I SAW YOU!!!

Dear Mom,

I SAW YOU!!!! Twice!!!!!:)  It was so cool to be able to see you!!!  The choir was AMAZING as well!!  So cool to be able to say my mom was singing!!  And Janzen as well!!  I wasn't expecting to see him and then all of the sudden he popped up!! haha! so cool:)  Well, we went to Temple Square to watch it "Pavones" as it's called here.  (Pavones is the metro stop)  The sacrament meeting hall is in Spanish and a couple extra rooms for when that fills up and then they have it upstairs in English for the missionaries and the tourists.  So we watched it in English until they announced the first guy who was going to speak in Spanish so me and Elder McFarland ran downstairs and watched him speak in Spanish 'cause we wanted to hear him actually speak.  It was so cool!!!!!  The "señor yo te seguiré"  It was the one from the session you sang at!!!  So you were listening to exactly what I was listening to.  It was super cool to see him speak in Spanish!!!  This conference was incredible!!!!  My favorite talk was probably President Monson's in the Sunday morning session.  After being out here for almost a year preaching the message that there are prophets on the earth today, I was able to sit back and listen to the man of whom I have been preaching is a prophet.  We always talk as missionaries about how a prophet's main responsibility is to testify of Christ and that is exactly what he did.  He truly is a Prophet of the Lord and I am so grateful to be a part of the Lord's true church. The weather is different here. But I'm liking it.  It's chilly but then gets hot some days, but from what I've heard it just gets really cold all of the sudden.  There is only really a winter and a summer here.

We went to Sol again last week with a bunch of missionaries!!  We are trying to figure out other cool places to go.  We did see the Real Madrid Stadium the other day.  That was also pretty exciting!  We are also back to drinking the piso water:) haha:) 

Our investigators are doing really good.  Miguel and Cristian both have fechas!!!  for the 25th of october!!!!:)  Cristian is a little iffy and we will continually work with him but with Miguel it is basically a for sure thing.  He is doing incredible and had an amazing experience at conference.  He is reading, praying, and just loving things.  They are looking for a new house together and are talking about starting a family.  I cannot begin to describe with words how amazing this experience with them has been. I have been a part of the change of someone's life and it means everything to me that the Lord has blessed me with this opportunity.  I also went on an intercambio with Elder Cahoon again!!!!:)  Man that was so much fun and just the coolest thing ever!!  He is a stud and is the nicest kid on earth.  We had so much fun together!! 

It was an amazing week.  As always.  Despite my feeling bad about myself and not knowing if I'm enough.  I love this work and will give my everything to it and I always will.  Thanks for your support back home.  I love you all so much!!!  Thanks for everything mom.  I love you!!!!

love,

Elder Anderson

Well it was just another AMAZING week as usual!!!

Well it was just another AMAZING week as usual!!!  The work is going incredible here and I am so glad to hear that all is going amazingly well at home! 

Wow what a week.  You know, I'm getting good at recognizing the little miracles and the Lord's hand in all of this.  This week also was filled with a lot of the members hands in the kitchen, feeding us.  Ever since we got the members back on our side and loving us things have gotten out of hand.  In the last 13 days we have eaten with members 11 of them. and 7 of those days we had at least 2 meals.  It all culminated with us just about dying on Thursday night.  We had 4 meals with members.  One with Bishop during media dia, another after a lesson with an investigator in a member's house, then another with another member after an investigator lesson, and then in the house of the Lopez.  My "gift of stomachs" came in handy and I downed 2 plates at each house and I came off conquerer.  We live by the rules of  1- we eat anything and everything they put on the plate and  2- if they ask if you want more you accept it.  The quickest way to a member's heart is pounding their food and we have done well.  But it gets difficult sometimes.  Asking for more space in my stomach is a frequently offered prayer here in B4 and that is not a joke.  I have literally said a prayer multiple times and in the end, I'm alive, still skinny, and with the love of the members.  Life is good. 

Miguel is still doing well!  Taught him lesson 2 and we gave him a blessing yesterday cause he got sick and he is just doing amazing. 

Cristian is doing incredible as well.  He came to church and loved it!  He is awesome and is progressing so well.  He should be on baptismal date by the end of this next week. 

