Mission Letter 31 "Don't You Just Love the World on a Day Like This?"

This month I have really gained a testimony of service. I think of a
quote from Joseph Smith: The Prophet of the Restoration, in which a
woman tells Joseph, "I don't agree with your religion, but I
appreciate your service," and he responds, "Mam, service is our
religion." I have truly seen how it can soften hearts--including my
own.

Some time ago we had felt prompted to knock the door of Perla's
sister, Laticia (not knowing she was Perla's sister). She turned us
down flat. This past week when we asked Perla if we could see her she
said to come to her sister's place and gave us the address. Laticia
recognized us and let us in. She and Perla are both single parents
with little kids and the apartment was a mess. "Can we help?" I
asked,and she declined. Then, as Sis Hinojosa talked with Perla, I
felt like we needed to serve. I got up and cleaned the kitchen and
Laticia's countenance visibly changed. She listened to what Sis
Hinojosa was teaching Perla and by the time we had both finished, we
asked her if she would listen to a message and she eagerly agreed.
I realized that i had judged her as not ready, but that we can't
judge. Also, that day had also honestly been a one hard for me and
leaving her house, I was so happy and so full of love for her and her
kids. Honestly all I could think of was the quote from Ann of Green
Gables, "Don't you just love the world on a day like this?" I
certainly did.

Also, I FINALLY finished the Book of Mormon yesterday and I love that
Book so much!! I was so eager to start again that I am already half
way through first Nephi. This morning I woke up early to read and told
myself I would read until I felt the spirit. I could have stopped
after a couple verses, but I couldn't stop! The spirit was so strong.
My new study themes are "Evidences of God's patience, grace, hope and
mercy with those who love him and desire to serve Him" and "the
relation between Faith and Power."

Hermana Anderson

Our last supper with the elders at Pizza Hut
Our cute little lizard friend that made it into our apartment and
entertained us for part of weekly planning (Hna Hinojosa had never
held a lizard before . . .)

Mission Letter 30 "(no subject)"

First of all, I love you all so much. Thanks for your continued prayers and support. 

Secondly, Miracles! . . .

Wednesday we had set up an appointment with our new investigator, Jesus, to meet at the church with some members for a bible study at 7:00. Well, 7:15 rolled around and Jesus was there but the members still hadn't arrived and we couldn't contact them. We were praying that somehow it would work out (especially cuz being Sisters and all we couldn't exactly teach Jesus at the church alone). Just then, a Sister from our Spanish Branch walked into the fowyer. "Could you join us for a quick lesson?" I asked her. We ended up having a wonderful lesson on the Plan of Salvation and Jesus took such an interest in it that he went home that very night and read the rest of the chapter we'd been studying and invited his two roommates to church with him. 

Friday afternoon we taught the Restoration through hymns with a less active with learning disabilities and she loved it! We brought our Ward mission leader and his wife to sing with us and she really enjoyed them. AND she came to church this Sunday!  

Friday evening, our recent convert, Pearl, called us to tell us she had a friend that wants to take the lessons. He is recently out of jail and looking for a change in his life. We invited the elders to join us for the lesson and it went really well. He is hoping to make it to church next Sunday. :)

. . . and Priesthood Power:

Friday night we had invited a member, Brother Allred, out with us to visit a less active that recently moved into our area. The less active wasn't home so we brought him to see our 12-year old investigator, Hailey. Hailey's 7-year old friend, Monique, was over playing and listened to the lesson as well. We talked to them about the priesthood and Brother Allred offered some great insights. After the lesson we asked Monique what she thought. "This makes me feel like I should go to church," she said. She, Hailey, and her little sister all came on Sunday. :)

The following morning I woke up early really sick. At 1:00 the Elders came to gave me a priesthood blessing. I was told that i would have peace and comfort and they commanded that the sickness depart, according to my faith. As soon as they left I finally fell asleep and slept for 2-3 hours. When I woke up, all my symptoms were gone (except of course for that after sickness achieness and exhaustion). 

