Learning to Teach by the Spirit - September 28, 2009

Hello family,

  So I cant wait to get pics from you that will be great! While you are sending those will you please send me one of the whole family? I have one of the siblings and you and dad and the kids but not the whole family.

So tell me more about your seminary class and dads too. I understand what you mean by too much to teach that is how I feel every time we teach someone in the t.a. (teaching appointment) this last one we had was great! We were able to teach this guy. We were suppose to teach lesson two but he had a friend over and so he didn't hear the first lesson and the other guy Joseph had some questions. So we answered some of Joseph's questions and told his friend Scott a simple version. Then we asked Joseph to pray about it right there so he did and he started crying and then we all started to cry and me and my companion testified. It was such a great experience. He was a member just acting as a non-member but it is amazing how strong the spirit can be even during a lesson like that. You truely can teach everyone even those who already know! It was great!

We go to a t.a. each week and we have to do something in tagalog and that part always scares me I never feel prepared and one of my companion Sis. Betts always talks and I dont feel like I can talk as much but its okay I just keep working hard knowing the Lord will help me when I need it.

So I want to see pics from Savannah's birthday I'm going to send her a card. Will you please send me a list of birthdays so I dont forget. Thank you!

Having the General Authorities come is so amazing! I would love it and if Elder Bednar came it would be good. I saw him and byui.

So the zone is amazing.

Our District

 A coordinating sister just works with the zone leaders so the sisters know whats going on and all that. Our zone leaders Elders Staples and Taylor are so great! I will send you a pic and tell you who they are.

Zone Leaders Elder Staples and Elder Taylor

 I just ordered pics so I should be sending them soon.

I hope you get my text back everytime you look at your watch too. haha.

You should pass out pass along cards to everyone! That would be great it is so easy to just tell people that Jesus Christ loves them and they can have happiness in this life and return to live with him again! Or that families can beforever through the Church of Jesus Christ! I love it!

So I am writing Jolene and I wrote my testimony to her and I'm going to send her a Book of Mormon. I just need her address so can you send that to me asap please! Thank you!

So did I tell you that Bro. Murray is gone? I cant remember? Our guy teacher? Well he got fired because he wasn't able to make it to work and we were all so sad! It stinks! We all miss him he was great. We sent him and card so I hope he will send us something back and let us know how he is doing. Now we have another teacher Bro. Itri, he is good but it's not the same.

Thank you so much for the goodies and that cake stuff it was so good. Sis. Smith left but Sis.Tui's passport had to be renewed so she is still here. It is so sad eveyone in her district left so now she just comes everywhere with us. It is a little nice because now we can split into groups of two. Now only two of us have to get up if one needs to go to the bathroom. haha.

I have seen Elder Wickers a couple times. I'm going to take a pic and send it to grandma. I also saw Elder Adams, you know my husband, because of the temple thing. I dont know if you forgot. Anyway I got a pic with him but that was yesterday so I will send that in pics later. I think that Kevin comes in this Wed! I'm excited!

The MTC is amazing! Everyday is great.

Yeah Philippines!!!

I'm just really tired all the time but it is okay. My stomach hates the food but it taste good.

Tell everyone I am sorry I don't send individual emails I just don't have a lot of time but if they send me a dear elder or letter I will write them back, speaking of that I need grandma and grandpas address.

I need to write Jill and Tom! tell them I love them.

I was trying to think of something fun that happened this week and stuff did but I can't remember.

I hope all is well at home! I love you all. I know that this church is true and that the atonement of Jesus Christ can help you through anything if you just trust in him! This gospel is the greatest thing in my life and I just want to tell everyone about it! Don't be scared just open your mouth and tell them what you know! It's amazing! Well I can't wait to hear from you all!

mahal ko kayo

sis. Andreasen

So...The MTC is Still Amazing! - September 21, 2009

So the MTC is amazing.  Just to let you know, in Relief Society the Primary President spoke about teaching the children when you go out on the mission and teaching everyone in the family, not just the parents.  Elder Hinckley spoke about mission facts and advice.
The temple was awesome, I get to go every Monday on p-day.  Today was even better than last week!  The spirit is just amazing!

