Hey! The Sun Is Shining!!

Hey you guys! So good to here that you are doing great! Hey, that doesn't surprise me that you are taking one of those off the whim road trips! haha. I hope that you have had a good time, and I hope that you are safe. Snow is dangerous ya know. I am doing great here in the city of Nairobi! I love it here, the people are really great, and I am seriously just always feeling the spirit. It always shows a way to keep teaching us in our lives if we are willing to learn.

I have been looking at how I can become a more spiritually uplifting person, and just more of an example. It really has made me ponder on whose example I am really following. I have been watching some of the apostles and their great examples, and I know that as I look to be as humble and bold as they are, then I will ultimately be following the example of our Savior Jesus Christ. I have been looking at those great examples in the scriptures, and what a blessing it is to know that they are truly speaking to ME!...and just to all of us. I have really just been gaining more and more of a testimony of hard work. It has not been easy this past week. There are SO many challenges in trying to whitewash this area, and get to know the members and just simply try to find people. What I love about it though, is that it has been helping me realize how much we really do rely on the Lord. He is the only one who can touch the hearts of the Children of God. I Do know that He has been opening ways for us to help and serve His children. The Spirit is TRUE! I have found that it helps, and we just have to ALWAYS be prepared to listen to it. That is what we need to be humble and we have to always love everybody we come in contact with, And I do love them!

We are trying to prepare some of our investigators for baptism little bits at a time. There are two that we met who are really excited and so curious about the things that we are sharing with them. David and Hamaton are serious, and I do know that as we just show them a way as their guide, and let the Lord take the rest, everything will work out for them.  Well, I love you guys, and I am just doing the work of the Lord! I have faith and am courageous in these things. I am answering the call to SERVE. I hope you have a great week!

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen

Smilin BIG!

What?!...Already!?

BOO! Haha scared ya there didn’t I! WOW! Can I tell you! So, it was great to hear from you guys, coming to see your great writings in the e-mail. Well, I just hope that you are all being comforted and just know I am thinking about you...along with like 100 other people too. So you won't even BELIEVE what has happened in the last week!!!! I got emergency transferred again!

So, We were just getting out of a lesson in Chyulu, and we get a call from the AP's and they told me that I was taking part in ANOTHER emergency transfer and that I would again be leaving the next day. I have really got to tell you that those words ripped my heart out. I LOVE that place and those people, and to think that I was going to be leaving was sorrowful. I do miss them, and their great smiles, and they did teach me so much about life and myself and I learned so much from God. I just know that the great memories of them will stick with me forever, and now I am here. I have been sent to the city, in Nairobi. I am in a place called Langata, which is about 15 min. away from the main center of town. Man, and it is a complete change from where I was. We are in an amazing place, we have been here since Thurs. so we are trying to still get used to the area, because my new companion and I are whitewashing the area. There is a super nice part to our area, and we are also part of the BIGGEST slum in all of Africa, and that is called Kibera, bigger then Soweto in South Africa. My new companion is named Elder Bakubamutwe. He is from Uganda, and has been on mission for five months. He is powerful, and actually hasn't left the city yet, so I have this great feeling that he is going to go and serve in the bush sooon! Haha. So, I feel like our flat is just as nice as like the last hotel that we stayed in together in Cancun...this is like big people now. I love it though, because we get to go to the office often and meet with the couples there and the office elders, and Ap's and they are all just great elders, and are fantastic influence on me! We have another Elder that is staying with us for about the next two weeks. He is from around, and is going to go and serve in Durban, South Africa, but he is having Visa problems, so we are showing him some of the tricks to being a missionary. He hasn't been to the MTC yet, so they will love him when he gets there. Oh, his name is Elder Orenge. I am also a district leader now, and so I have a little more responsibility, but it is nice to just keep busy.

We are trying to meet these great people, and we are just finding LA's and seeing where all of our Investigators are living that were left for us. We are just trying new ideas and just listening to the spirit. That is what has been happening in this past week. But here we have to make sure that we are in before dark, and that we just keep safe, which isn't a problem if we just keep the commandments and do what we are told. Wow, you can even get a burrito here in the city...Crazy! I am sure I will probably keep the same size though! hahaha a lot of walking and stuff. It is a cooler climate here than it is in my last area, and so that is nice, but it still gets hot. Mmhmmm. So I think that is a bout it, but I just love you guys and hope the best for this upcoming week. Sorry for it being such a long letter, there is just so much to write and not enough room. I just hope all keeps on keeping on and well, and talk to ya later!    

Much Love From:

Elder Andreasen

Keeps on Smilin...ya

Happy St. Patty's Day???

Hey you guys! So, this week has really been so great! I am doing well,

and I am for sure safe. I love this gospel, and have truly learned so

much this past week. It has seemed like a short week with zone

conference, but I have gained so much spiritual knowledge.

So, we had a blast at zone conference. We met on Tuesday, and we were

in the Machocos chapel and there were just the eight of us, the 2

couple missionaries, the AP’s and the mission president and wife. It

was kind of a small one this time. So we just had great words that

were spoken and taught. The theme again was about being diligent and

obedient. Man, I know that these things are very true. I love that as

you come back from these conferences it just makes you want to do

better, and always work your very best. Since we got back, we have

been applying more of these things that we have learned, and are

seeing how they can and will definitely help. The work will go on!

