Letter Dated July 7, 2014

Hey Mum!

How are you doing?  I'm so sorry for not writing you last week.  I didn't get a P-day so I couldn't take time to write a letter.  I'll try to fill you in on what has happened.

Well unfortunately, me and Elder Fisher split up.  I'm really going to miss him! It's a good thing that we're in the same group, so we can see each other right before we go him. 

So on Wednesday, I went to Edinburgh to pick up Elder Livingston.  He's from Naperville, Illinois.  He's a good guy, so I think we'll get along great.  Right now I'm trying to help him see success, because every new missionary needs to see that.  It was a tough week work-wise.  Courtney is sick, so we couldn't teach her this week.  There is SO much opposition going on right now, it's crazy.  This week is looking a lot better, so hopefully things go well.

I conducted my first baptismal interview last week!  As a district leader, I interview all the investigators who have been taught by missionaries in my district.  The investigator was a 17-year-old girl and she was super prepared!  I just made sure she was ready and worthy to be baptized.  She was a little nervous at first, but I told her that I was too because it was my first time giving an interview that made her feel a little bit better and she passed!

This week I was reflecting on one of my favorite quotes by Neil A. Maxwell.  "Each one of us is an inn-keeper who decides if we have room for Jesus or not."  This week I felt a bit like Joseph knocking on all these doors and seeing if they have room for Jesus.  It kind of put things in perspective for me!  I guess I'm just looking for those wise men who are seeking him.  Let's be persistent like Mary and Joseph!  How about we challenge ourselves to spread the good news of Jesus Christ as best we can?  I'll do it if you do it.  Pray for these experiences and write me about them.  I'll be excited to hear about the miracles that can come from it. 

I hope you have a good week.  I love you.

Elder Austin

Letter from June 23, 2014

Hey Mum!

How are you doing?  Are you doing all right?  Your journal letters don't have a lot of feeling in them, whether they be emotional or spiritual.  Maybe that's just the downside to journal letters.  I just hope you're doing okay.  It also seems like you're missing me a little too much.  That's how it seems to me at least.  I don't want you being unhappy!  I don't know, I can't really read you in those letters.  Just know that I'm doing absolutely wonderful and that I'm happy where I am.

So do you remember Courtney from my last letter?  Well, she has a baptismal date of July 19th!!  Aahh she's so good and I'm excited for her.  She was all set up to go to church yesterday, but then her 15-month-old son got hit with the chicken pox.  She's been experiencing a lot of opposition lately which means that Satan knows that something good is going to happen!  That has been Satan's pattern throughout the ages.  He's done it with Moses, Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith and even myself.  Do you remember the day I went through the Temple?  I experienced so much opposition that day that I thought it was impossible, but great things came out of it.  That's why I'm praying really hard that she will overcome these trials and be baptized into the Lord's church.  It will be a great day when she does.

This week we also had zone interview training where we interview with President Brown.  I love doing that because I have such a great love for him and all the things he does for the mission.  The Spirit is so strong even when he steps into the room.  I asked him how I can love my enemies more.  There's been a lot of people who have yelled and done mean things to us lately and I want to have that Christlike charity for them.  He told me to pray for it and to pray for those people as well.  I never really thought about that before.  He is truly an inspired man and I love him so much!

Well that's all I have for this week.  It was a very spiritually uplifting and learning week.  I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love you!

Elder Austin

Letter from Elder Austin Dated June 16, 2014

Hey Mum!

How are you doing?  I'm doing great!  We had a really good week, so I'm happy.  We found a new investigator named Courtney and she is GOLDEN!  She's about 18 years old and she grew up as a Christian.  She loved the stories in the Bible and it's always interested her.  We taught her at our church building, so we gave her a tour  and she liked that.  We then taught her about the Book of Mormon and baptism.  She understood everything and when we asked her to be baptized, she said Yes!!  It was amazing to see the Spirit so strong in that lesson.  She would've come to church this week, but after that day she got really sick and had to see the doctor.  Unfortunately, that kept her from coming.  She texted us and said she would pray to make it feel better!  We're seeing her again this week, so I'm really excited about that.  If all goes well, she should get baptized in July!

I had an interesting experience at the end of the week.  Us and the sisters decided to put up a family history stand on the busiest street in Falkirk.  We were talking to quite a lot of people and it was fun.  I was telling everyone about our family roots and encouraging them to look for theirs.  About an hour into the activity, some people showed up and started passing out pamphlets and brochures all around us.  We found out it was Jehovah's AND born-agains passing out anti-mormon literature.  They would specifically target the people we would talk to.  How mean and rude is that!?!  We weren't even preaching either!  That bothered me quite a bit.  So we ended up just leaving because it wasn't the best situation to be in.  It angered and frustrated me for the whole day.  When I think of those churches, I think of 2 Timothy 1:7, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power and of love and of a sound mind."  These Christian religions weren't preaching peace or love.  They were instilling fear within others.  It was sad to see that.

I'm trying to work on having charity for these kinds of people.  I love those who are nice and want to listen, but I struggle with those who are mean and hate us.  I "pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love."  (Moroni 7:48)  Jesus specifically said to show love for those that hate you, and I'm trying to implement that.

That's all for me.  I hope you like my spiritual experiences.  Now you share some.  Love you!

Elder Austin

Letter from Elder Austin Dated June 9, 2014

Hey Mum!

It was a pretty good week this week!  We've been doing a lot of finding lately and it's paid off.  We're teaching a man named Steven and he immediately had a spiritual experience with the Book of Mormon.  He says it "rings true" to him, so that's pretty exciting.  We have other people lining up to be new investigators this week.  We had to start from scratch, but now we're really seeing the Spirit work through us.

We have this recent convert named Alan that we were working with.  He's a pentecostal man who doesn't have a testimony of our church.  He was promised one after he was baptized, but it never came (because that's not how it works).  We've done all we could to help him feel the Spirit, but he's too stubborn and not willing to listen.  He brought out an anti-mormon book in a lesson and said this is where he's learning.  We literally rebuked him, bore powerful testimony, and then left.  I felt the Spirit so strong when bearing my testimony, it was an amazing feeling.  I've never really raised my voice like that before, but it was 100% Spirit driven.

This Sunday, I gave a talk in Sacrament meeting.  The topic was on repentance so I had a strong testimony of it.  I don't know if you know this, but in my teenage years I did some things that were not pleasing to you or Heavenly Father.  They were things that weighed me down.  I made an early goal to be clean so that I could go to the Temple and go on a mission.  I worked really hard to get that forgiveness and when I did, nothing felt so relieving.  Because of these experiences, my conviction is strong.  So speaking on the topical of repentance was very emotional and strong.  People came up to me and said it was a "conference level" talk.  I think it's because of my strong testimony of the atonement.  My relationship with my Savior grew astronomically.  I will love and serve Him with all my heart, might, mind and strength!

I love you!

Elder Austin

First week in Falkirk, Scotland - First week in June, 2014

Hi Mum!

Well my first week in Falkirk was very interesting!  I love the area and I'm having a lot of fun.  Falkirk is a bigger town and we cover a lot of little towns just outside of it.  We use bus passes and walk all the time.  I actually prefer it this way.  You can talk to people while you're traveling and that's where the most success comes from.  We don't have any investigators right now, but we have a lot of potentials we are working with.  The branch is crazy and I absolutely love it.  In Scotland, you never have normal members.  Everybody is unique and special in their own way.  The district I have is great too.  There are two teams of sisters and one other team of elders.  We all get along great, so it's a ton of fun.  I love to teach/lead them every week.  I was nervous at first, but now I enjoy it.  I'm loving my mission more and more everyday!

Yesterday was zone development day again.  Our zone started off by playing softball, and I had a hay-day with that.  I was dropping bombs and making plays out in the field.  It's been so long since I've had a bat in my hands.  We then did this cool murder mystery game.  Everybody dressed up like 1920's.  You were supposed to do certain things and find out who the murderer was.  I was actually killed at the end of the game though.  I got the award for the best performance in the game.  We had a great zone development day and everybody had a good time.

I was taught a very valuable lesson this week.  One day when I was walking down the street, I tripped and fell flat on my face.  It was because of my worn-out shoes and it was really embarrassing.  People driving by were just pointing and laughing at me.  We also had a few really mean responses that day while tracting.  These things made me wonder why I'm trying to save these wicked people.  I thought that none of them would change, so why try?  By the power of the Holy Ghost, a distinct impression came into my mind.  The Lord told me "I didn't give up on you, so you shouldn't give up on your brethren."  I thought about that for a long time, and it is 100% true.  He will NEVER give up on us!  His love and mercy will always be extended.  We cannot hide from it.  2 Timothy 4:16-18.

