Monday, April 25, 2016

New Companion from Salem, OR!

Mother and Father,

 (He's still in Laramie. Has a new companion. Doesn't have a car anymore, so having to "hoof" it everywhere. Things are slow. Hopefully things will pick up in time!)

  Honestly, I really miss Elder Navarro. He came to be a real friend to me. My new companion is Elder Davis.  He is from Salem, Oregon. He has served in Loveland and Greely. He has five older siblings, and he is nineteen years old. He went to Spague High School. He currently has no post-mission plans. He doesn't really like candy bars, but he loves Thin Mints. His favorite food is stuffed pizza from Papa Murphy's. His favorite color is blue. He has never been to Tillamook. (His loss!)
   Sister Taysom finishes her mission this Summer when President Brown goes home. (She is the wonderful senior missionary who posts pictures of the missionaries. I love that lady!)
    I got a CD from Molly today. (He worked with her on her music for this CD.)  It is quite nice. I have done a little listening and it was quite nice. I don't really know what else to tell you. Nothing much in the way of interesting stuff happened. I have completed first and second Nephi. I am trying to complete the Book of Mormon in a few weeks. (Hopefully things will pick up and he'll have more to share next week.)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Monday, April 18, 2016

A No-Drive Day....TOO MUCH SNOW!!



Mother and Father,

   Yesterday marked, as far as I can remember, my first day ever of wearing snow boots. (Yay!! The boots I sent him have been put to good use!!) There was a fair amount of snow. The police close down the streets and the stake president cancelled church. Plus President Brown declared it to be a no-drive day. (Our missionaries wondered if there were "snow days" where they had to stay in their apartments.) To answer that question, as far as I have ever heard, there are only days of n driving, but not of no leaving the house. In fact, my companion Elder
Johnson who came from the South Dakota Mission said he was out an about during - 66 degrees Fahrenheit one night in a little town in South Dakota. He said being outside more than 30 seconds or so was deadly, so they ran from the building to their car. (Deadly???!!) Our mission never gets that cold, but if there is too much snow on the ground the Mission President can declare all vehicles grounded. Some missionaries use that as an excuse to not go out, but we are used to no vehicle, so we just walked all around Laramie.
   So, transfers! I am staying in the Ridge View Ward. Elder Navarro is going to Scottsbluff, Nebraska to serve in the Chimney Rock Ward. (I love the name of that ward!!) My new companion is Elder Davis. I know he is from Salem, Oregon and is about six months out. Everyone I have asked has no idea who he is. I am taking that as a good sign! I can tell him how knowledgeable I am about Tillamook, Oregon and its unfairly delicious ice cream.
   This week was a very disappointing one. Our key indicators were about a quarter of what we have been averaging this transfer. Almost no one opened the door or answered our calls. It was embarrassing to go rough a whole day not having contacted anyone despite our efforts. Yesterday our ward mission leader, Brother Carlisle, talked to us about true success and why we should take joy in our efforts. It was a good reminder.
   I found out yesterday that there is a very good chance that the temple cultural celebration will be in the University of Wyoming basketball stadium. It is the cheapest and largest available facility. The temple is fast approaching and I am quite excited. (Me too! I already got him an embroidered handkerchief...but I can't find it!! HA!)
   I got the vitamins and the body wash! Thank you very much. I am so happy that I don't have to move this transfer. Moving is quite the pain.
   Yesterday someone told me that I am, "almost done with my mission". The thought made me shudder. I still have some time to go. I need to go find some snow for a picture. (I will attach his picture!)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


Monday, April 11, 2016

Rock River, Wyoming!!

