Monday, May 26, 2014

SIX MONTHS!!!!

What a week!!!!!!  We had the baptism!!!  But some things happened that I'll explain later.  I can't believe it's been a year since graduation and my mission is one fourth over.  It's flying by.  It's so scary!!  

 I got one of the packages!!!!  The assistants are out in the islands today and tomorrow and I was on an intercambio with them this week.  They're trying to help me out and we called people in the islands to track it down so we will get it figured out haha:)  The language is a little different here, like the accent, and all the signs and billboards are in Spanish which is awesome. haha   I love Madrid!  Yes, it was insane during that futbol game.  Every once in a while the whole city would just have this giant sound start up.  haha  We live right above a bar (we're on the 1st floor) and the bar is right beneath and we were planning for the night and all of the sudden everyone started screaming and going nuts.  Our piso literally was shaking and we were leaning out the window yelling ¿Quien ganó? or who won?  We found out Madrid did and we were like yeah!!!! so sick!!  I'm a Madrid fan rather than Madrid Atletico.   They take soccer seriously here.  Oh man, I am so excited for the World Cup.  Spain better win again because Madrid would go wild and that would just be so cool!!  I guess when they won last time it was a 3 day party.  Just absolute madness.  So I'm pretty pumped!! 

That scripture is amazing!!!!! (Doctrine and Covenants 123:17)  Tthank you so much:) Cheerfully is the hardest part sometimes but optimism is the only way.  I can also improve on that.  Thank you so much for that thought!!  Something an Elder said at Zone Conference this week was, "In the difficult moments, when it's raining, you have to throw your head back and enjoy the rain!"  I absolutely love that.  A smile and a good attitude will always get you through and is always the best way. 

Well this week was great!!!  Monday, we had a noche de hogar (family home evening) with some people and an investigator:)  It was super good and I've loved the members here! They're amazing.  Tthat was about it.  Tuesday, we met with Demiter.  We then went and ate at the Bishop's and we had this Venezuelan food called Arepa.  He calls it manna.  The food of the Gods. haha  Our bishop is awesome and is like the nicest guy ever and we go eat with him every Tuesday.  Later that day we went and had a lesson with Javier and his daughter, the investigator, Anai.  She is pretty much set for baptism next week!  It's been an absolute miracle as last transfer she wouldn't listen whatsoever to the elders but we had a lesson with her week one of the transfer and she opened up and has progressed incredibly!!  The Lord's hands have been in this and he has answered our pleadings.  We now want to get the mother to listen to us and then help them get to the temple next summer and get them sealed as a family.  That would be the most amazing thing ever!!!!!  So keep Javier and his family in your prayers.  Wednesday, we planned for the week and then after medio dia we went and has a lesson with a new girl named Carolina.  She is so ready!!!!  A member reference and she is so open!  We also had another lesson with her Saturday and she accepted a baptismal invitation but she is moving to England in like a week and a half so we are working hard to try and get her baptized before she leaves, or make sure that the missionaries there get a hold of her.  So keep her in your prayers as well!!  We went on an intercambio (exchange) with the assistants to the president that night and I was with Elder Blanchard.  We went and reviewed the baptismal questions with Graciela and we're helping her understand everything and answering her questions and it was just a good lesson.  The spirit was strong!!!  She said she is willing to give up coffee because she knows it's a commandment.  So keep her in your prayers as well!!!
 
The next day at Zone Conference the AP's came up to me and said how impressed they were with Elder Christensen and I and how great of missionaries we are.  It was a huge confidence booster. No one has really ever told me anything like that before and it meant a ton to me.  He just said keep up the good work, you'e gonna go far in the mission, and far in life.  It was like the coolest thing for me!!!!

Zone Conference was POWERFUL!  President spoke about the love of the Savior and this is about other people and not about us.  Then the AP's spoke about the love of the Savior as well.  It was amazing and it was so amazing to hear from President about that and that's been what I have been learning the most about out here is the love of the Savior.  Great conference.  Then it was cool to get to know more missionaries!  That's another cool thing about Madrid, you get to meet a lot of other missionaries.  After zone conference we had an intercambio (exhange) with one of the zone leaders and it was a terrible experience.  He was super rude to me and just put me down.  It was terrible.  I felt awful about myself and the spirit was gone.  The next day when Elder Christensen got back he told me to call president and tell him what happened and that was amazing advice. President calmed me down and helped a ton.  I just want to say he is the most amazing mission president ever.  I love him!!  He is an incredible man.  

The rest of Thursday we had a few lessons, with Alina the recent convert, who is now bringing her friend to listen to us, then with Leo, then the familia Bueno.  We just went and visited them and we asked for references at the end, and then, like President Jackson said to do after we received one, we asked again, "Who else do you know that would benefit from this message?"  We did it again and again and we have 7 people in all that we are going to start teaching.  We will be having a noche de hogar (family home evening) this next week with them and, oh man, we are excited.  The Lord has been blessing us so much this transfer.  It has been incredible!!! Absolutely an amazing transfer and its only been 2 weeks!! 

The last big piece of news was the baptism!!!  Vanesa got baptized!  We had to talk to President to get permission because the parents are divorced and the dad didn't want it but we talked to President and he said that normally you need both parents permission because we try to keep families together but because they are divorced he gave the okay.  She was baptized right after church on Sunday.  She went to her dad's house later that night.  He found out she got baptized and he kicked her out of the house.  She's almost 13 and she got kicked out of her house.  It was unbelievable.  We were in a lesson with a recent convert when we got the call and we ran over to her mom's house as fast as we could and just talked with her.  She was pretty sad but she kept saying how she is so glad she made the choice to get baptized.  It was amazing to see the faith of this 12-year-old who had just been kicked out of her father's house saying, "I'm glad I chose to follow the Savior no matter what the consequences."  What an amazing example to us all. 

 It was an amazing week and we have been working constantly.  There is never a dull moment and we are working so hard!!!  We're amazing friends and this has been the most incredible transfer ever.  It's been AMAZING.  I am so happy right now!!!   I can't begin to explain the happiness I feel.  This work is incredible!!  So for the spiritual thought for the week lets get interactive.  Go watch the Mormon Message #Because of Him.  I want all of you reading this to write why you are thankful for what He did and keep it somewhere where you can remember and be reminded of it:) 

I want to say this: I am so grateful because of what He did.  He suffered so that we are never alone.  No matter what.  Because of  Him we have the chance to live with our families again. He brings the hope we all look for and I am so grateful to represent him.  I love the part in the video that says we can start again, and again, and again.  Because of the perfect Son of God, our older brother, no matter how many times we fall we can get right back up.  I know He loves us, and I know He lives.  As much as I know I'm alive right now and typing this email I know he lives.  I know he lives.  Thanks for everything.  I love you all!!!!  You are amazing!!!!!  Keep the faith.  Have an amazing week!!!!!  Hurrah for Israel!

Elder Anderson

¡El reino de dios a nada!

Monday, May 19, 2014

May 19, 2014

May was always a wild month back home I remember!  Well, kind of, I was usually off playing ball so I probably just added to the craziness.  I'm a little worried on the packages.  If I don't get them at Zone Conference this week then I'm gonna talk to the office elders and see whats up.  But no, I have not received the packages yet.  

President Jackson will be at zone conference this Thursday so that will be a big deal.

Yes, there are a couple to add to your Jarrett's investigators list!!!   Well, to start off about this week, it is a TON different than A Coruña.  The people are a lot more open and it's been just a huge change from last transfer.  We haven't had any time to contact opposed to the hours and hours on end of contacting in A Coruña.  We just talk to people between lessons and its crazy cause we get quite a lot of references.  People are just a lot more open.  The ward is awesome as well!!  The people are super nice and I have just fit right in.  It's not a whole lot bigger than A Coruña though about the same amount of active members.  

Elder Christensen is a great missionary!!  He's the district leader and works hard.  We get along really well!!  We're good friends and we teach well together.  We are working a lot with some recent converts, one named Alina.  She's cool, she speaks english and loves to listen to mormon channel but struggles reading every day so were working on getting her to develop that habit.  We are also working with Demiter (no idea how to spell it).  He also speaks English and it's super cool when we read the Book of Mormon together he reads in Bulgarian, us in Spanish and then we discuss it in English.  haha pretty cool!  He's an awesome guy and is a great friend.  Just the most sincere, caring man ever.  We also work a lot with Leo and he is a stud!!!  We are helping him to try and get on a mission and he's just a great guy.  He gets it.  He goes everywhere with his Book of Mormon, his teachings of President Joseph Fielding Smith book, and a notebook to take notes.  Everywhere he goes he has that in his backpack.  He comes to lessons with us all the time and is just an absolute stud!  We are also working with the Buenos.  They are cool!  He is a returned missionary and they were married in the temple but they're less active now and they are super cool.  They came to church yesterday!!!!:)  so that was awesome! 

As for investigators we have 3 with a baptismal date:)  The first is this weekend her name is Vanessa, a 14 year old.  Her mom Laura and this guy Manuel she lives with are also taking the lessons but they can't be baptized yet because they aren't married and are living together, but eventually they will be!   So, keep them in your prayers as well!  There is another recent convert named Javier and he is amazing. We are teaching his 14 year old daughter Anai right now and we had an INCREDIBLE plan of salvation lesson yesterday and she currently is on date to be baptized the 1st weekend in June!!!:)  We also are teaching a lady named Graciela and we had a lesson about our burdens in life and watched the conference talk from Elder Bednar and talked about handing things over to the lord.  It was powerful and she will be getting baptized the 8th of June.  

We have one other investigator named JF he is this 21 year old from here and he's cool. He is an athiest but he is praying and reading so pray hard for him!!  It was an amazing week and I am LOVING it here!!!! 

Oh, it's also really weird because we now have Hermanas (sister missionaries) in our ward. I've never even had sisters in my district so its kinda strange, haha,  they're cool though.  One is straight out of the MTC and the other has over a year.  They're great missionaries!  

My studies have been amazing lately as well.  I finished Jesus the Christ, and wow that was an amazing book, and now I'm reading it in Spanish.  I'm also reading through the Book of Mormon in Spanish and it's super cool.  I love study time.  The scriptures are incredible and sometimes the 1 hour we have for personal study just isn't enough haha but thats okay:)

Last thing, the futbol fans here are NUTS!!!  We were riding in a member's car to an activity and he was listening to part of a soccer game between Madrid Atlético and Barcelona and the radio went ballistic cause Atlético scored and this guy riding by on a bike just flipped out and was yelling goal goal goal!!!!  hahaha.  After the activity people were going crazy cause I guess Atlético won and people were honking at anyone with Atlético stuff and cheering and then other people were honking and yelling and just the entire city was going absolutely bonkers.  hahahaha.  It was awesome.  I'll have to choose wisely because we can go to one futbol game during our mission, and one bull fight as well, I believe so I better pick a good game. haha.  That will be fun!!!  Madrid is awesome.  I'm loving it. 

For the spiritual thought for the week I was reading in Acts 28 and I loved verse 27.

27 For the heart of this people is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes have they closed; lest they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and understand withtheir heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them.

This is the key to conversion. We must see with our eyes. Hear with our ears and understand with our hearts.  Conversion is a continual process so I hope we can strive to continually convert ourselves to the Lord so he may spiritually heal us.  I testify that he can heal us spiritually.  I've seen it in my life, I've seen it in the lives of investigators, and in less actives. I've seen and felt the happiness - the happiness of spiritual healing that conversion brings. So strive always to continue on the path to conversion.  I love you all!!!!  Espero que tengaís una semana increíble. os quiero!! I hope you all have a great week!!  I love you!!! 

Elder Anderson

¡El Reino de Dios o Nada!

Monday, May 12, 2014

May 12, 2014


It was so amazing to talk to you yesterday as well!!!   Amazing day!!!:)  Saying goodbye and leaving A Coruña was tough but I'm extremely excited for the transfer down here!!  I didn't get a lick of sleep on the train and I am exhausted.  haha.  But that's okay. 

My new comp. is Elder Christensen and he is from Ogden!  He is a stud!  He's been out here since last July and has been in this Barrio (ward) since February, I believe.  He's a hard worker and I'm super excited to get to work with him!! 

Madrid is extremely hot, the weather is insane and I am probably going to die here of heat. But it's a cool area, not as much nature as Galicia, just a lot of buildings but it's still super cool. 

That's so exciting that Zach is home and doing well!!  I hope to be a missionary like him and I know obedience is the key.  I am extremely excited for Janzen as well!!  Cannot wait to hear where. (Spain Madrid!!)   I got the pictures and they were awesome!!  That's so cool you and your friends do the Race for the Cure and honor your friend like that.  That is an awesome tradition.  The pictures are great!!  I'd love more of those:)  

I'm so glad [the call] made your Mother's Day so great:)  Love you mom!!:)  You're amazing!!!!:) You're always in my prayers!!!  For the spiritual thought I want the other kids to know what great a mom they have.  Read Alma 56:48 and do not doubt that your mother knows it.  Cherish her testimony.  She is the most amazing woman ever and you are so lucky to have her.  Cherish having her.  You have been so blessed!!  I love you all!!!  Have an amazing week!

Love, 
Elder Anderson

¡El reino de dios o nada!



A note from his mother:  Elder Anderson was transferred to Barrio 4 in Madrid.  He left on a train Sunday evening, May 11th, and arrived Monday morning in his new area.  Sunday was a bittersweet day for him.  Packing up his belongings, saying goodbye to everyone in A Coruña, and Skyping with his family. What a treat it was to Skype with him and to see and hear how he is doing.  We are so grateful for David for letting him use his computer to Skype!  

Monday, May 5, 2014

May 5, 2014

They don't celebrate el cinco de mayo here but they did celebrate the 1st day of May for some reason that nobody knew, so everyone went to the bars and contacting that day was super fun hahaha.  Oh how we love festivos!!  Sounds like an awesome week back home!!

Zone meeting was amazing!!  We focused on using the scriptures more in teaching, and how people need to understand our message better. Our Zone is really struggling. The people up here have not been receptive the past while and things have been extremely rough for the entire zone, it's been pretty sad to see everyone (specifically in our district) so down and having such a hard time.  But, the Lord is here for us and it was a powerful zone meeting and when we apply these things we will find success.  (oh and no, I was not able to get the package.)  haha  I will get it at zone conference in a few weeks!  But that's okay, I found the only place in the entire country that sells deodorant, so I got that!!!  Kinda expensive but worth it:)

Thank you for the quote.  That helps a lot as I've heard it all here and I'm learning not to let people's comments bug me.  Contacting brings out the best parts of missionary work, it shows if you're truly committed to doing this and brings out some of the worst in people we talk to, but also gives us a chance to testify of the truth of this message and truly develop a love for these people.  You really have to develop a special kind of love to talk to everyone on the street, hear everything we hear but still be ready to go talk to the next person you see and I have truly started to develop this love for the people that everyone talks about.  It's hard sometimes cause there are some very stubborn people but that quote from President Hinckley is so true!  Thanks.

Happy is the man who can brush aside the offending remarks of another and go on his way.  ~President Gordon B. Hinckley

Well, this week was an absolute emotional roller coaster.  Wow.  What a week.  Basically we spent about 90% of it out on the street talking to people. and received nothing. haha  man i love it.  The principle of enduring to the end takes on a new meaning as it really takes something emotionally to get out of bed every day knowing you have a day filled with no plans because no one wants to meet, the members don't have time to have us over to work with us, and knowing it's a long long day of getting rejected in the street.  But do not take that as complaining or me trying to say,  Oh poor Elder Anderson because the reality is it was so tough the first couple transfers, but it has developed something in me I could never have developed otherwise, and that is the ability to persevere (sp?) until the end because of the hope that is found in the atonement of Jesus Christ.  The atonement is not just for sinners trying to get clean, but for saints trying to do good things.  I have never truly understood the atonement, and although I may never completely understand it in this life, I know that it is why we do everything we do.  we are inviting people to come unto Christ, and we have the power and courage to do that through the hope we find in Christ. We cannot fathom with our childish minds the extent of what he suffered in the garden and on his way to the cross but it effects everything we do.  That's been the main theme this week for me is trying to learn more about the atonement and it has come through more than just my studies, but through praying every day for the strength to continue to serve these people.  We had intercambios Wednesday and I went up to El Ferrol and that's a super cool city!  and now I've completed the cycle and been to all the cities in the district.  ¡que guay!  as we say here haha which means cool!  But yeah, basically that was the entire week contacting and learning about the atonement.

Of course, the big day, Saturday, was what made everything worth it.  WE HAD THE BAPTISM!!!!! They passed the interview and they got baptized!!!!!!:)  oh my goodness it was an incredible experience:) to see them go through the whole process of reading, praying, receiving an answer and then coming to the waters of baptism.  Incredible. The amazing thing was we didn't really have to do anything, just teach with the Spirit, follow Preach My Gospel and let the Spirit take care of the rest.  Amazing.  This work is so true and nothing can ever shake my testimony of this gospel after the happiness I have seen come into their lives.  I got to baptize Cindy and that was the most incredible experience.  President Allred was right, entering into the waters of baptism with someone is something that nothing comes close to.  It is a million times better than any home run I've ever hit.  The feeling is incredible, and lasting, and honestly words cannot describe it.  I am so grateful to be working here.  It's been the hardest thing I have ever done but the Lord has blessed us.  I've had 3 baptisms in my first 3 transfers.  That's a miracle.  But a miracle is the result of the application of correct principles and as we obeyed and worked our hardest the Lord blessed us beyond what I could have asked for.  It's so hard out here, but I am so happy to be here.  I love this work and I love my Savior.  I know He lives and He directs this work.  I love you all!!!!!  Can't wait to talk to you next week!!!!!:)

We will be skyping!!  We will be getting on at 4 p.m. here (8 a.m. there) and PLEASE SEND ME THE SKYPE ADDRESS so I can call you.  I'm so excited!!!:)  love you all!!!!:)

Love,
Elder Anderson
¡El reino de dios o nada!


Elder Smith, Josepha, Cindy & Elder Anderson