At the Provo Temple

 The temple was great!  I'm still loving the Los Angeles Temple for the moving but that's ok.  I feel bad because it is early in the morning and right after breakfast so when they turn the lights off it is so hard for me to stay awake but I do my best and I know that I get strength from the Lord!  The missionaries in my district were there as well as people that aren't missionaries too.  We have such a big zone that it is some from our district and from others just who every gets there at that time.  We just walk up after breakfast.
Elder Holland came this week!  His talk was so amazing it was about opening your mouth and having the spirit with you when you teach!  Talk to everyone and make every minute of your mission count!  Don't come home with regrets.  It was so powerful, everyone was crying, it was great!
It is so crazy how many people leave today, I am going to miss them all so much!  It is crazy.  My companion Sister Betts is now the coordinating sister and two Elders in our zone are the zone leaders.  Elder Taylor and Staples!  They are amazing!  Oh my goodness!!!!  I love the Elders in our district, we are just a fun little family.  Most of the Elders in our district are going to Manila or Bagio.  They are awesome though!
I saw TJ (Elder Wickers)  He is a lot older and taller than I remember hahaha!
Michael was helpful with the language suggestions but it is just kinda doing the work, no easy way.
Everyday there is something funny,  so all the Elders were way scared of our sister teacher because she is really strict even though us sisters think she is great and fun, anywoo, she was really funny one day laughing and smiling.  Then we were talking about listening to our investigators and one of the Elders started talking about  wolfs for some weird reason saying that if you talk to a wolf you will know if he is hungry or needs a cave to sleep in.  It was so funny and weird!  Then Sister Hawkes is like how do you talk to a wolf  and she howls.  It was so funny!  Everyone was laughing so hard.  Then she got back on track and she said when you are talking to someone preferable a human not a wolf.  Hahaha!!  It was so funny, all the Elders were so surprised to see her  smiling and laughing.  They said I think she got  a kiss last night!  The district is so fun!  They are all amazing Elders we have a great time together.
The most spiritual thing would have to be Elder Holland coming, it was amazing!  I can't even explain how amazing it was, the spirit was so strong!  Although the temple beat it today but  is  the temple.
We haven't had any classes about the  culture, I mean it comes up in talking to the teachers but it's not very detailed but  its okay we will  learn.  Oh, I went to the rc, the  phone place.  But  I haven't talked to  anyone because our time is  Saturday afternoon it is just answering machines.
I love you all, I love the MTC!
Alam ko na totoo ang ebanghelo ni  jesucristo!
Mahal kita!
Sister Andreasen

The MTC is GREAT and AMAZING!!!

Hey Everyone!
I love you all!! I hope all is going well! I miss everyone but not too much because the MTC is so amazing. We weren't able to go to the temple last Monday because of the holiday but we went this morning and it was great!

Sister Betts, Sister Andreasen & Sister Lapana at the Provo Temple

 I love my teachers they are great.  Sister Hawkes is pretty strict but she is great and you can really learn and feel the spirit!  Then our other teacher is Brother Murray and he is pretty laid back, it is funny because he is about the same age as me.  So I can tell that he is like all my guy friends at home it's funny.  We are his first class and so he is in less control and sometimes we laugh a little more then we should but is nice after having Sister Hawkes because she is so strict, all of the Elders are scared of her haha.  So I can't wait to get more letters from dearelder.com!  Tell everyone to do it because I can get it like that in the Philippines too.  I love the MTC.  Some of the sisters in our zone are Sister Smith and Sister Tui and they are awesome but they leave next Monday and I am so sad.  But Sister Smith is going to San Pablo so I will most likely be comps with her sometime which is so exciting!  She is from California too so we will be able to meet up after and it will be great!

Sister Smith and Sister Andreasen

The classes and the speakers are amazing!  Everyday just rushes together though sometimes I don't know what happened when so sorry if I mix things up or tell you things twice.  We had President Hinckley's son at a fireside and it was amazing!  We also had the Primary President come and speak to us for Relief Society, it was my first whole Sunday in the MTC and it was nice to have a day of rest.  We still study and go to meetings all day but we don't have class so it is nice.  I don't really know what else to say, I am just loving it here.  We got a new branch president and he met with everyone, his name is President Smith and he is great!  Oh weird, the MTC President  is also President Smith, Smith is a very popular name here at the MTC.  I have grown and it is amazing what you can learn in just a week and a half.  I have learned better study and goal planning habits and that is going to be amazing but more important, I have grown closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior!  I know how much they love me and love everyone!  I am so grateful for the truth and I know and can't wait to share it.  We went to the ta which is a teaching appointment and we were able to talk to a "real" person about the first discussion.  It was nice.  So then we also talked to people as if we were meeting them at the door and it was so hard.  We learned how to say hello, bear testimony, a little!, and say we are missionaries from the Church!  Mga misyoniro sa simbahan ni jesucristo na nga banal sa ang huling araw.  So that is how I say we are missionaries from the church.  So I now know how to bear a short testimony from some poor sentences, pray say numbers, say a little about family, and just do a few other things.  The learning is fast it is really important to focus and just work work work!  I have been trying my hardest but it is still a little hard to say stuff especially because you know me I have so much I want to say and I am not able to say it all :/ but it is coming along well.

