August 19, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has been busy as usual, but there have been a few things in particular that have stood out. For starters, I broke a MAJOR rule that I set for myself. My companion and I spend a lot of time talking so last Monday when we were running out of time, I realized that I never got my hair cut! My companion told me that he cuts his own hair, and that he could cut mine if I would like. Yikes! I kindly refused, but soon realized that there was not enough time left on P-Day to get my hair cut. Practically shaking, I told him that I would let him cut my hair. Seriously this was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made in my life! My hair means a lot to me, and I cannot stand bad haircuts. I put a lot of trust in my companion’s hands, but he did a great job! Our hair is very similar, which is the ONLY reason I agreed to let him do my hair. It was for sure a trust building exercise in our companionship, but everything worked out in the end :) Phew!
On Tuesday, my companion had to conduct a baptismal interview in Viroqua, Wisconsin where the Sister Missionaries in our district are working. I swear every time we visit a new area, I find somewhere smaller and more rural. The Viroqua branch is in a remodeled dentists office, so it is absolutely tiny. The only thing they are missing is a baptismal font! What do you do if you are having an investigator baptized, and you do not have a baptismal font? RIVER BAPTISM! I thought this only happened in foreign countries, but it is going to happen here in Wisconsin in a few weeks. Crazy! We are trying to get a few of our investigators to attend the baptism, so we can go and see it all go down.
Aside from that, this week has been fairly typical. We taught a couple on Thursday, which was quite an experience! We taught the Law of Chastity, and the man of the house told us that people get married, and later divorced. He said that he didn't want to get divorced and have his wife take all of his money, so he just isn't going to get married until he is absolutely certain! The woman of the house (who is extremely quiet during our lessons mind you) went off, shouting about how all he ever talks about is divorce, and that she came to live with him to get married. It was... interesting to say the least! We smoothed things over, but we realized that for future lessons with a marriage focus, it would be best to have an actual married couple with us. Not that our marriage advice isn't fantastic ;)
I have been SUPER tired this week. I thought that with our daily schedule, and waking up at 6:30 AM every morning would make going to sleep at 10:30 PM a lot easier. That is not the case. I should have known that my body doesn't go to bed before 12:00 AM, just like when I was in high school! I make things work though, it just involves a lot of Diet Coke and Zip Fizz haha :) My companion and I are Diet Coke drinking buddies, but he hasn't acquired a taste for Zip Fizz. Baby steps ;)
The mosquitoes are in full force! When people say that mosquitoes are the Minnesota state bird, they aren't kidding :p Yesterday I got five new mosquito bites, not cool! Hopefully they will start to die out sometime soon. The worst is when they bite through your socks, and you get a mosquito bite on your ankle! I currently have got two of those babies.
All in all, it has been a fantastic week, and we got our transfer calls today, and I will be staying in Sparta, Wisconsin with my companion! I wasn't sure how things were going to work out, but I knew everything would be fine. I prayed anyways that I would stay with my current companion, and it looks like God agreed with me this time ;) We will see how everything works out in the transfers to come, but as for right now I am happy!
I hope everything is going well back home, and that you all have a great week. I love and miss you all, but I know that I am doing an important work here in the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission :) Thank you all for your love and support.
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, August 19, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
He wants YOUR picture -- please send it to him:)
August 13, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has flown by, but has been one to remember! Lots of great things are happening here in the MMM. To start, I have been able to use my Francais a lot lately. We are teaching a man who lives with his member girlfriend. She is from the Ivory Coast in Africa, and speaks French and very little English. My companion and I both took French in high school, but neither of us are particularly talented with our French speaking. Luckily the non-member boyfriend speaks English. They have a very interesting relationship though, because he does not speak ANY French. I am certainly baffled about how they communicate, but I guess love comes in all different forms.
This week we were able to teach two teenage investigators. One of them struggles with the heavy weight of the pains and sorrows that she has experienced in her life. She spends a lot of time crying, and dwelling on the negative and sad aspects of her life, and is unable to find true happiness. My companion and I have both experienced quite a bit of sadness in our lives, and we were able to really relate to her. We had the most incredible lesson, and the spirit was SO strong. My companion and I kept ourselves composed as we taught the lesson, but we were on the verge of tears the entire time. Our investigator said that she had a new found hope, and that she was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel before we left. When we got in the car, neither of us said a word for about five minutes. It felt SO good! It is people like this investigator that I came on my mission to help, I know it.
On Wednesday we had a Zone Conference in Rochester, Minnesota. President and Sister Clements gave great trainings on how we can become better and more effective missionaries. Sister Clements gave us all an MMM Primary Children's Song Book that she created, so now we occasionally sing primary songs in the mornings. The point of her training was that "Everything I Need To Know... I Learned In Primary". Primary songs state the gospel so powerfully and prolifically, and they are so simple and understandable at the same time. It's like the church knew what they were doing ;) Afterwards we had our zone activity. Due to our mileage limitations, the spam factory tour in Austin, Wisconsin was cancelled, so we watched Remember The Titans, and had a barbecue. It was fun to relax and get to know the missionaries in our zone a lot better!
On Thursday I went on exchange with an elder from Moscow, Idaho. He is eventually going to be serving in Brazil, but he is waiting on his Visa. He entered the MTC a week after I did, and is really a great missionary! He has a lot of faith, and is a very hard worker. I was really able to relate to him, and I loved being able to spend the day with him in Sparta. After a few weeks in this new area, I did not get lost when I was on my own in Sparta! I only had to use the GPS a few times, so I was pretty proud of myself.
A while ago we tracted across a woman. She is very busy, and we weren't able to teach her, but we gave her a Book of Mormon. On Saturday, she called us and said that she was reading, and that she looked up lds.org and began reading the D&C to learn more about where the Book of Mormon came from. She then asked us if she could come to church on Sunday! This kind of stuff does NOT happen. We are usually the persistent ones that have to practically beg people to read and to come to church! After church we were able to finally teach her for the first time, and we had an amazing lesson. She is incredible, and I am sure that she has a future with our church.
