Not like last week

This week was tough, I had to leave my sector for 3 days. Elder Sanchez had a training in Concepcion. When we came back to our sector, it was as if Satan had been let loose. A man in our branch said, " the angels who God sent to Longavi can not leave, they are who protect the people from Satan. He told us this Sunday night before we left and then Thursday morning we had a prompting to go to his home first. Police.... something had happened with their son and a debt, all of their appliances were being repo-ed we showed up as the cops were leaving. The family was grateful that we had shown up and helped them to go unto Christ during this trial, and not further away. That was just the start, every home we went to needed help. Or something bad had happened. Yes we were able to leave every home with a Priesthood blessing or a prayer but most important they were happy when we left and had been turned unto to Lord. Bad things happened even to our investigators, including Miryam. I pray that God will allow us to repair all the things that had happened. I have learned that No matter how hard we work to protect someone, or flood them with Christ or the spirit. It relies on them and their agency, faith and actions. Because you can't always be there to protect them. I have also learned that men need to learn what the Priesthood is. Yes its the authority to do ordinances and other things, blessings of health and of comfort. But it is the power to act in the name of God. Who has created all things. The priesthood can bless all things. Anything that a worthy priesthood holder comes into contact with can instantly be blessed. I think Men need to better study and understand the power of which they can access. Things are going good, I am learning more than ever, I just pray that I can become the man who I need to become to bless the lives of others, especially the lives of those I love. I love you all and we should have a baptism next Sunday.    Love Elder Ward

Miracles

Where to start.. well family and friends thanks for all of the emails and the dear elders. It is so nice to be able to receive love every week when I have time to do Internet. Its also really nice to feel not forgotten. lol. I have never worked so hard or prayed so much and with so much strength before until this week. We knew since last Sunday that this Sunday church was going to be in Linares which is a 45 min bus ride away. So we decided if we wanted these investigators to come to Church we would have to work everyday for it. Miryam really wanted to go she said,  "Elder Ward you have to find a way for me to go, I know God will speak to me if I go." What missionary in the entire world would not work his butt off to get a investigator like that there. Her fecha bautismal is for the 28th of November. We only had one problem she is paralyzed from the waist down and she only has a electric wheel chair that weighs 250 pounds. So we had a plan of getting a truck to take her and our other investigators to church.. Sweet right! Wait.. remember how hard it was to find a socket wrench? Yeah now imagine finding a Truck! I called all the presidencies and let them know we needed help, the district presidency and branch presidency of every ward. I then called all the missionaries in the zone to help. Tuesday we found one!!! But then his wife got sick and they had to drive to Santiago. Wednesday we had no luck.. Thursday I was getting tired of it, and wanted to cry to be truthful. My comp and I fasted and prayed so that we could find her a truck. She made me promise to get her there. I called President Humphrey the Mission President and he said he could do it. I was so happy we did it!!! But then  on Saturday night at 9 pm,  I get a call from the assistants they said the speaker during priesthood canceled and our mission president would be speaking so he couldn't do it. I asked them what to do.. They said, "Say sorry and take notes for her." They wanted me and Elder Sanchez to give up. So we prayed to find a way to get Miryam to church, which we should have done in the first place. We could carry her on a bus but we would have to get her to the bus with a wheelchair which she didn't have... So i did all of the phone calls I did for the truck over again but this time we did it for a wheelchair. We finally got one but it was in Linares.!So we would have to get it in the morning.. we had a way... so we got to sleep at about 3...the next morning we woke up early to get on a bus by 730 but wait... there are no buses till 10 am on Sundays!!! no!! We saw a taxi so I ran over to him and I asked him how much and he said 10 mil! that's an eighth of what I get every month.. shoot no.. I talked him down to six and we were on our way. We get to Linares and met up with the other missionaries... No wheelchair!!! the 95 year old man we were going to borrow it from decided to get out of bed and go to the park.. the one day right!!! The Hermanas called and there is a wheelchair in their chapel! at this point we are running the 11 blocks to the chapel. We finally make it and we got the wheelchair, it had 2 flat tires. All the Chileans were trying to help and I just picked it up and ran, it looked like I stole it lol.. My comp caught up to me and we found a gas station!!! No!!! the air thing was broken!!! so we ran 5 blocks more and found another one. Yes!! the wheelchair works, and now we are waiting out front of a lider (shopping store) and waiting for a bus... No buses are coming. My heart dropped, we did all this work, we were five minutes early for the bus and its not coming. I prayed so hard for a bus to come, Nothing. I realized Elder Ward you 're stupid, Just pray for a way... One minute later we decided to just start running it, running the 20 kilometers. She was going to come. She wanted to come and we promised. A taxi came by us and said he was supposed to drive us!? God sent us a taxi but we had to fit the wheelchair  in now. We needed rope, so he called his friend and he was there in five minutes with rope!! On the way to Longavi he asked me why he felt he was supposed to pick us up. I told him we were messengers from God and we had to get some one to church. He told me he had just been praying to find which Church was true. We taught him lesson one about the restoration and he loved it. He took us to Longavi and we picked up our investigators. And he took us back to Linares for half price! We had eight people in a little taxi and as we were getting to Linares a cop pulls us over!!! NOOO so much work so many miracles why did we have to be so close to not make it. The cop came back and asked if the taxi driver is related to a cop in Talca he said yes. And we got off for free!! let go!! and we made it to church 15 min early!! I have witnessed miracles this week. God made us work, we worked so hard that a few times I thought I was going to have a heart attack, especially when I was running with a huge wheel chair on my back! God is real and he is a God of miracles. If we do all we can do he will provide a way. She loved church and wants to be baptized! After Church we had to cook lunch for the other investigators lol.. we did it because she asked us, how can I go to church if I have to cook for my family. So we said we would do it ... lol so we did.. Pday felt great today, no more stress no running with wheelchairs..lol we did play basket ball and it was alot of fun. I'm doing great family and I love you all!!! The power of prayer is real, and I know God lives. The church is true....

Love Elder Matthew James Ward

Hey a todos!!!

Hey family how is everyone, thanks for all the emails! Its always nice to see so many emails every week, and to feel the love from my family and my friends. This week was very tiring. I worked extremely hard. Maybe the hardest I have worked my entire mission. We did not have alot of results. But I know that the Lord is pleased with the effort we put in. We had Miryam the woman in the wheel chair come to church. Only after I rode my bike 5 kilometers to find a socket wrench so I could fix her chair. It broke, and she was going to wait for someone to come all the way from Santiago.. nooo you have Elder Ward lol.. Its amazing that I have forgotten how cush cush you all have it in the USA. I bet you could walk into your garage and dad has multiple socket wrenches. Only two people in Longavi have one. I had to get one from the mechanics they were pissed but I got it. As you can see I had alot of fun decorating our house. I really enjoyed the package.. Thanks so much. The holidays are going to be hard for me again. They are such a special time of the year for me. We had a zone activity in the campo, we played soccer and volleyball. We made a sweet volleyball court. lol We also burned shirts.. the four of us who made a year mark, but the hermana ended up using half of my shirt because she couldn't say goodbye to her shirt lol so I ripped mine in half. The mission is going great I love you all. I hope all is well.. Email me!!!

Love Elder Ward