EXCITED!

mommy dearest! :)

So I am in Stamford Conneticut! :) I am Training in a trio.. So both follow up training and training lol! Elder Vazquez is a Mexican from Jersey and I am follow up training him, and I am training Elder Fox who seems really cool and he is from Lehi Utah.(So there are three of them - one has only been out on his mission for about six weeks, the other is a brand new missionary straight from training at the MTC.)   I am so excited to be here! Everyone tells me it is the best upstate area in the mission... So I drove a car for the first time in more than a year today :P I was so scared! I turned the wheel the wrong way while backing out. haha! But after that it was all good! It was just like riding a bike! I was so freaking out.. When I was backing out of the church parking lot half of the mission was watching me. Elder Hermosa.. The AP had to come give me words of comfort :P 

So I am released as DL(he will no longer be a district leader)! And I am living with Elder Stevens again.(Elder Stevens was in his first apartment in Harlem.) Just like my first cycle, and Elder Ortillo. They are in the English ward here. But I am so pumped! Really I was so excited to leave! but it was so sad leaving the BX. :( Saying bye to Gisela, Chrismary, and Jordi was difficult.. only because I know I may never see them again.. They are moving back to the DR in like 2 weeks :( So that was sad.. And saying bye to Niorgeli was sad also... She bawled when I left... :( I felt bad. She made me promise her I would take her to Coney Island when I come back to visit. I think she had a small crush on me. I love that litle girl and her family. They are so cool! 

Then I also saw Cindy yesterday.(one of the first ladies he taught in Harlem). Her daughter was baptized last month, and her fiance  got baptized last weekend :) I was so happy to see how much good came out of that. She has changed a lot.. It was so good to talk to her. It brought a smile to my face! :) 

So now I am here. the New Mission President comes in Thursday.. Today was our last time that we saw President Smith. :( I am going to miss him a ton! 

so I did get Birthday cards for Pop pop and Granny. I just was forgetful :( I will make sure that I do better at that! I started writing them a letter but it got lost in me moving. ah... I have so much stuff!! I don't know how I have got so much! I need to get rid of a ton.. And I gave away and threw away a ton before I left the Bronx and I still have a ton! And yes I will write Todd again soon! :) :) 

Well I am excited to be here.. I don't know what else to say :) We went to Panda Express today.. I am going to go to Buffalo Wild Wings here in a couple days so I am really excited!! :) And apparently there have been 7 baptisms here in the past 3 months.. So I am excited to keep this area on fire and find more people! 

Well I love you all so very much! We do not have a lot of time, but I love you all so very much! You are the best! :) Take care and I love you all so much! You are in my prayers! :)

Love, Marky Mark

It Is Time!

Hey Mom I am going to keep this short..   The game was good! (Yankees v Braves) I had a lot of fun! It was a blast! Very hot like you said though!   I am here until next Tuesday, which will be both Transfers and Pday. Just so you all know.. And I received word from a Senior Missionary that I am leaving.. Somewhere upstate it sounds like but he could not remember!  But I feel good about it.. Like you, Mom I feel like it is time! :)     And Norgelie's Baptism was awesome! :) I baptized her! WE are going over there again tomorrow night.. I am having a hard time right now and I do not have a lot of time.. Sorry for not saying much! Let me make sure I answered all of your questions! :)   Oh mom most importantly follow your heart. Desire the Spirit and Pray for it.. And if you have a good feeling to do something do it. That is the spirit. It's not the best answer but it is the one President gave me.    And dad to answer your question yeah we still play Bang :) But anyways! I am going to get going! Sounds like a lot of fun stuff is going on back at home, and also back in Louisiana :)   I love you all very much!   Love Mark! :)

