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, February 24, 2014

TO PW: Tender Mercy

Sent Date: Monday, February 24, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President,
I really like what you told me in interviews. I have been keeping a record of the tender mercies that our Heavenly Father has shared with me. It is funny, how what I think is just Elder Andrews bumping around is actually Heavenly Father guiding me. This week we were able to commit two people to baptism. One has a date the other was a little tentative to set a date. Josue's, the gentlemen with a date, wife called us Saturday, saying "Josue is drunk and has a machete and is going to kill me and all my cats." We were on our way to help a Less-active move but sorry that takes priority.

 We get there, to Josue's, and just in time. When we pull up we see his wife running out of the driveway and into the street where I almost hit her, and then we see him. This is a man that I love, a man that is so prepared, that is so smart and wants it so bad, but it is also a natural man. Sloppy dressed, with blood shot eyes, standing in the doorway of his rundown house that his poor wife works so hard to keep. Standing there with a machete in one hand and a cat in the other. I didn't even recognize him. This was a Natural Man. It was scary, but then he saw us and it scared him. He threw the items in his hand back into the house and came out to meet us. At this point i was wishing that I had the protection of my Proselyting clothes, they do protect us. We end up talking for like an hour and a half. We learned some very interesting things about him. He calmed down we convinced him not to kill anyone. It was very spiritual. and then we left him with a less active from down the road that had walked over. Later that night we got a call from his wife saying that he was drunk and high. How do i make one hour of spiritual experience last so that when we leave he doesn't go right back? is my question.

My tender Mercy...well you can pick cause I see at least 6 or 7.
Elder Andrews

Sunday, February 23, 2014

From the Prophet

Encouragement from the prophet
Sent Date: Sunday, February 23, 2014
My dear [elders], your Heavenly Father loves you—each of you. That love never changes. It is not influenced by your appearance, by your possessions,[by your baptisms],[by your lessons], or by the amount of money you have in your bank account. It is not changed by your talents and abilities. It is simply there. It is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful. God’s love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve love. It is simply always there.

As we seek our Heavenly Father through fervent, sincere prayer and earnest, dedicated scripture study, our testimonies will become strong and deeply rooted. We will know of God’s love for us. We will understand that we do not ever walk alone. I promise you that you will one day stand aside and look at your difficult times, and you will realize that He was always there beside you. I know this to be true in the passing of my eternal companion—Frances Beverly Johnson Monson.

I leave with you my blessing. I leave with you my gratitude for all the good you do and for the lives you lead. That you may be blessed with every good gift is my prayer in the name of our Savior and Redeemer, even Jesus Christ the Lord, amen.

President Monson

Sunday, February 16, 2014

From President Wall: Motivated by Elder Perkins?

With new goals and an increased urgency to hasten the Work of Salvation, I am asking that you let me know what you are doing to respond to encouragement from Elder Perkins in his visit. So, here are the things I would like to know about. What are you doing to learn about the missionary purpose/the Doctrine of Christ? What experiences are you having with teaching the Doctrine of Christ? Are you using the evaluation questions after every lesson?

As you exercise greater faith to find, what are you doing and what miracles are you seeing? Remember...Expect miracles! Are you extending invitations in all your lessons? Including the invitation to be baptized? Remember, you should invite in every lesson unless you are prompted not to. What are you learning from the Book Of Mormon? (Thought I would forget this one?) Are you using the Book of Mormon in all your teaching? How? You don't need to answer all the questions in every letter, but share what the Spirit directs so I can share with the rest of the mission. That means you can include other things you want to talk about (lots of miracles would be good).

Love you all,
President and Sister Wall

Monday, February 10, 2014

Runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' and runnin' runnin' (Add Music)

Sorry I don't have that much time to write today.  I had to go get a tetanus shot earlier today and we have to go do service in a minute, but here is the gist of things.  We have been in an all out sprint this whole week accept for the times when it is raining so much that they won't even let us drive anywhere.  Josue is one of our investigator and he is really struggling with Word of Wisdom problems.  We have been really working with him and it has been a real roller coaster for all of us.  On Saturday we had to leave our ZTM (zone training meeting) and by leave I mean run out the doors and jump in the car and race away to his house.  We had to because he was about to relapse and start drinking again.  It was really intense.  We have several less actives and investigators that live in his same neighborhood and it is the same story across the board.  They are just so poor and sin is literally knocking on their door everyday.  It is a really scary neighborhood but, we are servants of our Heavenly Father and people know it.  We'll get 'um through.  Not a doubt in my mind.
 
Love y'all tons thanks for all your support.  Remember the Church is true cause y'all know it.
 
