Year 1 - Letter 30 - New Orleans, LA

A wonderful Christmas and a wonderful week!

Hey everyone!  

Early Email this week!  The libraries are going to be closed the 31 and 1 here, so we where told if we were going to email, we had better do it today. 

 

Christmas was awesome!  We had a sleep over and two other elders came besides the ones in our apartment, making it a total of six elders.  We put all of the mattresses in our main big room and had fun waking up early to open gifts.  Then it was right to getting ready and studying.  After that, we went to the Palacios, a set of brothers that live and work together.  They where super nice to let us come over to use Skype  Then I got to Skype my family!  So nice to hear that everyone is doing well!  Peter's voice is getting deep!  That was a little weird.  We then had a call from some members in our area, the Ortiz family, for a early dinner.  So we got there, and the weather was starting to get crazy.  Once we got there, we figured out that there was a tornado warning!  I didn't know that we got tornadoes here!  Our zone leaders texted us telling us to stay inside, so we ended up staying at the Ortiz home for most of Christmas, since the winds and rain didn't die down until quite late.  It was a nice Christmas. We had Tenderloin, that was cooked with bacon on it.  It was incredible.  I played the piano for them, and we had a good time talking about our traditions back home, and what Christmas is all about.

Our investigators are doing well!

The first of our investigators is Daniel.  We had a lesson with him a couple days ago that was so awesome!  We talked about the Book of Mormon, and i gave him a short summary of the story line and stuff.  It was crazy, because I definitely was using words that i hadn't used before, and definitely had the gift of tongues.  Elder Larsen and I have definitely seen that a lot, since we both are far from being masters of the Spanish Language.  Anyways... Daniel loved it!  We talked about how central the Book of Mormon is, and the spirit was so strong!  We are so blessed!

   Next is Dora.  We had an awesome lesson with her the same day as Daniel's.  We taught about prophets, and introduced Tomas S. Monson (in everything Spanish, it's Tomas).   She was super receptive, and committed to pray and attend church in order to find out if Tomas S. Monson is a prophet.  Once again, the spirit was SO strong!  When we said it was time for us to go, she almost looked sad that we had to leave.  Awesome lesson.  Awesome Lessons!

  The Book of Mormon is so awesome!  I know that we can find answers every time we read from it's pages!  One thing I have been doing lately for my studies is taking a cheap copy of the Book of Mormon, and each time I read in it, I write a question that I have in my head.  Right on the page I am on.  Then, as I read, I highlight things that answer that question, and then write a short blurb about how that answers the question I have.  I haven't not found an answer yet!  I know that as we read in the Book of Mormon, we WILL find answers.  Doesn't matter where we read, or what our question is.  He WILL answer!

Love you all!  Hope you had a very Merry Christmas!  Thanks for the gifts and cards and prayers!

Love,

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 29 - New Orleans, LA

Feliz Navidad!

Just a short e-mail today from Elder Andrews, telling us when he will be able to call tomorrow. We are so excited! He is loving the opportunity to serve the Lord in New Orleans during this Christmas season!

Year 1 - Letter 28 - New Orleans, LA

Such an awesome week!

Hey everyone!

 This week was awesome!  We taught a lot, and me and Elder Larsen are working hard!  We have a baptism this Friday for Daniel!  I am so excited!  So many exclamation points!

OK, first off, I'm going to talk about Daniel.  Daniel has been ready for quite some time.  We have been studying the scriptures with him almost every day, and he is keeping commitments.  So we had a lesson with him last Wednesday, and we committed him to study Alma 34.  Elder Larsen then asked him to also study out what it meant to cry out unto the lord.  Friday we had another lesson and he had done it, and he said that when he prays he feels this light come over him.  He said he would peek up every now and then, and nothing was there.  I then asked him "have you been praying about baptism?... si ... and you felt that light, good feeling come over you? ... si ... do you think that is an answer to your prayers? ... si ... will you be baptized the 22 of December by someone holding the priesthood authority of God? ... si"  It was one of the most awesome experiences I have ever had!  We moved the baptism to the 21 though because it worked better, but still, totally crazy!

OK, another cool story relating to Daniel.  So, one of the last things we haven't taught Daniel before baptism is about prophets.  We decided that we should give him the talk "Consider the Blessings" by President Monson this last conference.  This was last Saturday, which was also our bike day, so we biked to the library (not the usual one because the usual one was closed because it was Saturday) and when we got there, I realized that I had no money to print out the talk for him.  I was playing with my wallet (it is one of those Jacobs ladder type ones)  and it was empty.  When I got to my computer I said a little prayer that everything would work out.  I then had this idea that I could use my card to put money on my library card to print.  I got to the machine, and it only took cash.  I then took my wallet out, felt inside, and sitting there, where two brand new one dollar bills.  Just what I needed to print out the talk.  I to this day have no idea where they came from.  Elder Larsen didn't put it there, nor did anyone else.  I know that the Lord provides for his servants.

Our other investigators are doing well!  We are going to work at inviting them to the baptism and to the ward party this Saturday. 

 

Well, that is all the time I have right now!  Love you all!  Keep on doing the small simple things!

Love,

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 27 - New Orleans, LA

Second Transfer Meeting!

Hey everyone!

OK, so this last transfer meeting was absolutely nuts!  We got all of Elder Gillett's stuff packed up, and Wednesday morning, we headed out on our our and a half trip to the Baton Rouge stake center.  Well, we got there and Elder Larsen, my companion from the MTC was there!  It was super cool to say hi to him!  So we sat in the chapel, and president started announcing the new companionships.  MY NEW COMPANION IS ELDER LARSEN!  Not a different Elder Larsen.  THE SAME ELDER LARSEN!  It was so crazy!  Working together has been so awesome!  My Spanish is getting so much better, now that we are together.  Before, we where sheltered by our trainers, now, kinda like Hermana Andrews said in her letter, we are all grown up!  It is so crazy that we can communicate in another language   Every time I think about it, it just blows my mind!  We are so blessed by the Lord! 

