Same Power, Same Calling

HOLA amigos :)

This week flew! They all do... AH. 

This week found a cute family :) Yanina was a lady we kept passing by to see when we could come by and something always came in the way of us having a lesson, but finally after 2 months we could have a lesson with her and her "Pareja" Marcio. They just about killed me, they are adorable and OH so in love. The whole time they were holding hands. He expressed that he just wanted his family to be firm and united. He had read the pamphlet we left them. And he was so funny he asked "Is it really "Jose" Smith? From New York?" We said yeah really Jose? He responded that´s normally a Latin name... How weird.." Haha we were dying. Anyways, it was a really good lesson and we put a baptismal date and they accepted! Marcio kneeled and offered the last prayer :) Awe. 

Eliana our dear friend is doing well. It´s amazing to see her desire to be better every single day and overcome her trials and weaknesses. She has had so many obstacles. In our lesson she said..."I find myself constantly thinking about the commandments... does that happen to you guys?"  Awe. She really wants to keep the commandments and is truly becoming stronger and stronger in spite of all the temptations she has.

This week I have come to seriously appreciate the power of the Book of Mormon for me personally as a missionary. I´m pretty sure it was literally inspired and written especially for missionaries. EVERYTHING applies to missionary work. It has truly become one of my greatest sources for strength, guidance, and comfort. This week I was reading in Alma about all my amazing missionary friends... Alma, Amulek, Ammon, Aaron.... they are my heroes. I love reading about their patience, diligence, and faith and the will power they had to overcome all their trials... and boy did they have trials. I feel so grateful for their examples.... of Diligence... their burning desire to bring their brethren unto repentance...  "And now my brethren, I wish from the inmost part of my heart, yea, with great anxiety even unto pain, that ye would hearken unto my words, and cast off your sins and not procrastinate the day of your repentance." 

Their trust in the power of their calling... " I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true.. and a portion of that spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God."

As I was reading and amazed by their amazing conversion stories I came to the realization that I as a missionary have that same power. Of course the situations, people, and times are different but I have the same power and the same calling as them :) What examples they are to me, I only hope to be able to have even half as much faith, patience, and diligence as them :) 

Con Amor, Hermana Matheson

Peach y.... Peach :)

Hola! 

What a crazy week!

First things first.....  HAPPY FATHERS day yesterday! I feel so blessed to have such a hardworking, loving, and absolutely crazy dad. My heart is full of gratitude for the blessing I have to have such a good Dad. In the mission I have really come to understand just how important a father is and how their influence completely makes or breaks a family. My dad definitely MAKES the fam. How boring my life would be without such a rockin dad who has given me so many opportunites and taught me so much; he makes a great best friend :)

This week was a little rough... sometimes there are just days that are flat out tough. Nothing is harder than watching people you love and have seen make so much progress take a different path. We have recieved a fair share of rejection this week. Which... by the way builds character :) There were like three really hard days right in a row, and literally EVERY single person that day rejected us and some of our very best potentials completely fell through. I felt so so so frustrated. As I was talking with my companion we started discussing the trials of the day and how we both felt. Every night we do something that my mom taught me... Peach and Pit... (at the end of the day we say the best and the worst parts of our day, I´ve done it with all my comps). We started chatting and Hermana Avalos turned to me and said... "Today... only Peaches" so we started taking turns naming off all the good things that had happened that day. We came to realize that there were SO many "Peaches", so many little blessings that maybe weren´t anything different than other days but were blessings that maybe we didn´t notice other days. Sometimes you need the bad days to recognize the good ones. It reminded me of one of my all time favorite quotes.... by Gordon B. Hinckley.....

I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life we “accentuate the positive.” I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good. :)

Sometimes we have to pass through the little storms in order to get to the rainbow eh? After a rough week Sunday night as we were full of frustration and it was about time to go back to the pension we decided to knock one more door and an energetic young mom came out and the first thing she said was.... "You came just in time.... my husband is driving me nuts...." Turns out she has felt the absence of something in her life ... She told us there is something missing but she didn´t know what it was.... Good thing we are here to tell her what :) SO HAPPY. I really know that our Heavenly Father knows us personally and knows to what point we can handle difficulty and ALWAYS has blessings waiting for us at the end of every little storm :) 

New District :)

Exchanges with Hermana Kiel :)

Those I Represent...

