Aug 11th-Aug 18th

Heyyyy y'all! How are ya!

I hope your week was good! Sister lights and I had a really good one.

We saw many miracles happen.

August 11th, Monday. Preparation day LOVE THOSE DAYS.

Hung out in Chico all day pretty much until dinner, we came back for

dinner with sister Moore and the Simmons came and we had Chinese. AND

I ate the entire meal with chopsticks...even the rice...I'm a PRO now

guys, I'm picking up some serious skills on my mission;)  hahaha! I'm

quite proud of myself. Then normal night routine.

August 12th, Tuesday.

A slow day, but still saw miracles.

We had a lesson with maddy and Georgia, two young ladies we picked up

as new investigators, and neighbors of the Holmes. And it was such a

sweet lesson. They are so ready for the gospel. Then right after, we

went to see the fremches and saw them and had a lovely visit with them

then dinner with the gartners, and had a lesson with them after dinner

so that was fun! Then the normal night routine.

August 13th, Wednesday.

My last district meeting in paradise. We talked a lot about having

"faith filled finding" and working with members to hasten the lords

work.

Then a lesson with Dottie, and she is doing well! I just love her so much!

Then we headed to the Toveys for a lesson with tony, but he was a

no-show...which happens lol but we were all kinda bummed. We ended up

just talking to the members about their missionary work and had a

lesson with them so it was just what needed to happen I guess.

Everything always works out. Then dinner, then finding, then the night

routine!

August 14th, Thursday.

Lesson with marque, LA we teach, and we finished the BOM! It was

exciting too because the spirit was so strong in that lesson. I was

reminde of just how much I have to be grateful for, knowing the

sacrifice all the people in the pat have gone through to make sure

those plates made it into the hands of Joseph smith so we, modern day

saints, have the Book of Mormon today to learn about and share

Christ's with those around us. It really is such a gift to have.

Moroni's testimony is so strong and sincere. I always love reading the

very last chapter!

Then we had another lesson with Julie, and sister McDonald came to

help her with her family history! We saw a miracle happen folks!

Within 20 minutes, sister McDonald was able to find the name of

Julie's great grandmother and her husband, who she has been trying to

find for years...so she was able to start adding more names to her

tree! HUGE miracle. And she learned more about who he was and what he

did, etc. Family history work is so cool...I hope y'all try it

sometime! You really find out more about your family than you think.

Those people who lived before us are very much real and apart of us.

Julie said she would be at church too!

Then dinner with sister Mathews and her husband, then did more finding

then the night routine!

August 15th,  Friday.

Last weekly planning session for this area. It went well!

Then we did some finding today, we didn't have any set lessons with

anyone so we went out and visited some more people we haven't been

able to go out and see and it was a good day!

We got to meet this wonderful lady, Sheila , and picked her up as a

new investigator! So that was cool!  Well see her this coming week to

go over the restoration with her! Then had dinner with the turners,

and they are great member missionaries! I love them so much!

Then a lesson with the Hamners, and we read more of the BOM with them

and it was such a great visit!

Then night routine.

August 16th, Saturday.

We did service at the Hamners in the morning for about two hours and

did a lot with all of us working together. Then had lunch together.

Then sister lights and I left to clean up and get ready for baptism

while the Hamners cleaned up and got ready for a funeral service for

one of their dear friends.

The paradise first elders had a very simple, but well done program for

the baptism of an older lady, Ann, and she was ready to be baptized!

The elders that started teaching her were able to come and visit her

at her special day so that was cool. I love how strong the spirit is

at baptisms. It makes everything we do as missionaries so worth it

....to feel those people feel the spirit and just feel the peace and

lifting up of their burdens ....gone! the gospel brings to all of us

that freedoms to feel joy and peace.

Then we had more finding and visiting more people then dinner and then

prepared for our meetings for Sunday.

August 17th, Sunday.

We had Julie, and James at church today! Not too many people as far as

investigators came but we had a few come so that was good! Tony has a

lot of pain going on with his back, so he wasn't able to come...I hope

he can feel better soon! Back pain isn't fun at all. There was a good

turnout with many of the members, and they are totally on board with

member missionary work so lots of good things happening! It was a

great service today today! Then dinner with the chatfields, and it was

lovely!

Then a visit with some members !

The other big thing that happened was transfer calls....yep! It's been

6 weeks already! And I'm going to loomis 3rd ward, my next area so

it's bound to be good, I loved my 7 1/2 months here in paradise....it

really was paradise! And the good news is I might be able to go back

up ( loomis is only 2 hours south of paradise) when Phil and Michelle

and tony pick a date for their baptisms ....and I can come back up to

see them! So that should be really exciting! So this isn't goodbye,

just a short break.

I love the people here so much, and i know sister light and the next

sister will love it and take care of it! Sister light is such a

stellar missionary! I've learned so much from her!

August 18th, Monday of week 1.

Today it's the normal routine plus packing so that's what I'll be

doing and getting the rides taken care of as well as the contacting my

new companion and stuff like that. Her name is sister kimura, and has

been out for 7-8 months so a little younger than I am in a sense, but

I'm excited to go and serve with her!

And all of us missionaries that are getting transferred are hanging

out, and signing eachothers journals so Tuesday I'll be leaving

paradise ...bittersweet moment....and I'll let ya know how that goes!

Area number 3, here I come! I can't wait to go to work there!

Miracles happen daily. I hope y'all see them. They exist. I can promise that.

Well, time is short, lots to do today.  I love you. And pray for y'all daily.

Keep going, and remember that the lord loves you ALWAYS.

Have a great week!

Until next week,

Sister Matchett