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

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

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

All My Bedding in a Giant Mr. Mac Bag!

Mother and Father,

   (I heard there was a huge storm that crippled Denver, so I wondered if he'd been hit.) We did get hit by a huge storm. The drifts we walked through were super deep. I also walked to the hospital during the storm. I had an incident where someone ran over my foot with their car. But, we discovered that there was no fracture! It did tear my shoe up a bit. The water-proofing in it has kind of fallen apart. (And I was hoping I wouldn't have to buy him new shoes again. Guess I thought wrong!)
   Easter was a nice day. Nothing really different happened. I did get the package and I really enjoyed it. The tie and the beef jerky were much appreciated. I found an elder who really likes malted eggs. (I LOVE them...I guess he doesn't.) Don't
worry, I don't plan on wearing the cow tie. It was just too awesome to pass up for $4. The Saint Patrick's Day tie was like...one finger wide. (He must have fat fingers...it was 2 inches wide!)

A few weeks ago a former investigator came to church with a family he is friends with. We didn't get any contact info and we weren't sure how we were going to try to teach him again. (Ask the friends he came with? Just a suggestion.) On Tuesday evening we were knocking doors in an apartment building and he answered the door! It was his apartment! He got called into work during the appointment we set up so we haven't met yet, but we will!
   We taught an awesome guy named Doug this week. He is a friend of Brother C, our ward mission leader. He does not have a belief in God, but what we shared gave him a great appreciation of our faith. He accepted that he can't argue against us because our personal experience has taught us further truth. Next time we will be teaching him the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
   Sorry this is taking so long. I just got done playing basketball. (I wondered what took so long.) I usually lounge around on preparation day so it was a nice alternative.
   This week I read the new Ensign. An article I found rather poignant was at the end about spiritual gifts. A section of it reads, "How many of you … are seeking for these gifts that God has promised to bestow? How many of you, when you bow before your Heavenly Father in your family circle or in your secret places, contend for these gifts to be bestowed upon you? How many of you ask the Father, in the name of Jesus, to manifest Himself to you through these powers and these gifts? Or do you go along day by day, like a door turning on its hinges, without having any feeling upon the subject, without exercising any faith whatever, content to be baptized and be members of the Church and to rest there, thinking that your salvation is secure because you have done this? …" Seeking spiritual gifts is a commandment, and I feel that we are losing out if we do not seek them. (Hmmm, that makes one think.)
   Our zone leaders gave a training this week on, not how do we use our time, but who do we use our time on? The statement from President Brown this week was that 75% of our time should be spent on those who are prepared to hear the gospel. He worries that most of the lessons we are teaching are not to those who are ready, and we get high key indicators, but not effective ones. What we need to do is drop those people who are not prepared and have faith the prepared will come. I pray that I personally will have the faith to follow through.
   Thank you for watching Grandpa in his time of need. (My dad had what doctors call an "episode". He ended up in the ER over night and is now in a Rehab in Stockton. He is supposed to be discharged on Thursday. I hope he can get mobile enough!) It hurts me that I cannot be there for him. Please send my love to him. I pray for him daily. I wish you all well.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Some silly missionaries came into our apartment and put all my bedding into a giant Mr. Mac bag. I couldn't get it open so this is how I am sleeping from now on.

The Buffest Man Ever...His Arms Are Bigger Than My Legs!

(Sounds like he had a good week!)

Mother and Father,

  I did get the package and I love it. The beef jerky was way good. I like that brand especially. (I wish I remembered what the brand was...I have another package of jerky in his Easter package.) The tie was really cool, but it was too
thin. I am trying to be a good example to the other missionaries, and that would not be an approved thickness. (I am attaching a picture of a tie that he bought at a Thrift Store. I guess a "skinny" tie is not acceptable, but the one he bought is. Please explain this to me!!) I also very much like my Handel's Messiah.
  Lydia decided to get baptized in Peru. So, we won't be having a baptism, but that is her home, so fair is fair. We did teach a lot of YSA (Young Single Adult) folk this week. We went tracting and met a member of he YSA ward who gave us a referral for his friend. He is one of the best shot-putters in the NCAA. He let us right in and it was great. I believe he will progress with the YSA elders. He is also the buffest man ever. It was incredible. His arms are bigger than my legs! We also found a new investigator while tracting who has had a lot of great LDS friends and would like to get into the community here in Laramie.
   We had zone conference and it was great. I played piano for Joseph Smith's First Prayer to the tune of Come Thou Fount. I saw Elder Moala's departing testimony and I cried.(We so love Elder Moala. He was Andrew's trainer.)  I am so grateful for my trainer. Elder Navarro and I are working hard and walking miles. We tracted probably hundreds of doors. Our ward mission leader says we
are the best missionaries he has had as the ward mission leader. The bishop spent most of PEC telling all of the auxiliaries how much he likes me as a missionary and wants me to teach all his friends. (I hope he has lots of friends to teach!) Needless to say it made me quite uncomfortable.
   This week we have been spreading the word about the new church campaign #hallelujah.  People have been...not very receptive to the message we have to share in general, but have been happy to hear us talk about the resurrection. Even if we don't teach someone, we leave them with a smile on their face because people handing out cards about Easter and the resurrection bring them such joy. The shot putter story is just one example of where we felt guided to be where we were supposed to be. I have felt a lot of love for people, and I don't really care when they are angry at us. It used to discourage me so much but I have ceased to care. I love them all too much. I love you as well. (Right back atcha son!!)

