Barra Will Forever Be Part Of My Life - December 26, 2010

Hello again I feel like I just talked to you but last time was better because I got to see you! Hehe. I am still so excited that Heather is going to have a baby! Yeah!!!! I keep telling people but for some weird reason they just aren’t as excited as I am hehe. 

So I don’t know what to say because I feel like I just talked about everything. But I am sending pictures and I hope you like them. There are pictures of the branch Christmas party and the Ibardeloza family, mom and a dad and two little girls. They are so awesome!

 We are going to commit them to baptism tomorrow and I am so excited!!!!! I love it! I really love the work and I am excited for the progression of Barra and we have some great new investigators. I am not scared to leave the area because I know it will continue to bloom and grow it just breaks my heart to leave because I love them so much. I knew I was transferred so I didn’t cry when I saw the email but I did cry when you said you would keep me in your heart on Thursday because it will be a hard day. But I know it is going to be okay and I feel that I have more to learn and I need to grow so I know it is right it is just hard. But that in and of it’s self is a lesson, sometimes what is right isn’t always easy and sometimes it hurts but if we just trust in the Lord he will bless us and he will send us comfort and teach us how to be more like Him! I know that this is a blessing and I love my new area but I hate to leave all the wonderful people in Barra. They will forever be a part of my life and I will always have a place for them in my heart!

The view of Barra from Ranzohan.

Then I have pictures with the babies of Emily and Evelyn
our investigators that are a referral from Remy.

Then a Family Home Evening at the Pupa family! With Raquel, Biah, and Shayra who all have baptismal goal dates in January and I am so excited! Especially for Raquel because it will make the family whole!!! :)

Raquel is in black and white strips, then Shayra is in white and Biah is in green.

A picture of Brother and Sister Pupa hehe.

Pictures with the Teves family!!!!

I love them so much, Sister Malou, Brother Elhood and Christian and Christine!

Christian has pictures of ngoso ng baboy (the snout of a pig)

And gandang mata (beautiful eys) but I think he looks scared hehe.

Then the service at Remy’s house! That was fun with all the priesthood! Hehe. Yeah we helped a lot. Ha-ha at least they let us put in some nails.

Note:  The rest of the pictures didn't come through - maybe next week...

Then Christmas party :)

Then at the family reunion. It was a little weird to go but it was fun and they made sure we were stuffed full of food! They are amazing! The young women stole my camera mostly Lovely she always takes my camera and likes to take lots of pictures she is wear the blue headband, she is the younger sister of Joshua.

Then me and my anak, Sister Pascual, made s'mores because that is what I made with Sister Clave and just like Sister Clave she loved them :)

Then I have pictures next to the candle that was sent to me and we didn’t have a Christmas tree so I sang oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree about our Christmas tree scented candle. It was fun! :) Hehe   

Then the branch acted out different stories from the Bible and it was so great the young single adults were so funny! There is a picture of the Relief Society and they are wearing the yellow helping hands they are lions ha-ha and they are eating the servants of the king ha-ha.

Then Sister Malen and her son Jayjay who is super cute and says that he is in love with me :) hehe

The Ibardeloza family!!!! They are amazing I am so excited to give them a baptismal goal date!!!!!

Then our pday. We went to the pier to watch the sunrise it was fun, cold and amazing. Even though the clouds hide the sunrise ha-ha.

So I don’t think they will all send right now but if they do that is good if not I will try again next week.

But for now that is pretty much all the news. Oh Sister Remy said that the pictures of Sarina at Jelis' baptism aren’t on facebook and they want to see the pictures I have with them in them if you can add them to facebook.

Thank you for your love and support I am so grateful to have a family that loves me and wants me to be the best missionary I can! I have grown so much from you and I know that your all are the reason that I am here! I love you!!!!

Love, Sister Andreasen 

Looking Forward to the Christmas Phone Call - December 20, 2010

So that was weird to talk to you! I think it will be really weird when it is an actual conversation. It is funny that even in that short time I had a moment were I almost spoke in Tagalog. To answer your question yes I still love it here! I am finding joy in everyday!

So last week was a little sad as far as numbers go, we are losing some of our investigators and it makes me sad, but this week we recommitted some for baptism and we have some great new progressing investigators! We also have found some new investigators that are just so sweet! I am really excited. Last week we had one investigator come to church and this week we had 8!!!! I know it isn’t about numbers but you just get sad when they are low because it is kind of a reflection of the work you are doing so of course I was sad but this week.  I was so excited that we had investigators come to church and one was Raquel!!!!! She is the daughter of Brother and Sister Pupa and they are all members except Raquel. Missionaries have taught her from the time her mom became a member, then her sisters became members and then her dad.  Her dad just hit his one-year mark and so they went to the temple. I have pictures of them! 

A couple with two teenage daughters, but they were also sad at this happy day because Raquel was not with them. We have been teaching her with her friend Shy and so she is more open now and they both came to church on Sunday and I know that is something that is so exciting for them all! It has been a long time since she has been to church and I am hoping that this is the first step in her progression.  We have a Family Home Evening at their home later tonight so I will take pictures! 

I am a little stressed with some things going on with Sister Andrea, she is having family problems so we are trying to help her through it, but through it all she still came to church!!! :) Sister Remy gave us four new referrals! And they all came to church! Then Brother Joshua gave us a family referral and they are so awesome!!! Brother came to church on Sunday, even though he didn’t make it for sacrament he still came and they really have a desire to know more! I love it! 

Then we taught the mother of Sister Pupa, who has also been taught many times but nothing really happened.  I taught her with Sister Arrieta and I know that we taught about a living prophet but this time we taught it again and she was surprised and excited to know that we have a living prophet she said, I didn’t know that before! So hopefully this will be the start for her too!!!! I am just so excited for all the new people we have met and I am so excited for the progression of Barra, even though I am pretty sure it is true what Remy told you that I will be transferred. But right now I am here and I am loving it! I love the mission!