Mother and Father,

   I would say the highlight of this week was tracting in Rock River! If you don't know what that is, it's a tiny little town in the middle of no where. (Here is what Wikipedia has to say about Rock River, WY....As of the census of 2010, there were 245 people, 94 households, and 72 families residing in the town. The town has a total area of 2.33 square miles The town has one restaurant, The Longhorn Restaurant, owned by a longtime couple who also run a lodge and the only store in town, and it is run and managed by a local family. The food is classic American Diner/Comfort food, all home-cooked. Open year round, with varying hours for the seasons, it caters to the locals as well as tourists, seasonal visitors, and hunters. It is the only restaurant on the stretch of road between Laramie and Medicine Bow. I should tell him to go out to eat there next time he and his companion go there!! This is what he had to say about the town.....) There is one Baptist church there, and EVERYONE in the town goes there. They have all been saved by grace and don't need to hear what we have to say. They were all quite nice though. We did meet an English guy named Ron who invited us back. His plumbing was backing up when we knocked his door, so he was busy. (What perfect timing...HA!)
   (I got a lovely email from a sweet sister in his ward that feeds him. She has themed dinners. This one was baseball. They had hot dogs, French fries and went home with Cracker Jacks. LOVE THAT!! Her aunt, who is not a member, is living with her right now.) Sister S's aunt was very kind to us. She even came to church yesterday and looked happy to be there. (I asked him what we should feed our missionaries this coming Saturday. This was his reply:) In my experience, missionaries don't care as much about what they get to eat as the members think. People are always saying that they hear the elders always get lasagna, so they don't do lasagna. Who ever complained about getting a ton of lasagna? I wish we got it more. Think of a few options, and ask the missionaries which one they want!  (Maybe I'll make lasagna...HA!)
   There is a big mansion on the top of only hill in the city of Laramie. Elder Navarro and I decided to tract it. We got some nice pictures up there, but no one was home... (I'll attach his picture.) We tracted into a family that is engaged to be married soon and he is a member but she is not. He is not on our ward records, but when we walked in the first thing I saw was a set of LDS scriptures on
the bookshelf. Alas, for the most part, no one has been answering our calls or opening the door for us. How are we supposed to preach the gospel unto repentance if we don't see people at least semi-regularly?
   This week I have been studying the Gospel of Jesus Christ a lot. I realize how grateful I am for it and having it in its fullness. Everyone has been telling us that confessing Christ is ALL they will ever need. I am working on being able to help these people understand that there is more to be understood. The Missionary Department has been hammering down on making sure we teach repentance well. I don't think that is coincidence, because repentance is where we differ from most Protestant faiths. They do, however, have an incredible love for our
Savior, Jesus Christ, which I will always respect.
   (I asked him about his hospital visit and how it got paid. Today I got the bill. YAY!) I put my Missionary Medical insurance as my insurance at the doctor's office and the hospital. It wasn't an emergency so Kaiser would never cover it. My back is doing quite well. My bad ankle has been very painful, but I work through it. The wind likes to stir up my allergies, and as the climate dries up they get more annoying, but if things get bad, I always have a few hundred shots of Flonase to help me out. If I could get more of those Vitamin B12 tablets you sent me, it would be great! That specific kind I have really liked. (Sorry, I just went on Amazon and sent him whatever kind I could find. Quick and simple...that's my motto! Also, this is a weird one, but in Longmont at the discount grocer, they had this awesome lavender body wash by a company called Field Day. It is all organic with no sulfates, so the hydration it provides is amazing. I am coming close to the end, but I would like some more because of how great it is. (Done! Thank you AMAZON!!!!)
 I hope you have a lovely week!

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


Monday, April 4, 2016

Got a Jeep Compass and We Love It!

Mother and Father,

   (Last week he merely mentioned having his foot run over by a car and then going to the hospital. I was glad he was fine, but I wanted DETAILS!! So this is what I got.) Okay, so the foot story goes like this. Some awesome members were dropping us off on 9th street after taking us to visit people in the boonies. I had put one foot out when they thought I had left the vehicle and started pulling away. So, the car was not rolling over my toes, but onto my ankle and up my calf. I yelped and pulled my foot out from it, and I walked away with only some residual pain. Lingering pain in that area lead me to get it checked out. It turns out we are all clear though. (Since he has been carless... wondered how far away things were from his apartment.) The church is about 2 miles away, the hospital about 2.5. Walmart is like 4 miles away but we have always gotten a ride.
   (We had General Conference this past weekend. It is on TV, and there were 10 hours worth of talks given. I wondered who his favorite speakers were?) I would say my favorite talks of conference President Eyring's opening talk, Elder Duncan's, President Nelson's, and Elder Holland's. I cried during the Choir's rendition of Come Thou Fount. That one was especially beautiful. I also really liked Elder Snow's talk because I love me some hymns and I especially love humility.
   On Tuesday morning we tracted exactly one door and taught a lesson and got a new investigator. We since taught the rest of the family and it is awesome. On Thursday it was three doors and it happened again! They have good spirits about them as well. We did not teach any of the people you asked about this week, but that should be happening this week. (He went out to dinner with one of my former high school students who lives in Laramie, now.) It was great seeing Amy. (I don't know much about his companion, so I wanted to know where he was from.)  Elder Navarro has been all over the place, but he is originally from West Sacramento. (Hey, that's in our neck of the woods!)
   I did get my bedding out of the Mr. Mac bag, and I am keeping it, because it will come in handy next time I move. (I sent him the pictures I'm attaching.) Dang, do I look fat in the picture with L. Though in my defense I have gained a fair amount of muscle. Walking 5 miles a day makes my appetite too big. This morning I wrote out my weight loss plan. Pray for me in that category. And yes, this is the seven week transfer. We just entered week six, so two weeks to go! I really like this area a lot, so I would not mind staying here for another one.
   So, we just got a car. Some missionaries just got their driving privileges taken away, and we have benefitted. Now we can visit the towns that are like fifty miles away. It's a Jeep Compass and we love it. (Yay...now he better drive carefully so he won't lose his privilege. Glad the HUGE snowstorms have passed. I wonder if more are on the horizon.)
   General Conference was a lovely event. I am probably more excited to read all the talks and get as much out of it as I can. I pray that the spirit will attend as we study this newest revelation.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell