Monday, February 3, 2014
Hello Everyone,
This week has been one for the record books! On Tuesday we met with an investigator with two members from the ward. We began teaching her the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and she seemed to really enjoy it. We talked about Faith and Repentance, and she bore such powerful testimony of both principles of the gospel.
On Wednesday we had our Zone Conference in St. Cloud, Minnesota. We hitched a ride with the Buffalo, Minnesota Elders to save on our miles. As we merged on to the freeway, the car hit a patch of black ice, and we swerved out of control. We slid for about 30 seconds, flipping into oncoming traffic and that back the other direction, and then finally we slammed into a light post at the side of the freeway. It was truly a miracle that we did not slide into the middle of the freeway and get hit by all of the oncoming traffic. Because of that miracle, none of us died or were injured, just a little frazzled. The car on the other hand needed to be towed away and repaired. Needless to say we were NOT going to be on time for the Zone Conference. A member watched the accident happen, and drove back to help out. President and Sister Clements later passed by the accident and called to check up on everything on their way to the conference. The car was towed away and we were driven to our car, and then we hopped back on to the freeway and took off for our zone conference. We ended up being only about an hour late, and we didn't miss any of President and Sister Clements trainings! Sister Clements talked to us about scattering sunshine, and spreading the happiness and joy that we have with others. She is such a remarkable woman. Every time we are able to hear from her, I am so filled with love for others and an indescribable happiness from her kindness and example. Later we were able to hear from President Clements. We talked about goal setting and prayer. We studied talks on prayer before the zone conference, and he was able to answer a lot of our personal questions on the topic of prayer. It was great! I always love being able to visit with President and Sister Clements and to be able to attend our Zone Conferences once a month :) At the end of our trainings, we sung the hymn "Israel, Israel God Is Calling" and I was overcome with the spirit as we sung one of the last verses. It talks about Celestial Spirits coming to help us, and I felt impressed once again that Wayne was here helping me along. Needless to say I wasn't really able to sing the last verse, but I did keep my composure!
On Thursday our cars were grounded because of a snow storm. I took this opportunity to deep clean our apartment, and to organize a bunch of our things! Our Zone Leaders called us earlier on in the day and went through our Zone Comment Sheets, and we leaned that our Area Book needed a little work. This was the perfect time to update and improve everything, so it worked out perfectly :) Later we were able to visit with an investigator and a Brother from the ward. She had some questions about her friend who passed away, and we were able to help her with some thoughts and things that were bothering her. It was a really great teaching opportunity, and you could see a physical change within her when her questions were answered!
On Saturday we went to Big Lake, Minnesota. While we were out tracting, we came across a man who was smoking weed, and had a pornographic t-shirt of a naked woman on. He said that he was religious (Jehovah's Witness), but that we could come visit with him later. He had to go to work. Hopefully he changed his outfit before he left, but who knows! Also, he probably shouldn't be driving after smoking weed, but whatever. He is in a place where we can really help him to improve his life, so maybe it was inspired that we came across him! Later we visited with a part member family, and they offered to feed us dinner. We went out tracting while they picked up the supplies, and then I helped them prepare part of the dinner and we had surf & turf California burritos. I just sucked it up and ate the shrimp-- the guacamole and the steak covered it up anyways! They are such a great family, I hope one day soon they will realize that this is the true church.
Sunday was the Super Bowl. After church we went out tracting, which was CLEARLY a bad idea. One woman answered the door and said "It's Sunday and it's the Super Bowl, WHAT DO YOU WANT?!?!?". Another woman we found popped up on pain killers because of a foot surgery, and she used the F word after each word in her sentences. I have realized though that the F word is just another word in the vocabulary for many people. Children even use it! Because of the Super Bowl our dinner was moved up an hour so that we would be out of their home before 5:00 when the game began. We went and did some stop bys, and ended up visiting with a member family. They had the Super Bowl on, but weren't super interested in it. They are Denver Bronco's fans, and didn't appreciate the whooping they were receiving from the Seattle Sea Hawks. We came around the time of the half-time show though, so it was SUPER difficult not to watch Bruno Mars, but it all worked out. I can watch two half-time shows when I get home and all of the commercials :) This family is having a rather difficult time with the passing of their son, but this Sister is definitely the stronger of the two. Their granddaughter is now living with her Mom, and has no current baptismal plans. Hopefully things will be able to work out in the near future. They are a great family!