I am so grateful for the Priesthood: the power of God given to worthy men on earth to act in his name for the salvation of his children. What an incredible trust and blessing!

Hope you all have a great week! Con amor,

Hermana Anderson

1. Exchanges with Sister McCombie-service at the Rex Allen museum
2. We got watermelon :)
3. Waiting to exchange back. I love this picture because I look tan ;)
4 & 5. Our ward mission leader's cat had a npbunch of kittens and this
one is my favorite so he let me name it. I called her "Little Bit"
(yes, Hna Farias, I was thinking of you ;)

 

Mission Letter 29 "We Found Jesús"

. . . So yes, I have, on my mission, come to know my Savior so much
more deeply and personally. And in that way, I have found Jesus. But .
. . When I say "we found Jesus" I refer not to the Jesus of Nazareth,
but to the very tall, bald Jesus with a huge smile, jeans, and a
tattered Bible. And technically, we didn't find him--Sister Collins
did.

He was walking home from the store carrying a bag of groceries when
Sister Collins passed him in her car, turned around, and offered him a
ride. Jesus, in his broken English asked her, "Are you Christian?"
Sister Collins replied that she was. They got to talking a little,
Jesus in his very broken English, and Sister Collins knowing no
Spanish, and Sister Collins offered to show him our meeting house and
asked him if two sister missionaries could come talk with him.

Here's where we come into the picture :). What we found out was,
little did Sister Collins know, at the precise moment that she drove
by Jesus, exhausted from a night at work, his hands hurting from his
grocery bags, had prayed that someone would give him a ride. Hence the
question, "Are you Christian?"

Jesus has a vast knowledge of the Bible and loved church on Sunday. We
are meeting with him and a couple other members of the Spanish branch
for a Bible study at the church on Wednesday and Jesus is excited to
attend.

Other Highlights of the Week:

Ivan asked us to teach his family and we had a beautiful lesson with
them. After sharing with them the account of Joseph Smith's first
vision, we asked them how they felt about it. The mother, Alexis, who
had been very quiet the whole time said softly, "I believe it." She
proceeded to tell us of an incredible experience she'd had one night
while she was driving. She had been crying--depressed about life
circumstances and confused about how to proceed. She said a prayer and
said she saw a light as if it was projecting from her forehead and in
the light she saw an angel sitting with her in his arms. "After that,"
she said, "I felt happy and at peace. I feel that same way now."

Pearl bore her testimony with us for the first time in Sacrament
meeting today. It was a very brief but powerful testimony of how the
Book of Mormon has blessed her life and the lives of her daughters. It
was such a sweet experience!

Last Monday we had family home evening with Carmen Morse and her
husband, Roger. We read the first three sections of D&C, played a dice
game, and had chips and dip and pie. It was such a fun, wonderful
night. But the best part for me was seeing how they had brought the
Spirit into their home. It was so sweet, I cried. I know, I'm pathetic
:)

Lots of love,
Hermana Anderson

PS Sorry no pictures. I'll repent next week :)
Sent from my iPad

Mission Letter 28 "In the News!"

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes, cards, and love! It is so fun to celebrate a birthday on the mission! My companion told the member we were having dinner with, Sister Thom, that it would be my birthday and she was sweet--she made me a chocolate cake and surprised me with a card and gift! 

Last Monday morning we were planning to celebrate my birthday a day early by spending the day in Sierra Vista with some other sisters for P Day. By 8:30 we were ready to head out and.  .. no car key. We searched for hours before finally giving up. We texted the sisters in Sierra Vista that we wouldn't make it, took naps, and then walked to Pizza Hut because Pizza makes everything better. 

We decided to ask the Sisters to have the entire zone pray that we could find our keys. All day we expected to get some sort of revelation and find them. But such was not the case. 

