Bon Pasku & Bon Ano

Bon Pasku & Bon Ano!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!

Sister Scott and I are behind in our blogging, so lets catch you up a little on what our Mission activities have looked like....

Our changed coverage picture is Sister Scott and I with our YSA class.


OCTOBER

In Mid-October with the leadership efforts of Brother Ariza our Branch Mission Leader, we successfully placed 6 copies of the Book of Mormon in the largest library on the island. It can be read here in Dutch, Spanish and English here.

Click on this link... Book of Mormon introduced to Local Library


NOVEMBER

Early in November I received permission to leave the mission to travel to the Dominican Republic, Santo Domingo to attend the temple. (I learned that an Area Seventy must give permission to any missionary leaving a mission for any reason.) Hermano Juan Stella our branch First Counselor attended the temple for his first time and asked that I travel with him. What an experience we had together for 3 days. Amazing to spend time with this good man. What a beautiful island. It is also Juan's homeland. We attended the temple several times, Juan visited with his father and other family members.

This is a nighttime view outside the MTC towards the temple. Housing is available here for visitors from all around the world who visit this temple. The room costs were $2 USD per night.

The Dominican Republic Temple

Touching the Temple

The MTC is adjacent to the temple. Our son Brad spent 4 weeks here as he prepared to serve in Puerto Rico 2004-2006

Juan insisted we visit 'Faro a Colon' the massive building credited to holding some of the remains of Christopher Columbus. Christopher Columbus discovered the island. I'm so pleased we saw this... Each country of the world holds an exhibit in this museum. This must be the largest building on the island or perhaps the Caribbean. Its massive!

Click on this link...  Faro a Colon in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

The actual anchor from Columbus Ship the Santa Maria

Juan and I agreed that wireless connections are needed in the Dominica Republica

Prices can help you avoid sweets in Santo Domingo... Ha!
Ratio is 45 pesos to the US dollar or .78 cents USD

We enjoyed fresh cut sugar cane from a street vendor and fresh coconut water from the coconut itself.

Sister Scott stayed in Curacao to assist in the needed work there.
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Also in November we were visited by the BYU Baseball team. This was a treat for the island and the team as well. Every 4 years the collegiate rules allow the team to travel abroad and this cycle our country was the pick. It was held over the Thanksgiving holiday as the team can't miss school time or regular games. (Curacao does not recognize Thanksgiving)

BYU began the team visit by joining our branch with a mid-week fireside. Mission President Egbert presided at the meeting & 1st Counselor Elder Scott conduct the evening with broken Papiamento. The team sang 'The Armies of Helaman.' The team treated us to Cake and Ice Cream and signed team posters afterwards.

The national contest is called the Curacao Cup. This year the best of three games would determine the champions at Tio Daou Park. Game one went to BYU 12-1. Games 2 & 3 were rained out. The beginning of 'winter' in this part of the Caribbean is revealed by rain. This is the week it began.

BYU has the Outfield at Tio Daou Park, Curacao

The team also snorkeled at a wreck site called the TugBoat near caracasbaiiweg. They also toured the Hato Lava Caves.

Prior to their arrival, we helped organize an island service project - A cleanup effort at Ascension Beach where Sea Turtles come to migrate and lay eggs.

See this hyperlink... BYU Visits Curacao
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DECEMBER

We each live our life chapters of our mortality. Sometimes, we seem to flip page to page of our own our life book with little changing, but serving a mission in a foreign land introduces so many unique aspects particularly in culture, and we love this! We call this mission an entire chapter. So much is unique and different. Heres one for the journal. 'Sinterklaas' a Dutch Santa Claus. (Or San Nicolas) On December 5th, he will travel at night by horse. The custom is that if you leave some grass clippings on a pair of shoes along with a carrot on your front doorstep. In the night Sinterklass's horse will stop and eat the grass and the carrot and Sinterklaas will leave you gifts on your doorstep. The next day is called presents day. A day you receive presents.