South Manhattan

Dear Mommy..   I am a lazy sack today. I am so tired... So I will write what I can. Don't be surprised if this is a short email. lol! Just know that I am good and happy! :)   Well anyways.. Today we got to go to South Manhattan. We got permission because Elder Eliason had to exchange some really nice shoes his Dad bought him. They were the wrong size, so we got to go to Rockefeller Center to do that. Then we went to Macys! Elder Eliason bought a nice Citizen Watch. I got a nike T shirt lol! They had some really good Fathers Day Sales. We should definitely go shopping there after my mission. IT is a really cool store! It is so huge! But we did that and walked by the Empire State Building and Madison Square Garden. Then we took the 1 train down to go to the World Trade Center Memorial. That was really cool. It was really pretty and really peaceful. I could also see the new Memorial Building they are building there. IT is so Tall! lol! It was really cool. We saw a lot of Members from Different parts of the country, that stopped and talked to us along the way. You can definitely spot out the tourist from the people that actually live in NYC lol! IT is actually kind of funny to watch.   But while I was at the Memorial site, you could look up names of people who had died. I could not find any Mattei's but I did find 1 Haydel couple. Harold and Betty Haydel. I don't know if there is any corespondence. But I just know how big dad is into Family History and IDK lol! But that place was really cool. Very very peaceful. And very spiritual as well.   But anyways glad to hear everyone is good! And that Greg got a car and Todd is doing well in school! That really made me happy :)   Well Sunday is Norgeli's baptism! :) We are really excited! Then next Thursday are transfers.. I am not sure exactly when we are going to figure out.  I am sad that I have to leave that family though after I just met them (Assuming I am leaving) BUt the truth is I would not mind staying.. I really just want to stay in the city. It is going to be hard to leave here.   Well I am about to fall asleep in my chair. lol! and I still need to email dad. Mom just chat with me lol! So everyone have a good week! I will talk to you soon! Oh yeah! Yankees game next Wednesday! I am excited! :) I miss sports! Love you all! :)   Love Mark! :) And yeah I heard from Tre it sounded like he was pretty content with what was going on. so I am happy for him!  So to answer your questions...  1. THe bronx is going good. The people are crazy and life here is very fast paced.  2. THe weather stinks today, it has been raining for the past 2 days. 3. THings could be better with my comp. But nothing to complain about. :)  4. Just invite Melissa over for Dinner sometime. :)  5. We are teaching Norgeli. She will get baptized on Saturday. We also found this guy named Quincy Jones last week.  Haha weirdly enough he is spanish. But he is cool, he is really receptive to the Gospel and is eager to read the Book of Mormon.  6. Teaching is going well! Spanish is coming along much better.  7. and yes we are going to the Yankees game this next wednesday!  So I have a question. My damaged Ipod Nano. Do you guys still have it?? haha sorry that was random but I would really like to know. Well Grandma is in my prayers. I hope she gets better soon... Tell her I say Hello and that I love her! As well as Grandpa. Well I love you Dad! Have a great week! I will talk to you soon! Love Mark! :) 

Just as Happy as Could Be

Good day everybody!

So first things first before I forget if you could please ask Mark for his address and let him know that I have a Birthday card I have been wanting to send him for like 2 weeks,and also check and see if Bryan got the stuff that I sent him. That would be just fantastic :)

Well not much is up! Just doing missionary work. Life stays Generally about the same lol! But I am good! As I told you last week we are teaching this girl named Norgeli! She is 11 and is really cool. The family is Dominican. The Mom and other kids are less active and now deciding to come back to church. I really have fallen in love with this family really fast. I have so much fun when we go over there. They have a Cocker Spaniel nambed Cucuto! haha He reminds me a little bit of Angel! But Norgeli is really cool. She is funny and she has a baptisimal date on the 17th of this month! :) So I am really happy I stayed 1 more cycle! And she is just so smart. She picks up on things so fast. She understands the plan of Salvation, and logically understands the Atonement very well. Now we just got to get her to the SPiritual side of it. But she is so cool. Everytime we are there I can feel the spirit really strong! It is amazing! Teaching her makes me feel like a Greeny again. So there home has kind of become a safe haven for me. It is really far away. Actually not in our area, but they want to go to our ward so we go up into Elder Lewis' and Aguilars area to teach them. But it is worth it. For the Feeling we have when we are there and for the food! I look forward to going there this Friday! :)  

Sounds like you guys are having a pretty nice summer! The weather is good! I am so glad that it has not gotten to hot! I am waiting until I get upstate for that to happen (So yes I think I am getting transfered.. I would prefer to stay in the City but I am willing and ready to do what the Lord/President ask of me :) )

But for real sounds like everything is going well at home. Sounds like Thomas is having fun and Todd is doing much better. I am going to write him this week. I really stink at it i Know. It really is just so hard sometimes lol! And no I don't know the kid that played on Todd's team last year considering I was not there lol! :P But that is good to hear. Give that boy a nice big bear hug for me. So what else is new?? anything. did Nicole end up seeing her parents or anything?? And mom have you checked my facebook in a while to see if I have gotten anything?? Please do and let me know if anyone has talked to me or messaged me.

Pday today we went to Manhattan to Costco again. Nobody wanted to buy steaks with me :( lol! Elder Lewis almost did but he backed out last minute. That pansy. lol! I was so excited to! So I ended up not gettting too much. But it was really nice to be back in Harlem. I had a lot of memories come back, just while walking through there for a couple of short minutes. I miss it a lot. I really want to finish my mission there. That place is like a 3rd home. next to STL and Louisiana. There are a lot of people that I really love there.