Love You!

Elder Austin

Zone Development Day - Cast of Missionaries in Murder Mystery Game

Poor Elder Austin Died in the end!

Elder Austin's Journal Letter from May 12 - May 18, 2014

Monday, May 12, 2014

Well it was a very productive P-day today.  I didn't have much to email you about since I saw you yesterday.  I bought a new white shirt, but I think I need at least one more.  I bought a really nice tie too!  After P-day was over, Nancy invited us over for dinner.  We had pork steaks, and they were very spicy!  We had a nice little outdoor lesson with Bethany after that.  She has to work a lot now, so getting to church is hard for her.  She said she also doesn't feel the Spirit as strong anymore.  We had a good lesson on endurance, so I think that helped.  Oh, and happy birthday to Papa John!  I wore the tie for him.

Tuesday, May 13, 2014

So as every Tuesday starts, we had a wonderful district meeting.  Today we were on exchanges with the zone leaders.  I was up in a big city named Paisley with Elder Windhausen, also from Germany.  I really enjoyed being in a big city again.  I miss it.  Their area is having a lot of success too.  We taught two young friends with baptismal dates for next month.  Some members fed us some chicken with mushroom sauce.  Then we taught a recent convert who was completely crazy!  She's in a wheelchair and has only one leg.  She's so cheeky so its hilarious.  I really enjoyed it here today.  It's nice to get out of Stranraer for a little bit.

Wednesday, May 14, 2014

The mission is having us do an hour of family history on Wednesdays to get more familiar with it so we can us it in our finding.  I was just growing through the family tree when I found out that some of our ancestors are from Scotland, on your side!  I thought that was kind of cool.  We exchanged back, then headed back down to Stranraer.  Nancy fed us again tonight and it was delicious as always.  We were trying to talk to people on the street for the rest of the night, but it seems like more and more people either make fun of us or yell at us.  I don't know why, but the streets are getting more and more unsafe.

Thursday, May 15, 2014

Today was one of the harder days of the week.  We did a lot of knocking but we didn't get much out of it.  We weren't able to see our JW (Jehovah's Witness) investigator.  She was sick.  We got her a "Get Well Soon" card with some scriptures from the Book of Mormon.  It's sad, but I think we're losing her to the Jehovah's.  I still don't understand why people choose other churches over ours.  That's a question that I haven't yet found the answer to.  The Corrigan's fed us tonight, sausages and rice.  It was pretty good.  Nothing much happened for the rest of the day.

Friday, May 16, 2014

Thank Heavens it was a much better day today.  It was actually the best day that I've had in a while!  It started off with us doing service for the McLeans.  We painted their fence and they fed us lunch.  We then went to a return appt with a man named William McGhie.  He has had some hard times, especially with drugs.  As we taught and testified, he said he felt something in his chest.  The Spirit was strong as we told him it was the Holy Ghost.  Then we had another appt with an older lady named Bridget, and she is golden!  She has a relative who is a member, so she said she's going to try it out!  I love days like this because they make you really happy.  It always reminds me of why I serve!  Oh, I also got told that I knock like a policeman.  Oh well, when you have an important message, you have a sense of urgency.

Saturday, May 17, 2014

Today started off pretty well!  Sister McGillvery took us out to a restaurant for lunch.  We always say that we're going to the "pub" because it has a bar in it.  After that we visited the people out of town.  If I get moved, then it will be the last time I will see them.  So I had to saw an awkward goodbye since I didn't know if I was leaving or not.  The McLeans fed us AGAIN!  I don't know why, but well, I'm not complaining.

Sunday, May 18, 2014

Do you remember the Obasuyi's, the less-active family?  Well their daughter got confirmed in the Catholic church today and they invited us to it.  We wanted to be supportive, so we went.  Trust me, we got a lot of weird looks in there.  It just felt soooo empty while we were in there.  Our church was nice.  I gave a talk on love and I enjoyed it.  Guess who fed us again??  Yup, the McLean's.  I think Nancy is feeding us more because we might be leaving.  We taught the Campbell's tonight and help them set a goal to go to the temple.  They're struggling a bit, so we're really focusing on them.

Letter from Elder Austin dated May 12, 2014

Hiya Mummy!

So this week, I'm not going to do a journal.  One of the reasons is that not much happened this week and another is that these kinds of letters express my feelings, spiritually and emotionally.  It was very good to see and talk to you yesterday.  You all seem to be doing great which makes me happy.  I know it was hard for you, but trust me when I saw it will go by fast.  The trick is to not worry about it and find something to do.  Get engrossed into your work and calling.  Focus on strengthening your relationship with Dad.  These things will help time go by a lot quicker.  Sister McLean really enjoyed talking to you too!  She said she's going to try and call you more often.  I love Nancy to death!  She truly is my Scottish Mummy!

So like I said to you, I realize that today is Papa John's birthday.  I'm wearing the tie to remember him.  It's weird, but I feel his presence even more now that I'm out here.  I feel like he helps me whenever I need him most.

We received some training at this last conference in Glasgow.  It was entitled, "The Why Behind it All".  They compared Nephi to Laman and Lemuel.  Nephi's brothers kept the commandments, but there's a major difference between them and Nephi.  They just went through the motions but Nephi had sincere desire and motivations to serve the Lord.  They asked us if we were just going through the motions or if we had the love and desire to serve.  Have you listened to "Missionary work and the Atonement?"  You NEED to listen to it, then you will know how I feel.  It will also help you in your calling.

This week was pretty slow, but it had some funny moments.  I remember we tracted into a Protestant Minister who tried to convert us.  He raised his hand and said "I pray that you will be filled with the Holy Spirit and that you will actually become Christians!"  I tried to contain myself but I couldn't help but laugh!  He kept trying to convert us but we ended up just walking away because we didn't want to argue with him.  I find it astounding that 20 year old kids can be more knowledgeable in the scriptures than priests who have studied all their lives.  It's remarkable to see that the Lord is keeping His promise when He said, "You will not be confounded before men".

Well, I'm sorry this is not as long as other letters, but I told you mostly everything yesterday.  I will continue my journal letters next week.

Love and miss you!    Elder Austin

Elder Austin's Journal Letter from April 28 - May 4, 2014

Monday, April 28, 2014

So as I explained in my email today, President Brown has instituted Zone Development Days.  It's where you meet as a zone and do fun things for the day.  He did this because there's a high level of stressed-out elders and sisters all over the mission.  Our zone went go-karting and had a barbeque thanks to a very generous and very rich member in our stake.  It was a lot of fun, but a little weird because we weren't working.  I'll feel better about it tomorrow!

Tuesday, April 29, 2014

Since we got a whole day off, we only had a half of a P-day.  We emailed, shopped, and wrote a couple of letters.  Nothing too exciting happened today other than our dinner apt with the Obasuyi's.  They made African rice and chicken which was delicious as always.  We had a really good spiritual though with the husband and I feel like he could be making the journey back to our church soon.

Wednesday, April 30, 2014

Today was a little more exciting than yesterday.  Since Sister Campbell's surgery, she hasn't been able to walk her dogs, so we did it for her.  I haven't walked a dog in a long time, so that was fun.  We had a really good finding day!  We found 5 more potentials and they seem to be really good.  When things like that happen, it makes the day so much better.  We had dinner with the Corrigan's and we're focusing on missionary work a lot with them.  They're seeing a lot of opportunities and answers to their prayers.  We finished the night by FINALLY seeing john the fireman.  It was just him, not his family.  We went over the Restoration again to make sure he understands.  It was a good lesion, I just wish his family was there.

Thursday, May 1, 2014

Some people from the mission home came down to look at our flat and make sure it's clean.  I guess they don't trust us or something.  I wouldn't blame them.  Today, we saw the lady named Kirsty who is about to be baptized into the Jehovah's Witness church.  She said she read and prayed, but the Book of Mormon was too hard to understand.  We gave her a DVD to help explain it better.  I think her mind has been fed with so much JW stuff that she's not open-minded.  Sometimes I wonder why the Lord wouldn't answer her prayer right there and then.  I guess He just wants to test her faith.  We had dinner with the Campbell's and a nice lesson.  They're having a tough time with tithing, so we taught about it.  It was a nice time.  They made jus what's called "American bean pie"  It's beans, mince and mashed potatoes.  Very delicious!

