CONSTANT COLD FEET!

Ok family, so here in Talca its so dang cold. My feet have not been warm for almost a week now. I am extremely grateful that my package arrived and I at least have thermals now so I'm not as cold out walking in the midst of darkness every night. I loved the package I shared it between about 10 missionaries between the three I live with plus I had 3 mini cambios this week so I wasn't even in my house 2 days this week. lol Thanks Emily for the In and Out clothes a lot of the Eders were really jealous of that. Man dad it sounds like your crazy busy with the new calling. Here ward missionaries don't exist we are lucky if we go to a sector that even has a ward mission leader. So tell your missionaries to suck it up and go work.!! Twenty of the people I have baptized have been through contacting. Some of which I had already contacted before, before they accepted the second time a few weeks later. If they already finished contacting the whole sector do it again! We baptized a woman in Chiguayante that we had contacted 3 weeks prior and she completely rejected us, and she accepted the gospel and was baptized after the second attempt. We never know what happens in lives of others. Just because someone is not ready now, doesn't mean that they wont be receptive tomorrow. But hey I don't know how it is in Las Vegas, maybe its harder to find people through contacting. I'm sure you will figure something out with them. Mom is in the primary again, big surprise lol.. she will do great. Things here are going great, all four of us in the house stayed here so we are all super excited because we are all good friends. There were a lot of changes in our zone though. This last week we had a few miracles in our zone. There is a family of 4 out in Constitucion and the mother and 2 sons had dates to be baptized but didn't want to do it with out their father and the sister missionaries have been trying for 2 weeks with him. A little over a week ago I went out to interview him to see whats up. He felt good and liked everything but couldn't get over Joseph Smith and Prophets hoy en dia. So I asked him what he would be willing to do if he knew it was true. He said everything, stop drinking, stop smoking, working on Sundays and that he would be baptized and pay his tithing and plan for the temple in a year. I shared some scriptures with him describing how he is not going to know until after a trial of his faith. The big problem were the commandments I promised him if for one week he would complete with the commandments he would receive a divine answer that he needs to be baptized in this church. Sometimes us missionaries give very bold promises when we feel like its what God wants us to say. And he took it very serious, he completed everything, he even said no to drinking wine at a birthday party that his boss at work threw for him. And Thursday night he told the sister missionaries not to have me come over Friday to interview him again because he has received no answer. They told him he had one more day to complete a week and he agreed. I came out Friday and the house felt different I could feel it. He was very eager to speak with me and the sisters told me to come prepared because he was against being baptized and had a lot of questions. In the interview he told me of the struggle he had completing the commandments. And how at first it was just to do it to prove me and the sisters wrong about how he wouldn't get and answer. Until Thursday night, he was looking on the church website and it hit him different. That night he had a very vivid and specific dream. He was baptized with his family that Saturday afternoon. God is a God of miracles, he fulfills his promises. Coming out of that room with this man, and watching him explain to his wife and two sons that he wanted to be baptized and do all he could to live with them forever. Talk about bringing tears to your eyes. It hit me hard, I loved it. A definite perk for being a zone leader, having the privilege to interview Gods children and help them progress towards baptism. Just a story I wanted to share with you all. I love being a missionary, all the rejection and the cold, rain and aching is worth it when we have experiences that I will remember for the rest of my life. I'm doing good.  Just hit 20 months in the mission wow. But still got four left to work hard. I love you all and hope to hear from you next week.!!


