its ok just write next week have a good safe time in san antonio tell allen and sol I say hi,
Love
Elder Match
Monday, May 31, 2010
Well family another week has gone by here in good ole milagro, I am sitting here not knowing what to do because I am absolutly broke, its kinda ridiculous, we dont get our money from the church until the first of everymonth, so here I am on the 31st and its seriously not working out too, actuallly the thing is that all the elders here are broke, this is the 5th week, and we wont get money until tomorrow, this tuesday I did get the notice from the mail office here telling me I have my package in guayaquil, the problem is that I couldnt go to guayaquil today to get it because there is no money to do it.
I dont know if you guys heard, but 2 days ago a volcano started shooting out pretty high levels of gas here, its only about 1 1/2 hours from here so we got some pretty good ash fall, but you should have seen guayaquil all the people had to walk around with masks on because the level of gas that was in the air was so thick that it was a danger to anybody that would have tried to breath in the air. so it is a little sketchy, because its spewing out ash thats not a good sign, it means that any day now we are going to have a good eruption or an earthquake here, I almost want one to happen here, not for all the hurt it will cause with the people but it willl definatly help the work to go on progressing here. so dont worry the way my sector is is that if there is an earthquake here all I have to do is jump out of the cane shack before it falls to the ground and then just walk into their backyard where there arent any wires, really this is the best sector for me to be in if there is an earthquaqke here, so well see what happens.
not alot is going on down here, its just the same old walking everyday trying to find anybody thats willing to listen and accept the message of the restored gospel, its kinda hard some days, what makes it easier is that I have no real problems with the spanish language I can understand and talk with everybody, even the super out in the middle of the woods type person, and here in this country that means really really thick spanish, so its funny, how boringly fast it goes, I talk like its just slugging through every day just trying to make it through, but really every day is just flying by, were going to have to see if I stay here or not after this change, I already have 2 changes with elder fletcher and I really think that he needs a latin comp, hes to the point where hes well adjusted, speaking the language and doing great, basically to the point where having a gringo comp walking in the streets speaking english is probably not to good for him.
so the name of one of my converts here is Jonathan Alava, we went over to his house last night and he was on his facebook, so I made him do a search of my facebook and some of yours, I believe that I sent one to you dad, with a message attached, thats so that If you see this random spanish contact you just know its because I made him sent the request,
STEVEN- check your gmail account !!!!!!!!
question, hey can you guys tell me the username and password of our ward website, so that I can get on.
well Ive got nothing else, I love you all very much and look forward to talking with you again next week,
Love
Elder match
Monday, May 24, 2010
so Iike dad said this has been a very long week since the last time that I wrote you guys,
the only difference is that all of my weeks are super duper long weeks and they all go by I kid you not 2 or 3 times faster than yours, we literally have to get a million things done every week and also deal with how every day literally flys by. seriously every week is like its own little change. we have to worry about who we are going to teach, when, how to get people out to church, staying away from problem places and people, and pretty much being like counselors to everyone, because when even the bishops of the wards come to the elders for advice and someone to vent their frustrations on it takes time, don't get me wrong I love the work here it is my life and it has and is helping me and the things I will do in this life beyond belief. and I really want you guys to know how grate full I actually am for all of the support and help I have gotten and am getting from you guys, it literally carries us missionaries throughout the week to know that our families are there helping us and letting us spend 2 years ( 2 1/2 for me) out of their checkbook so that I can be in another country talking about Jesus.
today elder halls that lives above us, let me borrow a talk that he had on CD, by Cleon scousen (Sp?) on the atonement, it was absolutely amazing, because it was pure pure doctrine that literally changed the way I have been thinking about miracles and how they are done, he talked about how each element that exists, has a little bit of intelligence in it, so literally in the creation and the miracles, it wasn't just god making the stuff, the matter and the elements respected god and literally god said what he wanted done and the elements obeyed and did it on their own, so when jesus was all like turn water into wine, he didn't turn the water into wine, he commanded the water and the water turned itself into wine, I seriously suggest you find this talk, it is absolutely amazing and I am going to go home after this and listen to it again. now all me and elder fletcher have been doing with elder halls is talking deep doctrine for the last like 4 hours, yes I know there are better things we could be talking about but the fact is that its way more fun to talk about doctrine than about baptism.
