October 27, 2014

Dear Family!

     Honestly this week was hard and it was not the best but as of about 2 hours ago Sister Harwood and I have decided we need to really changed things in our area. We are re defining our area. We know that the best work always comes from the members, but there is not a lot of that here so we are figuring out how to help the members but also how we can change the work cause we are teaching so many people who really have no desire to change so we are going to drop lots this week...sad, but it is something that needs to happen they have been meeting with missionaries for years some of them and so it is time to help them, and the way to help is to make them more responsible for learning on their own, we have just been a crutch. I know that this will help the area.

      We went on exchanges this week and I was able to be with Sister Spencer for 2 days and that was so fun! It was so nice to be with her again. And that exchange really helped have a direction as to how to help my own area.

     Ok so I just have to tell you what has been the absolute highlight of my week :) so this last week I decided I should read Joseph Smith History, because a lot of anti stuff we have heard is about everything and well I am really good about defending the book of Mormon because I have read it so many times and read it every day, however I felt like I needed to learn more about Joseph Smith so that I can defend the prophet as well. Which I already do and I know he is a prophet but I just felt like I needed to study more. So I read Joseph Smith history this week. Wow even though it is not very long it is so so powerful. I felt the spirit so strong the whole time and never lost focus, which says a lot for me cause I get distracted easily. After reading Joseph Smith's History we watched the Joseph Smith movie while on exchanges with the Hammans in the 2nd ward, who are amazing and preparing to be baptized soon. During  the movie the spsirt was just touching all of us and then after, Dan Hamman, took some time to think and then opened his mouth and bore one of the most powerful testimonies of Joseph smith I have ever heard. He just recently has learned about the church and yet he knows becasue of the Spirit that Joseph was is a prophet. He asked to say  the closing prayer and in that prayer he thanked Heavenly Father for choosing Joseph Smith as our prophet and for the opportunity he and his wife have to now have the gospel in their lives. I was crying...yup, haha it was amazing, and I just felt such peace and happiness with them that I have been trying to find in the last couple weeks. I am pretty sure Brother Hamman will become like the bishop in 5 years hahaha. I also started reading the teachings of Joseph Smith, (the manual) and that has been awesome too:) I know that Joseph Smith was and is called of God that he is a prophet and that he served God. I am so thankful that we have prophets today and that I can know they are a prophet through the spirit. I know Thomas S. Monsen is our prophet today :)

        Ok so I have 2 stories for you. The first one is that we had a lesson with this lessactive, Jessamy and her husband. They are so funny and just awesome. But she hates being pushed so she said we could read the Book of Mormon with her, and since we have started doing that she has started to come around and this last Tuesday we were reading with her in 3 Nephi 12 and she got something totally different than what I got, but I loved it. She just started going off about how we need to be humble, and talked about what it really means to be humble and then she strated saying how, she needs to humble herself and go to church and that her husband needs to humble himself and quit chewing so he can be baptized, bahaha. It was the best thing ever, cause she toally stated telling herself that she needs to change, so we just got to sit and listen to her teach herself. So that was just awesome!  Jessamy is awesome.

Ok take a seat everyone cause this next story is funny...well at least it was after it happened, and it might just be funny to me and Sister Harwood cause you just would have had to be there..but either way here is the story. So on Tuesday we were tracting and it was windy, like super windy, but we were determined.  So we were knocking on doors and we get to this one door and it was your average trailer, cause we were in a trailer park and it has those scary like unstable metal stairs that are only as wide as the door, so we can't really stand on the same step together well there is a screen door, so I knock, but it did not really work, so I decided that well I would just crack the screen door open and knock on the actual door, but that was not a good idea, cause I opened the door, just enough to squeeze my hand in, when a huge gust of wind ripped it open  and the door slammed into me and I tried so hard to stop it but it was like 200 pounds and  it just shoved me off the porch on the ground and squishing me up against the trailer. Sister Harwood was laughing so hard she was crying and I was just trying to shut the door with the wind still pushing it and I just could not do it I looked so pathetic haha!   Sister Harwood  finally was able to help me shut it and we just quietly and quickly walked always from the door, I am pretty sure there was someone inside too and they probably saw that whole thing happen..embarrassing haha. I ended up hurting my finger when I was trying to stop the door, but other than that I made it out alive, even though my back should have been hurt hahaha, but hey God was watching out for me there.

      Well that was my week haha. I love you all and havea great week :)

-Sister Draudt

October 13, 2014

Dear Family,

      Oh my goodness this week has been interesting, I honestly can't remember a ton, because well I have been sick all week, still going around and out and about but I have kinda been out of it haha. I just got my flu shot, so that is good. 

