Going Forward with the Work - December 7, 2009

This week I don’t have a lot of time because I was able to down load the pictures on Walgreens but it takes forever! I don’t have a lot to say about the week because we had a lot of conferences so we were gone from our area a lot. But the conferences were really good so that was nice. Oh and I can see pictures on Walgreens so if you want to randomly download some of the family and the kids. The first conference was just for our zone, which is the Santa Cruz zone, and we talked about numbers and concerns and had a workshop. The other one was a Christmas party thing we went with Pres. Anderson and we had talks and lunch and games and a gift exchange. It was way fun! But it lasted all day so we didn’t do any work that day :( so I have good news.

First- this one starts out as bad news. My first baptism- Ronnie, we thought he wasn’t going to be able to get baptized the day we planed for because he couldn’t remember the last time he had coffee and they have to wait 30 days. So we were so sad and canceled his interview with the district leader. Then we were talking to him and said you really need to remember when you last had coffee because it is going to change you baptismal date. Then he said I can’t remember but it was when Sis. Hanks was here which is the sister before me and I had been in the Philippines for 30 days! Yeah! so he was able to get baptized on the planed day. He is 18 and he was super excited! It was so cute, he was baptized by a recent convert that goes teaching with us and it was just awesome.  
If I have enough time to send all my pictures today and you see the ones of the baptism Ronnie is the one closest to me and Francis is the one who baptized him and he is closer to Sister Clave. He bore his testimony after and I understood a lot of it because it was short and simple but it was great and so sweet! The spirit was so strong I loved it!

Two- this is a little bit sad but mostly happy for me. They are splitting our area! We have so many referrals they are bring in Elders to Peate, which is a part of my area, and our area will now be smaller. So I have to give up some members and some investigators that I love and I'm sad about that, but I am super excited because the work is growing and it is amazing!!!!! I’m so happy that will happen on transfer day, which is the 18th.

So I hope everything is okay with Paul and the Browns! And that everything else is going well at home! I love you all so much!

About Christmas I was going to give you some options but if you can call me that works out great! My mission president talked to us about it and he said we can call whenever we want that week so you decided what will be better when everyone can be there and everything like that Christmas the day before or the day after whatever works best for you! Just let me know so that I can have the phone that I need to get. I will just use a members phone so I will get the number and send it next week. Just let me know when your calling (in my time) it is up to you! Really I want everyone to be there and be able to talk and I can do it whenever. I can also talk for as long as we want! Pres. just said don’t stay on the phone because you can but have good converse with everyone. He said you can’t put a time limit on family! He is so awesome! Next week I will give you the number and if I don’t get all the pictures I will do that too. I love you! Sorry I don’t have a lot more to say but I have do get these pictures going.

Oh one other thing I will have to tell Sister Smiths mom to go on missionary moms because I love Sister Smith. She and her companion stayed over at our apartment the other night because they live farther away from where we were going the next morning so we had a sleepover haha. It was funny and we made smores and Sister Smith talked to me about the struggles of Tagalog. haha I’m not the only one having a hard time. I just need to put my trust in the Lord he will guide me all the way! The work is amazing and the Church is true! I love it!

One more thing, I committed my first investigator to baptism and he accepted! yay! But he is in Peate so the Elders will just have to make sure it goes through! I will let you know.

So I love you! take care and thank you for all your love and support!

until next week!

Love, Sister Andreasen