Elder Matthew James Ward

Strange Week

Alright family, this week was very strange. I worked extremely hard this week, Its as if I constantly come home tired. I am better from the cold that I had finally, I still cough sometimes but I am over it for the most part. Happy fathers day dad! I got to speak in Church on Sunday, I was given thirty minutes.. thanks lol.. So this week I went out to Constitucion to help the sister missionaries three times this week and interviewed nine people to help prepare them for baptism. We should have a family being baptized this next Saturday. Its such a long bus ride out there, two and a half hours out and two and a half hours back. One night we did not get home until 12:15. But hey Anything to help some one be baptized. We had a mini cambio with the assistants and I went out with Elder Keller to Constitucion. But we had the mission truck, sweeeeet... so much faster than a bus and way more comfortable. Here in my sector we had a lot of days with constant rain and cold. We had another classic Rain day where we didn't get into any houses for the six and a half hours of work time in the evening. Plus I love it when dogs bark at you constantly and all the people in their houses look at you like your the dog crap that they just stepped in. Its strange how so many things happen but yet I'm still happy and excited to work. We got into one house this week and in the middle of the lesson a woman came over, And an instant demonic feeling came into the house, even though she seemed like a normal nice woman. I looked at my comp and still stopped the lesson and left. Idon't know, I don't mess with feelings sometimes. Especially when they are difficult to tell if its a prompting or not. I still just do it. We also taught another family and had to leave because the father came home drunk in the middle of the lesson and it was horrible. Me and Elder Hadfield went out to Constitucion this week on a mini cambio and we dressed up as twins and everyone made fun of us, but we loved it. Shows you what us missionaries do for fun sometimes. lol. We have one more week till cambios and its possible that I might leave but I'm pretty sure that I wont. I still have not received that package which I could really use right now in this cold weather. I love you all and thanks so much for all of your emails!


I love you all!!

Elder Matthew James Ward

Family and Friends June 13, 2011

Hey family I loved the fotos. And yes I remember dad taking me and Jared there when I was like thirteen lol. That is super cool that you went out there, when we went I'm pretty sure it rained and there were two old men with buckets full of fish and we caught nothing. That's crazy that Jared is going to go and sell security systems I hope he does good at it, that would be super good for him to make some money. I am super excited to get my package I'm pretty sure its up in the office I just have to wait when it will get to me...NEVER.. lol Its starting to get pretty cold here in Talca and the I absolutely hate the fog. You just get home completely wet. We had a baptism this Friday, a family we found and reactivated. And after four weeks of work the son Nacho was able to baptize his little sister, now he is planning with the bishop to serve a mission. AWESOME.... We worked almost everyday this week, Thursday I couldn't do it I had to stay in the house. But don't worry mom I'm taking great Chilean medicine that doesn't work at all.... lol But I'm getting better I should be better in a few more days. Me and my companion are working really hard, but the missionaries in our zone are all having a tough time helping people progress towards baptism. But we should be able to visit every sector this week and get some work done. Get some miracles happening, sometimes missionaries want to see miracles but don't do anything to make them happen.We could of had a lot more people baptized this week but a lot of the missionaries didn't ask, or invite investigators to do it this week... But hey we have a lot of new missionaries in our zone so we are going to go around doing mini cambios with them so we can try to help. The assistants will probably come down this week to help again about every two weeks they are down to help. So I won't have to pull my hair out by myself. lol... I am doing great though. I have studied the atonement every day this week after lunch, I love Jacob four, verse nine, ten and eleven I think... I used it a lot  this week throughout the day to keep me focused on my mission to help people have faith in Christ and Repent. I am loving it here in Chile right now we have to week left of this cambio and then transfers we are all hoping that our house stays the same. I only have three cambios left this is crazy, I am going to work my heart out. I love you all and miss you. My comp made me super trunky for food, he talked about in and out and other restaurants this morning, plus we played volleyball and it was actually a good competitive game. I had so much fun, reminded me a lot of home for sure. But hey I'm working hard, I'm super happy. Even though I'm a little stressed with the zone. I cant wait to get my package still and I loved all the emails that I got from all of you. Especially the pictures. I love you all.....

Elder Ward

Hey Family, (June 6, 2011)

