Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Week 9 and 10

I'm counting this as two weeks, since it's been a while since I e-mailed! So much has happened since the last time I wrote home. I sang twice Sunday the 21st. Once in sacrament meeting, "Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy" and then at my farewell devotional sang "A missionary's Prayer". The last week at the MTC flew by. We were pretty busy with meeting etc. Then I flew out here to the mission, met my mission president whom I love dearly. He gives hugs smiles and has a testimony so strong you can almost see his halo. Right after we landed we went straight to a wonderful baptism (in English) and the spirit was so strong there. The Lord had definitely been working on the women that got baptized. After that, we had dinner at the mission president’s home, spent the night there and then headed out to a busy day. We did some orientation, and then we went to our first transfer meeting. I met my companion, and found out where I would be serving. My companions name is Elder Morales, and he's from Guatemala and his English is only a little bit better than my Spanish. The area I’m serving in is Lawrence, Massachusetts. We have the only Spanish ward in the mission. It’s crazy; Lawrence is so different from the rest of New England. It’s like a foreign country. There are mostly Dominicans. Anyways, Lawrence has a lot of Hills, and the city layout was literally designed by cattle. I have no idea where I am half the time. Oh, and Lawrence is one of the only biking areas in the mission. Sometimes I feel like Elder McCready, riding a bike up and down hills to find people to share the gospel with in a hot humid city filled with extremely poor people. The city is really quite poor. When we were in a car with Elder Hymas (senior missionary) getting a ride down to our area he asked if it was like New York. I responded, yes, it's kind of like Brooklyn or Queens, then my companion (who lived in NY before he came to the mission) said, no, it's more like the Bronx. He’s right; the people are quite poor here. But they are so humble. They are always willing to listen, the only question is, are they willing to Pray and Read and go to Church. This area is the busiest in the mission. So busy that they gave it an extra companionship to help keep things moving. There are 5 of us living in the apartment now. We need more bikes, but one of the other missionary's is still learning how to ride one.

The church started a new program for new missionaries, called the first 12 weeks, and it's really good. The only downside is that we have to study longer each morning and this area is so busy. We already have 3 investigators with baptismal dates and we think we'll have 7 by the end of the transfer. Plus a ton of progressing investigators. I miss home a lot. I miss school and the dogs and the horses and my home ward...I miss my home ward so much...Lawrence is so different from what I’m used to, everything is in Spanish and a lot of people don't even speak 2 words of English. I’ll get used to it though...the Hurricane was very wet here. I got soaked as did all my stuff in my backpack. It came on all of the sudden. It was hard to see while I was biking too, I almost got hit by a car (by the way, if there's a time I’m going to get hurt on my mission it's now, because these bikes aren’t that good, nor are the streets, and everyone is crazy, so I can see myself tearing some pants and scraping some knees...). I wish I could send pictures but I don't see an easy way to do it right now, maybe next week, plus I’m almost out of time. I got your e-mail, but not the letter. I’ll let you know next week.

--
-Elder Matthew D. Evans

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Week 8 and almost in the field!

Hey all!

Well, it feels like I e-mailed you just yesterday. Ever since I got my travel plans time has been going much faster. To answer your questions, I leave Monday morning at 4 for my new mission!

I'm a little nervous to meet my Mission President, although I really shouldn't be. I'm flying out with 10 other Elders, so it's not like I’m going to get a lot of attention from him. I wonder what my Trainer will be like. I hope that he isn't a difficult one! That would be hard.

Thanks for the donuts Amy Ward, my districts says thanks too ;)

I’m gonna miss parts of the MTC, but only parts! I’ll miss my district, and one of my teachers, Hermano Alder. I'll miss gym, but it was starting to change anyways, so it's good to say goodbye to it. I play futbol (soccer) each day, and there’s this one companionship that came in the week after us that are horrible poor sports. I was an offender and he was a defender and we both went up to chest the ball (I’m a lot bigger than he is) and while we were both going for the ball I kind of bumped him, not hard though, anyways, he just shoulders me with all he's got (which wasn't enough to really move me far, ha-ha). I’m gonna miss soccer!

We get new missionaries in every Wednesday, so this Wednesday I decided to turn my name tag around and put my "new missionary sticker" on the back (where it's blank) and act like I’m new. I went up to the new missionary's and asked them "where did you get your name tag engraved" some of them could tell I had mine on backwards, but I fooled most of them. I had some of the elders in my district ghost them as they walked away and some of them were legitly concerned and others thought I had just noticed and laughed at me. We thought it was SOOOO funny, goes to show what 8 weeks in the MTC will do to you! I just want to go to a movie!!! hahaha

Love to all,

-Elder Matthew D. Evans

Thursday, August 11, 2011

Week 7!

Hi Everyone

To answer my mom’s question, I can't get on FB or the family website. I also can't send pictures from the MTC, but I’ll send them the first week I’m out of here which is only a week and a half away! I keep flipping back and forth on how i feel about the MTC. It really makes me feel bipolar! Sometimes it feels great, an opportunity to learn and grow. Other times I just feel really negative about being her, and just want it to all be over. I think that’s pretty much normal. I’ve still got so much to learn. Christ continues to remind me of how far I have to go. Sometimes I feel a little down just because I know that the Cherry family has high expectation of me, as does the Dixon ward and I really don't want to let anyone down. With that in mind, I suppose I will have lots of opportunities to repent and become better.

