big mike happy bday

January 19, 2013

Hey family, sorry I wasn't able to write to you guys yesterday, the computers I normally use were not working. So I am at the library.

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday big Michael happy birthday to you! Man the big one-six!! whoa!! No wonder they call you big Mike! haha hope you have a good b-day and ctr ;)

Real quick, pops estaria dispuesto a dejarme comprar la jeep despues mi mision? jaja he estado pensando que quiero una jeep a manejar despues. pero, el decision es tuyos jaja, quizas puedo comprar otra jeep.

This past Sunday Erick and Diego both received the aaronic priesthood! it was sweet, Erick got it first then he got to stand in to help with Diego's! It was great. Then later that night Erick got to baptize his kids, Erick and Nataly! I was there at the baptism for a little before I had to leave and go to the departing fireside with Fitz. So I didn't get to see the ordinance but I was there in spirit.

Man, time sure is going fast. Jan is over. This Thursday is transfers and I'll be getting a new comp., new opportunity to grow and learn more things. I am excited.

One of my great friends, Elder Terry, is going home this Thursday, he's served a great 2 year mission. He lives in Payson and I gave him your address. I hope he stops by! He has been like a dad out here. He has been in the same ward as me but since 2 transfers earlier and he has stayed ever since. So we've served alongside each other a while! He gave me his gps! and some cowboy boots haha. He is a great guy, I will miss him a lot! man...

Also this past week Pres called "an emergency, spanish 'shedhouse' meeting" ha, I guess there are a lot of disobedient missionaries and he had to lay down the hammer. I was sitting there like man, is this stuff that he was talking about really going on. I was like I hope I'm not one of them. I got a letter saying that I was not one of them. phwew!!! haha it was really good he did that though. It’s nothing way big that some of the missionaries were doing, just little things. And when we all fix and fine-tune those things we will have even greater success! I know that is true.

I have pics but this computer is a jokester and won't let me... so next week I will let you see! haha

I am glad everyone is doing good.

Speaking of Virginia today is in the 60's, but the past couple days have been freezing and it even snowed and stayed on the ground haha.

I hope Dad's political event went good. I prayed for him!

Well family, I sure love you all! Next week I will have new info to share! (idk if it’s just me, but I feel like my English isn't doing too good!) hahah

con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Pictures

Lambo

January 21, 2013

Hey fam,  I hope you all enjoy the pictures I'm sending. Haha I sure enjoyed them ;) The food one is a typical lunch I have here at the apartment- it’s good ha.

Pretty cool about rsl and finlday and morales- haha. That’s always exciting.

So I just sent out an actual hand written letter to ya'll this past Saturday so there is some cool and interesting stuff in there, I'll let you wait to read it haha :)

I finally finished reading Jesus the Christ!!!! Well I did a couple weeks ago but I forgot to mention it, I really enjoyed it and I plan on reading it again before I come home!

Umm I was wonderinig if I could get some addresses to write some peeps: Lani, Jordan Cooper, Zack Cowan, Zach Dean, Kale Wright. That'd be cool. Also I tried to send a Christmas card to Dustin and Mishelle Patten or whatever their last name is, from my old class, but I got that letter because the address was wrong. But it’s ok!!

To answer your question about where I go for internet access, my apartments have a big lounge type thing, with a gym, pool, lobby, and a dvd theatre place, and 2 computers. It’s really nice.

The other day we went to have a lesson with a gator family. We got there and the dad is outside drinking and smoking...a ton too... but he was really nice to us and told us to go in and talk to his wife and teach her. So we are teaching her and every so often he walks in and is like, Elders out of respect since I’m drunk I am going to stay outside haha we were like ok. Then the end of the lesson comes and he walks in stumbling all over the place and just smells nasty. hahahaha. We asked the wife who should say the prayer and she picked me, then the dad is like whoa whoa whoa, last time the elders were here I had to say the prayer, this time you are saying it haha. So we were like sweet!! So she starts saying it and it’s really powerful and she starts crying. She was asking that the dad could stop drinking and smoking, and she kept saying thanks that the missionaries keep going over and teaching their family, it was really powerful. We are going over tomorrow. So we shall see.

Another miracle, I was on an exchange with Zone leader Polkowske, we get along real good, and we were tracting and we got to this little condo/apartment complex and it reeks with pee! Stronger than an outhouse and bathroom combined!!! It was terrible. haha, we were getting ready to leave and I remembered from our last zone conference that even if there is something awkward or what not going on, we shouldn’t let it distract us. So I'm like we gotta knock it bro! So we go back and nothing...until the last door! This sweet lady lets us in and we have a good lesson on the BOM and then we just went back last night! It is super duper great. Hopefully she can get dunked within the next month or so, but if not everyone has their own time!