Hey family, this week was super fast, we had a 3 days with the assistants at our house and they did mini cambios with me and my comp for 3 days it was super cool. They had to stay at our house for 4 days because they were traveling between all the zones for interviews and our house is the coolest and we have 2 extra beds. We also had another mini cambio with two missionaries in our zone so I was comps with my comp for like 2 days this week. I got sick and had to stay inside Saturday I Hated it, I feel so bad staying in but all the other missionaries made me. We found sun chips in the big super market in Talca!!! we were all in heaven for about 2 minutes until the bag ran out. It was 2.300 pesos a bag.. that's like 5 bucks.. but totally worth it. I am learning a lot right now even though the time is going by so fast. That's super cool that dad got that new calling Jared will have to start going out with the missionaries and I will when I get home. Dad will be super good for the ward and missionaries in the obra misional!!! Better be studying that Predicad mi Evangelio!!!! its an amazing manual. Thanks for the pictures mom I really enjoyed them. It was a good pday getting so many emails from family and pictures. I enjoyed it a lot. I have found a way to spend less money on food, so its starting to help my wallet a lot and I don't have to use money from home either. I really hope that package gets here fast, Its starting to get really cold here. Some nights the fog is so thick here in Talca you can barely see 10 feet in front of you and you can feel the moisture and you actually get really wet from it. This place is so different from Las Vegas the people too. But the amazing thing is that our purpose in life and what brings happiness doesn't change. Its the same where ever you go. Its amazing how everything is depended on God and the atonement of Christ. I continue to learn every day. I love you all so much, don't worry about me I'm working hard and super happy. I loved hearing from you all and cant wait to get letters in this package even though I probably wont get it for 3 more weeks because I'm so far from the mission office.


Love Elder Ward

Hey Everyone

Hey family thanks so much for all of your emails... wait thanks mom and dad for your emails.. HAHA I enjoyed hearing about all the news and whats going on back home. Man I would give anything to be able to go to the temple again. I feel like its been so long. Its very hard to remember covenants if you don't ever hear them. That's crazy that so many people are getting married. Plus that Jade is almost finished with his mission I have not heard from him for 2 years!! Please have him email me with fotos when he is back. Is he going to live with us!? This week for me was crazy, Wednesday we had a mission conference here in Talca and it was awesome we watched a talk given by Elder Holland, and it was just amazing. It made me reflect so much. He talked about having to leave our nets behind us and Loving the savior. He also talked a lot about things that the missionaries are lacking right now over the entire world. I loved it, The conference was pretty stressful for me because the assistants kept making me do stuff. I just wanted to tell them to leave me alone! lol Thursday I took a 2 hour bus ride out to Constitution to help the sister missionaries and that was really fun, It was super cold. the Bus ride home was extremely uncomfortable. I was stuck in between 2 people and the person in front of me was leaning back. Plus I'm a 6 foot tall gringo in a little bus made for Latinos. I ended up standing for the second hour of the ride! lol... Friday I did a few interviews which was awesome I love being able to hear people their experiences and how they came to make the decision to be baptized.  I'm hoping that I get dropped down this cambio, being a Zone leader is not very fun. You have little time in your sector and still are expected to have the same results. I'm trying really hard right now to be 100 percent obedient Its going great so far. I'm still lacking the shoe shine lol.. there just already so ugly I don't want to clean them lol.. Its also hard to go to bed at night, because if you actually do all they ask you to its almost impossible to go to bed on time. you know I still don't have any pictures of our new house, its been a few months and I don't even know what it looks like from the outside even. I hit 19 months in the mission to, that's crazy, wont talk more about that lol. I got my hair cut and everyone keeps telling me got fatter, because now with less hair you can notice how big my cheeks are! lol We also went bowling and I did alright, we only had time for one game I bowled 150 something it was super fun because where we played they only had 2 lanes... lol and they looked 60 years old to. I hope everyone is doing great back home, I would love to hear from some of you. I know we talked on mothers day, but that was a month ago. lol. I'm doing great still working hard and doing all that I know what to do. I am learning a lot about how what is right can not be changed to be bad. What is good is good and what is bad is bad. And you can never get mad at anyone for doing anything that is correct because you to will always feel its correct also. lol.. I love you all and hope to hear from you next week. Next week I promise to send fotos!
Elder Ward

May 23, 2011

Hey mom and dad, this week was really fast. But also really hard, we are basically starting from zero here in Independencia. We did A lot of contacting and a few days with out getting into houses. A few while it rained all day to. I feel great though, I have never tried so hard to keep working and being obedient. My new Companion Is Elder Gabriel Zepeda from Gilbert Arizona. I threw you the email on Tuesday because we were in the terminal doing transfers all day!!! And all of the Elders want to get in shape, plus it would motivate us to actually work out if we have a plan and do it together. One elder has a small DVD player to use, he uses it to show videos while teaching because no one in Chile has a DVD. One thing that got into my journal this week, was we contacted all day in the rain one day and finally got into a house at 9 at night. So after hours of contacting and being rejected we get in and teach a young man and he loved it. Accepted to be baptized on the 11 of June. But he lives in Constitucion on the week ends with his family. So we passed the reference to the Hermanas and they go like "shut up, the obispo (Bishop) gave us that address yesterday to go by but no one was there". WE gave them the reference and the appointment time. They got it and the mom is a less active and the husband and 4 children also accepted baptismal dates and all went to church. Miracle!!! I am doing great I'm pretty tired and being a leader is pretty stressful, but I'm enjoying the chance to serve and to learn.


