Hola Hola

Familita!

 

How is everyone doing? haha I finally received Dad's Dear Elders...poor Dad, maybe one day he will catch up with the technology these days haha :). Mom, I love your letters and I know you may think you don't have much to tell  me, but I do love just hearing about your days and how life is back home. How is the house coming/furniture picking out?

 

I appreciated all of Dad's letters and great advice. I also liked the one where he shared insights from his area meeting. I also shared what Austin learned on his mission with my companion and she loved it- It's so true; Joseph Smith was the first investigator of the Church in this dispensation and Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ were the first companionship- I love that!

 

Alright well we have 800 new missionaries as of yesterday, so I hear..and 1000 more next week..it is getting crazy here, sometimes I go into the cafeteria for lunch and dinner not even wanting to eat because the lines get so long..but some days they aren't too bad. We've had a bunk added in  our room so we have 6 beds in a room...we don't have new roommates yet though. I have heard they may start putting mattresses on the floor...so this could get fun, I am more than 1/2 way done though...although there are more sisters with calls then there are out in the field right now...which means we are going to have to learn to train super fast! Oh I don't know if I told you guys but we were told that soon they may have to have the Devotionals in the Marriott Center....ah those lucky missionaries who get to take a nice walk ha.

 

It is a bit scary, but like Mom's letter reminded me and from our special sisters meeting on Sunday, the Lord will make a way and we just have to step up to our calling. Our Branch President's wife, Sis Sanchaz, talked about how when they were called to serve in California, she was super nervous thinking about what a woman in southern California had to be like, in a sense of being fashionable and things, but she soon learned a women in Southern California needed to be very spiritual  She just touched on no matter how qualified you feel, how important it is to just step up to the plate and get it done! On a mission you find that to be more true than ever-and I am not even out in the field yet...I pray ever night that I will have the strength I need to be a good hard working missionary in Chile.

 

Well I had my first fast Sunday as a missionary. It was a nice Sunday, We sang a musical number as a district in Sacrament- "Redeemer of Israel" ...of course the Spanish version :). I also had the opportunity to bare my testimony in Spanish as much as I could, it was great. Saying goodbye to people in our zone was sad-it's kinda sad to realize we may not see these people again. You truly do learn to grow and love your zone and district, they truly become your family and friends while on the mission- and Heavenly Father will help you have love for them! All things are possible through Him!

 

One important thing that I have learned this week and that has been touched on in the Devotionals is regardless of where we are with our testimonies we have one, and we always have room to grow, we need to continue to ask God questions and a witness will come. Benson L. Porter and his wife spoke on Sunday and he talked of an experience where he was in middle school and didn't really know if he believe in Joseph Smith seeing Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, and then one day he was asked to play Joseph Smith for a movie....he said that experience helped him gain his witness. We need to ask and go and act and we will know. He also touched on the fact that it's not about being the funniest missionary or the well liked missionary it's about doing our part in sharing the Gospel, I loved that because of course everyone here especially surrounded by missionaries you want to be well liked...but it's not about that it's about sharing the Gospel...I feel like it's very important for all of us to learn that.

 

Tuesday night's devotional was given by Elder Don B. Clarke. He shared a story about when he was in Panama so I listened very carefully and thought of my brother. The story was of him seeing a little boy before going into the chapel praying, after the meeting he asked the little boy why he was praying the boy 13 years old there with his younger brother said he was praying that he would feel the Spirit in that meeting. We can learn a lot form a 13 year old, just think about it how often do we pray personally that we will feel the Spirit. I loved that story.

 

 

He than went on to teach us about how we should teach and testify. He expressed how important it is to get converts rather than baptisms.  It's our responsibility to help converts be active in the church, help them if they don't have an assignment, don't blame the Bishop just get one assigned. And we should always know where they are in the Book of Mormon. I also love how he said we should take special care to know of the new baptisms within 12 months of the area we are in..if we don't care about someone else's converts, no one will care about ours. He also promised if we will put all our effort into caring for less actives where we are- God will make sure someone is taking care of ours (such as back home and such). it was really a great talk- wish I could just send the whole thing your way. Our district devotional after the Devotional was so powerful, we had the Spirit there and we are really growing to be like a family  He also taught that we should teach with true conviction that it REALLY happened...Joseph saw God the Father and His son Jesus Christ, Christ is our Savior and was not just a man on the earth, it all REALLY happened and when we are teaching our lessons we need to talk about it like it REALLY happened, because it did! We were also told that we were the Superbowl :)...but you know as missionaries you kind of forget of things happening.. especially when you are in the MTC surrounded by non worldly things.

 

Okay so funny story of the week- even though you don't know him hopefully you'll find it funny. My "old' District leader-we have a new one now- got up from the lunch table and started walking to go get more food we all look over at him and he has this huge thing of who knows what on his pants in the buttocks region ..I tried so hard to hold back laughing but I couldn't and we didn't all want to yell across the lunch room, so then when he came back he said some Elder in line tapped his should and was like "uhh Elder you have something on your pants" so of course he didn't know what it was so he just kinda wiped it away and he was like "oh did I get it?" and the elder was like "uhhh no"..so than Elder Alonzo continues to ask him for help haha. He said the Elder got so embarrassed ..haha anyway moral of this hilarious story that you may or may not find funny...always do the seat check!! Just imagine an Elder walking with confidence across the cafeteria with beans on his pants...so funny yet so sad.

 

The temple was amazing of course, we really are so spoiled to be able to go every week, I love it...only 2 more times ahhh!!! oh man I can't believe I'm going to Chile so soon. Oh Me and Hermana Stott ran 5 miles yesterday and did some weights...yea how many missionaries can say they ran 5 miles on their missions....haha okay maybe Parker can, but he is an exception ha. So yea our P-day today is going to be full of relaxation, letters, laundry and nail painting...yes I have painted my nails every p-day so far..so if you see any cute not too flashy nail polish sure send it my way :).

 

Friday we had TRc's which I LOVE!!! Because we get to just talk with real people and help them know that they have a Heavenly Father who can help them with their problems and the Doctrine of Christ can give them a clear direction in life. It was so fun. Me and Hermana Stott shared our testimonies of why we came on missions with one sister and than just helped another sister understand the importance of personal revelation through prayer.

 

We met our new investigator (Irma) yesterday  which means yes that was our first door approach ..I was so scared, but if we just let the spirit guide, we will be prompted to know which questions to ask and what to say..it's so cool!  So Irma, what we know about her is she is about 30, divorced and has 2 teenage girls..and she works like all day at Taco Bell, so yes I think she really needs the Gospel in her life.

 

Alright well I think that's about it, haha like Austin mentioned the length of emails... I am really trying to cut down  but it's so hard, you know me I love giving the play by plays. Well I love you all! Remember the Church is verdadero and Heavenly Father loves you and has given us a Savior so that we can return to him- Christ will always be here to help us overcome ANYTHING. oh as far as the language..ahh it's coming along I guess, I just need to not be afraid and just speak it, I need to do more of the Spanish and just get it in my mind. oh and Mom, you should come sing here...you could be one of the senior couples soon :)

 

les Amo!!

 

Con Amor,

 

Hermana Morgan Anderson