Week 40

Week 40

This week has defiantly been an exciting one! So many awesome things happened this week. We are gunna need a play by play.

Monday: So this story starts the previous Monday. We visited the Kumar family. (members) We showed the “Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration” video. We testified of Priesthood power. She asked for a blessing.  We returned a week later hoping, praying, fasting that she would be healed and understand the priesthood. She totally was! #prayersareanswered

Tuesday: We held an alligator…need I say more? #missionmemories

Wednesday: We baked a cake for an investigator that feels really lonely. But coming closer to Christ, can give us purpose. #Comfortthosethatstandinneedofcomfort

Thursday: I got a really bad haircut! Pictures included. #Bestbarberismom

Friday: Our investigator Shonette is moving so she canmore easily like the commandments! This is such a cool spiritual experience! Shonette is so awesome. Hopefully she will be baptized this week! If not, the next. She is so prepared and willing to change. #Preparediswinning

Saturday: Our other inbestigator Maureen traveled half was across the country to make it to conference and is so totally awesome! She is so cool! I love this lady so much! She will be baptized this week as well! #Baptisms

Today I am very grateful for the Prophet. I love Thomas Monson. I know that he is a prophet and am very grateful to hear his voice. I love him very much. He is such an amazing example to us. I love what he sadi about the BOM. I know it is true as well. I urge everyone to read it! IF you aren’t, do. If you are, more! #LDSconf

I love you all so much! Good luck and have a great week. Wish us luck with everything!

-Elder Andrus

I hope he carries hand sanitizer. 

Bad haircut. LOL

Week 39

Week 39

This week wasn’t the most exciting but it was really spiritual. I’d mostly like to tell a story about an amazing lady named Maureen.

Maureen grew up in Guyana and raised a family here. After her husband left her and her two kids, she worked her hardest to help them to have the best life that they could. Eventually she was able to save up enough money to send her two sons to the States. As she sent them off (ages 11, 13) she hoped and prayed that they would, “Find the truth.”

Her oldest son was shortly baptized into the church. A while after that, Mario (her younger son) left on a mission. He told Maureen what he was doing and how they would only be able to email for that time. Mario strongly encouraged his own mother to “Find the Truth” as he did. Shortly thereafter I had the honor and privilege to meet a wonderful daughter of God named Maureen. After one simple lesson, she prayed and asked God if Joseph was a prophet and if the BOM is true. She said “More powerful than anything [she] has ever felt, [she] knows that the BOM is true!”

President Egbert felt very impressed to open up Parika. I feel that one of the many reasons was to find Maureen. She is the gateway to the rest of Guyana that has not be touched yet.

This story has changed my life. It has made me understand more about families, missions and the BOM.

I know that the BOM is true, even though I never saw the things we read about. I did not sail with Nephi and his family. I did not hear King Benjamin preach. I did not proselyte with Alma and Amulek. I did not see Jesus the Christ appear to the Nephites. I did not weep with Mormon and Moroni as they saw every last one of their friends, family, and brothers die. But, I know that this Book is true. I know Christ lives. I am a witness of Him. And I will always be a witness of Him. I know with all my heart that Jesus Christ’s one and only church is on the earth once again. 

I humbly would ask everyone who reads this to ask God if the BOM is true. Please. I promise to EVERYONE, God WILL answer you.

I love you all. Stay strong.

-Elder Andrus

Yes, this is an anaconda. 

Week 38

Week 38

Hello, hello, hello! This week was so exciting and very interesting! We had 2 of our investigators have babies. And in Guyana, if your neighbor has a baby that means you have a baby too. So everyone that we have been teaching was gone this week! Wow! Some of the highlights of this week are as follows:

Tuesday: Elder Cooper and I went on an exchange together. It's kinda funny, Elder Cooper and I have been near each other (in the same district) for our whole missions! It was really fun to spend some time with him. We also held an anaconda. It was legit.

Weds-Thurs-Fri: These three days we had NUFF fall though, and it is because of the babies. Elder Nuttall named one of them. He named her Chloe. It was so funny that they actually kept the name!

Sat: Today was transfer calls. Elder Nuttall and I are staying here in Parika and so is Elder Cooper and Elder Fisher. Totally legit! It's kinda weird now that I am in my second area everything seems to be going a lot faster than before.

I love the mission so much. It's such a privilege to be able to serve. I love the hard work and the great people. It's so exciting to meet new people and to make great friends.

I know that the gospel is true. I know that Thomas Monson is a true prophet. I know that the priesthood is real and I know that the BOM is true as well, but most important, I know that my Redeemer lives.

I love you all! Have a great week!

-Elder Andrus

Week 37

(From a letter to Amber, written a few weeks ago)

Parika, Parika, Parika! Wow, it is so exciting to move to a new area!

I’ve had 4 companions in Rosehall. I’ve learned many things from each of them. Missionary work is fun, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise

I love Rosehall. However, it was a wakeup call for me. I’ve never seen someone eat out of the garbage. I’ve ever seen someone walk barefoot until their fee bleed. I’ve never seen someone kill a dog and eat it. I’ve never seen a “house” made of mud that doesn’t stand upright. I’ve never seen the most humble and loving people in the world until I went to Rosehall. I love those people. 

