Monday, July 25, 2016

My Progression Will No Longer Be a Willy-Nilly Hodge-Podge of This and That!



Mother and Father,

   (I've started a new tradition. Whenever Elder Campbell gets a new companion, I send that new companion a gift basket with goodies from their state. It's probably good that I only started this recently and he only has a few more chances for new companions. It's a bit pricey, but very fun to do.) Elder Biggs (from Virginia) really enjoyed his package, but he was pretty embarrassed that my parents sent him a package and not me. I have been enjoying the awesome snacks with him. He is such a good guy. (Andrew has received many packages these past 21 months, so no one feel too sorry for him!)
   This week we taught the G family the Word of Wisdom. Sister G had a lot of questions, but she committed to try to live it and Brother G said he would hold her accountable. We talked to S, and he really wants to read the Book of Mormon, but he is working full-time, getting a master's degree, and has a wife and two kids. (Sounds like he needs the Book of Mormon in his life!) He said when he gets the time, he is going to sit down and read the whole thing. It is just trying my patience, because nothing is happening right now. J won't be back until next week...🙁
    (Callie Crum sent the following email [Hey, I was volunteered to lead a discussion up at Youth Conference next month on Sharing the Gospel. Not sure how I got so lucky, but I was wondering if you would ask your missionaries in your next letter out to them "What they wished they had known or had done before their missions or to be more prepared." I thought some thoughts from current missionaries would be fun and helpful. The conference is August 5th, which I know isn't much time, so if they are able to respond before then, great, please forward their thoughts to me. I would really appreciate it. If you'd rather I send them an e-mail asking, then could you give me their addresses? Don't know which would be better for them. I know writing time is precious, so I don't want to take time away from them writing home to their families, but just a few ideas is all I'm looking for.], which I forwarded to him. He wrote back the following answers.) I would like to answer Sister Crum's email in a general way. Of all of my mission experience, something I wish I had truly grasped before I left was truly enjoying and wanting to go out and share the gospel. I had one of the least and the most populated proselyting areas in our mission. When I was in Boulder, we had at least 60,000 nonmembers living in our area, and in my time in Firestone, Colorado we had maybe 1,000 nonmembers in our area. The areas were quite similar in one aspect, and that is that our planners were completely empty. We averaged 0-2 lessons a week in both areas. When a missionary is in this position, he goes out and tries to find someone to teach. In suburban western America, this is brutally difficult at best. Learning to talk about the gospel in a natural and joyful way to God's children is much easier to bring on a mission than to gain on a mission, because when it is your responsibility to do so 24/7, and when everyone treats you in such a condescending way because of your white shirt, tie, and nametag, it is easy to lose hope. Gosh, I wish I already had those skills when I entered the field, because then having an empty teaching pool would not be so frustrating, because I would be ready to preach God's word. I would add another thing that I am glad I came into the mission knowing. That is that a companion may force a companionship to fail beyond your control, but never, NO NEVER, be the reason a companionship fails. Both companions need to give to the relationship in order for the companionship to thrive, but if your companion refuses to give, keep giving anyway. You will be better off for it.
   Last night I read my patriarchal blessing and realized that I need to get my act together regarding certain things. So, for the first time in my whole life, I am practicing organization. (Can I hear an HALLELUJAH!!??!!)  I am now keeping track of exactly what I need to pray for, what I need to be grateful for, what specific topics I need to study, discussion topics with Heavenly Father, and general to-do items. It is my goal that through this, my progression will no longer be a willy-nilly hodge-podge of this and that, but will consist of purposeful acts. Maybe I'll even clean my room. But, let's not get too crazy. (Be still my heart!)
   I'm attaching a picture of me petting the G's cat. I got a little cut off.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


Monday, July 18, 2016

Nocturnal Adventures with the SlumberBump!

Mother and Father,

   I...am trying to think of what I should tell you about this week. Elder Biggs is a great missionary; I like having him with me. Elder Biggs is nineteen years old. He is both musical and athletic. He was a soccer player and is an excellent tenor. He is also a piano player, though he claims I showed him up. He would like to go to the University of Virginia, but he is sticking with going to a community college for now. He is not so sure what he wants to study. He has five older siblings. I am with another youngest child! His favorite foods are Butterfingers and macaroni and cheese. I highly approve of that. His favorite color is green, another excellent choice. And, his favorite hymn is "Master, the Tempest is Raging". (They sound like two peas in a pod!)
  
   (Since the last email, I sent him several items to try to help him sleep better. One is a SlumberBump, which is supposed to help you sleep on your side and the other is a mouth guard that is supposed to keep your airways open.) I tried the SlumberBump...It could have gone better, haha. I don't think it's supposed to coincide with my neck wedge and pillow wedge (other things I found on Amazon to help with sleeping better!)but those actually help. I woke up and found my body had twisted around during the night and I was back on my back. (I remember that he's a crazy sleeper!) The mouth guard I got out last night to use, and discovered that I had to start boiling water and the like to get it ready. (It is supposed to form to your mouth, so he needs to get it hot and malleable.) Hopefully I'll have the energy to do it tonightbecause last night I just didn't. I crawled into bed and fell asleep.
   
