from Matt

Hi Mom!                                    Aug. 20, 2012

Well, another great week in Tehachapi. It was a pretty normal one, nothing too exciting! We had Sam and Susie interviewed and they passed, so they are getting baptized on Saturday! It's going to be awesome! All that will be left will be dad. But he's coming along as well, and making lots of progress.

There was a stake barbeques up here on Saturday, so that was fun. Lots of people and TONS of food. We got a bunch of leftovers, but gratefully we pawned most of it off on the other missionaries. :)

But really, nothing too super exciting.

Soo... I think I inherit my stressfulness from you, Mom! I've been getting very easily stressed out. We talked about it on our way to district meeting this week, and one of the missionaries here, Elder Peacock, said he gets the same way. I don't remember getting THAT stressed before my mission... EP said that he heard about this study that said that missionaries go thru enough stress in their mission to equal a nervous breakdown, haha. Not very comforting! How do you manage your stress? It's weird because its like little things, and i fret over them and like almost make myself sick. Grr.. It’s annoying. But I have been trying to "Meditate," which president Castro is really passionate about. I think that helps, just taking time to clear my mind and focus on what’s really important. I think it's a mix of me feeling inadequate and also a lack of time (Its getting shorter...). But I’m doing OK.

It sounds like you had tons of fun in Canada! I'm so jealous. I've always wanted to go to Banff national park. Rock climbing! I hear there's some good stuff up there. Lucky!!!!!! And yes, I did get your package! Thank you so much. I appreciate you a ton.

A part-member family in BV has had us over a couple times this week - They had a girl from France staying with them for a few weeks and she cooked us Crepes and Creme Brulee! It was a lot of fun. They gave her a Book of Mormon, and she asked us to write in it, so we did, then the other night she gave us a note thanking us for who we were and the good people we were. It was really sweet! Haha our missionary work is extending to France now!! :) haha

Well, tell everyone hi for me and tell them I love them! Has Victoria visited you? She said she was going to sometime soon, and she also said that she’s excited to be in Dad's ward! HahaThanks for being the best mom in the world!! I love you.

--

Elder Matthew Monk

 California Ventura Mission

         -  Jan. 2011 - Jan. 2013 -

We REALLY did get a vacation. . .

We left a week ago today on the  17th of August.

Didn't really know where we wanted to go so we just decided

to go up to northern Idaho and then go over into Canada.

Wynn loves to drive so this was the perfect vacation for us.

We got to Coeur D'Alene and walked around the lake and

saw a wooden boat show.  We then went on up to

Sandpoint and saw Lake Pend Oreille. 

So beautiful.

We then went on into Canada and stayed one 

night in Cranbrook.

We then went to Kootenay National Park.

Then, on over into Banff.  

We went to Calgary and didn't stay very long.

It is HUGE!

Off to Waterton National Park.  It is just above

Glacier Park in Upper Montana.  We did visit

Glacier Park too.  The Highway to the Sun is

just beautiful.  Then down to Salmon and on  home 

through Challis.

So much smoke!

 This is Lake Louise in Banff National Park.

 Lake Moraine

City of Banff

 Cardston Temple

 Waterton National Park just above Glacier Park

So fun to go on vacation and then it is so fun to come home.

I love my bed!  

So evident to me that we have a Father in Heaven that loves us and is there for us

especially when I see all the beautiful things of nature that we witness this past week.  

My testimony is stronger because of it.  

Oh. . .  back to life!

Matt's letter for Aug. 20, 2012

Monday, Aug. 20, 2012

Mom!

Holy Moses! Sister Leavitt is in a nursing home? good! Victoria is in Dads ward? Crazy!  Dad got a new job! Wow! CANADA?!?! FUN!!! Haha it sounds like you are doing so well! Send my love to everyone! Will you also give me sis leavitt's address? I'll attach an email for her that you can print out and take to her, but I think she would like to get some mail directly to her. I love her so much, she really is one of my best friends. Give her my love! 

We were at John and Michelle's house when she got and opened her package, and she LOVED it! She brought the qoutes to church and was showing them off. You guys are PERECT! She always says she feels like she's known you forever. Thanks for being so good to her. I'll check for a package today! Thanks for all your love. I appreciate it alot! You are the best! You know the letter you sent her? she read it to me and stopped after, "Don't tell him this, but..." so I convinced her to tell me what it said. You guys are so trunky!! Haha it will come when it comes. :) Don't worry about it! But i do appreciate your support and love.