      Ok, well we skyped with Austin this week and he is like a hermit! He is like 40 years old and while skyping he could not look at the camera and was very uncomfortable the whole time. How ever he still loved talking to us and so we set up another time to just call him cause we knew skyping freaked him out.  Well we called Austin later this week and he tried to drop us, we told him we will still call, but he tried to drop us, and it is so confusing cause he was just on fire! I really think he has some major social anxieties and is too scared to meet us and so he is giving everything up. Or maybe he has something else and we just are not suppose to work with him. One day I will meet him, whether it is here or in the next life. I can honestly say I have done everything I could to share the gospel with him, and one day I hope he will be able to be baptized. 

     We went to Helena this week for online proselyting training which was super awesome I really enjoyed it. After coming back from Helena we met up with Quinten who we met like 2 weeks ago, he is like 18 and so we took him to FHE in the YSA ward here and he loved it, so then we were able to teach him after we got back from Helena. That is a funny story, cause we were suppose to meet him at the Bozeman pond, and we had Margaritta with us, a member of the ysa ward. Well we were waiting and he was not there, we found out he was at Hastings because his ride never showed up but he still wanted to meet with us, so we were about to head over to Hastings when this Asian guy came up to us and started talking to us. We could not understand anything he was trying to say "Mormon" but it sounded like "woman" so we were so confused. Finally we figured out he was saying "Mormon" and then he tried to talk to us and he was super nice but all we could get out during 1 minute of conversation was "Mormon, Korean, Buddhist and Jesus" that was all.  Poor guy, we got his number and told him we will call him, but we are trying to find someone who speaks korean. this guys name is like Kwyson. and he keeps calling us but we try to talk and we never understand anything. So hopfully we will find someone who speaks Korean. Anyways we head over to Hastings and he is there with a girl named Brittany who we met before and then his girlfriend..luckily he mentioned that, cause I thought she was hie 12 year old little sister..so that could have been really awkward. Well she did not want to talk to us really, so we sat down at a table and taught him the restoration, it was by far one of the worst lessons we have taught haha, there were people distracting him and someone even came up in the middle of the lesson right before we invited him to be baptized and wanted to talk to us, his name was Kris and he had a son with downs syndrome who was the sweetest person ever, anyways we got his info and he left. Finally the lesson got a little better, and the spirit must have been there cause he accepted the invitation to be baptized and to read the Book of Mormon, he agreed to be baptized on November 7th. We gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon and invited him to read the introduction.

      The next day we were texting him and he had read and prayed, and said it felt good, and he looked so happy the next day. Then on top of that he read the witnesses, and the next day he told us he read the testimony of Joseph Smith! What a wonderful young man! He is working diligently to be baptized :) Of course we have to hand him over to the elders to teach since he will be in their ward, but that's totally ok.   As long as he keeps learning and is baptized :)

      So that Kris guy that seemed interested during Quinten's lesson.  Well he called us and wanted to set up a time to have a bible study, then he told us about all these bibles he has, and the way he started talking just sounded like he was wanting to "study" with us to just bash, so hopefully we won't have to meet with him.

         Oh so on Friday we were trying to contact some people, and nothing was happening it was awful, so at about 4pm we tried this one potential and he was asleep, but feeling like we had not done much I told Sister Harwood, let's knock on this door across the street, so we do and they let us in! They are from the Blackfeet reservation up by Rowning and it was so perfect cause I was able to talk to them about some of their native ways and so they connected with us, but more than that we found out he practices native ways and she is more catholic, but their priest just retired and they are trying to find another church, we introduced them to the Book of Mormon and how it is about their people and it seemed to interest them, and they said we could come back! I am so excited for them! They are awesome!  I just love them and their kids already, their names are Jim and Tracy. Isn't it so wonderful that Heavenly Father knows exactly where we need to be when we need to be there.  This family is a perfect example of that.  We tried one investigator who needed  to sleep at that time so that freed us up to knock on his neighbor's 

door :)

      After meeting Jim and Tracy, we headed out to Big Sky because we wanted to do some finding there because we had 2 referrals, the first one was not interested and the other we could not find, so we went to the volley ball game at the high school, cause we figured a lot of people would be there, and well, yep the whole school was there, and they were very wierded out by us, some lady asked us which perish we belonged to haha. So then we went to the gas stations, where people would be and tried to talk to people there, and we were able to meet some people which was awesome! We also went to the Big Sky branch on Sunday.  There were 8 people, 4 of which came in from Bozeman, because it is their calling to go to that branch, we have a lot of work to do haha. But it was super fun. Then we came home to Bozeman and went to church here. Roy and Lisa were there. Please pray for them. He wants to come back and is trying, however she is very offish and doesn't want to really meet with us, at least that is how she was acting, so please pray for her.  After she found that anti crap she has been so different. Pray that she will do what we asked and read the Book of Mormon. 

