The Power To Change

Elder Scott sent us a great email this week with some thought provoking insight. He said, "I'm centered over here pretty good after a year and four months, however, I have come to see that a lot of people have made some really messed up and dark mistakes. But I have to say it is pretty inspiring to be a missionary in this day and age because I've witnessed people that were down really, really dark paths that have completely changed for the gospel with messages I have been able to share. Part of these being the worst times in all of history is because we are living in a very wicked time of the world.  Truly though we all were incredibly united  and saved for this day and age because Heavenly Father knew of the challenges that would be given to us. We are chosen spirits to be here....not 100 or 500 or 2,000 or 4,000 years ago. I will do my best to help."

Thanks for the timely reminder Elder Scott, and now for pictures this week we're continuing to backtrack to fa la la la la

CHRISTMAS!!

We found these cute stockings for Elder Scott
and Elder Vergara at Seagull Book.

Elder Scott is always about the ties, and once again 

it was his main request for gifts this year.

Thanks Donna for this extra special addition.
Our friend Natalie also sent him a fun Christmas tie,
but he missed getting a picture.

And we decided some fun socks would be a sweet addition to the ties.

Here's a winning combination! Socks AND a tie.

This present cracked him up. His little brother Caleb (aka Lil'Walrus) 

sent him his very own stuffed walrus. 

 And his brother Jordan made sure to send him 

something to remind him of home.

And a gift to help him stay focused and centered on the reason he is serving a full-time mission in Perú. The plaque says, "After all that has been said, the GREATEST and MOST IMPORTANT DUTY is to PREACH the gospel."

And finally this sweet ornament was made by one of our great missionary moms in Utah who made sure all 150 missionaries serving in the Perú Trujillo South mission received a special keepsake for Christmas. It was in bags a group of us moms helped create that included a t-shirt, zipper pull, candy, hot cocoa, and a few other missionary essentials. Another sweet missionary momma sewed 150 stockings to stuff it all in, and some incredibly generous members helped get all of it delivered to Perú so we could avoid shipping costs. Miracles were seen and felt in the way it all came together, and the blessings we felt at being able to do this small act of service far outweighed our expectation.