Monday, December 28, 2015

Mastery of Thought

(It was wonderful talking to our missionary on Christmas. I'll attach the picture we took off of Skype for those who haven't seen it on Facebook.)

Mother and Father,

   This week was about as slow as molasses. Shortly after talking to you, we had Christmas dinner, and midway through I got very nauseous and almost threw up in the middle of the Newton's home. (Thank goodness he didn't do that!) So, I went and laid down for the rest of Christmas. The members of the ward were very kind. We received a variety of gifts. (Which shall remain nameless, I guess. I want to know what they gave them!!)

   On Saturday we had our stake president's breakfast. This one was different in that we had a dodgeball tournament. President Richards doesn't like that we aren't allowed to do stuff together so he used his executive power to make it happen. Anywho, it was a lot of fun, and we had the challenge of senior companions versus junior companions, we tied six games to six. I was still feeling sick but I knew Elder Johnson wanted to go so we made it work. (I'm glad he "manned up" and did it. Sounds fun!)

    Brother Jacobs and I discussed mastery of thought this week at my counseling session. His challenge to me has been to create a journal of my negative thoughts and my reactions to them. He guarantees me that I will see a pattern to them. Those are the negative and incorrect thought patterns that cause the psychological side of anxiety. As we identify them, we will work on modifying and correcting them. (Sounds like something we should all do!)

   I will comment again on how slow this week was. The missionary handbook tells us that holidays are the best times for finding people, but the neighborhoods get so quiet and sleepy that it is hard to get motivated to go out and find anyone who is left. We did have one incredible miracle, however. We were driving to deliver an ornament to a relief society sister who is unknown, (whatever that means??!!) when I saw a guy putting stuff in some big trash bins. I told Elder Johnson we should stop and see if he needed help. I went up and asked him what he was doing and he said something like, "I'm remodeling my basement, do you guys want to see it?" What followed was an awesome experience of us working on installing doors while discussing our faith. His pastor was there helping, and he was the nicest guy. We're supposed to meet up with his pastor for burgers in Longmont pretty soon. His family even made us Papa Murphy's pizza, which we ate with them for lunch. He works for Google, and he told me to ask BJ if he had ever worked using the "trigger" for developing third-party apps for Google, and that he was the one who invented it. He said that Lucid is a big deal at Google and they like it a lot. (Any comment, BJ??)

    I got the Mito2Max package. Thank you! Taking these should turn me into  superhuman or something. One I am excited about is one that Sister Hendrix gave me. It's a multivitamin made for people with anxiety. (Sure hope it helps! If so, I better get a bottle!) I will send a picture of the specs.

  It was great seeing you on Christmas!

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, December 21, 2015

Tillamook Ice Cream!!

(So excited to Skype on Friday!! We got an audio recording of Elder Campbell and his companion singing in Sacrament Meeting. His companion also played the violin. That was a fun surprise!)

Mother and Father,

   (WE GET TO SKYPE!!!) The 11 am time slot should work out great. The big event of the week was our Christmas Devotional in Boulder. A big theme of the event was how proud President Brown is of the mission and the spiritual improvement he has seen since he became the mission president. I actually kind of feel like I'm in a mission, serving with other missionaries. I have been really impressed with the newer missionaries I have met. I remember my first devotional was last year's Christmas Devotional in Greely. Everyone is calling me a seasoned veteran now. What is up with that? (He's been out 13 months now!)

   I got another box with granola bars, but this one had no invoice. It contained three boxes, and the last one contained one. How many did Brother Mariana send? (I don't know....so, Bro. Mariana, if you read this...how many granola bars did you send???)

   We did do a musical number for Sacrament meeting yesterday. Elder Johnson's mother's comment on the video was "I heard someone singing, but it wasn't you because some of the notes were off." Haha! Elder Johnson has perfect pitch, so it's not even fair. 

   We found an awesome investigator named Tabitha this week. We were doing a scripture study with a less-active member, when Tabitha, who is renting a room in his house came in and started asking us questions. She said she doesn't understand Jesus Christ's sacrifice for her, so we promised to come back and share more. (Awesome!)

   We had a powerful lesson with Sierra last night. I just want to comment on how elect she is. Talk about prepared for the last days. She has more faith than I do, I will say that much. I challenged her to be baptized on her eighteenth birthday, and she agreed. So, as of now, we have investigator on date to be baptized in 2017. I personally believe it will happen much earlier. We pray for a softening of hearts. (I will pray that that happens!)

   Yesterday we only had 15 minutes to tract, so we called it 15 minutes to find a new investigator. We found a potential investigator and a referral for the Spanish sisters, so that is fun. I have been feeling really great this week. For some reason I feel really depressed on Saturdays, though. Maybe you could send me a Saturday uplifting thought. (I can certainly try!)  Elder Johnson says he feels it too, and doesn't understand why, but Saturday's are our least effective day, and I don't like it! Could you send me more of the mito2max supplements and the Energy Vitamin B12 supplements? I just started taking them faithfully again when Elder Johnson described to me how good they are for my metabolism. (Thank you, Amazon Prime!)

  Oh gosh, I almost forgot. We moved this week to the Schmitz family. You would like Sister Schmitz very much, Mom. They found out that we liked Tillamook ice cream and suddenly five containers of Tillamook ice cream in our favorite flavors appeared in our freezer. Hence my need for a metabolism boost. (The people of Colorado have been SOOOO kind!!) Here is our new address: Saddleback Ave.
Firestone, Colorado 80504

Oh yeah! They also announced our new Mission President. He will be President McMurray from Virginia. (I didn't realize he was getting a new one. That will be exciting.)
Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, December 14, 2015