We found a new family, the 17-year-old brother is a member and just moved from Guatemala.  We are now activating him and teaching his older sister and her family.  She is friends with a lot of sisters from the ward so the ward is helping out a ton and I am so excited to see how things go with them.  The sister isn't married and so it will probably be somewhere around a year before she can get baptized.  I may or may not still be in Spain before it can happen but I'm just glad I'm a part of the finding them and helping them start on the path. 

That's been a difficulty serving in Spain, where it can take anywhere from 8 months to over a year to get married.  If we find out someone isn't married, I know I'll never get to see their baptism which, honestly, is really sad sometimes but it's okay because I am a seed planter and just a first guide on the path.  I'm like a workhorse and I'm just here to get to work and find everyone who is ready for this message.  It's hard, but so worth it.  So so worth it. 

Graciela is doing amazing.  She is reading, praying and coming to church weekly.  She has a lot of friends in the church, and her fireball character is gone.  She is just so nice and happy now. She's doing amazing. 

Anahi and Javier. Anahi is struggling with some things and the mother has not been very supportive of church attendance. Javier is struggling and always says, "I have a lot on my brain". I just don't know what to do.  Just keep them in your prayers.  I'll let you know more next week as I find out more.

The Buenos have been struggling a lot lately.  We went over last night and he just let everything out.  He has no one to talk to and we just talked for like an hour last night and then gave him a blessing at the end of the night.  Pray for them.  They are still together and plan on staying that way so we just hope to help them communicate more and start being happy.

It was another incredible week though!!  I say it all the time but I love this work.  It means everything to me.

So for the spiritual thought this week I wanted to talk about the Plan of Salvation.  It's something that is so basic to our beliefs that sometimes we forget the value of the knowledge we have.  The only thing I want to mention from the plan is our potential and how we need to remember who we are and what we have the potential to become. We lived with Heavenly Father before but we were not like Him.  The entire reason we came to this Earth was to gain a body so that we could be like Him.  If we can remember this simple truth, that we are on the path to godhood, on the path to become what we were born to become, we will be able to live on a higher plane than the world.  Remember your potential, and always keep that eternal perspective.  As we bring our thoughts to that level, our daily lives will improve, we will have a purpose in all we do, and we will have the ability to fight off temptation better.  I know that we are sons and daughters of the living God.  I am so grateful for that knowledge.  I love you all!!!!  Thanks for everything!!!!

Elder Anderson

¡El reino de dios o nada!

Transfers!!!!

I am so excited to hear you sing mom, keep working hard!!  I am telling everybody here that you will be singing in conference!:)  P-days have been cleaning the piso and a lot of cleanup we have an older piso and we have been working hard to get it looking good again and finally today we said it's finished!!  Last week we went to a Bible shop and bought bibles.  So that was fun:)

Thank you so much for your thoughts mom!! Sincere prayer, really talking to our Father is something I have been working on a ton lately.  I'm getting better!!!:)

Well it was transfer week last weekend..  It snuck up on us and we didn't see it coming honestly.  We´ve been working so hard and it's been such an incredible transfer and it flew by and it's already over.  We will be staying together for another transfer!!!!:)  We are so excited!!!! 

Another week where not a ton happened..  But we kept busy.  Lots of contacting and lots of trying to find people but we just haven t seemed to find the people who are ready yet.  It's frustrating sometimes and it's discouraging to be working so hard and not seeing the "fruits of our labors" but it's molding us and shaping us and the Lord wants to know how committed we are to Him so we just keep going :) 

We found a guy named Byrum this week.  He is super cool!  We've only had one lesson with him and he really liked it.  He wanted to know more and was really nice so we just hope he starts answering the phone. 

Our only other investigator is Miguel.  The Husband of Silvia, the member.  He has been progressing extremely well.  He originally started to listen because he wanted to fix things with his wife.  They were struggling in their relationship because they were separated and now they are getting back together.  Every time we go to teach him he has more and more and more interest and he told us the other day in a lesson that he really now has his own desires to know if it's true or not.  It was incredible.  All of our hard work is paying off with the changing of one life and the saving of one relationship.  It's amazing to see him changing and them being together more.  They are together all the time and they call each other "cariño" which means sweetheart in Spanish and it makes me so happy!!!!  His life is changing and he is doing so well and it makes Silvia happy as well and it is bringing the true joy the gospel brings into both of their lives as they begin on their journey to become an eternal family.

Honestly it was just a week of hard work and learning what we were truly made of. We have such an amazing relationship as a companionship.  He is an incredible missionary and an incredible friend. 