Friday morning we called the mission office and told them our situation. "Well," they said, "looks like you are going to have to buy a new key. In the meantime, we can send you the spare we have here. Let me go check and make sure we have it." A few minutes later he came back on the line, "Well Sisters, you must be living right. Your truck is the only one with two spare keys." I am convinced it is because of the prayers of our zone. And meanwhile, although losing the key was frustrating, it turned out to be the biggest blessing! The morning of my Birthday we were stopped on our bikes by a reporter who wanted a picture for the newspaper! AND, we found so many investigators! #exhausted

For five months now I have been praying for more Spanish investigators and all along they have been right under our noses! Riding bikes gave us the opportunity to talk to more people, and we talked to everyone. One thing I have learned is that "If God is preparing people to hear the Gospel (And He is :) then you can't not find someone when you talk to everyone. 

Last week when I was praying for more Spanish investigators, we were biking past a house and I felt like we should stop. Already late for another lesson, we kept biking. Then yesterday we passed by the house again and I knew we had to stop. A nice older man, Ivan, answered the door and told us in Spanish that he was glad we had knocked--he was looking for God and for answers. We are excited to continue teaching him and his family. 

Another neat miracle came through the power of fasting and prayer. 

Our branch has been fasting with us for our investigators and a month ago we asked some of them to fast for our investigator, Guillermina. Since then she's moved and we lost contact. We thought about asking the members to fast for someone else instead, but never did get around to it. Well I have a strong testimony of fasting and faith: Yesterday Guillermina called us and told us about some recent occurrences in her life that have lead her husband back to church. She gave us her new address and told us she and her family will be in church next Sunday! 

Quick update:

Carmen went to the temple last week to do baptisms for the dead and loved it! 

Perla is preparing names from her family to take to the temple in a couple weeks.

Armida and Pete haven't been to church yet so we will have to push back their baptismal date. Pete loves to pray and tells us often of experiences he has had with prayer. 

Love,

Hermana Anderson

Pics:

All the letters=all the love :)

Loving Arizona sunsets

Making fried icecream because we were feeling too skinny (jk, we made it for my birthday)

See that beautiful cactus? That's dinner :) We saw someone out cutting the cactus and talked with her and she showed us how to cook cactus and gave us some so that we could make our very own gourmet cactus :) I'm excited.

Sister Thom's beautiful birthday decorations

Moving our beds together on the floor in the living room to be closer to the AC #sleepover

My chocolate cake. And yes, there are 21 candles :) 

sd

Mission Letter 27 "TRANSFERS!"

Perla (Pearl) Mendoza got baptized! And she was confirmed and given
the gift of the Holy Ghost on Easter Sunday. It was such a beautiful
blessing. And her adorable 3-year-old daughter, Misha, says, "Mom, I
want to be baptized!" Let's hope she is still as eager in five years
:)

Armida and Pete accepted the invitation to be baptized, and after we
taught Hailey about our purpose here on earth and the afterlife SHE
asked US if she could be baptized. Why, of course you can, Hailey! :)
They are all preparing to be baptized on May 27th.

Carrie, our sweet landlord, is moving this week to Kansas and we will
really miss her. We had another member who is moving this week to
Florida as well, so between them and our usual service cleaning out a
wear-house, we have been busy and exhausted. Not to mention we were on
bikes this week (which is actually really fun).

And what you have all been waiting for, transfer news! Drum roll . . .
We're both staying in blessed Willcox!

Hope you all had a wonderful Easter!
Hermana Anderson

Bike life
Zone Meeting
Perla!

Mission Letter 26 "SPEAK! :)"

Ok, so really guys, I have the best work in the world. Why? Because I am paid better than anyone else in the world: I'm happy. And is that not all anyone wants?

MY MISSION VISSION:

Our mission president challenged us last week to think of a vision for ourselves for our time on the mission. I read and thought and prayed, and prayed some more. The first thing that came to mind was "To be happy."

"God," I said aloud, "that sounds like a dumb vision."

And in reply came the thought, "it's my vision for you. Can't we have the same vision?"

Why, yes. I suppose we can. And I am so glad We are working on it together :) No wonder I've been so happy!

