Conference Ayer

December 11, 2012

Hey Family sorry, yesterday we had a Conference and Elder Packer (Boyd's son ;)) came and spoke. It was really powerful! I enjoyed it. Everyone had pizza but they got me a salad! Ha it wasn't too bad!

It was weird! This week is the first time I can remember in December where I saw the temp 72 degrees! Ha-ha it felt really good here!!! Also my sickness is gone, just a little cough here and there.

So yeah I'll be needing a journal and purple inhalers really as soon as you can :)

The other night I had a dream I gave Michael a haircut! ha good times right?

So this past week even though it’s still been rough, we've found some good people we've been teaching. And in one lesson, one of the kid’s friend was getting ready to come over and teach the son about the bible. So the friend's name is Lenny. He walks up and is 11 and we at first were like wow an 11 year old teaching about the bible and God. Our lesson was going really good up to this point! We were just getting to the point of Joseph Smith and little joker Lenny starts questioning us! Ha-ha he's like do you guys know who Jehovah is? We were like yeah that’s Christ. He's like nope! He's God, we looked at each other and were like oh boy...a Jehovah's witness...this 11 year old boy then started handing us all sorts of their pamphlets and stuff ha-ha, we were like ....?? ha-ha. It’s really cool though, this family's kids love us! Every time we walk up to the house they run out and hug us ha-ha. I'm not sure how solid they are but they love us and want to visit the temple lights!!! We also played soccer with them this past week, it was really fun. Elder Ochoa was goalie then they said the three kids vs me! Ha-ha it was fun, I megged them all :D still have decent ball control! Ha-ha they like when I do the juggling trick where I do the 'around the world' twice in a row.

But as you see from the pics we went to the lights with Erick and the fam!! It was so beautiful. I really felt like I wasn't on earth! Almost like the spirit world, just felt like I was floating!!

I'm glad you got the cd, it is Ochoa's band. He wanted you guys to have it from him. The 20th is tranfers and we most likely will be changing but come what may and love it! I'm looking forward for greater opportunities to grow!

We've been teaching this biggish fam lately. The mom use to go all the time! The dad is very catholic but loves what we teach. He builds LDS churches and really just loves everything about it!! Its super crazy how much he loves it but is content with staying the same! But we are working with them, so we'll see. The mom told us that the dad never invited the missionaries or has anything to do with us, but now I guess the spirit is working on him. The mom is like yeah you guys are way lucky! Man spirit power!!

Everything is going really good! I'm doing good, just living and trying my best every day. This Thursday is my 6 month mark already. Time really is flying. Elder Gage wow, that'll be great to hear him. Elder Zach Dean should be coming home that same time! So try to go to his as well if you can!!!

Well love you all so much, miss you all. Can't wait to see your packages soon! They will be great. Love you all so much. Keep working hard and seeking the spirit. It truly is the most essential tool in the work of God!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

PS sorry this is kind of a bad letter, gotta hurry up!!!

 

Hi Fam Bam

December 3, 2012

Hey family! How are ya'll doing?! It was good to see pics of you all. Ha-ha Stephen's beard, mom's pink pants etc, etc!

The past 3 days I have also been sick! Cough, mucus, headache and a fever. But it’s not bad. Still working hard, hope ya'll start feeling better too!!

So this past week was probably our roughest week yet. No one would let us in or listen to us. We only found 2 new 'gators... Met a lot of mean people too ha-ha its great though. But we're not letting it get us down. Just keep going and not quit! It’s hard but God is with us always.

On Tuesday we got interviewed by Pres Riggs. It was really good. When I was sitting there in front of him I could tell being a mission pres adds some years to your face ha-ha. He looks just exhausted and a little older, even though he is really young ha :) While one of us was getting interviewed by pres the other comp was getting interviewed by the APs. They just talked to us about reaching our goal of 480 baptisms. They said we would find the people who are prepared to get baptized in our area books. The only problem with the Spanish program is that the hispanics here move a lot so a lot of the addresses are wrong. It’s been hard to find anyone. They say that if every companionship has 2 baptisms we can reach our goal. Recently we have found good people but we have had to give them to other missionaries. 2 of the people we've found and given away are now getting baptized. Even though it won't count as ours' it’s still a baptism for our goal, just most likely means me and Elder Ochoa won't reach our goal as a companionship. We're not losing faith just thinking how we really don't have many people we're teaching now and they have to go to church 3 times, the odds are against us, so we're needing a miracle! Ha-ha

The other day we had our apartment inspections and I have a pic of mom and dad, and the older lady who was doing the inspections asked if mom was my sister because she looks so young ha-ha. Thought you might like to hear that!!

