A week? It was Tuesday YESTERDAY!

How DEE do.

 

I have now written in my Journal 8 days in a row. That was hard for me, there is never time to write. I've had to use up lunch time and sometimes dinner and get cought up at night. The problem is not that there's nothing to write, not at all. The problem is that there is so much going on and I am learning so many new things that I get an average of 4 pages between my study and my missionary journals. The thing is, I've written in a study journal EVERY day, and I have loved to read over what I learned and review notes from meetings and stuff, so that gives me the confidence that whatever I write in my missionary journal will be beneficial too.

Elder Richardson just read a letter from his girlfriend, he found out she was getting married when he was in the MTC. That's rough. This is the first time he's heard directly from her. THAT SUCKS. Haha he's fine though he just keeps on smiling. What a guy.

 

So last tuesday after we e-mailed, the day was not so hot. I didn't write much in my journal other than how I felt that day and I didn't feel good haha so yeah....

 

Wednesday was a really good day in the morning. We went to a funeral of a member in Hampton. We never knew her but the Hampton sisters did and they invited us to support. It was really an expirience to see how strong the Husband was. I talked to him after, (of course, I'm my father's son) and I thanked him for his words. He really inspired me. We biked really fast to make it to the house of this less active guy named Cicero. He was in a couple wars and he loves to read about Chief Captain Moroni and all of the battles and then get way off track talking about things he went through. What ever, I think those stories are the bomb Cicero! We went home and went to visit Tron. Yes, like the movie. We taught the beginning of the Plan o Salvation all by questions! It was so cool. Do you think we had the ability to choose before this life Tron? Well.... I guess we must have, if satan chose the wrong way! Yess!!!! Tron, what happened when Adam partook of the fruit? He fell. What does that mean? He was separated from God? Yess!!!! What brought them back from that separation Tron? Jesus Christ? YES!!!!! It was cool. We then got home and biked up to Thomas' house and talked about the Book of Mormon and he is always listening to it on tape. He is so ready.

Thursday we had a very good district meeting that was the bomb. Elder Richardson and I trained on study and how to study better. Elder Furgason and Elder Clawson trained on unity. It was a great meeting. I once heard it said that "it takes a pretty good meeting to beat no meeting at all". If missionaries have meetings just to get out of doing work, it WOULD be better to just work, but when you have a meeting that is very prepared for, it is better than no meeting at all. Everyone is edified and leaves stronger. It's cool how you can always tell if that happened.  Elder Case and I went on exchange with Elder Ferguson. He has two months left, but it was so refreshing to serve with him. He is a humble hard working Elder who knows what this is all about. I learned that day that getting close to the end of your mission can mean exactly the opposite of getting trunky. We taught Tron again and It was just as good. He just needs to get married and he could get baptised. We were supposed to meet with Thomas tonight but he finally got a job and had some stuff in another part of Virginia he had to go to. We went to a member's boat. Yes you heard right. We have permission to go on a boat. The boat can't leave the dock, but they live on it. It's a pretty big sail boat. Like REAL big. It's cool I have pictures to send tomorrow. I will just need the card back because I love to look at the pictures.

 

Friday morning we exchanged back and went to see Bro. Smith's son. He doesn't come to church but he is way cool, he showed us his parrot, his toy car collection, his grandson, his model airplains, and the door. Haha it was short but we now have a foot in the door, so we will keep trying to make a difference. We then came home and finished weekly planning. We spent the rest of the night doing service for a member cutting out flowers and eating pizza with lots of hot sauce. (that's all my planner says haha)

 

Ok so all I will write for saturday and sunday is this, Stake conference and a New Stake presidency, which means General Authority. We heard from the beloved Stake President many times and from Elder Jay Christopher Lansing and Elder Bruce A. Carlson. On sunday we heard from none other than Elder Richard G. Scott. If you want, I can copy the 6 or 7 pages from my study journal and send it to you, but other than that, I can only say WOW. What a weekend. Thomas Called and invited US to Stake Conference, so it was good to see him and both sessions. He sat with us and learned a ton too. Also, Brian and Tia were there. :) Yay

 

It's been another blessed week. I have enjoyed my time here, we'll find out in a week what the transfers will bring. "we will never know the real value of a day" I have that taped at the bottom of my desk, and it reminds me every morning that I don't know what my efforts will bring today, but I'd better work as hard as I can, because I want no regrets. 

I can't stop thinking about how amazing it is that all of the Wazoobies and Clayton and Andy Maughan and Kyler Carlson and many many others are serving missions. We have a generation here that can and will change the world for the better. All because of what our mothers taught us. And you know what? I bet all 2000 will come home alive. I am so grateful to be a part of this work. I am humbled every day by looking at the big picture. There is no way that this is all chance or that the Church isn't true. I know that God lives and I know that Jesus Christ's hand is in this church. I bare you my witness that the Holy Ghost is among us if we have ears to hear and eyes to see. Our Heavenly Father needs each one of us to be serving constantly. To bring about his great and eternal purposes we each must do our part. I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Keep me in your prayers, and I'll keep you in mine. That's how this is all going to work out. As I forget me to serve you and you forget you to serve the next person, we'll all be edified and strengthened. The body of Christ is just a bunch of members who have different gifts getting together to use those gifts to bless others. It's amazing how it works out.

 

I am out of time by a longshot.

Have a great week :)

Love,

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

P.S. I Choose Christ

February 21, 2012 - There are friends, and then there are drinking buddies. I don't think any of you drink so that's good I guess.

-Greetings fellows-

 

Haha there was an Elder who knew a lot about star wars that was in Downtown Richmond once and when he was on an exchange into the hood, he would say that to everybody. Every hood rat and thug he saw got a nice little star wars surprise. It was the best.

 

Thank you for your Emails and love. I get so happy to hear from you and you never let me down with stories and encouragement. It's amazing! Thank you!

 

WOAH! if I was told correctly, Grandpa Andreasen turns 23 on the 78th of February or something like that. Congrats Grandpa! Somewhere in Proverbs it says that gray hair is wisdom or knowledge, I can't remember. But I guess that doesn't apply to you or my Dad does it??? Ok just kidding. I don't want you to pull a 2 Kings 2:23 on me. I love you and take care!

 

I'm way excited to go to moab in October 2013. That sounds like a fun fun trip! I'm glad you made it to the top of delicate arch on those new hips Mom. When you said "I can't walk today. But it was worth it." I love moments that are worth the pain. You look back and say, ya know, that was worth living for. "I LIVE FOR LITTLE MOMENTS LIKE THAT". Little moments-Brad Paisly.

 Tell Kody thank you for hanging out with my family and keeping an eye on Tanner. That means a lot. He is such a stud I miss him but I'm way excited that he is going on a mission. Nothing will compare.

 

Ok, I got the package. Bro Smith got a KICK out of those mustaches. A KICK! He loved em. I told a man the other day he had a nice mustache, it was real nice. I would challenge you all to pick out a man with a mustache and tell him it looks nice, they get absolutely no credit and it's a shame. I now have two of those BatMan shirts, because Claire sent me one too! No worries though it all worked out for the best because Claire's was black with a yellow bat and yours was Yellow with a black bat. We're gonna pick another one up and be the Bat-Staches next week for p-day basketball and hopefully redeem ourselves and our pride. We got whipped this week. I ended up flat on my back at least three times. The staches will help, thank you:) I'll send pics.

 

We get transfer calls on March 4th and will be either transfered or stay that following thursday. it's all in the air though. I hope Elder Richardson will stay and train, then I could get shotgunned again. If I go my whole mission shotgunning areas that would be pretty cool. It's been that way so far. I would feel like the special forces.