"Three Buckets" Technique

Mother and Father,

   (I received some pictures and videos from a Brother John in Firestone, CO! It made me SOOO happy!) You are correct, Brother John is a very kind man. He has two sons o missions, one in one of the Buenos Aires missions and one in
Nagoya, Japan.  For work he and his father do some sort of oil and gas business. In his words it is really boring. They have five kids, altogether. His wife is a stay-at-home Mom, and they live in...Firestone? I don't know how else to describe it.
   My psychologist is Brother Jacobs, and he is awesome! (It's always good to think your psychologist is AWESOME!! HA!) He says I have textbook anxiety, and the only abnormality is that I sleep well. In fact, I am exhausted every night, and sleep the whole night through. He says that is very rare, but it is a sign that I am working hard enough to out-exhaust my anxiety. (Wish I could sleep all the way through the night!!)
   This week, Brother Ashby, our ward mission leader, challenged us to teach everyone we meet, especially the ones who don't want to be taught, and to set goals on how many people we WILL teach. Which, of course, is what we are supposed to do, but don't always do well. So, tracting has become a fun experience of how many people will be taught by us, not how many people will accept our invitation to teach. We've gained several potential investigators, and have taught more lessons. The people of Firestone are being taught for as long as they keep their doors open. This too, is what Preach My Gospel tells us to do, but we have always shied away from doing it.
  Our mission has had a focus on the "Three Buckets" technique, which is the three different forms of finding. They are finding through working with less-active's and part-member families, finding through referrals, and finding through personal contacting (tracting, etc.). Right now I am on a personal contacting drive, and need to humble myself and rely on all three buckets to find success. You have to be an excellent missionary in order to utilize all three. Saddleback has about a 70% activity rate, which means you have to work even harder to
get in with less-actives. (Wow, that's a high rate!) Anyway, Brother Ashby has been trying to get me to invite ALL to come unto Christ, not just the ones I want to. I am grateful for repentance.
   You are right about Sierra, she is a minor and her parents are not fans of religion. It is situations like these where I would choose to sit back and let things play out. Brother Ashby wants us to be aware 100% of the time of what we can do RIGHT NOW to bring people closer to Christ. This is not a gospel of sitting back. We taught a lesson last night about trusting Jesus Christ. Not jus believing in him, but really trusting that he is at the helm. It is a lesson that I need to
learn, just as well as teach.
   President Brown announced a rule change this week. He says we are now allowed to listen to any music where we can feel the spirit while listening to it. This is just me speaking, but there wasn't any music I would listen to before my mission that I felt would not be inviting to the spirit. I am still unsure how I would like to go about changing my listening habits. (He always listened to uplifting music. He was an easy teenager to have around!)
    I just downloaded the Skype app on my iPad. My username is________.  I think the morning will be good. Just tell me when and where. I will let you know next week if your time works out, and if there is a better one. (Now that's specific....NOT! I am so excited about our Skype visit. YEAH!!) Oh yeah, last week's picture was a zone picture. We are on a new transfer now. It is weird that most of the missionaries in the zone have been out less time than I. I'm getting old! (Ancient!) I am really grateful for your support of my mission experience and helping me significantly in being out here. (Couldn't be any more proud!!)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

(I'm attaching his gingerbread house creating pictures from the sweet John Family!)

     

Monday, December 7, 2015

Benign Does NOT Mean You Have Cancer!!

(I had a rough week....an abscess on my neck, and I told my missionary about it. Maybe I shouldn't have. In this letter he proceeds to tell ALL about his struggles physically and mentally and emotionally. He's way stronger than he gives himself credit for! I have to confess this letter gave me a bit of the giggles. He's just so dramatic. Poor soul. Gotta love him!)

Mother and Father,

   This week was quite a week. By quite a week, it really was quite a week! First of all, I have discovered that I am staying with Elder Johnson. That makes me very happy. (And me SUPER happy!!) He seems quite happy as well. That, however, was not the excitement of the week. That all started with my doctor's appointment on Wednesday. My prescription was running out and I needed it renewed. He gave me an anxiety survey where he discovered, and helped me realize, that my anxiety has been getting progressively worse. I have seen a large spike in the past week. He recommended a prescription re-evaluation, and counseling from a psychologist. I talked with Sister Brown, and I have an appointment with a counselor from LDS Family Services on Tuesday. (Bless President Brown and Sis. Brown!!) A lot of missionaries go to see him, so I am not worried. (Poor counselor!) They have also determined that my medication may no longer be the best option for me, so we will see how that goes. I am excited to get some help, because I don't want anxiety to be getting in the way of me fulfilling my calling. (I'm very proud of him realizing he has a weakness and he needs to take care of it. Too many people hide mental health issues instead of doing something about it. The next paragraph is the paragraph that gave me the giggles.)

   That, however, is not all! Remember when I was at BYU and I was worried about a mole that had gotten infected and fell off? Well, I had it happen again, and this time I showed it to the doctor early. I had a biopsy, and while they were not so clear on details, they said they found the growth to benign (Whew...what a relief...except read on!) I asked Elder Johnson what it meant, and he said it means it was cancerous but the biopsy removed it all. So, Peter beats me by a long shot, but I can say I got cancer on my mission too. (So, how do I break it to him that he NEVER had cancer and that benign is what you want to hear. ARGHH!!!) I didn't want to tell you all this, as I know you will worry, but you have me worried about your health, so I figured I would tell all. (I am no longer telling ANYTHING!!)

   This experience helped me to learn quite a bit. It all happened while I had a heavy nagging cough resurface, my back went out, and I was having nausea and diarrhea. I feel much better now, but for a few days I was scared they would send me home. (Bless Elder Johnson for being so understanding. Bless Pres. Brown for NOT sending him home. Power through...Andrew!) I was reminded of how fragile human life can be, and I am grateful that these trials are evidence of Heavenly Father's love. I determined that even if I got sent home, completing my mission service would be my top priority. I have learned so much about the gospel in this past year, and I love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ far too much to stop halfway. (Hang in there, Andrew. Only 11 more months!)

    So, I love Dad's idea for finding. (Brian suggested that he and his musical companion who doesn't know anything about cancer, should sing Christmas carols on street corners to meet people.) The only problem is that we don't have populated street corners in my area. My area is known as a "bedroom community". Everyone here commutes to Denver, Boulder, or Fort Collins, comes home late, eats, and goes to bed. It's really kind of sad. A lot of people don't even know their neighbors. It makes things hard, but I have faith in Jesus Christ, and He can open doors I could not open on my own.

    Our ward does not have a Christmas party this year. That makes me a little sad. The Christmas devotional was excellent. I loved the music. Elder Johnson has me signed up to sing, "In the Bleak Mid-Winter" for the Christmas Sacrament meeting. Matt is still trucking along. He was at church on Sunday and helped in the nursery. (Matt, you've got to join the church. You are truly golden. I can't even get many members to go and help in the nursery!!!) I liked his tie. Sierra bore her testimony and challenged all the youth to do the same. We found out that her parents will NOT allow her to be baptized. So sad. (I wonder how old she is.) With all that has been going on, we completely forgot that yesterday was fast Sunday. We will find a day to fast this week though! We will fast for all these people. I love them so much! Okay, I really want to do things right this transfer. I want to meet the mission's standards of excellence for the rest of my mission. It is a lofty goal, so I pray my faith is sufficient.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

I'm guessing the attached picture is his zone???

Monday, November 30, 2015

Fried Turkey in Jalapeno Oil!

