February 18, 2013

 

Hey familia mia!

This week was pretty good. haha last monday I went to get a hair cut from a less active member (hispanic of course) and little home boy lined up my hair like I would Justin's!!! At least he didn't cut the square in my forehead! haha I'll include a pic. But now where he did the curves the hair is already growing back! hahah oh man...but he also left the top by my cow lick long so I was looking pretty hispanic-y!!! haha so I trimmed that bad boy, I guess he was going for the slicked back look too plus the line up. I was joking with Elder Scott that we will fit in now!

This past Wednesday I went on an exchange with Elder Ochoa, who is the spanish ap now! haha pretty cool. He wanted to go first with me! It was fun, I went to his area which is in Arlington! It’s a really nice little city, lots of buildings! It’s a pretty hip and happening place haha.

So I ate some breaded chicken without realizing it, and my stomach only hurt a little bit but it did mess up my bowels and digestion haha ;)

We have lately found a lot of good people tracting, but this past week got dropped by a couple of them...mostly catholics...it was a little discouraging! A couple of them are in love with the book of mormon which is weird because we read in the introduction that if the bom is true it means this church is true and that Jose Smith really had God's authority to translate it. hmmm...interesting peeps huh? So we'll see, if anything it will plant a giant seed in their corazon!

So in regards to Nelson (the bro who had court to see if he was going to get deported or not) I fasted on Wednesday because Thursday was his court day and we called Thursday morning that they had changed it to August!!! I was pumped haha. Fasting really works and it keeps strengthening my testimony. So we met with him just last night. We were going to teach him about church, the Sabbath, and then WOW! We walk in and I see 2 beer bottles on the table...I'm like great!!! So we start teaching and his wife (gloria) walks in and sits and listens too. (at first she didn't say anything but as the lesson went on she really opened up!!!) So they are really taking it all in..then we get to the WOW, haha he said he used to drink every so often but he doesn’t smoke, drink tea or coffee, or drink booze!!! Same with Gloria. Gloria wondered why not coffee and we explained it and she really understood it way good. They think it just makes perfect sense to take care of their bodies! I was thinking what type of Spanish person doesn't drink coffee!? pretty amazing! super prepared! So we are really looking forward with them and getting them baptized, I really hope so. I mean they accepted to live the WOW and go to church together. Previously we only taught Nelson, but Gloria is very supportive and interested! I didn’t describe it in a way that gives them and the lesson justice, but man it was incredible. We all connected way good, laughing and joking and also being serious when we all needed to! Man...sure hope they get baptized.

So this week tracting we met some weird peeps and had a couple funny stories. One guy answered the door and said "no hay nadie" really loud. haha I was like bro your here!!! Can we teach you?? slams door...mmmm thanks bro hahah. Also another lady (this is at night) turned the porch light on, opened the window and looked at us, closed window, turned off porch light and never answered. I mean if your gonna do that, be sneaky! haha man..

This Thursday we have interviews with president, I'm really looking forward to it! He's always great to talk with.

So I got my lab work done this past Wednesday. I hope you get it soon. IDK it’s pretty hectic all this stuff hahah!!

I don’'t know Elder Frazier personally but I've heard his name before! haha

I got a lot of pics so be patient!! :D

con amor.

Elder Andrew Lifferth

 

February 11, 2013

So sorry no pics again, I am here at the library still...I even took a valentine day pic for you all hahahah.

So I called in the lab this morning again and they finally got it. So I'll be going in hopefully tomorrow! thanks for all the work, it reminded me of all the confusion I had at the mtc with it....

So this week we've been working really hard to find! and we found a lot of solid peeps! I was honestly blown away! It was really humbling to see God's hand in the work! One in particular is Nelson! He is mexican. We taught him and when we returned he told us everytime he reads the BOM he gets the shivers! We were like no way!!!! yes! haha we are currently praying for him because he told us that he may have some problems with immagracion and he could get deported.....so we've of course have been praying haha. Another guy is Miguel. pretty solid as well and really wants this. Lot of good stuff happening and its really humbling.

We've been trying to get a sister who is less active back to church, but she won’t...it’s really sad. President recently taught us a way to talk with less actives and it’s powerful. Then after we do all we can do they still have their agency...