We met a wonderful lady Chris Ann and her daughter who have moved into our ward, they actually were baptized a couple years ago and went a less active for the last couple months but they just moved from Big Sky (I think that was the reason they were less active it was just so small and no youth program) but anyways they moved into our ward and are so excited to be back to a bigger ward and back in the gospel. They are so sweet. 

       OH one last thing, Cortnie in the Rimrock ward got her mission call! She emailed me and I am so excited for her! She is going to the Houston Texas mission! What a wonderful missionary she will be! I am so excited for her! I love you all and have a great week! Happy birthday to Gavin :)

                 -Love Andrea

October 6, 2014

Dear Family :)

     This weekend has been so amazing it was exactly what I needed. On Saturday we went over to help Sister Whitmeyer in our ward with cleaning her hay baler for the winter (I have no idea if that is how you spell that) it was super fun being there on her ranch. We were able to play with the mini horses and some regular horses too. I am starting to realize I really like horses, like I love being around them, anyways that was totally random. So after we cleaned the hay baler we went inside and watched the first session of conference with her. We missed Elder Packers on accident, don't worry I caught up later and I love it. But the talk right after Elder Packers about not being afraid of men was so powerful it was just what I needed. I have slowly got a lot better and majorly better here in Bozeman with not being afraid of men views, but I can do a lot better. 

     The next session we watched at the church and Elder Anderson's talk was awesome cause Here in Bozeman we have found a lot of anti stuff and it just seems like it is getting worse and worse and Elder Anderson's talk just was all about staying strong in the gospel. He bore such a powerful testimony about Joseph Smith. All the anti stuff is about Joseph too, which is not surprising because Moroni did tell Joseph his name would be spread around the world for good and evil. Elder Anderson said "Spiritual questions deserve Spiritual answers" How true that is. So many people, and I have done it myself, ask a spiritual question and I look and only want a educational answer, or a factual answer, when really why would it come that way if I asked a spiritual question. I would not look to math to find a answer  to a English question. Plus spiritual answers are what helps us act in faith and be truly converted to the gospel :) The next thing Elder Anderson said was " The internet does not have a truth filter" BAM! That needed to be said and addressed. I am so thankful he said that :)

    One of my favorite talks also was Jorg Klebingat...I don't remember what his name was, but he was from like Germany or Finland and just laid down the law. His talk just hit me a lot probably cause it was so bold, but so awesome!

      It was a wonderful conference really focused on listening and following the prophet and staying in the boat! I pray that we can all remember the words and read them again and apply them. I feel like this conference was one of the most powerful conferences I have seen. They are all amazing but this one was even more so. 

     OK now to some miracles that happened this week :) this week was rough almost all of our appointments this week canceled, not even joking. One day every single one of them canceled, however this week we have worked so hard, even though appointments canceled we worked hard to teach people and still were able to get in more lessons than we even had planned. We have been focused on sharing the gospel with everyone because we love them, not cause of a number, but they are Gods children and we must share this with them.

        Remember how a couple emails ago I talked about brother Tinjum, and how he is trying to find truth again, we were able to see him and his family this week and share a message with them. What a wonderful family, I don't really know what to say about the visit except the spirit was there and they are wonderful. It was the first time Sister Harwood was able to meet brother Tinjum and she felt it also, especially when we were able to talk to him and his sweet wife. She felt so good with them also, she said "They are our family" So that was a miracle.

           Yesterday was a miracle also :) Remember Austin who we were teaching over the phone. Well a couple weeks ago he was discouraged and did not know if he could make the commitments to be baptized. Well Saturday night after praying as to what to do cause it was 8:30 and we had nothing and I just had this thought, "call Austin now"! So we did, and we told him about conference on Sunday and on Sunday between sessions we talked to him...he watched it all! He told us about the talks he liked and everything. Then we asked him where he was in the Book of Mormon and he told us he was reading about king Benjamin and how great king Benjamin was. So I know he is reading and then he told us he wanted to be baptized, and we set a tentative date! He is planning a time to meet us. I hope it works out. I have known him over the phone for like 3 months now and I just want to meet him haha. His testimony is growing, that is what the Book of Mormon does. If we become unsure or confused or don't know what we need to do to get closer to God, we must read the Book of Mormon. It is more than just the word of God, but it is a way to God. If we read, we will progress in the gospel. If the Book of Mormon is true then Joseph Smith is a prophet, then we have a prophet today, then we need to keep our covenants! I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I pray every time I finish the Book or Mormon and I pray throughout reading it as well. Just like M. Russell Ballard said "We must experience continuing conversion" To know it is true only once is not good enough, we must constantly work on our conversion. I know this is true cause when I am doing what I need to do to keep my testimony growing I am truly converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ which is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I know this is true.

