PICTURES

  Happy new week!

Attatched are some pictures. Steven (Sarah's boyfriend) having band practice after our lesson, My companion Elder George Clooney, and a picture of Me with Shane, who is going to be baptized on the 29th now in stead of the 21st. Scheduling conflice. He is the shortest one in the front on the right. To his right is his brother Cameron and the kid with the Rage hat that reminds me of Brock is their friend Cameron who we might be teaching soon :) 

The fourth picture is Me, Elder Coon, Elder Firth, and Elder Andreasen (with his mouth open) I think I forgot to tell you, I live with another Elder Andreasen. Who could have guessed that there would be another one in the mission? And even more than that we live together! He is super awesome and 3 months out and already training next transfer. He's from vegas. We did the family history and we are related to them through Jens Jorgenson and then Jorgen Andreasen. 6 generations back.

 Everyone is doing well. April is progressing and came to church again. :) She has been reading and is being softened.

Sarah is doing well and she is still working towards the 5th of January. 

We started teaching Sarah's younger sister Monica too. She wants to get baptized! Haha I love this place. 

Shane is awesome and all ready for Dec 29th. His soon-to-be-step dad is doing well also. He came to church and we sat with him. He cried in every single meeting, including when his girlfriend's son Cameron was ordained to the office of a Teacher. He talked a lot about his grandparents who passed away and we told him that his time with them is not over. He was so overcome! I love that man!!!

GOtta go ya'all. Sorry :( I hope you know that I love you and I love this work!!!

Love,

Elder Skyler Andreasen

P.S. I choose Christ

Whoops, Forgot To Hit Send Last Week (12/10/12)

This week has been fantastic. Elder Coon and I have continued to see miracles in every aspect of our work. We were meant to work together. The Zone is doing well and everyone is committed to having a white Christmas. We are all excited about teaching simply and asking inspired questions. We had an amazing experience down in Lawrenceville with Elder A and Elder B. Elder Coon and I went down on Friday after zone meeting to blitz Lawrenceville with the Wakefield Elders and Elder and Sister Hoskin (Senior Couple). Elder Coon and I stayed the night there and split, I went with Elder A and Elder Coon went with Elder B. They have been having a tough time planning and studying as of late, so as we were on exchange we just started asking questions. Elder A really opened up to me and the spirit was there as I was able to testify of obedience and perfect planning and how the last 10 days of his mission can be the best 10 days of his mission. I love Elder A so much. The thing is, I don't know if I ever would have enjoyed spending time with him before my mission. Now I could be on a week exchange with him. I love him. From the sound of things, Elder Coon had just about the same experience with Elder B. We woke up Saturday and studied with them, and invited them to keep up the good work. They aren't apostate, they are just getting a bit distracted. We know they have been doing well, we have been calling to follow up. As Elder Coon and I were driving back, we were both very grateful for the opportunity to be instruments in the Lord's hands. Hopefully we have made a difference.

Our investigators are doing well also. We were so blessed to teach so much this week. We did have one of our investigators get worked on pretty bad by Anti Mormons, but we just bore testimony and moved on with literally no bashing. She wanted to bash, but we simply bore testimony of the book of Mormon and the latter day restoration. I feel that she gained a little bit of vision. From the way she was talking when we went to contact her (doing daily contact, in between visits) she expected us to just give up because she had found some great secrets that proved us wrong. It didn't even phase us and I think she respected that. If we would have bashed we would have lost her in the contention, but she felt the spirit in our reply. We are going back on Wednesday to teach again.

 

April and Adam came to church!!! That was sweet. Their kids actually behaved and it was a spiritual experience for them. Hopefully when we go back she has read even more. She read and understood the 3 chapters we gave her on the Doctrine of Christ.

 

Sarah is still set to be baptized Jan 5 and Shane Dec 21. I don't have time to tell you about it, but Shane's mom's boyfriend's sister's cousin's father's dog..... no just kidding. But really Shane's mom's boyfriend called US and asked US if we could come teach HIM. We both felt like it was a blessing of obedience and a blessing from the Lord. He has never opened up to us like that. We taught him about the Restoration and he wants to be baptized! We also taught a girl named Rachel who wants to be baptized! She read us a journal entry of the first time she read the Book of Mormon. It was powerful. We invited her to be baptized right then haha and then moved on and taught the rest. It seems as though everyone we have been teaching is super prepared. I feel overly-whelmed (overwhelmed) sometimes. The windows of heaven are open, and he blesses his children every time they obey.
We are so BLESSED to be missionaries! I am so blessed to be in VA. I am blessed to have Elder Coon as a companion. I am so blessed to have family like you!  I can't express how grateful I feel. It's impossible anymore.

-- 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

WE ROCKED THE HOUSE

Hello Family,

 I love you all so much. I can't tell you how uplifted I feel reading all of your emails!!!!!!!

This week has been ROCK SOLID. I have never had so much FUN!!!! (Elder Miller came up from Chessapeake for leadership conference and I made sure he stayed at our apartment) :) Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10am - 4pm was leadership conference. Lunch included. It was an amazing conference! It seems like there wouldn't be enough to talk about for that long four days in a row but boy did it go fast. We learned about the Doctrine of Christ and the Role of the Holy Ghost in conversion on Day one, Revelation through Church attendance and Revelation through prayer on day 2, revelation through the Book of Mormon and "Teach people, not lessons" on day 3, and finally we learned "we invite, they commit, we follow up" and "How to begin teaching" on Day 4 with a 2 hour testimony meeting at the end. Every night of conference we had the opportunity to go out in the areas where we were staying in Richmond and apply what we learned that day. WOW what a week. Almost half of our Zone went to the conference, myself included. Lucky for Elder Coon and I, we live close enough to just stay at our place and work in our area. We are only 20-25 min from downtown Richmond. So, out of the 4 days of leadership (or nights, because that's when we could work) we taught 7 lessons and set 2 PEOPLE FOR BAPTISM!!!!! I really wish Elder Coon, Elder Miller and I could be companions. We ROCKED THE HOUSE. I was so stoked. Our whole zone almost doubled their normal efforts. We are feeling a warm excitement from everyone.

 

I have learned a lot from Elder Coon. He is still my hero.

Quick miracle update before I gottago!

#1 Remember Sarah and Steven? Sarah got the green light from Bishop Mabe and President Perry and will be baptized on Jan 5th :):):):):)

#2 We have been teaching Shane, 11 yrs old and the most fun little kid ever, and he is set to be baptized Dec 21. His Mom is a member and her boyfriend came to church and we will teach him this week

#3 Logan, YSA in VAbeach, called me this week and said "I got my testimony, and I want you to baptize me!" haha I will be going back January 12 for that.

#4 I got the clear to go back and Give Josh Debres the Melchizedek Priesthood :)

#5 One of the Young men in the Swift Creek Ward brought his friend Rachel to church again and we will meet with her on tuesday. She said "my parents are baptist, and it just doesn't feel right. I feel like this church is right."

#6 We had 5 investigators at sacrament meeting and we didn't know what to do with ourselves. The ward helped out and fellowshipped and we are just overjoyed.

 

We have been focusing this week on contacting every investigator daily, planning perfectly, and following the Spirit. It has really helped us to take care of those investigators that we already have so that The LORD understands that we care about them. The day we made that a goal as a companionship, 3 or 4 potential investigators fell into our lap. We are perplexed at the blessings of doing the small things right.

 

I gotta go :)

 

Love, 

 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

P.S. I choose Christ 

You wanna hat-dooag?

We didn't get to go to NY :(

   This week has been great! We have some awesome investigators doing some awesome things. With Sarah and Steven, we are setting goals and making plans to apply and practice the Christlike attributes. They love it. She is so smart! (Sarah's mom and Steven's dad just got married last week). As far as we can observe, they are doing everything they can. They have definitely manifest by their works that they are learning and like having us over, and they set a goal this week to work on faith. The plan that THEY came up with is to come to church every week. We liked that plan haha. 