As I just stated above, we've been receiving a lot of training on how to improve our teaching and it’s really powerful! My favorite is to teach the BOM in this way. It really makes it simple and same with our other lessons!

So I got your package! thanks so much! hahah those breakfast cakes were a little piece of home that I needed!

Elder Moodie said he went through the torndado and is ok haha, scared me! He said it was crazy.

Well family I love you all so much, oh yeah also I have a little cold going on, as it seems everyone here has! But yeah I love you all soooo much! You truly are the best. Also mom, I barely eat sweets haha it’s hard but it’s really good for me! Like you said before the mish, if I ever crave sweets eat an apple! hahah

love ya'll,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Este

February  4, 2013

Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you, happy birthday dear este happy birthday to you!! The big 1-8 huh!? getting big ahhah. You lil punk, those are some nice cleats, you better score with them at least 10...if not more....

Well family...this past week was transfers. I have Elder Scott. He's from Genola, Utah. Ha he's a good guy. He's a little shorter than me yet weighs 250 haha at first I was like well great I guess we're not gonna be working out!! hahahahahaha but I was like he how would you feel about waking up at 6 to work out. haha he chuckled a little then is like yeah I can try it. And so far ever since he's been doing it with me. I really appreciate that he humors me in trying to stay healthy and fit and in shape. But he is a funny lil guy, a little strange, but we get a long super good haha. He likes to work and he helps me a lot with my spanish. It reminds me of different stories how you have a comp who isn't really like you but somehow you get a long really good. That is us haha. He cracks me up and before transfers I was really praying that I could just love my comp and get along with him, and I can definitely feel God giving me love and charity and patience haha it’s great! He reminds me of matt and mitchell young combined! hahah

At transfers I meet a young buck, Named Elder Ray, I saw him before at Rockwell and he said he was in big mike's class and he just kept telling me how smart Michael is haha, I was like I guess he's kinda smart!!! haha jk big mike you are smarter than me! Elder Ray looks really young but super enthusiastic to be here, it’s always good to see people who actually wanna be out here serving and working hard!

So with this transfer for whatever reason is only going to be 5 weeks instead of 6, meaning every missionary in the whole world will come home a week early. Meaning my last day is June 13 instead of June 20, so I guess that will be happiness for you.

Yesterday at church 2 funny yet scratch your head things happened haha

1) a lady gave me a big bag of gordelli chocolates or however you spell that! and inside was a bag of coffee too hahah and she is the old bishops wife..not sure how that got in there????! but hahah funny nonetheless

2) a daughter who is 19 and her dad got up in fast and testimony mtg to announce that the daughter eloped and got married! haahaha crazy stuff, she had recently been working on her mission papers but I guess she decided otherwise ;) I guess it’s good we didn't have any 'gators come to church! haah

The other day we had a lesson with a recent convert, and I shared a powerful scripture with her and hahah afterwards she looked up at me and was like (d-word!!!) but the way ghetto peeps do it haahhahahaha. I was like hmmm ok...guess it was a good scripture huh hahah. Really good lady! She gave us some pupusas too ahah.

So I called the lab place Friday but they said they had not yet received it, so I will call again today or tomorrow. Thanks for getting that all worked out for me!!

Man that’s crazy Jon is already leaving! It'll be great. He is making a good decision!

But we are working really hard this transfer! It has a better feeling than last transfer haaha! We've already seen miracles,  I don't think we saw much miracles last transfer maybe because he didn't have much desire, but this transfer we both want to be 100% obedient and work really hard and bring peeps to be dunked!!

It is always good seeing pics of ya'll haha looking at dad working hard made me just grin from ear to ear, same with big mike haha I sure do love you guys!! That’s awesome about matt and amanda!

Love ya'll so much, I look forward to that package :D hehe I haven’t heard from elder moodie...hmmm hope he's ok!

Con amor,

Elder Andrew Lifferth

Pues pops, no te preocupes. yo se que todo estara bien con el futuro. tal vez podamos encontrar otro jeep o algo jaja. solo era un pensamiento! te amo mucho pops, espero que estes feliz y estas trabajando muy duro con tu legislative cosas! tal vez yo pueda recibir una carta de ti pronto?? jaja jk! les amo mucho!!!

 

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