Dear Family and friends,
        Little late in getting this sent this week.  We had Stake Conference
and we took a family with us so didn't have the normal Sunday morning.  This
coupled with daylight savings time and the hours went by fast.  Hope all is
well with each of you.  We are already in double digit March--time really
moves fast for us.  It has been over 7 months since we embarked to the MTC.
Seems like we just arrived.  
        Our office is busier now than ever.  We were successful in handling
our transfer week.  Remember the week before this one we welcomed rather
unexpectedly 11 visa waiters.  We were informed Friday that four of them
received their visa's and will be taking them to the airport tomorrow to
head to Brazil.  Thought we were through with airport for a week or so.
President Craven visited with one of the four this morning at Stake
conference--he really has enjoyed his few days as a missionary--with tears
in his eyes he asked if there was anyway he could just stay in North
Carolina.  Not possible the President says,  President Craven has to be in
Asheville tomorrow so he has asked me to interview the four missionaries and
give them a priesthood blessing prior to their departure.  What a choice
opportunity this will be.  I am grateful for the trust he places in me to do
this.  I believe I mentioned last letter the opportunity I had to give some
blessings to some struggling Elders.  It was good to see them at the
transfer meeting this week.  They each gave me a hug and expressed
appreciation and indicated things are looking up for them.
        We had an interesting experience with one set of sisters--The new
trainer (who has been in the field only 5 weeks) and her new companion were
sent to Statesville too open a new apartment and area.  When they got there
they only had beds in their apartment--nothing else.        
They didn't have a car yet so they just sat there wondering what to do.
They finally called the President and he panicked and called us.  We were
just walking into our Book of Mormon class so Sister Andrus stayed outside
and handled the issues.  Seems the ward mission leader got confused on his
timing--fortunately he punted well and the whole ward showed up with
everything making the whole situation better.  Sister Andrus handled this so
well.  She told them to get their journals out and write this down.  Some
day their grandchildren will appreciate what they went through.  My mind
reflected back to the Willie and Martin handcart pioneers and these sisters
really have nothing to worry about.  It turned out well for everyone.
President Craven grew a little more grey but not too much.  
        We met a fellow at Stake Conference today--Kerry Porter.  He asked
if I knew Dean Andrus.  I, of course, indicated yes.  It seems that when
Dean, Kathy and family were living in Charlotte years ago, this fellow was
in a class that Dean was instructing.  Dean had given each member of the
class a journal and challenged them to go on a mission and fill out the
journal.  This fellow did so and he wants to report the completion of his
assignment.  I emailed Dean the contact information and hopefully the rest
of the story will be forthcoming.  He really thinks highly of Dean and
indicated this was a real motivator for him personally.  I asked this fellow
some questions and he indicated they were living in the Charlotte 2nd ward
and they were meeting in chapel on Hilliard Drive.  This is the location of
the mission offices now.  It is good to think that we are in the same
building that Dean and Kathy and family were in years ago.  
        We love you all.  Keep working to be eternal in nature.  Becoming
Eternal families is an awesome goal and doesn't happen without careful
planning and continual effort.   We pray each of us will be motivated to do
something everyday to progress towards this goal.  

Have a great week as we celebrate the Ides (sp) of March.  Keep warm.

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

March 3, 2013

Dear Family and friends

                Greetings from North Carolina.  We pray all is well with each of you and that this letter finds you healthy, wealthy and wise.  Sister Andrus and I are working on one out of three—we have the best shot at the healthy slot.  The other two seem rather distant and at least one of them the window is already closed—oh well—moderately healthy and adequately blessed and gaining wisdom through life’s experience and learning is good.   We truly feel the tender mercies from above and believe we are blessed beyond measure.  We continue to be so thankful for faithful children and grandchildren who are striving to be good people. This blessing is priceless.  We are grateful for our wonderful extended family and dear friends.  We feel of your prayers and support and continue to pledge to each of you our best efforts in serving as full-time missionaries.  We love serving in North Carolina as office specialists even though this is much different than what we thought we were signing up to do.  We see the value of what we do and know it is vital in the overall efforts to bring souls unto Christ.  The work we are doing has to be done by someone so why not us.  By this time next week we will have successfully welcomed 66 new missionaries and said a tearful good bye to 24.  It is becoming continually more difficult to let these valiant young people leave and go home.  What joy they have brought to so many.

 I believe I mentioned in last week’s letter the opportunity I had to interview a baptismal candidate—her name is Crystal.  During the week the sister missionaries called and indicated she had asked that I baptize and confirm her.  Needless to say I was delighted.  I had the privilege last evening to baptize Crystal and will confirm her in our meetings today.  I met her husband who I believe will be following her soon.  This brought back some great memories of when I was serving a mission as a young man.  What a great blessing.  President Craven asked me this week to take his assistants and visit some missionaries who were struggling.  We drove to their apartment not really knowing what we were going to find.  We met three humble young men who were really teachable and ready to re-commit their missionary lives.  We had the honor of giving priesthood blessings to them and challenging them to move forward.  We blessed their home to be protected from evil and felt the power of the priesthood as we do so.  It turned into such a choice experience for all of us.  Sister Andrus and I were able to sit in on some discussions this week that really lifts our missionary spirits.  It is so difficult for many of these good people to change their habits and forsake sin.  They so want to, however the flesh is weak.  We marvel at the power of the spirit as it works to help receptive people in this process.

Thank you again for all you do for us.  Have a wonderful week.

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