Hello Everyone,
This week has been good. Super slow though! On Monday, Benito Juarez's Birthday (MX) (yeah... who knows who that is. It was printed on my calendar though! Must have been a good guy!), we had our P-Day. A member cut our hair so that was exciting... In case you were wondering, my fear of people (not professionals) cutting my hair has not improved. I have gotten a little bit better at not cringing when people go to chop my hair though ;) He did a pretty good job. After getting my hair cut, we had to take a picture with the new Minnesota / St. Patrick's Day shirt that I bought at Target that morning. It was super cheap, and represents Minnesota perfectly haha! We borrowed some "beverages" from the members to complete the look. For work parties and other events he has acquired quite a few "beverages" that they use for cooking. Or at least that is what they told us ;) In the evening we visited with a new family that moved into the ward. We had some good laughs, and they shared a bunch of great stories with us!
On Tuesday, St. Patrick's Day, we had District Meeting at the a member’s home. It was kind of fun having District Meeting in someone's home :) We talked about working with members, and had a lot of really great discussions. For the training, I borrowed a hand out from one of my former trainings. I gave everyone a Skor bar that said "SKOR Some Referrals - Work With Members." All in all, it worked out really great! It was our last District Meeting for the transfer, so that was kind of crazy. Our investigators were sick, so they had to cancel their appointment with us, so we did a lot of finding in the evening.
On Wednesday we did some mormon.org time in the morning, and then for the remainder of the day we basically went finding. We had some appointments in the afternoon and evening, but they again cancelled. Kind of the theme of this week! It was a rough day. Luckily, it all worked out. "I am yet alive" (Mosiah 7:12).
On Thursday we did our weekly service at the library. This week I decided to take on some bigger projects. I took the carts of DVD's and audio books, and went and put them all away. The adult DVD's and audio books were no problem, but the children's DVD's and audio books were a disaster! So I took them all off the shelf and alphabetized them all and reorganized them. It took a little while, but it was totally worth it :) I love organization. A warning to all you children, you best not touch my organized shelves! In the afternoon we went and visited with an investigator. We watched a video with her called "Easter Dream". It shares a great message about the importance of Easter and celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ! We talked with her about how General Conference would be on Easter this year, and she asked us a few questions about General Conference. We also talked a little bit about fasting. Because of the way our schedule works out, Fast Sunday was this week, next week will be our Easter Sunday service, and then we have General Conference. We had a really great discussion with her! Afterward we stopped by a few potentials, and made our way back to the city. In the evening we visited with a family. He invited his mother and brother-in-law over for dinner who are not members. After dinner we had a great discussion about Easter, and watched the Churches video from last Easter called "Because of Him." His brother-in-law really liked the video and mentioned that the wording really reminded him of a video that he had seen recently. He then shared a really cool YouTube video with us. It is a song by Kari Jobe called "Forever". It is super good and you should definitely look it up :) All in all, it was a really good day!
On Friday, the first day of Spring, we had a Zone Service Project. #HairnetSwag #MannaPack #FMSC It is always fun to get together as a zone :) After our Zone Service Project we had accountability with the Zone Leaders and gossip hour with the Sister Training Leaders. All in all things are going pretty well in our District, we are all just trying to find new people to teach! Later we went over and did our weekly service at the senior living center. We played a game called sweep six this week. You have the numbers 1-6 written on a board and the goal is to be the first person to roll all the numbers. You go around in a circle and roll the dice, and when you roll a number you cover it with a poker chip. To quote one of the residents, "It's a mindless game." Old people are hilarious! "ROLL THE DICE!" "SHAKE IT!" "IT'S YOUR TURN!" There is quite a bit of yelling. Gotta love hearing loss haha ;) In the evening we did our Weekly Planning, because our morning was all booked out. This week a lot of plans were able to be transferred over, because most of our appointments fell through. I am not entirely sure what we are doing wrong, but something certainly needs to change!
On Saturday we did a lot of Area Book Work in the morning. Our Area Book was horrendous. I almost completely redid the Area Book, but then I was reminded that soon they would be going digital and will have the Area Book App, so it wouldn't matter anyway. When I was in a different area, I completely redid our Area Book and it was awesome! I called everyone on the Ward Directory, cleared out old numbers, got rid of people that didn't live there anymore, etc... I also called all of our potentials, rewrote them all, and reorganized them in alphabetical order and in order by city. It was super nice :) I love organization! But at least I made a little bit of headway on the Area Book. It will now be easier for them to transfer everything to the Area Book App whenever that happens. In the afternoon we visited with a member and talked with him about the importance of faith and continuing to learn and grow in the Church. He is kind of in a tough spot right now. He is 34 years old, single, and in a family ward. He was kicked out of his singles ward because he is too old, and Minnesota doesn't have mid-singles wards. He isn't particularly enthused about getting married either... bad experiences in the past. But it makes being in a family ward kind of awkward. As we were leaving the Elders Quorum President stopped by, so it was definitely inspired timing! To finish off the evening we had Family Home Evening with a family. My companion’s Mom sent some fudge and some gifts for a few people that my companion has grown close to in this area, and so he gave the family a few games like a marbles game that they bought at Swiss Days, and a dice game called Tenzi. We played Tenzi, a game called Anomia, and a game called Pirates Dice. Later we shared a Mormon Message called "Look Not Behind Thee" and talked about Lot's Wife. It was a very fun evening :)
On Sunday our beautiful spring weather came to an end. It snowed again. The roads were pretty sketchy, plus it was just plain depressing to have a bunch of snow again haha! We had open mic Sunday for Church (Fast Sunday haha). Sacrament meeting was really awesome! I definitely had to hold myself together when a member was bearing her testimony about an experience she had a few weeks ago. She was flying home to Utah to visit with some family, and while she was at the airport in Utah she noticed a missionary sitting alone. She talked with him and found out that he was returning home from his mission in England. They talked for a while and discovered that they grew up in the same area, Beaver, Utah. They discussed a few people that they both knew, and then boarded the plane. Ironically, they were sitting across the isle from each other. They talked for a bit, and then the drink cart got in the way. At this point, he started talking to the woman he was sitting next to about the Church, and bearing strong testimony of the truths of the gospel. She later learned that he had been inactive for 18 years, and that it was a HUGE change for him to be going on his mission. As they arrived at the Salt Lake airport, she noticed that he looked a little bit lost. She helped him find the baggage claim, and his family. Then she watched him descend down the escalator and greet his family after two years of service as a missionary. She shared the scripture from Matthew 25, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant" and talked about how eager she was for her children to serve missions and to return home and descend down the escalator. The part of this story that is seldom told is how difficult it is to pack up and leave, and prepare for your descent down the escalator. But all in all, it was a super good sacrament meeting! I did have a cool thought after Church though :) By no means is this doctrine, but maybe one day it will be! Wouldn't it be great if for the sacrament we had Diet Coke instead of water and maybe some tortilla chips instead of bread? Chips and salsa would probably be a bit much, but it sure would be fun! Haha that is all :) After Church we had our weekly meeting with the Bishop, and then we started off on our day. We visited with some investigators... who didn't come to Church... again. We talked about the importance of Church, and invited them to attend Easter Sunday next week and then General Conference the week after. At dinner, the a family gave us a challenge for our meeting with the ward mission leader’s family to use the word "LOL" as much as possible. My companion was not up to the challenge, but I totally was! My companion was in charge of counting how many times I slipped lol into the conversation, and we were to report to the family later. We were not allowed to tell the the ward mission leader’s family about the challenge until we were leaving their home. While we were at their house, I said lol 20 times! I probably could have done a little better, but it was definitely a good time :) Their oldest made a face every time I said it, so she was relieved when we told them about the lol challenge! With the ward mission leader’s family after our weekly correlation meeting, we shared a message about the importance of the Book of Mormon and missionary work. We had a really great discussion with them. Definitely a great ending to the week :)
The Church is producing a new video for the Easter season called "Because He Lives." Starting on March 28th, they will be introducing a special series of messages centered on the power of the living Christ. Should be good :) #BecauseHeLives
Thank you all for your love and support! Thing are going well :) I hope you are all enjoying the spring! Have a great week.
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Showing posts with label Service. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Service. Show all posts
Monday, March 23, 2015
Monday, March 16, 2015
Ice Fishing
Hello Everyone,
This week has been great! On Monday we had our Zone P-Day up in Minneapolis. We watched the Saratov Approach, which was AMAZING, and then we went on a selfie scavenger hunt. It was a super fun day :) After our Zone P-Day, I went on exchange with an elder from Utah (of course haha). On exchange we were able to visit with a family briefly, and then we had a lesson with a couple. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wasn't feeling very well because he got all wet when he was ice fishing and was starting to come down with a cold, but he held it together and we had a pretty great lesson! To finish off the evening we went over and visited with another family and submitted our numbers online.
