Hello Everyone,
This week has been fantastic! I have learned a lot, and had many great experiences. We went on exchange with two areas this week, Winona and Sparta. In Winona, I was with an Elder, who flew out to Minnesota with me but was not in my district. The next day I traded off and went on exchange with an Elder in Sparta. He is from Salt Lake City, Utah and we actually know a few of the same people! He is really cool, and I had a really great time working with him, and getting to know him. He has been out for about a year. Anyways, with these two exchanges back to back things were kind of crazy, but really fun! I absolutely love going on exchange with other missionaries.
The Mormon Tabernacle Choir has been in Minnesota for about a week now, performing at the Target Center I believe. They also presented a plaque to the city of Black River Falls, Wisconsin. Unfortunately we weren't permitted to attend either of these events, but on Saturday we were given permission to go out of our areas to meet up with four other missionaries to visit the area of Black River Falls and to see how receptive the people were to the choir's visit. We met with some really cool people! A lot of Native Americans live there, and we even met with a woman who lived in India. The woman from India was Hindu, but she loved the message that we had to share with her, and she was highly interested in the standards of our beliefs for her son. She isn't too committed just yet, but I think in time she will accept the gospel.
We have had a lot of exchanges and trips this month, and for our car we are only allowed 900 miles a month for our area. This presents a problem! The only solution is bike riding. I was actually kind of excited at first, a new experience, riding a bike in dress clothes. The thrill began to ware as I began to realize that my bike came with a generic bike seat, it felt like I was sitting on a piece of metal! And to get really personal with you all, I have an extremely flat derriere. That equals out to NO extra padding! I still have a bruise from all the bike riding we have been doing, but I purchased a big padded bike seat, and things are much better now.
As some of you may have heard, there was a worldwide missionary broadcast this Sunday. Elder(s) L. Tom Perry, Neil L. Andersen, Russell M Nelson, Boyd K. Packer, and President Thomas S. Monson all spoke to us! One of the first speakers, Elder L. Tom Perry announced that Facebook, Email, and Mormon.Org will be open to missionaries to use during less productive hours of the day (the morning). They also shared many videos with missionaries using iPads and Tablets. A man who works for the church was visiting some family in our ward, and told us that the church has piloted the use of tablets and iPads and that they will be sending those out soon enough! Very exciting news :) It will be at least a few months until this announcement will take affect, but still exciting nonetheless. There was also a HUGE emphasis on member missionary work. Maybe in the near future we will have an overwhelming amount of member referrals that we won't be able to handle them all!
This week my companion and I have had an extraordinary amount of canceled appointments. I know there are people out there who have been prepared for us to share this great message with them, we are just having a really difficult time finding them!
As always, thank you all SO much for your letters and emails! I am always so inspired after reading and responding to all of your kind words :) I can't wait to see you all again in two years. Love and miss you all!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wisconsin. Show all posts
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday, June 3, 2013
Elder Andrews' First Area
Hello Everyone,
This past week has been one of new experiences, and has taught me a lot of new unexpected lessons. On Wednesday, we flew out to Minnesota and were met at the airport by President and Sister Clements. They are so great! They both have such great big hearts, and want to help us to the best of their ability to make this mission the best it can possibly be :) And well, Minnesota is a lot different than I was expecting. The pictures that I googled looked very similar to New York City. It is definitely different! It is full of trees, and is quite flat. There are lakes everywhere, and there are seriously like hardly any big buildings.
As soon as we all collected our bags, we loaded up on vans and drove to the mission home in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our group that flew out was the best! 25 of us flew out to Minnesota, and I was the travel leader so it was so cool getting to know everyone from the MTC that was going to our same mission. Only three other people from my district are in this mission, so it was exciting to meet so many other people.
At the mission home we met a lot of the senior missionaries, and the mission AP's. They were all so kind and welcoming, you couldn't help but feel loved. It was very different, and extremely nerve racking, but we knew we were in good company.