Wow, it is St. Patrick’s Day? Hmmm, not here. Haha I don't think that

they do celebrate that holiday, but hope your wearing green! I am

going to reassure you that I am safe! There are not really any problems

here were I am. The only thing that we have to be careful about is

just keeping obedient, and then the Lord will be protecting us. There

are no gangs that I know of here. There are in Nairobi, and there are

always going to be dangerous things where ever you go, but I think we

are pretty ok. No lions are going to be eating me anytime soon. Hmmm

Well, not really much more to be said, other than I love this gospel,

I love the scriptures, and missionary work is da BEST! Have a great

week and LLOVE YOU!

Elder Andreasen

SMILE!

Hmm...Snow...What Is THAT?

Hey you guys! so HELLO from Mombasa! We are in Mombasa right now for a Zone Conference, so that is what is going be happening this week. It is by the coast, so it is nice and humid and hot here and just African! I am looking forward to the upcoming days. I am just happy, and staying healthy. I LOVE you guys!

There really is not TOO much to write about this past week. It was pretty much the same, but always still great! We have been trying to overcome some obstacles with the branches, and just trying to gain their trust. WE are actually focusing on the youth, and trying to get them to church, and answer their questions, and we have two future missionaries that we are trying to help to encourage. On Sunday, I actually got to teach the youth Sunday School class. It was something that I was just given on a whim (which is not rare here) and I got to teach them about how the prophets words can help us come to have faith in the Atonement. Man, it was seriously SO great. I was teaching with the Spirit, and just bore MY personal testimony of these great things. It was so great, and I realized again how strongly I feel about these things! I just love them!  We are really happy though, because as we have been working with some lost sheep, we saw some of them at church on Sunday, and we were thrilled for that! That makes me happy to see that we are making some progress and getting somewhere with what we are trying to accomplish.

People aren’t really jumping at being baptized, but we are hoping that as we discuss with some of these great people, that they will have their testimonies built and their spirits touched. That will hopefully make them think about baptism in the future. So, I just have been looking in the scriptures a LOT this past week. They really truly do give us SO much strength, and I have gained more courage through them. One thing that I loved when I was studying the other day, was the story of the Title of Liberty in Alma 46. I love this great example!!! There is a scripture that says something like, if we were all like unto Moroni, then the DEVIL would NOT have power over the hearts of the children of men! (Alma 48:17). This Is So great to have that much passion as Moroni did about what he believed! I am starting to also see what the sons of Mosiah were feeling in Mosiah 28:3, that explains that they were desiring that NO human should perish! I truly do love these people so much, and I just know that as I keep that same passion that Moroni has in that chapter, then the Lord will not let me fail. I am trying to really focus on Christlike attributes lately, and I really have seen how much I need to work on and still just how much more I can grow! I love this thing where we can always learn from our mistakes and be made better through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have seen it, and keep continually seeing it, and just look towards the future in faith. I love you and just hope that you have SUCH a great and Awesome week, and will be trying to keep the light of Christ. It IS the best light that Shines in this Dark world.

Love

Elder Andreasen

YA! These Are The THINGS!

WELL JEEZ! It’s been a whole week, and its already gone! Your right, it did fly by! Sometimes it seems like there just isn't enough time, but that’s why we have to make all we can out of EACH day!!! (Wow that’s a lot of Exclamations) But I am just so happy at this moment! I just love you guys! I decided that all I am going to do from now on in my life is just LOVE! Love is the simple key to happiness. It is everything that Christ Himself showed and I just love to love! Man, it is a Smokin’ hot day today, but it is SO beautiful! Ya know, every morning I get to get up, and see the sun coming over the horizon, and then I get to study the gospel under some beautiful palm trees while listening to the birds sing, and feeling the spirit...Cool huh? If you just take time to look around you and see the beautiful earth that God has created for US His children, you feel the spirit SO strong, and I really do just appreciate it so much more. 

Wow, and the work! The work is coming along. It is coming somewhat slowly, but we are trying to put all we have into it, we just have learned to exercise patients, and put things more into the Lords hands. It is crazy how much Satan really does have an influence if people let him in. We got to see some more lost sheep this past week, and it was so great, because they had some serious questions, and some things that were holding their spirits back from coming to church, but we had that chance to put in the power of the gospel. One of the stories of the week is so simple, but I felt the spirit so strong. It was while teaching someone that had not been to church for about a month and a half, and she had some concerns about rumors and about her family being safe in the church. We had a member with us, and he translated while we bore our testimonies, and reminded her of how strong her testimony of these things can be. I felt accomplished as we were leaving and she let us know that she wasn't scared anymore, but that she had regained her courage to come back.  

Hmmm, so one of the most popular fruits here, is one of my favorites, mangos. They are everywhere, and all different shapes and sizes. Some as big as both of my fists put together or bigger. And it is almost like they consider sugar cane here to be a fruit, because it is sold everywhere! Yes, I love the stuff! Eeesh, I hope for no cavities though, I brush. Ah, and I am very excited, because we are looking forward to doing some service projects this next week. So we get to help dig a well, and make a mud hut! SUPER awesome! Oh, and we got to visit another of our four branches this past Sunday, and they are just so Awesome. Got to bear my testimony and meet many many people. Uh huh, yep so I think that is it for now, but I do love you SO SO very much!!! That is great that the spring is here for you. Spring is one of the BEST times of the year! Have a great one!

Love 

Elder Andreasen

Keep Smiling!

Pass Along: Hey G-ma Davis! How old are you? 81! That is old, but so great! You've made it SO far and you are SO wise and SO strong! I JUST LOVE YOU! I am so proud to be one of your favorite grandsons and just smile every time I think of your amazing spirit and fantastic laugh! I hope that you have the greatest  81st birthday in your whole life! PHEEEWWW think of how many candles that takes...your cake will be COVERED in wax! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!