Tuesday, January 4, 2011

HEY AGAIN FAMILIA!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wow so itz wild that we got to talk on saturday! Its so weird to be so disconnected in that form for so long and then just BANG talk with my beautiful family for a while! Thank you so much for that call! I also realized how incredibly easy it is so call my family! NOOOOO satan is not going to get me to be doing any of that shenanigans! Well mom thanks for sending all those gifts too it made christmas so fun also to get fun things and open them like good times but talking with my beautifful familia is what its all about! Well i guess I will fill in whoever hasnt heard yet. Well Elder Ratelle Left Zaragoza 2 days before christmas. yeah come on FOR REAL! Well I was just about to leave and go to the tienda to possible make some baked goods for the season when one of the assistence called telling me I needed to hurry and pack because I was going to be involved in the wonderful E Changes or EMERGENCY CHANGES. Not only was I going to leave this place 2 days before Christmas but i was going to one of the neatest places in the mission...SANTIAGO ATITLAN!!!!!!!!!! This town is right on the Shores of lake atitlan or supposedly the waters of mormon and they speak a language called Tzutujil! YEAH I NEED TO LEARN A NEW LANGUAGE! Its an old mayan language and it sounds really rad but gosh its going to be crazy to learn it but I am grateful for this unique and special experience that I get to have here that few elders have. Also in the past the elders wore these pants called scoff or somthing like that which i am wearing in those pictures but now we dont. However everyone else pretty much does and they kinda look like pirates! Its pretty tight! Also the people here are very kind and I think I am going to really enjoy them! I have a feeling that there will be alot of storys in the future.
Well my first sunday here was pretty good! The building is actually 2 levels and there were about 119 people there or somthing like that so its a pretty big branch. It could be a ward i think but we are in a district not a stake so thats impossible. We had one family there at church Carmen her husband Jose and little LUPE! We had a lesson the other day with Carmen and little lupe and we extending the baptism question. Its not forsure but our goal is in 2 weeks. She needs to get married to jose and all that jazz first and they are just living here with a member family and we are not sure when they will leave and all that so we are hoping they wont leave permenantly for a little bit. Also in church most of the talks and lessons were a mix of spanish and tzutujil so that was kinda rad slash in priesthood I kinda tuned out! I need to get on with this language. Well line upon line.

Well I love you guys so much and pray for me that I can have help from heaven with this new language! I hope you guys have a fantastic New year and know that I love you all sooooooooooooooo freaking much! BYE MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

EMAIL
matthew.ratelle@myldsmail.net

Letters & Package Address
Elder Matthew James Ratelle
Guatemala Guatemala City Central Mission
apartado 921-A Zona 9
01009 Guatemala City
Guatemala
502-2331-8609

The MTC





































Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Adios Hayden, Hola Provo MTC


We said "Hasta Luego" to Matthew this morning at the Spokane Airport. Very Exciting and Heartwrentching!!! Matthew- You have such an abundance of Love for others and are a friend to all!!! Yea for the good people of Guatemala! They are going to love you!

Tuesday, March 9, 2010

Mission Call

We received a phone call from Matthew on February 18, 2010. He informed us that he received his mission call and so we organized everyone so that we could all be together as he read his mission call. Alyssa called in from BYU-I, Caleb called from his CYT (Christian Youth Theater) class, Doug, Joshua and I watched from our home computer using Skype, and Matthew went over to Michael and Brittany's house with many friends. We were all so excited when he read that he would be going to the Guatemala City Central Mission! His 1st day in the MTC will be on May 26th. It will be wonderful to use the Spanish that he has studied for 4 years!

Matthew, You have prepared yourself well! The people of Guatemala are going to love you! I am so happy for you and this priceless opportunity to serve!!

Love Always,
Mom