I won’t lie I do miss you all especially at this time. We went to a members home on Sunday for lunch like we always do, and they had a copy of the Christmas devotional so we got to see part of it while we ate and I missed Christmas at home. I don’t know why but Christmas just doesn’t sink in for me here. The spirit of Christmas does because that is what the mission is all about, our Savior Jesus Christ! But it just seems to not be complete. But I still love it and enjoyed being able to hear the words of the first presidency even though we missed most of President Monson :( but its okay I will watch it next year. 

Well I should get going I will just talk to you all on Saturday-Friday. Hehe. I’m excited!!!! I love you all so much! I know that this is the Lords work and He is here to guide our lives! How I love Him!

Love, Sister Andreasen     

Keeping Busy and Meeting New People - December 13, 2010

Mom! I love you so much! Thank you so much for your love, your letter, and your testimony!  I am so sad that I couldn’t write a lot last week I had a lot to tell you all!  We had a baptism! We had Christmas zone conference! And then this week we met some great people and had zone interviews so it was pretty much amazing!  Lets start with Christmas zone conference! It was so great! I got to see a lot of awesome missionaries that I missed and we had a spiritual message from president and we watched Mr. Kruegers Christmas and I cried of course. It made me miss you all and the Christmas movies we always watch! I have really great pictures but I think my memory card is broken so I don’t know if I will ever see these pictures again :( it makes me want to cry! But I am trying to get it fixed! It also has the great pictures of Lay-Ann's baptism!  I just hope that I will be able to get the pictures because if not it will be two very important weeks that are gone and I will be pretty sad. So not wanting to risk anything I had to buy a new memory card so I am sending the most recent pictures that I have of a baptism and temple trip! I didn’t go to the temple but I let them take my camera because they had about four families I think from our branch that went to the temple to be sealed! It was so awesome! I am so happy for them and I love the pictures! They were able t see Sister Clave at the temple! ahhh!

Sister Clave in the Middle with Members of the Branch

I wish I could have been there! I just got news that Sister Clave is going to be a teacher at the MTC! I am so happy for her! I love her so much!  So those pictures are there and then some pictures with Sister Andrea, Veronica and Mayka. So the reason I was so excited for interviews is that we were able to talk to president and we had a workshop from him and the AP's. This used to be every transfer but now it is only every quarter so I have just missed it! And it is a big spiritual boost! President always makes me feel good about myself and I know that the Lord plans the interviews at the right time when I really need that extra strength! I love the plan of the Lord!!!! I see it in the work all the time. So we had the interviews and they cut into our working time so the next day I wanted to make up for it but the branch was having a baptism and there wasn’t really anyone who came and so sister and I stayed.

I spoke and we had a baptism for Judyln an 8 year old girl and then their family went to the temple to be sealed! So cute! I had to really think if we would attend the baptism or go to work, but I knew that the Lord would want to give support to this family so we went. Then after the baptism the little girl and her cousin drew pictures on the white board and one was of me and they wanted to hold my hands! It was so cute. Then he cousin, Rica Mae who is 10 and isn’t a member asked if she could come to church on Sunday! Then that led to us teaching her and I know that the Lord has a plan for little Rica Mae! He loves us and has a plan for all his children! We taught her about prophets and asked her what prophets she knew, we haven’t given her a Book of Mormon by the way, and she said "Nephi, Lehi, Moroni"!!!!! I love it she is so amazing! I know that sisters taught her before and that it just wasn’t the right time but now she is ready and the Lord knows that!

Sister Andrea with Her Baby and Sister Andreasen

We have found some great new investigators. Last week we went to teach Lay-Ann our new member and then I thought we should just ask her to work with us so she did and she gave us a referral and she seems really interested! And while we were teaching her father came home and said he was busy but as we continued to teach her he came and listened so we set a return appointment and I am really excited for their family!!! Then when we teach in Dalahican we ride tricycles and all the tricycle drivers know us, so we were walking a part of the way because we had an appointment and then a tricycle drive said he would give us a ride for free because it wasn’t the full trip. So we gave him a pamphlet and asked if we could come back and he said he is busy but that we could. So we went to go see him and he wasn’t home! I was so bummed! So we went back last week and he was home we were able to teach him and he had a lot of questions and has a real desire to know the truth! I love it. Then next time we came back we asked him for his wife to join us and from what he said I thought she wouldn’t really be interested but she came and listened and she has so much faith and they are going through a family struggle right now and so we were able to give comfort and it was great! They are really interested and want to read the Book of Mormon!!!! I’m so excited! Then after they told us that we have to stay and eat. Hehe. They are so so so nice!!! I love them and they are really open to the truth! So I am really excited to teach them about this great message!

Each and everyday I grow closer and closer to the Lord through this work and I know I am so blessed to be a missionary! I know that this is the true gospel. The other night we met a man and his wife and we taught them but brother is Muslim and he doesn’t believe that Jesus Christ is God and they don’t believe that he died on the cross. And he didn’t like it when I said stuff like that or that we are all children of God. But I bore testimony and then we left but he did commit to read the Book of Mormon!!!! After that we were able to go to a less active Brother Bert Linatoc who is awesome. I just feel a connection with him and I bore testimony of the savior and the spirit was so strong and I was just grateful for truth and no matter what anyone says I know the truth deep within my heart!!!!! I know that this is the true gospel of Jesus Christ and I know and believe in the Godhead and am so grateful for truth and the Book of Mormon, which testifies of that truth!!!!!!! I love you all so much and I love that the Lord knows our needs and is always willing to help us and lift us up!!!!!!

Love, Sister Andreasen

P.S. I got the pearls.  And I think it would be good to just start in the morning so I think here Saturday at 8. We will come to the computer shop. I love you! I'm excited to talk to you!!!!!  K

In A Hurry - December 6, 2010

It's Great To Be A Missionary

Yes I did get the package thank you so much!!! It is really helpful and yes the members like it too hehe! I am excited to get the next one I know it will be great and full of Christmas love.  Some how I miss you all more this Christmas than last. So this keyboard doesn’t have letters on it and it is late so we have to get going. This week was great though! We had Christmas zone conference and we did have the baptism of Sister Lay-Ann, next week I will send pictures and talk more about my week. I love you all! I'm so sorry this is supper short! But it is because we had a zone pday at a far island. But just know that I am still loving the work and I love you all. And I know the church is true! We have zone interviews and I am so excited! So I will be sure to send more next week! I love you all! 

