We Wish You a Merry Christmas

Hey everybody,

So our P Day was changed to Tuesday because the Junction City district went to the temple today and interviews were scheduled for today. So interviews were changed to yesterday and P Day was changed to today!

So the most amazing happened this week! So there’s a member who just moved here from Texas to be closer with her boyfriend, who is not a member of the church. She’s been fellowshipping him since the spring and he’s been to church twice in Kansas at least once in Texas. He decided he wanted to meet with us and learn more about the church. So we had a lesson with him on Sunday, and wow he is so ready! He has read half of the Book of Mormon. 

We’ve done a lot of finding through former investigators, trying to find people that weren’t ready at the time but are ready now. 

Interviews were awesome! Had a good chat with President, and he let me know that I will finish my mission here in Manhattan.

Sorry kind of a lame email, but that was about it for the week!

 

Merry Christmas

 

Love,

 

Elder Andrasko

Somewhere Over the Rainbow...

Hello everybody!

We as a district just got back from the Wizard of Oz museum!! It was pretty neat, had lots of things from the movie and other things from the land of Oz! One thing that I learned is that the author of the Wizard of Oz book wrote 14 book about Oz! Now that's pretty crazy.

Anyway, this week has been pretty great! Well I got a cold so not the best, but it was good nonetheless!

We had the first real district meeting of the transfer, so that was super fun. It's always a good time getting to know the people you serve around, it's pretty easy to form bonds with your fellow missionaries.

Also this week was exchanges with the Zone Leaders! So while we were out, we did a lot of tracting and contacting, and when we went to contact this guy we ended up knocking on the wrong door! But it turned out alright cause we met Michael and his son Edward! Michael is from India and grew up in a Catholic home. But hasn't been to church in a long time and wants his son to go to church. So we had a really good lesson about the restoration and set up a return appointment. In the return appointment we answered a lot of questions and emphasized the importance of church!

We also got a super bomb referral this week. It was a self referral, so she requested the missionaries to teach her and bring a Book of Mormon. Like a lot of people in the area she is, or was, in the Army. While in the Army she met a lot of Mormons and saw how happy they were all the time and wanted to know more, and why we are always so happy! Things like this just go to show how far being a good example can go! She is excited to learn more and keep meeting with us, unfortunately she couldn't make it to church because of work.

We had the Ward Christmas party this week, which was a huge hit. Lots of people, lots of food! I'm excited to get to know the ward better.

Not too much more this week! But I love y'all and have a good week!

-Elder Andrasko

Hello, Goodbye

Hey everyone!

Wow transfers. It was hard leaving the Sherwood Ward, but I am glad to be here in Manhattan.

So the first part of the week was just saying goodbyes to all the friends I made in Topeka. There were a few hard goodbyes, but the good thing is with all this technology we can stay in touch!

Transfers was a looong day, I had to wake up at 5, make sure I had all my things packed and we had to be out by 6 cause we had to be in Wichita at 8...so long drive there. Then after a few hours in Wichita we drove a few hours to Manhattan! 

Still District Leader, my district is the only one with sisters in it too! The STLs only have 2 companionships under their stewardship.

Anyway I’ve just been learning the area, lots of tracting. Which is a good way to learn an area. While we were out we were knocking a street and there was a house with a “trespassers will be shot” sign. So of course we knocked it. We met a nice lady named Connie! She had all purple on, cause K-State, she even had purple hair. When we talked to her about the Book of Mormon she was so grateful for the information and really wanted to know where she could get a copy. So we of course offered her one, and she was so happy! That’s something I love, seeing people light up when they hear truth being testified.

My new companion is Elder Zolik, he’s from Vegas, and is a pretty funny guy.

Not a whole lot to talk about, but things are good!

Love my mission! 

- Elder Andrasko

Manhattan Bound

Hello one and all!

Well transfer week is here once again, and it looks like I will be headed out of Sherwood. It's been a good 3 transfers here and I sure will miss it. And after 5 transfers I am leaving Topeka, I've been here since May, so it'll be strange to leave. I will be heading off to the city of Manhattan, Kansas! Home of the Kansas State Wildcats!