So somehow I got in debt 25 letters to write to fam and friends....yikes haha but I've made a schedule and it is helping haha, Justin always is the priority haahaahaha. so I just wrote him, the grandparents, and Carol Fessler. And also you. I hope to finish it by the end of the month!!! haha.

Not this Thursday, but the next is tranfers already. Fitz finally gets to go home ha.

Pues papi, gracias por escribirme, yo se que tu estas muy ocupado con muchas cosas! solo quisiera agradecerte por tu ejemplo y amor. estoy tratando ser el misionero que tu estabas en su mision en chile. yo tengo un buen ejemplo de ti. espero que todo este bien con tu trabajo y lo que sea tienes ahorita. es muy importante que siempre recuerdes lo que es lo importante en la vida, como la familia y los amigos etc. pero esto, ya tu sabes :) estoy animado recibir mas cartas en espanol jajaj, tal vez cartas reales en forma no correo electronico ;) jaja pero solo si tienes tiempo para escribirme.

Big Mike, good job on the talk!! atta boy. Este get better you chump. Mom love you and miss you.

Hope big Mike and Este have a good b-day! It’s coming!!! Man getting old!!!! Crazy man. haha

Love ya'll.

con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Yay!

January 14, 2013

Dear fam bam,

Thanks for everything ya'll do. Ya'll are great!!

First off mom, happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear mother, happy birthday to you!! Love you mom, miss you. Hope you have a good b-day! I've been thinking a lot about you and dad this week. Thanks for raising me the way you did! I really appreciate that, I Elder Lifferth being born of goodly parents... it’s true. You can really see a difference in people who had good parents and vis-versa. So thanks!

SO the other day...got a sad text from carlos (a recent convert in the reston ward from el salvador). It said Elder Lifferth I am no longer willing or want to help out with timoteo and javier as I have decided to leave the church. I hope you can respect my decision.....that was extremely hard for me to read. I almost cried. It was weird because just the day before he was at the library with us with our 2 homeless peeps... it was rough man...this week has been good, yet rough...lots of opposition going on... but ya gotta have lots of hope!

ALso something random. We were on our way home and some guy (looked 17) he ran up and was like hey can you buy my cigs?! I was like what the...this boy be crazy. I think he was under age so if we did buy it I think we could have got into trouble. He said he left his id at his house. Just super weird.. haha man this week hahah crazy.

Also President asked us to email you and tell you to let everyone know to not come visit me out here haha. I guess a lot of people have been calling him asking if they can see certain missionaries. He doesn't like being the bad guy. Ha so yeah just fyi, no one can come visit me here, even if you are in the dc area. It’s ok though.

So Sunday morning one of our investigators asked me that I call her before church at 7 to remind her to go. So I called and she’s like ummm.... claro que si, voy a asistir! I was like sweet!! Also the day before another gator promised he'd go and neither of them came haha. I was like .......... but man church was good. And now we have ward council at 7's on Sundays before church so really really early haha.

Erick romero and fam are doing really good. The baptism got changed to Jan 27! So we are working with that. We visited with them yesterday and it was really good. Great fam! We have developed a great relationship with them.

Also if Stephen or big Mike decide to go on a mission, let me know so I can let you know where to buy stuff, what brands etc etc.. haha

This past week we had zone conference, it was really good. It goes from 9-3:30...super duper long but also very good. I enjoyed it. I learned a lot of how I can learn and improve being a missionary. It kinda stinks because they give things you have to do each week etc like splits with members stuff like that, but in the Spanish program it’s just soo different. Everyone works like 3 jobs and no one has time to come out with us. So we gotta keep that in mind, haha.

Everything else here is going good. We are teaching a lot of peeps but not a whole lot of progression...and also the hnas are taking our gators!!!! What the, who do they think they are hahah jk but it’s still weird. We were teaching this one fam we got a referral for and then they showed up while we were there, and we were planning on going over saturday to teach them but they were there again... pretty strange, I feel like they are in it for the numbers, but that’s ok whatever helps the gators progress is what matters.

Well fam bam love you all so much and miss you. I've been missing Justin this week. Haha the other day we were at a member’s talking about languages and how peeps call aunt aunt (the way we don’t ha) then I was telling them how Justin says oven like oh-ven haha. It was fun to make fun of him even though he wasn't here hahahahah (I hope he reads this) haha. But life is good. Just trying hard to get our gators to progress, it’s a challenge but a fun challenge.

