Thanks to President Wall

Sent Date: Monday, June 16, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob

Beloved President Wall,
It has been a pleasure to know you. Thank you so much for all that you did. Something that you told me that really stuck with me is when you told me in interviews about testifying of the Father's Love for us. I want you to know that I make a point of it to testify of His love as often as I possible can and I have seen the difference it has made in my life. Thank you for the opportunities and wisdom that you have given me. I strive to be the kind of man that you are. I really appreciate your example. I don't really know what more to say. I love you. I thank you. I pray for you. I will never forget you.

With all the thanks I can muster,
Elder Andrews

President Wall's Last Letter

Sent Date: Monday, June 16, 2014

With the transition to President Hansen, this week will be the last time that you all can write your president's letter to the Wall's. I won't take time in this email to tell you how much we love you and how much we pray for you and how much you will be missed. We have specialized training over the next two weeks to tell you personally how we feel.

Also, this last week was pretty crazy so I didn't get to many letters from last week. Sorry. I will read them this week along with you final letters to me.

This could get mushy, so I will stop now.

Much Love
President Wall

Miracle

This week was awesome. We had an awesome experience; we decided to call a family and the wife answered, I guess that that was weird for her cause she never answers numbers she doesn't know. But anyway she tells us that she is having trouble with her pregnancy and that the baby is struggling. We ask her if we can come over and give her a blessing she says yes, so we went over there and gave her a blessing.   Funny story about that, I did the anointing and then Elder Herbert and I put our hand on her head to give her the blessing.  Then her husband puts his hands on top of her head too because we are dumb and didn't explain in well enough.  So I am stunned but trying not to laugh or let it distract Elder Herbert.   We just let him chill and about halfway through the blessing he took his hands off but it was funny.  We called them later that week and come to find out that the baby is fine!  The doctor said it was a miracle!! We later taught them the best lesson EVER and we are going back today and going to commit them to baptism. They are so prepared.

I am working really hard to be a good district leader. All the numbers and logistics are easy but it is hard to become friends quickly with those in my district.  I am like a degree, it takes a while to get but after you have it, it is there supporting you forever.  I am trying to speed the process up in the most appropriate way possible.

 

Church is fun, I lead the music, gave a talk, went to PEC and branch conference,  taught a class and then we ditched halfway through priesthood so we could go with a member to Lafayette so he could have and interview with the stake president for the Priesthood.  Crazy. After that we had the best lesson of my life.

 

We live in the white apartments [on Google maps] apartment #7.   We know all the Hispanics who live around us which makes it feel like home.  There are a lot of bugs here but they have these trucks that drive around the streets at night spraying crap into the air to kill them.  Our new mission president comes early next month.

 

While we were teaching this family,  I was reminded of how little of the teaching is really us.  Right now I could not tell you what we taught them only that is was awesome and they had some killer questions. We are just the way that the message got there.  Nothing more. 

Love ya'll

Baby Miracle

Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
Monday, June 9, 2014
This week was awesome. We had an awesome experience; We decided to call a family and she answered, I guess that that was weird for her cause she never answers numbers she doesn't know. But anyway she tells us that she is having trouble with her pregnancy and that the baby is struggling. We ask her if we can come over and give her a blessing she says yes, so we went over there and gave her a blessing. We called them later that week to and comes to find out that the baby is fine, the doctor said it was a miracle!! We later taught them the best lesson EVER and we are going back today and going to commit them to baptism. They are so prepared.

While we were teaching them I was reminded of how little of the teaching is really us. Right now I could not tell you what we taught them only that is was awesome and they had some killer questions. We are just the way that the message got there nothing more. The District is doing good. District Meeting this week I instructed on confidence, I did this because it has occurred to me that the sisters are nervous about their Spanish. I am trying to build their confidence. They are amazing missionaries, they just are young and the language is a work in progress. They are awesome. Elder Herbert is good. I am trying to build his confidence in me. He sometimes treats me like I am nothing more than a  river and his translator. That said I feel as if this last couple of days I wiggled my way in. We are friends but his word is law. For the most part it is because he is right so I am happy with that, it is something small and that will rectify itself with time.

We are good. I am good.

Love ya,
Elder Andrews

P.S. Am I going to have the opportunity to have an interview with you before you leave? I got transferred before mine in the Westbank. Thanks.

Be Weird (and wildlife in LA)

So I got transferred for the first time to Morgan City. I am so excited! My companion is a superstar. He is from Mexico and doesn't speak much English. So that makes my life interesting. There is a Branch here and from what I saw there are about 30 people who attend; despite the fact that our branch roster is 13 pages long. Asi es. Especially here in the LA.  There are just a million things this transfer to make it sure that there is not one ounce of "comfort" in me. This Sunday was cool I lead the music, prayed, and bore my testimony, all in sacrament meeting. After that I taught a class that I wasn't prepared for. Talk about trial by fire. Anyway it is really different from the West bank but that is good. I was waiting for my world to get flipped upside-down.

This week I was thinking about member-missionary work.  Because of course that is the best way people come to know the gospel. Anyway I have heard people say that it is hard to find opportunities to talk about the gospel.  I have come up with a solution!  You need to up your "weirdness." Now hear me out.  As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints we are supposed to be a "choice and set apart people" right? Otherwise known as weird. We have to be different cause we have to put things of the world behind us as we embrace the atonement and become more Christlike. Weird, it is the word I am going to use even though you might not like it. Missionaries are really weird so people can plainly come up to us an ask "why are you weird?" and we tell them. My mom has 7 kids, weird.  You don't drink, smoke or have sex before marriage, weird. You go to church for three hours on Sunday, peculiar.

 

All you are trying to do is get someone to ask this question "why are you weird?" and then the second part comes in: ALWAYS HAVE THE GOSPEL ON THE TIP OF YOUR TONGUE! so they ask and you say cause I believe that families are forever!  Or cause I am a Mormon! This is where you can stop being weird, if it is possible... Anyway it is not weird to talk about yourself, or to talk about religion. Matter of fact, it is easy cause everyone has some beliefs. All missionaries are just really weird. So be weird and be ready. Do that with a little bit of prayer I promise you will have success if you live in Utah.

Love you all to Death!

Elder Andrews

Out of my League

Weekly Letter - 02 Jun 2014
Sent Date: Monday, June 2, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President,
I am excited for this transfer. Thanks for the opportunity to be with Elder Herbert. He is a super star. Such a good missionary when it is his turn to talk when we teach I just look at him and listen. To say that he oozes the spirit would be and understatement. No. He calls the spirit to come and shake you awake. I hit the Jackpot. I always had good companions, even if I didn't realize it at the time, but he takes the cake.

Anyway the missionaries here are awesome the Sisters, Mickho and McClendon are awesome and the Kellers....Give me a break, awesome. I hate to say it but I am our of my league. They are awesome. The Branch though I have mixed feeling about from what I saw they seem fine, small but fine. Elder Herbert assures me on the other hand that, that is not the case. I will see what is going on and make a conclusion for myself, like I always do.

Love you and thanks for this opportunity.
Elder Andrews

Check Your Desires (and I'm getting transeferred)

So I am getting transferred. Really transferred.  This time not just to the next area over. I am super scared and sad. I have met people here that I love so very much.  It brings me to tears to leave them; I hope that I will be able to make new friends in my next area and thank goodness for Facebook so I can stay in touch with all the people that I want to. Missions are really interesting. You can never get comfortable.

 

This week I was really impressed by Brad Wilcox's talk called "His Grace Is Sufficient".  There is something in there that really hit me he says that we are not earning heaven we are learning it. That judgment will not be us and God with a checklist saying sorry you only got a 98/100, so sorry no heaven for you. No he thinks, as do I, that it will simple be God inviting us to come and partake of the rich blessing and us deciding if we are going to or not. So my challenge to you is to check your desires and see if you would accept His offer. It is hard and for me I still have lots left to learn but the good thing about a mission is that the lessons are constantly slammed in your face.

 

Love you! Next week I will tell you where I am going. Hopefully it will be somewhere cool!!