Speaking of motorcycles, I know mom is going to love this, but when I get home I am getting a motorcycle, I am starting to like the idea of a nice big enduro, or if not that something along the line of like a honda shadow, without it being a honda shadow. or mabye a big kawasaki sit up straigt bike, I just nee to find out what I like riding. Just from being here where everybody, and I mean everybody, I swear I see more little old grandmas on bikes more than middle aged men rding around, yeah that might be an exageration but Im not kidding everyone rides here, and Im also seeing how stupid it is to ride without a helmet or protective equipment, so its cool i really do want to get a nice comfortable sufficently large sunny day riding bike when I get home, to save on money and because its cool, mom I know that you love me and would never want me to get hurt but serously theyre cool and Im kinda an adult, not all the way but im getting there, but no worries well cross that bridge when I get home.
it sounds like the harley is pretty cool youve never told me how bigg it is how many cc does it has, and how much does it weigh, yeah Ive seen the pic but that dosent do alot to help me all that much.
I hope you all have a fun week this week with aj, I know that that will be cool, all of you guys together one last time, elder fletcher has a friend that his brother got married and his other brother is on the mission, so the family went and made a life size cut out of the one missionary brother and put the cutout in allof the pictures, so that it looked Like he was there, so Im thinking that you guys could do that for me ,its not goingto be hard and Ill be in all of your pics that you can send to people,
hey dad you know there is a problem with your math on when Im coming home, dont you know that literally agosto to decimber basically dosent even happen, the fall months go by so fast its not funny, take the normal, months that you are missionary, yeah they already fly by but then you put the fall with all the stuff that goes on and they really fly, I ts going to be cool, because im going to blink my eyes and its going to be christmas and Im going to be super trunky because elder halls will have gone home.
with school yeah I have no problems taking classes right when I get home, itll give me something to do and just keep me occupied, talking about school, we have about a year, you might want to start thinking about the super awesome kick butt laptop that you promised me, no joke I want like 700gb ram and an amazing video card, and windows 7 because using word 07 for 2 years here has spoiled me and thats what Im thinking i want.
and lastly from your letters, clothes, in the ward, we have a brother that is a tailor, I know I havent shown you guys pictures of me in that grey suit that you bought me but lets just say it doesnt fit, actually every time that sister johns sees me in it she laughs at me because se says that it looks like im shrinking more every time i whear it, so the brother in the ward says that he can make me a custom fitted 3 piece suit for under 100 dollars, Im really thinking I should do it while I have this oppurtunity here in milagro, it will be cool and I get to chose my fabric and everything, and the other money will just be to pay off the debts I have, so no biggy.
the works going pretty well here not alot is going on we have gotten into a pretty good finding spree here and now we just need to sift through them and figure which ones are chosen and which ones only want to listen to us, becuase they like listening.
we had a fun run in with an anti Mormon the other day too, it was funny because we just let him rabble and rabble on, and then he just went away thinking that he all won and more proud of him and his bible than ever, it was really sad and i got a little depressed, just because its so sad how far people can fall away from the same god that gave them life.
still no word on the box, but no worries it will get here any day now, but I still wont be able to get it for 2 weeks just because Ill get my package slip on tues and then have to wait until the next week to have money and get my package out of hawk.
well I love you all very much and hope you all have a good week. stay safe and work hard,
Love
Elder Jonathan Match
Mision Ecuador Guayaquil Sur
ps mom I was about to send this and your email got to me, all was written before I read yours, steven I know you will hate me for this but seriously satan will do ALL he can to stop you from going on you mission, he will literally if he has to try to kill you, spiritually ( sin) and physically, you just need to be as safe as possible, look at how bad I wanted a bike, when I was in high school I was not mature enough to be riding a bike, but when I get home I will get one, so just be patient, get a sweet nice sports car and pick up chicks instead, remember you cant( dont) take a girl on a date on your motorcycle but if you both go in your nice sports car you might just get lucky ;)
Monday, May 17, 2010
Hi Family hope all is okie dokie there in texas land
wow I cant believe brother james is still the ward secretary, hes been going at that calling for years now,, you should teall bishop that its time to give him a break and call some one else to the seat. wow so mom your email sounds all chipper and happy and dad all he taled about was how much he hurt and just some sick stuff.
hey dont worry about the box, it will get here any day now, Im telling you it will still probably take a week just to get into the country, dont worry if the cookies are stale, it has been so long since I have had real american cookies I will just gum them until they disolve in my mouth. that is definatly not a problem.
