Welcome Home, Sister Mather!!!

I Understand

I am sitting here for the last time in an internet café writing my last email as a missionary and I am not really sure what to say. I could write a novel on everything that has happened, everything I have learned and all the experiences I have had since I left the Seattle airport last June and set out on what would be the biggest adventure of my life so far.

As I was reading my study journal from my first zone conference in the mission, I came across the training that President Taylor gave that day, about the difference between knowing and understanding. Before my mission, I think I knew a few things- I have lived 20 years learning about Christ and His gospel. But I think the greatest thing my mission has done for me is helped me to really understand some of the things I only knew before.

I knew how detrimental fear was before the mission but it was here that I understood how much it impedes my faith. It was here that I learned how to leave my comfort zone, leave my fears, and let my Savior take my hand and help me take those steps of faith.

I knew what grace was before the mission, but these last 18 months He has helped me to understand how His grace really is an "enabling power and spiritual healing offered through the mercy and love of Jesus Christ." I have learned that He died not only to save us from our sins, but to help us grow and learn from our weaknesses and our failures.

I knew He had the power to change us, but it was during my mission that I really understood how that happens. I understand now how amazing it really is to give up your own will and choose to submit to His, to simply follow Him and watch as he transforms us to be more like Christ.

I knew the Spirit was important and I knew what it felt like but I understand now how much I need him and how vital he is to everything that I do, in every important decision I make.

I knew that serving others makes us happier, but as I learned to lose myself in the service of others, to give my "heart, might, mind, and strength", I understood each time a little bit more. I understand now the joy it brings to lose yourself to others, a kind of pure joy that stays with you and doesn't seem to have a comparison.

I knew before my mission that my Heavenly Father and brother Jesus Christ love me but it was here in Brazil that I really started to understand that love because I feel so much of it for so many people here. I never thought 18 months ago that it would be so hard to say goodbye to people after such a short span of time.

I don't know or understand everything yet, and never will get to that point in this life, but I know and understand sufficient to keep going, to keep trusting Him enough to keep following Him. I am so grateful for my mission and for the understanding I have gained here. I know that Christ lives, that He is our Savior, and that He is in every single detail of our lives.

Love,
(for the last time I can sign off as...)
Sister Lauren Mather

PS. I will arrive on Friday this week but for those who live close, you are all invited to church on Sunday the 15th, where I will have the chance to speak a little more about my experiences here in Brasil- I would love to see you guys there :)

Address:
1100 6th Avenue Southeast
ISSAQUAH, Washington 98027-4718
12:00-2:00pm

I Feel Like A Hormonal Pregnant Woman

Seriously. This week it started to seem a little more real that my time in Brasil as a missionary is ending. We had my last zone conference this week and I kept it together pretty well until the very end when we all came together to sing the mission song we always end with. Cue tears, realizing that it was the last time I was gonna sing that with everyone. So just imagine how many emotions a pregnant hormonal woman has in a day and you've got me pretty spot on. Lots of feelings, but as the end gets closer I feel more and more gratitude for the opportunity I have had to be here. And a little annoyed with my past self for doubting the decision to come sometimes. Every time I trust in what God tells me, I end up happier in the end, so isn't it strange how we continue to doubt even still??

Everything was all set for Joas and Adriana's wedding and baptism this week but... her document still hasn't arrived for all the paperwork to go through. Everything is literally riding on a single document but we are praying and fasting and reallllyyyyyy hoping everything can work out this week. The good news is that I will be staying here in my area up until the very last day of my mission so we've still got a good 2 weeks to get it all together. Of all the people I have known in my mission, I think I've gotten most attached to them.

Other than that, we are just going about the usual, visiting lots of people, laughing a lot, a drinking a lot of coconut water. Almost got up to 100 degrees this week which is really hot with the humidity BUT I know I will miss the heat when I am freezing in Seattle. Mission life is a good one. :)

I'll write a better email next week, it will be my last one! Can't wait to see all of you soon!!

Much love,

Sister Lauren Mather

17 Months and My Last Division:(

I woke up Tuesday to the cutest little decorations for my last month-versary in the mission! 17 months passed so fast.

Had divisions this week and I got to stay with Sister Bonierski for a day. We treated ourselves to mini coxinhas e brigadeiros, love that girl. The day before, me and Sister Hamilton got the wrong bus to where we were meeting up and ended up leaving the city of Maceio on accident... we ended up 2 hours in the buses but eventually made it there and made a few friends on the buses in the meantime. Always an adventure :)

Elisangela came to church yesterday and she is showing so much faith in the midst of everything going on in her life and family. Her father-in-law passed away, her nephew is in a coma, but she still finds time for God which is so rewarding to see.

Joas and Adriana are getting busier and busier but the wedding is still on track and the baptism as well!! They are stressed but also really excited and we were able to organize the documents this week- there's just one more that we are waiting on. It will be a simple but pretty wedding and I'm hoping and praying that everything works out. Please keep them in your prayers this week too!!

Yesterday I got a little frustrated when, again, after working so hard the entire week, everyone except Elisangela fell through for church. Sometimes I feel like we should be meeting more people and helping more people with all the work we are doing. But every time I start to think that way, I am reminded that I'm not working for that, that I am here serving the Lord, and that no matter what, He sees my work and my efforts. I could do everything in my power to try and repay him and it would never even come close but my mission is an opportunity for me to show my gratitude and love for him. And he always sends tender mercies to show me He is aware of me and loves me more than I know.

I love Brasil and am so grateful the Lord sent me here to be an example of His love <3

And I love all you guys!!