   Brother and Sister Federoff came to church! They had a good experience, and we set her up with the Stake President's wife, sister Scott, so now the Federoff's will be going to the Scott's for family home evening. Y>E>SSS> That is a sweet place for them to be and an environment where the spirit can testify to her. Hopefully she keeps trying, she seems distraught that her kids are so rowdy at church. We will teach them this week.

    The Roach's came to play flag football on Turkey Day but they didn't come to church. He seems to be making progress and hopefully will open up and tell us how he feels about the church soon. He is kind of a closed book. The spirit has definitely touched him and He has felt the truthfulness of the gospel. His wife is a member and super cool. She works a lot on Sundays though.  

    We taught a lesson to a little boy named Shane, he's 11. He committed to pray every day. He said he wants to be baptized so the plan is to set him with a date on Tuesday. His mom is a member but they live with Mom's boyfriend. He is hopefully listening when we are over there as well, but he seems to stay in the other room and listen. We went to spread grass seed with him and he seems to like us, so maybe next time we see him we'll just ask him some inspired questions. Everyone is progressing well, and our companionship is still great! I love Elder Coon. 

   On Thanksgiving we played flag football from 8 am to 1:30 or so. We were STILL sore yesterday. This guy in the Belmont ward had some extra cleats so I was really having fun:) I wish I was that good when I was playing JV my senior year! It was so fun to just relax and play and see all of the missionaries in the Richmond and Midlothian zones as well as the missionaries in our zone. It is always good to get the whole zone together. It's crazy, in two weeks I already feel like I know everyone really well. We also had Thanksgiving dinner with a recent convert family named the Wagners. They are so sweet and we have been teaching about the temple. They love it and they are so excited to go!

  I have had a very rewarding week personally. On Saturday we were on exchange with the assistants and I got to go do some young singles work in downtown Richmond, just walking and talking for 5 hours on the VCU campus. Back to the old stomping grounds! Back to the park where I first learned what it was to talk to everyone with Elder Tramell! That is my element. My favorite part of missionary work is just walking and talking. Seeing people on the street and saying hey and making a connection right there, maybe even teaching a gospel principal, always bearing testimony, and setting up a return appointment. It is so FUN and it makes me so happy when we can get them stoked about coming to church or having a meeting with us. I feel like that is the heart of missionary work; teaching as you find and finding as you teach.

  Thanks ya'all! I pray that you have an amazing week and see the fruits of your good deeds and desires!

Love you all!

Elder Andreasen.

I CHOOSE CHRIST

HAPPY TURKEY DAY!!!

Yes I am in Chester, VA in a ward called Swift Creek. I have never been so thankful for a companion. Elder Coon is 24, from Marysville Washington, and a powerful leader and teacher. He has been out 17 months and been a zone leader for 1.5 months. OH MY GOSH I love this kid. I don't know how to explain what has happened the past 3 days. He picked me up from the church where I was dropped off at about 7 pm on Thursday, and by the time we had arrived at our apartment (a 2 bedroom 2 bathroom flat on the 4th floor that we share with the Belmont Elders), we had already set a goal to be perfect missionaries and to be completely unified in all things. When we make decisions as missionaries, sometimes it can be competitive or contentious because one of us thinks one way and one thinks the other, but with Elder Coon, we are both striving to be submissive to the will of the Lord. It has been so refreshing to just sit down and throw my Ideas on the table, knowing he will be considerate of them, then he throws his ideas out knowing I won't criticize or be hurt. We create an imaginary "think tank" and then we pray and seek The Lord's will. It's a CRAZY concept isn't it? haha I guess I'm just really appreciative because I know of the humility it takes to counsel.

One might ask, "But what does that do for your missionary work?", let me tell you; In the morning, we study. We study for the investigators and lessons we have that day. We study personally and seek revelation for the situation personally, then we come together and sing a hymn and pray together and counsel about what we learned. We come to some conclusion of what we will teach these people. I have never felt such power in a lesson!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We have taught 5 lessons since Friday and every single one was planned out and counseled about and the Spirit was there because of it. Many times in a missionary companionship you end up being  the new missionary who hasn't been out long or the new leader who needs training. You feel as though your companion is pulling a lot of the weight and you rely on his counsel as the senior companion. On the flip side, sometimes you are called to be the missionary who is training the other or has been out longer or whatever, who is "helping" your younger companion. This creates a type of rift in the unity, or let's just say the unity in the companionship isn't as strong as it could be. ESPECIALLY in cases where you both feel as though you have something to teach the other or think you are the senior companion. What I have experienced in the last 3 days is raw unity. Elder Coon and I talked this out and decided to be on the same page and trust each other (can you imagine??) haha the blessings have been awe inspiring.

Friday: Lesson one was with Sister Christy and her grandson Aidan. We taught about the atonement and had a discussion on how the sacrament ties us to Christ and invited them to come. It was a powerful first lesson and a testimony to the power of our goals. We bore testimony of each other and both Sister Christy and Aidan were touched. Aidan is a nine year old recent convert but so smart! Then later that day we had dinner with Sister Luck. She fed us roast and potatoes :) yumm! Her granddaughter Makayla is a recent convert of 9 months and she's 18. It was fun to teach a ysa. I love that! We talked about patriarchal blessings because she had a lot of questions about that.

Saturday: Service at the Roach's house. We helped them clear out a Go-cart path that was full of leaves and pot-holes. Didn't get to ride the go-cart but you bet I wanted to. I did ride his son's bmx bike over a jump though. Kind of nerve-racking but it felt good to get some air for the first time in a long while. I DID have a helmet on:) Bro Roach is not a member but the spirit was so strong as we served them and then they served us that when we invited them to church they came!!! We are going to baptize that man. In church there was a talk about the responsibilities of a father and how the Priesthood can help with that. He cried :) haha is that bad that I was looking and we are totally stoked that it touched him like that? After the Roach's we went to Ashlee and Dee. They are not members but she is investigating. Well, he is too after we met with them but we went and bought a nice picture frame and framed "The Family: A Proclimation to the World" and talked about that with them. She is looking at 3 yrs in jail but it's crazy that they both want to be baptized now (they can't) and they both want to be great parents. They took the Proclamation to heart and it was also powerful how much we could feel the Spirit chastening both of them and inviting them to be better parents and to get married. Again, an Idea that we counseled about and came upon and the lesson was exactly what they needed in a number of ways. Then dinner at the Kimballs. Young couple with one kid. In the navy. Went to.......get this.........UTAH STATE!!! haha I was so excited!

Sunday: Powerhouse day. Ashlee came to church and so did the Roach's. The lessons were spot on and the Spirit attended. The Stake President asked for volunteers to go up to New York and New Jersey to help with cleanup :) GUESS WHAT?!?!? We asked President and the assistants and we might be organizing a group to go up for 2-3 days. OUT of our mission and to NY BABY! That would be so cool. We have no Idea yet. It sounded like he was really considering it but it could be a straight no. The stake president here is awesome. We had two lessons after church. One with Sarah and Steven (16 and 17) Steven is a member who comes occasionally and Sarah wants to be baptized.  6 months ago Steven's dad (member) and Sarah's mom (recently converted) thought that it would be a good Idea to start dating.  We have more assessment to do but we had a beautiful lesson on recognizing the promptings of the Holy Ghost and the import of the Spirit in our lives. They ate it UP! They told us many examples of feeling the Spirit and they desire to feel it more. They are both in a metal band called "Before the Massacre" so maybe if they turn down the amp a little they will hear him a little more but hey, kids will be kids. They played us some stuff. They are super good. After that we had a lesson and dinner with the Fedderoffs. He is less active but hasn't smoked in a month and she is not a member. She hasn't been investigating either. We sat down and just started off by loving them enough to find out about them. We asked her what she thought of the missionaries and what she had done to find out if these things are true. We were so thankful and blessed to be prompted to ask a random question that could have been dumb, but it was amazing. We said "Do you believe there is a God" like out of nowhere. Her eyes got teary and she said "I have been having a problem with that whole 'God' thing" we said "explain" and she went off. She talked for a good ten minutes about her feelings, and just through that counsel process and some bold testimony on our side of the table she established that there is a God, and that he created all things. Then from there we were able to take her to the part of the Gospel she could live, the part that is supposed to change her and make her happy, the part where she exercises faith and repents and is baptized and receives the Holy Ghost and Endures to the End. It was amazing. Keep in mind that she had completely shut down Elder Coon and Elder Coburn last time they were here. We were so blessed and happy and overjoyed to be the missionaries who could experience that. I am convinced that she will be at church next week with the whole family but we will be praying and contacting them daily to make sure.

