WEEK 21- I don't have much time

Here are some pics for the week.

We went to a farm and did some service there. I got bit by a pig and kicked by a horse that we took on a walk/jog.

We went to Top Golf. Sadly I didn't have my camera....

I caught my comp slippin! hahaha what a sack...

Oh and we, here in AZ, have THE best suntsets EVER!!​

WEEK 20--5 Months In! I Think?

This last week has been quite amazing! I felt like I really got lost in the work after being out sick all of last week. Time just flew by. It was Monday and then it was Friday, like what the heck just happened here??
Okay okay. 1. My Comp and I had a baptism this last weekend!! 2. Well that's about it....? It was pretty lame this week besides the baptism.

1.) So, we had a baptism this weekend! For a 59 year old man named Stephen Mcguire. This is a studly man. He is amazing and I love him for the fight he has put up against the adversary. Stephen struggles with bad depression. He is dead broke and about to lose his house. He has been divorced for about 10 years and is just having a rough go. Oh and not to mention he is broke because his father spent Stephen's whole retirement... So you feel for him right? Well Elder Tolman and I decided that we would not let go of Stephen and just attack him just as hard as the adversary was, and now look. This amazing son of God has entered in the waters of baptism and opened that first gate on the path to Eternal Salvation. I had to honor and privilege to baptize Stephen, and boy as soon as he came up out of the water you could just see this light just radiating off of him and he had this smile from ear to ear. I couldn't help but tear up a little. I was so happy to see this man after 15 years from his initial contact finally make this beautiful covenant with his Love Father in Heaven. I will never forget the feeling I had Saturday and spirit that was felt in the baptismal font!

No worries Mom, just a dart...no bullets

Oh I forgot. Yeah we got shot at through our apartment window the other day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Palm trees for Dad

Jim

Me on my hot rod,  cruisin' through the neigborhood

WEEK 19-Not the best week

I don't have too much for the week I was sick all week with the Flu... Tuesday -  Friday. I got out of bed and went out just to keep my comp sane and so he didn't have to stay inside all day. But here is what happened. 1. Watched to Super Bowl. Oops(; That is a bout it Hahaha I don't have any pictures cause I don't have a computer I cant transfer pics onto.. But I love you all and thank you for all the prayers! I miss you!
 I promise I will have something to write about next week!

p.s. I didn't get transferred!!!!

Week 18

Where has the time gone?

So it feels like just yesterday I was entering the MTC, granted it was 4 1/2 months ago, but still. But this week has had some ups and downs. But here we go. 1. Darts can be fun! Until you almost get one in your neck... 2. Don't take turns too sharp in the rain.. It doesn't end up very well. 3. 10:00 p.m. baptism. Save the best for last.

1.) The other Elders we live with came home on Wednesday with a dart board. Well we were playing darts that night and I stepped out to go get a snack, and somehow I forgot we were playing with needle sharp objects and throwing them across the room passed the door. And me being the dummy I am walked right in and Elder Brown threw right as I was walking, and stuck in the door centimeters from my throat!!!! I just stood there as the dart nailed, and stuck into the door. Then as you could imagine 4 guys in one room that just witness a near death experience. We all freaked out and laughed our heads off. Lesson learned? Lock the door when playing darts so you don't get you esophagus impaled by a dart!

2.) Okay, I did this to myself. First off my back tire is more bald than my dad.. (Sorry dad) Second off we aren't supposed to ride in the rain here, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to gt a little wet riding back home?? My comp finally agreed and we made our way back to the Apartment, and it started dumping rain! And enough to where water was just rushing down into my eyes... I couldn't see. I was doing SO good up until 5 feet from the apartment and I took my LAST turn....... Bam!!! Next thing I knew I was on my back soaking wet, and my bike about 10 feet from me. Another lesson learned...