 

This week blew me away. We got back in touch with Teresa and she cancelled on us, trying to work on that one. I was a part of an amazing expirience at Branch conference this week and I just don't have the time or the words to explain it all. I wish I did. There was one thing in particular that happened though, the Stake President said some things that I literally felt touch the person next to me. Then afterward I talked to him about it. It was cool to see his prayers answered like that. Also, did I tell you we have been meeting with Jehova's Witnesses? They are some of the most knowledgable people about the Bible. It was amazing, though, to see that three 19-20 year old missionaries, who in the world today should have no place teaching or preaching, were not confounded before men. It was a testimony to me of the truthfulness of this whole work. You'll be sad to know though, it ended in a draw. They didn't convert and we wouldn't give up our testimonies. We testified of living prophets and the Divinity of the Book of Mormon, and they told us all sorts of reasons why they believe what they believe. It was beautiful that what it came down to in the end of a 2 hour discussion was the same thing it boils down to for any investigator and the same goes for any member or any seeker of truth. If you want to know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day saints is true, ask God. You can not prove it wrong or right scripturally or otherwise. You HAVE to pray. It was cool, we invited them to read and pray, so we'll see what happens. This gospel is so simple and beautiful, I am in love with it.

 

Thomas will be Married to Megan on March 3, and baptized one hour later. What can I say but miracles happen. He has resolved also to live the law of Chastity until then and move out. WOW.

 

I did attend that babtism and it was amazing. I'll send pics later. I'm out of time. I love you all so much and I exhort you to all Choose Christ constantly. Thank you all for your love and support!

Love,

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen.

February 13, 2012

Hey everyone!

(a fat lady pops up from behind a horse) "Quit sneakin around!" I forgot her name. Did Elder Anderson get my package? I put a bag of dirt in it so he could have some dirt from Virginia like we planned.

 

First of all, a big shout out to Grandpa and Grandma Davis for a WHOPPING 61 years TODAY!!! (cheers from the crowd) Congrats! And happy Birthday Grandpa, you don't look a day over 32. I can still remember when you would hold us down on the couch and tickle us and we couldn't get out I would think "Wow this guy is strong I thought he was supposed to be old" We all know you're still 18 at heart and I want you to know I'm thinking about you. You too grandma :)

 

I want the whole Anderson family, including Jordan, to know that it took me until this morning to figure out his movie quote last week. I pondered on "I live in a majical place where it never rains... The end" for a good six days. I was getting so frustrated.

 

Woo! This week will be so good! Elder Tramell called me yesterday to let me know Makiah will be getting baptised this Friday! She is a lady Elder Tramell and I found and taught for three months. She wants me to come back so I've been making calls and I have a ride to go back to Richmond for Friday! Yess!! I am so excited it was just a boost of confidence and spirit. I'm just blown away I didn't expect that call. I'll send some pictures!

 

I have been sick like all week, It's evolved from stuffy head and head ache to sore throat for a couple days back to head cold. We stayed in all day on saturday because I was coughing way bad and I needed some serious rest. Elder Richardson was getting so stir crazy all day and I felt  bad so we went out that night and that wasn't smart. The air here is COLD. I am much better today. We went to this gymnastics place that a member owns in hampton and played dodgeball as a zone. I got to play first responder for an elder who knocked himself out though and was bleeding pretty bad from the head. It was crazy, he had to have jumped like 30 feet across this huge pad to hit his head on the other side but he's ok. He just called us and said they gave him 5 staples and an ibuprophen. Haha.

 

We have some neighbors across the way that like to party. 3 nights a week they are outside yelling and laughing and I wake up at like 2. I usually get back to sleep but wednesday night I was sick and they kept me up till about 4. I was so mad, so yeah of course I called the cops. I'm standing by the window at 4 am watching these people and to my dismay, they all go inside or get in their cars right before the cops came. I was like "oh you have GOT to be kidding me" this was the 4th time they had kept me up. Haha I felt like a fisherman watching his hook pass right by a huge fish. I watched the cops drive around york circle for a minute and leave and YEP, sure enough, choncho and liberty babtist (names changed for privacy) come right back outside and start up laughing and carrying on again. OH WELL. I'll get em next time.

 

Man I don't have time to go through every day but I don't think I've told you this story. I told you about Thomas and Megan, she is less active and he is one of our investigators. They called us to give their baby a blessing and we ended up giving both of them blessings. I think I may have told you that part but check this out; she called us this week and told us that despite what the eye doctor had said previous to the mri about Leeam being partially or fully blind, the MRI has come back COMPLETELY normal. WOW. I was so amazed. He is just going to need glasses. We just said a prayer right there on our knees to thank The LORD. I can't tell you how real this work feels to me right now and how stinking thankful I am to be on a mission and having expiriences like these.

