N 2

Hey all!                                                 Feb 20,2013

This week has been awesome !

WE had the chance to shake Elder Anderson’s hand on Saturday and listen to Elder Rasband of the 70 talk. It was such an amazing experience to get to met them. It’s true that they have a special, je ne sais quoi, glow about them. You would be able to identify them in the biggest crowd with the loudest music just because they truly have the light of Christ.

Elder Rasband spoke to us because Elder Anderson went to the institute to speak to the youth. But, who in the world cares. His talk was amazing! He spoke to us about how we could and should testify of Christ our Savior. As he spoke I came to really understand how I have received my own testimony and how important it is to me.

My life has been surrounded by good people and good things.... ALWAYS! It was always me that made the situation bad. However, being able to look back on my life in the hour that he spent with us, I realized how my own testimony has developed. I honestly know that Christ lives and loves us. I know that He is always watching over us and wants so so badly to forgive us. Elder Rasband helped me to see what I need to do and be as a person and as a missionary. I could not believe how I felt when he was with us. I did not want him to leave.... I cant only imagine how it will be with Christ!! Ha.  
 
So these are the General authorities that came to visit our mission:
Elder Neil A. Anderson, a member of the Quorum of 12 Apostles

Elder Ronald Rasband, Senior President of the Seventy

Elder Wilford Anderson, a member of the Seventy, and the President of the Caribbean Area

Elder Devin Cornish, a member of the Seventy, and in counselor to the President of the Caribbean Area

Pres. Larry Bair, President of the Santo Domingo Temple

Seated along the front row left to right are

Almeda's, Elder & Sis. Cornish's, Elder & Sis.Rasband's, Elder & Sis. Neil Anderson, Pres. & Sis Douglas, Elder & Sis. Willford Anderson, President and Sister Bair

Okay, Matt's 5th in from the left on the second from the top row with the star aound his head.
 

 

On Monday, we had one of the most spiritual and sad lessons ever. We taught a lady named Claudia. She is married to a less active member and has a baptismal date for March. As we entered the house I felt that something was wrong, but without saying anything about it we taught and closed with pray. Before we finished, I simply asked her what we could do for her... she started to cry. She explained to us that her husband hadn’t had work for a long time and they don’t have money to buy dinner, that the baby didn’t have milk to drink and that even though she was closer to God, life was harder. After she got done talking, I had no idea what to do. I had like 20 bucks that I wanted to give to her but I knew she wouldn’t take it so what we did was we prayed and after we prayed she stopped crying and it felt so peaceful in the room.

After an moment of silence, her friend that was in the lesson told us that she wanted us to visit her. She gave us her address and expressed how she felt. Even though I had no idea what to do the Lord brought peace to Claudia and helped her friend to feel the Spirit!

I love the mission and Navarette. The people are amazing. My comp is amazing. I feel like I’m being the best missionary I can be. I love being a missionary.

I hope all of you feel that the gospel is true and that you show that you love Christ by the things you say and do.

On Saturday we are having a baptism! Monday I turn 21.......... freak.

I can't send any pictures because the computer doesn’t work very well..

lo siento mucho porque se que les gusta mi cara tanto (sorry, because I know how you love my face so much)!

love yall

--
ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

N 1

Hey Family, 02/14/2013

So sorry I didn’t write yesterday. It was a really, really long day ha.

On Sunday I was informed that I was going to be moved to an area called Navarrette that is just outside of Santiago to the northwest. I’m still a Zone Leader, so it’ll be fun to work with a new group of Elders and Sisters and see what we all can do ha.

So on Monday and Tuesday I got the chance to say goodbye to all of the people that treated me so well in Arroyo Hondo, and all the people that we helped join the church! It was way fun and sad at the same time. ha .

But then on Wednesday I helped with the transfers; taking all the missionaries to their new areas and houses. It took from like 7 in the morning until 3 in the afternoon. Then the office Elders took me to my new area, and when I got here there wasn’t any electricity in the town so we couldn’t use the internet or do much at the house! ha

So, we just went to work and I got to know the area a little bit. My new comp’s name is Elder Cespedes. He’s Dominican and he started the mission at the same time I did. I have been friends with him since I got here, so we´ll have fun together.

The Stake in Navarrette was formed 3 years ago. There are a lot of really good and strong members that like to work with the missionaries. We had a meeting with the Ward Mission Leader yesterday and we planned for about 4 people that are going to be baptized this month, so it should be awesome!

I’m really glad that I got to serve in Arroyo Hondo! I learned so so much about myself and missionary work. I’m grateful for the chance I had to serve, work with and, help the people there!! I definitely want to see them again!

