Summer Fun!!

This week went really well :) We were incredibly busy working, visiting people, and then having to call other missionaries and doing other planning and stuff at night that I haven't even written anything in my journal for the past week or two! I feel really bad about that though and I know I'm going to regret it when I want to look back on it all...I should probably repent and start writing more again, ha-ha. This past week was really, really busy though. We had to do two exchanges with a few missionaries and then we were just running all over visiting everyone we have to teach. It's always way fun and the best feeling ever when you get home exhausted because you know that you've been working hard and doing the work of the Lord and seeing His hand in the work. But on the other hand, sometimes it's nice to have a little break, ha-ha. That's why preparation days are sooooo great. You can sit back for a little and relax :) Today I'm not even sure what we're going to do...and then next week we have yet another meeting which means we'll be losing our preparation day. But this past week I actually missed church in my ward! That never happens! I missed it because we had a "special" exchange that we did with the Elders in another area on Saturday and Sunday. It went well and I learned a lot and I hope that the other Elders learned a lot as well. Investigator-wise we're doing pretty well. We have some really great people whom we're teaching still and a few who can be baptized soon...but they just need to realize it, ha-ha. Sometimes they just lack something and sometimes we have to try to help them realize what it is that they are missing. Sometimes they're just scared to make a change in their life. But when they do finally do it, it's the best feeling because you know that it'll help them forever. And not just them but also their families :) Missionary work is the absolute best thing that anyone can do. So for those of you at home who actually read this, I invite you to try it out. And I promise you that if you do so, you will get to taste a little bit of what we go through every day out here :)

On Saturday we had an activity in the ward and we had a few investigators come which was really exciting. We had a little hike activity where we applied things to the vision of the tree of life that Lehi had and it was actually pretty fun. We hiked up a mountain/big hill thing to an old castle ruin and my companion & I, as part of the planned activity, brought a tonnnn of water balloons and we ran ahead to the castle and set up our little attack station, and as the youth and leaders were hiking up we just starting throwing the balloons at them, ha-ha. It was great! The point was to help them to see that even though they were really, really close to their goal, that there would still be some sort of "opposition". Luckily it was a warm day and the water felt good, ha-ha. But later as we hiked down, they all decided to gang up on the missionaries and pour cold water on us. But overall, it turned out well. I got a bit of sunburn too actually, ha-ha. But now it's just dark. Elder Call on the other hand looked like a tomato ha-ha-ha! He's still a bit red but doing better now. Lesson learned: sunscreen :).

This next week we have zone conference. It's the last one that President Hinckley will be at here in our mission and then on the 30th he and his wife go back home and we get a new mission president :( It's a little sad to see them leave but I can't say I didn't know it was coming. I guess it's the same about the mission. It has a beginning and an end. But luckily I haven't had to think about that a lot, ha-ha. I gotta go now but love you a lot and miss you too! Let you know how things go next week :)

Hello!!!

I'm not exactly sure where to start, ha-ha. There's always so much that happens and goes on that it's literally impossible to write it all down. Even the "most important" stuff doesn't even fit!;) But this past week was overall good :) We took a little dip in some stuff and it didn't turn out as we had planned but it still went well and I have no reason to complain.:) This past Monday we had a meeting in the mission home so we didn't really have a preparation day at all. Just enough time to write the family and to president but after that we went right to the meeting. So that means that we didn't exactly have a lot of food in our fridge, ha-ha. But we finally managed to take some time out of our mid-day lunch/study time that we have every day to go grab some stuff to hold us over until today. The members and investigators here treat us wayyyyy too well and we've had a ton of eating visits and we have a lot next week as well which should be great :). I always enjoy a good meal prepared by someone else, ha-ha. Plus, we get to teach them and then invite them to keep working hard with sharing the gospel with their friends. And they do a really good job at it. So things have been rolling along nicely :)

Yesterday in church it was really, really hot in the meetings and everyone was complaining about it and I was sweating quite a bit in my suit. Well, it turns out that someone had put the heat on instead of the AC! The little control panel for the central air is in English and instead of asking someone who knew English what the panel said, someone just decided to guess and turn on the heat, ha-ha. That was a brutal three hours to say the least. But it was a good day. We had one of our investigators finally come to church today, which was so good. He really liked it and the other members his age really took him in and helped him out which was great to see. He's actually getting ready to be baptized on the 30th of this month and he's looking pretty excited for it. And so are we of course, ha-ha.

