Rusty bikes, smiling and working

My sweet new name tag

I have had a rough week. I was reading through some testimonies that you and the boys wrote to me before I left. You encouraged me to do something that I'm really struggling with. You said whenever you followed the spirit, it brought miracles; small and big. Dad, I'm still adjusting to this missionary life. I'm still learning how I personally receive those promptings. It's hard. One of my biggest problems is I hesitate. A lot of times I think, 'that's crazy, why would I do that?' Then I go on with my day with little success. My zone leader called me last night. Even he didn't know why he was calling me. I was confident he was following a prompting of the spirit. I felt the love of God for me SO strong last night. I know my leaders are called of God. I have a goal this week to NOT HESITATE. Heed every single prompting I receive.

Playing ping-pong by myself

Hard week this week. But It's not supposed to be easy right? if it were easy, everyone would be doing it. Life would be pointless. Now more than ever, I'm struggling to adjust to this missionary life. It's hard. It's exhausting. It's discouraging. It's disappointing. It's rough. But it's the Lord's work. I couldn't imagine myself anywhere else, doing anything else right now. I can feel the atonement shaping me. It hurts, but it works. It really does.

Yesterday As part of my fast, I asked Heavenly Father if He could assist us in helping Martin receive permission from his parents to be baptized. He didn't show up to church. And what made matters worse is after sacrament meeting, we get a text from him. He told us his dad doesn't want him to come to church anymore. How does that work out? I have no idea. But it comes with this calling I guess. All we can do now is keep moving forward. We are at ground zero right now - no progressing investigators. We are grinding it out to find some golden ones this week. It's going to be great.

Besides that, Life is good. Sure there's bumps. But it's good. All we can do is move forward. That's

Fun dinner with funny kids

what God needs of us. Forward. Move forward. Get better. learn from it.

My bike is so rusty already! I've been soaking wet for the past two weeks. The first week because it rained non stop. This past week because I could not stop sweating! hahaha Just wet 24-7. Sleeping, eating, preaching, all day every day. I love it because I think it means I'm losing weight, but the rain and humidity makes the bike rusty really fast!

One saying you taught me A long, long time ago: "He never said it would be easy. He only said it would be worth it." I'm coming to understand that on a whole new level. I love it.

Biking through a community garden

Another goal I have for this week is, I am going to have a smile on my face 24-7 no matter what happens. I know that Christ bled and died for me so it could be possible for me to be happy. It is all about our agency. Trials don't decide our attitude - we do. So I will decide right now to just smile! I love you guys so much. I can't wait to give you both such huge hugs! thank you for your encouraging words.

Miss you now more than ever. Thank you for your loving words. Have a blessed week!

Love Elder Chase Matua

Rough times in Hauula

Talofa!

We presented the fasting program in ward council of the Hau'ula 4th Ward and they really liked it. Sadly They are shooting to do it in January so I won't get to see the fruits of the program again. But I am more than happy to do what I can to help set it up. The ward council seemed to like it a lot and are all on board. There was a bit of confusion at first but I think they'll all get the spirit of it.

This was a really rough week. Almost all of our lessons cancelled or were a no show. I'm not sure if you know JM or not dad, but he has a son who is nine and hasn't been baptized. We had a lesson set up by Bishop Touli to teach him but they never came. From then on the rest of our lessons were the same - cancelled.

I feel like the lessons that were cancelling was partly my fault. I have been so frustrated that I was having a hard time calming my mind down and tuning in completely to the spirit. I haven't really felt like I've never felt these hurdles during my entire mission, but these are all things that are testing me and increasing my faith. During church and the rest of the weekend I was really praying for a way that I can overcome these setbacks.

Nothing too new other than that.

Alofa ia te oe!
Elder Kingston Matua

Working Hard

Well we are all set for a baptism on Saturday!
Aaron and Jonah have fulfilled all the requirements of baptism and have been interviewed and are excited to get baptized. Both of them have been great in all the lessons and it is great to see a real desire in these young boys to do what is right and be great examples to all around them.

The rest of the week was really good as well. We have been sharing a little message about the 30 day fast that we will be doing and the members have really gotten behind the idea and are pushing it along. We are seeing many families in the ward catch the vision of completing ordinances and helping the others around them do the same.

Families are coming together, the ward is getting excited together, and even non-members are joining in on the fast. Things are going really good here in Lanakila. Transfers are coming soon so my companion is about two weeks from the end of his mission so we are working super hard so that he can leave on a good note.

Love you all, go to church, read you scriptures, and pray always. The church is TRUE!!

Alofa Tele,
Elder Matua

P.S. The city is rough!