Another Great Week

Whew, another week down... Crazy CRAZY CCRRAAAAZYYY!!! It's funny you say this week went by slow for you, I felt the same way. I look back and it flew but it sure took a long time for it to fly by. Does that make any sense??

Mike got baptized! Woohoo!! IT was a great service, I'll tell you about it when I get to Saturday. I'll give you the investigator rundown eh? I sometimes feel like the rodeo announcer, sometimes the bull, sometimes the clown, but most of the time I feel like the rider. The investigators are the demolition derby that happens after the rodeo I think I haven't decided yet.

So Elder Narramore and I have decided to keep a stash of Pants in our van and every time we see pantless people we open up the side door of the van and yell "PANTELONES!!!" and throw their new pair of pants at them. We figure in this way we can help everyone live modestly, you'd be surprised at the amount of people not wearing pants in the city....

On a related note, Elder Narramore seems to remember that in elementary school, there was a boy who would decide every day who he liked most and would give his lunch to them. We aren't sure if he ever ate or not we'll let you know.

• Monday-Preparation day, We went over to Chessapeake and hung out at their apartment and played some games. Elder Miller and I also had a rambunctious time writing as many letters as we could. This night we had Correlation with Rajan (indian bml) and FHE with the YSA branch. FUN FUN FUN
• Tuesday- Taught a recent convert Denzel who is a song writer and his "stuff just got approved by the big dogs" so we told him he can either be an influence for good or for evil in the music industry and for the world so he chose good and has read his Book of Mormon every day this week. He got kicked out of his mom's house and asked us for a blessing and right when we got done he got a text with a picture of a bunch of people around a big table and they said the head of the company listened to his "stuff" and wants him to go to LA. He's really determined to stay the course and be an influence for good now, he has been using the B.O.M. as inspiration for writing songs. Look for DENNY WAYDE on the big screen eh? We went on splits this night to teach Mike and prep him for baptism and we figured out that his dad had passed away a year ago and told him all about the temple and he was crying it was great (haha) he really does live up to D+C 20:37 and is ready to help the church grow! Elder Narramore went on his split with a member to teach Darlene, RC, and they taught the restoration to her again, good stuff
• Wednesday-we just ran around in circles and tried to contact some referrals and helped some Elders out in a rainstorm. We did teach Mike again and we taught him at Brother Thomas's house. Can I tell you how much I love Brother Thomas? He is the High councellor over missionary work in the stake and is a stuDDD. He is just such a great man.
• Thursday was weekly planning (UGH) but it went really well, we FINISHED on time so that's a plus. We were setting up Mike's baptism and contacting referrals and tracting and we had two lessons fall through but oh well all's well that ends with a lesson at mike's house. He is so PREPARED!! We also visited an 82 year old woman who is amazing and she fell asleep holding my hand, then woke up and answered all the questions we had just asked her before she fell asleep. Pretty funny
• Friday-Zone Conference WOOO! So good. Pres. Perry and the assistants were inspired once again. I gained some good insight for myself and for investigators and more about real growth. How we can find with the end in mind and teach our investigators to live up to D+C20:37 and to stay active and one day live with our Heavenly Father. We taught a lesson to Trey, less active who requested a visit, he committed to come to church again and didn't, GRRR. He is making progress though, baby steps:) Elder Narramore took us out to RED LOBSTER for dinner on his mom for his birthday. I had this honey bbq chicken and shrimp. So good. Lesson once again with Mike and He is ready ready ready for his baptism.
• Saturday-Pretty much made some calls and whatnot while filling the font for Mike. Had a beautiful service and I conducted which was fun, I got to make some people laugh and have fun with Mike, Rajan Baptized him then winked at me, which is fine, and Brother Thomas gave the coolest talk on the gift of the HOly Ghost. We had a lesson with an Atheist, who said the world COULD HAVE begun with someone somewhere just playing a game of Dungeons and Dragons (my companions favorite) and he actually made me think a lot, everything changes if there is no God. It's crazy to think about. I'm just thankful for a testimony, conviction, and KNOWLEDGE that there is one. It makes the day more bright and the trees more beautiful, and gives us purpose. I love it. We had dinner with the coolest family tonight, The Tamanalavu family from FIJI. My new BEST FRIENDS!!! I played some ukelele and they gave us some beads and more chicken than I could ever eat in TWO sittings. They have a brother in the YSA branch named Pisa, who reminds me so much of Jadon it's sick, we hang out and he helps us teach. He's an RM from the Houston Texas mission. He actually served with Elders from my MTC district.
• Sunday-We had some good meetings and an ok Branch Council. I love our YSA branch, I feel like one of the group, making suggestions and helping the branch grow, we have really established a good relationship and because of that the Branch gives us referrals. We are just teaching peoples friends! It's the best way. Two sacraments is always fun. I have started this thing where I try to stay perfectly clean in between 9 and 1 and it hasn't worked yet but I have faith :) haha so a bit of a story before I go.....

Last week, the Kempsville Elders got a call to go give a blessing to a lady in the Hospital, named Jesse. We went with them and as I sat in the waiting room (only two could go into the room) The tensions were high with the family, some crying and others just sitting and some on the phone. Everyone was there because they knew she was to pass soon. A small portion of the family were less active, but mostly non-members. I couldn't help but think about when we were in the hospital for Grandpa Andreasen's heart attack and we all just sat there. I hate that feeling. If that ever happens again, I have the perfect solution. SING SOME HYMNS. I stood up and asked everyone if it was ok if I shared a message. I had felt the impression to sing be still my soul pretty much the whole time we were there so I gave a little message about hymns and I sang it. My comp. was so embarrassed at first because I don't have a very good voice but it was ok, they really loved the hymn and the tension seemed to lessen. We left our number and we actually saw them at church and set them up with some counseling through the bishop. Super cool. Then we got a call on Friday and they requested that we be at the funeral, but not only that, they wanted us to do a musical number....... oh boy. So we sang sweet hour of prayer? I don't know Haha it was ok it turned out well and they asked me to speak and I did. Go ahead and try to speak at a funeral when you don't know the person, WOW challenge but I just did what my Daddy does and testified of Christ. I actually did have a theme though it was how knowing that God is our Father and Christ is our Savior gives us the perspective we need to endure, I don't remember a word I said so I hope it went well :) haha I was grateful for the experience and we had a nice dinner, then we sang in the Salem ward choir (figured it was appropriate to just jump in since we are being requested and all, Bishop said we should go on tour.) Then we went to the ARP with Trey but he didn't show so we just went anyway.

Good week, I am having fun and our investigators are doing well. I didn't tell everything of course but I tried to tell you the good parts. I haven't written president yet and we are supposed to go to the zoo today. I am pretty stoked. This week we set some good personal and companionship goals and I am excited to keep working hard. I am so grateful for all of you and especially Ben, remember, I'm doing this for you.

I love you all! Send my love to the world and always bear your testimony! Everyone invite a friend to investigate the gospel. "like right now just call them it's no big deal we'll get em baptized and back with Heavenly Father no problem"- Rajan Tawari "I want to physically baptize you" -Also Rajan Tawari (read with an Indian accent)

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