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

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Dear President Wall, Joseph Smith

Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob

President, 


I don't have much to say this week. I have been studying about charity and love. I have really been looking at the "worldly"(aka I have been looking in the dictionary) definitions of those word. Now I don't have my notebook, so I can't be as exact as I would like, but I can share with you the concept. In all the definitions I found there was two different themes. Love has the theme of Feelings, and Charity has the theme of Action. Now it makes sense why every other Character of Christ only has one topic or title, and Charity and Love has two. Because along with "faith without works is dead"(James 2:20), Love without Charity or Charity without Love is dead. I don't know maybe that is too much of a stretch. 


I am really glad to be here President. I really love these people. I love them to death.(don't understand that phase probably shouldn't use it) Everyday I thank my Heavenly Father for the opportunity to struggle in His vineyard. I love this, I am having so much fun trying everyday to Love, Serve and Teach someone. So much fun. Sometimes I think I am doing something wrong cause I am having so much fun. Then I am reminded of disappointment, and that lands me straight back into the real world. Which is still really nice. 


These letters I have been writing to you seem all dark and gloomy. But I can promise you the opposite is true life is good. Thanks for all you do. I keep you and Sister Wall in my prayers.  And this letter is not short by any means. Sorry!



Love,


Elder Andrews


P.S. Can you text me and let me know when would be a good time to call you so we can talk about the Free-mason/Joseph Smith. Thanks!



Sent Date: Saturday, November 2, 2013
Author: President Wall


In the early history of the church. several church leaders were Freemasons. Joseph learned from them, that the masons were very loyal as a "brotherhood" and that they were very good at protecting their masonic codes and oaths. He felt that the saints needed more protection from the hostility of the people around them, remember that governor Boggs had issued the extermination order. He also knew that with the the revelation he was receiving on temple covenants and oaths, that the saints needed to know how to keep them sacred. Joining with the masons would help with both issues. Unfortunately, things didn't work out. Although he progressed to high levels in the masonic order (their oaths and covenants were very different from the ones he was receiving for the temple), members of the masonic order turned on him and broke their oaths of brotherhood and even joined with the mob that martyred him.

October 14


Oct 14
Things are really starting to pick up in our area. We have gotten in contact with a lot of the less actives in the area and have found 5 new investigators this week.  It is so awesome!! Not a whole lot happened beside that though.  Mostly just working and working everyday all day. My comp hurt his back so we have had the car all week and that is good because my bike is broken like a chicken.  But honestly I don't really like having the car. I like biking.  The only down side to biking has been the actual bike itself, they are not made to have so many miles put on them everyday and to be ridden everyday all day.
 
Sorry I am not really feeling talkative today.
 
Let me know if there is someone that I should be sending this too that I am not or if you want me to stop sending this too you. Whatever. No es importante para nada.
 
Love ya'll,
 
Elder Andrews

I Serve My Mission in the Bayous of Southern Louisiana

October 29
We are busy. Really busy. I love it. We have just been running his last week. We got two new investigator families this week. The Ortega family (Mexicans, super cool and fun) and Otzon and his family (Dominican and also really fun people). We have been running like crazy people. Ok so you want to hear something crazy about serving in Louisiana? One: it is the belt buckle of the bible belt. If we have to go to Wal-Mart to get a bike tube, we plan for a least an hour because it is so likely that someone will want to Bible bash with us. We try our best to not Bible bash, because we are not supposed to but sometimes, mostly when they talk about us not believing in Christ, we don't feel good letting those false things being said about our church.
 
So you name it, all that anti stuff, and I know the answer to them now.
 
I have a challenge for all of you. When people ask you what religion you belong to say: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are not Mormons. We are disciples of Christ. Christ is central to this church.
 
Satan knows this and he is working hard to keep the people in confusion and darkness. Because it is hard to bring someone out of that. But God is way smarter than Satan. We are working with one of our investigators, Jendric, great kid. Awesome, love him to death, but  he has no knowledge of the Bible, has no knowledge of Christ. So he is hard to teach right?  Wrong, and this is why. He recognizes things. He doesn't say anything about it, but we will teach him things and he will sorta perk-up and listen really intently. He recognizes things.  He is a good guy.
 
