Starting to Enjoy Being a DL

Hey how are all of yall doing? This week has been pretty good. Its just been slow cause I feel like I'm always going to meetings and I'm not able to get any work done in my area because of it. Our area is really slow right now. Elder Bevell and I are really trying to get more investigators. I'm going to plan on doing a Missionary Fireside. So we will see how good my organization skills and everything are lol. I'm enjoying being a District Leader. Its not as bad as what I thought.

I read about the tornadoes and flooding in the paper. That's crazy. I kinda miss that kind of weather. Yesterday Elder Tukuafu and I got rained and hailed on. It actually was a pretty good storm. O yeah so I have some big news but unfortunately its bad. Elder Crook is going home tomorrow. I'm pretty sad to hear that he is leaving. He is going home to have surgery on his knee. I really like Elder Crook and Elder Ware and I are going to miss him a lot. I will probably go visit him sometime when I get home because he lives in Indiana. But I feel bad that he has to go home early. I went and told him bye earlier this morning. It will just feel different without him here. 

So on Easter we went and ate with the Wilsons and watched the Ten Commandments with them. It was actually a pretty good movie and I enjoyed watching it. I remember trying to watch it when I was little but I fell asleep. I also made gumbo on Saturday and ate it. It came out pretty good. I do think its pretty scary that everyone is getting married. That's crazy. Dad it seems like u will be going a lot of places this summer. That will be cool to go to all those places though. I doubt I will get to serve with Elder Ware. I wish I could serve with him though. Panama City is going to be fun. So will going to a LSU v Alabama game. I'm so excited for that. It looks like a lot of people wrote on my facebook. Tell Bro Scollingsberg I have like 3 months left. I miss that guy. He was pretty awesome. Anyways I need to get going. I hope yall have a good week and take care.

Love

Elder Mattei

Email to Todd:

I'm doing good. Well Mark's and my mission will be very different. Mark will probably be doing a lot of street contacting people. I don't really do that much. I receive more referrals to go contact people and teach them lessons. We also walk around and go and see less active members and stuff like that. Yeah that was me laughing in the background. I figured  it was you she was talking to cause it sounded like you. ( A sister that feeds Elder Mattei regularly called our home to find out some information for him about school.  She spoke with Todd who could hear Greg laughing in the background.  Todd was like "Oh my gosh, is Greg there?"  He couldn't believe it!)  My mission has been very good and I've really enjoyed it. How is school and everything going for u? Anyways I need to write Mom and my mission president so I will talk to u later.

Elder Mattei

Easter Week

Dear Family and friends,

How is everyone doing? Are yall getting excited for Easter? I'm gonna watch the Ten Commandments on Easter with the Wilson's. I've never actually watched that whole movie so I'm kinda excited to see it. Yes I'm still in Meridian. Your new car sounds really cool mom. It looked like a pretty nice car. That's cool that Dad will get to go to Hawaii. I'm glad your liking your new job dad. I'm glad you like Elder Ware. He is a good missionary. Elder Crook is also a good missionary. I talk to them a lot on the phone. They both are there to help me out whenever I need help or a hand up. I'm still debating between becoming a teacher or whether to do some kind of journalism or not. Not too much is going on here. We are about to start teaching a new person named Tyler (girl). She seems to be pretty nice but I've barely met her. Im really hoping to start teaching more people. We have another person that could potentially be taught. I'm trying to think of their name. O yeah its the Masseys. I'm hoping she will get baptized. They are supposed to move to Eagle soon. They are really nice. She is like 24 and her husband has to be at least in his 40's lol. How has Todd been doing in hockey? I read Marks email this week. It seems like he is having fun. Its cool that he gets to see RJ a lot. So the New Orleans Hornets beat the Lakers in the first game of the playoffs. So Thomas suggests I should write new things I teach people. Lately we have been passing out stuff to help members invite others and talk to them about the gospel. Marie, the person we were teaching has given some of the stuff out to a friend which is good. We are trying to really get things going in the area though. So how are Granny and them doing? It will be nice to come and see everyone when I get home. Anyways I'm gonna do this Mormon.org thing and fill out this mission survey they want us to fill out. Yall have a good week.

Love

Elder Mattei

It's Been a Good Experience

Hey how are yall doin? It sounds like Mark is having a good time in the MTC. Its cool that he got to see Jackson and RJ there. I just got a call from Elder Edwards telling me that Trina is having the missionaries over again. Which I was excited to hear that. For the car when I get home I wouldn't mind having a Jetta. They get really good gas milage. So about the pizza challenge, I finished my half but Elder Dela Cruz couldn't finish his. I felt so sick after it. My stomach hurt so bad. I had to make myself throw up. It was pretty gross lol.

Well on my mission I have learned quite a bit. I've learned to be more outgoing and how to live on my own. The Gospel has really changed my life and I feel like a better person because of it. I've learned to see the better in others and not just the negative. I'm glad for the opportunity I had to serve a mission. Its been a good experience and has really taught me a lot. 

So anyways Transfers are coming up and I might be transferred. I figure I might be either transferred or I'm going to stay here the rest of my mission. I would honestly like to stay here the rest of my mission. I like it here and would enjoy staying here. But we'll see what happens. Right now we are trying to get our area going again. Its kinda slow right now so we are trying to think of ways to find some new people. Sorry if I wasn't specific enough on what you asked me. I'll be more specific in my talk when I get back home. Anyways I got to get going. I hope yall have a good week. 

Love

Elder Mattei

Another Food Challenge

I enjoyed Conference. It was really enjoyable to watch. I liked a lot of the same talks you mentioned. We watched Conference with Marie and her family on Saturday and they took us out to lunch and then we went to the Wilson's to watch conference and some basketball afterwards lol. Then on Sunday we watched it with Darryl in the morning and then with Tony in the afternoon. Tony made us lunch afterwards. I was suprised at how often they mentioned  young men getting married and not putting it off. They talked about it on Saturday and then in Priestood Session and then again on Sunday.

Did you hear that they are building a Temple in Meridian, Idaho?  (where Greg currently is)  I was shocked to hear that. It's hard though to pick out a favorite talk that I liked.

The weather has been pretty nice. I don't have to wear a suit coat which is really nice. We also found a new person to teach this week which is really good. Yesterday we went and chopped wood for somebody. It was nice to get into some regular clothes. It also made my muscles pretty sore and lower back but it's all good. 

That's cool that Austin got home. It looks like I'll probably be the next missionary up to come home. I don't think anyone else left before me. Yeah I'm settling into my role as distict leader. It's been not too bad. O yeah I forgot to tell yall but tomorrow I'm gonna be doing that pizza challeng -. its a huge pizza you eat between 2 people, its got over 4 lbs of dough and 2 lbs of cheese and you have to eat it in an hour  I'll be sure to take a lot of pictures. Anyways I don't have much else to say. Yall have a good week and take care. I will probably be sending stuff home very shortly.

 

Love

Elder Mattei