December 19, 2011

HOOOOOOEEE!

Remember on Polar Express when the fat guy falls off the train and grabs the other guy's beard? That's how I feel right now.
Got my bike fixed and he did a full tune up on everything, new back rim and tire, new brake cable installed, everything oiled up, 70$.

Sorry :/

 

That address is correct and I'll be calling from Bro. Smith's house anywhere from 12:00 to 4:00 so be ready whenever! I don't know what to expect as far as exact time I just know that's when we'll do it.

 

I am doing so well, better than I have yet. Elder Case (boise Idaho) is such a hard worker and has put me in the go go go mood. We get home at night and pretty much fall into bed and pass out. Especially the new guy, Elder Richardson. He's everything I could have wished for in a son. He's got an amazing story that I don't have time to tell, so I'll give you the short run. From Ethiopia, parents both died. He lived homeless and raised his little brother for over a year and got kidnapped by a crazy white woman and put into a horrible orphanage. Someone took him from there and sent him to america. Adopted in Idaho by an LDS family and converted 6 years ago. He has more faith than anyone I have ever met and he'll teach me more than I could ever teach him. Works hard, laughs a lot......Like father like son eh? I am so thankful for two humble hard working companions. Paired with the branch leaders in the Newport News 3rd branch, anything is possible. I'm excited to see how things will play out.

 

As for turkey buzzards, 1 for sorrow, 2 for joy, 3 for letters, 4 from a boy, 5 for silver, 6 for gold, 7 for secrets that have never been told.

I heard the Jackson 5 singing I saw mommy kissing santa claus today ahahaha ("tickle tickle, santa claus")

 

We are in the process today of stuffing 829 stockings for the children of the ghetto and we'll hand them out on friday night, I'm so excited for that, it should be quite the expirience. I attached some photos of us and all of the donated toys and candy from today and me in the back of Bro. Smith's truck on the way from transfers to our appartment.

 

I only have time to really tell you one expirience that has happened here so far. Dad, thank you for all of the people skills you taught me by example. I feel blessed to be able to connect with people half as well as you can. We knocked on this old couple's door next to a member's home (we haven't had to feed ourselves yet, I love this place) and they told us not to go there because he's cranky and won't talk to us but we all felt like we should so we knocked. He opened and was very stand-off-ish at first and said that he didn't want anything from us and that the last set of missionaries had already talked to him. I was just praying for something that we could say that could change his mind and he said he had to go so he started closing the door and I felt like I should offer to give him a blessing. He looked at me kind of funny and I explained that we had the authority to lay our hands on his head and give him a blessing. He let us in. He told us about all of the rods and screws in his back and that it was just killing him to stand there. We were in his room and his wife was way mean to us, didn't smile, answered q's with a yes or no. I annointed and Elder Case gave a beautiful blessing that threw the spirit at these people. When he was done, that man jumped out of the seat and hugged each of us. He told us a chill went through him that took away his pain. He was almost crying. She sat up and we had some small talk and I pulled a " you can't be a day over 40" she laughed so hard and she had a huge smile on the rest of the time we were there. I said, "you two sure do smile a lot" and he said "you three are making us smile" I felt as though the spirit had re kindled a fire that went out long ago. We had to leave but we plan on following up with Thomas Samuel Jackson.

 

I'm out of time. I love the area, I'm so excited every day to be a missionary, I love you all!

Elder Andreasen

Wazoo