October 7, 2013

Aaaahhh! You Guys!!! I just love you so much!  MAN! You all make me laugh and just smile. Haha. I am so jealous by the way! I STILL haven't been able to get to see conference, but I just look forward to it in great anticipation! That is so great that you were able to go to conference. It's crazy to think that such an amazing event happens just a few hours away from home. I love to be able to tell people that I have had the opportunity to attend sessions myself and how blessed I feel because of that you know! It really seems cool to me still to think that I am in Africa. I will just be walking down the street sometimes and just stop and look around me; I realize that I am on a different continent and it makes me just get more feelings of excitement! 

WOW! This week has Zipped by! But things did happen. So, last week there was some excitement that our friend Edwin was going to get baptized but unfortunately due to some circumstances, he wasn't able to be baptized. But hopefully soon the day will come! We have faith in him and knows that he is ready and he says he knows that he is ready too. With the two sisters Caroline and Irene, they are still kind of in the same situation. But we have just been their friend and really are trying to help them to feel comfortable at church with the branch and just with everything that we have taught them. Actually this last week when we were seeing them, they started asking about the temple and temple marriage and such. It made me so happy to be able to share with them the beauty and greatness that comes from the temple. We got to talk about temple marriage and how families can be eternal.  The temple is just another one of my favorite topics. I know that is one thing that I am going to miss while I am on this mission is feeling the amazingness of the temple! That is so so so fantastic that we are sealed as a family for eternity. We found two new investigators that we have been sharing with. So one just came up to us one day on the street while walking and begged us to come and teach him, so we did. This man's life has been so so hard. And he has kind of just been making it worse by taking in so many harmful things into his body. But he has really expressed to us that he is really ready to change and that he wants to change his life around. Elder Ndwandwe and I have faith and know that he can change and that he really can become an even better person, through the gospel, than he already is.

I really do love these people. I love to let them know the truth. The truth is real and is here on the earth for us to partake. I am being filled with so much knowledge everyday and more and more of this truth. It all just keeps making sense. It all fits together and my testimony is really just being strengthened. I actually am reading the book "Teachings of the Prophets: Joseph Smith" and am learning so much. I have a lot of time to study but sometimes when I really get into searching something or just am super interested in a topic, it seems like there just isn't enough time. I love learning. It makes me realize that there really is SO much knowledge out there and I have the chance to learn it.  I am studying right now in Mosiah in the BOM but I also am reading in the D&C and am reading Old and New Testament. I kind of switch off. Everybody knows the Bible here and sometimes it’s kind of intimidating but I am gaining more and more of a testimony of the Bible. Some days I actually will read the Bible dictionary, like just straight. The other day, I was studying about the Millennium and about the second coming and such and I just couldn't stop feasting. It was so coool. I am very well versed with that topic now. haha

Well, I am staying as healthy as I can. I am eating well and just feel good. Unfortunately last week my companion got sick but he is doing better. I have been sick only once since I have been out in the field but it was nothing big. I am being introduced to some new meals around in Africa. So, actually Kale is big here in the great country of Kenya. They call it "Skuma Wiki" (don't think I spelled that right). They asked if we have it back home and I told them yes, but it's not really used much except in like soups. I have committed myself to cooking some American Mexican food for someone and they are going to show me some African dishes. But yesterday, I tried something that I am not really excited to keep trying. It is called Uji, or porridge. So they serve as like a warm drink in a cup. It is brown and the kind I tried yesterday had been cooked with pure lemon. They were laughing at my facial expressions as I slowly tried to keep gulping it down. But it is Good for you though....yum? Anyhow, can't wait to show you these delicious dishes. MMMhhhmmm. So alright then. I think that’s it for now but I really am just stoked for this coming week, it's going to be a good one! Love you all, wish the best, good luck with the cold heehee, and just keep up the good work!

Much love from

ELDER ANDREASEN

KEEP SMILING!

P.s. Did you know that Ethiopia is seven years behind us? crazy huh?