The Singing Sister Missionary: Life in Central America : - The Bus Driver

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.