Mission Letter 14 "Miracles in Radiator Springs"

My last area, El Rio is the west part of Tucson, so a city in the loosest terms, as in not at all like Chicago or any "real" city, maybe a lot like Provo. So this was the last weekend at Willcox.

Willcox. . . Well, how to describe it. . . You know that tiny little town in the movie Cars - Radiator Springs? That's Willcox. I get to drive a truck and there are dirt roads and only one grocery store and one clothing store and each knows each other. One of our leaders, who said that when he first drove into Willcox with his wife she said, "This is the ugliest town I ever saw!" Well, I love it!

My first Saturday in Wilcox the President of the Spanish branch and asked me to speak for ten minutes introducing myself and talking about the true meaning of Christmas. My companion would be speaking as well. We had been preparing a song to sing at the mission Christmas conference and decided to perform it for the branch. We got so many compliments afterwards on our talks and musical number and it was a great way to start my time with this cute little branch. (And by little I mean like 25 members)

My companion, Hermana Farias, and I laugh at everything and she is so fun! We often had trouble practicing our song because we were laughing so hard.

I love Christmas time on the mission.

The other day we knocked into a lady named Catherine.

When we knocked on her door, she said she was Catholic and was not interested, but my companion persisted, telling her that we only wanted to add to the faith she already cherished. We show her the Light of the World video and talk for a bit and invited her to the ward Christmas party. She was nice but did not really seem interested. Catherine! Catherine! Catherine! Catherine! We stopped by the next day and she wanted to do some Bible readings with us so we read with the Christmas story.

Christopher and Christopher and Christopher and Christopher and Christopher Columbus 1 and Nephi 11 and she LOVED it!

Which sheddeth itself in the hearts of the children of men; Wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.) 

Virgin Mary - why we do not have many pictures of her in our church. We read with her Mosiah 3: 1-8 and told her that we respect her. We know what we pray to God for he is our Father and the source of all power and that we do so in Christ's name because he is our advocate with the Father. She actually loved it.

She has had questions about the Book of Mormon so we read with her the introduction and she said that this was Christ's church established AGAIN on the earth. We told her about how Christ established his church while he was on the earth and the ensuing period when the apostles were changed and lost. The Book of Mormon is a book of Mormon. At the end of the lesson we taught her to pray to God in Christ's name and express the desires of her heart and she said a beautiful prayer expressing desires to know more.

I love this time of year and the chance to share the message of peace and Joy that the angles blood so long ago to the unexpecting shepherds. May we, too, as the shepherds of old say one to another, "Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see what thing is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us, and as shepherds, Have seen it, "'make known what the child said."

Amor y Carino,

Hermana Anderson

My first day in Willcox before Hna Flores left. Hna Flores was in my
MTC district and trained my current companion, Hna Farias.