I am grateful to be here. I know that this is true. Evidence that the gospel is able to change men resides in my heart and is manifest in where I am today as opposed to where I was two years ago. I am eternally in debt to my Heavenly Father. "Who would have supposed that our God would have snatched us out of our awful, sinful state?" Who would have known that I would be blessed with these opportunities. I can't express my gratitude and my appreciation for you, Mom and Dad. Your patience and your diligence and your prayers and your long nights and your stress and grief are much appreciated. I can't even imagine how you mustered the strength to deal with me. Honestly.

Thank you for your advise. I love it and follow it!

We have these recent converts named the Wagoners who have signed up for Thanksgiving, Christmas Eve, and Christmas. HAHAHA So we're covered. I think that is GREAT!

I will most likely be going back for Josh Debres :)

Yes I am in a missionary training video series online that talks about finding, teaching, retaining, and activating through family history. I am actually in it a lot haha. It's funny that there is actually evidence of Elder Tramell and I doing something together. Did I tell you he is a zone leader in Newport News? It's fun we see each other often.

3rd nephi 27:21 and 27 are awesome. 21 says do like the savior, 27 says be like the savior. I love that. I have taken way too much time and have to go.

Love you!!!

Sad to leave Virginia Beach...Headed to Chesterfield

Christmas is a coming and the Egg is in the nogg,

how about ya give your friend a happy little dog?

if you haven't got a happy dog a happy cat'll do,

If you haven't got a happy cat then God bless you!

-Bing Crosby

He ya' all.  :)

The news is in, the call came Saturday night, and I'm getting transferred! I am sad to see the Salem ward and young singles branch go. I love this place and I love these people. I have made so many friends here in the past 8 months it's ridiculous. I hope to hang out with all of these peoples after the mish. I am excited though, Chesterfield sounds fun. I'll be in a ward by the name of Swift Creek. I leave Thursday, so this week will be a lot of last lessons and saying goodbye and packing. (I have so much crap haha)

In other news, it was the last day of the mission yesterday for Elder Buckley and Elder Van Wagoner so we decided to do something "really crazy" and sleep outside in my hammocks on the back patio haha! We ended coming in at like 2:30 but I saw the stars for the first time in a while and got some fresh air so that was good:)

I think I told you about Darreon, a YSA who we found and brought to basketball? We set him for Dec 22nd and he is super stoked!! He is way more solid than we thought and he came to play basketball with us last night with the YSA FHE. He fit right in and everyone loved him. I LOVE it when that happens. That fellowship is so essential. I put in a little hint as I left yesterday as I left after shaking his hand I said "and if you need someone to come back here and baptize you, you know who to call" haha he just laughed. He is so funny and easy going. He will be an asset to this branch.

Terry came to church again! She loves it! Her son loves it too. She is the one who approached us in the parking lot. Wow what an amazing family and one that will benefit from the gospel. It sounds like her husband is interested too but we just need to meet with him. He works every Sunday (bummer) but I guess I don't have to worry about it I'm gone :'(

This morning, I talked to the Missionary in Chesterfield who I am replacing. He gave me some vision as to what they are trying to do in the Chesterfield Zone and some of the Goals of the Stake Presidency up there. The ward and branch boundaries in the Stake were re-organized recently and it sounds like the focus has been on strengthening the ward unit to be able to handle all that it needs to handle and then to train them in how to grow. This should be really fun and challenging. It sounds like we will be an integral part in meetings and goal setting and working at the Stake and ward level. Elder Coburn said we go to ward counsel, P.E.C, and even Bishopric meeting, and that the Stake President includes us in many aspects. I am excited to do what I can to be a part of the work in that part of the Vinyard. It sounds very unified. :)

Well, that's the update. I don't know what else to say. This has been a good run in VAbeach, and I will surely miss it. It feels like home to me. I have spent over half of my mission here. I think of all the things I will miss, our van is #1. Man I love driving around in that thing. We call it the storm chaser.

Mom, I love what you said about kindness. You are so wise and I appreciated your insights! I am learning a lot from YOUR example and always have. You have always been kind and loving and I appreciate that.

Dad, do whatever mom says.

:) haha we need you better so you can go skiing! This winter sounds intense and if I'm not there to ride your S-7's, then I'm going to need you to do it ok?  

Well, I love you all! Hope you enjoy these pictures!

-- 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

Back to the norm

Howdee do ya'all!

What a great emal! Thank you for your love and support. I LOVE you and I LOVE hearing from you.

This week was back to the norm, not to much different than any other week. I had a hard time recovering from the trunky atmosphere of 7 Elders in one apartment. You might think I'm kidding but I didn't get my focus and a good keen sense back until yesterday while fasting. I felt crazy and wild all week and we joked and laughed a lot and it just wasn't as focused as in the past, but it progressively got better until yesterday, a DAY OF MIRACLES. That always happens when we fast for a purpose.

I would tell you about the turtle in the bathtub but that was a report from our zone and WE haven't even heard the full story yet. I'll ask the Sandbridge Elders and get back to you :) 

Interviews with President were wonderful as usual. The spirit was there and we talked a lot about what our zone should be doing and the future of the mission and my own future. He told me that a good leader should have 3 things; A humble teachable attitude to EVERYONE, they should be a good follower (either to their leaders or after being a leader), and they understand the power of unity. Also, we talked a ton about the temple again. Did I tell you we talked a lot about the temple in my last interview?

Wow Dad congratulations! I know you will do well! You have always been very organized in thoughts and on a desk. I look up to you a lot in that respect and I am so excited! What are your responsibilities? What does that calling consist of? I love being able to spend time with the Stake President and his counsellors here in VA beach, and I have learned a whole lot from listening to them. I can't remember where I heard it, but there is always this quote in my head when I am around someone who holds keys; "when a man with keys speaks, I listen". I know that President Neilson has the keys to direct the work in the stake and I am super stoked for you to be a part of that work and to help them out. You are the MAN with the PLAN!

I think the only referal we have gotten from around the globe was from like Texas or something haha nothing too cool. No not true we have had 3 or 4 from temples like Hawaii and SLC and DC. People go to the visitors center and end up putting their name down for missionaries. That is such a great resourse. The Lord has his hands in this work!!

We had a general authority come to VA before I even entered the MTC who said something really cool about reading the Book of Mormon. I didn't hear it obviously but the missionaries before me relayed the message pretty clearly one day when I was struggling with a question. Basically, we had an investigator in Richmond who had a problem, and I was trying to fix it with the Book of Mormon. I was searching really hard to know what passage of scripture to give her that would be perfect for the situation. My trainer just looked at me and said "Elder Andreasen, a general authority told us that we would be fools to tell someone to read the Book of Mormon from anywhere but the beginning. In the first chapters of Nephi, it tells of prophecy and faith, courage to follow the spirit, and many other basics that we need before reading the rest of the book or investigating the church." Those weren't exact words but the point is clear. Whenever you read the Book of Mormon, start at the start. In the past 5 weeks or so I have gained a witness that the Book of Mormon was written and compiled in that exact order and with that exact information for a reason. As I read first and second Nephi I was drawn to the Isaiah chapters and the Prophecies of the last days. We are watching these things come to pass. Jacob talks a lot about our day too. It was written for us! How amazing is that? So I guess my answer is, there's no better place to begin than page one. Actually, it's helpful to start at the title page and read the testimonies of the witnesses and the Prophet, the introduction is instructional as well, and to read the whole thing SO PRAYERFULLY AND CAREFULLY and just seek for the spirit. I love the B.O.M. Pray for the spirit of prophecy and discernment, you are entitled to it. If you ask you shall receive.