Friday, May 2, 2014

Today was a really good day!  First we had a lesson with a less-active named Jim McDonald.  He went from being a chronic alcoholic to only drinking 3/4 of a bottle per week.  He committed to come to church this week too!  The highlight of the day was teaching lady named Kirsty at the McRobb's house.  We now have 2 investigators with the name Kirsty!  This lady has a strong belief and has always been attracted to our church.  We taught her about the Book of Mormon and the Holy Ghost and the Spirit was HEAVY!  She committed to reading and praying plus coming to church.  I have a really good feeling about her.  I think she will go far!

Saturday, May 3, 2014

Well it wasn't the most exciting day but it was a good one nonetheless.  We did service this morning for the McRobb's.  We did some gardening and planted some flowers.  We then went to the out-of-towners.  We couldn't see Peter because there's a bit of trouble going on at the rest home.  They told his son that we are there for 5 hours and that we are agitating him.  It's not true because we only stay there for 15 minutes and he's always happy to see us.  I think they're creating these false accusations because we're Mormon missionaries.  They could get a file of religious discrimination but we're not gonna do that.  Other than that, little mix-up, it was a pretty good day.  I'm so tired, good night!

Sunday, May 4, 2014

Happy Star Wars Day!  May the 4th be with you!   Church was very interesting today.  Two less-actives who haven't been to church in years finally came this week, so that was the positive side.  The Negative side was that some members don't know what bearing their testimony means.  You have some people just telling stories expressing frustrations or just want to talk.  It just made the meeting kind of awkward.  On a sad note, it might have been the last time I bore my testimony in the Stranraer Branch.  The McRobb's fed us chicken which was really good.  They made my favorite Scottish dessert, banoffey pie.  PLEASE look it up, it's amazing!

Love you

Pictures of Elder Austin from Stranraer, Scotland

Scotty will do anything for an investigator to be baptized!

Puppy that reminds Scott of Maggie Mae

Scotty in British Phone in Papa John's phone booth pose

Scott and Elder Niedeck (He is from Germany)

Missionary Companions wearing the Scottish Crest

The Stranraer Branch (but not all of them)

Elder Scott Austin's Journal Letters from April 21st through April 27, 2014

Monday, April 21, 2014

P-day today wasn't that good. On Easter Monday, everything shut down, including the library. So we had to use the McLean's ipad to email. The post office was closed too so I couldn't get my letters out either. It was a pretty lazy day. One of our return appointments fell through tonight so we had to tract. Elder Neideck wasn't feeling good emotionally. We had to stop because finding without faith and enthusiasm is absolutely useless. So I came up with the idea to contact potentials and formers for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, we were not as successful as we hoped it to be. Tomorrow is always another day.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

Well this Tuesday started off like usual with a district meeting. Afterwards, we ate at this place called "The Chicken Shack". I got chicken strips with ranch! It's been so long since I've had that. The Ayr elders came down to Stranraer for exchanges. I was with ELder Whitehead who has been out for 5 days. He was really struggling and wanted to go home, but I think we had fun together. Unfortunately, we didn't find anybody, just a lot of crazy people, like usual. We did get a referral out of someone, so it wasn't too bad. The elders stayed the night and they will leave in the morning. It was a fun night for all of us.

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Today was a really weird day to say the least. We tracted into a lady who needed some service, so today we cleaned up her backyard. It was weird because she knew a lot about our church. When we were done, we had a snack with her and tried to teach her. We found out she was a member of the REORGANIZED Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. She also said she was an anti-mormon and she wanted to convert us. Immediately we felt uncomfortable and left. Her church was a branch off of ours. Their line of prophets stops at Brigham Young. She was crazy! AHH Weird day! I got an invitation from Taylor today. Are you going to go? I wish I could.

Thursday, April 24, 2014

This morning we startred off by doing service for Brother McLean. He needed to cut some wood, so I held them as he cut. Another crazy thing happened today!! We had the feeling to go to a street called "Hazel Grove". It only had like three houses on it. The last house we knocked on was a lady who as JUST about to be baptized into the Jehovah's Witnesses. She invited us in and we taught her the Restoration. She said she would read and pray about the Book of Mormon! Ohh, the Jehovah's are not going to be happy when they hear about this. The JW's in this area do NOT like us at all. But if this lady gains a testimony of the Book of Mormon, then this will be a miracle story! We saved her from the Jehovah's!!

Friday, April 25, 2014

Well, the morning was normal as usual, but then we went to have lunch with Sister McGillvery at a really posh (fancy) restaurant. She wanted to thank us for the service that we did for her. I had a seared salmon, it was amazing! And don't even mention what was for dessert. It was a chocolate mousse cake, delicious! We had a good lesson with a less-active named Jim MacDonald. He told us he is coming to church this week! It's been years since he last came. We finished the night off with dinner at the Corrigans. It was turkey, potatoes, and vegetables, Yum! It was definitely a good food day! Oh and by the way, happy 9 month mark!

Saturday, April 26, 2014

Today is our usual out-of-towners day and that was just fine. The big part of the day was the reach-out nigth we did. Our branch president came down with a high counselor and we went on splits. Our main objective was to visit all the part-member families so we could find someone else to teach. There are a few angry less-actives so we got a couple doors slammed in our faces. We did get a few potentials out of it so it was successful. I don't know if you know about Angela Campbell's recent surgery. She's in a lot of pain so we went over and gave her a blessing. She said that she felt a calm feeling overtake her. It was a good night.

Sunday, April 27, 2014

Well it was a very interesting Sunday to say the least. Sometimes there can be some tension in the priesthood class, and that was the case this week. We had a member of the Stake Presidency speak and he was very good. He's originally from Las Vegas, but he came here on a mission and found his wife. Hey, you never know what could happen with me. (haha)Just kidding. We had a nice dinner with the McLeans. Nancy made beef and chili enchiladas. It was very good!

Love you!

Elder Scott Austin's Journal Letters from April 14th to April 20, 2014

Monday, April 14, 2014

So since it's moves week, P-day is moved to Wednesday.  We still get to email today though.  We knocked on doors for most of the day after that and gained very little.  Tonight we tried by a potential named Steven, he's a military guy.  He told me he was even based at Luke Air Force Base!!He's a really good guy and a good young father who is open to religion.  His military service had a big impact on his belief in God.  We taught him and told him to read in the Book of Mormon about the stripling warriors.  I have high hopes for Steven.  We're seeing him next week!

Tuesday, April 15, 2015

Oh my goodness!  Today was a jam-packed day of service.  First, we helped brother McLean wash his car inside and out.  Nancy made us bacon and egg sandwiches  after that.  They were delicious!  We had another service project right after that at Brother Wall's house.  Guess what I did there!?  I shoveled manure for his garden.  It was a dirty job but someone had to do it.  Let's just say I washed my hands very good at the end of it.  The Obasuyi's fed us tonight.  I love their African food!  It's starting to be my favorite.  We have to take a missionary from Ayr down to the Ferry tomorrow so we stayed the night with the Elders.

Wednesday, April 16, 2014

It was an early start this morning!  We woke up at 5 am to take the Elders to the train station.  Then we drove a sister missionary to the Ferry because she was going to Ireland.  When we got back to the flat and since it was p-day, I took a nap!  It was so nice.  It wasn't an exciting p-day but it was relaxing.  We actually ate lunch outside because it was so nice.  Summer is coming!  After p-day we did service for a member at the train station he works for.  It was just some gardening work, nothing too special.

Thursday, April 17, 2014

The day started off with us doing service for the Obasuyi's.  They're redoing their living room, so we painted it.  The wife Tessy, came in and leaned on the wall and got paint all over her, it was funny.  The Corrigan's fed us fish and potatoes tonight, so that was pretty good.  We found a few good people while tracking tonight.  Hopefully these people can start a big marathon of success!   We can only hope and pray.

Friday, April 18, 2014

It was a sunny day and a successful day!  Since it was so nice outside, we walked from street to street.  I didn't even need to wear a jacket.  We found a few really good people.  This one lady we met told us that she had followed the Mormon Facebook page!  She was definitely prepared by the Lord.  We went over to Sister McGillvrey's house because we're really focusing on reactivating her.  We gave her an Easter message and she told us that she has a deep spiritual connection with us and that she can see a light at the end of the tunnel with us.  How awesome is that!!  We saw one of our new investigators on the street, and we set a return appointment and guess what!!!??  He invited his family to listen to us!!  Oh, this is wonderful, I was happy.  We had a nice meeting at the Campbell's to end the night.

Saturday, April 19, 2014

The morning started off with us doing service for Sister McGillvery.  She replaced her grass with gravel, so we got rid of the grass for her.  We then headed out of town to see all the members far away. Of course, my favorite is still Peter.  He's Cornish so every time I see him he says "Hello my handsome".  He's such a nice old man and his faith is still there.  Our plans kinda fell through for the rest of the day so we hit the streets for some good 'ol tracting.  We might have found another potential family.  He is a young father who just had a newborn , Perfect!!  Those people are always golden.  He said he will ask his wife and call us when he's ready to listen.  We're having a lot of success this week.  We've found 10 potentials already!

Sunday, April 20, 2014

Happy Easter!!  Unfortunately, like Christmas, you don't feel the holiday spirit like usual.  We did have a nice service at church though.  We taught the priesthood lesson about the church and Kingdom of God.  The speakers in sacrament meeting were good too.  Not too many people were receptive today when we were tracting, but I don't blame them.  They just wanted to be with their families.  There was an unusual amount of teenagers partying and getting drunk today.  Oh well, that's Scotland for you.  We had a nice ham at the McLean's for dinner.  So you don't have to worry, you're baby boy got fed on Easter!!

Love you!!

Elder Scott Austin's Journal Letter from April 7 - April 13, 2014

Monday, April 7, 2014

Alright, we're back to the normal routine of journal letters.  P-day wasn't that exciting today.  I got to download a lot of talks from General Conference, so that was good.  You emailed me about Erin and Ashley, I hope you found my advice helpful.  Keep being that example to them!  Tonight we had dinner at a less-active family named the McGillvery's.  Sister McGillvery was the victim of anti-mormon stuff, remember?  Her Husband made curry and it was VERY SPICY.  Let's just say when I got home, it burned ….. A LOT!  Enough said ….

Tuesday, April 8, 2014

As usual, our Tuesday started off with appointment with a guy named Eric that we were very excited for, but he dropped us when we got there.  He's an athiest, so I can see where he's coming from, but it just kinda stinks.  While tracking today, I got told by this old man that I wouldn't live past age 76.  Crazy old people!  The day ended on a really good note though.  We went by a potential and he let us in to teach him.  He's a father of two, so we talked to him about how reading and praying could impact his family.  He said he would talk to them about having us teach them as a family.  Ahh that would be so cool if we could baptize them all together!  So today was a good day.

Wednesday, April 9, 2014

So today, we hit the streets and the houses hard!  When the day as over, we counted 7 hours of solid finding.  Our efforts were successful as we got 4 potential investigators.  Al of them set a return appointment for tomorrow.  So there's a chance that we can get 4 new investigators tomorrow!  How great would that be?  I'm so excited to teach them all tomorrow!

Thursday, April 10, 2014

We scheduled to have 4 lessons with 4 new investigators today but all of them fell through…. Absolutely no one came to the door out of the 4 of them.  So that didn't make me happy.  Since they all cancelled, we were forced to knock on more doors.  We ran into some of the weirdest people.  We talked to this guy who said that Adam and Eve were Irish … Crazy right?  Then we ran into this lady that called us false prophets.  She basically told us that we're going to hell for what we're doing.  She said she was "Christian", but she showed no Christlike love whatsoever.  Oh well, just another normal day in Stranraer.

Friday, April 11, 2014

This morning we got to roll up our sleeves and do some physical work.  A less-active family was taking off the dry wall and concrete around their fireplace, so we did it for them.  We had to chisel away all of the stuff.  It was hard work!!  I enjoyed getting down and dirty though.  Tonight we had dinner at the Corrigans.  They have a brand new black lab puppy named Bentley.  He's so cute!!  He's still in the stage of biting everything so I have a few scars.  After that, we had a good lesson with the Campbell's.  We're trying to get Bethany's older sister interested.  We gave her a challenge to read and pray about the Book of Mormon every night.  We're hoping and praying for a miracle.

Saturday, April 12, 2014

So the day started off with some good 'ole tracting in the rain.  There was one woman who felt bad for us, so she let us in and gave us a glass of water.  She as really nice, but when we tried to teach, she kinda wanted us out.  We then had lunch at a small restaurant with Sister McGillvery.  Even tough she's less-active, she loves us so she loves to feed us.  Of course, my favorite was Peter at his rest home.  Have you ever heard of a book called "Tuesday's with Mory"?  I think I"m gonna write a book called "Saturday's with Peter".  We went back to Stranraer and started knocking on more doors.  It was like the whole housing estate hated us.  They laughed, made fun and shooed us away.  It didn't feel good at all.  The phrase from "Missionary work and the Atonement" keeps sticking in my head.  "Why would we ever think it would be easy for us when it was never easy for him."  I got your package today!  Thank you so much.  I love it!!

Sunday, April 13, 2014

Church was very good this morning.  We got to teach the priesthood lesson about Joseph and Hyrum Smith.  Testimony meeting was good as always.  The McLean's fed us to end our fasting and it was great!!  She made steak pie with steamed vegetables.

So I got a call tonight saying that I am staying in Stranraer for another six weeks.  I have no idea why the Lord is keeping me here for so long, but I know there is a reason.  All I'm focusing on now is enduring faithfully with a smile.

Love You!!

Letter from Elder Scott Austin Dated April 7, 2014

Hey Mom!

I feel like sometimes with the journal letters, they don't express my feelings so much, so I think every once in a while I'm just gonna write you a normal letter to let you know how I feel.  Not much happened this week anyway, so this is a perfect opportunity to do so.

General Conference was this weekend and I loved every minute of it.  It is different watching it as a missionary because there's a different spirit to it.  I believe it's because I testify of these men daily and it reminds me of why I do it.  My favorite talk was by Henry B. Eyring about heroes.  I think it's because I've had quite a few heroes while I've been growing up.  

So I've been here in Stranraer for about 4 1/2 months now.  Don't get me wrong, I love it here, but things are getting tough.  I almost think that the area would do better if someone new came.  I think everyone in this town knows me and what I do, which isn't bad but maybe someone else could do better.  I think this is just a test of my faith and endurance.  I will stay here as long as the Lord wants me to.

So while we were in Ayr this weekend, I got the opportunity to visit with a member by the name of Brother George Sharkey.  Before joining the Church, he was in the British army where he killed many people.  He was in a special forces group where he killed people for a living.  Long story short, he met missionaries and joined the church.  He told me of the transformation that had taken place in him through the atonement.  At the end of our meeting, I felt so much love and faith pouring out of this old man, I was almost in tears.  It's amazing to see that a killer can be forgiven and changed through the atonement.  I hugged the man tight and he told me that he loved me.  Never will I forget Brother Sharkey and the Spirit that I felt in that room. 

I have a wii homework assignment for you!  Go on YouTube and look up "Missionary Work and the Atonement".  It helps me a lot when I feel discouraged.  It's a combined talk by Elder Holland and President Eyring.  Make sure you fasten your seatbelt because Elder Holland gets very fiery and passionate in it.  I don't know why, but I love it when he gets loud and shouts.  I think you will like it and draw some strength from it.

Well that's all for me.  Sorry about not doing a journal letters this week.  I love and miss you.  

Elder Austin

Elder Scott Austin's Journal Letters from March 24th - March 30, 2014

Monday, March 24, 2014

Well it was a jam-packed P-day today!  I had so many letters to respond to, so that took up a big chunk of our day.  Our landlord got us a new study desk, thank heavens!  Our old one was about 2 feet x 2 feet and very wobbly.  Now we have a really big one!  After P-day was over, we went over to the Corrigans and had mince and tatties.  It's weird to say that instead of potatoes.  Crazy Scottish people!

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

Today was what we call Zone Interview Training.  It's where President Brown comes down to interview everybody.  I always love being interviewed by him because he always gives me new insights on things I've never thought about.  It was a great meeting all around as usual.  After it was over, we went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders.  I was with Elder Jones from Las Vegas, Nevada. Me and him get along great so we had a fun exchange.  He used to be a chinese speaking Elder but then he got promoted to being a Zone Leader.  It's cool because his name tag is half english and half chinese.  So yeah, we had a good time!

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Me and Elder Jones had a little bit of time to work in the morning, but then we had to exchange back.  We had a few appointments but those fell through, so we hit the streets for some finding.  It was one of those days where we had good solid conversations with everyone.  I love those days. We found a few good people then went over to the McLeans for dinner.  Nancy made us chili and rice, delicious as always.  It was a pretty good day overall.

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Today was one of those days where we had quite a few appointments, but everything fell through.  That forced us to knock on some doors, but that wasn't successful either.  Really the only good thing that happened today was that we received two referrals from the McRobbs.  Members don't do a lot of missionary work here, so that was kind of exciting to see.  Days like this remind me of how tough this area really is, but I try not to think of it that way.

