April 27, 2015

Dear mom,

Well, the big news. Next week the Spain Madrid mission will be receiving iPads!!!!  We are super excited!!!  The 7th we have a training with Elder Dyches of the Seventy.  It's going to be awesome!! 

Well, it was just another amazing week.  A lot of our investigators are starting off, but we are working hard and it is amazing to have a companion who has the same desires as you and wants to do things the way of preach my gospel!! 

We are working with a girl named Milagros from the Dominican Republic and she's doing well.  She is still waiting on a spiritual confirmation but she has received all the lessons and understands everything really well.  We just need her to feel it in her heart. 

We also have a recent convert named David.  I forgot to say this last week but as we went to go meet him Elder Cahoon said, "David, this is my new comp", and we looked at each other and we were like yeah we already know each other.  He was my investigator in B9 and then he moved out of the area.  I put him on baptismal date the day I called Elder Gentry to give him the reference (Elder Gentry was serving in B5 at the time) so that was the coolest thing ever to see an old investigator as a member with the priesthood and doing amazingly well.  What a tender mercy from the Lord. 

We are helping a man who is struggling because his wife died a year ago.  The ward has asked us to go by and help and uplift him spiritually every once in a while and he is just a sweet old man.  His name is Francisco. He sat by us yesterday at church and said, "Elder, Friday I got sealed to my wife in the temple" with the biggest smile on his face. It was a special moment.  He was so excited to tell me and was so happy.  His eyes were beaming and he kept saying "she's waiting for me there and I'll get to be with her for forever."  It was so cool!!  I'm super happy for him.

We are also teaching this 13-year-old kid named Brian and he said he wants to get baptized.  So we will be meeting with him tonight and setting a Fecha and will start to work with him.  Keep him in your prayers as well!!!

Things are okay in regards to work with the members but the focus of this transfer in the zone but specifically in B5 is to work well with the members.  Yesterday was amazing.  We got there early to greet members and it seemed to change the whole dynamic of the members attitudes.  It was awesome.  We also went to to the bishop's house after church and talked with him about what we could do for the work.  It was great and we gained his confidence.  We are super excited to be able to work here and things are starting to turn around. 

I was also able to go on an exchange with the district leader from another ward and share some experiences I have had that have to do with sacrifice and how we will be blessed for what we do here and for the sacrifices we make.  I have enjoyed serving in leadership because you get to make an impact In the lives of the missionaries as well.  It has been a super good experience!!!! 

It was an absolutely amazing week and will be another one this week.  We're working hard and loving life.  Today for p-day we basically have walked around downtown and played guitars and sang at a store it was super fun!!  We also went and gave a blessing to a member who's is the hospital.  

FOR MOTHERS DAY: we are thinking to do it at 3:30 Spain time so that would be 7:30 Utah so think it out and we will confirm it next Monday. We will call on the 10th. 

I love you all!!  The biggest thing I am learning here is that as you do things in the Lord's way and everyone is on board everything goes well.  And I mean everything.  Life is amazing.  Yeah, sometimes things are tough but I'm too happy to notice those times.  So when the Lord says we should do something a certain way, do it.  He knows best and it will bring a peace and a happiness that cannot be counterfeited.  This has just been an amazing 2 weeks and will be an amazing transfer!! 

Love you all!!! Have an amazing week!!

Love,

Elder Jarrett Anderson 

¡hurah por Israel!

April 20, 2015

This first week in B5 was amazing!!!!! :)  We just had the greatest week of all time:)  As I got here they had just finished a transfer of finding and so there are a quite a few investigators that we have been working with this week. 

We have Vilma a lady from the Philippines who we just started with yesterday.  We have a man named Luis from china.  We have 2 girls named Ambar and Andrea who are friends with a member and we have a few others.  This week we started with quite a few and we have been constantly busy.

It's also been a tender mercy to be able to work together not only because we are such good friends but because we both have the same desires to work as hard as possible here in the mission.  We have been extremely happy this week and just working super hard.  The ward is good but there is not a relationship between ward members and missionaries.  But that will change.  It has in areas past and it will here.  The district leader, Elder Schwenke, is working hard for us to be able to improve the relationship and we have a solid district!!!  I am extremely excited!!  Things are going great and the Lord is blessing us.  We have Sol and all the touristic areas in our ward (sp?)  It is a cool area.  Also!!!  I got to go on an intercambio with Elder Gentry!!  My trainer!!  It was the coolest thing ever getting to work with him.  He is a stud and I'm so grateful to have been able to work with him again.  Life is amazing here.  I cannot express how happy I am.  I have never been so happy in my life!!!

Something I have noticed is the lack of home/visiting teaching in the church.  As soon as we can realize the importance of it and how simple it really is, the Lord will be able to hasten His work even more.  The missionary work would boom here.  

Love you all!!! 

love, 

your son in Spain bursting with joy,

Elder Anderson

hurah por israel!!!

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!

Torrejón

His last Sunday in Torrejón

Baptism in Torrejón

P-day email from the Apple Store in Sol

New Companions! Elder Cahoon, Elder Anderson and Elder Schwenke

April 6, 2015

Dear Mom,

Well I don't have a ton of time to email.  Something weird happened with the computer..  but it was an okay week!!!  Things are starting to improve but Sandra told us she doesn't want to listen to us anymore.  It was super super sad and now we honestly don't have any investigators.  We have been searching and searching.  