My companion and I have focused on our companionship unity this week! I was reminded of an activity that we did as State Officers in FCCLA, that Nikki-Sue Larkin came up with. It is called a conversation jar. It is a jar full of conversational questions, and it really helps to spark up fun and unique conversations when there is a lull. We thought it would be perfect for all of our many car trips, so I am excited to see where this idea takes us! (Mom, can you send me a list of possible conversational questions next week. I'm sure the internet has a ton!) I love working with my companion, and have been able to get to know him really well these past few weeks. I hope that we will be able to serve together next transfer, but I don't want to get my hopes up. You never know!
On Sunday, our investigator who was baptized last week was confirmed a member of the church. Oddly enough, she asked me to confirm her! I was a bit shaken in my boots, because I have only known her for a few weeks now, and I have never confirmed anyone in my life. I had to study up quickly on what the heck I was going to say, but it all worked out! That same Sunday I was also asked to give a talk on "The Power of the Book of Mormon." I love speaking in public, but I miss presenting speeches in front of thousands of people – like when I ran for National Office in FCCLA. I guess this is the next best thing. A member here (who used to live in Provo, Utah and knows one of my friends) informed me that my Hollister Cologne was too seductive for a missionary to be wearing. He is hilarious! I love cologne, and I will never change!
As my companion and I have been talking about friends and family back home, he has opened his flip book with pictures and such that he has accumulated. I on the other hand, have pretend friends, because I don't have any pictures to show of anyone ;) This week you should all (whoever is reading this) send me a picture of yourself, so I can have some photographic evidence that I actually know people back home! Thanks!
Well, it has been another crazy, but exciting week in Sparta, Wisconsin! I hope you are all doing well. Because our time on computers is limited in this area, I ask that for the time being you all write me letters rather than emails (I know :p) until I am able to have more time on the computers. I love and miss you all, talk to you soon!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has flown by, but has been one to remember! Lots of great things are happening here in the MMM. To start, I have been able to use my Francais a lot lately. We are teaching a man who lives with his member girlfriend. She is from the Ivory Coast in Africa, and speaks French and very little English. My companion and I both took French in high school, but neither of us are particularly talented with our French speaking. Luckily the non-member boyfriend speaks English. They have a very interesting relationship though, because he does not speak ANY French. I am certainly baffled about how they communicate, but I guess love comes in all different forms.
This week we were able to teach two teenage investigators. One of them struggles with the heavy weight of the pains and sorrows that she has experienced in her life. She spends a lot of time crying, and dwelling on the negative and sad aspects of her life, and is unable to find true happiness. My companion and I have both experienced quite a bit of sadness in our lives, and we were able to really relate to her. We had the most incredible lesson, and the spirit was SO strong. My companion and I kept ourselves composed as we taught the lesson, but we were on the verge of tears the entire time. Our investigator said that she had a new found hope, and that she was beginning to see the light at the end of the tunnel before we left. When we got in the car, neither of us said a word for about five minutes. It felt SO good! It is people like this investigator that I came on my mission to help, I know it.
On Wednesday we had a Zone Conference in Rochester, Minnesota. President and Sister Clements gave great trainings on how we can become better and more effective missionaries. Sister Clements gave us all an MMM Primary Children's Song Book that she created, so now we occasionally sing primary songs in the mornings. The point of her training was that "Everything I Need To Know... I Learned In Primary". Primary songs state the gospel so powerfully and prolifically, and they are so simple and understandable at the same time. It's like the church knew what they were doing ;) Afterwards we had our zone activity. Due to our mileage limitations, the spam factory tour in Austin, Wisconsin was cancelled, so we watched Remember The Titans, and had a barbecue. It was fun to relax and get to know the missionaries in our zone a lot better!
On Thursday I went on exchange with an elder from Moscow, Idaho. He is eventually going to be serving in Brazil, but he is waiting on his Visa. He entered the MTC a week after I did, and is really a great missionary! He has a lot of faith, and is a very hard worker. I was really able to relate to him, and I loved being able to spend the day with him in Sparta. After a few weeks in this new area, I did not get lost when I was on my own in Sparta! I only had to use the GPS a few times, so I was pretty proud of myself.
A while ago we tracted across a woman. She is very busy, and we weren't able to teach her, but we gave her a Book of Mormon. On Saturday, she called us and said that she was reading, and that she looked up lds.org and began reading the D&C to learn more about where the Book of Mormon came from. She then asked us if she could come to church on Sunday! This kind of stuff does NOT happen. We are usually the persistent ones that have to practically beg people to read and to come to church! After church we were able to finally teach her for the first time, and we had an amazing lesson. She is incredible, and I am sure that she has a future with our church.
My companion and I have focused on our companionship unity this week! I was reminded of an activity that we did as State Officers in FCCLA, that Nikki-Sue Larkin came up with. It is called a conversation jar. It is a jar full of conversational questions, and it really helps to spark up fun and unique conversations when there is a lull. We thought it would be perfect for all of our many car trips, so I am excited to see where this idea takes us! (Mom, can you send me a list of possible conversational questions next week. I'm sure the internet has a ton!) I love working with my companion, and have been able to get to know him really well these past few weeks. I hope that we will be able to serve together next transfer, but I don't want to get my hopes up. You never know!
On Sunday, our investigator who was baptized last week was confirmed a member of the church. Oddly enough, she asked me to confirm her! I was a bit shaken in my boots, because I have only known her for a few weeks now, and I have never confirmed anyone in my life. I had to study up quickly on what the heck I was going to say, but it all worked out! That same Sunday I was also asked to give a talk on "The Power of the Book of Mormon." I love speaking in public, but I miss presenting speeches in front of thousands of people – like when I ran for National Office in FCCLA. I guess this is the next best thing. A member here (who used to live in Provo, Utah and knows one of my friends) informed me that my Hollister Cologne was too seductive for a missionary to be wearing. He is hilarious! I love cologne, and I will never change!
As my companion and I have been talking about friends and family back home, he has opened his flip book with pictures and such that he has accumulated. I on the other hand, have pretend friends, because I don't have any pictures to show of anyone ;) This week you should all (whoever is reading this) send me a picture of yourself, so I can have some photographic evidence that I actually know people back home! Thanks!
