Week 3 - The Blessings of Fasting!

December 4, 2016

Mom and Dad - Family and Friends!

Wow the co-op is becoming the Shakespeare Center of Midvalley!  It is so exciting that so many people can see the beautiful building and use it.  Dad your vision is coming to pass!  Also, that is so awesome the Madrigal choir sang at our ward Christmas Party. I bet they sounded amazing.

Thank you for the update at home and letting me know it is normal to feel homesick.  It was a blessing this week to have Heavenly Father help me realized that just because I can’t talk to you everyday you are always there and love me.  Also, I tried to look for different ways that Bolivia was similar to home.  One thing similar in Bolivia is ice cream is just as delicious. In the stores on the street, they have big bins of drumsticks called Coco Chocos. They are chocolate ice cream cones on top with coconut. You sure would love the coconut mom, and dad the ice cream I know you would like it for sure!  :)  

Another blessing, my diarrhea went away. That was a big relief! This week, I practiced the piano with the primary for their primary program. We are singing Praise To The Man, I Love To See The Temple and other primary songs.  The ward is sure appreciative of my piano knowledge, and I am so grateful for you and Grandma Polly and Mrs. Pressgrove for helping me learn.  Next Sunday we perform in Sacrament meeting.  Also, our zone is preparing for a mission conference on the 22 or 23 of this month. I sure am excited, and they even found a violin for me to play and another sister missionary they have a saxophone for her to play.  We are going to be telling the Christmas story with hymns in between scriptures, just like at Grandma and Grandpa’s! To conclude we will sing Holy Night.  It is so amazing to see in every culture, music is a language of the Spirit.

This week, Elder Salas and I found Hermana Jaquoline. She is a wonderful sister who has a sincere desire to learn about the gospel and to be baptized.  Her husband is in jail for a long time so we need to work with the Bishop and President Rodriguez on what to do, but if you would pray for her that she will continue to have a desire to learn and come to church, I know Heavenly Father will bless her.  Also, yesterday we taught the Limachi Roce family. Elder Salas baptized this family a few months ago, and now we are working with them to go to the temple.  Last night we taught them about The Family: A Proclamation to the World.  They each felt the spirit and had a sincere desire to attend the temple and to become a forever family.  At the end of the lesson, I was able to testify about the importance of family and how I know our family will be together forever, and this makes me so happy and grateful for my Heavenly Father´s Plan of Happiness for all his Children. And how through the temple we can become a forever family.

Mom and dad,  I love you so much and look to your example and can´t express in words what a blessing you are in my life and how grateful I am sealed to you forever and that we are a forever family.  How the Lord has blessed me richly with the choicest parents. Each day, I try and work my very best to honor you and things you have taught me and the son of God you want me to become!

Dad, thank you for your example of hard work and for always honoring your priesthood and for your missionary stories.  They give me so much strength as I try to find the Wallace Marshes and the family in the trailer who is looking for the Book of Mormon. I love you Dad.  And I know my mission is refining me to be an honorable father like you.

Mom, thank you for your nurturing hand and love.  How I am so fortunate to have you as my mother, and just like the Stripling Warriors, I know my mother knows the gospel is true and raised me to serve the Lord and each day I promise to serve with my whole heart.  Thank you mom for your counsel and your example of service.  When I get tired or worried, I remember your counsel to put the Lord first in my life and everything will fall into proper place.  

How I am so blessed to have you as my parents mom and dad!

I pray for you and our family and Sarah daily, and I know the Lord will bless you.  Thank you for all your love, prayers, and support!

Love your son,

Elder Matheson!

P.S. You asked as for anything I need, some chocolate, Snickers, Resees, or any candy would be awesome!  Oh and some morning exercise ideas would be helpful. Does Michael have any ideas for how many sit ups or push ups is a good amount or how long to exercise then have a rest period? But your prayers and letters mean the most!

Here are some pictures of a mango tree. There are 4 or 5 different mangoes and they are massive.  They are like elm trees and grow everywhere.