The End is Just The Beginning

HI! This is Elder Andreasen. What a beautiful day right? I think very much so. I just wanted to write and tell you first thing that I do love each of you, and that you simply just make me smile. You, my family, are my joy. I am still here in Kenya, and specifically I am still staying in Athi River. What a blessing that is! It was so good to hear that you are just doing well in that place of yours, though I haven't heard from Skyler for some time, so I don't know about ALL of you.  That is great that you were able to attend that ward of yours, and meet the wonderful people. It sounds like a full challenge ahead, and that is awesome. Jesus Christ never asked us to do anything easy, but He did ask us to do that which is simple...the Gospel.

Actually yesterday in Church, we talked a lot about challenges. I wrote something down in my planner that really stuck out to me. It says "There is no next step without a challenge". Isn't that so true. We are here on this Earth to be tried and tested so that we can experience. That is how much God loves us. He allows us to gain His own glory, which is intelligence. We even talked yesterday that the one time that we should always celebrate, is not just after the big bowl game or after you have won the BINGO nationals Las Vegas...IT is when we overcome a GREAT BIG challenge, that is when we joy. There is always great success when we take time to acknowledge our perfectly loving creator and give thanks for what He has done for us. He ALWAYS will show His grace. He is waiting and willing to help us, and it is the best when we see that He does. I have seen his hand deeply within my own life as i have been here. I have grown, and become more of what He expects me to be, but I still have a long way to go before I can say that I am perfect like my Savior Jesus Christ. SO, take joy in every obstacle that comes your way, and there will be blessings that are shown, that is what I have been shown. =D

I think that the best thing that we can do while we are here on this Earth, is just love. Love everyone and everything that is from God. When we love, we will be able to accept into our lives all of the other Christlike attributes, and become as HE is. Just love, and that brings peace. Just love and that brings a smile. Where do you find Peace? I find it in Him. That is the true result of the truth. I will work harder than ever to love more like Jesus Christ this next week...will you? That is a commitment.

Enjoy, love you and keep smiling!

Elder Andreasen

Aaaahh! couch sitting...hahaha

Hi Family. I am so sorry for this late e-mail. I know I probably deserve a smack on the bum, but I at least will send this so you know still that I love you, and am thinking about you.

I just wanted to comment, mom and dad, on that beautiful picture that you sent me of both of you with missionary nametags. Did you know it brought tears to my eyes? I didn't cry, but I was so excited for you and so proud of you. I just thank you, and wish and pray the best for you in your efforts to serve in this amazing vineyard. Wow, can imagine the blessings you are bringing, to you and to those around you? And you must have really perfected that Spanish a lot! Haha, that is so amazing.

I love you and all of the family, and hope for your great success. I pray for you daily. I will update you more on Monday, or another day next week. It is transfers on Monday. Can you believe then I will be left with six more weeks of this full-time service to God!!! Oh man, that also starts to bring tears to my eyes, but I have great excitement at the same time. I just don't know, but God does, and that is what counts. Ok! Nice time.

Elder Andreasen

P.S. Ether 12:27 and 37. It never gets old. GOOD LUCK!

Goodness Never Faileth

Wow, you family are amazing. Thank you SO much for those wonderful birthday wishes. I found all of those today as I came and logged in, and all I could do is just smile. You make me fill good inside. =) OH MY! That is so EXCITING that you got your call. I have been thinking about that all last week as well. During that Mothers Day call, I didn't really understand what kind of a mission that you would be serving, or if you were just joking, or just preparing you know, but that is so sweet!!! I am really excited for you. SO, will you be staying away in ogden, or making a commute or flying in a plane??? Do you have a plane? haha! You will have to tell me all about what you will be doing. 

Well, for my birthday, it was like a normal day. WE went and proselyted, and then we went and spent the rest of time with a member. They FED us like nothing! Ha, I thought I was going to explode. I also made a cake mix, and used their oven to bake it. And they sang me happy birthday. They were very kind about all of it. It was nice! For This week, we have really been trying. We have continued in the work of finding. Lost sheep, or who it may be, we are trying to spread the gospel message to the world. 

