The Best Two Years

I'm home!!!

President and Sister Lewis, me, and mom and dad

This has been the greatest two years of my life! I cannot think of a better place to have served the Lord than Sacramento. After two years of teaching the gospel, working with the saints, and helping others, my parents came to pick me up and see the greatest mission in the world. We visited people that I had taught and become friends with and it was incredible to share such spiritual experiences with my family. 

I spoke in sacrament meeting the day I arrived and spent the next six days hanging out with my siblings, friends, and reconnecting with the desert and mountains I love so much. Now I am in Logan, UT for school at Utah State University. Life is great!

Now I'll be posting on my home site, adventuresofchrisandrew.blogspot.com. Follow me there!

One-zero-four

This is it! What?! I can't believe that this is the last post while I am on my mission. Tomorrow I go to the mission office and spend the day with President and Sister Lewis and the missionaries from my MTC district. Thursday morning my parents will pick me up and we will visit the places I've served and friends from the mission. I am looking forward to this experience -- it will be wonderful to see the people that I love with my family.

This week has been crazy busy. It just doesn't slow down, not even your last day! On Sunday Sunny and his son Jim Yang entered the waters of baptism. They asked us to baptize them. The service was beautiful and the Spirit was strong. The Yang family invited several of their Chinese friends and they enjoyed the service as well.

The Yang family is amazing! This is Jim, his brother Neil, their parents Lianna and Sunny, and Sunny's parents.

For those of you in Moab, my homecoming talk will be in the Moab 2nd Ward sacrament meeting next Sunday the 18th at 9am. Address is 475 W 400 N, Moab UT. All are welcome.

Maybe it hasn't hit me yet, but I thought I would be freaking out right now. Honestly I feel at peace with it all. If one word could describe my feelings it would be "fulfilled." The choice to serve a mission has been the greatest decision of my life. This has been the best two years of my life and for my life. I am eternally grateful to my Father in Heaven for this opportunity to serve Him and His children. I testify that this work is true.

--

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.

103

As I'm looking at my planner where I usually write down the cool things that happened during the week, there's nothing there. Plenty of awesome things happened this week, but I just don't have the time to write them down! This is the second to last letter from me on my mission. Time goes fast! I feel a lot of different things, but I'm looking forward to the next chapter of life.

This week we taught Harmony after her week long vacation in Hawaii. Harmony was baptized as a baby in the Catholic church, converted to Judaism in her teens, and now she has a baptismal date for August 24th! She started investigating after a member family in Tracy began having her over for family home evenings, family scripture study and prayer, and church activities. She has been praying to know if Jesus Christ is the Son of God, and her prayers were answered in Hawaii! We are very impressed by her faith and desire. She has really demonstrated "real intent" (Moroni 10:4). I feel like I've realized again how much sincerity plays a part in one's conversion -- the Lord requires that we really want to know, that we desire fervently, before He will answer our prayers.

Another one of our investigators Ali dropped us this week. She kept commitments like reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and attending church (which is half the battle) but she didn't feel like she received an answer. Elder Fullwood and I could see outward results from her, ie she was happier than before she began doing these things, but Ali didn't feel like that was an answer from God. We asked her, "Do you really want to know? If you knew it was true, would you change?" and she flat-out told us "No." That's why God didn't answer her prayers.

We also went to mission leadership council with President and Sister Lewis this week. I sure am going to miss these opportunities to learn from them.

Last Sunday when Ryan was confirmed, another family brought their neighbors and friends to sacrament meeting. The Yangs were taught by missionaries eight years ago and when they found out their neighbors were Mormon they asked if they could come to church with them! We have been teaching them, and the father Sunny and his son Jim will be baptized after church next Sunday! We are so happy. It's just incredible to see the ways that Heavenly Father sends us blessings. I love this work.

--

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.

102

Ryan Nguyen was baptized this Saturday!!! I love the gospel from his perspective -- just simple and straightforward. The gospel just makes sense to him! His friend Adam baptized him, he's the one on the right next to me. Last week Bishop Banks interviewed Ryan and found him worthy of the Aaronic Priesthood, so yesterday after his confirmation in Sacrament meeting, Ryan was ordained to the office of a priest in the Aaronic Priesthood. How awesome is that?! He is making important steps to full activity in the church. This week he should be going to the temple to do baptisms for the dead with our former stake president Crockett. We are so happy for Ryan.

Also this week all of the departing missionaries went to the temple with President and Sister Lewis. Usually we all go the day before our flights home, but the Sacramento temple will be closed then. So I got to see all of my MTC district and a few of the other language missionaries (they stayed in the MTC longer)! This is me and my MTC companion Elder Hubbard. A lot has changed since two years ago.

I love you all! This work is the greatest thing I've ever been a part of, and it's so true!!!

--

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.

101

This week has been great! Ryan's doing awesome. We just had his baptismal interview yesterday and he's good to go for this Saturday! Our assistants came down on Thursday and did exchanges with Elder Fullwood and I. I was with Elder Richwine and we did team-ups with every companionship in Tracy. It was a good day.

This is me and my crazy companion Elder Fullwood yesterday after church. We are outside of our apartment. There used to be another companionship that lived with us, but now it's just us and our Spanish companionship Elders Reid and Ovard that live two buildings away. I think it would be great to move in with a member family in our ward, but we haven't had any luck yet. I remember how great it was to live with the Morris's in Placerville. They were like our family! But I don't mind living here.

Life is good! The Church is true - always has been always will be.

--

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.