Anyway love you all. I didn't get transferred. Algiers is mine, baby. Be good. And remember that all you have to do to share the gospel is be friends with everyone and live a good happy life, cause there is always something to be happy about.
 
Love,
Elder Andrews

Best Text Ever

Text the Mom received October 20

Hello, I am brother Villalobos, the branch mission leader for Elder Andrews. I wanted to send you a picture and thank you for the opportunity to work with Elder Andrews. It is such a blessing. He wanted to say, love you and miss you.

Louisiana. Paperwork. Good People

 
Oct 21
This week was great. I almost feel like I am doing something wrong because I am having so much fun.
 
Crazy thing that really sucks. Is there is one branch here on the West Bank. Now it covers a large area but still only one branch, because there are not a lot of members. Well, we decided to look through the branch roster last week to see if there are any people in the area that we do not know. OH MY are there people we don't know. On our branch roster there are over 1,000 people and 500 households. We get somewhere between 100-125 people both English and Spanish combined at church (and that is when the weather is nice, completely other subject). The other people none of us have ever heard of so we have to find all of them. I know what I am doing for the rest of my life. That means that we are missing 900 people. So naturally being OCD I sat down the two district leaders here in the West Bank and said this is something we should do. Because of the vast amounts of "extra" work this is going to put on us they promptly agreed and so that explains the "Paperwork."
 
People. I love the people here. It is amazing how much I love them. All the Hispanics are such happy people. If you want to party go to a Hispanic b-day. All the people here need help from little things like one of the recent converts here needed a couch.  So we found a couch, loaded it in the van and brought it over. All of these people need our help. It is my divine pleasure to help them in however they need help. Temporal, Spiritual, Emotional.  You name it, we are there for them. Our Mission President has a motto for us. LOVE SERVE TEACH.  I am trying everyday to radiate these characteristics.
 
This is long but I want to tell you about one of our investigator who just got baptized. His name is Samuel. I absolutely love him and his family. His mom and (hopefully) soon to be Dad live in our area. I have seen the gospel change their lives, no ifs, ands of buts. They are my family in Louisiana. They are awesome. Samuel is really strong in the gospel and is helping his family to stay strong while he waits for his mom and his step-dad to get married (his step dad is waiting for divorce papers in Mexico).  He strengthens that family. And in turn his family strengthens him. He has built my faith that we cannot do it  alone. Period. We need support whether it be from family or friends or heck, me. We are here together to help each other. because we can't do it Alone.
 
Love you all,
 
Elder Andrews

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Dear President Wall, Studying

Sent Date: Sunday, October 20, 2013
Author: President Wall

Your job is to invite others to come unto Christ, to bring them hope. You can do this in so very many ways, to so very many people. You all have the Spirit and it shines from you. So please tell me, what you are doing to give other people hope, every day.

Call me and I will tell you about the Freemasons and Joseph Smith. It is a wonderful part of church history and really made a lot of sense.

Sent Date: Monday, October 21, 2013

Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob


President,


This week has been really good. We got two new investigators that are looking really promising; I am really excited and so are they.  Companionship Unity is great.  No Problems.  district unity is not great.  Putting a strain on the English District.  i don't know what to do with the problem.  

div style="font-family: arialunicodems; font-size: small;"> Anyway this week I have really been studying in Preach My gospel.  My Book of Mormon study has been on how i can change (given that the Book of Mormon challenge is completed, I almost made it)  I would like to become more humble and more impressionable.  i am really studying and applying what i have been learning.  I have a problem I think that be before my mission i worked on gaining knowledge and not faith.  i did not distinguish between the two.  So i have knowledge but my faith is not equal to it. So I am really trying to exercise my faith. 