Well, the work is going well.  Our mission has a mandatory bike day every week.  So Saturday  we decided to bike.  We where so blessed as we where obedient!  We had like 4 contacts as we biked around!  One of our recent contacts, Wilson, even came to church!  He is a young guy that is pretty interested in the church.  When we first met him, we talked for like on hour answering questions.  When he came to church, he could only stay for the first part, but said he loved it and wants to come to the whole thing!  I am so excited to teach him more!  Daniel is doing well as well.  He wasn't able to come to church, so we will figure that out.  He really has desires to follow Christ, he still just doesn't feel ready.  Everyone else is more or less the same.  

It is still just so crazy that I am still with Elder Larsen!  Ha-ha!  I am still just loving being out here!  I know that this church is true!  I know that our Heavenly Father loves each and every one of us, and that he wants to bless us.  It is amazing to see how as people come unto Jesus Christ, we truly are blessed!

Love you all!  Have a merry Christmas Season!

Love,

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Me with this cool wall in New Orleans, LA!

A cool building with a clarinet on it!

A nativity that we went to that was so cool!

The cool wall!

For the "Top Gear" fans.

Year 1 - Letter 26 - New Orleans, LA

Crazy News :O

Hey everyone!

So, this week is transfers, and Elder Gillett is leaving me!  AGH!  He won't be too far away though, he is just going to metaire, which is northwest of New Orleans to be a Zone Leader.  He will be in the same ward still, but nevertheless, crazy!  I will be remaining in New Orleans at Adele Street.  Geez, I don't know what I will do when I have to leave New Orleans.  I love this place.  The people, and the city itself with all of it's twists and turns.  It will be sad to see Elder Gillett go, but its OK.  I will be just fine.

  

Our investigators are doing well!  Daniel is SO CLOSE to being ready for baptism.  He knows its something he needs to do, he is just making sure that it's the right decision.  Dora is doing well too.  Her husband had some questions, so that is what we have been doing with her lately.  She wants to be baptized, just in a year when she is in Mexico with her family.  Virginio is awesome!  We have been helping him with the paperwork for getting married to Carmen.  I am so excited for him!  We had a less active member in our area come to church last Sunday, and he then bore his testimony about how when he took of the sacrament, he felt the spirit super strong!  It was so awesome!  It is even better that he is doing it for himself, and not because we have told him to do it!  I was on the phone with Lourdes, one of the people we are teaching English, and, without warning, asked us about going to church!  We told her we would love it if she came, and she did!  I cant wait to start teaching her more about the church!  It is so awesome to watch these people change, and to be a part of it!  

Otherwise life is good!  Loving it here in New Orleans!  

OK, one thing that we have been sharing at the start of this Christmas season is the story of the nativity, specifically out of the Book of Mormon.  I love Alma 7:10-12.  It so clearly explains the birth of the savior, and what he had done for us.  I know that he is our Savior, and that He loves each and every one of us.  I know that this season is a time to serve, and that we should take all the little opportunities that present themselves!  Love you all, and have a Merry Christmas season!

Love, 

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Me and Elder Gillett opening a Big Shot - a soda that is New Orleans tradition
that has crazy amounts of sugar and that is pretty much all you taste.

                                      

Me with my advent calendar.  THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH! That is so cool!

Me with Marta. She lives in an old folks home. They say she has Alzheimers,  but I think she is there
because she speaks Spanish and only a little English.  She is AWESOME!

Year 1 - Letter 25 - New Orleans, LA

Una Semana buena

Hi everyone!

Life is so good!  Thanksgiving was awesome, and now we are in the Christmas season!  First off, thanksgiving.  I had PLENTY of food.  We had a Lunch appointment across lake Pontchartrain, which was awesome to go across the Pontchartrain Causeway, and had all the usual turkey, rolls, etc. from the ward mission leaders family, the Batlles.  After that, we went to the Bishops home, and had another dinner, of pretty much the same stuff.  It was fun, and we all went around the table to share what we are thankful for.  After that, it was off to work, just as usual.  We went and visited Daniel.  He is so ready to be baptized, it is crazy.  We found out that his best friend back home is LDS, and his sister is too!  He is starting to feel ready, so we have been visiting him almost every day to help him read, and practice English, which he is picking up on quite fast.

OK, this is a crazy story.  So after about three or so weeks, probably more, of not seeing our investigator Virginio and his fiance Carmen, we finally got an appointment with them!  That isn't even the crazy part though.  So we were talking to them about how they want to be married soon, and then be baptized, and Carmen said something like she was already baptized.  Elder Gillett asked in what church.  She then told us she was baptized in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We where totally surprised   Turns out, Carmen is one of her middle names, and she is a less active that we have tried her home several times to see if she was there, and never was!  Craziest member present lesson ever!

Dora is doing well.  We visited her again, and tried to talk with her about prophets, but Antonio, the guy she lives with, took us on a ride on the crazy train.  Ah well.  We are still just trying to help her feel welcome and feel she is a part of the ward family.

One of our less actives that the missionaries have been trying to come back to church since before Elder Gillett arrived in New Orleans came to church!  The greatest thing was, is that it was his own doing.  He invited us over one night, and we read in Alma 41.  We talked that in our sins, we cannot and will not ever be truly happy.  He really wants to change, and it is awesome that we get to be here to help him!

One cool thing at the beginning of the week was where we went out with Bishop Bustillo.  He is awesome!  He has a really sincere heart, and wants to do all he can to help others.  I think he is awesome!  He is so great, and lives in our area, so we get to work with him every few weeks.

Well, that is pretty much it for this week!  If you haven't yet, check out the Christmas campaign on Mormon.org.  It is such a great opportunity for all of us to share the true meaning of Christmas with everyone!  Us missionaries count on the work of the members!

Love you all!

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Me on my bike.

