Matt #33

Wow what a week of e-mails.... Everyone I honestly dont know where to begin other then I love you all and I cant believe what its changing in my life because of your examples. First I want to write and express my love to my family for there incredible e-mails, always you all say exactly what I need to hear. I love you all so much.... next I want to write and express my love to Aunt linda and for everything my extended family does for me. Also thank you Heather for your words of encouragement, I love you so much. Also Jenny Porter... Thank you for your wonderfull e-mail and I hope you know I'm crying right now haha. I'm glad to hear all is good and that Jamba isnt the same without Ben and I haha remember always how important the Gospel truly is within our lifes.... Especially within the Family. :) Well to answer some questions and to ask some questions, Dad in the picture I sent last week thats my companion Elder Foliene, Hes Brazilian but looks American huh? haha He hates it when people say hes American but its pretty hilarious when they do. Also Ben in your e-mail you mentioned something about the walking dead and somebody who was still alive, who was it?? Haha just kidding dont answer that... I would rather not know for another 2 years. :) Also dad you said Jenni got a I-pod mini... what in the world is that!? :) Haha so much is changing in ours lifes but all I do is smile when I think of the great changes that are spiritually changing in our lifes. Ben I love you brother and your e-mails are such an example of your Faith. Ben you are a Spiritually giant and remember always that the Lord is on our side always!

        Well I dont know where to begin... today was a very good day for me as I finished the Book Of Mormon again on the Mission... What an incredible book, I know with all my heart that O livro de mormon é um outro testemento de jesus cristo. That book is all Spiritual power and I know that when we truly read this sacred book and really seek for answers and guidance the Lord will provided. These past 7 (Almost 8) months have been such a growing experince for me. I had my first Baptism last week and I never said thank you family and friends for your Prayers for Alexandre... Because of all your faith back up, I recieved this blessing and I hope you all know how gratefull I am. Last week was a tough one for me if you all couldnt tell. I felt my e-mail lacked joy and gratiduted for my first Baptisms but to be honest I was having a hard time inside my heart feeling like I was having success. Once again I was comparing my self with others and that should never be how we do thing in our lifes. We all have our own gifts and abilities and I know that the Lord has a purpose for all of us. The reason my Sprits were down last week was I was over the top happy about my first Baptism that I was telling everyone because I was so full of joy! There was one Missionary who told me that he had his first 13 Baptisms the first 3 months of his Mission so it wasnt anything to big... Once again I was down in the slums of comparison with this Elder and Satan took this opurtunity to begin sneaking in self doubt within my heart... I never felt so down in all my life! Then I remembered something thats so basic and simple within the church but many forget its power and use.... its called prayer. I prayed with all my heart this week and the Lord has giving me blessing after blessing after blessing this week. To start we had transfers this past week. I received my new companion who is American named elder Larsen, Hes from Washington and guess what? He has a twin serving here in Brasil in the Recife Missião and he has 1 year and 8 months on the Mission. Im learning so much from him and its been an incredible week. I also recieved word from my first area here on the Mission Vila Aurea. You all remember how hard we were working there but we didnt have any sucess? I found out this past week that two investigators that my old companion and I found have been and Baptised and 1 more should be Baptised this coming week! I didnt have the chance to see them be Baptised but I was able to start their process of Eternal progression. What a blessing all in its self!! Then this week I recieved a very speciel e-mail that explained to me that my Brother and I are doing good back home as well, My heart is full right now and Im sorry but I dont care about that Missionary who had 13 Baptisms... I've had my own Miracles here on the Mission. :)

            Family and Friends I cant explain what a Mission is like... Its the most hardest thing that I think I will every have the chance to do in my life... but also the most rewarding. Just like my brother said things that used to be important just dont have that much value to me anymore. for example the Walking Dead haha. Now of course that doesnt mean that I will through all my dreams and wishes and desires out the door but for now in my life there is something more Im working towards... something that has much more meaning then anything we can every truly come to understand. I know this Gospel is real with all my Heart and I hope you all know how much I love you all. One thing I really want to focus on is our choices. This past week I was making the choice to be sad and to allow this other Elder and his success to bring me down, but heres the crazy part we all have the power to make the decision to smile or to frown, we have the power to feel the Spirits influence or not... all an all everything boils down to US and OUR decision. One thing I have certanty of is that we all have the decison to become more like our Lord and Savior, to become the best that we can become. It sounds simple but sometimes it gets a little tough especially within the world we live in, but heres something we can all try to apply to help us make this decison to do better. Imagine the Savior in everything you do, Imagine he's with you when you pray, or when your having a tough day. Imagine he's right next to you saying "Dont worry it'll all be ok in the end trust me" Imagine he's there with you with a big smile always encouraging you to keep going especially during the hard times, Imagine he's always there to pick you up and dust you off when the hard days get the better of you. Imagine his love for all his children and joy when we make correct choices. Nows heres the intersesting part that I want everyone who is reading this letter to realize and focus on. Everything I just wrote isnt something we need to Imagine because its something that is very real.... Thats the incredible Blessing for our Heavenly Father. That no matter what we've done we can always come back unto him through the Atonement of his inly begotten Son Jesus Christ. We are here on the earth to learn and progress in the Gospel. Nobody is perfect but thats the beauty of Gods plan for us. That when we do our best and really try to make correct choices the Lord will guide and bless us, and when we make wrong choices and we fall down he will always pick us back up and carry us to the finish line. Family and Friends I miss you all so much. Words cant and will never be able to express this to you. But I know this is where we (Ben and I) need to be. The Lord needs us and the people of Brazil need us. I wont lie Im alittle scared to come home because things back home really do feel like a dream, they just dont feel real... I think the hardest thing for me will be going to Broulims and everybody around me is speaking English... That will be the hardest thing for me haha. I love you all and I'm always here for each one of you. I'm sorry you all dont here for personal messages from me... its so annoying not having the time to write everyone individually but remember... remember that I truly love you all so much. I cannot wait for the day that we all will talk again and laugh about all the hilarious memories we shared and watch the Walking dead and make Jambas haha but until that day my life is in the Lords hands. :) Love you all and Im hope you all know how happy I am to know all of you and call you my friends and Family. Mom and Dad... I love you and I cant wait to see you in 3 weeks. :) Love Elder Matthew Ryan Doggett. A.K.A. Dog-Master-Flex (I'm not sure what that means but the Missionarys started calling me that haha)