On Tuesday I had an interview with an elder which was really great, and then we had District Meeting afterwards. Because the Zone Leaders came, we were able to have District Meeting at the Church. Gotta love the rule of 3 ;) We talked about "Revelation Through Church Attendance". For District Meeting we went on a Church tour, and talked about the 3 main obstacles that prevent our investigators from coming to Church. 1) They don't know where the physical building is. (Solved by a Church tour.) 2) They don't know the procedures of a Church service. (Solved by a Church tour.) 3) They don't know anyone there. (Have a member accompany you on a Church tour.) Bam! Problems solved :) It was a really fun District Meeting! In the evenign we had a lesson with a family. We watched half of Johnny Lingo, and set up a time later in the week to finish it. The best part, is my companion and I both left our bags over at their house. #MissionaryProblems
On Wednesday morning we went back over to their house to pick up our bags. The Sister asked us to come in, and told us that she wanted to speak with us. She was explaining to us how her kids have been meeting with missionaries for more than 7 years now, and it wasn't until just recently that things started to click. She said that they look forward to meeting with us now, and are excited to learn more about the gospel. She joked that they haven't yet realized that they have been covering the same lesson material for 7 years! Good things are happening though. Afterward we went over to a charity and did some service. We were able to have a really great conversation with the people we were working with. They were very curious as to who we were and why we were so far away from home. They worked for a patent law firm, which sounds like a really cool career. Overall, we had a really great discussion while we were helping to feed starving children :) After our service, we blitzed the Sisters area. They have been struggling a little bit since they white washed the area, so I thought it would be good to give them a little bit of extra assistance. Since we can't go on exchange, this is the next best thing! After our blitz, we met with a recent-convert. She was taping up her living room to paint it, and we offered to help her out. She is awesome! It was good to be able to get to know her better, and to be able to help out a little bit.
On Thursday we did our Weekly Service at the library. I put away and organized the childrens books, so that was pretty fun. We also got to use a dye cut to cut out 350 school busses. Yep, our arms were SUPER sore! After our service, I had an accountability call with the Sisters. They had just gotten back from an exchange with the Sister Training Leaders, and they had a super great experience! Their spirits were high, and they sounded refreshed and more excited about the work. Exchanges are the best. In the evening we went back over to the family’s home and finished watching Johnny Lingo. We talked about our individual worth, and the importance of sharing our love and serving others. AND we didn't forget our bags this time, so that was a definite plus!
On Friday we had accountability with the Zone Leaders and what I call gossip hour... coordination with the Sister Training Leaders. Kind of a weird concept. It is a new thing that the Church is doing, but when you have Sisters in your District, you have a call with the Sister Training Leaders to discuss how things are going for the Sisters. Kind of different, but I think it is a good thing. Sometimes Elders just don't realize all the things Sisters are going through, so this is a great way to point those things out and to find out ways how to best help them. Afterward we went over to the Senior Center and played games with some elderly people. It is so cute! These old people look forward to playing games with us all week. We played Yahtzee again this week, and I am definitely getting a lot better at it. I even got a Yahtzee this week! (All the dice were the same number.) Yep, I was pretty impressed with myself! In the afternoon we did our Weekly Planning for the week, which is always great. Gotta love planning! In the evening we went up to the High School to attend the youth of the Stake perform "Journey With Joseph." It is a musical composed by member in the Plymouth Ward that walks you through the life of Joseph Smith. It was super good! For mutual for the past few months they have been practicing and preparing for this event, and it turned out awesome. Our investigators came and had a great time! All in all, it was a super good day!
On Saturday we did our mormon.org time at the library in the morning. I finished looking at classes and registration stuff for BYU, and I am pretty sure I am done now! I talked with President Forbes, and scheduled an interview with him for my ecclesiastical endorsement and to renew my temple recommend. We have Zone Training on March 25th, so I will get everything done then. I guess it is a good thing that I have a later registration date, because I wouldn't be able to get everything done before then... still though... my registration date totally sucks haha! Ironically I got an email from BYU this week informing me that registration is approaching and that I should speak with my Mission President about renewing my ecclesiastical endorsement. One step ahead ;) In the afternoon we had a lesson with a family. Their home teacher, came joint teaching with us. We talked about the restoration of the Church, and watched a quick video about the restoration. We talked about the importance of asking questions, reading the scriptures, and praying as well. All in all it was a super great lesson! In the evening we had a lesson with another family. We stopped by their home, and the wife told us that her husband was out on the lake ice fishing. So we went out on the lake and found him! We had a brief lesson with him, and he showed us a thing or two about ice fishing. The ice is starting to get fairly thin, so it was a little bit sketchy, but it all worked out! Just don't step in a hole ;)
On Sunday, the Ides of March and my 22 month mark, we had Church in the morning. We were kind of low on numbers on Sunday, but overall it was a good service. After Church we had correlation with the ward mission leader and then we went out finding for a little while. Sunday our plans kind of came crashing down, so we had to do some reevaluating. We were going to go to the Presidents Fireside with our investigators, but they had to cancel last minute. So we finished up some Weekly Planning, and walked out to the island in the middle of the lake. The lake was mostly frozen in some spots, but we were definitely risking it in a few other areas :p When we jumped off the ice on to the island, the section of ice that we were walking on broke off, so that was pretty eventful! The island is super cool. Forever ago it was a booming island with hotels and homes and restaurants, but then there was a big fire and everyone left it desolate. It is rumored that Al Capone was hiding on the island for a while. There are old cars and abandoned homes all over the island. It was super cool! You have to be super careful to not step into an abandoned well and you cannot walk into the homes because you have no clue how sturdy the cement is, but it was still cool to be able to see it all! We cannot get in boats, so our only opportunity to see it is when the lake is frozen over. It was definitely an experience!
All in all it was a pretty good week. Kind of slow in parts, but it all worked out. Thank you so much for all of your love and support. You are the best! Have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
This week has been great! On Monday we had our Zone P-Day up in Minneapolis. We watched the Saratov Approach, which was AMAZING, and then we went on a selfie scavenger hunt. It was a super fun day :) After our Zone P-Day, I went on exchange with an elder from Utah (of course haha). On exchange we were able to visit with a family briefly, and then we had a lesson with a couple. We talked about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He wasn't feeling very well because he got all wet when he was ice fishing and was starting to come down with a cold, but he held it together and we had a pretty great lesson! To finish off the evening we went over and visited with another family and submitted our numbers online.
On Tuesday I had an interview with an elder which was really great, and then we had District Meeting afterwards. Because the Zone Leaders came, we were able to have District Meeting at the Church. Gotta love the rule of 3 ;) We talked about "Revelation Through Church Attendance". For District Meeting we went on a Church tour, and talked about the 3 main obstacles that prevent our investigators from coming to Church. 1) They don't know where the physical building is. (Solved by a Church tour.) 2) They don't know the procedures of a Church service. (Solved by a Church tour.) 3) They don't know anyone there. (Have a member accompany you on a Church tour.) Bam! Problems solved :) It was a really fun District Meeting! In the evenign we had a lesson with a family. We watched half of Johnny Lingo, and set up a time later in the week to finish it. The best part, is my companion and I both left our bags over at their house. #MissionaryProblems
On Wednesday morning we went back over to their house to pick up our bags. The Sister asked us to come in, and told us that she wanted to speak with us. She was explaining to us how her kids have been meeting with missionaries for more than 7 years now, and it wasn't until just recently that things started to click. She said that they look forward to meeting with us now, and are excited to learn more about the gospel. She joked that they haven't yet realized that they have been covering the same lesson material for 7 years! Good things are happening though. Afterward we went over to a charity and did some service. We were able to have a really great conversation with the people we were working with. They were very curious as to who we were and why we were so far away from home. They worked for a patent law firm, which sounds like a really cool career. Overall, we had a really great discussion while we were helping to feed starving children :) After our service, we blitzed the Sisters area. They have been struggling a little bit since they white washed the area, so I thought it would be good to give them a little bit of extra assistance. Since we can't go on exchange, this is the next best thing! After our blitz, we met with a recent-convert. She was taping up her living room to paint it, and we offered to help her out. She is awesome! It was good to be able to get to know her better, and to be able to help out a little bit.
On Thursday we did our Weekly Service at the library. I put away and organized the childrens books, so that was pretty fun. We also got to use a dye cut to cut out 350 school busses. Yep, our arms were SUPER sore! After our service, I had an accountability call with the Sisters. They had just gotten back from an exchange with the Sister Training Leaders, and they had a super great experience! Their spirits were high, and they sounded refreshed and more excited about the work. Exchanges are the best. In the evening we went back over to the family’s home and finished watching Johnny Lingo. We talked about our individual worth, and the importance of sharing our love and serving others. AND we didn't forget our bags this time, so that was a definite plus!
On Friday we had accountability with the Zone Leaders and what I call gossip hour... coordination with the Sister Training Leaders. Kind of a weird concept. It is a new thing that the Church is doing, but when you have Sisters in your District, you have a call with the Sister Training Leaders to discuss how things are going for the Sisters. Kind of different, but I think it is a good thing. Sometimes Elders just don't realize all the things Sisters are going through, so this is a great way to point those things out and to find out ways how to best help them. Afterward we went over to the Senior Center and played games with some elderly people. It is so cute! These old people look forward to playing games with us all week. We played Yahtzee again this week, and I am definitely getting a lot better at it. I even got a Yahtzee this week! (All the dice were the same number.) Yep, I was pretty impressed with myself! In the afternoon we did our Weekly Planning for the week, which is always great. Gotta love planning! In the evening we went up to the High School to attend the youth of the Stake perform "Journey With Joseph." It is a musical composed by member in the Plymouth Ward that walks you through the life of Joseph Smith. It was super good! For mutual for the past few months they have been practicing and preparing for this event, and it turned out awesome. Our investigators came and had a great time! All in all, it was a super good day!
