Hola Family

Hey family whats going on, so I'm still here in the rest stop in the middle of nowhere with a pretty boy de peru. lol six more weeks lol we should have a baptism this month coming up though so its all worth it. Its not all about baptisms. I learned that a lot this last 6 weeks here in Longavi, I am serving in meaningful ways. If it means helping my companion find his testimony and teach him correct doctrine, or listening to people for hours about there trials and afflictions. I don't know, but I am serving. I am content with knowing that when I am serving them I am serving my God. This last week went by really fast, I learned a lot and hope that me and my comp can continue to build a relationship. Slowly we are. I want to thank everyone for the emails that I received this week, I was very happy to have so many great emails. bro Jared, !esta o no! I happened to read D & C 121-3 this week lol I think its the Lord speaking to me. lol So this week we had some really intense lessons this week, my comp is mad at me because I'm not by the book on the lessons and I take over, he says. If the spirit tells me something, I'm going to do it. If someone needs to be taught something for their spiritual progression I'm going to take the time to teach it. If someone just needs us to listen, we listen. Holy jazz, talk about rain this week, we had a day that it rained big time all day. Just to make our day better every appointment fell lol members too, we tried everything. Contacts all, all day 10 hours of contacts. A first for me in my life lol oh and how I hope its the last lol. and to add to it we got rejected all day but hey, im serving lol right. I hope you guys are receiving blessings for this! lol So this week I started a list, every question and the answer in the Book of Mormon. So far I have 56 questions about life or the gospel of Jesus Cristo and the answers in the Book of Mormon, its absolutely amazing! Definitely a true book, plus I love to watch people ask a tough question and see their reaction when I take them to the index and show them how to find the answer-then the answer. It is amazing. lol I didn't take any fotos this week sorry, out of batteries and I have about 4 dollars to live off of until next Monday and 3 dollars are going to fast offering. Not buying batteries lol.. Maybe I can find some in my meletas. Well I'm doing good family and friends, the gospel is true.

Love Elder Matthew James Ward

No Transfers

Hey family whats going on, so I'm still here in the rest stop in the middle of nowhere . lol Six more weeks lol we should have a baptism this month coming up though so its all worth it. Its not all about baptisms. I learned that a lot this last 6 weeks here in Longavi, I am serving in meaningful ways. If it means helping my companion find his testimony and teach him correct doctrine, or listening to people for hours about their trials and afflictions. I don't know, but I am serving. I am content with knowing that when I am serving them I am serving my God. This last week went by really fast, I learned a lot and hope that me and my comp can continue to build a relationship. Slowly we are. I want to thank everyone for the emails that I received this week, I was very happy to have so many great emails. bro Jared, !Esta o no! I happened to read D&C 121-3 this week lol I think its the Lord speaking to me. lol So this week we had some really intense lessons, my comp is mad at me because I'm not by the book on the lessons and I take over, he says. If the spirit tells me something, I'm going to do it. If someone needs to be taught something for their spiritual progression I'm going to take the time to teach it. If someone just needs us to listen, we listen. Holy jazz, talk about rain this week, we had a day that it rained big time all day. Just to make our day better every appointment fell lol members to, we tried everything. Contacts all day, 10 hours of contacts. A first for me in my life lol oh and how I hope its the last lol. And to add to it we got rejected all day but hey, I'm serving lol right. I hope you guys are receiving blessings for this! lol So this week I started a list, every question and the answer in the Book of Mormon. So far I have 56 questions about life or the gospel of Jesus Cristo and the answers are in the Book of Mormon, its absolutely amazing! Definitely a true book. Plus I love to watch people ask a tough question and see their reaction when I take them to the index and show them how to find the answer -then read the answer. Its amazing. lol I didn't take any photos this week sorry, out of batteries and I have about 4 dollars to life off of until next Monday and 3 dollars are going to fast offering. Not buying batteries lol.. Maybe I can find some in my meletas. Wll I'm doing good family and friends, the gospel is true.

Love Elder Matthew James Ward

Grandpa would be proud!