Love Sister Andreasen
P.S. I would like it if I called on Saturday here because I don’t want to on Sunday. We can do the Skype again. What time is good for you? We will have to adjust our schedule so anytime that is good for you just let me know! I love you and I am excited!

Baptisms In The Ocean - November 29, 2010

So thanksgiving just doesn’t really cross my mind here in the Philippines it comes and goes without me noticing because it isn’t a holiday here so it is a little strange but I am glad that you all had a great thanksgiving!!!! I will be sure to get the pearls and I will probably be sending them with the Liahonas because I haven’t gotten them yet. They are still in Pakil so I'm working on that. 

I think it is so funny that you talk to the members on face book. Ha-ha sometimes they tell me oh I talked to your mom. Ha-ha. Brother Joshua said that he wants to talk to you but he is nervous ha-ha. They are funny! I love the members here! I told president that I never want to leave! He came to the baptism of Sister Andrea this Saturday!

Sister Pascual, Sister Anderson, President Anderson, Andrea & Sister Andreasen

So let me start from the beginning of the week. We had to tell Tatay Emiliano that we can't come see him as much because he was drinking again and he isn’t keeping his commitments that was so hard! But hopefully it will help him! We are having a hard time keeping investigators in Barra so we will be doing so tracting this coming week, which I am excited about! I did get sick this week, which was horrible! I had no voice because of a cold and had a bad headache! Luckily one of our members worked at a hospital and she knows all about stuff like that, she is also a returned missionary and a Suaybagiuo! Her name is Sister Beng I have pictures with here. 

Sister Beng and Sister Andreasen

She is in purple and glasses at the last family home evening of Sister Arrieta. She is amazing she came over in the morning and helped me and told me what medicine to take then Nica stayed with me and Sister Beng and Sister Pascual went and worked! They are so amazing! Nica too is a part of the Suaybagiuo family!!!! I love them so much! She is actually from a different ward but she works with us and she is awesome! Her boyfriend Jerome is in our branch. So that was hard it was driving me crazy being inside all day! I could hardly wait to get back to work!!!!!! I love the work. I think it is the fact that one day it will be rainy and the next it will be hot. My body doesn’t like it when the weather changes but I am fine!!! Don’t worry! I have plenty of help and love!!!!!

We had a fun pday! If you see pictures with my feet in the water and I look like I’m doing the chicken dance that is what we call magpunaw!

Chicken Dance? No, Just Looking For Clams

It is so fun. You use your feet to get shells, clams. That is one of the ways people get food or they sell them. It was fun it was hard but I liked it and I was so excited when I found one.

Yeah, I Found One!!

Ha-ha. Brother Joshua taught us and Sister Pascual didn’t really like it so she and Sister Lani just got shells from the sand that is fun too. Then Maria came and she had a lot of punaw the shells, she is really good at finding them because that is what they do all the time! Then we went home that night and ate them, they are really good!
So funny story me and Joshua put our sandals on the sand and as the water got higher it reached our sandals and my sandals started to float away! Ha-ha. But we got them, and I have a picture of it.

Caught the Flip-Flop

So going back to the week, it was a hard week because people are sick or busy. Sister Maluo and her family have been sick for over a week and it is so sad! I love them so much! So we haven’t been able to teach them because of that and they weren’t able to come to church because their kids were sick and it rained on Sunday! We met a new investigator Sister Peres and she likes to listen but says she is a catholic and not going to change! So that is hard!

Maria the younger girl in our punaw pictures is progressing and she now has a baptismal goal date so I’m really excited for her!

Then I told you about Joann and we weren’t able to teach her because she hid from us and then she was sick! Ahh it makes me so sad when I feel so good about teaching someone and then it doesn’t go through!

The sister of Sarina, Dadelyn is interested now so I am excited to teach her!

We are seeing some good potential in Talao Talao with sisters Sally and Grace they have good questions and they aren’t to debate it is just to know the truth so we committed them to pray about Joseph smith and they said that they would. I think that they would have come to church but they had something going on in their community and they needed to be there for it! I am hoping that we have some progression coming from that area! Our branch president is so awesome! He lets Brother Joshua drive his tricycle to take us to Talao Talao so we don’t have to pay for the trip there! I love it! But it is funny to see a guy in a white shirt and tie drive a tricycle! Ha-ha.

Then we had the baptism of Andrea it was supposed to be Andrea and Lay-Ann but something came up with Lay-Ann so hers will be next week! But she is pretty much amazing! So Sunday she didn’t have anyone to watch her sister so she wasn’t sure if she could come to church but she found a way. But then it was raining and she has to ride a boat but she came anyway! She is so awesome! The attendance wasn’t as good this Sunday because of the rain and it is so sad. Because of course they walk to church but a lot of them don’t have umbrellas! So they can’t come! It just breaks my heart.

This Saturday we had the baptism of Sister Andrea and she was so excited!!! President came and it was just so spiritual! I know that she was ready for the gospel in her life! And I am so happy for her testimony! It makes my testimony grow! We met her at her house before and her daughter was there and we were able to talk to her, before she didn’t want to talk to us but now she is okay with it and she came to the baptism and to church! We are going to start teaching her and I am so excited!!!! She is way cute! She is in the pictures from Andrea’s baptism. There are two little girls and the one with shorter hair is Veronica the daughter of Andrea!!!! :)

Then we had a cottage meeting this Sunday and it went really well the spirit was strong and I think it really helped the family. The mom and two sons are active but the father has been inactive for a while now. We committed him to come to church and he said that he would so I hope that it is true we are going to go by their house to make sure :) not this coming Sunday but the next because he will be in Laguna for work next week.

I love the work here! I am excited for our investigators to progress and I am really excited for this coming week to find new investigators!

Tomorrow is our zone conference and I know that will be a big spiritual boost! I miss zone conference! And I am so excited for it!!!!!

