All Is Going Quite Well, Quite Well Indeed!

Hey Everyone,

         It's been another great week here in Los Angeles. The weather has been great ever since I've gotten here. It has rained a couple times but other than that it's been great. I'm getting along great with my companion Elder Ditton. He's quite a stud missionary who has a lot of common sense. His Spanish is great and he has such a great relationship with all the members here. He's musically gifted as he sings and plays the guitar really well. Every P-day, we've gone down to a guitar center in front of our apartment, so he can play. It's fun to hear and I've tried playing but it's not like playing the violin. He's also quite a big fan of Spongebob, and we entertain ourselves by trying to remember episodes we've seen before. I've come to appreciate that show a little more than I did before. On Thursday, We had zone conference, and the whole meeting was dedicated to how we can use the role of members in our mission efforts. In our mission, the average baptisms that each companion will get through our own efforts is 1 out 25 investigators. However 1 out of 6 referrals we receive from members will be baptized. The difference is significant. Elder Ditton was able to give a talk this Sunday about this subject to express to the members in the Hermosa Liahona Ward that we need their help in finding. We've also seen success come from teaching with members as well. Elder Ditton and I have been finding a lot of new people to teach and finally I think some of them are starting to stick to listening to the lessons. The lessons are going well because we have a member present there with us. We had a lesson on Friday with Ana, and we had Hermano Salazar come with us. We taught her the first lesson and shared our testimonies about the Restoration. Something that Hermano Salazar said really touch her and the Spirit had a really strong presence in the lesson. We going to see a lot of progress in our investigators through the help of members in our ward. With Spanish, I'm understanding more every day, but continue praying that I can just open my mouth more. My companion says I'm doing great, but there's plenty of room for improvement. Anyway I'm loving my area here in Lawndale, and I have meet the greatest people.

           It's good to hear Mitt and My Cards are doing well. I'm "sorry" Albert and his new team aren't, but could care less.

It's good to hear that Leo is still an idiot. I was getting concerned that the lack of my presence would increase his sanity. The animals here are crazy. Pitbulls and Chihuahuas everywhere. Anyway, I'm glad you all got to go to Kansas City and enjoy your time at the new temple. I hope Aubrie's appointment goes well tomorrow, so she can have the blessings of serving a mission soon.

Thanks for the card, and your prayers. Tell Phil to write me back before he head's out to the MTC. Give him the names of Brother Rasmuessen, Brother Bulloch, and Brother Gillon. They were my teachers, and he might have them while he's there.

Well until next week 

Os Amo tanto!

2nd Week In and Doin' Great!

Hey Everyone!

This second week was great and its so crazy on how much things have happened during that time. It was a busy week with a lot of meetings and crazy mix ups, but everything turned out fine.

Tuesday

      In the morning Elder Ditton had a training meeting because he's serving as district leader. So I went on splits with two other Elders in our zone. In our zone there's 4 spanish speaking comps 2 ASL companionships and the rest are english speaking. So I was with Elder Bushager (English) and Elder Finnell (ASL) We had an interesting conversation about the atonement as week were tracking in area called torrance. My companion and I got back together and went tracking some more. We had dinner twice and one of them was with Griselda and her kids Connie, Manuel, Daisy and Little Joey. They are absolutely hilarious, and they like to take advantage of my little understanding of spanish. She made Posole which is basically a slab of beefsteak cooked in some really good latin soup recipe. Griselda and her daughter daisy are recent converts that Elder Ditton had a couple transfers ago. He's been here in this area since December so he's gotten to know the area really well, especially with the members. Then we went to a members home, Sanchez's who just started being active again, and Brother Sanchez got to baptize his daughter last week. We got alot of referrals from that baptism as many of their family came to see the ordinace. It's awesome to see how they all are doing the best to get active in the church again. It was sister Sanchez's birthday, so we had some really good pastel. Latin cakes are so delicious.