Today we received our transfer emails, and I found out that I am being transferred to Crystal, Minnesota. I am sad to be leaving such a great ward, and all those who I have become really close with here, but I am excited for what this new area has in store for me. I know that God has a plan, I just don't always understand it in the moment ;) Everything will all work out though!
Thank you all for your love and support! I am so grateful for everything you have all done for me while I have been out on my mission, and for all of your kind emails and letters. They mean more to me than you will ever know! I hope you all have an amazing week :)
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Showing posts with label Wayne. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Wayne. Show all posts
Monday, February 3, 2014
Monday, November 4, 2013
Stretching…And Growing!
November 4, 2013
Hello Everyone,
This week was different, but in the end it all turned out great! On Monday we were able to teach a couple in Tomah with our Branch Mission Leader. The man worked at the cranberry bog part time, and we had not seen him in a few weeks because of cranberry harvesting season. This was a great opportunity to re-establish contact, and to be able to visit with them again! The lesson did not go as planned, but in the end everything worked out the way it was supposed to. It was a really great experience!
President Clements extended an assignment to us all from a mission president conference he attended. Elder Christofferson asked mission presidents to have their missionaries write a one page summary of the Plan of Salvation. He gave us 5 chapters to study in the scriptures to focus our study for the summary page. I am a perfectionist, and absolutely HATE assignments like this, because in one page the options are limitless, and I just couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to complete the assignment. I actually felt like I was back in college! I didn't know whether or not to double space my paper, to write an introductory paragraph, etc... It was kind of awful! Later I realized that it probably doesn't even matter and that President Clements is probably just going to breeze over our papers anyways, something they do NOT do in college ;) As I got to my studies, one of the assigned chapters really stood out to me. Alma 34, verses 38-41 especially! They had been an answer to some of my prayers a while back, and gave me some knowledge that I was really needing at the time, it was great! I began to realize that this assignment was meant to help us, and that it was already helping me! I am still probably going to continue striving for perfection, but it was a good lesson learned. The assignment isn't due until Wednesday this next week, but I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to make it perfect!
We had planned to do some service for a new branch member on Tuesday, but her land lord came and mowed their lawn, so there were no leaves to rake haha! Instead we were going to watch a quick movie about church history on her laptop, but her laptop was acting up. I realized that this was an opportunity for us to provide service for her despite the circumstances! I have always been able to use technology really well, and was able to help her with some problems she was having with her laptop. It was a really cool unexpected experience that we had to serve her :) Hopefully her laptop troubles will now be a thing of the past!
On Wednesday we were in Tomah, and we had some things that we needed to return to a family there. I absolutely LOVE them, so any opportunity to go and visit their family is immediately taken advantage of ;) They have a new dog, named Oliver! I love dogs, and I love Oliver haha :) I have always had rude parents who won’t buy me a dog, but one day I will have a dog of my own, and life will be good! Until then, I just have to live vicariously through other peoples dogs…like Oliver :)
Thursday was Halloween, which is SUPER weird as a missionary! We had our district meeting in La Crosse in the morning. I was asked to give the White Handbook training (a book of our missionary rules), on housing. I am pretty much a certified clean freak, so this was a perfect topic for me! I got to help out everyone, mostly the Elders, to know how to better upkeep our apartments :) Our zone leaders who were at our district meeting told me that I was turning into Sister Clements, because I of course had a handout for my White Handbook training! Sister Clements and I just know how to do things right ;) When you do a training, even if it is just a White Handbook training, you bring handouts! After district meeting, we returned to our areas for the evening. We visited with a member family, and they fed us and talked with us for a while.
On Saturday, I decided to try an re-establish contact with a former investigator of ours. When I was on exchange with the zone leader that ended up going home because of a collapsed lung, we had our last lesson with this man. His wife became very angry with the fact that we were teaching him and that he was not inside making dinner while she watched tv, so she came outside and FREAKED out at us, threatening to call the police if we did not leave. Needless to say, we have kept our distance for a while, but I decided to try again on Saturday. We came over minutes after his wife had left their house! He told us that he was glad that we came back and tried to meet with him. He was less drunk this time, so he was able to better understand what we were talking to him about! We shared a message with him about families, and how important they are to our religion. It was a really great lesson, and I was so happy that we were able to re-establish contact with him!
Fast Sunday was very interesting. The day began with us finalizing plans for investigators to attend sacrament meeting, and things were looking bleak. Literally everyone was cancelling and telling us that they were not going to be able to make it. I was beginning to lose hope, but in the morning during my prayer to begin my fast, I asked that we would be able to fill the Sparta Branch Chapel. I was kind of disappointed to be honest that things were not working out. We went to try to pick up a few people for Church, but no one was home or would answer their door. As we were walking back to the chapel, the power went out. AWESOME! As we walked into the chapel, I was truly astonished. There was a family visiting from Iowa that came to Sacrament, as well as six less-active members. It certainly was not the way I had planned for things to happen, but it was Heavenly Fathers unique way of answering my prayer. I probably had to learn that "not my will, but thine be done" or something like that. We were all sitting in darkness, but sacrament meeting still went on! Before testimony meeting began for fast sunday, the member family walked in, with two extra girls. They came and sat near us, and I jokingly asked their daughter if she had a sleepover last night, referring to a specific CD they had listened to. She quickly answered, "Yes", with a smile on her face! I felt the spirit really strongly as she answered me, and was amazed at the little missionary this eight-year-old girl had become. Her mom got up to bear her testimony, and in her testimony she included that she felt that the person who had given her "The Missionary Next Door" CD had truly been inspired. The spirit hit me SO strong at this point. My last companion, and I had discussed "The Missionary Next Door" with her a while ago, and I gave her a copy of the CD two weeks ago. Neither my former companion nor I knew why we had discussed it with them, but it happened. It had been inspired by Heavenly Father. This little 8-year-old not only invited her friends to church, but she even taught them a quick first lesson, and after church she brought them around for a church tour! It was a miracle, and I was somehow able to be a part of it :)
Sunday evening we did a teaching evaluation with the a less active family, five of the six less-active members that came to church. We taught them the Restoration, and it was a really great opportunity to be able to teach their family, and to help them in a unique, but inspired way! One thing that I love about their family, aside from the individual members, is their dog Peanut, a Puggle. I had a Puggle once for about a day until my family realized that I had snuck a dog into our home, but I absolutely love their dog!
On Monday we will be receiving our transfer emails, so we will see what my future is as to where I will be serving and who I will be serving with! Thank you all so much for all of your love and support! I really appreciate every one of you, and love hearing from you. You are the best!
(I feel I need to share this portion of my mini "mom" letter – because it really underscores how Heavenly Father helps us. He knows each of us individually and knows what we need—when we need it! And the Holy Ghost brings things to our remembrances. Additionally, there are many times while I am writing Kyle that I wonder why I am writing about some of the things I am. I am so grateful for the promptings we get -- even if we don't recognize them as promptings at the time. For those who do not know who Wayne is -- he is my youngest brother, whom I dearly love, who was called home 6 years ago (age 24 at the time) to join our Heavenly family. Families are forever. This I know to be true!)
Mom,
Thank you so much for your postcard from Roma! I have been reading over little things this week, and that really helped! On Wednesday actually I was having a tough time in the morning. I decided to read the very first letter that you sent me when I arrived at the MMM. It was the May 22-28th letter, the one they gave us all when we arrived at the mission home. In it you included a Dr. Seuss quote that really helped me. I absolutely love quotes, and that quote in particular was extremely helpful to me at that time. You also talked a lot about obedience. I realized that I was making the effort to be obedient, and that I would be blessed for that. I have seen a lot of blessings this transfer from my individual obedience. I also really enjoyed your very last paragraph in your letter. You talked about Wayne and how he would be watching over me and helping me. The moment I read that I felt a peace, a comfort, and a warmth. I knew that Wayne had been watching over me, and that he especially has been comforting me and helping me. It felt almost like he was giving me a hug. The extra time that I have been given to study has helped me a lot!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Hello Everyone,
This week was different, but in the end it all turned out great! On Monday we were able to teach a couple in Tomah with our Branch Mission Leader. The man worked at the cranberry bog part time, and we had not seen him in a few weeks because of cranberry harvesting season. This was a great opportunity to re-establish contact, and to be able to visit with them again! The lesson did not go as planned, but in the end everything worked out the way it was supposed to. It was a really great experience!
President Clements extended an assignment to us all from a mission president conference he attended. Elder Christofferson asked mission presidents to have their missionaries write a one page summary of the Plan of Salvation. He gave us 5 chapters to study in the scriptures to focus our study for the summary page. I am a perfectionist, and absolutely HATE assignments like this, because in one page the options are limitless, and I just couldn't decide exactly how I wanted to complete the assignment. I actually felt like I was back in college! I didn't know whether or not to double space my paper, to write an introductory paragraph, etc... It was kind of awful! Later I realized that it probably doesn't even matter and that President Clements is probably just going to breeze over our papers anyways, something they do NOT do in college ;) As I got to my studies, one of the assigned chapters really stood out to me. Alma 34, verses 38-41 especially! They had been an answer to some of my prayers a while back, and gave me some knowledge that I was really needing at the time, it was great! I began to realize that this assignment was meant to help us, and that it was already helping me! I am still probably going to continue striving for perfection, but it was a good lesson learned. The assignment isn't due until Wednesday this next week, but I wanted to make sure that I had enough time to make it perfect!
We had planned to do some service for a new branch member on Tuesday, but her land lord came and mowed their lawn, so there were no leaves to rake haha! Instead we were going to watch a quick movie about church history on her laptop, but her laptop was acting up. I realized that this was an opportunity for us to provide service for her despite the circumstances! I have always been able to use technology really well, and was able to help her with some problems she was having with her laptop. It was a really cool unexpected experience that we had to serve her :) Hopefully her laptop troubles will now be a thing of the past!
On Wednesday we were in Tomah, and we had some things that we needed to return to a family there. I absolutely LOVE them, so any opportunity to go and visit their family is immediately taken advantage of ;) They have a new dog, named Oliver! I love dogs, and I love Oliver haha :) I have always had rude parents who won’t buy me a dog, but one day I will have a dog of my own, and life will be good! Until then, I just have to live vicariously through other peoples dogs…like Oliver :)
Thursday was Halloween, which is SUPER weird as a missionary! We had our district meeting in La Crosse in the morning. I was asked to give the White Handbook training (a book of our missionary rules), on housing. I am pretty much a certified clean freak, so this was a perfect topic for me! I got to help out everyone, mostly the Elders, to know how to better upkeep our apartments :) Our zone leaders who were at our district meeting told me that I was turning into Sister Clements, because I of course had a handout for my White Handbook training! Sister Clements and I just know how to do things right ;) When you do a training, even if it is just a White Handbook training, you bring handouts! After district meeting, we returned to our areas for the evening. We visited with a member family, and they fed us and talked with us for a while.
On Saturday, I decided to try an re-establish contact with a former investigator of ours. When I was on exchange with the zone leader that ended up going home because of a collapsed lung, we had our last lesson with this man. His wife became very angry with the fact that we were teaching him and that he was not inside making dinner while she watched tv, so she came outside and FREAKED out at us, threatening to call the police if we did not leave. Needless to say, we have kept our distance for a while, but I decided to try again on Saturday. We came over minutes after his wife had left their house! He told us that he was glad that we came back and tried to meet with him. He was less drunk this time, so he was able to better understand what we were talking to him about! We shared a message with him about families, and how important they are to our religion. It was a really great lesson, and I was so happy that we were able to re-establish contact with him!
Fast Sunday was very interesting. The day began with us finalizing plans for investigators to attend sacrament meeting, and things were looking bleak. Literally everyone was cancelling and telling us that they were not going to be able to make it. I was beginning to lose hope, but in the morning during my prayer to begin my fast, I asked that we would be able to fill the Sparta Branch Chapel. I was kind of disappointed to be honest that things were not working out. We went to try to pick up a few people for Church, but no one was home or would answer their door. As we were walking back to the chapel, the power went out. AWESOME! As we walked into the chapel, I was truly astonished. There was a family visiting from Iowa that came to Sacrament, as well as six less-active members. It certainly was not the way I had planned for things to happen, but it was Heavenly Fathers unique way of answering my prayer. I probably had to learn that "not my will, but thine be done" or something like that. We were all sitting in darkness, but sacrament meeting still went on! Before testimony meeting began for fast sunday, the member family walked in, with two extra girls. They came and sat near us, and I jokingly asked their daughter if she had a sleepover last night, referring to a specific CD they had listened to. She quickly answered, "Yes", with a smile on her face! I felt the spirit really strongly as she answered me, and was amazed at the little missionary this eight-year-old girl had become. Her mom got up to bear her testimony, and in her testimony she included that she felt that the person who had given her "The Missionary Next Door" CD had truly been inspired. The spirit hit me SO strong at this point. My last companion, and I had discussed "The Missionary Next Door" with her a while ago, and I gave her a copy of the CD two weeks ago. Neither my former companion nor I knew why we had discussed it with them, but it happened. It had been inspired by Heavenly Father. This little 8-year-old not only invited her friends to church, but she even taught them a quick first lesson, and after church she brought them around for a church tour! It was a miracle, and I was somehow able to be a part of it :)
Sunday evening we did a teaching evaluation with the a less active family, five of the six less-active members that came to church. We taught them the Restoration, and it was a really great opportunity to be able to teach their family, and to help them in a unique, but inspired way! One thing that I love about their family, aside from the individual members, is their dog Peanut, a Puggle. I had a Puggle once for about a day until my family realized that I had snuck a dog into our home, but I absolutely love their dog!
On Monday we will be receiving our transfer emails, so we will see what my future is as to where I will be serving and who I will be serving with! Thank you all so much for all of your love and support! I really appreciate every one of you, and love hearing from you. You are the best!
(I feel I need to share this portion of my mini "mom" letter – because it really underscores how Heavenly Father helps us. He knows each of us individually and knows what we need—when we need it! And the Holy Ghost brings things to our remembrances. Additionally, there are many times while I am writing Kyle that I wonder why I am writing about some of the things I am. I am so grateful for the promptings we get -- even if we don't recognize them as promptings at the time. For those who do not know who Wayne is -- he is my youngest brother, whom I dearly love, who was called home 6 years ago (age 24 at the time) to join our Heavenly family. Families are forever. This I know to be true!)
Mom,
Thank you so much for your postcard from Roma! I have been reading over little things this week, and that really helped! On Wednesday actually I was having a tough time in the morning. I decided to read the very first letter that you sent me when I arrived at the MMM. It was the May 22-28th letter, the one they gave us all when we arrived at the mission home. In it you included a Dr. Seuss quote that really helped me. I absolutely love quotes, and that quote in particular was extremely helpful to me at that time. You also talked a lot about obedience. I realized that I was making the effort to be obedient, and that I would be blessed for that. I have seen a lot of blessings this transfer from my individual obedience. I also really enjoyed your very last paragraph in your letter. You talked about Wayne and how he would be watching over me and helping me. The moment I read that I felt a peace, a comfort, and a warmth. I knew that Wayne had been watching over me, and that he especially has been comforting me and helping me. It felt almost like he was giving me a hug. The extra time that I have been given to study has helped me a lot!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
Thursday, May 30, 2013
And....He's Off!
May 28th I received the following email from Kyle...he's so funny!
Mom,
Tomorrow morning we depart from the MTC and will be heading to the airport in Salt Lake City. While we are at the airport waiting for our flight to take off, they have given us permission to make a phone call home (preferably before the plane takes off). We leave the MTC around 5:00 AM (yuck) and will be at the airport a while later. They have given us phone cards, and have told us that starting around 7:00 AM we will be able to call home. They let us send this email quickly today so that you are aware that we will be calling. Talk to you soon!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
May 29, 2013
We received a wonderful phone call from Kyle before his flight left. He is happy and well – and anxious to get to Minneapolis! We all got to speak to him—but of course, I monopolized the phone call ☺ Love. That. Boy.
And this is the quick email we received shortly after he arrived in Minneapolis yesterday☺ He had to be quick because there were 33 new missionaries yesterday! WOW! They average 7-12.
He wrote:
I can’t write a lot, because all of the new missionaries need to send a brief email home, but I am here :) I will update you on all of the happenings later, I’m sure I will have a lot of things to share with you. The flight went well, and we all got here safely. It is super green here, and flat. You can see clouds EVERYWHERE! It was super hot and humid earlier (awesome!) but now it is raining and cold. Kind of reminds me of Utah. Anyways, I have to go now, but I will talk to you soon, love you!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
And…I also received a small note in the mail with a little message that really touched my heart!
Kyle wrote---Since it is Memorial Day on Monday you probably won’t receive this letter in time, but I came across something that made me think about Wayne, and others who have passed away in our family. In the Book of Mormon--Mosiah 16:8 reads “But there is a resurrection therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.”
Thank you Kyle---I know this to be true! The sting of death is swallowed up in Christ! Families are Forever! I will see my beloved brother Wayne, my grandparents, my Uncle Bill, my Auntie Anne, my cousin Nate and all other family members who have gone before us. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Go teach the world this truth!
What a great day Wednesday May 29th was! A phone call, an email and a note all in one day! Can’t wait to get his next email telling me where his first area is, who his companion is etc. That may not be until Monday ---his preparation day. Will keep you posted. I am hoping that Kyle will serve in Canada sometime in the next two years. Thunder Bay, Ontario is part of his mission boundaries and after all, he was born to a VERY PROUD Canadian Mama!
Mom,
Tomorrow morning we depart from the MTC and will be heading to the airport in Salt Lake City. While we are at the airport waiting for our flight to take off, they have given us permission to make a phone call home (preferably before the plane takes off). We leave the MTC around 5:00 AM (yuck) and will be at the airport a while later. They have given us phone cards, and have told us that starting around 7:00 AM we will be able to call home. They let us send this email quickly today so that you are aware that we will be calling. Talk to you soon!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
May 29, 2013
We received a wonderful phone call from Kyle before his flight left. He is happy and well – and anxious to get to Minneapolis! We all got to speak to him—but of course, I monopolized the phone call ☺ Love. That. Boy.
And this is the quick email we received shortly after he arrived in Minneapolis yesterday☺ He had to be quick because there were 33 new missionaries yesterday! WOW! They average 7-12.
He wrote:
I can’t write a lot, because all of the new missionaries need to send a brief email home, but I am here :) I will update you on all of the happenings later, I’m sure I will have a lot of things to share with you. The flight went well, and we all got here safely. It is super green here, and flat. You can see clouds EVERYWHERE! It was super hot and humid earlier (awesome!) but now it is raining and cold. Kind of reminds me of Utah. Anyways, I have to go now, but I will talk to you soon, love you!
Best Wishes,
Elder Kyle William Andrews
And…I also received a small note in the mail with a little message that really touched my heart!
Kyle wrote---Since it is Memorial Day on Monday you probably won’t receive this letter in time, but I came across something that made me think about Wayne, and others who have passed away in our family. In the Book of Mormon--Mosiah 16:8 reads “But there is a resurrection therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.”
Thank you Kyle---I know this to be true! The sting of death is swallowed up in Christ! Families are Forever! I will see my beloved brother Wayne, my grandparents, my Uncle Bill, my Auntie Anne, my cousin Nate and all other family members who have gone before us. I am grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Go teach the world this truth!
What a great day Wednesday May 29th was! A phone call, an email and a note all in one day! Can’t wait to get his next email telling me where his first area is, who his companion is etc. That may not be until Monday ---his preparation day. Will keep you posted. I am hoping that Kyle will serve in Canada sometime in the next two years. Thunder Bay, Ontario is part of his mission boundaries and after all, he was born to a VERY PROUD Canadian Mama!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)