Visiting the Cemetary

On Saturday, we visited the cemetery.

Surprisingly, it was such a beautiful day.

Those days around here are not very often.

My brother, Mike, and his family were here visiting

and so we got to see them too.

This is Emily with Addison. Addison is Angies daughter.

They had a great time playing together.

Wynn with our little Camden.

Memorial Day at Shoshone Falls

On Memorial Day, Wynn and I went to Twin Falls

and checked out Shoshone Falls. Oh my, there

is so much water going over those falls. You

have to have an umbrella so you don't get wet to

just look over the edge at the falls.

It was beautiful as you can see by these pictures.

A wonderful day just being together.

Matt's letter for May 30, 2011

Hey mom!

Haha im glad you liked the joke. :) Haha im sorry! I had to do it!!

Ok the money thing... I think i only had like 150 or 200, so not too much. I had to get some things when i first got here (Pillow, all new toiletries, etc.) so it went pretty fast. I probably could have been a tiny bit more thrifty, but yeah. So...

I havent got your package yet, so probably tomorrow or wednesday. Thank you so much! you are amazing!

That's way cool that you saw Nik Hamelin! He's a great kid. Remember his dad? He came to our house a couple times two years ago for Cedar Badge. He was really... rotund. :)

Thats cool that you get to go to Youth Conference! How exciting! you will have tons of fun! You can take a ride on the S.S. Have Lots-O-Fun Youth Conference cruise! Haha

I loved the pictures! YOu all look so good! AGHH!!! IM SO PUMPED THAT BRIDGERS OUT!!!! I love him! Hahah that's so cool.

Well, today we went to Santa Barbara and did some errands, then we got to go to TRADER JOES! It's like a health food grocery store, and it's AWESOME! I got all my groceries for way cheap! Yay.

Wednesday we did splits with our ward mission leader bro clarke and bro bowen. It was awesome! Bro clarke told me that him and bro bowen thought i needed a ... "break", and i really appreciated that! I loved it! Haha and we got to teach a good lesson, and it was basically a great day! Then they got us ice cream, and bro clarke got me a Dr. Pepper float because he knows hoe much i like Dr. Pepper. YEAH! I think this ward really likes me. And i love them!!! By the way, We are both staying in Carpinteria fo0r another 6 weeks!

On thursday we taught a lesson in District Meeting on how to begin teaching. We played Wiggle Woggle (The game with the rubber bands and strings where you pick up the cup of water!) It was alot of fun! Then we went back up tp Santa BArbara that night to do exchanges with another companionship. Elder Bashein had a hernia removed on wednesday, and our zone leaders asked us to do this so i could give elder Furhman some teaching experience. They told me on the phone how much they trust me and it made me feel pretty awesome. They rock!

We're stalling on Sharry's baptism... She is actually really unstable and we find new problems each time we go... It kinda sucks, but it's ok.

On friday we cleaned the sear's house. Bro sears is coming back next friday, and we want it to be nice for him. Dawn - the lady who lives behind us - wanted us to, so we did. I polished the hardwood staircase while elder searcy vacuumed. It looks pretty good!

Saturday we helped move a part member family. The graces. Sis grace is a member and she married bro grace (non member) last year, and she just got her old house in Georgia back. It's too expensive here and they both CAN'T get jobs. Im way sad to see them go, i've gotten really close to bro grace, but they are meant to go there., Things are just falling into place.

Sharry came to church, so that rocks!, and we got to teach almost 14 lessons this week, so pretty good! The mission standard is 20, so we're almost there.

Sis. Bowen (Bro Bowens sister) made us lemon ice cream last night. She was friends with Truman G. Madsen's family and it's his recipe. MMM!!! It was the most amazing ice cream! Second only to reeds.

We were driving home on friday and we had to go through a sobriety test point. As i rolled down the window, i heard the cops say, "They're Mormons!" And the guy who took my license didn't even breathalize me. :) Haha! Interesting times!

Well, i better head out. I think that's a pretty sufficient email for today! We're up at the chamlee's and sharing their BBQ and they're giving me a ride in their race truck! They race (and win) the Baja 500 every year. The race is this weekend, so their truck it like beefed up and awesome! IM SO PUMPED! :)

Well, i think that's it. I love you all! Oh ps: request for music whenever you get a chance: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing by MOTAB, and Sacred Piano by Paul Cardall (Shadow Mountain Records - Deseret Book). Whenever you get a chance!

I love you!

Elder Matt Monk

After serving for 3 1/2 years,

last Sunday at our Stake conference, I was

released as our Stake YW President.

It was bitter sweet.

Such amazing people I got to work with.

I love these guys totally and completely.

Ellen Spaulding, 2nd counselor

Robyn Holmgren, 1st Counselor

Me

Pat Madsen, Secretary

I'm so going to miss you guys.