The weather out here reminds me a lot of Utah. When we arrived, it was quite hot and humid. I absolutely LOVED it! About an hour later, it was freezing cold and raining. I guess I will need to invest in a good rain jacket soon.
At the very end of the day, we had a big joint meeting with the trainers who had just arrived, and all of the incoming missionaries. We then received our assignments. I am currently serving in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is a car area, and the day we arrived, this area got a new car! We drive a 2013 Toyota Corolla.
My companion really is very nice. He loves being a missionary, and he has a great testimony of the gospel. He is from Arizona, and this is his last transfer, so he will be going home in 6-weeks.
Our apartment is... different. I knew adjusting would be hard, coming from Alpine Village (my college apartment) and from living at home for the last two-weeks before I left. We have a walk in closet, a room for study, a living room, a kitchen, a storage closet, and a bathroom. It is quite outdated, but fairly well kept. I just take things day by day. I organize and clean as I go, and as things are... disrupted... I fix them :)
On our first night, we weren't able to drive all the way to Wisconsin (about a 3 hour drive from Bloomington), so we stayed with our Zone Leaders in Rochester, Minnesota. They are so great! They have so many funny stories to tell, and they even gave me a special gift. Since this is my first transfer, I am officially a "greenie". As a result, they made me a green planner! Pretty cool :)
A couple of days ago, while tracting, we met this older Catholic woman. Her husband cheated on her, and has since then moved out, and she recently lost her driving privileges. Her neighbour told us that she had dementia, and as we talked to her she repeated things she had said multiple times, and went back to the fact that her neighbours big tree had been shedding leaves all over her driveway. We talked to her for a bit, and then helped her to rake and sweep the leaves and throw them away. She was the sweetest elderly lady, and afterwards, she gave us both a can of DIET COKE! I seriously have been having withdrawals, so I almost felt like crying when she brought them out. At this point, I had not had Diet Coke since our plane ride to Minnesota. Luckily now that it is our P-Day, I have stocked up, and will be fine now. Unfortunately, she had no interest in our message, but it was great talking with her and getting to know her.
This mission has been rather difficult, but I am still headstrong. We are constantly sworn at, and get doors slammed in our face. There are some of the kindest and rudest people I have ever met in my life here. I know one day it will be worth it. It just takes a lot of patience, which I am still trying to develop.
To finish, I want to share a poem that was given to us in the MTC by one of the Sisters in our district.
Is It Worth It?
"Is it worth it," I said as I reached our place,
"To get the door slammed in our face?"
"Is it worth it," I said with a heavy sigh,
"To wear this stupid shirt and tie?"
"It is worth it," I said, "When it's fourty below
To walk for miles in a foot of snow?"
I wonder what my friends would say
If I were to GO HOME today.
It's not what your friends would say,
But what the Lord would have you do today.
What if the Savior would have said,
"I think I'll give up before I'm dead.
Is it worth it Father, to do this thing
For a bunch of people I've never seen;
To sweat blood from every pore,
So man may live forever more?"
It's funny that I'm not struck down.
My trials aren't that bad at all.
Compared to Christ's, they're kind of small.
So if you're feeling kind of sore,
Because somebody slammed the door,
Try sweating blood from every pore
For people you've never seen before!
Thank you all so much for you support. I love you all and miss you so very much! I love getting all of your emails and letters, they keep me going :)
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
This past week has been one of new experiences, and has taught me a lot of new unexpected lessons. On Wednesday, we flew out to Minnesota and were met at the airport by President and Sister Clements. They are so great! They both have such great big hearts, and want to help us to the best of their ability to make this mission the best it can possibly be :) And well, Minnesota is a lot different than I was expecting. The pictures that I googled looked very similar to New York City. It is definitely different! It is full of trees, and is quite flat. There are lakes everywhere, and there are seriously like hardly any big buildings.
