Penda SANA!

Hey Family! Wow, you’re right, it has been yet another month, and what an amazing time it has been. The best part of it is, that we get to move along even further in life! It is nice to know that you two have each other up in that little place in ND, and it is amazing how you are just taking it one step at a time. It sounds like you are keeping busy with SO many things; work, and the new place. I am sorry that you have to work on Memorial Day dad, not so awesome, but that is really good to hear that you are able to have those great weekends off to go on a few dates with mom. I just love you.

Ok, so I want to start out letting you know about the week by telling you what happened on Thursday. We all had this great opportunity when attending mission tour, to meet a member of the seventy, and to just learn SO much from him. It was just absolutely AMAZING! The member of the seventy that was with us, was Elder Cook, and his wife was also there. They both taught us so much on becoming the best missionaries we can be, and to have a spiritual transformation. I loved the spirit that we were able to feel, as we all sat, eyes and ears and hearts glued to these great Christ like examples. That was probably the highlight of the week! The rest went very well, and we have stayed busy, just been finding these new investigators, just been spreading the good news to all. Zipporah, we were not even able to meet this past week. Don either... We hope and pray that when we have investigators that we have made friends with, we hope that they will take it seriously and keep coming, but they don't like to stay with it. It is FRUSTATING! But I am really trying to stick to faith, and make sure that I am doing my part as a missionary, so that when I ask the Lord for help, it might come easier. I started losing hope actually...and that never gets you anywhere, but there were some things that really touched my heart deeply as I listened in the conference with the Cooks, and know that I can always have hope no matter the circumstance. That is the glory about the gospel. I love to see now how much hope I have! It's because of HIS love for me. No doubt. 

You asked how my Birthday went. It was great! I made the day special, and made sure to serve those around me. I am sick of life always just being about me...myself...I...It should always be about those around me, and that is now what  I will always strive to focus on. That is what Christ did. I made my birthday known only to a few people, and then we were just doing the Lords work on this great day! Well, I think that is about it for now. I love you guys! Have a great week!

Much love From:

Elder Andreasen

Peace On Earth, and Peace out!

POA!

Howz it Family! I just love ya all! I hope that things have started to settle down, and that you guys had a safe journey. That is cool about the new Stake Presidency. That is also good that you guys got to go back and visit. haha, When you get fed it is nice, and when you get fed spiritually, it is even better.

Now, today I woke up, and just was in a great mood, and yesterday the same, and the day before that, and before that. It is like it never ends! I love this stuff. It makes life good. I don't want it to end. Can you believe that I am almost to a year on this crazy mission! It is just flying now! Time is just running (as Elder Baku would say). Yesterday, we went to church. It was great and it was VERY spiritual. I just felt it, and it was nice to be able to help teach the gospel principles class, and to also be able to teach this SUPER powerful investigator named Zipporah. We have been teaching her for a long while, but on Sunday she said that it was one of the best lessons that she has had, and it was on the law of tithing and fast offerings. She is coming SO far, but she won't commit to baptism yet. She is still wanting to make sure about these things, and so we just are praying for her as she keeps praying. We have just been searching these great places for those souls that are searching. We have found some nice new investigators. Don is someone that we met. He is seriously trying to search how religion can apply to his life. He is about my age, and he has ever gone to church like once in his life, and didn't even really know what or who God was. It is a really sweet twist on the lesson to be helping him to realize that God loves His children, and actually answers prayers. We also set two more baptism dates....so if all of these dates go through then we should be looking forward to six people entering into this fantastic covenant! Woot.

Ah, and it is just nice weather all of the time. It rains kidogo, and then shines. It is all just beautiful. Did I ever tell you guys that there are monkeys at the church? They just live around, and they come and will run around the church grounds during services. They are SO distracting, and SO cool. Well. I think that is it for now. Just keep on keepin’ on. Have a great week keep up the laughs and smiles. Does God smile...I think yes.

Much love from:

Elder Andreasen

SO GOOD TO TALK TO YOU!!!

