Be Grateful Too

I was also complaining to Matthew last week about our AC and how it's been on the blitz lately. The lines keep freezing up and apparently we just needed to change the filter LOL. Anyway, this was his unsympathetic response:

Hey Jen:) Well I'm sorry to hear about your AC, haha not really;) You just be happy you have that and hot water haha. It is hot here and humid and no AC. LOL. Tell josh to stick it out, the mission is great. The first morning you wake up you consider going home so very highly, like more then ever. But get on your knees and put your trust in the Lord and you will have a great day. I am in the Huancavilca Ward, not sure anything else. Tell Michale that this is the best place ever and that I am still praying for him. Jen, I appreciate your letters so much. Thanks for your support. You have been such a strength to me. I love you so much. Tell the kids I miss them and love them so much also. Thank you for always being there for me and letting me come to your house whenever and putting up with your idiot brother haha. You're really great:) I love you so much:) Oh and thanks for telling Sarah about my bowel movements haha. I love you lots:) Love Elder Profaizer:)

Photos from August 29 letter

I don't know much about any of these photos but I think some of from the MTC in Peru and others are after shortly arriving in Ecuador.
A beautiful temple...Peru temple maybe?
Peru MTC
MTC
MTC
Look at all the Gringos!
Not even going to ask about this one ha ha ha.
Looks like an airplane maybe?
Leaving for Ecuador- what is with the dude in the coat? Yikes!
Ready to go serve in Ecuador! Go Elder Profaizer!

August 29, 2011

Hello everyone in America!!!!!!!!!! Well this is it, I'm in Ecuador and I don't know what to think but i kinda like it haha. The people here are so amazing. The first couple days were really hard. But I'm learning Spanish so fast, well in comparison to before, but it's still good. I only understand about 10% of whats going on haha. Oh well. So everyday at 1 we have dinner at a members house and yesterday I had to eat frog- just kidding, just kidding. I really didn't haha. To tell you the truth, I really like the food here. The rice is good, the meat is good. Some weird tasting soup but i eat every last bit of everything. The mammitas here are amazing. I love them and this one household full of all ladies 3 older ladies and 2 little girsl and they are so nice wow. They were just baptized before I got there and so we go and visit with and teach them and they invited us for dinner twice now and I helped cook haha. I taught them how to make scrambled eggs lol. They have never seen that before and they liked it. I don't know guys, I may come back with a few pounds on me if I keep eating this much. We get $160 dollars a month which is actually a lot. More than I budget for. That way I can save up and hopefully come home with a grand or so in money I didn't spend. That way it can be used for something special someday;) It's so fun to walk down the street and any old guy who knows a little English will yell out "hello my brother!!!!" haha (imagine that with a Spanish accent.) It's fun. Anyways I made a list of stuff to tell you about. First there are guys who ride round the streets and sell bananas for 5 cents haha. Every time I tell people where I'm from (Utah) they go "ohhh the factory." Haha I guess they get a lot of Utah missionaries here. Oh ok before I forget my address is

Ecuador Guayaquil South Mission
Casilla 09-06-286
Guayaquil, Guayas, Ecuador

NOTE:::: IF YOU SEND PACKAGES MAKE SURE THE POST OFFICE PUTS A GREEN STICKER on it. Not a white one. That way the mission home can pick it up for me and I don't have to go to customs, also no more then 5lbs, and no more then one a month (because they start to question so they pull it out and I have to go get it, make sure everyone in the fam and Sarah knows this so talk with everyone so there aren't problems.) The mission Pres. stressed this very much. Thanks guys:)

Well my apartment is something, haha. No hot water, no carpet, one creaky bunk bed. Ya it's something haha. Oh well, it's home now for a while:) I'm in the middle of a city about 30 miles south of the temple but I don't get to go there. When I first arrived we did two sessions in the temple and wow that temple is so magnificent. I can't get over the beauty. It's so awesome, I love it so much. The inside is amazing. I love you all so much. I gotta tell you, thoughts of quitting passed through my mind a few times and still do in the mornings but when I get out and go I am good. I have a sticky note up, actually I have have a lot up with motivational phrases and Spanish vocab but the one that keeps me going is "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be worth it." That keeps me going, it really helps so much. I love you all so much so so so so so so so much. I love you guys. Make sure to forward this letter to Sarah also thanks:) Thank you everyone for being such a huge support to me, I love u all so much:) Pray for me everyone- pray pray pray. I need as much help as I can get!!! I pray for all you guys every day, I hope it helps:) I love you!!:) Love Elder Gringo Profaizer!