On Saturday we did our mormon.org time at the library in the morning. I finished looking at classes and registration stuff for BYU, and I am pretty sure I am done now! I talked with President Forbes, and scheduled an interview with him for my ecclesiastical endorsement and to renew my temple recommend. We have Zone Training on March 25th, so I will get everything done then. I guess it is a good thing that I have a later registration date, because I wouldn't be able to get everything done before then... still though... my registration date totally sucks haha! Ironically I got an email from BYU this week informing me that registration is approaching and that I should speak with my Mission President about renewing my ecclesiastical endorsement. One step ahead ;) In the afternoon we had a lesson with a family. Their home teacher, came joint teaching with us. We talked about the restoration of the Church, and watched a quick video about the restoration. We talked about the importance of asking questions, reading the scriptures, and praying as well. All in all it was a super great lesson! In the evening we had a lesson with another family. We stopped by their home, and the wife told us that her husband was out on the lake ice fishing. So we went out on the lake and found him! We had a brief lesson with him, and he showed us a thing or two about ice fishing. The ice is starting to get fairly thin, so it was a little bit sketchy, but it all worked out! Just don't step in a hole ;)
On Sunday, the Ides of March and my 22 month mark, we had Church in the morning. We were kind of low on numbers on Sunday, but overall it was a good service. After Church we had correlation with the ward mission leader and then we went out finding for a little while. Sunday our plans kind of came crashing down, so we had to do some reevaluating. We were going to go to the Presidents Fireside with our investigators, but they had to cancel last minute. So we finished up some Weekly Planning, and walked out to the island in the middle of the lake. The lake was mostly frozen in some spots, but we were definitely risking it in a few other areas :p When we jumped off the ice on to the island, the section of ice that we were walking on broke off, so that was pretty eventful! The island is super cool. Forever ago it was a booming island with hotels and homes and restaurants, but then there was a big fire and everyone left it desolate. It is rumored that Al Capone was hiding on the island for a while. There are old cars and abandoned homes all over the island. It was super cool! You have to be super careful to not step into an abandoned well and you cannot walk into the homes because you have no clue how sturdy the cement is, but it was still cool to be able to see it all! We cannot get in boats, so our only opportunity to see it is when the lake is frozen over. It was definitely an experience!
All in all it was a pretty good week. Kind of slow in parts, but it all worked out. Thank you so much for all of your love and support. You are the best! Have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, February 23, 2015
New Area!
Hello Everyone,
This week has been kind of crazy, as always I guess ;) On Monday, Presidents Day and Family Day in Canada, we had our P-Day and I found out that I was being transferred. Yep... totally crazy! I was kind of expecting it I guess, but it still always comes as kind of a shock. In the evening we had Family Home Evening with the families in the ward. Saying goodbye is not fun! I have some really great memories in the Princeton Ward.
On Tuesday I packed up all my belonging, which fit in my suitcases, so that was a plus! It was really strange thinking about the fact that this next area will more than likely be my last area. Everyone that I said goodbye to talked about how I was going home soon, and that I needed to find a good wife, etc... WEIRD! In the afternoon we visited with the four more families. I hate goodbye's, but it makes it easier that I know that I can come back after my mission. In that respect I am super grateful that I live relatively close to my mission. I don't know how people that serve in foreign countries do it! When you say goodbye, it is a pretty big deal. In the evening we first visited with our new member family. That was really difficult for me. We have become really close these past few months, they are like family to me! While we were over, I burned my suit with them. Usually you burn a suit at the end of your mission, but I decided to do it a little bit early with them :) Plus it freed up a little bit of space in my suitcase! (It was a thrift store suit that was getting pretty destroyed, so no worries!) They gave me a really nice picture of their family, and they all signed my testimony journal, so that was awesome. To finish off the evening we went over to our part member family to say goodbye. All in all, it was a crazy day, but I got everything done!
On Wednesday we had our transfer meeting in Bloomington. Apparently this transfer affected 75% of the mission, so it was a HUGE transfer meeting! My whole MTC district that came to the MMM was there, so that was super fun :) I loaded all of my stuff up in the car, and then we took off for the new area. My new companion is from Provo, Utah as well. He is definitely an interesting character. Kind of an awkward duck, but he is a good kid. He came out with my greenie. My new area is his second city. Before his mission he had his own animation business, so that is kind of cool. We know a few of the same people, but not a ton. #MormonProblems. After unpacking my things and getting settled in, we had a lesson with one of our investigators. They got married on Valentines day, and he is progressing towards baptism. She has been a member for a few years, but it just now returning to activity. She works on Sundays, so it makes it tough. They have been through a lot together, and do not have very much money at all. He has quit smoking for about two weeks now, and is preparing to get baptized in March! We had a lesson with them on charity and love. He doesn't know how to read, and has a harder time learning, so our lessons with them are very basic. We watched a Mormon Message with them, and explained it afterward. It was a pretty good lesson. Later we visited with a returning less-active member. He is a very interesting guy. He is super rock and roll, and he is part of a screamo band. He is the lead singer of course... I will have to find out the name of his band so you can look them up on iTunes. He played a song for us about bacon.... very different. We talked to him about the atonement, and shared the talk by Brad Wilcox, "His Grace Is Sufficient." The investigator is really bright, and has a very good understanding of the gospel! In the evening we met together as a Ward Council and went over the Ward Directory. It was good to start getting to know people and the area. My companion has been here forever, so we aren't really sure if he will be my companion for another transfer. Only time will tell!
On Thursday we had an accountability call with the Sisters. Their was just white washed (took the Elders out and replaced them with Sisters) so the Sisters are completely new to the area. They were a little overwhelmed, but we talked things through. The elders in that area were kind of apostate, so this is a fresh new start for the area! The only problem is that nothing is really going on in their area right now. Later in the afternoon we went finding for a little while. We met a cool guy and then I did something tragic. I have not tripped, fallen, or slipped the entire time that I have been here in the MMM! I almost made it my whole mission... and then it happened. His driveway was SUPER icy, and I totally slipped and fell on my butt. Not cool! I guess I somehow knew it would happen sometime! Rude. In the evening we went up to Watertown, and visited with a less active member. She has not been to Church in over 12 years, and the Senior Couple have been visiting with her for the past year. She was committed to come to Church this week, so that was super exciting! The only problem is that the senior couple are going home this week with no replacement. The Church definitely needs more Senior Missionaries! We had a nice lesson with her on the miracles of Christ's ministry. We watched a few Bible Videos and got to know her better. It was a really nice visit! To finish off the evening we met with a family in the ward. They are awesome! We watched a Bible Video with them of Jesus getting water from a well from a Samaratin. I really like the ward here, but lets be real... I have never disliked any of the wards I have served in. Some areas are better than others, but ward members in general are awesome!
On Friday we had a Zone Service Project. AHHH, I love serving in the cities! Because I am serving in the Minneapolis Zone now, the Assistants even come to our Zone events and things. Kind of cool! When you serve in the cities you get a lot closer to the people in your Zone, which is a definite plus. We volunteered at a nonprofit that sends food to over 70 countries. Super awesome organization! My greenie is in this Zone as well. Kind of fun :) Later, we went and did service at a senior center in our area. We play a game with them called sweep six. Kind of a brainless game, but it mixes things up for them so that is good! You have pieces of paper with the numbers 1-6 written on it, and you roll a dice. When you get a number, you cover it up with a poker chip. First person to cover up all their numbers wins! It was a little bit traumatizing in some ways, but it worked out. There was an old lady in one of the rooms behind us that kept yelling "Help! Somebody help me! I need help!" Apparently she does that all day. The nurses check on her occasionally, but the moment they leave she goes back to yelling. Kind of nuts. I feel bad for elderly people that no longer have control over their bodies! I certainly do not want to hang on for that long. The moment I start to have issues, PULL THE PLUG! To finish off the evening we met with the a part member family. The dad has been a member his whole life, but went less-active many many years ago. He married a non-member a few years ago, and together they have had a few encounters with missionaries. The missionaries were really pushy with her, and she was really turned off to the Church. It was the example of her husband’s family that continued to give her a desire to learn more about the Church. 4 weeks ago they started going to Church with his family in his family’s ward. 2 weeks ago they came to Sacrament meeting in the ward here and met with Bishop and told him that she would like to be baptized. Before this lesson, my companion and his last companion have met with them once. She has been interviewed and is set to get baptized. For our lesson we finalized baptism plans, filled out the baptism record, and watched a Bible Video called "John the Beloved's Witness." We talked a little bit about faith, and conversion. It was an awesome lesson!
On Saturday we Weekly Planned for a little bit, and then went over to the Church. We began filling the baptismal font, and then the Ward Mission Leader and his wife arrived. While the font was filling we printed off programs and got everything ready. While we had some down time, the Ward Mission Leader made a few business phone calls. He is some kind of an executive for AT&T and he was making calls for the Summit winners for this year. The Summit is an all expense paid trip to Naples, Florida for the top sellers in each region. He put the phone on speaker, so we got to hear everyones reactions. Super cool experience! At 3:30, the investigator was baptized by her husband, which was really cool. She is pregnant, so now they are both members and active, and they will be a happy Mormon family :) I think in a way that may have helped to spark this decision! To finish off the day we had a lesson with a family. We watched a Mormon Message about the hope of God's light, and talked about how God can help us through any of our trials! The wife had a super bad headache, and they didn't have any money for ibuprophen, so it was kind of tough, but last minute they found some money and ran over to the drug store. Kind of a scattered lesson, but it all worked out.
