New Mission...New RULES

Fireworks and butterflies eh? For some reason, reading that gave me butterflies.

My week FLEW by. We got a new mission president AND had a mission conference with what is now officially the Virginia Chesapeake Mission.

Funny story for you:
Back story: With the new mission president there are some new rules and some new policies that we are following that make life a little harder on us. For example, the rule used to be that we could have 3 Elders in a home with a single sister, now we have to have another responsible male adult (other than missionaries) for every lesson with a single sister no matter how many missionaries there are. Also, we can listen to nothing but Mormon Tabernacle Choir and music from LDS.ORG.

So Last night all 4 missionaries in this ward were going to dinner at the Martin's home. Brother Martin was cooking steak. He is so funny about his steak and he brags about it all the time. The other two missionaries got to the Martin's before us but we still needed a ride so the other Elders explained that they could not go with Sister Martin to pick us up because of this rule. Brother Martin argued over the rule because he didn't want to leave his steaks with his wife to cook them but he left to come get us with the other missionaries. We got in his van (he was already mad about rules) and we had to ask him to turn off the classical music because of the new music rule. He was joking about rules and how he hates them. Well, we got to the Martin's home with all 4 of us and walked in to sister Martin scraping off burnt steak, hahaha Brother Martin pretty much dropped to his knees and yelled "RULES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" In an anguished voice like he had gotten shot. MAN that was so funny because all week we had been talking about all of the new rules and stuff. I was rolling on the floor!

Elder Nielson and I set the goal again this week of leaving the apartment at 10 and not returning till 9. We failed. I hate not hitting goals. AAAARGH!!! We almost did it but there were a couple times when we had 30 min or so before our ride to dinner showed up and we went inside to get something and one of us would sit down on our bed or something. I just tried to read the book of mormon or do something productive. GRRR. On sunday we almost did it but Elder Nielson REALLY wanted to take off his suit coat when we got back to the apartment. I guess that's ok.... then laying on the bed again. GRRRRRRRRRR. I really just don't want regrets going home. I want to work my tail off.

This week I studied in Alma about the Anti-Nephi-Lehies or the children of Ammon. MAN they are cool. They made covenants with God and KEPT them. One point I really liked was that in ch.56 v.7and8 when you read that they almost broke their covenant and took up their weapons of war, I always thought that they didn't do it because their sons stepped in and stopped them, but there is another reason! I challenge you to find out why they didn't break their covenant!! Also, the blessings of not breaking their covenant.

Love you..... Pray for baptisms and diligence

--

Elder Skyler Mark Andreasen

p.s. I choose Christ