Homemade Snicker doodles from Mom and Sadie. Packaged in a Pringles can and were awesome!

Me with Carmen and Virginio.

Year 1 - Letter 24 - New Orleans, LA

Tough week, but hey, I'm fine!

Hey everyone!

This week wasn't one of our best in numbers, but hey that is not whats important.  We had a zone conference last week that talked about this.  President Wall said something that really hit home for me.  He said that someone had told him that the thing that empowers missionaries the most is to know that they are acceptable before the Lord.  It started out by having the Assistants to the president talk about working hard, and working together.  They compared it to a dog sled team, and how even though there is only one or two head dogs, the other dogs are just as important.  They all have different jobs that are essential to the success of the team.  Then we had a discussion with Sister Beckwith.  She has something to do with the missionary work in the southern States, but she is a really successful psychologist, and she talked about stress, and stress management,and also about how our thoughts control our actions.  It was really helpful.  I was getting a little stressed and didn't even know it!  Then President talked about all of it and tied it all together.  What really hit me though was when he talked about being acceptable.  I guess that my expectations of what i should be and do as a missionary where a little higher than they need to be.  He told us that numbers, in the end, aren't important.  What matters is our effort.  If we put in all the effort we can, we will be acceptable before the Lord, and we will be successful.

Well, as for the week, not too much.  Mostly we did a lot of service in helping a few families move, as well as visiting a lot of less active members, because we are updating the ward roster.  We did have the primary program though, and one of our investigators granddaughters was in it!  Dora, the investigator, wants to be baptized, but doesn't feel comfortable doing it here without her family, so we will have to help her with that, and get the ward involved.  Her granddaughter  Carlita wants to be baptized, but her parents told her she needs more experience.  We will see what we can do!

Daniel is alright.  We haven't really gotten to see him though, so he hasn't progressed much.  He knows this is what he needs to do, we just need him to feel that.

Well, that is pretty much it!  Love you all!  Thanks for all you do!

Love,
Elder Scott T. Andrews

Photos from New Orleans, LA

Elder O'Donnel and Elder Richards (East New Orleans and Chalmette - East of the Canal), Elder Gillett and Me

Our Zone.

Me with a 32 inch po-boy after doing some service.

An "Arepa" that originates from Venezuela.

"Sadie's Beauty Salon" that I see every day.

Hermano Chirinos, a less active member that we made Baliadas with. He is so funny!

The Super Dome on a foggy day.

Elder Gillett and I with Carlo, who is actually Italian, and is one of the English elders investigators that we helped.
He speaks like every language, including Spanish, and had a gorgeous home and a vineyard in Italy,
that he invited us to.  He is really cool.

Year 1 - Letter 23 - New Orleans, LA

Another Week in the Big Easy!

Hey everyone!  

Pretty good week here in New Orleans.  Had my first companion exchange this week!  It was with Elder Cardon, one of my Zone Leaders, and Elder Gillett's old companion.  He is awesome!  We both are in to classical music, so we got along pretty well.  He is a SUPER good teacher, and I learned a ton from serving with him!  One of the families I went to with him was Antonio and Dora.  She had a question about temples and work for the dead, so the time before Elder Gillett and I had talked about the spirit world, and this time we talked about temples.  Well, our half hour lesson plan took like five minutes, and they had questions about baptism.  Antonio had been baptized like twice already, so he has questions about being baptized again.  We ended up talking about how they could receive an answer for themselves, and read Alma 32:28 to about 30 or so.  The whole chapter is awesome, and I think can be used in almost any situation.  When people have questions about anything, there is a part of Preach My Gospel that tells that if someone, for instance, has a problem with the Word of Wisdom, their real question is if Joseph Smith was a real Prophet, and if he received revelation from God.  Almost every doubt can be answered by helping them understand that Joseph Smith was a true prophet, and if the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  That is where Alma 32 comes in.  Alma 32 explains how we can come to know if all of this is true.  So, Elder Cardon leaned over to me and asked if I had a scripture on faith.  We turned to Alma 32, and read a bit.  Elder Cardon then explained that we can come to church to receive answers for our questions, and promised them if they came to church with their questions, they would receive an answer.  Antonio's was if he should be baptized again, Dora's was if she should be baptized, and Carlita, their grand-daughters was not IF she should be baptized, but WHEN!  We gave her a Book of Mormon, and a chapter to read.  It was awesome to see that as Carlita was so excepting in that instance, how Dora and Antonio seemed to soften too.  The spirit is so awesome!  I don't know how we could do what we do without it. 

 

Well, Dora and Carlita came to church, but Antonio wasn't able too.  I can't wait to talk to them!

We also got one of our less actives that we work with, Roberto, to come to church.  He is awesome!  He is in his 70's or so and is very animated.  I LOVE listening to him talk.  He came to church for the first time that any of us could remember.

Well, Everyone else is doing well.  With Daniel, we are just helping him feel the spirit as he reads the Book of Mormon.  He is working like crazy though, so hasn't been able to come to church for a few weeks.  Virginio we haven't been able to talk with for awhile, and the same for Jose and Areli. 

Well, that is pretty much it for investigators.  Life is good here!  The weather is a bit cold, but still nice.  Today we saw a semi take out a street signal!  It was crazy!  Well, that is pretty much all for this week!  I love this work!  Love you all

Love,

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 22 - New Orleans, LA

Hola Familia!

Hey everyone!

Not the best of weeks for the work, but we have those every now and then.  Halloween was fun!  We had a few Elders stay at our apartment that P-Day and had a good time carving pumpkins, and just enjoying the beautiful weather for a couple hours.  Then, as always it was back to the real fun!  Whenever i thought of missionary work before, i was always kinda worried about what it would be like.  Thank goodness we can do what we do, and enjoy it!  I love talking to all these people, and it is awesome to finally be able to understand them, and talk with them!  In this new Spanish Zone that has been created, the goal is to speak Spanish during all of our district meetings, zone meetings, and during companionship study.  It has helped be SO much.  I know that as I have been obedient to the rules and goals that we have made, the Lord has blessed me and those i serve here with!  

