CF 9

Dear Family,                                                                                           20 June 2013 

 

We have had a really good time these past few weeks!!! It’s really incredible what a mission can do for a missionary and also for other people!!! Many people here have heard about the Mormons and know where the church is, but they haven’t heard our message or understand what we are about.  So, they have their prejudices based on hearsay not knowledge.

 

The people we are finding and teaching have had their prejudices up until recently, but for some reason they now want to know what we’re all about and hear the truth as we present it, rather than sit back and think whatever. 

We are teaching VICTOR POWER haha, as I told you last week. He is progressing very well studying and praying by himself!  When we go by his house, all of his neighbors look at us (him and us) funny (like most Dominicans they are always outside sitting in the street chatting). But to him it doesn’t matter what other people think.  Right in front of everyone, he comes up to us and talks, gives hugs and invites us into his house.  He went to church on Sunday, and met all of the members and says he feels so good while at church. He has stopped drinking and smoking and is getting ready for baptism!  It’s incredible what the gospel does for people when they act on it in faith.

I finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish for the fifth time in my mission.  It felt like it was the first time through with all I learned this time.  I owe my life to the Book of Mormon.  I honestly know that the church is true! I have put the promise to the test (Moroni 10:3-5). I feel the truthfulness of that book.  I always thought Joseph Smith’s story was a little fantastic ,i.e., seeing God the Father and His son Jesus Christ, visions, angels appearing, and sacred golden plates.  But, when it all comes down to it, IT’S TRUE!  It’s incredible what the gospel does for a missionary when they act on it in faith.

 

Elder Holland said, no bad man could write the Book of Mormon and no good man would unless he was inspired by God to do so! 

 

I invite all of my family and friends to read the Book of Mormon as soon as possible.   IT’S AMAZING!  It’ll be incredible what the gospel can do for people when they act on it in faith. 

We have been teaching a couple for a while now.  They need to get married to be able to be baptized and become part of the Lord’s church.  We have just about run out of things to teach to them.  So we decided to go and get the marriage papers and bring them to this couple.  So tomorrow we will present that to them as we teach the law of chastity.  I hope they will be able to understand the importance of marriage! We are planning to fast for them to help them with their decision. 

 

Many of my past companions phoned me these last few days.  They have finished their missions and wonder how I’m doing and to tell me what they are doing in their lives.  From our conversations and just the unknown, the outside world (outside of my missionary life bubble) SCARES me.  Ha.  But we´ll see what happens in the future. mientras tanto (meanwhile) I’m here on my mission and I love it !!!! 

 LOVE YALL

ELDER MATT GRINER

Misión Santiago, RD

2011-2013

CF 8

Hi family,                                                                                                                             12 June 2013 

So .the baseball game and clean up I told you about last week went awesome this morning!! haha.  I loved it.  We got to play a real game with an 18 year old team. I had a team of 8 missionaries that cant or don’t really play. Ha.  I hit a double and walked but it felt good to play again!  

That’s awesome that there are so many missionaries now. It just scares me though because with so many missionaries things get really unorganized and they start to do what they want instead of what they should do!  But the Lord knows what he’s doing and each batch of missionaries seem better prepared than the last.  So, cool!

Anyway, my new comp and I are working hard to find people that are interested in the gospel.  We had a guy show up to church that met with the missionaries before.  His name is Victor Power and we have had the chance to put a baptismal date with him and help him to overcome his habits of drinking and smoking.  We also met a guy that was deported from the States after having done 25 years in jail for selling drugs.  He stopped us as we were walking past his house on Sunday and told us that he wanted a copy of the Book of Mormon in English.  So we went by the next day and explained to him what the book is and we invited him to church and to be baptized and he loved the idea so he said yes.

My companion is really new in the mission getting used to the mission is a process - ha and he only has been in the church for 2 years so he doesn’t know a ton about the scriptures and is learning to teach  He’s just green (newbie) and has a lot to learn.  But he’s willing and really has a testimony of the gospel and of the Church.  He loves the Lord and wants to serve.  Honestly, I’m grateful that I’m his comp now.  I think that I can help him to learn just as I did when I was a greenie at the start of my mission.  He´ll be my last companion and he will be able to teach me a lot, also.

 

I love how in the mission we always get to feel the influence of the Spirit and help others to feel it as well.  If there are one or two things that I’ll miss of the mission, it’ll be the feelings I get and all of the fruit here!!! Haha.   But, honestly I can say that in the mission I have felt as it says in Mosiah 28, 3-4 where the sons of Mosiah are preaching to the Lamanites… . 

