A Hard Area for Mission Work

That's pretty cool that Lindsay got a car. So are you going to have to stop your company completely if things don't turn out right or are you going to just have a side job? Y'all were lucky to go on a float trip. That would be a lot of fun to go and do. I can't believe they started school already. Here they start school after labor day now and end a week early because of budget cuts.


 In Jerome we are teaching a guy named Calley Mac, Mark Thompson, and a couple of less active families. There are more but I struggle with names. So where is Mark Lemen (one of Mark's close friends) going to college at? How has he been doing? Yall should get him to have the missionaries teach him. My companion has opened up which is good and he is a nice kid. He is from San Diego, California. This area is gonna be hard because  none of the wards really do focus families or any of that stuff. The people in that town are a little weird, at least some of them. One of our WML (ward mission leaders) is like semi active cause of his job. Hopefully he will be able to work with us more so we'll see.


So we had another messed up incident at Bonnies house. I met her daughter. She refused to take care of her kid, when Bonnie asked her to change his diaper she replied " Why do I have to take care of him." It made me pretty mad and that house is just messed up. Apparently the dad tried to sell the child at some point. Its just a really bad situation and the only reason they have kids is for welfare. I'm pretty sure she does drugs too while she is pregnant. Its really sad and I found a rolled up joint the other day when I was there.


I left my bike in my last area and will probably get it back sometime soon. I will call Brother Hill to see if he can bring it to me. I did clean it once in awhile in my last area but didn't take it out so much. I still haven't written in my journal. I never feel like I have much time to cause I'm tired when I get home. I've been getting up early to work out and sometimes I workout at night if I can't do it in the morning.


I just looked at my other email account and Trina (the young woman he just baptized in Twin Falls) sent me a pretty good message on facebook. I got to read it without getting on facebook but it was really nice. It was something I wasn't expecting at all. I'm glad I helped make a difference in her life though and her son's life.


So anyways I'm hoping by the time I get home I'll be pretty muscular. I'm really going to work hard at doing this P90X workout so I can look good when I get home. Our address is 923 4th Ave East. You will have to look up the zip code and all that. Anyways I g2g. Yall have a good week and take care.




Love,
Elder Mattei

Happy Hump Day

I'm staying at a members house but I will be leaving there in a month or so because they are going on a senior mission. I live somewhere on 4th ave east. I cover a ghetto and a couple of nice homes. Its mostly out in the country. The people there are also crazy. This one lady's house I swear is posessed or something. You get this really bad feeling in her house and she thinks the devil lives in her house. The people in the house do drugs and her sons and stuff come and steal her pain killers. I feel bad for her. The other day we were over there and her husband came up and smoked some weed while we were over there. Her husband is also on oxygen while he is doing this so its a great way to blow himself and others up.

My companion is pretty nice but he is quiet and doesn't talk a whole lot. He has opened up a little bit though. My zone isn't as fun as what it used to be which stinks but oh well. I don't really know who all we are teaching cause I don't really know peoples' names yet. It's mostly Less active people though. There;s also this guy;s house we drive by that is insane. He is totally anti american and has all these weird signs in his yard and stuff.

This week has been better though than last week. I'm trying to keep a positive attitude towards liking the place. Tell Mark thank you for the letter. I'll have to write him back sometime. Those pics of Lindsay with Ozzie Smith and all them are pretty cool. Its pretty neat that she got to meet him. Anyways I have a feeling these next 5 weeks are gonna be pretty long. Things just seem like they are  gonna be hard because I have nothing in common with anyone I live with and I can only come to Twin with the Zone Leaders because we dont have miles to drive here and we have to leave and go where they pretty much want to go. I'll just try and keep a positive attitude about it and hopefully everything will be fine.

Sounds like Lindsay will be getting a pretty nice car. I wanna get a Jeep Wrangler when I get home. That would be fun to drive. Sis Garcia is awesome. I like her a lot. Im so happy to hear they will be going to the temple soon. Yeah they were kinda less active. Her husband Chris is the one getting the transplant. I got to chat with her while I was maintaining Greg's facebook page.  It was neat talking to someone who knows him as a missionary.  

Tell Julian and them thank you for the comments on facebook. O yeah btw I couldn't see that picture of Garrett. To answer dad's question I will probaby be able to go to Twin Falls for the baptisms. My shoes are fine and they are comfy. I got the Visa Card from Grandma. Tell her thank you very much. I will probably write a thank you letter to them. I'm good on temple garments and stuff. It stinks to hear that the brakes went out again. How many miles does that suburban even have on it? That's a long time since you haven't been to the temple. I go now at least once a week. Well anyways Im gonna prolly have to get going. I'll talk to yall later

Love

Elder Mattei

Hump Day

The Camel is the Symbol of the Seasoned Missionary

 As you come to the one-year mark of your mission, I am sending you a camel
 to remind you how far you have come, and where you are going.  There are
 many similar characteristics of a great missionary and a camel.

 The first is the "hump"
 Yes, you have crossed the mark and now are over the hump of the first year.
 But remember, the hump of a camel is used to store food for the long
 journey.  Camels can go far for long periods of time without food, but a
 wise missionary will store the knowledge he has gained and put it to
 greater use the second half of his mission.

 Another important characteristic is what the camel does to be prepared to
 carry his load for his Master.  A camel sometimes protests his heavy load,
 but he drops to his knees for his Master and once started, he patiently
 carries his load.
 As a missionary, sometimes the load seems heavy and difficult to carry.
 But when you drop to your knees and succumb to the Master's will, he will
 carefully lead you and you can bear the load patiently, and do your Father
 in Heaven's work as he would have you do.  This is why the camel's knees
 are heavily padded, as a missionary, your knees are calloused from many
hours of kneeling in prayer.

 The camel has high set eyes, which enable him to see long distances.
 A missionary has his eyes set on higher things, he follows the Spirit that
 enables him to see the Children of God, those who are seeking answers, and
 he teaches them the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

 The camel has broad, two-toed feet, which keep it from sinking in the
 desert sand.
 A missionary has a broad knowledge and a firm testimony of the Gospel.
 This enables him to teach with boldness and stand steadfast and immoveable.
 The people you teach do not yet have the blessings of such a sure-foot,
but as you teach with love and the Spirit, you will help them gain their
own testimony, that will help them walk on firmer ground, the path that
will lead them back to their Father in Heaven.

 So you see, a Missionary has a lot in common with a camel.
 Put this camel where you can see it often.
 Dedicate yourself to do as the camel does. (no spitting)
 Serve your Master well and patiently over the long journey.
 You have come a long way, there is still much ground to cover.
 Continue to move forward, serving with love, until your mission is
complete and your Father in Heaven will say, "Well done, thou good and
faithful servant."