UNITY AND VISION

So holy cats.... my mind is still racing and I continue to find insight from the worldwide training last night. That was so symbolic.

 

Just a couple of symbolic things that I noticed that I can't wait to share:

 

A missionary gave the opening prayer, a member gave the closing prayer.....

 

We are pretty sure there was a missionary AND a member playing the organ.....

 

The choir was comprised of missionaries AND members, but not only that, the members they chose were WARD COUNSEL members and Bishops and Ward mission leaders.....

 

They showed an example of a ward counsel, stake counsel, mission leadership counsel, and the Quorum of the twelve, all in ONE meeting from video conference around the world....

 

The talks were about fusing members and missionaries, about the ONE-NESS of missionary work, member work, and temple and family history work.

 

My favorite part of the meeting last night was the talk of counselling with all of the general leaders in the church, men and women, member and missionary, to make the decision of changing the missionary age. UNITY comes in counsel. Proverbs 15:22 says "without counsel purposes are disappointed: but in the multitude of counsellors they are established" The twelve and the first presidency are giving us an example of meaningful counsel in the church. I am so excited to apply that in whatever way I can.

 

I had a couple of really cool second witnesses during that meeting. I'll tell you that the meeting last night is the talk of the town in missionary land. We are all so excited and ready to put our effort in to the councils of the church. We know that the blessings of unity are great.

 

Every time we are in a member's home in the Yorktown ward we share the ward mission plan (developed by the ward counsel in conjunction with the ward mission leaders and the missionaries) which is to "pray daily for missionary experiences and the courage to act on them". We strive to help the members catch the vision, and our vision is this; if every member of a family is praying for missionary opportunities daily, and praying for the courage to act on them, the Lord will bless that family with missionary opportunities. We also share this idea from the First Presidency and Quorum of the twelve that missionary work is not about the members giving us names to go see and we go see them, missionary work is about everyone sharing the gospel, and missionaries are here to help members in that field of work. We are striving for unity in that vision.

 

Well, our favorite scripture to share with the families of the ward is John 17:20-21. This is a record of Jesus Christ praying for his desciples and the people who would believe his desciples. He prayed this prayer; "that they all may be one; as thou father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may know that thou hast sent me" Our vision has been stated like this;

 

"imagine if your whole family was unified in praying every day for missionary work, do you think the Lord would bless you with missionary opportunities?"

 

 the reply is always an enthusiastic "yes!"

 

We say, "what do you think the Lord would do if 3 or 4 families were all united in praying EVERY DAY for missionary opportunities, do you think he would give them to you?"

 

 Again, always a "yes" as they start to feel the power and vision of what we are trying to do. 

 

then we drop the ward mission plan again "and imagine if EVERY DAY, EVERY MEMBER and EVERY MISSIONARY in the WHOLE WARD was praying for missionary opportunities. Do you think the Lord would bless us with them?"

 

With big eyes it's always "yes, of course"

 

Our vision continues upward, and we say "read again John 17:21, imagine if 14.5 million members were united with 70,000 missionaries. Imagine if they were all 'one'. Do you think that the world would know that the Father hath sent his Son?"

 

There is no greater vision.

 

This is the purpose we share as members and missionaries. To bring all unto Christ. I am so inspired and uplifted by last night. I want everyone to realize that EVERY ward counsel and EVERY Missionary Counsel and EVERY Stake counsel of the church was watching last night as one woman gave the closing prayer, thanking God for the opportunity to do missionary work and the strength to do more. WE WERE ONE. I felt so unified with the church as a whole. We are becoming ONE. Read again John 17 "that all may be one, that the world may believe that the Father hast sent me"

 

I know that if the members of the church and the missionaries of the church are united, THE WORLD WILL KNOW THAT THE FATHER HATH SENT THE SON. I know it. I FEEL IT. This is one work, "the work of salvation".  

 

This is nothing new haha. We've been doing all of this for a while now. Preach my Gospel is an attempt at this. Unity and Vision have always been in the church, but just as the apostles said last night, the Lord is calling for more. He is inviting us and exhorting us to do MORE. To become ONE in purpose and to do his work. I am so humbled to be able to work as an instrument for HIM. We will apply it here, but I can't wait to come home and apply this as well. I don't want to live it Utah, there are enough people to build the kingdom there. I want to go somewhere where there IS no temple and share the gospel with them all. I want to move back to VA and do my part to bring the gospel to every creature here. OR SOMETHING!!!!! Somewhere. "I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord" Notice that was one of the songs in the program yesterday.