I know that this is the Lord’s work and I know that as we trust in him he will guide us! I can see that as we trust him and do the things that he has asked of us he will never leave us comfortless he will always lend a helping hand and guide us through our struggles! How blessed I am to be a missionary and to see the effect the gospel has in the lives of these people! Everyday I learn something new and I know that the Lord is teaching me as I do all I can to teach his children! I love the gospel! I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon. That has been a big focus in the mission right now using prayer and the Book of Mormon and it is so true it is the key to conversion! As they open that book they open the door for the Holy Ghost to teach them of the truth!!!! I love it! I know that this is the true church and as we stretch ourselves we become stronger through the Lord!!!! I love you all so much!!! I hope that all the pictures are able to go through in time!!!!! With all my love!!!!

Sister, Andreasen          

It's About Finding Joy In The Journey - November 22, 2010

Hello to all,

I love you all so very much! So I was planning on sending pictures but I don’t have an adapter so not this week! I am so sad because I have some great pictures!

I know I'm not really trunky because I love this work and I never want to stop. I guess it is just a word we us whenever you think about home, family, school, or marriage. Hehe we call president trunky all the time because anytime he speaks to us he always talks about his family and then about temple marriage! Ahhhh! Hehe. I love President!

 So the progression in Talao Talao isn’t going as I hoped it would so I am just thinking about what I am going to do so that I can help them but if they don’t progress in the next couple of weeks we may need to drop the area which will make me so sad! But it is all for the good of the work and finding souls that are ready! We are excited for the progress of the other areas!

We are so excited that Sister Andrea will be baptized this Saturday! She is so ready and so excited for the baptism and so are we!!!! I love it! I love her! We are just working with Brother Roland because he is a member, it is just a sticky situation but it will all work out if we go to the Lord with a humble heart!

We are also supposed to have the baptism of Sister Lay-Ann but I don’t think it will go through because of her dad but we are going to work pray and fast!!!! I know that we can do it! I know that we will be able to help her overcome the trials that are keeping her from being a member of the church.

We also have another investigator who wasn’t progressing she wasn’t taking the lessons seriously and I though we would have to drop her but she is now really wanting to learn and is coming to church, it is great! I love it! Even though she is nervous about baptism we set a baptismal goal date and I am so excited for her!

Speaking of baptismal goal dates we set them with the Teves family and I am so excited! They to are nervous but I really think as they keep doing what they should they will gain a solid and firm testimony that the church is true, enough to do whatever it takes to come to church! and be baptized!

We are also working with a young woman whose whole family is members except her and she is really hard-headed but I know that she knows the church is true. We taught her before but she was really not interested and so we started teaching her again and she actually seems interested and I feel she will progress and I am excited for her and her family!

We started making goals with Tatay Emilliano and he is doing so much better! We started a new thing where he will write down his progress and also write down blessings he receives each day to help him feel the spirit in his life and I think it will really help him! I’m so excited and I hope that this opens the door for him to move forward and progress to the waters of baptism!

We also started teaching a 14 year old girl who is what they call a “tomboy”. Her cousins are members and she said she wants to be Mormon. Hehe. But she doesn’t want to wear a skirt to church. Ever since I met her when she was talking with her cousin I knew we needed to teach her and this Sunday we had the chance! I was so excited and she is really receptive! I know that Heavenly Father just wants her to know that she is loved and to really understand life. I am excited for her and I am excited for her progression! plus her cousin said that he would come with us to teach her which will be really good for him, he is 15 and he wants to serve a mission but has a cigarette problem so we are going to help him with that!

I love the work!!! I love the people here! Life just makes me happy each day even if there are trials or hardships we can overcome and find joy in every day!

So we had a cottage meeting this Sunday and the lesson was on love in the home. The person who gave the lesson gave out slips of paper that said thank you and I love you. Then asked when the last time we said this to our parents was. I had I love you and I couldn’t stop myself from crying! It was the first time since the very beginning of my mission that I have been home sick! Hehehe. I just thought that every Monday I say I love you but that it has been a over a year since I was able to give you and dad a hug and tell you face to face I love you and how grateful I am for you and all that you do for me!!!!! I love you so much and am so grateful that you are my parents!

I know that this church is about finding joy in the journey! I am so blessed and s grateful fro life! So grateful to be a missionary and learn and grow! Next week I will send pictures and it will be three baptisms!!! Crazy! I love it!

I love you all so so much! Until next week!

Love, Sister Andreasen

Some Days It Rains, Some Days the Sun Is Shining - November 15, 2010

I love you all! I love hearing about all the fun times you have but it seems like since I have been on the mission you do more family things and it makes me miss you all so much! So while we are being trunky I will be going home March 23^rd! I hate to think about it and I never want to leave I love it here! I am excited for one thing and that is that I get to go to the temple the day before I go home. So to be honest I have known for a while I just haven’t wanted to say anything because it makes me sad. Mom will you let me know when I can register for school! Ahhh! Trunky eww! I hate it! But I know that I need to get started with school right away. Oh, and can you please not make a big deal about me coming home? Just have family and close friends but besides that I just want it to be a simple thing. Lets just not talk about it. Hehe. I love you all so much!

It is another transfer and I am so happy that I am not transferred! Because of course you know I love Barra!!!!!!!!! 
Yes we did have a baptism! It was amazing! Sister Sarina!!!! She is so cute and her testimony is so strong I love it! It was she and the daughter of Sister Remy! Cute! So Sarin has been an investigator forever!!!!!! 

And finally she is a member now! The baptism was great and I will send pictures as soon as I can!  

I had some sad things happen this week. In one day I had two investigator families tell us that they didn’t want to continue in the lessons and it broke my heart!!!! I love them so much and I can’t stand to lose them! I just pray that the Lord will soften their hearts. Also we went to teach Tatay Emiliano and he was drinking! AHH! I don’t know what to do to help him! So I am fasting and praying for guidance! I know that he can do it he just needs to have faith, but now we are trying to teach his daughter in law so that he will have help in his word of wisdom problems.

