March 28, 2016

This week has been awesome. We met a cool guy on the street and he let me play his guitar for a while! We ended up being bros, and he wants to hang out and talk about the gospel! The weather was ok over here, half rain, half sun...so a little better than usual! I hope everyone had an awesome Easter! I'm really excited for General Conference this coming week, because we have a few investigators we are planning on watching it with. Elder Jones had a bug all week, but was a trooper in trying to get over it. This morning I have been reading out of a book, The Power of Everyday Missionaries, an incredible book for those that are interested in sharing the gospel but not quite sure how, where, when, and who to share it with. For those interested in receiving blessings that come with missionary work, check this book out! The book talks about something that would be in relation to this scripture: As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. Let's go about doing some good this week!! Love you all!

Elder Andrew

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March 21, 2016

This week has been phenomenal!!!

Every companionship in the zone is putting people on date! It seemed like every five minutes, people were texting in miracle stories. We saw them within our companionship this week as well! Good to see success despite all the crappy weather lately. We actually had a couple days where the sun seemed to be out, so we took advantage of that and did some service! We had a zone conference as well this week, which went awesome! We received a couple amazing trainings from some companionships as well as President Taylor! Today we are going to ball hard! Best week ever! Also, Sunday, we taught gospel principles. The lesson was on the sacrament! During the discussion, we all shared what we do while the sacrament is being administered each week. I remembered a scripture I came across in my studies...Helaman 5:9     " O remember , remember , my sons, the words which king Benjamin spake unto his people; yea, remember that there is no other way nor means whereby man can be saved, only through the atoning blood of Jesus Christ, who shall come; yea, remember that he cometh to redeem the world."

I explained I generally will say a prayer, reread the sacrament prayer and a cool scripture like this. Than I ponder on that and think to myself how I will better take the Saviors name upon myself this coming week. The sacrament is a huge blessing to partake every week! It's one of the specific ways he has asked us to remember him, and we have the privilege of partaking in such a reverent setting administered by the authority of God himself!! So I thought that was cool. Nothing else crazy has been going on, just another bomb week in Vancouver! I love you all!

Sincerely, 

Elder Andrew

March 14, 2016

This week has been a quick, super productive week! We are teaching a
guy who has ASL and is paralyzed from neck down. He has a great heart
and knows what we have been sharing with him is true. The way he looks
at life, regardless of his circumstance, is incredible. It's forced me to take a step back and count my blessings! He accepted the invitation to be baptized!! We have some other incredible people we are teaching that are borderline baptism candidates as well! The ward

and area is on fire! Amazing people are there to help us out as well! Everybody in the zone is getting people on date like crazy! It's looking like we are going to surpass our goals and we are all stoked!!

We had a pretty cool experience the other day! An appointment cancelled on us this week, so Elder Jones and I prayed to ask what we should do, as we normally would. The name "William" came into both of our minds. Neither of us knew who that was, had seen that name in our records or anything. We search him up and somehow dig up a William that hadn't been stopped by in forever! We went over there, he let us
right in, and we taught him the first discussion and got to know him pretty well. He was more than down to meet again and said he would be baptized after he reads the Book of Mormon haha!!! Praying+faith=miracles! Once again. Amazing week!!

Love you all,

Elder Andrew

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March 7, 2016

This week has been SOLID!!

First off, we had transfers, I am now serving in the Evergreen Ward in Vancouver!! It's so different than Portland!!! I absolutely love it and my companion, Elder Jones is a stud!! He was in band in high school, and plays a lot of drums. He knows how to play the drum kit pretty well.... He's fun to talk about music with! We were able to go to a couple baptisms for people I had taught in one of my previous areas! That was kind of weird because I got to see some people from my old ward. It is incredible the feeling you get as a missionary seeing people you love and taught make such an important choice! Without a doubt it will effect them and their families forever. We had a couple cool experiences of running into people this week and putting them on date on the spot!!! Miraculous things are about to happen! We have the coolest Zone as well! Everyone is bros...plus my MTC companion is in there with us!

I've been thinking a lot about being an example lately. Every single one of us are examples and leaders in our own way. A lot of times we are setting examples without recognition of what we are doing and so I have been trying to decide what kind of example I would follow...and than BE THAT. As we all know, the leader of leaders led by his example. The power that came behind his leadership came from his desire to be what a leader should be:

"Walk quietly, as in stocking feet; but walk fearlessly, in faith. Don’t let the ill winds sway you. Walk as leaders with the priesthood in the government of God. Walk with hands ready to help, with hearts full of love for your fellowmen. But walk with a toughness in righteousness." 

We can be the best example by showing our hearts are full of love for our fellow brothers and sister. Love them! That's it haha. When we internalize the love that the savior has for us, we learn to love him back, and love his doctrine. Through our love for the doctrine taught by our Savior, we begin to live it and we then can perfectly portray the blessings of this restored gospel.

The week has been good! I hope all of yours will be as well. I love you all!!!!!

Sincerely,
Elder Andrew

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March 3, 2016

Transfer day ...

February 29, 2016

I forgot what transfer I am on, but its the end of it! That flew by haha!

This week was awesome! We were able to find some people that are interested in the gospel as well as we were able to put a couple people on date for April!! Elder Johnson and I are so stoked for it. I feel so blessed that the Lord is blessing us with these people to teach and befriend.

The weather was awesome over here this last week to! Ton's of sun...which called for a lot more walking! I love going out and finding when the sun is out! Got to take advantage of it over here! We were able to teach gospel principles and attend the primary and be the "guest speakers"! I love the primary. There is an awesome spirit in that class that is different than the others! We discussed in gospel principles "Jesus Christ, our savior and leader". We were talking about in the premortal existence Satan proposed he be our savior and that he wanted all the glory, and then Jesus Christ stood up and said he would volunteer to be our savior for the love that he had for us and his father. As well, with Jesus being our savior, we would be able to keep our agency! We were also talking about how the Savior would be our judge. How suited he would be for that position seeing that he has gone through everything that we have or ever will go through.

3 Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading your cause before him--

4 Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin, in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be glorified;

5 Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name, that they may come unto me and have everlasting life. (D&C 45)

To me, this scripture is pretty comforting!!!!!!! He will be our advocate, he will plead for our cause depending on our desires, he will ask to spare all of us who will choose to believe in him! Jesus sounds like a bro. haha! All I got to do is believe, and follow his example=eternal life and happiness forever!

I love you guys, and hope all is well..as well as the weather over there! Its crazy how much of an impact it can make on your day!

Sincerely,

Elder Andrew

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February 22, 2016

Hellooo!

Another great week has passed! We found a couple solid new people ready to investigate the church, they seem pretty prepared so we are stoked! We had a ton of great lessons, members and non members! The Lord just seems to be handing miracles our way and it's starting to feel like we are doing less and less.

An elder we are living with had the opportunity to go to a temple sealing for the first investigator he taught. Over time he had the opportunity to see them progress in the gospel to where they are now. He said it was THE coolest thing to see the change and be able to witness the sealing. He said the spirit was undeniable and emotions were high! We have an opportunity to make some pretty cool promises with the Lord, and in return he has promised us incredible blessings. Now this couple can be together forever and their children will be born into the promise which will not only bind them to their parents, but also effect and influence their lives for better then they, or really any of us can really understand. I was pretty jealous.

Another cool thing this week was interviews with president! The person who is subbing in for president is way cool! Seems like a very understanding loving person!

We ate a pig too! Elder Johnson and I got to eat in the Tongan ward once this week...we got there and they had two big pigs over a fire they had got that morning! It was way cool!

We had exchanges soon after and being with my previous companion for a day was fun.

Lately I have been really focusing on developing Christlike attributes. Rather than just making them actions, I want to really incorporate them to who I am. Yesterday's big look was knowledge. Before I never really thought of knowledge being a Christlike attribute, but it is! In Alma 17:2-3, it talks about how powerful we can be in our ministry when we try to obtain a knowledge for righteous purposes. The sons of Mosiah "had given themselves to much prayer, and fasting; therefore they had the spirit of prophecy, and the spirit of revelation, and when they taught, they taught with power and authority of God.

4 And they had been teaching the word of God for the space of fourteen years among the Lamanites, having had much success in bringing many to the knowledge of the truth;"

Prophecy, revelation, teaching with the power and authority of God....SUCCESS!! I need this! I'm still trying to obtain a knowledge that seems adequate for the task I have at had. Without a doubt, my efforts in this behalf have allowed the spirit to take my words and make them into what God would have me say. "21 Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men." Pretty cool promises.

I love you guys, I love it out here! The work is progressing so fast! Have a great week!

Sincerely,

Elder Andrew