The Monk Bunch: from Matt

Monday, April 23, 2012

Mom

Oh my goodness what a crazy week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Things have been getting better with EB. Still though... he is SOOOOOOOOO quiet... He will NOT talk in lessons. He really needs to break out of his shell. Poor guy... I love him so much! HE is just struggling. His desk is plastered with pictures of his friends (Which is the biggest struggle for him because he is way homesick for them and his fam.) and quotes that he made up like, "Just accept it," Everyone... love everyone...," "Don't just endure to the end, enjoy to the end," I just know he's having a tough time, and it makes me sad to think that he is "Just enduring" his time here. I feel like I have SO MUCH FUN, but he almost... doesn’t want to. Sigh! Pray for me.

So the craziness: On Saturday we went to the church around 11 am to start filling the font, and we were moving all the soft chairs from the relief society room to the font room with a dolly. We got everything set up so PERFECTLY and were arranging a display of church materials and programs outside the door when the fire alarm went off! We started looking around for what was wrong, and we found water pouring into the room from the opposite side of the font. We ran into the kitchen to see if there was a fire, and behind the kitchen there was a metal door that had almost a foot of water behind it pouring into the room. The fire department came (About 12:25, the baptism is at 1:00) and picked the lock (No one had keys to it - all the bishops were in Ventura for training by Elder Scott) and got the alarm off and the water off. What happened was the water heater is like ours at home - on demand - and the exhaust vent ran about 1 inch from the fire sprinkler in the closet and it got really hot (We smelled smoke) burst, calling the fire dept. We flooded (about 2 inches of water) about 1/3 or so of the whole building! As Monica and Rachel (And their family!) came in the alarms went off and all the chairs had been moved from the font room, so we started congregating in the chapel, and started the service. It was a beautiful service! Everyone felt the spirit so strongly. The font had to be filled the rest of the way with cold water, so we all went and stood and watched Bro. Weaver baptized them both, then afterwards everyone clapped! Haha it was so funny. I was blessed to be able to confirm Monica, and Elder Bostrom, Rachel. It was so neat! (We did the confirmations then because there was a stake meeting on Sunday in East Bakersfield - Elder Jay E. Jensen of the pres. of 70 and Pres. Castro came! ) It was such a crazy day. The fire dept helped clean up some, then they hired a cleaning crew to suck out all the water. There was SO MUCH WATER! Holy cow.. The Adversary did EVERYTHING he could to stop that baptism. But Monica and Rachel were so ready it didn't matter. Rachel said she was happy, then paused and said, "Its more than just happy... Its Joy!" What an amazing experience. We have been so blessed up here! Afterwards sister weaver asked me, " How does it feel to have accomplished what your mission president said when he asked you to go to Tehachapi and Baptize that lady and her daughter?" It feels so good. I can definitely see the Lord's hand in my work. I AM SO BLESSED!!!!!!!!!!

Rachel when to a YSA Fireside that night in Bakersfield with Elder Scott, and afterwards someone told him she just got baptized, so he asked her if he could hug her! HOLY COW!! Then they both got to talk to President Castro after the conference yesterday. They are so blessed!

Today we went almost to Lake Isabella for a zone activity - we went on a hike and shared some scriptures. it was fun, a lot of stress though - we had to ask a member to take us down there - over an hour, then wait 2 hours while we hiked. But it was good.

Sounds like things are going well for you! I'm glad to hear. Keep me posted! (Or packaged... :) I love you tons here are some pics!

Elder Matthew Monk

California Ventura Mission

Jan. 2011 - Jan. 2013