Elder Matua: Baptism Week

Having lunch at Lviv Croissant

Crazy Crazy Crazy week!!

This week was very, very busy and Elder McGrath said that is normal for baptism weeks. We started off the week with having a Halloween party! We didn't have much time to plan it because we had just gotten back from Kyiv and were scrambling to get stuff done. Luckily we have an awesome member in our branch named Bohdon. He is 20 and got back from is mission in London a couple months ago. He helped us out a ton. We had a Halloween movie night that the branch put on. We watched Goosebumps and had some food. It was a super fun night.

We lost the other two elders in our area which has been a little bit of a set back but we are catchin up. But because they left, we moved into their apartment because it's closer to the church and a lot nicer. So it's been a fun week in a new place.

Doing service - walnuts (brings back nightmares LOL!)

We met with Vika everyday this week in preparation for the baptism. Friday night we met with her and her little brother. Her little brother is the best! They both come every week to English practice and he always comes early and hangs out with us. He has been teaching me a lot on the piano too because he's super good, and because I'm stuck playing the piano at church now. And for those that don't know me very well, I don't play the piano!! So I've just been trying to learn and it has been a fun process.

The baptism was on Saturday. It was so awesome!! We had a little bit of trouble with the font in the morning but we got it all worked out by the time we needed to start the baptism. Vika was excited and she had an amazing time. She came up to us before the baptism and just said Thank you. She said that we saved her life, that we helped her come closer to God. It was so cool! She is so awesome and will be a strong member in this church.

Vika's amazing baptism day!

Things in Rivne, Ukraine are awesome. It's thought of course, but always staying busy helps. We have been listening to these talks given by speakers like Troy Dunn, and Hank Smith. If you haven't listened to these guys talk please do, they are awesome. But I remember from one of them we recently listened to, Hank Smith shared a story of a boy giving something up that was very special to him. What the boy wrote about it later was, "The best decision I ever made in my life, was to give up something I loved to the God I loved even more. He has never forgotten me for it." We can give up things of this world and things that aren't important and make bigger decisions for the one that loves us the most. It will be hard, but i know it will be worth it. I love you all and thank you for everything!

з Любов'ю,
Старійшина Матуа