Sorry for not much this week!!!  We don't have a ton of time either.  The Hermanas got taken out and we are bringing two Elders in to replace them so we are helping them get into the area and taking them around. 

For the spiritual thought this week I wanted to do one other activity.  I love hearing from you guys and your testimonies. This week I want you guys to read a few stories of Jesus and I want you to search for his attributes or his "character".  I once heard a quote from supposedly Neil A. Maxwell.  I'm not sure if it's from him but I liked the quote nonetheless. "There would have been no atoning sacrifice without the character of Christ."  He was a perfect man, not only does perfection, or sinless include what he did not do, but also what he did do and the man he was.  I found one example this week in John 2:23-25.  The Savior was not concerned with popularity, nor finding just whoever to follow Him.  There were many who believed on Him merely based on sight.  What they had seen with their eyes.  But what the Savior wanted rather than a conversion based on sight, was a conversion based on true testimony given from the Father, so he did not "commit himself unto them" Jesus was focused more on what was right than what was popular.  So now go find your own examples of what kind of a man the Savior was and why He was perfect in deed.  I know He lives!  He is our perfect example.

Have an amazing week!!!!:) 

Elder Anderson

Our Savior Lives

Wow.  What a week for you guys!!!  Stake Conference sounds incredible and I got jealous but then I remembered we had an amazing Zone Conference last week and everyday is filled with just being uplifted and spiritually filled and I was extremely grateful the Lord blessed you at home with the experiences and the Spirit you have been having.  I will keep Sister Levine in my prayers. 

 Pres. Jackson spoke about preparation in the Zone Conference. and preparation is essential before any act performed unto the Lord.  So keep it up!! 

Wow.  I cannot believe Janzen will be taking off soon!!!!  Get me his stuff.. the first part of the mission (at least after the MCT for me) was the hardest time in my life, but the most sacred time of my life.  I would not be half of who I am now without A Coruña.  I am so excited for him!!! 

This really is the best two years.  It may be tough some times, but that's why faith is so important.  Something I feel like I've lacked, but with faith in the Lords promises, that's when we see miracles in our lives. 

Thank you for your testimony of a mother.  I don't know if you understand the strength and power of a mothers testimony for her son.  So thank you. 

Well this week wasn't anything to crazy but we are just having an incredible time out here in B4!!!  Life is so good.  Life is perfect.  We decided we love hard times and the change in attitude has made all the difference.  We kind of, in a way, prayed last week to be able to understand the Plan of Salvation and the Atonement better and we had a week of dropping investigators, more finding, losing investigators, but pure bliss, happiness and joy.  Because, amidst the hardship, the Lord, according to our faith, blesses us with miracles and truly blesses us with the utmost joy the gospel truly brings.  We were waiting for a family in a park the other day and they weren't showing up, so instead we contacted a guy who sat down on his suitcase and we taught him lesson one.  Later the family showed up.  The hand of the Lord was there.  

Miguel, the husband of Sylvia is progressing extremely well and is beginning to gain his own personal desires to follow the Lord and not only try and fix his relationship with his wife.  We contacted a Spaniard family on a bench one night and a couple nights later went and had a lesson with them.  The wife is extremely excited and says she is going to read and study the book and "of course I'll pray!"  The husband believes in science, and doesn't want the Book of Mormon but says he loves to listen.  They have a 16 or 17-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter.  This is the first time I have ever taught a Spaniard family my entire mission.  This doesn't happen often and we have been so blessed.  Jose Luis and Imaculada. We have been meeting with Christian and he loves listening.  He's way cool.  Anahi (Javier's daughter) is struggling right now so please keep her in your prayers.  She's going through some teenage stuff and it's stressing Jajvier out but it will all be good.  She's a good girl and we had a really good lesson about "stand ye in holy places" the other day.  

We had a rough day of contacting and nothing but that night we were in a park and there was absolutely nobody there but we saw one person sitting on a bench.  We went over and it was a 17-year-old kid.  We talked to him, he invited us to sit down and he listened to lesson one!  Heavenly Father lives and loves his children.  This week was incredible.  Nothing to crazy happened but we have been so blessed. 

Amazing week!!!!!!  I love you all. 

