January 21, 2014

HEY! I apologize for the late e-mail. Yesterday was national black day- I mean Martin Luther King Junior Day, and we had to go out and work. It's only a big deal here in the south apparently. To celebrate, My companion and I got some fried chicken.

 

Sooo this last week... has been nothing but knocking on doors. Every time we get a new investigator they fall through the cracks or we can never get back in contact with them. Pretty uneventful, so this e-mail might be short like last week, so I apologize.

 

The weather here is very... stupid. Although I don't miss the miserable cold of Utah, I do miss the CONSTANT miserable cold. Here everything is unpredictable. One day it's just kinda cold, then the next it's cold AND rainy. Then sunny 4 hours later. Then the next day is like 10 degrees and yesterday was 75! It's crazy! but I did enjoy the sunny september weather in January. Apparently it's supposed to drop 40 degrees and snow today, so yeah I kinda hate it.

 

Luckily we do have two very promising investigators. Tedarreus Ezekiel and Bill Tucker.

 

Tedarreus: About 3 weeks ago we were trying to find an investigator E.L. (Elder Leishman) was teaching before I came. He dropped off the face of the planet, so we went next door where some guys were hanging out. One of those guys was Tedarreus (TD is his nick-name). We talked to them about the restoration, and TD expressed a lot of worry about some religions that say there are only a certain amount of people that can be saved. We have been meeting with him pretty much all week, and he just soaks everything up like a sponge. No arguement, just "Oh I didn't know that before". He loves talking to us and he says he's been more positive and happy since we've been meeting with him. He already knows he has to stop smoking and we haven't even mentioned the word of wisdom. He came to church with us this last Sunday, absolutely loved it (all the talks seemed to be things he needed to hear), and we've scheduled for him to be baptized on Feb. 8th. Hopefully everything will work out.

 

Bill: Bill is an old man that used to be in the army. He's come to church with a very close friend of his in the ward, and he knows a little about us through him. We've only just started talking to him, but he's very promising. He says everything we teach is similar to the standards he already holds that he learned from serving his country. He's scheduled for Feb 15th.

 

Please pray for these gentleman. Not only does the church need them but they need the church. Pray for their needs. Even though you may not know their needs, the spirit does.

With Love,

Elder Matthew Gardner

Janurary 13, 2014

This week was actually pretty uneventful, so I apologize if it's short. A lot of this week was filled with meetings. There was a trainer/trainee meeting on Teusday, a zone meeting on Friday, and then there's zone conference this coming week. Also on the days when we had a bunch of appointments lined up, usually only one or two would keep it. Very disappointing, but at least we did some good tracting.

A lot of our week was also hindered by the rain. For two days in a row it was just straight up pouring rain. Thunder, lightning, the whole deal. It literally rained 3 inches! Gutters and some streets even flooding with rivers of 3 inch deep water. And everyone carried on just the same, no biggy. Now that the rain is gone of course it's back to October weather on the Utah scale, so the 'natives' have coats on while I'm strutting around with a short-sleeved shirt. Back to the subject at hand, rain. This week was fortunately bike week, so yeah all in all I may never get dry again. By word of the white handbook, we're not allowed to ride our bikes in harsh conditions, and Elder Leishman and I both agreed that rain that literally hurt as it fell was pretty harsh. So we were home for a good portion of the week, but we weren't completely useless! We called a bunch of people we had saved in our phone, treating them like former investigators, and we cleaned. We cleaned and even did a bit of re-decorating, in preparation for our carpets going to be cleaned later this week. I like having a clean apartment, it eases my soul.

I have been very stressed this last week, even to the point where I thought, "maybe I wasn't ready to come on a mission". I knew that wasn't my thought nor was it from The Lord. I talked to my mission president, and he showed me a lovely booklet called "adjusting to missionary life", or should be more appropriately titled "hey if you're stressed read this and then you won't be". I am pleased to say I feel a lot better, aside from the usual stress and loneliness, and it's all thanks to some good old fashioned cleaning and organizing. Again I apologize if it's short, I'll try to make it up next week!

-Elder Matthew Gardner

John 15:15

January 6, 2014

Happy New Years! This week unfortunately marks the end of the "holiday season", and winter turns from magical and wonderful to just cold. Although it hasn't snowed here yet, it has been raining off and on for pretty much the past week and a half, and when it rains, it pours. Apparently we're not allowed to proselyte on New Years Eve, probably because of all the drunk people out there. Remember that true happiness comes from living Christ-like, not wasting your time, money, and brain cells on worldly things (but I hope maybe you got some good videos!). So New Years Eve we spent the night at the same home we spent Christmas in. Brother Terry, who served a mission in Korea, made some really delicious but also really spicy food. On the topic of food however, the weirdest thing I've eaten so far has been updated from a really strange Honduran soup to...(drum roll please)... Fried chicken livers! Yeah they were pretty gross.