RESTORATION CHALLENGE:

Our zone has the challenge of teaching the message of the restoration once a day for the month of April. It was Monday night, we had 15 minutes before we had to be home and we hadn't taught it yet. We had just returned from talking with an atheist. He was pretty prideful and stubborn and I left feeling sad for him and feeling like we had wasted our time. We came home, unloaded our groceries, and with 15 minutes left headed back out. At our gate I stopped and prayed, "God, we really want to meet our zone goal of teaching the Restoration once a day this month and we haven't taught it yet today. I know there is someone you have prepared to hear it. I don't know who or where, but I know you do. Please guide me by the spirit that we may find them tonight." I paused, then added, "I feel like we should knock the apartments across the street, but . . ."

I stopped myself there. I wasn't sure about knocking those apartments, but if I had just said I felt we should, I was going to act on that prompting. We knocked a couple doors with no answer so we walked a little further and then I felt like I should stop at one door. We knocked it and Serena answered. After we had shared with her Joseph Smith's first vision she told us, "I don't usually answer the door at night, and I don't usually like to talk to missionaries of any faith. But that was the most beautiful thing I have ever heard. It gave me warm chills."

I am so grateful for the guidance of the spirit and that I have this opportunity to learn to follow it better.

PERLA:

We taught Pearl the Word of Wisdom this week and she quit drinking Coffee and Tea cold turkey and is feeling ready for her baptism this Saturday!

ARMIDA AND PETE:

We found them at a friend's house that we had knocked a couple times before but stopped knocking because the friend, Sherry, wasn't interested. We felt like we should knock though and ask Sherry again if she would like to hear our message. Again, she said no. But Armida said, "I would love to hear your message." We have been teaching her and her 8 year old son, Pete, for a week and a half now and both of them love to read the Book of Mormon and have already had some beautiful experiences with prayer.

40-DAY FAST: SPEAK

Our mission president issued a challenge that we chose something we can do to be better missionaries and do it for 40 days. I was thinking about what I could do and read an article about the commandment to 'Preach to EVERY creature." I decided that for 40 days I would talk to EVERYONE I could. After only two days of doing so I can say it is hard sometimes but I am amazed at how many people will listen, and how many people want to hear more. We found a family of five, and three others who asked us to come back! My companion and I also have the goal to speak only Spanish whenever possible and so far it has been easier than I thought it would be. I LOVE being a missionary!

Mission Letter 25 "Way too happy"

Carmen got baptized! It was such a beautiful, sweet experience for us
and for her and I am so happy for her. Sunday she got confirmed a
member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was
given the gift of the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit. As
her sweet husband Roger was pronouncing the blessing I thought about
something Hermana Farias would sometimes say when we would take
pictures. "I look way too happy," she'd say. In my last letter to her,
I told her that she had left me way too happy, and as I sat in church
on Sunday and thought of sweet Carmen and the joy I have felt from and
with her I couldn't help but think, "God, you've left me way too
happy." :)

Many prayers were also answered this week that helped 23 year-old
Mayra to be able to prepare to enter the temple, and just in time
because in two weeks the Spanish branch is offering temple preparation
classes during Sunday school! The Lord's timing is so perfect :)

I also learned a great lesson this week in an experience we had with Nancy.
These past two weeks I started this habit of writing a question on a
sticky note every time I go to study the Book of Mormon. And EVERY
TIME, my question is answered as I read. One day I was praying about
the question I should ask and felt like I should ask, "How can I be
better at overcoming discouragement?"
I thought it was funny because the work was good and I was happy. But
that day the work was slow and everything just kind of was falling out
of place so that by the time we neared
dinner we hadn't taught any lessons and I was feeling like I just
wanted to curl in a ball and take a nap. In my morning study I had
read Alma 34 and found the answer: pray for strength, pray for others,
and serve. It was almost dinner time and we had dinner alone that
night.
I said a prayer, got up, and said to my companion, "We need to go see someone."
"Who?" She asked.
"I don't know," I said. Luckily, she was on board, and we started
driving. I still wasn't sure where to go but had the vague idea that
we should visit Pamela. Except that it came to the street I should
have turned down and I passed it. Already, I was on a route I wouldn't
normally take. We passed by some apartments and, remembering a less
active, Nancy, I decided to stop.
We had been asked by someone earlier in the week to visit her and
could never find her home. She and her daughters welcomed us in and we
had a beautiful lesson. The timing could not have been more perfect
and I left with spirits lifted.