100

This week was awesome. I'll tell you about our investigator Ryan. He is 17 and from Vietnam. He is here living with his guardians in our family ward. He was raise Buddhist but his family never kept the traditions. When we met him he had an understanding of Christianity, but really didn't know what he believed in. Our first lesson with him weeks ago he had a lot of questions about God and the purpose of life. He told us, "I'm willing to give it a shot." He's read from the Book of Mormon, prayed, and come to church the past two weeks. A while ago we invited Ryan to be baptized on August 10th, and yesterday he described to us the "fruits of the Spirit:" peace, love, comfort, the "chills" that he feels as he prays. His prayers have been answered as he has put his faith in Christ -- as he's "nourished the seed." So in our lesson last night we asked Ryan how he feels about baptism. "Let's do it." he said. We asked him, "Now would you like to wait until August 10th still, or push it forward to say, July 27th?" "Push it forward, duh." were his words. YEAH! So Ryan is entering the waters of baptism on July 27th! It's just incredible to see the Lord's promises fulfilled as we put our trust in Him. I love to see other people act in faith and receive answers to their prayers.

 

This picture is from a leadership meeting last week. That is my old companion Elder Villalva (remember him?! Yeah, I love that guy) about to chow down on a cake that Sister Lewis got for the mission. "The Book is blue. We hit 92!" Last month was RECORD high baptisms in one month (92!) for the mission in years. Our zone alone had nine people baptized. That's almost every companionship baptizing!

 

The Church is true!

--

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.

99

This week was AWESOME. Elder Fullwood and I have seen miracles. I'm really impressed with his faith and spiritual power. In several lessons this week we have been teaching and Elder Fullwood has stopped and helped our investigators recognize the Holy Ghost witnessing the truthfulness of our words. We have added some great in investigators from the finding tool "The Savior's Peace and Blessing." We were looking for a referral without an exact address. A couple kids were playing outside of one home and so we asked if their parents were home. The father, Sam, came to the door and we told him that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and we are here to bless his home. The referral that we were looking for didn't live there, but after the initial hesitation Sam agreed to let us in for a few minutes. We met his wife Christina and all of their children. We gathered their names and needs and knelt and I offered the blessing. The Spirit was strong and Christina was in tears. Sam told us after we paused for a moment at the closed of the blessing that it wasn't by coincidence that we came to their house just as they were in the living room together, struggling with the trials of life, waiting for something. We were an answer to their prayers. It is humbling to be an instrument in God's hands to help His children.

 

It's the greatest thing in this world to be guided by the Spirit as we work. I feel like I've noticed it more and more as I've gotten closer to the close of my mission. I'm learning these things to prepare me for the rest of my life. I know this power is real, that God lives, and Jesus Christ is my Savior. This Church is true.

--

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.

98

This week was great! Transfers are here and Elder Stone got called to Idaho to look for his eternal companion :) I am staying in Mighty Manteca with Elder Fullwood as my new companion! You might remember E. Fullwood from a couple transfers ago in El Dorado where we served around each other. He is a Spanish missionary and this is his first transfer as a zone leader. I'm excited!

 

Other than that not a whole lot has happened that's crazy exciting this week. Our former stake president that was just released a few weeks ago was called as a ward missionary in our family ward! Brother Crockett started off strong in his new calling after sacrament meeting by inviting our investigator Sakkhee to the Crockett home to take the lessons. Sakkhee enjoyed church and is really curious about everything. She is from Thailand. Her husband Freeman works for a shipping company and he is traveling for months at a time. They are a great family.

 

This week has been SO HOT!!! And it doesn't look like it's getting any better the next couple days. I feel like this weather is supposed to come in August? Why can't we have 90 degree weather please? Luckily we got our AC fixed in our apartment yesterday so at least we can sleep now without sweating too much :)

--

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.

97

This week was AWESOME! Megan received the gift of the Holy Ghost yesterday in sacrament meeting, and then bore her testimony afterwards. Her story is just incredible. This work is so true!

I just want to bear my testimony of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. When Joseph Smith knelt in that sacred grove of trees in 1820, he saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. They called him to be a prophet and to bring back the true gospel of Christ that had been forgotten, distorted, and lost centuries ago; after the crucifixion of our Savior. We have a prophet today, Thomas S. Monson, and the holy priesthood. I testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and is the Savior and Redeemer of the world. I know that the Book of Mormon is true and that we are led by a modern-day prophet. This message is so sweet.

I loved the world-wide broadcast yesterday of the "Work of Salvation." The Lord is hastening this work! The need to teach the gospel has never been greater. After the broadcast last night my companion and I asked President Lewis if we could extend our missions (sorry family, I love you guys, but I don't want to quit). He told us that Salt Lake tells him "no" before he gets the words out of his mouth to ask them! Oh well, I know that I will continue to see miracles in the great work of member-missionary work in the not distant future. I've realized that this desire is because of the love of the Savior that I feel, and in return want this feeling for every single one of my brothers and sisters. I learned in the "largest zone conference ever" last night that missionaries and members alike, our goal and our purpose is the same:

To invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

This is a spiritual work and it must begin on our knees. We will not fail if we do our best. Always act on the promptings that you receive immediately. The Lord will sanctify our efforts.

I love you all! Love,

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.

96

Wow, this week was incredible. Saturday and Sunday we had Stake Conference and President Crockett and his councilors were released and a new presidency was called. Elder Hallock and Elder Sabin from the Seventy were there to preside and speak. President Crockett actually invited us to join his family, President and Sister Lewis, and Elders Hallock and Sabin for breakfast at his home before the Sunday session. It was so cool to sit with such great leaders of this church and learn from them. I wish I could just tell you everything they told us but I just don't have the time or finger strength. Thank goodness for my mission journal.

After Stake Conference on Sunday we talked with a former investigator, Megan, that attended both sessions. Megan was taught by the missionaries three years ago this July and was prepared to be baptized until she faced opposition from family members who didn't approve of her decision. She moved away for a while but came home. Now she has been coming to church the past few weeks, at first with her friend Shannel Hepworth, who just left on her mission. When we first taught her again she didn't want to commit to baptism, but she felt the promptings of the Spirit yesterday and realized that she just needed to do it! So our district leader interviewed Megan after  conference and she was baptized last night by Bro. Hepworth. What a miracle!

This work is true!

--

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.