I'll just tell one quick expirience; two weeks ago, Elder Monibidor and I were in the parking lot of the church in our van when a woman pulled up with her son and parked next to us. We rolled down the window and started talking to her and she asked if this is the building where the boy scouts meet. We told her it is. She then said "Can I ask you a couple of questions about your church?" We ended up giving her a small tour and just telling her a little bit about us and to pay attention to the spirit of God. She said she could feel it. The Relief Society President showed up too and they laughed and talked, it was great! We invited her to come back to church on sunday, got her number, and tried to set up an appointment, but she wouldn't let us come to her home, she said she would just come to the church. Well, yesterday she did :) It seemed as though every testimony was for her! The spirit was strong and she could feel it. Her son Zach is 11 and he sat next to me and was asking me questions the whole time about the sacrament and the primary and when he could come back. Haha he is an awesome kid. After sacrament we got the kids squared away and took her to gospel principals and taught the restoration, and she understood it all and loved it. We invited her to be baptized right there in front of the whole class and she said yes, but she'll need time to read and pray and she'll be back next week with her kids. She attended relief society as well and loved it. We have a lesson wednesday and I am super stoked! Hopefully she has read and prayed! The LORD is preparing hearts, I'm tellin ya!

Tell the Wamsleys hello for me!!!

Love

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

Hurricane Casualty Report

Hey y'all! Happy Halloween!!!

Hurricane Casualty report:

1 Trash can tipped over, 5 reported incidents of boredom (more were hinted at but only 5 reported), 1 report of severe heartburn, and one turtle in the bathtub. Also, one spilled cup of root beer and I won 2 games of Monopoly deal. We never did finish that game of Trivial pursuit...

 

We didn't get evacuated, we just had a bunch of Elders from Norfolk and Sandbridge come inland a little just in case, but to be honest it was nothing worse than a bad rain storm and some howling winds. We had 7 Elders in our apartment and there were 9 in another and 6 in another. The Norfolk sisters stayed with the stake president and our senior couples stayed in their own apartments. Nobody flooded, nobody hurt (as far as we know), but we did stay in all night Sunday and all day Monday per orders from church headquarters. That was crazy.... I had cabin fever so bad I just wanted to go out and WORK!!!

 

The most debris we saw was a twig or two on the way to the library, we are so thankful to say that not much happened here. I know the same cannot be said about others up north. Maryland and Rhode Island and D.C. are all getting slammed aren't they? We just pray everyone is OK. We feel silly for staying inside but hey, plan for the worst and hope for the best eh?. I am especially thankful that our prayers for safety were answered.

 

This week was pretty crazy, and it feels like we didn't get much done :( we had to cancel an exchange because of the hurricane.

You already know about mission conference, that was amazing. It feels as though that happened months ago.

Tuesday night, we went on splits with the ward and I went with a member named Brother Layne. He is so awesome. It was my first chance to teach about the Doctrine of Christ to a less active family right after we learned about it from Elder Whiting. It was fun, and they got it! It really clicked and they were uplifted. He couldn't come to church this week and I didnt' see her or the kids but we will be back over there and we will continue to bare testimony and hope they come to church. After that Brother Layne and I just sat in the parking lot talking. I got to pick his brain about what he learned on his mission and what I could do to improve. When talking to returned missionaries, there seems to be this recurring statement where they explain a time in their mission that they finally "got it". They "understood how to do missionary work" or they "finally got it". It also seems to be that in most cases, they "got it" near the end of their service, and had to go home. It is my quest to "get it" before the end and then apply "it". I'll let you know when I find out what "it" is haha.

 

Wednesday we had a table time in Norfolk with the Sisters to talk about how we can improve things down there and figure out how the Sisters are doing. It helps to just go have a meeting because we can do exchanges with the Elders but we cannot with the Sisters so we just go ask some questions and cousel about things. After that we had Melinda. I've told you about Melinda right? She is in a wheelchair and cannot move, but talks with her eyes? She is amazing and it's always uplifting to speak with her. Her dad is coming back into activity and because of his faith his wife is now investigating. We haven't taught her a lesson yet but she said she knows she needs to be baptized. :)

 

Thursday we had an exchange with the OTHER spanish Elders, the second set in VAbeach. I had Elder Gonzales with me in our area and it was awesome. We did some tracting, some teaching, some contacting, and had waffles on WAFFLE DAY!! The Justesen family has really taken on to waffle day and she loves to feed us on that day. After that we had a lesson at Brother Schoppauls house and went to exchange back. It was an especially good exchange as we were able to do a wide range of activities and learn from each other.

 

Friday we did weekly planning, and we almost finished in one sitting!!!! This almost never happens. Too many people calling and things happening. So after that we just went down a list for the Salem Ward Relief Society president and visited with less active members.

 

Saturday wasn't much. The Elders we lived with managed to clog our sink and we worked on that for a while, we tried draino twice and ended up buying a small snake to clear it. You wouldn't think that would take long, but pair it with lunch and a trip to wal-mart and it's already 2 o clock. The rest of the day was spent at dinner with Josh Debres, and then I was with Josh when we did splits with the ward. We went to one of his home teaching families and talked about the Word of Wisdom. I learned a ton. Dad, you were right on target with the restrictions thing those are wise words!

 

Sunday, Went to church (9am to 4pm) and then we went to the Stake Pres. house with a bunch of missionaries that were here for the hurricane and had dinner and played apples to apples. The assistants called and told us all to stay indoors until tueday morning so we went home and were inside Sunday night.

 

Monday, in all day :( nothing happened of any significance. Haha actually I learned to play 4 songs on the guitar! WOO!!

 

This week coming up should be good. :) I am excited for interviews with President Perry on Thursday.

 

Well, I have about 10 min left and I have a referral for Elder Lawson in AK so I gotta go!

 

 I love you all so much and I hope you can feel the excitement and the joy that comes from simply living the Gospel. I am eternally grateful for the knowledge I have been given and the testimony that is within me.

 

Love,

 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

P.S. I choose Chirst!!

Mission Conference...Love It!!

Hello Mom and Dad.

I am on today because we had mission conference yesterday so today is our Preparation day. Love you all!!!!  

Mission conference went so well, we had Elder Scott D. Whiting of the Seventy, he was the one who spoke in conference about the Temple and the gritty walls and the perfect window. He is so so so inspired and we actually had an extra hour in the High counsel room with just the Zone Leaders, President Perry, and Elder Whiting.

I feel really good.  The conferences are always a boost. He actually talked a ton about the things I needed to hear and answered many questions for me. The best of which was about leadership.  What a leader really is and how a leader can better those around him.  Mostly I think the Lord has been preparing me for what he would say because it tied in well with everything that I have learned in the past couple weeks. We learned so much from him. He also told us of the numbers that will grow and the increased responsibility we will have with all of the changes that will happen in the mission. Our mission will be one of the first to take on an increased complement to our numbers and an increase in language missionaries.  Sisters will be on bikes more and we will have many wards with two sets of Elders or Sisters. It's going to be fun. The Lord is hastening the day. The Twelve and Seventy are hastening their work as well.

I registered to vote here in VA, I figured they probably need the vote here. The problem is, I feel very UN-educated in the whole matter. I have been picking up bits and pieces here and there. From what I can tell they are just being really critical of each other and trying to bash Romney on dumb little stuff. I feel like the election is just one big chance for everyone to whine. There are a bunch of Romney Ryan posters out here that get vandalized and stuff but the more people we talk to the more I think VA likes Mitt. At least in VA Beach.

Even if he doesn’t win, Governor Romney has helped fulfilled scripture. D and C 1:30 talks about bringing the church out of obscurity. It's prophecy fulfilled. With our new websites and technology, we have truly come "out of obscurity and out of darkness, as terrible as an army with banners" not only that, but for the last 3 weeks, GOOGLE reported that "Mormon" and "Mormonism" were #1 and #2 hits, where pornography was taking both spots before. This is an amazing time in the history of the world to be a member of the Church of Jesus Christ.