 

Teresa finally called, after about 13 voice mails and a couple notes on the door. She appologetically said she wants to come to church, but then she rolled her ankle suday morning and called us from the hospital to tell us she couldn't come. MAN ALIVE I just want to wrap this woman in bubble wrap and stick her in a closet in the church. We'll feed her, don't get me wrong, I just can't believe all of the things that get in the way of us meeting with her. Breaks my little heart.

 

Thomas loved church and priesthood, he even came without Megan. We downloaded "On The LORD's Errand" for him because he has grown up never knowing a bout prophets but he's excited to see what the one we have today is all about. He's progressing well.

 

Jabena and Shawnell read every day. We love them. They are on their way too, we just can't get them to come to church because they are such a big part of the church they go to. They are coming around :)

 

I was glad to hear that ya'all are studdying from Preach My Gospel. It is so amazing. My favorite chapter is chapter 6. Honestly, all anyone has to do to preach this gospel is live this gospel. Page 115 paragraph 3 says this "The restored gospel allows you to become like Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ" What a statement. I LOVE IT! The other thing that I have seen some serious progression from is the personal study on page 152. Don't do one sentence though. Do a whole page. When missionaries are called to their missions, the Apostle who calls them looks at a screen with the picture of the missionary and a screen with a map. He roleplays by saying "hello, Elder/Sister so-and-so, how are you today" he then proceeds to see a vision or feel a prompting, not of where the missionary will go, but where they will come home from. By doing this personal study you can connect yourself with this vision and create the same vision for yourself. You can see who you are supposed to be when you leave your mission. Pray for the inspiration of the Holy Ghost and that you can set achievable goals, then start writing. I have loved to look back on who I want to be by the end of my mission.

 

I love you all and I am so excited this week to be a missionary. Thanks for the love and support. All you missionaries that are leaving in the near or distant future, just do it. The spirit has told you some time in the past that you should go, just follow through now. I choose Christ!!!!!!!!

Love,

Elder Andreasen

February 6, 2012

Woo! 5 Months. Feels like I left yesterday it's scary. Am I really getting everything I can out of this? I read through some of Elder Anderson's letter last week and Elder Lawson's. Oh man I miss the wazoo boys and Elder Lawson and Elder Richardson and everyone at home I have so many dreams about working at tony's with the tg crew. When Elder Lawson would take us for rides in the Golden Steed. Haha

 The Baptism didn't happen. Neither will the 11th. What a sad, crazy week! Let me tell you all about it. I'm going to stay positive!!

Monday-cancelled appointment after Preparation day. Had dinner at home and we are always having fun so it cheers us up to just sit down and have a meal.

Tuesday-we only taught one lesson, but it was a good one. We taught Thomas (fiance of a less active member) about faith and what he can do to get out of his addictions and be a spiritually minded being. He is progressing so well. We had to fix some bikes and whatnot so we didn't get to do much missionary work till about 3 o clock and we went to contact some formers. Good stuff. Ended up setting up some lessons and re sparking some fires.

Wednesday-We had some referrals to contact across the james river bridge and that was cool. A lot of biking but we can handle it. we came back and Sister Jones picked us up to teach Teresa and help her prepare for her baptism. We were already going to have to postpone till the 8th because she hadn't been to church enough times. We planned on doing the lesson at the church and we were there and ready with a member who is her friend and Teresa didn't come. So Sister Jones took us to the Dry Cleaners so I could put some stuff in and we did end up contacting this guy we had met before so he wants to meet. He didn't show to his lesson 2 days later though so boo. Went to Thomas's again that night and had dinner. They are very nice and he came to church because something told him too. we set up a lesson to meet thursday, 3 days in a row, so he must like us at least a little. We left thomas's and the Branch Presidents wife was waiting for us, we read the Book of Mormon with our next door neighbors. We felt strongly that Sis. Pettaway would be great for them and It worked out so well. Her testimony touched them in a way that we couldn't have done. Then we went to bed

Thurs- So we set up a lesson first thing with Teresa at Sister Jones's house. Another extremely spiritual expirience. We taught her the word of wisdom and she loved it. She committed. She is ready to be baptised. Had a table time with the sisters in our district (E.Case is the District Leader) Sister Ogwang, (Uganda), is training two new missionaries and we set up some goals with them. I was able to bare my testimony on some things that have helped me be a better missionary. The sisters always always do well so we should be learning from them. Haha. Then we got our dry cleaning back and had dinner at  a members home. We went back to Thomas's to teach him and he loved the Resto. He says our church is a pure church and he can see that it is God's. I have a hard time saying that people are prepared because we have been let down by promising people so much but he at least seems to love it. That's a start. He has been to church twice now and he loves it every time.

