Another week has gone by in
For the past two weeks our apartment was being renovated by Bru. Haid, a member in our ward who has his own renovation business. He and his wife have a friend from
Hope all is well back home. I continue to pray for you individually, that your concerns and needs will be taken care of. Trust in the Lord, and all will be well.
Love,
-Andy
April 27, 2009
First of all, thank you for your prayers. I felt them, and they definitely worked. It was a great week with lots of success. Elder Hartmann and I have really tried to do our part to get rid of some of the bad habits of this area and make it more successful, and it's paid off. Herr Labuda is feeling much better about things now. We had a great joint-teach with him and our Branch President. He worked with Herr Labuda on figuring out a way where he could pay tithing and feel more secure about it. At the end of the appointment there was a great spirit and I could tell Herr Labuda felt very good about everything. I feel very confident that he will be baptized soon enough and remain a stalwart member.
We also have a new investigator family. They're Russian and don’t speak German very well, but they have a 13 year old daughter that speaks pretty well and translates for us. Unfortunately I won't be able to meet with them and see their progress because guess what... I'm being transferred! I leave for Shweinfurt (all I know is that its north of
Every Sunday morning at the end of the transfer, the missionaries get their transfer calls. If you get a call from the A.P.'s, one of you will be transferred. If you get a call from President Condie, one of you will be an A.P., a zone leader, or a mission secretary. If you get don't get a call, you stay together in your same area for another transfer. Anyway, all last week I was terrified that Elder Hartmann would be transferred and the weight of this area would be on my weak, inexperienced shoulders. Yesterday morning was the usual routine, at least for about a half hour. Elder Hartmann's alarm went off at
Well the minutes Dragged on, and just as I was starting to feel comfortable and think that we wouldn't get a call, I heard the faint buzzing of our cell phone in the other room. Hear it comes I thought. So I answered with a shaky "just got out of bed" voice and it was Elder Van Wagnen, one of the A.P.'s. "Elder Andersen," he said, "You're needed somewhere else." God had answered my prayer, just not in the way I expected. Elder Hartmann would be staying in Kaufbeuren, but I would be leaving! Gotta admit I was pretty shocked all yesterday. I didn't think for a second that I would be transferred. But so it is that God doesn't answer our prayers solely based on our desires and limited vision, but also on What he knows is best for us and for those we serve, and with his all-seeing eye. I would be kidding myself if I didn't admit that I was a little bummed and scared for many reasons. I was just starting to really build relationships with the members in this area, and I was just starting to feel like I really was getting into the swing of things here. And It’s been such a great blessing to have a companion that I get along with so well and have such good times with. It’s always scary to venture into the unknown but It’s comforting when I know that it is divinely inspired. I’m grateful for the great time I've had in my first transfer and know that God will send me where he needs me and bless me for my service in this next transfer, and for the rest of my mission.
Another side note: Elder Hartmann's new companion is Elder Ray, who was in my group and a good buddy of mine in the MTC. The guy's a stud and I know he's going to do some great work here.
I love you all and pray for you every day. I thank you again for your prayers. They keep me going and bless my work here. 'till next time!
-Andy
May 3, 2010
Unbelievable that this will be the last full week of the transfer. Next Sunday we will be getting transfer calls. Its a pretty sure thing that Elder Sanchez will be leaving and I'll be staying. The chances of me going to the
Before I inform you of anything that happened this week, I have to share with you an amazing experience I had last week that I forgot to write about. I guess I'll start here...In Schweinfurt there is a wonderful family in the ward, the Heilein's. They are the strongest members I know, but the thing is, they aren't even actual members, or at least haven't been for quite some time. Twelve years ago, Sister Heilein and her children were introduced to the Gospel by a senior couple. Sister Heilein was very quickly converted, but her husband didn't want anything to do with the church and for the past twelve years has refused to let Sister Heilein or their three wonderful children be baptized. About a month ago, however, Ann-Kathrin, the oldest daughter, turned 18 and, as she had been planning on doing for years, was baptized. Apparently, the family wasn't even sure if their Dad was going to come, but he did, and after the baptism Sister Heilein asked him, "Well, did you feel anything?" He hesitantly answered, "Yes, I felt something." and a few weeks later gave permission for his wife to be baptized. Fortunately, I had the rare privelage of attending Sister Heilein's baptism last Saturday. The couple that had taught them twelve years ago returned and the brother actually was able to perform the baptism. I'm so grateful that I was able to witness one of THE miracle stories of this mission. When I was in
We also had the rare privelage of a visit from a general authority to our mission this week. Elder Couse´ of the seventy came to our mission for a mission tour and, as any good representative of the Lord would, gave us some great council that will really help our mission. He introduced to us a new way of giving a first lesson, and actually used Elder Sanchez and I for an example. He had us come up and tell him about an investigator we were planning on giving a first lesson to soon. Naturally, we chose Belma. He then proceeded to give us a new kind of first lesson that would help us to more effectively prepare the investigator to meet with us regularly and commit to baptism. As we went through the activity I kept thinking to myself, This is exactly what Belma needs. I look forward to meeting with her this week and trying out this new "first lesson" which I think will prepare her very well to be thinking about baptism. After the meeting I went up to Elder Couse´ and thanked him for showing us this tool that would help our investigator so much, and he asked me to email him and let him know of the results. Me and my big mouth :(
I hope all is well back home and I can't wait to see you and talk to you on Sunday! 'till then, stay classy!