One thing that I learned in my Book of Mormon study last week, is that all things in the gospel take time.  There are very few things that are instant gratification.  it takes time.  Example:  Word of Wisdom, the instant gratification is the "fun" that you have when you partake in such things, but with the gospel you have a delayed gratification, aka health when you are older, or even feel good in the morning.  You can see in the war chapters in Alma that the people are impatient and fall away.  They do not receive those blessings..
Elder Andrews

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Dear President Wall, Doubting my Doubts

Sent Date: Monday, October 14, 2013

Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob


President, 

This week has been great. We have worked hard(despite Elder Vaughn's handicap). We have got back in touch with the Benatcourts!! I am really excited cause I really like them. Brother Benatcourt really likes it when he feels like he taught us something so we have good discussions. Sorry they are a less-active family that Elder Mellor and I got into contact with but his last few week he decided that they were not a priority and so we stopped going by. But we are back in contact and can hopefully get them to come to church and to get Ashley baptized 


Anyway i have a question for you and before I ask it I want to clear up some question you might have. This is just for my own personal knowledge nothing more, and what brought about this question is last week we were in Wal-Mart trying to find some batteries for the light on my bike when some guy came up to us and started to tell us that our church was wrong. Most thinks he said we could easily refute, but he said something that I didn't know about. That Joseph Smith was a Freemason. Now by no means is a faith shattering thing or even a problem, but i would like to know what you know about the masons? I did do a little study on all the church websites(cause I don't care for all the conspiracy theories that I know are involved in this)

So basically long story short. What are the Freemasons? Do you know much about them?  Was Joseph Smith one?


And trust me I am for sure doubting my doubt before I doubt my faith.

Thanks,

Elder Andrews

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Hurication


Oct 7 at 12:14 PM
Familia y amigos
 
This week was crazy(I feel like I always start my emails that way).  As many of you probably heard there was a hurricane/tropical storm in the gulf, Karin or Kathy or something like that.  All the missionaries become really excited when there is a hurricane anywhere in the gulf because if it threatens us we go on what we call Hurication.  Hurication is when there is a hurricane in the gulf and we all get evacuated to Baton Rouge and are on lock down for a few days. This means that we cannot do anything.  All we are allowed to do is sit in some elders' apartment and wait. That said, we did get evacuated to Metairie and spent Wednesday to Saturday morning there. I though it was so boring... My companion loved it so at least that. Entonces nada mucho pasan este semana. estamos buscando por investigadores pero no tenemos mucho exito. We were the only place that got evacuated and we are back now and doing normal things.  All we got was some flooding and a lot of rain. but we always get a lot of rain.
 
This week in my study I have really been thinking about Laman and Lemual don't know why I am always drawn to them but I am. Maybe I have lots to learn from them. This week I have looked at all the good that they did. Because they did do a lot of good. They did almost everything that Nephi did. But why did they constantly rebel? Why could they have seen angels but still not believe?  I by no means have the answer but I do think that one of the reasons that they fell is because they where always looking back. They constantly bring up Jerusalem and the life they had.  They always look back and never forward.  I can't remember one time Nephi laments about the life that he lost in Jerusalem.  Same with Alma the younger and Saul/Paul.  God corrected them and they changed and NEVER  looked back. God did not give us memories so that we could dwell on the past and wish it was different. He gave them to us so we could be better!!! So we could Change!!!
 
Anyway sorry for the huge email.
 
Love you all tons hope you enjoyed conference as much as I did.   WOW! So cool.
 
Love ya'll,
 
Elder Andrews

Say What?

This week has been rough. So Elder Mellor, my last comp, was here in Algiers for one year!!!! And so after he left people just assumed that did the missionary effort in Algiers did too.  My new companion and I are really having to bust our butts just to see the people that Elder Mellor and I saw regularly. And then on top of that, we are still trying to find some new people to teach.  It is hard but it is way more fun than the walk in the park that I had with Elder Mellor.  We to work so hard to get something so small to actually work.
 
This week we where going through our area book and came across a name of a less active clear out at "the point".  We decide to bike over there and stop by (this is way harder because the back tire on my bike is all jacked up because some guy almost hit me, so to get out of the way I ended up hitting the back wheel on a curb and now I am trying to fix it). We knock on the door and this little old guy answers.  Door approaches here are so hard because you don't even know what language to speak. We start in English...nothing...Spanish and at least he said something.  I have no idea what, but my comp seemed to understand him.  Turns out he had had a stroke and he can't use half his mouth.  I CANNOT UNDERSTAND ANYTHING HE SAYS.  He invites us in and we ask him if he is a member, he says no.  We ask him again, still no.  I am so confused by now; we still don't know if he is a member but we got him to commit to read the Book of Mormon.  And I have to go over with Elder Mastache today because Elder Vaughn and some other elders in the zone are going to the Saints game.
 
