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