Monday, February 29, 2016

Laramie, Wyoming....Here Comes Elder Andrew Campbell!!

(Elder Campbell is getting transferred and he's NOT going to be in Colorado!! He's headed to WYOMING!!)

Mother and Father,

   Well, this Sunday we had an awesome lesson with our favorite fmily. Jason, Jason, and Amy are on date to be baptized on April 5th, and Alex is thinking about it. We taught them the Plan of Salvation, which was happily accepted. There were some tears when I told them I was leaving. I'm just sad I will miss the baptism. (I'm sad too!!) Alas, we go where we are sent.
   So yes, I am getting transferred. I will be going to the Ridge View Ward in Laramie, Wyoming. My companion will be Elder Navarro. I have really enjoyed Saddleback, and I will really miss it. It looks like I'm going to be in a really big area again. I think I have gotten used to being so close to everything.
   Dani was out of commission this week after surgery. Hopefully the missionaries get in this week. I haven't been able to read most of your articles because I can only view lds.org and Mormon.org on my iPad. Plus, to use a computer to view unapproved websites like deseretnews would be disobedient. I appreciate the thought though! (They were just about his new mission president and a talk given by Pres. Hinckley from 1995.....it's not like I'm sending him scandalous things!!)
   Thanks for doing my FAFSA! I was reminded this week that there are a lot of big decisions to be made after my mission; I got scared. College? Employment? Marriage?!?!? That is the most frightening of all of them. I am going to choose to not think about it. (Please don't think about them!! You are scaring me!!)
   I really don't know what else to report on. It was a really slow week. Not so good as far as key indicators go. I really need to get back to cleaning and packing. I love you all so much.

Love again,

Elder Andrew Campbell

I forgot! We had a luau type event. Here is a picture of Elder Pember
and I with excellent missionaries and good friends Elder Domnikov and
Elder Saunders. And I'm also attaching a picture from a family in Colorado who sent it to me on Friday.



Monday, February 22, 2016

A Slide, a Foam Pit, a Trampoline, a Fully Stocked "Candy Shop", a Theatre Room, a Ski Ball, a Foosball table, Air Hockey, a Crane Machine...a child's dream come true!!



Mother and Father,

   (Got a picture emailed to me from a man in Colorado. This is the story behind that picture...which I will attach.)
   Friday night with the B's was quite magical. First, they had their friends over for a missionary lesson, which was excellent! Their names are A, A, J, and J, and they are so ready to hear and accept the gospel it's just crazy. Their thirteen year old son J felt a personal call towards God a few years ago and began church hopping all by himself. He currently keeps his own Bible collection. (What an awesome kid!!) They even had another LDS family from Broomfield come and
the fellowship was just inspiring. They came to church this week and plan on coming for the three hour block next week. A understood the message of the restoration so well. She began by not knowing what a prophet was, and when We finished the great apostasy, she was like, "Oh! We need God to give us another prophet!" Then we got to see the rest of the B's home. Even the very affluent Saddleback Ward is shocked and amazed by what they have in there. They had a slide, a foam pit, trampoline, fully stocked "candy shop", a theatre room, ski ball, foosball, air hockey, a crane machine(!), and tons more. Mother, if you saw their pantry, you would start crying tears of joy. (My dream...a walk-in pantry.) Oh my goodness, I was in a child's dream come true.
   Shoot, I fell asleep while writing this to you. You will be getting it much later than usual. I am really excited about the temple, especially that it all happens before the end of my mission. (He was just wondering about the Open House and dedication and then it was announced this week. It's being dedicated in October and he comes home in November. YEAH!!) The group that goes home before me will actually be missing the dedication. President Brown still does not know how us missionaries will be involved.
   Dani had a surgery, so we didn't get to see her this week. I love my two brothers so much, but they really fear commitment. 2 Nephi Chapter 4 has been on my mind this week. My goal has been to exponentially increase my smiling this week. Smiling has this weird thing that makes you feel good. I truly relate to Nephi, and his attempts to rejoice, but his shortcomings making it so hard. Alas, his desire to follow the Lord keeps him afloat and he ultimately rejoices in the Lord. Everyone who strives to follow the Lord can make a similar decision. To follow unhappiness is to become mired in the world.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, February 15, 2016

This Week I REALLY Had the Flu!

