Dear Family and friends,

                We send warm greetings from North Carolina.  We trust all are well and progressing in 2013 with continued determination to keep the resolutions made just 30 days ago.  We read and hear of the miserable smog conditions in Utah and pray for some relief for our dear family and friends at home.  We had a few hours of freezing rain on Friday here in North Carolina and it was frightening.  We were having a Sisters conference at the mission office.  All of the Sister missionaries were present and were suppose to head back to their proselyting areas after the conference, however we had many of them stay with local sisters until later on Saturday to allow for safer driving conditions.  It proved to be a good move as Saturday was considerably warmer weather and driving became much safer.   I know it doesn’t match the challenges you are all facing in Utah and Idaho, however the bad weather is compounded here with no equipment to help the roads be safer. Regardless, we hope improvement for all of you is sooner than later. 

                This week was mostly just the calm before the storm.  We are prepared to receive 27 new missionaries and to send 11 home.  This is always a logistical challenge, however we are getting better anticipating the needs and it seems to be getting easier.  Sister Andrus really shines in this area.  She is the “go to person” with the logistics of such events.  Elder Stanley is also relied on of which we will miss him as he is heading back to Texas.  He has trained some capable replacements and all will be fine. Three new senior couples will be entering the MTC on Monday.  One of them will be serving with us in the office.  One couple will be serving in the employment center, and the other will be a member support couple.  We welcome them, of course and look forward to their safe arrival and their anticipated addition of strength to our missionary force.  We are learning just how valuable the senior missionary force is in offering another dimension to the mission success.  We spent an afternoon with Elder and Sister Bushman this week.  They are serving in South Carolina on the Catawba Indian reservation.  Elder and Sister Bushman lived many years in Payson, Utah as neighbors to Rick and Beverly Rushton.  For those of you who don’t know, Rick is Sister Andrus’s brother.  The Bushman’s have become dear friends, as all the Sr. Couples have become.  The Bushman’s took us around the reservation.  What an interesting area.  The tribe gave property to the Church to build a Chapel.  It is one of a very few LDS Chapels that have on the property a cemetery.  One distinguishing feature of many denominations buildings in this area is a cemetery contiguous to the building.  It is unusual to see this on an LDS property.  The Bushman’s say it provides lots of service opportunities to the youth groups to keep it clean and trimmed.  They shared many interesting happenings and projects for which they are involved.  What a valuable service they are providing.  Elder Bushman is a seasoned priesthood leader who is assisting a new Bishopric as well as all the PEC committee in their duties.  Sister Bushman provides such a bubbly confident environment to every situation.  What good people they are.

                We had one of those tender mercy moments this week in our Book of Mormon class—As we were concluding the discussion on Tender Mercies of the Lord,(1 Nephi 1:20) one of our participating couples received a phone call informing them that their son and daughter in law were just involved in a head on collision and were in route to the hospital.  We quickly bowed in prayer with them as they were rushing to leave and asked the blessings of heaven to be with them and their family.  As we followed up with them the next day, they reported that indeed their family experienced miracles regarding the accident.  Their son required surgery to repair a broken femur which is anticipated to heal completely.  The wife experienced only minor abrasions and the unborn child remains unaffected.  He shared with me that he is sure they were blessed with tender mercies.  Perhaps a little thing but a powerful object lesson for our class.  “Behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.” (Alma 37:6)

                We pray for each of you and know you are striving to keep sacred the covenants you have made.  Please know there is not a greater work we can be about than that of keep the covenants we make.  In a world that is increasingly becoming covenant breakers, we must be” steadfast and immovable” and must always keep the covenants we make—especially those made in the holy temples.  Sister Andrus and I strive to do so and pray you will do so likewise. 

                We love you all—Hope your health will improve Sister Long.  We are proud of your service.

Elder and Sister Andrus, Grandpa and Grandma, Dad and Mom, Don and Ruth.    