Wednesday

     EXCHANGES! I got to do exhanges with some other Elders in our district and I was able to serve with Elder Olsen in the Compton area. He's a really great guy and he works really hard. I was my first day on a bike, but I was using Elder Shumway's bike, who was exchanging with Elder Ditton. I was quite the long commute to get to everyone we wanted to see. We found a new investigator, and we taught an investigating family about the word of wisdom. They were so awesome and I wish I was still able to teach them. They also served us this really good guacamole chicken breast meal with cucumber juice. I was great to see another part of the city.

This week we also had the privledge to have a mini missionary come out and work with us. His name was Jose and we got to do a lot of tracting with him. He lives downtown and we got to have him from Friday night to Sunday Afternoon. We had some funny things happen to us during that time. The Zone Leaders car broke down so we were having to go on a lot of splits with them to go everywhere. We transported a crib from a members house that we could give to one of investigators that the Compton elders have. I was hard as they had to stuff me and the whole crib in the back seat of a little sudan. It was pretty incomfortable having massive planks of wood pounding against my whole body. I was laying all across the back seat basically. I thought that once I got on a mission wouldn't have to do that kind of stuff again, oh well.

To answer Mom's questions

The weather here is always nice, but the sky is usually very gray and foggy. Something to get used to

Apartment is nice and its just me and my companion. We don't try stay in there too long so its a little cluttered at times.

I'm sleeping fine.

we will usually do email at the library

I've only biked twice, but we plan on biking more this week. My bike is really nice and everything seems to be working ok

I'm not sure on the temple, but it will be one of the next to transfers

I hope Dad and Kurt get in alright

It's exciting to hear that Aubrie is doing better, I hope she's able to go back out soon

I'm sorry that you and dad couldn't be together for your anniversary.

Anyway I doing great I will look forward to writing you again

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

Elder Marrott's new L.A. address

Elder Marrott I know will appreciate some letters sent his way!

Elder Scott K. Marrott

California Los Angeles Mission

1591 East Temple Way

Los Angeles, CA 90024-5801

First report from L.A.!

Hey Everyone

           There's so much I want to say, but I just say Los Angeles is a blast! Yeah it was an eye opening experience just seeing the crazy and different atmosphere here. However all the people here are awesome and super nice! And I've already witnessed 2 baptisms! It's a great start. I'll to cover everything you all need to know. Well the plane ride here to LA was great. I was talking to a Hawaiian man named Brother Hugo who lives in San Fernando, the mission north of LA. We had a great gospel conversation and he helped me get pumped for the mission. So there was Sister Snyder, from my district, Elder Baich, from Argentina, Elder Rodriguez from Mexico, and 4 other Elders who didn't get their visas to Mexico came out to LA with us. President Baker, his wife, and the APs came and found us by the baggage pick up and we drove off to a ward building right behind the LA temple. OH MY GOSH, the temple here is huge! I can't wait to go inside it. Anyway. The president is a very stern, bold guy, but he shows his passion for the mission work. Basically is a business man, and wants to get things done. I enjoyed the interview I had with him, and I hope to get closer to him. His wife is very serious and quiet, but has the same attitude, business is business. But yeah I loved the first day. They broke us off into our "temporary companions" (even though ended up being my companion) and we when off to do work, so I was in my first apartment the first night. My companion's name is Elder Ditton. It's funny to hear that you got to see Elder Ditto again, but he's different than Elder Ditton. He's from Logan, Utah and he's been here for about 8 months. His Spanish is really good and I'm looking forward to speaking like him. He's one of the friendliest people I've met, he's a great singer and plays the guitar very well. I'm in the South Bay Zone and serving in the Centinella area. It's in Lawndale and it's probably in the center between Torrance and Inglewood. The area, as my companion would say, is ranked a 6 out of 10 on how nice it is for LA. We have a pretty nice apartment on the very north border of our area. So don't worry Mom, I'm pretty safe where I am. Elder Ditton has told me some funny stories of some places in our area where there are drug deals and stuff like that. It's funny that the ice cream man is one of the "dealers" here and here he came down our street at 9:00 at night with the jingle playing. It's just so funny down here. I love it. About the mail, just send everything to the mission office and they will give me all the mail on Fridays and I will read them on Mondays. The Spanish here is common, but I still hear English everywhere too. It was hard picking it up at first, but I can get a jist of what is being said most of the time now. I'm not speaking as much as I should as I'm trying my hardest just to listen, but it I though it was going to be a lot difficult than it is. But starting this week we are going to try to find more people to teach other than just visiting investigators, potentials, and members. The first lesson I actually was involved in was with a 15 year old boy named Alexis and he's totally ready to be baptized but he just doesn't feel "religous" enough. We are not to concerned about him, and he's going to get baptized hopefully pretty soon. I was just awesome to actually be in that situation in an amazing lesson where the Spirit was there and he was actually seeing and understanding everything. Anyway, the Hermosa Liahona ward here are just amazing and as converted as can be and its a fairly big ward. Sunday was great. We went to a stake priesthood meeting at 7 in the morning, had chuch at 9 and had a baptism at 4:30 of a 9 year old boy Micheal. His family just started to be active again and I was awesome to see. We also had a baptism on Saturday for a little girl from a family that started to be active again too. But yeah the people here are great. Today was Beach P day, and we got to go play on the beach with volleyball and soccer. I was just awesome to play outside again after a really long time. Anyway I have to go, things are great here I love it, and keep up the prayers and hope that the Spanish comes faster haha. Thanks for everything