Friday, March 28, 2014

It wasn't that bad of a day today.  Our number of lessons are dropping a little bit, but that's just because we're doing a lot of finding.  We had a good lesson with our less-active Jim McDonald.  It was a bit of a harsh lesson for him, but he needed it.  He's gone from drinking gallons of alcohol a night to only having a few bottles a week.  It is truly a miracle to have cut down that much so fast.  Tonight we had a good lesson with the Campbell family.  Angela is only one Sunday from being reactivated!  I knew that Bethany's decision would have a big impact on her family.  Bethany got me a present for baptizing her,  that was really nice.  It was a great finish to the day!

Saturday, March 29, 2014

Well as usual, today was our day to visit those people who live out of town.  Our area is giant!  The furthest you can go is up to an hour away!  Of course we visited Peter in his rest home.  Today his advice to me was to always love my wife.  Most of his advice to me is about marriage because he misses his wife really bad.  When we got back to Stranraer, we had to do a lot of knocking because our teaching pool isn't doing so well.  There was no luck there, but we were in a scary moment walking home at night.  A bunch of drunk people surrounded us and started talking to us.  We had to push our way out and jog home.  Some of them started to follow us, but we lost them eventually.  It was weird!

Sunday, March 30, 2014

Did you know that today was British Mother's Day?  The U.K. is different from everyone else.  So today we had a nice Mother's Day church service.  Nancy gave a talk on the love that mother's have and it was wonderful.  I gave her a hug today because she is my Scottish mummy.  She enjoyed that.  She fed us today too!  Ahh, I just love her.  It was pretty successful today too.  Bethany's older sister came to church and we met quiet a few people on the street.  It was a good end to the week.

Love you!!

Elder Austin's Journal Letters from March 17 through March 23, 2014

Monday, March 17, 2014

Hey Mom!  Today was a pretty normal P-Day.  I was excited to email all of the pictures of Bethany's Baptism to everyone.  After P-Day was over, we went to see a potential investigator named Allister.  He wants to be as happy as we are, but he's scared of change.  We talked to him for a while and he finally agreed to meet with us again.  After that, we had a good lesson with Bethany and Angela.  They are really starting to see blessings from the baptism.  Angela is on her way to being reactivated!  There are a lot more miracles to come in that home.

Tuesday, March 18, 2014

Tuesday is our district meeting day and I always love them.  Other than that, it wasn't an exciting day.  The only thing that happened was we knocked on a door of a less-active lady and she let us in.  She has been another victim of anti-Mormon material.  It destroyed her testimony and now she won't ever come back.  That is how powerful and evil that stuff is.  NEVER, EVER even try to experiment with that stuff.

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Holy hectic day!  So you know how the good people of Stranraer love to feed us?  Yeah, so we had an appointment for EVERY meal today.  Angela fed us some breakfast in the morning, then Sister McGillvery took us to a posh restaurant for lunch.  Then to top it all off, Bethany cooked for us!  It was quite delicious, but I feel so FAT!  We went out to a town called Port Patrick and gave out 4 Books for Mormon!  So that was kind of a mini-miracle for the day.

Thursday, March 20, 2014

Today wasn't the best day, but it was still good.  We have a few potential investigators that we're working with, so we visited them today.  Nancy fed us once again!  It was salmon and potatoes and it was delicious as always.  That's why I always love going to their house for dinner.  Other than that, nothing really happened today.

Friday, March 21, 2014

It was a much better day today and that's because it was full of appointments.  Our first one was with an investigator named Dom.  We taught him the Plan of Salvation and it was a very good lesson.  We invited him to be baptized, and he said yes!  We gave him a date of April 12, 2014.  He said it might be too soon, but we reassured him that he would be ready.  The next appointment we had was with our less-active named Jim McDonald.  He is so close to coming back to church, but something is holding him back.  I think he feels kind of ashamed to come back.  Hopefully he'll come soon!  We had to have another stern talk with Angela tonight.  Hopefully this will get her back on track for baptism.

Saturday, March 22, 2014

Well today we had to get our hands dirty!  We helped Sister McGillvery tear out all the grass and turf in her front yard.  Her and her husband are too old to push a lawn mower so they're just gonna put rocks in there.  I love doing service like that now, crazy right?  I will actually enjoy yard work when I get home.  The Corrigan's fed us some good sausage and rice, so that was delicious.  We ran into this crazy Welsh guy who invited us in to show us his wooden models,  He was literally like a child playing with all of them.  It was very awkward for us.  We tried to teach him, but all he wanted to do was play, so we left.  Ahh, the weird people you run into here at Stranraer.

Sunday, March 23, 2014

It was a good Sunday morning like always.  We only had 17 people there at church, but that's because one of the families was out of town.  The McRobb's fed us Shepherd's pie for lunch, so that was good.  We went to go knock on doors after that and the first door we knocked on was our landlord!  It was very weird because he invited us in and chatted with us.  We didn't know if we should try to teach him or not.  We just left a pamphlet with him and left as soon as we could.  It was a very weird and awkward situation on top of a weird day.  Oh well, tomorrow is a better day!

Love You!

Elder Austin's Journal Letters from March 10 through March 16, 2014

Monday, March 10, 2014

Ahh, P-day once again!  It wasn't a very exciting one, but it's good to get away from the stress of missionary work.  It was nice to talk to you and all of my friends.  The McLean's fed us curry and it was delicious as always.  We had two solid appointments today but unfortunately they fell through.  Oh well, that is the joy of missionary work!

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Well, today was our day to drive up to Ayr for District Meeting.  Then the Ayr elders came down and we went on exchanges.  I went with our district leader named Elder Thackeray from Murray, Utah.  We found a couple good people so it was a successful day.  Today, I realized that Stranraer is such a small town and that most people know me.  We were walking down the street and about 10 people walked by saying "Hello Elder Austin!"  That's when you know that you've been in an area too long.  Imagine what it's gonna be like after three more months here.  I'm gonna be famous!  Well, Bethany had her baptismal interview tonight and she passed with flying colors.  I'm so happy.  :)

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Today was the kind of day that everything fell apart.  We had three scheduled appointments but all of them cancelled.  I hate those days, but I wouldn't call it an unsuccessful day.  We met some really good people on the street who looked promising.  The McRobb's fed us too, so I can't complain!  It was vegetable curry and rice.  So Delicious!

Thursday, March 13, 2014

Today was another tough day for us.  More appointments were cancelled and that is never good.  Tonight we basically had to tell Angela she has to start acting and keeping the commandments or we can't see her anymore.  It didn't feel good but it had to be done.  The day didn't end good either.  I tried to talk to this man and offer him a pass-a-long card, but all he did was threaten to hurt me, then walk away.  I don't think he was having a good day and neither was I.  Oh well, there's always tomorrow.  

Friday, March 14, 2014

We've had so many appointments this week, its weird.  I guess it's a good thing but we are really busy because of it.  This morning we helped David McLean paint his back fence, so that was fun.  Unfortunately, we had one of our investigators drop us,  He said the Mormon thing just isn't for him, so that was sad.  After a couple more appointments and dinner at the Corrigans, we saw Bethany to end the night.  She said she was really nervous and scared.  We offered her a blessing and she accepted.  I was the voice of it and it was a very spiritual blessing.  I could feel the Lord talking to her through me.  It helped her a lot and made her feel better.  that was a good end to the night.  

Saturday, March 15, 2014

Well today was the big day that I've been looking forward to all week.  At 5 p.m. we had Bethany's baptism.  I was talking to Angela Campbell before it started, and she said she was talking to you over Facebook.  Apparently you told her to give me a hug.  I can't do that!  I'm a missionary!  But the baptism was absolutely wonderful.  It wasn't until I was drying off and changing in the bathroom that the Spirit hit me REALLY HARD!  It was an undeniable feeling of peace.  I felt as if I had figuratively introduced Bethany to Jesus Christ and I felt like He was proud of me.  It almost brought me to tears in the bathroom.  Bethany was in tears as well when she bore her testimony at the end of it.  Days like this really remind me of why I'm here. 

Sunday, March 16, 2014

It was a very good church meeting this morning.  Bethany was confirmed a member of the church and given the Holy Ghost.  Her mother was there so that was very special as well.  She kept telling me after the meeting that she was finally a Mormon.  It is such an honor and a blessing to be involved in the process of her conversion.  To see where she started to where she is now, it is remarkable what the Lord can do.  The McLeans fed us steak pie tonight and it was delicious!  I think that's all for me this week.  Here's a couple of pictures for you. :)

Love You!!

