Matt: April 30, 2012

Dear Family,


This week was good. My companion and....his next companion are gonna have to start over from zero because our entire teaching group entered the waters of baptism with me and Indianara de Fatima Gassner was baptized the way Jesus was; by complete immersion, with the age of accountability, and by someone holding the proper priesthood authority of God (yours truly). It was a good day. Here in Guarapuava winter is coming in full force and I´m kinda glad to be getting out of here when I am because this is said to be the coldest city in Brasil. Today we had a zone activity where we played dodgeball for the first time in mission history (probably) and for our luncheon I made Piña Colada mousse. It was good.

Anywho on to the goods. These past two years have been incredible. I knew I would regret it if I didn´t serve a mission, and two years ago set out like Lehi in the beginning of 1 Nefi ch. 8 following an angel not really knowing what to expect, but hoping for something good. I have been blessed more than I ever deserved in the course of my mission, and have met some incredible people that I hope to never forget. Much like Lehi I have found in these last two years what it truly takes to be happy. I have found that fruit that is desirable above all that is desirable, and have worked my fingers to the bone trying to offer that fruit to any and all that would accept it. I can´t say that I was the most effective, or most spiritual missionary, and I was no "John the Baptist" either, but the other day while thinking about finances and in particular my finances and how my life savings was all used up to fund this journey- I felt this overwhelming sense of peace and joy and I knew that there is no ammount of money in the world that can buy the experiences, the growth, the friendships, and the overall awesomeness that I have gone through over the last 24 months, and I felt that I had done what I had been called to do. I haven´t cried yet. I don´t know if that has more to do with the anxiousness of seeing my beloved family again, or because it hasn´t really hit me yet that I am indeed leaving the mission, but I know that this is the work of God. I am happy to say that I helped in the gathering in the small way that I did, and I hope to continue feeling the incredible satisfaction and happiness that comes through the gospel of Jesus Christ with yallsies here in a few days. I know God lives. I know Jesus Christ is indeed my savior and the savior of all the world. I don´t have any doubts about the truthfullness of The Book of Mormon or Joseph Smith as the prophet who translated it. I know that the only thing that can combat and defeat all of the badness that is world is up to it´s neck in, is the goodness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I´m sure that there are many things I could have done better in the course of my mission, but to say I didn´t do the best that I knew how to do would be a lie.

I´d like to close with some inspired words, the first comes from 2nd Timothy 4 verse 7 which reads. "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith"

The other comes from the song "One Headlight" by The Wallflowers. It goes: I haven´t changed, but I know I aint the same.

I love you all. See yallsies Thursday.

Love,

Elder Matthew Wright Gegs Gagon I of Curitiba