95

It's been a good week. On Tuesday we had a mission leaders council and on Thursday we had our zone training meetings. They went great.

Remember Chris Gomm? Well he came again this week and he taught us a finding tool that has been used in his mission. It's called "The Savior's Peace and Blessing." It's a priesthood blessing upon homes and families and it's a powerful way to bring the Spirit. We tell people at the door that we are representatives of Jesus Christ and that He has sent us to leave His peace and blessing in their home. When we are inside with the head of the household and his family, we teach them that this blessing is found in the scriptures such as Matthew 10:11-13 and Alma 10:10-11. We ask for their names and any blessings that they need while we write them down on an index card, as well as any other names that the family would like blessed. We invite them to kneel with us and after the blessing to pause for a few moments and reflect on how we feel.

Before the close of the blessing we bless the family with the ability to recognize truth when they hear and feel it. At the end of the blessing the Spirit is so strong and often times the head of the household is in tears. We help them recognize the Spirit and invite them to act (be baptized, read the Book of Mormon, etc) and teach them a message of the Restoration of the gospel.

The principle is the same as when we recite the First Vision of Joseph Smith: invite when the Spirit is strongest. This is a great way to work with members as well -- it builds trust, helps them invite their friends to learn about the gospel, and feel love for others.

Elder Stone and I are really excited about this. Chris Gomm told us that after his mission began to use the Savior's Peace and Blessing the baptisms increased in their mission. We are using this with our zone and next month we will report to President Lewis on our experience so that we can use it in the mission. This is awesome!

The Church is true!

--

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.

94

I know, it's late in the evening - don't worry I'm not disobedient. The assistant's gave us permission to email late because today we went to Coloma! For their last summer in the mission, President and Sister Lewis take the missionaries up to El Dorado (my last area!) for a tour of Gold Country - where gold was first discovered in California in 1848. Not many people know that the Mormon Battalion was involved in that discovery. Four of us missionaries made the pilgrimage from Manteca this morning to join 20 other departing missionaries in the tour. This picture is of me with President and Sister Lewis at the end of the tour where we went gold panning. Didn't find anything, except for lasting relationships with my mission president and other missionaries. I'd say it was worth it ;)

While we were panning we saw a few paddle and oar boats float by. I felt like I was in my element! I caught whitewater fever really bad.

This week was good. More stuff is going on in our family ward than YSA right now. Dylan and Shannon are currently MIA right now, which is really challenging. I really felt like they felt the power of the Spirit and the gospel when we taught them and when they came to church. Hopefully the seed of faith continues to be nourished in their hearts.

I love you all!

--

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.

93

On Saturday Rebecca Carr was baptized and became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Elder Grow returned from his new area to perform the baptism. It was an amazing service. She had a lot of support from her family and the ward. In the photo on the left is Rebecca's parents and sister, and on the right is her fiance Robert and his parents. They just announced their engagement last week for October! Rebecca's story is that she come to church with various friends in the YSA ward until she met Robert and began dating him. She has sorta "flown under the radar" until a month ago when she came to sacrament meeting and we met her. She said that she was really interested in learning about the church and wanted to be baptized! As we have taught Rebecca it has really struck me how much charity she has. She never judges and always sees people with the love of Christ. She will be a great strength to this ward.

So, my new companion. I love Elder Stone!!! He is amazing. He is just what this area needs. He will be going home this transfer, so I'm probably going to stay here for another one after that. Elder Stone is from Weezer, Idaho, but lived in Arizona before his mission. He's got two older brothers and a twin brother. He is SO much like my best buddy Jed Hazlett. We're like Alma and Amulek! This will be the greatest transfer of my mission!

Love you all.

--

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.

92

This week has been just great. Last Monday during zone sports a guy named Dylan was kinda hanging out around the field where we were playing soccer. We invited him to join us and we played and got to know him a little better. He's had a rough childhood and life is challenging for him right now. He plays semi-pro football in Tracy. We invited Dylan to come to our YSA family home evening that night and he showed up! We taught him the next day about the gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him to be baptized on June 8th. He accepted! Actually, he wants to be baptized sooner than that, but the mission's standard is investigators have to attend sacrament meeting at least three times before baptism and Sunday was Dylan's first time. He loved it! He is so excited for his baptism.

Speaking of baptism, Shannon is incredibly prepared for her date of June 8th as well. In one of our lessons with her this week she showed us some of her notes from her Book of Mormon study and told us how she begins by praying, and then opens the book to a random page and reads. Every time it has been an answer to prayers. The scriptures she read have been like scripture masteries! At FHE last night she asked us if nose rings are not allowed (she has a small stud) and I told her that women are encouraged to only wear one in each ear. She said "Ok! I'll start doing that now." and removed the stud right there. Shannon is amazing.

Oh my goodness I still have so much to tell you.

On Friday Bro. Martinez (from my Jackson ward, remember?) traveled ALL THE WAY from Jackson so have dinner with my companion and I in Manteca. That's a long drive and a huge sacrifice, but I was so happy to see him! He is amazing. I shared with him some of the things I said in my testimony at my last zone conference. This week he will be traveling to Utah to be a part of the bible videos that the Church is doing. He's grown out a big 'ol beard for it too. He will definitely look the part :)

Yesterday Sis. Gomm (from my last area, El Dorado) came and dropped off her son, Elder Chris Gomm to work with us for a few hours. Actually, he's not Elder right now. He was serving in the Charlotte NC mission but tore his meniscus in his knee and came home for 6-12 weeks for surgery. He'll go back out but wants to still do missionary work. Ever since I met Bro. and Sis. Gomm I've wanted to meet their son! We have a lot of similarities (love the outdoors, both Recreation majors, love mtn biking, canyoneering, etc). Chris is an amazing missionary. He taught Shannon and Rebecca and a few other investigators with us yesterday. He be coming back down for the baptisms of Shannon and Dylan and hopefully to work with us a few more times before heading back to NC. We're pretty much best friends already. He is a spiritual giant. The picture is Elder Grow and I with Chris Gomm at the temple this morning. (oh yeah, another cool thing that happened this week. Got to see a bunch of my mission buddies at the temple)

So we got transfer calls last night, and I'm staying in Manteca! Elder Grow is leaving and my new companion's name is Elder Stone! I'm pretty sure he only has one transfer left, but I'll tell you more about him next week.