Then we had some great experiences! First the best, we went to teach Malou and Elhood and they have been putting off praying about Joseph Smith. So we asked them if they did it and Sister said she did, then she said, "I felt happy, I know its true!!" ahh!!!!! I love it. They are still a little hesitant about baptism so I know they have other concerns but I'm so excited because we set a baptismal goal date and they are moving closer!!! Then we met a new lady and she is awesome! We asked her if she would read the pamphlet we left and she said that she would because she liked the feeling that she got when we taught and she knows it is true. I love the work!

So to go back to trunky, they do have primary programs and it was this Sunday and it was so cute! I loved it! It just made me think of the kids! I love them so much!

I am still loving the work and just working hard to be a good missionary and be diligent in all things! How grateful I am for the truth and that I get to share it everyday. Some days are really good, some days are sad, some days it rains, some days the sun is shining, sometimes I get stressed and sometimes I just feel the peace of truth but at the end of ever day I am happy if I know I did all I could to invite people to come closer to Christ! I love the work!

I hope that you are all still doing well! I hope that I can send pictures next week because they are pretty much amazing!!!!

Oh, I also got a haircut! ahh! Don’t worry it is just a trim and I got bangs hehe. Sister Remy cut my hair so I have pictures of that too. 

New Hair Cut

And then pictures of me playing with her cute kids! I love it! It reminds me of the babies!

Well, it is late now so I should go sorry this was a short one. I will have more next week. I love you all so much!!!!

Love, Sister Andreasen

I Am Just So Grateful - November 8, 2010

I love you all so much!!!!

Thank you so much for everything! I love you so much.

So no news about the fish :( but I think at this time things will start getting better. So this week we were not in Barra for about 4 days!!!!!! That was a killer! I don’t know what I am going to do when I have to transfer! I just love it so much! Anyway, the training was amazing! There is a new curriculum and it is completely inspired from the Lord! And I love it like crazy! We had training in the morning and worked in the night but we went to a different area and I got to work with Sister Spjute!!!!! An American, that is something I never thought I would experience not to mention she is pretty much one of my best friends in the mission! Side note: she is going to live with Sister Smith when she gets home, who lives in California, so when I am not at school we are going to hang out and that will be amazing. Okay enough of that! It was so great to work with her! Their area is so hard and it reminded me of Calamba and she said that she is struggling and I was so glad that I had my experience in Calamba so that I could really say I understand and I think it just made us both happy and positive as we tracted in her area. I think we both really learned a lot. The trainings in the morning were so spiritual and I just can’t get enough of the spirit that the Lord gives his missionaries! It is so amazing! I don’t know why he blesses me so much but I am thankful for it each and every day! I love the work and I know that there is no better thing to do than this! We also had a testimony meeting and the spirit was amazing once again and I can’t help but just beam with joy!!!! I love my Savior!!!!

Then we came home on Thursday night and as we walked the path back to our house on a cool night surrounded by palm trees I couldn’t help but feel at peace and be glad to be back to my island. Hehe I call it mine because I love it so much!!!! Then we worked in Talao Talao and everyone was busy but it gave us a chance to meet new investigators who are amazing!!!! I love it!!! ahhh! We also worked in Dalahican and Ranzohan and I just missed our investigators so much!!!!! Some people don’t like to say my or our investigators they say they are the Lords and that is true, we are all the Lords, but at this time he has allowed me to feel of his love for them and just like the Lord says that we are his they are mine not because of anything I have done but because of the love I have for them and I am proud to say that the Lord has allowed me to teach and love them! ahhh! This work is amazing! We also taught in Barra and we had so many branch missionaries work with us that we could split and it worked well and I think that we will be able to start splitting a little more to teach more people! I hate being away from my companion but I love that we can teach more people!!!! Awesome!

Then we had stake conference and president came so we were able to see him again which was awesome! And he gave one of our members a blessing and one of our investigators an interview! We all cried and the spirit was so strong and our investigator is so ready for baptism! I love that the Lord just softens the hearts of these people and I can be an instrument in his hands and reap rewards of the work of the Lord!

I also have a story, it was simple but it just built my testimony! One of our member’s Sister Remy told Sister Andrea that they would go together to church in Lucena, which is further away. So the night before I got a message from Sister Remy and she asked if she could work after so that they would have money because they wouldn’t be able to pay to go and come back from church. I asked her if she had enough to get to the church in the morning and she said yes. It is sad because everyone in Barra went together and the branch budget paid for it but the people in Dalahican need to go a different way so it was hard for them. So I told her if she could pay to get there I would help them get home. She said that she didn’t like that and didn’t want me to pay she would just work after. I told her not to and that the Lord would provide. I don’t know why I just promised so quickly not knowing at all what would happen. Then the next day we all went to church and as we were getting ready to leave I figured that I would just end up paying even if she didn’t like it. Then right before all the Dalahican members and investigators were about to leave we saw our branch president and he said wait let me give you money for all of them for the trip home!!!!!! The Lord did provide and it was so simple but it just made me realize he knows each one of us he knows our needs no matter how small and he wants to show us his love and his miracles if we just trust in him, sacrifice a little, and exercise faith he will do his part and we will see his hand in our lives!!!! I love it!

So about the baptisms last week! They were amazing and I can’t upload pictures but I will next week! It was so spiritual and exciting because it was in the ocean! We went on a boat and then we reached a part in the middle were the water was low and the sand was high and the boat got stuck; yet we were in the middle. So Brother Joshua, branch mission leader, gets a large wood stick to help push us out of the sand so we can start driving again, but he was the one who preformed the baptism so he was wet and as he pushed with all his might to get us unstuck, he slipped and fell into the water it was scary at first and then so funny after we knew he was okay. Then he and the boat driver got in the water, Joshua was already in the water and completely wet at this point haha, and they pushed the boat to the point that it would move freely in the water, it was an experience :) hehe. I love our branch everyone is so supportive and helpful in the work and with our investigators I love it! Especially the branch mission leader! I have had other branch mission leaders but they weren’t returned missionaries and we had to work really hard just to talk with them and get their help with baptisms but Joshua is a returned missionary and he is always ready to help the missionaries and our investigators, it is great and our branch president, President Suaybaguio is the same way! He even works with us! He is so helpful and really cares about the missionaries! Actually we have a lot of Suaybaguios in the branch and stake they are all family and amazing!!!! I love them. They have adopted me, but it is just a mission adoption! Don’t worry mom! I love you! Just as long as I am here they have treated me like family! I will take pictures of them all and tell you who each of them is, I love them! I love Barra! I love the members! I love our amazing investigators!!!! They are progressing so much and I know it is because of their open hearts and willingness to follow the Lord! I love you so much! I am so grateful that you have raised me with a love of the gospel and love of my Savior! Thank you!!!!

