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

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Elder Chris Andrew

California Sacramento Mission

8267 Deseret Ave

Fair Oaks, CA 95628

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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

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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.