Anyway, as you all know this past week we changed our P-day to Tuesday so we could attend the temple, which again was so amazing! We did a lot of tracting at the beginning of the week, which had some good results and we met some pretty nice people. A couple that we met and left with a pamphlet we went back to invite them to church. Their door was open when we arrived, but as we were walking up to their door it quickly shut. Bummer, but things like that happen. As a missionary you really learn how to not let rejection bring you down. If you got hurt after every time someone rejected you there would be no time to be happy! Can't imagine having a sad mission.

Thanksgiving was this week!! So the Elders quorum in the ward was supposed to have a "Turkey Bowl" against the Elders quorum in another ward, so we show up at the appointed time and place only to find out that they cancelled! Bummer. But we had one as a zone a few hours later and that was loads of fun! We did Senior Companions vs Junior Companions, needless to say the seniors dominated the competition! Later that day we had not one, but two dinners! My only regret is that the dinners were scheduled too close together, didn't have time to digest before we went back to eating. But it was really great, had a smoked, fried, and baked turkey! Can't decide which I liked the most.

Anyway, we just continued to trek on and look for miracles in the work!

One great miracle, there was a baptism in the ward this week! I interviewed someone the sisters had been teaching for baptism, I always love baptismal interviews because it can be such a spiritual experience. Since I've grown up in the church it is so cool to see others experiences and views on the church and the gospel. So he passed his interview and even asked me to baptize him, or as he said "dip him"!

So a few weeks ago we had our own baptism, but due to Stake Conference he was unable to be confirmed. We were a little worried cause he was going out of town with his family for Thanksgiving and his original plan was to come home Sunday night, but he was able to make it back Saturday and make it in time for his confirmation! Which was pretty great!

So the Topeka stake does a big thing for Christmas called "Nativities and Noels" where a bunch of different people bring their nativities, people from any religion anywhere in Topeka. Then they set them up all around the church and like tour the church and look at the nativities. Then while they are going around people are performing music, or they'll have the Tabernacle Choir Christmas performance playing. Then Sunday night it ends with the First Presidency Christmas devotional. So a cool way for people to be introduced to the church. Kinda sad I'll miss it.

Things here are good, I am super excited for this upcoming transfer, new area, and new companion.

Love you all tons and have a great week!!

Elder Andrasko

The Best of Times

Zone Conference with Elder Stanfill

Josh's Baptism!!!!!

At the Kansas City Temple

With my good friend Elder Smack

Hello everyone!!

So I am writing today, Tuesday, because we changed our pday so we could come to the temple! Which we just finished with. We left at 9:30 to make it to the 11:30 session. But it was the first time I was able to attend my entire mission! The only time I will attend on my mission.

Anyway this week was amazing because...Josh got Baptized!

So this was a really busy week, we had a visiting General Authority Seventy, Elder Stanfill! He came and had zone conference with us and the Manhattan and Lawrence zones. He has thoughts and words to share with us, and at the end we had a full hour for Q&A. It was pretty amazing, and I learned a lot of new things.

We had three days of interaction with both him and President McCuistion because of Zone and Stake Conference.

So we spent a lot of the week out finding and we met this really cool guy named Eric! We had a good first contact and he told us that his grandparents were Mormons and he invited us to come back. When we came back he said he told his mom we came by and he found out that she was also baptized a member, we invited him to stake conference but he didn’t make it. Anyway he is super open and hopefully we can continue to teach him.

Yesterday, Monday, as we were out proselyting, which was weird, we met a cool couple that said there were looking for a church to go to and their 7 year old was at the phase where he was asking a lot of questions. So we talked to them about the church and how it benefits families, and a little bit about the restoration. They seemed cool, hopefully we will see them again.

We have an investigator who has like 7 kids. So we stopped by to see them, and we found out they her and her boyfriend of like 10 years broke up! So that was sad, we told her we would come back and talk more to her, but she wasn’t home when we came by.

So the highlight of the week was, of course, the baptism of our good friend Josh! It was a smaller service, which is ok, and Elder Fielding was able to perform his 2nd baptism of his mission! Unfortunately due to stake conference Josh wasn’t confirmed on Sunday, so we have to wait until this coming Sunday, so we’ll keep him on track so he doesn’t fall off before his baptism is “complete”!

Again the temple was AMAZING! Super awesome week, and glad for every moment I have to be a missionary, have a great week!

- Elder Andrasko

Missionary Man

Hello everyone!

It was a great week,  lots of progression and some good times too. 

Monday we went bowling! I haven't been for a super long time so it was pretty dope, scored like 113. So not too bad.