Here is a list of my companions=                  Here is a list of my sectors=
Elder Ross A Matney-Ohio                                Hualqui-Chigyuante
Elder Dustin Dennis-Las Vegas                         Longavi-Linares/parral
Elder Daniel Salvatierra-Peru                             Tierra Bella- Chigyuante
Elder David Castillo-Peru                                   Independecia-Talca Centro
Elder Brian Sanchez-Columbia/Florida
Elder Ken Michie- Utah
Elder Jacob Parks- Georgia
Elder Christopher Morgan-Utah
Elder Gabriel Zepeda- Arizona

I love you a lot and hope this week goes great for all of you. 
Love Elder Ward

Miracles and Tragedies 5/16/11

This week was crazy, first of all I had the most trunky of a companion ever! I hated it. My new comp is Elder Zepeda he came in my group but I've never met him! lol So I get to train him a zone leader, even though I'm still learning myself. We were in a lesson this week with a young woman named Barbara, she wasn't sure if she wanted to get baptized or not because she came in contact with anti Mormon material from her brother in law. But we took care of it with a invite to pray about the Book of Mormon after reading a chapter. She asked for a sign And Got it! she told us a angel visited her in her sleep and told her the Book of Mormon was true. I thought it was cool, she got baptized the next day. Good baptismal service was a little stressful because i had to direct, plan and conduct everything. My comp did nothing but baptize her. We also had a crazy lesson with a woman named Olga who isn't sure about baptism because she was sick and also that it might be to quick but then we went over to her house and she had found out that she has a brain tumor. NOT GOOD. She still is not sure about baptism and her time is dwindling here on earth. Another miracle was with a woman named Patricia Super Catholic right we found her last week and she said she would listen to us once. we taught her the restoration and invited her to pray and ask if the Book of Mormon is true and if she should be baptized by someone with the priesthood authority. We came back 3 days later. HUGE CHANGE. she had had a dream every night about us, She said the lesson just kept replaying in her mind and in the last few days couldn't think of anything else. She finally read and she asked. BOOM got her answer She had a deceased family member come to her in a dream and tell her that the Book of Mormon is true and to be baptized. She is awesome I could probably tell her the sky is orange and she would believe me now lol. In here eyes I'm a messenger from God. But she is going to have huge problems with her family. I'm doing good family. I have a few more weeks of ok weather after that COLD!! NOOOOOOOOOO !!! I am learning a lot right now about the promises from God, all we have to do is complete our part. I feel great, I'm working hard, I look great just have to keep going and help my zone out too. The zone did really good this week we had 7 baptisms. I'm happy to hear things are doing good back home and I love all the emails I'm getting. I pray for you every single pray even in lessons lol. 
Love, Elder Ward

AWESOME!

As you can tell by the title this last week was awesome! lol  I will start out with a quote from our Mission President, "Longavi is the armpit of the mission, just a really hard sector" He said that In the consejo de lideres lol the missionaries there had to get white washed because they couldn't handle it. Just remember I was there for 6 months and trained there!!!!!!!!!!!!! lol This week we had a really good district class and the whole zone is pumped to work! If missionaries can just focus and work they will be happy!  I had a mini cambio with the asistentes and I had to go to another area and do interviews with them. I Loved it up until we realized that we had to sleep on the ground!! lol That was a rough night. Then as a zone we went out to a place called Constitución, amazing ocean and wild life but most of all, Black sand! I was just waiting for the Black Pearl to come around one of the huge rocks in the ocean. It was all foggy too with huge waves I'm surprised we had permission to go. We played ultimate Frisbee on the beach in a group of about 30 missionaries and I Loved it. I would actually love a package with some thermals in it, but good thick ones. Its starting to get really cold here. Just a quick small package of thermals and socks, and bed sheets!!!! I am sorry I have not been sending pictures home its just so difficult to do some times with time and computers!  This computer won't do it, but I will change computers! Man that was annoying the computer lady was like why do you want to change computers and wouldn't let me for a while lol.... oooo Another cool thing is we took the old train from Talca to Constitución we had to leave at 6:30 in the morning The train was crazy! man it was old and it was cold! we were bouncing around like crazy, but don't worry we still managed to get a good game of UNO going and Phase Ten!! I have been doing good family, I'm excited to get a new comp to be able to work a little bit harder But also not because I really like him, he is an awesome person. But I love you all and cant wait to hear from you next week!!!!!

