Week 34 - HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!

We had a special Mission Training this week on Thursday and President surprised us by letting us watch Meet the Mormons. It is SO GOOD! If you haven't seen it...WATCH IT! 

It was almost better than Christmas.

 

We've been seeing a lot of miracles here in Pines. We dropped a few people who weren't progressing and then the miracles came. One of our investigators actually came to Bible Study despite the fact that she had had SURGERY on her foot THAT DAY!!! Talk about faith. She always says, "I love the Lord" We also had a powerful Plan of Salvation with her and she is started to recognize the need for her to be baptized again. She came to church on Sunday as well as three of our other investigators. It was the most Investigators I've ever had attend Sacrament at one time. Three of them were confused as to why we didn't have ANY crosses in our church. They are all struggling with word of wisdom problems so we weren't able to set them with dates, but we're doing that this week. We also followed up with an amazing referral and the woman is SO ELECT! We have an appointment with her soon.

 

Sister Anderson is warming up wonderfully to missionary work. This week we did well at trading off more and having more of a balance during lessons. She took the lead in a Resto lesson and it was very powerful.

 

We sang in Sacrament Meeting this week and it went really well. I don't think anyone noticed how much I was shaking so that was a blessing. One of our investigators said that she cried and our other investigator recorded it on her phone...what can ya do? haha

 

This week I read this scripture and thought it was very fitting for Thanksgiving:

 

"That ye contend no more against the Holy Ghost, but that ye receive it, and take upon you the name of Christ; that ye humble yourselves even to the dust and worship God, in whatsoever place ye may be in, in spirit and in truth; and that ye live in thanksgiving daily, for the many mercies and blessings which he doth bestow upon you." (Alma 34:38).

 

I love you all so much and I am extremely GRATEFUL for all of your prayers and support. Thanksgiving is one of my favorite holidays because there is good food, your spending time with your family, and you don't have to worry about buying or receiving gifts. 

ENJOY IT!

 

I definitely encourage you all to read Deuteronomy 14:11 in honor of the season. 

Do it!

 

Sincerely, Sister Matheson

 

Pictures:

It actually got cold this week. 

We had to wear layers and go get gloves from Wal-Mart...who'd a thunk?

Our investigator at Bible Study!!! I love her to death.

We got special permission to go "sun rising" this morning. 

We went to the Beach this morning and I saw the ocean here for the FIRST TIME:) 

 There I am, showing off my baby!

 With Sister McKell!! LOVE her!!

 

Week # 33 I CHOPPED MY HAIR OFF!!!

Hello everyone!!!!

 

Before I get to the really exciting news...I CHOPPED MY HAIR OFF!!! 

I learned some very important things from it:

1.Never let an 85 year old woman cut your hair.

2.Hair grows back

 

An older woman in our ward offered to cut my hair. I figured it would be fine, It was free right? Anyways, I told her to cut just below my shoulders and a few snips later without a comb or anything, 9 inches of my hair fell to the floor. She just kept cutting and cutting till it was a good couple inches shorter than I had wanted. I had to go home and even everything out. Oh well. I can work it!

 

Tuesday we went to transfer meetings and I started freaking out on the way over. The whole meeting felt SO long and all I wanted was to know who my "baby" would be. FINALLY I found out I was training Sister Anderson. I ran over and gave her a big hug! She's from American Fork as well and graduated the same year as me...we never even knew each other. 

When ever we tell people that they always say, "Well that's because you, 

(Sis Matheson) were probably in the popular group and thought you were to good to talk to her"...NO haha We laugh about it.

 

My "baby", Sister Anderson, is adjusting well. 

She was having a hard time at first with rejection during Harvesting, but I just put my arm around her and we kept going. We saw a lot of miracles, especially on Transfer night, that boosted her faith.

 

We weren't having a lot of success, in fact we had a man talk to us about how incorrect it is to say that Jesus Christ is our "older brother" because then it puts us and him at the same level...some bogus like that. pshhh I felt bad for the dude. I was basically testifying the whole time and poor Sister Anderson was just like, "what have I gotten myself into..." Right after that though we knocked on a door and a woman with two young kids answered. She let us pray for her and asked that we include her husband in the prayer. She invited us to come back the following day. When we went over to her house we met her best friend and taught them both on their front porch. She explained to us that her mother had died of Cancer recently and that her husband had committed suicide about two years ago. We taught about the Plan of Salvation and testified that being baptized would help her find that hope and purpose in life.

