he wasn´t quite sure who God was. He said prayer was a beautiful  thing, and he likes to take to oppurtunity to pray. Mind you...this entire conversation es en Español. We asked him about religion, and he said that when he was younger, his parents went to church, but as he´s grown, he doesn´t go anymore. We asked him "¿Por que no?" to which his reply was, "Mucho iglesias, paro no sure which one to go to. No one really teaches about God anymore. There are so many churches, but I can`t find the one I want to go to." It was at this point we realized he wasn`t portraying an investigator (someone who is learning about the Evangelio de Jesucristo) or someone who wants to learn..he really is one. He truly is someone that has a desire, but hadn`t discovered where to go to learn more. Here at el CCM, we do practice lessons all the time, with our teachers and other missionaries portraying investigators, and they feel amazing. I truly feel the Spirit in each lesson. But this was different. This was a real situation, and we were actually becoming intruments in the Lord´s hands in that moment. It was crazy, because I would have told you he was a member when I first approached, because the spirit was so strong...every person has the light of Christ within them...but this man was just glowing. We continued to ask him questions about his life, and different things...and I desperately wanted to give him a scripture to read, an address to the nearest church to where he lived, my phone number, anything to keep contact with him and give him the opportunity to learn more. But when in the CCM, your resources are a bit limited. Also, so is my Español. It was a blessing that Hno. Zamilpa happened to be standing a ways off, who had probably guessed we were having a ¨real¨ missionary introduction at this point. I caught his eye, and gestured him over. This guy is one of my role models...he just has such a loving and feliz spirit, I can´t imagine a person that wouldn´t want to speak with him. He introduced himself to the man (I am witholding his name for his privacy) and started asking him similar questions that we had. Within a few minutes, he had us running to the David O. McKay building to grab an El Libro de Mormon, and a post it. As we were running, he couldn´t stop smiling. In our incredible teacher´s broken Ingles, he said, ¨Good job...he is really interested. When I approached you guys, the Spirit was so strong that it hit me like a wall. I knew in that moment what was happening. You guys are fantastic.¨ We started gleefully laughing...and headed back to the bus to finish the most beautiful conversation of my life. Long story short, my teacher gestured for us to give him a scripture to read, so I flipped through the book really fast, and decided to have him read Alma 32...its an incredible chapter on faith. Ive read parts of it almost every day while here. After awhile, we said our goodbyes, and headed back to class. Hno. Zamilpa helped piece together the parts of the conversation that we didn´t understand. ¨He said that he feels a whole in his heart...and he knows that there is something missing in his life. He said he is grateful for the opportunity to work on his relationship with his Heavenly Father, and to read the Book of Mormon, to recieve personal revelation. He said that he doesnt have control on where he drives his bus, but he wants to come back if he can. He wants to do anything in his power to learn more.¨

Guys, there are people like this everywhere who are seriously so prepared to hear that there is more for them in their lives...that they can be so much happier through coming unto Christ. This wonderful man, he is so ready for something better. He kept saying how there was so much evil in Mexico, and he just wanted to be happier. He thought the CCM was a school for learning Español, which is true...but when we explained we were here to train to be representatives of Jesus Christ, his face just lit up.

I am so grateful for that opportunity. This doesnt happen in the CCM...ever. People dont typically just get to teach and testify like that before they are out in the field. It was kind of embarassing, but Hna. Johnson and I were applauded when we walked back in the room. The thing that I dont ever forget is the fact that it wasn´t me...I was the instrument, the tool in the Padre Celestial´s hands to bring peace to one of his children. He needed to hear from us, to feel our testimonies, but without being prayerful and close to my Savior...I dont know if we would have been prompted to go talk to him. Some other companionship may have gone to talk to him.

 

The point is...I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior with all of  my heart...in the course of these past four weeks, I have truly felt their love for me, and for the people that I am going to meet. I look at a mission as not a way to bring up numbers of baptisms...but of sharing the most beautiful message of forever with my brothers and sisters: That God lives. Heavenly Father knows each one of us one by one, and Jesus Christ loves us so much that he went through The Atonement for all of us. He paid the ultimate price for each and every one of us...and Padre Celestial loves us so much, that He gave His Only Begotten Son to save each and every one of us. I am so happy that I already have this testimony for myself...I wish with all of my heart that I could convey the peace and comfort that I have with each and every one of you. Just know that I Know with every fiber of my being that Heavenly Father knows you. He loves you. Jesus Christ knows and loves you. I am floating on the air, my Spirit is on fire, and I am armed with the truth. Never in my life have I been happier than I am in this moment, nor more firm in my belief. I can´t wait to see what the rest of the best 18 months of my life will bring me.

 

I miss and love you all. 

Hna. Jessica Scott

 

Jessica likes to take cool pictures.