On Sunday, 1st Sunday of Lent and George Washington's Birthday, we had Ward Council in the morning, and then Church at 9:00. Yuck! Back to 9:00 AM Church... the less-active member who hadn’t been to church in 12 years came to Church which was AWESOME, and our new member was confirmed. Turns out a lot of people in this Ward are from Provo, but most of them went to Timpview. I'm pretty sure when I tell them I went to Provo High School they all think that I'm one of those poor Provo kids, but whatever. The more they get to know me the more they will love me :) After Church we had a meeting with Bishop, and then we went to an open house for the a couple at Bishops house. They are going to Vermont to serve another mission in a few weeks. They will be caretakers for Joseph Smiths home I believe, so that will be really fun for them! In the evening we had correlation over at the a member’s home. I love that family! Pretty sure we are going to be buddies :) I also found out that one of the coaches for the Minnesota Vikings are in our ward, so that will be super cool! He was at an NFL event this past week, but soon I will get to meet him and his family! All in all, it was a really good week and I really like this new area. Life is good :)
Thank you all for all of your love and support. You are the best! Have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
This week has been kind of crazy, as always I guess ;) On Monday, Presidents Day and Family Day in Canada, we had our P-Day and I found out that I was being transferred. Yep... totally crazy! I was kind of expecting it I guess, but it still always comes as kind of a shock. In the evening we had Family Home Evening with the families in the ward. Saying goodbye is not fun! I have some really great memories in the Princeton Ward.
On Tuesday I packed up all my belonging, which fit in my suitcases, so that was a plus! It was really strange thinking about the fact that this next area will more than likely be my last area. Everyone that I said goodbye to talked about how I was going home soon, and that I needed to find a good wife, etc... WEIRD! In the afternoon we visited with the four more families. I hate goodbye's, but it makes it easier that I know that I can come back after my mission. In that respect I am super grateful that I live relatively close to my mission. I don't know how people that serve in foreign countries do it! When you say goodbye, it is a pretty big deal. In the evening we first visited with our new member family. That was really difficult for me. We have become really close these past few months, they are like family to me! While we were over, I burned my suit with them. Usually you burn a suit at the end of your mission, but I decided to do it a little bit early with them :) Plus it freed up a little bit of space in my suitcase! (It was a thrift store suit that was getting pretty destroyed, so no worries!) They gave me a really nice picture of their family, and they all signed my testimony journal, so that was awesome. To finish off the evening we went over to our part member family to say goodbye. All in all, it was a crazy day, but I got everything done!
On Wednesday we had our transfer meeting in Bloomington. Apparently this transfer affected 75% of the mission, so it was a HUGE transfer meeting! My whole MTC district that came to the MMM was there, so that was super fun :) I loaded all of my stuff up in the car, and then we took off for the new area. My new companion is from Provo, Utah as well. He is definitely an interesting character. Kind of an awkward duck, but he is a good kid. He came out with my greenie. My new area is his second city. Before his mission he had his own animation business, so that is kind of cool. We know a few of the same people, but not a ton. #MormonProblems. After unpacking my things and getting settled in, we had a lesson with one of our investigators. They got married on Valentines day, and he is progressing towards baptism. She has been a member for a few years, but it just now returning to activity. She works on Sundays, so it makes it tough. They have been through a lot together, and do not have very much money at all. He has quit smoking for about two weeks now, and is preparing to get baptized in March! We had a lesson with them on charity and love. He doesn't know how to read, and has a harder time learning, so our lessons with them are very basic. We watched a Mormon Message with them, and explained it afterward. It was a pretty good lesson. Later we visited with a returning less-active member. He is a very interesting guy. He is super rock and roll, and he is part of a screamo band. He is the lead singer of course... I will have to find out the name of his band so you can look them up on iTunes. He played a song for us about bacon.... very different. We talked to him about the atonement, and shared the talk by Brad Wilcox, "His Grace Is Sufficient." The investigator is really bright, and has a very good understanding of the gospel! In the evening we met together as a Ward Council and went over the Ward Directory. It was good to start getting to know people and the area. My companion has been here forever, so we aren't really sure if he will be my companion for another transfer. Only time will tell!
On Thursday we had an accountability call with the Sisters. Their was just white washed (took the Elders out and replaced them with Sisters) so the Sisters are completely new to the area. They were a little overwhelmed, but we talked things through. The elders in that area were kind of apostate, so this is a fresh new start for the area! The only problem is that nothing is really going on in their area right now. Later in the afternoon we went finding for a little while. We met a cool guy and then I did something tragic. I have not tripped, fallen, or slipped the entire time that I have been here in the MMM! I almost made it my whole mission... and then it happened. His driveway was SUPER icy, and I totally slipped and fell on my butt. Not cool! I guess I somehow knew it would happen sometime! Rude. In the evening we went up to Watertown, and visited with a less active member. She has not been to Church in over 12 years, and the Senior Couple have been visiting with her for the past year. She was committed to come to Church this week, so that was super exciting! The only problem is that the senior couple are going home this week with no replacement. The Church definitely needs more Senior Missionaries! We had a nice lesson with her on the miracles of Christ's ministry. We watched a few Bible Videos and got to know her better. It was a really nice visit! To finish off the evening we met with a family in the ward. They are awesome! We watched a Bible Video with them of Jesus getting water from a well from a Samaratin. I really like the ward here, but lets be real... I have never disliked any of the wards I have served in. Some areas are better than others, but ward members in general are awesome!
On Friday we had a Zone Service Project. AHHH, I love serving in the cities! Because I am serving in the Minneapolis Zone now, the Assistants even come to our Zone events and things. Kind of cool! When you serve in the cities you get a lot closer to the people in your Zone, which is a definite plus. We volunteered at a nonprofit that sends food to over 70 countries. Super awesome organization! My greenie is in this Zone as well. Kind of fun :) Later, we went and did service at a senior center in our area. We play a game with them called sweep six. Kind of a brainless game, but it mixes things up for them so that is good! You have pieces of paper with the numbers 1-6 written on it, and you roll a dice. When you get a number, you cover it up with a poker chip. First person to cover up all their numbers wins! It was a little bit traumatizing in some ways, but it worked out. There was an old lady in one of the rooms behind us that kept yelling "Help! Somebody help me! I need help!" Apparently she does that all day. The nurses check on her occasionally, but the moment they leave she goes back to yelling. Kind of nuts. I feel bad for elderly people that no longer have control over their bodies! I certainly do not want to hang on for that long. The moment I start to have issues, PULL THE PLUG! To finish off the evening we met with the a part member family. The dad has been a member his whole life, but went less-active many many years ago. He married a non-member a few years ago, and together they have had a few encounters with missionaries. The missionaries were really pushy with her, and she was really turned off to the Church. It was the example of her husband’s family that continued to give her a desire to learn more about the Church. 4 weeks ago they started going to Church with his family in his family’s ward. 2 weeks ago they came to Sacrament meeting in the ward here and met with Bishop and told him that she would like to be baptized. Before this lesson, my companion and his last companion have met with them once. She has been interviewed and is set to get baptized. For our lesson we finalized baptism plans, filled out the baptism record, and watched a Bible Video called "John the Beloved's Witness." We talked a little bit about faith, and conversion. It was an awesome lesson!
On Saturday we Weekly Planned for a little bit, and then went over to the Church. We began filling the baptismal font, and then the Ward Mission Leader and his wife arrived. While the font was filling we printed off programs and got everything ready. While we had some down time, the Ward Mission Leader made a few business phone calls. He is some kind of an executive for AT&T and he was making calls for the Summit winners for this year. The Summit is an all expense paid trip to Naples, Florida for the top sellers in each region. He put the phone on speaker, so we got to hear everyones reactions. Super cool experience! At 3:30, the investigator was baptized by her husband, which was really cool. She is pregnant, so now they are both members and active, and they will be a happy Mormon family :) I think in a way that may have helped to spark this decision! To finish off the day we had a lesson with a family. We watched a Mormon Message about the hope of God's light, and talked about how God can help us through any of our trials! The wife had a super bad headache, and they didn't have any money for ibuprophen, so it was kind of tough, but last minute they found some money and ran over to the drug store. Kind of a scattered lesson, but it all worked out.
On Sunday, 1st Sunday of Lent and George Washington's Birthday, we had Ward Council in the morning, and then Church at 9:00. Yuck! Back to 9:00 AM Church... the less-active member who hadn’t been to church in 12 years came to Church which was AWESOME, and our new member was confirmed. Turns out a lot of people in this Ward are from Provo, but most of them went to Timpview. I'm pretty sure when I tell them I went to Provo High School they all think that I'm one of those poor Provo kids, but whatever. The more they get to know me the more they will love me :) After Church we had a meeting with Bishop, and then we went to an open house for the a couple at Bishops house. They are going to Vermont to serve another mission in a few weeks. They will be caretakers for Joseph Smiths home I believe, so that will be really fun for them! In the evening we had correlation over at the a member’s home. I love that family! Pretty sure we are going to be buddies :) I also found out that one of the coaches for the Minnesota Vikings are in our ward, so that will be super cool! He was at an NFL event this past week, but soon I will get to meet him and his family! All in all, it was a really good week and I really like this new area. Life is good :)
Thank you all for all of your love and support. You are the best! Have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, November 24, 2014
Transfers and a Baptism!
