5/21 Rat Race

Hey family! This was another crazy week, lots of traveling! We left for Tacna on Monday afternoon, got there that night with President Zobrist in time for dinner, and crashed at the hotel. Tuesday we did divisions with the zone leaders in Tacna, and I got to go in a trio with Elder Wagner and his comp, Elder Moll, who are both from my MTC group and some of my best mission friends, so needless to say we had a really good time. We ended the night with President taking all of the stake presidents and zone leaders to eat at that good steak place in Tacna, and it still hasnt disappointed. Wednesday we did divisions with one of the new district leaders in Tacna and it went really well, and then we had a zone conference that started at night, which we usually dont do, but decided to so that the bishops could go to the conference. We talked about how to work better together using the new area plan from the area presidency, which is really focused on the youth. Thursday we headed out to Moquegua and did divisions with the zone leaders there (Elder Evans is still there haha) and then had the same thing, zone conference at night. We stayed with the ZLs Thursday night and then Friday we left Moquegua in the afternoon to come back to Arequipa. So, long story short, long week, but a good one. 

When we got to the room in Moquegua, the sister that lives downstairs called us frantically because a rat had gotten into her kitchen. So we, being the good Elders that we are, went down with brooms and wooden rods determined to exterminate the infestation. Elder Evans carefully started moving the boxes out of the corner where it was hiding while we all waited ready to pounce. Sure enough, it came running, right toward me, and I smashed it with a wooden stick. It tried playing dead on us, but we're smarter than that so we flung outside and then proceeded to bash its brains out with the sticks, and then, as a sign of victory for us and as a warning to the other rats who want to come in, we doused it in rubbing alcohol and set it on fire. Moral of the story, don't mess with the kitchens of the members when the elders are around. 

This week will be busy too. More zone conferences, more traveling. I'll be doing divisions in Pedregal, so it'll be fun to see all of my converts and talk to my pension, because it has been almost a year since I've seen them. Thank you for your love and for all your prayers. See you soon!

Elder Matheson