Last night we watched the Christmas devotional with Jorge and his family. It was really good, I enjoyed it! Christmas is practically here. Meaning I get to skype or call ya'll soon! Ha-ha should be fun huh?

Yesterday we had stake conference, Pres and Sis Riggs both spoke too. It was all pretty much about missionary work and temples. One thing that I liked was this quote, "we come to earth to go to the temple" just give that a thought.

So I've been craving caramel corn and other homemade treats ;) also my journal is nearing its end, mom I'll be needing a new one soon if you can. If not I can go buy one :) also more garment bottoms (underarmor kind)

That’s crazy Brent is already coming home!!!! Man that’s awesome!!! I wish I could go to his homecoming talk ha-ha.

Well that’s all I can think of, pretty slow week ha-ha. Hopefully this one will be better!!! :D

Love ya'll so much, let me know if you need anything!

Con amor <3

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Thanksgiving

November 26, 2012

 

Dear Family!!

I love you all so much, I'm truly grateful for you all!!! Sounds like everything went very good this past week! Glad to hear!

This week we had a ton of service!! We were told that on thanksgiving not to go tracting but to seek service. We pretty much served the whole day and ate as well. For lunch we had steak at the Drawsbecks, they of course made me and only me an omelet, its tradition for me now ha-ha. They sure are great to me ha-ha not sure why. But it was good. Then for dinner we went to the Fuentes. It was really good, they made me this huge thing of carne asada because I’m allergic to turkey! So good and all to myself ha-ha wow. They talked and talked ha-ha we were there for 3 hours that night. Great family, they are from El Salvador but attend the Chantilly English ward!

One very big miracle this week was we went to the library to teach Timoteo, but couldn’t find him so we called his friend asking where he might be but he said he didn't know. So we hung up and got ready to leave when this guy sitting by a tree smoking asked if we were looking for Timoteo. We said yes and he's like he's not here today but you guys are the LDS missionaries right? We were like yes and he told us his story of how he met some great LDS families in Las Vegas and took the missionary lessons but lost contact when he moved back here. So we taught him the first lesson and set him on date for Dec 22. He was smoking and held up his cigarette and said I'll quit! We didn't even have to ask him. It was amazing, we passed him on to the English missionaries. Which they had a baptism this week and Joey (the smoker dude) went and loved it! Greatly increased his desire to get baptized. The baptism was for Carlos, originally taught by the Hermanas but passed on to the English missionaries as well because he wants to go to the English ward. But the picture is of us Spanish missionaries with him after his dunk. Also something great happened. There is this guy named Antwon who is one of the English investigators and he got up and bore his testimony and he and his girlfriend afterwards had a lesson and they both got set on date for Dec 22 as well. The girlfriend was crying during the service and also during the lesson. The spirit was super strong! Also I felt prompted to bring my English scripture to the baptism so I did for whatever reason, and for the lesson for the English elders didn't have theirs' but I had mine so they used it for their lesson ha-ha pretty cool right?! Hope that all made sense :)

We stopped by Erick and his family and checked how they are. He said that ever since we gave him that blessing to help with his coffee problem that he doesn't even crave it or anything, he was super grateful!!! Its always so great to see the power of the priesthood!!

A side note, Elder Justin Moodie is already training!!! Really crazy! I'm proud of him ha-ha

Yesterday at church it was Diego's confirmation. That was really powerful and hit me to think of these people's potential and how God knows everyone and He has a need of everyone.

The other day when we were using our area book to find more people, we walked past a door and I felt prompted to knock it. Pretty weird and at first I didn't think it was a prompting, but as we were walking back to the car it kept telling me to go back. So I was like hey we gotta knock this door. So we go and this lady answers (it was an English neighborhood but this lady was Spanish, so I was like ok this is good) and we told her who we are etc etc and invited her to the festival of lights at the temple. She asked, the temple thing in Maryland?? We were like yeaaaaa, and she's like oh well I have a ton of curiosity about that place!!!!! So I was like sweet!!! We are excited to see what may happen with her! Curiosity is great, it can lead to desire then to faith and baptism. Follow every prompting!!!

The temperature here is pretty cold, but no snow. I'm not used to it being so cold without snow ha-ha it kinda messes with me!! I'm like where’s the snow?! But my coat keeps me warm!

I read my setting apart blessing again and it amazes me how so much of it is happening ha-ha. Its great and truly perfect I love it, it gives me so much peace and the spirit. Also I'm loving the scriptures more and more. I'm trying really hard to study better and remember what I read! A study journal really helps me!

Tomorrow we have our interview with President! I'm excited for it!!

Well I love you all, there should be more pics coming today hopefully!

Also me and Ochoa were wanting (if it’s possible) to get Calle t-shirts for Christmas. I would really like that ha-ha

Love you all so much, be safe this week with everything going on etc.

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth