Piray 1 and Happy Mother's Day!

Dear Mom and Dad, Family, and Friends!

I am so happy to know that Sarah is getting better!  I just can´t help but smile and smile!  I love you Sarah! Also, my stomach is feeling 100%.  Also that is so awesome with Cason and his papers.  He will be an amazing missionary.  Maybe he will join me here in good old Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  

My new area is called Piray 1, and it is in the 2nd and 3rd ring of the city of Santa Cruz. It is is really close to the center of Santa Cruz and there are a lot more rich people and all the roads are pavement.  It is so weird to not have to wash my shoes every night to clean off all the mud.  Also, the new area is hace calor.  In the center it is a little lower than the 8th ring where Fortaleza was at.

Area Piray 1 - Located in the 2nd and 3rd Ring of The City...See the Piray River in the background and Bolivian traffic in the 2nd ring and 3rd ring taken from a micro or the bus we were in.

 

Our house is the dream house for a missionary.  It is on the 3rd floor of a member’s house. Familia Rojo live on the bottom floor and familia Justianna live on the 2nd floor and they are our pension too.  One day we eat with familia Rojo and the next we eat with familia Justianna.  Also Hermano Justianna has a piano!!!!  And yesterday before lunch I was able to practice more of the hymns, and he helped teach me about chord progressions.  Thank you so much Mrs. Pressgrove.  I was able to understand and review everything you taught me about how chords work and that you can just use chords for the left hand and just use the melody on the right!

Our Home

 

Our new house has an oven!  We are going to make chocolate chip cookies today!​

     The view from our missionary apartment 

               

Also, we live in our area and the church is about 9 blocks from our house, and the ward is so loving. We have started doing a ward movie night - an activity where members and the youth can bring friends to learn and watch the church films. This Saturday we are going to watch Ephraim’s Rescue and have a good message of the restauracion.

As for my new Companion, his name is Elder Alvarado, and he is from Lima, Peru.  Thursday he just finished his 24 months in the mission but has extended his mission for 1 month.  He sure has a lot of experience, which been a blessing to learn how he teaches and how to work with the ward and our investigatores.  One really cool fact about him is he does gymnastics and is pretty strong.  You would get along with him really well Michael!

Transfers with Elder Barazoto and his new companion and my new companion Elder Alvarado

Also, we have a companionship of sisters in the ward, and all the ward members are so supportive.  It is such a good area, and I can’t wait to find and baptize the families who are waiting for the gospel here.

Also, the amazing news is I checked with Elder Barazoto and the wedding and baptism for familia Escobar will take place this Friday, and I should be able to attend because our area is only 20 minutes away in micro.

If you would keep praying for familia Escobar this week and also for Jose Andreas, a new investigator here in this area that we want to baptize this week or the next.

I love you so much, and I am so excited to talk to you Sunday!

Love,

Elder Matheson!

Saying good-bye to the amazing members of the Fortaleza Ward