Hey Mom and Dad I gotta go. I love you! I will write you a letter today. Tell Tanner Hello! 

Love,

Elder Skyler Andreasen

I Choose Christ

Just Be Yourself

Howdy Partners,

I learned something new this week, it was a glorious realization and I am so HAPPY!! I have gained a witness of the power of following the example of the Savior in my life. About 4 or 5 weeks ago, I was talking to a missionary who I love and respect a lot named Elder Van Houten. He has been out quite a while and when I was a new missionary he was in my zone! I wanted to be just like him! He is so humble and a very hard worker. I had many examples like that. Elder Wheelock, Elder Harris, Elder Tramell, Elder Hopkins, Elder Cook, Elder Rickson, and many many more. They are the examples that have continually made me want to be a better missionary. At some point though, in trying to be like them, and ultimately trying to be like the Savior, I was trying to forget about who I was. I think I even said the words "forget about who you are and focus on who the Savior is, and He will mold you into what He wants you to be." In a way, this is true, but it goes much deeper than just forgetting who you are! (Which is a hard thing to do). I asked Elder Van Houten one day, "What can I do to improve?" He said, "Man, you have changed a little. Just be yourself" I was taken aback!!! I thought I was supposed to forget myself!!! Haha I can't believe I even thought that.

The example of Jesus Christ is not one that we are supposed to follow in a carbon copy way. In our quest to fulfill the commandment of the Savior to "be ye perfect, even as I and your Father in Heaven are perfect", we are not expected to have the same personality or mannerisms as the Savior, or to take His gifts upon ourselves all at once. We ARE expected to strive to learn His attributes, but WE ARE NOT TO FORGET THE GIFTS AND TALENTS THAT GOD HAS GIVEN US. Christ's example is that of an individual fulfilling all that was asked of Him, an example of taking the gifts and talents that He was given and using them for others. He magnified His callings, and that is what God asks of us. The way that we can follow the example of the Savior is not by forgetting who we are expecting to become like Him, but magnifying our callings and using our gifts and talents to the best of our ability. Our goal should be to "be the best YOU you can be" :) I feel lighter and happier, and I want you each to know that we can be ourselves. Is that not a glorious message from on high?! I seriously felt a weight lift off of my shoulders as I was studying this.

 

I want you to hear more about those we are teaching, and next week I will dedicate my time to that. The other Elders are breathing down our necks for getting them to the library at 1:00 and everyone is hungry. I have to go, but I love you and I admire each of you for living the gospel in a world like this. Just be yourselves, and know that you have talents and gifts to enhance.

I love you all so much.

Love,

-- 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

YOU CAN'T GO BACK

I'm sorry to inform you that I have taken Elder Holland's inspired counsel and I won't be returning from my mission. It's just too great!!!!!

I can't remember what the website was to get that family history chart. Elder Narramore showed me that. Try searching for family history fan chart or something. If I remember correctly, that was it's original name.

 I have never met Hermana George but I will definately say hello and give her a warm welcome when I do!!! We have Tidewater Mission Conference this month so if she is on my side of the mission I will see her and meet her. If not she is on the Richmond side and it might take a while. They call this side of the mission the tidewater trap. As you can see, it's proved true haha.

About the pictures, I don't know what to have you do. I would love to have an album or something but seriously I couldn't carry it around with all of the pictures I have. I don't necessarily want the flash drive either, because I don't have a computer to look at them on. I don't know if I need a picture frame either, but I need to figure out a small portable durable way to have all of my pictures so I could view them. Or maybe you just send me an empty drive and I fill it up and send it home and I can see them later. I can just see them after the mission. :/ haha I'm stumped. Maybe if you can find a small frame that I can take really really good care of that would work. DON'T CARE! Whatever works, I'm over it.

Conference....  It was a pleasure to hear from our current prophets and apostles on the building up of ZION!! I can't tell you how much personal relevance the talks by Elder Oaks and Elder Holland had. The whole time I was just sitting there watching thinking that my family was probably doing the same, feeling the same spirit. I felt very unified with the whole church as a whole. I feel like the Prophet let us in on the workings of the brethren in this conference, telling us that missionary work and gaining our own personal whitness of the truthfulness of the Gospel as it has been restored should be the primary concern of every member. Then, "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren" and help them to be the best they can be. Be commited to the Gospel and it will always pull through. No matter how tough life gets know that GOD is the way, that Jesus is the light. ALL THINGS shall work together for your benefit. I am very excited that every member of the church is bound together by the promise to take upon us the name of Christ and to do things his way. Do you feel the power that we have when we are unified this way? WE WILL CHANGE THE WORLD. One person, one child, one friend, one sibling, one stranger, one individual at a time we can build Zion and gather Israel. If we will break free from Babylon and be in the world but not of the world we will be the lower light for others to do the same, and to guide them to eternal life and salvation, that when they are converted they can strengthen their brethren, and so on. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is true and I need to know that is true for myself, and then I need to run and tell every person I see, that's what I got from conference.

I have loved this week. Elder Monibidor has taught me so much. We talked a lot about after the mission and set some goals for who we want to be. Elder Monibidor's girlfriend in Idaho just decided to go on a mission haha! (He went to BYU I for 2 years before the mission so you will probably meet him) I have grown very close to him and I have learned to cherish his counsel. He is wise, and has a stern obedient attitude, but when you open him up and ask him to help you he turns into a spirit machine that just pumps out perfect solutions to every situation. I love serving with him. We came upon something that will help me after I return from missionary service, and ironically enough it happened upon us Saturday morning. Elder Monibidor and I were discussing  the fact that we have changed, and I was expressing the feeling that I don't really know who I used to be before. I mean, I'm sure I'm the same, and laugh the same, and I look the same, (except for the 33 pounds I've gained), but my nature is changed. My biggest fear is that I will go back home and sit down in my room and just start being the same me that I was before. I don't want to do that. I made too many bad decisions and foolish mistakes. So, Elder Monibidor piped in "Peter, when Jesus left, just went back to fishing. You don't want to go back to fishing. If you want to know what I think, you should get rid of all of the fishing nets hanging up in your room." I just thought "I have a mannequinn, a spedo, a board from vegas that says wazoo, and a bunch of other stupid stuff" Mom, Dad, I give you permission to CHUCK IT. I don't want it. All I want to see is a bed, a closet, and a dresser. And my skis. But no longboard. If you can, maybe even paint the room the same as the rest of the house. I'm not in high school anymore. :)

I love this

Love,

Elder Skyler M. Andreasen

P.S. I choose Christ

Six More Weeks

First, I sure am glad that somebody found a good use for those tumble weeds and the turf HAHAHAHA!!!!! That was funny!

 

This week was hectic. I have been here 7.5 months! WOO!! Elder Monibidor and I will be staying for another 6 weeks!!! WOOO!!! Crazy. I didn't expect that, but he told us that we are needed down here and I am willing and ready to keep working to find out why.

 

We want to get a gym membership, it's $10 a month and no contract. It's the only way we can get up to work out we don't have any weights and I am sick of push-ups.

 

I just want to bare you the most sincere testimony I can of the Atonement. It gives us such power! It was explained to me once like a mother who pays for piano lessons for her son, (I'll be darned if that one didn't hit home). The Mother, lovingly and hoping for the future of her child, pays for the piano lessons. The son, as I see it, is now sitting on the piano bench with a choice to make. He can either use what he has been given or not, but either way it has been payed for. What the Mother did was to open up a door, to give a gift and an opportunity for her son to become great. What she did gives her son POWER to become GREAT, if he will accept this power and use it. I have such a strong testimony that all we need to do in this life is to accept what has already been given to us. God, our Eternal Father, has given us the gift of the Atonement through the suffering and death of His son. He has enrolled us in the eternal school of progression, applied to us a plan of salvation, and now we are sitting at the bench. If we practice, we will become great. The plan isn't easy to live but we can do it, I know we can. The atonement gives us the power to be great. SO LET'S BE GREAT!!!!! :)

 

We weren't getting through to Margie so we called the sisters in and they cleaned house. WOW I don't know how they do it. She was crying and she is back on track and knows that the spirit is in our church. Still not making to many steps forward but hey, she knows it's true. I am trying always to be patient. Claire told me to be patient with people... I do listen :)

 

Kim is doing well.....

I don't know, all of my weeks are running together right now. Days feel like weeks and weeks feel like days sometimes. Today we were at Eastern Shore again fishing. I caught two tiny fish and as a group we caught like 31 fish. I am not lucky at fishing right now.

 

I love you all and I hope you know that God loves you and that the Gospel is the only true Joy in this life. I looked a lot for fun before my mission, and I found it, but I know now that fun isn't the goal here. It's eternal life, it's joy and peace and Love and every other fruit of the spirit. Jacob is a great book.

LOVE,

 

-- 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

HOLA!

Hola! Como estas? Ah muy bien. Somos missionaros de la iglesia de Jesu Christo de los santos de los ultimos dias.

And boy do we have a message for YOU!!!

I'm glad you loved the pictures! Yes that is perfect, if I just get the flash back that'll be good. I forgot to tell you not to delete something, it was the layout of a baptismal program that we use when we make the program. If you can leave that on there that would be cool. If it's gone, no biggie I can make another one. That all works for me!

Our week was a little bumpy. Not like a "dirt road in a truck" bumpy but a "getting the purple ford escort on top of SV Hill on graduation night" bumpy. We have had some super duper stressful situations in the Zone. Some missionaries have decided to be deliberately dissobedient and it's just hard to deal with when they throw it back on us and tell us we are excercising unrighteous dominion. Man, I didn't even get mad I just got sad, I was thinking "What kind of rationalization is that?" I don't know.... I'm not going to tell you the whole situation but we did the best we could and turned it over to President and the assistants and now we are the bad guys in the mission. We don't care what Babylon says, we're working in Zion right now, no time to stop.

We don't know about transfers yet, transfer calls are on sunday so I'll be able to tell you in my next email. I really am indifferent. Well, I wouldn't say indifferent, I want to be where the Lord wants me, and right now he wants me in VA Beach, next transfer, maybe he'll want me here still, or maybe he'll want me somewhere else, so there I'll be. I've gained my own whitness that "it matters not where you serve, but how". Everywhere we go we're still just building up Zion one at a time.

We are still teaching Margie, but the friendship has stopped with the members. The past two lessons have been so dry. She told us that she thinks every time we bring another member it's just another person trying to convince her. I was like "Well......." haha we are in a way but we desperately want her to make friends and grow she just seems to be tripped up on something. It's complicated. It's always complicated, but the spirit works it out if they are willing to work it out.

All of the others are the same, Davis fam doing well, Logan broke up with Sam so we lost him, that was sad.

I went on an exchange with a spanish Elder this week and it was a blast. I have learned a lot of spanish. I couldn't pray or teach a lesson but I understand a little. I have been on a lot of spanish exchanges actually.

 Well I'm out of time. We have been taking advantage of the computer use and going over an hour just because we have numbers to do but we've been asked only to use an hour.

I know this message of the restoration of the gospel is true! The Gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news, the reason we preach and testify of Him, is the plan of salvation. I have learned for myself that Jesus Christ is central to our salvation, creation, and exaltation. It is through Him that we can be redeemed, through His grace that we can do his work. His work and His glory is to do the will of the Father, who's work and glory is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man". I am working out my salvation, as you are yours, and I testify to you that through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ we can become clean enough to dwell with our father again. That is the Gospel, the plan from the beginning; we dwelt with Him, we fell from Him, and we can make it back if only we will "yield to the enticings of the Holy Spirit and put off the natural man". I know that this church is His church. Joseph Smith was but an instrument. Do not look to Him for your salvation, but look through the prophet today and the prophets yesterday to see the true nature of God and his Son Jesus Christ. HE IS WITH YOU ALWAY,

in His holy name, even that Jesus of Nazereth of whom we read,

Amen

I Love you,

Elder Andreasen 

P.S. I choose Christ 

Sorry no letter just pictures!

Ok everyone, I just spent an hour organizing all of my pictures so that I can send them all home. I organized them into 3 folders; Richmond, Newport News and, VaBeach. I don't have time to write much more than I love you. I deleted all of the pictures from my cards and they are all backed up to the flash, so I'll send it today. You have my pictures from the past year and a couple videos that weren't deleted from before that coming in the mail so look for it! Let's pray nothing happens to it.
Thanks so much for your letters and your support!! 

I'll write more in a letter if I can.

Love you,

--

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen
p.s. I choose Christ

I Sound Like An Amway Salesman

-Fellow citizens-

I regret to inform you that I don't have a whole bushel of time today but I'll do my best!

First, a shout out to Chantel Baker, she emailed me and I saw that was good. Thanks!!! Their family is looking so Eternal!

Second, we are going to Brother Thomas's house with the zone today at 1 and I am taking a pen and paper there and I'm going to try and write some letters and send an sd card home. I have been so worthless on Preparation day! Writing letters is mental work and I just want to either lay down and sleep or go base jumping, but never sit and write. It's horrible.

Third, I got your package, thank you :) I too am glad my pen sacrificed for me I don't want to end up with my ink on the freeway and my shell smashed.

Fourth, Mom, I am SO sorry that you have to go back to ye-old way of texting. Who are you anyway? Swipe texting? I barely had a touch screen!!!!!

Fifth, No we do not get to go to the temple. It's outside the mission and Pres. Monson has said not to go. Says President Perry.

Sixth, Huey and June Called me they are so cool. Haha did Huey act like a grumpy old man? He's my favorite I love them. I told June she needed to come back to VA and make us a deep dish pizza. MMMMMMM!!

Seventh, Happy 29th Anniversary!

Eighth, The Davis family got baptized!!!!! Oh man I got to baptize Mike on saturday, then Mike got to baptize his 3 girls on sunday. HOW AMAZING IS THAT!!!! He quit smoking recently and is not turning back and they all felt the spirit as we were singing families can be together forever and it was just perfect.

Ninth, this week has been good, we had zone leader counsel on Wednesday and it was super duper good. I love those meetings. We were trained on "how to begin teaching" and Christian Courage. If you feel the need, read "Christian Courage" by Robert D. Hales. It is a great talk about how desciples are supposed to act. So on Thursday we prepared for zone meeting and on Friday we had zone meeting. I am really trying to better the way I give trainings and this one got better! Imagine that, I just tried to be myself and it worked out!

I love being a desciple of Jesus Christ and I am thankful for the opportunity we have to live at this time, today, on earth. The Church is coming out of obscurity and being established in every land, Israel is never to flee into the wilderness again, but Zion is being established EVERYWHERE and ANYWHERE there is a righteous Latter Day Saint to share some light. I am ever so grateful that we can each play a part in bringing this to pass. I am going to copy and paste something I emailed to Chantel ok? Forgive me I don't have time to write it again.

We had the opportunity last night to go with the YSA branch here to the stake center and watch a CES fireside talk by Elder Holland. WOW! He talked a lot about Israel and Babylon, how Israel always fell away and into Babylonian captivity, then humbled themselves and left to go establish Zion again. This has been the pattern of God's chosen people from the beginning. Fall into captivity, humble themselves, flee to establish zion, live as a covenant people, get prideful and fall again, and the pattern goes on. Elder Holland said that even the pioneers were the same way, they would be in captivity and flee, then overcome again by Babylon "the world" and flee again, all the way to Utah. Now, the Lord's covenant people will NEVER flee AGAIN. Zion is not WHERE we will live anymore, but HOW. By following the Lords call "Israel, Israel God is calling!" and leaving Babylon "Oh Babylon oh Babylon we bid thee farewell" to flee to Zion, or to live the way we should, we can live in the world and not of the world. We can truly salt the earth and gather Israel by doing missionary work. This church will never Flee again, we will live in Babylon and bring others out of Babylon....Does that make sense? 

