Christmas Pictures

 Christmas Eve - Tres Reyes

 Christmas Eve in the MTC

Singing at a Nursing Home

A few more pictures.

 Dinner at the MTC

T

This one is me and the other Elders.

From left to right: 

Elder Nyland, Elder Friese, Me, Elder Marshall, and Elder Dean.

We took this from our room one night. 

Yes, this is our nightly view. 

This is the greatest place ever. 

Best MTC on Earth!!!!

Week 4

 Singing in the Park

Proselyting in the Park

Crazy week!!  Tons of studying and the Spanish is starting to get better!  During our proselyting we only have a couple hours but we talked to people the whole time.  It was Me, Elder Nyland, and Elder Dean.  We placed 4 Book of Mormons, 2 in English and 2 in Spanish.  We placed the two English to a guy from Nigeria and a girl from Texas and her friend from Virginia.  The man from Nigeria was way cool and President Sitterud got a picture of him sitting on a park bench reading it a couple hours later so that was awesome.  He was super excited to "learn more about Jesus along with his bible" but his biggest question was why didn't Jesus visit Nigeria.  We didn't really know what to say there but none the less he was reading so the seed was planted.  The girl from Texas promised to look up the missionaries in her area back home so we´ll never know on that one.  We placed a Spanish BOM to a man who has lived in Pavones 20 years (Pavones is our metro stop which is by the temple and CCM) and he said he's seen the temple and always seen the missionaries with their books but he has never once talked to missionaries.  He was very open and wanted to know more and said he would stop by the stake center sometime.  Even though we will never know the fruits of the seeds planted, in a fireside a couple weeks ago Elder Bennett of the 70 promised that "not one of our efforts will be wasted" so we will hold onto that promise. 

Great day in the park. We also talked to a couple from Romania on the metro and they wanted to come hear us sing on the temple steps because the wife LOVED how the temple looked on the pass along card we gave her. They said they would like to talk and so Sunday we had a Romanian Book of Mormon for them but they never showed up. It was sad thinking how we had something that could change their lives forever but they missed it.  It's okay, the Lord will take care of them. 

Monday we sang at a Christmas concert for investigators at the stake center with the missionaries from the 5 zones in Madrid City.  Way cool experience. It was powerful and the spirit was undoubtedly there.  I prayed for the investigators there to feel the importance and power of the message of our Savior and His gospel and I do not have one ounce of doubt the prayer was answered with how the concert went.  Great week.  

I was sick yesterday but it was just a one day thing.  I was good to go to class last night and go to the temple this morning. The happiness I feel out here, especially when proslyting cannot be described. I love this work so much and it is the greatest decision I have ever made. This church is true without a doubt!!! 

Spanish is coming along well and the gift of tounges is real.

Yo se que este iglesia es verdad. Yo se que José Smith es un moderna profeta y tenemos moderna profetas en la tierra ahoy. Yo se que El Libro de Mormon es la palabra de dios y verdadero. Yo se que JesuCristo es hijo de dios y él vive! Yo se que La igelsia de jesucristo de los santos de los últimos días es la iglesia de dios en la tierra.

(translation)I know this church is true. I know Joseph Smith was a modern prophet and we have modern prophets on the earth today. The Book of Mormon is the word of God and it is true.  I know Jesus Christ is the Son of God and he lives!  I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the church of God on the earth.

I love this work and I cannot wait to be in the field in two weeks!!!  I love you all and thank you for the emails. I love hearing about home and knowing everyone is doing so well!!! Love you all.

"El reino de dios o nada!!!"