Well, it has been another crazy, but exciting week in Sparta, Wisconsin! I hope you are all doing well. Because our time on computers is limited in this area, I ask that for the time being you all write me letters rather than emails (I know :p) until I am able to have more time on the computers. I love and miss you all, talk to you soon!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, August 5, 2013
A Baptism!
August 5, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has been absolute madness, but all is well! On Monday I was in Rochester, Minnesota and went on exchange with one of our zone leaders. We had a really great time together, and had the opportunity to a Somalian man from the Noobian tribe (not sure how to spell that.) It was amazing being able to teach him, and to get to know more about him and his family. They are so very accepting to the gospel, something that Americans are not always the best at. They were incredibly humble, and prepared by the Lord. Apparently the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission (MMM) is one of the most diverse missions, but I haven't been able to serve in any of those areas just yet. La Crosse and Sparta are mainly made up of Caucasians (yep... trying not to sound like a racist here haha!)
The next day my companion and all of the missionaries with leadership positions went to Mission Leadership Conference in Oakdale, Minnesota. They were able to go to the temple with President and Sister Clements! Maybe one day I will be able to do the same. As for me, I went on exchange with an elder. His companion is a district leader as well. We spent the day in Rochester, Minnesota. It was an interesting experience. I had a great time on exchange. Afterwards, we spent the night with the zone leaders, and drove back to Sparta in the morning.
On Thursday I went on exchange with an elder from Utah after district meeting. We had some really cool experiences tracting oddly enough! We went to Riverside Park in South La Crosse, and met a man. He was sitting on a bench by himself, so we asked if we could come sit by him. We talked for a bit, and he completely opened up to us, and talked about his past. He told us that he isn't a social person at all, but for whatever reason felt like he needed to share this with us. We talked to him about how the gospel blesses individuals and families and taught him the restoration. It was a really cool experience! Maybe one day he might even get baptized ;) We also met a girl with bright blue colored hair. She said that she had seen the Book of Mormon Musical in NYC, and that she had always wanted to meet missionaries! We gave her the actual Book of Mormon, and talked to her for a while. It just goes to show that some not so good publicity can turn out to be good publicity! After the exchange, my companion and I went back to Sparta, Wisconsin. We then got a call from South La Crosse informing us that we had their keys, and they had my suitcase. Some things will never change ;) At least I have never locked the keys in our car though!
The other day we did service for a disabled woman in the branch. During a wind storm, her tree was blown apart, and a big portion broke off and fell to the ground. We borrowed some tools, and helped her out. I have never used an axe or a hatchet in my life, so this was an experience for sure! I was terrible at chopping the tree, so eventually I was on saw duty haha! Pretty much our hands are destroyed, but we got everything taken care of. Our blisters will be a reminder throughout the week to give service to others!
Yesterday, Fast Sunday was pretty remarkable! Our investigator was baptized after church, and everything worked out really well. I almost said it worked out perfectly, but there were a few funny moments to remember ;) First of all, in order to have a baptism, you must fill up the baptismal font with water. Yep, we forgot! It filled up right in time though, and the baptism wasn't postponed. Also, the plumbing in the building is made of copper. You must run the water for a few minutes before filling up the baptismal font, otherwise the water will be green. Yep, we had a green baptism! All in all, it was amazing though, definitely a day to remember! Our investigator even made brownies, which was kind of funny as well. We might need to cover the law of the fast lesson with her again in the future ;) Next week in church she will be confirmed, and will officially become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
My companion and I have had some really great experiences this week! We had a companionship inventory session, where we just talked about ourselves and our lives, and how we got to where we are today. It was awesome, and we became a lot closer because of it. My companion is like my best friend, it is the best! I hope that all of my companionships are able to be this close. We work long and hard together, and have a great time together doing it. He is the best!
Because we are not close enough to the cities in Minnesota, next week we have our own zone activity planned instead of going to a Minnesota Twins game with the mission! You might not have known, but in Austin, Minnesota there is a Spam Factory. Sick! For our zone activity, we will be touring the factory and doing other fun things together as the Rochester zone!
This week has been amazing though, and has flown by SO quickly! I can't believe that we are already on week 4/6 in this transfer. Hopefully I will be able to stay in Sparta, Wisconsin with my companion this next transfer, but we will have to just wait and see. I love and miss you all, and hope you have a great week!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has been absolute madness, but all is well! On Monday I was in Rochester, Minnesota and went on exchange with one of our zone leaders. We had a really great time together, and had the opportunity to a Somalian man from the Noobian tribe (not sure how to spell that.) It was amazing being able to teach him, and to get to know more about him and his family. They are so very accepting to the gospel, something that Americans are not always the best at. They were incredibly humble, and prepared by the Lord. Apparently the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission (MMM) is one of the most diverse missions, but I haven't been able to serve in any of those areas just yet. La Crosse and Sparta are mainly made up of Caucasians (yep... trying not to sound like a racist here haha!)
The next day my companion and all of the missionaries with leadership positions went to Mission Leadership Conference in Oakdale, Minnesota. They were able to go to the temple with President and Sister Clements! Maybe one day I will be able to do the same. As for me, I went on exchange with an elder. His companion is a district leader as well. We spent the day in Rochester, Minnesota. It was an interesting experience. I had a great time on exchange. Afterwards, we spent the night with the zone leaders, and drove back to Sparta in the morning.
On Thursday I went on exchange with an elder from Utah after district meeting. We had some really cool experiences tracting oddly enough! We went to Riverside Park in South La Crosse, and met a man. He was sitting on a bench by himself, so we asked if we could come sit by him. We talked for a bit, and he completely opened up to us, and talked about his past. He told us that he isn't a social person at all, but for whatever reason felt like he needed to share this with us. We talked to him about how the gospel blesses individuals and families and taught him the restoration. It was a really cool experience! Maybe one day he might even get baptized ;) We also met a girl with bright blue colored hair. She said that she had seen the Book of Mormon Musical in NYC, and that she had always wanted to meet missionaries! We gave her the actual Book of Mormon, and talked to her for a while. It just goes to show that some not so good publicity can turn out to be good publicity! After the exchange, my companion and I went back to Sparta, Wisconsin. We then got a call from South La Crosse informing us that we had their keys, and they had my suitcase. Some things will never change ;) At least I have never locked the keys in our car though!
The other day we did service for a disabled woman in the branch. During a wind storm, her tree was blown apart, and a big portion broke off and fell to the ground. We borrowed some tools, and helped her out. I have never used an axe or a hatchet in my life, so this was an experience for sure! I was terrible at chopping the tree, so eventually I was on saw duty haha! Pretty much our hands are destroyed, but we got everything taken care of. Our blisters will be a reminder throughout the week to give service to others!
Yesterday, Fast Sunday was pretty remarkable! Our investigator was baptized after church, and everything worked out really well. I almost said it worked out perfectly, but there were a few funny moments to remember ;) First of all, in order to have a baptism, you must fill up the baptismal font with water. Yep, we forgot! It filled up right in time though, and the baptism wasn't postponed. Also, the plumbing in the building is made of copper. You must run the water for a few minutes before filling up the baptismal font, otherwise the water will be green. Yep, we had a green baptism! All in all, it was amazing though, definitely a day to remember! Our investigator even made brownies, which was kind of funny as well. We might need to cover the law of the fast lesson with her again in the future ;) Next week in church she will be confirmed, and will officially become a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
My companion and I have had some really great experiences this week! We had a companionship inventory session, where we just talked about ourselves and our lives, and how we got to where we are today. It was awesome, and we became a lot closer because of it. My companion is like my best friend, it is the best! I hope that all of my companionships are able to be this close. We work long and hard together, and have a great time together doing it. He is the best!
Because we are not close enough to the cities in Minnesota, next week we have our own zone activity planned instead of going to a Minnesota Twins game with the mission! You might not have known, but in Austin, Minnesota there is a Spam Factory. Sick! For our zone activity, we will be touring the factory and doing other fun things together as the Rochester zone!
This week has been amazing though, and has flown by SO quickly! I can't believe that we are already on week 4/6 in this transfer. Hopefully I will be able to stay in Sparta, Wisconsin with my companion this next transfer, but we will have to just wait and see. I love and miss you all, and hope you have a great week!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, July 29, 2013
First Week in Sparta Wisconsin
July 29, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has gone by so quickly, but it has been great! On Monday after our emergency transfer, My new companion and I went to Sparta, washed our clothes, and packed up and went on exchange in Winona, Minnesota for the next two days. Finally on Wednesday, I had my first real day with my new companion. He has been on his mission for a year, officially this last week. He has honestly been an answer to my prayers. He is really down to earth and easy to talk to. We get along really well, and everything just works out so perfectly! Anyways, he is fantastic! He is very dedicated, and is overall just a great missionary :)
I went on exchanges on Monday and Tuesday in Winona, Minnesota. I love being able to go on exchange and to get to know the other elders in our district better, and to develop an individual relationship with them all rather than just talking to them at district meetings on Wednesdays. The only downside is that I do not spend as much time with my own companion, but I guess everything has it's positive and negative attributes.
We have an investigator in Sparta that I was able to teach while I was on exchange a while ago. She is going to be baptized on August 4th. I am so excited to be able to have my first baptism, and especially for her to become a member of the church! I think that this will definitely be a testimony building experience for me, and will allow me to see the fruits of some of our labors. We also have two other investigators who want to be baptized soon, it is just a matter of scheduling everything. August is going to be a very exciting month!
My first Sunday in Sparta was... interesting. They have a branch in Sparta, so it was rather small. The La Crosse ward was massive, so this was a definite culture shock for me! Apparently there were a bunch of visitors this week, so when I told my companion that I was surprised at how small it was, he laughed and said wait until next week ;) I guess we have a lot of work to do here to fill up the branch so that it can one day become a ward! Hopefully we will be able to teach some families and young single adults as well... There are a lot of elderly people in the branch -- a lot of the younger families are only here temporarily, and have plans to move elsewhere so their kids can be involved in a stronger youth program. We will just have to work a little bit faster before all the families move away haha!
A couple of weeks ago, I gave my first haircut -- to one of our zone leaders. For whatever reason, missionaries, mainly elders, refuse to pay to get a haircut from a professional. Luckily, I am a perfectionist, and his haircut turned out pretty great! Afterwards, he asked me if I would like him to cut my hair. I politely declined, and had my hair cut on P-Day at a salon. I know that hair grows, and if any mistakes are made, it will only take a couple of weeks to cover up, but I just can't allow someone who hasn't been trained to cut my hair. Not now, not ever! (I might remind you Mom of the time that you cut my hair in 4th grade... NEVER again!)
I also forgot to include some important information about another exchange in my email last week. We had an appointment at 8:00 PM in La Crosse with a Hmong family. We ate dinner from 5-6:00 and were absolutely stuffed! Around 8 when we arrived at their home, we walked in, and they sat us down at the dinner table. Uh oh! Apparently it is part of the Hmong culture to feed everyone. We told them that we had already eaten, but they insisted and told us that it was rude not to feed your guests. As they prepared the food in the kitchen they brought us drinks. Right before we took a sip, I decided to ask what exactly this reddish drink was that they were serving us was. The father, kindly answered that it was Bud Lite Strawberry-Rita. They are a less-active family, and I sense they don’t remember what exactly the word of wisdom entails if they are serving alcohol to the missionaries! Then they brought out these HUGE plates of food for the two of us, and they all gathered around and watched us eat it. They told us that the pork we were eating was really fresh, and that they had killed it that morning. At this point I was ready to vomit. We asked if we could take the rest home with us, but the father told us that it is offensive in their culture not to eat everything you are served, and that his mother who cooked everything would never forgive us. We just had to push ourselves, and eat everything. It took forever, but we did it! After a quick message we parted our ways, and waddled to our bikes and rode home. I don't think I have ever been that full in my life!
