Called to Serve

Called to Serve

Monday, April 25, 2016

Week 63 - It Finally Came!

Helloooooooooooo! 

Hope this week went great for all you guys - pretty rainy down here in good ol CR!

So first of all, I GOT MY BIRTHDAY PACKAGE! Thank you mom :) And that hand grip that's 200 lbs is a BEAST... My goal is to be able to close it before I hop on that plane! ALSO, we got the Jelly bean game where they have a bunch of sets of 2 flavors but they're the same color so you don't know if it's the good or bad one until you're chewing it - just saying, Rotten Egg is horrible.... I almost threw up. We took some really funny videos so hopefully those get through. (they didn't)



Second, we met this completely awesome dude named Giovannye (yes, it's spelled like that). His girlfriend is Peruana and she really brought the gospel to Giovannye's life. Plus, his mom is an inactive member for more than 20 years! So we're really excited because he wants to get baptized soon. We're starting to prep that up! He's the crazy dude in the blue shirt.





We took some cool railroad tracks pictures too!




We're also still meeting with the young mother.  She's really faithful but really doubtful at the same time.. She's just unsure even though I know that the Spirit has testified to her so many times. Some of the best lessons I've helped teach have been with her!

I'll make sure to do something extraordinary this week so I have something super exciting to write about :)

Well, love all you guys. Take care and remember that our vision is often very short-sighted. Things always end up just fine :)

Church is true!
Pura vida mop! (pure life dude)


Elder Stott

Monday, April 11, 2016

Week 62 - Staying in Santo Domingo!

Hey everyone!
Hope all is going well! I officially don't have changes/transfers so I'll be here in Santo Domingo for another month and a half! Woohoo - means we should have some more baptisms here soon AND I'll get even more spoiled by my tico landlord-grandparents!


Nothing very new down in here in good old in Santo Domingo, Heredia, Costa Rica! Still pretty toasty and hot but that's just part of the deal down here.
Today I got to play a 12 string guitar which is one of my favorite intstruments ever - it sounds soooo good. And elder Vorwaller slayed it on the drums - we'll have to start a band here soon haha ;)
I should finally be getting my package today so I'm stoked for that!
We have a bunch of people who are progressing and planning on coming to church this week which I'm super stoked for. One mother that we're teaching here has lots of doubts so that's been tricky.... She's had some really really good questions, but we're praying that she just keeps praying and reading the scriptures.. It really doesn't matter how many doubts we have, we just have to keep going! Gotta move in the right direction!
Well, more next week!
Love all you guys, keep pushing forward, the church is true!
PURA VIDA PAPAAA

Elder Stott

Week 61 - A Baptism and The Phone Call

Hey guys!

Hope all went really well this week!

GUESS WHAT - THE DRY SPELL HAS BEEN BROKEN. We baptized this week :) It's this guy that we've worked with for a long time and his name Giovani. And he's kinda strange and super awesome at the same time. He went to church for months before he finally decided to get baptized! I was so stoked and he asked a recent convert to baptize him which was even cooler! So that was a great Saturday! He's the one without a mustache haha :)


 Also, one of my favorite ladies here (I call her my mama tica) got a super super cute dog named Jack - he's a shitzu and looks like a bear haha.


We are teaching this family that are progressing like at a medium pace but they're awesome. They've got three daughters and one of them is blonde (they say 'macha' for blonde girls and 'macho' for the guys) so everyone calls me "ayyy macho!" haha but anyways, she LOVES us and begged to take some pictures with us too so we got a photo shoot there! She's a cutie!


Not much else to write about this week. But there is sacrifice this week which will be super duper cool. I'm stoked :) I'll probably burn myself again haha.

Well, thanks for the prayers and good thoughts! Hope everyone is doing great! 

The Church is so true.

Pura vida and good vibes,


Elder Stott :)

From mom:  A funny story from this week.  Due to holidays and 3 missed delivery attempts, Josh still hasn't received his birthday package.  I got the number of the mission office in San Jose so that they could track it down before it ended up lost or in a holding cell in the Post Office there. The Elder who answered the phone spoke limited english.  I tried to explain who I was and what I needed help with.  He told me he was the only one in the office, but that he would get me a number for someone who could help.  I thought it would be another missionary who spoke english.  I called, and when they answered the phone I just heard spanish mumbling in the background.  I said, "Hello?  Who is this?".  Then the response..."MOM!! YOU CAN'T CALL ME HERE!!".  I about fell off my chair...and then stumbled to find my words.  I quickly explained what had happened and that he needed to get to the Post Office on Pday.  The entire conversation lasted about 25 seconds.  BUT IT WAS AWESOME.  An accidental tender mercy...  One more month until we get to Skype with him for Mother's Day.  I will survive :)

Monday, April 4, 2016

Week 60 - Another Year Older...

Hey everybody! 

Hope y'all had a great week!

Mine was pretty sick!

So first, had my 2nd Bday of the Mission! It's so crazy to think that next birthday, I'll be celebrating with the fam... too soon haha :) My comp got up super early and made me some pancakes for my birthday breakfast in bed (family tradition) and we also went out to eat later. 


Presidente came to our Zone Conference on Tuesday and he took us all (22 people) to McDonalds haha. It was the first and last time I ever had a birthday in Mickey D's haha but it was pretty cool. I turned bright red when the little ticas that work the counter brought up a little sundae with candles and sang to me hahaha. And I felt sick the whole day after because they gave me double everything.... haha TOO MUCH food.  It was a pretty dang good day - I feel pretty old too now that I'm not in the 10's anymore.... :( 


Also for my birthday, I got to teach a really, really humble family. They gave me a pork rind, some beans, and bread...and they live in a tin house and don't have all that much, but I felt really thankful and humbled by their kindness. I took a picture with them too.


Well conference was WAY AWESOME! I loved all the talks about the temple and the family! Elder Uchtdorf's talk about the family and marriage was super funny too. I loved how he asked if there was really a perfect girl out there, that if she'd really be interested in us haha. And then Elder Holland's talk was sooooo powerful... It gave me shivers. All the apostles are inspired men that I know are all called of God. Thomas S. Monson is the Lord's prophet today for the church and for the whole world. I invite anyone who was able or didn't watch conference to select just a few talks to read or listen to, I promise you'll feel the Spirit like I did :)

A link to Elder Holland's talk.  Please watch it.  IT IS AWESOME.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/media/session_5_talk_11/4829903593001?lang=eng

Things have been good here in Santo Domingo. 10 investigators came to watch Conference! THAT'S SO MUCH! Usually like 3 or 4 is normal but we really were able to a miracle in our area. President told us both that we came to pick up Santo Domingo because it's been really struggling for a while. We've struggled for a while too but we're now beginning to see the blessings of diligence, hard work and faith. So that was cool!


Well, hope you guys all have a great week! Be safe and remember who you are!

ANNNNNND, happy birthday shout-out to my favorite oldest little sister Mallory! It's super scary to think that she's gonna start driving. Glad I'm gonna be far away while she is still learning ;) Love you tons Mall! 

The church is true!

Pura Vida,
Elder Stott