Hey Everybody!

This week's email has got to be short because we don't have a ton of time to write today because we are having our Zone Development Day and we have to get to a training meeting.

This past week we got a third companion! Her name is Sister Gustafson and she is the cutest sister ever. We absolutely adore having her here, it makes everyday feel like a party. She was trained by Sister Holloway so her teaching style is a lot like hers. It's a great addition here in Beneva.

Sister Snow, Sister Mathis, Sisster Gustafson

We had our missionary leadership conference this past week in my old area. It was great to go back to some of the old familiar places where I had served. We talked a lot about keeping an "eye single to the glory of God." That alone basically encompasses every thing that we do as missionaries.

We were trained on how to follow up and help other missionaries set baptismal dates. We also had a training on planning. Before my mission I never would have planned out my life like I do now, but now I'm thinking that I may turn into one of those people who carries a planner everywhere and has to schedule EVERYTHING. The blessings that come from planning, like having time to do every thing that needs to be done, are just too great to pass up!

Family Night with the Bizzaros

We weren't able to teach a ton of lessons this past week due to some bugs that are going around but we did have a few great member-present lessons. We also learned how to make tamales while teaching the Restoration one day! (These are the perks of being a Spanish-speaking missionary)

We made these!

Right now our most progressing investigators are Jorge who is going to be baptized at the end of this month, Frances who just had her baby, and Margarita whose husband was just endowed in the Orlando temple :) Your prayers for them would be much appreciated!

Have a great week!

Con Amor,
Hermana Mathis

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you can talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship. ... There are no ordinary people. ...Your neighbor is the holiest object presented to your senses."
-C.S. Lewis

 "37 Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.

 38 This is the first and great commandment.

 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself."

MLC on the beach

Missionary road trip: MOTAB, Cheezits, and Miracles

Querida familia mía,

This week went by super fast. Wow! We've been keeping super busy as sister training leaders. We went on two exchanges this week one with the YSA sisters and another with the Sebring sisters. It was great! I loved going to Sebring and meeting the Hispanic members there, it was cool to put faces to all the names I had heard about from my trainer and from my MTC companion who served there.

The Spanish branch there was dissolved so the sisters were excited to have us there to go visit all the Spanish families who are now going to their English ward. We were also so fortunate as to find a new investigator for them who actually goes to play basketball at the church with one of the members!

The trip out to Sebring was like taking the road trip from Spanish Fork to Beaver, UT. Maybe not quite so far, and not as brown, but there was certainly lots of farmland. It was beautiful and reminded me of home. Granted at home we wouldn't have driven through an impromptu storm, but still.

That brings me to another cool story! I was on an exchange with Sister Trebotitch (she's top notch missionary for ya!) and it seemed the whole day was going downhill. Many appointments fell through and we had run into several crazies that morning, then while we were teaching our recent convert it starts to downpour. We decided rather than wait awkwardly for an hour underneath his porch we would brave the storm. It just so happened we had decided to walk that day. So with our iPads secure in a plastic baggie and an umbrella to share we made our way into the watery windstorm.

The streets were flowing with water, appearing as though they were actual rivers. Then God surprised us with a miracle. In the middle of the drenching downpour we found one of the sisters investigators! We taught her and were able to respark her interest in the church! It was such a blessing! After the lesson we finished walking home, water up to our knees splashing and singing. This is just more evidence to me that God is so aware of the work we are doing as missionaries.

As for our own investigators, we set a date with Jorge and Margarita who fasted with us about baptism. Yesterday was a really slow day and by the end of it we were ready to throw in the towel, but with 20 minutes left we couldn't just give up. We had visited all of our Sunday usuals and nobody else seemed to be able to meet with us. We were about to resort to Facebook when a potential I met last transfer on an exchange came to mind. We pulled up to her small humble home and knocked on the door, fully expecting her not to answer, but she did! We had a great lesson with her and were able to set up another appointment. So many amazing things happen on missions, all the stories I heard when I was younger I never thought I would actually live but I'm finding that walking through rivers and last minute lessons aren't as crazy as I thought. Miracles can happen every day with a great deal of faith.

"For I am God, and mine arm is not shortened; and I will show miracles, signs, and wonders, unto all those who believe on my name. And whoso shall ask it in my name in faith, they shall cast out devils; they shall heal the sick; they shall cause the blind to receive their sight, and the deaf to hear, and the dumb to speak, and the lame to walk." D&C 35:8-9

Have a great week! Love you all, sorry I haven't been able to write you all personally.