For the spiritual thought this week:  A goal I have is to develop "unshakable faith" and the way to this is found in Jacob 4:6. The answer is simple, and is something that in these modern days we sometimes take for granted.  The key is "we search the prophets." and through their studies they "obtain a hope", a hope in Christ and their "faith becameth unshaken".  So I exhort you all at home to search the words of our living prophets.  Everyone try and read at least one talk from a recent conference and next week I would love to receive emails of what you learned and also how it has strengthened your faith.  I love you all!!  I testify of the reality of the restoration.  Joseph Smith was a prophet of the living God and President Monson is truly the prophet for the whole world today.  I testify of the reality of that calling. 

Have an amazing week!!!! 

Love,

Elder Jarrett Anderson

¡El reino de dios o nada! 

I Love it When it's Hard!

We studied service this morning and are setting goals to do more community service and service in the ward. Super cool!! Well, we have a ton of references to start calling this week because this is supposedly when they all start getting back.b  So we shall see!!  Vacations are hopefully coming to an end!  Well, we were going to go to the temple this Wednesday (we go once a transfer if you're in Madrid) but they cancelled it and we won't be going this transfer. (dang it)  Although I shouldn't complain, my comp hasn't been in a year.  So I have no room to complain.  haha!  Next transfer though!  We have Zone Conference on Thursday!  I am extremely excited for that and it will be amazing, as always.  Send all handwritten letters (for now, until I say otherwise) to the mission office.  Our address doesn't work, but the office is in our district so I will get it at District Meeting. 

This week was an interesting one and I don't have a lot to say honestly.  We met with Carmela a couple times.  She completely stopped progressing.  We have been working on her and her daughter and her daughter doesn't want to listen anymore and Carmela refuses to accept that Christ established one church, and that there is one true church on earth.  She thinks they are all true and she doesn't want to choose because she doesn't want to "love us more than the others" because that's "not what Jesus taught".  We tried explaining everything to her simply and show her through the Bible and have been working so hard on explaining the Moroni 10 promise but she just won't get it.  She says she loves having us over but she told us she only wants us over once a week from now on so she's kindof done progressing for now.  We´ll keep going and trying to help her understand and gain a testimony but we will see. 

Ramon - we have had a couple short lessons with him in his little beat up house. We sit in his tiny room and he's told us about some of his problems in life.  For example, the night after our first lesson with him there was a huge fight at his house and the police were there and he said something about how he was gone for the next few days.  I'm not sure if he was in jail but I think he may have been.  It's been extremely humbling teaching him.  He just wants to be happy and we have been trying to help him find hope through this message. 

Humberto, has decided his best source of information to find out if the church is true or not is the Internet. He has looked up some anti stuff and just so much information on the Internet and we have had two very frustrating lessons with him.  He was just going off about how because of this and this and this the church could never be true.  Joseph Smith died in prison, the Mountain Meadows Massacre, all sorts of things he's brought up and the Spirit was gone as he just went off and as, at least, Dad knows I had a period of my life where I looked up a ton of anti-Mormon stuff and had read so much about the gospel.  As he was going off about a ton of things I said "Humberto, listen to me.  First off, we're going to go out into the street and ask 50 people if God exists and whatever they say that's going to be what we believe.  It's the same with the Internet.  We can go there and base our beliefs off of what we read.  It would be pointless to go out into the street and ask them because we know God exists.  How?  We've felt it.  We've felt it and we know He's there and that's all we have asked you to do.  Go directly to the source.  Ask God if it's true.  Now do it.  Humberto, I've been where you've been.  I've looked up so many things about the church, bad, good, and everything in between.  I know what's out there, and it never edified me or led me to a conclusion.  But Humberto, in the name of Jesus Christ, I testify to you that this book is true.  Joseph Smith was a just man, a man of God.  He was a prophet of God and I testify to you with all of my heart that Jesus Christ lives and this is His church.  I know it with my whole heart and soul.  I know it without a single doubt, not because of what I've read on the Internet, which i have and not because of what any man has told me but because of the answer I received from God and I cannot deny that.  I asked Him and I felt something I can never deny.  Ever.  Humberto, it's true. Now ask Him."  It was so powerful.  He finally just sat and listened as I, through my tears, testified to him of what I knew to be true. I had been praying the night before for the Lord to help strengthen my testimony, and that was it.  I will defend the truth at all costs.  I will testify till the day I die that these things are true.  My comp afterwards said, "Thanks Elder for finally shutting him up with powerful testimony."  It was an incredible experience and Humberto said he'll try because my testimony touched him.  It was an incredible experience.