I'm very grateful for the members here. They try so hard to get us fed every week and we're trying to get them excited about helping us missionaries, by referring us to their friends and such who need to hear the gospel. On the topic of missionary work, our long search sorting through former investigators has brought forth fruit! We've come across 3 different households that for one reason or another have been "dropped" by missionaries in the past, and I'm excited to say that the seed of faith planted back then has been sparked back to life.

Cathy and Ronicka Little: A mother and daughter living by themselves in some really nice apartments on the edge of town. Ronicka opened the door and was so excited to see us, saying that it's been a couple of years since missionaries have visited. They read the Book of Mormon together whenever they're home together, and we set up a return appointment with them tonight. Ronicka is even inviting a couple of her non-member friends to listen in.

Douglas Dorsette: Douglas is a single father with two sons, Doug and Zion. My companion Elder Leishman found him while I was on exchange with the zone leaders, so Elder Stone was there to meet Douglas. Douglas was also excited to see them, and said he only had one concern since missionaries have spoken to him in the past. He was confused about what happens when we die, and the difference between Heaven and Hell. Elder Stone reassured him of the most important doctrine we teach, that our Heavenly Father loves us. Because of the great love He has for us, why would he create a place for us to burn for all eternity? The real "suffering" comes from not living up to the standards placed before us. That answer was very sufficient for Douglas and we've begun to teach him again. He came to church yesterday and has quite a few friends already, mostly because he's come to church a lot in the past. He feels the spirit strongly, and he knows where he needs to be, he just needs to get there.

The Marchaina family: A family we found last night. The mother was so excited to see us as well. She said she wants nothing more than to follow the example of her son, Michael, who since the missionaries have come has been baptized, comes to church every week, and is planning on serving a mission very soon. He should come to our ward, but doesn't because some boys picked on him in the past. It's a good thing he only switched wards instead of leaving the church, but we'll need to fix that issue. Anyway, the mother reads the Book of Mormon as often as she can, and she knows with a surety that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the BofM is true, but won't get baptized without her husband's support. Her husband is catholic, but has also been reading the BofM, and likes it, but has just a few concerns that I'm sure meeting with him a couple of times won't clear up.

So all in all it's been a really good week, however I'm starting to dislike my companion a lot. Keep us in your prayers. 'Til next week,

Elder Matthew Gardner

1John 1:4

December 30, 2013

It hasn't been a very good week for missionary work. We have very few investigators as is, and they haven't been home. For now all we're doing is finding former investigators previous missionaries have stopped seeing and asking if they're still interested. Part of that process includes converting ALL the teaching records into the iPad! Maybe all of this footwork will pay off for future missionaries. We've come across our fair share of ministers and preachers from different churches. It's funny because we will talk them in circles and make them contradict themselves, all the while they think they're teaching us. We have had the opportunity to strengthen our relationships with the members and teach some less-active members during all of this.

Christmas! We spent Christmas day in a member's home, Brother and Sister Terry. There were a lot of other members and a lot of food as well! We also got a lot of gifts from members (food, toilet paper, socks, etc.), which to be honest I felt kind of undeserving of. I've only been here for two weeks and haven't really added to the work yet! All-in-all it was a very good Christmas. I did Skype my family, and it was good to see them! There certainly isn't as much snow down here than there is back home... because it hasn't snowed here. It does rain though, and when it rains it pours.

A lot of things are reminding me of home this week, while we're on the subject. Sometimes I'll hear a laugh that kind of resembles my mom's laugh. I saw a license plate with my house number on it. Some guy at church even wore the exact same sponge-bob tie my younger brother Alex has. It's hard, but I'm grateful I left around Christmas. This time of year is probably the hardest to be away for some missionaries, myself included. I'm glad I'm getting through it at first!

Now I'll share some spiritual experiences. I've had the opportunity quite a few times on my mission to give a priesthood blessing to someone who needs it. We stopped by a recent convert's home (bro. and sis. Whitaker), and talk with them. Brother Whitaker has some bad health problems and he accepted happily Elder Leishman's offer to give him a blessing. Brother Cunningham was with us, and he anointed the oil, and I gave the blessing. Elder Leishman asked me to do it without any notice, after the oil was done. That true inspiration comes without any premeditation, like it says somewhere in Mark about opening your mouth and the spirit not confounding you or something like that. 

My cousin, Kimball, came home literally the day I left. He sent me some of his missionary stuff this past week. An old little book of mormon that has been passed around between 3 missionaries now (including me!), that I will always carry with me. His old missionary handbook, which he marked up all over the place. A talk David A. Bednar gave at the MTC about becoming a "Preach My Gospel Missionary". and his old name plate (although it's in spanish). I'm so grateful for these and other tools we have to be effective missionaries. Thank you Kimball. Just because you're home now doesn't mean you have to stop doing what you love and spreading the gospel!

'Til next week,

Elder Matthew B Gardner

1 John 1:4