Investigators are doing alright.

Daniel who has a date for the 17th is feeling unsure, so we have been trying to help him.  We feel that he pretty much knows everything, but it hasn't gone from his head to his heart yet.  I know that if we can get him to really pray to know, and read the scriptures, he will come to a knowledge that what we are saying is the truth, and then he will want to be baptized, because he will know it's the right thing to do.

Dora is doing fine as well.  She had questions about the temple, so we taught her about the spirit world a bit, and will teach her about temples the next visit.  I hope that as we teach her about the work that goes on in the temple for those that have passed on, she will desire to have this for herself, and then be able to do this wonderful work for her ancestors.

New Orleans is GORGEOUS this time of year!  The weather is perfect for being outside, whether it's biking, or now, running!  I can run around a block or so now, and then i am DONE!  Ha Ha!  I just get way tired and, well, yeah.  It probably doesn't help that i never was the "runner" type.  The knee is not really a problem now though, which is another great blessing!  

One of the greatest things that I have learned here on my mission, is that as I have been obedient to President Wall, the Zone Leaders, the District President, and the leaders of the church, I have been blessed so much!  All we need to do is listen, and then do!  It isn't always what we think we should do, but as we listen to those with authority, we will always be blessed for obedience.  No exceptions!

Love you all!  Be obedient!

Love,

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 21 - New Orleans, LA

I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!

Hey everyone!

Life is great here in the Big Easy!  Starting to get a little bit cold, but that is ok, i'll get used to it!  Pretty good week!  WE HAVE SOMEONE WITH A DATE!

Daniel, one of my first contacts, has a date to be baptized the 17th of November!  I am so excited for him!  I love teaching him, and from what we can tell, he loves learning, so we always have a good time over at his place.  I will let you know how he goes.

Dora is doing well.  We had a Halloween party for the ward, and she brought her family with her, so that was awesome!  We haven't taught her lately, but she is coming along well.

Virginio, has been really busy lately, so we havent seen or talked with him at all, which has us a little worried.  We left him on our last lesson with him on a positive note, so we aren't sure whats up.

Other than that, not much else has gone on this week.  The Halloween party i mentioned earlier was fun!  I liked one family that where dressed in chef costumes, and the dad had a pot with their baby dressed as a crawfish in it.  Quite funny!

Haven't had the opportunity to attend a crawfish boil, but the food here is still good!  The po boys are awesome!  I love having a good salami or shrimp or roast beef po boy!  The Hispanic food is really good as well!  The Hondurans make baliattas, which are flour tortillas, with eggs beans, that awesome white cheese, and Honduran cream, and the rock!  We also have a Venezuelan sister that makes arrepas, which are corn tortillas that are like 1-2 inches thick, with meat, cream, cheese, beans, or whatever.  It is SO GOOD!  I can't wait to show you all!

Well, my time is running short!  Gotta Go!  

Love, 

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 20 - New Orleans, LA

First Transfer Over!

Hey everyone!

This is crazy!  My first transfer is over!  AHhhhh!  Where is the time GOING!?!?!!  I have almost been out for SIX months!  AGH!  Ok, ok, enough.  of that!  Life is going well over hear in New Orleans!  thankfully, i am NOT getting transferred, and neither is Elder Gillett .  If he left me now, i would probably die.  My spanish is getting better!  Poco a poco, i'm getting to where i want to be.  I guess it's kinda like conversion.  You start out not quite knowing anything, but little by little, you learn more and more, until... you die!  You won't ever stop learning, or improving!  So good to know that Hermana Andrews is FINALLY helping the people of Santa Rosa California!  She will be awesome there!  They won't even know what hit them!

Well life is good!  Our investigators are coming along well!

Virginio is doing quite well!  The last time we where over there, we where talking and his, well, i guess she is a girlfriend, was there too.  Her name is Carmen.  We have known they where together, but she isn't usually around when we are.  Anyways, we where over there and, pretty spontaneously, Virginio says something which roughly translates to "We should be married.  What do you think?  Yes or no?"  We kinda thought it was a joke, because he kept winking at Elder Gillet, and he is kind of a jokester, but no, he was serious!  He said they want to be married and baptized, so that is good news!  Taught them the word of wisdom and they where super into it.  However, they still didn't come to church, so we will see what happens!

One of our investigators that did come to church is Dora, with her two children.  She really has desires to follow Christ and serve God.  I am sure we can help her with that!  Our other investigator that came to church is Daniel.  He is excited about the Gospel, and we are teaching him el Plan de Salvacion right now.  We will see what happens with the both of them!

Life is good!  Last Sunday we had the stomach flu, or something, and where down and out, but thankfully, we are up and going again!  It is amazing to see the hand of the Lord in our lives!

Something interesting that i read today was the story of the brother of Jared (Mahonrimoriancumur).  When he asked the Lord to touch the stones, the Lord touched the stones, and then he saw the finger of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  He saw the stones lighting up, his faith grew, and became so great, that he saw the Lord.  I know that if we will look for "the finger of the Lord"  in our lives, our faith will grow too!  I know that this church is the church of Jesus Christ!  I am greatful to be able to serve full time in this work!

Love,
Elder Scott T. Andrews

No letter today.

We checked throughout the day hoping to find Scott's weeky letter, but not today. I will post it when it does come or let you know if we hear anything. Love, Ruth (Scott's mom)

Year 1 - Letter 19 - New Orleans, LA

Awesome week!

Hey everyone!

After last week where it felt like pretty much nothing happened, this week was fantastic!  We had 3 Lessons with members, and 8 other lessons!  It was awesome!  We have quite a few investigators right now, so I'll just talk about the ones that we have taught recently.

