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

GEEEPERS!

Hey you guys! Happy Monday to you! Just have been coming from a powerful week here, and so excited to share with you my feelings and thoughts that came to me. It is really nice to be apart of this life right now. It is really actually pretty intense. All is just going well in the work. The Lord truly is blessing us, and those that are accepting.

We did have a chance to get to Nairobi and have a powerful Zone Conference. What a time that was. It was one of the most powerful Zone conferences that I have ever attended. We learned so much by the workings of the spirit, and the joy that came from these teachings really showed. It has been a great experience in my life. We talked so much about just coming together as a mission, and living righteously so that we can help others do the same. There were powerful testimonies that were given, and I was touched. We are all working hard to let the Lord touch lives through us as missionaries, and it is Him that chooses how to use us as instruments in His hands.

Wow, you go away for a few days, come back to your area, and the weather has changed completely. It POURED rain last night, and is now rainy season. Clouds, breeze, and humidity…it is nice! Anyhow, everything is ok, nothing EVER to worry about, the Lord takes care of us missionaries. Love you, and I have a smile in my heart and on my face for you. Good day, good week, sweet work, and sweet dreams! haha

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen

P.S. That sounds like a powerful Halloween! I hope there are some nice pics of that astronaut costume! Sorry mom about the scare, but it is just something I have to live with for now.  Hopefully things with the network will be getting a little bit better. Love ya much! Let the Holy Spirit guide.

FINALLY AFTER OVER 2 WEEKS OF HEARING NOTHING!!

Hello! Am so sorry that I have not been able to e-mail for the last few days. It has just been that the internet where we are was down, and the network for a modem did not even work, so we were not able to e-mail. We are in a place now though where we can e-mail. Just a nice town about an hour away from our area, where the zone leaders stay. We are just preparing today, to travel to Nairobi by bus and attend zone conference. Am super excited to see what they have in store for us this time around! Even we got to see some of the General Conference on Sunday, which was spectacular. We watched the Saturday morning, and half way through the Sunday afternoon session. Powerful talks for sure!

This week has been something else. We have been seeing still some difficulties in our areas, but are finding different ideas on how to resolve these concerns. It is good. Being here has really helped me to see how a branch works, and what will make it progress, or falter. The best thing is when we are able to work with the leaders of the branch and build their trust. That is one thing that we are seriously working to accomplish, and know that the Lord will help us as we are diligent and humble. So, that is just what is going on small, here in the life of this missionary. I hope that all is still well that side. Preparing for the cold, the leaves changing and all. I hope that you have a great Halloween!  Dress up in something nice! Just have a great week, and love ya tons!

Elder Andreasen

72 DAYS TILL CHRISTMAS!!!!! WWWAAAHH!

Hey you! SO, just another day here in Chyulu. Lovin’ the day, it has really been super nice, and am getting a lot of things done. WOW. You sound like you are just staying busy with the whole routine, and really doing great. That is super nice that things are turning out well, that is an answer to my prayers for sure.

You ask some nice questions. My companion does know how to ride a bike, it is just this bike that he is having a very hard time learning, but it is great, he is getting better and better. The missionaries that are here in our flat, are a part of the district, and we have another set about a half an hour ride away, that are in our district still. Our zone has ten, so the other two are far. They are letting missionaries small small into the mission, but hopefully it will keep growing. We are loving the help that the Lord has been giving us with what we have right now though. Ebola is not around, so all is well. But stay away from it. It is a KILLER. So that I can see your smiling faces alive when I get back home. Thanks.

This week has just been going on. I think that is has really been one of the most challenging of weeks, and very frustrating. There were times that I really just felt like giving up. Some things happened that have not been working out, especially in the branches that we are serving. IT has made me think, and see that there is no better place that I can be than this, and that I DO love it here. I really do love it here, and the people, and I do love this work. It is everything to me. I will never give up! Though there are challenges, there are so many things that we have planned for the future of this area, and hope, fast, and pray that all works out fine. I am learning that I need to always be an example in all things that I do and say, and I am trying even more to refine myself and become more like the Savior Jesus Christ. I see that I really need to work very much on just being more patient with others and just know how much mercy my Heavenly Father has had on me. I love this gospel, and just know that we are not perfect, and that it is the Lord that guides and directs His work.  I think that is about it. I love you lots, and hope that the rest of your week keeps on well.

Thanks!

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen

Somewhere over the rainbow...in Chyulu...

Well good morning! Thanks for the great update family. I am glad that you were able to see conference. Why did you have to see it at different times though. It is so great that you are getting involved in the wards, and even inviting the YSA kids to know your place. That is one of the best places they could be I think, instead of somewhere else maybe breaking commandments. GOOD WORK!

Well, it is hard to catch up to you in your missionary work there, but things are going pretty good here! haha. Transfers happened again...(Imagine that) and I am still here, which is great. But my fantastic companion got transferred away to a place called Mtito, which is still in our zone. But I have a new companion named Elder Mwashi. He is a Kenyan, and is pretty great. So, we are just getting right to the work, and I am just showing him around. He is trying to get ahold of these bikes. Not too much more has been going on. We are just working with the same same, and are finding that faith is being built, and great brothers and sisters are being reminded of the Joy that they once had.

Things are going great. I am pretty healthy, and so are the other Elders that are in our flat. It is hotter than ever, and sUpER dusty, but that is just life as a Kamba. Carry water for people often, and eat my daily beans. That is it for me. For you, just keep up that powerful work of touching others lives. I am so proud to be apart of such a great family! Keep smiling, and even me too!

Love

Elder Andreasen

P.S. Never touched an elephant in my life, but I would seriously love to. WE see pretty huge monkeys though. Thanks. love ya

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