January 13, 2013              

Dear Family and friends,

                We bid you greetings once again from balmy North Carolina—currently 55° F with a projected high of 72°F.  “We sure love ya North Carolina”.  Sorry to rub it in however I just couldn’t resist.  I’m sure I’m setting myself up for payback; however on this end it feels good.  I haven’t missed shoveling snow a bit.  I’ll have to admit I miss some parts of the snow etc.  However it is good to just see the pictures.

                Our week has been rather uneventful—just turning the crank.  Our annual financial audit is scheduled today at 4:00 p.m.  Our office has been working to prepare for this all week.  We have some holes; however we are working to fill them and are confident we will run a tight ship soon.  I am reminded that a year ago, I was working for our laboratory’s CAP inspection.  I thought it would be my last one.  I found myself waking up in the night this week with all kinds of lab challenges—not being able to get the tests done fast enough—not able to find the blood units for transfusion etc.  I was always relieved to wake and discover it was only a dream.  Hopefully after the inspection today I can return to normal. 

                Our Book of Mormon class was a little disappointing—not a lot of participants.  We are not to be deterred, however.  We are actively recruiting more participants.  Most of those who came were long time members wanting a 500 level course in the Book of Mormon.  They were a little disappointed to find a 100 level class.  They were kind and we did have a good discussion introducing the Title page to the class.  Hopefully they will invite there less active and yet to be members to come with them.  We invited them to do so.

                This week we hosted new missionary training at the office.  President Craven feels it more effective to bring the new missionaries back together after a month or so in the field to give the new missionary training that he used to give the first and second day of their arrival.  He feels it is more effective after they have been in the trenches some.  I tend to agree with him.  It was so good to see our new missionaries once again.  They look so good.  My how we love them and pray for their success.  We are so pleased when they are progressing so well.  In talking with President Craven about our Book of Mormon class, he told us that the very first question he asks the new missionaries is how many times they have read the Book of Mormon.  In his six months experience as President, he shares that those who have read it the most are the most obedient, the most disciplined, and the most effective and have the cleanest apartments and the most successful in bringing souls unto Christ.  He made the comment that if he was Stake President again, he would not allow anyone to enter the mission field unless they have read the Book of Mormon at least once and preferably more than once.  I tend to agree with him.  So dear grandchildren and family—Read and re-read the Book of Mormon.  It will be the most effective thing you can do to prepare for your missions.  Members of the Don and Ruth Andrus family need to continue to set their goals high in this area.  I promise you as you do not only will you be prepared to be a great missionary—you will be prepared to be better in every discipline you undertake.  (See 2 Nephi 32:3)  I remind all of us that we can get “nearer to God by abiding by its precepts, than by any other book.”  Our prophet leaders have promised us that our homes will be more peaceful and our lives will be blessed more as we strive to Read the Book of Mormon.  I know you are all striving to do so.  Please know your efforts do not go unrewarded. 

                We thank each of you for your love and support.  We are saddened to learn of the passing of some of our dear friends in Perry.  Time passes so quickly—its is hard to see life fly by, however what peace the gospel brings to our lives.  The plan of happiness truly is a blessing.

Have a great week!!

Elder and Sister Andrus, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Don and Ruth.

January 6, 2013

Dear Family and friends,

                Hello again from North Carolina.  We trust the new year is treating you all well and as we all get back in the routine following the holidays may this turn into a banner year for us all.  We have had a continued busy week but that is what we do and we are truly enjoying being part of the team in the North Carolina Charlotte Mission to bring all unto Christ.  We love the missionaries.  They are powerful young people who truly carry large responsibilities on their young shoulders, however they are so capable and do so well when they focus on simple obedience principles and proven Preach my Gospel procedure.  It is a marvelous experience to watch the process develop in them.  We see them at the beginning and watch and feel them grow and mature into effective tools.  We are saddened when they choose disobedience, however still love them and work with them to improve. 

