Happy Thanksgiving!

Well here it is. In less than one week I will be out in the mission field putting to use the things that I've been practicing for the past nine weeks. Yes I'm crazy nervous haha but I'm so excited and looking forward to getting out and actually doing the work that I've been sent to do. I know that I still have a long ways to go before I'm even close to being able to talk fluently in Spanish and to teach the best I can but I feel like I have been prepared well.

I guess I should also say Happy Thanksgiving!!! It's so weird to think that everyone back home will be eating nice, big, juicy turkeys or whatever you eat along with pie, potatoes, rolls, and everything. I gotta say I'm a little jealous haha. But we get to have our own little Thanksgiving meal today too which is pretty nice. We're apparently having turkeys, mashed potatoes, stuffing, pies, etc. So it won't be too bad. I just wanna sorta fly back home for a day and have Thanksgiving there haha. And it's kinda nice that it's on P-Day too.

This past week was pretty crazy. So much happened and I hope I remember it all. I had to write down some of the more important stuff so I don't forget. I guess I'll start with last Sunday. Last Sunday we were having study time and our District Leader, Elder Thompson, came in and told me I was giving a talk on Modern Day Prophets. So I stopped reading in the scriptures and started preparing my talk. I originally was just gonna go off the top of my head and bear testimony but for some reason I felt like I should write it out. It was the easiest I have ever had to write or think in Spanish. The words and the sentence construction just flowed and I felt like I was totally immersed in the language which was so cool. And then when I gave it, I didn't speak like an American. I'm sure I had a slight accent and that some of my Spanish was wrong once in a while, but overall I was able to speak fluently and easily. I can only contribute this ease to our Father in Heaven. It was an amazing experience and I'm sure there are many more to come.

This past week I also got both my suits dry cleaned finally! I've been waiting to get them done until right before I left because they'll be clean for when I leave on Tuesday and I saved money these past nine weeks haha. So that was pretty fun. It cost €11 for two pants and the jacket which is a lot cheaper than I thought. But still, it's money and I probably won't get them cleaned again until after New Year's haha.

E. Thompson, Keeler, and I also had to go somewhere to do some more visa stuff. Apparently missionaries that need this done don't get it until they're already in the field but ours came early somehow. We had to take the metro for 45 minutes which was a pain and then we went to this big, yellow building which apparently is for visa junk, and then we had to wait in line for another 30 minutes. And the guy that was taking us there and helping us was 30 minutes late picking us up. So overall, it was a pretty boring experience and I felt like I wasted lots of time. And all we had to do was get our fingerprints taken. We left at 1:45 and didn't get back until 5:30. I could”ve been studying or something! haha. But whatever. It was a necessary waste of time.

After we got back we decided to go to the gym to see if the other missionaries were there because we returned during our exercise time. We got there just in time to see Elder Raiano spike the volleyball in Hna. Nalbandyan´s face. We just stood there and had no idea what to do. It's kinda funny for all of us now that we look back on it. But at the time we were just thinking, "She's gonna kill you Elder." haha. Luckily she didn't though. But yeah I can't really join in the sports anymore which stinks because of my hernia. Hopefully you all know about that by now haha. If not...I have a hernia. So whenever we play soccer or basketball, I just play goalie or just shoot around on the outside during basketball. But still, I hate not being able to play for real. But whatever. My health is more important right now.

This past week, Elder Keeler and I set a few goals, like usual. And one of them was about the language. We decided to only speak Spanish from after breakfast, 8:00, until our gym time, 5:00. It was pretty hard at first but it's been getting a lot easier. I still don't know some words but I can communicate with all the Spaniards here. The problem is when I get out on the streets haha. They speak way faster and they mumble their words a lot more. Most of the other missionaries here are from South America and they speak a lot clearer so it's easier to understand them. But I'll get used to it eventually.