Hello family, would like to start out this email saying its going to be alittle different than last weeks. I had alot of experiences this week but they were very sad, and very hard to go through. I learned alot this week. And I still have not received a fancy American bank card that could really help me out right now lol. We had service this week to chop some wood, and when we got there I was given a dull axe and when I asked where was the wood, the woman pointed to a tree. I had to do all the work myself. My gloves ripped and my hand got a nice cut, but don't worry I pulled a Grandpa Olds, a napkin and tape and went to work! Dont worry mom my hand is fine. This week we did contacts in the market. A lot of people really didn't like me because the market is about a kilometer long and once your in it its hard to get out unless its on the other side. We set up in the middle and as my comp manned the table I went out and stopped the traffic. I learned alot this week, but alot of things I don't want to write. Just people experience so much pain and sorrow. I miss paying tything. I miss time..... I never have time.... I don't know this is the first time I really don't feel like writing I'm sorry. I'm fine though so don't worry, just experiencing a lot. I would like a picture of our new dog lol..

Love Elder Ward

Experiences, there is no other way to title this email.‏

So this week it rained and the wind blew like I never knew it could. Me and my comp we had a lot of talks this week, especially about doctrine. I refuse to teach false doctrine he got a little upset at me that I was correcting him but it needed to be done. That was an experience. We just had so many good lessons this week and so many heartbreaks. I didn't know it was possible to feel so different so many times in one day. I will only give two experiences this wee. The first, we are at investigators home.. Or a medio agua, the shack that the government gave to those who lost their homes in the terremoto. We are teaching a man and woman who have two very young daughters they are not married. The dad left for something for about 15 min the woman broke down in tears about how hard her life was all of her family has died. She is alone and lives with a man who she doesn't love, only because she cant leave him because she has no work, no home, no family. But she wants to get baptized but refuses to marry this man. Before we can reply he returns, My comp, being the great senior comp he is, looked at me and expected me to know what to say. I shared about the atonement and then set an appointment with the branch president this Sunday to speak with her personally. Because I do not have the keys or the calling to give counsel like that. But we are good now. But how sad was the experience we are the only people she trusts. Then the same day we ran into a woman named Katia we contacted her about 3 weeks ago. She didn't want a thing to do with us, but not to feel bad she has nothing against us. I said don't worry about it, or No se precupe, don't worry yourself lol your not rejecting us, as representantes de Jesu Cristo your rejecting him. She came up to us this day and told us to come share with her family because she couldn't stop thinking that she might have rejected Jesus Cristo. We go into her home and she has a family of 9 all waiting to share with us. They pricked and questioned and doubted everything we taught. I felt the spirit so strong during the lesson I never didn't know what to say, my comp might of been a little upset because I did all the talking. By the end of it they told me I had convinced them, and like any missionary knows it was the spirit so I told them that, I asked them how they felt right now, they said calm and warm (BAM in your face I wanted to say) but I taught them that what they were feeling was the spirit bearing record that what we taught was true. At the end of the lesson they said things I will never forget. One was, in the last ten years living in Longavi, Katia told us she sees missionaries almost every week but until us none of them had ever talked to her. Then her mother who was there also asked, how are you always so happy? Yesterday I saw you being hugged by a drunk man and made fun of by all his drunk friends, and you just took it, happily too. It was a great lesson, great experience. The only bad thing we can only teach them once a week, every Saturday because they all work. and want to be taught together. another thing, we taught them the godhead, they have been Catolica their whole lives and didn't even know who God is. .. Sometimes we do not know who is watching, and how we react may influence someone else in their life. I also learned how important study is, when we obtain the word and treasure it. The Holy Ghost will always bring it back to our memory when it is needed. He will guide us. I know its true. I'm doing fine so family don't worry about me. I'm still being tried with my patience and my love lol but I am learning every day. I sent letters home today too. I hope Emily is at least getting a cool dog lol.. Jared email me bum face. I love you all and I hope you are all showing each other that you love them. And next time that you are eating In-an- Out or something amazingly good, just take a second to remember that Matthew is eating beans.. Love your son and brother,
Elder Matthew James Ward