LA!!!!!!!!!!!!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

Jammed fingers and Elder Archuleta

Dear Family,

      

       First off, Thank you for the package that included my sweater. I don't think I told you that it came in yet, but I've had it for a while. Thank Kurtis for me for the email, It's been weird to think that he's only been 1 block away from me this whole time. It doesn't feel at all like I've been in Provo. The MTC is a very different place. Anyway as of this Monday, my district is the oldest in our zone right now as the one above us left for Chile and Nicaragua. It's challenging to deal with all the changes but its great to know that my time here is almost over! This past week has been the most physically painful week as I was playing basketball. One day as I was jumping for a rebound, the ball rammed down on my left thumb. It's the weirdest jammed finger I've ever gotten because my thumb was perfectly fine, but the joint in the palm of my hand was totally inflamed. I had a dark purple streak going down my palm into my wrist, and for a while it felt like a had a rock inside my hand. I was the weirdest feeling. It is pretty much healed and I've been monitoring its recovery. This past week, my companions have had multiple practices in the mornings and throughout the week for choir. They are going to be singing on the 2nd session of General Conference. Even though it's great that they have this privilege, I'm glad to just be able to stay and relax this weekend. Because of this I can listen to all the sessions of Conference and be able to take notes on all the talks. So there's a pro and con to everything. The choir sounds really good, and I sang on Tuesday with them for the Devotional. They are singing 2 beautiful renditions of Lead, Kindly Light and Praise to the Man. Anyway, yesterday was a fun day too as I got to help direct traffic for the new missionaries coming in yesterday. It was enjoyable to see all the different reactions of families dropping off their missionary. The funniest one I saw was a tiny pickup truck with about 10 people sitting the bed come and drop off a sister. She was a champ, I did see her shed a tear as the rest of her family was bawling. She attempted a couple times to leave, but they wouldn't let her go! People are funny. Oh if you could let Aubrie know that Elder Archuleta actually came to the MTC yesterday and is living in the residence floor beneath me. I've seen him a couple times, but I haven't talked with him yet. I plan on giving him a high 5 before I leave. Something that I've been spiritually pondering the last week on the connection faith, hope, and charity have with each other. Before I came here I've basically seen faith and hope as two really similar things, but I've seen faith in a different light here. I see faith more as a expression of trust and confidence. Since then, I've seen how I need to have confidence and trust in the gospel, hope/expect/wish for the best, and express my faith and hope through charity towards others. The way I've see it now is if you don't have faith, you don't have hope. If you don't have hope, you don't have charity, and if you don't have charity, Moroni says you don't have anything. This changes my perceptions of how I should serve as a missionary. The last article of faith really sums it up for me in what I need to do and teach. My testimony has been truly strengthened here. Don't let me forget when we talk on Mother's Day to remind me what happened on March 21st and talk about on of my teachers Hermano Gillon. It's totally defined my stay here at the MTC. Well, I'm off to do laundry. I hope Aubrie enjoys her trip to Idaho. Say hello to everyone in the ward, and I'll keep my eyes out for the Farmers!

