It's a major award!

Well I'm assuming since none of you mentioned it in your email, that you guys haven't checked the blog lately. If you check it real soon, you'll see that the one and only Elder Reichman was a runner up for the clean apartment awards this month! how do you like them apples? I bet you guys can't believe that. I can't believe it. Our apartment isn't messy, but it's not exactly pristine. I hear that there is a little bit of rigging going on in the awards, but it was still awesome. reward? glory. And Lunch with President and Sister Baker! It was really cool to have lunch with them and just get to talk to them. There were 8 elders there, including Elder Auna from my MTC district. It was really fun. And I got 3 candy bars! It was a good day. Anyway, keep your eye on the blog, and my mug should be up there soon.

And now....for the real news of the week!

Esta semana fue muy bien. tuvimos mucho exito esta semana. Encontramos diez investigadores nuevos! Es increible. Lo mal es muchos de los investigadors tienen que trabajar en domingos y solo podemos ensenarles mensual. No tuvimos un bautismo este domingo, pero, vamos a tener un bautismo este semana y un otro bautismo la proxima semana. Nuestra investigadora que va a ser bautizada esta semana es estupendo. Ella tiene un esposo moreno y dos hijos morenos y todos hablan espanol. Su famila no tiene interes. Pero, ella es muy fuerte, y a ella le gusta el evangelio mucho y tiene un testimonio fuerte. ya ella lee el libro de mormon durante su almuerzo! Fuimos al centro de visitantes ayer, y eso fue muy bien. El centro es increible! Tenemos que regresar despues mi mision. Esta bien? Yo llore un poco durante el video acerca de la familia. Les extrano, pero estoy haciendo la obra del senor. espero que ustedes tengan una buena semana! Les quiero!

Matt’s translation: This week went really well. We had a lot of success this week. We found 10 new investigators! It's incredible. The bad part was a lot of our investigators have to work on Sundays and we can only teach them once a month. We didn't have a baptism this Sunday, but we are going to have a baptism this week and another baptism the next week. Our investigator that is going to be baptized this week is stupendous. Her family isn't interested. But she is very strong and she likes the Gospel a lot and has a strong testimony. She already reads the Book of Mormon during breakfast. We went to the visitor's center yesterday and it went really well. The center is incredible. We have to return after my mission. Is that OK? A cried a little during the video about the family. I miss you all, but I'm doing the work of the Lord. I hope you all have a great week. I love you!

From Amy: Silly Matt, almuerzo means lunch, not breakfast!

From Matt: Whoops! Actually, at least in Puebla, it's used more like brunch. We called lunch "la comida" (the food). Not sure why.

Family!

This week has been interesting. It hasn't even been a full week since I wrote you last, but I feel like I've got tons to write you. It's been a good and a bad week. We've had some really good lessons and success, but personally I've been having a little trouble getting stressed. I was doing better, and then for a couple days I just got really, really stressed. But elder Watkins gave me a blessing, and that changed everything. I feel much better, i'm still feeling pretty stressed, but my mind feels like it's where it should be. My body just needs to get with the program. I'm very grateful for the power of the priesthood this week. First, with a blessing for myself. Second, me and elder Watkins got to give two blessings this week. I actually gave one, but I got to do it in English. It still terrifies me in English, I might pass out my first spanish one. I'm slowly learning how to do them in spanish. I'm feeling better about my ability to do that. I also got to help confer the melchizadek priesthood on one of the recent converts in this ward, that was pretty cool. Although I still feel like people are going to look up and be like, hey, what's that kid doing in the circle up there? Isn't there a microphone for him to be holding or something? It's a really weird feeling. Our week went really well. We had such a good lesson with our investigator. She's getting baptized this sunday, at least as long as nothing goes wrong. But we just have to teach her about tithing, and then she's all ready. She's so awesome. I contacted her my second day in the mission, and she's the lady I accidentally started speaking english too. It was very inspired that we just randomly contacted her. And her husband and family aren't very interested, so she's going solo right now. but she's doing so well. She has such a strong testimony, and she loves to read the book of mormon. she reads the bom and the bible side by side, and brings her book of mormon to work everyday to read during lunch. It was so cool. The really cool part, was she had an FHE with a family here. They were just recently baptized, and they mentioned how they had to give up coffee to be baptized. We were worrying about that, and we went to her house thursday to teach the Word of Wisdom. She likes her coffee, she drank about 5 cups a day. But we got there, and started teaching, and we hardly even had to teach her. she gave up coffee after the members just told her about it! It was so cool. She replaced it with green tea, which we then had to tell her wasn't very good either. But she's doing well. Our lesson on saturday went really well. We taught her in the church, and we kind of did a church tour as we were teaching her. We taught the gospel of jesus Christ, and it was really cool pointing out the aspects of it that we find in the church. It helped me find a lot more meaning in the weekly things we do at church. But she's so awesome. I'm so excited for her to get baptized. I know we made a difference in her life. She wasn't sad when we met her, but you can tell she's happier now, she laughs and smiles a lot during our lessons, and she's always so happy to see us. We didn't see her for a couple days, and she told us she missed us. She started crying during one of our lessons, and at least from what all I understand in spanish, this is making a big difference to her. It's so cool. This is what missionary work is all about. After our lesson on thursday night, I was so happy. Nothing makes you happier than a good lesson with a good investigator. It feels so good. We have another investigator who will be baptized next week, but she's been investigating for 10 years, I really didn't have much to do with that. And then another will be baptized as soon as she finds her husband in guatemala and gets divorced from him, and then another just has to wait to get off probation. We also found 10 new investigators this week! We were on a role. the only bad part is most of them only want to meet once a week, and a lot of them can't ever attend church because of work. So we'll see. We've had a lot of success here. But things are going to change a little next transfer. One of our zone leaders is leaving, and he pretty much told us that Elder Watkins is going to replace him. So I'm going to get a new companion in another week or so! So that will be interesting. It probably means I'll be staying here though, which is good, we've got a lot of potentials right here, a lot of potential in this area.