         I love all of you and I hope you have a great week and I invited you to read the Book of Mormon now, if you have not done it for a while, or even just a day. Read the Book of Mormon daily. In 2 Nephi 31 it tells us to feast upon the words of Christ, they will tell us what we must to and will help us find eternal life.

            -Love Andrea :)

September 29, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

     This week has been a great week! But first off I am staying in Bozeman with Sister Harwood, thank heavens. We got transfer news last night and we are both staying, which is a blessing, because we are finally starting to make progress it seems like haha.

    So this week we were so lucky that we were able to watch the movie that is coming out "Meet the Mormons" I was so excited to watch it cause well, I have not seen a "new movie" in 15 months haha and also it looked amazing. As of right now it is not coming to Montana or Wyoming  and so we were able to watch it so that we can help get people excited about it and request it to come to Montana and Wyoming. It was so powerful, I laughed and I cried, like I cried....it was a good movie. The story about the Candy Bomber was the cutest thing ever, and about the missionary mom and her conversion story and watching her have her son leave on his mission, it was so powerful. I have to say to all of you that if you have access to it when it comes out, go and see it, it is so inspirational and just good. I promise it is not boring, it is so interesting I loved it.

    This week we were tracting and we were able to find 2 new potential investigators! So that was super exciting! Both said they would want to learn more and that we could come back, we have an appointment with one of them on Wednesday :) Heavenly Father blesses us for our efforts that is for sure.

     Oh then before the womens broadcast on Saturday we went with a member of our ward to help this guy that she knows. He is renting from her parents, and he is at rock bottom and so she wants to help him and thought it would be a great idea for us to go over. That was a fun experience haha. It started off ok, we were talking about the plan of salvation cause he had some questions. Well I got a Book of Mormon and went to read a verse to him so I stood over by his chair so he could hear me, well after sharing the scriptures, Sister Whitmeyer got a call so she had to take it and so we were quiet as she was on the phone, then he looks at me and says "Get away from me" so I just laughed and went away. He was totally drunk and in love with the member who was with us. Anyways we start cleaning cause we went over there to help her clean his dishes, we all had our shoes off so we did not bring anything in from out side and he tell me, "why do you have you shoes off" I explained to him and then he says "get your shoes on" I got him to just joke around with me about my bright socks and his bright shoes and it fixed his frustration, but this drunk man did not like me. I could not help but laugh, he was singing and dancing to country music..oh goodness it was a experience.

      Ok now to the spiritual part. Oh my goodness Women's conference was so powerful! In the beginning when they had the cute little girls from Seoul Korea sing "I love to see the temple" oh it was just so tender and cute. Then Sister Marriotts talk about how we need to be a temple also was so amazing! I remember she spoke to us in the MTC and I just love her. I feel like her talk was very inspiring and will help a lot of girls make the decision to come out on missions :) I loved Elder Uchdorfs talk, I especially loved when he was talking about how sometimes we don't understand the things we are asked to do and he said, " I think that God simply knows something we do not" How powerful was that! So amazing, we need to live the gospel and follow what we have been asked to do because even though we don't understand why, God does, and he has reasons therefore it is important that we follow him.

     This week I was able to receive a blessing from Elder Johnson, one of my zone leaders. I have been having bad headaches for the last couple months, but since being in Bozeman they have become a lot more regular and so I got a blessing. Then the next day I got a bad cold. It is so amazing to see how God works, because I have had so much gross stuff just stuck up in my head, like I have been sorta sick but not really sick for a long time and finally I got the cold I needed to help get everything to start coming out of my sinuses and even though it had to get worse before if got better, it is what needed to happen for me to finally get rid of my head aches. I still have a cold but it is getting better. I know that the priesthood is real and has been restored to the earth and that it blesses us so immensely. I am so thankful that I always have the priesthood near by and in my life so that when I need help, it is right there to call on. I love all of you and I hope you have a wonderful week. :) And especially have a wonderful weekend with general conference! I am so stinking excited for it! I love general conference! 

                   Love Andrea :)