-John Taylor

(the kingdom of god or nothing)

Week 3

The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days, it's weird, haha but its halfway over!!  I will be in the field soon!!  I'm glad he got those pictures to you and I love proselyting in the park.  Did he send you one of us talking to an angry looking man?  'Cause that man told us we were of the devil and was telling us to go to hell, but the crazy thing was I wasn't scared one bit in fact I loved him and I wanted him to feel the importance of our message and for him to know I believe in Christ and I just looked him in the eye and bore my testimony of the Savior.  He said some words that shouldn't be repeated to me but I just brushed it off and it reminded me of the scripture in Moroni 8 verse 16 "Behold I speak with boldness, having authority from God, and I fear not what man can do, for perfect love casteth out all fear".  That was probably the best experience this week.  

We didn't get to watch the devotional since it was like 3 a.m. here while it was on but I'm glad it was so great!!!!  I have been trying to read Jesus the Christ but here in the MTC its kinda hard.  I've only got time to read the scriptures and Preach my Gospel to prepare for our investigators.  We teach our teachers who act as investigators and one went really well and the other not so good.  We committed one to baptism so that was a cool experience to practice that!  I love hearing your testimony and hearing it brings so much joy to know how I truly was born of "goodly parents" I loved the melting pot for the 2 weeks it lasted!!!  

The Russians and French people are gone so there are only 15 of us 'Spaniards' left so were getting really close and it's so much fun!!!  None of us really speak the language too well but that's okay.  It's coming along!!!  Other than the experience at the park and investigators we've mostly just studied and studied and studied and.. studied, but it's a lot of fun.  I love it here!!!!  This place is incredible!!!  The night before the French and Russians left the 4 other Spaniard Elders and I broke into the French's room while the Russians were in there and had a massive pillow fight but then after we all sang called to serve together and it was powerful!!  Then Elder Dean (the other district leader) and I bore our testimonies and it was just an amazing experience.  We have been called to not only serve but represent our King and I love wearing the tag and being his representative.  I can't even begin to describe the happiness it brings.  Tell everyone I love them!!!  and I pray for you daily.  Every single one of you. 

Spiritual thought for the week!!  Read 1 Nephi chapter 1 very carefully and verse by verse you can find all the principles of the message of the restoration (the first lesson in Preach my Gospel)  Basically the coolest thing ever.  This gospel is true and the Lord's hand is in all of it.  There are no coincidences in how things are set up and Predicad mi Evangelio is inspired.  This work will go forward with or without us and my limited language skills will not stop the work.  The Lord has everything taken care of, so go read 1 Nephi 1!!  It's pretty cool.

((hugs and kisses)) love you mom,

Elder Anderson

I hope this makes sense and is good 'cause were kinda limited on time but just know I love you and things are great if that was really confusing. haha. I just type and hope it turns our okay. haha. love you.

In the Park

Proselyting in the Park

Week 2 - Second Edition

Dear Family,

Where to begin!?  Sorry it's been so long and I can't reply to all the emails but thank you so much for all the support and for the emails.  Well first off the spirit here is amazing.  It´s like my favorite place on Earth. 

There are 34 elders and sisters here it's like one big family!!  It's crazy though cause there are missionaries from Tahiti, France, Canada and Switzerland who only speak French. Some from Ukraine, Romania, and Russia who only speak Russian. A random kid from Germany who's going to Colorado spanish speaking, and then the North Americans going to Spain and Russia, and the Italians show up in two weeks. It's like the coolest thing ever!!!  My comp. is Elder Nyland from Pleasant Grove Utah.  He is way cool!!  We get along really well.  We´re the two youngest elders here but he´s a great kid.  We room with Elder Dean from Lehi,  Elder Marshall from Blackfoot and Elder Friese from Germany.  We get along super well and have so much fun together.  We call ourselves the United Nations haha. It;s way fun but we´ve also had some amazing experiences with each other. 

 I am in the Distrito de Nefi.  The Nephi District and I am serving as the district leader.  I've loved having the experience to lead and serve them and help them out with whatever they need. I had a chance to give a sister in my district a blessing of comfort . Last night Elder Nyland needed a blessing because he has been getting sick and I was guided by the spirit and through the priesthood was able to heal him.  It was an incredible experience! The studying has been going well and the spanish is coming along.  I can bear my testimony and pray so that's exciting.  We get to teach our teachers who act as progressive investigators and we have to teach in spanish so that's been fun!  

Every week we get to go downtown to proselyte in a park and I was with Elder Walker, a russian speaking elder, from Orem Utah and although we didn't seem to have much success we had a way cool experience.  We had a prompting to talk to a family walking by and it was no coincidence that they were from London, spoke english and the dad was from Russia and his brother is an LDS bishop. We may never see anything come of talking to them in this life but the Lords hand was in that. The Lord has a way in all of this and I am so excited to get into the field!!  Kinda funny though the first people I contacted spoke english haha.  Reminded me of The Best Two Years.  I also had a chance to bear my testimony in spanish to a couple and offer them a Book of Mormon.   They didn't take it but it was an amazing experience for me. It was a simple testimony but I felt the spirit like none other!!!  We also got yelled at.  It was scary but not too scary 'cause it was some language neither of us spoke.  I think it was spanish.  So it was a solid first day of proselyting but Sunday after singing on the temple steps a couple of elders and I got to go speak to a German couple who spoke spanish and i gave them a Book of Mormon!!!  I was so pumped and I was so happy that night.  I wish I could just be fluent and get out there I'm so excited!!!!  

The temple here is beautiful and the temple grounds are amazing.  We love taking pictures out our window at night of the temple during sunset haha.  The temple inside is made of all marble and, oh my gosh, its my new favorite.  The MTC, temple, and stake center are all right here and in our building the 4th, 5th, and 6th floors are the MTC.  The 4th floor is for studying so we call it the Telestial Kingdom. The 5th is our rooms so the Terrestial Kingdom and the 6th floor is the kitchen so we call it the Celestial Kingdom.  The food is amazing and they serve a lot of meats, soup, and breads.  It's amazing!!!  The deserts are weird but way good. They feed us constantly and I love it haha.  None of the cooks speak english and our teachers don't really either so it's kinda hard but it makes learning the language easier if that makes any sense. 

I've been getting up in the morning well. I know its crazy! haha but it's just long days of studying and teaching.  The devotionals have been way good!!  Elder Bennett of the Seventy spoke to us last night and I love the spirit here.  The days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days but I love it here.  The weather is great it says it's cold but it feels amazing.  I will let you know if I have any debit card problems. I haven't had to use it yet but since you checked I should be good to go!!  Thanks for asking about the socks mom!!  I got them though:) and I thank you for the prayers, thoughts and the emails Mom and Dad. Tell everyone I love them and tell everyone from the ward hello!!  Oh and tell Sophie good job on the scripture!!  

I love you all!!!  but I want to leave you with a thought of the week:  No matter what language you speak. No matter how hard it is to communicate with someone, we are all children of our Heavenly Father and we all speak one similar langauge, Smiling and Laughter.  As Children of God we all have a desire to be happy and we can all strive to make each other smile. And that is why I am out here.  Because the gospel brings more joy than anything else. To be able to look at an Elder from Tahiti give a thumbs up and smile or sing a hymn with an Elder from Russia and feel the spirit together or just laugh and have a good time goofing around with an Elder from France at night.  Despite the language barrier we can all be happy if we come together and recognize we are all children of God, and brothers and sisters in Christ. The church is true and I love my Savior. I love this work. I Love you all!!!

Love,

Elder Jarrett Anderson

Week 2

They didn't give us p-day last week and they switched it this week to Friday!  I will be emailing you a little later because we are gonna go do some things today and we have limited time to email so I will tell you about everything later!!!  I love you guys so much and the CCM MTC whatever you want to call has been amazing!!!!  I can't wait to tell you all about it!!  Thanks for all the letters and all the support.  Tell everyone I miss them, but I'm not getting too homesick.  So that's good!  Love you all.  I´ll be writing a little later.

Con Amor (With Love),

Jarrett