And that's my news for the week. And if you see a new Nike commercial anytime soon, and it happens to take place in a school in LA, they filmed that here. Me and Elder Havas were walking, and we just saw this helicopter flying super low over this high school, and we figured somebody got shot. But they were actually filming a commercial. But you see helicopters all the time, they're always flying over us looking for people. It's crazy. You all might not want to come back and visit haha. There's really not too much to see here. But anyway, that was my week, I love you all, and I can't wait to hear from you next week! have a great week! and I'll leave you with my favorite new scripture. It's 2nd Nephi 8:12-13. It pretty much says, you are a child of God. Why would you ever be afraid? It's really good. Anyway, I love you all! have a great day!

Josh-You got surpreichmoed! How does that feel? Remember when me and B did that to you a little while ago? that was awesome. Sounds like everything is going great for you bud, I hope you continue to enjoy everything and I'll talk to you next week! Can you throw a flick and a hammer yet?

Amy- Yay for running! sometimes me and elder watkins run in the mornings. i super hate it. It feels so terrible running that early. But at least the weather is always perfect here. That stinks that you never get to see Carebear. It's just like a sleepover! Except he's flying....but anyway. That's cool. I'm super jealous of your bluebell and brownies. I just ate at a korean barbecue. It was super delish. but I'm super full now. I ate way too much. Why is our conversation always about food?

B-I am glad you're doing physics and not me. I've decided i'm going to be a professional food taster. I'm getting good at it. That supreichmo sounds awesome. I'm so jealous. I hope the ladies continue to treat you well, and just remember. girls are like trolley cars, you miss one, you hop on the next-barth palmer/vader

Matt-Aguas! As soon as you typed me that phrase, somebody told me about it. So it actually does exist. Your surpreichmo sounds awesome. you got Josh so good. I love it. I can't believe that salesman. Has the same size mole as you. That just doesnt happen very often. Lauren! I hope you weren't too lonely while matt was gone. It was probably nice to not have somebody farting in your house for once. That might be the first time that's ever happened.

Kt-So bad news. I don't know if you guys got an email, but they want me to deactivate my facebook. So Sadly I'm going to have to ask you do that I think. If you could get the mission information for a few of my friends before you do, that'd be awesome. Notably, TJ melanson, Jacob Guest, Trevor Anderson, William higbee, Orion howard, that'd be great. I'm going to be an aunt in about a month! that's so crazy. You're way too young to have a baby. and I'm way too young to be on a mission. it's crazyness. And Todd, good luck. I'm glad to hear your work situation is getting closer to settling down, but I know whatever you do, you're going to do great. You can talk to anybody, and everybody loves you. you're good enough, you're smart enough, and doggone it, people like you.

Mops and pops-I love you guys! I can't wait to get my package this week, or next. I'm glad you had a good weekend, with lily and surpreichmos to keep you busy. although hopefully only the former peed on the rug. Thanks for all you do, and I will write you next week!