Rebecca is being baptized this Saturday! We are so excited for her. Her and her boyfriend just told us last night that they are engaged! Crazy.

Sorry it's all over the place but a lot has happened. 'Prolly took you a day and a half to read but I hope it's worth it. Love you all!

PS oh and remember Heston?! Elder Finnerty told me that he's getting married to his girlfriend that he just brought into the church! How cool is that?!

--

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.

91

This week has been awesome! We taught Rebecca the "Big 3" (Word of wisdom, law of chastity, tithing) and she is committed! We are excited for her baptism on the 25th of this month. And we found a miracle investigator this week as well. Her name is Shannon. She is renting a room from one of our member families and we met her about a month ago. On Friday my companion and I felt prompted to visit her. When we knocked on her door she answered and told us that she didn't really have time right then but would like it if we could pray for her. We did, and after that shared a brief message about faith, repentance, and baptism. We set a return appointment for the next day.

The next morning Shannon called us and had to reschedule for later that day but told us that our message really hit home for her the day before. When we went to teach her, she had questions like "How do you get faith?" "How do you repent?" Shannon is really trying to change her life. She told us that the day previous right before we knocked on her door she had just decided to make some difficult changes in her life and was overwhelmed with how she was going to do it. Now she is applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ and striving to live the gospel. This has to be one of the greatest things to witness -- someone changing their life to enjoy the joy and peace of the gospel. Reminds me of Alma 7:11-16. Shannon doesn't have a date yet, but she will be baptized soon.

Yesterday I got to call home! My parents complained that I haven't put any pictures on here for too long, so here you go:

This is me and my companion, Elder Grow, right after zone sports today. Elder Grow and I bought water balloons and spent the morning filling ~250 of them up and right in the middle of playing soccer with our zone we ran and pelted our missionaries with them! It was hilarious. So yeah, that's why I'm a little wet in the picture :)

It was so good to talk with my family yesterday! My companion and I were eating dinner with one of our families with a son on a mission and they said something that really made me think. The said that they hope that when their son comes home from his mission that he notices a difference in them. They don't want to be the same people that he left a year and a half ago. I've always thought about that the other way around, that I want to be the one that others notice a change in. But as I spoke with my parents and my siblings I really could notice a difference, in every good way -- testimony, commitment, and conversion. I sure love them.

I know the Church is true!

--

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.

90

This week has been great! I'll just tell you briefly the coolest stuff that happened:

 

We taught a new investigator name Rebecca on Tuesday. She is dating someone in the YSA ward and came to church last week and that's where we first met her. Rebecca LOVES the church. She accepts it wholeheartedly. Her favorite part is that we have a modern prophet. She told us that it doesn't make sense that God loves all of his children; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever; and that He wouldn't have a prophet today. She got up and bore her testimony in sacrament meeting yesterday and she invited everyone to her baptism on June 1st. We are so happy for her. It is the coolest thing in the world to be able to teach someone like Rebecca. I hope that no member ever withholds a teaching opportunity from the missionaries in their ward.

 

Yesterday Elder Grow and I taught another new investigator named Alexis. She is friends with the Hunters, a member family in the Lathrop family ward. We taught Lexi first last week, but it was part of a plan of salvation lesson that we taught and focused on Jacob, a different investigator. We felt like we talked too much, we didn't listen, and Lexi didn't feel comfortable enough to ask questions, but apparently after we left she told her friend Claudia that we answered a ton of her questions she had about the afterlife. She asked her Christian parents about how they felt about her going to church with the Hunters and if she could be baptized. We were so excited when we heard that! So last night we taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and read Alma 7:11-16 with them. The Spirit was strong and we invited her to be baptized on June 1st! She accepted.

 

The church is true my friends. Love you all. Love,

--

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.

89

My mom in her email today told me that I need to put more pictures on here. I love Manteca, but there really is nothing to take pictures of. Just houses, fields, and roads. I'll try to be creative this week :)

This week was good. We added many people to our teaching pool! And we found a miracle investigator that showed up to the YSA ward yesterday! Her name is Rebecca and she is dating Robert, a member. She said that she was raised Catholic, but she has found that her beliefs are more aligned with what we believe. Rebecca is willing to exercise her faith and interested in being baptized. We are teaching her the first lesson tomorrow. We are so excited for Rebecca.

On Thursday I went on exchanges with Elder McLaws, one of our district leaders. It's been really cool to serve around more and more of the members of my MTC district. Elder Dahl is one of our assistants, and in my last zone Elder Mangum was a district leader. Eight of the original ten of us are in leadership. We have such an awesome group. And my companion actually entered the MTC the same date that we did, but he's a Spanish missionary so he stayed another 6 weeks after we left.

On Friday our zone had interviews with President and Sister Lewis. I love them. President Lewis is an amazing scriptorian and every time I study with him I learn something new. I told him today in my letter that I wish I could just do companion study with him every morning! He understands the principles and doctrines of the gospel more than I can ever hope to.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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88

This week was good. Not much to report on, so this will be short. Elder Grow and I have been biking a lot this week. It feels good to be back in the saddle again. Biking is so much more effective because we're able to talk with everybody we see. Plus, it helps us save miles on our car. Elder Grow is a fast rider! On Tuesday it was really really really windy.

