Cambios y Fuerte 2

June 5, 2017

Dear Mom and Dad and my amazing family and friends!  

This week has been amazing, and I had 4 baptisms!  But before I get to that, I will try and explain all the amazing changes this week.

So first off Tuesday was Elder Alvarado's last day with me. And to start the day off we had a Zone conference.  I know that Presidente Rodriguez is called of God.  During this conference he told us we are fisherman and just like a fisherman who loves to fish we need to love to preach the gospel.  In the conference he focused on how we could use our time better, and one big change in our new daily schedule is that now we wake up at 7:00 a.m. instead of 6:30, and we now have to be back to the house by 10:00 p.m. instead of 9:30 and wait for it... we need to go to bed by 11:00.  It feels kind weird to have permission to stay up til 11:00 p.m. in the mission, but what this new schedule is doing is bumping everything back thirty minutes so that we can have more time to proselyte in the night when the dads are in their homes and in just these thirty minutes more in the night we have been able to teach so many more people.

Alright as for the baptisms, Wednesday Elder Alvarado went with the other elders of his group to visit recent converts, and I went with my new Zone leader,  Elder Hoffman from Bountiful, Utah on an intercambio because his campanion is ending his mission too with Elder Alvarado.  This day in Elder Hoffman’s ward he had a baptism so I got to help him clean the chapel, heat the baptism water with these electrical heaters that you plug into the wall and then insert into the water, and then see the baptism.  The service was amazing and the mother of Sister Sixta who was baptized is 97 years old and sealed in the temple. To end the baptismal service, she gave her testimony of how she has been waiting so long for her daughter to accept the gospel. As she gave her testimony in her hunched over and very worn body, it was amazing to feel the strength and power of her testimony as the spirit filled the room. I learned from Elder Hoffman that Sister Sixta wasn´t progressing for some time until she really started to read the Book of Mormon and found that this book supports the Bible and in reality is another testament of Jesus Christ.  As her testimony grew of this book and as she felt the spirit more and more, she made the decision to be baptized.  The service was beautiful!

That night I stayed with the secretaries, and they bought us Papa John’s pizza.  It was delicious!

Thursday,  I met my new companion.  His name is Elder Mazariegos, and he is from Guatemala (the only missionary along with Elder Lozano my friend from Mexico) who is from Central America.  My companion is so amazing and loving.  Through his own study he has taught himself English and is helping me so much learn Spanish.  Also, he is very obedient, and we get along very well.  I have learned so much from him in just this week, and I can wait to see the miracles that will come in this transfer.  

Also, my new Barrio or ward is la Fuerte.  It is really funny, this ward is in another stake de Barrio Piari y Fortaleza but it is right next to Fortaleza where the other Elders of our ward were serving.  The streets are full of sand and dirt and there are tons of trees and the people are so humble and ready to receive the gospel.  It is really quite humbling to go from Barrio Piari where some houses of investigadores had elevadores and was all pavement to this new area where some house are solely made out of tin roofing and bricks.  But it is amazing to see how these people, who all though they do not have much in comforts of the world, are so much willing to accept the gospel.

Also in our house, there are two other Elders - Elder Marcado from Ecuador and Elder Flores from Chile.  Grandma Matheson, in my house there is an Elder from every county that you and grandpa served in!  Elder Flores is a master of the acoustic guitar and Elder Marciedo is the only convert in his whole family.  I love our house so much and the Elders who are there.  We don’t have an oven (just an electric grill for frying pans and pots) to make cookies but we each have our own bathroom. Wow!!!  Mom do you think I could cook cookies one at a time in a frying pan?  I think I might try it!

Our new home

 

But this week, Elder Mazariegos and I had a baptism Saturday of Ronald.  For this baptism we sang When I am Baptized in the primary song book, and Elder Lay who was Elder Marzariegos old companion came and baptized Ronald.

Then Sunday Ronald was confirmed and also familia Ardaya who was baptized to weeks ago but couldn’t attend church because that Sunday Hna Ardaya had her baby.  Any way this Sunday they where confirmed, and I had the opportunity for the first time in my mission to confirm Hno Ardaya.  It was such an amazing experience to be able to use the priesthood of God, and with the help of my companion and the Lord the words came out of my mouth in Spanish.  

 

Also after their confirmation, Familia Ardaya´s two children were blessed in the church.  Wow, it was such an amazing sacrament meeting.  I know that this church is so true and that it is lead by Jesus Christ through His prophets and that we have the authority to baptize and confer the holy ghost through the laying on of hands!

Here is the letter from the assistants to the Presidente of the recent converts this week.

