August 5th, 2013

Dear family,

 

Keith was baptized! I am going to copy and paste my letter to president and then add stuff to it with more of the funny/eventful details :)

This has been an incredible week. Full of adventures and a lot of ups and downs. It has been busy and I am grateful when we're busy. It really helps me feel that I am being an effective missionary. Thank you so much for your email. I have been thinking a lot about how I talk to myself. Sister Henderson and I, in an attempt to help us be more positive about ourselves and others, made a rule that whenever we said something negative (about ourselves or someone else) we had to make up for it by saying 5 nice things about that person. It has ended up being a lot harder than we thought it would when we have to do it for ourselves. It has been good for me-both to remember that it's okay that I'm not perfect and to remind me what kind of person I want to be, what kind of things I would like to be able to say about myself. Recently I have felt that my ability to be charitable has really decreased. I'm not sure the cause, but that is something I am really going to try to work on this upcoming week.

We had Keith's baptism on Saturday and his confirmation on Sunday. It was an amazing experience. Before my mission I always imagined what I would feel like when MY investigator would be baptized--I thought I would feel so accomplished or proud of myself. But that hasn't been the case at all. When Sabreena and now Keith were baptized I didn't feel proud of myself at all. (I was more focused on many things that I wish I could have done better) but mostly I felt gratitude that I was able to be the missionary to teach the lessons when these precious souls were ready to accept the gospel. It really isn't about what my companion or I did or said. It is about being worthy to have the Spirit with us so these prepared people will feel and know for themselves. The baptism ended up being very eventful as Keith had to be baptized 3 times before he was submerged all the way.

 

Insert: We had been at the Church helping at a funeral all morning. Another brother in our ward passed away unexpectedly and they asked us to help with the luncheon and clean up. (Btw, I'm so grateful that I've helped out with so many receptions and ward functions at church buildings haha. But it frustrated me because it wasn't very efffective or efficient or organized...) We finished cleaning up just in time to start the font filling for the baptism. Because Youth Conference was going on at our building both the funeral and the baptism was held at another building so we weren't as familiar with the font. When we went to start it filling we saw a super weird plug. It wasn't even really a plug. It was like a 2 1/2 foot pipe with a dome metal top and then a piece that was all bent up at the bottom. We tried and tried to figure out how to plug it but we were unsuccessful. So we called our zone leaders (our poor zone leaders are so sick of hearing from us haha) because that was their buliding. They came over and tried to figure it out while we were setting up chairs. They ended up taking off the top metal dome part thing and setting it over the drain. Sister Henderson and I were really skeptical about how well that would work but despite our concerns they assured us that it would be fine and that it was "on there tight" so we kept it filling. It filled for the 2 hours before the baptism and was finally full just in time. We turned it off and closed the font and started the baptism. We had the opening song, prayer, and the first talk and then it was time for Keith to be baptized. However, when they opened the font it was obvious that that plug was not working. Almost half the water had drained out. But Bro Walk decided to try it out any way. He said the prayer and then had Keith just lie down (lay down? Gosh, I can never remember that rule) but he couldn't get completely submerged all at one time. So Bro Walk helped him up and they tried it again. This time Bro Walk was really pushing Keith down and trying to hold him under to make sure it worked but somehow it still didn't. So they decided to fill the font up more. SO they stood in the font while the water was filling for about 10 minutes. All the little kids that had gone up to watch were going crazy and it definitely was not the most spiritual baptism. But they finally turned off the water and did it again and it worked. Keith was baptized :) We were mortified and trying not to cry and laugh at the same time. But all's well that ends well. Just don't trust the Elders to plug the font :) But it was probably meant to be, and we were all reminded how important it is to make sure that ordinances are done properly. He was confirmed on Sunday and it was so awesome to see him take that step.

Last Friday we had an experience while knocking that affirmed to me that Satan is very real--even in the well established, very wealthy neighborhoods of Huntington Beach. We were in a home that was not a place where the Spirit of the Lord could dwell, a place that felt very inhabited by the adversary. It was scary. I felt so unsettled and my concern for the woman we were trying to help and my fear of the darkness that was there were creating a mental conflict that made everything worse. We finally left and we were so grateful that everything ended up being fine. We walked out of that house knowing how real Satan is, how powerful he can be, and how grateful we were for the Gospel in our lives. It makes such an incredible difference in our individual and family lives. It was scary, but in response to this event I gained such a great testimony that the Savior lives, that He is the Light of the world, and that where there is this Light, there can be no darkness. We prayed as soon as we left the house and then rode quickly home, grateful that it was the end of the day, and went inside. We prayed again, and I came to understand so much better the words to the hymn: "The Lord is my light, then why should I fear? By day and by night His presence is near." The feeling of darkness that lingered with us was so tangibly pushed away by the Light of the Christ and the Holy Ghost. As we offered another plea for peace and comfort we could literally feel the Holy Ghost speak peace to us and offer us this Light. I never thought I would experience something like that on my mission here in California, and while I don't ever want to feel that again I am grateful for how much it strengthened my testimony. I was studying light the next morning in person study and I came across this scripture: "Behold, thou art Oliver [Sister Andelin], and I have spoken unto thee becuaase of thy desires; therefore treasure up these words in they heart. Be faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, and I will encircle thee in the arms of my love. Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the LIGHT which shineth in darkenss, and the darkenss comprehendeth it not." He truly is the Light of the World. A few verses later Christ concludes, "Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they CANNOT prevail...Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not" (D&C 6:20-21, 34, 36).  

We are working hard to find new investigators. I know I can always do better, but I am slowly learning that being positive does so much more good to encourage and uplift and strengthen than does being negative. Finding is hard. I don't love it, but we are really doing our best to talk to everyone, to spend effective hours doing finding activities, and pray with faith that we will find the people the Lord has prepared. "For behold, angels are declaring it unto manyat this time in our land; and this is for the purpose of preparing the hearts of the children of men to receive his word at the time of his comin gin his glory" (Alms 13:24). How awesome is that? Angles are preparing people to receive the Gospel. I am working on having more faith that the people around us are truly being prepared.

 

This week our Bro and Sister Walk had their baby! He is so so cute! Man, I almost died when we got to meet him and I couldn't even hold him! Oh well. Whatevs. I'm just going to come home and spend a month babysitting to make up for it haha.

 

There's a new rule that we can't have back packs anymore. So I had to go back to using my purse. I think it's so cute but it kind of hurts your back/shoulders by the end of the day. And it's an adventure to bike with it ;) We haven't really heard anything about when they will implement the new rules that were announced at the broadcast. It will probably be next year is what Pres Tew said. So we'll see.

 

Sarah, that is SO exciting about your mission call! I can't wait to hear where you go! Don't be disapointed if it takes a while though, I heard that the wait time before you go is getting really long. Oh man, I've been thinking abou it all week. I can't wait!

 

Thank you so much for your love and support and prayers. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the ONLY true Church on the earth. It is the ONLY way we can receive eternal life and live with our Heavenly Father again. It provides peace and happiness that nothing else can offer. Don't forget it. Make it a priority. It has eternal significance. I love you! Have an awesome week.

 

Love,

Sister Andelin