Love,
-Andy
How great it was to once again hear your voices and see your faces last night. It was great to talk to you as if time had not ever past. Its been interesting on my mission to note that, although we've been apart for almost a year and a half, I feel closer to you than ever before.
Just to quickly update for everyone else who reads this email, I've been transferred back to
These six weeks in
Tonight will be our last meeting with Martins before Elder Sanchez and I both leave to our new areas. We'll try setting a baptismal date with him and then we'll be handing him over to Elder Bailey and his new comp. Elder Ellis. Bailey's a stellar missionary and I feel really good about him being the one to prepare Martins for baptism. As of yet, we're not quite sure if we'll be able to see Belma before we leave, but my worry for her is calming. I know that the Lord is with her and is preparing her to receive the gospel. Sometimes as a missionary you get frustrated when people don't just accept what's in front of them right then and there and have to take a step back and remember that many people need years and sometimes a lifetime to be fully ready to accept the gospel.
As always, you are all in my prayers. Love you and have a great week!
-Andy
Last Thursday I officially arrived in
It’s been nice to enjoy the
I received a very warm welcome from the ward on Sunday, from old and new faces alike. It was great to go to Church on the first Sunday of a new transfer and feel like I was coming home rather than entering mysterious waters. I'll never forget the warm spirit I felt the very first time I attended church in
I'm hoping we can get some solid work done this week...that we can help a lot of people. It's been awhile since I've really been able to sink my teeth into the work, and I want to get back into the mix ASAP so I don't fizzle out in the last eight months of my mission (fetch, I'm getting old). Maybe that's why I've been sent back here...to get a boost of the right kind of motivation to lose myself in the work again.
Love you all and pray for you always. Have a great week!
-Andy
May 24, 1010
We had a nice week here in
At Zone Conference on Tuesday, President Condie very upfront and honestly informed us that almost all of us would be staying in the zone for the change to the
The weather here in
Hope the weather back home is as good as it is here, and I wish you all a wonderful week.
Keep on truckin'!
your pal,
-Andy
I think I'm gonna go nuts if this weather doesn't let up. It's already almost June and we've had next to nothing but cloudy skies and solid rain fall. Luckily I get to endure all of this gloomy weather in
Our one investigator that we happen to be working with at the moment is Herr Ledermann, an investigator that has been investigating the church since I was here. It's been slightly frustrating to see the incredible lack of progress in him over the past year since I last met with him. This man has been a dedicated Deacon in the Catholic Church for many, many years. Almost years ago, he grew a testimony of the Book of Mormon, and Joseph Smith, but because of his deep roots in Catholicism, has not been able to let go and decide to join the church, and has for the past year been wallowing in justifications of having the testimony that he has, and still remaining in the catholic church. I would never pretend that he leaving the Catholic church wouldn't be a big sacrifice, because it would...a bigger sacrifice than I have ever even come close to making in my life. But despite of all that, it is still painful to watch this great man, a man whom Sister Koralewski had a vision of officiating in the temple, run into this big wall over and over again, when the blessings of being baptized into the Lord's church are right in front of him. After almost hours of discussing and sweating over what we should do with this investigator to help him, Elder Schwitters and I both came to the conclusion that the best way we could help him is by giving him a sink or swim situation. For too long the Missionaries here have, for lack of a better term, babied Herr Ledermann, and that hasn't helped him to make any progress at all. In my view, there are only two churches on the earth that can possibly be the true Church...Us and the Catholics...Why?...because we are the only two churches, at least the only two churches I know of, that claim priesthood authority. Now is the time for Herr Ledermann to choose. The time for middle ground is over. Until this Friday when we meet with him, my prayers will be focused on him and his openness to accept what we present to him, and as always, your prayers on his behalf will be most helpful.
Love you all. Take care and have a great week!
-Andy
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