Rain, Rain

Hello family how was the great fourth of July! well for me I walked around all day.. in wind and rain, the bum part of my rain pants broke so I had a nice wet bum all day... lol So this week was good, me and my comp are really making progress with some of the people we found this week we found two jovens, both sixteen and they are cousins. They came to church too! We have taught them 3 times and one is very interested in the the priesthood, which is good since there are no young men in the branch. So maybe that will change soon. We had another Zone conference with the new President and his wife, I really like them. Just things are changing alot, like we only have interviews and conferences every 12 weeks! I also got my scripture cases for my small English scriptures, man they are legit! lol I have been learning alot in this new area, especially because I have alot of responsibility in the branch. To answer dads other question, there are 2 elders in Longavi, 4 elders in Linares and 4 sister missionaries in Linares, and that's our district. Our zone is with the missionaries in Parral. Longavi is going to take a different type of work, Love and Patience.. And that is what I'm learning right now.. And I am trying very hard to apply the things that I am learning. I love you all!!!!!!!! PS. I MISS ENGLISH

MOM
I'm doing good I just sleep with out a pillow lol.. and the new president changed a lot we have conferences every 12 weeks now! lol and same with interviews. But he is going to come around and train us personally alot. Hey its what elder packer instructed him to do so I'm for it lol.. so I dont know my mail situation. I just really want some american money lol we have lunch 4 times a week but its portions for a little girl.. and yes we do alot of service but I dont need anything. we should be having a baptism in two weeks but we still have alot of work to do. I love you mom!

Hello family how is everything! Here in Chile things are doing good, conference was very good, I got to see alot of people from the MTC! Like Elder Hathaway! I also saw Elder Hafen who is one of my old friends from Vegas! He just came to the mission lol the other kid is Elder Stermetz from Arizona he is fresh from the MTC lol he thinks I'm a stud with Spanish we talk alot on pdays because we are exactly alike. I like girls, he likes girls. I like halo and call of duty, he does too. I love volleyball, he does too! I finally have someone to play with! He is tight, and I'm tight lol I worked my butt off this week like I told dad in his email, I lead the music, blessed the sacrament and gave a talk while taking care of our investigators. lol Alot of work is needed here in Longavi, my comp is content.. and doesn't push himself. he hit a year this week and died with it lol. Im really enjoying the mission right now, even with another comp from Peru. I just swear they are from a different planet lol... .. we played soccer today with a bunch of Chileans today I sprained a kids ankle. Its his fault, he ran at me full speed with the ball and thought I was going to move. no bro, I'm twice your size.. maybe next time he will think lol.... I'm slowly getting better at soccer its still really hard. Well I'm doing good, I'm learning alot and working hard. Had alot of good experiences this week..
Love Elder Ward

Longavi: aka a long way from everyone!

So today is interesting, there is a riot outside as I am doing Internet here in Linares. Because Chile won today their soccer game.. soccer soccer soccer lol. So my new area is cool, its just a small branch of about 40 members. I had to give a talk yesterday, I had 40 min lol.. yeah that was fun lol I really like my new area and my new comp is Elder David Castillo from PERU lol yeah... lol . We have 2 good investigators, besides that we have nothing the work really needs a lot of help here. So I have a lot on my plate.. oh hey! Elder Garey got transferred to my district as my District Leader! We are going to see each other for a year of the mission lol.. I was really mad about not seeing Elder Hathaway but i should see him Wednesday at conference! So I'm almost fluent in Spanish that's nice. Its also nice to hear Landon and Jared are bums using all of my stuff.. I still miss my old sector, I had to say goodbye to the family (Ulloa), man they made me a pinata .. they cried when I left it was really hard. I don't really know what to write this week, just things are going good, its really cold and I wish the best for all of you at home. Oh we did find a family this week, it was sweet they had so many questions and the dad was just amazed that I could answer all of them lol.. we will see where it goes.. oh and yeah a lot of people lost their homes here its bad, its really poor here. Houses of tin and sticks, I can't stand up in alot of them. We went out with the branch president to distribute food.. I'm going to learn alot here, but now I'm going to go play volleyball 2 of the newbies in our zone say they know how to play so I'm going to go see...
Love Elder Ward

The Ulloa Family

This is German and Karen and their family, Matthew was able to baptize them and their son Joiseph.

Why Transfers....Now?

