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  

Loved Conference - October 11, 2010

Mom,

 I love you! I cried when Elder Holland talked about his parents and the help that they gave him. And how even though it was hard on them they paid for his mission! I love you so much!!! I am grateful for all that you do for me temporally and spiritually. I know that I would not be the person I am today with out your wonderful help and guidance! I know that I am so blessed to have such wonderful parents as my guide! I am so grateful mom for all the little things that you would do each and every day that I never said thank you for or never gave attention. Cooking meals, doing laundry, cleaning the house, washing dishes, walking into talk to you and finding you on your knees praying! I know that you have inspired me to become a woman of virtue and strength relying on the Lord and trusting Him to guide and help me in my life. I am so grateful for dad! Each one of my companions has had father troubles. I hear more and more about fathers who do not live up to their responsibility each one of my companions has told me about their fathers, members or non members and I hear there stories and ache for them, because I have a father who is so amazing! Who loves me and lives worthy of his priesthood! He gives service and charity any time he can when he sees someone in need he wants to lend a helping hand. I remember times when he gave people on the street a ride. How he always buys stuff and gives money to charities and people selling candy he always buys stuff even if he doesn’t want it because he just wants to help. How he loves and cares so much about kids and it is shown in the school! 

 But most of all for the priesthood that he carries with dignity and pride! He honors his priesthood and I know he is worthy to hold it! How grateful I am for every little and great thing you both have done in my life to lead me guide me and walk beside me to help me find the way back to my Father in Heaven! I know that you are the best parents I could ever ask for! I am sorry for all my short comings and all the times that I didn’t thank you enough for what you have done to help me! I love you!!!!!!!

I am so grateful for prayer. We were able to stay in Barra and I know that we needed to because Tatay Emilliano had a problem, he drank again and so we helped him to overcome his relapse and he came to both days of conference! We had 7 of our investigators come and I am so happy and so excited for the work in Barra! I know that it is a great place and that it will truly grow!

I am excited to be training! I love my companion Sister Pascual! She is a sweet girl and I know that she just wants to do what is right! I know that she is nervous and that she is lacking a little in confidence which I can help her with! I know that I need to be extra receptive to the spirit as you said in your email! I am nervous and I know I have many short coming but I am just staying positive and trusting in the Lord, "perfect love casteth out all fear!"  I am a little nervous about money which drives me crazy! But we had to pay for four far a way trips and then this week we are going really far a way again, so it makes me a little nervous, but I am excited for the trip because we are going to her Bishop McMullin speak. He is speaking to all of us so I am so excited!!! I know that it will be great and so uplifting!!! I know I shouldn’t worry about the money thing but that is me. You know me.

However I know that the Lord is here and wants to give us help strength and guidance. I know that I need to trust in him as he guides me in what to do here in this area and how to give help to all our investigators. I don’t have a lot of time because it is late we had a zone pday. So I'm sorry this letter is short.

But most of all I wanted to thank you and tell you how much I love you and appreciate all that you do for me! I know that the lord will provide a way and help us in all of our trials which is good because I need it for this time. I forgot how much we don’t realize when we first come out to the field and I know that I have a lot of help to give and I just need to keep working and keep going keep stretching myself to be the missionary he needs me to be and do the things that he would have me do as I use the spirit more fully in this work and let it guide me! I love you so much!!! I am grateful for the letters of others and will write when we are not pushed for time! I love you all!

Love, Sister Andreasen

Preparing For Change - October 4, 2010

Random Pictures

Cute Picture

Eating Crab

Cleaning and De-Boning Fish

Thank you again for your wonderful letter! I am so excited about the temple in the Philippines!!!!! I actually just heard about it last night from Sister Anderson in the mission home. I know that the church truly is growing here in the Philippines and I love it! It is so good to hear that there were too many people at the stake temple day! That means that a lot of people are going and we still need more temples! I love it!

So about the work! Last night was a hard night. We found out at the last minute that I won’t be working in Candelaria, I will be staying in Barra!!!!!!!! Yeah!!!! Sister Arrieta and I both went to the mission home and I got to see Sister Clave and all the missionaries that are leaving and then we ate dinner in the mission home. Then I had to say my last good bye to Sisters Arrieta and Clave!!!

Sister Andreasen and Sister Arrieta

Sister Clave and Sister Andreasen

It was so hard but I am happy for them and am so happy for all that they have taught me to help me be a better missionary. As I was crying at the mission home President Anderson gave me a hug and told me that I will be training this coming transfer. So I know that I will be getting my "Anak" that is what they call it when you train and the trainer is called "Nanay" which means child and mother. I am nervous but excited too!!!

But for right now we just got back to Lucena. Me and my temporary companion Sister Juntong slept in the apartment of the San Pablo sisters and so that was fun. Now we will work here in Barra to keep up with our investigators and I am so happy. Sister Juntong is still pretty new, her trainer just went home too. She will get her follow up at transfer day which is nice because I get a little bit of practice before I train!

Our investigators keep progressing but not all of them are coming to church and that is hard especially the ones that live in Ranzohan because it is far and they have to take a little boat. We just keep faith that they will develop enough faith to go to church even if it is hard.

We also had one great investigator her name is Cathy and she loves the message and wants to be taught but the people that she lives with don’t want us in their house so she is afraid to listen while they don’t have their own home. So we are working on helping them.

Then we have a great investigator Abby she is only 9 she is living with her aunt and her cousin will be baptized this October and so we are teaching them both together even though Neriza is a child of record, so I am excited for their baptism and also the baptism of Andrea.  She is awesome and she really has a desire to learn the truth I love her so much!!!! She is the one that says she never wants to miss a Sunday!!! Then we reopened Talao-Talao which was good and so we are excited to go back but we can’t go back until next week because we have transfers and General Conference.

We also have investigators Lani and Rodel who are great but the only problem is we are having trouble with Brother Rodel's birth certificate so they can get married so they can be baptized! So I hope it all goes through!

I am so excited for the new challenges I have ahead and I know that Sister Arrieta was my companion to help prepare me to train. I love the area and I love the people. I have developed an even greater desire to work work work and teach as many people as we can!

I know that this message is true and that we have the responsibility to take it to all people! I am so blessed to be able to take it full-time to the people in the Barra area!

Thank you so much for the cd of the young women 2010, all my companions love it too! It is so inspiring! I know I am a daughter of God and I want all people to realize their divine nature and potential!

I am excited for conference! I have so many questions and I know that they will be answered as I study pray and listen to the spirit through General Conference. I am so excited but I know it will make this week go by fast as well.  Time is just flying and I know it is because I love the work! I just want to do my best everyday so that I can help as many people as I can and so I can do the Lord’s will!!!!

I know that I will have new challenges and struggles and I know that if I take them I can turn them into things that will help me learn and grow. The key is to just stay positive! There is a quote I like and know will give me strength "fear not, only be believing" I know that is what I need to do.  I am excited for the chance to grow.

I love you all so very much!!!! I love hearing about your lives and how things are changing and people are growing! Please send pictures again soon!

I love the work and I love you all but most of all I love my Father in Heaven and Savior Jesus Christ!!!

Love, Sister Andreasen