Week 57

Week 57

Elder Andrus didn’t send a letter to everyone this week. Here is some news from our letters:

I’m doing so good! Week was busy week was good! 

Elder Thompson did go home he was done with his two years. Elder Riggs is great! he is a really fun companion he works really hard and loves to have fun! Both my last companions are from Provo area I think? transfers went good! It’s fun to drive everywhere and do everything! LOL 

Thanks mom for the great Email. I do try my best to make my emails meaningful and good but its hard sometimes to keep everything straight with all of the crazy stuff that I have to do all of the time. I’m so happy to be a missionary. I’m glad that I have the chance to serve God and his children. I’ve learned so much about God and about the Savior. I’m happy to learn to know God John 17: 3 (And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.) It makes me understand the Restoration of the Gospel so much better and how important Joseph Smith really is. It’s also teaches me so much about the Nature of God. I love you so much momma I’m glad that you raised me in the right way. Alma 56 : 48 (And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.) Love you so much!

Transfers are done and gone. All went well. Elder Riggs is super chill. I think that he might have known Blake. They both played Baseball together. We haven’t done any teaching visits lately because of the transfers and things. I’m doing pretty good. Just trying to always improve my teaching skills. President Egbert would stop at nothing to help his missionaries. I’ve even had to call him in the middle of the night a few times and he has been alert and awake and loves us dearly. I feel like I am one of his sons. I would really do anything for me. I love him dearly. 

I so glad that you are my dad. I’ve always been grateful for you and I just remember this time that you were on the Phone one day with the office and I needed help on some homework or something and you put down everything to help me do my math. It meant a lot more to me now when I don’t have someone there to take care of me all the time. But I do love you for the touching moment in my life that I hope to emulate one day when I am a dad. I love you very much! I love mom too.

Week 56

July 17 - July 23

This week has been insanely busy! I love it!

Monday we had a Zone activity in the mud and rain. (We didn't plan it that way) But it was fun. We ran completely out of time! LOL

Tuesday we went on a teaching visit to Petentia with Elders Hill and Hanks. We had some great lessons there too. We also did some prep work for Ivy and Kim's baptisms. 

Wednesday we went on another teaching visit with Elders White and Kennedy. Both are really wonderful teachers. We also had interviews with President Egbert and helped Ivy and Kim prep some more.

Thursday we dad Zone Conference and Elder Thompson and I did role play for the whole of Guyana. I hope we did good! We also had Ivy and Kim's baptismal interviews and they both passed! It was such a miracle that Kim was so brave to except the interview and remember everything. 

Friday we went on another teaching visit with Elders Cooper and Gasaway. We learned a lot and had a great time. Today we also did all of the last minute stuff for Ivy and Kim.

Saturday we baptized Ivy and Kim! What a spiritual experience. It's so amazing to see someone be so brave and enter into the waters of baptism. I am so proud and honored to have the chance to work with the tow of them! Elder Thompson is going home. His two years are up. My new companion will be Elder Riggs. I've met him a bunch of times and every time I've been impressed with him. We are going to get along great. 

Well, that's my crazy  week! Next week is going to be even busier! Pretty awesome! #gottolovetransfers!

I love you all. I know that my savior lives! Two of our sisters covenanted to be his Disciples this week. We did also, as we partook of the Sacrament. I know how important the Gospel is. I love it! I love you!

-Elder Andrus 

From our letters this week:

We got the package! It was really awesome! Thank you so much!

That's funny how Grandpa always thought the Pioneer Day parades were for him! He is a really good man.

That is really cool that Shaina got married! That's too bad about the pork, it's a shame to watch food go to waste...

This whole writing is really difficult for me. And I'm a boy so it's hard for me to express my feeling sometimes. I will try to improve, but I do also keep a detailed daily journal with all of the things that are more private so that I will remember. 

I'm glad to hear the family reunion went off without a hitch. Sounds like Big Bertha is still working! It's always fun to have the family together. I can't wait to be at the next Family Reunion! 

I'm proud of Elder Ferrin! It's always awesome to see a missionary go out on a mission! He is a good kid. We always had a lot of fun on camp outs and stuff. I always felt that he was very honest and good.  

Kim and Ivy's baptisms! 

Kim and Ivy's baptisms! 

Week 55

Week 55

This week was pretty dang exciting! My week was good. Busy as ever. But good! I'm feeling a lot better. Ya, so "Hospital" in Guyana means pharmacy. I really should have explained that better. That was my fault. I just had to get some prescription for a fever and headache.

