October 20, 2019

October 20, 2019

With the changes to communication it feels as if there is less and less to add to the blog each week because Matthew calls or messages, but never writes...and we are back to having to beg for pictures.  Hopefully we can soon inspire him to send more pictures again.

Let's see what updates we can share since the last post:

• Matthew has been reading a lot in Revelation and enjoying that.
• He's been struggling a little with this companion (the companion doesn't like to be active and has taken issue to some of Matt's idiosyncrasies.  Slowly they have adjusted to each other.  We will see if a transfer happens this week or switches things up.
• Matthew loves being able to drive.  He has had to be very cautious because there is "tracker" of sorts in the car that give a report on how he drives.  This is good for him :)
• He has spent more time this transfer doing family history because his companion like it.
• A surprise visitor got to stop by and say hello to Matthew.  Aunt Angie, Uncle Casey, and their family were on vacation and took a minute to surprise Matthew and his companion and gave them a much appreciated basket full of treats.

• Matthew and his companion locked themselves out of their apartment and had to climb up to the balcony to be able to get back in.
• He enjoys playing the piano on Pdays when they are at the church.
• He enjoyed General Conference and said his favorite talk was Peter M. Johnson's.  
• They have been meeting new people and sharing some lessons, but Matthew doesn't tell us a whole lot about the people, just that he likes them.
• Zachary and Joshua like to send Matthew video chats to tell him hello.
• Matthew likes it when multiple companionships meet at the church on Pdays.  Sometimes they play spikeball, sometimes volley ball, and the new game they play a lot of is chess. Matthew loves chess, so this is a good thing.  He even bought a chess set and had it sent to himself there.  

We will hear from Elder Harding on Tuesday this week since it is transfer week.  We are hopeful that prayers will be answered and this next transfer will be better for him no matter what that mean...if it with the same companion we pray for them to have better communication.

Here are the scriptures that Matt has shared in the past few weeks:

• 2 Nephi 2:11
• 2 Nephi 33:10-11
• 1 Nephi 8:11-12

September 29, 2019

September 29, 2019

It's been awhile since the last update...transfers week was a few weeks ago, and Matthew moved to Renton, WA and is companions with Elder Williams.  Elder Williams has been out exactly the same length of time as Matthew, and they started their missions together in the Federal Way area - just with different companions. Matthew's most exciting thing about this transfer so far is that he gets a car and will be the one driving because his companion doesn't have a mission license.

During this month Matthew has also hit a major milestone...his one year mark and hump day!

Because this was taken on the 20th, he is now even further along at 51%.  He says the week before the 1/2 mark went really slow, I'm hoping to hear this week that it has sped up some.

This past week the missionaries got to go to the Seattle Temple.  Matthew has been struggling a little in the area and had a harder time going this trip.  I'm hoping the blessings will follow him out of the temple and help him to have had a better week this week.

I've forgotten to ask him for his scripture these past few weeks (we really haven't gotten to talk to him as much) and will hope to get that from him tomorrow.  For now here are a few a other random pictures I found that he took.

September 8, 2019

Phone calls instead of texts lead to less to share each week on the blog.  Hopefully as Matthew begins to send more pictures we will have more to add.

I challenged him to get me at least two pictures with his missionary tag this week.  He succeeded, and surprisingly I found even more on his drive :)

In addition to lots of information about his new favorite breakfast, cinnamon bacon rolls (pictured below), he also tells us that on p-days he and his companion and some of the other elders have been playing quite a bit of pool.  Amidst his pictures was an eleven minute video of one of the pool games!  Yes, he indeed likes pool :)

The next pictures were found on his shared photos. 

This first one appears to be the missionaries in the Bellevue area.

I think these are from a dinner at a member's house.

He has a great view!  I think he can see the temple from his apartment.

We have heard that last night there was quite the storm in Seattle.  Matthew actually had a short video of the rain with a couple of flashes of lightening, but they didn't show to well.  We will have to ask him about the storm when we get to talk to him this week.

His scriptures for the past couple of weeks are John 7:16 and Alma 30:53.

Transfers are this week, so we will soon be finding out if he moves or stays in Bellevue and if he continues with Elder McNabb.

August 25, 2019

August 25, 2019

So Matthew has become an avid player of pool!  Yes, you read that right.  He and his companion spend a lot of their PDays playing pool.  When I checked for photos today there were none, but there sure was a video of pool.  I don't know whether to laugh or lecture him about sending me real pictures.

