Pitts Pics

Mission Through Photos

June 1

Dear Family,

So let me tell ya’ll how awesome it is up here.  I describe with the Pictures.  Getting to the MTC was great.  Feelings of excitement towards the unknown.  I shared a room w/ 5 other guys,   Some going to Lubbock, some to Pittsburgh.  It was pretty crowded.  My companion in the MTC was super awesome!  But the MTC food did not agree w/ his digestive system.  We were fed 3 meals a day, and then Sat. for hours. So I gained quite a bit of weight.  My District got along very well.  I ate a tulip.  Elder Crop, 37, went home.  It is so important to get things cleared up before you leave for your mission.  I respect that guy for doing what was right.  Had lots of fun 2/ all the zone. Sunday, we were able to go to the temple grounds. So beautiful! (74) THEY ARE GOING TO FIJI!  (79) That’s my zone.  Pretty Awesome bunch.  I have lots of pictures of building, cuz I am going to build them out of Lego.  (90) went to the temple.  It was so beautiful.  (132) my District and Teachers.  They were really cool.  They helped me learn a lot!  (164)  All the elders gave everyone blessings in the zone.  Sister Capron wanted me to give her one first, then I gave Elder McDonald one later as well.  The priesthood is a powerful thing.  No matter who gives the blessing, its all the same.  In my blessing, I remember a certain thing in it that 2 other people said in my blessings as well!! (183) The mission home is beautiful.  Never have I seen so many trees in all my life! (and road kill).  The Pittsburgh church had a downstairs, never seen that before! (189) I got called to Slippery Rock Branch w/ Elder O’Laughlin.  He’s a cool dud.  Apartment is really nice.  (205) That’s the Knox branch Sacrament meeting (206)  I need lint brushes (208)  That’s the Slippery Rock Branch building.  Be thankful wall are in a ward.  It is so different being in a branch!  These guys are the funniest people ever!  (231)   Power went out while I was drying my clothes (233) That game is fun.  Don’t know what its called. (236) Slippery Rock Chapel! (261) Primanti Bros is unique. A sandwich with the Coleslaw & Fries on the sandwich. . . I miss Texas food haha.  (262) A fun story w/ the train breaking that. . I’m too lazy to write it though.  (292) so before I came to Pennsylvania, I thought it was cold, a bunch of liberals, city fol,.  But I was wrong.  Everything I thought about the North has been bunked. (306) saved a turtle from being road kill. (313) I still got it muahahahaha! (323) Golfing.  Tons of golfing courses up here.  It was really fun!  We went w/ a youth in the ward named Marshal and his friend that worked at the Golf course. (336) I’m really bad at Golf. (353) my super awesome swing.  To make a long story short, we went out of order w/ the holes and got kicked out.  We (I) didn’t know better cuz we were just following the guy that worked there.  (359) Jim Shaffer.  The man the myth the legend.  He is my favorite!  He is in the Branch council, and for mothers day he wore a bow tie. For church.  This guy is the funniest guy ever!  And you can hardly understand him cuz he mumbles! (361) We get to se the Amish up here.  Pretty neat.  They don’t like pictures of themselves.  (368) Elder & Sister Brooks are the senior missionaries.  They treat us like their grandkids!  We are so spoiled.  They drive us, feed us, they are awesome.  (371)  the water here is so awful (like up at Philmont) and so we go to a spring and get our water from there,  More natural that way!  Things are going fantastic up here.  Miss ya’ll, but I’m glad I can serve the Lord.  Never in my life have I been this close to him.  My desire to read has skyrocketed.  YALL NEED TO READ! It’s so important!  Give input! Study!  I would have been so much further along if I memorized passages to scripture, not just the scripture itself.  Hope everyone is doing good.  Thanks for your prayers.

Elder Andersen

Memorize References

March 18

Dear Family,

Things are going fantastic! It feels as if I’ve been out here for months!  Even though I go to bed at 10:30 and wake up at 6:30.  I’m still exhausted!  I want more sleep!  Nathan and Emma, Memorize Scripture mastery!  You actually use them out here!  I never really memorized the reference, but oh that bit me in the butt the other night.  We were teaching a family the restoration, and he asked really great questions (You could totally tell he was prepared by the Lord) and a scripture popped in my head! But NOT THE REFERENCE!  Oh I was freaking out.  But I definitely know now that this gospel is true.  It couldn’t make more sense than anything.  Missionaries get a little more free time tan I thought (still not much at all) so I’ve been building Lego and designing the buildings up here that I want to make out of Lego when I get home.  That’s why there are so many pictures of buildings on my camera!  Thank you guys for sending that stuff.  I get it.  I’m a greeny.  The other day my pants ripped.  So I’ll send that suit back cuz It’s too small for me.  I already have some great stories to tell.  A lot happens when you serve others.  Happy Birthday Emma!  Hope it was a good one.  What are you turning, like 11 now, right?  I’ve grown to love my shower back home.  And the water.  Jacob, you better keep it nice and use it well!  Being out here kinda makes me dislike the Catholic faith.  There are a lot of Hard Headed, stuck in their ways, Happy where they are people.  It’s hard to teach when Tradition is their way of life.  Hope ya’ll are doing great.  Don’t hesitate to send me more stuff.  Ha ha.  Just kidding.  (But really)

Love you guys.  Can’t wait to hear from ya.

Hooray! A letter!

Dear family,

Woo hoo! I’m writing this on the plane heading over to Pittsburgh.  I hope yall are going good.  The MTC was really amazing. You guys would be able to tell right away how much I changed in just 12 days.  It is a lot of hard work.  Extremely Hard.  I haven’t studied this much in my entire life.  There is so much that has happened..  Heads up, the Food at the MTC, is not anywhere close to moms cooking.  TRUST ME GUYS!  Be thankful you have mom making your food!!!  The food is bad. Bas as in bad for your digestive system.  It tastes pretty good though.  I didn’t have any problems, but everyone was getting the squirts at least once. Tell Matt Couch the buckle up.  These feelings are really different.  So many people are nervous, they feel unqualified.  A guy in my District went home cuz he didn’t clear things up at home, and 2 guys are having the hardest time every, begging to go home.  The more in tune you are w/ the Holy Ghost and Jesus Christ, the stronger you’ll be.  I’m excited to serve.  I get a 30 min call on mothers day, so yall better pick up!  My love for Christ has grown so much. And now I feel like I have a firm grasp on the Gospel.

Love you guys.  Hope yall are having fun w/o me.

Love,

Elder

Andersen

P.S. Liked the letters yall wrote.

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