Yes, We are doing the work. I am continually learning of the power that God has, and how He shows it every day in our lives. If you pray for someone of Gods other children to be put into your path, they will be their, according to your faith and willingness to see. I encourage you to continue to seek, and ye SHALL find. That is one that I do have a witness of this week. I pray for you continually, and am grateful even for your powerful examples to me. Thank you so much, and just know that I love and appreciate you in my life. All right, well, Have a great week, and will talk soon yet again! 

SAWA!

OH, you guys just make me smile! I am so grateful for you. WHAT! YOU MOVED TO SEATLE!?! Just kidding, but that is great to hear that you are getting rain, rain, and more rain. Blessings from our Heavenly Father. =D

This week, here on this end, it has been pretty darn good. We have really been relying on the Lord to know what to do, and it seems like every time we start to see that there is not anywhere to go, our Father who is above decides to take care of things. We have found that great success that we have been looking for this week. We found less-actives, worked with members to find where others stay, worked with the leadership, learned more about how to become more effective servants of Christ, and even we really just prayed. "Let the Holy spirit guide, let it teach us what is true, He will testify of Christ, light our minds with heavens view." (Hymn 143) I love My Saviors perfect example as He strove through His life. He ALWAYS looked to our Perfect Father who is above for guidance, direction and even counsel, and now I see in my own life, and in the lives of others, that there is no other way to do it. He lives, and HE will NEVER forget us. He has been through what we have been through. He should always be dear in our hearts. He will show us the way. He promises blessings if we but strive to do what He asks. Sometimes we will not understand, but if we just do, He will make everything ok. (1 Nephi 3:7 and the rest of the chapter plus chapter four) 

This week we had quite an adventure. It has been raining here as well. Here is a story. =) We were with a member, and it was pouring. The day started out nice, hot and dusty, but then...it changed. We were to see an investigator that we had prepped for, and we were almost there! We were soaked through and through. We had not made it, so we stood under cover. There were two others under that roof, and we decided to talk. Bam! Two lessons right out of no where! On we walked, drizzle was small. We stepped, and slid, and even almost fell, but we did not give up, we did not give in! WE JUST WENT! We came to a river. We could not jump over it, we could not roll under it, so we had to walk FIRM through it. That is how we do it, we keep on going! Wet up to the knees, we keep on going, the four of us now. We made it, after the mud, and the gum on our shoes. This is the place, a holy one. We made it to the church, and we had a nice lesson. We felt the spirit, and so did the the rest. We did not meet the man that we had planned that day, but we did gain a greater testimony of the cause of Christ. That is my story, and it has taught me a lot. Life is there, and there is mud. There are rivers that we are called to cross, but in the end we are freed. WE have the spirit and are with a family above. We don't have to search anymore, we are safe. The warmth that comes from the gospel will be the only true comfort that we will be able to receive in our lives, the rest is just for some time. 

I hope liked the story, it is a true one, and am glad that I was able to be apart of it. If you get any like it this week, let me know, I love stories! I wish the best to you this week , and I continue to pray for you. Enjoy, and be strong. It is a crazy world out there!  Love you, and my encouragement even more would to be to KEEP SMILING, and laugh A LOT. Amen

Elder Andreasen

Eat Good? =D

HI EVERYONE! It was great to be able talk with you yesterday, and to be able to hear your voices and laugh together. Thanks so much for your love and great devotion to the TRUE gospel of Jesus Christ. What an inspiration you as my family are to me. I hope all continues to go well, and I hope that you continue to bring others unto Christ. You are the most important thing in my life and heart and I pray for you. Families are eternal. Families can be together forever. This is a part of my humble testimony and I am grateful that we all have that one same goal. 

This week, I have experienced a wonderful change within myself, and within my own heart. I was feeling kind of bitter and hurt that I would have to come to another area. That is the truth. But the people that I have met, and the work that we have been able to get done, has really truly been significant. I am blessed to be a part of such a great work in the vineyard. I cannot even express my appreciation for what my Heavenly Father has shown unto me. Now there is light. There is truth and there is understanding that I did not once have. I DO "see clearly now that the rain has gone". I realize and will always respect that God puts us in a place in our lives so that we can continue to learn and to grow and to progress in this life. (Ecclesiastes 3:1-15) I have a great and abiding testimony of my Savior and His gospel, and I cannot for the life of me, slack off in any way to, or be lazy, because the devil will always give us things so that we can be good when we really can be great. You see, I Love that I can see. I hope and pray continually everyday that I will be able to finish strong in the calling that I have been given, and strive always to follow my Savior and His PERFECT example. I do appreciate those that have been amazing examples unto me, even those in the holy scripture of God. I go about spreading the gospel and doing good, for one purpose, and that is to please God. I know that as I do, I become more like Him, and continue to receive the attributes that bless and sanctify. SO, this is some of what has again come into my own perspective, and I am overly joyed and grateful for its blessing in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Elder Andreasen

P.s. I love you SO much and wish for you to have the best week ever!