I really do love the scriptures. There is so much comfort and rest that comes from focusing on what is on the pages of the scriptures. I never feel as good about life and what’s going on in the world around me as when I ignore all of it and focus on what I need to work on, learn or do in order to gain more of the spirit. Most of the time the spirit gives me revelation about what I need in order to grow, but this last week I felt prompted to ask an elder about his testimony, I didn't follow it right away, but then Christ made it even easier for me to follow that prompting and talk to that elder. I found out that he had no testimony and that made it very hard for him. We talked a lot and I feel like I helped him. I can tell that he has the right heart and I know he will be just fine. At the very next fireside the speaker told a story about an elder that didn't have a testimony and how he came to gain one through patience and diligence (and frustration!). It was exactly what he needed, and the miracle was that out of the 2,000+ people in the room he was looking right at my friend, and we weren’t sitting in front of him. The thing I learned was that I need to follow those little promptings of the spirit whenever they come, no matter how awkward it might seem. I feel like that is why I’m here for the 9 weeks, to help that elder. I know that my Spanish is sufficient, and I would've learned more out in the field. I needed to help that elder. I wish I had done a better job though. I could have been such a better example. I’m sadly out of time, but I’ll write you again next week.

Love to all,

-Elder Matthew D. Evans

Thursday, August 4, 2011

And we are up to date with his latest letter!

Week 6:
Hi all,

The MTC is getting better; it's very hard for me, very much in contrast with my personality. I love the gospel, and I love reading my scriptures and want to do well, but this structure just isn't my kind of deal. The best parts are our mock investigators, but it would mean so much more if they were real investigators! I just want to teach. I sure do hope I get to teach in English at least some when I’m out in the field. I have no idea what New Hampshire will be like. I’ve pretty much forgotten the real world, I think! The members of my district are my real world now. We have lots of fun together, playing sports, talking, drinking soda and building a pyramid of cans, and of course joking around about anything we can in our spare time. We all want to meet up at Provo after the mission and go for a hike, or rock climbing or snowboarding or something. I think that will be fun.

I auditioned for a special musical number today. The same one I sang at my farewell. I
It went pretty well, but they said it was too long and I needed to shorten it, so I did and came back right afterwards, and they said it was great and want me to sing it at a special meeting, I don't know how many will be in attendance, but it could be anywhere from 500-3000, who knows. My accompanist is very good; he's very talented, like ridiculously good. He pretty much sight reads it perfect and then started to goof around with it after a few run throughs. But I’m really lucky to have found him. I literally just started going door to door to find a pianist, and then I found him.

One of the best parts of the MTC is all the art. There are so many gospel pictures in every room, and that really invites revelation when you look at them and think about what it means. For example. I was looking at the picture of Abinidi in front of King Noah and his wicked priests and thought about how smart and wise those priests felt. They must have thought that they had it all figured out, accomplished and respected, but Abinidi had things for them that they had never heard, and their pride got in the way. It was then that I realized, that when we feel like we know it all, we really don't know it all, we've just stopped learning. and the same can be applied to many things such as repentance. When we feel we don't need to repent, we're not perfect, we've just stopped progressing.


With Love,

-Elder Matthew D. Evans

More MTC news :)

July 28/2011

Well, what to say, I only have a little bit of time, but I'm learning a lot and growing more. I've learned that Preach My Gospel is probably my most valuable possession for the next two years. I really don't know what to say because every week is the same. We've been speaking a lot more Spanish throughout the day. I tried to get the signature of one of the speakers, he was a 70, but I couldn't because it's not allowed. I've been asked to tutor some of the district members who are struggling more with Spanish. We’ve been working on verb conjugations. I've learned that trying to emulate general authority as a missionary is the best way to go. I've never seen Christ and I don't know what his exact behavior is, but I have seen the brethren and can predict what they would say/do in most situations, or at least be able to see/know what they would not do. I learned this through the spirit while watching a video of a general authority addressing the MTC; they always are so clean with how they say things, and not just the words that they use, but the tone of the voice, and the lack of slang. This makes it easier to give up the word dude. I love this work, and I know that this is where I am meant to be. I wish everyone in the world could know that Jesus Christ loves them as much as he loves me, I'm out of time, so until next week, know that I love you and I miss you all!

Elder Matt Evans

bringing you up to date!

This is Matt’s mom. I’ll be posting his letters every week. He loves to get mail! He will be in the MTC for about 2 more weeks and you can send his mail to:

Elder Matt Evans

MTC mailbox 308

NH-MAN 0822

Provo, UT 84604-1793

When he gets out in the field, I will post his new address!

July 7

So in case you didn't get my letter yet, my P-Days are now Thursday.