So you told me to laugh whenever I could well Im going to tell you guys a story, and your going to laugh at me for being such an idiot, well so we are sitting there in ward council, and just fyi its way way way more lax than there in the states, we were the only ones in ties, so Im sitting there with the stapler open just being bored and absentmindedly whacking it on my arm, just acouple seconds earlier me and elder fletcher were talking about how stupid the people are that purposly staple them, so Im sitting there whacking my arm, and I guess I just did it a little too hard, because I looked down at my arm and lo and behold there was a staple all the way in my arm. it went straight into the muscle so I didnt even feel it go in. but I was like WOAH and just pulled it out. we honestly just sat there the whole ward council laughing, and now I will never ever live it down here, the people are going to talk about the elder that stapled his arm in the meeting, actually later that night in the street my friend richard ( young mens pres) called out ¨hey stapler come over here¨ So Im just going to have to live with that one, because I actually stapled my arm.
oh and with the banana trees you have to be care full because they are covered in a milk/liquid that turns any thing it touches black, so it wouldnt be good if I climbled the trees because I would constantly be covered in black stuff thats super hard to get rid of
wow cool story dad, Im just glad that you live in a place where you can actually call your home teachers and they will come over at any time of the day or night, it doesent even matter what they are doing, not like here where if you want a blessing you basically just have to wait till the elders ( us) come by your house, or you might be able to call bishop but then he´ll just wait for us to stop by and tell us to go visit so and so because they are feeling sick and would like a blessing. honestly when there are only like 6 melchezidick priesthood holders in the sector its a little bit harder to run the ward, honestly I dont even know how we are a ward, there are only like 12 priesthood holders in the sector, and only like 50 people attend every week. so I dont get it but its all good, i love it here and its gong by way to fast.
well nothing else is really going on here I love you lots and hop you have a good week, it will be monday again really soon, or really far, just depends on how you look at it.
Love you Lots
Jonathan
wow I cant believe brother james is still the ward secretary, hes been going at that calling for years now,, you should teall bishop that its time to give him a break and call some one else to the seat. wow so mom your email sounds all chipper and happy and dad all he taled about was how much he hurt and just some sick stuff.
hey dont worry about the box, it will get here any day now, Im telling you it will still probably take a week just to get into the country, dont worry if the cookies are stale, it has been so long since I have had real american cookies I will just gum them until they disolve in my mouth. that is definatly not a problem.
So you told me to laugh whenever I could well Im going to tell you guys a story, and your going to laugh at me for being such an idiot, well so we are sitting there in ward council, and just fyi its way way way more lax than there in the states, we were the only ones in ties, so Im sitting there with the stapler open just being bored and absentmindedly whacking it on my arm, just acouple seconds earlier me and elder fletcher were talking about how stupid the people are that purposly staple them, so Im sitting there whacking my arm, and I guess I just did it a little too hard, because I looked down at my arm and lo and behold there was a staple all the way in my arm. it went straight into the muscle so I didnt even feel it go in. but I was like WOAH and just pulled it out. we honestly just sat there the whole ward council laughing, and now I will never ever live it down here, the people are going to talk about the elder that stapled his arm in the meeting, actually later that night in the street my friend richard ( young mens pres) called out ¨hey stapler come over here¨ So Im just going to have to live with that one, because I actually stapled my arm.
oh and with the banana trees you have to be care full because they are covered in a milk/liquid that turns any thing it touches black, so it wouldnt be good if I climbled the trees because I would constantly be covered in black stuff thats super hard to get rid of
wow cool story dad, Im just glad that you live in a place where you can actually call your home teachers and they will come over at any time of the day or night, it doesent even matter what they are doing, not like here where if you want a blessing you basically just have to wait till the elders ( us) come by your house, or you might be able to call bishop but then he´ll just wait for us to stop by and tell us to go visit so and so because they are feeling sick and would like a blessing. honestly when there are only like 6 melchezidick priesthood holders in the sector its a little bit harder to run the ward, honestly I dont even know how we are a ward, there are only like 12 priesthood holders in the sector, and only like 50 people attend every week. so I dont get it but its all good, i love it here and its gong by way to fast.
well nothing else is really going on here I love you lots and hop you have a good week, it will be monday again really soon, or really far, just depends on how you look at it.
