Updates: 19 August - 26 August

19 August

A Story Worth Reading
I dont have a lot of time today so I just wanted to share a story with you. Have a wonderful weekend you all.

There once was this turntable bridge which spanned a large river. During most of the day, the bridge sat parallel with the river, allowing ships to pass freely on both sides. But at certain times each day a train would

come along and the bridge would be turned across the river allowing the trains to cross. A switchman sat in a small shack on one side of the river where he operated the controls to turn the bridge and lock it into place as the train crossed.

One evening, as the switchman was waiting for the last train of the day to come, he looked off into the distance through the dimming twilight and caught sight of the train's light. He stepped to the controls and waited until the train was within a prescribed distance when he was to turn the bridge into position. He turned the bridge, but to his horror, found that the locking control didn't work. If the bridge was not locked into position securely, it would wobble back and forth at the ends when the train comes onto it. This would cause the train to jump the track and go crashing into the river. This train was a passenger train with many people aboard.

He left the bridge turned across the river, and hurried across the bridge to the other side of the river where there was a lever he could use to operate the lock manually.

He could hear the rumble of the train now. He took hold of the lever and leaned backward to apply pressure to keep the mechanism locked. Many lives depended on this man's strength.

Then, coming across from the direction of his control shack he heard a sound that make his blood run cold:

"Daddy, where are you?"

His four-year-old son was crossing the bridge to look for him.

His first impulse was to cry out to the child, "Run, run!" but the train was too close, the tiny legs would never make it across the bridge in time. The man almost lifted the lever to run and snatch up his son, and carry him to safety, but he realized he could not get back to the lever in time. Either the people on the train or his little son must die.

He took just a moment to make his decision.

The train sped swiftly and safely on it's way, and no one aboard was aware af the tiny, broken body thrown mercilessly into the river by the rushing train.

Nor were they aware of the pitiful figure of a sobbing man still clinging tightly to the lever long after he train had passed. They didn't see him walking home more slowly than he had ever walked, to tell his wife how he had sacrificed her son.

Now if you can comprehend the feelings, which went through this man's heart, you can understand the feeling of our Heavenly Father when he sacrificed His Son to bridge the gap between us and eternal life.

How does He feel when we speed along through life without giving a thought to what was done for us throughs his Son, Jesus Christ? Can there be any wonder that He caused the earth to tremble and the skies to darken when His........only Begotten Son died?

26 August

Interviews and Zone Conference
Had another amazing week out here in L'viv. We were blessed to have zone and district conference. It was my first time presenting something at zone conference but I think it went really well. It was really cool because President's segment, the STL's segment and our segment went pretty much hand in hand and it wasn't planned. We all talked about how we can work more with members and Elder Blake and I talked a little bit about unity.

We also had exchanges with the elders from Khmelnytskyi. I got to be with Elder Frasier and we had a blast.

I had a really long interview with president and we talked about a lot of neat things. He gave me tons and tons of advice that I cannot forget.

Elder Blake and I had a very interesting experience this past week. Lemme just tell ya my testimony of the Priesthood has been strengthened immensely. I will just share with you the end of my journal from that day: Through all of this, my testimony of this gospel has been strengthened. My testimony of the priesthood has been freshly renewed. My testimony of God and His timing and His plan and His hand in my life has been restored. I HAVE a powerful and lasting testimony of my Savior Jesus Christ and his divinity. And ONLY through the incomprehensible act of charity that he performed, the eternal and everlasting gift of the Atonement, do I know this is true. In HIS name, Jesus Christ, the Beloved Lamb of God, amen.

I know, I know it doesn't sound like me... because it wasn't. That night I had gone through so many emotions that it wasn't me writing in my journal but it was the Spirit writing in it so I will never forget what I felt that day. Jesus Christ loves YOU! Don't ever forget it. Please, please, please don't forget that He is there and WANTS to bless you. Have a great, uplifting week.

Love you all,
Elder Kenyon Matua

New Updates: 21 July - 5 August

22 JULY

Yes, yes we finally got them and we are loving it and it is paying off so much right now. We haven't been able to stay in touch with our recent convert much but now that we have these phones it's constant communitcation and the list just goes on and it's only been 3 days with these phones.

Zone conference was great! President's segment was about repentance and what it really is and how we can teach it better. He shared a quote from Howard W. Hunter that I loved, "Repentance is the homesickness of the soul".

We had exchanges with the AP's the day before conference and I got to spend the day with Elder Eller. He used to be in our zone before he went to AP so it was good to see him again and serve with him.

The branch had a primary activity on Tuesday to celebrate pioneer day. It was small but it was fun. We had an awesome game night as well that night and so many new people came!