Give the kids kisses and hugs for me!  and I guess you can pat kink on the head hahaha!  Well I don't have a lot of time but I love you all!! I can't wait to hear from you all!  I know that the Lord loves us all and I am grateful for his strength in all that I do.  I pray for you all and know the Lord will bless all you do!
Love,
Sister Andreasen

The First Letter...

We receive the first email from Bethany last Monday.  I just happen to be on the computer and thought I would check my email.  I wasn't really expecting to hear from her since we understood that it could take up to two weeks for her to set up her missionary email.  What a surprise and joy it was to find I had just receive a letter.  Here is what Bethany had to say....

So I love the MTC it is amazing! I have two companions Sisters Betts and Lapana. They are amazing. Sis. Betts is part Filipino but she does not speak tagalog. so i was being proper with writing and spelling but i dont have a lot of time so i am just going to write. okay so back to the comps. sis. lapana is from new zeland and she is samoan.

so i love the mtc greatest place ever! the spirit is so strong and everyone here is so sweet and so nice. it was awesome i saw elder heywood. bryce's brother it was so fun. i am loving my classes my teachers are brother murrey and sister hawkes. they are great teachers. tagalog is pretty hard but i am enjoying it and just trying to work as hard as i can. we have had a fireside and group meetings and they just strengthen you so that you want to be better! i love it! the food is okay. so we have a gym period evey day except today pday and sunday. we were supose to go to the temple to day but it is labor day so we didnt get to go. it was sad i have taken some pics but not a lot so i think it will be about a week before i send pics. there are only the three of us sisters in our district but there are 9 girls in our zone. we had one ward as a zone but this sunday, my first one here they split the ward. the zone leaders are great and the sisters that are in are ward and zone are awesome.

so senoir comp isnt really a big deal in the mtc but i am the senoir comp so i am trying to do the best i can to just make sure i take better care of the other two sisters. it is a little different in the mtc though because we are already around the leaders all day. are district leader elder hopkins is so awesome! he has been such a good example to our whole district. i love my district!!!

i am going to buy a mtc sweatshirt! and i am going to buy a shirt with the philippines on it.

well just to end i want to say thank you for everything! for your example and love and for suporting me in all that i do! your amazing and i love you so much! thank you for raising me to love the Lord and the true gospel of Jesus Christ! I know it is true and I am grateful for the mtc. tell everyone i love them. please ask kristy and heather to send a letter and have stuff from the kids! i would love to hear from them! i do miss everyone but i love being here and am glad that i am on a mission for the lord! i love you all!

Mahal kita! that means i love you in tagalog!

love, your little girl sister andreasen!

Entering the MTC

Doesn't she just look like a missionary?

Bethany entered the MTC Wednesday, September 2nd at 12:45 PM.

It was such a different experience this time from when Michael entered the MTC.  We pulled up to the curb as directed and there were several Elders there to greet us and help with luggage and directions.  They immediately asked Bethany where she was going to which she replied "Philippines"!!  They got pretty excited and said, "We are going to the Philippines too."  Many of them were going to the San Pablo Mission as well.  I though it was more than a coincidence and I just felt so much better about dropping her off, I know that the Lord is watching over her and that she is in good hands.  To me it was a tender mercy and a blessing.  As we watched her pulling her luggage along with one of the Elders, she had a huge smile on her face and was talking away.  I knew then that she would be fine.  Bethany will be an amazing missionary!!

She later wrote about how she felt at the time:  "When I left and went with those elders I was so nervous but I have found that the Spirit just calms you and it is everywhere here!"

You can write her a letter at:

Sister Bethany Jo Andreasen

MTC Mailbox #316

PHI-SAN 1102

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604-1793

She would love to hear from you!!

Yeah, I'm a missionary!!

Blessings of the Temple

Bethany attended the temple for the first time on August 27, 2009 in Redlands California. What a special evening it was to be in the temple surrounded by friends and family. The temple matron gave her a beautiful quote regarding missionaries taken from the Dedicatory Prayer.

"Our dear Father, we pray for a special blessing upon those who shall go forth from this house to teach the truths of the everlasting gospel at home and abroad. May they be endowed in this Thy house with Thy power, and wilt Thou be with them as Thou hast promised. Be on their right hand and on their left, and let Thy Holy Spirit be in their hearts, and Thine angels round about them to bear them up. Seal upon them the testimony of the covenant that they may go forth as messengers of eternal truth." ~President Hinckley, September 14, 2003.

Mom and Dad - our faces say it all!

Kristy, Bethany, Heather and Michael

Ben and Brian Rosell, Carl Riding and Bethany

The Call

Bethany received her mission call on June 14, 2009 in Rexberg Idaho while attending BYU Idaho.  She said that she expected to go somewhere in the states, possibly Temple Square in Salt Lake City.  What a surprise...She has been called to serve in the Philippines San Pablo Mission.

Watch Bethany open her mission call: