The answer is love.

Elder Scott sent home so many wonderful photos and letters this week that it's hard to choose what to focus this blogpost on, but after thinking about it for a while I decided to copy down some of the words he sent me in my 36 page letter (You read that right. I'm a pretty lucky mom!) He started his letter talking about home and Christmas and other ramblings that were going on in his head (I loved it because it felt he was there beside me telling me about his day and chatting about life). Around the 3rd page his rambles turned to the topic of love and how grateful he was to come from a home where he never questioned our love for him and how unique, in the world we live in today, to actually get along with each other and genuinely care for one another. Here is a little more in his own words.

"I never valued love really before my mission. Like, I knew of it. I used it every now and then. But, since coming here I really have learned what real love is and how important it really is. It really is what makes the world go round. It's the foundation of everything we do. It's the base of the Plan of Happiness. Like, without it there literally wouldn't be anything. No Plan of Salvation, no earth, no Savior, no us, no world, no anything. Everything is based on love. It is so important. People don't even begin to understand the complexity and importance of love, it's really quite sad. In the world today it's also harder and harder to find. It's devastating really. That's Satan's real goal, to get rid of love. I think he understands its power. He understands the importance. That's why he tries to use hate and anger. It's the opposite of love. He tries to snuff out the power of love. 

Part of me thinks that we have the choice to let love be snuffed out. Another part of me though is thinking that it never can be. It can be diminished, hidden, even weakened, but I don't think it can ever be snuffed out. In the end, it's always there. No matter the answer, love is still powerful. It's the tool of our Heavenly Father. 

So do we treat it as important as it is? Do we value it like we should? I really don't think we do. I know I didn't. I still have a long way to go, even now. Love is a wonderful thing. When times get hard, when people make you mad, when every fiber of your being is being put to the test, we need to have love. That's why Christ was perfect. He never ceased to have love. He never ceased to care. Even as nails were driven through his palms, a gord pushed into his side, a crown of thorns placed on top of his head, his body whipped and tortured; he never ceased to have love. He asked our Father to forgive the very people that not only had wronged him, but were still in the act of doing so. He still had love. In a situation where to use it would be humanly impossible to have love in our minds, He did. He never let it falter. Love is powerful."

He ended this passage of his letter saying how it is amazing what can be revealed to you as you sit down and write. It's one of the reasons journal writing is so highly encouraged in our church. He hadn't given the topic of love much thought until he started to write to me and all these seemingly random thoughts popped into his head. But, I know they weren't random. I know who put those thoughts in his head. I know who chose that moment to teach my son the value of love. Isn't Heavenly Father amazing? He knows just what we need, and gives us the tools, often times right at our fingertips, to understand His plan for us. What a blessing it was this Christmas season to hear from our son, both through Skype and his beautiful hand-written letters, letting us know how wonderful missionary work is and teaching us important lessons about love, life, and being faithful, even during difficult times. I'm so grateful for my missionary and the thousands of missionaries around the world spreading this message. The year 2016 has been a year filled to the brim with more blessings than I ever imagined possible. We pray the same is true for you, and that 2017 will shower you with even more.

Multi-zone Christmas party and devotional 

Elder Scott's Halloween package finally arrived a couple days before Christmas.

Super cute DIY snowman decoration they made out of cups.

A yummy treat ~ Frozen Mangos

Getting a much needed haircut

Their Bishop made the Elder's a pie

The Primary Christmas Party

Someone we know and love was asked to play Papa Noel

His disguise wasn't fooling anyone

The missionaries had been praying for a White Christmas and their greatest wish came true when Hermana Bertha and Hermana Gabriela were baptized on Christmas Eve. It was a spectacular day for them. Elder Scott was overcome by the Spirit as he watched two people he had taught and grown to love enter the waters of baptism and make sacred covenants with our Father in Heaven. He could not have gotten a better gift than this. 

After the baptism they had a Christmas Eve feast prepared by Hermana Elsa

Christmas morning in Palermo

We hid 2 of these cute stocking in Elder Scott's
luggage when he left for Perú. One for him
and one for his companion.

His brothers hid a present in his suitcase, too

And of course mom and dad snuck a
few little things inside the suitcase.

He got a small shuffle with a portable speaker
so he can listen to church hymns.

A cool missionary pillowcase. 

He loved his Mickey socks.
A little taste of home all the way in Perú

Elder Parra gave Elder Scott this very cool wallet
and Elder Scott gave him a watch.

We ended this incredible Christmas Day with a Skype call. This minutes went by way too fast. We loved every second we got to spend with our favorite Elder this year. 

My favorite part of Christmas was the chance we
had to Skype with Elder Scott.
Technology is truly amazing.