Adventures!

Dear Mom and Dad (Family & Friends too)!

The Matheson reunion looked awesome!  Good job dad on those tires!  This week as we were walking I told my companion a lot of your mission stories dad.  He sure got a kick out of Walish Marsh finding the Book of Mormon in the hotel!

Also, I sure bet that Audrey and Maddie sounded amazing!

Michael your house looks awesome!  I hope there is a fence for Gracie and tomatoes when she gets hungry!

One big piece of news here is we received a new stake in Santa Cruz.  It is called the Santa Cruz Centeral Stake, and our stake changed names to the Stake of the Colorado!

Also, for Bishop Tuesday and Wednesday we chopped down two big trees that were hanging over his fence. He was worried that they might fall on his house so he asked if we could help him out.  It was so fun!!  Mom when you are trimming suckers off trees, you should really invest in a machete. It is so much faster than the cutters we have at home. Me and my companion were in charge of cutting down the two trees, and then Elder Flores and his new companion who he is training, Elder Torres, chopped them up into pieces.  On the 2nd tree, the tree started to fall in the right direction with Bishop and the other Elders pulling on it, but at the last second it lost tension and started falling towards the house. Thankfully it barely nicked the side of the roof and not the whole house!  In the morning, we prayed the activity would go well, and wow I am so  grateful for that prayer and that Heavenly Father answered the prayer.

The tree that almost took out bishops house!​

​My companion welding his mighty machete!

Grandma! I am sure glad for all the tree trimming practice I had with you in the summer.  It sure paid off!

Also, June 24 it is dia de San Juan or the coldest day of the year (even though it felt like summer/late fall) and for this day everyone eats hotdogs o pan chitos!  The culture here is the best!

Making nachos and homemade salsa today in the house of our pension. 

 My companion is a good chef

Also, the step father of the Ardaya Familia (the recent converts) went a whole week without drinking alcohol.  There are many times in the day we we receive miracles, and I know a big part of it is from our families back home and your service, especially in the temple!  Saturday night, he started drinking again but none the less we are not giving up on him.  If you could remember him in your prayers this week that will bring miracles! We are working really hard with them to attend church with family Ardaya so that everyone in the family can enjoy the blessings of the gospel!

Also, my companion has helped me arrange a diet to lose weight! Right now I am about 157 and our goal is cut back on the wafs (these really yummy wafers) and chocolate milk for 3 weeks and to run everyday!  My companion sure is wise.

I love you all so very much, and I know the Jesus Christ lives and that the Book of Mormon is true!  It is so true and I love to read it everyday!  It is amazing to feel the difference in the day when we read the scriptures which have the word of God which is how the Lord created the earth through His word.  And God said let there be light, and there was light. His word is powerful, full of Love and is just for us so that we have the spiritual strength and light in our lives!

I hope you all have the best week and start of July!!

Love you son,

Elder Matheson