Love Elder Ward 

Talca is rising from the dust!!!

Hey family how are you doing! This week was awesome we worked so hard. I think its the hardest I have worked my entire mission. I would get home so tired and wake up tired it was rough but worth it. We got the entire zone to do at least 140 contacts and and to pray to find families to baptize. The last 3 weeks here we had and average of 70 contacts and as a zone we found 16 new investigators. (13 missionaries) This week we had an average of 150 contacts and as a zone we found 57 new investigators. This week we have 3 baptisms and next week we have 6! That's more in two weeks than in the last two months. I am very proud of the missionaries in my Zone we are doing really well and everyone is happy now too. We found 4 families this week in our sector and the Lord is blessing us so much. Me and my comp are doing really good, he is getting pretty trunky which makes it hard for me to focus sometimes but we are still working really hard. Its so hard to have time to email we just got called by the assistants and now we have to go to the terminal and do a bunch of crap. There goes pday lol.. And the time in our sector to work. But hey its what we have to do. I really hope I'm not a zone leader for to long lol.... I'm doing great in my personal studies right now and I'm learning a lot.! I can't wait to talk to all of you next Sunday!!!! I would love it if Blair was there... He is basically my brother. So I hit 18 months last week isn't that crazy. I'm now on the count down to coming home! lol I know you all miss me so much lol... Just know I'm happy and working hard. And that I love all of you and can't wait to talk to you all on Sunday just be on between 4-7 Chile time lol Jared can figure out what time that is for you guys lol!!!!!!!!!!!!1

Love Elder Ward

Hello Everyone!

Hello to everyone! I'm goin got type as fast as I can, we don't have a lot of time this pday. we didn't really have it, we went to Chillan for a consejo de lideres. Boring! lol Then for email i had to do numbers and informes, wow am I bad at them. It was really nice to receive so many emails this week, and it kinda sucks that I will not be able to respond to all of them. That's cool to hear that Melissa and Adam got to speak on Easter, Easter here they didn't even talk about Christ in the talks I wanted to punch someone. lol And don't worry mom I didn't get sick at all, everyone else in the house got better this week. I told you I would make it through it, Its getting quite tough to keep working out in the morning when its so cold! I am not looking forward to the winter. And don't worry mom and dad, they give us extra money as zone leaders. Just that this month I became a ZL 3 days after we had already received our money so I had to make it on the normal amount of money using half or more for traveling. But we do have a store called Lider near our house! I can buy peanut butter and other gringo stuff! I also bought a Root beer, first one in over a year! So here in Talca I am being blessed lol, just can not wait until I have some money man. I think everything about money is just from the devil. Our zone is doing better, we did some mini cambioa and I was able to talk to some of the missionaries. Things are getting better between companionship's as they are both starting to focus more on their companion and less on themselves. This week we received a few very weird phone calls, the first one was from an investigator that we had not seen in over a week. She was across town and very sick in her mothers home. (she is about 45) and tells us we need to come there now. So we do, and when we get there she is in the most ghetto part of town in a little tiny house. And her room is horrible so small and dirty, I felt so bad. When we started to talk, she didn't want us to turn on the light at first because she felt shameful but we still did. Then after talking for a few minutes we find out that she got really sick suddenly, has no strength and is now blind! We gave her a blessing, MIRACLE. It was not instant but within 20 min she regained her sight after 5 days with out seeing. She still is not completely better but they say she is getting better now. which is a miracle because before the doctors had no idea what was wrong. That's the first phone call. The next one is a member, they want us to get to the hospital as soon as possible. So we are like ok... Its 9 at night, there are no visiting hours after 4 pm and on top of that the hospital in Talca is Known as the Death Chamber. Its known for baby switching, and that people either come out dead or with more sicknesses or diseases than they had. But we go... and because half of it fell down in the earthquake and its the main hospital there are also a lot of police that guard it. Shoot, I felt like I was James bond mixed with a Jedi. going deeper and deeper into this crazy hospital past guards and just telling them what we were going to do and they would let us through. When we got there the member was making jokes with the other people in her room about how only the Mormon Missionaries could get through at this time at night and with no problems. It was super cool... We gave blessings and jazz, but the best part of that story is I just felt like James Bond. lol . We are also reading the New Testament as a mission and I'm loving it!!!!!!!!!!! I am learning a lot about my Savior and the more I learn the more I want to know. Even though there is so much to do and so many problems to deal with I have never been so happy in the mission. I love you all and I hope everything is going great for you guys and I will love to hear from you all next week. 

