Week Full Of Blessings

Dear Family and Friends,

Thank you for all the birthday wishes and the money. It sure made me feel special. I am saving a lot of the money to buy souvenirs these last weeks, but I bought myself 2 new ties! Thanks for the music for my companion.

That is so great to hear the Avery is going on his mission. He is going to be great!

This week, my companion and I worked hard, and the Lord blessed us! Also, it was one of the best birthday weeks ever! The ward sure feed us well, and we ate some much!!

Friday morning I made pancakes for my companion and me.

For lunch Familia Rivera invited us over for Majadito and chocolate cake!!! It was so delicious. Hno. Rivero led his family singing and played the guitar!

He also sang us some fun ranchero songs. Hno. Rivera´s song made me laugh because it’s a man singing about how he wants a compañera (girl companion) I thought wow, that is so right. I hope my next companion is a compañera. No quiero mas compañeros. Haha!!!

Friday night we had an appointment to teach Familia Paco. We are teaching their daughter’s friends. After the lesson they surprised me with another chocolate cake! And it was really chocolate. It is like the 17 dollar cake from Costco. It was so good!

The cake!!!

Sunday Bishop invited us over for lunch. His family are such good people and truly live the gospel and are happy!



Marianela came to church all three hours this week. We have been visiting her with Familia Paco, and she really has been progressing and you can see the difference in her life. On Saturday, the spirit was very strong as we testified of the blessings that come from being baptized and receiving the holy spirit. We promised her that if she took this step of faith she will receive the peace and happiness she is looking for!

Familia Gallardo came to church again. We explained how to fast and this fast Sunday we are going to fast with them so they can receive an answer from God if they should be baptized!

I know this church is of Christ and that as we daily read the Book of Mormon we receive protection and strength from God. If you are having a rough day or if you need comfort or strength or guidance read the Book of Mormon and pray and you will see the difference!

Love,

Elder Matheson

Blessings!

Dear Mom and Dad, Family and Friends!

Thank you for the birthday wishes. They sure mean a lot to me! I know I would not be where I am if it wasn't for you and dad! Hna. Helen sometimes says that she really wants to meet you both because, ´´sus padres tiene que ser muy noble tambien´´ or your parents must be very noble or other honorable/good people, and I just smile and tell her that they are the best!

So one thing that really surprised me is that Hna. Rodriguez told me about a special conference with a 70 the 10th of September, and she asked if I could play the violin for the conference with 4 other missionaries. I told her of course! I am sure excited.

Familia Rivera let us borrow their violin, and I have been teaching my companion. My companion loves the violin, and I have been teaching him at night. He is so dedicated at practicing. Mom can you send me some of the first basic songs that are in the Suzuki book 1 or 2 like Lightly Row and Twinkle Little Star to help him learn more?

This week we have seen miracles.

Tuesday I got sick, I didn't throw up, but it was a tiny flu and cold, but now I am a lot better. The good thing about being sick is that you really appreciate being healthy!

Thursday, we had our Consejo de Lideres. Presidente taught us about the atonement of Jesus Christ. During his capacitacion (training) the room was full of the spirit and revelation.

President taught how satan argued that God's plan would have too many casualties and he argued the Jesus wouldn't be good enough to make a perfect atonement and that we would all be lost. So he proposed his plan. Not one soul of God's children would be lost if God gave satan his glory. Glory meaning power. With this power, satan could take away our agency and force us to do the right and govern us.

But thanks to our Heavenly Father and the example of Jesus Christ, we valiantly fought for the opportunity to come to this earth because we had faith in Christ. Christ came to the earth and atoned for our sins, and now again we must choose to have faith in Christ, that he really redeemed us from our sins! As we live the gospel, we will once again be able to return to our Heavenly Father.

This is just part of what I learned, but it was amazing. I know that our Heavenly Father and Savior, Jesus Christ live and love us!

Humberto and Sandy are doing so well. They went to church again. They really had many doubt about the doctrine of plural marriage but the Lord help us and we were able to explain the doctrine and testify how the Lord call prophets to guide us and will never permit his prophets to lead us astray. Humberto y Sandy want to be baptized but not until after they read all of the Book of Mormon. Please pray for them that they can read the Book of Mormon and have the faith to be baptized.

Anaí, Wilsen, Marianela, and Familia Espejo are progressing too! Marianela doesn´t have nurse training this Sunday so she said she would go to church! Please pray for them too!

Also, we found Rosario and her family. Her son just broke his shoulder and she has to pay for the operation. We talked to bishop, and yesterday the relief society ministered to her and brought her family food and they are going to do a fundraiser for her. She is a really amazing mother, and we are going to help her this week!

My companion and I. Today it is reallllllyyy coooolld.


29 Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

30 And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out.

Helaman 3:29-30 The power of daily scripture study

Love,

Elder Matheson

Adventures... 5 Weeks Of Miracles Left!

Dear Mom and Dad, Family & Friends,

Wow, the new pavement looks great at the house, and I am very glad that you enjoyed the candy from Bolivia. Bishop got back from the states this week and he gave me my candy and floss from you. The dental floss is a big blessing because all the floss down here is really stringy. Bishop told me he liked Emma a lot!

Dad (and everyone else) good job with the sprinklers!!

This week my companion and I worked really, really hard! Wow, Elder Abendaño is one of the hardest working companions I have had. My companion talks to everyone!! He is 20 years old and really likes basketball.

This week we have had some amazing miracles!

Sandy and Humberto are doing great. Sandy loves watching videos so we taught her how to use Mormon Canal and to look on youtube for the videos sud (lds videos). It turns out that this week they watched almost all the pioneer movies and missionary movies, including The Best Two Years.

Saturday we taught them about the Word of Wisdom, and of course their big doubt was about coffee. Michael, their friend from the ward, shared his testimony. He is from Colombia, and he explained how his family never drank coffee or used drugs in Colombia and of all the the Lord’s blessings they received. Sandy was really impressed and said, “You never ever drank coffee in Colombia? They have the best coffee!”

But the most special part of the lesson was when Sandy and Humberto explained that ever since they have received the missionaries they have stopped going to disco clubs to eat out and drink and they have gone without alcohol for 5 weeks and how they felt the church was true!

Please pray for them and that they will have the faith to be baptized the 25th!

Tuesday or Wednesday we were contacting about 5 blocks from the Cardenas family. The first couple of doors didn't receive us so we kept going, and then we saw a door and that we both looked at and then contacted it. Wilsen came out and greeted us. He told us that he would like to learn about God because his mother had passed away a couple of years ago. We gave him a folleto about the plan of salvation and testified that there is life after death.

We couldn't find him during the week, but Sunday night we passed by, and we briefly taught him about the how we all will be resurrected one day and that he could live with and see his mother again if he followed Jesus Christ. He teared up and expressed his sincere desire to come closer to God again, and he also accepted to be baptized September 8!

Yovana and her family are doing great! When I am with them, I feel like I am with my family. We are really trying to help Yovana to daily read the Book of Mormon.

Ananí, their cousin, just moved from Sucre to Santa Cruz and is going to live close to the Cardenas family. And get this, she was attending a evangelico church in Sucre but never got baptized and she pretty much told us that she wanted to be baptized!! Wow, we were a little dumb struck but invited her to church, and she came. She isn't married yet, but her husband his going to arrive this week and they plan to get married on the 20th. This family is golden.

Pray for them and for us that we can teach with the spirit!

Love Elder Matheson!

41 And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it. Mosiah 2:41

The gospel really blesses families and individuals.

 

My last agenda! Missionaries always like to call it their trunky agenda and put a lot of stuff about marriage, but I used the idea of Elder Huanacune and put all of my companions on it! Each companion is different and every single one of them helps me to progress and be more like Christ. 

Playing soccer as a zone. Elder Berges in mid flight.

After soccer we ate hamburgers. YUMMMY!

Transfers!!

Dear Mom and Dad and Family and Friends!

That is so awesome that you could meet up with my Bishop from Bolivia! He reminds me a lot of Bishop McCormick. He is a really good man.

Good job on the chocolate beet cake. That is really an ingenious idea. I forgot to mention that they eat a lot of boiled, salted beets here, and I have grown to like them.

This week I have shown our family photo we took before I left on my mission to a lot of members and investigadors. Here are some of their first comments:

1.) ´´Wow todos son chockitos!! (Wow, they all have brown hair.)

2.) ´´Ella es su mama, cuantos años tiene. No enserio tiene 52 ella parece mucho mas joven (Is this your mom? How old is she? She is in her 50s? I can't believe it; she looks a lot younger.)

3.) Usted parace mucho como su papa (You look a lot like your dad.)

Please tell Grandma and Grandpa Bourgeous and Grandma Matheson hello for me!

This week has been full of adventures.

On Thursday we had a zone conference with Zona Central (our zone), Zona La Pampa, and Zona La Merced. Presidente taught us about the importance of the Book of Mormon and how it is so important that we study the Book of Mormon daily in our lives. That is the key to conversion because if members, converts, and investigadores learn to daily study the Book of Mormon, by diligent study of the scriptures, they receive the holy spirit and they will stay converted. Because some day the missionaries will leave, or they will move to a different ward and not have friends, or they will face trials, but as they daily study the scriptures they will receive the spirit and remain converted.

As zone leaders we had 30 minutes to capacitate our zone.

Saturday Yovanna was Baptized!!



Saturday morning it rained and rained and rained. All the streets were flooded and it was cooollld. Nonetheless, Yovanna and her family showed up and the members we had invited, and she was baptized. My companion baptized her, and Sunday I confirmed her!



Also, Sunday family Gallardo came to church! This is the third time they have come!

As for the transfers, My new companion is Elder Abendaño. He is 20 years old and is from Quito, Ecuador. I get to train him to be a zone leader! Also, Elder Huanacune is staying with us in trio until Saturday, and then he will go with a member to visit converts and will go home next Tuesday. So this week is going to be very interesting. I have never been in a trio before.

Highlight from my Personal Study this morning:

14Therefore, my son, see that you are merciful unto your brethren; deal justly, judge righteously, and do good continually; and if ye do all these things then shall ye receive your reward ; yea, ye shall have mercy restored unto you again; ye shall have justice restored unto you again; ye shall...

15For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored; therefore, the word restoration more fully condemneth the sinner, and justifieth him not at all.

Alma 41:14-15

I learned that it is important that we are kind, that we forgive, that we serve and that we love others, for what we say and do in this life is who we will become in the resurrection.

Love,

Elder Matheson