3.) Best for last. Okay, one of our Asians, Klaus, was leaving back to China to terminate is contract with his pilot school. And he asked to meet him at 8:00 Tuesday night. And, so we did. We brought everyone he knew, we contacted the Bishop, Stake President, our Stake Mission Leader, and we all met with Klaus, and his friend Jack (Who was not leaving fo China)  to say our last goodbyes before he left the next morning. As we were sitting in the Bishop's office talking our goal was to get him the Aaronic priesthood before he left. Well he said he would LOVE to receive the priesthood, but he needed an interview. The Bishop said, "Well I can arrange that." He then invited everyone to leave. As we sat in the hall way waiting for his interview to finish us Elders huddled around and realized that Jack could be baptized tonight!? It was about 8:40 by this time. Jack only needed one more lesson and an interview, and my comp just so happened to be the DL that needed to interview him! So while we were teaching the last lesson to Jack; the font was filled, more people were called, we got permission from our Mission President, and Klaus finished his interview with Bishop Cupps. We then proceeded to give Klaus the priesthood, and gave him a run down how the ordinance was to be performed. With 2 hours Jack was baptized and on Sunday he was confirmed and the newest member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. There are no such things as coincidences. God is a God a miracles, and this was on of His miracles he allowed me to be a part of.

I love you all! Have an amazing week and I will talk to you next week! Alofa Atu.

Love,
Elder Tautai Matua

Week 17

Sorry I have no time to write today but here are a few pics from through out the week! I love you all! god bless!​

Week 15....I think??????

Dear wonderful family and friends back at home,

This week has just been AMAZING!! 1. I found a watch! 2. I had my 3rd baptism this last Saturday! 3. We had an investigator FINALLY come to church!! AND 4. Don't argue with Anti's or it will get ugly..

1. You need to know the back ground of this story or else it's just a dumb one, so here it is! I was coming down with something nasty last Monday evening, so I called the mission nurse to see what I could do, and this sister says, "Okay I want you to go and eat some oranges, and then take some ibuprofen and drink some G2 and get some rest." I was like is this some kind of sick joke??" And she then looked at my papers and said, " Oh duh!! You can't have fruit huh? Dang.... Uh I want you to drink some V8 and just down that stuff and call me in the morning if you are still feeling sick." So my Comp and I took a little bike ride over to Wal-Mart and got me some juice and then my Companion started looking at watches.. And it made me want to get another watch, but I said nope! I will save my money, and maybe somewhere down the road I will get a G-Shock or something.
Well the next morning we needed to go and make some copies of progress records, so we went to the church building and low and behold I found this BEAUTIFUL black and gold G-Shock on our way there just sitting on the ground. I don't know if it was okay for me to take it? But I prayed about it and I didn't feel guilty? So now I have a new watch Hahaha

2.Oh my gosh! I had the coolest experience this Saturday as I got to help one of our investigators take another step to receive eternal happiness. We had a baptism for our 2 Asians, Howard and Francis. And Francis asked me to baptize him, IN MANDARIN!!!!!! It was so much fun and they just were filled with so much joy that they couldn't stop smiling and laughing and hugging us! I loved it! I hope President Wheeler receives some revelation to open Mandarin speaking here in Gilbert.😉😉😂

3. So we have been working with this guy. His name is Stephen Mcguire and he has been investigating for over 15 years and just never really progress, but for the past month or so we have been able to get in with him and he has shown so much desire to become a member to this beautiful church and the family feel that it brings. He is such a stud and he is now on date to be baptized on the 28th of this month! I cannot wait. He came to church yesterday and boy did he loved it! The members welcomed him with open loving arms, and he just soaked it all in! I am grateful for his desire and for overcoming his trials to get where he is now! i just can't wait to see him enter into the waters of baptism and feel the joy that comes with being made clean from sin again, so in turn his passion for this Gospel will multiply 10 fold! It gets me so pumped!

4. Last Friday we came a across a man as Elder Tolman and I were leaving an appointment. His name was Bobby, and boy did he HATE us! He said, "Oh you guys are doing some more harassing I see!? Y'all are everywhere bugging people about your church!!" And it just escalated from there! It got to the point where he just started yelling at us about how we need to take a theology class and study our bible a little bit more. He went on to tell us that Lillith came before Adam and Eve and the Eve was made from the rib of Adam which he wasn't wrong about that, but we started getting a little heated and realized the spirit can't be with us if we are fighting with this man... So we started biking away and he yells down the street. Now keep in mine this guy his holding a toy poodle in each hand, and screaming down the road, "GO HANG YOURSELVES!!" Oh boy we just started laughing and that just made him more mad as he began to curse us out from down the street! Oh man do I wish I wasn't wearing a badge! Hahahaha

Anyways I gotta go.. I love you guys! Thank you again for all the love and support! Till next week!!

Love,
Elder Matua​

These are pictures that someone colored (Bella) and sent to me. Proudly displayed on my wall

Farm service project

Well this past week has some amazing moments, and some not so amazing moments. 1. My companion is never going to bunny hop another curb EVER again. 2. An investigator announced she asked her dad to sign her baptismal form so that she could be baptized. 3. We have 2 more set dates for our Chinese investigators, Howard and Francis. 4. I wreck at Ticket to Ride 5. I found a very effective way to get my companion to stop snoring. And 6. Don't teach the Law of Chastity to Chinese men with out a translator there.....

1.) So, me and my companion we heading home for lunch. And I love to jump around on my bike and do wheelies and such, but that's beside the point. I was doing my usual, jumping around having fun, and Elder Tolman decided to follow my example.Well the first curb he jumped he got onto perfectly fine. The second one?? Not so much.... He jumped too early and his front tire smacked the edge of the curb and over the handle bars he went.. I watch in awe as this 5'11" 275 lbs kid went up on over his handle bars, chest bouncing off the ground, arms flailing, bike tumbling, and after that all happened (in slow motion it seemed like.) there he was laying on the ground. On his stomach with the bike on top of him and his legs all tangled up in the bike! Hahahaha I just sat a laughed as he was screaming for me to get the bike off him so he could get up. And, me being the jerk i am didn't help him up until I got a picture of him laying there! Hahaha!

2.) Here's an awesome story. We have an investigator named Sierra that has had a very rough home life and because of it, is now living with a very Gospelly, sound family. Well while being there she decided to take the missionary lessons and she is SO solid and man does she knows her stuff! Anyways she doesn't turn 18 until April, so she needs to get her parents to sign off on the baptismal forms. And, she has been really scared to ask them.. So are plan was to just wait until April.. Then. Sunday roles around and it is fast and testimony meeting, and Sierra gets up and bears her testimony, and announce that she got her dad to agree to sign the papers. tomorrow we will be meeting with her to set a date for the end of this month!

3.) We have set 2 dates for 3 people to be baptized. This Saturday will be our Asian's baptism. Howard and Francis. They are awesome and with the little English they speak, they give such profound and amazing answers! I love them. And we have a 50 year old man names Stephen that is so excited to be baptized on the 28th of January! We are so stoked for these people. We see the desire they have to follow the Savior and to progress in the Gospel.

4.) This is self-explanatory. We play Ticket to Ride during Lunch and when we get home at 9:00 after planning and other stuff. But, I always end up winning by at least like 30-40 points everytime. And, it doesn't matter who counts it the numbers are always the same. ( my house thought I was cheating...)

5.) My companion is like 5 chainsaws trying to cut a still I -beam.... And I can't sleep through that!? So every night I let him fall asleep and as soon as he fires those chainsaws up I jump out of bed, lift my pillow over my head, and whack that goofy sucker right on the chest. Now keep in mind I have a very heavy memory foam pillow so it packs a punch. Anyways.. I just sit back and watch in the dark as he wakes up in a panic wondering what just hit him, and then he roles over and just falls back asleep and there's no more snoring! It is just so dang funny to watch him freak out on the top bunk and almost fall out of bed! Hahahaha😂

6.) Usually we have a mandrin translator there with us, but this particualar night he was unavailable. So,we were teaching our Asians the Law of Chastity! Hahaha they don't speak very good English so our teaching has to be plain and very simple. So, my companion Has a very simple way to teach it. SPAM
S - Sex, no sex before wife.
P - No Pornography, naked girls bad!
A - No adultery, no cheating on wife.
M - Censor Alert
They looked at us so confused when we got to the M. Hahaha Elder Tolman says, "I know you know what it is." And Howard, bless his heart says, "I will look it up." And we freak out! NOOOOO. Hahaha boy we just taught you that pornography was bad!!
So we explained it to Francis what it was and then Francis goes, "Ohhhh NO HOWARD NO HOWARD!!" We lost it! It was so dang funny! Hahaha I love asians!!

So there is my week! I have been loving my new area, and the people I am able to serve! Thank you all for the prayers, the support and the love! I love you all! I miss you! I hope all is well up in WJ! Until next week! Love you!!