  


(I don't know if you realize the stomach knots I get each week waiting to hear what my missionary has to report. Andrew has an auto-immune disease and it makes me wonder if that's why he gets sick so often. I'm just glad he powers through. Thank you to any and all who keep him in your prayers. This mom appreciates that immensely!!)

Mother and Father,

   You know how I told you a few weeks ago that I got the flu? Well, this week I really had the flu. My symptoms were headache, nausea, aches, fever, and terrible diarrhea. I am becoming known in the Saddleback Ward as the elder who gets every illness imaginable. (Lucky Saddleback Ward...HA!)
   This week started off with us going to an appointment with Rosa in which she wasn't there. Then we had an exchange where I stayed in Saddleback with my zone leader Elder Dutton. We talked to a really nice guy named Tim who has some teaching potential.
   Wednesday we had a lesson with Dani and Kenny that was...interesting. I won't go into a ton of details, but I will say they are afraid of commitment. Dani has told us that the prayers we committed her to do have brought feelings of peace and joy. They do need prayers. (I will continue to pray for them.)
   This Friday we tried to tract around a specific member's house and tell them how it went. The only problem was that we missed their house completely on the first try and tracted the block next to theirs. I had been feeling sick for a few days, but that was when the fever and the shivers began. We parked our car about two miles away, so that was a fun walk!
   Sunday night, although I felt like garbage, we did go to our dinner appointment. We discovered that their daughter is friends with Dani and Kenny's daughter! We challenged her to invite her to activity days and to church. We are so grateful that we made that discovery. It could be the catalyst they need.
   This week I actually read more of the Book of Mormon. This week I learned: The filthy cannot dwell in the Kingdom of God, the guilty take the truth to be hard, we must repent if we are angry with God, it is by the power of God that miracles are performed, righteousness makes a choice people, an disobedience makes a cursed people, and finally, honor thy father and mother.
   I pray that I will be feeling better this week and will have more awesome stuff to report.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, February 8, 2016

The Miracle of Forgiveness

I didn't receive a letter until after 4 pm today...I was thinking I might not get one!)