Mother and Father,

   (Got a screaming deal on Rockport's from an online store called 6pm. Thank you BJ!!) First of all, the new shoes are great. I especially appreciate the water-proofing, because we shoveled a lot of snow this week, and my other shoes have too many holes. They also look great. I am a fan.

    Thanksgiving is a hard time for a missionary. I give props to Elder
Moala for taking me in just as Thanksgiving was beginning. I now realize how hard he worked to get people for us to visit last Thanksgiving because this week was brutal. We didn't make very many contacts this week. The Bundy family was so kind to us on Thanksgiving. They fried a turkey in jalapeño oil and it was pretty good. I will try to get a hold of some pictures of the event. There
were a lot of people there. (I would LOVE a picture or two!)

    Yesterday marked the beginning of the church's "A Savior is Born" campaign. I was very surprised by the video they released. They took an entirely different approach from the normal feel-good message they usually put out. This one doesn't really give you any message at all. It invites you to go discover it. It has a different kind of power than the other recent videos. I...just don't know what to say. I already know it will drum up interest, I am just excited to see how. (I've already shared it on FB!)

    Elder Johnson says that if your kindergarteners are rambunctious and adorable, then they must be a double threat. (He ain't kidding!)

   Transfers are December the 8th! Who knows what will happen. I like being with Elder Johnson, so there's that. We did sing in Sacrament meeting last week, and it went well. Everyone started crying; though I don't feel like my voice has that much emotional impact.(Maybe they were crying for a different reason...just sayin'!)  I also got to hear Elder Johnson play the violin. He is incredible. He could be a professional if he so desired.

    I wish I had more to tell you about. We had a good lesson with Matt, but we just need to figure out what is holding him back. He issuch a good man. Anywho, I hope you all have an excellent week. I want to see a picture of moustachioed Peter. (Peter participated in Movember...growing facial hair--no-shave November--to raise awareness of men's cancers like testicular and prostate. He said he'll shave it off today or tomorrow.)

 Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, November 23, 2015

Aerial Silk Artist for a Companion!!

Dear everyone,
    I am writing to you from Sandstone Park in Longmont, Colorado. Elder Johnson is an aerial silk artist, and he has found a tree here to his liking. (What doesn't Elder Johnson know how to do?? I didn't know what an aerial silk artist was...but I've attached two pictures that will explain.) He will be twirling and swirling here shortly. This week was characterized by sickness. Unlike the sickness I had last month, which was brought on by stress, this was a plain old cold. I had chills so bad that Elder Johnson wrapped me into a burrito with huge blankets. Needless to say, it was not fun. (I attached a picture of him as a burrito!). We had our second snowfall this week. I had to drive during the storm this time. I still remember how to drive in snow from last winter, at least kind of, haha. I know I made Elder Johnson a little uncomfortable.
    I just got an email from President Brown saying no football on Thanksgiving! Aww, man! Oh well, when these things come up I just remind myself I didn't go on a mission to play football, etc.  This week we did find a new investigator while tracting. When we came for a return appointment, she was not there, but she actually left a sticky note on the door, apologizing for forgetting an appointment she had already set. Her name is Jessica and please pray for her. Also, please pray for Bob, Sierra, and Matt. Our ward mission leader is awesome and he set up an appointment for us to teach Matt at his house all by himself. We have had the hardest time making appointments with him. All three of those people have been coming to church for years, but have not yet been baptized. We are just at a loss for how to help them! It sure helps our key indicators to have 3 investigators at church every week though! It's funny, because a lot of members of the ward think that missionary work is booming here because of that, but in reality our teaching pool is tiny to non-existent. Oh well!      
   Thanks for the package last week. I went on exchanges with Elder Buchanan, and he ate all my Oreos. Considering my diet, I appreciated it. I've taken to eating small whole grain snacks before dinner. It fills me up so fast that one serving of dinner makes me feel like I just got out of Chuck-o-Rama. We have been going to a discount grocer called Esh's for our food. They sell a bunch of health foods, etc. for really cheap. I got boxes of Kashi cereal for 99 cents each. Kashi is not an inexpensive cereal. I also got a body wash made out of lavender, which is amazing. I'm hoping it will have long-term benefits for my anxiety. It certainly makes for relaxing showers.
   (BJ and Michele are here for Thanksgiving, so I had everyone write this week. BJ told him about a time he'd been asked to say the closing prayer in Sacrament Meeting, but he forgot to get up to pray.) BJ, your story reminds me of a time when I was in Fort Collins and the ward choir director invited me to come to ward choir and I agreed. This was just before sacrament meeting. I fell, asleep and as it turns out, the ward choir was performing. When they got up, my companions shook me awake and said, "Elder Campbell, you said you would sing with them!" I dazedly got up and walked to the stand. Gratefully, the Lord aids us in our weakness because it was the best sight-reading I have ever done. My companions said it was just a joke, but I am glad it happened. I have gotten over falling asleep in Sacrament Meeting as well.
   (Grandma told him about her war against the gophers in her yard. She recently dropped pieces of Double Bubble bubble gum in the holes hoping it would kill them.) Grandma, I remember you being rather skeptical of that technique, but Grandpa tried it and it worked. Let me know how it goes. And Grandpa, I will be sure to sing you a hundred songs when I get back. In an answer to Dad's question, I use that instant shoe shine sponge stuff. When you sent me one last year, it rocked my world. I also got some shoe protect-all. It is a water-proofing agent. Shoveling snow this weekend got my feet all wet, so I now have an impetus to get some. Esh's sells those shoe care products for a dollar or less, which I love as well.
   Last night, I realized a lesson I learned on forgiveness. The Lowry family asked me to tell them a powerful experience I have had on my mission. I told them that most of my mission experiences have not been with investigators, but in working with companions. I related to them that I have had a number of companions who have done or said hurtful things to me, and forgiving them has been the hardest part. I prayed for hours over it once, and had the realization that a refusal to forgive is like asking Jesus Christ to suspend the Atonement for that individual. Who does that?! We cannot do that. It is evil by nature. Anywho, dinner with the Lowry's was very emotional and several tears were shed. I too, realized that there is so much I have learned from this past year of my life, and it took a lot of pain to do so.
   Brother Buhler in the ward asked us to come teach the Plan of Salvation for his Mission Preparation class. After we taught it to an "investigator couple" the whole class said things like, "It was perfect!" or "So much better than us." Brother Buhler, who is an experienced missionary and couple missionary said we did pretty good, but it really needs work. I realized that even though I thought everything went right, there is so much to do better. Even though I am a pretty good teacher, my calling as an elder asks me to be a master teacher. I guess I just need more teaching opportunities. With our awesome mission leader we are trying to fix that. Well, I have got to go. It was great to hear from BJ and Michele, I love those two and never hear from them.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

     

Monday, November 16, 2015

"My Shepherd Will Supply My Need"

(He later wrote that he received his Thanksgiving package....so I guess Longmont worked even though he told me Firestone!)