Love,
Elder Matua

Well. This week has been freaking hectic. so to start of with 1. I got transferred AGAIN!! 2. I love my new comp! 3. I almost died this weekend! 4. My new Ward Mission Leader in one of my wards is related to my family!

1.) So I got transferred again... I am now in the Highland Zone. My new companion is Elder Tolman of Helena, Montana. And my new apartment consists of us, and two other stud Elders. Elder Whittaker and Elder Brown. And boy do we have fun!! I love these guys.

My new comp, Elder Tolman

2.) Me and Elder Tolman know how to do it around here. We know how to have fun while we work and we just click. We get work done and we love doing the work. Both of us were so scared who we were going to get the next morning that neither one of us slept. But, don't worry everything is okay now! We are excited to do God's work together.

3.) Okay here's a tip for riding a bike on New Year's Eve past 6:00. Don't.... Me and Elder Tolman we just simply strolling along Driftwood Rd. and the light was green to go across Baseline no cars were coming and we were headed to our apartment. Well whether the guy was drunk or not he flew through the red light and it was a freaking close one me and Elder Tolman were almost 2 pancakes across the road! Scariest moment of my life! But hey I am still alive to tell the tale!

4.) Like all of you already know ALL Polynesians are related. Well my new WML is Samoan, but his last name is Snuka so I didn't think anything of it haha, but on Sunday his wife came up to me and oh boy did she com in hot! "Elder Matua! Hey we are related!" I was about to say, "Lady just cause you are brown and I am brown don't mean we are related!" Hahaha but she then explained her mom is my grandma's cousin. And don't worry I confirmed it with my Dad! It is legit! 

Anyways, that is about it for the week! I will try to have more to share next week! I love you all! thank you for all the love and support! I will see you next week!

Love,

Elder Matua

Pics 1-3: Mission Christmas Party, Pic 1

Pic 2

Pic 3

So I don't have too much time, but this week has been pretty good! Christmas was amazing and I am so happy I got to talk to my family! I got everything any missionary could ever ask for! Hahaha! I miss you all and I hope everything went well with your Christmas! I love you! I am getting transferred so next week will be a better email! Love you guys!!!

Me and Elder Holland 

P-day at TopGolf

Okay, so this week has been a crazy one! I will continue to number the events in my week because it is easier. Hahaha okay, so 1. Miracle at Angry Crab 2. Throw up at The Hoffman's 3. Monte and Apollo 11 4. Miracle at Subway 5. Moto Cop

1.) Me and the other Elders decided to try out a place that just opened called angry crab and their seafood is to DIE for! And VERY expensive. (We didn't know that till we looked at the menu and after waiting for 30 minutes to get seated. Well we were ordering and a lady tapped me on the shoulder and said, "I am so sorry for rudely interrupting, but thank you for being missionaries and threw $80 down on the table and and we were just in shock. So, our meal was almost paid for. What a blessing!...... So, we thought!?!? We were finishing our 6 lbs of shrimp and 3 lbs of King Crab, and the waitress came over and said would you like your check? With bellies full and gross saucy hands we said, "Yes please!" It took my girl like 20 minutes to get us our check, but the anger quickly went away as she handed us our bill. We opened up the check booklet to a blank piece of paper that said, Merry Christmas, from a friend." We are truly blessed as missionaries and I am so thankful for the members that take such good care of us here in AZ.

2.) We were having dinner at the Hoffman's in the AR 1st ward and they had a sick child that had the Croop. So we had finished dinner thankfully and we were just conversing with the family about their missions that they served and their 4 yr old child came out of her room and sat on her mom's lap. She was coughing like crazy! While still conversing this child starts coughing to the point of gagging. Keep in mind I am a sympathetic thrower upper. And I just have a gut feeling this child is about to burst hot liquid out of her mouth. So she is gagging and her mom is like, "ARE YOU GOING TO THROW UP!?" *Cough cough* *BLAHHHH* Oh my gosh so hear is an image from my point of veiw. The baby is straddling her mom facing her, and she is coughing and I just seeing this river of brown, rice filled vomit projectiling out of her mouth.... I had to get up and walk away I almost upchucked. But Sister Hoffman took it like a champ as the puke soaked into her lap. Oh and the little girl tried re-eating the rice we had for dinner! You're so welcome for the detailed story!😘

3.) So we were tracting one day, Elder Holland and I, and we came across a man named Monte. I guess they had met with him before? Anyways, he was telling us how he used to be an electrical mechanic and he worked on the Apollo 11 and spent more time in the cock pit and crew couch more than Armstrong and Buzz! So cool! He showed us pictures.