The ONLY contact!  Lol!

Jessica and her district Elders

The District Missionaries

The Jukebox Girl! 8-22-13 Second week at the CCM!

Mi familia y amigos!

Yo cannot creer que it es mi tres semanas aqui at el CCM! Tiempe flies like loco aqui...

So, in order to save more tiempo, y get as much informacion as I can out, I`ll escribir mainly in Engles. Espanol just comes in...its super loco how much we all have learned en el past tres semanas. So many personas told me que Id hate el CCM, paro yo love it! Its absolutely bonita aqui. Our manana (morning...also means tomorrow) maestro, Hno. Zamilpa, es a fantastico maestro. From the very primero dias, he had us speaking Spanglish. Also, he is like 23, so sometimes it is super wierd to realise he is not that much older than me. Nuestors noche maestro es Hno. Lara. He portrayed nuestro pirimero investigador. He`s 22, y recently engaged, so we LOVE to ask him about his fiance..he smiles so big and can`t stop. He is so funny. Yo amo both de nuestro maestros...they`re so spiritual, fun and just what I need to survive a crash course de Espanol.

As we go further into the CCM experiencia, we accumulate more investigators...we have two this week. Last night, we had TRC. They had to change it up a bit, so we just swicthed enseñar and being taught by missionaries from another districto. It was a super helpful experience. Jaja, we also worked with companionships within our own districts despues, y Yo reminded myself that sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut. Hna. Johnson and I worked with Elder Roberts y Williams (our new Zone Leaders, you bet!) and I played a tough investigator. Its helpful, right? Well, when it was our turn to teach, they got back at us a little bit...oh well, it IS helpful. I needed it. Those boys were asking ¨Por que?¨ to TODAS. I mean, I need to know how to answer preguntas. Esta bien.

In our second leccion with our secundo investigador, (yesterday) I was able to bear mi testimonio of the truthfullness of the Book of Mormon, and how its here for us to recibir personal revelacion from our Padre Celestial. Before that, we had our investigador read the Primero Vision en Jose Smith Historia. That had me crying already...the spirit was so strong while he was reading it... He began to slow down toward the end of the scripture, and I could tell that he was feeling it too. Then I asked if I could compartir an escritura...and I shared 1 Nefi 7:12. While reading it and bearing mi testimonio, I became so overwhelmingly grateful por the gift of the Book of Mormon, y how it helps us to recieve personal revelacio, to recibir answers from preguntas in the Biblia, ye recieve the fullness of the gospel. Each day that I am here, I become more and more grateful por El Evangelio de Jesucristo, and the resortation of its fullness on la tierra. Later on yesterday, I saw a post it on mi mesa, from one of the teachers that portrayed our investigador. He thanked me for the leccion, and said that it helped him personally. (Yes the post it was en Espanol, and SI I understood every palabra!) That made my day...for the first time, I really felt that I was finally fullfilling mi proposito as a missionera...I helped someone spiritually por medio mi very broken Espanol...through mi own testimonio. I know I have a lot to learn, paro I can`t wait to teach the personas de Panama...running around and chasing employees down aqui at el CCM es fun...but they already know what we son going to teach them. I can`t wait to share Padre Celestial`s love with people who have never heard of it...or never believed it for themselves.

Random thing numero uno: At el comodor (where I stuff my face con beans, salsa, y bread) I ran into Elder Smith! He went to school at Hendrix and was in my YSA group in Conway! Its crazy how small this world is...I had no idea he was going to be here, let alone anyone from Arkansas. I couldn`t hug him, which was weird, so Elder Fonoimoana stood up and hugged him por me. Jajaja...it was ridiculous.

By the way... Dear Elder is an awesome thing you can do. Its an electronic letter that can be sent to me from Utah. You just need to know my name, mission, and the Mexico CCM (MTC). That way, I can read things from you guys not only on Thursdays, but any day! Jaja...its just an option, but a cool one at that. By the way Tio Dale y Tia Candy, I got your letter!! Thanks so much! It took 11 days to get here, but it definitely did!!

So something new here...earthquakes! We have had two so far...and although I haven`t felt either one, they have happened. We have to stand on these random green circles across campus when the sirens go off. We had to abandon our breakfasts yesterday...soggy frosted flakes son no bueno. Still kind of entertaining...not sure what the circles actually do...I feel like I am a kid standing on the red triangle at the car riders line in Elementary School.

Something that we do as a district...volleyball! Any of you that have played desportes with me antes, go ahead and laugh. I totally smacked mi companera with the ball last week, swelling up my finger in the process. My serve is pretty great though! There was another districto that we used to play with, but they moved out into the field...miss those guys like crazy.