Hope you enjoy the pics of great falls!!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

 

Fam Bam

January 7, 2013

Hey familia! How’s it going? This week I got the package and also the package of letters! Thanks so much. I want to respond to them all but not a lot of time, but as I find time I will try to reply! It was great hearing from all the ward and kids haha.

This week we've been working really hard haha. I've been really trying to do my best and rely on the spirit to know where and who to do see. Having some good success, no one too solid but good stuff should be coming, I can feel it haha. I'm looking forward to the next couple weeks!!!

The other day we've been working really hard with Alis (the bro with cancer) and he's alright but his girlfriend keeps on calling us and asking to see if we can help with the rent! I'd answer the phone and she's like so umm can you guys help out with our rent...? I was like....you've gotta be kidding me haha I was like well we can't but we can talk to obispo to see what he says. I feel like there are a lot of peeps who use us a little! haha like idk maybe just kinda feel used sometimes, not sure how to explain! haha

We visited Mario (the crazy guy who always brings up shooting people) and we were talking with him and talking about the BoM and he is interested and promised to go to church..but didn't, but anyway we were talking with him and he was telling us how he goes up to NY once a month. We asked him why, and he paused and kinda got a creepy face and said "business" haha I was like holy cow...this man is crazy-- ha good guy though

Erick romero is doing good. Should be getting the priesthood this upcoming Sunday so he can baptize his ninos! We were there the other day and he just broke down crying on how hard things are for him now...financial and just really difficult times...it was really hard but the spirit was there very strong and it was comforting him! He's such a good guy, It’s all just happening because he's trying to get his life in order but he's being strong. He told us at work that he's been sharing the gospel with his friends. He says that they make fun of him for being mormon but he doesn't care, he stays strong… great example.

I really feel like my Spanish has improved a lot this transfer a lot! It’s crazy, God really is blessing me with a lot right now!

The other day, an investigator invited us over to have pupusas! and fitz didn't want to go because he's watching "his weight" so he scheduled an exchange with the reston elders. So I got elder smith, no Spanish at all! Ha-ha so the whole day I led everything and taught everything by myself! It was awesome! Ha-ha huge growing experience, I don't think that was legal but it helped me grow haha.

Also dad, I was wondering with addition to your emails if you could write me spanish letters to me in the mail, and then I can write back! More practice! Well, if you have time. I know you’re busy!

Yesterday we had the opportunity to give a blessing. I gave it and it was powerful, the lady was crying, it gave me assurance and peace that the spirit was working through me! I love that feeling, especially because sometimes I can't tell if the spirit is with me, but just to see that it’s like, ahhh ok the spirit is working through me!!!

Today Bro Drawsbeck, is taking us the greatfalls waterfall, I'll try to take pics! We've been so busy it’s hard to remember to take some pics!!! haha sorry.

Well I love you all so much. If next week you can give me more info on where and when to go to get my blood tested and I'll try to do it! ;)

If there is anything you need lemme know! I love you all so much, thanks for your love and support!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Happy New Year

January 1, 2013

Hey family! Pretty great skyping ya'll haha. I think there is something wrong with my senses or something because it didn't make me homesick at all! But ya'll are great and gorgeous! Thanks for everything you do.

This week has been good. Sorry I didn't email yesterday we had service so had to switch some p-day to today.

One thing really cool, Elder Smith (one of the reston elders) his mom sent me a lot of gluten free desserts haha! Way nice huh?! See Michael not only does the ward take care of you, but other elders' moms! haha It’s great. I am going to write her a thank you letter!

So it snowed a little bit the other day, but didn't stick! It was nice while it lasted!! haha The morning was probably like 2 inches! But then it just turned to rain and we got soaked because we were walking that whole day! "walk about wednesdays" as they call it! haha luckily for me I have a nice water proof coat! so nice.

HAhahah so the other day there was a lunch special at Texas de Brasil! haha It’s like a high end tucanos and we went! so good!!!!! I made sure to eat my money's worth!! I think there is one in SLC maybe! Ya'll should try it!

New years we watched “Up” and “Brave” as a zone! It was really good. And after there was a lady from the local ward who brought us popcorn and brought her son who just got home from his mission and she needed a blessing so me and Elder Polkowske helped out. I annointed and the son sealed it and gave the blessing. And the words were really fascinating and made me think a lot. One line said like Heavenly Father has allowed you to have these certain challenges in your life so you can grow. It’s so true. I just never really thought of it like that!! Because God loves us He is going to give us certain obstacles to over come and grow and progress! I liked that.