Los Discípulos ya Convertidos de esta semana son:

Sixta Meneses Cuellar [Roca y Coronado She is from the ward of our Zone leaders who I helped them with the baptism Wednesday] Familia Ardaya Méndez (José Luis Ardaya Paz y Maria Isabel Mendez Pereira), Ronald Miranda [El Fuerte] our Barrio or ward.  Wahoo! Viviana Ayala Noe [Guapilo] Ismael Ortea Povil, Rachell Ortea Povil [La Cañada] Abel Victor Aleaga Piluy, Robert Alexander Soliz Aguilera [Lucero] Aylin Mendoza [Fortaleza] Kevin Galarza [Nuevo Mundo] Kevin Fernandez [Suarez] Fam. Dorado (Gisela y Daniel) [Cupesí] Milen Garcia [San Bernardo] Rudey Margarita Romero [Rosedal] Luis Javier Fernandez [Tarijeños] Gustavo Otondo y Luis Mamani [Progreso] Carlos Camacho [Alianza] Alex Javier Videz Romero [Senac] Luis Alberto Guerrero Farfan [Panamericano] Paola Garzon Ramos, Luis Alexander Silvestre, Luis Rodrigo Flores Silvestre [4 de Julio] Indira Flores Condori [Tabladita] Gabriela Alejandra Vaca Olguin [Puerto Suárez]

Thank you so much for all your prayers and support which are bringing miracles from Heaven here to Bolivia.

Dad Feliz Cumpleaños!!  I am sending a big hug, 1 hour long back tickle, and some Bolivian ice cream your way dad.  I love you so much dad, and I am so grateful for all that you have done to prepare me to serve this mission and also for your example.  You are the best father for me dad and one of my heroes.  With each of my companions, I love sharing your mission stories and also war stories when we get discouraged or when we need encouragement, especially the one of Walish Marsh and the sister who lived in the trailer who was looking for the Book of Mormon. Thank you for being my father and for blessing our family so much with the priesthood and your inspired direction. I hope you have the best Birthday dad.

Love, 

Matthew...Elder Matheson

Area Changes

May 29, 2017

Dear Mom and Dad and my wonderful family and friends,

The dinner picture was yesterday dinner with family Rojo and the pictures of the bakery was this morning with Hermano Andreas.  He is the 2nd counselor in our ward, and his job is to make different types of bread such as empanadas, tortillas with sugar and cheese,  and pan con ariena, which is my favorite.  It is this really moist bread that has a sugar flour mixture on top.  I got the recipe and will try and send it to you mom and dad.  You would have loved it this morning. 

Familia Rojo

Working At The Bakery

 

 

 

 

Wow, this week was full of adventures.

One big change is that our area is being closed and the Hermanas in our ward are now going to have both our area and theirs.  The reason is that there are less missionaries in the mission to maintain all the areas and my compañion just like cousin Brandon is going to finish his mission this Thursday so Wednesday I will receive a new compañion and a new area.  

I sure am grateful for this time in this area.  The members and people are so amazing and our house and oven are pretty great too.  This week I tried Aunt Peggy’s cookies!  They turned out great and familia Rojo and familia Justiana both liked them as well as my compañion.  But I learned not to cook the cookies for 15 minutes or else they might appear to be done but on the inside will be very crunchy.  But with chocolate milk they are still good.  Thank you for the cookbook mom.  It was one of the best gifts, and I love sharing it will others.

Also,  yesterday,  I called Elder Barazoto and learned that this past Saturday, Manfred Mendosa (Manfred Mendoza [Fortaleza] Armando Gonzales de la Jaille [Piraí] -found in the weekly letter from the assistants of those baptized) was baptized and that he got to perform the ordinance.  Wow, Elder Barazoto is such an amazing elder and friend.  Also, in our ward, the Hermana’s investigator, Hermando, was baptized by my compañion.  The service was wonderful, and I even got to borrow a member’s violin and play Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.  I didn’t have music at first but Heavenly Father helped me remember the tune and jot it down on some lined paper really fast so that I could play for the baptism. It is so amazing as a missionary a lot of times you don’t know what to do or how to solve a problem, but if you just think and pray, the answer always quietly comes to your mind.  I know the Lord answers and hears our prayers.

Trials Help Us Grow!

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was hard and wonderful.  Me and my compañero were having a few difficulties and disagreements because sometimes our personalities are really different, and I still haven’t mastered Spanish yet.  But within in these trials there were so many blessings.