How is Dad doing? He is in Amsterdam??? Lucky guy! Thousands of the potheads around here would be jealous as heck! haha. J.k... but no they really would be... But that is cool. how long is he there for? I did not hear from him this week.

So on Monday we had Zone Conference with President and Sister Smith. It was really good! I really love the both of them. I feel like President and I have just started getting close and now he is going home :( I am going to miss them.. But it was a really uplifting conference. and just what I needed as well. But I think we still have one more meeting with him before he goes home as well as interviews. I really hope that you and Dad get to meet him at some point. He really is such a great guy. 

So if greg gets a car does that mean I get the Jetta?? lol! J.K. :P But really... :) And well I miss and love you guys! But there is not much more to say. I am doing great! Just as happy as could be and I hope all of you are as well! I miss and love you! Thank you for all that you do! I will see you soon! Have a great week! you are all in my prayers and God Bless! :)

Love, Marky Mattei! :)

Memorial Day

Dad! 

Hey How is everything going?? 

My Memorial day Weekend was pretty good. Nothing too special. Holidays do not really exist for missionaries. All days feel the same apart from mothers day and Christmas lol! But it was good. We had some good meals and went to a BBQ on Saturday afternoon. So it was really good. Just had to deal with some misson Drama lol!  Sounds like you guys had fun though. Wish I could have been there. Home feels so far away and like such a long time ago. But at the same time it feels like just yesterday. So are you guys planning on taking the Jet Ski out anytime soon? But for real sounds like you guys had a ton of fun! and no,Memorial day here is pretty much normal.. Well at least in the two places I have served. Just a lot of tourists and people out on the streets.

So just a random question - do you guys talk to the Russos very much! If you see them please let them know I say Hi and that I love them and miss them. Also along with everyone else in the Ward! 

I am so jealous you guys got to go to six flags! I would pay anything just to go swimming and ride a roller coaster right now! It just feels like so long ago! Haha! I miss being normal sometimes :P But its all good, cuz I love being here! Crazy that mom stepped up and actually had some fun when we go to six flags :P j.k. Mom. but for real. Next time you go. Ride Batman and the Boss. For me please :) That is what you can do for me this summer. do it for me since I cannot do it!

 How are the Young Men?? I miss Young Mens so much! 

I feel for Nicole each time you guys talk about her. I hope everything gets better for her. That is just so sad. I want her to just be happy! That is all anyone deserves. How is she. Have her email me! I want to talk to her. I have not talked to her in a while. 

So yeah I need some new short sleeve shirts. That is about it. I told you guys about that on the phone.. I ruined anther shirt last night by spilling Mole on it (Mexican food) Tasted good.. BUt haha not worth losing a shirt.. But oh well... So yeah some new short sleeve shirts would be nice. And yeah sorry about my Debit card. all the machines said that they were free to check balance. So i will stop doing that. Sorry about that dad!  and yeah my companion is the same. Transfers will be in 3 weeks so I am happy to be here for that time, but think after that though I am going to be ready to get going. 

So to Mom! Yeah I got the article. I still need to read it though! and thank you in advance for the package! I will really appreciate that! :) So that is really cool about what they said in stake conference! I loved that talk so much! (President Uchtdorf's) I really need a copy of the Ensign. (Church magazine) For some reason we never got one.. 

But anyways we had a split yesterday and I went to a really cool lesson with Elder Topham - one of their investigators agreed  to getting baptized! :) and Elder Eliason and Elder Sayao found a new investigator for us :) So that was fun and very successful :) 
Also last week we got a Referral from Sister Reyes! Its for a less active family who has a daughter who is 11 years old and is not a member! I fell in love with them really fast! Her name is Nargelly! They are Dominican and Nargelly has a bap date for the 17th of June! :) We are going to see them again tonight so I am very excited! The Spirit was so strong last time we were over there and teaching them :) There are good things to come! 

Well Sorry I did not have much to say today! But oh, hey can you find out if Bryan got his Birthday card from me and get Marks Address so I can send a BDay card to him?? Thank you! Well I love you all so much! you guys are the best! Take care everyone and have a good week! Talk to you soon! 

