NYAMA! (It means MEAT!)

Hello! That is once again great to hear from you. You sound really happy, and I am excited for you! Just remember to be safe and all is well. I cannot believe how close it is to Christmas. It really does not even feel like it, but I have been waiting for that exciting day for a while. I love the Christmas cheer that always comes around when all of us get together and listen to Christmas music, and celebrate the holiday of our dear Savior's birth. It is a powerful spirit that helps others to humble down and bring joy into others lives. I love it! So, I am pumped for that, and also something exciting happened today. We have come to be with the other elders of the Zone, so that we could go and visit the Tsavo National Park. YES! We got back around three, and it was awesome. Though we were not able to see TOO many animals, I got pics of an elephant and a giraffe and some zebra, and some small others! COOL! It was really and adventure. That is what has been happening today.

Also, we have not even been in our area for the week because my comp had to go up to Nairobi, and I got to go on exchanges with another elder, and we just did some service. But I love that I AM still a missionary, and am serving the Lord. Looking forward to getting back to our area again, to see what we can do more to help. This past Sunday, we attended our Branch of Yumbuni. It is the one branch that we were really scared was going to get shut down or some like, and really have been working hard to help it to progress. This Sunday there was one of the most spiritual that I have ever had in that branch! I don't know what it was with things, but it just seemed as though the members actually felt like they wanted to somewhat be there, and there were powerful lessons as well as touching talks. And one of the best parts is, that when the Sacrament was passed, I could just feel that spirit was speaking. It was nice. I am so glad to see that through all of our efforts and work that it is paying off small now, and hopefully great in the future. That has been the blessing of the week that has really stood out. 

Blessings are those gifts from God that I will always be grateful for. Lots of them really do stand out, and I just want to let you know that YOU are one of them. That’s not supposed to sound cheesy but it really is SO true. I will always be grateful to my Heavenly Father for putting you in my life. My family.  And also just to all of those who I have just ever met, they have impacted me in my life in some way.  Let this Christmas cheer just be in all of your hearts, and know that I love you, as well as God. Have a great week, and just see to it that the smile never leaves your face!

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen 

P.S. Yes. So about that call. I think that some sufficient time can be given to call. I was thinking and hoping maybe for about and hour and a half, or how ever long you would like. The time will probably be later in the evening here for me when I call, like maybe eight, so if you convert that, i think that is about 10 in the morning your time. I would hope that is not TOO late, I know you like to sleep in on Christmas. HAHA. Alright well that is that and have a great rest of the day! Love you! 

Joy To The World!!

Hello. I just love hearing from my family! It always puts even more cheer into my heart. There has really been a LOT of cheer in my heart this week. I guess it is just really the preaching of the Lords gospel. "For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ"... I love that scripture. It is powerful and enlightening. I actually just finished reading the Acts of the Apostles, and what a powerful witness of the gospel I received even more as Paul teaches and testifies of what he knows to be true. It is nice to know that that is what we are always striving to do!

That is one thing that I have really been focusing on this past week. The scriptures. There are seriously SO many things that I can study and learn in my personal studies, and prepare myself for these people. But there is one thing that I have noticed really improves all my speech and teaching, and that is the words of the prophets, weather of the past or even present today.  So, I have been trying on the expounding my knowledge of the scriptures, and as I have done so, and will continue to do so, I am and will be seeing more of a difference in my life, to follow after in the example of Christ and bring that setting of the spirit to those seeking the gospel. So nice! I love this work.

And on the teaching side of things in this area, all is doing better. It is super nice to see the members actually loving to take the initiative of going home teaching and serving there fellow brothers and sister. There is one man in particular that we were talking to the other day that really struck me with joy. He had just gone to see two of our brothers who are less-active and visited with them, and got to know there concerns and committed them to come to church. Well, one did show up, and the other did not, and so he followed up on his visit, and even visited others and made sure to recommit them to come and join with us! What a blessing he has been in our eyes and so excited to see the future of this beautiful place. It is finally starting to see change, and I am grateful to our Heavenly Father for that.

You were asking a little bit about those baptisms, and so they are named John Musembi Kisee, and Benjerman wambua Malimbi. They have been investigators that we have been teaching since about a month after I got here. And they are just going to keep progressing. They now have the gift of the Holy Ghost, and are pure members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Hopefully soon to get the priesthood, and callings to become fully involved in this great work. One of them is already doing his Home-teaching. 

Well, that is about all from me on this side of the sea. Thanks, and love you very much. Hope you have another amazing week, and just be strong. Joshua 1:9; D&C 84:88;

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen

P.S. Not really to sure about Christmas, except I think that I will just be calling you over the phone.

December 2, 2014

HI! This is Elder Andreasen speaking. How are you this day? I hope all is well! It sounds like your last week has been good. That is really good that you were able to enjoy your time in Utah. What a blessing it is to go and be with the family. I love them all very much, and pray for you and them.

Its really just like you guys took a small vacation, and are just on your way back home. Right? haha That is great that all is settled for you to be leaving, and returning back to the home we all once resided. Won't you miss those wonderful people that you got to meet up in Williston though? Did you bake a cake for those that you want to remember you, and even give them a Book of Mormon? Maybe even just a Book of Mormon; that is sweeter than cake will ever be!

MAN! This past conference is SO SUPER powerful! I love it so much, and am super uplifted by it! We finally got a chance to watch all of it, in English, and it is one of the best I have seen!  What was your favorite talk? It’s good to make you look back and reflect. I love those men, they are seriously such amazing examples to me and make me want to be more Christlike. Beside conference, here we also had two baptisms yesterday, and that was just powerful! I am so super excited to see them, and especially of a man whose family has been waiting and waiting for the moment, and now can continue together in the gospel in relief, looking forward to the day they can step foot within the walls of the Holy Temple. They make me look back at how grateful I am for what the Lord has given me. What a blessing it is to be in the ONLY true and straight path. Ok! That’s it for now, until we type once again! LOVE YOU! Appreciate you! May the Lord BLESS you.

Elder Andreasen

P.S. Please pass along - Thank you so dearly my loving grandma's and grandpa's (grandparents) for the blessing you are in my life. I LOVE you, and just appreciate your generosity, and you kind heart, and amazing example to me. Thank you.

Only 31 days TILL CHIRSTMAS and Happpy Thanksgiving.

HEY! HI! I am SO sorry that it has taken so long to write! It was such a problem here with the network, but now it is working. I was thinking of coming to send you an email on Wed and we got so busy that it didn't happen, and then on Thursday I decided that I would just write only today, so here I AM! WOW! That is great that you are getting ready to go back! And already packing, that is super nice. It is good to hear that you have been busy, and that all is well. I love even to hear about that AWESOME missionary experience! That is so great, and I hope that something comes out of that Book of Mormon that touches your Co-workers heart. Even your experience with that family that has just gone through such an extremely happy moment and even one of the saddest in their lives. I can't even imagine what they are going through, but I do know that Christ knows what they are going through, and even our Heavenly Father knows them, and helped you be there so that you could mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. Good work.

I am so grateful for you as my family. I DO love you so much, and just hope that you know that. I was thinking about you this week, and even just what you have taught Skyler and me, and just even a lot about how our family worked when we were all together. It keeps making me realize how important it is to grow up in a setting where the Gospel standards and principles are taught within the home. It affects me in the work that we are doing here. It helps me testify to someone that I know that by living a Christ centered life, and striving to repent, we can be truly and eternally happy. There are sometimes where we come across some families here, where they are members of the church, but they just are not all united together, and striving to follow those important principles they once accepted. For me it is something I am grateful for that I have a family and we are united as one, and nothing can ever separate us. I want that for everybody. It starts at home. It will always start at home. We want these great saints to come and join once again with us, and be united as a part of this great family in Zion, but we must strive to help them to live a life where they themselves can feel the spirit in their everyday acts, and carry that into the Sunday experience. We want them to get involved. We are striving to help them gain that love one for another, and they have already taken the initiative to start back up the home teaching program and find these families in need of spiritual strength.  So that is what we have been up to. We are also planning on having two baptisms this next Sunday, and just really working to prepare them for that special day! It is exciting to see them coming into the fold.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that yes, I am still in the same area where I was serving. Still have the same companion and all is coming along nicely. There is just hot and very humid weather with rain. It is like this place was a sponge. IT soaked up all of this water, and now it is GREEN as ever. Places we usually go, we have gotten lost, because there is so much greeeeen. We have even really been helping so many people prepare their shambas, or gardens, and it is HARD work. But it is nice to serve, and gain experience, and even just help people feel the love of Jesus Christ. I even got a chance to help someone plow with oxen. IT was pretty cool, and I am a natural. Well, that is the excitement of these days. I am just hoping that you have a fantastic Thanksgiving, and that you greet them all for me! We just killed, cooked, and ate a nice chicken last night and I am counting that as a start to the Thanksgiving celebration! I love you tons, and just pray for you daily.  Be safe, and strong.

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen

HI

Hello again! Eeesh eesh, it sure sounds cold around those parts! I hope that you can keep warm...I can't even think of that cold right now. haha It is seriously just humid and hot and breezy here. Mom, it sounds like a lot of playground drama is going on with the girls...I can't imagine having sisters growing up. It's good that you know your principal so when you decide you want to get into trouble, you already have a cozy seat waiting for you, and a glass of soda. That is great that you both were able to work on the house, maybe you should open a carpentry store! 

Whoo. And we here, have been seeing some less-actives coming back to church. Even the branches are starting to make serious plans to go and visit less-actives and just even care for each other. Yesterday, we sat down with one of the branches, and the leaders were naming off all of the families that have backslid, and assigned them to go and visit, and to bring them to church and every week come back and report, and they are serious about it! Well, that is what really gave me hope of this area to be progressing, and it is yet again time for transfers, and we shall see what the Lord has in store for me, but I hope that it will be that I get to stay here for a little longer. 

That is what is happening these days. I bear testimony to it all as well. Thanks, AND have a great week! Love you!

Elder Andreasen