Love you Lots
Jonathan
Monday, May 10, 2010
Hey so this one will be a really short one just because I dont really have anything to say, well hows it going there in the states, has anything new hapened in the last couple of days.
not to be mean but yesterday was so different talking to you guys than it was last christmas, the thing was on christmas I was still kninda trunky ( ready to go home) and I just wanted to hear your guyses voice to get rid of that, this time it was all just super chill, mainly because I dont have any problems being here and it was just kinda like well heres my voice what to you want me to say, not to get me wrong, I loved talking to you guys and it went super fast, it was for me at least kinda like ok whatever, back to work, talk to you on pday. but I am gratefull that we have the ability to talk across thousands of miles.
not alot is ging on here, weve just got some real potential going on here, they all still only have the fist lesson but they are some big families and are really interested in hearing, we know that because they found us and we didnt find them, that is how it works here, if they find you its almost a sure baptism if you dont do anything to screw it up. you just ahve to be so good with the rules, because god does not have to bless you in the least bit if your ar disobediant, always remember its not the rules or commandments that you are following its the ones that your arent, thats why introspection is way improtant, honestly all of you just take one day this week and try to figure out if your following all of the rules, not just the ones you want to , and then think of the blessings you could be losing, and then change and get the blessings
the other day we went out the the elder quorms presidents house, did I forget to mention he lives like 1/2 hour in bus then like 1/2 walking away from our house, well honestly he lives in the middle of a freaking bananna plantation, so we got sme pics in the midde of the bannana trees its way cool it smells great and theres always lots of shade.
well thats about it for today, I love you all very much and hope you have a good safe week, read your scriptures, pray, etc-
Love
Elder Match
Mision Guayaquil Sur
not to be mean but yesterday was so different talking to you guys than it was last christmas, the thing was on christmas I was still kninda trunky ( ready to go home) and I just wanted to hear your guyses voice to get rid of that, this time it was all just super chill, mainly because I dont have any problems being here and it was just kinda like well heres my voice what to you want me to say, not to get me wrong, I loved talking to you guys and it went super fast, it was for me at least kinda like ok whatever, back to work, talk to you on pday. but I am gratefull that we have the ability to talk across thousands of miles.
not alot is ging on here, weve just got some real potential going on here, they all still only have the fist lesson but they are some big families and are really interested in hearing, we know that because they found us and we didnt find them, that is how it works here, if they find you its almost a sure baptism if you dont do anything to screw it up. you just ahve to be so good with the rules, because god does not have to bless you in the least bit if your ar disobediant, always remember its not the rules or commandments that you are following its the ones that your arent, thats why introspection is way improtant, honestly all of you just take one day this week and try to figure out if your following all of the rules, not just the ones you want to , and then think of the blessings you could be losing, and then change and get the blessings
the other day we went out the the elder quorms presidents house, did I forget to mention he lives like 1/2 hour in bus then like 1/2 walking away from our house, well honestly he lives in the middle of a freaking bananna plantation, so we got sme pics in the midde of the bannana trees its way cool it smells great and theres always lots of shade.
well thats about it for today, I love you all very much and hope you have a good safe week, read your scriptures, pray, etc-
Love
Elder Match
Mision Guayaquil Sur
Monday, May 3, 2010
Wow, Hey fam, it was way cool I got the exact opposite of what happens every week, all of you guys wrote me a letter and dad didnt. so its all good, dad your slacking.
wow mom so Im really glad you found a rugby ball, you said it was hard to find so where did you find it and how, im actually wanting to know how that story went, you made it sound with that one sentence like it was something really hard to do. but thanks for doing it, its going to be really cool to have a rugby ball here. Also I realized that these are going to be a really couple of busy days for you guys because its mothers day on sunday and then I think that steven is turning 17 on tuesday. so thoses are going to be a really busy couple of days for you guys.
that ward luao sounded cool its sounds like it was really fun, I would have liked to see the priests doing the haka but its all good. the work here is giong good if you consider not really having a program going good, no its all fine, its just that we are in a big slump as a zone right now. so were just going to have to see how it goes, I just still cant believe that Ive already had 2 changes here in milagro, the time is actually going ridicouslly fast.
thats so cool that michalanne is going home in june, thats so weird, its so freaking fast the time, I remember being in the mtc in provo and talking to her a couple of times, yeah I know im showing my age, but thats so weird that that happened a year and a half ago. it honestly feels just like yesterday. so thats definatly tim for you guys.
