Week of Nov 11-Nov 17

Dear Friends and Family,

How are you all? Hopefully well! This last week was my last full week of being 19! Crazy! Who knew how fast time can go by! Lots of miracles happened. The Lord’s work is hastening, and we are so lucky to be here at this time to help Him do it!

Remember my first day of being a missionary? How I gave the man next to me a Book of Mormon, and talked the entire two hour flight?  His name was Anthony, and he is from Ghana. Well, I received a message on Facebook from a woman who lives within my mission who happened to be in Salt Lake City, Utah to visit her family about two weeks ago. She sat right next to him. They got talking and eventually Anthony mentioned myself and how I ave him a Book of Mormon and that he remembers talking to me while on that flight in September. From there this woman was able to talk to him about life after death and how families can be forever! Basically she was able to have a missionary moment with him and commit him to go check out Mormon.org. She’s been keeping in contact with me over FB on his progress. I found out later that this woman’s father is a bishop and knows President Westen-my mission president. How awesome is that? Miracles happen all the time in everyday situations and in God’s timing. This woman sent this email and I got it on Thursday-it was exactly what I needed to hear! God’s hand is in the details of our lives. He knows how everything is supposed to happen if we let Him guide us, we’ll get to where we need to go and know what we have to do. He knows us so well.

Another exiting event that happened this week was the miracle we were able to have with the Elders in our ward. My companion and I tracted into a 19 year old man named Brian about a week ago. ( I think she means they were tracting, which is knocking on doors, and met Brian). We made an appointment with him for Nov 17 and decided (with the help of our ward mission leader how to go about meeting him) that’d meet the Elders (the male missionaries) there at his house to see what would happen, and if he was still sincere in learning more. We arrived and basically we had a really good conversation where he asked both sets of missionaries questions and we answered. There is strength in numbers and by the end of our meeting/visit, the Elders were able to give him contact information and leave him with a commitment to pray if God exists as well as to read the Book of Mormon. It was realy cool to work with the Elders to bring on person closer to the Lord by simply being able to answer questions with the help of the Spirit. We all are fighting for the same team—the Lord, and He’s got us covered! All we have to do it let him into our lives and we’ll have the support we need to get through our rough days/whatever trial we face as well as the good things that happen.

I received a lot of mail this week lol I wonder why!? Haha my family sent some food (yum!) some birthday gifts, and letters! I loved them (letters) the most! I am so grateful for them, getting to hear how they’re doing. That was my favorite gift(s). On Sunday, my actual birthday, the bishop in my ward (the area we serve in) announced my birthday in sacrament lol so EVERYBODY knew it! Lol it was great. I was slowly sinking down to the floor in my set lol not really, but I was a little embarrassed haha and we’ve been working with a less-active girl who was doing a musical number with me in sacrament. So that went really well. After Sacrament, Jo, another one of our investigators stayed for the entire 3 hours of church and loved every second of it. Sister Housely and I had a blast with her.

My companion and I came home and on the kitchen table there was a HUGE homemade cookie cake on the table. Sister Housely  grinned as I just looked at this ginormous cookie cake. I found out as we were talking (Sister Forsyth, Sister Housely, and I) that they had all been planning this as a surprise for me and when we came home on Saturday, as soon as I went in our room to get something they hid this cookie cake and played it cool. After I came back into the kitchen as if nothing happened. Another cake I received was from the ward mission leader’s wife, that was super awesome! We have so much support here in the Dry Creek Ward. How lucky am I?!

Then at dinner we were fed so much food and they gave us a lot of desert. Needless to say, I didn’t go hungry. The Lord has deff blessed me with a lot of things. I’m never hungry lol so that’s a blessing. My birthday was great! And we had so many miracles happen too. The Lord’s work is hastening and I have the ability to be a part of it! We all do!

Everything flowed really well and we felt the spirit there with us all day, it was incredible. Not that there aren’t really bad days, but the days have gotten better and better!

I love this. I am beyond blessed to be in the area I am at and know I’m meant to be here now to find Christ’s “lost sheep” her ein the Rio Linda area.

I’m also grateful for my family and friends and the support they give me. I’m grateful for the gospel and the Savior’s Atonement. I could make a list of all things I’m grateful for, My heart is full of gratitude. As Thanksgiving approaches I ask you all-What are you grateful for? What is something that has been a blessing in your life? We all have much to be thankful for. I hope all of you are doing well and that you feel the love and support of our Savior. He’s there for us-even on our hard days. May we all remember how much love God has for us and we can do all things through Christ. I wish you all a great week and pray that all is well for you. You’re the best!

Until next time,

            Sister Matchett J

P.S. I apologize for the long letter. I didn’t want to leave out any of the big news! Oh, and Katelyn is doing well too. We’re teaching new member lessons-pretty awesome! I’ll keep you posted. Enjoy your read and please be patient with me as I go about doing these weekly-letters. They’ll get better! Peace out!

Katelyn and her family at her baptism on Nov 9th. Her whole family was able to be there, even her dad who is struggling with medical issues. It was such a miracle! 

 This is Katelyn's baptism invitation that we all made. They turned out so cute!