Monday, May 30, 2016

80 Pounds of Frozen Chicken

(It is transfer week and Elder Campbell is staying in Laramie. He is getting a new companion from Chicago. I hope they work well together. He doesn't have much to say, but he did send two fun pictures.)

Mother and Father,

I'm staying. (I just wish he could get a car!! They have a really big area.)

I'm excited about Rudy's mission call. Please let me know. (I most certainly will. He opens his call at 7:30 PM tonight!)

I got to hold this kitten this week. (Picture is attached.)

We went disc golfing this morning. I didn't know we were going so I was not dressed for the occasion. (This picture made me laugh. He said he and Elder Leavitt won by 1 point.)

We did a big food give-out this week and they gave us 80 pounds of frozen chicken. (What are they going to do with that much chicken...OH MY GOODNESS!)


Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell




Monday, May 23, 2016

How Faithfully We Focus on Living the Gospel in the Home

(I guess the chin brace isn't doing as much good as I had hoped, but it looks like he's powering through!)

Mother and Father,

   I had one night of euphorically amazing sleep, the one I described to you, and then things normalized themselves. My sleep has been a bit better, I do notice a difference, but exhaustion is still my day to day battle. 
   I got my ballot and holy cow, there is a lot of people running for Senator. I actually know most of the people running for everything else, but how do I begin whittling down those options. (Use a dart board???) also got the gift card and it brought me great joy. (Subway!)
   The Jenny Oaks Baker CD was quite good. (Thank you Dorothy Thompson for the suggestion.)  I have only had the chance to listen to it all the way through once, but I have really liked it. There's a song featuring Condeleeza Rice. That was a surprise! I am very grateful for it. Thank you! (You are most welcome!)
   (My sister and her husband were here from Utah last week. They did a LOT of major cleaning at my parent's house.) Imagining cleaning out the mud room is so frightening. I feel that anyone who has done that has achieved sainthood. (St. Cara and St. David!)
   Laramie really is a ghost town! We have been doing a lot of tracting this week. We did a two hour tracting session in which only three doors opened.(I will attach one of their entertaining tracting pictures.)  Last night we went to the rich portion of our area where everyone was home but they don't know how to say no. It was actually funny to watch people stare at us and close the door. The discomfort we cause them is palpable, haha! It hasn't yielded much teaching. The reason being that we don't really try that hard at the door. There have been times that I don't take no for an answer, and apply a lot of spirit, but I've been so exhausted that no means no. I need to remember that I have been called to teach. And that is my goal at every door. We found another cat while contacting referrals. This one was black and also very friendly. (I will attach that picture, too!)
   My district leader got a concussion this week. He tried to take a jump on his bike on the way to an appointment and crashed and hit his head. (Maybe I'm grateful Andrew is walking.)  He experienced major short term memory loss and much hilarity ensued. I feel kind of bad, but we kept asking him the same questions and had to keep reminding him that he had already received medical attention and a priesthood blessing. He is feeling much better. (Thank goodness!)
   I have been studying the new June Ensign this week. A poignant statement I read from it was this one. “Our success, individually and as a Church, will largely be determined by how faithfully we focus on living the gospel in the home." I know not what else to say about it, other than it is beautifully true.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell



Monday, May 16, 2016

Dr. Dakota's Sleep Well, My Friends!!!

(This week I sent him a special pillow and a chin strap that are supposed to help with sleep apnea issues. I was hoping they would give him some relief.)

Mother and Father,

   This week was really excellent until yesterday. I was just so exhausted and sick feeling that I fell apart again. Alas, not all hope was lost, because I decided to brave the neck pain the chin strap causes and used it all night. Oh my gosh did I sleep well. I woke up asking myself, "What is this energy and overall vitality I'm feeling right now???" It was a unique feeling. (I'll attach the entertaining picture he included.)
   (I found a list of things missionaries should work on to give all of their heart, might, mind, strength and sanity) I liked the list you gave me, but trying to abide by it appears to be another source of anxiety. 
   Hearing about Grandpa's progress makes me very happy. I love American History trivia. (I go every day after work to his rehab and ask him lots of trivia questions. He is GOOD!!) An elder in the zone lost his Grandpa unexpectedly yesterday, and I wanted to do something nice for him so I took him to his favorite place to get wings. It did get kind of pricey, maybe if I could get a little bit of money on my personal card? I just don't want it to get too low and my struggles have made me resort to some money spending. With my improved condition I am resolving to do better at that. (No worries....if you are helping others, we will be happy to help, too)
   (We decided after our Mother's Day phone call that we would have a family fast. We have a lot that we need to be praying for.) I sadly report that I completely forgot about the family fast. It's so embarrassing...I took a shower, ate some breakfast, and looked at my iPad to see your message. I fasted on Sunday so I could participate fully, as well. (Silly boy!)
   Some excellent news this week was that Lidia got baptized in Peru! I will attach a picture! (I will attach it, too!)
   This week we did some tracting, which I always find to be a lot of fun. We met a Chinese man named Hong. I taught him a little bit but he wasn't too interested. Plus, we went on splits with the priests in the ward. We tracted out a neighborhood and met some cool people. We also met some mean people, so they got the whole experience. (And that is a good experience to have.) 
   This week was graduation, so a ton of people descended upon Laramie, and the next day everyone was gone...like this place is becoming a ghost town. I guess that's to be expected. The YSA missionaries have entered desperation mode. Fort Collins, Boulder, and Greely are big enough cities to supply plenty of young single adults when school is out, but Laramie is another story. Even in our work...a lot of families are gone as well. Tracting and contacting has yielded dozens of "not homes". I did find a completely good new set of bike tires in an apartment dumpster for my bike. We've been looking for a bike for Elder Davis in the trash because of the mass exodus out of here, but we have had no luck yet. We did find a new referral for the YSA, so I guess dumpster diving is a viable form of proselyting? (What a crack up!) We are still on the lookout for someone to teach, but it will happen soon.
   I pray you are all well and that my improvement brings you hope.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

(I'll attach his chin strap picture, his investigator he taught that got baptized in Peru and another friendly cat with Elder Davis.)


Monday, May 9, 2016

A Lesson on Contentment

(Got to Skype with our missionary, so not much of a letter. He was fighting some kind of stomach crud, so he was on a liquid diet...so feeling kind of yucky and HUNGRY!! I encouraged him to get some music into his life. Andrew lives for MUSIC!!)

Mother and Father,

  Believe it or not, talking to you made me feel much better. Right after our talk I went on Apple Music, got the three month free trial, and downloaded a ton of music. I got a few hundred songs by Bach, a ton of Mormon Tabernacle Choir, some of the more decent music by contemporary LDS artists, some Enya, and a little bit of the ambient electronic piano chill out music I love. It's been great! I think the influx I have now will do me well. I got what I think is a good night's rest last night, too. (Sleep is a cure-all for many things!!)
   This week we were encouraged to find a miracle and take a video of it. We found a friendly cat that let us pet it while proselyting, which was miraculous! I took of video of the cat, which is great. I'll send it to you! (I'm going to try to attach it!)
   I am still not feeling very good, but I am in a much better mood. I have been pondering on the words of Paul, "11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: every where and in all things I am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need."

Paul has learned an excellent lesson here. My first thought, upon reading this, was that contentment isn't exactly the greatest goal, after all, don't we want to be more than content? But then I realized that Paul is finding contentment in even the worst situations. Paul has achieved emotionally self-reliance. The perfect example of this self-reliance is our Savior Jesus Christ. I have not found this contentment, so I clearly have something to learn yet. I would like to achieve contentment in the Lord. We will one day be glorified in Him. (I am always amazed by the deep thoughts our missionary has. I'm glad he can turn his difficult situations into learning experiences.)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


Monday, May 2, 2016

Went to Fort Collins and had Cafe Rio!!

(He had another slow week. He did go to Fort Collins and enjoy his favorite place to eat!!)

Mother and Father,

   This week... I DID go to Fort Collins to get some Cafe Rio!!
   (Next week is Mother's Day so we get to SKYPE!!! I am so excited!! It will be my last Skype as a missionary mom.) We will probably have to Skype after both of our dinners. I get out of church when yours starts. Then if I have dinner at five...that is when you get out. (So, I really don't know when we'll be Skyping...I guess I'll just have to carry my computer around with me!) To answer your question, the Weatherford's daughter is serving in the Brazil Natal mission.
   This week in my studies I got to the book of Mosiah, and I am partially through King Benjamin's speech. I have pondered a lot over the promise of blessings that King Benjamin gives in chapter two. The past view weeks I have been polling people asking them to define what a blessing is. I think my favorite has been: something that helps us progress. When we take into account that many things that help us progress are not always fun or easy, we can see that many blessings are the trials we receive. I believe what makes them such a blessing, is that when we are applying the Atonement of Jesus Christ, these trials will sanctify us, and there we have it, a blessing. So, obedience will bring blessings in many shapes and sizes, and it would be good for us to recognize them. Now if only I could take my own medicine and apply that thought process...!!
   (I sent everyone Cinco de Mayo packages. I went to the local 99 Cents Store and found all kinds of "things"....some more scary than others.) I think I now know why part of Peter's package made him nervous. I just tried to eat the watermelon candy. You also could have sent a May Day package. I like a lot of the stuff. It is quite unorthodox. (HA!! It was quite the assortment!) 
   Thank you so much for thinking and praying about me.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

We were on exchanges and we took a selfie with this guy named Heath.
He was way cool! (I have no idea who he is with, but I'm glad he's with way cool, Heath!!)