Im looking forward to getting to talk to you guys on saturday, so we definatly need to plan when were going to do it. so the thing is I have church, sunday from 10 to 1 then we go and eat lunch, usually with the members until about 3, so how about if we do the call in the night like at 8 pm. Ill call you guys at 8 and verify the number I need to call and then you guys can call, remember that we get 40 minutes to talk, so just make sure that you have a calling card that has credit on it.
the number to call is 011-593-09-809-6938
and if that is wrong 011-593-9-809-6938
did you know I actually dont like talking to you guys on the phone all that much, I mean dont get me wrong, I love being able to show you guys how retarded my english now is but it just makes you so freaking trunky, and it doest help atht I am just about to hit my one year mark and that is (for some really strange reason) making me really trunky as well, I dont know, its just when you start the mission you see, the number 2 years and you think its just a really really long time, and now that i only have 1 year left its the exact opposit, it just feels like a really really short time. I dont know why but its like elder fletcher says, you for the first year are counting up the number of days and monthes, and then as soon as you hit your 1 year mark, it just starts countaing down, you start having your last of things and it just speeds up.
well not alot went on, I was joking around with elder fletcher and I said, ¨I am a treasure trove of proverbial knowledge¨ well that totally stuck, i said it like last week and it is still just a joke taht we have inbetween us, like seriously, next to elder peterson my trainer, elder fletcher is going to be the best comp I have had in the mission, and were going to have to see, because I probably have like 2 more changes with him, werer going to be able to do alot of good here in milagro,
also today we went over to a ward members house and made french toast, I am serious I wanted to marry the food we made, It was so good, we were able to by syrup at the grocery store, in the usa aisle, so it was perfect, I honestly think Im changing what Ive been saying, the first place were going when I get home is IHOP jkjk.
well I love you all very much and I hope you all have a good and safe week, remember Im praying for you and have a good mothers day
LOVE
Elder Jonathan Match
MIsion Guayaquil Sur.
wow mom so Im really glad you found a rugby ball, you said it was hard to find so where did you find it and how, im actually wanting to know how that story went, you made it sound with that one sentence like it was something really hard to do. but thanks for doing it, its going to be really cool to have a rugby ball here. Also I realized that these are going to be a really couple of busy days for you guys because its mothers day on sunday and then I think that steven is turning 17 on tuesday. so thoses are going to be a really busy couple of days for you guys.
that ward luao sounded cool its sounds like it was really fun, I would have liked to see the priests doing the haka but its all good. the work here is giong good if you consider not really having a program going good, no its all fine, its just that we are in a big slump as a zone right now. so were just going to have to see how it goes, I just still cant believe that Ive already had 2 changes here in milagro, the time is actually going ridicouslly fast.
thats so cool that michalanne is going home in june, thats so weird, its so freaking fast the time, I remember being in the mtc in provo and talking to her a couple of times, yeah I know im showing my age, but thats so weird that that happened a year and a half ago. it honestly feels just like yesterday. so thats definatly tim for you guys.
Im looking forward to getting to talk to you guys on saturday, so we definatly need to plan when were going to do it. so the thing is I have church, sunday from 10 to 1 then we go and eat lunch, usually with the members until about 3, so how about if we do the call in the night like at 8 pm. Ill call you guys at 8 and verify the number I need to call and then you guys can call, remember that we get 40 minutes to talk, so just make sure that you have a calling card that has credit on it.
the number to call is 011-593-09-809-6938
and if that is wrong 011-593-9-809-6938
did you know I actually dont like talking to you guys on the phone all that much, I mean dont get me wrong, I love being able to show you guys how retarded my english now is but it just makes you so freaking trunky, and it doest help atht I am just about to hit my one year mark and that is (for some really strange reason) making me really trunky as well, I dont know, its just when you start the mission you see, the number 2 years and you think its just a really really long time, and now that i only have 1 year left its the exact opposit, it just feels like a really really short time. I dont know why but its like elder fletcher says, you for the first year are counting up the number of days and monthes, and then as soon as you hit your 1 year mark, it just starts countaing down, you start having your last of things and it just speeds up.
well not alot went on, I was joking around with elder fletcher and I said, ¨I am a treasure trove of proverbial knowledge¨ well that totally stuck, i said it like last week and it is still just a joke taht we have inbetween us, like seriously, next to elder peterson my trainer, elder fletcher is going to be the best comp I have had in the mission, and were going to have to see, because I probably have like 2 more changes with him, werer going to be able to do alot of good here in milagro,
also today we went over to a ward members house and made french toast, I am serious I wanted to marry the food we made, It was so good, we were able to by syrup at the grocery store, in the usa aisle, so it was perfect, I honestly think Im changing what Ive been saying, the first place were going when I get home is IHOP jkjk.
well I love you all very much and I hope you all have a good and safe week, remember Im praying for you and have a good mothers day
LOVE
Elder Jonathan Match
MIsion Guayaquil Sur.
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