Conference seemed to make everything better!!!  As I heard the words of the seventy who shared the story of the missionary with the struggling companion when he said in the words of god, "You two aren't that different in my eyes" well.. it hit me that I need to humble myself.  We are all here to learn and grow.  Maybe this area wasn't growing because of my pride. I have been repenting of my pridefulness and I am very excited for this next week.  Conference was amazing!!! I'll tell you more next week!!!! 

Thanks for all your love.  

Love,

Elder Anderson

by the way, this is week 6 of the transfer!!  Transfers this weekend!!! 

"Are we not a branch of the house of Israel?" 1 Nephi 15:12

Dear Mom,

As I write this to you I am listening to He is Risen!  One of your favorites, and I am so grateful for the testimony of our risen Lord and Savior that I have developed during these 16 months as a missionary.  I cannot believe it is already April and conference already and I am so excited! 

In Spain, they have what are called processions.  I have only seen people walking around with olive branches in their hands, but I have yet to see a procession.  I didn't see them in A Coruña last year, nor did I see anything yesterday.  I haven't really sought them out and we have been working in other parts of the city.  But, maybe I'll see something at some point! 

Sometimes callings and assignments add a burden on top of everything else we have to do but, the lord magnifies us just as you said.  Give him your best and we will get you through it all.  Also, enjoy every second, that's whats important because it can be fun!  We are in the work of the Lord, the most important work ever and the work that brings the most happiness.  Come what may, and love it.  Just smile!  Because if we are happy that means we are doing it right. 

We have some good things going for us! 

Sandra is going good. She is still loving when we visit her. She is doing really well. Still on date for the 25th of April. We are going to be visiting her tonight. 

Osasu and Osaheni were going to receive the priesthood but there was a mixup.  We will see when we have those interviews. Super frustrating. But! they are doing really good and are preparing well. 

Elder Eskelson who I served with in B9 found a guy named Rick from the Dominican Republic and gave us the reference. We come to find out while meeting with him he is a member who was baptized there and hasn't come to church in his 10 years here in Spain. He came to church last Sunday for the first time again!!!  So cool!!!  He is loving the Book of Mormon and asked us the other day about the gathering of Israel and the blessings of Abraham and we talked about the temple with him and he has put going to the temple as his goal!  So cool!!  He is a great guy and it's a miracle to get to work with him. 

Other than that.  Lots of contacting. 

We had a fireside last night with Brad Wilcox.  It was amazing. (and super cool he spoke in Spanish)  He talked about how sometimes we will have the question, Why? why this? why that? and he said the answer was Birthright.  He talked about the 12 tribes and our responsibilities as being a part of the house of Israel.  It was incredible!!!!!  It has been something that has been on my mind a lot lately as I have been reading through the end of 1 Nephi and 2 Nephi.  It gave me so much hope.  The blood of Israel is my blood.  I have been so blessed, now it's my turn to go out and gather scattered Israel.  He said we are not here to gather everyone, or baptize everyone, but rather, prepare the way for the day when the lamb comes and we can hand the church to Him, and so it is ready so that when everyone does want to get baptized (because as he said: Jesus will come and say "I'm a mormon!" and everyone's going to be filling the agendas of the missionaries and seeking them out rather than what we are doing right now).  What we are doing now is preparing the way for that.  It brought hope, and renewed vigor to the work.  So never forget that!!!  The prophets this weekend, the prophets will be speaking to Israel.  The world is not going to be listening, nor will hear them.  But Israel will be listening and heeding their words.  Never forget who we are. 

I love you all!!!

¡Hurah por Israel!

Elder Jarrett Anderson

March 23, 2015

Madre mía,

Well it was another long week to be honest.  We have been working hard but not a ton of fruits.  We spend a lot of time in the street and we just have not been able to find many news.  I'm being as obedient as possible and I'm dragging my companion along with.  I've been trying so hard.  My companion struggles with the schedule and I feel like I'm babysitting him sometimes but it's also been one of the most incredible experiences ever.  I have learned so much patience and I am truly learning to love him.  At times it's very difficult but President Jackson called me the other day and said thanks for what I am doing with him and for my help and said that he will "reverence my name forever" for the help I am giving him.  So I know it will be worth it.  Mom, you wouldn't recognize me!!  I am so pleased with my personal progress and how much I am growing and continue to grow.  I'm just upset with the lack of progress in the area.  But it's okay because some good things happened this week. 

We set a date for baptism with Sandra.  The lady from Nigeria who is the wife of Joe the recent convert. It's for the 25th of April!!  She's progressing little by little and is really enjoying the lessons. 

As well, the recent converts have their priesthood interviews this week!!!!  Super excited for that!!  Osasu and Osaheni will be receiving the Aaronic priesthood!!!

We have a bunch we have found in the street but none have turned into investigators yet.  Still trying to meet with them. But none of them can. 

I am really enjoying being the district leader.  It's been an amazing experience and I have grown a ton from it.  I've learned so much about the organization of the church.  I've learned how to correctly work with leaders and I know that will bless me later on.  I've truly come to understand church and priesthood government and why the Lord works this way.  I've also really enjoyed giving district meetings!!  They have been incredible experiences.  Every time someone has told me after that the spirit has testified to them and helped them with exactly what they needed.  It's ben an amazing experience!!! 

Just keep this area in your prayers.  We will eventually find people!!!  I know we will.  I hope to bring news of an amazing week next week.  I love you all!!  Thanks for everything!!!!:)

Love,

Elder Anderson

March 16, 2015

No letter this week.  He sent a short letter to his Dad so we know he is well and happy. :)