He didn't send any photos this week so added this one taken when we visited Temple Square together 

Hola!

I miss y'all a lot, but it's been a really good week in the mission. We haven't had too much new stuff, but we did get to take our golden family to Temple Square and do a tour, which was incredible. A golden family: you teach them and they have no problems and immediately agree to follow tithing and word of wisdom and all those things, they don't have a problem and have a desire to get baptized. It's awesome!!!!!  And the member that gave us a ride served his mission in El Salvador. The coolest thing he said was that he actually served in the same mission as his brother, and he and his brother were companions for 4 months! How cool/weird would that be? I thought it was a really good story, he said they got much closer as brothers over that time. 

My fast went good yesterday, and we had a huge blessing at the end: the best meal I've had since I got here. Hand squeezed lemonade, home-made corn tortillas, delicious rice and beans and salsa, and some of the best carne asada I've ever had. The guy had been working on it almost all afternoon, it was beyond good. It was so amazing, I stuffed myself to capacity and then just kept eating haha. (Anyone who knows Scottie well knows that Mexican food is his very favorite!) And we also met a member this last week who works as an engineer at a protein manufacturing plant, so he gets a ton of free product and gave us this huge tub of protein powder (a nice brand too) for free. That was pretty cool of him.

We have our first baptism this Saturday, the Salinas family, so we're super excited for that! There wasn't anything in the last week that was picture worthy, but I'll be working on some pics of the baptism for next week. 

Elder Richardson (Scottie’s companion) goes home next Tuesday! How crazy is that!? A transfer lasts 6 weeks, so this will be my first transfer (Missionaries change companions  and areas throughout their mission and each time they change companions or areas it is called 'a transfer'). Because Elder Richardson is leaving I probably won't leave (or else there would be two new people here with no experience in the area) so I'm probably staying put, which I don't mind because I love this branch. The Spanish branch (the congregation where he  currently serves) covers the Magna Stake (stakes are made up of several wards and branches: congregations) and the stake is pretty small, I'm pretty sure I've walked every bit of it haha, we walk a lot in the afternoons.

I'm happy, just so you know. I miss you a lot, but when I was at temple square this last week I just felt happy and like I'm enjoying my mission for sure. I want you to know I feel really blessed. 

(I’m also including some of the email his Aunt Tammy received from Scottie:)

I've been trying to practice story telling in Spanish, because I know a lot of stories in English but want them to come across the same way in Spanish too. And it's harder telling jokes too, so I'm working on that.

The coolest scripture I found is Heleman 5:12, I love that one (And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall. Heleman 5:12 from the Book of Mormon)

  

Word of the week: Esperanza. It's a beautiful word and it means hope, which is something so necessary for us to have in everything we do. It's definitely helped me a lot. (He sends a new Spanish word each week that he has learned or that has special meaning to him.)

Thank you and I love you so much.  I have to go! I love you so much, and I hope that you'll be doing well and I can't wait till next Monday! (His next opportunity to email.)

Love,

Scottie