Finally...Pictures

HEYllo! How are you this fine day? I hope that you are doing just great! If you are, turn and tell your neighbor. I am just sitting in a nice cyber that is about an hour away from where we stay. We are here to enjoy the transfer with the zone. So, I sent you some pictures, and I hope that you have received them! I'm stoked to go and play some futball with these great Elders, and have some fun in the heat! 

We also work too. This week, we have had some nice things happen. WE are seeing our investigators progress, and have found some new less-active members that are having some difficulties, but are still willing to see things change in their lives. Yesterday, we actually met one of them, and he is really struggling. He still has faith and he has a very strong testimony, but there are reasons of forgiveness that are holding him back. He used to be the old branch president in one of our branches, but now he is needing some serious encouragement. We were very blunt with him, but in a loving way, and we really could both feel how intense the spirit was, and I know that he will eventually come back. The members here are so great, and loving, and we are really just getting them involved in what ever we can with the church, so that they stay busy, and active, and are not just one a day Mormons. 

That is just what is up, what is going on around these parts. There are some members that have some nice elephants that broke through the fence again and started eating their papaya. I ate some nice intestines the other day. All just keeps well. I am really getting to know scriptures, which is super nice. Preach My Gospel is a great book! And I just love you, and hope that you have a fantastic week again.

Much Love From:

Elder Andreasen

Machetes and Axes

Hi there! Family, I LOVE you. Things are just going on here in Africa. The Lords mission is super nice to be able to serve! It sounds like you are doing well as always, which is so GREAT to hear. It seems like we are always split up as a family these days, but that is ok, because we are in each others hearts.

This week has been about the same. WE had a baptism, and that is so great! We are just sharing with the same people, and they are seeming to progress. We have given two more baptism dates here in this week. The less-actives that we are seeing, seem to keep encouraged. We are getting them to church, and really care about each of them. We try to serve them as much as we possibly can. We cut whole trees of firewood for them with machetes and axes. We hoe their fields with them, and are preparing to help with preparing their fields for the rainy

season. Service is one of the best things that we can do to help others come back unto the fold.

Other than these things, I’m healthy, and happy, and growing strong. Eating well, and I’m building my skills in cooking the nice foods here. I am also just building my skills and talents in life that the Lord has given me, and am discovering others. Who ever knew that I would LOVE to meet new people everywhere I go. That is one of my favorite things to do these days! But, He really blesses you if you ask for His help, and then you listen to what He has to say. What He has to tell you is usually better than what you could come up by your own. Love

you again, and hope that you push through, and have a great week.

Elder Andreasen

Smile Big!

September 15, 2014...WHOOPS...forgot to post this one too.

Hello from da bush! This is your brown African son. I just want to say that I love you, and that all is well here in this beautiful place. Not much is going on here, except missionary work.

What is so great, is that we are seeing the less-actives coming back to church, which is a blessing from the fruits of working hard. We are really focusing on about four investigators that we have right now also. It is SO nice, because people don't get investigators here very often, but I am excited to see what happens soon in the future. I think that I love this area a lot more then the city. It is a lot more simple. The spirit is strong every day, as we focus on how we can help progress the area, and work with members, and progress in helping the leadership of the branches. We are just trying to help these people feel the spirit and give them a sense of hope and peace. Not a lot has been done here in the late past, but since we have come, there has really been some change, and I LOVE it.

There is not much else. We have some nice studies in the morning. The best companionship studies that I have ever had. We start off the morning with an intense spirit, as we focus our studies on the Atonement, and our Savior Jesus Christ. I love that little boost of the spirit in the morning. Alright. I just love you, and hope that all keeps on well. Try not to freeze in that cold weather, and keep up the great work. You made me smile huge, when I heard of the bringing of others unto Christ. We may be separated, but we are doing the same work. Have you read Preach My Gospel? We have started to give it to members around to read, and ponder and pray about.

Nice time!

Elder Andreasen

(1 Thessalonians 5:14-23)

On the Iron Horses AGAIN! September 8, 2014

Hi family! So sorry about the delay, it has been quite the struggle with the internet today, and we were just busy busy. WE rode our bikes SO FAR today. It was really super nice though, because the other elders that are staying with us, let us use their mountain bikes. They have mountain bikes, and we have old break down iron horses. But, we had to go and get some things in a far off place, but it was an adventure as is always.