 

We also went to see Jamie at her trailer and saw the member that lives across the street from her as well. There friend was over there as well. Both Jamie and the friend lit up a cigarette right then. We each took turns reading a verse from the story of Jesus washing the Apostles feet. Their other neighbor came over and we all read the story with a flashlight because it was so dark. That definitely goes down in history as one of my favorite moments as a missionary!

 

I was reading in ACTS this week about how the Apostles did their missionary work after the Savior left. I loved Chapter 5:40-41 When Peter and John are arrested, beaten and then released. They knew the power of their calling so much that, "...[T]hey departed from the presence of the council rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name." (vs. 41)

 

We only got kicked out of a community by security once this week. 

That was a blessing;) They were kind enough to escort us out and everything! haha.

 

I've loved training thus far because I'm always thinking back of when I was being trained and I can see how much I've grown. I can recognize how God has helped me become an effective instrument in his hands and I can see all the ways that I need to improve as well.

 

I hope all is well with all of you. 

I love you so much and keep you in my prayers daily

 

Sincerely, Sister Matheson

 

Pictures:

Before and Afters of the hair cut

 

The "I LOVE YOU" was right before transfer meeting.

 

Right before the Ginger left me...:(

 

My "baby" is so talented

 

Our cute little room.

 

In front of our FLORIDIAN chapel

 

Exchanges with our awesome STL's

 

 

Week #32 "Jesus take the wheeeeel"

Heeyyyooo!!!

First of all, we had transfer calls last night. They announced Pines first and said that Sister Furner was Transferring and that I'm staying......AND TRAINING!!!!!!! What?!?!? I'm still a baby in the mission! Oh well. I just kept thinking in my head, "Jesus take the wheeeeel".

This week was the perfect way to end the transfer. We saw so many miracles I'm just going to have to start by listing them off.

Miracle one:

We were biking to an appointment by the freeway when we saw a woman standing by the side of the road with a sign. She seemed to be homeless and her sign said, "anything will help". We were waiting for the crosswalk in order to cross the road when I had the impression to talk with her. I admit, I had to resist the temptation to just ignore her and let other people help her. I got off my bike and went right up to her. Sister Furner followed behind and she asked us if we had a "Mormon Bible". We gave her one right away and offered to say a prayer with her. Her skin looked so sun burnt from standing in the sun all day. We walked over by her backpack to get away from the street as much as possible. We said a prayer with her right there by the freeway. Afterwards we asked if we could come teach her more, but she said she lives in different hotels depending on how much they cost. It made me so sad to think that we almost didn't talk with her and she really WAS homeless. I had the weirdest impression to give her my CTR ring, but I shrugged it aside and got back on my bike. We crossed the street and I told Sister Furner about the prompting. I felt the prompting AGAIN so We ran back across the street and I gave her my CTR ring, explaining what it stood for. She said, "Thank you ma'am. God bless". 

I kept thinking, "Never suppress a generous thought".

Miracle two:

Our investigator Blanca got really sick. She was actually in the hospital so we decided to go visit her. When we got there I had somehow forgotten my ID at home and they couldn't let me in. We had to wait for the security guard to come give me the ok. We waited for a very long time and Sister Furner and I both knew there must've been a reason. Right before the security guard came I saw a less active woman from the Davie ward. I went up to her and gave her a hug. She said that her step daughter was in the hospital for internal bleeding. We were able to visit both Blanca and that woman. We would've never seen her if I had had my ID.

Miracle three:

The second day at the hospital we taught Blanca about the Restoration. It was a very powerful lesson and we talked about the Holy Ghost protecting us just like the fire protecting Alma and Amulek. Before we left Sister Furner gave Blanca her CTR ring just like when I gave the homeless woman my CTR ring. It was so neat. The next day we visited Blanca, she had the ring on her finger. We had been praying that she would be released from the hospital so that she could make it to church and she told us that she was going home that night. SUCH a tender mercy!!!

Miracle four:

We went to visit our investigator Jamie, but she didn't answer. We went across the street to visit a woman we had said a prayer with a few weeks prior, but she didn't have time for us to talk with her. When we turned around we saw one of our members at Jamie's door. We walked across the street, but he didn't see us because it was dark. He had set some cigarettes and a monster drink on the roof of his car, so before he noticed I grabbed them and put them in my purse. He came around and noticed what I had done. We had a powerful lesson on the Atonement and the Word of Wisdom. Right then Jamie walked out of her trailer, sat on her front porch, and lit up a cigarette. We taught them both and "cried repentance" unto them. We told them how much God loved them and the member committed to cut back to 5 cigarettes and then to quit in a couple of days. Jamie invited us in and told us how she was going to quit as well.