Elder Andrews
 
 
I got a call late Saturday night from the mission nurse asking if  Zach's tetanus shot was up to date.  I couldn't remember and after Keith and Bruce went to the church to see his records I called her back to tell her I couldn't find any evidence of one.  Here's what happened.:
 
I got a tiny cut on my arm while we were painting a house.  I knew it was a rusty nail but it was so small I just washed it out and then called it good.  About twenty minutes later I got this prompting to go ask someone about it.  I really didn't want to because I knew they were going to mock me for even asking about a tiny little scratch. But I did anyway.  All of the sudden they start saying that  I am going to die and that I am going to die in twenty four hours.  All this crap.  So I was a little bit nervous, but still not really too much.  Until later that night I thought, what the heck I'll call the mission nurse.  Turns out no one knows when my last tetanus shot was so this morning I got one.  It cost $94.  I don't think the prompting was  because of the scratch but...well I don't want to freak you out. This is just a theory that I have.  The last time Louisiana had a hurricane season as calm as last year and the last time it snowed  like it did last week, was right before Katrina.  My life could be interesting this summer.  But what do I know?

Sunday, February 9, 2014

From President Wall

Really busy week...Help
Sent Date: Sunday, February 9, 2014
Hi all,
This has been a really packed and busy week. Lots of really good things going on, almost 24/7 since Tuesday. So, I didn't get my normal 12 to 14 hours to read your letters. Not to worry, I will read them this week (also a very busy week). So, if you can help me, please keep your letters short this week. Let me know that you are okay and any good news or requests for help.

I love you all and have really enjoyed my interviews that I have had so far. Looking forward to being in New Orleans this week. I'm serving with the best missionaries in the world. It is an honor to be your mission president.
Much Love
President Wall

Tuesday, February 4, 2014

P.S.

My comp and I are getting along really well. He is cool.   We have met our one investigator.  We call him everyday and go over there a lot.  Our apt. is so nice. It is so big!! I mean I have spent every spare moment fixing crap that is broken but it is getting there. I am down the street from my old area.   I used to bike past my apartment twice a week to get to church.

The erosion of families is so hard. I don't know what to think. All I know is that when I sit in sacrament meeting I hardly look at the speaker. I look at the families. I look at the Falcons poking and messing with each other.  I see the Gough kids messing around until their dad gives them a glare from the stand so they try to contain themselves, but to no avail. I look at the English branch that has kids constantly escaping the pews to run up on the stand and sit by the branch president. All I can think about is how people want to break away from how society "traditionally" views family life should be and I think, Why? Have you ever met someone on drugs who is happy?  Have you ever met someone cheating on their wife who is happy?  People think they are going to be the exception to the rule.  THEY ARE NOT.  And with people who choose not to have kids. I think kids are the best part about being married. Sure they are a drain and some days I am sure you want to kill them but it is like everything in the Gospel and everything that is Good.  It is all Delayed Glorification.  You get your reward after the trial of your faith. No one wants that; everyone wants it now.  I have been going crazy just trying to show people that there is a simple formula almost everyone already knows to be happy.  It is one word: FAMILIES.

Cold

This week was kind of strange. We had to stay inside on Tuesday and Wednesday because it was too cold and icy.  Ok, well I am from Utah and this is nothing, it didn't even snow.  First of all Wal-Mart was like it was World War Z.  It was a mad house and we had to call the ZLs and tell them that we might be late.  We were talking to some people at Wal-Mart the night before we went on lock down, and this black couple said, as soon as they found out where I was from, "You probably think this is crazy right?"
 
To which I said, "Yeah."
 
Then he said "Well what would happen if a Hurricane hit Utah?"
 
Good point, it would be a mass exodus.
 
Anyway so this week, like every other week, was full of working with less actives.  Less actives are really hard for me.  I say this because there is absolutely nothing that I can do to get them to come to church. I just have to be that friend.  I love these people so much and it just breaks my heart when they are doing something that I know is going to hurt them.  We got a new Branch Mission Leader and he asked me what is the best way to re-activate less actives. And I said there isn't one. Everyone has their own thing that they need; it is not a key that unlocks a door.  It is a cord that you must weave into a rope.  Man, some days I wish it was a key.  But lasting conversion is a long and slow process.  No eternal characteristic happens over night, you need time for that seed to grow.  I am just the person who pleads the case that it is worth it.  Some days I have to plead it to myself.  Not for that long though.  Life is so good.  It is crazy.  People have some serious problems but Dios siempre esta alli!!!
 
 
Adios Les Amo
 
Elder Andrews
 
P.S. My comps first name is Zach! And his last companion was Elder Andrews. There are two. I know that President is dying to put us together.

Monday, February 3, 2014

Work

Work will work if you have the will.
Sent Date: Monday, February 3, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
Presidente,
I just read this. I have the will, I have the faith, and [1Nephi 3:7]. I can promise as an Andrews
I will work.