HOLA AMIGOS! 

What a week!

Life is swell! This week we taught Eliana the Word of Wisdom, she was a taken back at the idea of not drinking Tea or Coffee. But I loved watching her attitude change as Jessica (our stellar member friend) bore strong testimony of how much the Word of Wisdom has changed her life. We explained that sometimes we let the littlest things get in the way of the greatest blessings.

Fun find this week. Last Monday our STL`s called us and said they had a golden reference for us. They were walking in the street and a man came up and asked how he could find more. So of course we jumped right on it and set up an appointment. We invited him to Stake Conference... and he came. All on his own. And he found a member in our ward that was his college friend. Such a small world. I love seeing how Heavenly Father perfectly places every detail.

One of my greatest joys this week has been the Joy of Family History. Our zone is really putting a lot of emphasis in the power of Family History and how the spirit of Elias can truly influence and soften the hearts of people. President wanted us to take a couple hours and be familiarized with Family Search. So I did some looking and WOW. I have some faithful family members to thank, that have dedicated hours and hours. It is SO complete. With data, stories, pictures and even audio. I found a clip of my mom at 4 years old singing to her mom. As I continued discovering I was amazed at the legacies of my ancestors... one in particular that inspired me was Lydia Evans... (My Great Great Grandmother).....

LYDIA EVANS: Born in New Market, Wales, her mother died when Lydia was thirteen years old leaving her, the oldest and the only girl, to care for her father and four young brothers. They all came to America traveling nine weeks on the ocean. This was in  From the east coast they travelled by train to Florence, on the Missouri River. Some of the way was through the devastated areas of the Civil War and food was scarce and hard to find. The family traveled all the way to Salt Lake City.  The captain of the ship gave the Mormons credit for saving them with their faith and prayers that all would be well. The journey across the plains was one of extreme hardship and Lydia walked 500 MILES, but became so exhausted and weary that she lagged beside the trail. In a humble prayer she told the Lord: "I can go no farther, accept of my effort thus far, I can go no farther." Wolves were howling not far away and in the distance could be seen the camp fires of a band of Indians around which they were having a war dance. But she had no fear and knew in her heart if she were to die, her efforts would be acceptable and that "All would be well." 

She was missed in camp and someone came back for her. She told him her story and showed her bleeding feet, but he said, "No, Lydia, you are not through, you will go to Zion and carry on the work assigned to you." She rode in a wagon for two days and then walked the rest of the way to Salt Lake, a distance of 1000 MILES. She and Alexander Matheson were married by Brigham Young in the old Endowment House in Salt Lake City, 1 August 1864. They were finally told to abandon Panguitch and move to Parowan. She bore nine sons, She thus carried out the promise made to her that she had a great work to perform. All her sons have raised fine families and their name has been held in honor and respect throughout the southern part of the state where they lived. They were all more or less mechanically inclined and showed more than average aptitude in working with machinery, engineering, milling and in various trades; telegraphy, brick and stone masonry, carpentry, newspaper work, etc. They have all held positions in the Church, including, Bishops, Patriarchs, counselors, High Priests, choir members, missionaries.

As I read this simple story (only the first one I found, I`m sure there are so many more) my heart was full of gratitude for my ancestors. Finding this simple story changed the way I looked at the rest of the week. I thought if my ancestors can walk thousands of miles with bleeding feet I too can go a little further and carry on the work I have been assigned to do.  I came to the realization that the name tag I place over my heart every day represents TWO sacred names, two sacred legacies and sacrifices. That of my Savior Jesus Christ and his infinite and atoning sacrifice, and "Matheson" which reminds me of the legacy I carry, the sacrifices that have been made to get me here. I don`t know where I would be if it weren`t for the sacrifices of these two very sacred names. I will forever be grateful and hold a very special place in my heart for those I represent. How grateful I am to be a Matheson :)

Con Amor, Hermana Matheson

 Lydia Evans

 AGUANTE ZONA SAN JUAN!!!

 Asado :)

 Officially a Sanjuanina :) 

 All the San Juan Hermanas, Zone Conference :)

My poly sisters :) (....palangi)  

Hermana Streadbeck

My cute comp :)