I have had a lot of really great experiences this week, and am excited to see what new things are to come this next week! I will be in Rochester, Minnesota for the next two days on exchange, and then we will return to Sparta, Wisconsin on Tuesday night to continue working in our area on Wednesday after district meeting. Crazy week ahead! Thank you all for your love and support :) Your emails and letters are so meaningful to me, and help me to press forward during hard times. I love and miss you all!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
In Sparta, we email at the city library. We have a time limit on those computers though (1 Hour), and then it logs us off. I think I am going to start asking my friends to write me letters instead of emails, so in 1 hour I can just focus on my weekly email home, and my presidents letter.
Thank for everything! Email you next week :)
Hello Everyone,
This week has gone by so quickly, but it has been great! On Monday after our emergency transfer, My new companion and I went to Sparta, washed our clothes, and packed up and went on exchange in Winona, Minnesota for the next two days. Finally on Wednesday, I had my first real day with my new companion. He has been on his mission for a year, officially this last week. He has honestly been an answer to my prayers. He is really down to earth and easy to talk to. We get along really well, and everything just works out so perfectly! Anyways, he is fantastic! He is very dedicated, and is overall just a great missionary :)
I went on exchanges on Monday and Tuesday in Winona, Minnesota. I love being able to go on exchange and to get to know the other elders in our district better, and to develop an individual relationship with them all rather than just talking to them at district meetings on Wednesdays. The only downside is that I do not spend as much time with my own companion, but I guess everything has it's positive and negative attributes.
We have an investigator in Sparta that I was able to teach while I was on exchange a while ago. She is going to be baptized on August 4th. I am so excited to be able to have my first baptism, and especially for her to become a member of the church! I think that this will definitely be a testimony building experience for me, and will allow me to see the fruits of some of our labors. We also have two other investigators who want to be baptized soon, it is just a matter of scheduling everything. August is going to be a very exciting month!
My first Sunday in Sparta was... interesting. They have a branch in Sparta, so it was rather small. The La Crosse ward was massive, so this was a definite culture shock for me! Apparently there were a bunch of visitors this week, so when I told my companion that I was surprised at how small it was, he laughed and said wait until next week ;) I guess we have a lot of work to do here to fill up the branch so that it can one day become a ward! Hopefully we will be able to teach some families and young single adults as well... There are a lot of elderly people in the branch -- a lot of the younger families are only here temporarily, and have plans to move elsewhere so their kids can be involved in a stronger youth program. We will just have to work a little bit faster before all the families move away haha!
A couple of weeks ago, I gave my first haircut -- to one of our zone leaders. For whatever reason, missionaries, mainly elders, refuse to pay to get a haircut from a professional. Luckily, I am a perfectionist, and his haircut turned out pretty great! Afterwards, he asked me if I would like him to cut my hair. I politely declined, and had my hair cut on P-Day at a salon. I know that hair grows, and if any mistakes are made, it will only take a couple of weeks to cover up, but I just can't allow someone who hasn't been trained to cut my hair. Not now, not ever! (I might remind you Mom of the time that you cut my hair in 4th grade... NEVER again!)
I also forgot to include some important information about another exchange in my email last week. We had an appointment at 8:00 PM in La Crosse with a Hmong family. We ate dinner from 5-6:00 and were absolutely stuffed! Around 8 when we arrived at their home, we walked in, and they sat us down at the dinner table. Uh oh! Apparently it is part of the Hmong culture to feed everyone. We told them that we had already eaten, but they insisted and told us that it was rude not to feed your guests. As they prepared the food in the kitchen they brought us drinks. Right before we took a sip, I decided to ask what exactly this reddish drink was that they were serving us was. The father, kindly answered that it was Bud Lite Strawberry-Rita. They are a less-active family, and I sense they don’t remember what exactly the word of wisdom entails if they are serving alcohol to the missionaries! Then they brought out these HUGE plates of food for the two of us, and they all gathered around and watched us eat it. They told us that the pork we were eating was really fresh, and that they had killed it that morning. At this point I was ready to vomit. We asked if we could take the rest home with us, but the father told us that it is offensive in their culture not to eat everything you are served, and that his mother who cooked everything would never forgive us. We just had to push ourselves, and eat everything. It took forever, but we did it! After a quick message we parted our ways, and waddled to our bikes and rode home. I don't think I have ever been that full in my life!
I have had a lot of really great experiences this week, and am excited to see what new things are to come this next week! I will be in Rochester, Minnesota for the next two days on exchange, and then we will return to Sparta, Wisconsin on Tuesday night to continue working in our area on Wednesday after district meeting. Crazy week ahead! Thank you all for your love and support :) Your emails and letters are so meaningful to me, and help me to press forward during hard times. I love and miss you all!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
In Sparta, we email at the city library. We have a time limit on those computers though (1 Hour), and then it logs us off. I think I am going to start asking my friends to write me letters instead of emails, so in 1 hour I can just focus on my weekly email home, and my presidents letter.
Thank for everything! Email you next week :)
Monday, July 22, 2013
Happy Birthday in the Mission Field!
July 22, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has definitely been one to remember! As you know, I turned 19 on Wednesday, July 17th! Lets be honest, having a birthday in the mission field is different. The entire day I had to just sing the birthday song to myself in my head, but it was a good day! The mission office, and Sister Clements called to wish me a happy birthday though, so it was pretty fantastic! I even waited until Wednesday morning to open my birthday gifts like I was asked to :) I wore my new Burberry Sport cologne (which I love), and a few people even complimented me, which NEVER happens here. Unfortunately that was not enough to get us in to their home to teach them, but it was a start! A part member family in the ward, signed up to have us over for dinner, so I wasn't able to go out to eat on my birthday. One of our investigators, grilled a TON of food, so we rolled out of their house and wabbled home. In the evening we were teaching another one of my favourite investigators. We were teaching the Word of Wisdom, and since she just had her son less than a year ago, she has had to live the Word of Wisdom throughout her pregnancy and nursing. With the faith she has been developing, we knew that this would be an easier commitment, but I was still excited. Two sisters from the ward joint taught with us, and I was on exchange with one of our zone leaders. The two sisters from the ward are converts, and were able to bear such strong testimony about the Word of Wisdom, and the lesson went amazingly well! One of the sisters surprised me, and planned a mini birthday party, complete with cake and ice cream :) It ended up being a pretty good day afterall. Different, but still good.