Elder Neideck, Bethany Campbell, and Elder Austin

Angela Campbell, Bethany Campbell and Elder Austin

 

Bethany Campbell and Elder Austin

Bethany's Baptism March 15, 2014

 

 



Elder Austin's Missionary Journal for March 3rd - March 9th, 2014

Monday, March 3, 2014

Well today was a super busy day, but a good one nonetheless.  We emailed first, so it was good to hear from you.  I was so excited to tell you the big news too!  I'm still way excited to train and to see Bethany get baptized.  This afternoon, we had a wonderful lesson with a girl named Steph.  She's 27 and a single mother and she really just wants answers to all of life's questions.  Hey, we can answer those!!  We had a great lesson on the Restoration and she even felt the Spirit, she even said so!  And then guess what?! She committed to baptism!!!!  I'm really excited for her.  Other than that, it was a day filled with Elder Urbieta saying goodbye to people.  We talked to Bethany today and she is super stoked for her baptism!  AHH, so many miracles.

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Again, it was another long and boring day of my companion saying goodbye to people.  I'm excited to stay here though!  So to prepare for him moving, we drove to Glasgow and stayed the night with the elders there.  It was a long drive and I am exhausted!  It's gonna be an early morning so I'm gonna crash.

Wednesday, March 5, 2014

It was an early start today.  We got up at 5 am to leave at 6.  If you think Arizona traffic is bad, you should see Glasgow and Edinburgh.  I dropped off my companion, then we drove to the mission home with a few other missionaries.  That's where we met all the trainee's and introduced ourselves.  I got to hike Pratt's Hill with them, just like I did 7 months ago.  We went back and that's when he announced our trainee.  My trainee is from Germany and his name is Elder Neideck!  Finally, I get a foreign companion.  He's a good kid, so I think we'll get along.

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Well today was a good first day for Elder Neideck.  We did some service for the Corrigan family.  We helped them replace the fence in the backyard.  In return, they fed us some good macaroni.  We saw a potential investigator named Allister, and at first he didn't really have a belief in God.  When we bore our testimonies, you could notice a change in him.  He was starting to accept the concept and invite us back.  I love seeing when people make those changes!  Oh, and we also went over to Bethany's and did some baptismal planning.  SHE ASKED ME TO BAPTIZE HER!!!  I'm so happy and so honored.

Friday, March 7, 2014

Finally, the weather was nice today.  The sun was shining over the ocean and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.  Angela invited us for dinner but afterwards we had to have a stern talk with her.  She hasn't been progressing so we had to tell her to start showing commitment or we were going to stop seeing her.  Thankfully, she'll start progressing again.  We went over to Bethany's tod o some more planning and to teach her the commandments.  She lives them all so it was very easy.  She's a little bit nervous, but I think that will be okay.

Saturday, March 8, 2014

As we do every Saturday, we visited the people who live out of town.  Of course my favorite part was visiting Peter at his rest home.  I always ask him for his advice on life and he gives me a different answer every time.  This week he said, "No matter what you do, always stay in the church."  He made us promise and I did!  We had an awesome lesson with this guy named Dom.  He had investigated the church in 2001, now we found him again.  He said he had been thinking about a picture in the front of the Book of Mormon and that is when we knocked on the door.  What a miracle!!!!  We taught him the Restoration and it was powerful.  He committed to baptism right then and there!!  Just another day of miracles.

Sunday, March 9, 2014

Well not much happened today, but I always love Sundays.  Bethany came to church and bore her testimony for the first time ever!  It was a good spiritual meeting for her.  After church, she texted us saying she was scared.  We told her that it was just her being nervous and that it was natural.  We told her about the Mormon Messages on the church website and told her to watch them whenever she feels scared or doubtful.  She texted us later saying that it helped a lot.  Another problem solved!

Love you! 

Elder Austin's Missionary Journal Letters February 24th - March 2, 2014

Monday, February 24, 2014

In my opinion, today was a very productive day.  After emailing and shopping, I got a haircut, got my contact solution, and got some other supplies.  The solution cost 17.50 (Pounds), about $25 for three bottles.  You'll never guess what I bought today, you'll probably think I'm silly.  I bought a musical recorder!  I really miss music and my piano skills are gone.  I bought it for cheap 5 (pounds) and I've had a blast playing it.  I got your journal letters today and I'm way proud of Dad for working out.  Tell him I said "Atta Boy Hauncho"!  Also tell him that one day he might be as strong as me.  Nothing really happened after that.  People were mean when we were knocking on doors, so nothing new!  It was a good day though.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Well, the day started off good with district meeting in the morning.  Over the course of the day it just got progressively worse.  Since our top 3 investigators are fading out, we're pretty much back to square one.  It's a whole lot of knocking on doors and talking to people on the street.  I don't know why, but there's been a lot of hostility towards us lately.  Oh well, like I said in my email, I choose to be happy.

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

Today was actually a pretty good successful day which was nice for a change.  We met some pretty good people who invited us back.  One was a guy named Graham and he said the closest he came to God was when he almost died.  I boldly claimed that God gave him a second chance to prepare him to meet us.  He invited us back for a return appointment.  He had a beautiful dog named Kiya.  She is a Czechoslovakian timber wolf.  I absolutely loved her!!  The only bad part about today was when a member told us that she found some anti-Mormon material and that it shook her testimony.  Please, Please, Please, Never, EVER look at material like that.  No matter how curious you are, no matter how strong you think you are, it is evil and will only tear you down.  Unfortunately, I have seen too much of it, but I am lucky because I feel the Spirit in abundance here.  This is my warning to you!  Other than that, it was a good day.

Thursday, February 27, 2014

Happy Birthday Mummy!  I'm sure you already know this, but today at Bethany's, we celebrated your birthday!  They put up birthday banners and we even had a cake.  I took some pictures so I'll send them in this letter.  Believe it or not, this really helped Bethany because it got her mind off things and she was smiling.  She's doing a lot better now so hopefully things can go back to normal.

Friday, February 28, 2014

Today was a really good day and I enjoyed it.  We were on exchanges so I was with my district leader, Elder Johns from West Jordan, Utah.  We found SO many good people who are interested in the gospel.  One of them asked me "How do you know if God is there?"  I replied with, "Because I asked and He told me."  You could see her countenance changing right there on the street.  That was only one of the miracles of the many that I saw today.  Me and Elder Johns really work well together, so it was an awesome day. 

Saturday, March 1, 2014

Well this weekend starting with today was Stake conference for the Paisley Stake.  The Saturday night session started at 7 pm and it's 2 hours away from us, so traveling took up most of the day.  It was a really good meeting though.  They were hammering missionary work for the members since that is what the 1st Presidency was doing.  Since tomorrow's meeting is at 11 am, we are staying the night at our zone leader's flat.  Elder Benesch (Scott's college roommate) is here too so I get to catch up with him which is always nice.  We always re-live the glory days back in college!

Sunday, March 2, 2014

Round 2 of Stake Conference started this morning and it was another great meeting.  Bethany got a ride with some members so she got to see it too!  She absolutely loved it and she even wanted to see the baptismal font.  She later texted us saying that her prayers have been answered and that she wants to be baptized!!!!!  AHH, she finally got the spiritual confirmation that the church was true.  WE'RE GONNA HAVE A BAPTISM!!!!!  I'm so happy.  That's not the only good news we got today either.  Today was our moves call and I have been promoted to train a new-coming missionary here in Stranraer!  I'm going to pick him up in Edinburgh at the mission home on Wednesday.  I'm so excited.  It was an awesome day!!

Love you!!    P.S.  I got your package.  Thank you!

Scott celebrated my Birthday (Feb 27th) with his companion Elder Urbieta and some friends.  Angela Campbell (the young lady next to him) is getting baptized on March 15, 2014!!! 

Elder Austin's Journal Letter for February 10th - 15th, 2014

Monday, February 10, 2014

Another relaxing P-day for us.  We didn't do anything cool or special, we just did what we needed to do.  I actually took a nap and it was really refreshing.  Tonight, we got a new investigator!!! His name is Andy and he's in his late 20's.  He's an atheist, but he doesn't want to be.  He went and did worldly things for a bit, but he knew that's no way to live his life.  We knocked on his door and he saw that as his way back.  We taught him the Restoration and he said he'll read and pray about the Book of Mormon.  I invited him to be baptized and he said if he gets an answer, he will.  Ahh, so exciting!  It was a really good day.

Tuesday, February 11, 2014

Today, we had district meeting, which I always enjoy.  We were given a challenge to pass out 200 copies of the Book of Mormon this WEEK!!  Holy cow, that's a lot!  We gave 2 out today while knocking, but we have to give out a lot more if we want to reach our goal.  The Corrigan family fed us some spaghetti and meatballs.  It wasn't great, but still good.  We met with our investigator named Angela tonight.  She's planning on getting married to her partner, so she can get baptized.  She was telling us about the wedding and you'll never guess what happened!  Since her father won't be there, she asked me to give her away at the wedding!!! Holy cow, that is awesome!  I was honored, but kind of shocked at the same time.  Crazy Day!