Ja! So Hna. Moore and I wrote ¨You Better Write Me When I`m Gone¨ to ¨You Better Miss Me When I`m Gone¨ a couple days ago...we stole disposable cups son el comodor and everything...we sing it to the distrit a lot...they love it. We all miss music a little bit here...its not like we have much time fore playing music anyway!

OH! I can`t believe that I almost forgot. Hna. Johnson y I were called as the new Sister Missionary Trainers in our Zone this past Domingos. Super cool, right? The boys had us pegged...what do they know? Jaja, its an awesome opportunity though, and I`m super stoked. Our district is the BEST! We have the Zone Leaders and Sister Trainers in the same classroom. Yeah!

By the way, I want to know how YOU guys are doing. I may not get time to say much, but I will do my best. I have a little bit of time for writing letters on occasion, but no addresses...so send them my way! Please dont be offended if you dont hear from me...from 6 to 10:30 at night, I am RUNNING. I love it though.

Tambien, hoy es mi parents` anniversary!! I love them so much, and wish them all the best...they are such incredible ejemplos to me, and without their diligence y fe in la Iglesia, I dont know where I would be. I hope to one day to be eternally married to my best friend, just as they are! Happy 24th Anniversary!!! Go get a cheeseburger or something sometime soon...I am craving those like crazy...that and soda. We keep trying to get our teachers to bring us some...so far they havent given in yet. But we shall see.

By the way...I am called the Jukebox by some in our District here. My love for singing hasnt gone away...probably wont either. I am totally okay with that.

Weird food of the week! Empanaza yogurt y waffles. They dont use maple syrup, so we have to compromise...it sounds so weird, but trust me. Its muy bueno.

Well, thats all I have time for. I love it so much here, and my testimonio de la Iglesia de Jesucristo es growing more and more each day. I cant think of anywhere else I would rather be.

Con amor,
Hna. Scott

I'm not sure what this picture is of, so I will have to find out!

LOVE this!  So cute!

Gotta have this one!

That's my silly girl!

I still want to find out what the 'B' stands for, but I love the diversity of colors and styles in housing!  So different than what we see here in the states.

Hermana Scott's 1st Spanglish Letter! 8-15-13

¡Hola familia y amigos!

(Insert upside down question mark here)Como le va?

I`ve been aqui for uno semana now....actually more like ocho dias. It`s going by so fast. Nostotros all keep joking about how its like a super extensive efy, and we`ll all head home at el fin de el seis semanas aqui at el CCM. (CCM es MTC en Espanol) Como son usted?!

Yo absolutely love it auqi. El Espiritu es so strong. Yo have so many things to say!

We just got back from the temple...its HUGE! I mean, I`m surrounded by people from Utah of course, so to them its fairly normal. No one believed me when I said I had only gone through once. This temple also has several escalators in it. What on earth?! The session was definitely in Espanol. I just had to guess...it was still an absolutely amazing experience. I want to come home and move somewhere closer to a templo. Sorry guys....

Mi companera es Hermana Johnson. El es from Lehi, Utah. Estamos actually met on our flight from Dallas, and took a picture at the Mexico airport, maybe an hour before we knew we were going to be companions. We`re both going to Panama too! There is a very slim chance that we`ll ever be compáneras again, but its still cool to think about...

Okay, running out of time. I spent too much time working on personal emails...

I LOVE MY DISTRICT. There are twelve of us. Mostly from Utah. Of course. Jaja.

We are part of a branch, and our branch probably has fourish districts? And our zone is everyone in our building of aulas...estamos son en el John Taylor building. Each building aqul es named after a Prophet of the church. Cool right? I`m currenty in the Thomas S. Monson building.

The food here isn`t so bad...some stuff is way weird though. We eat a lot of beans and tortillas for lunch. Lunch es also the biggest meal aqui en Mexico, so we have an hour for lunch, and thirty minutes por breakfast and dinner. Weirdest but best thing I`ve had? Hibiscus flor juice. Tastes kind of like cranberry juice.

Oh! Something super cool. Tuesday was nosotros CCM devotional. Estamos took part en the first live CCM broadcast. Ever. The speaker was Elder Richard G. Scott, and he talked about Prayer, and the importance of sincere prayer. He also bestowed a special benecimos upon those of us who are foriegn speaking misioneros/misioneras. It was way cool. Yo haven`t cried about home yet...but Yo definitely cried por medio feeling el Espiritu.  It just feels so good aqui...

Also! Yo y mi companera y some of the elders en mi district took part in the first Mexico CCM choir ever on Domingos, singing the efy medley, en Espanol. I just...can`t even tell you how much Yo love it aqui.