Week 37:

WHAT? That is totally awesome about Kyle Vanindt! He is a good man! I’m glad that he made that choice! Skirts! Wow! (William’s childhood buddy has been called to serve a mission in Tahiti!)

Hello everyone! This week was really exciting. We did a ton of teaching and met some really cool people!

Last Sunday we met this really nice lady named Bebe. Bebe decided to do somethings that weren’t  so good for her health. Durning this experience she prayed that anfels would come and help her overcome her problems. Guess who showed up at her door a few hours after her prayer? We gave her a blessing. She is doing well! And she is being taught and keeping all of her commitments. We are very lucky to have met her and to have the priesthood! It’s funny, it’s like the church is true or something! 😉

Saturday was really funny too! We were out trying to met new people and we met a lady named Pamme. She is super prepared and ready to learn. Her and the other 4 lessons we had that day gave us a huge bowl of rice and curry, or soup and eggs, or something! It was so fattening. It was awesome!

This week was really fun! I know that the church is true! I know that the BOM/Priesthood exist and that the P.O.S. is totally not a POS. LOL

I love you all! Also, March 12, shout out to Amber! It was her birthday! I love you all!

-Elder Andrus

Week 36

This week was an adventure! We had some ups and some downs and some all arounds! Stay tuned to find out more...

Down: Monday, Elder Nuttall was still sick so we didn't do much at all that day, besides email.

Up: We had a really awesome and spiritual district meeting! In the last area it felt easier to have good DM because we were in the church. Here we are just in the apartment.

Up: On Wednesday we got hot water!? Bro. Navine did it for us for free! Wow! It is fantastic to upgrade from bucket to regular to hot! LOL

Up: We got the "church" all set up for Sacrament. We are gathering under a members house for church. (outside, I forgot to take pictures) It is totally legit!

Up: Friday, was Zone Conference! We had some great spiritual messages and some great food too! hehe It was good to see all of my friends again!

Up: Saturday we had interviews with Pres. It was really good. I think Pres. might like me just a bit. :)

Down: We had to drive to Gtown (Georgetown) 3 times this week. A $1000 bus ride that takes about 2 hours!

Down: Elder Cooper and Elder Fisher (the other Elders in the district) got really sick and fought the dreaded and mighty Double Dragon.

All in all it was a really gun week and we learned a lot! For this weeks spiritual experience, we had a really cool lesson about how the devil temps us. He leads us about with a flaxen cord which is a small strand easy to brake. Then he will bind us with stronger cords. However, we can still get aout if we try hard. But if he binds us for long enough the cords turn into chains...that is why the Sacrament is so important!

We were able to have the Sacrament in Parika for the first time ever. Everyone was very excited and it was such a spiritual experience for everyone because it had been so long to brake those flaxen cords. Everyone was crying when we all partook of the Sacrament!

It was a great week! I love you all so much and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Elder Andrus

   

Week 35

This week I went on an exchange with Elder Fisher. He is a great missionary and loves the work very much! I love Elder Fisher.

The area is doing great too! Pres. Douglas was finally sustained and the Group leader this week in Sacrament meeting. That means that we should be having a group meeting this week! Very exciting. 

Elder Nuttall. Poor Elder Nuttall. He has Chikungunya or something like that. He has been very sick. But does his best in the evening go out teaching.

I know that The priesthood is real.This is what leads us to my Spiritual experience. 

It all started at 1am when our neighbors knocked on our door. Their daughter was sick and was acting a little strange. They asked if we could help. We got dressed and then explained the priesthood very briefly. Then we gave her a blessing and went back to bed. It was very exciting to see her out and about the next day back to her old self. I asked God if she was healed by the power of the priesthood and he told me that she was. 

Remember that charity is the "Pure love of Christ" in two ways. Love for Christ. And Love like Christ. With one the other will grow! 

Love you all! 

Love,
Elder Andrus

Week 34

Sorry about last week's email. There aren't any computers in Parika. So we have to go an hour and a half to Georgetown to use those ones. And the other Elder's needed to use them as well.

Parika! Brand new area. Last transfer it opened after 10 years of no missionaries. The last missionary (last transfer) here did a good job. We are working hard on the area book and have been making a big map so we don't miss anybody when we go out trying to meet everyone! It's really exciting. The other part is that there isn't a Branch in Parika. So we are tasked with finding members and setting one up. So far we have found a President and other faithful members. Now all we need to do is get chairs, Hymn books, and other supplies for the church. (which will be held out back of a member's home!) Then we need to get the Branch President sustained by the members in La Grange Branch (an hour and a half away!) Then we can help tons of people to get baptized! God has really prepared this place and it is exciting to see everyone so prepared. It's fun to be a part of such a great work!

Elder Nuttall! Nutter Butter is one of the coolest missionaries in the whole world! He is super knowledgeable of the scriptures. Elder Nuttall is from San Luis Obispo. His favorite colors are red/brown/orange.

Spiritual experience. This week we were out contacting in a place we named Nuketown USA. And we met this really awesome family that was using the bible to help us teach the message of the Restoration. "God loves everyone, right? He loved the people when Moses was around. Do you think he loves us the same?" "Yes! God is the same yesterday, today and forever!" It was so cool! I love this awesome work! I love you guys too! Have a great week!

People do celebrate Valentine's Day here by taking off all of their clothes and "dancing." Gross.

Love,
Elder Andrus