WOW...Just Wow

Hello My dear family. It is so good to hear that you are still living and breathing and spreading the gospel, and continuing life. I want to apologize yet again for the absence of my email. I had a lot that was happening and going on around me. Something big happened. I was transferred. It was one of the saddest days that I have had on this mission. I even had tears come into my eyes. You see, it happened on Monday. We, me and elder Baku, were with the family of sister Sarah to go and see some sites. I love her family, and we had such a good time. Then, on the way back, we got the call. We were to pack, and would be picked the next morning. We were startled, and even were scared, because we were supposed to baptize the daughters of sister Sarah the next day! Well, we got it all worked out, and we were able to baptize them that next morning and postpone leaving for one day. 

So, after all of that, and not much sleep, and things going awkward, we finally got on a bus to Nairobi for 8 hours. Then, we slept, and awoke, and I came here, to a place in Nairobi outskirts called Athi River. My new companions name is Elder Makazi. We already know each other pretty well, because we were in Chyulu in the same flat for six months. The day that we arrived we had to really organize and clean the entire flat, because it is a new flat for the Athi River missionaries, and everything was everywhere from the move. Spent SO much time cleaning and organizing. The funny thing is, it is new to the Athi River missionaries, but it really is an ancient place. So, we are doing our best to make it seem more new. =D Finally, Thursday was the first day to proselyte, and it didn't seem like there was time to email you guys, so I just decided to wait. That is the adventure that I have been having, and kind of a whole mix of emotions. I really am going to miss the people of that last area, but the Lord has been acknowledging in my heart that I will be the best here in this wonderful place as well. I do love this place already though. We are serving in one ward, and a branch that is a break off of that ward. AND holy cow, it was like I was in a different land yesterday, as I attended the Athi River ward services. It was plenteous in spirit and love. THEY LOVE EACH OTHER! I love that they love each other. That is one of the best things that could ever happen. Now that means that because there is so much love, the home teaching is 76% and working forward. The members are fulfilling their calling, they are enthusiastic to help! I LOVE them so much already. Am so excited to be with them, and serve them, and just help them come unto and build their faith in Jesus Christ.

I just love you. I hope that things continue to move well. I love this gospel, and have such a strong abiding testimony of the teachings of Jesus Christ. I know that He lives. I know that He cares. He is true love. HE is devotion. That is why I have so much faith in Him. I pray to my Heavenly Father at every chance I get, and I know that He is blessing my life. You are always apart of so many of my prayers. I desire all of our salvation together. I hope the best of the week to you, and an extra love and comfort from God. Enjoy!

Elder Andreasen

P.s. I really wish that I could tell you about what was going to happen on this Mothers Day call. I had things all set up in that last place I was, and so now I have to even try to figure out what I am going to do. I hope that I can Skype, that is what I would wish. I might let you know later, but for now, I can just look forward to that day. Thanks so much, and love you, and talk to you soon!

Happy Day

Hello! This is Elder Andreasen! Sorry about the wait on this e-mail. That is good to hear that you doing missionary work! I love it! Sorry about the postponed baptism, I hope and pray for you that it is sooner. WOW, it is still snowing? I hope spring really stays for you guys.

I will just tell you, that things in this area are just progressing. WE have had nice success this past week, and have really been working to get these investigators baptized. WE are hoping in the next month to try and baptize at least 5 and then even maybe 7. The other part of this week as well, I was on exchanges in Huruma, the place where I was trained. It was crazy to be back, and to see all of these people that I new once before. I was so excited to see how much it has progressed. They even have a supermarket now! I was with an awesome elder also, and we had a lot of fun. It was nice to help him in his area as well, and also to learn things from him also. Felt the spirit so much, and also was uplifted as I uplifted others.

IT is raining every day here. We are walking walking walking, and continue to meet new people, and do missionary work. Hope all continues well, and love you much.

Elder Andreasen