Te amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

3 Weeks Away to L.A.!

Hey Family,

        Thanks for the letters for this week and I was glad to hear you had a great weekend. The caucus sounded like you had a lot of "fun." At this point, I'm really glad that I don't have to fluster over that, and leave the world to preoccupy on politics. Keep being involved, and I love hearing about what is going on. Give my best to Grandma and Grandpa, and I hope that they will be feeling better. I hope you enjoyed Elder Bednar! He's the best! I CALLED IT! I knew he was going to talk about the character of Christ. That talk truly gave me some reassurance that as long as I am diligent in doing what Christ would do, I will never fall away. It was one of my first spiritual moments I had here at the MTC. Also Mom and Dad keep telling me about this awesome experience Aubrie had with Elder Bednar. I'm getting a little anxious to find out what happened. I'll be expecting an email soon from you Aubrie! Some exciting things happened at the MTC this week. A large portion of the district that left our zone 3 weeks ago for Fresno came back on Monday! It includes 3 of the favorite Elders I've come to love the most. They finally got their visas and they were here til this morning before they left again for Mexico. I can't express how awesome it was to see 7 elders fresh from the mission, and to see how much they changed. Their testimonies and love for the gospel and people have grown so much. Last night, I had the greatest spiritual experience I've had in my entire life. It's so sacred to me that I'll wait until we have a chance to talk either on Mother's Day or when I come home. I'll just say I got question answered that I've had since Elder Carter left for home. It has definitely got me totally pumped up to go to Los Angeles right now. I only have have 19 more days/3 more weeks left, but it seems like it will take forever. The Spanish is coming alright, and I need to practice more. I can read and understand Spanish, the only difficulty is speaking it fluently and doing all the fun verb conjugations in my head. But I'm really not concerned about it. In D&C 84:85 it says how I should treasure the words of the gospel in my heart, and if I do, the words will come at the needed time. I'm putting my faith on the Lord to helping me with speaking, and I hope once I get in the field it will come faster and faster each day. Also on Tuesday, Elder Oaks and his wife came to speak to us. Elder Oaks spoke on how we can obtain and keep the spirit with us throughout our missions. He said the main key to having the spirit is to partake of the sacrament each Sunday, and we prepare for each Sunday to be determined to do what the sacrament prayer asks; take his name upon us, keep his commandments, and always remember him. Only through this can we be promised formally each we that we will have the spirit to be with us. It is a great blessing to have an apostle come and speak on the simple truths of the gospel. All Elder Oaks does is teach straight from the scriptures, and I come to appreciate the fact that I can study from them everyday, and receive counsel from them just as I would if it was General Conference. Speaking of General Conference, it's coming up, and the MTC choir will be singing on one of the session on Saturday. However, I will not be part of the choir. It's kind of sad because basically everyone in my district will be going,.....but me. I had a hard time at first. But I will be a blessing because I won't have my obnoxious companions to distract me from listening to each talk. However, It would have been nice to be on the stand with all the apostles and President Monson. Ahhh....oh well. Thanks for offering to put Elder Carter's name in the temple. From what I know he had surgery this past week and I let you know how it went when I find out. There's Sister right now that has started to struggle with migraines and stresses similar to what Aubrie has gone through. Her name is Hermana Reyes, and if you could put her on the prayer roll too I'd be grateful. It's been so crazy how there's so many people that I've known recently struggling with headaches. There's definitely something I need to learn from this. Well I be off to the temple today, too. I will look forward to that. Give my best to everyone, I hope I can hear from all of you. Until next time!

Love

Elder Marrott

Tips from Elder Marrott

Hey Family,

I was glad to get your emails and letters this week and I hope goes well for everyone. If there was any week I'd like to be home for it sounds like it would be this week. I glad that Mom and Dad are able to be a part of the caucus, and I hope you have a fun time there! And ever since I've been here I've gained a stronger afinity for Elder Bednar and  his teachings. I really wish you were able to listen to one of the talks he gave here on Christmas. If he starts to speak about the character of Christ, be prepared to get you're mind blown! One of the greatest quotes I've heard him say is, "Success isn't a gift......We must do everything (in regards to following the gospel, missionary work, etc...), and expect nothing in return." That is the most Christlike incentive, I've heard in my life. I hope you all prepare yourself to have the spirit guide you while he's speaking. Don't try to write down everything he says, but based on the feelings you have, and the Spirit guiding, you will remember all you need from him. I heard that there's a single adult meeting he's holding too. I hope that Aubrie and Phil are able to go to that. Concerning Aubrie, first off, I apoligize but I guess the people who told me about David Archuleta were misinformed, so I guess he's not here yet......oh well. Anyway, I feel so bad that she had to go through that last week, and I can't even imagine. I wonderful that she's feeling better and I hope that it's all down hill from here. I'll keep Aubrie and Daniel in my prayers. I got an email from Elder Carter, and he says that he's going to have he's fourth sinus surgery on Friday, I believe. His doctor let him aware that the infection in his sinus could have caused severe damage to his vision, or possibly could have lead to major internal bleeding if he didn't get the attention he needed. So even though I miss him, I'm really glad that he's home right now! Keep him in your prayers too. This week was pretty cool because we had Elder Toomey, and elder in one of the previous districts that left 2 weeks ago, come back from Washington because they got his visa ready to send him off to Mexico. He was here for the weekend, I was awesome to hear all the experiences he had in the field there. It was funny because the night before he came back, My companions and I were talking about how weird it would be if he came back.......(epic foreshadowing). He left this morning, and I hope he does well. I've had some spiritual moments while teaching to my proxy investigators this week, and its all because of the devotional that Brother Heaton, an administrative president at the MTC, gave on Sunday. He talked about setting goals and how we interpret the meaning of success in missionary work and the scriptures. My favorite words used in the scriptures now are PERPHAPS, HOPE, MIGHT, MAY, MAYBE. Because everything that God and Christ did and does for us is for a perphaps. In the BOM, it gives so many referances to how the prophets did things for concerning God's children a perphaps. Just look at Mosiah 28:2 or Nephi 19:18 or Jacob 5. Sometimes with missionary work, we can't go into a lesson with the "We're gonna win" attitude and know that we are going to get a baptism or in our terms "success" because the agency of others is not in our control, but all we can do is pray and hope that they have made a connection with God, so they come closer to Christ through baptism. I'd love to share more, but I'm running out of time. I love you all and I hope that your we goes well.

Te amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

P.S - Thank Sister Steele for sending me updates from Erik! THEY WERE SUPER AWESOME! If she hasn't sent them to you, I'd ask her to foward them over to you. It's hiliarous, inspiring, and it's just Erik! I will be writing Sister Steele a letter too. Keep sending the updates on the primaries and the Cardinals! I also can wait for the photos, Mom. I hope I can send some back to you soon. And Amy,.....I hope to hear from you!!!! Thanks for giving Leo the Scott treatment for me! Also what's the name of your bird?

Also to answer dad's question There's my trio companionship and 4 hermanas in my district. I know it's weird but we are blessed to have so many sisters, It sure keeps us three in line most of the time in class.

Adidos!