Mother and Father,

   Mail labeled as both Firestone and Longmont have arrived here, so I think the mail will arrive here. (And it did!!)

   The Bundy family (of no relation to Ted) (thank goodness!) has signed up to feed us for Thanksgiving. The ward has a Turkey Bowl, but we will see if President Brown allows us to participate. (My guess is...NO!)

    Elder Johnson and I will be performing an arrangement of "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need". It's a hymn we found in the Ensign. Elder Johnson made his own arrangement. It's really good. He has an incredibly deep understanding of music. He also has perfect pitch. We have Sister Parker in the ward playing the piano, and we will sing. (Wish I could hear it)

    This past week we had a very powerful DLC (District Leader Council). Do you remember the days before my mission, when I found the emails home of an elder in this mission. Well, that was Elder Buchanan, and he is a zone leader here for his last transfer. He wants to make this transfer a special one. We have set some lofty goals, and we committed to do a lot more tracting. We are doing it as an exercise of our faith, and praying for an increase in finding in all categories
of the work. Tracting is not my favorite thing, but we are laying our natural desires down as a sacrifice. We have a new ward mission leader and he is incredibly dedicated to the work. He is trying hard to get the members of this ward invested in their duty to do missionary work. Our ward has been family mission planned out of their minds, and none of it has worked, so we are going to simplify things considerably. We plan on going to families and giving them specific commitments. We have no idea what we are doing, but whatever it is, it is going to happen. (I really like the part about not having an idea of what they are doing...that always works for me!)


   We had our first snow this week. It melted off the roads rather quickly. I know last year it had snowed just before I arrived, and didn't snow again until Christmas. I would like that to happen again, personally. It has been cold on occasion, but I feel that this, as my third year in ridiculous cold, is the year where I have gotten acclimated. It hasn't bothered me as much as it should have. (Glad to hear that!).

   Could I get Elder Hampton's email? (Anyone out there have it?)  I am glad to hear about Colin Anderson as well.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

PS: I got your package. The pants fit great! Thank you so much!

PS: I woke up with a strong desire to get a new coat today for the coming
 winter. We went to Ross and I fell in love with one. It is quite dressy. The zone leaders and Elder Johnson have been on my case about how I keep too much money on my person, so I used a bit of it.(I wonder how much??? If it was at Ross, it's not that much!)  I am also wearing my new pants!

(I'll attach his Campbell Clan picture which I want to use for our Christmas card and the picture of his dressy new coat. Sure doesn't look very warm to me. I love this picture. The tree in the back of his head makes his hair look kind of funny!)                                                                             

                                                                         

Monday, November 9, 2015

Anxiety vs Faith...Which One Will Win??!!

(Still wondering if our missionary is living in Longmont, CO or Firestone, CO. Google Maps tells us Longmont. Do I believe them? I need to mail things and I want him to get them.)

Mother and Father,

  Google maps seems to list our address in Longmont as well. I believe it is in Firestone city limits, but the borders are ridiculous here as a result of an old land grab. No one is entirely sure where Frederick ends, or Firestone begins, or which part consists of unincorporated Longmont. I've not yet received a letter, however.(Bummer....I asked a lady in Boulder to mail him something to Longmont. I guess she hadn't done it yet OR she did, and it was undeliverable. AHHHHH!!!)

   Elder Johnson and I will be performing in Sacrament Meeting in a few weeks. It will be an arrangement of "My Shepherd Will Supply My Need". (Wish I could be there to hear it!)

   Oh man, that letter from Fiona's mom was so nice. It's so touching that someone would think of a missionary like that. How does she know I am on a mission? (One of my Kindergarteners wanted to get me something for Christmas. Instead, the mom decided they should get something for our missionary. How cool is that????!!!!)

   I wish I could think of a more exciting way to describe my week to you. It really was quite boring though. In the words of Elder Johnson, "This week was really mundane". We knocked on a lot of doors without any real grandeur. We met the little brother of some former investigators, a nice guy who wants to feed us dinner some time, and taught a woman named Rosa about the Book of Mormon. We are coming back to her place tomorrow with a ton of fellowship!

   Elder Johnson and I have been studying faith recently. I have come to the realization that nearly every missionary goes about getting work like it all depends on them. The result? Some are really good at it and some are bad at it. When faced with the question of, "How do I get in this door?" Some are silver-tongued, and others are not. However, this leaves faith out of the equation. If we are truly going to be instruments of the Lord, we need to leave our abilities at home, and work by the spirit. Worry, doubt, and fear drive the spirit away immediately. And for someone like me, as you know, it is hard to find a time when I do not have a mix of all three of those. I have been blessed with anxiety; a challenge to inspire me to have the spirit, even when my body wants to suppress me in the woes of that anxiety. Elder Johnson says I worry all the time, and it is true, but I do believe my desires are righteous, and it can be overcome. (My poor, poor Andrew. He's a worrier like his mom. I thought I did enough worrying for everyone!)

   When I feel anxious doing missionary work, I tell myself that it all depends on me, and I am not good enough, therefore I will fail. That is a self-fulfilling prophecy. The Heavens and the Earth were made by faith, and so is everything else that is worthwhile. The replacement for anxiety is faith. I have been given the gift of a choice between one or the other. It is the hardest thing I have ever done, but I am trying to choose faith. Hebrews 11:3, "Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear."

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, November 2, 2015

Longmont vs Firestone, CO!

(So relieved to get a GOOD letter. He's finally with a companion that he can relate to....YEAH!!)

Mother and Father,

   You got that right, I am back in the Saddleback Ward. We are now living with the M family. Brother M was called to be the first counselor of the bishopric on Sunday. He works as a manager for Discount Tire. He is a big deal there because he has a case full of awards the company has given him. Sister M is a realtor and she makes us breakfast in the morning. (I want to live with them!) She was worried about housing the missionaries but says the past week has been a delight. (Awwww!!)


    Sister T was right, Elder Johnson and I are birds of a feather. (Can I hear....HALLELUJIAH!!!) Elder Johnson is from Perry, Utah, but he says Brigham City because everyone knows where that is. He has been serving for two transfers longer than me. He began his mission in Rapid City, South Dakota, was transferred to Casper, Wyoming, got absorbed into our mission, and went to Loveland, and is now here. He is a concert violinist who has played since he was three, and spent his free-time producing electronic music.(And Elder Campbell creates electronic music...YAHOO!)  His current plan is to study electrical engineering at Utah State, but he is proficient in more than a dozen instruments and is tempted to be a music major, even though he doesn't want to. Stick with electrical engineering, Elder Johnson!!) He has a older sister, an older brother, and two younger brothers.

    Our new address is Pelican Shores Drive
Firestone, Colorado 80504-5264 (Except I looked it up and it said it was Longmont, CO. I don't know what to do about packages. I think I'll send them to Longmont, CO). I know you are going to look it up, but it is a nice house. (Yup, I looked it up and it's a VERY nice house and it says Longmont, CO and not Firestone, CO).

  My proselyting shoes are size 12, but my running shoes are size 13. I guess closer to twelve would be fine. (I am very nervous about sending shoes by mail. I'm going to use Zappos since they have an easy return policy and free shipping.)  I fell off of my exercise boat but I'd like to think I'm back on it. I am doing jump rope now. You Are Your Own Gym helped me build a lot of muscle, but I need to get smaller so I can stay in my clothes. (Yes, since I just bought some new dress pants.)


   I enjoyed my extra hour of sleep on Saturday night, and it got me
ready for a busy day. We have been so busy, but it's the kind of busy that has left me looking back and wondering what I was so busy doing. It is still rewarding at the end of the day.

   We were the judges for the Halloween Party's chili cook-off. Chili is not my favorite kind of food, but it was good. A delicious kind of white chili won it all. So
many people came that we filled the entire cultural hall and it was still standing room only.

   Elder Johnson and I are fighting the fight of trying to find those who have been prepared in such a small area. It sounds like a paradox, for a small area should be easier, but it also means slim pickings. The pumpkin carving was unexpected, so I didn't bring one, and couldn't carve my own.

   I don't know how this preparation day will turn out, but Elder Johnson and I play a lot of music together, so that will probably happen. (I wonder how that goes since Elder Campbell has only self-taught himself music and not been trained.)

    I have a picture of Elder Moala and I when I saw him on transfer day, and Elder Johnson and I. (Now that made me HAPPY!!)

   I keep you in my prayers.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell
     


Monday, October 26, 2015

Back in Saddleback!!

(I asked our missionary where he was and all I got was that he was returning to Saddleback. Well, is that in Frederick? Firestone? Dacano? Heavens...I have no idea!! His new companion sounds amazing and someone he should click with....HOPEFULLY. Please pray for our missionary!)

Mother and Father,

   Well, this is transfer week and I am returning to Saddleback. My companion is going to be Elder Johnson. All I know about him is that he is an excellent violinist, an excellent singer, and he can dunk a basketball. This week we had some more crazy stuff happen. Elder Tiai was transferred to the Severance Ward early, so Elder Stanford, Elder Sommer, and I have been companions since Thursday. Elder Stanford is from Hayward, California, and he loves to surf. He is a direct descendant of Leland Stanford. We haven't really had the chance to do a whole lot because I was sick this week, and we have had so much switching around. I hope for some normalcy starting tomorrow. (He probably got sick from all the drama!!)

   So, the other two wards in the tri-town area are kind of large, but Saddleback is so small. It is about 5 square miles, with three sub-divisions. The church has blown up over the past few years in our area, so we have a new church building in Frederick. It is really nice. They used to travel to Longmont for church. The town is a set of really nice developments that are really new and modern, surrounded by horse farms. The tri-town area has four Subways though, so I approve. Our area has a couple hills, with mostly flat prairie land. It is REALLY dry. There is a fair amount of deciduous trees that have been really pretty in the fall. It has been about the coldest that Lodi gets in the midst of winter. We had the first freeze the other morning. I am eating far too well. The people spoil us out here. Brother M takes us to Cafe Rio every Saturday. We had this rice baked with pig fat at S's house. It was...interesting. (He needs to do some biking....too much good food!)

   I think I could use some new shoes. The second pair is coming to the end. (And the size and brand would be what????) Maybe a new pair of black slacks would be nice! (Usual size??? So much direction this elder is giving me!) I don't know much about the house we are moving into, but I heard that Sister M makes breakfast every morning. (What? Too much good food!!) There is a nice non-member couple next door we did service for a while ago. It's in a gated neighborhood with a lake!. I can throw rocks on it when it freezes. (Hey, that's what I'd do..right??) My zone leaders are going to be Elder Brazell and Elder Buchanan. I am the district leader! The other district leaders are Elder Inouye and Elder Carlson. The mission office is about 25-ish miles away.

  I pet a bearded dragon a few weeks ago. He was a good lizard. He just seemed really intelligent. (That was sort of random!!) I get to go to Saddleback's Halloween party this Saturday!

    S is doing well. We taught her the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I believe she understands it. She just needs to keep her commitments. We are about to carve pumpkins. (Did I get any pictures? NO!! Sadness!!)

   Wish me luck and pray for me!

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, October 19, 2015

Llama, Llama, Missionary Drama!!

(Being a Missionary Momma is TOO stressful. They send letters like this home, and I am left wondering about a million different questions. I wish he could just get a companion that he clicked with instead of one that wanted to kill him!!)

Mother and Father,

   Well, this week was one for the books. We can forget the last one, this week gets the, "Llama, Llama, Missionary Drama" Award. I don't even know how to begin to describe what happened this week. For starters, I have a new companion. His name is Elder Sommer. I also have a new area. I am serving in the Rinn Valley and Peak View Wards for the time being. They cover portions of Firestone, Frederick, Dacono, Erie, and Longmont. How fun! I do not want to get into details of how this came to be, but I will say, there was a miscommunication, followed by a misunderstanding, followed by anger, and a lack of safety. For the first time in my life, I wrestled before the Lord, trying incredibly hard to align my will with His, and causing me to change myself. I am grateful, for it is the hardest thing I have ever done. However, I believe the changes will last until the end of the transfer, but I can say I feel like I am in a much better situation.

   We had the Peakview Ward Fall Festival this weekend, where they had a chili and macaroni and cheese cook-off. As I was facing one of the most stressful situations of my life, I entered stress-eating mode and ate a lot. I also got my package which caused me to eat a ton of candy. Elder Sommer and I are going to work it off this week. I don't really know what to say about this week other than it has been a lot of stress. Mostly making phone calls, having meetings, staging interventions, etc. The good that has come from it is that I can honestly say I am in the right. I also haven't felt much in the way of doorstep anxiety, which I have had quite a bit of lately. At a door with Elder Sommer, in the dark, with angry dogs barking, I felt peace, which I have not felt in a while.

   A few things about Elder Sommer: He is from West Jordan. In fact, he went to high school with Elder Nielson. (That doesn't really help me much!) His father is Swiss, and Elder Sommer grew up speaking with his father's accent. So, Elder Sommer has a Swiss accent, which is awesome. He was a professional gamer before his mission. He is the second place chess champion in the state of Utah, and a one point, he was ranked as #98 in the world in the popular online game, "League of Legends". He was scheduled to go to the World Championship with a prize pot in the millions of dollars, but his mission call came earlier than expected, and he had to forgo it. He would average making $500 a week playing video games. After his mission he plans on getting a triple major at BYU-Idaho studying Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, and Computer Science. He is really smart. (I hope so...that makes my head hurt!)

   All I know about this new area is that we have an investigator who is an alpaca farmer, and a few others who are part-member families. In Rinn Valley there is a guy who recently got home from his mission to Oaxaca, Mexico. His name is Andrew Williams, and Grant was his companion in the MTC. We took a picture and he sent it to him. (Did you get it Grant?)

  My ponderize scripture this week is: Doctrine and Covenants 123: 12 "For there are many yet on the earth among all sects,partiesand denominations, who are blinded by the subtle craftiness of men, whereby they lie in wait to deceiveand who are only kept from the truth becausthey know not where tfind it."

I love you all so much, and pray for me as I continue on in this trial. (What is causing this trial to continue??? I want it to END!) I will pray that your return to school will be smooth.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, October 12, 2015

Area Book Planner App up and running!


Mother and Father,

   I am trying my best to think of what we did this week. Okay, we went tracting this past week and decided to do one more door. A woman answered and said !"Elders, please come in!" We had accidentally tracked into an active member. It turned out that they have an woman living in that works doing housework that is interested in the church. We set up a dinner appointment and taught a lesson and it was great. Her name is Saki. (I wonder if she's Japanese and Elder Campbell can speak Japanese to her...if he remembers any.) We also set up some appointments with some old potential investigators, so we pray this week goes well.

    On Saturday night we stopped by a less active's house who we had heard had some potential. We talked to him for a little bit and said he was probably going to be leaving his job. We asked what his plans were, and he said that he was thinking of going on a mission. We invited him to church, which he happily accepted, and came for the first time in a long time. The ward is excited for him, and I pray that we can keep moving forward.

    This week we got the Area Book Planner App, which means we had to spend hours transferring the data from our physical area books into the app. Our mission will be going entirely paperless soon. The document transfer has been tiring. I do like the scheduling and lesson reporting. Elder Tiai doesn't like it though.

    I am curious, what is, "Once I Was a Beehive" about? (I went to St. George for a few days and watched this "Mormon" movie. I loved it. Here's a synopsis: Lane Speer is a 16 year old girl who spends her family vacations camping in the mountains. She takes the memories for granted until she loses her father to an unexpected bout with cancer. Only a year later, as Lane is still reeling from her father's death, he mother remarries a guy that Lane hardly knows. Worst of all, he is a Mormon. To top it off, while they are on their honeymoon, they arrange to have her stay with her Mormon step-aunt who takes her away to a bible-themed girls camp with a bunch of young Mormon girls. Confronted with memories of camping with her family, she tries to find peace with her new surroundings and deal with the death of her father.)

  I hope you enjoy your last week of break.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, October 5, 2015

3 Apostles Tied to the Fort Collins Mission

(Not much shared about his week, but he definitely loved General Conference.)

Mother and Father,

   Here is what President Brown said about our new apostles:

We enjoyed participating in the historical opportunity of sustaining three new apostles in conference. It was reported that the last time the Church had that opportunity was in 1906. Each of the new apostles have a tie to and interest in the Colorado Fort Collins Mission.

Elder Ronald Rasband presided over the ground breaking of the Fort Collins Colorado Temple in August of 2013. He also instructed Sister Brown and me at a mission president's seminar for the North America Central Area last October, 2014. He is a seasoned, capable and humble servant of the Lord.

Bishop Gary Stevenson presided over a stake conference in Laramie in October of 2013. There he encouraged the members to share a name with the missionaries to teach, describing the tenacity of elders serving in his ward in Utah who followed up regularly with his family until they did.

Elder Dale Renlund has assisted President Craig Christensen the last year in working with the North America Central Area, our area. He instructed us at our mission president seminar in April of this year. He emphasized the need to better prepare people for baptism and confirmation by beginning with the end in mind, helping them make and keep commitments, more fully repent and meet the qualifications listed in D&C 20:37.

   Each of them has a loose connection to my mission. I walked into conference with one main question: How can the gospel of Jesus Christ help me live a more abundant life? President Uchtdorf answered that question handily in the first talk of conference and I was left wishing I had asked more questions. I also had an epiphany this week about the Sabbath day. I was pondering on how I used to consider the Sabbath to be a burden more than anything else, and I came to the
realization of what the Sabbath is for. If the Celestial Kingdom requires us to be sanctified beyond belief, then an incredible amount of sanctification needs to take place before then. Our regular day-to-day actions make it very difficult to become sanctified individuals, and thy is why, once a week, God tells us to drop
everything and go get sanctified! I used to take 6 hour naps on the Sabbath, but I now realize that I was not keeping it holy. I used to think that sitting alone in a dark room eating saltines was an appropriate activity for the Sabbath. I now realize that the sin is not in the sin of commission, but in omission. We fail to keep it a holy day by failing to fill it with sanctifying activity! Who knew?!

   We are getting the area book planner app this week. That means no
more paper planners or area books! I pray it goes well.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


Monday, September 28, 2015

Get Ready for the Ride of your Life!!

Sounds like Elder Campbell is trying his best to make the best of his situation. He's a good missionary and we're very proud of him. He sent some pictures and I'm going to guess why!)

Mother and Father,

   (I wondered why a less active man who is now a Druid would allow missionaries to live in his home.) First things first, from what I understand, Brother W allows us to live in his home because he doesn't really care. He doesn't mind having extra people living in the house because he is gone a lot, but housing missionaries is almost always more expensive than the stipend
you are paid.

  (He said the ward was small...I wondered if it was small in numbers or in boundaries. It's boundaries!) The ward by area is tiny, but by numbers is massive. We fill every seat in the chapel and our overflow extends to fill half of
the gym, with most of those seats filled as well.