Ya, it’s carnival time here, but I wasn’t in an area that is really influenced by it. So we didn’t have to stay in at all this year.

YES! The package arrived! hahah thank you so much. A dual purpose package, Valentines and Birthday!!!! Wow there’s enough in there for a real party! But right now the jerky is saving my life because there is no food in the new house, ha.

The zone is made up of only 18 missionaries; 2 sisters and 16 elders. I’m pretty sure there are going to open an area in the zone for some of the soon to be incoming sisters.

My residence is a two level house and we live on the first floor. The house is so so ugly. Ha. There are plants and stuff growing into the windows! We´ll definitely have to clean it inside and out.

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY TO EVERYBODY !! HAHAH

My friend James in Arroyo Hondo

love yall

--
ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

AH 23

Hey Family,                                                                                6 Feb 2013

 

This past week has been good for us .

The electricity went out in our house and we didn’t have water either!... Well maybe that’s not the good part, but here it’s life haha .

This week we got our investigators to church. there is a Haitian named Wolinmsky that we have been teaching for a while. He came to church when I thought there was no hope for him! We went to his house and taught him with Maxi James (who just got baptized) and it was an amazing lesson, even though it was taught in English, Spanish, Creole and French. We all understood enough to know that James really helped Wolinmsky to understand the importance of the word of wisdom!! On Sunday we sent a member to his house to pick him up to go to church but he was sleeping; but right as we were finishing sacrament meeting he walked in and it made me so so happy!!. Ha

We had an intercambio (trade-off) the other day and I went with Elder Romney. As we were finishing and getting ready to go back to the house. I decided to visit a member that has always treated us well. As we got to the house she asked us to come in and talk to her. So we did and she asked us for a blessing of health. I asked her why but she didn’t want to tell me. So I did as I was asked, and we left. On Thursday we had a meeting and she was there representing the Relief Society. She bore her testimony about how she had had signs of cancer and the doctor said that she would more than likely be diagnosed with it. She went on to say that the day after we gave her the blessing, she went to the hospital and they said that she wouldn’t need to worry, that it wasn’t going to grow anymore!! Sweet right! that Lord blesses people - still !!!!! ha

A couple things about the mission. In our meeting that we had with the president, he talked a lot about how we are going to be getting like 40 new missionaries and more then all of them (most of them) are going to be girls haha or sister missionaries. So, they are opening two areas in my zone for sister missionaries! We found out that Elder Anderson and Elder Rasband are coming to the DR and we will be having a meeting with Elder Rasband which is pretty exciting.

ALSO . one of my old comps called me this week. Elder Ruiz, I was with him in el Ejido about a year ago. He called me and we talked for a while, it was legit to hear from him. He said that he is coming to visit the mission.

Pictures:

Elder Renderoz and me in the branch of la Herradura (its a tiny house that they use as the church) we went out to a district meeting to see how the missionaries were doing.

 

Three guys that work in a car wash next to the house sleeping on cardboard in the shade!! haha I should’ve woke them up and taught them!

 

 

 

LOVE YOU!

--

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

AH 22

Hey Family.                                                                                            30 Jan 2013

Every Monday, Saturday and sometimes Thursday as a missionary you have meetings. District meetings, Zone meetings, and sometimes they call a special meeting with the assistants to the president. This week we had all three!! And was assigned to lead every single one .... ha.

There are 24 missionaries in my zone and everyone of us has something that we need to learn to be able to become a better missionary. So every meeting we try and focus on what we need as missionaries, and we prepare something new for them each time.

When I came into the mission, it was a lot different. Instead of talking about obedience and following the rules, they taught us how to teach and prepare a person for baptism. For some reason that tradition went away. BUT WE"RE BRINGING IT BACK! Haha. I feel that who I am as a missionary started in my first two transfers with my trainer. I learned a ton and its because he just taught me how to teach.

In the meetings that we have, my comp and I focus on the practices, questions, invitations and commitments. I know all of those things work because I’ve seen people get baptized! ha I’m really grateful to be called as a leader in the mission (even though I think that my time is running out, well see). Because I can share what I’ve learned and had success with and it seams that the one preparing to teach actually gains as much as if not more than the one he is teaching.

This week has been really different because we have done three intercambios (trade-offs). I have hardly been in my area; but I’m having some fun with the other Elders and people we meet and teach, and doing good.

Arturo really like the conference. He was amazed to think that Elder Nelson is an Apostle! I think that it made believing our message a lot more easy for him to understand.

Love all of you 

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013