First off, is one of our new investigators this week, Hoover (pronounced Oover, no h), and his wife, Tita.  He is from Nicaragua, and she is from Honduras.  They seem pretty cool.  We went over this week and had a "get to know you" talk and answered some of their questions that they had.  They seem pretty interested, but he is a work horse, so finding time to talk can be a little difficult with them.

Next is the Delao Family.  They are awesome!  They always pick up so fast on what we teach, and they are excited to learn more.  Next Sunday, they say that they both got work off, so we should be seeing them at church, which would be fantastic!  Tonight we are having FHE with them, because they cancelled last week.

Virginio, our investigator who is in his 60's is doing well.  We had a lesson with him, and he seems to finally understand authority, which is great.  That has been our main goal with him.  Virginio kinda reminds me of Gramps in some ways.  Except that he is around 5'4".  However, he keeps busy.  We where able to help him re-side his two story home, which he planned to do all on his own.  Him doing it alone would have been a sight to see!

Last but certainly not least is Dora.  She has strong desires to follow Christ and do what she is supposed to.  She showed up at church the other day, and just has a desire to do good.  She has been visiting with the missionaries for quite awhile, so this is an awesome development!

It is such a privilege to be able to watch these people have desires to change, and i love that i am here being a part of it!  In a few of our lessons, it was awesome to have a few members present.  There is nothing like having members there to talk to and relate with our investigators.  The work the members do helps us so much, and it helps so much when the members are there to help our investigators learn!

Life is good!  I have loved going and re-reading the conference talks.  They are so inspiring!  So many questions have been answered, and i have never wanted to serve more!  In Priesthood, i was sitting with a young less active boy.  Right before president Monson talked, i prayed that he would say something that would help this young man out.  I don't think that he could have said anything better.  It was awesome to have my prayers answered right there.

I was reading the other day in 3 Nephi chapter 18 where Jesus institutes the sacrament.  The thing that caught my eye, was how it kept saying that they did eat/drink, and where filled.  What i wondered, is how can, as we take the sacrament, be filled?  It's obviously not physical for us.  You can't be filled by a fraction of a slice of bread, or a tiny cup of water.  What we can be filled with is the spirit, as the sacramental prayers promise.  I know that if we will prepare ourselves for the sacrament, and really think about what the prayers say, we can, and will be filled by the spirit!  

Well, that is all!  I am loving this time that i have to serve the Lord in his vineyard! 

Love you all!

Sincerely, 

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Subject line of another email today.

Elder WATSON!!!!!! I'M in NEW ORLEANS!!!!!! Its awesome! Life is going well, and i tried running the other day!! It was more limping really fast!

(Elder Watson, also injured, was Scott's companion during his time in the referral center at the MTC.)

Year 1 - Letter 18 - New Orleans, LA

Conference was Incredible!

Hey everyone!

This was a crazy week!  One of those where you feel like you did good, but the numbers just don't support it.  Jose y Areli are doing fine.  We weren't able to see them, because of their commitments to work, but we have been in contact with them, and will see them tonight i hope.  Danielle has also been quite busy, so we haven't been able to go see either of them lately.  I hope we will be able to see them all this next week.  Oh!  I just remembered i never told you all about my first door approach!

Well we were knocking on some doors in one of the apartment complexes that has a high hispanic population, and Elder Gillett said it was my door.  I was a little scared, but excited.  So i knocked like elder Gillett does (he has a little pattern he does), and waited.  From inside someone said something, that to this day I am not sure what they actually said.  Elder Gillett thought he heard them say come in.  I proceeded to ask: what?  He then explained that sometimes hispanics run little restaurants like buisnesses from in their homes, so i said ok, and walked in.  First off, it was not a restaurant.  Second, when i opened the door, it swung and hit a lady in a chair.  Third, as i entered the room, i looked to the right, and there where four or so Hispanics just sitting watching the TV,  our, i guess at that moment, they where all watching me.  I turned to Elder Gillett, and informed him that this was not a restaurant.  I jumped out of the room, and one of them came to the door.  Elder Gillett gave him a card, and we left.  It was quite a funny experience.

Well, General Conference was AWESOME!  18 years old for Elders and 19 years old for Hermanas!  That is crazy!  I know that that will help so much!  The ward mission leader, Hmo.  Batlle, was saying how much that will help the ward.  The young men that graduate from high school and then have nothing to do but work wont have to wait to go.  Less will get into trouble after High School. It's crazy to think how that will affect BYU culture!  CRAZY!  I dont think that there was a talk that i didnt really like!  Sister Dibb's was awesome, about "I'm a Mormon.  i know it, i live it, and i love it!"  I loved Elder Christofferson's talk in priesthood as well.  I also liked Sister Burtons first observe, then serve.  Elder Holland's talk was fantastic as well, on Peter and the Apostles being re-commited to the work.  Are we all commited?  I can't wait to get a November ensign and be able to study these talks more in depth!

Life is going well over here!  New Orleans is as crazy as ever!  the other day i got a 32 inch po-boy with roast beef for like ten bucks!  It fed me for a couple days!  Love you all!  I am so greatful for all you do to help me, and i love reading your letters!  Love you all!

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 17 - New Orleans, LA

Third week out! I think . . . .

Hey everyone! 

Its been a good week!  Everything is going pretty well!  The Spanish is still coming along, bit by bit.  I know that all I need to do is be patient, work hard, and the Lord will take care of the rest.  My goal for this week is to be able to just go up to someone, talk, and testify.  I know that if i can bring the spirit into a conversation that takes place less than a few minutes, the spirit will do the work. 

Well, we got one of our investigators to come to church yesterday!  His story is pretty cool.  We had just come out of a visit with a less active member, who, by the way, is really into music, so that was fun!  Anyways, we had just come out of this appointment, and decided to contact someone on the street.  We saw this man, Danielle walking towards us, so we stopped him, and told him what we where about. He said that he had talked with missionaries back in Honduras!  He had attended church a few times, and really wanted to again!  We gave him our number, took his, got him a ride to church, and he showed up!  It was awesome!  Well, we don't really know much about him, so I can't wait to have our first lesson with him!

