Adventures and Blessings

Dear Family and Friends,

The temple is dedicated!!!!! Yesterday, I was watching the clock to try and calculate when the dedication was going on.  I saw a little bit of it today online at lds.org and it looked amazing. Dad in the dedication they sang High On The Mountain Top!!  Also, did you get to attend in the temple because you are temple workers?  Thank you mom for sending the music and songs and also the Christmas package.  I got it this week, and I love the music and the cards and the booklet about the temple.  My companion really liked his stocking.  He is saving his for Christmas, and I am doing the same with the packages.

Also this Thursday we had Consejo de Lideres with President and Sister Rodrigues.  It is where the zone leaders and sister capacitadores (not quite sure what it is called in English but the experienced sisters) all meet together to receive instruction how we can be better leaders and serve those in our zone.

It was such an amazing experience.  I can testify the President Rodriguez is called of God and that he really loves us. I felt so much of the Savior’s love for me through him.  During the meeting he went over all the attributes of Christ, and he taught us that the two reasons we serve missions are to preach repentance and baptize converts and to become like the Savior, Jesus Christ.

He taught me that in the mission and this life is all about progression.  As we repent and keep following Christ and trying to become like He is we change.  He taught us that the end of this life and into the next those who have been refined into celestial beings will enter the Lord’s kingdom, and those who have not become like Christ will not.  But that the important thing is that we have progress.  That even though we are so far from becoming like Christ, we acknowledge our progress and we continue to become like him.  Mom and dad, I am so grateful to serve a mission because I have changed.  I still got a lot to improve, but this time with Elder Harris has been like heaven, and I am being a better companion and leader.  Elder Harris sure is teaching me to lose myself in the service of others or in our zone!

Also in the consejo we talked about skyping our families and we got permission to skype for 1 hour this Christmas and then to write for 2.  Wow, what a blessing.  I was thinking about calling at 6 or 7 Monday night.  Would the time work for you?

Also, this week, we had a miracle.  We had received a reference named Alan Moran, and we called him Friday and set up an appointment with him Sunday.  This Sunday in the morning (our church is at 2) we went to his house, and he was there!  He is 23 years old and lives with and helps his single mom, and he wanted to learn more about the church because he has a friend in the university who is a member.  He said she always has a special light and she doesn't party and drink, and he really wanted to have the light.  In the leccion we taught him about baptism and he is open to being baptized if he feels these things are true.  What a miracle.

Also, this week we are going to have 3 baptisms - one of a girl named Anna (13), Dulce(9), and Fernanda(8).  If you can pray for them.  Also, Ariel is having a hard time - if you will pray for him and his wife Angie too.!!

Thank you so much!

I just love this new area and my companion and our house.  We have been so blessed!

Love,

Elder Matheson

This week, Intercambios with Elder Mortensen.  He is from the same group as Elder Hansen and is from Utah!

 

 

 

 

 

 

​Last Monday my companion and I made chocolate chip cookies with Olga. They were delicious!

 

​Hna. Olga made us homemade American apple pie.  She is grandma!  We love her so much!