Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President!
I am excited about this! Oh man I'm pumped! Elder Hale is awesome and has an energy to him. We are going to do Work. And can I just tell you thank you for this opportunity that you have given me to push myself in this new way. I am scared, and that is awesome! I am not going to lie when I woke up this morning I immediately was thinking who we were going to see. Then I was reminded that it was P-day and Elder Hale and I really need food. Tonight then. We inherited some very hard situations. Like Josue is completely addicted to cocaine. He is the only investigator that we have. I really want to help him and his wife but he is not a citizen so we can't get him into rehab. So that leaves one thing: El Libro de Mormon! I know it will work but does he? Or his wife? Maybe not but that is my job. We are going to work really hard that I can promise. I can't promise results, I can't promise success, but we will work!!!!
Thanks for everything, Love ya,
Elder Andrews
Monday, January 27, 2014
Weather Alert
Weather Alert...NO CAR DAY TOMORROW
Sent Date: Monday, January 27, 2014
The current forecast calls for the possibility of 2 to 3 inches of snow with probable road closures. Just to be safe, missionaries are not to drive tomorrow, unless otherwise authorized by me or the office elders. You can work in the area around your apartment, use your bikes (be very cautious), walk. You will need to move your district meetings in some cases to a different day of the week. The weather is supposed to improve on Wednesday. For districts that can get to the church buildings on bikes, you can have your district meetings as normal. The interviews I had scheduled for tomorrow will be moved to later in the month. Just like a hurricane warning, it is better to be safe and ask the Lord to bless us with other tender mercies and miracles that will come of a change in the way we go about finding on a winter day.
Sent Date: Monday, January 27, 2014
The current forecast calls for the possibility of 2 to 3 inches of snow with probable road closures. Just to be safe, missionaries are not to drive tomorrow, unless otherwise authorized by me or the office elders. You can work in the area around your apartment, use your bikes (be very cautious), walk. You will need to move your district meetings in some cases to a different day of the week. The weather is supposed to improve on Wednesday. For districts that can get to the church buildings on bikes, you can have your district meetings as normal. The interviews I had scheduled for tomorrow will be moved to later in the month. Just like a hurricane warning, it is better to be safe and ask the Lord to bless us with other tender mercies and miracles that will come of a change in the way we go about finding on a winter day.
Still in the West Bank
So I did get transferred but not really to a different place. I got double transferred into the West Bank with Elder Hale! He is one of my friends from the MTC! So I am still in the same branch but now I just have to relearn everything and spend a lot of time on the bike looking for former investigators. It is a huge task that I have in front of me! I am in the biggest Spanish area in the mission. I do have a car but we share it and don't have any miles so we can't really use it. All of this is crazy, I am getting an adrenaline rush from it all!
The only problem I have is the old elders only had one investigator and he has some serious problems with crack...kind of a stubbling block and I am at a complete loss. We will work on it. This area is really in the slums so we are in a lot of scary areas, but don't worry the black people love us. Many people here have some serious problems with drugs and other things. They want me to help but I don't know how to exactly. All I can see to do is keep being there for them and have faith, faith in them and faith in myself to be able do what is right! Faith is power; power is the ability to do the work! Anyway the best news is the Falcons (beloved family I taught with my first companion) are in my area again
I have already seen the miracles that come from hard work. We do the best we can and our Heavenly Father lets that meager action work miracles. This is all so crazy!
Love y'all and I'll probably have some crazy stuff next week.
Elder Andrews
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Getting Transferred
Transfer calls came in yesterday and I am being transferred. That's hard after six months in the same place! I won't know where I am going until tomorrow so I can't tell you all until Monday.
This week we did a ton of service. We are helping a sister who had her name removed from the Church records. We painted her porch and her neighbors house! My comp and I worked almost everyday on that house. It was a lot, and I am going to miss them. Man I am really going to miss this place! It just started to feel like home! But God has a plan. Anyway we found out that the house is painted in lead paint so that sorta explains why it was so hard to come off!! But we came up with a SAFE way to get it off and then yesterday started to paint. Elder Smith and I taught this (former) member a lesson about the scriptures and she very politely, cause she loves Smith and I, said, "I like being Catholic!" :( So we were really bummed but we still love her to death. The hardest thing about being a missionary is the ones that for reasons you can't explain, it is just not the right time for. You are just a drop in the drink of water that they need. And that has to be enough. It is hard but it is enough. I love this area so much and am so sad to go. But I will love my next area just as much.