Random things from the week:

-We have Bible Studies every Wednesday night at the chapel. This week it went really well! There was a really good turn out with Recent converts and long time members.

-We taught an 11 year old girl how to ride a bike. That's a first!

This week I studied a lot in Acts about the apostles healing the man at the temple. I thought it was so interesting how they not only told him he was healed, but they actually lifted him up and helped him stand. That is our job as missionaries AND members. We have to be the hands for Jesus to LIFT all those around us. Not only do we "cry repentance", but we are there for people every step of the way. I encourage you to study that story and pull out of it what applies to you. It is amazing.

I love you all so much. Pray for me and my trainee....haha 

Have an amazing week! 

Remember, it's one thing to wear a CTR ring, but it's another to actually Choose The Right.

Sincerely, Sister Matheson

pictures

Me being disobedient and holding a "baby". 

Who knew I was really just getting practice to train..?;)

 

Teaching Sophia how to bike

The Ginger power is leaving me...

 Visiting the Hospital

Florida Wildlife

Week #31 Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday Sister Furner

(Sorry I posted this one a week late for Sister Matheson.  I was unable to use my computer because we were out of town.)

This week was so crazy amazing!!! Also, I've been out seven months from yesterday...WHAT?!?!

I guess to start, Wednesday was Sister Furner's 20th birthday!!! Obviously I had to set up streamers, balloons, and all of the packages she had gotten. Over the past couple of weeks, every time she got a package I would steal it from her and hide it in my closet so she wouldn't be tempted to open them. As I stood up on the kitchen chair to tape the "Happy Birthday" sign to the wall, the leg snapped off and I fell to the floor. We were dying laughing. I got a good size bruise. I made her breakfast and then we celebrated by getting slurpees. The ward Trunk or Treat was that night and there was an amazing turnout!

Friday we had to stop knocking doors at 5:00 and be in by 7:00, so we Harvested earlier in the day. We prayed that we would find a New Investigator, someone who would be open to having us come back, and someone who would let us teach them on the spot. The last door we knocked on we found a man who had a lot of questions. we taught him about the Plan of Salvation after the prayer and he agreed to let us come back the following week to say a prayer with his wife.

Later that day we got a text from our member. He told us that he had been talking with his neighbor and she said that she had met us. (His roommate actually referred us to her several weeks back and we said a prayer with her, but that was it. We didn't think much of it). She told him that she had a lot of questions and that she actually had the Book of Mormon that we had given her on her night stand. He told us to meet him at her house that night. When we got there she was very receptive. She invited us in and we talked more about the Book of Mormon and church. She said that if she were to go to church that she'd go to her church so we left it at that and offered to come back and do service for her.

Yesterday we were on our way to that same members house to say a prayer with him. When we pulled up she was standing outside of her mobile home. We talked for a couple seconds and then she said, "come on in girls". Sister Furner and I looked at each other and just shrugged our shoulders like, "Ok God, change of plans". We had an amazing lesson with her!!! Sis. Furner had the prompting to call a Recent Convert and have her bare her testimony to this woman over the phone. She said exactly what she needed to hear. Our investigator was asking her really good questions about the baptism and afterwards we invited her to be baptized as well. She agreed to pray about it and said she would come to our Bible Study on Wednesday night!!!

Yesterday we also had a less active come to church for the second time in a row. He's this 13 year old boy with so much sass, but he's finally coming around. He actually got up and bore his testimony in Sacrament Meeting. Even though he's not a baptism, it felt just as good to see another soul coming and partaking the sacrament that hadn't been in a while.

I love you all to the moon and back. Remember, "Charity NEVER faileth" (1 Cor 13:8).

Sincerely, Sister Matheson

PICTURES:

Biking all day, every day

The Carrot I got Sis Furner for her Birthday

We were visiting our members and their dog decided it wanted to sit on my lap.

One of my favorite little girls and the trunk or treat

The Root beer we made on Halloween

This awesome pot (head) guy we saw while knocking doors. 

The woman let us take a picture. 

One of our members is a pilot. 

He thought it would be funny if the Sister Missionaries inflated the $30.00 life vest.