I am in Georgetown. The city is more modern. Still dirt streets and hanging power lines in some parts. I love it. A "neighborhood" is what the people call a scheme. It's land divided into lots and then sold from there. So you can build what ever you want. Like a big farm next to a church next to 3-4 wooden shacks that 5-10 people live in. It is a little bit sketchy at times but still the best around. The people her call it headquarters.

Tuesday we went on a teaching visit with the Elders on the east coast. We had a good time there, and learned a lot. The bike I rode just about killed me. It sucked. There are 40 Elders In Guyana and we have visited with 28 of them.

Wednesday/Thursday we mostly prepared Ivy, Shem and Kim to be baptized this coming Saturday. We are most likely going to move Shem and Kim though...they are still learning.

Friday/Saturday we drove to Linden (the farthest reaches of Guyana) to go on some teaching visits. We had a good time there in the bush. We were lucky enough to witness a baptism there! It was like we were at the Waters of Mormon. Totally awesome.

Sorry to be short. Don't have much time LOL...the life of a Teaching Assistant. We have been nicknamed the Guyana slaves. LOL! President is flying in today and he needs the van so we still have a ton of stuff to do.

We are so busy all of the time. It's taking every ounce of my brain power to make sure I keep everything straight. That is why I have been kinda scatter brained lately. Sorry my emails aren't as good as I would hope. If you have questions, I would love to answer them. But as right now, I barley remember to get dressed in to morning! It's pretty hard for me to predict what everyone needs to hear and information to know in the 1 hour I have to email. Family, friends, President Egbert, and the million other emails that we get to run the mission here in Guyana. Its a little bit stressful. We have been having a lot of success with the Elders that we work with. They are all really great leaders and teachers and we have been trying to help everyone have many more spiritual experiences.

Well, the gospel is true, the book is blue, and I love you!!

-Elder Andrus

(I think this is where they had a baptism)

Week 54

Week 54

This week was pretty interesting. We had some ups and downs. Lol. We still had a lot of fun!

Monday: Pretty normal. It was a holiday so everything was closed. That is why we had to email on Tuesday.

Tuesday: Happy 4th of July! We had a bunch of stuff we had to do today, but it was great. We had a good district meeting. 

Wednesday: Today we went on a teaching visit with Elder Gibbson and Hollinger. It was really fun. We had the chance to teach someone I did the baptismal interview for. It was really cool. 

Thursday: We had a good day today. We were able to get a lot done. I got my drivers license and had to go to the hospital.*

Friday: We stayed in for the day. I slept almost all day. But I'm better now! Yay!

Saturday: We went on a next teaching visit today with Elder Fisher and Elder Biglove. Really fun! We got fed by a really awesome family too!

Sunday: Today was pretty normal. We had a situation in town and had to go in for the night. Everything is fine, just a step of precaution.** Still a great day!

Well, we've been busy! But it's really fun! Thanks so much for all of your prayers and faith! I love this gospel. I learn more everyday! I love you all!

- Elder Andrus

* I got sick but that is life, I guess. We are really too busy to be sick, but it felt like I got hit up side the head with a baseball bat. (This is all the info we got from Elder Andrus. A great way to make everyone worry!!)

** The situation was that a prison right in the same town Elder Andrus is in, had a fire and several prisoners escaped! OH MY GOSH

Week 53

Week 53

This week was really exciting! Sorry I didn't send last weeks letter. The computer was giving me a hard time. I'll send both. We've been so busy this week. We did three teaching visits, which were all so cool!

Tuesday: Teaching visit with Elders Corriea and Sanchez. That was really fun. Elder Corriea and I went into the "slums". There we met the nicest people and had some great lessons and learned a lot! It was really cool. 

Wednesday: We have been teaching a lady named Ivy this last little while and today we have her a baptismal date for July 22nd! We have "faithfully" 2 other baptisms that day as well! So exciting. 

Thursday: We went to Parika on Thursday! Good to go back for a while. Elder Nuttal and I learned a lot from our teaching visit! Elder Vance did a great job as well. 

Friday: Was good too. We saw Shem and Ivy. They both rock. 

Saturday: we went on another teaching visit with Elders Goemon and Payne. Learned a lot!

Well, It's pretty exciting to be an assistant! We've been having a great time doing all sorts of fun missionary work and teaching visits! I love it! I know this gospel is true! I love it! And I love you!

- Elder Andrus

Week 52!!

Week 52

"Gwaftanoon!" Translation, "Good afternoon!"

This week was so awesome! We have some awesome people that we are working with. To start out, I wish to talk about Shem. He is the coolest 13 year old kid around. He is so smart, and he came to church by himself (which is a big deal here) and took notes through all three hours. It was so cool. He is planning on being baptized on July 22nd. 

This week we also went on what we call "Teaching Visits". So Elder Thompson and I will go and teach 3-4 lessons with each companionship to observe and learn from their teachings. Also we will help with anything they are struggling with. This week we went to teach with Elder Johnson (we started our missions together) and Elder Sarvento. Both did a fantastic job and I learned a cool scripture chain about faith. Plants need 3 things to grow: Soil, water, light. 

Soil - Helaman 5:12 (foundation)

Water - John 4 (living water)

Light - 3 Nephi 11:10-11 (light)

Awesome!

Later on in the week we went and visited Elder Kyler! and Elder Hunsaker. We had great fun and it was good to see them. We had some great opportunities to learn on these visits. "Everything good will be hard." - Elder Thompson. This is true. The mission is hard sometimes. But it is really good too. I know this. I know that I have a Father who loves me. I know that Christ lives. I know that your prayers are coming and are carrying me along to make is through. I love you all so much!

- Elder Andrus

Week 51

Week 51!

President Egbert has been on his mission for 2 years. We are the last missionaries that will serve their whole two years under him. I'll come home 2 weeks before him. I want to go to his homecoming!

Georgetown is just like any other metropolitan city. Tiny streets, no traffic rules, dangerous at night, really awesome and amazing people, you know, the usual. I can get all the things I need here. 

LOL This week has been crazy...Elder Thompson and I are in charge of transfers. Yo, Elder Thompson is a bro and also a mountain man. One time he literally lived in a cave for a week just cuz. We get along really good. He has been on his mission for almost 2 years. This is his last transfer. 

Tuesday Elder Thompson picked us and we did some local transfers (missionaries staying in Guyana). We tried to proselyte but only had about 40 mins. Then we had to go do some foreign transfers (missionaries coming to Guyana from other countries). they landed at midnight. We drove the hour away and we dropped them off and "gaf" (talked) for an hour. Then we went back to our house. That puts us back at about 2am. Which is great! Then we realize we are locked out of our house. Some other missionaries were staying there, so in our sleepless and partially drunken state, we convinced Elder Spujt (one of my best friends) to drive us to Kaieteura Falls. (one of the biggest waterfalls in the world) So we drove around for like another 30 minutes or so because we had 1, nowhere to sleep, and 2, Elder Spujt is hysterical. We finally made it back from to the office and fell asleep on the ground for about an hour. Because we had to get up at 4:30 to take Elder Peterson to the airport. (he is home now!) Oh! And someone called us in the middle of the night to print something too. So we took Elder Peterson to the airport.

After that we did some more local transfers till about 3pm when we were back at the airport to pick up some new Elders! But we read the flight itinerary wrong, and they didn't land till 4, so we were bored out of our minds. LOL Then we took him all about to where they stay. 

Thursday, *Note at this point in the week we have had a total of 6 hours of sleep and 1 hour of teaching* We had to get up early to do some drivers licencing stuff.  I'm going to get mine. Yay! Then we were all finished at about 5pm, and taught 3 lessons. We also had a baptism this Saturday as well. We did a district meeting and a baptismal interview

Friday, *Note, still no personal study* We had MLC, luckily is was just a skype one so it was ok. Then we were able to teach the rest of the evening. 

Saturday, we had Evan's and Granny's baptism! One of the most touching I've ever been to. Evan is like 72 and Granny is 97 years old. She can't walk very well, so Elder White (the elder that had taught her everything) literally carried her into the water. I snuck a picture and Elder White looked like an angel. The spirit was so strong. I could feel an outpouring of love from our Father in Heaven. 

Wow, I'm still dead, because there aint no rest for the assistants! But I know that God is pleased with the work that we do. I love to be a missionary. It's my favorite calling I've ever had. I know that Christ lives and I know that God loves me. And I love you all! 

Love, 

Elder Andrus

P.S. I still don't know all of my responsibilities yet, but it's awesome! 

Granny with Elder White. So sweet!

Joey and I went to Las Vegas to see Elder Hardy's homecoming talk! He was one of William's first companions. 

This is the Kaieteur Falls William was talking about.
This is a picture from google. :)