The parade was great! haha it was a different thing to do, but I think it went really well. All 4 of us elders were passing out cards along the way and jill and Julie handy were Dorothy and Glinda. Everyone (especially old ladies) all commented on how cute it was haha! No work of our own - Michelle came and made all the windows, complete with curtains and pets, and we just built the house. It was alot of fun, and we had a great turn out. I'll send pictures!

I also forgot to tell you that we live in tarantula country! John and Michelle were telling us about them the other night, and we left there house and guess what i spotted in the headlights? A TARANTULA! So we called john and we looked at it and poked it, and HE JUMPED! I guess they can jump up to 5 feet... Yikes! We was the size of the palm of my hand. I'll also send a picture of that!

We had a great zone conference this week. We talked alot about baptizing, and then alot about thoughts. I really felt the spirit hit me like a ton of bricks! Literally! I got to talk with president for a little bit afterwords, and i fell really good. he gave me some suggestions on how I can improve, and he rally made me feel good about myself. I love him so much! He is amazing, and you can just feel the spirit radiating from him! I also found out that their son Joseph has gone to the temple and will enter the mission field in 4 weeks! He turns 18 on sept. 11. Isnt that crazy!!! When you dad is a mission president you can go when you are 18.He seems so young, haha! But he will be fantastic. I really loved zone conference, and I feel edified and refreshed!

Well, thats about it for here! Transfers are not next tuesday, but the one after that. Sept 4. Sam and Susie will be getting baptized on sept. 1, so that will be pretty neat! We had a lesson with them last night and Susie seems so much more solid. We're so pumped for them! Its been exciting. Keep them in your prayers!  And if you go to the temple... you know the drill! haha, thank you mom!

Tell dad congrats on his new job! And since he's getting more cash-flow... I expect a few benji's in the mail. (Thats slang for Benjamin's or $100 bills.) Hahah! just kidding. Hope you guys have fun on vacation! Take lots of pictures! I love you tons.

-- Elder Matthew Monk California Ventura Mission         -  Jan. 2011 - Jan. 2013 -

This week's letter!

Monday, Aug. 13, 2012

Hi Mom!

Yes, I did get the package! After Michelle called you the first time I

went to the Post office and asked them and got the same response i got

when I called earlier the week before, "It should have been delivered

already if we had it!" But I made her go back and check and what do ya

know? It was there! Michelle loved the gift. Thanks so much mom! You

are the best!! :) Michelle loves you so much! Keep talking to her!! I

think its awesome that you get to help with my missionary work so

closely! I think you guys had a big part in their conversion! Putting

their names in the temple etc. THANK YOU!!!!

Things have been good for us here. I think the biggest news is Sam and

Susie have another date - Sept. 1! We're working so hard on them...

Keep them in your prayers, and the temple would be nice too! Haha

Thanks mom.

Also this weekend we are putting a float in the Tehachapi Mountain

Festival! Haha it’s going to be crazy! Bro Weaver built a playhouse a

few years ago that got raffled by Habitat for humanity and we're

trying to get the people who own it now to let us borrow it. Sis.

Weaver suggested we do a "There's no place like home" theme and go

wizard of oz. So... it should be great! Haha we got a bunch of ladies

helping us, so it should be super cute. I'll be sure to document it

and send pictures.

We went on exchanges this week! I went to Bakersfield with our

district leaders companion, and let me tell you, it was the worst!

haha sorry, negative attitude, but all he did was complain about elder

fullmer and how he misses elder hall. And all he wanted to do was hang

out with members, so it was kind of rough. We dad have dinner with the

Waite's - He is a sealer in the temple and a Patriarch - it was

amazing! He told us the neatest stories and he has the strongest

testimony. Him and his wife helped open Syrra Leon (Somewhere in

Africa) with Richard G. Scott and his wife. Amazing! They were so well

grounded, it was the best.

It’s been around 110 - 115 degrees in Bakersfield and about 95 - 100

here this past week. It’s so so hot! At night we have box fans that

blow on us at the feet of our beds, and I get a pair of socks wet and

put them on to help keep me cool. Holy Moses! It’s been hot! But

hopefully it will get cooler.

This week we'll be doing a lot of work on out float (We decided Friday

to actually do it and the parade is this Saturday...). We're

collecting shrubberies and things and trying to get a yellow brick

road (haha) so pray for us! Its gonna be great. We also have zone

conference this Wednesday, so it should be good.

I got a letter from Greg Stoecker this week! Remember he served here

like a year ago and is going to BYU and has a British accent? Well,

he's engaged for next summer! His fiancé is going to grad school this

fall in New York, so he'll finish school this year and move there next

spring. Crazy!

Life is good. Hot. Can't complain! Thanks for all you do for me! I

love you so much, and appreciate all your support! You are the best

mom, and please send my love to everyone!