We also got to talk with Jose and Areli a few times.  They are excited about it all, and yesterday we extended the baptismal commitment, and they said yes!  I was so excited, and the spirit was so strong!  They weren't able to come to church though, because they misunderstood the time we had told them, but they said they are coming the next time for sure!  Tonight we have Noche de Hogar, or Family Home Evening with them.  I can't wait!  We will be teaching about the doctrine of Christ, and use and object lesson.  We will give them four graham crackers, for each of the doctrines, faith in Jesus Christ, Repentance, Baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  Then we will use icing to build towers, and then put books on them as we endure trials and endure to the end.  It's going to be a blast!

Last of our investigators that we met with last week is Virginio.  He doesn't quite understand authority, because when we committed him to be baptized, he just said he was, so we will teach him more on that!

Otherwise, life is good!  I love cooking for myself!  Jose and Areli gave us an avocado the size of a small football, and these weird green fruit called Kinep, that look like small limes.  You break them open, and then there is a pit the size of a big marble, and it has a little bit of the fruits flesh on it.  You then just put it in your mouth and chew the flesh off.  They are REALLY good!  Too bad they are hard to get in the US. If you see those around, get them!  Also, one of the families in the ward made us Arepas.  They are corn tortillas that are almost an inch thick, that are stuffed with whatever meat, vegetable, etc. that you want.  Ours had chicken, beans, Honduran creme, which is a mixture of just about every creme you could think of, and avocado.  They where amazing!  I never really liked avocado before, but it isn't that bad!

Well, that is pretty much all!  Everything is going well here in the Big Easy, which, by the way, is the perfect name for this place.  Everyone is just easy going, which makes it a bit hard to get them to do things!  Well, gotta go!

Love,

Elder Scott Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 16 - New Orleans, LA

Hey everyone!

The mission field is awesome!  Everything is going quite well!  It is so much fun to be helping the people of New Orleans!  I guess i will start of by talking about our investigators that we have been meeting with lately.

The first is Virginio.  He is about 70 years old, and is excited to learn more.  We are teaching him about the plan of salvation right now, and taking it slower so he can really understand.  That is the funny thing about Hispanics.  If you ask them if they understand, pretty much always they will say si.  Even if they don't.  You usually have to ask more specific questions about what you are teaching at the moment.  Virginio really wants to come to church, so our goal is to find a way to get him there.

Next that comes to mind is Manuel.  Manuel is not the typical Hispanic.  He is agnostic, which means he kinda believes in God, but more in that there is a powerful being, and isn't sure how we can know he is there.  Therefore, scriptures are a hard thing for him to believe are true.  However,we are helping him to understand, and to understand more about where he is coming from.  He is really interested in church history, so we are helping him understand that more as well.  He fed us the other day with these things that were like corn tortillas filled with meat and veggies, with a green salsa over the hole thing.  That was good, however it wasn't until after when me and Elder Gillett talked that we decided that one of the ingredients had to have been chicken neck.  That was interesting. 

Then we have a gang of people we have that we see off and on.  They are David and Zuri (z in Spanish is kinda like an s), who just had a baby, and Igor, Marcos, and Nito, who are all single guys just working in construction.  We are teaching them about the restoration, and they want to learn more.  They work a lot though, so they don't always follow commitments.

Otherwise, the work is going well!  We have a goal to contact three people per day, and that has been helping us to find more potential investigators.  Also, i am finally starting to be able to understand people, and take a part of the lessons!  It is crazy to see how the gift of tongues is real!  If we need to do something, i know, just like Nephi does in 1 Nephi 3, that the Lord will provide a way!

This weekend was my first week to do service in La Place, and in Plackmine.  La Place is looking better, but Plackmine was under 22 feet of water for 3 weeks... it was gross.  The house i helped at was a man that luckily, his home was on stilts, so he only had about 4 drywall damage, but he had a trailer that we pretty much just demolished, along with all that was inside.  That, and he had a rabbit farm, that all the rabbits had died.  That was super gross.  Otherwise, it was great to serve, and the knee didn't get in the way, which was great.  In 1 week, i am allowed to run again, so that will be great!  I cant wait to be completely normal!

Well, life is great in Louisiana!  Thanks for all that y'all do!

Love you!

Elder Scott Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 15 - New Orleans, LA

Hey everyone!

I finally made it here!  This week has been crazy.  First off, both of the planes i flew on where quite small, and that was new for me.  I happened to be seated right next to a plane engine on the first flight at five in the morning, so i got a little sleep, but not really anything solid.  Next we went on a plane that there was only one row of three.  It was tiny, and you could feel every movement of the plane.  Well, enough of that.

We landed safely in the tiny Baton Rouge airport.  I made it down the escalator, and there was President and Sister Wall.  They are awesome!  I can't wait to get to know them more!  We got all of our bags, loaded them into a trailer, (except my bag with insulin), and went off to the mission home.  If you want to know what the mission home looks like, it is gorgeous!  Just picture a nice southern home that has a big porch in the front.  It is awesome.  Our first dinner in the field was rice, turkey, beans, and some Cajun powder with green salsa.  It was good.  Then i had my interview with President Wall.  He asked me how i was doing, and about what i had done in the referral center, and a few other questions.  Then he told me my first area was to be New Orleans.  My house is right next to downtown, and all of New Orleans, except for the east part on the other side of the Canal, and Jefferson.  He said they don't usually train people here, because New Orleans is pretty much as worldly as it gets.  He told me i was there to be with my companion, whom, by the way, is awesome!  Well, we spent the night in the mission home, and then it was off to transfer meeting.  We all came into the chapel, sat on the rows on the side, and then President started to call out companionships, with a lot of funny in between stuff.  President is awesome.  My first companion is Elder Gillett.  We are so much alike, and that really makes it easy.  We are both quite laid back, and just want to work.  I have already learned so much from being his companion.  He is from Salt Lake City, He has been here a year, and we jumped right into the work.

