Take Care of Each Other

dear family. you are the best

thanks for everthing.

this week was good.

i am really tired.

cool train ride.

wish i was there.

it is not too cold here.

nice bama sweaters.

teaching/ baptizing two people this week.

not the complete families but we are getting there.

we have some cool people/ families we are working with.

this guy gave up smoking all in one week.

pertty cool

im going to mail that talk for brother combs soon.

hopefully before christmas.

i love you all.

we had interviews with president his week.

we talked about 5 attributes we need to conquer in this life.

love, obidience, faith, courage, i dont remember.

elder smoot is a funny companion.

he is always laughing which is a problem during lessons 

but other than that it is pretty funny how much he laughs.

president Vinas of the seventy spoke to us today.
talked a little about the christmas devotional.

looking for angels and and looking for knowledge.

it was sweet.

those videos are sweet from the new bible website.

burn those on a dvd and send them to me!!! haha

well. merry christmas.

take care of eachother.

i love you all.

love elder scroggins

Christmas in 85* weather

that tree is where we sing our chtristmas carols every single satuday

Rededication of missionary work in the area

Dear family-

Following the council/ advice given to us by our mission president, Elder Smoot and I called our branch president and asked him to call his councilors and meet us in the town square in Aguas Buanas the next morning. We arived there at 4 am. shared a few scriptures about how we need to work underneath the keys in the branch.  That we are here as divine missionaries called and set apart by God. They tell us they are fully behind us and we tell them as well. We also make a promise that following the faithfullness of the branch i.e. the willingness to work with the missionaries, the branch will double in size before the end of the year. Then under the direction of the branch president we rededicated the area of Aguas Buenas to the preaching of the gospel and rediedicated our efforts as well.

We left there feeling edified. That afternoon our high councilor came out with us for 5 hours. We taught 2 less active members and also 2 non members. Received refferals form the less actives and set up family home evenings with the families. Really a miracle. That is just one day. In reality we know that we will have our trials but we need to do this as a ward. Last night we left to go visit a few less active members. We have visited them the entire  time while I have been here in Aguas Buenas and nothing has come from it. Always them saying, "Yea, ill come to church" and then not coming. So we decided that this would be the last time, if the did not progress.  We made that desision as a ward with our branch president.

Two beautiful families were taught last night. Now the choice is still theirs. The father of one of the families admited he did not have a testimony of the church but knew it was good. We explained Alma 32 with him about the seed and that he need to be nurturing his seed. His sapling. He need a desire. We talked about how he can have a desire. then I gave a testimony that I can honestly say was not from this world, it came from beyond. I bore testimony about the power we have to call on the POWER OF GOD to help us. and when we are worthy he can BLESS his famliy . I told him that I was very grateful for my fathers. My earthly father who has ALWAYS been worhty to give me a blessing when i needed it, even before i understood what it was. i also explained about our Heavenly Father that gives us the opportunity to recieve blessings but also to GIVE blessings. I then proceeded to explain that I felt promted to ask if he would like a blessing of desire to have help to attend the chruch and to evercome his pride. He said yes. He asked me to give it.

For the first time in my life it was not Elder Scroggins speaking. It was the spirit. I made him promises that honestly will come true if he is faithful to the covenants he has made with the Lord and if he makes more with the Lord,he would be the reason for his parents to join the church. His brothers and sisters. He would be a great leader in the church in Puerto Rico. I left it with him based on his faith and fidelity.

I love this work. I love the Lord. I love my companion and I know the Lord lives and directs his servants.

Thanks for the pics and everything. also facebook status-- "the bike ride home is alot easier when you give out two books of mormon."

love and mercy

elder scroggins

The Good Life

ONE YEAR

dear family,

thanks for all the loVe and support. summer camp is good. hard to believe it is half way over. the food isn't very good. and we dont get very much sleep at night but for some reason i am still here. ONE YEAR TOMORROW!!

I remember the hotel room in Provo, dropping me off early. riding in the truck.... half way over. so long ago but so recent as well.

i am not going to be like a stereotypical missionary say it flew by it has legitly felt like a year. it has been worth it.

last conference was about getting married (RACHEL GOT MARRIED)

this conference talks about having kids (FILL IN THE BLANK)

love uncle elder scroggins

September 2011

dear family.

thanks for the package. i appreciate the mms. who knew they didnt exhist here in puerto rico. oh yea i also exercised half self control i only opend one present early. the football. yea. 

when we were tracking the other day we passed a baseball diamond in which there were some puerto ricans playing softball. they invited us to play. so i called the other elders and they met us over there to play. there were a bunch of families there so it was a cool atmosphere. elder girffin played college baseball so he hit a homerun everytime. me..... i hit the ball every time but it didnt even makeit outhofo the infeild. never really learned how to play baseball. but i do appreciate that nationals jersey i got at home.

thanks for the birthday presents. it was way sweet. and tell the grnadparents thanks as well. i will send them a letter but i appreciate all the love. it reminds me of a verse in alma 50:16. it doesnt really apply to this year but next year i jst dont know if i will remember it that far in the future. oh yea and the tie and corsage was way sweet. not going to lie it doesn't matter how many emails or packages or emails i get or pictures. i am never satisfied. haha. but thanks for being my parents. ill eat at sizzlers for my birthday if you all want to come.  elder aldous in th e apartment was singing or whistling that song form robin hood. reminded me of that movie i watched a bunch of times as a child. thanks for the memories. keep making the younger childern play sports. build character.

another though i had this week was about 2 nephi 4. when nephi is about half way done with his life i believe. he praises the lord saying how he will never put his trust in the arm of man. i realized that is the problem with laman and lemuel. they always see lehi and nephi as a man. when they leave jerusalem and go to the desert. crazy ideas of this man. when nephi breaks his bow. it is becasue he is a man. they never relize that they are men OF GOD. they only look at them for their faults and nothing more. so just need to realize and not hold past transgressions on people. like and learn. and do all that you can to be better.

love elder scroggins

they do not have all the american luxuries here. such as grapenuts.

it was a pretty good brithday. we went to cold stone. as we were leaving we see our stake president in the parking lot. he waves us over to talk to him. turns out he is getting released the next day and president Vinas is here in cabo rojo organizing the stake presidency. so got a birthday wish from a seventy on my birthday. pretty sick. 

you can preach all day to the brick walls of puetro rico aka la gente but you will not get anywhere if you are not going by the spirit and teaching those that are ready to LEARN. be humble... i love The Lord. never change. only get better?

love elder scroggins