So we planned to go to the temple next week, but temple is closed Monday so we are going Tuesday and changing our p day to then. So emailing will be done then! 

Anyway Wednesday was pretty good. We were asked by the young men's President to talk to the young men about how to prepare missionary meals, and things we wish we had known before our mission. It was really fun!

We had interviews with our mission President this week! It was super rad, President called me an old fart during the interview. I also got a new temple recommend! 

We went on exchanges this week! We did lots of tracting and we actually met a few nice people who said we could come back. One was a really sweet old black lady in a wheelchair. There was another family with tons of people who lived there said we could come back after Sunday.

We've worked really hard with Josh thus week, to make sure he lives the commandments and make sure he is prepared for his baptism. His interview is this week so fingers crossed! If he passes he will get baptized on Saturday! Exciting!

Things are really good here and I love the work. We have zone conference this week with a member of the Seventy, Elder Stanfill. It will be a great time! 

Love y'all tons! Have a great week!

-Elder Andrasko 

This week had some crazy stuff in it...including a police raid and arrest.

Hello everybody!!

This week had some crazy stuff in it...including a police raid and arrest.

So Tuesday was Halloween, so we had to be in at 7. Oh also Monday at FHE we carved pumpkins so had that ready for Halloween. Anyway it was super cold, in fact it snowed like all day...So we went tracting for most of the day, then had dinner with a recent convert family. After we got home we did some weekly planning! Made use of the time that we had. 

One thing that I forgot to mention last week, or maybe it was two weeks ago , but we started our annual Christmas Book of Mormon challenge. So as a district we've been reading 8 pages a night. So as of last night we are in the book of Enos!

Anyway, we went on exchanges after district meeting on Thursday. I was with Elder Sheets and we did a lot of tracting. And we had pretty good success! Met a few really cool people. But the real exciting stuff was what happened the next morning. So we all stayed the night at Kaw Valley's apartment, I was on my old bed/mattress topper (cause I didn't have a real bed for awhile). Anyway in the morning while we were studying we hear this loud banging below us with a, "POLICE, SEARCH WARRANT, OPEN UP!" And it went on for a few minutes, we look outside and we see a whole swat team standing outside the apartment. 

Anyway the guy in the apartment below us comes out and he gets arrested. And I guess the cops spent most of the day tearing apart the apartment. So more than likely it was a drug bust. But there was lots and lots of police.

Friday we went to see our investigator Josh, who just started living the word of wisdom so he can get baptized, and he made us a traditional dish from his home country of El Salvador! And he gave us lots and lots of food, I was sooo full. Then less than 2 hours later we had dinner! So much food on that one day...

Saturday! We helped two people move on Saturday, it didn't take a ton of time, but it was a lot of work. At 1:30 the sister's investigator was baptized and I was asked to play the piano for it. So it was nice to be able to use my piano skills.

We were supposed to have a baptism, but we had to push back the date. We hopefully have two coming up on the 18th, but that depends on them and their agency!

Anyways things here are really good, we have interviews with the Mission President this week, so that will be cool! Love ya, have a good week!

-Elder Andrasko

Knock, Knock, Knocking...

We changed nametags - and went as each other!!

Hello everybody!

So the start of the week we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders! I went out with Elder Ovard and we went tracting all day! It really was not an eventful day, it was actually probably the most I've ever been rejected in a single day. Nobody even took a pamphlet, so it was tough, but I still feel like I learned a ton! The next morning we went back our into the streets, and it was mostly the same. 

So the temperature dropped this week so we started getting into the 30s and 40s, the nights have been getting in the teens. So pretty chilly, the wind is the worst part.

We've been doing a lot of tracting, but haven't seen much success. But just grinding away! 

So this week we had a dinner with our recent convert, Chris, he had a crazy experience this week. He was shopping at Family Dollar and it got robbed! But he also got a referral for us which was the cashier at the Family Dollar. He said she noticed a change in him and wanted to know what it was from, so he's like, "Oh let me tell you when we're not getting robbed." So we got that coming up in the future.

So when we were tracting we knocked into this super old guy. He invited us in, which was really nice cause it was cold, then preceded to talk to us nonstop for over an hour! There wasn't even a break in the conversation for us to cut in and excuse ourselves. I also have to admit that while he was talking I started to nod off, my only excuse is missionary work is tiring and I am tired almost all day every day! But it took us awhile to get out of there. Super nice guy, seems really lonely, really likes his dog.

So this week we have a possibility of a baptism! We have been working with Ashlynn for a long time now almost 10 weeks. It's been a slow process but if all goes well her baptism will be on Saturday!

Not a lot to update on, but things here are going well!

Love y'all!

Elder Andrasko

Rainy Days and Mondays

Hey Everyone!!

So this week was transfers. Nothing too exciting happened with that though. Almost the entire zone stayed the same, only a few minor changes. But when transfer day came they took our car down to Wichita!! :( :( so we were caught biking for just a little bit. Then when we got our car it had all the new spanish elders stuff in it. But that's ok!

So the day goes on and near the end of the night we decided to go through the recent move in list, so we go and knock on this guys door. So turns out he is a member, but doesn't associate himself with the church. He started verbally attacking us about our beliefs. So I excused ourselves and started walking away, and he started following us! it was pretty strange, so afterwards we decided to have dinner and get rid of those negative feelings we had. But it was memorable nonetheless. 

There isn't a whole lot of exciting things to talk about this week. We had a good lesson with Ashlynn and she is committed to a date for baptism! 

The Sisters also passed off one of their investigators to us. His name is Josh, well it's actually Josué but he goes by Josh. English isn't his first language, but he wants to learn english better so he wants to continue meeting with english missionaries. He's pretty cool, he has good fellowship, he just has to have a strong enough desire to continue on!

So when we have been biking we've run into every cold/rainy day. The temperature has been in like the 60s or 70s everyday except when we bike. And because of this I now have a cold. Maybe the 5th or 6th cold I've gotten on my mission ha...

Today for P-day we went to this place called prairie town, it's like a hidden town in the middle of Topeka with old timey shops and things. So we go into town and walk into a building, it was an old school, there was an old piano and we play on it and stuff, then a guy walks in and says "You're not supposed to be in here, this place is supposed to be locked". So then we had to leave, pretty disappointing haha.

Hope you are all having a great week, I love all y'all!!

Love, Elder Andrasko

I LOVE to See The Temple

Hello Everybody!!

So this was an eventful, memorable, week!

So Tuesday was a fantastic day because we were able to go on a temple trip with a bunch of recent converts from the ward!! So we were able to take our recent convert Chris for the first time to do baptisms for the dead!! Now that is something that I will remember forever, it was just such a sweet spirit there, while we were waiting to go to the font the Temple President came and spoke with us for a few minutes. He was able to answer some questions that people had, and it made the experience a lot more sweet. It was also the first time I was able to attend the temple on my mission, and the first time I have left mission boundaries. So a lot of firsts there. On the way back we stopped at Jack in the box and got some burgers. They don't have any in the mission, so that was pretty dope.

So every Thursday we do splits with the Elders quorum, and this week was especially great. It was actually the first time we went on splits. So Elder Fielding was left on his own from 7 to 9. We had one appointment for the night, so Elder Fielding went there and I went home teaching. So we go to see a family in the ward and the guy served with my cousin Kyle! So that's cool, so someone ask Kyle if he remembers Corey Gile. Then afterwards we went to see a Cliff Wright. So Cliff is a great guy who we have been seeing on a weekly basis since we got to Sherwood. We've built a good relationship, at least I hope so. The big goal is to have him come to church before I leave the area.

Speaking of leaving the area, transfers are this week! The news is....we are both staying. So the district is basically the same, besides the inclusion of the Kaw Valley Elders. They lost their district last transfer and are now officially part of the Sherwood district! Woot woot! So this is now the start of my 6th transfer in Topeka! Wow, that is a long time...and this is the third time I've been in an area for 3 transfers. But I feel I will leave after this transfer, but who knows..

Anyway back to splits on Thursday. Elder Fielding went to an appointment, and it went super awesome! He was really able to rely on the spirit to meet the needs of our investigator and she is super excited to be getting baptized! She will probably be baptized, if everything goes well, on the 28th!

Saturday...oh boy that was a wet day. We had a torrential downpour, and we were on bikes. After a few hours we decided to ditch the bikes. So we went home, changed, grabbed umbrellas, and started to walk. It was a pretty rough day to be honest. Nobody wanted to talk to us, appointments fell through. But I guess it's those days that build character.

