WEEK #4

Hellloooooooo!!

I still can't believe how lucky I am to be here on a mission. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!! ok, anywaysss......

I've been able to study and ponder more about how God speaks to his children. He really is so willing to be there for us and answer our questions. He knows us individually and, because we are all so different, he answers us in different forms. We just need to recognize how we personally receive revelation. I started a list of the different ways he speaks to people (I'm sure there are probably more...). He does it through:

-Prophets (speaking to us and appearing to them personally)

-Other people

-Dreams (Like Nephi and Lehi)

-The Holy Ghost (either thought, feelings, or impressions)

I've also been focusing on the restoration this week in my personal study time. We had the opportunity to teach a man named Carlos about it. After we taught him about the first vision he just knew that Joseph Smith was a true prophet. The spirit was so strong that it was undeniable. I know that God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to Joseph Smith. I know that, because Joseph asked in prayer, God was able to answer him. I know that my prayers will be answered and that I will be able to know the mysteries of God if I just ask in faith. 

Sister Biggs and I were able to be the answer to other people's prayers this week. As we were Harvesting we felt impressed to knock on doors down a specific street. We were walking up to a house when a woman opened the door. She didn't want to pray with us at first, so we decided to invite her to church. She started telling us all about the terrible situation she was in and all of the hard things she was going through. We were then able to pray with her and as she felt the spirit she started crying. The next house we knocked on the lady opened the door crying. She told us that she had just found out that her son-in-law had 4 clogged arteries and he was going to be having open heart surgery the next day. She was emailing all of her friends and family, asking them to pray for her, when we knocked on the door.

I am so humbled that I've been called to this work. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to minister to the needs of people in the Fort Lauderdale mission. Because of this experience I know that this is what I'm supposed to be doing with my life right now. I can't imagine any place I'd rather be than serving the Lord. I know that Heavenly Father loves us and answers our prayers.

Funny Story: In our lesson with Carlos he showed us a video on his phone at the end of our lesson. It. was. weird. haha good thought, but weird. So the video starts out with a cougar hunting a bear cub. The cougar keeps following this poor little bear cub and he's just trying to escape. Mind you, the whole time there is dramatic music in the background and words in Spanish so I don't know what in the heck is going on. Carlos is narrating the whole thing in his nice accent "see the bear cub is trying to escape". "Es in Sanish, but es soooooo beautifulll." The bear cub gets to the momma bear cub and the mom is licking her cub. "See, thas like Jesus licking us clean from our sins. Es soooo beautiful!".....uuhhhh ok cute! Hahaha The movie was 5 minutes long of that. So great. 

Also, Sister Biggs is almost as blonde as me. We drove past a house that was tented because there must have been termites and she goes, "That looks like such a fun bounce house"....HAHA I love her dearly. 

I love you all SO much!! Have a great week and look for ways that God answers your prayers. 

Sincerely, 

Sister Matheson