Hello family, so I am being transferred to a place called Longavi. And yes I have put weight back on I'm almost back up to 80 kilos. I'm at 75 kilos right now. But hey all is good here, except that I really don't want to leave Hualqui I said bye to the Ulloa family and their kids cried, they made me promise that I would write them for the rest of my life..I agreed lol I am enjoying the mission but its just like everyone I have gotten close to for the last 3 years of my life I have had to say bye to, I don't know what the Lord is trying to teach me but man do I not like it one bit. Oh it rained for days this week.. literally four days straight, it looks like I will be transferred tomorrow in the rain too.. not looking forward to that lol.So my MTC companion is taking my spot here in Hualqui that's pretty cool, I just feel really bad that he has to be comps with Elder Salvatierra. I am writing a letter and leaving it on my bed or his new bed lol... The light bulb was an antenna that's how they do it here, and the Elders on the couch was before lunch at a members house. Big shout out to mom for buying me a very beautiful purple rain suit. When any light hits it I glow like Barney. So I make an effort to wear bright ties with it. So now I'm not just yelled at cause I'm a gringo, now I'm a big purple gringo walking in the rain lol.. but i enjoy it. The work is booming because we keep getting references, whoever sent me that video Small and Simple Things.. thanks I pop it in during lunch or something and then after they just hand me references so right now we have 11 investigators all progressing we had 7 at church yesterday it just really sucks that I am being transferred. But hey I'm learning a lot and experiencing a lot. Everyone I love you !!! I will write letters soon I don't know the mail situation in my next sector yet.

Love Elder Matthew James Ward

A week of miracles!‏

Ok so this week was the fastest week of my mission so far, just so many things happened that were either just crazy or really just cool lol.. So last Tuesday was Elder Keller's 22 birthday so we made some choripans they were sickly good. Then Wednesday started, right now we are teaching a "prophetess", her and her husband are the pastors for San Pablo Evangelico church. They invited us to their church to attend and they said we could have 10 min to talk at the end. We agreed and got permission from our leaders to attend. Okay, talk about an experience! At first I was like ok this is good, all the children we were happy and jazz. The first song was alright, alot of instruments and yelling but hey it had a good message and I still felt good, but then they rang a bell and everyone fell to the ground or had their arms raised and began to pray aloud and some people were blessing and healing each other. I have never felt the Holy Ghost leave so fast. I felt limp as if all love and all the peace had left my soul. I have experienced the Spirit leaving before but not like that. I can not describe it, other things happened like a magical hat that was passed around by a young girl to collect money. Then we had more yelling and singing and praying. At first I was angry in my heart at what I had seen, until I looked at the children and and some of the other people and it hit me, how they don't know. They are lost, yes some are not. but I began to feel the pain and sorrow that I think some of the prophets in the Book of Mormon felt. Finally it was our turn to talk, I turned to my comp and was like.... yeah I got this.... I taught simple doctrines like who is God? I asked them if they even knew who they were praying to or why. I bore testimony of the restored gospel and of God as our father and of Jesus Christ who is a separate being than God. I said a few other things I'm sure dad could guess what scriptures I used and ended. Throughout this week we have found 2 families through knocking doors who attended that church and we are now teaching. Then we had a mini cambio and I went and taught with Elder Keller. They have a young part member family who they are about to baptize and the mom was like, Elders I know a young man you need to teach he is sad, addicted to drugs and his father just died. He is a friend of my sons... I paused and said Hermana is his name Felipe and lives in the Santa Josefina! I knocked on his door yesterday and we are going to start teaching him. She just bawled like a baby and testified to her husband who is not a member that the Church is true. Also we ran into a man who had fallen in the hills I carried him home, as I carried him I found out he is a member just inactive because it was hard for him to go without his wife. It took an hour to get to his home, his wife was so thankful and you know we are about to start teaching her too! He told me as I was carrying him that he had been having difficult times and wanted the Lord to let him know if he needed to go back to church or not.. I was like dude here is a big white gringo as your sign! lol We did have one rough day where I got rocks thrown at me by the 19 and 20 year old flaites... punks I went up to confront them and to teach them and my pansy comp didn't come he walked away and left me! Don't worry the Lord took care of me but it was a test of my patience. Then the day that we were supposed to teach Felipe he wasn't home! I was like dang it!!!! why, but as we were walking home that night through the fog I had a prompting to go talk to a group of flaites way off in a soccer field- dirt lol.. I was like are you serous I'm white and the fliates here hate me! but I gave in and walked over there, my comp said he would wait for me.. pansy lol.. but as I got closer to the group I realized that Felipe was there.. I got him to come with me, how I don't know and we are going on Friday to teach him! The Lord truly uses us, all we have to do is be ready to act! I am loving the mission right now, maybe not my comp or the area, but the Lord loves me and I know it. oooh we played soccer today!! So fun yeah I'm about to get into that sport, its awesome! I love you all family and I'm sorry this email is so weird but I'm basically out of time but hey be happy, life is simple and the Gospel is too. Just love its simple..
Love Elder Ward
PS there was another miracle! German and Karen our new converts were visiting their parents in Conce right... and the assistants were driving through to another sector, but were prompted to knock on a door so they did it..whose door! The family of Karen!The assistants got her brothers believing in God and her mom with a baptismal date! yeah the Church is true..

