IT PROCEEDETH FORTH FROM THE MOUTH OF A JEW

Heyo!

Let's go over the housekeeping items first........

Thank you for your emails! I loved them!

• Dad, I got your skype info and I will give it to the member that we will be with on Mothers Day. We don't know who it will be yet we have a couple options but we'll let them talk to you and set it up so we are good to go that day
• HAHAHAHAHAHA Yes Mom, I WAS pinching Elder Miller's butt. How do you DO that? My comp actually got mad at me because someone saw me do it haha. I love you
• I loved that story about the old lady 50 yrs later thank you.
• I have discovered the Ukelele and there is one @ guitar center for 20$ so I am going to get it ok? I am actually pretty good. Get ready to rock out skype style I'mma play you a song I wrote.
• So I gave my scripture case to a recent convert who needed it. Can I get a new one please? Sorry....... If you send me one I'll probably give it to him and just take my old one bck. Just a regular case that holds a tripple.... sorry again.
• Will you send me my hammock for my b-day? I actually found one out here but now I need two for preparation day so just slip that sucker in there if you can.
• We always get our packages so no worries.

Ok now that that is over down to the good stuff!

This week we have been working hard to help all of our investigators prepare to receive the ordinance of baptism and confirmation by using the nightly planning guidlines to focus on those investigators that are prepared and to prioritize our work. We have been starting every conversation with testimony also. That is one thing I really worked on while I was on exchange with Elder Rogers, (assistant) . We had a great exchange and I learned the importance of study in the morning that is really laser focused on investigators. Elder Rogers invited me to study every day this week for investigators in personal study so that we can come together in companionship study with revelation and plans for our lessons that day. I like that idea. I have always used personal study to learn the gospel better while keeping investigators in mind, but never blocking off time to actually study for each investigator we will teach that day. I am thankful for our assistants. Elder Farr and Elder Rogers are truly inspired and focused on helping me personally. I think that is important that each missionary can feel love from their leaders and I can see how that would apply to investigators as well. Leadership is about having a personal relationship with every missionary and so they will follow you into places they wouldn't otherwise go. I am learning so much from the example of other missionaries.

We have been working with 4 recent converts that are doing so well, Jearvin Sosa, who was just baptized in the Kempsville ward, has now started coming to the singles branch and we are getting him some great fellowship. I am very thankful for the YSA members here, they help us out so much with fellowship. Also, Josh Debres is another recent convert we are working with, he was just baptized in the last month and he was ordained a priest yesterday! He wants to bless the sacrament, so he will this next week. I want to let you know that Josh Debres understands this gospel and is already a great missionary. He is 34 and he reminds me of you! He will serve so well in any position and is excited to see his progression in the gospel. Another one is David Davis. He is doing so well. He and Josh have joined together and are learning quickly about the organization of the church. We meet with them once a week and are really enjoying ourselves as we watch them go from investigators to part of the Salem Ward family. The fourth recent convert we are working with is James Currin. He is not progressing as fast into the gospel but we are helping him to blossom as a member and really showing him that this gospel is a way of life. We are confident that he understands as well we just need to find him some solid friends.

Less active members are a whole different story. We have really been blessed because both the salem ward and the YSA branch understand that it is their responsibility to bring back those who have fallen but they know that we are here to help and we have returned and reported many times on lists that we have been given. Mostly it's just the dirty work of finding people that the Elder's Quorum President has never even met. That's ok though, we just plan those things under finding and prioritize it so we are also finding the non-members that they live with to help them receive the gospel too!

 This week my prayers have been answered and I have found that most of our companionship disunity was because I was looking for the mote in my brother's eye in-stead of fixing the beam in my own. Everything works out if we just do everything we can to be obedient. I have learned once again to humble myself and turn to The LORD. My goal is to figure out how to do that BEFORE being compelled.

Our investigators are the BOMB! We had another lesson with Mike and he is so ready. We started out as missionaries and now we are such great friends. He drives a 2012 Camaro SS and he keeps tempting me by telling me I can drive it. It sounds like a dinosaur..... RAAWR

Billy is progressing as well, he still has a date, but won't be baptized too soon. The end of may. He is working on his testimony and he's scared to make changes but that's why we are here!

We met a native american lady who lives in one of William's houses. (he owns 4) She is so stoked about baptism and she is looking for a church. We haven't taught her any lessons except the resto on the street the first time we met her. GREAT STUFF though she is amazing.

I have a short story to tell you. I was on exchange and on a bike in bayside. We have a ysa investigator named Aiden that lives in Bayside so we just stopped by. Long story short, we just tetified and taught Christ's atonement and saving power. If anyone cares to read an amazingbook on Christ there's one called believing Christ that I think I have already talked about but we gave him an analogy from that and he totally broke down and we figured out every reason why he wasn't progressing. MIRACLE!!! WOO!!

Wazoo everybody, I love you and I know that this combination of authority, organization, principals, ordinances, gifts, blessings, commandments, and The plan of salvation is the same that was taught by Adam, Noah, Moses, and Jesus Christ. It's all in the book!!! I love the Book of Mormon.

Love you all and have a great week!
-- 

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