Oh almost forgot, we had interviews with our mission president this week! It was a super cool experience, we were able to talk and he gave me good mission advice, as well as advice for when I get home.

It was a great week with lots of learning and growth. I love every second of serving a mission!

Have a great week!!

Love, Elder Andrasko

We'll Bring the World His Truth

Hey everyone! 

So crazy week, and I’m starting my email late, only got a few minutes before we have to leave for dinner.

One cool thing that happened is that Chris got the priesthood this week! Elder Fielding ordained him too! So that was cool, he baptized, confirmed, and ordained him. And something even cooler, we are going to the temple to do baptisms tomorrow! First time at the temple my entire mission! I’ll make sure to get good pictures from that.

So someone I knew from Junction City was in the hospital here in Topeka. So we stopped in to see them yesterday. It was super cool to see some people I haven’t seen in months, that’s one amazing thing about the mission you get to see and get to know a lot of amazing people. A few people who were in my district were there at the hospital too, so it was just a JC party!

Sorry for the lame email, but not too many exciting things. We got a few new people on date this week, but they weren’t able to come to church, they haven’t really been keeping any commitments, so I dont think now is their time. We’ll save them for another set of missionaries :)

Everything is good, it’s the last week of the transfer, so that’s pretty crazy!

Love y’all have a great week!

- Elder Andrasko

Because I'm HAPPY...

Hello everyone!

I hope you all had the chance to watch General Conference, it's always super awesome and revelatory. This conference was bittersweet though, because it is the last conference I will watch on my mission! 

Anyway we had full time car this week, but it was lost cause I guess for some reason there were cars in Wichita that were unusable. So the 2nd car in 2 transfers I lost :( so back to biking every other day. And oh boy we had a pretty big biking day. It was long and hard, but saw some good stuff come from it.

So this week we were teaching Chris his new member lessons and we were talking about the priesthood, temples, and family history! And we can go to the temple with recent converts to do baptisms! So we are going on the 10th!! Yay I haven't been to the temple my entire mission! But it's finally happening!

Finding has been tough for us, so not a whole lot of new people that we are working with, just the same old. Progression has also been a little stagnant, hopefully this week things will pick up a little bit. 

Not a whole lot to write about, but I do love all y'f

all and hope you have a good week!

- Elder Andrasko

I Love Technology

Hey Everyone!!

So we had a really really crazy week! Involving zone conference, a car accident, exchanges a wedding, and a baptism!

So Tuesday we had zone conference, and something really really big happened...WE GOT SMARTPHONES!! It is really strange to have a smartphone again, it's basically the same as our tablets but just smaller. But most of zone conference was just talking about how to effectively use technology. Facebook, smartphones, etc. It was pretty nice, and now I feel more comfortable using technology!

So Wednesday also pretty crazy, we were biking down the road and I look up and I see another bicyclist flying, legit flying, through the air. He had just been hit by a car!! So Elder Fielding and I were first on scene and called 911 and stuff. The guy wasn't hurt too bad just had some cuts and bruises. But the lady who hit him was very distraught. I felt really bad, she was weeping and wailing. 

Ok, so the wedding. The sisters have been working with this family for a very very long time, and all the children have been baptized. But the parents were waiting to get married so they can have family and stuff in town for it. But as it turned out their family couldn't come, but they were committed to get married and baptized. So they are from Micronesia, so at their wedding was a feast! They had filled four entire long tables of food. Awesome.

So right at the end of the wedding we started our exchange. I went with Elder Ortmann, which was a hoot and a holler.  Then we went out and mostly tracted. So lots of knocking and talking to everyone on the street. Had some good times and met some good people, not in our area but people in their area need the gospel too.

Last but definitely not least baptism!!! The sisters had 3 baptisms and we had 1! It was pretty nerve-racking, it was supposed to start at 11 but people were late, including Chris (our recent convert). So we started like 20-30 minutes late, but it was such an amazing service! Many tears were shed. Then the next day, yesterday, was the confirmation. Which Chris was also late to haha. But it happened! Then after he just goes and talks to basically every member. The ward is super accepting of him, then after the High Priest group leader talks to Chris about going on teamups with us and he is super down.

Oh yeah today we went to the dojo with some MMA fighter members. Pretty tiring but super fun.

Anyway, I love all y'all

Have a great week!!

Elder Andrasko