I am so grateful for the Book of Mormon and the individual revelation
we can receive as we read. I am grateful for the Holy Spirit that can
comfort and strengthen us and guide us to those who we in turn can
strengthen and serve. I am soo excited for General Conference this
coming Saturday and Sunday!! (You can find it on LDS.org) Get excited
people, it's gonna be awesome!

With love and affection,
sister Anderson

Mission Letter 24 "6,840 hours and counting!"

6,840. That's how many hours I have been on my mission! I can't
believe how fast time flies.
This week I had exchanges with our sister training leader, Sister
McMaster, and she asked me what I had learned so far on my 9 months in
the mission. I gave her the top three I could think of, but there has
been so much, including but not limited to: the gift of tongues,
patience, faith, diligence, communication, how to leave a good
voicemail, how to make good pancakes when your are missing a third of
the ingredients, how to drive with my knees, the power of prayer, that
God knows his children, a more powerful conviction and testimony of
the truthfulness of the restored gospel, gratitude for my family and
that I can be with them forever, and how to not be bothered by the
little things (something you learn from being with someone 24/7 for 6
weeks or more :). But the first three that came to mind, and I believe
the most impactful lessons i have learned are these:

1. Joy comes in and from Christ
2. I am Superior to no one (maybe learned a little humility and a lot
more love :)
3. The atonement of Christ is not only to allow us to be forgiven, but
to allow us to change, expand, and improve

I am so grateful for those 6,840 hours and all that I have learned.
This Saturday is the baptism of Carmen Morse and I am so excited for
her. She just radiates with her burning testimony of the restored
gospel and the joy it has brought her and I cannot wait to witness her
follow the example of Jesus Christ is being baptized in just 5 days!

I started this practice of writing down on my calendar at the end of
every day a miracle we saw that day, and it is beautiful and humbling
to see how the Lord is able to work through us to accomplish his work.
At the end of the month, I'll write out all the miracles and send 'me
out, because it is so neat to look back and see what the Lord has done
for his children. :)

Love,
sister Anderson

P.S. Sorry, no pics :( I'll make up for it next week :)

Sent from my iPad

Mission Letter 23 "Halfway!"

Carrol: She has been reading her Book of Mormon almost every night and
is almost to Alma! She has quit drinking coffee and loves attending
church. She is excited to be baptized on March 25th and already has
plans to attend the temple with her husband and friend, Sister
Skinner, after her baptism to participate in confirmations.

Karma: She really wants to know whether she is pursuing the right
course and whether she should become a member of our church. She is
praying often and tells us of the sweet spirit she has experienced.
She loves the plan of salvation and the idea that she will live again
with God and with her family after this life. Because of trouble with
her vision, she has not been able to read the Book of Mormon, so we
showed her how to find the audio version online and she is eager to
listen to it.

Penny: Her little girl, Michelle, can't read yet but loves the Book of
Mormon and asks Penny to read it to her. Penny doesn't always
understand it and says Michelle will ask her all the time what it means
and she will have to say, "I don't know yet." And Michelle will tell her,
"That's okay mommy. You will." And I know she will, too. She loves
going to church and is really coming to understand a lot about her
Savior. She is nervous and excited for her baptism on April 8th.

Tobia: The missionaries taught her and her boyfriend, Brian, some
time ago and Brian wanted to be baptized. Since all baptism
candidates have to be living in accordance with God's law of Chastity,
which prohibits sexual relations outside of marriage, Brian's
options were to move out of the house with Tobia or get married, but
Tobia wasn't ready yet because she was still fantasizing about the big
extravagant wedding that neither of them could yet afford. We felt the
other night that we should stop by Tobiay's place and talked to her
about the temple and how there we can be sealed to our spouse for
eternity. We talked to her about the option of having a small wedding
and getting their marriage license so they can get baptized and then
having a larger celebration later when they are sealed in the temple
for time and all eternity. We are eager to see what she and Brian
decide.

Last week I reached the halfway point of my mission--I can't believe I
have been out for 9 months already! Time flies and I love it here. It
is crazy to think I will be coming home this year! I have learned so
much during these nine months. I have come to see how the atonement of
Jesus Christ can not only allow us to be forgiven, but also help us to
change and improve. I have seen God's hand in our work leading us to
those who are prepared to learn of him and accept his gospel. I know
this gospel is true and I love it so much!

Love,
Sister Anderson

Pics: Last Monday was our last day all together before Elder Dodson
and Hermana Farias left for Tucson, so we went to the Chiricahuas and
had a wonderful time.
Second to last pic: Not included for Privacy reasons
Last pic: Taken just before Hermana Farias left. My new companion is
hermana Hinojosa. She is from Washington and still learning Spanish
and a wonderful missionary.

Mission Letter 22 "Happily Ever After . . . Almost"

Tomorrow morning Hermana Farias leaves for Tucson, and I will be
getting Hermana Hinojosa. Don't be deceived by the name--she is still
learning Spanish. Willcox will be her second area in the mission, so
she is still fairly fresh :) and President Passey told me that one of
the reasons he assigned her with me is so that she can benefit from my
focused studies of the language. I'm excited for us to improve
together. I will sure miss Hermana Farias though. Yesterday, we
achieved comp unity to a T when we discovered that our laughs are now
exactly identical. We just laugh too much :)

Pics:
#1 Not Included for Privacy reasons: My companion, Hermana Farias, and Karma. Karma was a referral
from her neighbors. She was taught quite a while ago and
wasn't really interested. A month or so ago, some tough trials brought
her back to church and she has been coming regularly since. We started
teaching her again only about two weeks ago and she is a joy to teach.
Yesterday at church we were talking in class about the Holy Ghost and
she told us that after our last lesson on the plan of salvation she
had felt so happy and peaceful. She said she felt like there was this
invisible light that only she could see. It has been incredible to see
the joy the gospel has brought her!

#2 Not Included for Privacy reasons: Us and Carrol. Carrol was also a referral from a
member, Sister Skinner. She is set to be baptized this Saturday, but
after she missed church this Sunday because she was sick, the bishop
of her ward talked to us and wants to push back her baptismal date a
couple weeks to be sure she is in the habit of coming to church
regularly and so that the members can get to know her better. That was
really hard to hear, especially because both my companion and I feel
that she is ready and we don't know how to tell her that her baptism
will be pushed back, nor if it is really the best thing for her. She
has such faith and courage. She has a glowing testimony of the Book of
Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith, who she calls her angel. When we
told her she would have to give up her coffee she told us, "I know
that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that this is what God wants me to
do." She also knew that her family wouldn't be happy with her baptism,
but she told them all as soon as we had set the date and invited them
to her baptism and all her kids are coming! We invited the bishop to
our lesson with her this Tuesday evening and I guess we will just see
what happens. In the meantime, we are losing sleep.

#3 Not Included for Privacy reasons: Me and Carrol

#4 Not Included for Privacy reasons: Us, Carrol, and Sister Skinner

#5 My companion with the Cuevas family. Our bishopric is made up of
two white guys and then brother Cuevas. We call them Peter, James, and
Juan :). The Cuevas family are all converts and they know just about
everyone we are teaching. They just know everyone, really. And they
are great at giving us referrals.

#6 Brother Crocket, our branch mission leader.

#7 Whetten Family. This family is really the anchor of missionary work
in the branch. Sister Whetten speaks Spanish and English fluently and
is always ready and eager to come with us to lessons or to pick up
investigators for church and is always asking how she can help.

Mission Letter 21 "Pics"

Sorry no group email this week. I'll catch you up next week :)

Pics:
The Chastains, a sweet couple in our ward, and my companion
The Allred children and their pet goats :)
Some women from the Spanish branch at the class on prayer we taught
Saturday at the women's conference