   

San Nicolas and his Zwarte Piets

We were fortunate to have a Christmas dinner and watch a movie 'Miracle on 34th Street' with our missionaries in Aruba in December. Sister Scott and I flew there last month to spend 3 days with our work needs as we also moved 2 of our elders from one apartment to another near Oranjestad. We always enjoy a Sacrament meeting in the Oranjestad branch and then another in the San Nicolas branch when we visit Aruba. I delivered a Christmas message in spanish in Oranjestad, then english for San Nicolas. It was then my treat to deliver the same message in Papiamento the following week in Curacao. One talk, three languages. Another first in this books chapter.

Just before Christmas, we had our Curacao missionaries join us for a Sister Scott or 'Mom' Homemade Christmas dinner. For the one movie these missionaries may watch all year, they selected 'Its a Wonderful Life', also one of my all time seasonal favorites. We had our Christmas tree, stockings with treats and had a gingerbread house building contest. All winners!

L-R Elder Garcia, Sister Palmer, Sister Taylor,
Sister Robledo, Sister Johnston, and Elder Polanco

It was a fun family day much like we would each enjoy back home with our own families, but for now in our Mission Chapter of life, we were our own family of missionaries and it was a family gathering we won't soon forget.

Curacao Branch Christmas Party 2016

Cooler Winter Weather

Still and endless summertime in the ABC isles. Farmers, we can plant seeds and they will grow right now. Harvest when YOU want and not when the calendars dictates. We are seeing temps at 82 during the days a little less at night. We have used the air conditioning at home only in the early evening times when we arrive home. Sleep with a fan only.


Sand vs Snow

A comparison. I remember a few years ago while working with the young men in my Wapello ward back home, I was asked about the sand on the Caribbean beaches as Sister Scott and I have traveled here before. Many of the young men I know and love back home have never seen a beach, an ocean or played in the sand. They would speak of their desire to someday see a beach and feel the sand.

I also love the young men here in the islands. Contrastly, as we are asked to share experiences here, they tell me they have never seen or felt snow. They say they cannot comprehend it or even what real cold might feel like. These young men dream of being able to travel to feel snow someday.


Growth through Work.  Wherever you are, be there. While it is important to dream, ponder and to make plans for something different, its more important to live this day, live todays page of life right now where you are and to make a difference.  Ask yourself and the Lord, can I help improve and make a difference where I am right now for myself and for others around me?  Can I use my work for good? Can I use my work to improve who I am? Yes. We all can. Capitalize on your works to grow, to serve, to minister. Each of us can seek to discover how to grow through a problem, to overcome it, to be become bigger than the obstacle. We become our best when we accomplish, when we work, we strive and ultimately, when we push through difficulty. Just make the choice to do it. Work.

Ralph Waldo Emerson quote...

“That which we persist in doing becomes easier to do, not that the nature of the thing has changed but that our power to do has increased.”

Snapshot in my day for my journal...Today, exercised, had studies. (Journal: My exercise was 30 pushups, walking fast 2 1/2 miles drenched in perspiration wearing gym shorts and a BYU - T shirt on a sunny 82 degree morning. Contrast to a reported windchill of -22 at home in Idaho. whoa!) On my way to ready and test the Satellite system for a Regional Caribbean Broadcast to be aired Sunday the 15th. A member of the 1st presidency or an apostle will preside. We are very anxious to be taught and learn from this broadcast. This afternoon, we have a 3:00pm Elders Quorum Pres Meeting and some training. Evening, we have airport assignments to pick-up missionaries from Aruba and Trinidad and place them to ready for the Lord's errand tomorrow.

We are happy waking up to a healthy list of needed 'to-do's'. This work is just fun to do. We can't be any more serious when we say it's fun. We sleep very well. We are more than half finished of this Mission Chapter already. There are moments when it feels as if we have been away from family, friends and home for so long, and there are moments when we feel as if we just arrived.

Our testimonies grow. We love the Lord. We love this work. We love you. We love this chapter of our life together and our marriage very much. We love and miss our family (especially the little ones aged 4 months to 10 years of age).

With Love,

Elder & Sister Scott