In sacrament meeting in our family ward our high counselor over missionary work spoke. He is awesome! One of his quotes that I liked was, "If it's true, what does it mean to you, and what are you going to do?"  It reminded me of something that President Lewis told me in a companionship study with him was the three keys to conversion: know, feel, and do. We must know and understand a true principle, feel the Spirit witness to us of it's truthfulness, and act accordingly. Most of the times we have to act on that principle before we gain a testimony of it, such as reading the Book of Mormon to know if it's true, praying to know if God exists, and not drinking coffee to know if the Word of Wisdom is a commandment from God.

I love you all! Make it a great week. 

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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87

This week was good. My new companion's name is Elder Grow. He grew up in Prescott, AZ, but now his family lives in Utah. He's great. Our zone has 20 missionaries! Almost half of those are sisters. They call us the Relief Society of the mission. We have five new missionaries in our zone. Elder Grow and I serve in the Lathrop family ward and the Yosemite YSA ward.

Yesterday we had a baptism! Her name is Hillary Pine. She is dating a member of the YSA ward and she asked to come to church with him. She took the lessons and accepted the invitation to be baptized. The baptism went well, but it was a little stressful at first. Apparently a ward in that building took all the baptism clothing for a youth temple trip, so WE COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING THAT WOULD FIT Hillary. Luckily she brought her own backup white clothing, so we were safe. Besides that there were a few things we could've improved on, but it went well.

Here's another miracle from this week: Yesterday in church Sis. Dees and Smith called us and asked us to come and interview one of their investigators RIGHT NOW. We came and I interviewed Nathan McGuire for baptism. He has attended church for 12 years with his wife and three children. On Saturday his 8-year old daughter was baptized, and he felt the Spirit powerfully there. He realized that he has been ignoring answers to his prayers all these years and that he needs to act now. He woke up Sunday morning and asked his wife how she would feel if he got baptized. Sis. McGuire was surprised but overwhelmed with happiness! Nathan told her that he wanted to be baptized that night. They told the sister missionaries in church and almost the entire ward came to witness his baptism last night. Elder Grow and I came to drop off the baptism record during the service. There wasn't enough room in the font room for everyone so they held it in the chapel.

I felt the Spirit so strongly there. This is eternal family. This is true happiness. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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86

Sorry but this is going to be a short one. Transfer calls came and I'm outa here. I was really praying and fasting that Elder Finnerty and I would stay for a third transfer together and we even talked it up with the assistants, but it didn't happen. I guess that I need another place to learn. I'm going to the bottom of the mission, in Manteca zone to serve with Elder Grow. I'm excited because he's a spanish missionary so I will be able to practice my spanish with him. But I'm afraid that it won't get any better than this -- this has been the greatest time of my mission. Elder Finnerty is my best friend.

General Conference was this week! I loved it. It was just so great. My favorite talk was Elder Holland's about faith. Elder Holland's brother lives in our ward and we had dinner with him and his wife last week. We asked if they knew what Elder Holland was going to speak about, but they just told us that the only thing they could know was that he was speaking in the Sunday afternoon session. But anyways, I LOVED Elder Holland's address! "Fan the flame of faith!" He told us a similar message when he came to our mission over a year ago. "Keep the flame of faith alive!"

I'm exceedingly sorrowful to be leaving El Dorado. This feels like home! But that's just the way life goes. Love you all!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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85

Four precious souls entered the waters of baptism this Saturday! From left, Cortney Lindeque and her daughter Riley, Michelle and Jon Bius with their daughters Alyiva and Emily, and Cassandra Durante and her daughter Willow. These are such special people. I can only express what I feel from the scripture in Doctrine and Covenants, section nineteen:

"Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God;... And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me! Behold, you have my gospel before you, and my rock, and my salvation.... And as many as repent and are baptized in my name, which is Jesus Christ, and endure to the end, the same shall be saved."

These are the beginnings of eternal families. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ, and what happiness it brings! This is the Lord's work, and I am so happy to be a part of it. I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ. I bear testimony that He lives and that He loves us.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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84

Sis. Loli (AUS), E. Russell (UT), Sis. Hale (TX), Elder Knotts (UT), Sis. Burchette (TX), E. Gaskill (CO), E. Haag (UT), E. Andrew, E. Seaman (TN), Sis. Solomon (UT), E. Ashdown (UT), E. Parrish (ID) and kneeling E. Finnerty (UT), E. Morley (UT) and Sis. Breuer (GER).

What a big week. I start off by telling you about our P-day last Monday. The sisters organized a trip for our zone to Ice House Lake in the mountains. The Gomms and another member took  for all of us to fit in and we had lunch and hung out at the lake and hiked around. There was still a little snow but the weather was perfect. Only one companionship from the zone couldn't come with us. We thought about taking this picture and putting on it, "El Dorado Zone -- South Lake Tahoe" and sending it to President (Lake Tahoe is out of our mission). Haha!

On Wednesday President Lewis came to our place and joined us for companion study and then went out teaching with us. The last time I went out with President Lewis was when I was being trained and it was an awesome experience. Thursday was the same. We had a study about faith and I learned something interesting. He said, "The Lord is intent on our growth." Maybe if we broke the "highwater mark" (which is 12 baptisms in a month in this zone) we wouldn't learn what God wants us to learn. I try to learn everything I can from both good and bad experiences.

On Saturday we attended a regional YSA fireside with Elder Dallin H. Oaks. Before the fireside started Elder Finnerty and I saw Elder Oaks in the hall before he went into a bishops office. We waited there until he came out 20 minutes later and said to a group of priesthood holders (who were his security), "I want to shake some hands. I'll start with the elders here." He asked us where we were from and after we told him he smiled and make a comment about "good Utah boys." As I met him it struck me how humble he is. Elder Oaks is a Apostle! But he doesn't seem to have an ounce of pride in him. In his address he also talked about faith. "Trust is a synonym for faith. Trust in the time of the Lord. Don't ask yourself 'What am I doing wrong?' Ask yourself, 'What more can I do that is right?' We must ask the Lord for help to do what He wants us to do." At the end of Elder Oaks talk, he bore the simplest, most powerful testimony of the Savior. I know that the prophet and apostles that lead this church are true.

