March 17--Letter From Matt

Ok, I'm sorry this is going to be another short letter!

We are still trying to help Rocío and Carlos but we haven't been able to see them too much this last week because Carlos started helping his dad out with his sushi business.
Leticia is another person that we are teaching. She is an amazing person and has been progressing a lot in the Gospel, she's gone to church, she reads her scriptures and says her prayers, but she is living with a man. They can't get married because he's married in the U.S. and hasn't been able to get divorced. I really hope she can eventually get baptised.
We haven't been able to talk to José at all this week, because his uncle died. How sad. They had a wake for him on Saturday and the barriul this Sunday.
We haven't been able to find Berenice yet! But we are still going by her house, Maybe this week she'll be able to see us.
Our mission president has told us to contact all of the smiling families we see walking in the street. We are going to do that this week!



My studies this week have been focused on Rendir Cuentas, or in other words,  Accountability. It talks about D+C 58 which says:

 "For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
 "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;
 "For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward.
 "But he that doeth not anything until he is commanded, and receiveth a commandment with doubtful heart, and keepeth it with slothfulness, the same is damned."

 This Saturday, we had a stake activity, and as part of it, us missionaries were supposed to give tours of different booths and at the end of the tour, we were to ask: "Do you know anybody that could benefit from hearing the message that we have to offer?" and then take down addresses and names to visit them later.

Well, the activity was not very organized, and we missionaries only received vague instructions as to what we were supposed to d. I had read those verses that morning before leaving home, and they ran through in my mind again and again while we were in the activity. No one was commanding us, we were our own agents. If we didn't want to work, we didn't have to work. If we wanted to be successful, we had to work by our own free will, and do a lot of things without anyone to tell us to do them.
So we worked! Hahah, It was a great activity, and we received many names and addresses to visit, but it wouldn't have been that way if we wouldn't have been self motivated!

Thanks so much for your letter this week mom. I loved reading it. It's nice to hear that Missionary work is still a family focus. If we do it constantly it will change our lives for the better. How are you doing with Family History? I noticed that Katrina was reading about one of our ancestors, is that part of family history?
I love you mom, I think I'm going to buy some clay pots for you. They are large mouthed and look like huge frying pans with handls. They look like your style. I love you so much. Thanks for everything you do for me and for the family.

Tell everyone that I love them.
-Matt