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