Next weekend four people in the Placerville ward are committed to be baptized! Jon and Michelle Bius, Cassandra Durante, and Cortney Lindeque. I am so happy! This will be such a special day for them and for us and the ward. I know that the Lord sends His prepared people to His prepared servants. Elder Finnerty and I asked President Lewis to attend and he is planning on it. This will be the most memorable Easter of my life.

And now we have General Conference in two weeks! YAY!!!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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83

This week was pretty awesome. On Saturday we went with the Bius family and Cassandra and Matthew to the Sacramento Temple for a temple tour. Bro. and Sis. Boyce from the Folsom Stake put it on every Saturday. We started in the Mormon Center and watched Elder Holland and President Eyring talk about temples and the short video "The Restoration." After that we walked around the temple as the Boyce's talked about some of the rooms that we were standing outside of and the ordinances performed there. Sis. Boyce bore powerful testimony of temple sealings and I think the Bius family paid close attention then.

The day before the temple tour Elder Finnerty and I taught and invited the Bius's to pray about baptism on the 30th of March. They have been prepared by the hand of God! Both John and Michelle have Catholic backgrounds but have been questioning with all of the recent changes in the church. The first time I met the Bius family it seemed like they were already Mormons! They have the best family values, John is a hard worker, Michelle cans and does food storage... they just seem to do everything in the "mormon culture." Anyways, they are so awesome. In church yesterday they told us that they have decided that they want to be baptized Easter weekend!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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82

This week was awesome!!! It was so great. I'll just tell you a couple of the highlights:

We added four new investigators. Two of our investigators have baptism dates for March 30th, Cortney and Cassandra. They are so SOLID. Cortney was the one that just walked into church last Sunday with her little daughter. She had been to church and taught by the missionaries three years ago but her husband wasn't so keen about it so she left it for a while. They moved to Florida and now she just recently divorced him and came back to the church because of the Spirit she felt the first time. We found Cassandra when one of our members had us come over and give her a blessing. She has such an appetite for learning the gospel. This week when we have come to teach her she has had a new friend over to hear the lesson with us every time! One of them, Tonya, sat in for the first time while we taught the Word of Wisdom to Cassandra and her other friend Matthew. We weren't sure how well Tonya would take the Word of Wisdom for a first lesson, but since then she told us that she has been searching for something more in her life and she really wants to learn more. Wow.

Ok, so those were just a few of the miracles this week. A few more: we had EIGHT investigators to church! In our Placerville ward Elder Finnerty and I blew our weekly goals for lessons out of the water. As a mission we hit new highs for many key indicators. This is big. I feel like Elder Finnerty and I are seeing a confirmation of our faith. The last couple weeks have been the trials of our faith, but the Lord has seen fit to bless us with much success. (Ether 12:6)

And of course the best part of our week was the baptism of Heston Schmucker. He has turned his life a complete 180 and has waited for a long time for this day. It was such a good baptism. Before he stepped down into the font, he said, "Cannonball!" Everyone laughed. Can't say I've ever heard that one from an investigator :) After his baptism he bore his testimony and I wish I had the time and the finger strength to type it all down but it was the sweetest purest testimony ever. I just love Heston.

This is the greatest time of my mission! I love the work, I love my companion, I love the scriptures, I love the Spirit, and I love the Lord.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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81

This week was great. I don't have a whole lot to report on, so I'll tell you about how Elder Finnerty and I have been trying to live the gospel of Jesus Christ daily by exercising our faith. We feel a need to increase our faith and so we do everything in our power to show the Lord that He can trust us with His work. Yesterday we fasted to increase our faith and that we could know God's will. An answer came yesterday in the Single's ward CES fireside broadcast by Elder David A. Bednar. He spoke about priesthood blessings and what faith's role is. Elder Bednar told a story of a new husband that went through cancer treatments and asked for a blessing. Him and his new wife had the faith to be healed, but before Elder Bednar gave the blessing, he felt inspired to ask them, "Do you have the faith not to be healed?" The Lord's power will not work if it is not in accordance to His will. We have to have complete trust in Him, and know that whatever happens it's all His plan.

Anyways, here's a cool picture outside our window from last week's snowstorm. Love you all!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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80

This week was wonderful! But I really need to keep this short. On Wednesday it snowed about 3-4 inches, and Elder Finnerty and I drove around in our 4x4 pickup in service clothes with snow shovels to shovel investigator's drives and help people on the side of the road (some Californian drivers don't know what to do in the snow; direct quote from a man in middle of the road, "I'm not going to move anywhere! I'm just going to call Triple A." Boy was Triple A busy that day).

On Thursday Elder Finnerty and I had dinner with Tag and Kathryn George! Kathryn is Karen (Peterson) Neilson's sister! Tag and Kathryn met while working at World Wide and now they live in Pollock Pines. Tag works for the Sacramento Fire Dept. and they have three great boys. Karen called just as we finished dinner and it was weird to hear her on the voice machine. Crazy.

We had our transfer calls last night and both of us are staying. I think this is the happiest I've ever been to stay with my companion. I am really happy with how well Elder Finnerty and I work together. It's not like any other time on my mission. We are so unified in the work, and that's what matters.

Time is short! I love you all!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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79

We had ups and downs this week. Our up was the baptism of Lauren Lewis!!! It was the best/most spiritual baptism ever! We held it after YSA ward in the church building right next to the temple (remember, where my first baptisms, Jody and Erik were held). Lauren was so excited and the baptism was WELL attended. A few non-members were there including her very catholic father and his fiance, and they felt the Spirit. Lauren is incredible.

Our downs were we weren't able to meet with our current investigators because of illness, school, work... it's been tough. Opposition ALWAYS comes! These are people who have accepted baptism dates and just got "lulled away" and caught up with the busy-ness of life. We will be working harder this week to oppose Satan and his work.