On Friday we had a zone conference in Rochester, Minnesota. President Clements taught us about faith, and Sister Clements taught us about hastening our work in the mission field. Both were amazing trainings! They also announced the new dress code adjustments that will be taking place in the mission. We have until the end of August to find an alternative to our backpacks, and we can now wear khaki pants! They also abolished the rule about wearing suit coats to proselyte between certain dates. These are definitely some exciting changes in the mission :) Luckily, I already have a messenger bag that I love! I guess you could say I was inspired ;) I have actually received a ton of compliments on it though, and everyone loves the seatbelt. I feel like it was a wise investment, although my Mother might not agree.
My companion and I work on language studies together each day, and I somehow am able to help him with his English. He struggles with his R's and L's, because apparently in Asia their language does not include those letters or sounds. It has been quite interesting trying to help him to pronounce them a little better, but we have made some headway! We focused a lot on pronouncing word, ward, and world. I had to break them down, and re-spell them wurd, wharred, and whirreled. He records me saying them, and tries to repeat them, but it a very difficult process! I am learning a lot about patience, but President Clements told me that I just have to be persistent, and not enabling. The companions that have excused his struggles with the English language have not helped him to improve, so he hasn't been able to progress.
On Saturday evening after a long day at work, we received a call from President Clements. Surprise, emergency transfer! After a week and a half with my companion in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I am being transferred to Sparta, Wisconsin to serve with our new district leader. My current companion and my new companions current companion are going to the cities in Minnesota. They didn't disclose the reason behind the emergency transfer, but I am certain that it was very important! I am excited to be companions with the district leader again though, now I will be able to continue going on exchange with all the missionaries in our area :) I had a brief week and a half break, but now I am back at it! My new companion is great, and I am excited to be able to serve in Sparta, Wisconsin with him. The future is looking bright!
Today at 8:30 AM we exchanged companions, and made the big move. Last night we packed up our apartment, and finished cleaning. It has been a crazy couple of days, but it has been fun! I am excited to see what the future has to hold here in Sparta, and I know that this will be a great experience and that I will learn a lot. Thank you all for your support, kindness, and birthday wishes :) I love and miss you all, talk to you next week!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Mom: The Mini Preach My Gospel does not count as a birthday present in case you were wondering ;) Thank you for the presents and everything though. I really do appreciate everything I got! Thank you so much for everything you do! Love you :)
Hello Everyone,
This week has definitely been one to remember! As you know, I turned 19 on Wednesday, July 17th! Lets be honest, having a birthday in the mission field is different. The entire day I had to just sing the birthday song to myself in my head, but it was a good day! The mission office, and Sister Clements called to wish me a happy birthday though, so it was pretty fantastic! I even waited until Wednesday morning to open my birthday gifts like I was asked to :) I wore my new Burberry Sport cologne (which I love), and a few people even complimented me, which NEVER happens here. Unfortunately that was not enough to get us in to their home to teach them, but it was a start! A part member family in the ward, signed up to have us over for dinner, so I wasn't able to go out to eat on my birthday. One of our investigators, grilled a TON of food, so we rolled out of their house and wabbled home. In the evening we were teaching another one of my favourite investigators. We were teaching the Word of Wisdom, and since she just had her son less than a year ago, she has had to live the Word of Wisdom throughout her pregnancy and nursing. With the faith she has been developing, we knew that this would be an easier commitment, but I was still excited. Two sisters from the ward joint taught with us, and I was on exchange with one of our zone leaders. The two sisters from the ward are converts, and were able to bear such strong testimony about the Word of Wisdom, and the lesson went amazingly well! One of the sisters surprised me, and planned a mini birthday party, complete with cake and ice cream :) It ended up being a pretty good day afterall. Different, but still good.
On Friday we had a zone conference in Rochester, Minnesota. President Clements taught us about faith, and Sister Clements taught us about hastening our work in the mission field. Both were amazing trainings! They also announced the new dress code adjustments that will be taking place in the mission. We have until the end of August to find an alternative to our backpacks, and we can now wear khaki pants! They also abolished the rule about wearing suit coats to proselyte between certain dates. These are definitely some exciting changes in the mission :) Luckily, I already have a messenger bag that I love! I guess you could say I was inspired ;) I have actually received a ton of compliments on it though, and everyone loves the seatbelt. I feel like it was a wise investment, although my Mother might not agree.
My companion and I work on language studies together each day, and I somehow am able to help him with his English. He struggles with his R's and L's, because apparently in Asia their language does not include those letters or sounds. It has been quite interesting trying to help him to pronounce them a little better, but we have made some headway! We focused a lot on pronouncing word, ward, and world. I had to break them down, and re-spell them wurd, wharred, and whirreled. He records me saying them, and tries to repeat them, but it a very difficult process! I am learning a lot about patience, but President Clements told me that I just have to be persistent, and not enabling. The companions that have excused his struggles with the English language have not helped him to improve, so he hasn't been able to progress.
On Saturday evening after a long day at work, we received a call from President Clements. Surprise, emergency transfer! After a week and a half with my companion in La Crosse, Wisconsin, I am being transferred to Sparta, Wisconsin to serve with our new district leader. My current companion and my new companions current companion are going to the cities in Minnesota. They didn't disclose the reason behind the emergency transfer, but I am certain that it was very important! I am excited to be companions with the district leader again though, now I will be able to continue going on exchange with all the missionaries in our area :) I had a brief week and a half break, but now I am back at it! My new companion is great, and I am excited to be able to serve in Sparta, Wisconsin with him. The future is looking bright!