(Wynn was put in as our Ward YM president just a few

weeks ago so I guess there still will be some

action at our house.)

Our Little Princess

Brooke took the kids to

Applebee's when they were doing face painting.

Emily wanted her face to be a

Princess.

Can you tell there is a jewel in the middle of her forehead?

What a beautiful princess!

Just had to share. . .

A couple of weeks ago, I got to babysit my grand babies.

My visiting teachers were here and Emily was really bored.

She feel asleep on the couch and slept like this for about an hour.

Doesn't took too comfortable to me.

Camden is such a cutie.

So fun watching his little personality appear.

He is just growing so fast.

I just can't stop kissing those little cheekers.

Emily had to have Camden join her in the playpen.

They are the best of friends.

I simply

LOVE THEM WILL ALL MY HEART!

Camden is 7 months old

Emily is 3.5 years old

This weeks info from Matt

Okay, so last weeks letter from Matt was real vague. It really didn't tell me anything. Well, I could tell he was happy and everything was okay but just no real meat to the letter. So, after some thought, this is what I wrote to him last night. . .

Sunday, May 22, 2011

Dear Matt;

Time to write again and reflect on my week. Your letter last week was so short. I love it when you write and tell what you have been up to. I missed hearing about some of the people you have been teaching and fellowshipping. Do you realize what your letters are to me? They are my life line to you, my youngest, cutest, most loved, brilliant, humble, driven, adorning, son! I love your letters, they are my everything, I just need a bit more information. Try an experiment, this is what I do. . . I keep a tablet by the computer. When I do something or hear something that I want to share with you during the week, I jot it down. Then, on Sunday night when I get to sit down and write, I open the tablet and there are my notes to jog my memory on what I want to tell you. Don't get me wrong, I love everything you have to say, I hang on every word! I'm just craving more. I want to hear your testimony more often. I know it's there but I want to hear it MORE. I know you are doing well, I can feel it, I just want to hear it. I love you Matt. P.S. I'm glad you are in love with California!

This is the e-mail we got from Matt today. . .

Hi mom!

Sorry that i suck at writing... But we got an email from our mission president today, and some missionaries were goofing around on the email service, and we got email taken away from the whole mission, so this will be the last email i send, and i don't have tons of time, but life is great! I'll write in a couple weeks.

Love, Elder Monk

Boy, do I feel rejected. A couple weeks? What is that kid doing? I'm thinking writing home is no longer a priority in his life.

Then. . . at about 6:00 there is a knock at my door. It is Natalie wanting to know how come I haven't forwarded Matt's e-mail for today to her. I start to tell her the story and then she hands me this. . . .

Hey nat, i have a favor to ask you... I wrote mom a mean letter. here it is:

Hi mom!

Sorry that i suck at writing... But we got an email from our mission president today, and some missionaries were goofing around on the email service, and we got email taken away from the whole mission, so this will be the last email i send, and i don't have tons of time, but life is great! I'll write in a couple weeks.

Love, Elder Monk

She chewed me out for not writing alot, so i have to play with her. YOU KNOW ME! :) :)

So... i want you to save this email and give it to her later tonight. Don't make her wait too much... she'll probably cry. Is this too mean??? Aggghhh!

Anyway, this week has been great. We have been pretty busy which is good, and our 40 day fast is over. Did i tell you? It was great! We have been so much more busy lately, and it's AWESOME.

A guy that always talks to us and has come to church with us invited us to go to a jewish Sebat service on Friday. It was awesome! It's a very contemporary temple, so they accept christians as well. I felt kinda out of place with JESUS CHRIST plastered all over my chest! Haha, but everyone was really nice, and the Rabbi came and talked to us, so did the Canter (The guy who sings). We also met a lady who survived the Holocaust (She was there on Kristallnacht!!). It was really a great thing, but the moral of the whole story: my testimony is just that much stronger! I could see the GIANT gaps where they were missing things. Haha! Great learning experience.

We are holding off on Sharry's baptism for a while... Everytime we go over we find out something more about her that is tough. This week we found out she is... uh... bisexual? Yeah.... AWkward! Hahah! And she is bipolar and had a stroke, so she is pretty fragile. We're waiting, needless to say.

We are bachelors at our house now. Bro. Sears is spending a month or so at his son's house in Salt Lake. He took Oggie (his yappy little dog) and got on a plane in L.A. a couple weeks ago. WOW! haha and the Donovan's (His daughter and her husband) are gone to New York to be with theur son and grandkids for the same amount of time. So... We are holding down the fort.

Mom, i hate to ask this, but could you maybe, possible, perhaps, put a tiny bit of cash into my checking account? I don't need alot, but i would like some to have for when we do things (museums, tours, etc.) that cost money. Please???? I'm sorry! :) I love you.