Miguel, the husband of Silvia.  We started teaching him this week. he is the husband of a member and they have had a lot of marriage issues.  He is starting to listen because he wants to try and save the marriage but hey, you've got to start somewhere no?  So he's doing well so far.  We´ll see as time goes on what his true desires are.

We had a lot of time passing by references.  We had a really good problem this week.  We contacted so much the first couple weeks we had too many references and had to stop finding people and had to contact the ones we already had but nothing has come from it yet. but we´re still working on that project.  A lot of passbys and trying to contact people but not much came of it but that's okay!!  It kinda starts to get tough at that point mentally but we're saying as a companionship "We like it when its hard".  We like the rainy days when no one will listen to you all day, when we get yelled at all day, and then at 9:50 right before going in you get the number of someone you know you´ll never see again.  Those are the kind of the days we love.  I have loved the work, and things are incredible.

Spiritual thought:

i just want to focus on one thing from Preach My Gospel I read this morning.  It's a simple statement and it is in regards to our ability to let the Lord work miracles in our lives. 

He works according to the faith of His children. Doubt and fear are opposed to faith.

The Lord works according to our faith and our trust in him.  Although we may not understand the "why" behind everything.  We can understand that He knows and we can trust that He knows.  So trust him, and I testify that the Lord will work miracles in our daily lives.  Two scriptures to go with this,  Moroni 7:35-37.  I know this is true.  The "miracles of the Bible" have not ceased.  According to our faith the Lord will work miracles in our lives. So take heed to the counsel in Doctrine and Covenants 6:36 "look unto him in every thought, doubt not, fear not."

I challenge each of you to seek miracles.  Not only seek them, but expect them according to your faith. 

Love you all!!!

Elder Anderson

¡El reino de dios o nada!

August 18, 2014

Well it was an INCREDIBLE week!!!:)  A lot of contacting because we will go contacting get a lot of references and then everyone goes out of town. haha  Everyone in Spain basically goes on vacation for the entire month of August so its been month filled with street contacting.  But thats okay!!  The members have turned around 100%.  It's a different ward here and I know it's a blessing of our obedience and trying to be unified with them. 

So anyways, we have some solid new investigators!!  Belen, we found her knocking doors. We taught her lesson one and we are heading back this week.  Luisa, she's super cool and was doing great but she went back to the Dominican for two months.  Antonio and Margot have been out of town all week but they get back tomorrow!!  We found a lady named Marcela on the street and she has a friend who is a member of our ward!!  We set up a lesson and we are just super duper pumped to meet with her.  We did an area book pass by and found a man named Humberto.  He is so solid!!  We taught him lesson one ( he remembered most of it because missionaries taught him for a while) and he loved it!  He's from Peru, his wife is a member and we are just super excited for him!  We started to teach a man named Jasan from Morocco the other day.  We brought him a Book of Mormon in Arabic and he is awesome!!  It was so cool, he started to read the names of the eight witnesses from the Arabic book and they sounded English.  It was so crazy!!  haha!  We have also been meeting with some more members this week to get to know them and as always the less actives and recent converts.  Hermana Bueno will be headed to the U.S. here soon and we are a little nervous for that one.  But it's all good, just keep them in your prayers and all will be well.  Graciela is the happiest woman on earth and she makes me super happy every time I see her. She is struggling to read because she gets tired but she really wants to do it and is trying hard to live the commandments.  It's been so incredible to see the change in her.  Anahi has kinda been lazy lately but I'm pretty sure it's because she is a teenager haha and it's summer so she´ll get over her  "I don't want to go to church because I was out too late last night and I'm tired"  ("But I wanted to go to toshi station to pick up some power converters" teenage attitude).   It will stop once school starts.  But everyone here is incredible.  We are working hard.  Being obedient and doing what the lord has asked us to do and that's all that has been required of us.  To get out here and give it our all.  I hope to have more news on investigators for next week and I'm sure I will!!  Probably the highlight of the week was Friday.  Elder Tyler Cahoon and I may or may not have gone on an exchange. HAHA!!!!  It was SOO COOL!!!  He's in the office and in our district and he came here to B4 to work with me for a day.  Oh my gosh, it was probably the coolest intercambio ever.  We contacted the whole time but we just tore it up together and just had a TON of fun!!  We got 20 numbers and addresses in 24 hours which is the most I have ever gotten in one day.  WE worked super well together and it was just so much fun!!!  haha it was awesome.  My computer won't let me send pictures but I will get some to you as soon as I can:)  SO cool!!!! Well this week was amazing.  Lots of progress with the ward members, with the work, and a lot of starting with investigators.  I am so excited and just beaming with joy.  I love this work so much!!  Keep it up at home and keep living the commandments.  This gospel is true and the Lord ALWAYS fulfills his promises. 