The other day as we were leaving the library I was wearing the winter hat (the one in the pics) and some homeless guy waved me over. At this point I was like sweet! He must know where javier and timoteo are (we couldn’t find them) and we get over there and he's like give me that hat!! I'm like whoa bro take it easy. He's like no I sleep all day and night in the cold! (dropping explitives all over the place haha) I'm like I can't it’s not mine, it’s my old comps and it’s cold today and it’s all I got! But I was like next Monday if you want I can buy you one. He's like no blah blah beep beep beep. Then he lit up his smokes! So I was like well keep up the faith and he dropped some more bombs then we left! Afterwards I started feeling bad because of a certain scripture I read earlier that morning...how if we don't give to the poor and needy we don't give to Christ. As you do unto the least of these ye have done it unto me, and as ye haven't done it unto the least of these ye haven't done it unto me. So I was like great.....! So that was pretty disappointing ha.... man.

On Sunday we had the great opportunity to direct traffic at the temple for the festival of lights! It was so fun to do that!!! Loved it! Met a lot of great people and just had so much fun! A couple peeps from my ward came and were just pumped to see me haha not sure why they see me all the time! But it made me feel good! The older guy in charge of us Elder Hardy, knows Bill and Art Lifferth! Pretty cool.

Synthroid is coming?! Sweet thanks this is the last week so awesome!!!

Today at d-mtgs I shared about goals and how dad would sit me down and talk a lot of goals and where I want to be in this amount of time, especially with soccer! Fitz asked me to talk about goals so I brought that up. I really am grateful that pops taught me a lot about goals and achieving them and becoming successful. I hope you all set new goals and become the people God knows you can be this year!

Well love you all so much! Can't describe in words! Just so appreciative for everything you do! I am doing good!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Christmas Eve

December 24, 2012

Dear family,

I am looking forward to skyping with you all tomorrow. I stayed in the area and got a new comp named Elder Fitzpatrick. I will be killing him (meaning this is his last transfer) it’s alright. Kinda miss Ochoa haha. But we get along. It’s interesting because I thought I'd get another comp who I could teach the area and the ward then next transfer I would leave, but since Fitzpatrick will be leaving it probably means I'll stay another one haha I don't mind, I really love it here! The ward is great. Next transfer we are getting 25 missionaries, 3 of which are spanish elders. It'll be good.

So tomorrow we are heading over to the Drasbecks around 2-3 so 12-1 your time. That’s when we'll skype!!!!! I am excited!!! I have a list that I can chat about too haha so I'll keep this one short! But yeah I got all the packages and mail. Thanks so soooo much. Also the Moodies and the Mulberries sent me a Christmas package too!!! :D way sweet! I am so blessed hah it’s amazing. Thanks for all you do! I love you so much. I truly have the best fam-bam!!

But yeah I am doing good!! I have a lot more responsibility now bcuz elder fitz doesn't know the area or really anything here. So that’s been good, I enjoy it haha also I am speaking a lot more Spanish, it’s really good for me.

Well got some pics for all of you to see haha

Well love you all so much I hope you have a great Christmas, be free around 12-1 to skype ok?! Thanks for your emails and support

Merry Christmas,

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Merry Christ mas

December 17, 2012

 Hey Family it was good hearing from you! Brent looks really good ha! Man that’s so awesome that you were able to go to his and Zach's homecoming! Tell Zach to write me back!!! haha

So if I end up staying this transfer I will skype you from the Drasbecks around 2 my time! The dad sent dad a request to accept his name and stuff on skype already! Also I can call before just to make sure everything is worked out! If I do get transferred lets hope my comp will have everything worked out so we can skype, but if not I wouldn't mind calling :D also don't worry about the calle shirts! no problems! "joscardo ochoa" fyi :)

So this past week something funny haha. We got a referral in the mail and it was saying how good it should be and that is was "gold" so we were like sweet! So we get there and at first couldn't find the house, then we realized it was a store...this man sells "gold" haha, he is pretty strange but might have some slight potential. He is always some how bringing guns into the conversation haha. He'll be like "say someone points a gun to your head and asks 'what do you think about evolution, what are you gonna say'?" weird stuff like that.