 

Our investigators are doing well. This week Adam and Kelly took us out to dinner and we had a wonderful lesson about the restoration. They caught the vision and loved it. Kelly has been the one to stop and ask Adam to turn off the TV so they can read the book of mormon. We invited them to be baptized and they felt like that was a lot of pressure. We are a little nervous because we invited him to a dinner and he said he was feeling pressured so we might just take a step back and evaluate what they need. Maybe it's not boldness that they need.

 

John isn't progressing much because he is fearful of leaving his old church. NEWS FLASH though the Newport News sisters called and they started teaching his mom this week! Just found her randomly. Well, not at random, it was God's hand. If john and his mother can't make the change individually, surely they can make it in unity. We are going to try to meet with them together with the Newport News Sisters.

 

No one else we are teaching really, a lot of finding going on. Lots of tracting. The ward is about to explode though, bishop is totally on board with this push of missionary work and already has a plan to have someone out with us each sunday. This is an awesome ward.

 

Haven't met with Mary Lou yet she keeps pushing it off. :/

 

Love you all, BYE!!!!

Elder Andreasen

P.S. I CHOOSE CHRIST!!! 

"Finding them that will receive you"

I am so excited to write to you this week. The Lord is blessing us so much.

 

First off, Happy Fathers Day dad :) Again, I am so thankful to have you as my Dad. I can't wait to beat you at mustache march. I have an 8 O'clock shadow now......so watch out

 

In Preach My Gospel Pg. 155 it asks a question, "What does it mean to 'Find them that will receive you'?" Then it gives a scripture in D&C 42:8.

 

"And from this place ye shall go forth into the regions westward; and inasmuch as ye shall find them that will receive you ye shall build up my church in every region."

 

This week we have continued with that as our theme, to "find [those] that will receive [us]". We are striving to strengthen our faith that the Lord is preparing people out there and following the spirit to find where they are. This week we had two days in a row where during the nightly planning session we prayed and asked the Lord where we should go and we felt like one specific place was right. Monday night we felt like these three streets were it, so Tuesday we went there and found one lady who was so darn prepared she was almost cooked, then Tuesday night we felt like we should be up in "Historic Yorktown" where they have these old churches and buildings and stuff. We ended up finding some sweet people and singing "I need thee every hour" to a couple people as a finding Idea. We sat down and had a discussion with Pastor Carlston Bakkam of the Historic Yorktown Episcopalian Grace church or something like that and we have a meeting with him next week as well. That was cool.

 

We were supposed to get picked up at 2:00 that day to go somewhere else but our ride was late and it was a good thing because at 2:15 WE FOUND A WAY SOLID INVESTIGATOR. He was the reason we were in Historic Yorktown without a doubt. So humble and teachable. and he's 22. His Fiance was also there on Friday when we went back to teach them. I can't tell you how excited I am about them. It has been so powerful to try to find the humble teachable people of the earth.

 

So I can't write everything here. I can't believe I didn't think of this before, but yesterday I made copies of my journal for the past week and I am just going to send them to you. I honestly can't write a fifth of what I would.

 

Gotta go ya'all.

 

Peace&chicken grease. Cash Money

 

Elder Andreasen

P.S. I choose Christ

I'M LOST

I have 2 boxes, one is a large flat rate from usps and the other is a "sing to me potty" box from a member that I will probably send usps as well. Just two. I didn't get everything packed or figure out all that I needed to send home until wednesday night. I just brought the boxes of stuff with me and I wll be sending them today if we can get someone to take us to the post office.

 

Haha that's a sweet scripture Dad! I just read it. I'll ponder that one. There are people everywhere, all of them need the gospel!

 

Good advise on the new mission Pres. Thanks for that.

 

This week has been fantastic! I have loved serving with Elder Nielson. He is amazing. MAN I love him. He loves to counsel and he is always asking the members "what do you think? how could we make this better?" I have really appreciated working with him in the area this week.

Elder Nielson and I taught in unity from the moment we were together. Waiting for the transfer van we did some tracting and found some potentials and taught a Jewish man the restoration. THEN we got our bags, went to the apartment, and left immediately with a member to go teach an investigator. I'm not even unpacked yet and it's been 4 days! We have been too busy!!! We are having such a good time and I really do love Elder Nielson. Why did the Lord bless me with such a good companion? Wasn't I supposed to get a troublemaker for the last couple months or something? I am humbled and grateful and amazed. We have UNITY. We teach when we find and find when we teach. The Lord has blessed us greatly.
    