Today at 8:30 AM we exchanged companions, and made the big move. Last night we packed up our apartment, and finished cleaning. It has been a crazy couple of days, but it has been fun! I am excited to see what the future has to hold here in Sparta, and I know that this will be a great experience and that I will learn a lot. Thank you all for your support, kindness, and birthday wishes :) I love and miss you all, talk to you next week!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Mom: The Mini Preach My Gospel does not count as a birthday present in case you were wondering ;) Thank you for the presents and everything though. I really do appreciate everything I got! Thank you so much for everything you do! Love you :)
Monday, July 15, 2013
Another AWESOME Week! (Kyle has been serving two months today!)
July 15th, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has been great! On Tuesday, I bid adieu to my first companion who finished serving his two year mission. For the rest of the day, and for part of Wednesday I was on exchange with our zone leaders. In the mission there is something called the "rule of three". You must have either three women, or three men to teach someone of the opposite gender. So for teaching someone of the opposite gender this often creates a problem! We are encouraged to involve members in the ward, but coordinating with their schedules can often be a challenge. While I was on exchange though, we were already a group of three! It was awesome, we could teach whoever, whenever :)
On Wednesday afternoon, I picked up my new companion. He is from a city near Tokyo, Japan and has got quite an accent. He is very quiet, but very kind. He is also very little, which is quite the contrast for my height. Because my companion is foreign, and speaks Japanese as his first language, we now have added language study to our schedule. We wake up at 6:30 AM, have personal study at 8:00 AM, companionship study at 9:00 AM, new missionary training at 10:00 AM, lunch at 11:00 AM, and language study at 12:00 PM. We don't get out of our apartment until about 1:00 PM. I have not had to sit for that long since high school! I know I only graduated a little over a year ago, but it is quite the adjustment for me. I get a little bit antsy, and probably a little annoying as well, but hopefully I will adjust to it soon!
My companion is no longer the district leader, which will also be a HUGE adjustment for me. As a district leader, you have to go on exchange with each elder in your district. I absolutely loved being able to visit every companionships area, and getting to know the elders on a really personal basis! It is going to be a very stark contrast now that I will pretty much always be serving in our area in North La Crosse with my companion, except for our exchange with our new district leader, and the zone leaders.
This week we had an amazing lesson with an investigator. We taught her about the law of chastity, and had three members from the ward present. The spirit was SO strong during the lesson, and she completely understood and agreed with everything we shared with her. She understands why this commandment is so important. She is moving right now, so we have had many opportunities to help her move and to give our service, but unfortunately she is moving out of our area. Luckily she is only moving to South La Crosse though, so the south side missionaries will be able to teach her. Sadly, that means we will no longer be teaching her. We have one last lesson with her though, on July 17th, my birthday!
This week we also had a really great lesson with another investigator. We taught her about the plan of salvation. At the beginning of the lesson, she shared a lot of her frustrations, and about the anger that she had towards God. She has had a very difficult life. As we taught her more and more about this great plan of happiness, her face lit up. Her countenance changed, and you could see on her face and through her actions that she felt and recognized the spirit during the lesson. Afterwards, she said "I wish I would have known this sooner!" She is truly being prepared by the Lord.
On my birthday at 6:00 PM we will be going on exchange with the zone leaders! I know it is going to be a super weird birthday, but with our zone leaders here to celebrate, it is going to be awesome :) I will just have to find a way to make it an extra special day for myself haha, I can be fairly creative that way!
Glad to hear that everything is going well, and that Aimee has not been in any car accidents her first week driving! My new companion does not have driving privileges, so I am the designated driver. AWESOME! Don't think that I didn't notice your "sarcastic" comment about me not being home to use your Nordstrom Visa though. Haha!
Thank you all for your support and love! I know that God answers prayers, because he has slowly but surely been answering mine :)
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has been great! On Tuesday, I bid adieu to my first companion who finished serving his two year mission. For the rest of the day, and for part of Wednesday I was on exchange with our zone leaders. In the mission there is something called the "rule of three". You must have either three women, or three men to teach someone of the opposite gender. So for teaching someone of the opposite gender this often creates a problem! We are encouraged to involve members in the ward, but coordinating with their schedules can often be a challenge. While I was on exchange though, we were already a group of three! It was awesome, we could teach whoever, whenever :)
On Wednesday afternoon, I picked up my new companion. He is from a city near Tokyo, Japan and has got quite an accent. He is very quiet, but very kind. He is also very little, which is quite the contrast for my height. Because my companion is foreign, and speaks Japanese as his first language, we now have added language study to our schedule. We wake up at 6:30 AM, have personal study at 8:00 AM, companionship study at 9:00 AM, new missionary training at 10:00 AM, lunch at 11:00 AM, and language study at 12:00 PM. We don't get out of our apartment until about 1:00 PM. I have not had to sit for that long since high school! I know I only graduated a little over a year ago, but it is quite the adjustment for me. I get a little bit antsy, and probably a little annoying as well, but hopefully I will adjust to it soon!
My companion is no longer the district leader, which will also be a HUGE adjustment for me. As a district leader, you have to go on exchange with each elder in your district. I absolutely loved being able to visit every companionships area, and getting to know the elders on a really personal basis! It is going to be a very stark contrast now that I will pretty much always be serving in our area in North La Crosse with my companion, except for our exchange with our new district leader, and the zone leaders.
This week we had an amazing lesson with an investigator. We taught her about the law of chastity, and had three members from the ward present. The spirit was SO strong during the lesson, and she completely understood and agreed with everything we shared with her. She understands why this commandment is so important. She is moving right now, so we have had many opportunities to help her move and to give our service, but unfortunately she is moving out of our area. Luckily she is only moving to South La Crosse though, so the south side missionaries will be able to teach her. Sadly, that means we will no longer be teaching her. We have one last lesson with her though, on July 17th, my birthday!
This week we also had a really great lesson with another investigator. We taught her about the plan of salvation. At the beginning of the lesson, she shared a lot of her frustrations, and about the anger that she had towards God. She has had a very difficult life. As we taught her more and more about this great plan of happiness, her face lit up. Her countenance changed, and you could see on her face and through her actions that she felt and recognized the spirit during the lesson. Afterwards, she said "I wish I would have known this sooner!" She is truly being prepared by the Lord.