So...in ocho dias, yo have ensenar (taught) quatro investigador leccions. Estamos have a fifth leccion tonight. Nuestros final one with nuestros first investigador. All leccions? En Espanol. Si. It gets rough sometimes...but Yo se que if yo have la fe en Jesucristo y el Evangelio, yo will have el power to hablr en Espanol with la personas that want to hear of el Evangelo de Jesucristo.

One funny thing about nuestros leccion the other night...nuestros were talking about repentance, and yo told nuestros investigador that he could be "limpio of his pescados.." Pescados is fish. Pecados is sin. See the difficulty there? Luckily, he took it in stride, and got the jist of what yo was saying.

By the way...the Spanglish es due to the fact that sometimes, Espanol just comes out. Yo (I) can`t help it...The gift of tongues (del donde lenguas) is true (verdadera)! Ill try not to kill your brains...it definitely still hurts mine.

I only have five minutes left. I love you guys so much!

I am totally in the right place. No doubt.

Hermana Scott

1st picture:

On the way to the Mexico City Temple

Hermana Scott y Hermana Johnson

Jessica on the steps of the Mexico City Temple

An article and video about where Jessica is currently. This training center is a historical event in our church and an exciting time and place for her to be right now.

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865584354/Mexico-City-MTC-training-hundreds-of-missionaries.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XAWfJPPDsJA&feature=share

The Post That Starts Its All (Best Cliche Title Ever. Basically.)

                    Hey guys! This is going to be my blog for the next eighteen months. My mom is going to be fantastic and help update it while I am gone. I figured this would be the best way to hear about my life serving a full time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Panama Panama City Mission. I leave tomorrow morning at 10:27 am. Its crazy how fast time flies. I am also as of last night, an official Hermana (Sister) Missionary! While purchasing last minute things with my mom this afternoon, I had to keep reminding myself that I had to stay with her. Once one is set apart as a missionary, they must have a companion with them at all times. For safety reasons, mostly.

                    I have a couple things I want to take care of in this blog. First of all, the way to contact me when I'm gone. My address for the next six weeks will be posted hopefully within the next few days. The Mexico Missionary Training Center was recently moved and expanded, so we have to call tomorrow and ask what my address will be! If you want to email me, contact my mom, Angela Scot. Due to safety and privacy, I'm not going to publicly announce my email address. However, ask her for it (if I haven't given it to you already) and you are welcome to email me. I will only have a short time every week, so please don't be offended if I happen to take awhile to reply.

                    My first address after September 13th will be as follows. When I get to my first area in Panama, this address will be updated. This is for letter mailing only.
 Sister Jessica Marie Scott
 Panama Panama City Mission
 Carrasquilla Entrega General AP 0834
 Provincia de Panama Panama

                    The next address is for packages. Just in case you'd like to send me a pair of socks. Or a monkey. I'd advise against the monkey.
 Sister Jessica Marie Scott
 Panama Panama City Mission
 Edificio Hi Tech Plaza Piso 5 Puerto D
 Calle 53, Marbella Ciudad de Panama
 Provincia de Panama
 Panama

 NOTE: If you ever decide to send anything besides a letter, there is a risk in it actually getting to me. I know I have so much support and love, so I honestly am perfectly fine with never getting any large boxes with best friends inside. I would probably be asked to send you back to the U.S. anyway. Pictures and letters are perfect, and those can be sent without too much hassle.
                    Another thing I wanted to do is post a few pictures of outfits I'm taking on my mission. If you're not a prospective sister missionary, or just interested in clothes, scroll on. I noticed that I couldn't find many blogs that included outfits for missions, so I'm going to! Besides, Adrianna asked about it, and I figured this was the easiest way to do it. These are just a few ideas I have...I honestly probably have more clothes than I need. I bought almost all skirts and tops. The easier to mix and match, the more outfits you have.   

                           Okay. Done with the girl stuff. One last thing! Thanks for coming to my blog. I am so excited to go on my mission, and bring others to Christ. I know that it is a completely worthwhile adventure to be had. I have been blessed abundantly throughout my life by my Heavenly Father...I feel it is my privilege and duty to go forth and share His truth with everyone I meet. I know this journey will be a tough one...I have to learn Spanish, for goodness sake. However, I have complete trust and faith in the Lord. I know I will be watched over, and I know that I am going to have a fantastic time while running around in skirts and dresses. Even though I'd rather be wearing shorts. I am so grateful to be in a position to go and fellowship with the people in Central America. Its an exciting time to be a missionary too! I have several friends in particular that I will be thinking of while they are on their missions as well. I'll also definitely be thinking of everyone I'm leaving behind too. Its amazing how many friends I have. I am overwhelmed with gratitude. Thank YOU for being in MY life.

                       Check up on this blog often. My mom is pretty tech-savvy...I'm pretty sure she'll figure out how to work it. ;) Until we meet again!

Love you guys!
Hermana Jessica Scott