I feel like one of the reasons we have had so much opposition is because Elder Finnerty and I are really seeking to exercise our faith. We follow Preach My Gospel the best we can and we pray constantly. We follow the Spirit and we fast often. I've learned a lot these few weeks and hope to see the fruits of our faith.

Well, P-day's almost up. Love you!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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'nother picture.

I asked my companion to get a picture of old main Placerville as we drove through this morning. It's pretty historic. A couple pdays ago we checked out some of the stores and shops around. It's a joke we have that you will always see at least one old guy with a beard walking down the main strip in "Old Hangtown." I don't think the gold prospectors ever moved on after the gold rush. Either that or we're just seeing ghosts. I believe the running total of beard sightings in one drive is five. Who knows, that might be me someday.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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78

My companion and I just got back from slacklining. We did our studies, cleaned our room and bathroom, and shopped before we met with the zone at the stake center for sports. We played volleyball and basketball and then Elder Finnerty and I found a grassy area under some oak trees to set up a line. We borrowed a Gibbon slackline from Br. Nuttal, a councilor in the YSA ward. Elder Finnerty is HOOKED. He says he's going to get one after the mission. The picture is of Elder Morley from SLC, slackin' from proselytin'.

On Saturday I went on exchange with Elder Gaskill from Colorado Springs into Spanish work. He's been on his mission for about a year. He is an amazing missionary. As he taught in Spanish I could understand mostly what he was saying and the investigators were saying, but I really couldn't put together the little words I know into phrases. As I listened to Elder Gaskill teach and testify of the Restoration of the gospel with his own conviction, I could feel the Spirit powerfully and I knew that the people we taught felt the Spirit.

Lauren is set to be baptized next weekend!!! She asked me to baptize her :) I am honored, and so happy.

Yesterday was good. Ashley came to Placerville ward. Elder Finnerty and I had a meeting with Stake President Weston (who has been a mission president and also was in our mission presidency when I came into the mission) and a few high councilors. In the YSA ward Lauren's baptism was announced, Stryder came to church, Kurt and Ian blessed the sacrament, and Bryce brought his friend Jason.

Life is good!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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77

This week was great! We started it off well with FHE with the Single's ward Monday night. We learned about CPR and first aid. It was good refresher. When we teach investigators about how to know if this church is true we relate it to CPR. C-hurch, P-ray, R-ead. Experience the gospel by coming to church, praying to know if it's true, and reading the Book of Mormon. It will save our souls from death!

 

Each day this week has been very fulfilling. We have had appointments with investigators that have been great lessons and we have been staying very busy. On Friday Elder Finnerty and I went to Sacramento for zone leader council with President Lewis, the Assistants, and all the other zone leaders in the mission. I love that meeting. We talk about how the mission is doing on our baptismal goals and we report how our zones are doing to reach our zone goals. We discuss issues and how to solve them and we receive training to present to our missionaries. I love being a part of the leadership in the mission. Tomorrow we Elder Finnerty and I will train our zone on exact obedience. I am excited.

 

We had stake conference yesterday with a broadcast from SLC to all of Northern California. Elder L. Tom Perry spoke to us about how the work is hastening with many new missionaries joining us in the field. This is true. I have seen how the Lord is changing hearts and preparing them to harken to the gospel. He directly promised us that we will experience joy and peace as we share the gospel with others. I feel it and I add my testimony.

 

Yesterday was my birthday too! It was so great. My family sent a box with goodies in it. Thanks guys :)

 

Today my companion and another missionary are going to play frisbee golf and slackline with a few YSAs. Love you all!

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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76

This week has been awesome! I LOVE Elder Finnerty. He is from Draper, Utah. He has been out for just under a year, same as a favorite previous companion E. Gurr. We are hard working and exactly obedient. We love the work and set goals and make plans for our area. In our zone they split an area and sent four new sisters to be trained by two experienced sister missionaries, Sis. Loli and Sis. Solomon. The work is hastening!

Elder Finnerty and I live with a member family in the Placerville ward, the Morris's. Br. and Sis. Morris have one 16yo son at home and one son on a mission in Brazil. They have older kids too. We live in their guest bedroom and have a bathroom and share their kitchen. We have access to their weight set downstairs and we get up early and run every morning too. I love it! It's kinda like living back at home with your mom and dad. The only thing that's hard about it is we have very little cell phone coverage there, so we have to make all our calls to the zone and APs through the Morris's landline. We love the Morris's.

On Saturday we went on a 24hr exchange with our APs Elder Haufano and Smith. I went with E. Haufano in the valley. They serve in the Carmichael Stake, and that night the stake had an activity. Well guess who is in the California Carmichael Stake?! More of my cousins! This time they're from my mom's side. The man to my right in the picture is my great uncle Brent Hale (my grandma's brother) and two of his sons. On my left are Halls and Harrisons. So cool! I love family.

On Sunday Elder Finnerty and I were blessed. We had 4 investigators come to the YSA ward and 2 to the Placerville ward. Lauren made a huge sacrifice to come. Many of her friends at work have noticed a change in Lauren and don't approve of her becoming a member of the church. They complain that she doesn't drink and hang out with them anymore. They told her that if she came to church yesterday they would not be friends with her. Lauren was SO close to not coming, but she knows that it's true. Church was an answer to her prayers. I am so glad that Lauren is becoming truly converted. She is amazing, and we appreciate her.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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75

Transfers are here and Elder Christensen is going home to Moroni, Utah. I'm staying in El Dorado and I'll be with Elder Finnerty! I don't know him very well, but he seems like a great missionary. This transfer is going to be great! We are still teaching Lauren in the YSA ward and we switched our family wards -- we were in Diamond Springs ward and now we'll be in Placerville ward.

The week has been good. We've done a lot of service, I think Elder Christensen has been preparing for work back on the ranch. His family has a turkey ranch and he'll be jumping right back into cowboy-ing when he gets home.