One thing I have learned it that a lot of times Heavenly Father will not give you a companion who is exactly like you because then you would never learn and grow.  Elder Alvarado is really direct, and at the first my feelings got hurt a lot, but it has been amazing to see that during this time with him I have learned to communicate with clarity my ideas and not let little things hurt my feelings but to keep going.  Elder Alvarado also has sure helped me learn how to teach the restored gospel direct.  Sometimes when the people would reject our message I would just say muchas gracias and walk away, but wow with Elder Alvarado I have learn to be bold and declare repentance and the gospel regardless of if the people reject you.  This week, we knocked on a door of a man and he told us that he had his religion and didn’t want to talk to us.  Well we persisted and testified to him of the Book of Mormon and how this book is the word of God and is true.  It is so true.  He still rejected us and I was sad because the Book of Mormon has been a source of love and counsel with my Heavenly Father when I have difficulties, discouragements, or sicknesses and this man rejected this truth. But I know Heavenly Father loves each of his children, and I have faith that in another day the missionaries will knock his door again and he will receive this joyous message that Jesus Christ lives and again just like in times of old he communicates and guides His church through a prophet and 12 apostles and that He has given us convincing evidence that this message is true which is the Book of Mormon.  And if we read this book, ponder its teachings and ask God he will let us know that this book contains his words of healing and love for each of his children!

Wow, I sure invite you all to read the Book of Mormon everyday for this book contains power and as we hold to the teaching of this book and the Bible just like an iron rod, Satan can never overcome us with his tentaciones and his fiery darts or his lies or his feelings of inadequacy.

Also, one experience that was really funny was that we left the house in the rain and we were trying to catch a micro.  I crossed one lane of traffic and was waiting for the other cars to pass, but I didn’t look in front of me at the 4 or 5 inches of water that was in front of me.  Well the traffic passed, especially a big truck and it was just like in the splash zone of a water park.  

Gosh, I got soaked!  But the blessing was I had my windbreaker on so only my pants got soaked.  SO if you are in Bolivia in the rain watch out for the 

This past week it has rained through the whole week and I have been using all the rain and winter gear you sent with me. 

I had a Companionship exchange with Elder Moore from Utah.  He came to Bolivia in the same group as Elder Barazoto and his testimony is amazing and he is so fun.  One thing I learned from him is it is important to have fun preaching the restored gospel.  One way to celebrate a successful day where we found 5 new investigadores was to buy salteñas.  Wow it was delicious and sure felt good.  

For our  Zone activity.  We ate a KFC.  It was good! 

 

Wow, I sure love you and I hope you have the best week.

Love your son,

Elder Matheson,

Extra... Info Shared During The  Mother's Day Skype Call on May 14th:

The weather in Bolivia is now really rainy and cold.

Elder Matheson learned he is going to be an uncle in September 2017!

The Spanish language…it’s coming but it sure is humbling…oh man!  I am starting to understand all the Spanish pop songs that play in the micros and around town.

In my new area all the streets are paved in cobble stones and all the people are super nice.  The members are really great and are helping us out a lot. Where I used to live there were lots of dirt roads.  Now we don’t have to polish our shoes as much. 

This is what a typical day is like:

We wake up at 6:30 a.m. pray, then usually have to go to the bathroom really bad. (I am getting used to having diarrhea.  It’s kind of a constant.)  Then we exercise for 30 minutes.  Next, one of us showers and the other eats.  For breakfast we have been eating plain oatmeal mixed with chocolate milk.  It’s really good. We start our studies at about 8 a.m.  Personal study is the best.   My testimony has grown so much.  Then we plan and do companionship study then 30 minutes of Spanish language training.  At 10:30 or 11 a.m. we go out contacting until lunch – almuerzo.  The food here is the perfect food...lots of flavor but not too spicy.  They have 2,000 different types of soup. After lunch, we are really tired, but we go straight out and start contacting again. We talk to a lot of people walking in the streets.  We teach into the evening.  Usually we don’t eat dinner but we buy a loaf of bread for about 10 cents at the tiny stores located on almost every street corner. Sometime members will give us lots of soda or we might buy an empanada.  We return to our house around 9 p.m., write in our journals, and get ready for bed.

Everyone here believes in Christ, which is really awesome.  The hard thing is in helping them know about the restoration and the importance of having the restored gospel. 

We live in our area this time and there are tons of streets and not a lot of dogs in this area.  It’s really nice.  We used to get tons of street dogs chasing us but we used our scripture cases for protection.  The dogs would get really close but they never bit us.  Elder Barazoto got nipped once. 

Here there are 4 missionaries for each ward and 2 areas per ward. 