3 Now they were desirous that salvation should be declared to every creature, for they could not bear that any human soul should perish; yea, even the very thoughts that any soul should endure endless torment did cause them to quake and tremble. 

 4 And thus did the Spirit of the Lord work upon them….. 

 I want others to be changed just as I have changed!!  

LOVE YALL

--

ELDER MATT GRINER

Misión Santiago, RD

2011-2013

CF 7

Hey Family,                                                                                                               5 June 2013

This week has been cool. 

Here in Cien Fuegos we are finding a lot of ways to serve., We have an investigator that we are teaching named José Alberto.  While we were at his house his mom invited us to a meeting in the public school.  So we went that same afternoon and found out that it was for a community project against violence . So we sat down with the committee of these networked folks (all form various backgrounds and professions) and planned what to do.  They asked us for ideas and invited us to come back to there meetings.  We will be having an activity with them as they start their program this next week, and we have already invited a lot of teacher’s,  parents, and lawyers that we know.  It’ll be fun.  What they do is go around to schools and train teachers and students how to avoid violence.  we thought that was a really good way to get involved with the community and become a little more like Christ.

There is a HUGE baseball field in my area that we walk past every day.  I have always wanted to go in. One day when we really had nothing to do we went in and I talked to the manager of the field and asked if we could help at all in cleaning up the field.  I presented him with the idea of cleaning the bleachers and perhaps also playing a game with the team ( so that we could get to know some more people in the community and have a fun interaction with them) . Next Wednesday ( our p-day) from 8 to 10 in the morning we as missionaries are going to play against them, and then from 10 to 12 we´re going to clean their field! It’s going to be awesome! 

 I got a new comp today ! Elder Feliz, a different one!  Haha!   Elder Santana was transferred to another area.  I’m really glad I got to be his comp.   I think that I was able to help him understand why he is here and to mature as a missionary a little bit. Elder Feliz is the EXACT opposite.  He’s older (24 years old) and veryy mature, excited to be here, and work hard.  I should have him as my last companion in the mission! 

 love yall 

--
ELDER MATT GRINER

Misión Santiago, RD

2011-2013

 

CF 6

Hey what’s up my Family!                                                                                            29 May 2013

Everything these last couple of days have been really good! My comp and I are getting along fine and that is a minor miracle because he hasn’t had the opportunity in life to develop many social skills because of a rough upbringing, so he doesn’t get along with many people.  He is still like a little kid that needs to grow up (but don’t we all in certain aspects of our lives).  It’ll happen with time and some love.  Sometimes we will be in lesson and he doesn’t realize that we are there to teach, just more to hang out.  It’ll be great when his mannerisms catch up with his testimony! Haha.  Growth, it’s an eternal thing.

My district is really cool. I have a Sister from Honduras and an Elder from Haiti and another from Colombia so we are a big mixing pot.  I like it because we get to see how the church functions in different areas of the world!  We are talking a lot about how to better our teaching approach in the lessons that we teach, and in the meetings that we attend.  It’s just nice to have everyone on a semi even keel and then let the Spirit guide us and use our personalities and talents to better serve the Lord and the people we contact.  At the start of my mission that’s what we focused on.   It’s been awhile since we touched that topic, so I thought we´d bring it back again, just as I did in Arroyo Hondo with my zone!  So in our last meeting we practiced inviting people to be baptized and had a really fun time doing it!

One thing that I’ve noticed about being here is that I’m not afraid to talk anymore.  I can say anything to anyone or in front of anyone without choking up or being scared. Ha.  And I do it in Spanish.   I don’t know if till be the same in English, but I’m glad that I’m confident in what I believe and recognize others as my brothers and sisters!

Our investigators are doing okay, but not so great. We are teaching a lot of young couples from partial member families, and every single one of them needs to get married....... and no one has money to get married here and they are all scared to because it costs even more to get divorced ! ha.   So until they can get married they really can’t progress.  I know that they aren’t going to break up right now, and that’s not what we want anyway, just wish that they would follow God’s plan for happiness!  We have some other people that we are teaching that are going to church and have a baptismal dates,  so it’s pretty cool and we´ll keep working to find and help more people!

I found out that another person that we were teaching in Navarrete got baptized!  He is the atheist’s (but not now – he’s a member of the Lord’s kingdom) friend Eduardo! He got baptized on Saturday, and then sent the missionaries out into the countryside to teach his girlfriend! Ahh.  I wish I could’ve been there!  But it’s okay, God has a reason for me to be here in 100 FUEGOS !!!!!!

 We just barely found a guy named José Alberto who is like 25 and within 3 lessons with him he accepted a baptismal date but when I invited him to be baptized his mom over heard our conversation and stopped us and said that he has already been baptized in the Catholic church and that his baptism is sealed in heaven and doesn’t need another one. I looked at her and kind of laughed inside and then explained our beliefs.  

I wish yall could see how much of an influence all of the different religions have in this country, from voodoo to all sects of Christianity and well about all major and minor religions out there.  There is a evangelico church right next to our house and in their worship services they do a lot of shout and fainting and it goes late into the nights so  sometimes I can’t sleep... it so confusing to me,  and it has all of the people more confused about religion.  I guess it could be compared to The Joseph Smith story when he was young and trying to find the truth; where great multitudes united in different religious parties which created no small stir amongst the people, preachers calling lo here, and others lo there ….   THANK GOODNESS I was born a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a MORMON!!! Ha.  love yall

ELDER MATT GRINER

Misión Santiago, RD

2011-2013

 

CF 5

Dear Family and friends,

 

This week has been good!

We have been really trying to find families in our area and this week we have done just that!  We had a whole day planned out to teach but when I reviewed it again and saw whom we had, I just got a feeling their part in reading, studying and praying, so it’ll be hard for to progress.  So I told my comp that we were going to go to a different part of our area where we or the other missionaries before us have ever worked in much. 

We went over to this ”new area” and every person that we met let us in their door and had a nice discussion with us. We got the chance to met a guy named Francisco and we were just going to start teaching him, when I heard someone and he said it was his wife (or... girl friend/live-in because no one here gets married) that was bathing, so we waited until she finished and came out.  To make a long story short, we had an awesome lesson with them and the best part is that they are interested!!!! Haha.  He asked us where the church is and when he could go.  So even though it’s something small it meant a lot to us! 

 

We were walking in the street last Thursday and we saw a member coming in our direction and so we stopped him and asked him who he thought that we should visit.  He lead us to a house that I would’ve never found.  There were 6 inactive members and 3 people that were investigating the church about 5 months ago, but had somehow fallen thru the cracks.   We had no idea that they were investigating!  We have visited them three times this week and their family wants to be reactivated and we´ll see what happens with the others that aren’t members!! That’s the importance of helping the missionaries!!! ha 

 

In our district meeting all I did was teach English. ha . We had a zone meeting with all of the missionaries in the Santiago area (about 90 in all).  I got a call two nights before telling me that all the Latino missionaries were going to be asked to share their testimonies in English! Ha. There are 6 that are Latinos in my district. So I had them write their testimonies in Spanish and I translated them into English.  Then the zone meeting 2 out of the 6 were asked to share their testimonies and they did it so, so well!!! It’s way cool.  

We are setting up a service project in the hospital here in Cien Fuegos.  We´ll be helping clean, and visiting with the patient! It should be fun!  

I love yall!!

--

ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

CF 4

Dear family and friends,                                                                       15 May 2013

Life is awesome!

I had a great time calling you guys and seeing the whole family! Thanks for trying to use skype to see me and sorry if it didn’t work very well. Mom I hope that you had a wonderful mother’s day!!!!!!  I love you!

I got a call on Tuesday right as we were about to leave and it was the office elders asking me if I could donate blood at the hospital. So I said yes and we went.  Even though we had a lot of people to teach, we went.  We rescheduled our appointments as we went into the city.   I was so, so nervous because I’ve never donated blood before and you know me and blood and guts!  But all in all, I’m glad we went.

When we arrived, there were three other people in line to donate for the same person, but they didn’t qualify because they had been drinking the day before, imagine that! Haha.  How would that be to get a transfusion of 1% or higher alcohol?  Wow!  So they chose me!

I didn’t know the process of giving blood.  Was this some nightmare of exsanguination where I would watch my life empty from me into a series of little bags?! !  Haha.  Well I guess in reality they didn’t suck that much out of me!  Anyway, even though I didn’t know what to expect, I just did what I was told.  I lay down on this contraption and they hooked me up to a machine that separates my blood into red cells, platelets, plasma and cryoprecipitate.  I was told that for every pint of my blood 3 people could be saved.  I laid there with two needles in my arm watching blood go in and out of my body for about an hour and a half ( I don’t remember being very happy about it, haha).  Anyway, the lady that needed the  plasma from my blood came in and sat next to me and thanked me so much for what I was doing ( that was immediate gratification seeing the person that I was helping).

After they finished sucking my blood and (I determined that I was still alive and had not become a zombie, haha), as we were leaving another lady stopped me to say thanks. I was a little unsure about why so I asked her and she told me to follow her.  She led us to where her daughter was.  There were 10 other kids lying in beds alongside her daughter, all with the same sickness.  It is some incurable disease that doesn’t allow them to produce their own blood.  So every day they have to buy blood to have transfused.  I found out that my donation saved them about 100 dollars, and it helped a little girl named Scarlet to be a little bit happier in her life.

But, after we walked into that room with the kids, I didn’t want to leave,  so we stayed there with the kids and their Moms for about 3 hours; coloring, talking and playing with them.  I absolutely loved it! I realized that sometimes we don’t think about (or even know) all that we can do for other people.  We stay within the same limits that we use to define us (our comfort zone) and we don’t stretch ourselves or progress much by doing something so scary but benign as giving blood.  I guess what I’m saying is that we look out for our own benefit, our own interests, time,  etc ., when without too much effort , we can do relatively simple things that will help others.  I can honestly say that when they were taking the blood out I felt so uncomfortable (you know me) and said to myself that I wasn’t going to do this ever again.  But “my eyes of understanding were opened”, and I realized what a difference this “sacrifice” made.  I’ll do it again, whenever they need it! I love living! haha

Service with a smile (albeit an apprehensive one) is so, so rewarding.  I learned a ton externally and internally about something I would never have considered doing before.

I love yall so, so much.  Thanks for being examples in my life and for helping me all the time!!!

--
ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013

                                                                         Christopher in Navarette

 

                                                         Elders being Elders in Navarette

CF 3

HEY FAMILY HOW ARE YOU !!!! 

So, DANNY GOT BAPTIZED!  His school teacher who’s a member baptized him! Ha.  I wish I could send you pictures of it but I can’t.  It was an awesome experience. He has been waiting for about a year and a half to be baptized and we were the ones that were able to help him do it!!!!  He was able to invite his mom and family to his baptism.  They all had so many questions about the church and baptism as well, so we got a chance to visit with and teach them. 

I don’t know what’s wrong here, but the family is just not united at all.  I always see the kids getting baptized and changing the course and direction of their lives for the better, after which their parents realize that they need to improve their lives also (instead of the parents taking the “come follow me role”). 

We have another young man who has like 17 years that we are teaching.  He’s so cool.   On p-day we always play baseball with him.  His situation is so hard in his family.  His parents don’t like the Mormon Church.  They are not supportive of him in anything, and his sisters are terrible to him.  But he is the coolest kid and wants so badly to do what God would have him do.  It’s just really hard for him. His name’s Junior and it would be good to keep him in your prayers!  

My comp and I are having fun meeting a lot of people and working hard.  I feel like I am training again.  Everyday my comp finds out something he didn’t know before.  I have been able to help him to be more respectful as a missionary and as a person. The gospel helps so, so much to change a person’s life and I’ve realized that a missionary is on his mission to change his own life and helps others or at least invites them to do the same.  

The Lord has always invited us (each and every person) and has never obligated anyone to do anything.  We have our agency and we have been instructed well enough to be able to decide for ourselves.  That is something that my comp didn’t know.  Maybe the Lord sent me here to help him to understand.

Christopher, THE self proclaimed ATHIEST IS GETTING BAPTIZED on SATURDAY!!!!  Remember the atheist that we started teaching about 2 months ago_ he is totally getting baptized, I talked to Elder Cuahtemoc, my old comp who is still in Navarrete,  and he told me that everything is going good and that he will be baptized on Saturday!! Haha.  That’s so, so sick (fantastic)! I’ve been able to participate in the conversion an atheist and a Jehovah Witness! Haha.  That’s not easy to do! It’s amazing how the Spirit of the Lord has influenced these people (mine elect hear my voice..).  

I can’t tell you all how happy I am to be doing what I’m doing. I love to be able to say that the Lord has used my companions and me to offer the gospel of Jesus Christ and as they accept it, watch it change their lives!!!  

I love you all and wish the best for everyone ! 

--
ELDER MATT GRINER

misión santiago RD

2011-2013