So one quick story and then I have to get going. I missed Barra so much when we were in Lipa, Sister Spjute's area, and the people that drove the tricycles and jeepneys were not very nice and thought we were so stupid because we were American, it was so sad! Then I went back to Barra and we went to ride a tricycle to Dalahican where we always ride and the tricycle drivers know us. And we had to ride on the side and all the tricycle drives that weren’t driving told the one that was drive to "be careful with our sisters" it was so cute! Even though they aren’t members all the people here are so nice and so loving and I am just full of gratitude that the Lord has allowed me to experience such love!!!!!!

I am so grateful for the message of the gospel because it is all about love, the love of our Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ!!!!! I love the gospel and I love you all! I pray for you always! I might not comment on everything you say but I love it all and I miss you I think about you when you have a birthday and when you tell stories of the family I laugh and smile and it just warms my heart to know that even though we are far away you are still mine! Just as we are all the Lord’s he has given me investigators and he has given me you all and I am proud to call you mine! my family! I love you dearly!

With all my love,

Sister Andreasen

P.S. I am so excited for our upcoming baptism! The daughter and sister in law of Sister Remy!!!! yay!!!! I will tell more next Monday :)

I Love This Work! - November 1, 2010

So let me answer your questions so I don’t forget. I didn’t answer you about the weather and I thought about that as we left the computer shop. Sorry! It has been rainy but not too bad the only bad thing was one time we missed working in Ranzohan because we have to cross the water and we got a text that it wasn’t safe. So I hope that doesn’t happen again! But last night the rain and wind was so strong but nothing too bad. We have a little flood in our apartment because the water comes in but it is just in our kitchen so we are okay. Right now Barra is way flooded! I hope that it gets better before we go back because we leave today and head to the training. But the weather hasn’t been too bad for us. What you heard is right though. After a big storm people just help each other get back together and then the next day the go to work and move on with life! Like there are no problems! It is because they are supper amazing! I have Pinoy pride!!! Hehe! I love it!

Then about the pictures. It was really funny about the little boy who peed in my shoe hehe. I laughed too. The shoes I have right now aren’t that great but they will be fine! No complaints. :) Then the picture of us in blue and pink is an activity of the youth; we wore their dresses, they sang Come Come Ye Saints and that was their outfit! 

Cute right! I love the youth they are so amazing! 

Then the picture of me with a letter and sad face is the letter coming from the mission home. They call it the "trunky letter" it is about when you will be going home and what airport and addresses for family and stake president to make sure it is all right and you get it when you only have 6 months left so I took a picture with it and a sad face! Hehe!

The Trunky Letter 

So I do love my area and the branch is like family to me! They are amazing and I love it here so much! Our branch missionaries are so helpful and always work with us! I love the work. We dropped a lot of baptismal goal dates because they weren’t progressing but it is a good thing because we are reviewing about the restoration to help them gain a testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon! I know that if this happens they will gain enough faith to come to church and keep all the commandments no matter how hard it is for them.  Right now all the people in my area are kind of going through a hard time because at this time we they are suppose to have lots of fish but there isn’t any right now so they are just waiting hoping that this month they will come in! I love them all so much. We have a family that I just love they live on Ranzohan. The Teves family, and they are progressing and we just finished teaching about the Book of Mormon and I really believe that even though it is hard for them to change their views because they are Catholic and that is all they know I really feel like they are gaining a testimony of the truth and I love it!

I Love the Barra Branch!

We also met a new family in Talao Talao and they are progressing and want to come to church.  I am excited for the next visit to explain about the restoration and the Book of Mormon! I know that they will feel the truth because every time we teach the spirit is so strong! We have so many progressing investigators and I know that the spirit is guiding us to find the people that need to be taught! We have baptisms coming up on the 13, 20, and 27!!!! Yay!!!!!!!!! I love it!!!! Hehe! I love the work! I think that each day of my mission the Lord just blesses me more and more and no matter what trial comes I know that it isn’t a big deal.  I have even gotten better about not worrying if you can believe it or not. I love the work and it is just such a blessing to have these people in my life and to help people come closer to Christ each and every day!

We have a member in the branch who is so sweet! Her name is Remy and I love her, she is the sister in law of one of our investigators! I will send pictures! Oh I have a picture with her at the baptism! She always wants to work with us and she is just great! I love it! Oh speaking of the pictures from the baptism I will be sending them next week! They are so cute! I have a funny story too! Because our branch mission leader fell in the water of the boat!! So funny! Don’t worry he is okay but it was a funny story for next week when I send the pictures. Hehehe the baptism was great the two little girls are awesome and they love the church, they bore their testimony and I love being able to help them practice first because they aren’t as nervous and we get to hear the really whole testimony!!!

So we were able to tell Sister Andrea that she can get baptized!!!!!! I was so excited! Her eyes filled with tears when we told her and she said that this is what she has been praying for! I love the work! I love helping people see what they need to do to be ready to return to our Father in Heaven! I know that it makes me a better person too!

You are so right mom, when you said that I am where I need to be! It is so true I love it here! I am excited for the training and the opportunity to learn and grow! I know that it will really help in the work and also help my companion and me. 

Sister Pascual is amazing! She is working hard even when the work here is tiring because we work early in the morning and walk a lot! She keeps up and just studies her little heart out! I love it!

About the Christmas package. I need hairspray and toothpaste! That would be awesome! Then everyone here wants chocolate hehe. They all ask me to bring chocolate to them that is coming from home. Ha-ha. Then it would be cool if I could get the small Books of Mormon if you can, I don’t know if they have them at the bookstore. Then oh, the song My Mary where John Bytheway sings! And Oh Lord My Redeemer. Then whatever you want just send the love, you know pictures drawings from the kids and cards! I love that! But I am pretty good, don’t need a whole lot. The chocolate though would be great because I know that all the member want some. Hehe.

