For Mom on Mothers' Day,Happy Mother's Day! Even though I am not home to see you in person, Mom, I still want you to know that I love you and miss you. It is amazing but not surprising to me that you and Dad serve in the temple each week; 
I am grateful for the strong example that you and Dad have always provided for me throughout the years. The gospel is a marvelous thing, and I thank you for your testimony.Perhaps the best and greatest gift I can offer you today is the love and gratitude of members, converts, and friends that I received and felt upon returning to Chihuahua where I served my mission. The experiences I had were simple and probably not overly interesting to anyone else but Bryce Craig and me. But to feel the love of a people that I used to serve constantly was overwhelming. Yes, people remembered us; yes, they missed us; and yes, they loved us for the hard work, example, and love that we showed them. I do not wish to speak so vaguely, but one example will suffice: Laura Fierro Munoz. After church one day, a less active member wanted to take me to give a blessing to his dying brother-in-law. Elder Craig and I quickly set up an exchange so that we would be able to do so while maintaining our previous plans. When I arrived at the home of the brother-in-law, the whole family was waiting for me. I gave the brother-in-law, Memo, a blessing and proceeded to teach a simple lesson about the church and the restoration. The family was very kind and generous, and from that point on, Elder Craig and I taught Memo and his niece, Laura, the missonary lessons. Memo started a miraculous recovery from cirrhosis of the liver while Laura was diligent in reading the Book of Mormon. Both were soon baptized and within a short time, I had finished my mission. Laura was a surprise. She was the only person to ever stay in contact with me on a consistent basis since the mission. She was baptized at age 23, and I wondered how she would fare in the outside world without having other active members in her home. Nevertheless, she continued to send emails and pictures every month or so. She was working hard in her studies of dentistry as well as being active with the young, single adults. Later, she was surprised and a bit overwhelmed to be called as a counselor in the young women's presidency. Again, after several months, she told me that she had been called to be the young women's president. I thought it amazing that quiet Laura had independently gained such a strong testimony and such a strong desire to serve. About a month ago, she told me of her intentions to serve a mission.
Laura is now 26. She is still single and the only active member in her family, yet she has been strongly active in the church for 3 years. She is almost done with a degree in odontologia (something like dentistry) while also being active in young, single adult activities and serving as the young women's president in her ward. Her mission papers have been submitted, and I gathered from one conversation that she also received her patriarchal blessing and reads it often. She hopes to one day be married in the temple as well as have the rest of her family join the church. What a great example to me, and I am the missionary that baptized her. She is a small, cute, and quiet woman, and yet her example and strength are overwhelming. I was told by other members that Elder Uchtdorf (an apostle at the time) came to visit Chihuahua for a change in stake leadership several months ago. Laura was given the opportunity of providing the opening prayer at the meeting, and although all were nervous as to how she would do, everyone said that it was a surprisingly beautiful prayer. Immediately after, as she went to sit down, Elder Uchtdorf took her hand, smiled, and thanked her. Amazing. I haven't ever shaken Elder Uchtdorf's hand, but Laura has, and I know she is stronger from this simple experience.Well Mom, on this Mothers' Day, I want to remind you not only of the impact you have had for good in my life but of the impact you have had for good in the lives of others through me. You know how grateful and even still overwhelmed I feel for the chance I had to serve in Chihuahua, Mexico. Thank you for helping me be prepared for such a time, though I wasn't perfect, to tangibly witness the Spirit and blessings of the Lord to His people. Thank you for your service to me, for your teachings, for your love. In a way, you already have served several missions and touched hundreds of lives, through every one of us kids.Happy Mother's Day and I love you!
Scot
I am grateful for the strong example that you and Dad have always provided for me throughout the years. The gospel is a marvelous thing, and I thank you for your testimony.Perhaps the best and greatest gift I can offer you today is the love and gratitude of members, converts, and friends that I received and felt upon returning to Chihuahua where I served my mission. The experiences I had were simple and probably not overly interesting to anyone else but Bryce Craig and me. But to feel the love of a people that I used to serve constantly was overwhelming. Yes, people remembered us; yes, they missed us; and yes, they loved us for the hard work, example, and love that we showed them. I do not wish to speak so vaguely, but one example will suffice: Laura Fierro Munoz. After church one day, a less active member wanted to take me to give a blessing to his dying brother-in-law. Elder Craig and I quickly set up an exchange so that we would be able to do so while maintaining our previous plans. When I arrived at the home of the brother-in-law, the whole family was waiting for me. I gave the brother-in-law, Memo, a blessing and proceeded to teach a simple lesson about the church and the restoration. The family was very kind and generous, and from that point on, Elder Craig and I taught Memo and his niece, Laura, the missonary lessons. Memo started a miraculous recovery from cirrhosis of the liver while Laura was diligent in reading the Book of Mormon. Both were soon baptized and within a short time, I had finished my mission. Laura was a surprise. She was the only person to ever stay in contact with me on a consistent basis since the mission. She was baptized at age 23, and I wondered how she would fare in the outside world without having other active members in her home. Nevertheless, she continued to send emails and pictures every month or so. She was working hard in her studies of dentistry as well as being active with the young, single adults. Later, she was surprised and a bit overwhelmed to be called as a counselor in the young women's presidency. Again, after several months, she told me that she had been called to be the young women's president. I thought it amazing that quiet Laura had independently gained such a strong testimony and such a strong desire to serve. About a month ago, she told me of her intentions to serve a mission.Laura is now 26. She is still single and the only active member in her family, yet she has been strongly active in the church for 3 years. She is almost done with a degree in odontologia (something like dentistry) while also being active in young, single adult activities and serving as the young women's president in her ward. Her mission papers have been submitted, and I gathered from one conversation that she also received her patriarchal blessing and reads it often. She hopes to one day be married in the temple as well as have the rest of her family join the church. What a great example to me, and I am the missionary that baptized her. She is a small, cute, and quiet woman, and yet her example and strength are overwhelming. I was told by other members that Elder Uchtdorf (an apostle at the time) came to visit Chihuahua for a change in stake leadership several months ago. Laura was given the opportunity of providing the opening prayer at the meeting, and although all were nervous as to how she would do, everyone said that it was a surprisingly beautiful prayer. Immediately after, as she went to sit down, Elder Uchtdorf took her hand, smiled, and thanked her. Amazing. I haven't ever shaken Elder Uchtdorf's hand, but Laura has, and I know she is stronger from this simple experience.Well Mom, on this Mothers' Day, I want to remind you not only of the impact you have had for good in my life but of the impact you have had for good in the lives of others through me. You know how grateful and even still overwhelmed I feel for the chance I had to serve in Chihuahua, Mexico. Thank you for helping me be prepared for such a time, though I wasn't perfect, to tangibly witness the Spirit and blessings of the Lord to His people. Thank you for your service to me, for your teachings, for your love. In a way, you already have served several missions and touched hundreds of lives, through every one of us kids.Happy Mother's Day and I love you!
Scot
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