We started teaching another new Roman and he is SOOOO cool! He started explaining a 'what if' in his words about where God lives right now and how He has an influence on our world. He legit started explaining the Plan of Salvation and what prophets are as if it were an alternate universe. It was so cool! We told him that he is exactly right and that it is REAL! It's not just a 'what if'. It ended up being a super cool lesson!

Super, super busy but fun week. Love yall and have a wonderful week!

29 JULY

Sad couple of days because Elder McGrath was here and I had to say good bye. Weird seeing him and Elder Swasey go. It kind freaks me out watching these older missionaries leave, especially my trainer. Time is FLYING!

We had exchanges this last week in Chernivtsi. It was where I was serving before I came here to Lviv so it was cool to go back. I got to serve with Elder Crabtree, from Tennessee. I loved spending the day with him and listening to his southern accent. We got to meet with Andriy, who Elder Tuttle and I had the oppotunity to baptize. He hadn't been coming to church ever since I left so we talked about it and he promised he would come this week. The worst part of this week was coming back from Chernivtsi. There was no trains and it's a 6 hour train ride which means a bus ride will take 8 hours but it was our only option. We bought tickets for the bus and when we went out to get on the bus we saw it was a marshrutka which is a super ghetto city bus. We both looked at each other with fear in our eyes. We had no choice so we got on. It was supposed to be 3 and a half hours to the city in between and it ended up taking 5 hours. So when we got to that city, which was Ternopil, where we've been a few times, we said bag it and we got off. We went to get something to eat and then found a train from there at 8 pm which got us into Lviv at around 11:30. So ya, it was just a really long day. I don't even know if anything I just said made sense but  хай буде.

These last couple of days have been fun because it transfers and there is a lot of switching going on and some people getting stuck here in Lviv with us. I didn't get transfered and neither did Elder Blake so we are both staying as zone leaders here. We are excited because we have a feeling we are going to be here for a while.

I was reading in Alma 53 this morning and noticed something cool.Obviously these are the war chapter so it is hard sometimes to find spiritual things to take away which is what had been happening to me these last couple of studies so I asked Heavelny Father to just give me something this morning during Book of Mormon reading. Of course, the amazing Father He is, he gave me an answer in the 5th verse I read. Cap Moroni was talking about how he captured a lot of Lamanites and was going to use them as laborers "because it was easier to gaurd them while they were at labor". That immedietly hit me. It doesn't sound like something that you would immedietly think is like a spiritual revelation but I took it as one. I kind of related Moroni's situation to God and the laborers to ours. No, He doesn't force us to work but as we are BUSY and WORKING and MINISTERING, it makes it easier for our Heavenly Father to watch over us. It reminded me of the quote "an idle mind is a playground of the devil". As we stay busy in the work of the Lord as members of His church, He will continue to bless us. I LOVE this work, HIS work, and I love all of you. Have an amazing week.

5 AUGUST

This week was so good but so tiring. Mostly because we had to go to Kyiv and the travel there was not fun. Our first train was Wednesday night at 11 pm and it got in at 7 am Thursday morning. Then our train home was Thursday night at 11pm and we got back home to Lviv at 7 am. So ya it was a tiring couple of days but totally worth it.

We were in Kyiv because we had MLC at president's house. We got to their house super early because our train got in so early and we felt so bad but Sister Kumferman is just the best and she made us four breakfast. MLC was really good. President's training for us was awesome. He focused a lot on going back to the basics which is "Our Purpose" as missionaries. It was really humbling for me to see how busy president is and how overwhelmed he probably is but for him to be so focused on us as leaders helping us understand that it all comes down to the basics was amazing. I love that he read from Matthew 28, the Great Commission, and he related it to us and exactly what we are doing. The work I get to be a part of is AMAZING!! That we all get to be a part of!

We also found time to go to the temple and man was I grateful for that. I definitely felt spiritually fresh and restarted for this next transfer.

We met with a kid named Ross who is about my age and he is awesome!! He came to English practice a couple months ago but then we lost contact after that. Out of the blue, 2 months later, he called me! He asked how I was doing and said that he wanted to meet. We taught him the message of the Restoration and he seemed very open and accepting. He mentioned so many times how much he loves to learn more and he asked so many questions and we are praying that he will continue to grow spiritually to accept the invitation to come unto Christ and His gospel.

We got to meet with our man Roman again and we discussed the Plan of Salvation. He was so into it that he stood up around the board and asked us to draw it out for him and he was so interested. He really seemed to like it and I was glad. At the end he mentioned how most christians believe that we were somewhere before this life and now on earth and after we will go to heaven or hell. Then he said, "That's what I know. Well I guess that's what I KNEW". SO COOL!

Really cool line that popped out while I was reading in Alma this last week was chapter 50 verse 19 "And thus we see how merciful and just are the dealings of the Lord, to the fulfilling of ALL his words unto the children of man". His word will ALWAYS be fulfilled. He has a plan and it's real. Love you all and have an amazing week.

Another Busy Week

Playing Bang with the fellas

A jam-packed week and we got an even busier one coming up.

We helped a family in the ward move this week. It was super fun messing around with the kids and doing some service for a family because we haven't had the opportunity to do that in a while.

I had an exchange with my trainer Elder McGrath!! It was so fun. The weather was not fun but the exchange was. We even got a chance to go have dinner at a members house who Elder McGrath baptized a year ago that day! He taught us how to make some good Ukrainian chicken and how to play some... interesting games. We also went back 2 days later with the sisters to have an FHE where they taught us how to make Ukrainian dumplings.

All four of us elders got the chance to go to Ternopil to try and have a game night with the group leader there. There are only about 2 active members there so we went to try and help him out and have a little activity. We played some soccer and frisbee and had a super good time. We are all hoping that city will be opened one day. I also got to stay the night with Elder Holden and we had sacrament meeting with the Samuel, yup, just the three of us. It was super good. A lot of good discussions. Samuel is from Africa and served a full-time mission there and he really knows his Bible which was fun to talk about.

Zone conference coming up this week. Gonna be a busy one.


Love you all and have an amazing week!
Elder Kenyon Matua

Meeting my man Samuel

Visiting the Arsenal Museum

Our Trip to Ternopil

Happy Fourth of July

We didn't get to celebrate it too much out here but the senior couple invited us over for Sunday dinner and it made us feel right at home.

Exchanges with Ivano-Frankivsk

We went to Kyiv this last week for MLC. I always love visiting the Kumfermans and learning so much from all the other zone leaders and AP's. We talked a lot about enjoying our work as missionaries and it got us all pumped. We also talked about the phones we are finally getting and none of us can wait.

Had super fun English practice. We talked a lot about the fourth of July and we played a big game of mafia and our advanced group got super into it and we had tons of fun.

Exchanges with Ivano-Frankivsk. I got to spend the day with my good friend Elder Cluff. We talked about a TON especially because he is headed home soon. We also had a big finding activity and Elder Cluff and I got to talk to these super cool guys about our age. They asked us so many questions and they were a little bashy at first but when they realized we were normal people and not the 25 year olds they thought we were, they just talked about how they were genuinely curious. Guys like them give me so much hope in this country.

Had a good Sunday the only problem was that we had exchanges with the other elders here in Lviv because two of us had to go to the sacrament meeting in Ternopil which is 2 hours away and I went last time which meant that my comp, Elder Blake, went this time which also meant that I had to translate everything today at church. My head was spinnin a hundred miles an hour. Definitely the best language study I have had in a long time.

I was reminded of a couple scriptures this week while reviewing the story of Korihor. Verses 8 and 9 jumped out at me this time. "CHOOSE YE THIS DAY, WHOM YE WILL SERVE". I love the fact that so many of God's children are choosing to come unto Christ and serve Him with all their heart. The scriptures then state that "if a man desired to serve God it was his PRIVILEGE, or rather if he believed in God it was his PRIVILEGE to SERVE Him". I love the work that we are ALL engaged in at this moment. Continue to love one another and invite all to come unto Christ.


Love you all,
Elder Matua

June Updates

Pizza with our buddy Maxim

10 June 2019
We have been so busy and I didn't even write last week because we were traveling.
Got to spend a couple of days in Kyiv for missionary leadership council. By a couple of days, I mean like just over a day. Unfortunately, we got put on a train on Monday morning at 6 am and got there at 11 am. It was a fast train (even though 5 hours don't sound like a fast train) but that also meant it was just a sitting one. But we were just glad we got there. The only bad thing was we had no idea what to do. None of us knew Kyiv or what to even do, and it was pday so all the missionaries in Kyiv were out doing stuff. We ended up doing a little sightseeing and actually met up with a native missionary who finished his mission a couple of months ago, it was so good to see him again. The MLC was at President's house and it went really well.

We got the chance to meet with our investigator Roman a couple of times. HE IS AMAZING! He couldn't meet last Sunday so he asked us to come to his place. We met him not too far from our apartment and then he drove us out to his place a little over an hour away. He showed us around his little city a little bit and then we had a lesson with him. He just kept talking about how it wasn't a coincidence that he met missionaries, and how he knows this is true. He said he doesn't know everything but that he has "a desire to learn more" because he knows it's what he and his girlfriend need. He had his baptismal interview yesterday and we went through the questions with him before it and I have never met anyone who is so converted before being converted. He bore his short testimony of the questions we asked him and I don't think either of us could have answered them better. He just has such a strong desire to be baptized and to learn more. He also said his girlfriend wants to be baptized too she just doesn't feel like she knows enough and that she isn't ready. They both keep saying how they know it's true but they want to make sure they understand what baptism really means before they do it. AHHHHH! It's what I have been praying for for months is someone like Roman. Heavenly Father really does answer prays and I witness it every day.

Yesterday, Elder Blake and I were talking about Roman and how amazing he is and how amazing the gospel and the scriptures are and we started getting really hyped and we started reading scriptures together and sharing experiences and it really opened our eyes. We both shared how if it weren't for a mission, we would have never been so interested in the gospel. But because we are out here and because we carry such a unique spirit as missionaries we continue to grow spiritually and build our testimonies and our giant fortresses around us like Elder Rasband talked about last conference.

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that this is His restored gospel and I wouldn't be here if I didn't know that. I invite all reading this to honestly consider your testimony and what it means to you and how you can strengthen it. Being a member of the church is good but not good enough!! Last April conference Elder Uchtdorf said we must do more than just have an intellectual understanding of the gospel for it to have an influence in our lives and that we must incorporate it into our lives-make it a part of who we are and what we do.

BELIEVE, LOVE, DO!
Elder Kenyon Matua


17 June 2019
Did a ton this week but just gonna highlight a few because we don't have a ton of time.

Major mistake and gash in my arm

- We met with our friend Max Velikanov a couple times. He is the branch president's son and he is 17. It's just hard for him to really do anything with anyone else because he is like the only young man in our branch. We took him to dinner and played soccer with him. He is so cool and so ready to serve a mission.
- We played basketball with one of our investigators who is also 17. He is super cool I just think he is afraid of what his parents will say about him investigating the church.
- We had FHE with our recent convert Svyatoslav and his wife Christina. They are super cool and they are both 18 years old. We played games with em and had a super good time.
-Sunday we had exchanges and Elder Laney and I went to Ternopil. We have a small group of 3 members there and we aren't allowed to proselyte there so we go there. Unfortunately, no one showed up. We took a three hour bus to get there so it was kinda frustrating but it's all good. Luckily we caught a fast train home that only took an hour.

Love you all have an amazing week. Sorry I have no time! 
Elder Kenyon Matua


23 June 2019

Enjoying firemen games

Hello everyone sorry it's gonna be another short one.

To stat, Roman was baptized!! We were rushed to plan it because we didn't even know if he would be here or in Poland for work but he made it home and we were able to do the baptism. I asked him how he felt yesterday after he was confirmed and he said he feels so much peace and joy. It was a super cool experience.

We had exchanges with Khmelnystky this last week. I got to spend the day with Elder Wonson who was my first district leader when I got to Ukraine so it was cool to be with him again.

While we were in Khmelnytsky we made stuff to make giant bubbles for a finding activity and it went so well. So when we got back to Lviv Elder Blake and I got all the stuff to make them here and we are so glad we got it all. The only problem is we haven't had good weather to do it.

Making bubbles also caused another problem... We were doing them off our balcony at home to try to figure out how much soap to use and everything. We were also using a fan to blow them off the balcony and I ended up stepping back on the cord of the fan and broke the prongs to plug it in. It happened with our other fan but we fixed it by attaching the cords to an adapter and all this other crazy engineering stuff Elder Blake knows but anyways we tried to do it to this one. I was trying to cut the adapter open with a pocket knife and slipped and cut my wrist open. It is kinda bad but not too bad. So ya we have been dealing with it for the past couple days because Ukrainian doctors won't put stitches in it....

We had a good busy week and we are ready for another one coming up this week. We are going to back to my first city, Rivne, for exchanges and I get to be with my MTC comp again so it'll be super fun.

Love you all and have a great week!
Elder Kenyon Matua


30 June 2019

Baptism day for Roman

Anotha bomb week out here in Lviv.

I got to go back to Rivne this last week! It was the first time I had been back since I left after serving with Elder Stott. And not only that but I got to spend the exchange with Elder Howard, who was my companion in the MTC. We got to meet with Katya who Elder McGrath and I started teaching in my training and she was just recently baptized! Got to also see a lot of old friends. We did a super fun finding activity while we were there. We wheeled the ping pong table all the way out to center and just started playing and inviting people to play with us. A ton of people came up and started playing and there was even some boys who asked us for English cards so they could pass em out.

There was a baptism for a young boy in our branch and after we had a youth activity. Elder Blake and I were called as the counselors in the young presidency so it was really cool to be there with the boys. We went up to an outdoor museum kinda like This Is The Place Monument and there was also a ropes course the youth did.

Read Alma 27 this morning and verse 27 jumped out at me and is something I hope I can stand by for the rest of my life. I want to be distinguished, and I want to stand out because of the Christ-like attributes that others see in me.

Love you all and have an amazing week! Stand out and be a witness of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Elder Kenyon Matua

Pic with the District

The wrist is getting better

Finding activities