The Bolivian hour here is usually about 45 minutes to 1 hour late.  A lot of times when we go to an appointment people are usually 45 minutes late or they are not there.  But they are really nice.  

The ice cream here is a little bit different. It’s good, but it just tastes really different in Bolivia.    Also milk is sold in little bags.

  

The clouds here move so fast, and it is so beautiful.  There are no mountains where I live.

At church Elder Alvarado conducts the music, and I play the piano for sacrament meeting.  If I don’t know the hymn, it’s a good right hander.  A lot of times in the Forteleza ward I played too.

There are native tribes here from Quechua and Guarani  I am picking up some of those languages and a little Portuguese.  But I am still learning my Spanish.

In our area in Santa Cruz we have a man and his wife who washes for all the missionaries, but in all the other areas of our mission the missionaries wash their clothes by hand.  So probably soon I will wash my clothes by hand.

I think one reasons we go on missions is so we learn how important families are because I sure love my family.  

I want to let you know that I know this gospel is true and that Jesus Christ lives.  It has been the best. The mission has been the hardest thing but I have learned so, so much.  But the thing I have learned most is how blessed I am to have such a wonderful mom, and such wonderful sisters, and brother-in-laws (and a sister-in-law), and such a wonder dad, and brother and grandparents, and I love you all so much.  I think one reason why we go away for 2 years is so we learn to appreciate the blessings that we have been given.  I sure know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is true.  That has become my best friend.  Sometimes when I don’t understand the people here or just getting along with your companions is a challenge just reading the Book of Mormon it sure has helped me.  I want you to know that I love you mom and I hope you have the best mothers day and I am so grateful for you as my mom.  In my patriarchal blessing it says you have been blessed with a mother who knows her calling and I know that is so true and also a dad who honors his priesthood and also such wonderful siblings. Jason I look up to you too so much and your service. And Sarah, whenever I get sick or whenever it gets hard, I think of your example.  I have the best sisters I love you so much.  And Mary how to relate with people and to always be so happy.  And Cameron to be calm and sure in everything and how you have been taking care of Sarah… thank you so much.  Just all your examples and Grandma I remember your prayers… patience my child.  Sometimes I sure feel like that.  I just love you so much.  I can’t wait to eat some ice cream with you in a year and a half.

Thank you so so much for all your prayers and all your help.

The gospel makes so much sense… it make so much sense.

 
 

 

Happy Mother's Day - FELIZ DIA DE MADRE!

Dear Mom and Dad and my wonderful family and friends!  

It was such a blessing to be able to talk to and hear you all.  Wow, that was the best rejuvenation. Mom,  Grandma Matheson, and Grandma Polly and all the amazing mothers,  HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY O FELIZ DIA DE MADRE.

Truly motherly love is one of the closest things to the eternal love of our Heavenly Father.  As I told you yesterday, I always thought cross country and my senior year of high school was the hardest thing I have ever done, but wow, truthfully, serving a mission is the hardest thing I have ever done, but as you explained dad, we are in rocket ship mode and my testimony of families and the principles of the gospel has grown so much.  One of the biggest tactics that satan uses here to destroy families is the law of chastity and not having parents married because it is so much easier for satan to break families and tempt them with sexual sin who are not married and then sealed in the temple.

This Thursday, we had the baptism of Hermana Etelvina Escobar, and right before the baptism she and her husband were legally married and completed their last requirement for Hermana Escobar to be baptized, which was keeping the law of chastity.  The words, ´´I now pronounce you Marco Escobar and you Etelvina legally married under the laws of Bolivia´´ filled my heart with joy!!  

The ring ceremony

Elder Barazoto and Elder Matheson...Wow, the work of 6 months paid off!

The wedding certificate

Right before the baptism with Hermana Escobar outside the baptismal font

Right after this, everyone who was present went straight to the baptismal font where it was such a blessing for me to be able to baptize Hermana Escobar.  Right after the baptism as we were walking up the steps, I asked her how she felt, and she said I feel so clean with an amazing smile.  Then her husband greeted her at the bottom of the stairs with Kayla, their daughter, in his hands.  They were so a happy, and I can’t wait to see this joy become eternal in one year when they can enter the temple.

Wow, I know Heavenly Father has a perfect plan of happiness for each of his children, and I am so grateful for my beloved mother and my grandmothers who have taught me this plan. 

Mom and dad and everyone, I love you so much, and I am so grateful for your love and support!

Love,

Elder Matheson

 

​Hermano Izzac left and Hermano Miguel right were the two witnesses

​A view of Bolivia yesterday with the rain!  It sure is beautiful and chilly.  I love it so much!

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