Love ya,
 
Elder Andrews

Farewell Tour

Sep 17
This week has been one big farewell tour for my Comp, Elder Mellor. I have eaten so much food, I never want to eat again. Anyway I am really nervous to take over the area with my new comp. I am also really nervous to get a new comp, way more nervous than I was last time.  It matters if your comp works.  But I am excited for the days when two lunch appointments and three dinner appointments end. Holy cow it is a lot of food.  And Hispanics don't ever believe you when you say that your full, they just give you more food.
 
I am really starting to become amazing friends with all the Elders and all the Sister here on the West Bank.
 
We are doing more work with less actives but it was hard this week because, like I said before, everyone wants to feed us so this week was a lot of sharing messages with members. Which is different. just some of the things that they think of is genius and gives me a lot of thinks to use when I teach less actives and Investigators.
 
Love you all,
 
Elder Andrews
 
PS This is a Cajun member teaching an elder how to play the ukulele.

Power of the Gospel

So this week I have really noticed the power of the this gospel. Norma is completely different. She is a spiritual giant now! We went over to her house last Wednesday and just had a quick visit with her outside because her husband, Daniel, wasn't there and I just noticed that she was changed. The light of Christ had COMPLETELY CHANGED HER APPEARANCE!!! I am still in shock almost a week later it is incredible.
 
So one thing that I remember you saying is that out here I can reinvent myself. And I think I did without meaning too...scratch that I did no such thing. God made me different. I am just so happy and positive, and I figured that I am really funny when things are hard or when I am having a really hard time.  Extremely funny about that whole bike situation.
 
I am good really good just enjoy the little thing that is all I do and there are plenty of them.  
 
Well I got your cookies (which were delicious and my comps loved) on Saturday.
 
Love you tons Mom I really do. I am sorry that I am not doing a better job keeping you updated, but I am trying. Life is good out here, really good.
 
Love, Elder Andrews
 
 

Dear President Wall, Lamar and Lemuel


Sent Date: Monday, October 7, 2013

Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob



President,

I don't really have a lot to say. This week was interesting with the evacuation and all. But there is one thing that I want to share with you. It is something that I learn in my study of the Book of Mormon. For some time now I have been thinking about Laman and Lemuel. I have been thinking about why they did not change? Why did they not truly repent and follow the Lord, and one of the reasons that I had impressed upon me during ZTM, was that they were too busy looking behind them. They were too busy looking in the past, at the life they had, at the life they could be having. I am sure they talked about "home" all the time. I probably have a lesson to learn from that, even though I did not know it was a problem. I need to not look back because even though I can like Laban and Lemuel do all the things that Nephi did, well go through the motions. They did not let the experience change them. They did not let God mold them as Nephi did. I will do better.

Elder Andrews

Tuesday, October 1, 2013

Dear President Wall, Fatih


Sent Date: Monday, September 30, 2013
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob



President,

This week has been interesting. In my studies especially. I have really been studying Faith, and I have just keep getting the felling that I am missing something. Like I am missing some key that would open a door to some further understanding. Now i say this because we know that faith is a principle of power which is the definition of Faith. That means faith is the power to act, and to know or faith manifest itself though actions and is a knowledge in "things which are not seen but are true" (Alma 32:21).... I'll keep searching and find it when I am not looking for it. As far as my Investigators need to be concerned. Faith is a belief that what they are feeling is the whole spirit testifying to them of truth. Maybe I have something to learn from that as well???

Thanks,

Elder Andrews
Weekly letter reminder
Is your testimony growing and are you becoming converted to the Lord?
Are you striving to be obedient?
Report on Companion Unity & District Unity
Report on Miracles/Tender Mercies
Report on Book of Mormon Study-what have you learned this week?
Are you teaching shorter lessons?
Are you studying and using the pamphlets?
Are you effectively using the Book of Mormon in your teaching?
Are your investigators reading the Book of Mormon/If needed are you reading it with them?

Your job is to invite others to come unto Christ, to bring them hope. You can do this in so very many ways, to so very many people. You all have the Spirit and it shines from you. So please tell me, what you are doing to give other people hope, every day.