To surmise the last 2 weeks or so, I got here and put my stuff in my room and went to some orientation meetings that were pretty boring, and then we went to class and met our teachers. They had me in beginner Spanish, so it was pretty dull, 'cause they started a new system where they start with Spanish, so I wasn't even getting great lessons on the gospel. I asked to test out the first day, but my teacher is new, so he didn't know how to do that, apparently you need to test before the first Monday and since he didn't take me there for about 2 weeks it was more complicated, but they got me tested (which took literally 50 seconds) and by the time I was back in my chair at class they had a notice for me to pack up and move to a new district which means a new class, building, room, companion, district, zone branch, everything. So I packed up and went to my new district. I miss my old one, they were really fun. I loved my companion, we got along so well. My new companionship is a threesome. The Spanish is coming along just fine though, I'm not nervous at all, but that might change in the field. I'm so happy that I get to learn a new language, and I can't wait to get out into the field.

We had a special 4th of July meeting that was cool; it involved a good speaker, bagpipes, flags, and BYU's Fireworks. The best part was all the missionaries in their suits running around like Godzilla invaded Tokyo. When I got here, there was a special conference for new mission presidents, so there were tons of apostles here, but they kept us away from them, they shut off half the cafeteria for them and half of the main building. I never saw one, but Bednar addressed us, there wasn't room for many missionaries though, so I just got to see the video.

The rules here really test your patience, so many rules that are frustrating. Like you can't stand with your hands in your pockets, and if you have a coat your companion has to have one too, and you have to have it buttoned up. We have to wear coats to firesides and wait until they invite you to take your coat off, which they always do right away (so it's just annoying to have to go change into your suit). I wish I had more to say, but nothing is really happening here.

Love you all! Keep the prayers and letters coming!!!

Elder Matthew D. Evans

July 14
Hey everyone! Which brings up a funny story, one of the elders in my district forgot his watch in the playing field during gym time, so we went back to get it, but gym was closed, so it felt like we were just walking out of the MTC (plus I forgot my name tag and we were in P-Day clothes). The weather was sooooo good, sunny, and just the right temp. We get out to the field and pretty much black clouds blow over us and lighting starts going on and then it just starts pouring rain. Then my companions said "Ok, He's MAD!" all joking of course, but it was funny. Then someone
else said "we should've never left the MTC..." hahaha! Well, this week I got to learn a whole lot of humility. I got really fed up with all the annoying rules and became really unhappy. Someone must have said something to the branch president because he wanted to meet with me. I hadn't met with him before, because I switched branches, so this was his first and only impression of me. He didn't seem to think very much of me, certainly didn't have anything good to say to me, which is too bad because I was just having a bad couple of days. The rules here are hard to follow, I try to follow them, but it definitely isn't making me terribly happy. The straw that broke the camel’s back was when I found out I couldn't say dude (which is probably the word I use more than any other). I think I would have an easier time if it felt like I was doing something, like teaching. I know I'll enjoy the field so much more. Time at the MTC is speeding up. The first few days felt like weeks, and now weeks feel like days. Hard to believe I'm working on week 4. Food is still what you might think of MTC food (visit Jeremiah 4:19).
I did get one package but I have no idea who the package is from, because there was no return address, maybe you could ask around for me. It was full of snacks that had a theme of pioneering, so I'm guessing from the Padilla's. Looking forward to getting this package, I desperately want those flip flops, I've already had athletes foot on my foot and armpit (don't ask how, cause I don't know). I'm enjoying the more routine system here, but I want to find more time for practicing hymns.

Love you all,

Elder Evans



Well, I don't really know what to say...I got to leave the MTC with my companion to go see a doctor about his broken foot. It was great to leave, see some people, smile, try to find some way to help, and of course I had my back pack. We gave the first discussion to someone while we were in the waiting room, he was already a member, but didn't remember a whole lot about the restoration, so it was a good experience for both of us. My Spanish is slowly getting better, the intermediate district is better, but I really hope that I can move in with the advanced district. The advanced districts are only here for the weeks, so I want to move in with a new district and really immerse myself in Spanish. I'm going to ask to take the test tomorrow, tell believers to pray for me ;) I'm learning a lot here. Still learning lessons of humility and repentance, but lately I’ve begun to understand goals. I always hated goals because they made me think of soccer, or just sports in general. But I do like being organized with my study time. I wish I had more to write about, but the MTC is pretty much like Groundhog Day, every day is the same. On Sunday my district is singing "Hope of Israel" and I'll be accompanying them on the piano, which is crazy because I hadn't ever played that song until a few days ago, but I think I can be ready in time. (Another thing to pray for). Oh, and a cool scripture I found, that I plan on using to pick up girls with when I get back is proverbs 3:15 (or 15-18), it's even better in Spanish! Thanks a ton for the package, it meant the world to me, packages here are as good as getting a new computer in the real world, and letters are like being taken to the movies...yup...missionaries are easy to please. Someone gave me a different package with a pioneering theme to it, I don't know who sent it though, there was no return address, or name, so I don't know who to thank...but thanks whoever you are! Keep sending me stuff!!!

-Love you all


-Elder Matthew D. Evans