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

Sent from my iPad

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

Sent from my iPad

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

Sent from my iPad

March 3, 2016

Transfer day ...