Love again,

Elder Andrew Campbell

(The other pictures are of Elder Campbell with Elder Asplund, his companion from the Missionary Training Center. The other is of Elder Moala and his companions. Elder Moala is in the red tie. WE LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!)

Laramie Has a Bath and Body Works!

(Sounds like things are falling into place in Laramie, WY.)

This week Lydia committed to live the word of wisdom, and gave up tea. She is progressing well towards baptism. I still have no idea what is going on during our lessons, but they happen and the spirit is there. We did a ton of tracting this week. I will just say that there are a lot of hippies in Laramie. (That made me giggle!) We have a lot of fun doing it though. I used to be afraid of rude people, but now they are a great source of enjoyment.
   (I wondered if he was having trouble with the dryness since Laramie is over 7000 ft. in elevation.) Laramie has been quite humid. I have actually been having less dryness problems than in Firestone. I did forget that the elevation means a lot of bad sun exposure for an almost albino like me. My forehead got burnt really bad, but I have been putting on sunscreen now. Our apartment also has a huge container of aloe Vera, which is quite nice!
   Some cool things about Laramie are that on Friday missionaries get a $3 lunch buffet at Pizza Hut. On Saturday night we go to "Grandma's" house, where we sing hymns for her. She is just a woman who loves missionaries. I feel like I've lost like ten pounds here. We walk anywhere from two to eight miles a day. (Good for him!!) My legs ache so much when I wake up. It's awesome!
   My area is quite unique. It covers most of the university and its surroundings, so our ward is quintessentially a married student ward. We also have a couple subdivisions where all the professors live. Our bishop is the department head of management. It's cool because it's kind of like being a campus missionary, but our jurisdiction is over anyone who is not a young single adult. So yes, it kind of limits our opportunities, since almost all of our contacts get referred to the YSA missionaries, but it is a lot of fun. There are seven total companionships in the city of Laramie.
   I gave a talk on the Atonement on Sunday. It went decently well. I will also be playing the piano for two musical numbers being sung in zone conference. I am the only missionary in Laramie who can play the piano, albeit poorly.(I feel guilty now for not getting that child piano lessons!)  I appreciate the prayers that have been said for me. I truly appreciate them.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell

Laramie has no Cafe Rio....it makes me quite sad!

Elder Campbell has been transferred to Laramie, WY! He's serving in the Ridge View Ward and people are already taking good care of him. Please keep him in your prayers. Change is hard, sometimes!)

Dear Mother and Father,

   (I received the nicest email from Sister S. She fed the missionaries on Friday night. She fed them breakfast. She loves to come up with themes for dinner. I accidentally told him the next month's theme! Ooops!) Sister S's favorite part of the themes is having the missionaries guess what it is! You've given it away!

   (I got his address from Sis. S but she didn't tell me his apartment address.) My apartment number is #6.

   (We connected to an old friend. The Shumways were from Stockton and Norm Shumway was our Congressman for a while. His daughter, Jenny, lives in Andrew's ward. We are now friends on FB!) When I told the W's that I was from Lodi, they were so happy. Our investigator is L who is from Peru. Her boyfriend back home is a member, and I think she'll be getting baptized soon.
  (A former student of mine lives in Laramie, also. I am hoping that she and he can get together!!) I remember Amy A. from when she was your student and you loved her so much. I am excited to hear from her. In our area we do not have a car and Elder Navarro does not have a bike, so we hoof it everywhere. (Well, that's good exercise!!)

   Our ward is an interesting dynamic of young married students and older families where a parent is a professor. Our apartment is...ok. Missionaries have lived there for a while. It needs some cleaning. (So get cleaning!) There is an awesome woman where several missionaries drop off their laundry and she does it during p-day. (Are you kidding? What a wonderful woman!!) There is not Café Rio (I'm sure he'll survive!!). It makes me quite sad.

   Pray for L...pray for me.

Love,

Elder Andrew Campbell