I'm still loving the food here. We have a lot of sea food which is pretty cool. The crawfish and clams and stuff I still haven't gotten up the courage to try haha but the fish and shrimp is fine. Tastes really good too. But...I miss good 'ol home cookin once in a while haha. Once in a while I crave the taste of "American" food, whatever that is. But I haven't gone without a meal yet so I guess I'm doing pretty good. I think my favorite sweet right now is churros and chocolate. That stuff is soooo good. Apparently it's really big here, especially in the winter. They give you a cup of hot chocolate. Not the hot chocolate that we're used to though. It's thicker, creamier, and richer and sooo much better haha. And then you dip the churros in the chocolate and eat it. It's so good. I took a picture of it so if you wanna see it, just ask my Mom. I'm pretty sure I'll be having lots more of that before I go home.

The mission is going great. I've never been happier in my life. Yes the days are long sometimes and I feel like dropping dead from being tired, but it's all worth it. I know that this is where I'm supposed to be right now and that this is what I'm supposed to be doing. Thanks for all the support, love, prayers, and letters! I miss you all but I know that I'll see you before you know it.

Elder Mathews

Two to go!

Only two weeks left until I'm out in the field! It's crazy how fast this time has gone by. I remember when I first walked into the Provo MTC and thought that nine weeks was forever. And now I only have two more to go. But I'm really excited to get out and start the work. I won't say I'm fully prepared but I'm ready I think... at least I hope.

This past week we got about 15 more missionaries. It feels so weird to have this many new missionaries here because it's a lot louder now and busier. But it's really good because I speak Spanish a whole lot more now. The other day after Elder Keeler and I got done with a practice lesson with our teacher Hna. Gutiérrez, she told us that we speak really good Spanish. We thought she was just saying that haha but she said it was true. She said that we'll probably be training our trainers. Me and Elder Keeler looked at each other and we were both thinking, "Nooooo" haha. If I'm going to be the one teaching my trainer Spanish then we are doomed. Because there are sooo many words that I don't even know and then it's a lot harder to understand natives when they talk normal speed. But I'm getting better now that the Spaniards are here in the MTC.

We played soccer with them last Friday or so and we played the Europeans vs. the Americans and let me just say that the game where the US beat Spain a year or so ago was a prophecy haha. Just as Spain got destroyed in that game, we destroyed them here haha. It was sweet. Luckily most of them like soccer so most play. But I gotta say that we're in way better shape haha. So they were all gasping for air after a while.

For our service this past week we got to put up Christmas Lights!!! I was so excited when I heard we were doing that. We got to put them up in the trees and it was a lot of fun. And we were singing Christmas songs, in English, while we were doing it. But unfortunately they don't turn them on until the day after we leave :( So I won't even get to see them on. But it was fun putting them up. And it's weird to think that Christmas is so close!

I don't really pay attention to the holidays that are coming up because it's not like I can do anything to celebrate. Thanksgiving is apparently next Thursday and I didn't even know that. But President told us that they have turkey and pies and everything! I'm so excited that we get to do something a little special for it even if we can't play football, watch some games, relax, etc haha. But it's still a lot of fun to do something a little different.

Without fail, every November I get sick. And this November was no different. I got sick again this past Monday and it was killer. I was fine all day until right before dinner and then I just felt awful. I was achy and tired and cold and just wanted to sleep. I went to bed a little early and then just slept for a while longer the next day and then went to classes and stuff. I thought I was fine during the day but then after dinner I felt the same and I went to bed at 7:30 and then didn't wake up until 10:30 the next day! I didn't know I slept that long haha but it felt soooo good and now I'm doing a lot better. I still feel a little sick but I'm doing fine now.

A few days ago we woke up and there was some really thick fog outside. It was way cool looking too. Our teacher said that they don't usually get fog here so it was crazy to see it when it was as thick as it was. And it was that way for two days. And yes I did take a picture so hopefully mom posts them somewhere when I send them home haha.

Oh and I finished the Book of Mormon!! I made it my goal during my second week in Provo to read the Book of Mormon, front to back, before I was done in the MTC and I did it! It took me only about six weeks which is crazy. It's amazing to see how much you learn from it when you read it like this. And I only read a few chapters a day because that's all the time we had but I guess it was enough to finish in less that six or seven weeks haha. Time for the New Testament!

