Week 2--July 26, 2013

I love this picture!  Our boy from Texas...in Provo, Utah...pointing to California...wearing a Wyoming T-shirt.  :-)

Hey guys,

     This week at the MTC has been great! and has been very long.... the Zone Leaders before us told us that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days, It is sooo true!

     Last Friday we started lessons with Debi, one of our progressive investigators, it has been going okay, she has a lot of hold backs, but little by little we have been able to help her out, but our other progressing investigator has been going great, his name is Randy and every time we go to teach him the spirit is so strong and it's amazing. We committed him to read 2 Nephi 31, and 3 Nephi 11 by the end of the week and to pray to know if it was true, and then he prayed with us, the Spirit was so strong that it was amazing!

     Yesterday we had in-field orientation, it was a great experience, we learned a lot about finding people and using members, we did lots of role-plays and just practiced finding our investigators. We have been learning a lot about teaching, and teaching people, not teaching lessons. I can attest to how true that is, with our first few lessons with Debi we just tried to teach the lesson, and it wasn't very effective, but our last few lessons with her and then our Two lessons with Randy we have really focused on teaching them and teaching what they need by the spirit, and it has gone so much better. I think if we had one more lesson with Randy we would have committed him to baptism.

     We have focused a lot on the Book of Mormon during our class time this past week, and receiving revelation through it. We as a district read Alma 5 and wrote down our feelings as we read, and It really stuck out to me that Jesus Christ, the good shepherd, is always calling for us, and we just have to listen to him and come unto him. He never gives up on us, he doesn't care how long it takes, he doesn't care how long we've been gone or where we've been he just cares that we came unto him. It's like the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the master doesn't care how long we have been working in the vineyard, all he cares about is that we came. The blessings are the same for someone who has been in the gospel their whole life as someone who is a convert.

I hope that all is well with everybody!

Elder Andrew Stephen Bangerter

No explanation needed.

 Since there were no explanations, we are assuming these pictures are of his district, minus whomever is taking the picture.  Steve says Andrew's companion is the one to the right of Andrew (his left)  in each picture.

Andrew's email--July 19, 2013

Okay, Steve thought I should post the whole email for people to read so here it is.  I cleaned it up a little to make it easier to read.

Hey Guys!!!

As it turns out Friday's are P-Day for my zone here at the MTC. It has been amazing here.  The spirit is so strong. Trying to learn is like trying to drink water from a Fire hose!!!

It has been a tiring and VERY long two days so far. I got here on Wednesday and ended up seeing Lein on my walk to the front desk and I got to talk to him for a few minutes, He wasn't my host, he actually ended up being Kyle’s host.

So we Got to the MTC and we were "grabbed" by a host, and then our host walked us through the campus, helped with luggage, took us to the bookstore to get our study materials, took us to our residence, and then took us to our Classroom. There in our classroom we came one by one and eventually met our companions. I have an awesome companion, Elder Felix, he's from Brigham City, Utah, He's just great!!!

After we met our companions, we went and all the new missionaries had a big meeting with the MTC Mission Presidency. It was absolutely incredible! When we all stood up and sang Called to Serve, the spirit hit me so hard that I could barely sing! Then that evening we met our Zone Leaders, and went to bed.

Yesterday was probably one of the longest and most tiring days I have ever experienced, even though we were sitting most of the day. We had our first real lessons yesterday. The day started off with a workshop right after breakfast about People and Our Purpose, It was a real eye opener, and it taught us to really feel unconditional love towards everybody. Everybody is a child of our Heavenly Father and EVERYBODY is loved by him.

The rest of the morning was spent with study time, personal, companion, and District study time, I learned so much during study time, especially about the importance of enduring to the end.

After Lunch, we came back and we learned about our progressive investigators, and we really are trying to develop Christ like love for her even though we have only seen a video about her. We made lesson plans and then we went to a workshop about our MTC resources.

Following that, we had dinner, and then went to meet our branch presidency. We were all interviewed by the members of the branch presidency. Then the Branch presidency made some callings... Elder Robbins, who is one of my roommates, was called as our district leader, Sisters Allen and Neilson from our district were called as the new Sister Training Leaders for the Zone, and then finally Elder Felix and I were called as the new Zone Leaders.

It's hard for me to believe that I had been here for a little over 24 hours and was called as a Zone Leader! Obviously, the Lord has a lot of faith in Elder Felix and I, and so do the Branch presidency.

Today we would normally have the opportunity to go to the Provo temple but the temple is closed until the middle of August. So instead, we have 5 hours of free time. 

Love you guys and miss you so much,

Elder Bangerter

First week (?) at the MTC!--July 19, 2013

Andrew entered the MTC on Wednesday and we already have an email from him.  Apparently his "zone" has P-day on Fridays.  The disclaimer at the bottom of the email said not to distribute, so I'll sum up what he wrote.

He arrived on Wednesday and ran into a friend of his from high school walking to the front desk.  Elder Pouwer wasn't his host but he ended up being the host for another friend of theirs from school.  It's crazy what a small world this is!

Andrew's companion is Elder Felix from Brigham City, Utah.  After being together for 24 hours, they were called by their Branch President, to be Zone Leaders.  Wow!  What an amazing responsibility.

He sounds like he's doing great and I can tell he's already growing in the Gospel.  He said that they have already been doing a lot of studying.  That's something a mom is glad to hear!

He said that normally today would be their opportunity to go to the Provo Temple, but it's closed until the middle of August so they had a little extra free time instead.

MTC--July 17, 2013

Andrew entered the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah, this afternoon.

It was hard for his dad and I not to be there with him but, since they basically make you drop them off at the curb, we figured it wasn't worth it for either of us to travel out there with him.  Steve had used up most of his vacation days earlier this summer going to High Adventure with Andrew and scout camp with Cody.  I still have classes and homework to do.  :-(

Luckily we have family in Utah and my oldest brother volunteered to house him overnight and take him down to Provo today.  That certainly took a load off my mind!

It was weird sending him off on the airplane yesterday knowing that I wouldn't be getting the, "We're starting to board" or "I've arrived" texts like i got when he went to Wyoming two weeks ago.  I'm sure he had a tough time during his 2+ hour layover in Denver with no phone to play on, too!

 Jay was "helping" Andrew check his luggage.

He called us when my brother picked him up at the Salt Lake airport.  It happened to be right before we walked out the door to head downtown to see Wicked.  That was a great way to take our minds off our 18 year old being so far away.


Here's a picture of my Brother, Sister-in-law and nephew with Andrew as they were dropping him off.  He looks so happy!  I'm so excited for him.

 

Give 'em heaven, Andrew!  ;-)
(name that movie! We watched it the Sunday before he left.)