--

Elder Matthew Monk

California Ventura Mission

        -  Jan. 2011 - Jan. 2013 -

Jenna's Blessing Day

Last Sunday, August 5, 2012 was  such a special day.  Sam and Hailey blessed their sweet little Jenna.  It was one of those emotionally high days in the life of a Mother!  I can't tell you enough what it does to me to see my son stand and hold his little infant in his arms and then give her a beautiful priesthood blessing.  It just makes me so proud and so thankful!  We are just so blessed in every way.  That little Jenna is such a blessing to our family.  She is just so beautiful and Sam and Hailey are such good parents. So fun to see Sam hold that little girl and see his love for her. My heart is just so full.  I feel my Saviors love.  

Jenna Juliet Monk

From Matt 8.6.12

Dear Mom!

Well, It was a great week, not without opposition! Let me give you a quick rundown:

Monday: We had a lesson at the weavers with the Evans, and it was pretty good! Susie had an awesome experience at GC, and was excited to share it. She promised God that if she found her hearing aides that she would get baptized, then she proceeded to tell us that she didn't say WHEN... and that she still wants to "live life" before she gets too into religion or something like that. So... It wasn’t as we had hoped for. I chatted with Sis. Weaver on the phone the next day and discussed some of our concerns for her and then set up an Appointment for Thursday.

Tuesday: We went to Mormon.org and played around for a while, then on our way home we got a message from the assistants (Elder Schiess is now one!) and so we called him and I got to talk to him for a bit. I sure love that guy and miss him a lot. A full day of driving around, trying to see less actives as always. Sigh.

Wednesday: Pretty much the same. We had dinner with a family that moved from Nampa ID, so that was fun to talk with them. He talked about how much he loves Idaho and is trying to get back, haha! I can relate! No just kidding. But same. Pretty open day.

Thursday: We had district meeting and we were practicing teaching, and the elders doing the practice said, "To help you learn how to focus on your investigator, we're all going to eat a hot chili and try to focus! Holy Moses, it was hot! Haha a silly thing, but it was sure memorable! When we got home we had a lesson at the weavers with the Evans. It was good! We read a scripture where they are at in their reading and discussed it, then Mom had to take Sam to Football, so we taught Susue the Law of Chastity with the weavers, and it was awesome! It went really well, and that can be a sketchy one! Whew! That night we had dinner at the Kings and sat around the fire and talked to them about their Baptism. Michelle was so nervous, but also very calm. A lot of emotions! It was a good day.

Friday: We did our planning and laundry at the Weavers (Love them), then we went to the Kings and Helped John and Michelle do some cleaning. It was great! We cleaned off their front porch and sprayed it and helped Michelle in her craft room thing, just getting it organized and put together a little. It was great to spend some time with them. Michelle when we got there was freaking out and said she was almost to the point of not getting baptized, but as soon as we got there, she calmed down and relaxed. It was great to see the spirit work on her!

Saturday: We went to the Church early and with Bro. Beach we cleaned out the font. It was really gross from when we flooded the church (The dehumidifiers dumped gunk into it), so we scrubbed it and mopped and made it look great! We vacuumed, set up chairs and all that stuff, and people came and so did John and Michelle. It was AMAZING! Her daughter came to me and told me that she had heard of me for the past 4 months and that she had been waiting 17 years for this day. It was so perfect! Bryan, their son in law, baptized John, then confirmed him, the John Baptized Michelle and Bryan confirmed her. It was so sweet!!! Ah, best day of my life. Afterwards we got a couple pictures made and put together a little photo album with testimonies from all the people that came. A little memento from the big day! Then we went to a BBQ at their house and spent some time with their family. It was really a sweet day. Probably one of (if not THE) best days of my mission! I love them so much. They were so full of the spirit!

I haven’t got your package yet.. I'm still waiting! Maybe today? I don't know what’s taking it so long! But it’s ok. Thanks for sending one! And thank you for the money. I appreciate you so much, and I love you to death! Tell Sam and Hailey congrats, and that I love them! You are all the best. Congrats on your new calling! You will love it, I’m sure! I love you so much mom! The church is true, I know it!

Elder Matthew Monk

 California Ventura Mission        

 -  Jan. 2011 - Jan. 2013 -

John, Michelle and us!

John and Michelle

John, Michelle, and us

John, Michelle, Cori and Bryan

FHE at Reed's Dairy

Last Monday for FHE Wynn and I took the kids to Reed's Dairy to see
the animals and of course, ice cream.

Can't think of a better way to cool off on a hot summer day!