On Friday we had our Cchristmas conference! It was good. They had a little talent show, Elder Ochoa played, then a little devotional, then lunch, then Pres and Sis Riggs passed out little packages from them! It was really sweet and great. They made me special gluten free mint chocolate brownies! They were way good. I'm just so surprised every time how good everyone takes care of me! In fact, Saturday morning we got invited to the reston ward's christmas brunch, and some how word traveled and one of the ladies ran to the store the night before to get me GF waffles! just crazy stuff like that! It’s unreal the love, it really touches my heart! I am so grateful, also so grateful to be a missionary! Also I met a guy from the reston ward who knows uncle chris lifferth! His name is mike bear, he said they are good friends? I think its uncle chris, unless there is another chris lifferth I don' know?

We've been teaching 2 homeless guys lately who are actually progressing rapidly! One has almost read the entire BOM!!! They came to the reston brunch and they didn't want to leave because of how good they felt! It was funny! We kept asking hey you guys ready? "no not yet, lets just stay" they'd say. It was great! Then on Sunday we ran with a member to pick them up from the library and brought them to church!! They loved it! I asked pres what to do with baptizing homeless people because on the records you need to fill out all their info! Javier who is 19 is actually on date for jan 26! ha it’s so great. They both are a referral from Carlos. The other I think I've told you about him before Timoteo! he had been gone for awhile, but he came back and we just picked up where we left off! They are so humble and willing to change and follow The Savior! They carry their BOMs everywhere with them and their bibles :)

Last night after church we had a special dinner with the Copans family! They are in the Oakton ward. That was Ochoa's first area! It was great, they had really good hamburgers and ice cream and hot chocolate. Really great family! Their son just got home from his mission from south africa a year ago and he showed me a ton of pics! Me and him talked a lot. He said he spent one tranfer in the Nashville mission waiting for his visa, he didn't know anyone but small world.

Yesterday sitting in the Gospel Doctrines class, I was looking around just a heart full of love for all the people we have been working with. More than half the class is from people we've been working hard with! It’s great how much love and great friendships come because of the gospel, because of the Savior! We can all have love and be happy because of Christ! I personally am so grateful for our Savior, because of Him I can be on a mission, I can serve Him and bring more people to Him. Because of Him I have all of you and your love, because of Him we can live together forever with God. I know He lives and loves everyone with perfect Charity. I know He knows exactly how we feel. I know He went to our darkest and hardest times in life so we can over come those times only with His help. I am eternally grateful for all He's done.

So do ya'll have any great plans coming up!!?? I hope so! I hope you all enjoy the holidays and remember why we celebrate them.

The other day I got a package from chris porter with a wrapped gift! I'll be saving it for Christmas to open it haha! but man...what a great guy huh! love him!

There is this food that I really love and mom used to make it and it just brings back memories! It’s the plate with rice, french fries, meat and grilled onions and peppers. I can't remember the name but man...it’s so delicious! It’s good eating it. I believe it’s from peru! It’s kind of a funny mix of foods, but the outcome is so good haha!

That’s sweet about all the snow! We still have none... hopefully it can snow for Christmas here! Miss it! I bet the mountains are just stunning! Miss those too hahaha.

Also....sad stuff going on in the world!!! All the shootings...in Oregon and Connecticut (?) It’s terrible...yesterday in elder’s quorum we had a lesson of really the only thing we can do during dangerous and perilous times is to live righteously! and we do so by being 100% obedient! If we are obedient to all things God commands we will be ok, it’s just that simple. I try my best and I felt like I've learned that from mom and pops! thanks <3 haha I challenge all to try to just put in just a tad more effort to be that much more obedient! It’s not always easy but it is always worth it!

A recent convert was bearing his testimony and one thing he said stood out to me (he quoted a song): love isn't love until you give it away. That got me thinking about God and Christ and us. God loves us that He gave us His only begotten son. God love Christ because He was willing to give Him away. Mom and dad and all the other parents love their kids because they are willing to give them away because of love. We give that gospel away because we love it! We give ourselves and our time to others because we love them! Thats why it’s so important to have charity! Pray to have it and then use it!

Well family, I just love you all so much and I am so grateful for everything you do! I hope you can all feel the love I have for you because I can feel yours'. Thanks for your great examples. Can't wait to skype or call ya'll! It'll be great. Everyone here says that a Christmas on your mission is the best Christmas ever! Was that how it was for you, dad? Just all the love you get from everyone and all the service and love you give. It’s great!

Love you all!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

ps I had a dream we were all together for Christmas and I was just crying because of the joy I felt haha. I remember Stephen gave me a gift and I just lost it haha great dream huh?! Love you all <3