Celebrating A Birthday!

Elder Kellers 22 birthday, so we made some choripans they were sickly good.

Another Strange Week!

So this week, we ran into a bunch of Muslims or Islams or something, they didn't know Spanish so I helped them find a house in hualqui. I guess they were having a big meeting with all their people in South America or something. In Hualqui, the most under the radar place in the world lol at first I was like uh... I'm white, from America and I'm Christian in south America, they are going to kill me lol.. But no they were nice and I helped them. Then Wednesday we ran into a man named Achmet who lives here in Hualqui, he as traveled the whole world except for New Zealand and Australia. He knows 8 languages and has studied religion his whole life. He is from Egypt. He really shook my faith he pounded our religion hard, so I decided to bear my testimony in English, in English I know for 100 percent fact that my testimony is powerful and true. Yeah according to some of my old friends, yeah I knocked his socks off. But man did he shake me I have never been shook like that, after the hour we talked with him he gave me a hug, said thanks and God bless you and said he would read the Book of Mormon, not analyze it .... lol I also got a new bed and we cleaned the house. So I am learning alot through experiences here in the mission and I am learning alot. But man I do miss the simple things that I loved in life like going to get a pop with my sisters or to Canes with mom.. lol But hey i'll be back before you know it and I have a lot more work to do here in Chile and more work on becoming the man God and my family needs me to become. I love you all, Know that I am here for a reason and for a time. Not forever. wow, a dang cow just walked into the cyber cafe I'm using the Internet in lol.. Just want to leave my testimony, that I don't know everything, I don't have a lot of education. But when I can read a book, pray and feel the power of God overcome my body and testify to me of the truthfulness. A book that has taught me everything i know and will continue to shape me into the man whom I want to become for those I love and for the God I love. I don't need to know what language it was from I don't need to know the Hebrew name for God. The power of the true gospel burns within my heart and nothing will ever make me deny it. I know its true, if not I would have come home plenty of times. Be strong family and friends, Daily prayer and reading is the most important, life is simple. Its supposed to be fun and full of joy. If not I know for sure I wouldn't have choosen to come here. I will email more next week. Life is what you make of it and how you react to what is given to you.