In some ways it feels like we are starting a new.  They haven't seen anyone for a week, since the hurricane hit, and they have been doing service in La Place (pronounced Laplaz).  The first person i talked with was Virginio.  He is from Cuba, and i hardly understood a word he said.  You learn as much Spanish as you can in the MTC, but nothing can really prepare you for speaking with natives.  He was nice and helped me out though, as most of the Hispanics do.

A lot of what we are doing right now is getting in contact with people in the area again.  Seeing how they are doing, how they did with the Hurricane, and if we can help them in any way.  We did find a nice little family in Jefferson, which is east of New Orleans.  We taught them the Plan of Salvation yesterday.  They seem really interested, and i can't wait to teach them more!

In my scripture study the other day, i was reading in Alma 31.  in verse 5, it says " And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God"  This scripture is awesome. I know that the power of the scriptures is incredible, and if we will read them and study them, we will be ready for whatever comes our way.  I know i don't know the language very well, but i do know that this church is true, and that the Book of Mormon has what people need to hear.

The language is coming along, i can kinda say what i want to, and i understand a little now, but all of that comes with time.  Well, gotta go!  Love you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Scott Turner Andrews

OH!  Almost forgot!  My first sunday in the ward, they made me introduce myself, and bear my testimony.  That, i can do in spanish!  It was awesome!  Well, gotta go!

Elder Andrews

An e-mail from Sister Gordon - Mission Secretary

This is just a quick note to tell you that your son arrived safely in Louisiana yesterday. 

His mailing address will be: 811 Adele St., New Orleans, LA 70130

He will get letters much faster if you mail them to this address (his apartment) rather than the mission office. 

Serving in Louisiana!

Scott phoned this morning at 8:30 am on his way to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He left the MTC at 3:00 am and phoned during his lay over in Dallas, Texas. He is grateful for all that he learned and all the great people he met in the MTC. He is excited to be moving on to Louisiana. So fun to visit with him.  We love Elder Andrews!

Until we here where he is assigned his address is:
Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission
12025 Justice Ave
Baton Rouge, LA 70816

Thank you for all of your love, prayers and support for Scott!

Year 1 - Letter 14 - MTC

Hey everyone!

This week sure has been a crazy ride!  Lots and lots of work!  Even though the referral center isn't a mission where you are up and around tracting, it sure is quite taxing on the brain.  It's like you either get the people that are ready to hear more and listen to what you have to say, and then take the lessons, or you get the ones who just want to argue and tell you that you are wrong.  Or trolls, always there are trolls.  What always comes to mind is that one poem that President Monson included in a talk, and that dad had at one time hung in his office, that says something like "I have wept in the night for the shortness of sight, that to somebodies need made me blind, but never have yet felt a tinge of regret, for being a little to kind."  We can always do more to help others, and a little less to judge.  It alright if people don't want to listen.  That is entirely up to them.  As missionaries, we are sent to "invite others to come unto Christ".  Not to force, but to extend the invitation.  That can be kinda hard.  It is really easy to get caught up trying to make someone believe.  However, that is not what we are called to do.

This week was pretty typical.  A lot of work, some sleep, and more work.  I am tired all the time, but it is great!  I met with the doctor Monday, and he told me that my knee was looking great, but my quad could use a little more work.  Frankly, it is still weak sauce.  I did take of the brace, and that is helping strengthen it a lot.  Otherwise, its all good.

The investigators are good!  We have pretty much handed them on to the local missionaries, so they can get used to them and get the members more involved with them.  That is kinda hard for me.  You don't see the actual baptisms.  However, a baptism is still a baptism, and its one more person leading a better life.  That is what matters.  Inviting others to come unto Christ.

Well, that is pretty much it for this week. Just helping all those who come on chat!

Love you all!

Elder Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 13 - MTC

Hola todos los personas!

Como estan?  Este semana fue loco!  First things first, our investigators are coming along quite well.  We are up right now to about five or so.  The biggest news is that we have made three baptismal dates in the last three days!  It has been incredible to see how some of our investigators are so ready to accept the gospel and change the way they live.  

The first of the Three was Mandy Knab. I think i have told you guys about her. She is the one that the first time we met her on chat, the bank she worked at got robbed. She had quit the day before.  She is going to a YSA ward, and is super excited to be baptized and live the Gospel.  She is keeping commitments we give her, and is now talking with local missionaries, which is our goal.

The next one is Cory Sweeter.  He is in high school and came on wanting to know more about our gospel.  He is reading the Book of Mormon and is super excited to be baptized as well.

Last, but certainly not least, is Maruf.  He is from Bangladesh and lives in England.  He is super excited to learn more about the church.  He is going to talk to his boss about getting Sundays off, so we hope that goes well for him!

I am exhausted!  Which is somewhat crazy... all we do is sit and chat in front of computers.  I guess that even though we aren't walking from door to door, and not getting physically tired, we are constantly answering questions like "why are you polygamists", and the very broad "what do you believe?"  That and the fact that they say that only every one out of ten chats is actually serious, it means that we are getting very good at answering questions.  That is one blessing that i have received in the Referral center.  I thought that i knew the bible alright before the mission, but now, i can answer most questions i get, or how to find the answer i need quite quickly.  

I can't wait to get to Louisiana!  However, i am kinda glad that i am missing Hurricane Isaac.  I will probably be there just in time to help serve.  I've just been praying to bless the people there in Louisiana to be safe!

This Sunday, Brother Anderson, who is high up in the Media and advertising part of the church, and had a part in writing Preach my Gospel spoke to us Sunday.  He talked about following the rules, and helping your companion to do the same.  It was awesome!  I know that if we remember that we are first loyal to God, over anything else, we will be fine.

