What A Great Week!!

Hey you guys! WOW! What a powerful week it has seriously been. We actually ended the week yesterday with a baptism, and I just am excited in this work! We have been really still working hard as always, and we have been finding people, and just helping them see that there is more to life, and that God loves us and has a plan for each and every one of us. It has been amazing how the spirit has really helped in this work, and how much it really helps us to just become better, because it is the one thing that lets us know what our Heavenly Father wants us to know. 

MAN, you guys are leaving this week, that is SO crazy and I wish the best for you. I hope all is going well with the move and I hope that you guys travel safely and are just excited for the blessings that are coming ahead on this awesome path that you are taking. I just love ya!

So like this week in the working side for us, it has been powerful to see some of our investigators progressing. We are really excited for next Sunday also, because we are planning on having another baptism and a confirmation. We have met more investigators and are teaching them. We are trying to encourage some of our other friends who are not progressing as much, and we are just still trying to meet them and determine how we can help them, only with the help of the Lord is this possible. Something I have noticed is that you just simply CANNOT have power in teaching or in the work without inviting the spirit to be with us in all that we do, and just having unity and trust in our companionship as we pray together to look to the Lord in all we do and just have joy. I have seen that the best way to go about my day is to simply always be pondering on the words of life, and just keep that great perspective of what the Lord would want me to be saying, how He would want me to be acting, and thinking. THINK POSITIVE! I sometimes see that I myself take things too hard on myself, and that is where things just turn to anger and negative thinking. But as I think of positive, inspirational, uplifting, and encouraging thoughts, the smile never leaves my face. 

Wow, so this week, we met this guy that is seriously so Super powerful, and wants to see everything that we teach. The thing is, he has this concern...this HUGE concern. It has to do with prophets. He has really been searching about prophets and he has been following this guy who is around as a "false prophet" who is working miracles. Let me tell you that this one thing has gotten me to seriously study hard about these things, and what makes our prophet so special. The priesthood is a huge part of this, I am looking for ways to better explain. It is odd, because this certain 'prophet' Owuor goes around having crusades and will work "miracles" and people have followed him, and this guy followed him, and says they are legit healing miracles. We are trying to explain that each child of God is given different gifts and talents, but anyhow, it is one lesson that the spirit was SO strong, and it is awesome because I just felt connected with the spirit and thoughts just kept popping in my head so I knew what to say. I am just hoping to find an answer that can answer him, because if he gets baptized, he will be SO amazing in the church, and just be a powerful teacher. Anyhow, that is one thing that we face as missionaries and I LOVE these challenges we are given. So, I think that’s about it for now, but I just love you SO SO much and just hope and wish the best of this next week for you guys! Keep SMILING! 

Love:

Elder Andreasen

Ya!

P.s. We have monkeys that live around the church...COOOL! I will make sure to take pics for you guys.

Easter

Hey my loving family! Yet another week, and things are still good. It really seems like life is just going and going, and that we are all taking it one step at a time. I feel so much love for each of you, and just do pray for you. I love to just stop and take a breather and listen...when I listen and feel, and try to understand the spirit and just what God wants for me, then things seem to become more joyful and meaningful and less stressful. Today for example, we went early in the morning to help one of the member families clean the church, and when we got there the locks had been switched and things were not working out. haha, We cleaned for 3 hours, and it was just something, but now I am taking time to breathe and just seeing your e-mails makes me smile and happy. I love you guys so much. The other day, when I was studying, I took some time to think about our family. It has not been full for the last 3 or so years, and we have all come SO far in life. It will sure be a reunion when we all get back together at one place for small time. Then life will take off again. How cool is it that we get to be together for all eternity though! Legit!

This past week we as a companionship have seriously worked hard. I am seriously feeling it right now as we speak. I LOVE that feeling. I made a goal, and that is to make sure that when I come home every single night, I will be absolutely dead tired. That is the way I know that I have given my all and sincerely just worked hard. This mission has so many testimony building moments. It is hard and sometimes there are things that would give someone a reason to be down. Like for example we might plan out the day and have about five people or so to see, and they all bounce us...happens like every other day. But I know my purpose as a missionary and I know my duty that I have been given under this calling, and I feel absolutely guilty if I waste any time, so we learn to use time wisely. It has been hard this past week. We have seen some of our investigators digress, and have had to push back some baptism dates. The good thing though, is that with each of them, we have connected more, and helped them to understand what the spirit feels like, and purely just let them know that we care about them, that we are there for THEM and not for us. We are still planning on having at least two baptisms this next week. I just sincerely want the best for all of these people because they are my friends and I love them. Something that has kept me going is this powerful statement that was given to us while growing up. It goes like this..."Remember who you are, and don't let it get you down." That statement is true. Thanks mom and dad. :) love ya

Man! Can you believe that was Easter!?! Haha. I hope the Easter bunny stopped by your house! Not much happened here on that great Easter day. We had the opportunity to watch the Saturday sessions of conference though, and that was really great! I loved all of the talks, they all really were so powerful. We just did missionary work, that was Easter. It is so awesome to see how everybody around is really happy though. It is like you would get into a taxi and people would just be smiling, and you would just hear the pastors going off loud, and everything is just SO churchy. I love the whole concept and true reality of Easter. Is it not great that because Christ was able to bring life to himself, that he can bring life to us. Ya know there is something that seriously cracked me up this morning. A pastor was talking on the radio in the matatu, and he was talking about how we can change as we come to Christ, and he made an example of HOW we can change. It is like when Kent Clark goes into a phone booth and comes out as superman, or when Miley Cyrus suddenly becomes Hanna Montana. hahaha it still gets me. But I think that it is kind of true though, you always will see a physical change in a person because they are being changed spiritually. I've seen the reality of this gospel, and what it can do, and it is not too far from what that pastor was saying.