Hello Everyone,
This week has been good :) On Monday, we had our P-Day. After all of our P-Day activities, we went and helped some guy that a member knows remodel his house. We were tearing out his tiled floor, and ripping out the floor boards as well. It was a new experience using a hammer and a crow bar and taking out the floor. Of course it came off in little pieces, but it all worked out in the end! We even helped a little bit with some sheet rock, and I helped sweep up the mess. You know me!
On Tuesday we did some Area Book work, and then volunteered at Family Pathways for a little while. In the evening we went out joint teaching. We stopped by a less-active family and shared a scripture with them and reviewed the 10 commandments. Later we had a lesson with a less active sister. We talked with her about the Book of Mormon and trials, and she asked us to give her a blessing. After we left she texted us thanking us for the blessing, and that it had made her day! The cool thing about it all is that our original plans for the evening fell through. Originally we were going to be in a different city, and we were not going up to that city. Everything happens for a reason! To finish off the evening, we had a lesson with less-actives returning to activity. We had a really great lesson with them, and talked about Moroni 10:32-33 "Come Unto Christ." It was a super great day!
On Wednesday we had our last District Meeting for the transfer. I have loved this District! We took some pictures, signed each others testimony journals, and went on our way. In the afternoon we had a lesson with an investigator. We talked to him about putting on the Armour of God. We showed a video about putting on all of the pieces of Armour, and he really enjoyed the lesson! In the evening we had a lesson with a member. We talked to her about a quote by President Hinkley, "Look For The Sunlight." It talks about looking for the positive aspects in life rather than focusing on all of the negatives. Super good quote!
On Thursday we did some service at a thrift shop. In the afternoon we helped out with a move into the ward, a part-member family. They are super nice! She is a member, and he is not, but he comes to Church when he can. AWESOME :) After the move we got ready for the evening and went out joint teaching with Bishop. We had a lesson with our investigator couple on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We did a little experiment with hard boiled eggs and a glass bottle where you pour in some alcohol, light a match, and the hard boiled egg falls in the glass bottle. Kind of fun! When you crack the egg shell and peel it off, it represents repentance. The alcohol is baptism, and the fire is the gift of the Holy Ghost (baptism by fire). As the egg squeezes into the bottle, it represents enduring to the end. The kids loved it! It was pretty great :) To finish off the evening, we had a lesson with our mother and daughter investigators on covenants, specifically the covenants she would be making at baptism. It was a great last lesson before her baptism on Saturday!
On Friday we had Weekly Planning for the majority of afternoon. Mostly because we got a little bit distracted, and ended up going to a restaurant, and participating in the "Big Stack Challenge." Super nasty. You have to eat four HUGE pancakes the size of your face. It was pretty disgusting. Still not sure why I participated! But we did it. We got free t-shirts, and our picture up on the wall with a bunch of other people that decided to overly indulge in some carb overload. Never again! The funny thing is... I don't even like pancakes! Totally a waffles person. But it is done and over with :) In the evening we had a lesson with a part-member family and then went out joint teaching. We had a lesson with a less active member in the evening that went really nicely! I shared a Mormon Message with her called "Looking Through Windows" and then discussed Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "Lord, Is It I?" Afterwards she asked us a lot of gospel questions that she had been having, and we were able to resolve them for her. Overall, it was a super good evening!
On Saturday we had a baptism! Even though we tried to plan it out well in advance, it always feels like a last minute dash in the end. It all came together though :) She asked my companion to baptize her, and me to confirm her. Normally we are strongly discouraged from participating in any baptismal ordinance so that the members in the ward that live there and will stay there longer than we will can participate, but she selected us before we were able to have anything to do with it. It all worked out though. The baptism service went really great, and all of her non-member family was there and enjoyed the service! In the evening we went to a city in the cities metropolitan area, and participated in a ward Day of Service at Feed My Starving Children. It was awesome! Such an amazing organization. We packed up a bunch of boxes of food to be shipped out to the Dominican Republic. Our investigator couple came and had a really great experience as well! Overall, it was an awesome day :)
On Sunday we had Church, of course. Our new convert's confirmation went really well. I was kind of nervous for some reason, but then it all came together. Her blessing talked a lot about her example as a member of the Church, and that through the light that she has, others will have a greater desire to come nearer to their Savior, Jesus Christ. She is going to be an awesome missionary! Being the only member in her family, besides her grandma, she is going to do wonders :) Together they are unstoppable! In the evening we went out joint teaching. We had a lesson with our investigator couple on consecration. We watched a movie called "Only A Stonecutter" that shares the story of John Roe Moyle. Super cool guy! We talked about acting and applying the principles of the gospel, and acting, not being acted upon. Later we had a lesson with our new convert. Her first lesson as an official member of the Church! We talked to her about the Holy Ghost, and the influence that it has in our lives. All in all it was a pretty solid week :)
Today we got our transfer emails, and I am staying here, and my companion is getting transferred to a new city, which is still in our District, so that is kind of fun! Thank you all for all of your love and support, have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
This week has been good :) On Monday, we had our P-Day. After all of our P-Day activities, we went and helped some guy that a member knows remodel his house. We were tearing out his tiled floor, and ripping out the floor boards as well. It was a new experience using a hammer and a crow bar and taking out the floor. Of course it came off in little pieces, but it all worked out in the end! We even helped a little bit with some sheet rock, and I helped sweep up the mess. You know me!
On Tuesday we did some Area Book work, and then volunteered at Family Pathways for a little while. In the evening we went out joint teaching. We stopped by a less-active family and shared a scripture with them and reviewed the 10 commandments. Later we had a lesson with a less active sister. We talked with her about the Book of Mormon and trials, and she asked us to give her a blessing. After we left she texted us thanking us for the blessing, and that it had made her day! The cool thing about it all is that our original plans for the evening fell through. Originally we were going to be in a different city, and we were not going up to that city. Everything happens for a reason! To finish off the evening, we had a lesson with less-actives returning to activity. We had a really great lesson with them, and talked about Moroni 10:32-33 "Come Unto Christ." It was a super great day!
On Wednesday we had our last District Meeting for the transfer. I have loved this District! We took some pictures, signed each others testimony journals, and went on our way. In the afternoon we had a lesson with an investigator. We talked to him about putting on the Armour of God. We showed a video about putting on all of the pieces of Armour, and he really enjoyed the lesson! In the evening we had a lesson with a member. We talked to her about a quote by President Hinkley, "Look For The Sunlight." It talks about looking for the positive aspects in life rather than focusing on all of the negatives. Super good quote!
On Thursday we did some service at a thrift shop. In the afternoon we helped out with a move into the ward, a part-member family. They are super nice! She is a member, and he is not, but he comes to Church when he can. AWESOME :) After the move we got ready for the evening and went out joint teaching with Bishop. We had a lesson with our investigator couple on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We did a little experiment with hard boiled eggs and a glass bottle where you pour in some alcohol, light a match, and the hard boiled egg falls in the glass bottle. Kind of fun! When you crack the egg shell and peel it off, it represents repentance. The alcohol is baptism, and the fire is the gift of the Holy Ghost (baptism by fire). As the egg squeezes into the bottle, it represents enduring to the end. The kids loved it! It was pretty great :) To finish off the evening, we had a lesson with our mother and daughter investigators on covenants, specifically the covenants she would be making at baptism. It was a great last lesson before her baptism on Saturday!
On Friday we had Weekly Planning for the majority of afternoon. Mostly because we got a little bit distracted, and ended up going to a restaurant, and participating in the "Big Stack Challenge." Super nasty. You have to eat four HUGE pancakes the size of your face. It was pretty disgusting. Still not sure why I participated! But we did it. We got free t-shirts, and our picture up on the wall with a bunch of other people that decided to overly indulge in some carb overload. Never again! The funny thing is... I don't even like pancakes! Totally a waffles person. But it is done and over with :) In the evening we had a lesson with a part-member family and then went out joint teaching. We had a lesson with a less active member in the evening that went really nicely! I shared a Mormon Message with her called "Looking Through Windows" and then discussed Elder Uchtdorf's talk, "Lord, Is It I?" Afterwards she asked us a lot of gospel questions that she had been having, and we were able to resolve them for her. Overall, it was a super good evening!
On Saturday we had a baptism! Even though we tried to plan it out well in advance, it always feels like a last minute dash in the end. It all came together though :) She asked my companion to baptize her, and me to confirm her. Normally we are strongly discouraged from participating in any baptismal ordinance so that the members in the ward that live there and will stay there longer than we will can participate, but she selected us before we were able to have anything to do with it. It all worked out though. The baptism service went really great, and all of her non-member family was there and enjoyed the service! In the evening we went to a city in the cities metropolitan area, and participated in a ward Day of Service at Feed My Starving Children. It was awesome! Such an amazing organization. We packed up a bunch of boxes of food to be shipped out to the Dominican Republic. Our investigator couple came and had a really great experience as well! Overall, it was an awesome day :)
On Sunday we had Church, of course. Our new convert's confirmation went really well. I was kind of nervous for some reason, but then it all came together. Her blessing talked a lot about her example as a member of the Church, and that through the light that she has, others will have a greater desire to come nearer to their Savior, Jesus Christ. She is going to be an awesome missionary! Being the only member in her family, besides her grandma, she is going to do wonders :) Together they are unstoppable! In the evening we went out joint teaching. We had a lesson with our investigator couple on consecration. We watched a movie called "Only A Stonecutter" that shares the story of John Roe Moyle. Super cool guy! We talked about acting and applying the principles of the gospel, and acting, not being acted upon. Later we had a lesson with our new convert. Her first lesson as an official member of the Church! We talked to her about the Holy Ghost, and the influence that it has in our lives. All in all it was a pretty solid week :)
Today we got our transfer emails, and I am staying here, and my companion is getting transferred to a new city, which is still in our District, so that is kind of fun! Thank you all for all of your love and support, have a great week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, November 11, 2013
John 14:26
November 11, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This has been a very interesting week, but a good one none the less! On Monday we were able to teach a couple with a member from the Sparta Branch. Our male investigator has a hard time with the Law of Chastity, because he believes that marriage is of the world, and marriage leads to divorce. He has been divorced before, and had no real interest in getting married ever again. His girlfriend that lives with him only talks about marriage with him. She just wants to get married SO badly! It was a tough situation to say the least. We talked about the Proclamation on the Family and the member with us talked a lot about strong marriages. You find what you look for, and this investigator has been focused on divorce. He said that everyone he knows gets divorced, but he hasn't been looking for any successful marriages. The member’s advice helped him a lot, and after our lesson he sincerely prayed, which has been a struggle for him. It was great!
Later that evening we were able to meet with a new member for about an hour to talk with her about church history. She was recently given a responsibility (aka calling) in church, so we transitioned from church history to the progression of the church, and how important her individual efforts are in helping the church to grow and progress! It was a really great lesson, and I really enjoyed meeting with her.
On Wednesday we had our Mission Conference in Lakeville, Minnesota. We received a great training from President and Sister Clements, and then were able to hear from Elder Godoy (sp?) from the 70. Sister Clements brought up an interesting point that the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission is our sacred grove, just like Joseph Smith. This is the place where we learn, grow, and progress for two years, and come back ideally a better person. I never thought of a mission like that! Kind of cool if you think about it. President Clements spent most of his training talking about the Plan of Salvation and what we learned from our assignment. He really is such an incredible leader! I have learned so much from President and Sister Clements, and I have only been out for almost 6 months. Sadly they will be leaving our mission around my one-year mark, so I won't always be with them.
Then Elder Godoy spoke to us. His remarks were truly inspired, and answered a lot of questions I had and prayers I had said. He is from Brazil, and was called to the Brazil Sao Paulo South mission. He said it was the Salt Lake City, Utah mission of Brazil. He said that he was upset, and wasn't particularly excited to go there. While in the MTC he waited for them to release his new call, and tell him that they had made a mistake, but it never happened. He then went on to say that his mission was absolutely incredible because of his Mission President and his wife. He told us that we are sent to our missions specifically because of them. I was sent to the MMM because of President and Sister Clements! I have absolutely LOVED President and Sister Clements. When Elder Godoy said that, I knew it was true, and the spirit hit me really strong. I am here in the MMM to learn from the Clements family! What exactly that is, I do not know, but I am here :)
On Thursday I got my flu shot. That is a SUPER long and complicated story, but in the past week I have spent seriously close to 5 hours in Walgreens. They have run and called my insurance company MANY times, and had no success. At one time the insurance told them that only the flu mist was covered, but they weren't able to get that to go through either. Finally while on the phone the last time, they told the Walgreens lady that only a doctors office could purchase the flu shot the way that they needed to. So then we went to the Mayo Clinic in Sparta. I registered and got an appointment. I got the flu shot, and we left. All in all, it took about 15 minutes. I am now vaccinated though, which is the most important part!
Afterwards, we were able to perform some service for a part-member family. We raked their leaves, and cleaned up their yard. It was nice to have a break to rake some leaves, and to help out the family! The only problem was that I just got a shot in my arm... not cool. My arm hurt SO bad, but it all worked out in the end. The lady told me that I needed to massage the area on my arm, and to try to take it easy. Probably should have not done service at that particular time, but it is done, and I am alive :)
Thursday evening we went up to Tomah. We had dinner with the one family, and then went over to visit with another family. They have not been to church since they were baptized, but they are ever so slowly making progress. The wife knows the Bible extremely well, and as we talked with her she brought up some deep doctrine questions that she had. Amazingly, I was able to answer them with the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants! It was a really cool experience, definitely led by the spirit.
On Friday after weekly planning, I went on exchange with an Elder in South La Crosse. During our exchange we were able to meet with this man, and while we met with him the Elder I was with had the thought to ask him if we could bless his home. He agreed, and it was an amazing experience! He and his family really opened up, and the spirit was able to enter into their home and help them to be comforted and watched over. It was really incredible that we were all able to share that experience together, and to be able to participate in that blessing.
On Saturday after we exchanged back we were able to do some service for a branch member. We moved some book shelves and furniture in her home, and were able to help organize a few things for her. I love her! It is so true that those who are handicapped in any way are SO much closer to God than we realize. She is the sweetest woman, and I love being able to help her out in any way.
The other day as we were tracting, we knocked on a woman's door. She said that she worked with a few mormons at Matthews. I remembered that a new member works at Matthews, and asked her if she knew her. She did! It was a very cool validating moment for us all, and we were able to briefly teach her about the restoration. While she did not readily accept the message, we made progress, and hopefully helped her in some way. It was really cool!
On Saturday evening we were able to visit with a family, and teach them about the Plan of Salvation. Little did we know, but they were having us over for dinner! I was absolutely stuffed, so this was a shock for me! Luckily we made it through. My stomach hurt SO bad afterwards, but it worked out. Pretty much I rolled out of their house, but we were able to teach them so it was all good!
On Sunday we had a really great turn out! We had three non-members to church, and nine less-active members! That NEVER happens :) A less active family kept their commitment and came to Church, as did one of the people we are teaching. Another less-active family even brought their non-member cousin with them. AMAZING! It has been a really great week, and a great ending to my time here in Sparta, Wisconsin. We received our transfer emails today, and I am being transferred to (I forgot... I think it's St. Cloud 1 Zone in Elk River or something like that...). I am excited to see what the future has to hold!
Thank you all so much for you constant support! I seriously could not do this without your love, support, and prayers. I love and miss you all, and hope you are doing well back home!
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This has been a very interesting week, but a good one none the less! On Monday we were able to teach a couple with a member from the Sparta Branch. Our male investigator has a hard time with the Law of Chastity, because he believes that marriage is of the world, and marriage leads to divorce. He has been divorced before, and had no real interest in getting married ever again. His girlfriend that lives with him only talks about marriage with him. She just wants to get married SO badly! It was a tough situation to say the least. We talked about the Proclamation on the Family and the member with us talked a lot about strong marriages. You find what you look for, and this investigator has been focused on divorce. He said that everyone he knows gets divorced, but he hasn't been looking for any successful marriages. The member’s advice helped him a lot, and after our lesson he sincerely prayed, which has been a struggle for him. It was great!
Later that evening we were able to meet with a new member for about an hour to talk with her about church history. She was recently given a responsibility (aka calling) in church, so we transitioned from church history to the progression of the church, and how important her individual efforts are in helping the church to grow and progress! It was a really great lesson, and I really enjoyed meeting with her.
On Wednesday we had our Mission Conference in Lakeville, Minnesota. We received a great training from President and Sister Clements, and then were able to hear from Elder Godoy (sp?) from the 70. Sister Clements brought up an interesting point that the Minnesota Minneapolis Mission is our sacred grove, just like Joseph Smith. This is the place where we learn, grow, and progress for two years, and come back ideally a better person. I never thought of a mission like that! Kind of cool if you think about it. President Clements spent most of his training talking about the Plan of Salvation and what we learned from our assignment. He really is such an incredible leader! I have learned so much from President and Sister Clements, and I have only been out for almost 6 months. Sadly they will be leaving our mission around my one-year mark, so I won't always be with them.
Then Elder Godoy spoke to us. His remarks were truly inspired, and answered a lot of questions I had and prayers I had said. He is from Brazil, and was called to the Brazil Sao Paulo South mission. He said it was the Salt Lake City, Utah mission of Brazil. He said that he was upset, and wasn't particularly excited to go there. While in the MTC he waited for them to release his new call, and tell him that they had made a mistake, but it never happened. He then went on to say that his mission was absolutely incredible because of his Mission President and his wife. He told us that we are sent to our missions specifically because of them. I was sent to the MMM because of President and Sister Clements! I have absolutely LOVED President and Sister Clements. When Elder Godoy said that, I knew it was true, and the spirit hit me really strong. I am here in the MMM to learn from the Clements family! What exactly that is, I do not know, but I am here :)
On Thursday I got my flu shot. That is a SUPER long and complicated story, but in the past week I have spent seriously close to 5 hours in Walgreens. They have run and called my insurance company MANY times, and had no success. At one time the insurance told them that only the flu mist was covered, but they weren't able to get that to go through either. Finally while on the phone the last time, they told the Walgreens lady that only a doctors office could purchase the flu shot the way that they needed to. So then we went to the Mayo Clinic in Sparta. I registered and got an appointment. I got the flu shot, and we left. All in all, it took about 15 minutes. I am now vaccinated though, which is the most important part!
Afterwards, we were able to perform some service for a part-member family. We raked their leaves, and cleaned up their yard. It was nice to have a break to rake some leaves, and to help out the family! The only problem was that I just got a shot in my arm... not cool. My arm hurt SO bad, but it all worked out in the end. The lady told me that I needed to massage the area on my arm, and to try to take it easy. Probably should have not done service at that particular time, but it is done, and I am alive :)
Thursday evening we went up to Tomah. We had dinner with the one family, and then went over to visit with another family. They have not been to church since they were baptized, but they are ever so slowly making progress. The wife knows the Bible extremely well, and as we talked with her she brought up some deep doctrine questions that she had. Amazingly, I was able to answer them with the Book of Mormon and the Doctrine and Covenants! It was a really cool experience, definitely led by the spirit.
On Friday after weekly planning, I went on exchange with an Elder in South La Crosse. During our exchange we were able to meet with this man, and while we met with him the Elder I was with had the thought to ask him if we could bless his home. He agreed, and it was an amazing experience! He and his family really opened up, and the spirit was able to enter into their home and help them to be comforted and watched over. It was really incredible that we were all able to share that experience together, and to be able to participate in that blessing.
On Saturday after we exchanged back we were able to do some service for a branch member. We moved some book shelves and furniture in her home, and were able to help organize a few things for her. I love her! It is so true that those who are handicapped in any way are SO much closer to God than we realize. She is the sweetest woman, and I love being able to help her out in any way.
The other day as we were tracting, we knocked on a woman's door. She said that she worked with a few mormons at Matthews. I remembered that a new member works at Matthews, and asked her if she knew her. She did! It was a very cool validating moment for us all, and we were able to briefly teach her about the restoration. While she did not readily accept the message, we made progress, and hopefully helped her in some way. It was really cool!
On Saturday evening we were able to visit with a family, and teach them about the Plan of Salvation. Little did we know, but they were having us over for dinner! I was absolutely stuffed, so this was a shock for me! Luckily we made it through. My stomach hurt SO bad afterwards, but it worked out. Pretty much I rolled out of their house, but we were able to teach them so it was all good!
On Sunday we had a really great turn out! We had three non-members to church, and nine less-active members! That NEVER happens :) A less active family kept their commitment and came to Church, as did one of the people we are teaching. Another less-active family even brought their non-member cousin with them. AMAZING! It has been a really great week, and a great ending to my time here in Sparta, Wisconsin. We received our transfer emails today, and I am being transferred to (I forgot... I think it's St. Cloud 1 Zone in Elk River or something like that...). I am excited to see what the future has to hold!
Thank you all so much for you constant support! I seriously could not do this without your love, support, and prayers. I love and miss you all, and hope you are doing well back home!
Love,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, October 28, 2013
He's Using His Awesome Training Skills
October 28, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has been really great, and we have had a lot of service opportunities which always makes missionary work a little sweeter! We started the week by raking leaves with a recent convert in the branch. After raking leaves with her, we had a lesson on temple work. The youth are trying to put together a trip to the temple, and she is interested in going! The temple is in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a three hour trip, so it takes a lot of planning beforehand. (Maybe one day I will be in a temple area where you can go to the temple once a transfer... :p)
On Wednesday we had a lesson with a part member family, and a member of the branch was able to come joint teaching with us. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and the lesson went incredibly well! The part member family and the member really clicked, and became quite good friends through this teaching opportunity. The member began inviting the wife to Relief Society activities and what not, and for them both to attend church on Sunday. While they didn't come to church this Sunday, I think there is a great chance of them coming in the future! I always feel so great when I am in their home :) The wife in this part member family has such a strong testimony of the gospel, and she wants so badly for her husband to believe in the same teachings that she does. They are truly a great family!
On Wednesday we also had our weekly district meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Our district leader asked me to train the district on Weekly Planning and Goal Setting. It was a really easy training for me to put together, especially because of all of the stuff I was involved with in high school, but it went really well! I even had cool handouts for everyone :) Missionaries and members here don't really do handouts, which I think is kind of unfortunate. I always love lessons and training when you get handouts and treats, plus you are always more interested in what someone is saying when you have something to offer them afterwards! Maybe I will leave my mark on the people here, and they will start utilizing handouts and organizing their lessons and trainings similarly. NOT that my way is perfect, but it works pretty dang well for me :)
On Thursday we were able to teach the man in the VA hospital. Right after we prayed with him, his daughter who is a member called him. He was very direct while speaking with her, but for whatever reason I started to feel the spirit really strongly while he was talking! Later in their conversation his daughter brought up the missionaries, and he told her that we were right there with him. She told him to get off the phone and to meet with us, and then she counseled him and told him to really listen to what we were saying. I knew there was something good coming out of that phone call! After he got off the phone, he was so much more receptive, and he was really listening to the message we had to share, and I think he was even able to feel the spirit as we taught. It was a really cool experience! For as much as people oppose the gospel standards, the spirit can still be present in our lessons, it’s amazing :)
On Friday while we were supposed to be weekly planning, another less-active family, called us and asked if we could help them move a mattress. We stopped our planning and went over to help them. Little did we know, this service project was going to take A LOT longer than we had initially planned! We left at 4:00 PM, picked up their new mattress in Tomah, Wisconsin, drove back to Sparta and dropped off their new mattress, picked up their old mattress, drove the old mattress to Tomah, and then drove back to Sparta. It was almost time for us to go in for the day by then! We finished planning, and then went to bed. Kind of a crazy day!
I am feeling A LOT better this week :) Thank goodness for Diet Coke, Zip Fizz, Nyquil Night Time Syrup, Robitusson, and doTERRA! Hopefully that is the only time I will ever have to feel like that on my mission, but we will see. At least I am done with the first big wave of illnesses here :) Unfortunately the flu is HUGE right now, so hopefully I will not be getting it.
We were able to move some furniture around this week, for a disabled member in the branch. She is such a sweet lady! She actually graduated from BYU in a major that I was considering for a while.
While tracting one evening we were able to teach a cool family. We taught them the restoration on their porch, and exchanged contact information. They live with the wife’s father, so they want to ask his permission for us to come over! I think there is a lot of potential there. After our lesson, we walked over to a less-active member’s home, and shared the "His Grace Is Sufficient" devotional address by Brad Wilcox with her. It was a really great way to end the evening :)
Things are going well here, and hopefully the weather will not continue to dip down like it has been recently! Cold weather makes for some difficult tracting situations... ie "don't mind my runny nose" haha!
I love and miss you all and hope you are all doing well :) Thank you so much for all of your prayers and kind words of encouragement! Write to you next week :)
(Another priceless Kyle note to Mom that I just have to share!)
Mom,
So winter supplies will be interesting... the only place to shop for stuff here is Walmart. I will explore my options, and maybe we can spend some time after our district meetings in La Crosse to buy winter supplies, but for now there is not a whole lot I can do. I think I will buy some cheap gloves from Walmart, but for the most part I ended up putting stuff on my Christmas list. For your information, I mailed out my Christmas list today. I only have 60 items on my list, and for the most part they are all pretty serious. The only things on the list that I don't actually need are pretty obvious... and there are only like 2-3 of them. A dog (of course), a Sonic Drive-In for Sparta, and maybe one other thing. It is not that I don't need a dog by the way, it is that I am on a mission right now, and don't want to miss the puppy stages of my dog.
So our water is weird here, and sometimes it is yellow. It has only been yellow once, but it made my shirts turn yellow. They are a weird off-white color, and for some reason bleach and hydrogen peroxide is not completely taking care of it. Today I am going to buy some oxyclean from Walmart, but do you have any other suggestions for stain removal? Thank you so much for all you do! Love you :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has been really great, and we have had a lot of service opportunities which always makes missionary work a little sweeter! We started the week by raking leaves with a recent convert in the branch. After raking leaves with her, we had a lesson on temple work. The youth are trying to put together a trip to the temple, and she is interested in going! The temple is in St. Paul, Minnesota, and is a three hour trip, so it takes a lot of planning beforehand. (Maybe one day I will be in a temple area where you can go to the temple once a transfer... :p)
On Wednesday we had a lesson with a part member family, and a member of the branch was able to come joint teaching with us. We taught about the Plan of Salvation, and the lesson went incredibly well! The part member family and the member really clicked, and became quite good friends through this teaching opportunity. The member began inviting the wife to Relief Society activities and what not, and for them both to attend church on Sunday. While they didn't come to church this Sunday, I think there is a great chance of them coming in the future! I always feel so great when I am in their home :) The wife in this part member family has such a strong testimony of the gospel, and she wants so badly for her husband to believe in the same teachings that she does. They are truly a great family!
