Greetings from Funes (pronounced FOONACE)

HOLAAA

emailing just now

It was a great first week in Funes!! It is a beautiful area! Here in Funes we are a branch and we rent a cute house for our church building. The most exciting news of the week is that Marina and her daughter Ludmila (13) will be baptized this Saturday!! I am amazed at their goodness and how God has prepared them. We taught them the commandments and they are very intelligent, listening attentively and meditating on the importance of the things we teach. They are so kind and it had been a blessing to be able to witness their faith. They were found a few months back because Marina is dating a member of the branch. He has been a great example to them and has helped them through this process! 

As a mission nurse we continue to work as normal missionaries with the regular schedule but if an emergency comes up, we attend to the missionary. This was the responsibilty of Hermana Zanni before but Hermana Allred is learning the language so we picked up the job. We met the new missionaries that entered the mission this week and gave them a little training.  Hermana Allred introduced us as the "hermanas enfermas" wanting to say "hermanas enfermeras" So she said we are the sick sisters instead of the sister nurses hahah we had a good laugh. We are pretty sick though ;)

Last Pday was way fun! After sending off all the missionaries the Allreds took us to COTO to grocery shop, it's about the closest thing you can get to a Walmart here. Then they took us out to a restaurant and we had a wonderful time together. They are so great! 

Another highlight of the week is that Hna Bennett has a recipe for brownies that come out like they do in the states!!! Wow, so exciting! We made them twice this week and had a fun FHE with a less active family! 

Lunch at the Mission Home

This week upon reading Alma 36 I was impressed at the advice and testimony Alma shared with his son Helaman. He frequently invites Helaman to reflect his example: He states "I would that ye should do as I have done" "I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me" "and ye ought to retain in remembrance, as I have done" "for ye ought to know as I do know." I love these simple invitations, they are invitations that he could not have extended if he had not been that example for his son. He had experienced that change of heart, and so he could testify that those who put their trust in God would be supported in their trials and their troubles and their afflictions, because he trusted in God and was supported throughout his life. He could say that they shall be lifted up at the last day because he experienced true repentance. His attitude of "the very thought of coming into the presence of my God did rack my soul with inexpressible horror" was changed into " I saw...God sitting upon His throne...and my soul did long to be there."  

LOVE YALL

Hermana Mathis