Wednesday, February 12, 2014

Holy cow, the weather was absolutely terrible today.  We had a day full of knocking on doors planned, but we couldn't do it with all the rain and wind.  Days like this are really hard because no one wants to talk to us when it's raining.  I actually helped a less-active member change his tire in the pouring rain.  My companion had to go inside because he was getting sick.  I was drenched by the time it was over.  The only good thing about today was we had a good lesson with Bethany, the 19-year-old girl.  She's praying about February 22nd as her baptismal date. 

Thursday, February 13, 2014

So you know how my companion had to go inside when we were changing the tire because he was getting sick?  Yeah, well he did get sick.  He thinks he has a chest infection and because of that, we had to stay home all day.  I absolutely hated every second of it.  I'm so used to working every second of the day, but today I did nothing.  I tried to do as much as I could like clean, study, and other things while he slept, but it was SO Boring.  Luckily, he felt good enough to go to Angela's for dinner.  Instead of her making us dinner like usual, I made her dinner with the stuff she bought.  I made pasta alfredo with sausage and onion with it.  Unfortunately, I couldn't make the sauce like you can, so it was pre-made from the store.  She said she liked it!!  She always says "Mama Austin raised a good boy!"  I do indeed agree with that! 

Friday, February 14, 2014

Happy Valentine's Day!  I got cards from you, grandma, and Cara earlier, but none today.  I guess it's weird to get your family members a Valentine's day card here.  The British are weird that way.  Unfortunately, my companion was worse today than he was yesterday.  So because of that, we stayed in the flat all morning.  I looked out the window and it was snowing!  It just melted when it hit the ground though.  Later in the afternoon, my companion said he wanted to get out and go to a couple of appointments we had that day.  We got a new investigator today named Bill Robinson.  He's an older guy who seemed interested the first time we met him.  Today we taught him the Restoration and it went well.  He didn't seem enthusiastic about it though, so hopefully a miracle will happen.  We met with our atheist investigator, Andy and it was awesome!  He said when he read from the Book of Mormon, he felt this uplifting feeling that he has never felt before.  We told him that was the Spirit and he got all excited!!  He is saying, "Well, when I was an atheist...."  Mom, we helped a kid with no belief in God, and changed that.  It was so uplifting to see that change going on in him.  We tgaught him the Plan of Salvation and he took it in well.  He said he'll be at church on Sunday.  I absolutely love this kid.  Andy is awesome!!  Right when we were heading back to the flat, my companion drew a fever and he said it hurt really bad in his chest, so I took him to A & E (Emergency Room).  We had to wait two hours and all they did was tell him he had a throat infection and gave him some antibiotics.  We were out till 11 p.m.  That's way past my bed time.  Goodnight!

Saturday, February 15, 2014

Happy Ashley's Birthday!!  I hope she got my cards that I sent her!  Ugh, I can't take this anymore!!  I just want to get back to normal missionary life.  I'm literally going mad here in the flat.  I've studied, slept, cleaned, worked out and everything else I could think of.  I wish I could tell you something interesting that happened, but I can't.  Hopefully, this will end by tomorrow.

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Hallelujah!!  My companion is finally feeling better.  I don't know what I'd do if I was stuck in the flat again.  It was a really good day at church!  The most people that have come to church since I've been here was this week with 24!! But that's only because a family visited today from another ward.  Our two investigators Bethany and Angela were there.  Maybe this will be the start of the branch growing.  I hope so!!  Nothing really happened for the rest of the day, but at least we went out and worked.  The McLean's fed us some beef stew and it was delicious as always.  You should add Nancy on Facebook, I think you guys would be good friends.  Her full name is "Nancy McLean" and I think it should pop up.  You guys can talk about me all you want  :)  

Love you!! 

Elder Austin's Journal Letter for February 17th - 23rd, 2014

Monday, February 17, 2014

Well, P-day this week was uneventful.  We had an email from Ashley today, so that made me happy.  When P-day was over, we went tracting and it was very interesting.....  One man told me if I didn't go away he'd hunt me down.  I smiled and said "Have a nice day sir".  The next house was very monumental.  For the first time in 6 1/2 months, someone let me in when I knocked on the door.  It was a sweet old lady and we talked about the Book of Mormon.  We got a return appointment so that was nice.  We saw Angela after that and had dinner with her.  I got bit and scratched by two demon cats today.  I have scars!  A couple of them drew blood.  I guess that's when you know you've had a good day.

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Well, the day started off with an awesome district meeting as usual.  It kind of stinks because we have to drive an hour every week to these meetings.  Angela wanted to talk to us and it was very weird.  She talked about things that have happened in the past and wanted our help.  I guess we're one of the only ones she can talk to.  We then went over to Bethany's and answered some of her questions.  She said she is close to being baptized, so that made me happy.  She says she wants more answers. 

Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Nothing really exciting happened today.  We had a good lesson with Bethany at the Corrigan's house.  We watched the Restoration DVD and had a little testimony meeting.  The Spirit was strong.  It was a good day.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Another less exciting day today.  It poured down rain in the morning and that's never good for missionary work.  Luckily it started to lighten up in the later afternoon.  We got a new investigator today named Margaret.  She's an older lady who LOVES to talk.  She likes reading the Book of Mormon though, so that will be good.  I got a Valentines package from ERIN and a letter from you, so that made the day a little better.  Hopefully tomorrow will be a much better day.

Friday, February 21, 2014

We got another new investigator today, but I don't know how solid she'll be.  Her name is Ure (sounds like your) and she's another single old lady.  I don't know why, but we keep attracting these lonely old ladies.  Sometimes I feel like they only invite us back because they have no one to talk to.  We're hoping and praying that a miracle will happen.  A lot of our appointments fell through so that caused us to knock on doors in the rain.  We got to find more solid investigators soon .....

Saturday, February 22, 2014

Our day consisted of going to the people that lived out of town.  Of course, my favorite was visiting our 88 year old member named Peter.  He's such a good guy and he radiates with the Spirit.  He tells us the same old stories because of his dementia, but I don't mind.  We then saw Bethany.  She is stressed because of life and she is still deciding about being baptized.  She knows its true, she just needs to stop fighting what she is feeling. 

Sunday, February 23, 2014

Ahhh, Sunday, my favorite day of the week.  Unfortunately our church attendance took a dive this week.  No investigators were there and some key members were away.  We only had 13 there today.  We had a good lesson how Abraham and his brother Lot had to separate in order to end their strife.  It kind of reminded me how me and Ashley didn't get along until I moved away.  After church, we had a nice little lunch appointment at the McRobbs then it was back out in the cold knocking on doors.  Our night ended really well, actually.  We met this lady named Haley and she was really sad.  She said she was really hungry and had nothing to eat.  We bought her some subway and taught her a little bit.  She invited us over tomorrow and she wants to learn more!!  That was a really good way to end our night. 

Love you!!

Elder Austin's Journal Letters from February 3rd to February 9th, 2014

Monday, February 3, 2014

Ahh, P-day at last!  We didn't do anything special.  It was just a relaxing day.  We emailed and shopped like usual, then we went around to different shops to just look around.  I found a blue sweater for 10 pounds, so it was a good deal.  We were wanting to go do something outside so we took the football down to the park.  It was cold and rainy, so I was wearing shorts!  I'm just a dafty.  We taught our investigator Angela about obedience, then we drove up to Ayr to stay at the Ayr elders flat for the night.  There's a big meeting in Glasglow tomorrow, so we're preparing for that!

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

At 8:00 this morning we drove to Glasgow for the big Scotland-West Conference that included Paisley and Glascow zone missionaries.  I got to see a bunch of old friends I haven't seen in a while, including Elder Benesch.  The meeting was powerful and a member of the area 70 came to speak to us.  There was a short testimony meeting afterwards and I bore mine on the power of the atonement.  It was one of the best meetings I've ever been to.  For the rest of the day, we went on exchanges.  I was with Elder Windhausen (pronounced Vindhausen).  He's from Friedburg, Germany!  He's a great guy and I enjoyed being with him.  Great day!

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Today was a pretty good day.  We exchanged back and immediately started knocking on doors.  We found quite a few people who seemed interested.  The McLean's fed us, but it wasn't enchiladas.  She said she'll make me some next week.  I can't wait!  Right after that, we went on splits to see some less-active members.  I went with Brother McLean which is great because I love him.  He's a good guy and we're like best friends.  He reminds me a lot of Dad, so I think that's why I like him so much.  We didn't each many lessons, but it was a successful day!

