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

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

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.