Getting back to Normal!

Hola Family! How is everything back in the promise land! It's good to hear from you and thanks mom and dad for the emails they are always nice. So this week back in the Chilean jungle has been quite fast actually and I had a lot of fun. We are starting to teach a lot of our old investigators again so the work is back to normal. I will be getting a new companion tomorrow so I am very excited, he is from Peru and doesn't know English.... so I guess it's the Lords way of saying learn Spanish dummy. I'm going to miss Elder Denis, but I am way excited for change. Since the earth quake we have had a lot more attendance in church we almost have had 200. So things are looking good. Oh and Emily, horrible news, the earth broke my watch! So I'm watchless :( I have experienced two things I thought I never would in my whole life, Wednesday I was shaving and about to get in the shower... Earth quake...... Then yesterday I'm using the bathroom and.... Earth quake. For a second I thought I was going to have to run out the door with my pants down. Its already a crappy bathroom but add a earthquake and you have a death trap. We have had an interesting week here in Hualqui, me and Elder Godfrey went out to the campo way out there to invite some inactives to church we had alot of fun. Saw an Aloe Vera plant that I swear was 10 feet tall, yeah beat that Grandpa. We had berries and spoke with some crazy guys preaching the gospel with megaphones. Yes we Went and talked with them. lol I hope everything is going good back at home, and that you all show each other that you love each other. ... I am learning a lot and also learning how everything in life is just how you choose to react to it. Nothing can force you to do anything or be sad. Its the beautiful gift called agency. I made my companion slow down last night, missionaries miss one of the most beautiful experiences of life. Relaxation and allowing the lord to teach us, receiving revelation and being calm. We walked SLOW and looked at the stars. You can learn a lot from just looking up. Realizing there is a God, and wanting to know him. Reflect on your life, look at why we are here. And think of who you really are, look up at the stars and allow the Lord to teach you. It works every time. Do that, then I would like to see arguments that are good for nothing happen, they won't. Sometimes we allow things to overwhelm us to easily, and if we just stop and learned to trust God, man that would be something. I'm still working on that one. The mission continues, I am doing good and don't worry. I would love that blanket though... and more pictures in the next package..

Love Elder Ward

Hey family! Whats going on? That's pretty crazy that people are getting married that are Jared's age! Its good to hear that the beautiful Vegas weather is still going on, I miss Vegas so much. These last few weeks have been a tough time but the Lord has helped me alot. This last week I have been able to understand and start speaking alot, so just more time and work and the language will come. We took a trip to Concepcion today, its alot better than it was last week. Alot of building are going to have to come down and alot of stores are starting to open up. If we don't get hit by another big earth quake things should be back to normal in a month or two. I have not been taking alot of pictures, I just don't want to. I have taken some but not more than I need. And I dont need alot of pictures of this. We are back in Hualqui though, its me Elder Denis, Garey and Godfrey. We cleaned the house the first day we got back, and a day or two later we got water and power, the only thing is alot of water pipes and sewer pipes are broken, but they keep it all on anyways. So you will be walking down the street and water will be coming up out of the ground, its weird. Last night we thought for sure another quake was going to come, cause everything cut out like power and cell service all at once. But no we were good just more stupid tremors, I am so ready for the earth to stop moving lol. We have food don't worry, all the big stores are done for but all the little stores out of peoples houses around our house are still up and going. So we have had alot of bread, guacamole and aji sandwiches and don't worry they got the coke a cola going again to. WE are not in Chig anymore so we don't get to help with alot of the big service any more. Once your out in Hualqui the mission president makes us stay there. And no I didn't get to keep the jersey, some elders took them though. Anyways, I have been able to study alot and learn alot this week. Since sleeping hasn't been the easiest lol Oh and if anyone makes fun of the toilet bucket thing mom bought, don't! Its alot better than plastic bags. But we have water again so we are set! Just people are freaking out about another big earth quake that might hit especially after last night. I'm not to worried though we are in a good house, it only has a few cracks in it nothing to big. Alot of things opened today like the postal office! I sent off a few letters I hope they get there before mothers day! they should. I also went and did alot of my visa papers today, the men were mean and the women were very nice to me. It still amazes me how much bigger gringos are lol and I'm only 19. I have lost weight but not to much, I still weigh 76 kilos so I have only lost about 6 kilos (13lbs) . But for a while I was worried there. I hope all is well at home and that my bro will start to email me, I emailed him again, I miss him alot I did only get to see him for a week. I hope his friends are not making him to busy. Well I love you all and I will work hard this week, every week it gets a little better. There is a line here at the email place in Hualqui so I have to go soon. But just know I am safe and that I will have lots of stories to tell. Bye

Con amor, Elder Ward

So, if you didn't hear!