                At President Craven’s invitation our entire mission, as part of our fasting this week end, are reading together at a specified time, the missionary prayer scripture in Alma 8:10 substituting our names in the place of Alma and placing the city or area of labor we are serving at in place of the city of Ammonihah.  We are praying in a unified effort for the Lord to bless us with more success in our labors.  All the Zone and District leaders in the mission were to an all day training meeting on New Year’s day at the mission offices.  Sister Andrus and I were asked to be a part of the group.  We were obviously mostly involved in the logistics and feeding arrangements, however we were able to sit in on some of the training.  We were part of some training facilitated by Elder Stanley, our lead Assistant regarding the teaching of the Plan of Salvation.  I all my years of service, I have not been better trained.  What a powerful example of youth leading youth.  The central thrust of his training was placing the responsibility of teaching on the Holy Ghost and, as missionaries getting out of the way so the Holy Ghost can be more noticeable in the eyes of investigators.  He blended personal righteousness and preparation of the missionaries as key ingredients in the process of conversion.  It was very well done.  It was during this day of training that the missionary prayer invitation mentioned above came into being. 

                During our 5^th Sunday combined Priesthood and Relief Society meeting last week, our Bishop invited President Baker, our Stake President, to present what he called Prophetic Priorities to the members of our ward.  I was interested whether this is being taught throughout the church.  Maybe some of you could help answer this.  My notes are a little sketchy, however what I wrote down are as follows:  1. Priority one is centered on Real Growth.  We are to track Melchizedek Priesthood advancement and Sacrament Meeting attendance as key indicators in this priority. I know this is being tracked by our mission.  2 Prepare for the missionary surge.  In our mission, each ward is to identify and facilitate the increase of one additional companionship.  This means, as a ward, we need to focus more on finding people for the missionaries to teach as well as feed and assist them with transportation needs. 3.  The third priority deals with preparing our young men and women to be a part of the missionary surge.  With the adjustment of age requirements, we need to assist our young people to be prepared to accept mission assignments when it is best for them within the new guidelines.  4.  This priority deals with submission of names to the temple for ordinance work.  We must be more involved in researching our own family histories and identifying names to take, rather than relying on the temple to supply names.  As an example, our Reedy Creek ward has three youth temple trips planned for baptisms for the dead—the temple will only supply 10 names for each trip.  Our youth need to be involved in finding names to take for baptisms. The 5^th priority is to implement the new youth curriculum into our wards.  This will help with the number 3 priority above. I have not really seen or read much regarding the new curriculum—only what is written in the Ensign and New Era.  President Baker challenged us as older members to go out of our way to help our young people learn to communicate.  We are to seek ways to involve them in conversation.

 Needless to say I think it is a great time to be alive and to be members of the true church who sustains Prophetic Counsel.  I feel a sense of urgency in preparing the world for the second coming of the Master.  It appears to me we are stepping it up a notch or two.

We certainly extend birthday wishes to Robert and Richard.  To Sister Andrus and I the years seem to fly by.  We clearly remember our little home in Burley, Idaho where we welcomed twins into our family.  Kelsy and Kappy were so grownup and were such good helpers.  I can still picture them sitting on each end of the sofa holding their brothers--stuffing bottles of formula into their mouths and handling them in ragdoll fashion.  It is amazing they did as well as they did.  We, as members of the Don and Ruth Andrus family, have been blessed having both of you in our lives.  Thanks to each member of our family and your lively wives and families for all you do for us.  We especially thank each of you for bringing into our family such special children—our grandchildren.  We love you all and pray for you every day. 

This week proves to be a great week for us as we continue our mission efforts.  We start our Book of Mormon class this Wednesday.  We are nervous but confident we can be tools in Heavenly Fathers hands in helping our new members continue and increase in love for this wonder book.  Please pray for us as we need all the help we can get.  Have a great week---and a great continued beginning of a banner New Year.

Elder and Sister Andrus, Dad and Mom, Grandpa and Grandma, Don and Ruth.