On Wednesday we also had our weekly district meeting in La Crosse, Wisconsin. Our district leader asked me to train the district on Weekly Planning and Goal Setting. It was a really easy training for me to put together, especially because of all of the stuff I was involved with in high school, but it went really well! I even had cool handouts for everyone :) Missionaries and members here don't really do handouts, which I think is kind of unfortunate. I always love lessons and training when you get handouts and treats, plus you are always more interested in what someone is saying when you have something to offer them afterwards! Maybe I will leave my mark on the people here, and they will start utilizing handouts and organizing their lessons and trainings similarly. NOT that my way is perfect, but it works pretty dang well for me :)
On Thursday we were able to teach the man in the VA hospital. Right after we prayed with him, his daughter who is a member called him. He was very direct while speaking with her, but for whatever reason I started to feel the spirit really strongly while he was talking! Later in their conversation his daughter brought up the missionaries, and he told her that we were right there with him. She told him to get off the phone and to meet with us, and then she counseled him and told him to really listen to what we were saying. I knew there was something good coming out of that phone call! After he got off the phone, he was so much more receptive, and he was really listening to the message we had to share, and I think he was even able to feel the spirit as we taught. It was a really cool experience! For as much as people oppose the gospel standards, the spirit can still be present in our lessons, it’s amazing :)
On Friday while we were supposed to be weekly planning, another less-active family, called us and asked if we could help them move a mattress. We stopped our planning and went over to help them. Little did we know, this service project was going to take A LOT longer than we had initially planned! We left at 4:00 PM, picked up their new mattress in Tomah, Wisconsin, drove back to Sparta and dropped off their new mattress, picked up their old mattress, drove the old mattress to Tomah, and then drove back to Sparta. It was almost time for us to go in for the day by then! We finished planning, and then went to bed. Kind of a crazy day!
I am feeling A LOT better this week :) Thank goodness for Diet Coke, Zip Fizz, Nyquil Night Time Syrup, Robitusson, and doTERRA! Hopefully that is the only time I will ever have to feel like that on my mission, but we will see. At least I am done with the first big wave of illnesses here :) Unfortunately the flu is HUGE right now, so hopefully I will not be getting it.
We were able to move some furniture around this week, for a disabled member in the branch. She is such a sweet lady! She actually graduated from BYU in a major that I was considering for a while.
While tracting one evening we were able to teach a cool family. We taught them the restoration on their porch, and exchanged contact information. They live with the wife’s father, so they want to ask his permission for us to come over! I think there is a lot of potential there. After our lesson, we walked over to a less-active member’s home, and shared the "His Grace Is Sufficient" devotional address by Brad Wilcox with her. It was a really great way to end the evening :)
Things are going well here, and hopefully the weather will not continue to dip down like it has been recently! Cold weather makes for some difficult tracting situations... ie "don't mind my runny nose" haha!
I love and miss you all and hope you are all doing well :) Thank you so much for all of your prayers and kind words of encouragement! Write to you next week :)
(Another priceless Kyle note to Mom that I just have to share!)
Mom,
So winter supplies will be interesting... the only place to shop for stuff here is Walmart. I will explore my options, and maybe we can spend some time after our district meetings in La Crosse to buy winter supplies, but for now there is not a whole lot I can do. I think I will buy some cheap gloves from Walmart, but for the most part I ended up putting stuff on my Christmas list. For your information, I mailed out my Christmas list today. I only have 60 items on my list, and for the most part they are all pretty serious. The only things on the list that I don't actually need are pretty obvious... and there are only like 2-3 of them. A dog (of course), a Sonic Drive-In for Sparta, and maybe one other thing. It is not that I don't need a dog by the way, it is that I am on a mission right now, and don't want to miss the puppy stages of my dog.
So our water is weird here, and sometimes it is yellow. It has only been yellow once, but it made my shirts turn yellow. They are a weird off-white color, and for some reason bleach and hydrogen peroxide is not completely taking care of it. Today I am going to buy some oxyclean from Walmart, but do you have any other suggestions for stain removal? Thank you so much for all you do! Love you :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Monday, September 30, 2013
Receive No Witness Until After The Trial Of Your Faith
September 30, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week has been one of many highs and lows, but I made it through alive! I realized the other day the importance of being a leader, not a follower. When I get lazy and unmotivated sometimes, I tend to coast and just follow after others. We cannot coast, we must "keep moving forward" like Walt Disney once said. I was reading over my patriarchal blessing, and it talks about how I will lead others down paths of righteousness. I cannot do that by merely following others, it will not work.
I have been praying recently for an opportunity to meet and teach a family. The other day we were tracting during painfully unproductive hours 7-9:00 PM, and we stopped and prayed for guidance. As we prayed, we saw a family moving in to the home across the street from us. We went over and offered to help them move in, and they accepted! We weren't able to share a message with them that evening, but we offered to come back the next day to continue to help them move in, and we set up an appointment.
I went on a last minute exchange with an elder after district meeting on Wednesday. After we arrived in Sparta, we went out tracting on a predetermined street. It wasn't going very well, and we were approaching another street. I decided that we were going to keep tracting this street, and that we wouldn't go down the other street. As we got closer, I realized there was only one house on that street. Finally, for whatever reason, I got over myself, and we went and knocked on the door of the one house on the street. A teen answered and we were able to visit with him and teach him! I didn't realize at the time that I was being tested whether or not I was going to go down the street, but we did and we were blessed! Later we were able to visit with the family that we helped move the night before, and we continued to help them move in. After we were done moving, we shared a quick message with them. It was great! Hopefully they will begin to show interest in our religion, but if not, maybe their hearts will be open sometime in the future because of our work with them.
We have been able to do a lot of service this week. We set up a hospital bed in a members home, mowed a lawn of a disabled member, and pulled weeds in our apartment complex for a potential investigator. Even though we often aren't able to teach during these service opportunities, we are able to help make a difference in others lives. When we were pulling weeds with the potential investigator, we were led eventually to a really great discussion about God and religion. It helped too that at the time, a different religious group were out tracting our apartment complex ;) Afterwards she fed us, and gave us Diet Coke. SO GOOD! Hopefully we will be able to continue to visit with and teach her.
This week our 10-year-old baptismal candidate and his father cancelled their appointment again. We are still holding out for October 20th, but we will have to wait and see. We did however get the opportunity to visit with our spanish speaking investigator. We have been trying to get in contact with her for a while now, with no success, so this was a great moment! We had a very quick visit, but we were able to reestablish contact.
Today we received our transfer emails, and my companion and I will no longer be serving together in Sparta, Wisconsin. I will be staying here in Sparta. I am very saddened, but I knew that it was going to happen eventually. I am sure that things will work out great with my new companion but I am scared out of my mind! Change and starting over is always scary and stressful. I know that this is what needs to happen though, for whatever reason.
Thank you all so much for your love and support. I love hearing from all of you, and what is going on back home! I hope you are all doing well, and that this will be a great week for us all. Talk to you next week, I love and miss you all!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week has been one of many highs and lows, but I made it through alive! I realized the other day the importance of being a leader, not a follower. When I get lazy and unmotivated sometimes, I tend to coast and just follow after others. We cannot coast, we must "keep moving forward" like Walt Disney once said. I was reading over my patriarchal blessing, and it talks about how I will lead others down paths of righteousness. I cannot do that by merely following others, it will not work.
I have been praying recently for an opportunity to meet and teach a family. The other day we were tracting during painfully unproductive hours 7-9:00 PM, and we stopped and prayed for guidance. As we prayed, we saw a family moving in to the home across the street from us. We went over and offered to help them move in, and they accepted! We weren't able to share a message with them that evening, but we offered to come back the next day to continue to help them move in, and we set up an appointment.
I went on a last minute exchange with an elder after district meeting on Wednesday. After we arrived in Sparta, we went out tracting on a predetermined street. It wasn't going very well, and we were approaching another street. I decided that we were going to keep tracting this street, and that we wouldn't go down the other street. As we got closer, I realized there was only one house on that street. Finally, for whatever reason, I got over myself, and we went and knocked on the door of the one house on the street. A teen answered and we were able to visit with him and teach him! I didn't realize at the time that I was being tested whether or not I was going to go down the street, but we did and we were blessed! Later we were able to visit with the family that we helped move the night before, and we continued to help them move in. After we were done moving, we shared a quick message with them. It was great! Hopefully they will begin to show interest in our religion, but if not, maybe their hearts will be open sometime in the future because of our work with them.
We have been able to do a lot of service this week. We set up a hospital bed in a members home, mowed a lawn of a disabled member, and pulled weeds in our apartment complex for a potential investigator. Even though we often aren't able to teach during these service opportunities, we are able to help make a difference in others lives. When we were pulling weeds with the potential investigator, we were led eventually to a really great discussion about God and religion. It helped too that at the time, a different religious group were out tracting our apartment complex ;) Afterwards she fed us, and gave us Diet Coke. SO GOOD! Hopefully we will be able to continue to visit with and teach her.
This week our 10-year-old baptismal candidate and his father cancelled their appointment again. We are still holding out for October 20th, but we will have to wait and see. We did however get the opportunity to visit with our spanish speaking investigator. We have been trying to get in contact with her for a while now, with no success, so this was a great moment! We had a very quick visit, but we were able to reestablish contact.
Today we received our transfer emails, and my companion and I will no longer be serving together in Sparta, Wisconsin. I will be staying here in Sparta. I am very saddened, but I knew that it was going to happen eventually. I am sure that things will work out great with my new companion but I am scared out of my mind! Change and starting over is always scary and stressful. I know that this is what needs to happen though, for whatever reason.
Thank you all so much for your love and support. I love hearing from all of you, and what is going on back home! I hope you are all doing well, and that this will be a great week for us all. Talk to you next week, I love and miss you all!
Best Wishes,
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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