On my birthday at 6:00 PM we will be going on exchange with the zone leaders! I know it is going to be a super weird birthday, but with our zone leaders here to celebrate, it is going to be awesome :) I will just have to find a way to make it an extra special day for myself haha, I can be fairly creative that way!
Glad to hear that everything is going well, and that Aimee has not been in any car accidents her first week driving! My new companion does not have driving privileges, so I am the designated driver. AWESOME! Don't think that I didn't notice your "sarcastic" comment about me not being home to use your Nordstrom Visa though. Haha!
Thank you all for your support and love! I know that God answers prayers, because he has slowly but surely been answering mine :)
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Thursday, July 4, 2013
A little late but here you are!
July 4th, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has been pretty crazy, but I have had a great time! I went on exchange with an Elder from Manti, Utah who is currently serving in South La Crosse. He was really fun to be around, and I think I learned a lot from him. For a while I actually though that he was going to complete my training, but today we found out that he is going to be training a new missionary.
Today we received our transfer emails from President Clements. I will be staying in North La Crosse, and will be serving with an Elder from Japan. While I was with the Assistants last week I actually met this Elder, because we all met together for dinner. He is a really a kind and loving missionary, and I am sure that we are going to get along great! His English is progressing, but it is very clear that he is from another country. It will be interesting to see how everything works out, but I am excited for what the future holds!
This week we had a baptismal interview in Sparta, Wisconsin. We got there a little early, so we went tracting with the Sparta missionaries before the interview. We met a less-active member from their branch, and got to know her a little bit. As we were talking she mentioned that they got a trampoline for Christmas, but she hasn't been able to set it up for her kids yet. We asked her if we could set it up for her, and she respectfully declined. Missionaries are persistant though, and in the end we won! She showed us where the trampoline was, and we set it up for them. I love helping others, and wish we had more opportunities to serve out here. Maybe service opportunities will increase in the future though! When we finished, we took a picture together with all the missionaries on the tramp. We aren't allowed to jump on trampolines--but when we were taking the picture it was SUPER tempting! I guess too many injuries have occurred in the past because of it. Oh well!
On Saturday we went to Westby, Wisconsin to blitz the Viroqua Sisters area. I thought that La Crosse and Onalaska were small areas, but Westby is TINY! I guess before I left on my mission I had the perspective that I lived in a small city. Provo apparently isn't as small as I thought it was! People in Wisconsin talk about getting away from the big city life in La Crosse... Crazy! Hopefully throughout my mission I will be able to serve in some of the bigger cities, but it has been interesting adjusting to the small city lifestyle. I certainly would never choose to live in a city this small though haha!
Aside from that, things are going well. Tomorrow we are driving to Rochester, Minnesota and I will be with our Zone Leaders in a group of three, while my companion will drive up to Bloomington, Minnesota with a ward member to be with all of the departing missionaries. Things are definitely looking up, and I am excited to see what this next transfer will bring. I can't believe that I have been out on my mission for an entire transfer now, and soon there will be missionaries serving out here that are younger than I am! Of course, I will be turning the ripe old age of 19 a week after transfers so I guess I am getting up there in years. My birthday will be fun though, we have District Meetings on Wednesdays, and one of the Sisters (serving in Viroqua) has her birthday on the same day! I'm sure it will be AMAZING :) I love and miss you all, and hope you have an excellent week. Thanks for all of your letters and emails!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has been pretty crazy, but I have had a great time! I went on exchange with an Elder from Manti, Utah who is currently serving in South La Crosse. He was really fun to be around, and I think I learned a lot from him. For a while I actually though that he was going to complete my training, but today we found out that he is going to be training a new missionary.
Today we received our transfer emails from President Clements. I will be staying in North La Crosse, and will be serving with an Elder from Japan. While I was with the Assistants last week I actually met this Elder, because we all met together for dinner. He is a really a kind and loving missionary, and I am sure that we are going to get along great! His English is progressing, but it is very clear that he is from another country. It will be interesting to see how everything works out, but I am excited for what the future holds!
This week we had a baptismal interview in Sparta, Wisconsin. We got there a little early, so we went tracting with the Sparta missionaries before the interview. We met a less-active member from their branch, and got to know her a little bit. As we were talking she mentioned that they got a trampoline for Christmas, but she hasn't been able to set it up for her kids yet. We asked her if we could set it up for her, and she respectfully declined. Missionaries are persistant though, and in the end we won! She showed us where the trampoline was, and we set it up for them. I love helping others, and wish we had more opportunities to serve out here. Maybe service opportunities will increase in the future though! When we finished, we took a picture together with all the missionaries on the tramp. We aren't allowed to jump on trampolines--but when we were taking the picture it was SUPER tempting! I guess too many injuries have occurred in the past because of it. Oh well!
On Saturday we went to Westby, Wisconsin to blitz the Viroqua Sisters area. I thought that La Crosse and Onalaska were small areas, but Westby is TINY! I guess before I left on my mission I had the perspective that I lived in a small city. Provo apparently isn't as small as I thought it was! People in Wisconsin talk about getting away from the big city life in La Crosse... Crazy! Hopefully throughout my mission I will be able to serve in some of the bigger cities, but it has been interesting adjusting to the small city lifestyle. I certainly would never choose to live in a city this small though haha!
Aside from that, things are going well. Tomorrow we are driving to Rochester, Minnesota and I will be with our Zone Leaders in a group of three, while my companion will drive up to Bloomington, Minnesota with a ward member to be with all of the departing missionaries. Things are definitely looking up, and I am excited to see what this next transfer will bring. I can't believe that I have been out on my mission for an entire transfer now, and soon there will be missionaries serving out here that are younger than I am! Of course, I will be turning the ripe old age of 19 a week after transfers so I guess I am getting up there in years. My birthday will be fun though, we have District Meetings on Wednesdays, and one of the Sisters (serving in Viroqua) has her birthday on the same day! I'm sure it will be AMAZING :) I love and miss you all, and hope you have an excellent week. Thanks for all of your letters and emails!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
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