Love y'all,
Elder Andrews
This week we did a ton of service. We are helping a sister who had her name removed from the Church records. We painted her porch and her neighbors house! My comp and I worked almost everyday on that house. It was a lot, and I am going to miss them. Man I am really going to miss this place! It just started to feel like home! But God has a plan. Anyway we found out that the house is painted in lead paint so that sorta explains why it was so hard to come off!! But we came up with a SAFE way to get it off and then yesterday started to paint. Elder Smith and I taught this (former) member a lesson about the scriptures and she very politely, cause she loves Smith and I, said, "I like being Catholic!" :( So we were really bummed but we still love her to death. The hardest thing about being a missionary is the ones that for reasons you can't explain, it is just not the right time for. You are just a drop in the drink of water that they need. And that has to be enough. It is hard but it is enough. I love this area so much and am so sad to go. But I will love my next area just as much.
Love y'all,
Elder Andrews
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Listening to Revelation
Weekly Letter - 21 Jan 2014
Sent Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President,
Yikes!!! I am not going to lie I am nervous about getting transferred, but I trust the Lord and I trust you so here we go!!! Anyway for my last report from Algiers, I want you to know what a pleasure it has been to serve these wonderful people and it is something that I will never forget. I think I have learned more in the last 6 months than ever before. And I am ecstatic to learn what I need to learn in my next area.
I have been struggling the last week or so. I really have been missing my aunt and really been worried about her kids. I don't know if I told you this or not but while I was in the MTC my aunt
took her own life. It is really the first experience I have had with death. I am surprised at how hard it has been on me, it has been so hard. But life moves on. The Book of Mormon has been a great help to me. I can read it and most of the time it is not what I am reading that hits me it is just the thoughts that I receive about my life or what I can do to help others.
I have noticed that when I am diligently working, the revelation that comes is so strong in the quiet moments like riding a bike or mowing a lawn or scraping paint of a non-members house. Like Thursday for example...we have been painting a non-member's house as a district and it has been wonderful. Anyway I was scraping paint off the house, prepping it for paint, and I get a prompting to leave. Go home. Stupid Elder Andrews is standing there saying, why, the sun is out I am not going home...Go home...Why?...and this is the literal thought that I had.... The Cops are coming to arrest you, who cares go!!!...then the light clicked, oh crap this is revelation. So we pack up and go home. And on the way we ran into this older man who was trying to change his tire. He was panicking; he was late for work and his jack didn't really work. He couldn't bend down because he had back problems...(i use ellipses a lot sorry) anyway after a big ordeal we got him to work on time. It was a good week. I will continue to work hard so that I can recognize the spirit faster.
Thanks,
Elder Andrews
Sent Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President,
Yikes!!! I am not going to lie I am nervous about getting transferred, but I trust the Lord and I trust you so here we go!!! Anyway for my last report from Algiers, I want you to know what a pleasure it has been to serve these wonderful people and it is something that I will never forget. I think I have learned more in the last 6 months than ever before. And I am ecstatic to learn what I need to learn in my next area.
I have been struggling the last week or so. I really have been missing my aunt and really been worried about her kids. I don't know if I told you this or not but while I was in the MTC my aunt
took her own life. It is really the first experience I have had with death. I am surprised at how hard it has been on me, it has been so hard. But life moves on. The Book of Mormon has been a great help to me. I can read it and most of the time it is not what I am reading that hits me it is just the thoughts that I receive about my life or what I can do to help others.
I have noticed that when I am diligently working, the revelation that comes is so strong in the quiet moments like riding a bike or mowing a lawn or scraping paint of a non-members house. Like Thursday for example...we have been painting a non-member's house as a district and it has been wonderful. Anyway I was scraping paint off the house, prepping it for paint, and I get a prompting to leave. Go home. Stupid Elder Andrews is standing there saying, why, the sun is out I am not going home...Go home...Why?...and this is the literal thought that I had.... The Cops are coming to arrest you, who cares go!!!...then the light clicked, oh crap this is revelation. So we pack up and go home. And on the way we ran into this older man who was trying to change his tire. He was panicking; he was late for work and his jack didn't really work. He couldn't bend down because he had back problems...(i use ellipses a lot sorry) anyway after a big ordeal we got him to work on time. It was a good week. I will continue to work hard so that I can recognize the spirit faster.
