Hey guys!!! It's been a crazy crazy week and a half!!

First off, I apologize for not writing on Monday. I could only write my family because I flew to Detroit and then to Manchester so I had a busy day. I hate flying... Gets me nauseous. Haha

The last few days at the MTC where fun but also sad because we all had to say goodbye to all the teachers, friends and people we called family. We went to the Provo temple for a walk like 3 times and we got to go inside a few times also. It was hard saying goodbye to everyone but it was also bitter sweet haha we'll see each other again soon. Woke up at 2:45am and was at the airport, packed and ready by 5:30 and our plane didn't leave until 7:30...

The Detroit airport was way to fancy. It had a dude playing piano, a magnetic tram thing that took you down the air port and we watched a dude load our bags. He dropped all of them. Took him twice as long to load haha it was interesting. Then we left for Manchester an hour after we got to Detroit.

We stayed in the mission home where sister Stoker (Mission Mom) made us an amazing dinner, we received iPad minis and a great, warm welcome! (iPad mini accessories welcome cuz I only have 150$ a month for all my needs.. Lol)

The next morning she made us an amazing home made meal! Waffles with home made syrup, butter, eggs and toast! She spoiled us haha and then we went to the Manchester church building where transfers happened.

I am in Bangor Maine, one of the biggest, and 1/3 missions where elders use bikes.... Everywhere else has cars. ... It's crazy... My legs hurt... I'm in a trio!! Which doesn't happen a lot on missions!! My companions are Elder Pace and Elder Millet. They are the zone leaders so I should be careful haha but these dudes are crazy cool! Already taught me so much! My district is nothing but district leaders, zone leaders and sister training leaders... So pretty much I'm one of 3 missionaries that don't have a leadership position hahaha but they all are awesome! Love my district!!

I've already been tracting, street contacting and learning to preach! Elder Millet was in the hospital Thursday because his Asthma has gotten pretty bad. We were concerned for his well being because he went a full day without any meds. We got to the hospital at 9:30 pm and didn't leave until 2:30 am.. haha but other than that, these dudes are awesome! Our mission car that we can borrow from the sisters is a 2015 Toyota Sienna.. We are looking for a sticker that says soccer mom hahah

Long hard days. The New England states are so weird. It's poor, kinda like downtown Tacoma. Everything is old and lots of granite everywhere. Everyone here smokes pretty bad, plays a lot of video games, has different religious beliefs like catholic, baptist and a couple odd ones, a dude said "I'm a follower of Adolf Hitler. Jews and Mormons are swine and evil on this earth" hahah and another lady said that she was a "Greek Orthodox"... I have no idea what that is haha but I've met a lot of Jewish people. Seems to be a common theme out in Maine. The weather is odd. It's pretty cold, like in the 40s but at night it goes down to about 20. We have had a wind storm (makes tornadoes with the leaves all in the ground from fall) and we have had a crazy rain storm also. Dumping like crazy, worse than Washington, like it's coming down in waterfalls and buckets haha but we still work hard! Sunday was interesting. There was a lady breast feeding the whole sacrament lol babies crying and there's a small amount of people in the ward. Very very small wards, but they are awesome, all loving and together and always looking out for everyone.

I've taught a handful of people here, a dude named Daniel is from the Congo and he's investigating, but he claims he's a "prophet" of his own beliefs and has a missionary organization already.. Hitting hard haha but we are trying to help him understand why the apostles are there and why the church is set up the way it is. He's kinda odd.. Another dude josh, has had a rough rough life and he's getting close to baptism!! Crazy stuff!! We also have a solid investigator named Chris, who I think just needs friends so YSA may be something for him, but he's shy and he plays video games 24/7.. He's working on figuring out why he should be baptized and trying to get an answer on his own, so he's close! Our lesson Saturday with him was awesome! We taught about prayer and shared different ways to pray to seek the sincerity and to keep trying, I really felt he came closer to Christ and I'm so excited for him when he decides to get baptized!! I'm really just getting to know people a little and saying my testimony here and there. I'm going to be teaching lessons and all that fun stuff very soon.
Sunday when Elder Pace and I where helping bishop out, we stumbled on a less active lady named Tanya. She has been a member for a year. On Friday, CPS came and removed all 6 of her kids from her custody and now 3 of them are in adopted homes, 2 are in foster care and the infant has a drug addiction it was born with. She's been raped, beaten, abused and just a sad sad story to hear, I almost started crying because I felt so bad that someone could endure all of that and still wake up and know there's a God. Saturday she popped all her pills and tried killing herself, Sunday she came home and started drinking again. Poor poor lady. She says she has been avoiding us, but we explained in the pouring down rain how we are an answer to her prayers. Our job as missionaries and ward council members job is to help her cuz she can have the infant back if she shows she's capable of taking care of him. As of right now I don't know how to start with her other than sharing our love for her and that God will help her but only if she tries to stop. It's so difficult but she needs to start now and we hope and pray she will. I want to help her so so bad, it's so sad and I have faith that I can help her and help her see the Holy Ghost and to know why she's still here and experienced this. This is what a mission is about, I'm so excited!!! This is so cool!! I never thought I could ever get the opportunity to help people that believe there's no hope, but here I am and I'm ready to help the best I can!! On Splits later that afternoon while Elder Pace was gone teaching, Elder Millet and I gave a wonderful blessing to someone that is in the hospital on death row. She has a disease where she loses feeling, muscles and nerves. It's hard to move and she said she's been in the hospital since Halloween. She also shared that as a kid she spend 8 months in a hospital from child abuse. I felt this lady's pain and suffering and agony as she pleaded for life from us. The blessing was amazing and I hope she recovers.

A crazy crazy week and many more to come! We also got 3 inches of snow last night haha

Send me and my comps stuff!!! Thanks!!

2 Bedford Farms Ste 208
Bedford NH  03110-6525
United States - That's the mission home

58 Perkins street apt 2 Bangor Maine 04401  - This is my apartment address

Put my name as Elder Matthew Vogel and use the Postal service. No fed ex or UPS for anyone that wants to send something cool!! Always appreciated!! Me and my companions love food, snacks and nick nack stuff haha

For people in the federal way Washington mission area, there's is an Elder Lesh that should have been transferred there a week or so ago. Take care of him, I was in this brothers district in the MTC and I said that I knew people that would make him feel welcome haha welcome to Washington Elder Lesh! My momma will cook and make you fat for Christmas haha


I'm loving the mission and hope to hear from you all soon! From me it's Elder Millet and Elder Pace and 2 other elders that went home!


Elder Vogel