It has been great to see Hillary around!  She is going to be an awesome missionary.  Her district is awesome, and is doing a good job of caring for her as far as i can tell.  I know that this is another blessing that has come from my ACL injury.  It is so good to be able to see her!

Everything else is doing fine!  I am healing incredibly fast, and the doctor gave me a clean bill of health, so all i need to do now is rebuild my quad muscles, that disappeared after my surgery.  A well.  They will come back with time.

One thing that is really cool that the RC does is what we call a mighty prayer.  In Alma 6:6, which says:  Nevertheless the children of God were commanded that they should gather themselves together oft, and join in fasting and mighty prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God.

Two times a week, my mission gathers together, to join in mighty prayer.  Each companionship chooses two investigators that need help.  Then we pray together and ask for help with these individuals, or to give thanks for things that have happened.  As my mission has done this, it is awesome to see the miracles that have been brought to pass among the investigators that we teach.  I love this work!  I love being able to help people from around the world!  I know that the experiences that i have had in the RC will help me throughout my life!

Well, thats all!  Thanks for all your support!

Elder Scott T. Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 12 - MTC

Hi everyone!

This sure was a crazy week!  The work is going well and so is my recovery!  First things first.  I was discharged from physical therapy Monday!  That was crazy!  Kinda mixed feelings about that, but i was able to bend my knee to 145 degrees, and my extension is pretty good as well.  Really all i will be doing on my own is strengthening my quad muscles doing a various amount of exercises.  So all i have now is to heal!  

This week was a really successful week.  We still have our investigator Pedro who we are having trouble getting in contact with, but everything else is going well.  We have an investigator whos name is Mandy, from Indiana/ moving to Virginia.  The day she came on she had quit her job at the bank that she worked at.  She was nervous about moving and still learning about the gospel.  We helped her and have taught her a few times.  Whats crazy is that we learned that the day that she quit her job, around the time she was talking to us, the bank she worked at was robbed!  Her testimony is pretty strong after that experience, and she really wants to be baptized and find a good husband.

Next new investigator is Maruf Ahmed, origionaly from Bangladesh, and currently living in South London.  He is awesome!  He works across the street from a church/temple that has a Christus statue, that really has caught his eye over the years.  Recently, he said he had a dream, where he was standing in front of the statue, with Christ's arms outstreched, and saw words ingraved that said "do you have eternal life?"  At first we thought he was trolling, but we kept with him, and he is super excited to learn about the gospel!  We hooked him up with the scripture app on his iphone, a Book of Mormon, and got him the address and time of the nearest church.  He even said he would talk to his boss to get time off to go to church, so that is awesome! We are excited to teach him more!

Along with that, we received 2 or so more investigators, so we will see what comes of that.

Cool part of Scripture study this week was when i read in D&C 18:34-36.  it says:  

  34 These words are not of men nor of man, but of me; wherefore, you shall testify they are of me and not of man;

  35 For it is my voice which speaketh them unto you; for they are given by my Spirit unto you, and by my power you can read them one to another; and save it were by my power you could not have them;

  36 Wherefore, you can testify that you have heard my voice, and know my words.

This was cool, because if we read the scriptures, we can say that we have heard the voice of the Lord.  Kind of a powerful thing to know when you are a missionary!  Well, life is good, and all is well!

Love you all!

Elder Scott Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 11 - MTC

Hi!

How are you all doing?  Life is good here at the MTC Referral Center!  We keep quite busy here.  The work is going on!  We have our new investigator, Pedro, who is awesome!  We met him on chat and he is GOLDEN.  Literally, our lessons go in such a way that we start talking about a subject, and then he explains it perfectly, and we freak out and confirm what he said.  He is great!  BTW, we teach him in spanish!  It is awesome to be able to somewhat speak another language.  The Gift of Tongues is quite real!  We asked "Seguira el ejemplo de Jesucristo, al ser bautizado, por alguien que posea la autoridad del sacerdocio de Dios?"  and he said yes, but he didnt feel prepared.  Thats ok.  Thats what we are here for.  President Evans, the 70 in charge of the missionaries, second only pretty much to the Apostles in what goes on, spoke about this process.  We as missionaries are here to help people come unto Christ.  That means that we aren't making them run faster than they are able.  It was cool, because he talked about how we are also called to lift up those who are less active members, and referred to the painting by Turner which i think is called "The Rescue".  It was interesting.  He focused on how we as missionaries  do help those who are non members, but that we are also called to help less actives come back to the church.  I know the truth of that as we chat with people.  It is so easy once you figure out that someone is a member to kinda check out and not put a lot of effort in.  That however, is not what we are supposed to do.  We are to invite everyone to come unto Christ, and that is an eternal process.

Guess what!  I just went out to eat at Tucanos!  It was heaven!  We only get to go out to eat on P-day, which for us is Wednesday.  Last week, we went to olive garden and had some extra funds, so we decided to go big.  Plus it was sort of a going away for Elder Hansen, who leaves in two weeks to go home.  He served in Bolivia for 21 months, and just got surgery here on his patella.  His knee caps are off centered, so he just had surgery on the first, and will do the second when he is at home.

Life is good here!  The only bad thing here is the food :D 

Elder Watson is awesome.  We are a lot alike, so we get along.  When we have a chat, i don't have to watch him all that much, he can handle himself.  I read this morning in Chapter 11 of first Nephi verses 1 to around 6.  This is where Nephi sees the vision of the Tree of Life.  I looked at the verbs and nouns of the chapter, which was kind of interesting, and really outlines what we can do to receive revelation.  If we will 1. desire to know, 2. believe that the Lord is able to "make known" these things, and 3. to ponder in your heart, and be in the environment to be able to do that.  I'm gonna try to help those that come on asking about personal revelation by studying this chapter with them.  It really just lays it out.  Good stuff.  

Well, i gotta run!  Love you all!  Be safe!

Elder Scott T. Andrews