Elder Anderson in España: News from Sol!

Well, I am currently writing to you from Sol. The downtown of Madrid. I am going to be serving in Barrio 5 in Madrid as a zone leader. But, that's not the best news of all. You guys remember how Elder Tyler Cahoon is serving in my mission? Well he and I are companions this transfer!!!! I am so excited!!!!! I found out Saturday during medio dia that I was going to be a zone leader but I had to wait until that night to found out who my new companion was going to be. Well I opened the email that night and sure enough Elder Anderson to Barrio 5 with Elder Cahoon. Its basically the coolest thing that could have ever happened!!!!

Leaving Torrejón was hard. It's always hard leaving an area. Leaving behind people you know you may never see again and also wondering whether or not you magnified your calling to the fullest. But as a have reflected my work there in Torrejón i am pleased with it. We had the 3 baptisms the first transfer, but other than that there was not a whole lot of progress investigator wise. A lot of finding with seemingly little fruits. A lot of seed planting with a very small harvest we might say. But! the impact that I feel like I was able to have as a district leader in regards to the lives of the other missionaries, and with the relationship with ward leaders was something that first off, will bless me in the future so much! I learned so much and these experiences I have had will be good preparation for future church service. Secondly, they have taught me so much about who our Savior is, what He is like, what His true attributes are and how to use the atonement to develop them.

I have learned people skills as I have been working with the leaders and members and although at times it's hard and people are very prideful, I was able to learn how to stay principled, disciplined, and loyal to the lord. Not caring what man thinks, but rather caring what God thinks. I have come to truly understand what the meaning of the first and great commandment is. To love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, might, mind and strength. I've come to only care what God thinks and it is an attribute that I did not have in any way shape or form before the mission. And thanks to Torrejón I've been developing it.

It was a long week. Lots of searching. Lots of planting seeds. But I know that one day someone will reap what we have sown. It had a great ending though. The Hermanas had 3 investigators who were going to be baptized next week and I interviewed them on Saturday. They all passed and they were going to have the baptism on the 18th but because of transfers and because one of the Hermanas was leaving the Bishop had the idea to move the baptism to yesterday afternoon. So we had a baptism of 3 people yesterday and I had the honor to baptize one of them. Her name is Paola from Columbia. She and her husband, from Spain, were both baptized and she asked me to perform the ordinance. Continuing my streak of every time I leave an area having a baptism my last weekend. It was a tender mercy from the Lord that I am very grateful for! I also ordained Osaheni and a man named Salvation to the priesthood yesterday. An incredible experience. To ordain two Africans with the authority of God was a very powerful experience for me.

It was a rough transfer but as I look back I am so pleased with the work I did. I think I was expecting immediate perfection and to see fruits immediately but over the course of these months I have done what the lord asked me to do. I helped my companion who was struggling and needed help. I was the one he needed and the Lord gave me that experience. It was a trial at times but it will bless me for forever and it helped him and his experience with me will have a good effect on him the remainder of his mission. I know the Lord is pleased with my work.

Sometimes in the moments we look forward and want it to be over. We want the future to come and forget to live in the present. Like Dad said, we forget to "smell the roses". The Lord has given us this life so that we "might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25) and is giving us every reason in the world to have happiness. It all comes down to 2 things. 1. Our attitude. 2. Our perspective. As we have an eternal perspective, as was talked about a lot in conference, it gives us an ability simply to choose to be happy. Or in other words to have a good attitude. Thanks to his perspective Nefi was always positive and had a good attitude. SO my invitation to all of you this week is this: Choose ye this day to be happy!!! and enjoy life. There's a lot to enjoy. Don't hope, wish and wait for the future to come faster. Enjoy what the lord has given you now. You'll never get right now back.

I love you all!!! and I am doing amazing. I'm so happy and excited to be here. This ward is going to be an incredible experience. I can already feel it!! I'll be praying for the elections!! Hope all goes well!! Keep me posted!!

¡Hurah por Israel!

Elder Jarrett Anderson

p.s. This transfer we will be having the Mother's Day call. The last call of mine home on the mission. Holy Cow. We will plan that soon! ¡Os quiero!