Love Elder Ward

Another week,,,,, ª!ç

Well another week has passed by! First to answer some of the questions from mom and dad. Talca has 7 wards with church buildings and then all of the small cities around it have a  ward with a chapel. Each ward has about 85 active members. My ward has 2 returned missionaries that came back within the last six months. And NO we do not have a car mom, dad, we are in south America I think Jared understands lol.. Only the assistant's have a truck and no one else. We barely have enough money to live. My comp was sick this week, while he stayed home with a member I went out to work. I couldn't stand sitting in the house. But don't worry mom I'm super strong and wont get sick. Our zone is not going to well, a lot of the missionaries don't like each other and are really unexcited. But hey I'm trying to change that slowly. In a few more weeks this place is going to change. Its the least baptizing part of the mission in the last 8 months. Which is weird because we have the strongest wards in the mission. But Its going to change I have a lot of ideas And I'm praying that some of them will work. We had a training from the President last week and he gave us a schedule, he wants us all to read and study the New Testament and Preach My Gospel in 60 days. I'm super excited and I hope it will remind a lot of the missionaries why we are here doing this. I think its crazy to hear about the new ward still. Its weird to think you are all on Spring break and I'm here Freezing already! It rained 3 times last week. But don't worry we have a lot of blankets in this house. So I just use like 7 and I'm not cold at night. My comp is getting pretty trunky so its a little tough to keep focused, but hey hopefully this is the first and last time I will have to send a comp home. Its crazy to think its almost mothers day!  And no I have no idea how or when yet but I should know next week. I have been having to use my credit card lately sorry, my comp ran out of money last week!!! and we still have 2 weeks left so I'm paying for all the traveling. All the money used on the credit card is just straight food! I'm doing good family I'm learning a lot. I hope everything is going good back home, Emily is doing bike ride? How is jade? Blair has like weeks left of his mission lol.. I love you all and I'll talk to you next week!!!  Email me Everyone!!

Love Elder Ward

FAST WEEK

Hey family and friends. This week was interesting,  leaving my last sector was very difficult. And coming here was a big change. The bus ride was about 3 and half hours and Talca is a lot bigger than Chiguayante. There are 2 zones in Talca and a lot of surrounding cities that are part of the zone. We have sister missionaries in a place called Constitucion almost 3 hours away, the Zone is quite large. I only know one missionary in my zone lol, Elder Matney my MTC companion he has changed a lot and is having a tough time on the mission right now so I hope I can help him. My New comp is Elder Morgan he is from Utah his family are converts to the church and he goes home in 5 weeks. It will be my first time having to send a companion home lol.. Its extremely different having a companion that actually does stuff. I actually can relax sometimes. Zone leader is a lot more responsibility but you have a good experienced comp so its actually easier than being a District leader. I still don't know my area because for a few days I was out of my sector helping other missionaries and doing interviews as well. We have 4 companionship's of elders and 2 companionship's of sisters but one of them is a threesome. I am enjoying it a lot, I feel a little restricted on what I can do though. My comp has been a ZL for a while and I just don't want to step on his toes too much. Its crazy to think I'm coming up on a year and a half though in the mission. The time is flying, I also live in a house of 4 and Elder Hadfield lives with us. The 4 zone leaders in Talca live together. I love Hadfield we have a lot of fun. I love you all family and I Hope all is going good, I have to fill out of bunch of reports now though so I have to go. JARED EMAIL ME! I started the Book of Mormon over again. I love it, Jacob is cool that's where I got to this week. I know the Church is true and that Jesus Christ is our savior.