WOW! So, Hey all of you! What a great week it has been. Ya know one of the best parts of the week was yesterday. I got to wish my mom a happy Mothers day!!! That was awesome to see my family and just how great they are doing and their sweet smiles! I love you guys! 

Well, this week has been full of some spiritual experiences. We are all trying hard to bring the gospel to those that are truly ready for it and don't even know that they are seeking it. We actually have done quite a bit of contacting this week, and we have found some great great people, and we are excited to share with them. We were contacting in Kibera actually one day, and we came across a group of guys that were just chillin’, and taking life slowly seeing what "Ja" (God) was going to throw at them. There were about nine of them, and we think that about seven of them are legit and serious about knowing the message that God has for His children on earth. We had this greatly powerful discussion with them about who God is and what the world thinks God is, and how we can see the God with the big "G" in our lives not the one with the little "g". It was a great one! I love all of these people that we get to meet. It is like some of them really are just sitting and waiting in life for Me, Elder Baku, and Orenge to come and shove this Beautiful work of God in there face and then comes the shaping of a life-time.  Pretty good huh? To bad can't make a movie out of it...hahaha 

You guys said that you went flying in an airplane and that is SO cool, and so I guess I had to dream about it...crazy dream I must say! But it has been a super day today, and I’m happy to hear that you are going to the garden club, sounds fun, a good excuse to play in the dirt. I hope all keeps on inclining in life, and that you guys keep on seeing the happy spirits of this great life. I just love to laugh lately. I just think of hilarious things all the time, and just laugh at myself...I'm just weird! haha It is starting to change into rainy season here and it is getting kind of muddy here and there. Food is still always great. I am learning some awesome African culture, and just working everyday for the ability to show that Christ-like love to everybody. That's it for now, and until next, just crack a joke or two here and there, and make someone smile, it makes their day, and yours! 

Elder Andreasen  

Another Great Week in Africa

Wow wow! That is so awesome you guys! Sounds kind of hard...but new adventures are the best. You went from spring back to winter! Hopefully it comes to be warm soon. Way to work those muscles Dad and Skyler, hope you didn't have to pack too much!... sorry I couldn't help, I was a little busy...hahaha Oh by the way.... HAPPY BIRTHDAY SKYLER! HOLY CATS! I think you are like 22 now right? ha, man it’s like you’re getting older or something. STOP IT!  Aw you guys! I JUST love ya!

So this week for us, it has been QUITE a challenge. I can tell you that we met a LOT of new people, and have just been working to share the gospel with the world. Our baptism didn't happen, and he is going out of town for the next 2-3 weeks... but I know that he is strong enough that he shouldn't have any problems getting baptized when he gets back. We have met a young woman named Mercyline. She had been visited by missionaries before, but she is really awesome. We have met with her twice, but from both times, we were able to share with her about the plan of salvation and how it plays a part in our lives...how it is our lives? ya. SO the thing is, she just lost her brother about a month ago, and we have been trying to meet with her for about a month...and the spirit was like a punch in the face when we were sharing with her!!! It was SO strong and tears came to her eyes when we shared about this plan. Powerful moment in my life. We met with Benard (prophet guy) and that was again so SUPER powerful. It was actually funny, because he made us watch some clips of this guy, and it was kind of awkward, but after we had such a powerful lesson! I really know that the spirit overcame me and let me know what to say and how to say it. I testified so strongly of the priesthood, and how it has always been in the Bible, and how God is the same yesterday, today and forever, and it all came at once. He says he really likes us, because we don't just immediately tell him that he is wrong, but that we chat about different points and agree on things. SO exited for this guy!...this friend.

MAN! I had a dream last night that I was getting transferred from this amazing place, and I was freaking out! haha! I love these people, and don't want to leave them, so hopefully that doesn't happen too soon. Yesterday, we were working with the branch, and we seriously talked about EVERY thing that needed to be talked about. I definitely can tell that they are serious about it this time, and I’m excited to see the progress that comes from all of this! We have some great ways that we are going use to bring some less-actives back. But it is just a sweet place, and well, I am loving it. That’s it for now this week I think. Thanks my lucky family!

Love,

Elder Andreasen

Smile!