   Several investigators are out of town, so that's no fun, and people aren't progressing as we'd like them to, but I guess that isn't really our choice. I love the Ridge View Ward and its members, but they aren't really on board with doing missionary work themselves. (Not many wards are, unfortunately!) Oh well, I do know the Lord will bless us in our efforts. 

   I have another cat picture coming your way. (I've attached it! There sure are friendly fur babies in Laramie!)

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


Monday, July 11, 2016

Staying in Laramie, WY!!

Mother and Father,

  Well, I don't know if you were aware of this, but this was Elder Butler's last week as a missionary. I just bid him farewell and he is off to the mission home. He was grateful that I made his last transfer a worthwhile one. He said we had the highest key indicators that he has had in his whole mission. (Very proud of these young men!)
  I am staying in Laramie for a fourth transfer and my new companion is Elder Biggs. He was just finished being trained in Rawlins, making me a step-father in mission terms. (That's silly!) He had a good trainer and he seems like a great missionary. Oh yeah, he is from somewhere in Virginia! (Working on finding him a fun gift basket with a Virginia theme!)
  An investigator from the YSA wards got married this week and she is in our ward now. She is set to be baptized later this month. So, that was a pleasant surprise. (Most definitely!) Also, the part member family we're teaching is holding family home evening. Most members of the ward don't even know that she is not baptized. (That is very impressive.) Everyone else canceled our appointments this week. Shana is going back to the South this week. She has committed to be baptized there though. She is actually going to Mississippi, so maybe she'll meet Michele's family. (Except they have moved to Florida...HA!)
   We met President McMurray this week! (This is his new mission president. Mission Presidents serve for 3 years, so Pres. Brown and his wife headed home.) He is so cool! He is excited to get out there and teach and baptize. It's cool for a mission president to have greenie fire. But, the best experience I had was
when we had a phone conversation about my sleep apnea. (Andrew hasn't actually been tested for sleep apnea; instead, he was told by a doctor that he probably has it. It is making him so exhausted during the day.) He told me about how Christ performed the Atonement so I could get through this trial, and leaning on Christ is what I need at this time. He told me I can't beat myself up but it's hard not to! (Stop being so hard on yoursef, Elder Campbell!)
 I am excited for this transfer. Some serious baptizing should take place. I am really grateful this is the Lord's work, and he performs it, because if it was all up to me there would be nothing but failure. (Not hardly...he always cuts himself short!)

 Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Not a cat this week...a very cute dog.

Not a cat this week....some 4H pigs!


Saying good bye to a wonderful companion, Elder Butler!!


Monday, July 4, 2016

Hiking, Subway, Retaining Walls, and New Mission President!

Mother and Father,

   This week was a good one! I had another night or so of awful sleep, but after that things have improved. I appreciate the prayers. (I decided that there is nothing more I can physically do to help Elder Campbell with his sleep, so I started praying each night that he'd have a good sleep. Looks like it helped! Thank you Heavenly Father!!)  
  We just got back from hiking with the Fike family. They just called us up and asked if we'd like to go hiking in twenty minutes. It was a lot of fun, but there was a point where we were crossing rocks over a river and I biffed it really hard. I fell in the river and got soaking wet. Apparently there's a video of it, so hopefully I could get that to you. (I would love to see the video...he did send a picture which I will attach.)
   This week we taught a part-member family that has been coming to church together for a few months now. They are such great people and I really enjoy being with them. I am really excited for them. Shana got a job in a little mountain town outside of Laramie. We haven't been able to be in good contact but she is still doing really well.
   We got to teach our sticky-star friend this week. (This in referene to last week's letter where he said they helped a man take glow-in-the-dark star stickers off of the ceiling in his house.) He is recovering well from his incident. We also taught him at Subway; can't complain about a home field advantage, haha. (I just sent a Subway gift card, hope it comes in handy!) He's committed to reach out to God again, something he gave up on a while ago. We also contacted an old tracting potential named Spencer. He told us he'd be building a retaining wall the next day if we wanted to talk to him then. We told him we'd help him build it! (Smart guy getting free help with a retaining wall!!) After we worked on it for an hour or so he invited us in. He told us about how he had become a Buddhist because in his old Christian faith he couldn't find a personal relationship with God. He told us he was interested in studying old pre-Catholic Christianity because he feels like original Christianity had a stronger personal relationship with Heavenly Father that has been lost. We told him he came to the right place! We explained the Plan of Salvation and he was blown away. I am so excited for him!
   Our new mission president came this past week. I haven't been able to meet him yet, but my zone leaders say he is a lot of fun. We have a zone conference with him tomorrow morning. (I hope pictures get posted!!) 
   I did get my package this week, and the candy has been enjoyed by all. I really appreciate it! The jerky is so good! 
   Dad looks really happy in those pictures. (I sent birthday pictures we took of Brian.) I am really grateful for them.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell


The weekly cat-petting picture.


His week in a visual.


After the fall.....


Hanging out with Elder Butler on a rock!