This area is really truly great. SO many amazing things are coming up to be, and for now, we are just working our hearts out. It is super nice, because the branches have really started helping us, and we have taken the initiative to really make sure things get done around these parts. We are pretty much mainly here to find less-actives and bring them back to the fold. I think that I have said that before, but there are SO MANY! It is going to be awesome when we leave this area, and the whole chapel in both branches are full passed capacity...and then a stake it will be, and then more stakes throughout Kenya...and then A TEMPLE!...in a while. It makes me SO excited to think about the day when I hear that a temple is being built here, and I really want to work to make that come quicker. There are just so many blessings that come from that beautiful place, and I want everybody to know that. That is one of the things that we have really been focusing on teaching and sharing with people, is about families, and family history, and the temple, and eternity. That’s one thing to help them make a goal of and help them to take action to achieve.

I am glad that I have the chance to serve in the Kenya, Nairobi Mission. It really has given me a greater view of life, and a greater sense of love, and obedience. I know that as we are obedient to the commandments of the Lord, His spirit will always be able to reside with us, and carry us up until the end. It is different than any other mission that I have heard about, and I am grateful to be here. I see myself becoming the man that I need to be in the future. I love the gospel, and would not give anything for the knowledge that I have. That is just what carries me through these day to day efforts and activities. It is not always easy, but the Lord can make it simple. I love you tons, and hope you strive to bring others unto the gospel this coming week. I love to hear about those experiences!

Love Elder Andreasen

P.s. HEy by the way. THey seriously have SUCH a hard time with my name...SO HARD. I am now known as elder andy, elder andrea, elder andrew, elder A, elder, and even elda alsdkjfa;slkdf j....try saying that one. hahaha The language barrier is hard, but it is getting easier, and I have figured out how to talk so that they understand me, which is great, but I love it when they try to say the name.

Spider Man...REALLY?!?!

Well hello! So, it has been such a nice week since we were able to talk, hasn't it? This is kind of a long conversation...2 years worth of a conversation, with 1 week breaks in between. Wow. Today is SO beautiful, and it actually is not very hot today. There is a nice cool breeze, and the sun is shining, and all of those great things. I will tell you though, it has been HOT, and it is supposed to get even hotter! I love the heat anyway.

GEE WIZ! This week has just gone by. It actually seemed to role by pretty slow, but we were doing SO much. We are working super hard to find members, and to have them give us referrals. They are so nice, and so welcoming and I love them. There are so many here that need some serious encouragement on the part of being active though. We are working today actually after this, to go and meet a lot of the less-actives in our area, and really befriend them, and help them to feel the saviors love. That is what I love so much about this work, is we get the chance to help others just feel the saviors love in different ways, and they help us as well. OH, and we had a baptism. Yes. But it is not really credited to us, we really only taught her about three times, and the other missionaries did the rest, but it was a super great experience, and she was really so happy. It was funny though...the water was cold, and so when I put her under the water, she started to kind of resist and scream, and then she came out and had this death grip on me, but it was so great because there was then another soul that has now entered into the kingdom of God on earth. We are really trying to prepare another sister in our other branch, so that she is also ready for baptism next week or the week after that. Her name is Linet, and she just needs to be able to have that true testimony that these things are true. That is what we are helping her with, but she is just the one to find out for herself. We are also working with this great sister whose name is Charity. We met her one day while we were just stopping by to get some soda out of the heat. She is really so nice, and has powerful questions. She seems to really want to know if these things are true or not, and we hope that she see the truth in them! The main work that we do hear in this amazing place, is reactivation. It is actually supposed to be a stake. it should have been a stake a LONG time ago, they just need to have that love one for another, and see that the commandments that the Lord gives are VERY serious and important.

For me personally this week, I have really in my studies been reading, just so much. I have been asking myself what is wrong, cause I seriously did not read this much back home. But it is so NICE! I love knowledge! That is the thing that just pushes me and excites me to read and to ponder. My testimony has really grown so much since I came on this mission, and I am seeing the fruits of that very thing. When you gain knowledge, you have a greater responsibility. "With great power, comes great responsibility"...Spider Man. Such a great ‘finger pointing' statement yes? It is. And it's so nice to be able to answer these so many great questions that our friends ask, or that even other missionaries ask as well.  This is the whole reason we are here on this earth anyway, is it not? To gain knowledge and wisdom, so as to become more like our Father whose is in Heaven who is perfect and all knowing and pure loving. YES! So, that is what has just been happening in this mighty place of Chyulu, and I am so thankful to my Father in Heaven for allowing me this chance to serve Him, and I will never be able to pay back the debt I have to Him and my Savior Jesus Christ, but I am able to try and please Him, and I will help others to succeed in that path as well.

Love you great family, and have a fantastic week.

Elder Andreasen

P.S. Sorry for the short delay. We were very held up yesterday, and only got short time to get on, and did not have time to write back, but now allz well! Love you, and keep smiling big!