Hahaha!!! The pictures of Travis were so funny! I miss that stunning guy hahahahahahahaha! The pictures of the kids were so cute! I loved it! They are getting so big I can’t even handle it! When did Lizzy get so big she is still supposed to be the baby! I won’t have any babies to hold when I get home! Don’t let Tyler get big I will have to hold him! Hehe! I love you all I can’t believe it is already close to Christmas! It is exciting but I can’t believe it.  Actually Christmas started in September, you all are the ones that are a little behind hehehe. No but really they started playing Christmas music and putting up Christmas decor in September. Here in the Philippines hehe it is crazy but awesome! When I think about Christmas I think I will get to see the family and that is a great Christmas gift! But still far away it I only November. 1!

Haha about my clothes. It is a good thing that this is the one companion that is about my size. I have given her a skirt and a couple shirts because they don’t fit well they still fit just not well but I don’t really feel like I have lost a lot of weight people say it here when they see my pictures from the MTC but I don’t see it and I don’t feel like it. Oh well maybe I will when I go home and see other people that aren’t so small hehehe.

I was sad to hear about the puppies but I know it just means that they should have kids hehehe. So that I can have a baby to hold when I get home hehehe. Don’t worry Michael it’s just a joke! Haha miss you guys! I still haven’t seen pictures of all the dogs. I still can’t believe that you and dad have two!!!

Well I love the work. I know that the Lord is truly blessing me. I was talking with Sister Clave before she left and I told her that I was nervous to train and she said that you will have greater spiritual promptings and it is true! I know that the Lord is blessing me and helping me to stay positive and see the good. And as my companion would say "you know... be happy" he he she is cute she has a hard time with English so we are working on speaking English at companion study and that is what she said!

Beautiful Faces - Witnesses of Truth!

Well I still love it as always it is so true what you wrote on the blog life in Barra is amazing! I'm happy and healthy no worries! :)

I love you all and I love feeling of your love through your emails! I pray for you every day! And I know you pray for me and I am grateful for all our love and prayers! I will report about the training next week it should be really good!

Oh about Jacob 5 yeah it is pretty much amazing! It is true that if you know the time line of the Lord as far as the church, great apostasy, restoration, and second coming it makes a lot more sense! I am so blessed to be a full time servant in the Lord’s vineyard! And I am grateful for your examples to me because it is not as easy to do the work when you are surrounded by the world everyday and I know that is what you are doing I love you so much! I am excited for you to study PMG! It is amazing and not just for missionaries! Chapter 3 and 6 are my favorites! I love you! Until next week!

Love, Sister Andreasen   

Hello To All - October 25, 2010

Sister Pascual & Sister Andreasen

Another week has gone by so fast it is so hard to believe! I am still loving my area and I had a great week! I was so nervous to talk to Tatay Emiliano but it was actually really good and we were able to work out what his problems are and we taught about how we have agency and power over Satan! He really liked it and I hope that it will help him and that he can overcome this! We also met some great new investigators. I have been trying to fix our schedule to fit with all the people we have to teach and their free time and going to all our area! We went to Talao Talao and it is the furthest part of our area and as we were going I thought to myself that maybe we should go back because it is so far and it might not be worth the time, then I thought we will just see how it goes. Then we met the Panillia family! They are amazing!!!!! Brother said that he was praying that God would help him know what he needs to do with his life and then we came! I am so excited to teach them! Sister cried when we told her that families are forever because it had been one month from when her father past away! It was a great lesson and they are really receptive! Then we got a referral from a member and we went to teach him and he wasn’t home. He is 17 and his aunt referred him but it is great because he has some friends and a cousin that are members and his cousin told us that he would bring him to church. Then we taught him after and he wants to be baptized! He is so awesome! I am so excited! Then this Saturday we have a baptism and it will be in Barra! It is two little girls and they will be baptized in the ocean!!!! Ahhh! I'm so excited! Hehe. We also have investigators in the island of Ranzohan and they are really progressing so I am hoping the fact that they are on the island won't be a problem for them to come to church! 

The Island of Ranzohn

I love them! I love all our investigators and I know that the Lord is really blessing this area and I know that I have so much that I need to do to be worthy of the call to this area! I love it! I know that there is so much work to do in this area! It is such a small area but it is great in Barra everyone knows everyone and you just feel like family! I love it! I really do feel like I have a home away from home! The work is truly moving forward at a fast pace and that is the hand of the Lord! How grateful I am to be a missionary at this time to see the great power the Lord has.  We have a training coming up and I'm excited but sad. It is three days for all trainers so I will be able to see my batch again because we are all training! 

The Batch

But it means that we won't be in Barra for that long and I will miss it so much! But I am excited to learn and grow and get answers to my questions!  I can’t explain in words how happy I am for this work! I just want to work work work and invite all people to grow closer to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! I love the word for mediator here. In Tagalog it is tagapamagitan. It is hard to explain why but it is so amazing and I am so grateful that Jesus Christ is our tagapamagitan! He is the only way and I know that as we turn to him he will be able to help us all and as we do are part we will all have a way to return to live with them again!!! The work here is great! I feel so close to our investigators! Members and even people that we just see a long the way. It scares me because I know that I will have to leave but when I think about that I just know that I need so much more to strengthen everyone I talk to and invite them to come unto Christ so that one day we can all see each other again! Sister Clave used to say that she knows we were friends before and that we will be eternal friends and I know that it is true! All the people I meet and love here are my eternal friends so how important it is to endure to the end so that we can all gain eternal life!
I love you all so much and am so grateful for your example and love for me! I know that everything that has lead me to go on a mission and become the person I am is because of your influences in my life! I can’t believe that Kristy is 30! Life goes so fast! I love that we all are able to share the special moments. It is true that distance make the heart grow founder! My patriarchal blessing says that one of the great gifts and blessings in my life is my family and I know that is true I am so grateful that you are the people I call my family! I am so proud to be your daughter, sister, granddaughter, and niece! I love you all!!!!!  I know that this is the true church and we are so blessed to be a part of this marvelous work!!!

