Week 52 - A hard, but good week

Hey everyone! Hope things are sweet up there in Los Estados or wherever you might be!

So this week was crazy/stressful/long/sad/and awesome all at the same time.

To start things off, we had changes week (or transfers) on Monday. I had to prepare a fat load of new phones for new areas, shut down old phones, report numbers to Salt Lake, do an orientation for the new missionaries and a fat-load of other stuff. It was a lot to do! And it was pretty stressful - I had to write on Monday and it took me 2 HOURS going back and forth, to finally send the email to my fam... People wouldn't leave me alone in the office! Ahhhh! BUT later, we went and got sushi AND the owner actually invited us so it was all free!! I think I had about 25 of those rolls with the tuna on top - legit, I know. We're gonna make that a tradition in the office now - sushi run on changes-day haha.

For the sad part, and I actually don't want to talk all that much about it, but here it goes. So a convert that I baptized in Cañas has a daughter who gave birth to a baby boy (so it's my convert's grandson). He was born in critical condition and the missionaries there in Cañas called to let me know that the mom had asked us to come give a blessing to her baby in the hospital. We were going to go later that night, but a just a little bit later, we got a call saying that the doctors were going to take the baby off life-support and that the family asked them to wait until after the baby had been blessed. So we dropped what we were doing and took a taxi to the hospital. We got passed security, put on clean clothes and were sanitized to enter the ICU for infants. Man, I will NEVER, EVER forget the feelings that came over me in that room. It was so solemn as we watched the parents - watching their baby breathe by machine and trembling. The feelings and impressions that I had are too sacred for me to share, but let me just say that the Spirit was so strong in that room. We placed our hands underneath that tiny baby's head and gave him a blessing. The dad noticed that I had tears after we finished and he came up to hug me - it was a very sacred moment for me, I will never forget. Later, we got the news that the baby passed away. That was pretty hard for me. Even though I didn't know this family all that well, I loved them and their baby so much. I just want you guys to know that I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, HIS children. He knows us and He wants the very best for us. I know without a single doubt in my mind that the small family will see their child again - Because families aren't something temporal - they are eternal. We got to go to the temple this week and I came with a TON of questions and things to ponder while I was there. I know that prayer and study really do bring answers to our lives. I love the temple - I spent almost 2 hours inside :)

Also, I hit my year mark on Thursday! It's been a crazy/long/fast/awesome year for me and I'm so thankful for all the people I've met and things I've learned. Thank you all for the support and love from the people that have stuck by my side through it all. You're support is felt and appreciated. To celebrate my year, My mommy sent me some moccasins (mi favorito) to make my tired, missionary feet comfy. So I have some pictures of that there. :) Thank you mom! 

This week I also made my own weights with water - it weighs 60 lbs haha so I guess it'll do a little bit of good! Macgyver weights. Time to get back into shape.

Well, thank you all for the support, again. I love you guys so much. Keep up the good work and when in doubt, ask yourself this simple yet profound question: "What would Jesus do?". I promise that you'll never go wrong - ever.

Until next time!

Pura Flippin Vida

Elder Stott :)