Elder Call and I are getting along great and working hard together. We set a goal to talk to as many families that we see as possible to share the gospel message with them and we've seen tons of success from that. We've gotten so many people's number and address and they said that we can pass by and visit to share more, which is really exciting. The only problem is that we have so many that we have to keep track of them all now! Ha-ha. But that's a good problem to have.:) It shows that you have a lot of work and a lot of good things happening in the area.

The summer heat is finally here and there isn't a day that we don't work up a decent sweat. At first I was not looking forward to it at all but now I've just gotten used to it and it's pretty normal. It's just the first little while that takes some getting used to, ha-ha.

Overall, it was a really good week :) It definitely didn't turn out as planned and wasn't as fruitful as we had hoped but I know that as we continue to work hard, the Lord will bless us and guide us to His children who are prepared to receive the restored gospel. This work is incredible and I'd never trade it for anything in the world! I love you all and talk to you next week!

June!!

Baptism of Carolina & Margarita with their parents & Elder Call

Hello everyone!! I am so happy and excited right now :) Things continue to go incredibly well out here and I'm just constantly amazed at how the Lord truly prepares His children to receive our message, and how He leads us to them or them to us. This past week we saw just another example of that. We got a phone call from the mission office and they told us that they had a reference from the church website of a man who had been looking for the church here in Badalona for about a month or so, and we finally got his contact info and so we called him that same day and set up a visit. Well, the first visit we set up didn't actually go through because he couldn't because of work or something but we set up another one and that one went so well. It was incredible! We just talked a bit to get to know him and asked him what he expected from us and how he even came to know the church. He told us that he has a girlfriend in Mexico who is a member and he was out there and went to church, met with the missionaries a few times, and just felt that it was meant for him. He felt that this is what he needed in his life and that it was what the Lord wanted for him. And he said that he wanted to be baptized and how he could do that. We just sorta sat there a little bit stunned because normally that doesn't happen, ha-ha. But we told him that we would love to help him do that, and we set a baptismal date with him for June 23! He's an incredible man who already has a testimony of the church and the restored Gospel. It was a really neat experience for me and strengthened my faith and testimony that the Lord is always preparing His children in so many different ways and that He will always lead them to us or us to them as long as we are worthy and actively doing our part to do His will.

This past week we also had the baptism of Carolina and Margarita :) It was a really great experience and I'm so happy for them! They're two twin girls who are 13 and their mom is a member who is getting reactivated and we're also helping the dad to learn as well. Their family is so special to me and I love them to death! They love having us over and they say that we can come over any day and any time, ha-ha. But obviously we don't do that :). It's been amazing to be a part of their lives and to help them grow and learn and come closer to Christ. We're going to keep visiting them because we're still teaching other members of their family and I can't wait to see their entire family come to the restored Gospel!

On a little less of a missionary work note, summer is here and it's getting pretty warm, ha-ha. I've definitely had my share of sweat and it gets pretty warm outside. But it's good I guess. I've lost another kilo already and I love it, ha-ha. Things are going really well with my new companion, Elder Call. We get along really well and we're working hard together.

Oh! Funny story, ha-ha. So we had district meeting in the stake center the other day and we usually always stay for a little to eat lunch together and then go back to work. So this time we decided to make a joint lunch and we were using the stove top to heat up some water. Well, I'm not sure what happened but while the sisters were making the food, something started smoking and set off the fire alarms in the entire building, ha-ha. And then they couldn't figure out how to turn it off and we were just there for about 10 or 15 minutes with the alarms blaring but eventually someone figured it out and got it turned off.;) But lesson learned: probably not a good idea to cook like that, ha-ha.

All is well with Elder Mathews. Badalona is great. The ward and the members are incredible. I couldn't be happier :) I love you all and miss you lots!

New Transfer, New Companion

Clarisell's baptism!

Poor Elder Corbitt flies home tomorrow :(. I served with him for two transfers and we were blessed with so much success and miracles. I don't know how the Lord does it but he continually pours out His Spirit upon those who faithfully seek and serve Him. I've learned a lot from Elder Corbitt and I'll miss working with him. He's got a funny sense of humor that's unique to him and he's such an effective worker, planner, and just knows how to be a great missionary. I just hope I can fill those shoes.

