THE VISION OF THE SOUTH

"Make no small plans: This is the vision I have for the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together....We will see the time when we will baptize hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be temples plural in the Southern States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people." President Spencer W. Kimball

Monday, August 26, 2013

Problematic Bike, Great People

This week we went on exchanges so I was with the other elder in our district, Elder Mastche.  It was fun.  We met this family that is so prepared.  We taught them the first lesson and they ate it up!  They wanted more.  It was fantastic. 
 
Then I came back to my area and back to my bike.  I have had so many bike problems; it is crazy.  Every week is a new problem.  I fix it and then we are off.  I have developed something that I find effective: I never complain.  I just crack jokes.  My companion thinks I am the funniest person in the world because I am always cracking jokes because something is always breaking.
 
We have two progressing investigators that I want to talk about: Lucia and Norma.
 
Lucia Falcons is one of my favorite people on the planet.  She is waiting for Armondo's divorce papers to go through so they can get married.  They have two kids together and she has one kid (Samuel, 17) from another man.  We go over to their house all the time and it is so fun. Samuel has become one of my best friends even though he constantly is laughing at my horrible Spanish
 
Norma is awesome too.   She is married to a less-active but now they both come to church all the time.  They are so cool.  Norma is going to be baptized on the 7th.  She will be my first investigator to be baptized. Elder Mellor will baptize her.  I am so excited!!!!!!!
 
Love you all,
 
Elder Andrews
 

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Lots of Service

This week has been pretty fun.  I am getting better at Spanish.  I can respond to people, even if my response is wrong.  My comp and I are getting along really well.  We have picked up some new less-actives.  There are so many less-actives.  After Katrina hit lots of people went inactive and so now years later, we are still cleaning up after Katrina. One of the things that is really hard for us is that we can't visit people during the day because they are all at work so we do lots of service.  This is something the president (President and Sister Wall pictured with Zach) really pushes. We have one investigator that we committed to baptism; my comp has been working with her for a while.  We are excited for her.
 
There is only one seminary class and one of the new members wanted to go but he doesn't speak English.  So now on Monday, Wednesday and Friday we wake up at 5 and bike the four miles to the church so we can translate.   Worst thing is, he didn't go to seminary today. Ha ha it's not that bad.

I liked your family goals this year.  I only have one goal: Obey with Exactness.
 
Love
 
Elder Andrews

 
PS We met some Cajuns and they are super funny.  They say funny things and in a funny way. The Branch mission leader is Cajun and he is so funny. We went to his house yesterday to eat and it was the funniest thing.  The food that he served us was.........so good.  I am so happy that I am Spanish speaking because I would be gaining weight instead of losing.

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Dear President Wall, Broken Bike


Sent Date: Monday, August 12, 2013
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob



Hey President! 

This is my first P-day and I am really excited to be here. This week is has been a challenge, just getting used to life here, the heat for one thing, but all that is easy enough. I have just been frustrated with my bike; it is broken and my dad will hopefully send me a real mountain bike. He sent me here with a hybrid and it is awesome because it is really fast with minimal effort on my part; but I have popped two tires in the last four days so it is completely useless. So I will get that fixed pretty soon and have an alternative in the meantime so i'll be fine. My Trainer Elder Mellor is awesome and I am excited to learn all that he has to teach me. Thank you for all your help and I am so thrilled to be here and to be serving and teaching the people here. I am working on Spanish and can understand almost everything people say, it is when I have to respond that my inability shows. I am working on it and to the great amusement to the people in the branch I like to try and speak to them often. They think I am funny.

Monday, August 12, 2013

He's There!



Can you spot the new Elder Andrews?

I'm here!  My address is 294 Wright Ave., Apt. 280, Gretna, LA 70056.  It is hotter than the sun here! Like melt your face off hot.  We did a service project and one elder wrung out the sweat from his shirt.  It sucks.
 
The bike we got is really sweet.  I can go really fast because of the 29" road tires.  Unfortunately, I need a different bike and fast.  I have popped both tires because the roads here are the roads of a third world country.  Pavement sure, but it is all broken.  So as fast as you can, send me a mountain bike.   I am borrowing my companion's (he has borrowed one from a member) until we get mine fixed again and then I'll ride it. 
 
My trainer is Elder Mellor; he is cool.  He is on his last transfer and is our district leader. We stay in an apartment with two other English elders.
 
I am in the Algeris Mission on the West bank of the Mississippi River in New Orleans; it is really cool here.  It is a different country.  We went to a flea market and it was scary, you could tell that everything they were selling was stolen.  I felt like I was in Africa.  Today we are going into the French Market, which is across the street from the French quarter (where we can't go).  It is going to be cool.   Anyway, I love it so far.  It is a crazy amount of biking we do.  I have met so many new people, whose names I am trying to learn.
 
We don't have a ward; we have two branches one English and one Spanish and the missionaries basically run the show.  Yesterday we taught gospel doctrine in Spanish which was funny because I can understand but I can't speak very well.
 
Love,
 
Elder Andrews
 
PS I like the people and I like the Mexican food.  I've lost like 5 pounds.
 
PPS And everyone drives a Camero here; it is crazy.