Update from Andy

[update 23 June 2010]

I'm leaving Alabaster


Yep, that's right- I'm leaving the nice clean town of Alabaster, AL and heading off to Bessemer, AL. But that's not what makes me nervous. What makes me nervous is the fact that I'm going to go Senior Companion, District Leader, and follow-up trainer. I've been Junior my whole mission so far! But I have been blessed by having every one of my companions a District Leader; the first one was my actual trainer, the second my follow-up, and my third a DL. So I have some pretty good examples under my belt. I think over the next couple of weeks I will truly understand the concept of faith, hope, and prayer. But what's even more awesome is that my companion now will be training! He's going to be training a missionary who was called to Guatemala but has not received his Visa quite yet. I am sad leaving this area, there are a lot of VERY amazing people (Arlene, Clemente, Brother Betke) but it's okay. I thought to myself, and decided that every area could have their very own Arlene or Clemente, they just need to be found first.
Some things before I forget: When are Laura and Dan's birthdays? I would hate to miss those. And I do not quite have the address of my home in Bessemer, so I'll get that to y'all next week. If you want you can just send mail to the office. And a little something about Bessemer- apparently you hear gun shots every now and then around the home. Excitement.
Sorry to say I do not have any new pictures to send off. But my camera is getting full so I might have to send the USB home so y'all can see everything from my camera. (And if I do send it, just copy everything that is on it, but keep all of still in the USB, because it is plenty big for 2 years I think. I just want to make sure that I'll still have it after 2 years.)
I don't have too much time right now, so I'll just make this quick. I am seeing time and time again on my mission the importance of having a question if you want to receive an answer. I don't really want to repeat myself and bore all of you, but if we do not have a question, the answer is just information. Preach My Gospel says the honest truth seeker will find the truth of the Book of Mormon, that it DOES testify of Jesus Christ, and that through a testimony in it we can receive a testimony of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the word Restore, restoration, restored. Somewhere in Mosiah 13-16 it tells us exactly what that means. That it goes back EXACTLY how it was. A lot of people that we talk to tell us that all is well if we just wait until the Second Coming, living the life with alcohol and women, it'll all be good- because God loves us and He'll make everything perfect. Oh if it were so. A missionary from this ward just came back from his mission in St Petersburg, Russia, and in the talk that he gave he told us of the sadness that envelopes Russia. Not knowing where to find true happiness, a lot of the time they are lost in alcohol, immorality, drugs, etc. True happiness... is found in the hands of our Heavenly Father, in the arms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and by the constant guidance of the Holy Ghost.

Gotta go, but want to let you all know that I miss you and pray often for your safety.
Love
Elder Chow