So we don't have anyone on the horizon with a baptismal date, but some are definately progressing. Margie is still moving forward, Kim, Josh, and others but we are really trying to find the ELECT. Don't get me wrong, we teach all of the investigators I told you about, but truly our goal is to weed out the tares and find the wheat. "we'll gather the wheat from the midst of the tares, and bring them to Zion, from sorrows and snares" Usually it comes in the form of Member referrals :) People who's lives have been touched by a member of the church who lives in Zion in the midst of Babylon. The non-members and Gentiles among you see how you act. YOU can be the one who asks them to join in this great family. Just listen to the spirit and do what it says and you will be guided as his instrument. It is a FACT. The gospel is spread most effectively as members of the church FIND people so that the missionaries can be full time TEACHERS. Imagine how fast Babylon would fall around the world if each of the 14 million members of the church just found one friend out of all of their friends and helped them receive the restored gospel. Then missionaries could teach them all. Well, now we have 28 million members and the growth is exponential from there. I sound like an Amway salesman or something! It won't happen perfectly like that, and we can't do EVERYTHING, but we can do SOMETHING. Seek to "Establish Zion" and "strengthen her stakes" (somewhere in D+C) wherever you are. Just be a good boy or a good girl and God will use you!
Love,

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

I LOST MY FAVORITE PEN!!!!!

It's a wonderful Tuesday morning! Today I studied a devotional given at BYU by Elder Holland called "remember Lot's wife". I learned a lot from his apostolic insights and his real-life application Ideas. From what I could pick out, we are to remember Lot's wife to remind us to "build upon the past, but never live in it". It was very insightful. The application for me will come in the form of forgiving and forgetting the things I have done in the past, even if they are in the recent past. I have a way of rationalizing doing something wrong by saying "Well, I did that two days ago, surely the LORD hasn't forgiven you yet, so you can just add this one on and ask for a bulk forgiveness" It sounds silly to hear it that way but hey, we never sound right when we lie to ourselves! I have made a decision just now to stop doing that.
The Zone is doing so well. I think I got impatient again waiting for the blessings of our hard work to come. The past two months the whole zone only baptized 5 people. As a leader, that is a discouraging number, but then we look at all of the potential and the fact that FIVE souls were brought to a knowledge of the gospel and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. That's 5 souls!!!!! We are so excited for those 5. In the month of September we will see the fruits of our labors. The missionaries in the zone have been working so hard, and they have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work. We now have 17 people set with a date, 11 in September. We are working our tails off to make sure they are each contacted daily and that the spirit is there to administer a dosage of hope. We have faith and know that the will of God will be carried out this month.
The investigators that are progressing are progressing and the ones that aren't, we're working through their problems and concerns, helping them to exercise faith unto repentance. The family that will be baptized this week (Mike, Carley, Kelsee, and Kaylee) are doing so well. They have been so fun to teach and so receptive. Mike and his wife have stopped smoking cold turkey and are surviving! They are also feeding us tonight and we have a lesson. What great faith! I am so excited, before this week, everyone that has been baptized has been pretty excited to go to the temple, but I always knew that when they were a member for a year I'd still be on my mission. This is a FAMILY that wants to be SEALED in a YEAR and I could possibly BE THERE!!!!! YES!!!! What a blessing. Mike is going to be baptized and then receive the Holy Ghost and the Priesthood and baptize his 3 daughters. WOW!!
There are some highlights I guess, things are going well. Yesterday, I didn't know what to study, so I asked the question "How could I be more lost in the work?" I felt to turn to the story of Alma and Amulek. Then I read in Alma 10 about Amulek. He was "journeying on his way to see a very near kindred" and the angel stopped him and told him to turn around and get to work. He did, but what of his "very near kindred?" He just forgot about his family and went to work. Then later on, maybe verse 10 or 11 it says that all of his family were blessed. I thought that was a good answer to my question! Just another witness that I can forget about everything and focus, knowing in my heart that everyone back home is ok. I love it!

      My companion and I drove down to Norfolk to the apartment of the district leader there, and we exchanged with them, so I took Elder Dayton with me in the van back to VA Beach for the day and Elder Monibidor stayed there in Norfolk to do a baptismal interview and do some work. On the way back, Elder Dayton and I were on the freeway, going about 65, when we heard all sorts of screeching and smoke and cars flying up ahead. I slammed on the breaks and we slid a little but I let off and we stopped sliding and just slowed down really fast. There was a car ahead of us but he switched lanes rapidly and took off to the left. We saw a truck skid really close to the right side barrier and take off as well. When the dust settled and things slowed down, we were stopped behind a green suv in the middle lane of the freeway. The suv took the next opening and sped off to the right, opening our view to the wreckage of a white ford car that had run into another suv. Not too bad, but stopped nonetheless. We turned on the hazzards and jumped out of the van as the suv in front took off about a quarter mile down to the next exit and stopped. We talked to the lady in the white car (which was scrunched in the front) and offered to push her to the next exit, using our van to block the lane. We just started pushing and pushing down the middle of the freeway with cars whizzing past us, I even dropped my favorite pen!!!!!!! (I wasn't too scared, I was planning on getting it) so we push her all the way to the exit and onto the shoulder where things were calmed down a bit, and I turned around to see what? Our van, a quarter mile back, alone, in the middle lane of the freeway with the hazzards on. OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Haha Cars were changing lanes in front and behind it it was intense. We started our way running back up the freeway, on the shoulder, until I saw my pen........ I was STOKED!!! I was seriously planning my attack into the middle lane to play a game of capture the pen leap frog in my suit, I said "there it is!" and no sooner had the words left my mouth than a car changed lanes and smashed it!!!!!!!!! COME ON!!!!!!!! So we went back to where the van and got in and drove away. Very anti-climactic.

Yes I have been out a year, woot woot! Very fun, I ate some Nigerian food. Hump day was a slow one and I'm still trying to focus haha. Anyway, I'll be home in like 10 minutes if this year goes by as fast as the last year did. Seriously, I'm just trying to slow things down and use the year to the best of my abilities so it doesn't go by in auto-pilot "CLICK" Adam Sandler mode. I don't want to be fat sitting at home doing nothing!!!!! Leave me out here!!!!!

Haha thanks again for your support, all of you.
I love you! Have a good week!!!

Love,

-- 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

p.p.s. I'll send my cards home today if possible.

p.p.p.s I have to go to a doctor my ingrown toenail is swollen and ready to pop!

I'm sorry, I'll be BOLD in this email!

This week has been fantastic! It has also been stressful, challenging, inspiring, scary, and refreshing, (pretty much the whole spectrum).
We have 21 investigators. In the Salem ward, we have Mike, Carly, Kaylee, Kelsey,(Family), Isaiah, Arianne, Cheyanna,(Family), David and Marilyn(Family), Margie, Marge, Clay, Kim, Latisha, Jake, and Alan. In the Singles branch we have Logan, Julia, Daniel, Josh, and Lillyanna. Each of these individuals have many strengths and understand differently, and 9 of them are progressing in the gospel. (Mike, Carly, Kaylee, Kelsey, Isaiah, Arianne, Cheyanna, Margie, and Logan).
I feel so blessed and humbled. "What great blessings has he bestowed upon us? I answer for you, that we have been made instruments in his hands to bring about this great work". (not word for word) I continue to understand what Ammon said, that he will not boast of his own power, but he will boast in the Power of his God. I hope that my life will merit this statement from Ammon. I too will not boast of my own power, but I am amazed at the blessing that have been given to our investigators. They have seen light and understanding come through their obedience and faith.
We have loved fulfilling our purpose in INVITING them to receive the restored gospel through HELPING them exercise faith unto repentance and showing their want to be a new creature through baptism, thereby receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, that they may live the rest of their lives as faithful members of the Church who enjoy the presence of the Holy Ghost and who make and keep covenants in the temple. Our vision has been raised, and so has theirs. We are working hard to that end. Not just to baptize, but to convert. We are just going about helping others live the gospel, inviting them to repent through obedience.
Elder Monibidor and I are getting along well enough, we have learned a lot from each other. I continue to learn from his example. Elder Monibidor was sick all week and still pushed through it. He was only down one day. WOW! Sacrament meeting was crazy, but the ward is so good to fellowship all 9 people that we had there this week. Every time we bring someone to church our biggest concern is fellowship. Will someone befriend them? Will they feel the spirit? I honestly believe it is hard for a non-member to feel the spirit unless they feel comfortable and have a friend to take the edge off of the fear and the unknown. It is hard work at times to hand pick and introduce members when nobody is saying hello but that's our position! We have the blessing of being the conservators of truth and the middle man for Christ. We do what it takes to get them feeling comfortable.

Monday: we were supposed to have a church tour with this guy named William, but it fell through, so I went to get a haircut. That cost me. I ran out of MSF "missionary support fund" so I had to use some from my debit card this week, but the thing is, I forgot my pin so I did it all on credit. MY BAD!!!! Mom, will you send me my pin again? :) Then that night we had Family home evening with the YSA's. Played Volleyball and had some non-members there. One was named Elias. ???? He looked like Jesus. He had a beard and these really sincere eyes. I think he is meant to be a member, Elias in the bible means "forerunner" so........

sidenote: Hey Dad, just try using both the blinker and the windshield wipers together all the time, a clean windshield is a happy windshield!

Tuesday: not much going on but we did have a lesson with Allison. (RC) Her husband is a non member and he is almost investigating but he's kind of just taste testing. Remember how I said not much going on? I lied, this night was packed. 3 lessons and a dinner in 5 hours. Logan was after Allison. Investigator, hasn't talked to us in weeks, and comes up to me in sacrament last week to say "Hey, we need to meet this week. I've been reading and praying and I like what I see." WOOHOO WAZOO!!! The lesson went well but it was short so we set another one for Thurs. Denhoffs for dinner. Then Josh martin, but he cancelled because his girlfriend was sick. (Personally I think his girlfriend's mom should be able to handle it but whatever)

Wednesday: A lot of tracting and contacting less actives, dinner at the Justesens, (Waffles :) ) Then we had Margie for a lesson and we read the book of mormon and ate dougnuts. She is still super scared about being baptized. "TIME KEEPS ON TICKIN, TICKIN, TICKIN, INO THE FUTURE>>>>"

Thursday: Transfers, more tracting and Bishop's less active and part member list, then at night Logan again. Very great lesson. We taught the plan of Salvation and he had questions on the true nature of God and the purpose of the Holy Ghost. He understood and we invited him to be baptized. In the middle of the invitation, Logan said "I've already been baptized", then Elder Monibidor added, "by the proper Priesthood authority" It was a standoff...... They stared at each other for 10.....15......20 seconds before Logan looked down and said "I'm not ready" Did you see the change in those answers? "Ive already been baptized" and "I'm not ready to be baptized" are two fundimentally different answers. The spirit was so strong in that silence and taught us all. Logan is preparing to be baptized and we were able to bare strong testimony that he can live the rest of his life as a member of Christ's church and go to the temple someday. AMAZING. Then we went to institute with him. Then to Kim's house to say hello and have a prayer, then home.

Friday: Crazy stuff. I don't have time to finish the week if I tell you about running down the middle of the Freeway in my suit so I'll save that one.. Sorry. We taught the Davis fam. Just moved in and want to be baptized (set for the 8th of September) We feel so blessed. If they were any more golden they wouldn't be human. It's almost not even fun. Where are the concerns? Where are the cigarettes? BRING IT ON!!! Nope, just a sincere family who are ready to receive. I'm totally kidding we are amazed and humbled at the opportunity to teach them. Also the Dennisons this night. Great lesson as well and progressing, no date yet. At one in the morning Elder Monibidor woke me up and asked for a blessing. He was hurting in the stomach.

Saturday:Elder Monibidor was sick. We still trained a district leader and met with Melinda Mills and went to a party with investigators at brother Thomas's house but this night was a sleepless one. I took Elder Monibidor to the hospital at about 10:30, pain had turned into uncontrollable vomiting and more pain. He just had the FLU bad but also some stomach spasms. Didn't get in till 2 am. Woohoo to the late night life!

Sunday: great day. Elder Monibidor stayed home so I went to 3 sacrament meetings and was able to see miracles. I hadn't eaten since the night before and barely slept, so after church I had some soup and exchanged back with my companion for the night. I rested a little and he rested a lot, until about 8 when I took key indicators and wrote in my journal.

Today: Elder Monibidor is doing better and we are rested up. We will probably stay in today because Elder Monibidor might still be contagious. I hope I don't get that flu please pray for me! 

Great week, out of time, Love you much. 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ

I'm going be weird when I get home!

I really didn't think that you were serious when you used to say "We're just going to wait until our kids move out, then we'll go to fun stuff" You guys are like Rolling Stones or something. I don't even know where my parents are most of the time they're just traveling the world! Haha that is super fun. What kind of missionary experiences have you had?

Thanks for the support and kind words Dad, those motivate me to be better and better. You really touched on something I have needed this week. I have been working so hard to teach simply that I forgot to say what the spirit would have me say in greater measure. We didn't teach a ton this week, but it still seems like we were so busy. I don't even know! I've been in this area 6 months.

We went on two exchanges this week, one with the Pembroke spanish district leader (Elder Richards) and one with the Sandbridge district leader (Elder Bischocho, Philippines). I love exchanges! They are such a good opportunity to recieve revelation and to uplift, encourage, inspire, and bless. In both exchanges, I went with the district leader's companion in our area, so I was with younger missionaries (one is being trained). I love the FAITH! It is very refreshing to sit down and plan a day with a missionary who has total faith that we will find someone to teach that day. Then we go and DO. On thursday; Elder Knaras, new missionary in the zone, and I, found some good people and taught a lesson to our investigator Kim. We ended up in a garage with two huge military guys who were all tattooed up and working on their harleys. They were young guys who normally would have told us to buzz off but it was cool to see how our testimonies changed the mood and the one guy told us that he was about to be a father! WOW cool! I bore my testimony of my parents and how grateful I was to be raised in a home and taught the Gospel of Jesus Christ and that his son would thank him in the future for doing the same. He said he would let us come back and teach him. Honestly I still try to read the book by it's cover and it fails every time.

Saturday We had Elder Richardson with us. His companion wanted to go with another companionship for a day to see how they plan and work together so we were in a tripple for a day. It was super good. Even with no practice the lesson we taught was unified and we had some good gospel discussion while knocking doors. I learned a lot this week from other missionaries. I'm trying to take Dad's advise and stop trying to teach others so much and just listen and learn from them. It takes some humility, sometimes I think I'm cool or know it all or something. I really don't know anything. I'm just a little guy roaming among all of these spiritual giants.

The investigators we have are doing well. Logan, (don't know if you remember him) came to church this week. We thought he had left for good and dropped us but he came up to us after sacrament and said "hey we need to meet this week, when can you see me" So we set something up. He wasn't saying any more so we asked him what sparked the sudden excitement and he said he has been reading a ton and has a lot of questions. The talkes yesterday were about missionary work and how important the Gospel is to people hearing it for the first time so everthing was for him. I love it when that happens.

In the salem ward yesterday we had 3 non- members there. We were supposed to have another but she didn't come. I'm almost glad she didn't, a man spoke about how his wife died and wasn't baptized so he convinced his new wife to get baptized for his old wife and get sealed to him for herself and for the old wife. Haha he was just bringing up all sorts of stuff. it's just funny that he would get up there and say that. People get super freaked out about stuff like that.

We did find this new guy named Daniel, and we have been running into a lot of Vivint salesmen (APX changed to Vivint) So I was able to relate to them and incorporate some gospel in there. They said they were coming to church this week but they didn't. There's this kid, Sean, who we have run into repeatedly who reminds me of myself when I was selling door to door. Except he's actually selling!!! HAHAH!!! No seriously though he is super excited to hear of the restored Gospel and we could feel the spirit touch him and he was confused that 20 yr olds like him could bare testimony like that. He will accept the Gospel I know it.

my goal for next the year? to be able to say "I have truly forgotten who I was. I'm blazing a new trail now." Is that crazy to say? I'm going to be wierd when I get home.

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