Friday- Zone Meeting. So good. President Perry showed up unexpectedly at the end and thanked our Zone for the work it's doing.  I got like 4 pages of notes. It's so good. He has been an area seventy and He will undoubtedly be an apostle. Watch and see. We had our two lessons cancel today, one was Kim. She is dropping us. The other was Teresa, blew us off. After all that's happened with her? She went over our heads and called the Branch Pres. to tell him she needed to postpone her baptism. She hasn't talked to or met with us since. My heart is truly broken and Elder Richardson is blown away. Elder Case is a powerhouse and keeps us going so he's like big deal keep working, so we do. Then we planned for the next week.

Sat-Had the couple missionaries over for a comp study and learned to teach the plan of salvation better (at my request) I have a hard time having as much of a spiritual expirience with this one. One good lesson with Tron, taught him the Gospel, two fall throughs, and Thomas again :) He is truly progressing.

Sun-Great fast and testimony meeting, Thomas got up and told everyone his story and said how thankful he was to find these things. He felt the spirit prompting him to get up there! Good man. We also had Jose Mendez at church and he loved it too. Good stuff. then we met this 90 yr old less active who has the highest voice I've ever heard and a dog named Peppy. She is a southern black woman to the max. I love her. She yells at that dog so much and rightfully so, he almost bit my leg off. He ripped a pair of my pants. HAHA OH WELL DON'T CARE!!

This week has been a trying one. It's hard not to get discouraged. Preach My Gospel says we may be dissapointed, but tells us never to get discouraged. Still learning that one.

I have been blown away, though, by the things that I am learning about the priesthood and about the spirit. If we are exactly obedient we become worthy vessels. It's an amazing blessing to be able to hold the spirit and to have the Priesthood restored to the earth. I also learned this week that to really learn something, you need to live it. Ether 12:6 says we get a witness AFTER the trial of our faith. This is no different with obedience. We obey a law, and after we understand why. We may have even understood before but now we have our witness. Faith, Knowledge, and Understanding. These are only strengthened by obedience. Faith is a principal of action. It leads us to DO. If I have faith in the Savior I want to get more knowledge, If I want to get more knowledge I need to study, if I apply the things I study and I ocey the principals I learn, I really understand. Then it starts all over again. It cooreates perfectly with the seed in Luke 8 and Alma 32. The seed feels good so you expirement and plant the seed, your expiriment goes well because you see it growing and now you have a perfect knowledge that this is at least a good seed. But your faith is now dormant. You KNOW so you need to again act and obey to grow. Now you put your faith to action again and you nourish the seed, you study the word, and you obey the things you learn. You feel it swelling inside of you and you see it growing. Again your faithful acrion becomes a perfect knowledge IN THAT THING and you now understand. The end result of all of this work is the beautiful mature tree, rooted in good soil and digged about and pruned by the good word of God. The end result is a final and complete knowledge and understanding when you can pluck the fruit of Eternal Life off of that tree that you worked so hard to nourish. Keep letting your belief and faith in God propel you towards him. Obey his commandments and study his words, learn who he is and strive every second of every day to choose him. You will be blessed with two of the most powerful gifts that the spirit will undoubtedly give you, knowledge and understanding. These things are key and I have enjoyed this analagy. I hope you can make it personaly meaningful and applicable as you study it. If I had the resources, Id show yo the picture that goes with this concept. It really makes sense.

The point is, obedience is a hard doctrine for a reason. It makes us grow.

I love you all so much and I hope you are all doing well! Dakota is doing just fine in doggy heaven.

Wazoo,

I Choose Christ,

Elder Andreasen.