   (Got a fun picture of our missionary on exchanges with Elder Noh and he was enjoying some GINORMOUS pizza!!) Seeing Sister Riddle was a lot of fun. She took us to Anthony's Pizza. Sis. Riddle's daughter's roommate who I home taught was Grace. (We loved Grace. Unfortunately, Grace has already married!) My exchange with Elder Noh was a lot of fun. We had a pleasant gentleman tell us that he hates us and wants us all to go to Hell. In the morning we destroyed
old recyclables with a medieval flail. (Maybe the man they live with, who is a Druid, has a flail??) Elder Noh was one of the missionaries that I went out with in my first night in the mission home.

   (Peter fed almost 300 people a salad bar and only spent $221. Way to go, Peter!) I am glad to hear that Peter's event went well. Did he ever get a co-coordinator called? (Nope!)

   (Peter went on a drive along with the BYU Police. He decided that being a police officer wasn't for him. I didn't know he even considered that as a career. Our oldest son said every boy wants to be a police officer at some point in their life. I didn't know this, so I asked Elder Campbell if he wanted to be a police officer.) When I was very young I believe that I wanted to be a policeman/firefighter. It was just the coolest job ever. However, my main job goal was to be a veterinarian. (Neither Brian nor I knew that!)


   (We got new sister missionaries in our area and we were able to help them get a car and not just have to ride bikes.) That is good to hear about the sisters. If I am ever transferred to a bike area, I will do some community organizing to get that fixed. (Especially since he's not sure where his bike even is!)

   An additional individual you should pray for is Matt. He is fasting for the first time in his life to know if the church is true. This week we also went tracking with Brother A. We taught a lesson to a woman named Erin who was very nice, then we went to Bro. A's friend's house who was letting us in for a pity lesson, and they turned out to be much more interested than they expected.

   (I wondered how things were going with his companion.) Elder Tiai and I don't see eye to eye on anything really, but I'm trying to enjoy the ride. The zone leaders told me that trying to control him is futile, so just try to steer him in a good direction, and get ready for the ride of your life.   

   Could you send me Michael Hampton's mission call as soon as you hear? I
would love to hear about that. My fingers are crossed for Fort Collins. We need someone stalwart like Michael out here. (I'm trying to find out!)

   Elder Tiai gave me a haircut today. In his own words, "I hate American hair." (Elder Tiai is Samoan.

   I heard about the BYU loss. I am taking it as a good thing because hearing about BYU's success was making me trunky.

   (I asked him if he'd like to go to Disney World next Christmas. We had so much fun last Christmas and wanted him to enjoy the time.) Wow, my mind is
really not thinking about next Christmas, but sure, Disney World sounds fun. (I'm heading to St. George to visit my sister for a few days!) Enjoy St. George and read a ton of books!

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

      





Monday, September 21, 2015

From Boulder to Firestone, CO!

(Looks like he's in the Longmont Stake but is living in a place called Firestone. I looked it up and there are only 10,000 people. pretty small!)

Mother and Father,

  I do have answers to your questions! I drove to Longmont with my new Zone Leader, Elder Noh. Much later in the day, missionaries going down to Boulder picked my suitcase up from the stake center and drove it there. My bike did not come with me to Boulder. The last time I saw it was in the zone leader's apartment in Fort Collins. (He better find that bike...it was a very nice one!) I am awful at packing and it was really a game of shoving stuff into a suitcase. (I can just imagine) I don't think I forgot anything. My companion's name can be spelled T I. Just say the letters after each other. I laughed a bit when you said you hoped he was exactly obedient. Elder Tiai is known as a missionary that cannot be controlled. Like every transfer, I am just trying to keep my head above water, let alone trying to lose myself in the work. I think that is the fate I have been subjected to. We are living in the home of a less-active brother named Brother W. We haven't really talked religion, but I hear he left the church and became a prominent Druid. There is a lot of tree-based art in the house. (That's nice he let's missionaries live with him.) We live in the town of Firestone, in the tiniest Ward I have seen outside of Utah. This is known as the tri-cities area east of Longmont, containing Firestone, Frederick, and Dacono. We were at Miner Days over the weekend for a service project, and there was a company that gives snow cones out for free to missionaries. (YUM!) Despite what the map says, we are much closer to Longmont than Boulder, though it is nice to see the Flatirons without actually having to live in Boulder.
   Our address is Stagecoach Ave
Firestone, Colorado 80504-3480
   We have a lot of eternal investigators in this Ward. There are several people who attend church regularly but don't want to be baptized. My main worry is that Elder Tiai's goal is to get them baptized, when we should be bringing them closer to Jesus Christ. We have a guy on date who is very not ready, but Elder Tiai wants him to go forward anyway. We also have a teenage girl whose parents won't let her get baptized. Last night Elder Tiai felt prompted to visit an old investigator, and her daughter had just been diagnosed with several brain tumors. We are going to give here a blessing tonight. Pray for Holly's family! (I most certainly will!)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, September 14, 2015

Elder Campbell is heading to LONGMONT!!

Yup, Elder Campbell is leaving Boulder and heading to Longmont. He's most excited about the Café Rio there!!. HA!)

Mother and Father,

Well, I have to say that something is happening to Elder Campbell. I am transferring to the Saddleback Ward of the Longmont Stake. I will be with Elder Tiai. He is from Samoa. He has a bit of a reputation, which scares me, but his trainer has told me that he is trying to turn a new leaf. In a way, I guess that means I can have a part in helping him do that. (I hope it is all good!)

   (I read that that the new Fort Collins Temple was vandalized. That made me very sad.) I don't know much about the temple vandalism, except that I know
the stake center was being constantly vandalized when I was in Fort Collins. Colorado has enough angry people that I don't think it was members.

    There wasn't as much of a ruckus about the BYU game as last time, but I did hear that the win was off a Hail Mary with 45 seconds left. I will say that I am impressed with how BYU has been winning. Those are probably both bigger wins than they ever got last year. (They have both been HEART ATTACK games!!)

   (We have horrible fires right now and people in our stake have lost their homes.) I'm sorry to hear about Murphys and San Andreas. A lot of people
are talking about the drought in California.

    (I'm speaking to the Young Women on Wednesday about faith and I wondered if he had any examples.) I remember when Peter got his cancer diagnosis, you gave me a call and told me that faith in the gospel was the way through this trial. You said we had to choose to let this bring our family closer together, not
further apart. That is when you showed great faith to me.

    (Peter is in charge of feeding 350 in a week. He's supposed to do a salad bar. Here's Elder Campbell's suggestions.) Peter should use his budget to get $5 large pizzas from Papa Murphy's. You can feed a lot of people a lot of those.

     Oh yeah, thank you for the Flonase!

    I am excited for my fellow district leaders in Longmont. Elder Carlson and Elder Inouye are excellent missionaries. Elder Pratt says that we are going to lift the zone, but I will settle for those two to lift the zone.

    There is also a Cafe Rio in Longmont, which gets me incredibly excited. In all honesty, the work has been slow here this week, and the Flatirons Ward is  hard one. I'm excited for a transfer, honestly.

    Anywho, I will keep you in my prayers.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, September 7, 2015

Turned TWENTY on the THIRD!

Mother and Father,

   I hope you enjoy your Labor Day. I have no idea what The Man from U.N.C.L.E is, but I hope you enjoy it. (That's how we are celebrating today!)

   This week Austin prayed with us, and it was very nice. He has made amazing progress in his time meeting with us.

   I really enjoyed my birthday package. (YAY! Sounds like he had a nice birthday.) I like the tie very much. Bishop Dixon got me Cafe Rio including a tres leche cake which was amazing. The Lewis family bought me a container of Cookies and Cream  ice cream from Sweet Cow here in Boulder, which is some of the best ice cream I have ever had. (YUM!)

   (Saturday was a huge football day. BYU won and Peter's Flag Football team won!) Peter did not tell me about his flag football team, but I am very happy for him. There is not much in the way of BYU fans in Boulder, but the Meyer family, who we had dinner with last night, definitely are. Brother Meyer is from South Africa and played rugby for BYU. They sat us down and told us that we absolutely had to see the play, and so, regardless of President Brown's thoughts, I saw the Hail Mary. I was apprehensive, but it wasn't worth making a scene over. I'm sad about Taysom, but I'm glad Tanner Mangum knows how to perform. (Taysom Hill is the quarterback, but he broke his foot and is out for the season. Tanner Mangum just got back from his mission and saved the game in the last second with a Hail Mary throw!)  Elder Nielson is a huge Utah fan, and he was telling me that BYU was probably going to lose, so I am happy my boys came away with a win. (So sorry, Elder Nielson!)

   I have vague memories of Melissa having a friend named Victor. I am very happy for him. This transfer I have given two baptismal interviews, one for the YSA ward and one for the Boulder Ward Spanish group. They both passed with flying colors. I will probably be giving another one for an investigator in the YSA ward this week.

   Last month our mission performed 27 baptisms, which I believe is our highest ever. We are one of the 3 missions in the North American Central area with an increasing baptism rate (there are 25ish missions in the area). To reach our goal of 33 baptisms for the month of September, we are implementing The Plan. Here it is:

THE PLAN-Increase Number of Baptisms
33 for the month of September

Member
--Member Present at every scheduled lesson (preferably in the home of members)

Finding
--Set aside 1 hour of finding each day

Planning
--Review the planning guidelines each planning session

Baptizing
--Invite all investigators to be baptized first lesson, and each lesson until date is accepted, unless the Spirit directs otherwise

Other Goals
--Review the "Remember This" section of PMG (Preach My Gospel) every morning and every night
--Update your area book nightly

   It is going to be hard, but we are trying. Thanks so much for the email. I was glad to see that everyone is doing well.

Love you,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, August 31, 2015

Plan of Salvation and Protein Shakes

(Looks like a good week....YAY!!!!)

Mother and Father,

   This week we had investigator lessons with Austin and Scott. Neither of them understood the necessity of reading the Book of Mormon and praying, but I think they do now. Scott even told us that after told him the Plan of Salvation, it was the best thing he had heard from any religion, and that he really wants to come to feel the way we feel about it. We taught the Plan of Salvation both times, and Elder Nielson is a hero. He was raised an atheist before he joined the church, and the Plan of Salvation is very important to him. The spirit was very strong as he testified of the truth of it. (Go Elder Nielson!)
   Our mission experienced a problem similar to the Modesto mission when we took missionaries from the Rapid City and Billings missions. The Fort Collins Mission is known in the North American Central area as the mission with poor key indicators and severe disobedience. (I would like to know his source for these facts!) I've seen that culture begin to change, but it was quite the culture shock for the other missionaries. In the time Peter and I spent with the
Sacramento missionaries, they did seem pretty good at fooling around. We have not, however, had a Seventy come and chastise us.
   We did have a fifth Sunday meeting about keeping the Sabbath day holy. That has been the focus of the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency since April conference. We actually had a zone conference where they presented training on how missionaries need to encourage investigators and members to make the Sabbath a holier day.
   I've continued the protein shakes, and I've gained a lot of muscle. When I tell people that I am taking protein, they warn me that if I take them without working out, I'm going to get fat. No one seems to believe that I work out. This week begins week seven of our exercise regimen, and we are still going strong. I'm really proud of my upper body. My core still needs work though. Elder Nielson has lost a ton of weight too. (Good for them!)
   Well, Bishop Dixon is buying us Cafe Rio for dinner on Thursday. Needless to say, I am quite excited. (So much for the exercising!!) We are excited for Scott and Austin, but Charles and Alex we are a bit worried about. Their initial interest seems to be gone. It's interesting, because Scott and Austin are both agnostic, and the others have strong religious backgrounds.
    Well, I am excited to get my birthday wishes and cards. (His birthday is Thursday!)
   This week was a really good week. (Happy day!!) I love you all so much.

Love again,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Tuesday, August 25, 2015

Beautiful Boulder, Colorado!!

(I can't believe what a beautiful place Elder Campbell has the privilege of serving. I'll attach the fun pictures he sent. I'll also include one I received from Kyla Cleverly. She was a sister missionary here in Lodi, CA. She is from Fort Collins, CO and she helped serve lunch at the mission conference he talks about. YEAH!!)

Mother and Father,

   Sorry for not writing yesterday. We had a mission conference with Elder Zeballos of the Seventy, so our preparation day was moved. We just got back from an adventure in the woods. We lost the trail going down the mountain and ended up getting super lost. I have some pictures for you.
   This week, Elder Pratt challenged me to say only prayers for others, not a single one for myself. It has done wonders for changing my attitude. We've both made leaps and bounds in becoming more unified. I'm still having trouble with optimism. Everyone is really nice here in the ward though!
  This week we taught Austin and Leah. They both accepted the challenge to read and pray over the Book of Mormon. We just need to follow-up with them. We have scheduled lessons with Scott and Austin this week. Charles informed us that he's decided to keep going to the LDS church in Longmont. It's such a good, yet frustrating situation!
   Yesterday we decided to walk the half-mile to dinner instead of drive. A woman drove up to us and asked if we were Mormons. She said she was so happy to see us because she had been looking all over for us. She had a friend read the Book of Mormon to her once, and he told her that she needed to find the Mormons and go to church with them. We gave her our number, the address to the building, and a Book of Mormon. We were so grateful that we made the decision to walk.
 
Love,
Elder Andrew Campbell