This is a picture with my distant cousins the Andrews. The guy on the left is Br. Taylor Andrew, descended from Reed Andrew.

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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74

This week has been great. We have been teaching Lauren, the investigator that attended church for six months in WY. She has chosen a baptism date for Feb. 17th! We are very happy for her and she is really excited. She's amazing.

One dinner we had this week was with the Miles family. They had a son and his family from a previous marriage eating with us, and his name is Taylor Andrew! I pulled out my pedigree chart from my scriptures and traced our common ancestor. His grandpa Reed Andrew is my great-grandpa Clyde Andrew's brother! So that makes us third cousins once removed or something. How cool is that!? So we were talking and we found out that Bro. Andrew's wife is a descendant of Randolph Hockaday Stewart! So we're all related. Bro. Taylor and his wife are both teachers, and they have three kids. I got a picture with them, but I forgot my camera today, so I'll send one next week. Anyways, super cool.

On Saturday I got to travel down to Stockton for the baptism of Madisen Lemon! In case you don't remember her story she is the daughter of a former less-active member, who just returned to the church a year ago. Sis. Lemon began taking her three kids to church -- Madisen, Jacob, and Taylor. At first Sis. Lemon's husband, Mike, was completely against it because of a bad experience with the church in the past; and when we would come over to teach the family he would go out in the garage and work on a car or something. He gave us a pretty hard time. He warmed up when Elder Gurr and I went over for dinner one night, but he still didn't want to come to church or stick around for a spiritual thought. When I left the area only Jacob had been baptized. Taylor was baptized in December. Finally something changed and Mike was baptized the day before Madisen! My companions Elder Gurr and my son Elder Brook where there with all the other missionaries that have taught the Lemon family before they were baptized. That whole family is amazing. I love them.

Well, it's getting pretty cold out here and I'm grateful for longjohns. Also, this month Elder Christensen and I have been trying to not eat any sugar and very little carbs. Do you know how hard it is for a missionary in the States to do that?! When we call our dinner appts. we tell them we don't want desert and usually they don't take it too hard. We feel better after dinner and then we visit an investigator or less-active member and guess what? they have cookies to feed us, or brownies, or pie, or cake and they send us home with extras. Ughhh! We've been dropping off goodies at other missionaries apartments or just throwing it away. I've tried to check off every day that I haven't eaten any sugar and I haven't even made a day. I think it's a lot harder with the holidays and everything. So, just a tip for when the missionaries knock on your door or you have them over for dinner, give them a healthy snack or something like a salad :)

I love you all! See ya.

--

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.

73

This week was great! On Wednesday all the zone leaders in the mission gathered for zone leaders council with the APs and President and Sister Lewis. It's pretty cool to be a part of the goal setting for the mission and talk about issues and things we need to change. We're really trying to "slay the slang." Using inappropriate terms and language detracts from our image and effectiveness as missionaries. I thought I didn't have a problem with slang until this week. I've been working to cut out "dude," "man," "buddy," "bro," "awesome," "nuts," "pana (buddy in Spanish)," "darn," "guys," "freaking," and other casual terms. It's hard!

The next day we had zone training with our zone. Elder Christensen and I used to the material that we received from zone leaders council to teach our missionaries. We hope that it had a good influence and built our missionaries up.

After zone training I went on exchange with one of our Spanish missionaries. His name is Elder Fullwood from TX. He's great. I practiced my prayers and testimony in Spanish. I wish I had more time to learn! It's a challenge to find Latino people in this part of California, and this companionship comes up with creative ways to find them. Looking in the phonebook for spanish names, looking for hints like a mop outside the front door, Mexican music playing, brown children playing outside... They're pretty good.



And the highlight of this week was Ian's baptism! It was so great. His parents came and two recent convert friends from Oakland he had a lot of support from the YSA ward. Our ward mission leader Logan baptized him. On Sunday he asked me to confirm him. Ian is incredible. Both him and Kurt are working toward receiving the Aaronic Priesthood. I really want to see both of them on missions. They are amazing. I love you all! Love,

Elder Andrew

--

Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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72

Happy New Year! Kurt was baptized this weekend. This is my companion and I and his mom with Kurt. The baptism was awesome... there was a lot of support for Kurt. This week before his baptism Kurt has had a lot of opposition, especially from a pastor friend that baptized Kurt into his church a while ago. He told Kurt anti-mormon information. We had a good lesson with Kurt before he had to see him again. I know when someone comes at me with a load of anti crap, even if it's all a ton of lies, I feel deflated and lousy. I'm sure it's even harder for someone who hasn't even been baptized yet! We helped Kurt focus on his testimony; what he knows by the Holy Ghost. In the end that's all that matters -- if you have helped your investigator understand the fundamentals, revelation through reading the Book of Mormon, praying, and coming to church, then they WILL receive an answer to their prayers, and that is the beginning of true conversion. You can't know the church is true just because you like the people in your ward or the doctrine logically makes sense. Those should help, but ultimately your testimony will be from the Holy Ghost.

Ian came to Kurt's baptism, and his baptism is scheduled for this Saturday.

My Christmas call home was great. It always seems to come at the perfect time -- just when I feel like it's been forever (about six months) since I've talked with my family, Christmas or Mother's Day rolls around. Everybody seems to be doing great; Joseph's voice is deeper and Olivia's growing up. I sure miss them!

In our YSA ward at church we had a miracle. A member brought someone he had just met that moved from Wyoming. Her name is Lauren. She has gone to church for six months in Wyoming and want to learn from the missionaries. We have an appt. with her tomorrow!

My companion is so funny. He talks in his sleep, and I can hold a conversation with him. At 10:52 last night he said out of the blue: "There doesn't seem to be very many people here. Where is everybody?"
"I don't know, where are they?"
"I have no idea."
"Where are we?"
"I have no idea."
"What are we doing?"
"I have no idea."

I was trying to get some better details of his dream, but I guess E. Christensen really doesn't know :)


--

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.