Love Elder Mattei 

I Love Letters/Chocolate

Hey there everyone! so yeah I am still here! :) Hip hip hooray!! :) So I am happy about that. The main reasons I wanted to stay here are 1. To find people and really have this area running well when I leave. I would like to see someone make it to baptism my last cycle here. 2. Because Gisela moves like 2 days after this transfer cycle. 3. There is a yankees game. 4. We have this really cool family that we are working with. Mom is a member and so are the kids, but the Dad is not. But I am happy! :) 

So sounds like summer has started. You are all so lucky! and oh before i forget thank yous go out to Aunt Jeannie and Granny for the letters and gifts! I really appreciated it! Both times it made my day! :) I love you Both!  Hopefully everything is okay with Granny's eyes so she can drive. Oh and I got my Drivers license today! Thank you so much mom for helping me out with that! It means a lot.

So yeah I am good! i am really excited for these next couple weeks. We are going to see some miracles! I hope to see everything work out. 

So I am excited to get that article about that kid. That will be cool to read. i want to see it. That is so legit! Hopefully he decides to serve.  (Neat article in Sports Illustrated about a Chicago high school basketball player and his decision to serve a mission or sign with the NBA following his freshman year.)



And mom glad you are watching American Idol. My buddy Sister Vander Does is going to try out when she gets home. She is so good at singing. She left for home today :( I had a lot of good friends leave today. MY good Australian buddy left - Elder Palu. Transfer Day stinks. I hate saying bye to people. Especially the ones I may never get to see again until after this life. That is like the main reason I want to be rich is just so I can go and visit people that I love lol! 

So definitely the highlight of my week was Elder Rasband. President of the Quorum of the Seventy came and talked to us. He was the President of this Mission like 14 years ago. It was such a great experiance.. Ah.. I wish I could tell you all about it. He told us a lot of cool church history about this mission. And then just taught us a lot of really cool things.. But more than anyting the spirit taught... I learned so much. It was a huge turning point in my mission. It was the inspiration I needed. He was so personable! I just loved him. HE also talked to us in the MTC. And it was his talk (in General Conference) about how mission calls are made that made me finally decide to put my papers in... Remember Mom you showed it to me. Then afterwards we all got to meet him. Also Sister Smith and President Smith shared some really touching testimonies with us.. I could talk all day about that meeting.. It is just so hard to put into words... 

Also we had a really funny/spiritual stake conference this weekend. President Smith and Sister Smith spoke there as well. They are so funny! The whole thing was awesome. NY has some really cool people who are in the leadership of the church. It really is an amazing place. I would not mind living here when I am older. Even if it was for a couple of years. Going to School here would also be a lot of fun. I know that I am going to miss it a ton when I leave. But I do not even want to think about that. .. 

Well There is not to much more to say. I love you all! I love my mission! I love the Lord! And I love Letters/Chocolate :) So yeah just throwing that out there! I love you all so much! you are in my prayers! I will talk to you soon! Mom Tell all my friends and Melissa I say Hi! I miss them all! :) They are all like family! No.. not like family ARE family. LEt them know I love them! :) Love you all so much! You are in my prayers and thoughts :) Take care! Love Mark! 

Lets Go CARDINALS! 

One More Cycle Would Be Perfect

Hey There Mommy

 

Well Life is good! nothing has changed much since we last talked! But no problem on sending the text. (At the end of our phone conversation on Mother's Day, I got a little choked up. A few minutes after hanging up,   I received a surprise text on my phone that said, "I love you mommy!" ) I could tell you were a little upset. And I was too! I always hate saying bye! But it made me really happy to talk to you all! Sounds like everyone is doing good! Tell Nicole I say Happy Birthday!

 

And that's cool you got to talk to Jackson! haha lol! That is awesome - "Oven time!" that made me Laugh out loud!  and yeah I have been thinking aout school and where I will go.. Going close to Melissa would be nice! :) But I would really like to go to LSU :) So I I have two difficult options. But you do bring up a good point mom.  So I am keeping those both in mind. Or I could stay and go somewhere local.. But IDK... I dont want to think about it yet lol!

 

Well I hope you all get well soon! Things are going good! Other than the fact that I am worrying about getting transferred. :/ One more cycle here would be perfect. The next cycle is a 4 week one. And I really want it. I really just love the people so much.. And I get attached way to easy! lol! But really I love them and I just want that opportunity to let them know how i feel. So if you could all pray that I stay that would be great :) I still feel like I have things to do here. But if the Lord says otherwise I am willing and ready to follow! Well I am going to get going now! It was so nice talking to everyone! Thank you all! I love you so much! And I am glad to hear that everyone is doing okay! :) Take care! You are in my prayers and i will see you soon!

 

Love Mark! :)