Matt #24

Well everyone thank you for the e-mails once again... They are amazing because they always humble me and bring me back to why Im really here on the Mission. Thank you... Well this week has been an adventure, The tips Ben and I made with are "Ten tips of survival" film really came in handy this week haha. This week was one of the hottest weeks ever here in São Paulo which was crazy! I will never be able to express to you what the heat was like but heres where the survival skills came in handy haha the city ran out of water for our section of town because everyone was using it to feel up their pools or water cantaners... That means no running water in our house this week which means no clean dishes no clean clothes no bathroom breaks and you guessed it... no SHOWERS!!! HAHA it has been a week like camping here. Me and the other 3 missionaries smell sooo bad but its all good. Its actually pretty fun because we just dont care. We are just doing the Lords work! :) Also sorry its taken so long for me to write this Morning, This morning my companion and I woke up and went and helped our investigator build his roof... It was crazy intense but we finished it and all is good, I'll have to share this experience with everyone when I return home. Haha Also mom I finally got your package but still no letters... Our mail service is on strike right now so letters take a little longer then usally but I will still recieve them thank goodness! haha the strike should end this week.... hopefully. Well that pretty much sums everything up. Mom thank you for re-sending my Mission Blessing from President Anderson, my last one got wet so I couldnt read it anymore. The reason it got wet is I take it with me everywhere to remind me of my purpose here and not to forget my Lord and Savior, also to remind me how amazing my Mom is. :)

    Well Im not really sure what to write today because it only feels like yesterday that I wrote an e-mail but I'll try my best. First of its extremly crazy how similar my experinces are with Bens... everything he writes is exactly how I feel and what Im experinceing as well... Its crazy. I miss you like crazy Ben, thank you for your love and example. Your the best big brother in the world. :) I think today I want to focus on the people In the Scriptures abd people in general. In (Hel. 6: 34-36) We read about the Nephites growing in wickedness and the Lamanites begin to grow in the knowlege of their Savior as they open their hearts to the teachings of the Gospel. These Scriptures are simple yet powerfull.... We can learn so much from just these small verses! We can literally apply these verses in every choice in our life. In our life we will either incorparate the attributes of light (Christ) or darkness (Satan) there is no inbetween mark with our choices. We need to learn to humble ouselves and open our hearts to the Lord. To really become all that we can be we need to begin making changes in our lifes by making choices of light. Here on the Mission I've really been trying to learn how I can become a better Man/individual then I was when I left for the Mission... I want a change of heart that those whom I love with recongnize when I return but guess what family and friends? You wont change and I wont change unless we make the decision to change. How do we do that you may ask! Easy... Give your heart to the Lord. We cant change anything unless we have it, the same principle applys to the Lord and our hearts. How can we expect to change as individuals unless we give everything we have including our Hearts to the Lord. Thats why every Missionary that comes home is changed is because on the Mission we have to give everything we have to him.... and I mean everything haha Moses once said "Man is nothing" well I totally agree with him haha I am absoulutly nothing something I learned quick out here on the mission but I made the decision when I recevied my Mission call to give my time and energy to the Lord... but the choice that Missionarys need to personally make is are they willing to give their heart? Thats a tough item to give let me tell you haha I've really been trying to do this and its hard... There are times when I struggle and mess up, There are days when I become frustrated and upset with my progress (Especially with the Language) and I begin to grab my hardened heart and hold it back but family and friends.... dont resist the Lords helping hand in all things especially when it comes to giving him our hearts. I love this Work and I love the Gospel. Im so blessed for having the oppurtunity to serve in Brasil and Im also blessed to have a family and friends in rexburg who love ben and I so much. I miss you all so much, there are times when I feel like I cant go on that im alone in this battle of battles out here in the Mission but the great thing is we are never alone! :) I know that, I really do. There are so many experiences I have had here that have strengthed my testimony of this Gospel and well I know its true... I will never be able to deny that. I love you all so much and Im sorry this e-mail is fast and totally jumbled up... I feel so small compared to the Giant I call my Brother ben haha but I know that we are bothing growing in the Gospel and I hope that when I return home I can countinue to do my best and grow in the Gospel. :) I love you all with such a Love that I will never be able to describe thats for sure. Honestly I cant believe how fast this is going by, Im almost at six months in the Mission.... that means im almost 1/4th of the way done with this once in a life time experience... Nossa eu não acredtito isso... mas eu vou countinouar trabalhando até o fim. Eu te amo vocês mutio! Até proximo samana Deus ser com vocês para sempre. (I need to start practicing my Português writting/spelling haha sorry)