As soon as we all collected our bags, we loaded up on vans and drove to the mission home in Bloomington, Minnesota. Our group that flew out was the best! 25 of us flew out to Minnesota, and I was the travel leader so it was so cool getting to know everyone from the MTC that was going to our same mission. Only three other people from my district are in this mission, so it was exciting to meet so many other people.
At the mission home we met a lot of the senior missionaries, and the mission AP's. They were all so kind and welcoming, you couldn't help but feel loved. It was very different, and extremely nerve racking, but we knew we were in good company.
The weather out here reminds me a lot of Utah. When we arrived, it was quite hot and humid. I absolutely LOVED it! About an hour later, it was freezing cold and raining. I guess I will need to invest in a good rain jacket soon.
At the very end of the day, we had a big joint meeting with the trainers who had just arrived, and all of the incoming missionaries. We then received our assignments. I am currently serving in La Crosse, Wisconsin. It is a car area, and the day we arrived, this area got a new car! We drive a 2013 Toyota Corolla.
My companion really is very nice. He loves being a missionary, and he has a great testimony of the gospel. He is from Arizona, and this is his last transfer, so he will be going home in 6-weeks.
Our apartment is... different. I knew adjusting would be hard, coming from Alpine Village (my college apartment) and from living at home for the last two-weeks before I left. We have a walk in closet, a room for study, a living room, a kitchen, a storage closet, and a bathroom. It is quite outdated, but fairly well kept. I just take things day by day. I organize and clean as I go, and as things are... disrupted... I fix them :)
On our first night, we weren't able to drive all the way to Wisconsin (about a 3 hour drive from Bloomington), so we stayed with our Zone Leaders in Rochester, Minnesota. They are so great! They have so many funny stories to tell, and they even gave me a special gift. Since this is my first transfer, I am officially a "greenie". As a result, they made me a green planner! Pretty cool :)
A couple of days ago, while tracting, we met this older Catholic woman. Her husband cheated on her, and has since then moved out, and she recently lost her driving privileges. Her neighbour told us that she had dementia, and as we talked to her she repeated things she had said multiple times, and went back to the fact that her neighbours big tree had been shedding leaves all over her driveway. We talked to her for a bit, and then helped her to rake and sweep the leaves and throw them away. She was the sweetest elderly lady, and afterwards, she gave us both a can of DIET COKE! I seriously have been having withdrawals, so I almost felt like crying when she brought them out. At this point, I had not had Diet Coke since our plane ride to Minnesota. Luckily now that it is our P-Day, I have stocked up, and will be fine now. Unfortunately, she had no interest in our message, but it was great talking with her and getting to know her.
This mission has been rather difficult, but I am still headstrong. We are constantly sworn at, and get doors slammed in our face. There are some of the kindest and rudest people I have ever met in my life here. I know one day it will be worth it. It just takes a lot of patience, which I am still trying to develop.
To finish, I want to share a poem that was given to us in the MTC by one of the Sisters in our district.
Is It Worth It?
"Is it worth it," I said as I reached our place,
"To get the door slammed in our face?"
"Is it worth it," I said with a heavy sigh,
"To wear this stupid shirt and tie?"
"It is worth it," I said, "When it's fourty below
To walk for miles in a foot of snow?"
I wonder what my friends would say
If I were to GO HOME today.
It's not what your friends would say,
But what the Lord would have you do today.
What if the Savior would have said,
"I think I'll give up before I'm dead.
Is it worth it Father, to do this thing
For a bunch of people I've never seen;
To sweat blood from every pore,
So man may live forever more?"
It's funny that I'm not struck down.
My trials aren't that bad at all.
Compared to Christ's, they're kind of small.
So if you're feeling kind of sore,
Because somebody slammed the door,
Try sweating blood from every pore
For people you've never seen before!
Thank you all so much for you support. I love you all and miss you so very much! I love getting all of your emails and letters, they keep me going :)
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
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