We did get some pictures from him through chat this week, so I am happy with that.  Looks like the group in  his area have a lot of fun together.

It is great to talk to Matthew every week, but I really do get just as excited when I get more pictures from him :)

We enjoy learning about the people he is serving and meeting.  He doesn't share spontaneously as much about that as he does when he's talking about what he and the other missionaries do, but he will share stories when we ask about it.  Most important it is great to hear that he know he is there doing what the Lord wants and is growing his own testimony.  It is crazy to think that he has been in Seattle 11 months already!

His scripture for this week is John 7:16

August 11, 2019

August 11, 2019

Sorry it's been awhile since the last post; life has been a bit crazy both here and in Seattle.

We have learned that Matthew will quickly send me lots of pictures if he wants something.  When I told him in exchange for pictures he could have money for a guitar he quickly sent these:

We tried to tell him that we wanted them more spaced out, but ya know we will take what we can get.  

At the end of July Matthew had another bike accident :(  He tells us that even the mission president was worried about how many falls he's had (6 in 3 months!).  In this last fall he buggered up his hand and cracked his helmet.  So he had to go get a new helmet. He sent the picture below as a joke, but we told him seriously he might need to consider something that extreme if he keeps crashing.  Hopefully he will get the hang of this bike thing soon. 

We got another picture from the bribe.  In this one he was showing off his nice coat.  I'm glad he like it and says it helps when it rains.  I told him after this picture he needs a haircut and we will add funds for that.

And here is the guitar.  It's been damaged before and the music store told him it probably won't last long, but Matthew is excited to have it.  Music is powerful so I understand why he would like to have this as an outlet.  If this one doesn't last we may have to look into another option for him.

Matthew has been struggling with a little bit of homesickness and had his first couldn't come home for event when his Grandmother passed away on July 22nd.  He had gotten to talk to her a little bit couple of weeks earlier on dad's birthday, but he was still sad he couldn't come home.  We talked a lot to the mission president about how he was doing and all decided that it was better for Matthew to stay in Seattle.  The mission president was also very understanding about how he wanted to be there and part of the family and let us have him on the phone with us during the family prayer, and he got to call and talk to dad a bit later in the afternoon.  I think that seemed to help.

The weekend of the funeral was also the end of a transfer.  We found out on July 29th that Matthew was getting a new companion, but he was staying in Bellevue.  His new companion is Elder McNabb; he is from Las Vegas, NV.  Last week he didn't tell us too much about him, but says that so far they seem to get along okay.  

Matthew is really good about calling his dad every week to chat, and he using the chat feature to clue me in a little about what he's up to.  It has been nice for Dave and Matthew to get to talk regularly, and the kids get to talk to him when he can.  

I finally remembered to ask him for a scripture and need to keep reminding him to send them each week.  This week he shared 2 Nephi 29:7-9.  It talks about the witness of Christ on both nations and that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever.  I can't wait to hear Matthew expound more.  I'm hoping he will start sharing why he chose the scripture and not just the scripture.

Until next week, keep our missionary in your prayers. 

July 14, 2019

Elder Harding is having a great time in Bellevue.  We haven't had much written communication from him, but he does call each week.  It was really cool that he got to call home on his dad's birthday too. 

He and Elder Fullmer are getting along well and working hard to meet new people.  They have had a few days that have gotten really warm, but it's not quite as hot there as it is at home. 

I will have to remind him to share weekly scriptures with me again as he has forgotten the past few weeks (as well as forgetting his mom likes pictures).

Hopefully our next update will have some more exciting information to share :)

June 30, 2019

June 30, 2019

Matthew has made it through another transfer, and he is staying in Bellevue with Elder Fullmer.  He has been out 285 days now... it's crazy!

The one thing he still struggles with is staying on his bike!  He had another accident this past week and hurt his hands, but thankfully it didn't give him a concussion like last time.
















We reminded him that it might be a good idea to remember to wear gloves while he is riding ;)













Some pictures he's taken in the last couple of weeks...

This is a beautiful sunset!

PDay shopping - I guess he really wanted some pistachios ;)

New shoelaces so he can finally wear this pair of shoes again :)

His desk area at his apartment in Bellevue.

The missionaries hosted a car wash for the community.  This is the Matthew we remember :)

He seems to be doing very well and is hoping to meet some new friends in the area soon so they can immerse themselves in teaching.  For now he is going to a bible study group, working hard, and learning to trust the timing of the Lord.