Mother and Father,

   Yes, we did get a lot of snow. It is melting pretty quickly with the return of warm weather though. I had absolutely no idea that cleaning your tailpipe was a thing you were supposed to do. Asphyxiation did not take place though, so that is a bonus. I will do that next time for sure.
  (Brian shared in church yesterday about Elder Campbell. He told about his Cafe Rio obsession!) It is funny that that is what is shared about me. You can tell that I am having a pretty exciting mission when that is a highlight, haha. This week Brother John came with us to teach Dani and they hit it off really well. I think she is excited to join the church if there are awesome people like Brother John there. We got two less-actives to come to church on Sunday. It was Brendall and his little brother Voran. (I wonder how old they are?) They are very good people. We taught Brendall a lesson yesterday during the Super Bowl because he wasn't going to be watching, and his testimony continues to astound me.
  Something that has been on my mind is the Fort Collins Temple. It is so close to completion but no one knows when it will open. (I will see if I can find anything out.) I have heard speculation from June to mid-Fall. A lot of member missionary
work is based on the new temple, and a lot of people have committed to do something for the open house, but we don't know when it is?!?!
  Alas, part-member families and unbaptized 9+ is not really a big deal here. Our ward is over 70% active and we don't really get in with many less-actives. (That is amazing. It has to be very hard!)
  This week I got permission to read "The Miracle of Forgivenesses" from President Brown. (That is quite the book!) I did still read the Book of Mormon, but I replaced my new study regimen to read The Miracle of Forgiveness so I could discuss it with Elder Pember, who has been reading it. I read the first 150 pages, and President Kimball uses those pages to describe sin in an uncomfortable amount of detail and tell the reader how bad it is. I did enjoy his description of sins of omission, which I have found to be the most prevalent of all sins. For example, he says that the penalty we face for not doing our home teaching or
actively sharing the gospel is much worse than we imagine. (YIKES!!!) In fact, he
claims those sins of omission are really quite heinous. So, that was my round of eyebrow singeing for the week. His descriptions of relief from the grasps of different sins was also quite edifying.
 (I wondered what inspired his companion to go on a mission since everyone in his family was less-active.) Elder Pember said that his Bishop called him into his office one day and asked him if he was serving a mission. He, having recently come back to church, hadn't given it much thought, but he thought it was the right thing to do so he started his mission papers right there.
 (Yay...he got my Valentine's box!!)  I am wearing a pair of the new pants  right now. Thank you so much for them. They are quite nice! I appreciate the healthy foods contained within the package. I really like the meats you put in, so if you're looking for more ideas, beef jerky and the like are very appreciated.
  (I keep forgetting to send him something for Saturday to inspire him and help him to study. I sent something last night. Bad, mom! Bad, mom! And it sounds like he really needs something. I will try to do better.) I did like the meme Saturday is still my worst day by far. It's like I go through with hardly any problems, then boom, I wake up on Saturday and anxiety, depression, and fatigue catch me in a harsh grasp. I do believe that Satan wants us ineffective on Saturday because it's such an effective day for finding.
  The Broncos did, indeed, win the Super Bowl. I am just glad it is over. I run the risk of sounding like a hoity-toity Mormon Boy, but this year it became clear to me that the Super Bowl is a sham and a sad desecration of the Sabbath Day.
   I love you all so much. I pray that my mission service is a blessing to you. (It most certainly is!!)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, February 1, 2016

Polynomial Cyst???!!! HA!

Mother and Father,

  The weather has been so nice this week. Elder Pember and I walked miles and miles...until he tore open the stitches in his back. (hmmm....I didn't  know Elder Pember had stitches. So I sent a quick email asking why he had stitches and Andrew's reply was he had a polynomial cyst. I think he meant a pilonidal cyst. But I could be wrong. HA!) To make things worse it's snowing right now. The storm is supposed to last all day and up to a foot is being predicted. I sound like such a defeatist right now, but I am actually doing really well. Elder Pember just wrote a rap to his family. I am sorry I'm not as cool as him. (I would love to read that email!)
   Once again, no one came to our Bible Study. We did talk to our former investigator Rosa, who expressed some interest in still meeting with us. Dani, who was our new investigator last week, met with us again with her husband, and it went really well. She thought he would have no interest, but he said he was willing to listen and give us a try. Too bad they didn't come to church yesterday. Brother John is coming with us to see them tonight. (Bro. John is the BOMB, so I hope good things happen tonight.)
   This week I learned in the Book of Mormon that Satan has a "great and abominable church", and it seeks to destroy the saints of God. You are either a member of Christ's church or Satan's church, which is a little frightening. The original gospel was corrupted, making a restoration necessary. Everything God does is eternal. Gentiles who follow Jesus Christ will join the House of Israel.
   I never changed my medicine. It is still on the table; I just
haven't thought about it. (Since he's doing well, I think he should keep things the same.) Elder Pember is the only member of his family to serve a mission. Before he left on his mission he was the only active member in his family.   
   My goal this week is to obtain this mindset from Alma 31: "34 O Lord, wilt thou grant unto us that we may have success in bringing them again unto thee in Christ.
35 Behold, O Lord, their souls are precious, and many of them are our brethren; therefore, give unto us, O Lord, power and wisdom that we may bring these, our brethren, again unto thee."
My finding efforts will be more successful as my love for these people increases. So, my goal is to love them with a godly love!

Thank you for all you do.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

We celebrated Peter Campbell Day yesterday. Peter had his testicular cancer surgery two years ago on Jan. 31, 2014. I'll attach the picture I sent Elder Campbell for my non-FB friends.