Thursday, February 6, 2014

It wasn't that good of a day today.  We had a lot of appointments, but all of them fell through.  I hate those days!  The only appointment that was kept was our dinner appointment with Angela, our investigator.  She fed us a chicken curry.  It's an indian dish, but the Scottish adopted it.  Look it up, you should try it.  Other than that, nothing really happened.

Friday, February 7, 2014

Today was a WONDERFUL DAY!  First, we had a good lesson with our less-active, Jim McDonald. He was a chronic alcoholic, but he's quitting now.  He can't quit too fast or it will kill him.  He said he's always felt unworthy to come back, but today he set a date to come back.  He has made so much progress!  Later, we had a really good lesson with our 19-year-old investigator, Bethany.  She's always felt scared about baptism, but we taught her about recognizing the Spirit.  She feels good about it now.  I think she will be baptized this month!  This has made me really happy.  The Spirit was so thick today you could almost feel it!  I love those moments.

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Today started off with an investigator feeding us breakfast.  She made us bacon, sausage, eggs, and toast - YUM!  It was our day to travel out to the people who live out of town.  My favorite one to see is our 88-year-old member in his rest home.  He's such a good guy and he's always happy.  I can tell he misses his wife though so that's kind of sad.  We ended the day with our less-active Nigerian family feeding us dinner.  Their chicken and rice is SOO good.  I always leave their house over-stuffed.  It was a very good day.

Sunday, February 9, 2014

Ahh, my favorite day of the week!  Today, we had a total of 16 people at chuch with one of them being an investigator and another being a less-active.  Bethany, our 19-year-old investigator came and said she had a good time, so that's good.  The McLean's had us over for dinner.  She made haggis and chicken, it wasn't too bad.  She said she'll make enchiladas for me this week, so I'm excited about that.  It wasn't a very good week lesson-wise, but a lot of progress was made with a lot of people.

Love you!   Scott

Elder Austin's Journal Letter from January 27th - February 2nd, 2014

Monday, January 27, 2014

It was a jam packed day today, but a fun one nonetheless.  We went to this place called the Mull of Galloway.  It is the most southern part of Scotland.  There were really high winds and high cliffs, so it was cool!  It's so far south that you can see Northern Ireland from there.  I got some cool pictures so I'll print them out and send them to you.  I still haven't figured out what's wrong with my camera, but we'll see.  Anyways, nothing else really happened.

Tuesday, January 28, 2014

We had a district meeting up in Ayr today so at 8:00 am we drove an hour to the church building there. After lunch, we went on exchanges and I was with Elder McAllister for the day.  We knocked on doors literally ALL DAY.  It was long and tiring, but it was a successful day.  We found a couple of people who seemed interested, so I was happy.  But I was so tired when I came home.  I'm gonna sleep tonight.

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

I thought it was going to be a jam packed day, but everything fell through.  I hate days like that!  We did do a bit of service for a non-member though.  His name is Johnny and he's originally from Wales, but has moved all over the world.  He's kind of atheist, so we're trying to just be friendly with him for now.  Later tonight, the McRobb's fed us and we had a good lesson with our top investigator named Bethany.  She's 19 and her mom is a less-active member.  She is so sweet and she wants to be baptized, but she's a little scared.  Her mom doesn't have a solid testimony, so I'm a little worried about her mom holding her back.  Hopefully, things will progress with her.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Today was a day full of more finding.  We went all over our area knocking on doors and talking to people on the street trying to find someone to teach.  We met a couple of good people who seemed very interested!  After the 5 hours of tracking, we got 5 people who could potentially become investigators.  That's how it is here in the British Isles, lots of work but little ground gained.   Knowing this helps me work harder!  It's a long road ahead, but hopefully it will pay off in the end!

Friday, January 31, 2014

Ahhh, today was a little bit disappointing to me.  We had a full day planned out, but only a few went through.  We were going to do a lot of knocking on doors, but the weather was absolutely terrible.  There was ridiculously high winds and lots of rain that came with it.  People don't want to stand there and talk to you if it's pouring rain outside.  We had to adjust our schedule and just try to visit people.  I'm getting tired of the rain.  We get too much of it over here.  Oh well, let's hope tomorrow is better.

Saturday, February 1, 2014

One of our investigators fed us breakfast, so that was a good start to the day.  Saturday is the day where we visit all of the people who live outside Stranraer.  We see all of the members and less-actives who live further away.  My favorite is when we saw our 88-year-old member in his rest home .  He's so funny and he tells us the same old stories over and over again.  Tonight our Nigerian less-actives fed us African rice and chicken.  It was so delicious!  You need to learn how to make African food, it is now my favorite.  It was a good day overall.

Sunday, February 2, 2014

Ahhh, Sunday, my favorite day of the week!  We had 17 people at church today, so it grew!  Two of them were investigators and 1 of them was a less-active!  Testimony meeting is always a good, spiritual environment for them.  If all goes according to plan, they should get baptized in the next few months.  I really hope they do because the branch would start to do well.  This branch needs it!

Love You!  Scott

Elder Austin's Journal Letter from January 20 - 26, 2014

Monday, January 20, 2014

Since Elder Spackman is leaving on Wednesday, he wanted to say goodbye to everyone.  After emailing, we went around to the members, less actives and investigators so he could say goodbye.  It was easy for me because I didn't have to do much!  The McRobbs had us over for dinner and they made us chicken curry.  Have you ever had it before?  It's really good and it's popular here in Scotland. So it was a nice, relaxing day for me.

Tuesday, January 21, 2014

Today was filled with more goodbyes from Elder Spackman.  I almost feel like I've had a couple of days off.  We had dinner at a less active's house named Tessy Obasuyi.  She's Nigerian and she cooks the best check and rice.  At 7:30 pm we loaded up the car and drove to the Ayr elder's flat.  We're staying here for the night because we have to drive to Glasgow tomorrow.

Wednesday, January 22, 2014

It was an early start today.  We got up at 5:30 to leave for Glasgow at 6:30.  It was an hour and a half drive, then I dropped off Elder Spackman.  Elder Benesch was there, so we wandered around the city for a while.  It's always good to catch up with him.  We went back to the bus station and I met my new companion, Elder Urbieta.  He's from Dayton, Ohio and he's been out for 9 months.  I'm still the senior companion, but he's a good guy and I think we'll do good this transfer.  After driving back to Stranraer, I took him around to meet all the members of the branch.  Hopefully, this will be a good transfer!

Thursday, January 23, 2014

Today was basically an introduction day for Elder Urbieta.  I took him around and introduced him to pretty much everyone in the area.  He's a hard-working kid so I'm excited to work with him.  Home-sickness isn't a problem with him, so that's a relief!  I know this area has a lot of potential, so this could be a make or break transfer.  I'm feeling less stress and more motivation to go out and work!

Friday, January 24, 2014

It was an alright day today.  My favorite part was when we went to see a man named Jim McDonald.  He's a less active member who invites us back every week.  He's done a lot of crazy things in his life and he always has a story to tell.  Jim is a big guy who is intimidating if you didn't know him personally.  When you talk with him about the gospel or help him feel the Spirit, he becomes one of the biggest softies you'll ever meet!  Other than meeting with him, nothing really happened.  Me and Elder Urbieta area kind of different, but that doesn't bother me.  He's 22 and from Dayton Ohio.  He's a good guy and he has good intentions, so we'll do fine.

Saturday, January 25, 2014

Do you know what today is?  Six months ago today, I reported to the MTC!  Holy Cow, the time goes by too fast.  I'm one-fourth of the way finished.  Before you know it, I'll be out a year!

Today, was a pretty good day.  Saturday is the day we reach out to all the out of town members and less actives.  The drives are so pretty and I love it!  We traced today and we found a few people, so I was very happy with that.  We were fed by a Nigerian less active family named the Obasuyi's.  They made us African chili and it was amazing!  It was a good day overall.

Sunday, January 26, 2014

It was a great day at church today!  We had one of our investigators there and she said she loved it!  On top of all that, I spoke in Sacrament meeting.  My topic was spiritual progression and how to be a better person, sound familiar?  Yes, I took Dad's saying of "be a better person" and turned it into a talk.  People said it was good, so I'll take their word for it.  We had a lunch appointment at the McRobbs and a dinner appointment with the McLeans.  Holy cow, I am stuffed!  Sister McLean made us salmon tonight and it was amazing.  She's a good cook, but not as good as you Mommy!

Love You!   Scott