On Thursday I woke up and we drove to Richmond, then got on the transfer van and drove to Newport News. It was a long drive but I was just chatting with the assistants and it went by way fast. I got to sit shotgun. YESSSSSS. When I got there, I guess I told you this, but we went right to work. We immediately were just like back and forth, he teaches and testifies, then I teach and testify. It is such a good time to be tracting with him. We haven't gotten sick of it yet. Usually after like 2 or three hours my brain says "man I'm getting sick of this" but it's always productive with Elder Nielson. We are blessed to be able to get people to open up and love them from the start! While we were waiting for the van we got a return apointment with a man named Julius. He is a YSA. When he opened the door my companion immediately started teaching and I followed. Then we said "when can we come over to teach you more?" and He was like "tomorrow at 3?" haha sweet.

 

Friday, weekly planning and a trip to Jimmy Johns with a member. At three we went on splits with the YSA Elders to teach Julius and pass him off to them. I went with Elder Larsen, Elder Nielson went with Elder H. Andreasen (yes he's my ZL haha it's so sweet) and the lesson went way better than we expected. Julius' father wouldn't let us in so we just walked with him over to the church, gave him a church tour, taught him the Restoration, and invited him to be baptized. He said he would. MIRACLE. I don't have time to put that story into the words I wish I could so just ask me about it later I guess.

 

We talked to one couple on the street on saturday who had seen missionaries before and weren't interested, but 30 min later we knocked on their door and they let us in and we taught them!!!! I don't know though. They made a deal with us that if we went to their church they would go to ours. It was pretty fun but I think they are just trying to prove us wrong. They are bible bashers, not really looking for truth. Came to church though. We also had another one of those powerful teaching moments on the driveway and set up a return appointment for Tuesday. We said "we are looking for someone humble enough and childlike enough to listen to a message about Jesus Christ and his church, when can we come to teach you about it" She said "evenings are best" hahahaha I love being with Elder Nielson and none of this is by our power. The Lord is blessing us so much.

 

Sunday, Those ppl came to church. Another crazy story.

 

I will see Chris Patty at mission conference in a month. I'm stoked.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY.

 

I'm Lost in the work and so thankful for it.

Elder Andreasen

P.S. I choose Christ

On the Move Again

"You are now on decka nine"

OKEY DOKEY DIVE RIGHT IN!!! My last two transfers will be on a bike in Historical Yorktown. I get to bike through Civil War battlefields every day and there are tons of people down there. Just one companion and one area!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It's in the Chessapeake mission which means my departure date will now be another week early. Don't know exactly AGAIN but it's probably August 20th. Originally it was September 4th, then in the VRM the transfer schedule changed so it would be August 27th, one week early, now I will be coming home from the Chessapeake Virginia Mission and the transfer cycle is one week earlier still. So my guess is August 20th for now and we'll have to see. My new mission President will be President Baker. I will only see him twice, once at Mission Conference in July and once in my exit interview.

Dad, thanks for your advice on enduring to the end. I needed it. I talked to my new companion last night (Elder Neilson) and I told him that I am sending home all of my stuff except my quad and my bike and he said "wow, this is like a dream" haha he sounds way funny and from what I have heard he is a hard worker. I am excited to serve him and love him up and have the best transfer either of us has ever experienced. My new address is 

1200 Piccadilly Loop Apt. G
Yorktown, VA 23692

Louis is doing well. He is progressing. This week we had two lessons with him. I wasn't there for the first one, Elder Canova and Elder Moffett taught him the Law of Chastity and he loved it. We taught him last night as well and asked him what his next step is. He said he is still working for baptism and he wants to come to church so we just set some small goals for the week and plans to get to church and come read the book of mormon with him. He walked for 30 min with a walker this week. If he gets baptized I won't be here for it. I can't come back from Chessapeake. No big deal, We can visit him if we come back. I really love him. Did I tell you about the time we went over there when his nurse was helping him get dressed and they were listening to that country song "I may be a real bad boy, but I can be a real good man" it was playing way loud and louis was just rolling around in his wheelchair singing "I may drink too much and play too loud, hang out with a rough and rowdy croud" hahaha and really he only hangs out with the elders and a bunch of old people in the nursing home. i am going to miss going over there to see him.

Our other investigators aren't doing so well. We dropped KC yesterday, she understood. She has had missionaries coming over for 3 yrs, and really she just likes the company. We don't have time to spend with people who just like the company. It was nerve racking though, I felt like I was breaking up with her. (I had to be the one to tell her, everyone else was too chicken)

Dee dropped US

Melvin won't meet with us

Kim keeps cancelling

Judy is reading and praying but can't leave her nursing home. We are praying for a miracle there

The Zone? They are doing well. Everyone is just doing missionary work! We have some amazing missionaries up here in Waynesboro. I am really going to miss them.

Great insight on member missionary work Dad. I LOVE it. 

GOtta go ya'all.

TTYsoon

Love,

Elder Andreasen

P.S. I choose Christ