Thanks,
Elder Andrews
Dear President Wall,
Sent Date: Tuesday, January 21, 2014
I have been struggling the last week or so. I really have been missing my aunt and really been worried about her kids. I don't know if i told you this or not but while i was in the MTC my aunt took her own life. It is really the first experience i have had with death. I am surprised at how hard it has been on me, it has been so hard. But life moves on. The Book of Mormon has been a great help to me. I can read it and most of the time it is not what i am reading that hits me it is just the thoughts that I receive about my life or what i can do to help others. I have noticed that when i am diligently working the revelation that comes so strong in the quiet moments like riding a bike or mowing a lawn or scraping paint of a non-members house. Like Thursday for example... We have been painting a non-members house as a district and it has been wonderful. Anyway i was scraping paint off the house, prepping it for paint, and i get a prompting to leave. to go home. and stupid Elder Andrews is standing there saying, why, the sun is out i am not going home..... Go home......why......and this is the literal thought that i had.... the Cops are coming to arrest you, who cares go!!!.
......then the light clicked, oh crap this is revelation. So we pack up and go home. and on the way we ran into this older man that was trying to change his tire. He was panicking, he was late for work his jack didn't really work and he couldn't bend down because he had back problems...(i use lipses a lot sorry) anyway after a big ordeal we got him to work on time. It was a good week. I will continue to work hard so that I can recognize the spirit faster.
Elder Andrews
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President,
Yikes!!! I am not going to lie I am nervous about getting transferred, but I trust the Lord and I I trust you so here we go!!! Anyway for my last report from Algiers. I want you to know what a pleasure it has been to serve these wonderful people and it is something that i will never forget. I think i have learned more in the last 6 months than ever before. And i am ecstatic to learn what i need to learn in my next area.
I have been struggling the last week or so. I really have been missing my aunt and really been worried about her kids. I don't know if i told you this or not but while i was in the MTC my aunt took her own life. It is really the first experience i have had with death. I am surprised at how hard it has been on me, it has been so hard. But life moves on. The Book of Mormon has been a great help to me. I can read it and most of the time it is not what i am reading that hits me it is just the thoughts that I receive about my life or what i can do to help others. I have noticed that when i am diligently working the revelation that comes so strong in the quiet moments like riding a bike or mowing a lawn or scraping paint of a non-members house. Like Thursday for example... We have been painting a non-members house as a district and it has been wonderful. Anyway i was scraping paint off the house, prepping it for paint, and i get a prompting to leave. to go home. and stupid Elder Andrews is standing there saying, why, the sun is out i am not going home..... Go home......why......and this is the literal thought that i had.... the Cops are coming to arrest you, who cares go!!!.
......then the light clicked, oh crap this is revelation. So we pack up and go home. and on the way we ran into this older man that was trying to change his tire. He was panicking, he was late for work his jack didn't really work and he couldn't bend down because he had back problems...(i use lipses a lot sorry) anyway after a big ordeal we got him to work on time. It was a good week. I will continue to work hard so that I can recognize the spirit faster.
Thanks,
Elder Andrews
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
Dear President Wall, Lots of Service
Sent Date: Monday, January 13, 2014
Author: Andrews, Zachary Jacob
President,
This week was great! I mean it was freezing, but still great! We worked hard this week! Lots of service, which is always the best. Time here is measured with two events in mind these two events are not only what they use to measure time with but what they focus their lives around, they are: 1. The birth of the Savior. Jesus is always on their tongue unfortunately not always in their actions but still we will take what we can get. and 2. Katrina, I have said a lot about Katrina in these emails but it is never enough it destroyed peoples lives. It destroyed their houses their cars their boats their roads, but all that is not half as important as what it did to their HOPE.
I can not even tell you how many less-active brothers and sisters here that I have visited that will talk about Christ as a great man and how others need to follow him, but as for them, no they tried and God did this horrible thing to them. "Why? Why would he do that?" they ask accusingly.........uuhhh goes the missionary that constantly wonders why people assume he has all the answers... This is one of those scary questions because often times the answer is, of necessity, bold. Often times we ask God Why? Why me? Why do bad things happen to people? But lets change the question... What can i learn? How can I grow? What blessings have come since then?
I can not even tell you how many less-active brothers and sisters here that I have visited that will talk about Christ as a great man and how others need to follow him, but as for them, no they tried and God did this horrible thing to them. "Why? Why would he do that?" they ask accusingly.........uuhhh goes the missionary that constantly wonders why people assume he has all the answers... This is one of those scary questions because often times the answer is, of necessity, bold. Often times we ask God Why? Why me? Why do bad things happen to people? But lets change the question... What can i learn? How can I grow? What blessings have come since then?
Attitude right.
Love ya President!
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