Well well well my family

Feb. 9, 2015

Thank you for your loving kind words, they inspire me to be a better missionary. I am also SO grateful to have been born in a family that really tries to apply the gospel of Jesus Christ in their personal live and in our family lives. I see too many families (member and non member) that don't do that. I try to count my many blessings because I really am so blessed. Something I have been doing lately in the morning while I eat breakfast is read conference talks. It is such a blessing to have modern prophets that guide us and keep us on the path of truth. That is something I have learned on the mission to take advantage of "dead time." Reading while I eat breakfast, in the bathroom, or after planning session in the night has helped me get through Jesus the Christ, and many other books and magazines. By small and simple things great things will come to pass. Those that have smart phone can download scriptures and manuals right to your phone and maybe instead of playing angry birds, you could read a bit of the Book of Mormon, or prepare yourself for the lesson that will be taught on Sunday. It is just an idea and definitely something I will keep doing after the mission. Another idea that is really working out for us here: take investigators to church. One of the biggest challenges with investigators is usually getting them to go to church. Something that is really working here is we take members with us to lessons and ask them if they can then pass by the investigators house on Sunday to go together to church. So far it is giving really good results, so someway you could help the elders in our ward is ask them if one of their investigators needs a ride to church, or if you go out on visits offer to pass by the persons house on Sunday to give them a ride. Then the investigator can feel a bit more comfortable and will already have a friend and can focus more on the spirit of the meeting. It is amazing how many things we can do in the work of the Lord and sometimes how easy some of those things are. I feel like we live in a dispensation that the gospel has never been easier to share. We have facebook, messaging, telephones, cars, mass printing, and so many other tools! The Lord really does want us to accelerate his work and He gives us the tools to do it. President told us the church is going to be doing another initiative this Easter kind of like "He is the gift" that they did for Christmas, asi que prepare yourselves! My companion and I continue working hard together, he hasn't complained about his stomach in a while so it seems to be at least calmed down for now. He has changed a lot in the short time that I have been here. I know the Lord calls us to our areas to teach the people but I also feel like a lot of times he calls us to be with our companions for a very specific reason as well. At the beginning of the mission I was all pumped to baptize and everything but now I think I am learning to really love just teaching people the gospel. What a privilege to be set apart to teach people the best message they will ever hear! The elders in my district call me a "high priest" because of the time I have but I still feel like a greenie haha, I love the mission and I love my Savior, I really do depend on Him for everything I have. I love you all very much and are always in my prayers, especially Brenda and Levi in this moment!

love,
Elder Andrew