Small Post

Hey family thanks for all the emails this week, including all of the pictures. It is always nice, I will not be sending a very long email this week because I would enjoy to study on mormon.org and the lds website. As missionaries we have very little to study from besides the scriptures.But I love you all and I am doing well. My new comp is from several places in the USA but was raised in Columbia. He has a great desire to work. I am enjoying the work we are working really hard and we are having success too. We are working hard, haha elder Castillo got sent to Hualqui to be comps with Elder Matney. Next week I promise I will write more I am just really enjoying being able to study right now. LOVE ME

Training? What... and Baptisms!‏

Hello family, This week was crazy. I have had many spiritual experiences that have strengthened my testimony about this gospel. I studied differently this week and allowed the lord to take over. This week seemed to be the plan of salvation as the grand subject. People with questions, doubts and even people coming up to me to tell me something was false about the plan of salvation. I dont Understand why someone would try, it is the most doctinal supported, and scriptual supported subject. Including visions by ancient and modern day prophets. And the promise in Doctrine and Covenants 76 that we too can see the celestial glories. i say glories because yes there is more than one. I have learned alot this week especially about learning from god, allowing my own eyes to be spiritually opened to not only read but understand. And its amazing how much we can learn by observing the life around us. All things point and teach of god. Look for them, and pray to god to have the understanding to find and understand the answers. There is nothing anyone can ever say or show me to change my testimony. But what is a testimony, its a spiritual witness from the holy ghost on a gospel subject. So it is not somethin that we can lose, or something that can be taken away. We can not lose a testimony either, but our heart can be hardened and our guilt can over power our true faith in Jesus Christ. I have seen many people including returned missionaries here in chile who are members of other churches. And always it can be traced back to a sin, and a lack of faith. they still have testimonies but lacked the faith in Christ to overcome a trial. Or those who never recieved a spirtiual witness. This is the larger group. They did not recieve a witness and will not untill they become humble and do other things. But it all, All an be traced back to Faith in Jesus Christ. There is a reason why its the First principle of the gospel. This week the Hermanas baked me a cake it was really really good. The week went by really fast to be honest. We had a baptism this sunday, It was fantastic. Afterwards she thanked me for helping her find the truth and to recieve her own TESTIMONY. she has had her own spirtitual experiences about the book of mormon, Joseph Smith and more. I have come to realize why people have doubts or even attack the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ Of latter Day Saints. And it is misunderstanding. simple as that. So we got a phone call this morning saying that I am going to be a trainer, Weird because I have not even been a senior comp yet. and their are plenty of older more experienced elders that have not trained. But hey we will see how it goes. So i take a bus ride in the morning to Concepcion to get him. Mom i am fine, you worry about things at home, I am in the Hands of the Lord and you know that. A mission would not be possible if it was not so. Still no knews about landons Mission call? well i hope all is well in vegas, and i hope that your not all melting. To end my email this week, i would like to give a very simple yet powerful testimony.

That I know this church is true, its teachings, and we have a prophet to guide us. And it has been made manifest unto me by the power of god. And I can never deny it.

I love you, Elder Matthew James Ward

I'm an old fart!

So mom, dad, and family, I lost my umbrella.. And I have no money to purchase a new one so this last 3 days I have walked in the rain.. my scriptures are in a plastic bag and my whole body drenched. I am still here with Edler Castillo in Longavi with all the pigs and chickens.. So thanks for all the birthday emails! It was extremely nice to sign on my email and to have so many emails, even from people I rarely hear from. That's good Justin got his call!! I'm excited to hear about Landon I really want him to come here to Chile, in this mission lol.. its possible.. lol So this is the last week of the cambios here so next week its possible I might get a new companion! So this week we had alot of opposition. However you spell it. Lets just start with anti-Mormon folletos here in Longavi.. But don't you worry dad I destroyed those filthy lies and fibs about the Book of Mormon. We only lost one of our investigators. This week we went to our favorite house the family of
Katia and the husband is just having ridiculous questions very difficult and crazy questions. But I called him out with the scriptures about the intent of his questions. Then I answered them and told him he will never know the truth and will never receive answers if he doesn't soften his heart and read the Book of Mormon, which he won't do. I shared with katia last week the talk by Jeffery R. Holland about the Book of Mormon and told her that if anyone ever gives her crap about the church to slap them in the face with the Book of Mormon. (Ha Ha) This week she needed another new Book of Mormon because at work again 5 people were attacking her about her choice to be baptized in the the Mormon cult... bull crap. But she threw at them the Book of Mormon (to read) and didn't let it phase her. We should be baptizing them this Sunday!!! So I'm doing good family, today for my birthday we played volleyball.. well few of us did because it was raining hard. But me and my new buddies fresh from the MTC still played with me.. they are in the pic with me. The lord is shaping me into something, I don't know what, but I think it has alot to do with patience and love lol.. Last night I played bombero, or fireman, the house next door caught on fire so I was up there as people would hand me the buckets of water.. it was fun.. the mission is full of experiences. Don't worry about me family I'm doing fine. Just ready for a new companion , and I'm ready for spring... why won't it come lol.. Love me...