Villa Agricola 6 - Elder Maatatia

Villa Agricola 6 - Elder Maatatia and Kiribati

Hey everybody!  I hope you all had a fantastic week and that life is good and stress-free for you guys.

 

So reading from all my friends that are serving missions like Elder Arnson, Hassell, Black, Hoopes, and a lot more, I realized that it`s been almost a year since I graduated high school and found out where I was going to be serving my mission. When I thought about that, I almost couldn`t believe it. It feels like it was just last week I got my diploma and found out I was going to the "Dominican Republic" which honestly, at first, I didn`t have the slightest clue where it was in the world hahaha.

It just amazes me how much I`ve come to love this country in these last 7 months. I really feel like I`m becoming more Latino day after day. 

When Elder Alva left early Tuesday morning. Miss that kid a lot.  He said:

"JesuCristo era Peruano. Solamente tiene que cubrir su cara y vas a ver la bandera de Peru."

This week was great. Elder Alva left Tuesday morning and my new companion Elder Maatatia came in that afternoon. He`s already, after one week, one of my best friends out here in the mission. I don't know, it almost feels like we met each other before, which is impossible because he lives on a small island off the coast of Australia. 

He`s the coolest guy and is also one of the most humble missionaries I`ve met. He speaks Kiribati, which is a language that about 10,000 people speak in the entire world. He`s the only missionary serving from his island and also the only member of the Church from his immediate family. But the story in how he came to know about the missionaries is really what I want to share with you today.

 

 Elder Maatatia and I when we ordered pizza his first night here.

 

So Elder Maatatia was living with his aunt and grandparents when he was about 13. He had always heard about the Gospel, but never really received an invitation from anybody to come to church, even his aunt and grandpa (who were members). He told me all about his life before and he was living in hard times. In his broken Spanish, he told me the story about how he came to know the Church.

Basically, his aunt finally talked with the missionaries one Sunday morning and told them that they needed to teach him. The missionaries stopped by during a day in the week and started teaching him. He told me he wasn`t interested at first and really didn`t listen. But when they talked to him about the prophet Joseph Smith, and how he really could pray to find out if what they were saying was true, that hit him. He prayed and felt an impression that he should be baptized and that what the missionaries were preaching was true. He was baptized in 2005 and through a lot of member support and help in his ward, he prepared to serve a mission.

For me, one thing really stands out to me in his story. The reason he came to know about the Church, the reason he`s MILES away from his home right now, learning a language in the street without books in his own language to help him, the reason he works harder and with more love for the people than I`ve seen before in a missionary, is because his aunt finally decided to invite the missionaries over to teach him.

As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we have something that a lot of people are missing. We know about the truthfulness of the Restoration of the Gospel, about the Book of Mormon, a living prophet today, and the importance of families. In my life, everything I have and all I`ve learned I owe to this Gospel. I really didn`t realize it back home and wish I would have seen it earlier. We have a ton of friends, neighbors and people we really care about that don`t know what their missing. Really, just a small conversation with them and an invitation to an FHE, a cool activity at the Church, or to take the discussions from the missionaries, could change their lives and help them live more happily with their families. 

I hope you all can think of someone you can talk to and that we can do a better job of sharing something with our friends that means so much to us. Because really, in missionary work, the members are the key. 

With Eliany when we set up the date for their marriage on the 12 of May. OHHH, I forgot to tell you guys about that!  Frank and Eliany are getting married in 15 days!! They`re so stoked and we`re hopefully going to have a FHE with them and some of the members today.

I miss you all a lot and hope you have a great week!!!!!!! 

Elder Graff 

Galatians 6:9-10 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith."

Villa Agricola 5 - Transfers

Villa Agricola 5 -  Transfers

Hey everyone. I hope you all had a great week, that you`re smiling, and that everything is going good.

 

So this week we received our transfer calls and my companion Elder Alva is leaving tomorrow. I will be receiving my new companion, Elder Matatia from Tonga in the morning. Its sad that Elder Alva is leaving but I know he`ll be doing great things where he is going and I know that I'm getting another new companion for a reason.

The "Pandilla de Palomas" or Dove Squad hahhha. We are wearing shirts that our Zone made which are sick.

I don`t have a lot of time to write today because for about a fourth of our internet time, Elder Alva and I were at the 'marriage office' getting the appointment ready for tomorrow with Frank and Eliany to set up everything for the marriage. They`re really excited.  Also, the surgery of their son is coming up in 10 days. They`re doing well and it`s really just a matter of time and waiting until the day of their marriage. But we`re going to try and have a little fiesta in the church or at their house after the marriage in May. We`re really excited for that.

 

A lunch we had with Heriberto, his family, and the other missionaries that are teaching them on Sunday.

Another cool thing happened with Heriberto too; So he was reading the pamphlet we left for him about baptism and he was questioning if he needed to be baptized again, pondering the whole thing about authority to baptize, and he asked God in his mind about it.  He told us that as he was sitting in the street - for an answer to his prayers basically - and some people came up to him about 2 minutes later and gave him a small paper that they hand out all the time here in the DR about little things here and there. And the paper was titled "You Should Be Born Again". It talked all about baptism and why we need to do it.  He told us that he wants to be baptized. We were so happy and he now has a date for the month of May.

 

We have a lot of great people we`re teaching and everyday, we really get the privilege as missionaries to see God working in the lives of people. And even though it`s hard sometimes when it`s really hot and you`re just walking in the sun burning in white shirts and ties, the good times completely outweigh the hard times.

 

I hope you all have a great week and that you all can find something in your lives to be grateful for no matter who you are.

Elder Graff

Psalms 118:24 "This is the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it."

Villa Agricola 4 - "These Guys are Representatives of Jesus Christ!"

Villa Agricola 4 - "These Guys are Representatives of Jesus Christ!"

Hey family, friends, and people that I don`t know that are reading this! I hope you guys are all doing well and that this week was great for each and every one of you. These past couple days have been awesome for Elder Alva and I. We`re really working hard in our area and we`re seeing the miracles that are coming from it. We`re still working with Frank and Eliany for the birth certificate of Frankeli so they can get married.  We`re hoping to have it by tomorrow because Eliany left to her mother`s house to get it (which is really pretty FAR, but we`ll see). 

Saturday and Sunday, we had the opportunity to attend Stake Conference with a couple of our investigators. It was really spiritual and I learned a lot, especially from President Cornish of the Seventy. He talked about the covenant of baptism and how even if our little pinky toe comes out of the water we have to do it over again and related it to how, in his words, "In the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we can never go partially into a covenant with our Heavenly Father. We either go all in, or we stay out. There is no room for us to be in the middle. It is inappropriate to say that we are members of the Church, and not act like it."...... WOW. That really hit home for me and made me think of how well I`m doing as a missionary and with sharing this message with everyone.

 

We had an unbelievable experience again yesterday that made Elder Alva and I so proud of one of the people we`re teaching. His name is Heriberto. He`s 24 and speaks really good English, probably better than mine right now hahaha. But anyways, I don't know if I told you guys earlier, but there was a  guy who asked us my first day here "What is it you Mormons believe?" Well, that was him - Herberto. It was my first lesson here and at first, I`ll be honest, he didn`t really want much to do with us. He has investigated every church there is here and believes that religion doesn`t save, only we can save ourselves by changing in our hearts and accepting Christ. We told him that was partially true, but we also explained the importance of covenants and what Christ really taught us and did while he was here with the Bible. He wasn`t accepting at first and really these past 5 weeks with him have hurt my head and made me study the Bible like I never have before. But Elder Alva and I slowly started to see a change in him. He`s now in almost 2 Nephi in the Book of Mormon, he has told us that he now has a firm testimony of Joseph Smith, and he is progressing like no other.

Last night, we received a phone call from our zone leaders. They told us congratulations. We were really puzzled at first but then they explained the story. They`re teaching the whole family of Heriberto because they actually live outside our area, but Heriberto is at work all day every day except Sunday, so we`re still teaching him. But after the lesson, the zone leaders asked what day they could come back. The father said that every Sunday would be enough. Then, Heriberto said something amazing. He kind of chewed out his dad and said this "These guys are representatives of Jesus Christ. They are changing my life. They can change yours and our family`s; and you want them to come back only once a week?" Elder Alva and I were so pumped when they told us that. He really is doing well and his change of heart came directly from the Holy Ghost.

