Year 1 - Letter 8 - MTC

Hey everyone!

How is everything going in the real world?  We heard some about the shooting in Colorado.  That was sad. Well this has been a week that i will probably never ever forget!  It all started off with my surgery on the ACL.  I got to the surgical center where i signed in and then was prepped for surgery by a nurse who randomly was the mother of a missionary that i have gotten to know here in the MTC.  She was really nice and helped me out a lot.  It's really funny how people treat you here in Utah when your a missionary!  Everyone has advice on how to help you, from the older man also getting surgery to the anesthesiologist who is a branch counselor in the MTC, who really helped me and my companions at the Center, Elder's Poulsen and Larsen, answer hard questions from people on the street, Like why cant women have the Priesthood, or are you saved?  his advice was to make sure the the person really understands what they are asking, like do they really understand what the priesthood is, or what there definition of saved is.  It was interesting.  Well, I remember being wheeled into the operating room, and then i was out.  I then remember waking up trying to say the first vision, while my companions where trying to hold me down.  Apparently i woke up yelling in spanish and trying to sit up, and that led to me punching a nurse!  I said sorry several times.  Then i kept saying leventanse or "stand up" in spanish.  When they would tell me no, i would yell Porque no!  Latter, i asked a nurse to bear her testimony, which was cool, but i dont remember that at all, and my companion to pray.  Apparently when he started to pray, i calmed down immediately, which is cool.  That night i ate Fettuchini alfredo from brick oven, which was awesome, watched a movio about missionaries in Hollywood called God's Army, and then went to sleep. 

Now the last few days i've prettymuch been in bed, walking around on my crutches, doing physical therapy for my knee, and sleeping.  I tried to go to class yesterday, but hurt a lot and was dozing off, so that didn't work to well.  The pain is starting to be controllable now, and on Monday i should get a new brace that i will be able to get around easier with, because the current brace is huge ant quite annoying.

I finished the Book of Mormon!  that was my goal for reading in the MTC, and I did it with flying colors!  I know that it is true, and i know that as we truly read it, ponder about it, and pray, we can receive answers to our questions.

It was great to be able to talk with Mom and Dad and once with Hill and Peter!  I hope you are all doing great!  Can't wait to see Hermana Andrews!

Well, Thats pretty much all i have to talk about this week.  I hope that in a day or two i'll be back and in class and with my district in their final days in the MTC!  I love you all and thanks for your prayers!  I'm doing great and am on the road to recovery!  My average blood sugar this week has been 107!  Awesome!  Gotta go!

Love you all!

Elder Scott Turner Andrews

Post Surgery - MTC

We heard from Scott this morning.  He was already back at the MTC in the health center.  All went well with the surgery.  He has a brace on his right knee that feels good, but is too big to wear suit pants over.  So he, along with the other knee injured missionaries, will be sporting a white shirt with basketball shorts and vans to class, on crutches.  He was still in good spirits and seemed to be dealing well with the pain.  He should be on crutches for 7-10 days.  Thanks again for your support and prayers!  We will continue to pray for a great recovery and look forward to hearing from him next Wednesday in his regular e-mail!

I will update his address on the envelope found on the blog if/when his 0731 code changes.

Update on Elder Andrews' ACL - MTC

I spoke to a staff member at the MTC medical center (if that is what it is called) this afternoon, and then as a family we were able to speak to Scott early this evening.  Scott will have surgery tomorrow at 4 pm.  We pray that all will go well with his diabetes and with the surgery.  Thanks again for your support.  Ruth

Year 1 - Letter 7 - MTC

Hola!

Well, this has been a crazy week!  Last Saturday, i went in to the Hospital on 500 w (i think) and got an MRI on my knee.  That was a pretty cool experience.  They take you into a room that has this HUGE machine and lay you on this table, kinda explain whats going on, and then the table slides into the machine in a "Star Wars" type of motion.  That was crazy.  Then i waited until Monday to go and look at the results.  The doctor walked in and told be that i had ruptured my anterior cruciate ligament, To which i responded, what?  (I had no idea that was what ACL stood for).  Pretty much right after that i was scheduled to go see an Orthopedic surgeon, Dr. Kimball.  You can check his website at drkimball.com.  He said there was a video explaining the surgery.  He was really cool!  He really helped me to look at the brighter side of things.  I could see how hard it could be, but he helped explain that i was a missionary, and that i was in God's hands.  He told me of a story of a missionary who served in Moscow.  This missionary sprained his ankle really bad, and a doctor in Moscow said he needed surgery.  He went to Germany for a second opinion, which was really wishy washy, and eventually back to doctor kimball in the states.  When he got to Kimball, he was fine, but still ended up reassigned to Washington Russian speaking.  As you can imagine, he was bummed.  He said he had been called to Russia, and that his mission was a fail.  Little did he know, that one of his first days out, knocking on doors in a Russian community, being able to speak almost perfect Russian, he found someone who he found he was related too.  They talked and the man eventually joined the church.  This man of renown in the neighborhood and the work exploded.  I guess from this is we can learn that although it doesn't always look like its the way things are supposed to work out, its always how its supposed too.  I don't know exactly why i had this happen to me, but the fun part will be to figure out why!  Don't worry about me, i know I'm where I'm supposed to be!

Well, more about the week.  For starters, i was called to be the next/last district leader for my district in the MTC.  That's a big calling, but I'm blessed to have a great district who will be there to help me!  Tuesday devotional was awesome!  The Choir sang This is the Christ, probably one of my favorite songs!  It was great!  The speaker was Emeritus Seventy Vaughn Featherstone.  He was awesome, and his talk was just what i needed!  One thing he said is that 85% of success is due to attitude.  I know that as i do rehab and whatever else they have me do here, if i have a positive attitude, i will be just fine!  Another thing he said was "work will win when wishy washy wishing won't".  What an awesome quote!  In the MTC we see this daily.  Everyone has heard the quote that a goal not written down is just a wish.  I know that when we have SMART goals and work hard, we will prevail.  Es la verdad. se que eso.

I know that this church is true.  It is so easy to see that here at the MTC!  I know the Book of Mormon is the Word of God, and through it, we can learn how to follow the example of our Savior Jesus Christ.  In the last verse of This is the Christ, it says that "I read his words, the words he prayed, while bearing sorrow in Gethsemane.  I feel His love, the price he paid.  how many drops of blood where spilled for me!"  I add these words to my testimony!  i know that the Savior knows EXACTLY what i am going through, and all of you as well!  "With saints of old, in joyful cry, I too can testify, THIS IS THE CHRIST!"

Love you all!  Until i write again!

Elder Scott Turner Andrews

Michael and I were able to speak to Scott on Monday.  We did not find out when the exact day of his surgery will be, but I will be sure to post it if/when we know.  His spirits are up as you can tell from his letter.  From what he said, the plan is to have the surgery and then stay in the MTC for 4 extra weeks.  He will continue to meet with his Spanish teachers, work in the call center and keep busy.  If this plan sticks, Hillary will arrive in the MTC one week before Scott is to leave.  I assured him that we would all continue to pray for his success and recovery.  He LOVES the letters and food that we are all sending.  Thanks for your love and support to the great Elder Scott Andrews!  Ruth

Year 1 - Letter 6 - MTC

Hi everyone! 

Everything is going fine here in the MTC!  Looking at the calendar today and realising that we only have two more P-days left was kinda crazy!  There is a saying here that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days!  Its very true!  It feels like i entered here yesterday, when really i've been here around a month or so.  Crazy.  Nothing too exciting this week.  Yesterday we heard from an emeritus seventy by the name of Steuer.  He served a lot in Brazil and is now incharge of a project that is to re-translate the Bible into Portugese, just like they did for the Bible in spanish.  He talked a lot about the importance of words, which i thought was awesome.  it was cool because he used the portugese words for things in portugese, and when it comes to gospel topics, the words in portugese and spanish are the same for the most part, so me and my distric got a lot out of his talk.  I don't have my notes here, but as you read the scriptures, or anything for that matter, pay attention to what words they used, and why.  You can realize some pretty cool things!

the temple closed the monday before last, so the last two p-days we havent gone to the temple.  Its kinda sad...  We will be able to go wone more time though before we leave to Louisiana and Texas.  I got your package with my shoes and the questionare!  That was funny!  I'll tell you some of that now, and mail that later today.  My companion is Elder Preston Larsen, who originates from West Jordon Utah, but moved to San Diego about eight months previous.  He is great, and i am so glad he is going with me to Louisiana.  the other guys in my district are Elder Belnap from Logan Utah, who currently serves as our District leader, Elder Barnette, who is from chandler, and i believe that his grandfather with the last name Farnsworth might know Papa.  The other part of that trio is Elder Poulsen, who was our first district leader from Nampa Idaho, and he is awesome.  My district is also one of the only ones to have Hermanas, which is interesting, but nice at points. 

Thanks to the Toolsons for the cinnamon rolls!  those helped me get through a very bad week at the cafeteria!  I also got letters from the Glenns!  It was so good to hear from them and made my day!  I miss being their home teacher and my Dads companion!

Hillary! Your going to be a great missionary! I talked with my teachers awhile ago, and it might even work out randomly that we have the same teachers/ zone! How cool would that be!

Sadie- Cali with the Peterson/Larsens? That sounds fun! I could use a day at the beach :o... I would probably just sleep the entire time though...

Peter- your still shorter than me :P And i'm still growing a bit too!

Mom & Dad- Happy Anniversary! Thanks for being great parents for all these years! I am so greatful for all the lessons that i have learned from you! i know that because of you, I am on my way to becoming an effective tool in the hands of the lord!

I love you all!  I'm doing fine on this side!  Taking care of my diabetes!

Love you!

Elder Scott Turner Andrews

Year 1 - Letter 5 - MTC

¡Hola todo las personas en la vida real!

¿Como esta?  Estoy bien en el CCM (MTC in spanish)  Today was a busy week! My last day of the choir was last thursday, which was kinda sad but nice, since that choir has taken a lot of my study time that i had in the morning.  One cool thing is that Thursday, on the anniversary of the martyrdom of Joseph Smith, we got to sing Praise to the Man.  It was the same version the MTC Choir sang at general conference not to long ago.  It was incredible and it was hard for me not to get super emotional.  Before we sang, Elder Nelson came in and personally thanked us for the music we had worked so hard on in so little time.  That was pretty cool! 

I hurt my knee in basketball about two and a half weeks ago, and it was still bothering me a little bit, so i went in again to the Sports Med place, and they said that it was my MCL and they arent really sure, but maybe my Mensicus.  I did some excercises for my quad, and they are helping me out a lot, so we will see how that goes.  Otherwise, i am doing well, and its not affecting my ability to walk at all, so thats good. 

Good luck with Maggie tonight!  I hope the thing you got from Kathrine works!  When i read the cougar was on the top bunk i laughed pretty hard!  The idea of seeing that on the bed in my room and seeing maggie questioning what it is was kinda funny!  I'm glad that you all traveled safely there and home!  I wish i could've been with you all, but at the same time i'm glad to be where i am :)  The food hear just keeps getting worse and worse :(  its just not as good as what i'm used to.  Not even as good as the Canon.  Ah well! The rumor today is that on the forth of July, we all get to go out on the field and watch the fireworks from the stadium of fire, which i hope so much is true!  We also have some kind of fireside that should be really good.

 So Kim Saunders is engaged!  Thats great!  From what i've heard, David is a great guy, and i hope the best for them!  Tell them congrats for me!  Seeing the Judds was cool!  I was just enjoying my sunday walk and heard someone yell SCOTT!  At first i was like what?  Then i was like, oh yeah!  Thats me!  Can you see my haircut in that picture?  Its CRAZY short!  Ah well, i guess it will grow back!  Oh, i've seen both Sam and Scott here!  Sam gave me a hug from you guys, that was nice!  Sam's classroom is down the hall from me, so i see him now and again, and Scott I see in the cafeteria now and again.

The Tennis shoes among the Nephites books are a series i wish i would have read!  I'm glad you enjoyed those!

Hill- Take the time to study!  Emeritus 70 Kikuchi (i think thats his name, he is from japan and spoke in conference awhile ago) talked yesterday about obeying with exact obedience.  It was really interesting!  He talked a lot about our morning schedule in the mission field, and how it is SO important in the field.  Just schedule time in and know that when it is time to study, nothing else interferes.  You come to find here in the MTC that there is nothing better than studying!  Take the time, and just study what they told you too in the mission packet, which is probably, the book of mormon, and preach my gospel.  Kikuchi also talked about preach my gospel.  Get to know the lessons.  Read the parts at the end of each lesson that talk about lesson plans!  Get to know those points and how to teach those!

Sadie and Peter- Hope you are doing good!  Keep up on reading the scriptures and obey with exactness!   Mom and Dad are not trying to torture you!  Even if it feels like it!  It will help you in the long run.  I have seen what happens to missionaries that have poor work ethic, and it really makes life miserable!

Mom and Dad!  I love you!  Thanks for teaching me what you have!  My insulin came in, and i am doing fine!  They dont have a print center or any way to send pictures here at the MTC, otherwise i would, and someone that sent his memory card said when it got to his family, it was empty and had been wiped by something, so i'll figure something out!

 

Love you all and hope the best for you

Love

Elder Scott Turner Andrews