Love Elder Ward

CAMBIOS - BAPTISMS

Hey family, Its good to hear from all of you. And from friends too. This week was very fast, I'm not enjoying how fast the time is going and how sometimes I don't even feel like I sleep at night. We had a wedding this week and I was the Best man. Sweeeeet right. I got to talk during the ceremony and sign some papers lol.. They also had me give a speech.. Then on Sunday we had their baptisms, amazing because now that makes the whole family. A lot of obstacles had to be overcome but it all worked out exactly how the Lord wanted it. 3 months of working, little sleep, and a lot of prayer = Eternal family. That's what the whole mission is about. We took a few trips out to Hualqui this week to do a some interviews. I love doing interviews, I think they are better than the baptism itself. You get to hear newly born testimonies and the see the fire inside of someone to learn and follow their savior Jesus Christ. I loved conference, well for the talks that I actually saw. Between all of the investigators and THE baptismal service I missed about a third. But I actually loved the talk by Henry B. Eyring about the willing to serve and why, and also the talk by Elder Oaks about our desires. So I found out The transfers on Friday which is a few days early when I was invited to the consejo de lideres in Chillan. I am being transferred to Talca Centro to be a Zone leader an area that needs a lot of help. I'm excited to go, but at the same time I do not want to leave at all.... Its going to be very hard to say bye to a lot of people here. I do Not like having to get to know people and love them, and then leave... But whatever. I love the mission and I know that God loves us. I love all of you and Hope you are all doing great!!!
Love Elder Ward

Learning 3-28-11

Hey family, number one- super weird that we are in a different house. Coming home to a different ward will be weird.  This week I feel as if I am learning things that I never understood my whole life. Things taught to me ever since I can remember. But now I am actually Understanding. Before my mission I understood somewhat some key principles some of which I  will never forget. I remember one was the doctrine of charity. Until you have experienced the power and the vision that comes to your eyes and heart through this love you just can't imagine it. I remember driving the Honda and I would see someone jogging, maybe he was a little overweight. But I felt obliged to pray for that young man, that he could obtain his goals. Maybe not feel bad about something but feel better. I didn't know him but I loved him. I remember walking around Blockbuster or Smiths just to observe others and trying to put myself into their lives. It was honestly the best time of my life feeling real love for people, I didn't have to know anything about them but it just came. I lost it before the mission, Talking with Cody about it and he told me to seek for it and try to receive it once more. I have strived for it for the last year and half. I have it again. I realized it was not so much the things that I did. But the more that I drew closer to Christ. I feel as if I am starting the best time of my life as of right now with this privilege that I have now to view others for who they really are. Who have just as much value in Gods eyes as he does for me. Every person has the same difficulties and loves in their lives just like I do. And Each of us have a Savior. I have thought a lot this week about the word "save" Its a very powerful word. And on top of that a powerful action. I have reflected a lot on Christ lately and Friday a song came on. "I stand all amazed" I have heard it hundreds of times. But this time it hit me. So much that I could not hold in the tears. The older I get the more I think I'm turning into dad, you know how dad always gets teary eyed. tries to hide it but we can all tell. But now I understand why. I'm working hard. Trying to give all that I can, but sometimes its tough. I realize how much I need a savior, how much he loves me. I have also learned my purpose here in this life. I never understood my patriarchal blessing but now there are parts that I do. I have learned that this experience of life can pass by us and yet we can not catch the things that are most important. I was with some Elders and we had a few minutes to observe just a group of people outside of a market. It amazes me how people just can't see the things that God has made all around us. They don't know how  to recognize it or don't want to. We are working good and might have three baptisms on Sunday. I'm so excited for conference. I love you all and you're in my prayers. 
Love Elder Matthew James Ward