Love Elder Matthew James Ward

Strange Happenings

5-17-2010
I am going to start by saying I am going to try to make this email even close to describe the events of the last week here in Hualqui. First we started off the week with a companionship inventory, alot of things where said and we are good now as a companionship. But yes I still hope I am only his comp for 4 more weeks plus maybe I can get out of Hualqui. lol This place has an ancient Mapuchi blood curse on the town, and that the Devil visits once a year to check on his servants in the world and that Hualqui is where they all meet. We got into a new house this week, we are teaching a family now but their house has evil spirits the shower turned on twice and same with the TV once during the lesson they say that they unplug it at night and the father squeezes the nozzle to the shower as hard as her can but yet every night it goes off. They see demons in their kitchen alot, they described them like the dementors off of Harry Potter. Yeah creepy huh. We Blessed their home and invited the spirit of God into their home. Man did I feel better after that, but hey we will see where it goes. Oh then a really sad experience happened. I went out one day with Elder Garey and as we were walking a man stopped his car and said Elders! so of course we came, he told us there was a woman trying to commit suicide near the river which is a 5 min walk from where we were. We ran down there and found her. A little tiny 62 year old woman who was shaking as she wanted to throw herself into the river. We got her to walk with us and we found out that she is really sad and her husband died 2 years ago, he used to take care of her and spend time with her. But now she said she had nothing to live for, we talked more about us and her, the good things in life and we asked her if we could walk her to her families house where she lived. It took 1 and half hours to walk the 300 yards to her sons house. When we got there the daughter in law was home, she wouldn't let us in, wouldn't let us give her mother in law a blessing and the part that made me most mad, wouldn't let her mother in law in the house. So we walked her to a members house and gave her a blessing and after about 30 min she felt alot better, we took her back to the sons house and he was home, he took his mom in but slammed the door on us and told us to never come back. Then we did more service this week, I chopped wood for 4 hours man I am a machine! The gloves are coming in handy thanks! It just feels so good to hit something as hard as you can and watch it destroy what you hit lol... I enjoy chopping wood alot. Then Sunday we had a man give us a story that the devil fought him in his house and tried to get him to deny the priesthood yeah creepy. I am starting to see things lol... no I'm not but its kinda creepy here with all the fog and everyone having crazy evil spirits. The other elders their investigator who just got baptized got attacked by an evil spirit had to go the hospital and everything it was bad, but the Stake President came down with the bishop gave her a blessing and they attacked back with the power of God! OK yeas this email is ridiculous but its only a little bit of the stuff that happened here in Hualqui. I make fun of it to much but people here are way serious bout it. So Jessica the girl we baptized 3 months ago, we had a lesson with her and her boy friend Felipe, and a young man came to teach with us. For a second I had to sit back and just observe, here I was in a room with four recent converts all under 25 and all members for less than 4 years. 2are getting ready for temple marriage and one to go on a mission and one sending in his papers next week. Hit me hard- Well I am out of time I love you all and I Hope you don't freak out from my email. Hey i love you guys have fun in Vegas for me!

Service -digging holes

Hello family this week was crazy! So I did alot of service! I dug 2 big holes one for seaweed and another one for a fire for trash. Our investigators loved how fast I could dig a huge hole. Its alot easier here, the dirt is actually soft. So the call home was great, we talked to a prophetess this week she cursed me and jazz. But man I am starting to love the mission now as I am learning and can almost speak fluently in Spanish. Just a few months and the language won't even be a problem. Its amazing how much the Lord knows each and everyone of us personally and can answer the prayers of multiple people through each other. The Lord is really blessing me right now, except that my bed broke! and I am now on the ground ;( ..... But hey the work is going good, we have a Mission conference this Thursday and alot of people to visit and teach. Well I am going to go finally buy my jacket today! and my hour is basically up so I have to go. But I love you all!!!!! and I miss you guys but I am really learning and having fun here. Short email I'm sorry, But I will write more next week!

Con Amor, Su favorito hijo Elder Ward

Date: Mon, May 3, 2010 at 9:58 AM

Subject: CAMBIOS!!!

Hey guess what this week was Cambios! I'm staying in Hualqui with the Peruvian! great news huh... Not lol Well this week was alot better, the Lord blessed me with knowing Spanish finally this week was actually quite easy when it came to speaking. We did service, Chopped wood for 5 hours it was just me Elder Rawe and Elder Godfrey doing it lol man it was fun. And no I'm not small they are just really big gringos, they are both 21 I am 19 lol ok.. We taught alot of new people this week and are trying to find some good investigators right now we only have 2 good ones. Oh yesterday I helped one of our investigators with her English homework she is 20 she had her friends over to have English help to. Man they thought I was so cool that I could help them, and I thought it was cool cause I was explaining how to use there, their and they're in Spanish lol same with all the possessives in English its like 20words in Spanish its like 4 lol.. So The other elders Garey and Godfrey tried 4 times to scare my companion this week because they don't like him either, but they ended up scaring me every time.. yeah Emily would of freaked! I am excited to call home this week and hope everything works if not talk to you Christmas. I am excited to hear from all of you, Oh yeah I hit six months last Wednesday so we made a fire Elder Ward (Jared) style, Thanks for the box that started it up for us;) lol It was alot of fun Well I'm doing good and I'll talk to you all Sunday!

Love Elder Ward

Jared how dare you email me with a photo of a xbox controller.. I miss it.....