Wednesday, October 23, 2013

October 22, 2013


Hey all!
We had changes this week! My companion left, and so I stay here in Yuscarán my 5th change. I´ve been here forever! But it´s alright here, I´ll survive it here in my second area... My new companion is one of my friends from my MTC district, so we have the exact same time in the mission. He´s from Spanish Fork, Utah. It´s weird being with a gringo again and always talking english. Also, one of the other elders from the other area left this change to be a ZL, so we have a new Elder from Guatemala here training. So we still have 3 gringos and a guatemalan in this area, we´ve had that pattern for a few changes now. So we´ve been showing the new Elders around here this week and showing them how to do stuff with the branch.
We´ve been doing fellowshiping nights here in the branch every friday night, and this week we had over 20 people show up, which was cool, we even had some investigators and quite a few less active members. Yesterday in church we almost had 20 members, but we had our investigator come to church, so that was good. It´s been a while since we´ve had an investigator come from either area. So it was good to have people come this week and have a little bit more success here than the last few weeks.
I am enjoying being able to learn new things in this area and always see new things and meet new people and being able to serve the people here. Even though it is hard in this area and we have plenty of problems, I still know that I need to be here a little longer to help more people learn about the gospel and to help the branch here grow however I can. I know that each of the parts of this gospel are all interrelated, the missionary work, the temple work, the ordinances and blessings that come from the priesthood, each of the classes and meetings that the church has are for the same eternal purpose: the salvation of many souls. Each of us has been called to do our little part in the work of salvation, which will help us gain our own salvation if we serve faithfully. I have a testimony of this gospel and the many opportunities that we have to progress are a sign of God´s love for each of us. It doesn´t matter where we start, as long as we do start, on our journey to progress. I know that everything that this church teaches is true, and that the church is perfect, even when the people in the church are not. I know that studying the scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, will change our lives profoundly if we strive to apply what the spirit testifies to our individual lives. I am grateful for the testimonies of all of you and for your love and support that helps me to be out here on my mission. I love you all and hope that you will feel God´s love and a desire to serve Him.
Love,

Elder Matthew Ward

Mom,
Sorry, we couldn´t write yesterday because when we got back from Tegus the power was out from 2 in the afternoon until 11 this morning, so we just barely got on to write to everyone.
This week was good. We had changes which I explained in my other email, but yeah, it was a good week. Yesterday we bought a ton of food from Tegus in bulk. We got 2 bags of 10 lbs each of pancake mix and 2 big things of syrup and 4 cake mixes that I have to make before I leave this area and don´t have an oven anymore. I´ll send a picture of all of it.
I hope that everyone is doing well.
Love,
Elder Ward

October 14, 2013

Mom,
I wrote so late last time because we got back late from an activity with the zone and then all 4 of us still had to email, and I wrote to you and to Mishelae, but I didn´t finish and I had to get off the computer, and then my companion wrote until really late, so I didn´t have time to finish emailing, so I just sent the messages that I had finished to you 2 and didn´t get to write to anyone else.
This week was good. It´s been kind of stressful with a ton of members asking for help (food or money help), but it´s been alright. Everyone in Yuscarán is sick right now, I swear... I have a cold right now which has been annoying more than anything. Next week is changes, so we´ll see what happens. I still don´t think that I´ll be leaving here for another change at least, but we´ll see if one of the other 4 leave this week. Other than that, not much has happened this week.
Love,

Elder Ward