Hey by the way, Skyler, way to go with that great act of service on Sunday! I am sure that the Lord is truly rejoicing that you have just introduced yet another marvelous daughter of God to His only true church on this earth. That will bless her life immensely and I just hope that she accepts what she has now been revealed. Eeesh this is getting long eh! Well, have a great week you guys and let the spirit of the Lord guide your lives in all aspects. Be strong and of a good courage. 

Elder Andreasen

Let us FLY!

Marahaba!

Hey you guys! Wow it is sure good to hear how things are going with you. Man that is crazy that you really are going, and are in North Dakota! It is really nice to serve the Lord. Wow, the week has just been SO powerful. I have really felt that the spirit has been guiding and directing me in the work and just in my life.

The Work is truly coming along Marvelous. We are SO excited for all of our investigators, we have five people with baptism dates, and they are really progressing so well. I love to see how much each of them are changing and just gaining an understanding of the gospel. I think that I shared with you in a past letter that I have been working on just loving everyone that we meet, and I have seen how much that really helps invite the spirit. It is so powerful to always be feeling the spirit as you are teaching and just let it guide and direct your words, and Even your actions. Yesterday, we actually had this super powerful lesson with one of our investigators. Her name is Susanne. We were teaching her, and it was like the second time that we have actually been able to sit down with her after church and have a lesson. But when we were there, it was so awesome to see how the spirit was working through me to help me to understand her needs and how we as missionaries were going to be able to help her. About halfway through the lesson, she seemed to stop being so interested, and so I stopped the lesson and just simply asked her how she was feeling. That was the key. We got somewhere with that, and shared what she needed to hear. To be honest, I have noticed how bad a lesson can go when the spirit is not with us or even not helping them. I am seeing that there are so many ways to show that you care about someone and truly love them. Hmmm...what else are you desiring to hear from the missionary work? haha Not sure what else to say, except that I love just the power of this gospel! It IS true, and the power of the Atonement works in each and every life! I just heard that two of our investigators back up in Eldoret got baptized! We worked very hard with one of them, and it is SO good to hear that he finally made a choice, and that he was SURE about it too!

The branch that we are working with is really needing some mending. The numbers are around the thirties or so on Sundays. It is sad and we are working hard to try and find members who know less actives and just get some people to come to church! I really think that I might be able to go and Skype on Mothers Day, not really for sure, but I am stoked to hear or see you. OH! I forgot to mention that I saw my first wild giraffe on my way here to Nairobi! That was exciting, and I just saw another camel the other day, so it reminded me. Don't even know bout Easter. Well, I think that is bout it. I love ya and hope the best for you this next week!

Love:

Elder Andreasen

Don't Forget to Smile!

I Love This Work!!

Hello hello! Good day. So I am doing well, and am just happy. It sounds like a lot is happening around those parts, and WOW what an exciting adventure that is! haha You guys make me smile ya know that! I just love ya. That is seriously so cool that you are taking time to go and to help build up the church and what FANTASTIC opportunities you will receive by doing that. NO doubt that you will make a difference and find people to bring more joy and happiness in their life. 

Aw man, I wish we could have already watched conference, but unfortunately still have to wait some. I hear it really is super good, and that the two main topics are around love and obedience. There is a lady in our ward that works in translating of the conference talks. So she gets to listen to them before other people do, and she was just sharing how much of a spiritual time it is to do that.  

This week has been SO good, and we have really been working hard. We are seeing the fruits of our labors and the greatness of just the Lord still answering our prayers. We have agreed with three people for baptism dates, and are hoping that we at least get within the next two months, seven or so baptisms! I am really excited. It is really great to see these people progress, and see them getting excited about the gospel. Like every time we teach, we try and make it so that we can just feel the spirit super strong, and for me, I am just trying to love them as Christ would love them. We have some three great pre-missionaries working with us from the branch. We are trying to help them out with getting the experience, and bearing their testimonies. My companions are both just fantastic and great. Our friend Elder Orenge is still chilling here with us in Kenya. He is progressing SO much, and just is excited about sharing with everybody. They are going to LOVE him in the MTC. So, we decided that we really need to see more less actives here in this branch though, because like yesterday at church there were only about 32-33 people in sacrament out of a branch of 200 and some odd. We are just praying that the members get that strike back in their heart to come back. 

I am healthy, and feeling the spirit. Oh, so have you guys seen this new program that the church has put out for the youth? It is the "Come Follow Me" program and theme for the year. It seems like it will be powerful, and just super Effective in the teaching of the youth and of connecting with each other and with God. Have you seen a difference in the ward as this has been applied? I seriously love it. It teaches pretty much how to teach as Christ did, and just is another thing that makes me smile. All we need to do everyday is really love and care about everybody we come in contact with. There are So many ways to be doing that too. I just love smiling at them and waving, but I know that serving them is a HUGE part. Anyhow, that is it for now. Just love ya again, and have a great faith filled week!

Elder Andreasen

Feel the love...SMILE!

P.S. Hey Grandma Andreasen! Happy Birthday! I hope you are enjoying your day. I just love ya, and hope all goes well, and that you get some of those great birthday wishes! Keep up the great work of living life on earth, and just know that I (one of your FAVORITE grandsons) LOVES you VERY much, and is think about you! Have a GREAT day!