37

Last week for P-day Shaundy, a member in our Jackson ward, took us through Labyrinth, an area of granite bedrock that miners had exposed through hydro-blasting in their search for gold. In the picture I'm on the top, Elder Gottfredson is below me, E. Smith is to the left, and E. Barrow is to the right. It was a fun hike.

 

On Saturday our Jackson ward did a Mormon Helping Hands service project. We painted and worked at the Amador County fairgrounds. It was a great project and a few less-active members showed up. We hope to start teaching a family who came with a 12 year-old son who has not been baptized.

 

One of my favorite things to do is give priesthood blessings. Many people, active members who request blessings included, have told me later that they have been healed, have been comforted, have had the things they were worried about go well, and have felt the power of the priesthood. One brother, after a dinner we had with him and his family, requested a blessing for unstable circumstances at his work. I was asked to speak the words of the blessing, and I listened to the promptings of the Spirit the best I could as I spoke. This week he told me that the things he feared at work had blown over, and he thanked me for giving him a blessing. Another member, less-active, came down with an illness in the hospital, and requested a blessing to recover. Now he is working and healthy, better than he has felt in years. Steve has received a blessing from Bro. Martinez and us as well. I know that the priesthood is God's power. It's such a gift from heaven to worthily hold the priesthood and bless the lives of others. I love it.

 

On Sunday Steve came to church! I was so excited. We cover two ward that meet at the same time, and we were expecting to have investigators show up in both wards. So we organized an exchange, and I went to Ione ward while my companion attended Jackson ward with Bro. Martinez and Steve. Steve really enjoyed it, and I think that he felt the Spirit there. I am so happy to see him progress. He is probably my favorite person that I have taught.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

36

It's been a great week. On Tuesday I was on exchange with Elder Hock (our zone leader and the most charitable missionary in the mission) in the city of Lodi. That was fun to be in the city again, but I sure appreciate my area. Elder Hock and I have a lot in common and I learn a lot from him. That's the purpose of exchanges, to learn from your leaders and become a better missionary.

 

On Wednesday my companion, the district leader, had a meeting with all the other leaders and trainers in the mission, so I got to be with E. Talbot from Rexburg, Idaho. He's a new missionary being trained in Galt. We studied (an extra hour for new missionaries) and then went to the Galt flea market to contact people and try to get return appointments. There were a ton of people! I got excited, I hadn't talked to that many people in one place before. Elder Talbot is amazing too. He's way ahead of where I was when I came out.

 

On Thursday we taught our friend Steve again. We explained to him the Plan of Salvation. The plan of salvation is the hardest lesson for me to teach, mainly the spirit world and the kingdoms of glory. I want to be able to teach it right out of the scriptures, but I'll learning how to teach with the scriptures and in my own words too. It was a little different teaching the plan of salvation to Steve too because he's blind and we normally use a visual aid in that lesson to show where we came from, what we're doing here, and where we go when we die. But it was a good lesson.

 

On Saturday it was hot. Only 88 F, but that's the warmest it's been this year so far. It didn't help that Ione ward had their Mormon Helping Hands project, painting fire hydrants yellow and the surrounding curbs red. We came and helped. We all wore those yellow vests that say "Mormon Helping Hands, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, mormon.org"  In all the neighborhoods that we painted, everyone asked what the event was. It was a great proselyting opportunity, evening though we weren't in a white shirt and tie :) Next week we are helping Jackson ward with their Helping Hands project at the Amador Fairgrounds. We'll probably be painting again.

 

Later!

 

(the pictures are of the Galt flea market and E. Talbot)

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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Natural Bridges

Picture from last week, of our district hiking at Natural Bridges.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

35

Short one this week. For P-day last Monday we went hiking to Natural Bridges, a cave/tunnel that a creek flows through. We explored around. It was pretty fun with Elder Smith and Maxfield. Then Smith and Maxfield found out that they'd be meeting with President Lewis to pick up a new missionary that evening that had just flown in. So Elder Gottfredson joined our district! He is from Alpine, UT. He's way cool, and very charitable too. He began his mission in Brazil, but for some reason had to come to the States to finish. He's been out about four months. So Elder Smith is training him, and with Elder Maxfield they make a trio. Ours is a fun district.

 

This week has been great with a lot of work. It's been a little frustrating because of more meetings (my companion's the district leader, remember?) and stuff, but we've been able to keep it up. Thank you to those who write and think and pray for me. I love you! God bless,

 

Elder Andrew

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.

34

Sorry for not posting last week, it was a busy preparation day. We enjoyed General Conference last weekend, although on Saturday we had a couple service projects that happened during the first two sessions, so we downloaded the Saturday talks and burned them onto CD. We were able to watch the Priesthood session at our church building in the evening, and then we went out with Br Martinez, our ward mission leader. We've been listening to the Saturday talks in the car and in the apartment, but it's just not the same as watching them live. I think I understand a little now how football fans feel when we tell them they can just record the game and watch it later, after they've come to church. It's just not the same! Yeah, ok, ok.

 

On Sunday we watch conference with the Busi family in Ione ward. They had a huge tent set up in the living room and we all watched it under there. It kinda reminded me of what my siblings do during conference weekend with any chair, couch, and blanket they can find. Build a fort! We always feel welcomed and loved at the Busi's, like a part of the family. We called Steve Sunday evening and he had listened to the first three sessions of General Conference! He's just amazing. One of my favorite talks was President Eyring's about tests and trials. That's very applicable to many people we teach.

 

On Monday we waited for our transfer calls. I HATE transfers. I always get really nervous about if I'm going to get transferred or not, if I'm going to get a new companion and who it's going to be... I get way too worried. It's unhealthy--I've gotten sick with a cold twice during transfers. Well, Monday evening President Lewis called us up and talked to Elder Barrow. They always have a way of speaking really slow and dragging out the phone call before they tell us what's going on. "Elder _____, we want you to know that the Lord is pleased with the work you've done in your wards and you're doing a good job. And we've fasted and prayed for a long time, and we feel that........" Just tell me where I'm going and who I'll be with this transfer already! Well, E Barrow and I are both staying in Jackson/Ione! This is his last transfer, and President Lewis made him the district leader of our group of four elders. I am so glad I am staying in this area. This means I'll "kill" (send home) Elder Barrow and most likely stay here for another six weeks to show the new missionary in. Six months in Amador County! I love this place.

 

With E Barrow's new responsibility we have to travel down to the valley often for trainings and leadership meetings. We have been a little frustrated with how much time we spend traveling to and from and the time we're in meetings and not working in our area, but now Elder Barrow's calling is to help other missionaries as well, and our responsibility is not just our wards anymore. We're working on finding ways to be more effective so that we are still able to accomplish the same amount of work we were able to do. As with everything on the mission, it's a growing and learning experience.

 

Elder Maxfield got a new companion; Elder Smith, from Dallas, TX. Now there's two Texans in our district! It made E Barrow happy :) I look forward to getting to know E Smith better on exchanges this transfer.

 

This Sunday we were pleased with many less-active members that we are working with that attended church! Hopefully it won't be just an Easter Sunday thing. The church has created a few websites for Easter and we were able to direct a few people in our contacting to them. facebook.com/mormon is a website where others can share their feelings of Christ, and there are a lot of cool videos that the church has created to depict stories and scenes from the Bible. Things like these are great tools for sharing the Gospel.

 

Well, love you all and write ya later!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

NOTICE: This email message is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited. If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply email and destroy all copies of the original message.