Last P-Day was a holiday here in Spain so we went to downtown Madrid and got to see what was going on. Apparently they were honoring the Virgin Mary. And every city in Spain has their own Virgin that watches over and protects the city. Every year they have a day where they "worship" her and give flowers and stuff. Kinda weird but it was cool to takes pictures and to see the cathedral and the Palace of Spain. The Palace is pretty cool. But the King and Queen don't live in it. It's just for special guests and special events now. But we got to see it and take pictures. I wish we could have gone inside. Maybe on another P-Day.

I hope all is well with everyone! Love and miss you all! And I think about you often! :)

Elder Mathews

Numero Tres

Well week three in the Madrid MTC came and went really fast. I still can't believe how quick everything is going by. At this rate I should be back home by next month :) haha. But this week there was lots of fun, awesome, crazy stuff that happened. So I guess I'll start rattling them off.

The first one is we got to play some sweeeeet soccer with some other Spanish kids we didn't know. We were just at the court (yes, a court made of cement) playing around a little, and four or five other people asked if they could play and of course we said yes. They had some crazy foot skills, but they didn't pass or shoot any better than we did to be honest. And it didn't help them that they smoked haha. They came up to us with cigarettes in hand. So let's just say they were really out of shape. As the game went on we were just running around them and they had to sit out every five minutes or so to catch their breath haha. Thank goodness for the Word of Wisdom. When we were leaving, one of them tried to sell some drugs to Elder Schuerch. It was probably the funniest thing ever because it caught him way off guard and he acted all awkward about it haha. We kinda teased him about it for a while and we still do every now and then.

I guess another crazy thing is something culture related between the US and France/a lot of Europe. We were talking at lunch or something the other day and we got on the topic of dating and stuff like that cuz Elder Harel has a girlfriend and is actually engaged haha. But I guess it's a French thing. But apparently they don't ask people on dates. If they do it's because they really like the person and they want to see about marriage. So they don't just call up a girl or knock on their door and ask them to dinner or whatever. It was sooo weird. And they all thought we Americans were weird cuz we went on dates all the time haha. I guess it sort of explains why people seem to get married a lot later here in Europe. But it's still funny when they hear about our "weird" dating habits haha they act all funny and look at us like we're so strange.

This past Sunday was our little duet piece. It actually sounded really good. We recorded it on a camera during practices and it sounded good then, but during church it sounded even better. I wish I could send a recording or something but I don't have one to send. I guess I'll just have to perform when I get home :).

Oh! and the freakiest thing ever happened on Friday, I think it was. Maybe not. I can't remember. But Elder Keeler, my comp, took a pill that he has for acne or whatever, and he went out to do something before bed and I was just sitting in our room writing in my journal when Elder Thompson comes in and says, "Your comp is dying Elder." I didn't believe him at first cuz he jokes around a lot, but I came out anyway and he was actually kinda telling the truth haha. Apparently the pill exploded in Elder Keeler's throat and all the powder inside had shot out his nose and all in his throat, and he couldn't breath for a while cuz of all the powder; and then he said it just started burning his throat like it was on fire and water didn't help so we had to run up and get president. It was kinda scary because it wouldn't go away and then his nose plugged up and all that. So sister Earl and another lady had to try to flush out the stuff from his nose with warm salt water. I'm not gonna go into details, but let's just say it wasn't very pretty or anything haha. It grossed me out. But yeah that was that experience haha. Made my journal entry a lot better that's for sure. I think that's about it for the "cool" stuff this week.

It's starting to get kinda cold now and it's raining more than it used to which means winter is coming. It's still not anywhere near what it's like back home haha but it's still kinda cold. Surprisingly I still weigh only 181 haha. We all weighed ourselves last night when the French missionaries were packing so I gotta say I'm doing pretty good somehow. But it's only been about 6ish weeks haha. So I still got a ways to go. But another way to think about the time is I only have 22 more fast Sunday's! haha Sounds a lot less time when you put it that way. And fast Sunday always comes up too fast so before you know it I'll be back in action and back home acting all awkward haha...but hopefully not.

