Dear Family,
I heard that Punxsatauwney Phil, the groundhog from my mission, did not see his
shadow, so it should start warming up around here as well. It has been in the
low teens lately, which is definitely warmer than it has been the last few days.
Some of the snow has melted, but we also have some residual snow left over from
the last few weeks. It is supposed to continue to warm up and get better in the
upcoming weeks, so we are excited about that.
We had interviews with President Francis in Brookville, PA on Monday, and it was
a learning experience for all of us as always. One of the things that we talked
about is setting up planned weekly service, which we are now going to do at an
old folks home by our house, starting this Saturday.
That would be great if Snow College could get the funding to build a new
library, I think it would be beneficial for everyone. I know the students and
staff would all use a new libraries resources to their full advantage.
I'm proud of Ben, and glad that he is heading in the right direction, and
staying on the path. He's always been good to me, and has a great heart. Tell
him to keep up the good work, and to get his Jeep fixed for when I come home, so
I can use it! :)
That is neat that all the girls play instruments now, and I definitely think
that we should get some awesome duets going. Music can be a great way to bring
families closer together and keep love for each other strong in the home. I met
a family out here in Brookville, PA on my exchange with Elder Hardinger, and
they are a very musical family, and I saw the common bond that they shared.
This week we met quite a few potential investigators, but no one that really
stuck out in my mind. We are continuing to hit the streets hard every day,
trying to find those who have been prepared to receive the gospel. It's
sometimes hard, because we sometimes have to go through a lot of people to find
those who have been prepared, but it is definitely worth the effort.
A crazy thing happened in our district last week. Elder Hood and Elder Hale
wrecked their vehicle. They were driving home for the night, going the speed
limit on a fairly dry road, and they hit a patch of black ice on a turn, and
lost control of all of the wheels. They spun around backwards, and with the
back of the vehicle, hit a tree, a sign, and a mailbox. They also did some
damage to a retaining wall, which they found out later. Luckily, neither of
them were hurt at all, and the car is fixable. They popped the front left and
rear right tires, broke the right rear tail light, the bumper came off, and the
rear right side was dented a little. Unfortunately for them, the mission
doesn't have any extra cars right now, so they are currently without a car, and
just walking around for now until it is fixed. The funny part is that two
minutes before the accident, Elder Hale was talking about how he wrecked a
vehicle before, and the driver, Elder Hood told him that he never has been
pulled over, got a ticket, or got in a wreck. They are doing as good as can be
expected, and since they live out of town in a neighborhood, they have been
knocking in there mostly for right now. Sometimes they go out with members on
team-ups, which helps them as well.
I can't end this e-mail on a bad note, so I want you all to know that the work
is rolling forth here in Franklin, PA, and many seeds are being planted here,
and hopefully I will see some of them grow into trees, but if not, I know that
many will eventually. It is great sharing with people the message of the
Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I would rather be here right now
than anywhere else, because I know I have been called and set apart, and this is
where I'm supposed to be right now. I love all of you, and wish you a great
Valentine's day, with lots of love for everyone.
Love,
Andrew
Standing in front of our retreat!
The patio kitchen
The tub and the view
The Pool and hot tub
THE RETREAT!! (you can't see the separate small two