I look forward to the package! Thank you so much :)

I'm glad Bridger's farewell went well! And i'm pumped about all the mission calls!!! It makes me so happy!

Well, Mom, I'm sorry that i was mean and played this nasty joke on you! But i do know that the church is true. It strenghtened my testimony so much to see how other religions believe and where they are missing things. We are lucky to have a prophet to lead us and guide us. I am so lucky to be a missionary!! I feel so blessed and loved. Thank you for the letters and all the love! I miss you all so much, but i feel blessed. Thank you!


Elder Searcy is a sassy one. i love him! I am having TONS of fun! I am so glad that pres. Murri trusts me so much. I am learning so much!!!

WEll, i must go. I love you all dearly, and i'm having a good ride on the S.S. Have Lots O Fun - Missionary Cruise!

Love you!

Elder Monk

Matt's letter for May 9th, 2011

Hi Mom!

Well it was fun to talk to you all yesterday. I'm not gonna lie, i wasn't relly looking forward to it (You know, long awkward silence... ), but i had a ton of fun! I love you all so much!!

I don't have a ton to talk about now... We are getting a new car tomorrow! Well, not new, but switching with our zone leaders. But it's a new color!! :)

We're going up to SAnta BArbara today to go to the wharf and check out whats up and stuff. Not too crazy of a day! And we have exchanges tomorrow.

Well, i would love to get some more letters from my friends if you could print and send their emails! And keep natalie on that music quest! :) Thank you!

Umm......I think that's about it! I love you all tons, and it was such a boost to hear all the fam's voices! Especially Emmer's. :) WARMED MY HEART!!!

Love you all!

Elder Monk

Matt's letter for May 2, 2011

Monday, May 2^nd, 2011

Here's some info about the call mom:

As you e-mail your family today, please share the following information with them about Mothers Day phone calls:

Your phone calls should be short. Plan to talk for only 30 minutes. Start saying goodbye at that time so that the call will be done within 35-40 minutes from when the phone call began. Please make sure that you tell your parents about this time limit TODAY when you e-mail them.

Remember what it says in the white handbook (page 37): “Take care that phone calls do not pull your thoughts away from your service.” The longer the phone call, the more your thoughts will be pulled away from your missionary service and from your purpose as a missionary.

Please tell them in today’s e-mail what time you plan to call. It will be a Sunday, so you need to have the call scheduled for a time when you are not in church meetings.

Please remember that you are not allowed to use your mission cell phone to make your call home for Mothers Day. The minutes assigned to your phone are to be used for missionary work here in your area in the California Ventura Mission. And your family is not to ever know what your cell phone number is!

Please get a calling card so that you can make your phone call from either a phone in the foyer area of the chapel where you meet or from the home of a member. Do not assume that you will be able to use a member’s landline or cell phone to make your call at no cost to you. If they offer, that is fine. But do not assume they will. That is why you should have a calling card regardless of where the phone call is made from.

Well, I'm not sure when or where we will be calling, we asked if anyone was willing to have us over in our PEC meeting yesterday, and people started jumping! Haha! So we will probably be calling around 3:00 - 5:00? Sorry I’m not too sure

This week was a lot better. Sorry for the depressing email! Haha but it's sometimes tough. It's been great being senior companion. I love driving all over! We had to get the locks on our doors fixed at the Chevy dealer, so we had to go on an adventure through Santa Barbara (A little over 400,000 people), so that's always exciting. But the dealer drove us around to our meetings at the chapel, so it worked out.

Um... I got the comforter!!! THANK YOU!!!! I love it so much! It feels like sleeping in my regular bed!!! :) I love it You are too good to me!

Um........ I got Brooke's email - That's so sweet!! Tell her thanks a bagiliion!

KEGAN GOT HIS CALL?!?!?! Holy cow!!! Well message him on facebook and tell him to write me. And tell him congrats! Holy cow! That's so cool!

SHeridan is too young. HAHAH!

Umm... That's really all i can think of. Oh! We are going to L.A. in the morning for.... BUm da da dum!!!! The Temple! The Olmsteads offered to take us! We talked to president Murri, and he said that was fine! How exciting! It's going to be cool! And I think we are going to go on a little walk through and see all the rooms. Plus they have an assembly hall! Cool! I'm so pumped!

We also got to help with Mormon Helping Hands this last weekend. We went to a school and weeded and landscaped etc. It was a lot of fun! Haha!

Well, this week is going ot be awesome! I hope you guys have a good one too! Tell everyone hi and that I love them. I hope to hear from you soon -

Elder Monk!

P.S. I cant send pictures anymore because Elder MAnning had a card reader and he took it with him.. Sorry! That really old one you have? You might send it this way if you want... BUt it's up to you. No worries!

Elder MOnk