So, if you didn't hear.. i was sleeping just minding my own business when a freaking 8.8 earthquake hit my little Chilean house. The aftershocks are just winding down and its been over a week. CRAZY! First thank you all for caring and praying for me, surprisingly I didn't do to much praying myself besides the normal. I feel bad for that, but I'm sure the lord understands. So within the next few days we should be able to make it back to Hualqui we just have to get the whole food thing situated. I have experienced alot of things that I never thought I would experience, but I am I grateful for all the things that I have been able to learn this last week. I can say I learned more this last week than my entire life. Alot of it was taking the time to reflect and ponder, the Lord will just open your hard head and teach you if you allow it and are patient. We had a meeting in the chapel in Teirra Bella, yes the one that we put up chairs and tables against widows and doors and found weapons in order to defend our lives lol.. but it was only scary for about 3 days its fine now, just the long process of recovery. Anyways we had a meeting where the Area Presidency and our Mission President and their wives came to visit us. Probably the most spiritual and amazing meeting I ever had. These people were sent from God to speak to us, the 12 missionaries in Chiguaynte. I am extremely grateful to have had those men and women visit us. Even though I was wearing my red volleyball shoes and hadn't showered.. ooops . I love all of you so much, I don't think I can express it through a stupid email but its all I got. Just know how fragile life is and how nothing we are without the Lord and the plan of salvation. Take time to think and ponder, and especially show others that you love them. Yesterday was a fun day! we finally had a big meal at a members home and afterwards I got on their roof and spent about 40 minutes fixing it. It was difficult but worth it. Also we went to a school that was being guarded by the military to help unload food from the Church, man that was fun the Church is amazing. We had about 120 people helping and we made a line and passed either bags or boxes person to person. And it rained almost the whole time. It was so fun, but after 3 hours I got really tired. But the Lord provides us strength its amazing. Well I love you all and I am out of time we have to go back to the school to unload more food. Remember how important it is to rely on our Heavenly Father he provides all.

Love Elder Matthew James Ward

What a Rude Awaking!

As you all know Elder Ward's area of Chile was included in the 8.8 earthquake that struck Chile early Saturday morning Feb. 28th he was only 15 miles from Concepcion. Today we were finally able to talk with him, the Elder's borrowed a members cell phone, and through Elder Rawe's family we were able to set up times for each family of the 12 Elders staying at the Chapel to be able to received calls. I hurried and added international calling to my phone, we were the last to be set up, and the only time available was during my lunch time and prep period. WOW imagine that ! I came home, David met me there and he decided we needed to get as close to a cell tower that we could, so we did. I dialed the number expecting to get a busy signal, or an unable to complete message, it went through the very first time, it was wonderful to hear his voice.

Matthew said he woke up and the house was shaking and twisting, the first one lasted about a minute, then another one came, then another one. He said he was sure they were going to die. Things were flying off the walls, the refridgerator fell over and broke, things thrown around. By the third wave he said they were off their bed, because you could see the cement ceiling moving above them. He said you couldn't scream or pee your pants you were that scared, his words were "the earth is powerful". He and the Elders all went outside. (Their batteries in the flashlights were dead!) They stayed outside the rest of the night, he said it continued trembling and shaking. The next day they started to Chiguayante, no one would give them a ride, so they started to hike the 7 miles, then they decided no way, so they stuck out their thumbs and hitchhiked. They stayed the 2nd night in Chiguayante along with everyone else who slept outside, with only the clothes on their backs. He said it was quite cold. The next day a member realized that they were missionaries and showed them where the chapel was. He said he was so thankful to see the Chapel, he used to make fun of the Churches in Chile because they have bars and gates, but he said he is so thankful for them now and that they build them to US standards. The church also has an alarm system in place. In that picture that was sent to us we don't realize that those 12 smiling Elder's have in their hands things that they could use to protect themselves and the Church house. The third day was the worst, a meat truck was stopped in front of the church house by a mob, the driver pulled out and the truck was mobbed for what it carried. He said he was very glad to see the military roll into town. His mission president, President Chavez has been by to see them twice, at first they were told not to wear their tags, but on the second visit he told them they could put them back on. President Chavez told them to stay put, so what does Matthew and the Elders from Hualqui do, they find bikes and ride the seven miles to their apartment. They went to get clean clothes, toothbrushes, journals and scriptures, and look for any food that is left in their apartment. He said that Hualqui was hit very hard, that 3 out of the 4 power generators by their apartments are lying on the ground. They have 1 good meal a day that is 1/3 of the size they usually have. The sun stays up til 9:30 at night, and they are in lockdown for 18 hours a day. They have been filling 5 gallon water buckets for people at a well. He says it is back breaking, heavy work, and yet a man came up to him to give him a piece of gum. No food has come into town yet. They are sleeping on the pads from the pews. They have good water filtration bottles, Pres. Chavez gave them out about two weeks ago at the Zone conference and they did an emergency assessment also. They have decided as a group that they aren't going to tell their families everything, because they don't want to worry us. He wanted to know how we were all doing at home. He said that they are still having alot of aftershocks, he said they are pretty much continuous.

Comments from MOM and DAD.
It was very hard to be upbeat, and listen, because no matter what, he will always be our youngest son. Yes a very capable strong young man, whose testimony of the gospel has always awed me, but he is still my baby. When he talked with his dad they discussed how this is like a continuous 50 mile hike but much more dangerous and less food, some will want to go home, some want to quit and some want to complain. Matthew has never been a quitter, he didn't want to talk more about his circumstances but he wanted to know what we were doing. His father reminded him to follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost. It has been a very long week, we are so thankful for modern communication, that we were able to get a picture and a call within five days. As the days go by it will be better when email service is stable so that we can know how their circumstances are. We are thankful for all of the prayers that have been said on his behalf and ask that they continue, we know that prayers have been answered