Letters from Aaron Matheny, Marlin Porter, and Aaron Murdock

7/12/90

Hello there!  How are you all doing?  I’m doing awesome!!  I am currently serving in Winnipeg.  I really enjoy it here.  The weather is just awesome.  Perfect for tracting which we spend 20 hours a week doing.  My companion is Elder Burrows.  He is from Salt Lake.  We have a lot in common and get along really great.  The work here is going great.  It has to be, look who the Boss is.  We are working hard and striving to be 100% obedient to the rules of the mission. 

There are some really great people here in this part of the Lord’s vineyard.  All we have to do is get out there and work our tails off to find them.  We encounter many nationalities here, Polish, Ukrainian, Filipino, South American, Mexicans, etc.  I love to talk and share the message of the gospel to these people especially.  We are currently working with a 28-year-old guy from the Philippines.  We have had some really great experiences with he and his 7-member family.  We were reading 3 Nephi 11 with him yesterday.  He had a lot of questions and concerns.  It took us one hour to get through that chapter but it was well worth it.  We told him that the only way that he could really know if the Book of Mormon was true was if he was to ask God.  We all knelt down and he said a wonderful sincere prayer.  Afterwards when we were asking him how he felt, he said that it was a “warm, gushing feeling that came all over his body” and he said, “it felt like it was going to lift him up off his knees.”  WOW!!  Was I ever excited.  The Spirit (Holy Ghost) simply answered his prayer.  We invited him to be baptized on the 21^st of July and he accepted.  I have not seen many people baptized thus far but when they come, they are awesome.  I rejoice that I have been but a small part of his wonderful experience.

  As you might be able to tell, I wrote a form letter to all my Family, Friends, and loved ones.  You probably haven’t heard from me for awhile and I will repent of that.  I am very behind in writing.  This sit he only way I could think of to catch up.  I hope you don’t mind.  As I get return letters from you, I will do my best to respond quickly.  I have really enjoyed hearing from you in the past and hope to in the future.  I love you all very much and look forward to seeing you again in 1991.

  I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ so much and am very thankful for the chance I have to share it with others.  Have a super week and do your best in all you do.

  Love, Elder Aaron Matheny

“The hardest gift to give away is kindness, it is usually returned.”

Bro. Parker,                                                     7-9-90

Thank you for your hard work that you put forth into the GUIDElines and into your personal spiritual growth.  I’ll never forget our temple experience, in fact sometimes when I have a free moment (which is rare) I slip into my own Celestial Room and ponder this great and marvelous Plan.  A tremendous feeling of peace covers my heart; however, it is nothing compared to the feeling actually found inside those sacred walls.

  Bro. Parker, you asked if I wouldn’t take the time and share with you my daily schedule so here it is:  Each morning I rise at 5:10 a.m. and shower.  The next hour and a half I follow a personal goal plan of scriptures, language, and discussion study.  At 7:00 a.m., we, as a District, start with song and prayer and personal gospel study hour.  At 8:00 a.m. we clean the house for 15 minutes (each person having a specific job) and then two elders are assigned breakfast and the other two are assigned “Lunner.”  If I’m not cooking I study again the language or lesson plan.  Then, at 9:00 a.m. we have District gospel study and training.  After each morning of spiritual feasting we are out of the door at 10:00 a.m. to being reaping.  From 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. we do various things such as housing, follow-up, call backs, teach lessons, or streeting.  Usually at 3:00 p.m. we eat our “Lunner” and at 4:00 p.m. we are out the door again.  From 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. we basically do the same as in the morning.  From 6:00 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. we are usually teaching.  AT 9:30 p.m. we return home and do phone follow-up and investigator planning, and also the next day’s activities.  Then at 10:00 p.m. I have a half an hour for personal use, such as writing in my journal, study vocabulary, ponder the day, and exercise.  That is a normal day for me here in Japan.  I hope that is what you wanted to know.

  Bro. Parker, I am amazed at the simplicity of our Heavenly Father’s Plan.  However, often through my natural man my spiritual view becomes cloudy and the feeling of simplicity becomes an overwhelming feeling of impossibility.  Too often I forget to look upwards to my Father and submissively ask for clarity and guidance; or if I do look up and state what the Lord can do for me instead of asking what I can do for the Lord.  One of the hardest things I have found in my life is remembering the Lord in all things, especially in the good times.  Too often I expect a million dollar answer from a 10-cent prayer.  You know, God without our prayers would still be God but I without prayer could never be able to find the way home!  For God truly “gives the increase.”  That is a big lesson I learned out here.  Too often I pulled my “spiritual plant” up out of my heart’s soul to see if other roots were growing.  One must have patience with spiritual growth, and I pray that this lesson will not become clouded over but will always remain in my memory – clear and simple!

  As I was reading the GUIDElines I thought to myself, if I could choose one work for each of my brethren, what would it be.  Russ M. – Humility, Duffin – Courage, reed – Confidence, Ben – Sincerity, Mike P. – Love, Mike B. – Compassion, Douggie – Love, Jeff R. – Integrity, Geoff W. – Confidence, Chuck – Faith, Craig L. – Teachable, Eric J. – Submissive, Aaron Murdock – Knowledge, Shad – Commitment, Derek S. – Organization, Zane L. – Unselfish, Aaron Matheny – Constant, Ken B. – Humility, Ryan R. – Committed, David P. – Sensational, Brent P. – Sincere, Paul F. – Firm, Dalin C. – Sincere, Paul G. – Unselfish, Bro. Parker – Thankfulness.  Just to name a few.  My brethren, may the Spirit be with you always is my prayer.  Thank you Bro. Parker for your love.  You are a special person.

  Love, Elder M. Porter

Brother Parker,                         6/20/90

  Sorry for not writing you last week.  Number one, I didn’t have your address, and number 2, I couldn’t get ahold of Duffin to get it.  (Or any of the other Guides for that matter!)

  I love GUIDElines this month!  (June 15)  It’s great hearing of the success of the Brethren around the world.

  It’s wonderful to hear from the other Guides here, either by bumping into them or getting a note in my mailbox.

  I was thinking of what I could say in this letter to better help the Brethren and the future missionaries back home, but behold, what hath been written by my brethren in sufficient, therefore, search the prophets, for they testify of Christ.

  For now behold, all the brethren of the Church, both here and abroad, speak divers tongues and teach the things of God unto all the children of men.

  They all speak the same truths:  Jesus is the Christ, God, our Eternal Father loves us and sent His Only Begotten son; to take upon him death and Hell and thereby break the chains.

  I add my testimony of this work, and these things which many have testified of; that this is the only true Church on Earth today, and God the Eternal Father sent Jesus Christ into the world to save men from their sins if they come to him.

  Boy, the Spirit came upon me while writing this letter and this is the third time I’ve had to re-write this.

  No more time to write!  I love you and UB and Troy and … Oh heck!  I love the whole Program.  Love, Aaron Murdock

CARPE DIEM !

Seize the Day !

Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually.  Alma 57:27

And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all—they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted.

Yea, they were men of truth and soberness, for they had been taught to keep the commandments of God and to walk uprightly before him.  Alma 53:20-21

These are extraordinary times, which require extraordinary men to do extraordinary work for the Lord and His Kingdom.  Keep up the good work!