4.) So same deal with Angry crab. We get into Subway and we get up to order and there is a Less Active member in front of us that is in our ward. We talked to her until she got her food and paid for it. She looks at all of us and says, "May I please pay for your meal? We were like that would be wonderful thank you so much!! She goes to pay and the cashier said, "Some lady just came in and paid $40 so your total will be $14.87." Or something like that haha. So double pay miracle both at Angry Crab and Subway! What a week! hahaha

5.) The Moto-Cop! So Elder Holland and I were tracting near a busy road, and there is a motorcycle cop on the sidewalk using a speed gun, and this guy would catch car after car and then come back and post up in the exact same spot! He would sit there and spot and flip his lights on and on he went to catch all the speed racers!

Well there are the highlights of the week. I love and miss you all so much! I am so grateful for this beautiful gospel and so grateful for the time I get to spend everyday spreading God's word! I am so blessed with the companion I have and I am blessed to be serving in the area I am in! I love Arizona and the people I meet each and everyday! God bless! I will be keeping you all in my prayers! Bless up Dub-J! Keep it real! And I will see you next week!

OH...and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Alright, so this week went by really fast and not a whole lot went on, but I will give you a quick run down. 1. I helped rewire a 64' Mustang fastback. 2. I guess I sleep walk?? Haha 3. Don't order Mt. Dew at Restaurants... 4. I have a love hate relationship with dogs. 5. Went to the Mesa Temple lights. And, 6. my comp is freaking hilarious with come backs to Anti's!

1.) So I was out on exchanges with Elder Merritt my ZL. And we were roaming around a gated community called Barrington. As, we came around the corner of S Gordon and E Lakeview I spotted a beauty. And, no not a girl, but a 64' Fastback Mustang with a guy slumped over the engine of this beast. Well, we pulled up and OYM'd (Open your mouth) this tubster, and asked him what he was up to. He was rewiring the car and we asked if he needed any help and sure enough this man said "As a matter of fact I do!" So, Merritt and I helped this man out, but he was sadly not interested in the LDS church...

What a beaut!!! '64 Fastback Mustang!!!

 2.) Well, it was Thursday night and usually we would have 10 o'clock and then we chill and talk. But. I went to bed right after 10 o'clock prayer while the other Elders stayed up. So around 10:30 Elder Holland came into the room and went to bed. I was out like a rock. Anyways, 10-15 minutes pass and this is Elder Hollands experience. So, he was almost asleep and he felt his bed shake a little and so he rolled over to see what it was and there I was standing over him with my eyes closed and he was FREAKED out that he punched me in the chest and I didn't wake up, so he shook me and I fell on him and then I freaked out that I was in his bed.. Soooo, yeah I sleep walk?

3.) Don't order Mt. Dew while at a restaurant, because here is the response you get, "Mormon's can drink soda?? I thought y'all couldn't like have caffine?" Ugh, if only people knew... It's all good I just gave him a weird look and he left and brought my apostate drink hahaha.

4.) Dogs are good, but they suck when you are trying to teach. First, they bark like crazy so people get annoyed of their dogs and open the door. But, it's when you're in the house and teaching that you hate those things and just want to punt them to China..

5.) Last night Me and Elder Holland got to take a recent convert, and her non-member husband to the Mesa Temple lights. It was such and amazing experience, because the husband saw a Plan of Salvation video at the visitor center that sparked some interest in the Church! And now we have a lesson with him on the 15th!!

6.) So we were getting anti'd out the WAZ the other day and this guy was attacking us left and right, and the guy said, "I don't want none of *bleep* in my life. I don't want to be a part of a Cult."

And Elder Holland cuts him off and says, "That's funny you say that because we USED to be a colt, but now we are a stallion!!" The Guy lost it and said okay that is a good one and we just told him to have a good day and we went our separate ways!

So things went really well this week and me and Elder Holland are killing it! We are loving the work and we are loving the Lord and we are serving him the very best we can! I love you all and I miss you all too! I hope things are going great up there in SOJO and DUB JAY! Alofas from AZ!

P-Day soccer injury