Life Is Crazy!

Haha lindsay is a ditz! That's more than me :) And me and Garrett are the Kindergarten repeats, so at least 10 years from now I will be able to share that experience with someone lol! Thats sweet that Austin is home! Tell him I said Hi! And I also wrote Mike and Mark! Make sure they got my letters! I am planning on writing some of them today. Tell Tre to send me a message - he didn't give me his address. And thank you for the package! Thats crazy that Greg will be home so soon!

So to give all my friends and anyone who is interested an idea of what exactly it is I will be doing for the next 2 years. Watch District 2. I don't know if you can put it on my Blog Mom, but it is awsome and I have fallen in love with it and can't wait to get out of here and find the people God has prepared me to teach.  (Message Gracie if you want to find out how to view this!)

So everything is good and stressful! I got called as District Leader plus my companion rolled his ankle in gym on monday so I have been pretty dang busy! Life is crazy! not getting as much done as I would like, but I am loving it here. Learning to be responsible! I got to interview my district and that was awesome getting to know them all a lot better! I had to interview a 25 year old, Elder Crisp. That was a humbling experiance and learned about his life. Awesome kid! I can always feel the Spirit when I talk to him.
Did dad ever get that Missionary Pal book in the mail??? I asked you to send that, but its all good. When you guys get one just send it to me. Thank you for everything you did send! I was so excited and happy to get it! Glad to finally have some pictures and stuff!

Nothing really new is happening. We got a new district yesterday. One of the Elders knew Blaine Sherwood, but I can't remember his name at the moment! Spanish is coming good as well! Didn't get as much done this week because of my new assignment as District leader and having to help my companion out but its all good! Im learning to be patient. I am feeling a little under the weather today as well, but ya know life goes on!

Jackson and RJ will be here soon! I'm excited! Hopefully I will be on the welcoming Comittee that day, but the Branch Presidency picks so we will see! I love you all! Freaking miss everyone!

Well I got to get off! I love you and I hope everything is well! hopefully I will have something more exciting to send next week :( Just learning the Gospel. Hope all is well! Tell everyone Hi and God Bless! Love and Miss you all!

Love Elder Mattei

P.S. And Write me more! Letters are awesome!

Spanish Coming Along Quickly!

Hey :) So yeah about Mckeon he has been writing me and stuff on my email day so I get to read his emails to me and write him a little bit. So yeah I am in the same zone/District Mckeon was in. Elder Essler one of the other Elders in my zone showed me a picture of the two of them  - crazy! He also gave me a pass down that Mckeon gave to him! It's a little light up toy and Mckeon signed it so I am actually thinking about keeping it lol! Or I will give it to RJ or Jackson! Then one of them can keep it! But I also took a picture of the Narnia hole Mckeon signed! Don't have time to explain what that is right now lol!  (For those of you not in the know - McKeon is Mark's good friend who is currently serving in Mexico.  He just left the MTC in February;  RJ and Jackson are his friends who will be entering the MTC on April 6.  RJ is going to Toulouse, France and Jackson is going to Moscow.)  But yeah things are awesome! Small world huh? So yeah thank you for the cookies and the Dr. Pepper I was going to send a letter to Tre for some but the goof didn't write his address in my book. :) But I loved the Dr. Pepper and cookies so thank you.  ( Mark was DYING for some caffeine.  I never realized how much he drank soda and there's this wonderful place in Provo that delivers all kinds of goodies to the MTC, even warm cookies!) Tell people to write me! Letters are the best!

So ask Tre if he knows someone named Logan Hellquist or something like that that goes to BYU. I remember he told me he had a friend who was going to the same mission as me and he never told me anything more about it. My buddy Elder Kay said that his friend lives in the same dorms that Tre does and he said that they were like best friends in High school so I just thought that would be pretty awesome if Tre knew him.  Oh and thank both you and Dad for the Letters!

So everything this week is going good. I spoke spanish for like thirty minutes straight yesterday!!! It was pretty cool then later at night we had a Testimony meeting in our district in Spanish! Our whole district is learning really fast! I don't know if I told but we are in an excelled program, or a pilot program that the MTC is planning on switching too. We are catching up to some of the Districts in front of us as far as Spanish goes. I had a really spiritual experience the other day and that was awesome! The spirit is awesome here! But yeah not much has happened just learning a ton! Never worked so hard in my life. Oh and I make my bed and keep my room clean... Who would have thought?  lol! I like it here. Miss home but it is all good cuz I love it here! Waking up and seeing the mountains is awesome! Jackson and Rj need to hurry up and write me and get here!

So yeah I get along best with Elder Kay and Elder Eliason! Both have told me that I remind them of some of their freinds back home so I guess that's a good thing lol! They are hilarious! I can really relate and talk to the both of them. My companion is cool, but gets a little edgy sometimes and can be way too serious at times, but it's good because I think he helps keep me in line. I love the kid to death! He has a great heart and I had a really cool experiance with him this week. We work really well together especially when we are teaching. It's amazing how much I can recall from Seminary/ going on the splits with the Missionaries I feel like I know my way around the scriptures really well! But I can only get better and I know thats why I am here is to make myself the best missionary possible! I wish I had more time to write, but sadly I got to go :( I love and miss you all. Give Garrett a big hug for me! I was thinking about him a ton last night! Send a memory card because I am sending one tomorrow to get you all some pictures as well as probably a letter! Love you all and God bless! see you soon!

Love Elder Mattei aka S.P. ( Haha My friends will get that one) :P

P.S. Don't have too much fun without me! Love you!

First Email

Hey everyone! I don't have a lot of time so I will say what I have time to. I love it here! It is awsome! and the spirit is way strong! As well as the food! It's killing me lol! But yeah everything is good! My companion is Elder Scaife. He is from Washington State. I found out Jim Richardson served in his ward! He is pretty cool, a bit dorky but we get along really really well. I love the kid. My P-day is on thursdays by the way. Spanish is coming along really good. I can already teach the first lesson and bear my testimony. We are on some kind of guinea pig program and trying it out with our teacher! I am on the same floor that Mckeon was in and have the same teachers that he had when he was here! crazy!!! I know- what are the chances! My teachers are Hermano Gili and Hermono Corbridge. I talked with Hermano Gilli for about fifteen minutes about Mckeon the other day. It's way cool! I miss that kid!

 

I miss home a ton, but at the same time I love it here! It is awesome! My roommates are Elder Eliason, Scaife, and Sorenson. Sorenson and Eliason are from UT. They are both going to NY with me. Elder Vieter and Kay are also in my district in the room next to us. Kay is from Mesa, AZ and Elder Vieter is from Cali. Both going to NY as well. Then there is elder Law and Elder Crisp. Both are going to Peru! Elder Crisp reminds me EXACTLY of Chris Farley. Looks and Acts like him! Way funny guy he is from Denver. Kid is awesome. Him, elder Kay, and Elder Eliason are probably the ones I have the most in common with. I get along with my whole district really well though. I love all these kids. No one will ever replace my buds back home though. Oh and Elder Eliason and Kay are going to write Lindsay so just let her know to be prepared lol!

 

So funny story. The other day me and my other roommates decided it would be a good idea to take a shower after gym! Not a good Idea. We all forgot our key and got locked out of our room. So it took like forty minutes for our zone leaders to bring the Key to us. So we had some pretty good bonding time in Elder Kay and Vieters room. It was mostly my fault because I was the last one to leave the room.

 

But yeah so I did not have time to read Gregs email this week so hopefully i will next week, or one of the others you sent me mom. But how is everyone doing? how is everything back home?  Can you guys send me a package with some pics of home, Mckeon's mish address, Bill Carpenter Cd, Missionary pal, and Ward/. Branch listings in NY.

 

I miss home a lot but I know everything is ok and I know that this is where the Lord wants me. I will send pictures home sometime soon. Maybe another week or two. I have so much I want to say but so little time! Just let me know how everyone is and how much I miss them! You don't need to worry about me I love it here! The mountains are awesome! It's hard cuz I know Tre is right down the street and I can't even see him. It is nice because I get to see Chrisse in the Book store, but that's as familiar as things get.

 

Jackson and RJ - it's one class all day. Both language and gospel. it's a lot of being in one room. Be patient. The first three days are hard then it gets easy. I promise. It will be hard but well worth it. Ok im almost out of time. I love you all and will see you before you know it. I want this two monhs to go by. Correct my spelling lol! Ok g2g. I love you all and miss eveyone and everything! Write me on dearelder.com  love you! Bye!

 

Much love form Provo, Elder MAttei! :)

First Letter Home

Hey Mom, Dad and family!  First day was awesome!  The Spirit is really strong.  My companion is Elder Scaife.  He is really cool and really smart.  A bit nerdy though.  Same with all of my roommates, but I love them and they are really funny. I can't remember the other two's names so I will let you know soon.  They are awesome though!  My MTC teacher, Brother Cambridge???, was McKeon's teacher too!  Crazy and that kid that we saw in the temple in Salt Lake is in my mission - not in my district, though.  I ran into him.  His name is Elder Smith.  Today I lost my meal card in like 10 minutes - lol!  I found it though so it's all good.  I am excited to learn the language and I am excited to teach the Gospel.  It's going to be awesome!  I love the spirit and the people here.  I already feel welcomed!  I love you guys and I hope all is well!   I will write again pretty soon hopefully.

Next day - 

I love you all.  I love it here and I am doing fine. My companion and roommates are awesome.  We all get along well and we are all going to NY.  The other two's names are Elder Sorenson and Elder ______.    Elder Venter and Elder Key are the other 2 in my district.  Elder Venter is really goofy, but really funny.  I am learning Spanish pretty well.

Yo soy un misinario de la Iglacida de Jesu Cristo de los Santos de las Ultimas Dias!  Yo testifico que Dios vive!  Yo se' que Jose Smith es un profeta de Dios!  Yo se' que El Libro de Mormon es la parabla de Dios!  I love you and I will see you all soon!

Much love from Provo,  Elder Mattei