-Hermana Mathis

Four Miracles

Hey everybody! 

Can you believe it's almost been a year since I left for the mission? The time has flown so fast!! I didn't realize how fast until my mother sent me an email with pictures from my sisters recent birthday party. I remember last year thinking that her birthday was the last birthday party I would have with my family for a year and a half. 

This week has shown me that prayerful goal setting leads to inspired-goal reaching. We had great success this past week. In Preach My Gospel we are taught that the success of a missionary is measured by their love of the people and their ability to feel the spirit. As they obey with exactness they are promised that they will know what the spirit would have them do. They experience success as they teach and serve other missionaries and work diligently to build up the ward in which they are serving.

Miracle # 1 - Frances

   For quite some while the missionaries have been teaching Frances. Just before I came to the area she was dropped because she wasn't keeping any commitments. We decided to go see her this week because a member asked us about her. We went to go see her and her recently born son. She welcomed us gladly. We retaught the first lesson and the spirit was really strong. We set up another appointment to meet with her and her husband two days later. Two days later we stopped by and she had read the Ensign! We had a great lesson with her and Brian, her husband, and we committed them to coming to church and to choosing a date (For Frances, Brian was baptized a while ago but is inactive). She said she didn't know if she could make it because of the baby. 

When Sunday came we were seated in the chapel and had already sung the opening song, almost sure that they had decided not to come when of the sudden the door opens and in walks the happy couple. Frances was attentive the whole time and the baby was well behaved all throughout church. 

Miracle # 2 - Progressing Member Families

Once again this week was full of member-present lessons. We are so blessed to have great members who help us out. They are amazing. 

Our ward mission leader, Hno. Garcia, and his family were especially helpful to us this past week. After correlation Thursday night one of his daughters told us she was bringing a non-member friend to church on Sunday and asked us if we would talk to her after church. (A.K.A. every missionaries dream question) Her dad spoke up for us and was like, "WELL OF COURSE! what are they gonna say, no?"  

We all laughed about it and then we went home. Then on Sunday in walks the Garcia family with not one but TWO potential new investigators, both of which are very interested!  We split up with the Garcia girls and taught them both after church on Sunday. Alondra (Hna. Garcia's friend) said that she wanted to learn more and is coming to an activity Tuesday and Anky (the other friend) said he was interested in the Book of Mormon. 

I taught Anky while Hermana taught Alondra. During our lesson Hno. Garcia asked Anky what he would do if he could touch the prints in Jesus's hands and Anky replied, "I would give him a hug." It was so great! The spirit was so powerful the whole lesson. We taught all of lesson one and soft-committed him to baptism and committed him to reading the Book of Mormon. 

Miracle # 3 - Everyone came to church.

Miracle # 4 - We have this investigator who has been coming to the Branch for a while now who has been keeping the secret as to why she hasn't joined yet and this week she finally told us why :)   We are now about to help her and it's been going really well. 

Well that's all I've got time for but I would like to add this one last note. I know that fasting brings blessings, and that fasting for a purpose works. If you are passing through a trial in your life you can always turn towards the Lord and He will help you overcome it. 

Sincerely,

Hermana Mathis

Finding New People to Teach

Dear Family and Friends,

Spiritual Thought of the Week: "God doesn't use a floodlight when a flashlight will do."

and "We are all CREATED for a happiness that endures." -Lasting Happiness

This week marks the first week of the transfer. Sister Snow and I will be staying together for another six weeks. I love serving with her. She is very inspiring in all she does and all she is. We have loads of fun together too,  so I know that this transfer is going to be awesome. The transfers are beginning to fly by SO fast. I feel like I just got to Sarasota last week.

Family home evening at the Bizzaro's. Sergio is a member and his wife and
children are investigating. The Castillo's were there with us it was great!

This week we saw several miracles. It seems that when we became creative in our finding was when we found our greatest potentials. We decided to help a less-active's friend with her English the other day only to find that this girl (named Lady) had been meeting with the missionaries in Honduras! We asked her if she wanted to be baptized and she said yes! So we gave her a Book of Mormon and have been teaching her ever since. 

Mexican Bingo

We've also been teaching a new investigator named Jorge. We met him by walking around in a trailer park one day. He told us that everyone has tried to talk him into going to their church and he's never wanted a part in it but felt like he met us for a reason. We had an amazing first lesson with him at a member's home and then he came to church on Sunday. It was great! 

These are the best tacos in the world!

We also had several other great member present lessons this week. Our members are great. We love them. I absolutely love this area! We had several family home evenings with several of our members and investigators which turned out to be a success. It's true what Harold B. Lee said, "The most important of the Lord's work you will ever do WILL be within the walls of your own homes." 

For P-day this week we went to Miaka, a nature park in our area, with our sisters. It was beautiful and so fun to spend time with the other sisters. One more reason why I love being Spanish is  because our area covers their areas and we can spend p-day with them. I will be sure to send home some pictures.

Another Golden Contact!

Dear Family and Friends

This week has just flown! It was a good one though.  As normal we did an exchange this week. This week we switched with the sisters in Port Charlotte which is about 40 miles south of us. It was worth the miles though because we both learned so much from them. They are AMAZING missionaries. They helped us gain confidence. Since that exchange we have been talking to more people than ever before. We have see many miracles. 

 

We went to go see a referral yesterday named Maria. When we pulled up we recognized the house. It was the house of a man we had met just a week earlier! So we go in and we sit down in this humble Mexican home to find that Maria was prepared to find the gospel.

We taught her the first lesson and she accepted it completely. With excitement in her words she asked, " So Joseph Smith brought back the church?" and "So you want me to pray to know if what your saying is true?" We were taken back. She prayed and she asked to know if it was true and immediately after she said, "I know all of what you taught me is true." We asked her to be baptized and she asked if she could be baptized again because she was Catholic. We said, " Yes you can" and she smiled and said she would. It was a miracle.

A couple weeks ago our mission president presented to us a ward missionary menu. The menu includes several activities that members can choose from to do missionary work. Yesterday we showed it to our Branch President and not only did he fully support it but he encouraged everyone in our ward council to find at least 5 families for us to teach this year so that they could double the branch by next year. We love this branch. It's amazing.  

On Sunday we went to go see this awesome returning member, Rodolfo, who taught us more than we taught him :)  One thing he said that really stood out to me what that the reason why there was no light the three days after Christ's death was because there couldn't be light without the "Light of the World, Jesus Christ." I had never thought of it like that before. And if that is the case the we must assume that Christ is with us today because the light does not cease to shine.

Well that's all I've got time for. Have a stellar week!

Con Amor,

La Hermana Mathis

"Whenever you work toward a worthy goal, you exercise faith."
-True to the Faith

This video just came out. It's SO inspiring. You all should watch it.
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2014-07-006-the-hope-of-gods-light?lang=eng

Golden Contacts!

Buenos Dias a todos! (Good morning to all!)

Hey everyone!

Sorry but this weeks email is going to be pretty short. This week we had MLC, Zone conference and Exchanges with the YSA sisters so we've been super busy. We have also seen several miracles and taught a few atheists. Roman wasn't baptized because he told us he didn't feel ready and needed some time to really read the Book of Mormon and think it out. We've talked to him several times since he canceled and he says he feels a lot more confident so I'll keep you updated on how it all goes. We mostly taught our recent converts this week. Everyone is doing very well.

One miracle we saw was on exchanges. We were about to go into a lesson when Sister Day and I met two women. They asked us who we were and we said that we were missionaries and that we prepare people to be baptized. Both of their faces lit up and one exclaimed, "I've always wanted to be baptized! I feel like now is the right time." The other chimed in, "me too!" We jotted down their numbers and began to teach them a little bit, by the end they both wanted to know more.

Lately in the mission we've been focusing on being really bold with people and asking bold questions. I've met more people now than I ever have in my mission. The bold questions work! There are three that we like to use often they are, "Have you been baptized?", "Have you been forgiven of your sins?", and "Have you ever been to OUR church?"

Thank you all for your prayers! I know they are making all the difference for us as missionaries.

I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart. Psalms 40:8

Miracle In the Park

Who said I can't teach everyone in the park?

Ok, so this was a HUGE miracle that happened just yesterday. We had nothing to do so we decided to go to the park to go finding. When we got there we met a mother and a daughter taking pictures. We offered to take some of them together for them.

After that we got to talking. As it turns out they were here from Georgia visiting their family. So we shared Because of Him with them thinking that we would just leave it at that and maybe teach them on Facebook.

After the video was over, we answered some of their questions, then the father of the girl showed up. He was thrilled to meet us and invited us to meet his family. So we walk over to where they were all playing soccer. We met his WHOLE family! The man and the woman in the center are from Sarasota and we will be teaching them again soon... :)