Spanish is going really well like usual again. I accidentally talked in my sleep apparently and was speaking in Spanish lol which is really funny, but it's a really good sign that I'm kinda starting to think and act more in Spanish. I just can't wait for the day when I don't even have to think about the words before I say them.

The new missionaries come tomorrow so that'll be really exciting. Four are from the US, but I don't know any of them, unfortunately. But it'll be good when they're all here because we're going to start speaking wayyy more Spanish when they arrive, which is really good practice because I still speak a little too much English. We actually started, as a District, to have two days a week where we don't speak any English. We call them "English Fasts" haha, and it's kinda hard because there's so much you wanna say but you gotta do it in Spanish. But it's the only way to learn. I guess I'll finish this huge email so you don't get too bored reading this. So I'll end with my favorite scripture of the week: 2 Nephi 25:26. This is our purpose in life :)

Miss you all!

La Semana Segunda

Can't believe that I've almost been here for two weeks! The time is just going by which is really good and means that I'm focused on the work. But I can't wait to actually get out into the field in about four more weeks. Today is Monday and it's our P-Day because it's a Spanish National Holiday, apparently. So instead of having it on Thursday like usual, it's today. And same with next week apparently, too, because it's a Madrid Holiday. I kinda like it on a Monday because Sundays are a bit more relaxed and then you have a day to sorta have a little bit more fun. But I think I prefer it on a Wednesday or Thursday because it's right in the middle of the week, and makes a good break in the middle for you. But it's not that big of a deal.

This past weekend it rained here for the first time! I've been waiting to see it rain because I wanted to see how it was. Utah rain has a very distinct smell, NY rain is just normal and comes in buckets, but here it's nothing special. It just comes in a little bit for a while then waits and then comes again.

We had to go to the park on Saturday when it was raining so there weren't a lot of people there to talk with. But we did find these three English girls who were visiting for a vacation and we gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon! It was way cool to answer their questions and actually know how to respond, what scriptures we could share to help us, and to also testify of what we were saying. I'm not sure what will happen, but at least we planted a seed for them.

While we were in the park we went up to a man who was just sitting on a bench and we thought he'd be a great person to talk to. But we started talking and I asked, "How are you?" and he said, "Porque te interes?"...I think haha which means why do you care. And I said something like I don't know, it's a great day! And then he just told us to leave and get lost haha. It was kinda unsettling at first but it's just a funny story now.

The food here has been awesome. There hasn't been a meal that I haven't liked which is crazy. We have a decent amount of fish, which I don't mind, and lots of meat. There's bread at every meal and lots of other fruit and stuff. I usually only eat toast and yogurt in the morning and then eat a lot more at lunch, which is their big meal.

The three French elders and sister leave next week which is kinda sad. We get along great with them and we'll miss them a lot. One Elder doesn't speak any Spanish or English so we have to have a translator with us most of the time. Luckily the Sister from France knows English really well and an Elder that's serving in Madrid knows French and English! So it works out great. The other Elder from France can speak a little English and a little Spanish. So it's a little easier to talk with him. But it's fun using signs and acting things out sometimes haha. Makes for an interesting time in the MTC. But to replace them next week, we get a ton of Spanish missionaries. Which means a ton more Spanish speaking to do, which is good.

For our service project the other day we had to rake leaves. I heard that and I was like nooooooo haha. I thought I got away from that for the next two years. But apparently not. I guess they knew that I was a pro at raking leaves since we do it so much at home every year. But it was fine because we had everyone out there and we just made it fun by talking and stuff. So service is all in the attitude. Make it fun and it will be fun.