My new companion is Elder Call. I've known him for quite some time here in the mission and I'm really excited to work with him. He's a great missionary and loves to work. I'll keep you all updated how things go :).

This past weekend we were blessed to see Clarisell be baptized and confirmed. She is such a special lady and it's been amazing to see her change and accept the gospel. The members are doing great with her and I'm so happy for her. This next weekend we have two more young women preparing to be baptized and they are really excited and so is the ward. Carolina and Margarita are their names and their family is one of the very special ones that I've been able to meet out here. I'll send pictures of that next week too :).

This weekend and yesterday were great days but also some of the hardest, ha-ha. They were great because we taught a lot of really good investigators and we also had a little surprise farewell for Elder Corbitt. The members thanked him for all he has done and there was a bit of food and pictures, etc. But then Monday, yesterday, was great and terrible at the same time, ha-ha. The only bad part of the day was that we ate with almost everyone we met with yesterday, ha-ha-ha! That's one of the worst things about transfers! We ate at 1:30 a hugeeee lunch, then at 4:30 another family gave us some desserts, at 6:00 some more desserts, at 7:30 another surprise dinner that we did not plan for, and then at 8:30 another surprise dinner, ha-ha. Let's just say that the three of us were beyond full and I have no idea how I was able to eat in every visit. We got out of our last visit a little late and we didn't think we were going to make it home on time because we couldn't run at all since we were all way too full of food, and we were a little ways away from our apartment. But right then a member drove by and waved at us and we, without even pausing to think, asked if he could give us a ride and he said yes! Talk about a blessing, ha-ha.

Everything here is going great and I'm loving every minute of it. The heat is finally starting to arrive unfortunately but that was expected. Time to sweat off all the weight I just gained yesterday from eating so much, ha-ha!

I love you all so much and thanks for your incredible examples. Until next week!

Last week of Transfers

This is the last week of the transfer...which also means that it's my companion's last week in the mission. :( Next Tuesday is his last day and Wednesday morning he flies home. It's been a great two transfers with him here in Badalona. I've learned so much from him and it's been incredible to be a part of the work of the Lord in this area. We've been blessed so much and it's been the busiest but also happiest part of my mission probably. So, next week I'll have a new companion. I'll let you know who it is, what he's like and all that good stuff next Tuesday so don't worry :).

This Friday Clarisell is getting baptized!!! She's so excited! And so are we of course, ha-ha. She's truly been a miracle story. We met her because some members told us that we should pass by and teach her a little. At first I honestly didn't think that she was going to progress at all because of the way the first two visits went. But that's why members can be so powerful in missionary work. The members who gave us the reference see her a lot more than we do and they've been talking with her, answering questions and everything, and then the next visit she seemed different and totally committed to learn and progress. It was incredible. And now she's preparing to be baptized this Friday :) It's always amazing to see the way that Heavenly Father prepares his children and how he touches their hearts. So moral of the story: share the gospel with your friends! And then support them and be there by their side when they have questions or just to help them progress. Your support goes a longggg way.

This past week has been a bit different than normal, too, ha-ha. It started off normal like every other week. But then Tuesday night we got a phone call from the mission office and they said that I was asked by president to go to Menorca to do a baptismal interview of a lady who was getting baptized that weekend. Menorca, just so you all know, is an island that pertains to the group of the Balearic Islands of the coast of Spain. So when I heard that, I was so excited! Ha-ha. I had to go on a plane from Barcelona to Menorca alone and met up with the Elders there. I knew both of them pretty well so it was great to see them again. It was really weird being on an airplane again to be honest, ha-ha. And even more so doing it alone, ha-ha. I sorta got lost in the airport on the way back in Barcelona. I just couldn't find the exit to the upper level! I followed the signs and even looked at the map but it took me about 15 or 20 minutes. But I eventually did get out and back to my area :) But it was a neat experience and the lady got baptized and everything!:) It was great and definitely something I didn't expect, ha-ha.

This week we also had an exchange with other Elders in the office and I got to work with one of my former companions again!:) It was great to see him. And then this week we have another exchange to do with the Elders in one of my previous areas, which will be good. So, lots of stuff going on this week as well. I'm excited for this week and the coming weeks and I'm sure that things will continue to go well as the Lord continues to bless us.

I hope that you are all doing well back home and enjoying the oncoming summer. It's actually quite cold today so it's not as good weather as normal. But I'm sure it'll be here in no time. I love you all lots and talk to you next week!