Be Grateful!

I was complaining about the idiots who installed the wrong carpet and now have to replace it!  This was Matthew's response:

dear tam  
 i realise how stressful the whole house thing could be but i feel the impression to tell you about the houses here and maybe yourll feel a little better:) first of they all have big gates areounbd them so ppl dont break in then when u get past that gate there is another door with 2 locks then when u get inside there is cement floors. no carpet anywhere. and then a wood or plastic table with plastic chairs of wood ones that have been just pieced together. be greatful for everything that u have been givin in the usa be greatful the parks your children play in are not cover in dog crap. be greatful u have carpet at all and hot water. i have 0 hot water everynight for a shower. i wish everyone could see this place u would be greatful for everything u are blessed with in the united states. i love u so much tam:) thank you for the letter:) keep writing me:)

So glad to be in the US!!!

Mom's Thoughts

Today is the big day. Matthew left the Peru MTC at 5:45 this morning, August 23, 2011, for Ecuador. This is the destination he has been working towards all of his life. Even as a little boy in Primary as he sang, I Hope They Call Me on a Mission, this was the day he was singing about. The MTC has been a marvelous experience with lots of gospel study, missionary training, and most of all, learning to feel the spirit of the Lord. Matthew has experienced all of these things and has seen and felt the Lord's hand as he has struggled to learn Spanish. He has learned that there is no way to study the Book of Mormon without reading. Matthew has learned that the Lord really does love us and he is concerned and helps us even without us being aware. This young man is a focused, hard working, self sufficient young man but he also knows how to get down on his knees and ask for help daily. He has asked for father's blessings many times in his life and he has seen the answers fulfilled in those blessings. One of those blessings was the night before he left for the MTC on June 21. This blessing told him that he would be a great missionary and to work hard and put his trust in the Lord. The Lord told him, through this blessing, that he loved him and that he was pleased with the choices he had made in his life. I, as his mother, am also very pleased with the choices he has made. I love each of my beautiful daughters and am so proud of the accomplishments they have made in their lives and the way they are living. Matthew, as my only living son, is a bright shining joy as he has chosen to heed the Lord's call and serve. Go Forth and Serve my faithful son. Our prayers and love are with you every minute of every day.

August 22, 2011

Hey everyone:) How are all of you ? Well I'm all ready to fly out at 5:45 in the morning, blech I'm not excited to wake up that early. Oh well once I get to Ecuador there is no more flying till I come home:) I can't wait to get there and actually have people I care about and not just practice one time people. I loved your letters. Thank you so much for writing me. Thanks for the advice on the camera dad. I guess I didn't think about that ha. I'm also glad you liked my poem. I wrote that after several long days in class. Classes here drag so bad but we had our last one this morning. So before I forget, I have to tell you what I got told yesterday during exit interviews.... Ok so I go in and he asks me about the food and how my time was here and all those questions. He asked me what I did before the mission and what I wanna do after and I told him just work and go to school. He asked where I worked so I told him I loved working at the shop and he asked what I wanted to do for a career and I said, "well I really want to have my own shop but I can't in today's economy." He just looked at me and said "can u eat a cow?" I said, "well with time." He said, "Can you fly a plane." I said, "Sure with enough school." And he said ¨ok then, I want you to find me in a few years and I want to come and see your shop. I don't ever want to hear an excuse like that ever again." So everyone, if I still have a love for that stuff when I get back, which I think I will, I'm going to own my own shop. Thats my dream and I think I can do it. It stoked me up so much to hear him say that. Well I gotta go. I love you guys:) Love Elder Profaizer:)