Next week Hna. Boone and I are singing in sacrament meeting. I'm kinda nervous because I've never had to sing in just a duet before in front of people. And I don't even sing a bunch outside of church! I haven't sung in a choir since 6th grade but people keep asking if I have and if I take lessons...which I guess I should take as a compliment haha. But I think I'd rather play my violin right now. I didn't think I'd miss it this much until now. Hopefully I'll be able to touch at least one in these next two years. If not I might just go crazy. In the mean time singing will have to do.

I guess I'll update you all on the language again. I can now read Preach My Gospel in all Spanish which is pretty sweet. I've been doing it for about a week but now it's all I use when we study because I can understand it just fine. I read a little slower because I'm still learning but I can do it. I can talk and understand Spanish a lot better and I can carry on conversations with most people about a variety of things...sorta. It's just a matter of knowing vocabulary now. I know tons of church words but it's the other things that are a little iffy haha. So my goal is to work on that stuff.

I'll leave you all with a scripture I found while reading this week. It's really funny because it can totally apply to anyone, especially missionaries. It's in Proverbs 28:25. The last half says, "...but he that putteth his trust in the Lord shall be made fat." So if you see missionaries that come home a little bigger than when they left, you know they trusted in the Lord haha. Obviously this isn't the real meaning, but I thought it was pretty funny and I shared it with everyone else.

Miss you all and I love hearing from you! Until next week!

Oh How Lovely Was the Morning

Week one down, five to go! The Madrid MTC is sooo different than Provo. First of all there are so few people here that it was really weird to not have to wait for a shower or wait for food in the cafeteria. There aren't many people at church meetings either which actually is kinda nice sometimes because the teachers and speakers talk directly to you. But we're getting 13 more missionaries in about two weeks...and all of them are from Spain, which means I have to speak Spanish to talk haha. It's not that big of a deal because I've been doing great so far but it'll just be a little different. And now we'll have longer lines in the shower haha.

Today is our first real P-Day here in Madrid, and since it's kinda a bit more relaxed here with the rules and stuff we can go to downtown Madrid!! And that's exactly what we're doing today. I gotta go buy some stuff that I don't have yet and then we're just going to tour and take pictures and everything. I'm so excited.

This past week in the park was crazy. Every Saturday we go to the park to contact people, which means talking to them and trying to share the gospel a little. I was sooo nervous, but in the end it was such a sweet experience. We were paired with different missionaries here since a few speak only French. I got put with Elder Thompson, who's also going to Barcelona. He's having a hard time learning Spanish so I had to do most of the talking and then translate into English for him. It was really good practice for me though and I was amazed to see that everyone actually understood me and I understood them! I know for sure that my spanish is farrrr from perfect haha but at least I know that I can communicate.

We play a lot of soccer and basketball here for our gym time which I absolutely love. We got to play basketball with some French kids who came down from France to visit the temple with their families. There were a tonnn of them too. And it was a good experience because you could tell that the little 10 year olds totally looked up to us haha.

Soccer is cool, as always, but also cuz we're in Spain haha. But the other day Hna. Boon sprained her ankle pretty bad while we were playing which isn't good. She went to get x-rays and everything and luckily it's just a bad sprain. But she's got this cast thing on her leg and has to wear it for like five weeks which is awful. Hopefully I don't get hurt seeing as I'm prone to injury haha. But so far so good.

The weather here in the morning is perfect. It doesn't get light till around eight or so and

the sunrise is awesome. I took a picture of one from our classroom the other day so I guess I'll have to send it home. It's the perfect briskness and temperature in the morning. Not cold but not warm. I really like that for some reason.

And for those who understand Spanish or can use a dictionary, here's some words from Elder Mathews:

Estoy muy agredecido para este oportunidad que tengo servir un mision. Yo sé que Dios vive y tiene un plan para nosotros. Os quiero mucho y os extraño mucho. Tengo mucho suerte porque yo tengo un buen compañero. Nosotros enseñamos juntos muy bien y tenemos much en común. Y tengo una escritura: 2 Nefi 22:2. Es mi aconsejo para la semana :) Ok so hopefully you can figure that out if you want. And yes i'm pretty sure some of that was wrong haha but a Spaniard would know what I was saying.

I love and miss you all!