Smiling Faces

I hope that all the pictures will go through if you see one with me and a girl and then a little boy and I am holding my shoe that is from my last area in Calamba I forgot to tell you the story. We sat down to teach her and then her little brother came up to me and said, ihi zapatos, which means pee shoe, he peed in my shoe!!! Hahaha! It was gross but funny and the same time. He was so cute about it. I hope I can take another picture soon of those same shoes because a dog ate them and now I can't wear them :( we went to an appointment before the baptism of Karen and I left my shoes outside like we always do and then when we went to leave one of my shoes was gone! Then when I found it the strap was gone and there was a big hole in the back. We went to the baptismal interview and right before the baptism I was able to buy new shoes but they aren’t anywhere as nice as my old ones. Haha it is a funny story though and just more experiences! Hehe. I love it! I hope you love the pictures! And that they all go through! If you have questions just ask. I will be sure to get all the pearls you asked for :) I love you all so much! I love the work and I know that the church is true!
Love, Sister Andreasen      

Life In Barra Is Amazing!!!! - October 18, 2010

Sister Andreasen & Sister Arrieta

Smiling Faces on Baptism Day

We are emailing early this morning so that we can be sure and have Internet and because I am excited to email you all I love you all so much!

I am sorry my email was so sort last week the zone p-day took up a lot of our time. So first off let me tell you about my companion. Her name is Sister Pascual and she is from Tarlac, it is in the Angeles Mission. She is 21 and she is a sweet girl! She is one of three girls and the oldest. We are trying to work on going to all our investigators. I got left in a little bit of a hard situation. We (Sister Arrieta and I) used to go on splits to get to all of our appointments but now we can’t do that so we are stretching ourselves and changing our schedule so that we can go to all of them because they are all amazing! I love it!  We have had some really good success! And I know that it is a blessing for our work! We have so many great investigators. We have a family that I just love!  The Ortiz family, they have been taught by the missionaries for a while but have not progressed and they say why would they go to another church if they don’t even go to their church so we are starting from the beginning because I wasn’t here when they taught about the restoration so we will see if they will progress! I hope so! Then we have a Sister Andrea who is so excited about baptism we taught her about 3 Nephi 11 and she cried! I love her but her situation is hard because they aren’t married and can’t get married. So we are working on that with president. Then Tatay Emililiano. We went to see him me and Sister Juntong and I cried because when we got to his house he was drunk!!!!! He then came to church on Saturday and said that he was so sorry and said that he knows he needs help. So we are working with him on his addictions and setting goals and he also committed to fast! So we will see how that goes on Tuesday. I have never felt such heartache as I did when we went to see him and he was drunk! My heart broke and I just plead for help to know what we could to as missionaries to help him. I know that he can overcome these things. It is so sad that Satan gets people with drugs! They have a desire to overcome but it truly is so hard from them and my heartaches with them as they struggle to overcome the temptations of Satan!

Then we have investigators in Ranzohan! They are awesome but it is hard for them to go to church so that is what we are working on right now because they are awesome! We have one family I just love! I need to take a picture so you can see them. Sister Maluo Teves and Elhood. Their son called me pretty and that is how we met them. He is so cute, he is 2 hehe! They really want to know truth and I know that if their baby was bigger they would come to church!

We are also working on less active members and some less actives just came back to church this Sunday! Brother and Sister Taraya! I love them! I just love Barra! I want all the people to go to church even if they aren’t yet investigators I love them so much!

We have some upcoming baptisms. Abigail she is the niece of a member and she will be baptized with her cousin on October 30th! Then Sarina who is the sister of a member and she should be getting baptized on November 6th! She is the sister in law of one of my favorite members Sister Remy, she is so nice! And she loves the missionaries! I will have to send you a picture! She wants to talk to you mom; she is going to look for you on Facebook. Ha-ha. I think she added me to her friends. Ha-ha. She is crazy! We always joke that she is in primary because she is so short!

Cleaning Fish Is So Much Fun!

Then we just met a new investigator he is the nephew of a member and he is 8 and he wants to be taught in English and he is actually really good in English! He is so smart it kills me! When we teach him he says things like "well, I have a question for you..." and then he has this long question ha-ha. Then he says, "I think...." and has a lot more to say. He is so funny! Its great!

Just Gotta Get There...

Then we had the meeting in Cabuyao! Amazing! Bishop McMullen talked about the quorum of the twelve and of the seventy and he and his wife bore testimony and we had time to ask questions and they answered! They were there with Elder Tay and his wife. Elder Cook was in the Philippines and they were with him but Elder Cook didn’t come to our meeting. But it was amazing and the spirit was so strong! I didn’t really know what to expect and it was more of just being spiritually uplifted! And we also got to see so many missionaries, which was so fun!!!! My whole batch was there and we took pictures!!! It was so great! I love being a missionary!

Some may say it is a sacrifice that is true mom. And in some ways it is. I am far from you all and I didn’t get to go to TOFW, school is on pause, it is hot and tiring. Ha-ha. But you never think about that because you are over come with the blessings that are poured out upon you everyday!!!! I love it! I know this is such a great blessing from the Lord!!! How blessed I am that he allowed me to come and serve his children! Especially here in the Philippines!!!! I love it!  So we had a ward family home evening before Sister Arrieta left and we took a lot of pictures with our fun branch.  The zone is great! Our zone leaders our so nice and one is like an older brother, Elder Jaring, he has a pink bandanna on his forehead in the beach pictures. Then I'm in a zone with Elder De Leon again he is my batch and so nice! Then we have sisters in this zone! And one is Sister Nuez, she is awesome and we grew close because we stayed with them the night before and after the missionary meeting because Cabuyao is so far away. So yeah that is about it hehe.

Well I love you all so much!!!!!! And I love the mission so much!!!!!! The church is true, the blessings of the gospel are everywhere! And I am so grateful for the love of our Heavenly Father!!!!!

Love, Sister Andreasen