So for the spiritual thought this week it's something simple but a principle that we can all apply.  Doctrine and Covenants 130:21-22.  It is the principle that governs everything.  This all comes down to our willingness to obey. The lord only requires that we keep his commandments (Mosiah 2:22) and it all comes down to our willingness to submit to the will of the Lord and do what he has asked.  So read that verse in D&C and ponder to yourself, how can I improve and submit myself to the will of the Lord because there is always room for improvement.  I testify that as we repent, align ourselves with God's standards and simply obey that the blessings come because of the law that has been irrevocably decreed.  The Lord cannot go back on his word and He never will (Mosiah 2:22) and we have the ability to bind the Lord according to our obedience and He will be required to bless us. (D&C 82:10) But the thing is our Heavenly Father wants more than anything to bless us.  He loves us, he cares for us, and he wants to bless us in every way possible.  But the blessings come in our willingness to obey.  It's up to us. and that's the beauty of agency.  So choose today to live how god wants you to live and keep the faith!!  Love you all!!!  Have an incredible week!!!!:)

Gathering Zion

Mom,

Well all I can do is thank you.  Thank you so much for the support, and for what you have said in your emails.  I cannot even begin to give you the proper thanks for what you have done for me, and how much love you have shown me.  The quotes were perfect. I loved the one from President Hinckley.  It is so true, and we really do need to learn to give thanks for what we have.  Gratitude is the key in all and gratitude is a principle we can all live by.  Thank you mom.  You are the greatest mother any son could ask for and I hope you know I see no faults in you.  Not one.  I couldn't have asked for a better woman in my life than you, and I am so grateful to say you are my mother.  I hope I make you proud.  If you could see me now I just hope you would be proud to say "that's my son!"  Every day I strive to live up to that.  to make you proud.  I want to be able to have the same said about me from our Heavenly Father, that as he looks down and sees me he can proudly say "that's my son!"  I hope I can live up to that for my mother and father here, and my Father in Heaven.  I love you both!! 

Sounds like a really fun week!!  I'm glad the primary activity went well!!  and that the pictures were good:)  Woah, Veronica is married. I remember taking her to prom.  She should not be married. hahaha!!!  That literally just blew my mind.  I knew it was coming up, but wow. Things are a little different back home. haha:)  I forget its been over a year since high school ended and 2 years since senior year started.  I can't wait to hear more about Brittany's baby!! Keep me posted. 

Well this week was INCREDIBLE!!!! although it was a little bit of what President Hinckley described: 

“Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.

This week may have been a lot of delays, sidetracks, dust, cinders, and jolts.  There was a lot of rebuilding and a lot of good old-fashioned hard work that will eventually turn into a transfer full of beautiful vistas and bursts of speed and that is what makes this work so amazing.  Although these past two transfers were not at all what they should have been, and as we settled for mediocre.  All it takes is a little bit of hard work and focus to get back on the path and that's exactly what we did.  We started off the week with figuring out what we want to do with the work here and our vision of how we will bring it about and Elder McFarland has so many good ideas about how to work with members and be organized and so we are starting those up. We did absolutely 0 work with members the last two transfers, and honestly I was terrified of what the members thoughts were about me, but we have been going by their houses almost every day (at least 1 member every day) and building their confidence, and getting to know them, we have a giant list of possible member references that is getting bigger and bigger and they are starting to invite their friends to come listen to the message.  And the members (now that we are out there serving them and loving them) have confidence in us and the work is changing.  I have a strong testimony now that truly this work is impossible alone, and without the members.  It flourishes with members.  Apart from member work, we have done a lot of contacting and building up the reference pool.  We didn't really have much but we have a LOT of names to work with now and we are continuing to find in every moment. The Buenos are still doing good although she is still most likely going to America but they have been talking a lot about it and they don't think it will end if she goes.  They weren't able to go the temple together but she went and did a session alone and she had an INCREDIBLE experience!!  She said she just bawled the whole time and felt the Spirit stronger than she's ever felt it.  She's making changes, and things are still looking up.  Continue to pray for them but things are little by little getting better.  The thing with Danny and Alejandro is we have only been able to meet once a week but the lesson went great this week as we watched the Restoration video, and Merly, the mother  (who has never wanted to listen before) accepted a Book of Mormon and is going to read and pray!!!:)  So that was a miracle in and of itself.  They didn't come to church.  In fact, no investigators came. But that's okay because things are still going well:)  We found one guy whose name is Antonio.  We found him on Monday and we have had 2 lessons with him since.  He is a Spaniard, has a wife from South America and 2 kids.  He really likes the Book of Mormon, wants to read and pray and is working on inviting his wife to listen to the message as well. We talked about baptism in the way that Christ showed us and he said he wants to be baptized like that.  So we are super excited about him.  A lot of potential.  The new ward mission leader has been coming with us as much as he can to lessons that we have planned and is an absolute stud, he said we've got a lot of work to do and he is doing so well.  Just a humble guy who wants to just work hard.  Last night we found a guy in the street named Christian and we had a lesson with him.  We taught lesson one and he loved it.  At the end he said, of course, I'll read and pray, it makes sense there would be Prophets today and I'm really curious.  So hopefully we get started with him real soon.  Oh!!  We also were in a park the other day and saw some teenagers playing futbol and we were like let's go play.  Not so we can play but so we can get the reference after.  So we went and were like hey, lets play! We played for a little and then started talking about the church.  Turns out one was baptized when he was 9 by his Grandpa and they were all cousins and the others weren't members. They all took Book of Mormons.  They're super excited to read and were so excited for missionaries to come over to their house (they don't live in our area) and so that was super cool!!!!  The baptized one said, yeah I'll go home and read, I've never forgotten where I put that book and I know exactly where it's at.  Super cool, and hey, a little futbol for salvation? Sounds like a great idea to me!!! :)  This week was amazing, we have been striving to be perfectly obedient (except I forgot to shave one morning, woops) and honestly I have been so much happier than I have been this summer.  This work is amazing and honestly the secret is WORK.  I'm so grateful I've got a comp like Elder McFarland who just came here to work hard and that's exactly what we are doing:)  Amazing week:)

For the spiritual thought this week I came across a scripture I loved about our trials.  We need 4 things to make it through all trials.  The scripture is in Mosiah 24:8-22.  They were persecuted extremely for what they believed in, but what did they immediately do? (verse 10) They began to cry fervently (or mightily in English, I believe) unto the lord and then AFTER they did that things began to get worse (verse 11).  Even though we may cry unto the Lord things may still get worse.  But they did not back down and still continued to do what they knew was right (verse 12) and cried unto the Lord in whatever way they knew was possible, they did anything they could to choose the right, and poured their hearts out to him.  Then he heard their cries (verse 12) and promised them comfort (verses 13-14).  He reminded them he knows them and remembers their covenants with him and tells them to "lift up their heads and be of good comfort" and then (in verse 15) just as the Lord promised, he eased their burdens.  He didn't completely take them away but he strengthened them and got them through.  Our burdens and trials may not always disappear completely but through the strengthening power of the Atonement they can be eased and they cheerfully submitted to the will of the Lord and in verse 16 so great was their faith and patience that the Lord promised to free them in the morning.  He did and they gave Him thanks as they were freed (verse 22) and as they didn't forget the Lord once, He never forgot them. 

So through all of that we need 4 things in any trial:

1.Faith

2.Patience

3.The ability to never forget the Lord

4. Gratitude

1. Faith- faith and doubt cannot exist in the same person at the same time, so hold on, trust in the Lord and his promises and have faith that one day all will be well.

2. Patience- sometimes we won't get a "quick fix" and we will not see the immediate complete lifting of our burdens.  Sometimes they will be eased, or sometimes it may seem to get worse but if we can have the great patience then they will be eased, and eventually lifted.

3. The ability to never forget the Lord- they did anything they possibly could to include the Lord in all they did. Cried fervently to Him, cried in their hearts and always remembered Him (which, in fact, meant they were keeping their baptismal covenants).  So remember him always. (Moroni 4&5)

4.Gratitude- Immediately after everything they gave thanks and didn't forget the Lord afterwards.  We need to give thanks in all things. 

So keep the faith and never forget you Father in Heaven!!  I love you all!!!  Have an AMAZING week!!!:)  Love ya!!

Elder Anderson

¡El reino de dios o nada!