Love,
Sister Lauren Mather

photos:
17 months!! we bought 2 liters of açaí to celebrate and it didn't last very long
giant wall in our area
i caught a lizard
divisions and grota with bonierski
xmas lights in our apartment building!!
pizza night- every single friday

Wedding Planners

We were finally able to mark a date for Joas and Adriana's wedding and baptism!! Literally the same day we scheduled the wedding, another crazy lady in the ward who already got married about 6 other times before scheduled her wedding the same day, same time. She caused quite the drama and we ended up having to switch ours to one day earlier but it all worked out in the end. Adriana was born in Manaus so we ran into a little trouble getting all her documents figured out but I have faith it will all work out before I go home. The best way to end the mission!!! They are so excited and besides Adriana's documents, they already figured out everything for this to come through. Joas skipped lunch 3 days in a row to go to the government office and figure out all the details and every time we visit them I am more and more impressed at their faith after just 2 months of knowing the gospel.

Other than that, everyone else is sort of on pause... Elisangela had a family emergency and Jancleide is waiting for an answer from God. We did a LOT of contacting this week and met a few really cool people which makes me optimistic for this week to come.

Other highlights of the week: we both gave talks in church yesterday! Spontaneous haircut(just a trim), pizza Friday night(always) and a kind member of our ward came this morning to cut our bunkbeds into 2 normal ones, thank goodness, and our apartment building decorated for Christmas!!

Thank you guys for all your support and love, please send a few prayers for this wedding and baptism to work out!!

Love you all,

Sister Lauren Mather

photos/videos:
christmas tree in our building
haircut
farewell bunkbeds, hallelujah
literally every kid on the street

Miracles Take The Shape Of Ubers Too

So being the responsible sisters we are... we ran out of money this week and don't have a bank close to our house to be able to withdraw more. Tuesday night, we visited a couple and stayed until 9:20, and we needed to get home before 9:30 but the walk home was about 20-30 minutes. We weren't really sure what we were going to do but without us saying anything, they got an uber for us and put it on their card! The next day, we walked to our district meeting, whereas we generally ask for someone to call us an uber. On the walk home, the sun was SO hot and I was wishing in my head that Brasil was 50 degrees colder when a random car stopped us. It was a couple and their 3 year old son but I didn't recognize them? They explained that they live in our apartment building and always see us coming and leaving so when they saw us in the hot sun walking home they felt like they had to stop and offer a ride home. It was the smallest little thing, like the night before, but just more little tender mercies that always tell us how much our Heavenly Father is looking out for us.

Had a family night with Joas and Adriana this week which was super fun! Josh(4) threw a fit but it wouldn't be family night without something like that right? Love this family.

Still visiting Elisangela but found out this week she receives a pension from the government and if she gets married legally, she will lose it... complicated but we are hoping to help her have the faith to put the "kingdom of God" first and all the other things will come into place(Matthew 6:33).

Jancleide is the other woman that came to church with us last week... she was already taught my missionaries before and likes to read the Book of Mormon and even cried in church on Sunday because she felt the Spirit so strong but also is super involved with the baptist church and I think she is scared to leave her comfort zone. Like I said before, I think one of the biggest things that holds people up is just fear of change, fear of judgement, fear of something different. And when we have fear, there's no way our faith can be strengthened. Complicated.. but the is really cool and I am hoping that the more she reads the Book of Mormon, the more she feels the Spirit, the more she will be able to trust the impressions God is giving her.

Love you all so much and hope you had a great Halloween, we celebrated with pumpkin carving (with our plastic-wrapped cell-phone as the candle) :)

Love,

Sister Lauren Mather

As If I Haven't Seen Enough Miracles...

I don't have very much time because we got here late and I have been trying to figure out how I am going to register for school BUT I wanted to tell you guys the coolest story really quick!! Last week, we had divisions, and Sister Bonierski came to spend the day with me. All of our visits fell through, so we stopped on the street to look at our planners at who else we could try and visit. We were standing there, the only people on the street, when all of a sudden "Peace in Christ," a song from the church, started to play out of the house in front of us!! We both looked a little shocked at each other and she asked if I had any idea who lived there. I responded that I didn't, so we immediately knowcked on the door and met Elisangela!! We told her we hear her music and asked how she knew it- she replied that her son, who lives in another part of Maceio, is serving a mission in Curitiba! And guess where Sister Bonierski is from? Curitiba. They immediately started talking about Curitiba and she started telling stories and we hit it off really fast. She then brought out a picture of her and 2 sisters that served here earlier this year!! They were visiting Elisangela, but she was nervous to go to church because she only knew people in her son's ward. She also isn't married, and when the sisters were visiting her, her husband didn't want to get married and she couldn't be baptized without being legally married. But she was already taught EVERYTHING and even stopped smoking to be able to be baptized, but it never worked out. She lost contact with the sisters when they left, but her husband changed his mind a few weeks ago finally and they have plans to get married!! She said she has felt God touching her more and more lately and that when we showed up on her door it was an answer to her prayers and one more sign she received from God. She went to church with us yesterday and made so many friends in the ward and we are helping her to get ready to be baptized. She got into the habit of smoking every once in a while again so we made goals and plans for her to stop and are hoping she can be baptized in November. Today, she took us to the beach and made us lunch and it was such a fun day. I love my mission and can't imagine not having come here and not met these people.

Sorry I don't have time to write more but other highlights of the week included: Joas and Adriana- I love them. Meeting Jancleide,who was also taught a while ago and came to church yesterday,and the beach this morning. Lots of pictures just ot make y'all in that WA rain a little jealous ;)

Love you all!

Sister Lauren Mather

i just threw all of these pictures and videos in here so i apologize if some of them are bad