Andover week 9

**By the way - I (Ethan's sister) apologize for not being on top of getting Ethan's emails sent out. Twas the season I suppose! We are officially caught up now.**

So last sunday was pretty flipping cold. Last Monday was even colder.Monday during the day was -37 with windchill. The morning temperatures were around -60. We actually threw boiling water off of our balcony and watched it instantly crystalize and fall to the ground as a powder. Pretty cool to see. Look it up on youtube. Needless to say we didnt leave our apartment for 2 days. We did just about everything you can do in a missionary apartment. Except sleep. Our mission President doesnt allow naps. Which is probably a good thing... but President Clements promised that if we plan very well we would have the best statistical week we have had in a month. He was right. Elder Foggin and I tore our area book apart and planned every second of every day. Our week was phenomenal! We honestly taught all week.

Brother G. is still doing absolutely amazing! We asked him about his book of mormon reading this past week and he said, "Best book I've laid my hands on." He desperately wants to be baptized, but his girlfriend still refuses marriage. Our stake president gave the advice for him to go to his GF and tell her all the reasons he cares about her, then ask her hand in marriage. So Saturday night we composed a love letter with him. Didnt think Id do that on my mission.... ha ha.

Speaking of which, President Toronto came out with us again! I told Elder Foggin his mind was going to be blown and he didn't quite believe me. He definitely realized very quickly what I was talking about. President Toronto manages to cover much more ground with investigators than us in a shorter amount of time. What he does in 20 minutes takes us like 2 weeks to do... ha ha. That is teaching with power and authority right there. We taught the Sister's main investigator right now with the Sisters and President Toronto. He basically committed her to baptism after the sisters have been trying for 2 months. Pretty crazy lesson.

We also started working at a Food Shelf every wednesday. I love it! It is wonderful to help people and also quite humbling to see all the different people that come in and out.

I went on an exchange with Elder Jasper, a missionary who went to Mountain View! We had quite a bit of fun. I was able to help teach all of his progressing investigators and the Spirit basically took over the lessons and I said some pretty intense things I never even imagined saying. It was a remarkable and miracle filled night. Elder Jasper and I were both quite amazed. Teaching by the Spirit is what makes missionary work fun and effective. This is not my work. This is the Lord's work. It is much easier when we do it with His help.

So we knocked on the door of a former investigator Sister B. She opened up and told us she had the flu. The member we had with us gave her a blessing, which was a cool experience. He said a lot of things that answered some of Sister B's prayers. Then we taught the Restoration. SHe told us she believes it because she, too, has seen a white light. She didnt see anyone in it, but she heard a voice telling her everything would be alright (she was quite ill in the hospital). The devil came up somehow and she was like, "yeah he is scary looking and kinda short." We chuckled, thinking this was some sort of joke. Nope. She then explained to us that Satan, in the form of a 2 foot tall creature thing, appeared by her bedside one night. She hid in her bathroom and felt it outside her door all night until morning. Then she had some sort of out of body experience and saw it watching the door from the other side. It was crazy stuff. But she loves the Book of Mormon and said it "came alive" when she first read it. So we will go back and see what is up.

My Birthday was Saturday! I didnt get the baptism I wanted that day, but the day was still pretty good. Besides being sick for the 6th time in 8 months, but oh well. Elder Foggin made mini peach cobler from a reciple my mother sent me and he told our dinner appointment it was my brithday so they put a candle in my brownie and sang to me. Elder Foggin offered to sing me a solo but I declined that one. ha ha.

Andover is quite the racially diverse city it seems. We taught Liberians, African Americans, a man from the Congo, and a Russian in the last few weeks. This week we taught one caucasian person. ha ha. Not only does the Lord send his missionaries to people all over the globe, but he brings them to us as well.

 

Exodus 31: 16-17

 16 Wherefore the children of Israel shall keep the sabbath, to observe the sabbath throughout their generations, for a perpetual ^acovenant.
 17 It is a sign between me and the children of Israel for ever: for in^asix days the Lord ^bmade heaven and earth, and on the ^cseventh dayhe ^drested, and was ^erefreshed.
The sabbath day is a gift from God! He has covenanted that as we keep it holy, He WILL bless us! PMG states something along the lines of our attitude towards the sabbath is a reflection of the attitude towards our God. Also, as our commit to the Sabbath day deteriorates, so does all other aspects of our lives. Not keeping the Sababth day holy is a wonderful way to set yourself up for a bad week. We should all ponder and pray about how we can more effectively keep it holy.
Have a wonderful week!
Love, Elder Damron