The mission is awesome, this country is awesome and this message is so beautiful. I`m grateful for all of the support and love you guys give me. It really helps me a lot.

Have a great week ---- and all you kids at Basha have a good time at Prom soon!!

Elder Graff

2 Timothy 2:3 "Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ"

Villa Agricola 3 - Easter and General Conference

Villa Agricola 3 - Easter and General Conference

The small, very poor part of our area called "The Zurza". I feel like every time I´m down there visiting less active members or investigators, that I'm literally in the middle of the "Pirates of the Caribbean".  It´s sweet. Very humbling but very peaceful every time I'm there.

Hey everyone. Hope you all had a great Easter weekend with the family and that you really felt the love of the Savior in your life and the lives of your friends and loved ones. Well, that was a terrible intro but I´m just going to go with it hahaha.

 

But really, this week was such a spiritually uplifting time for me. The whole week was "Semana Santa" here or "Holy Week" as it´s known back home. And it´s definitely not such a holy time here in the DR because the people down here love to party. But even though things were a little crazy in the streets, and there were a lot (and I mean a lot) of drunk people everywhere, I really felt more love for everyone these past couple of days than I have in my whole mission.

  

Our district here in Santo Domingo. Its super small, usually just the sisters and us and once in like 3 months the APs too.

Part of the reason I feel like it was such a good week is because from Monday to Friday I was preparing for General Conference. And for those of you who don´t know what "General Conference" is, it´s basically when members of the Church get the privelege -every six months- to hear from some of the leaders --the men and women called of God --for the weekend .  The Conference is sent by transmission to almost every part in the world. 55 languages something like that. Its a really special and awsesome experience.But anyways, I made a promise with myself that I was going to make it the best General Conference yet to date. Through a lot of prayer and truly studying the scriptures, I really recieved a lot of answers to my prayers and learned a lot this weekend from the prophet and apostles.

I feel like the real focus of the entire conference was on the unity of the family which is really needed right now because the organization of the family is --more than ever -- slowly being degraded. Especially here in the Dominican Republic, the blessing of a strong family is practically non-existent. Which is really sad to see, because the role of a good father and mother, with a home centered on the things of God, really is the way to have a life full of joy and peace. I feel like the talks from the General Authorities were perfect and I really liked one in particular that I´d like to share a little more on:

 

It was the talk by the father of one of my good friends who´s serving in Italy right now, Wilford W. Andersen. I really felt as if he were talking to me directly. I learned a lot about how the simple things we do each day, if done correctly and with the right attitude, really can strengthen us and keep us on the right track spiritually and with the physical things in life. We have to be focused on the reason we do them. Like for example, 

 

Prayer: If we aren´t keeping in mind that when we pray, we literally are talking with our Heavenly Father, our prayers can become very repetitive, like mine were and sometimes still are. 

 

Scripture study: Looking at the scriptures as a chore will make us become bored of them very quickly. Instead, we should use the Bible and The Book Of Mormon with real intent and to help us find answers and guidance in our lives.

Attending church: Going to church just to go, socialize with friends, and "fufill your three hours of righteousness for the week" you could say, won´t do anything for you. If we are there, we might as well learn, grow, and better our lives and those of others.

These three things really aren´t that hard to do. They´re very easy. But we need to have the right attitude about them in our lives. They´re here to strengthen us, help us, and guide us. They´re tools from our Father in Heaven to keep us happy and safe.

I´m glad that I chose to serve a mission and that all of you back home helped me realize how important this Gospel really is. My love for it grows every day. I really hope and pray that in our lives, we can appreciate the things of God. That we can use them to better us, and become more like Him.

 

I love you all and wish you a Happy Easter. 

BY THE WAY, A BIG SHOUT OUT TO MY BROTHER AARON FOR HIS 17th BIRTHDAY!!!!!! IF YOU SEE HIM, GIVE HIM A BIG HUG FOR ME. I LOVE YOU BRO (greater sign and a three) hahahahahahahahahahahaaha Spanish keyboards-- let me tell ya'.

Elder Graff 

Our mirror broke so we were "smart"and taped it to the wall --we probably aren't gonna buy another one any time soon.... 

"Oh you fancy huh."