Going strong

Familia!

 

Wow sounds like this week was an exciting week for the family. Also speaking of tax season being over, I think I forgot to thank mom for doing my taxes...thanks mom!! Also today we played some volley ball as a zone and had milk shakes...with Oreos, I was craving Oreos and then we had them...that was fun! So is the family going to Atlanta with my brother when he gets home...what is the girl's camp going to be that the girls are missing out on? 

 

Let´s see so this week we met a really great lady who was wanting to know more and more and fed us once after the lesson and we had a lesson planned with her the next day but she called us and canceled...so hopefully this week we can meet with her again..I have really high hope- I guess faith for her I really think she could be ready for the gospel because she was taking about how she had attended different religions but hadn´t felt the spirit...so I hope we can be the teachers she needs to see how to feel the spirit and know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored. 

 

We also met a menos activa familia who are really great...but didn´t make it to church yesterday...which was sad...Hermana Tovar was super sad Saturday and I was too because we had 3 citas which all fell through...our area is pretty small and it´s hard because we talk to people on the street and they live not in our sector...but we continue to press forward. We decided this week to really focus in finding the less active members...the members of the area are actually really great and have passed by for some people we asked them too. There are two young men in the ward getting ready for missions, one has his mission call to Columbia so he loves to talk about missions and we have asked him to fellowship one of the menos activo young men and his family...so he is helping us out with that.

 

This week we helped a newly baptized little girl with reading the scriptures...we sang a hymn and read a chapter from 1 Nephi...I loved it. There is something about teaching simple lessons and feeling the spirit and seeing people understand and feel the spirit as well.

 

Mom thanks for your email and for asking me the good qualities of Hermana Tovar...because I have been praying to not get annoyed with small things and the Lord is helping me and yes my Spanish is definitely improving. I can understand more and more everyday although I probably still talk like a cave man..I did extend a baptism invitation for my first time this week...I think it was this week and not last. But Hermana Tovar and I had a talk as best we could. It´s hard to express yourself and try not to offend others when you can´t communicate very well..anyway she's very charitable, and friendly, she has taught me how to get more lessons in a day and how to do contacts...we practice contacts every day, she tells me my Spanish is getting better and helps me have confidence and pushes me to talk to people. So she is great in that way

 

This week we also had zone conference, which was really great and the gringo elders told me if I can make it through this transfer all will be well...the first transfer with a gringa they said is always the hardest....so yea that was comforting..I just hope we can continue to work and find people to teach...oh speaking of people to teach we went over to that family we found with a married couple-miembros but they didn´t answer when we went back Sunday they were like where were you...ahh he said he was home all day...I was sad about that but we have another cita scheduled this week...hopefully we can get members with us and it will all go well. Zone conference also announced the change with hermanas and now we have hermanas who are kind of like zone leaders...basically hermanas will be doing splits now...so that´s cool, because there are so many hermanas serving now

 

In Sacrament a family spoke on the importance of living the gospel always. they gave really good talks and expressed the importance to put or trust in the Lord and pray always. Gospel principals was on charity which was a great lesson for me...I remember in Alma-I am not sure which chapter that says basically without charity we are nothing...I have realized I needed to use more charity with Hermana Tovar..This week was definitely better and we are learning to teach in unity. 

 

We had our mission coordination meeting this week and have a lot of activities planned to get members to bring friends and for us to find more people to teach. Dad asked about Francisco...he is actually in the other hermana´s sector...basically our mission has 2 sets of missionaries for ever ward now...so it´s hard. But yes we still get fed...even though the president wants us to eat not in 4 only in companionships...which is best I think, and yes Mom our clothes till get washed by someone in the ward.  

 

Mom asked how my new area is the same and different...well it is about the same in population wise we may a have a bit more people here but this area seems to be way more rich than my last..meaning the houses are bigger. And we have a big hill we walk up and down everyday...I have actually felt it in my calves already 

 

Oh I forgot to tell you on Saturday we went into this house for a lesson and it smelled sooooooooooo bad and there were flies everywhere..It was so hard not to gag...when we left to go to lunch Hermana Tovar was gagging ha-ha poor girl...but yea that was fun. 

 

Anyway I am learning a lot about patience and learning to deal with change and show true love toward everyone in times of struggle...this area is really so nice and so excited and willing to do anything for the missionaries. I am grateful for that and for everything. Thank you all for your prayers and great examples and good attitudes. 

 

oh ps dad I liked your comment about working with menos activities I read a talk this morning on the importance of members and felt the importance as missionaries to strengthen less actives and really find them and show them that we care and they have friends in the church...the talk was from last conference in April...you should find it and read it...it was really inspiring.

 

Mom could you send me Kari's email. That´s all for now...oh I saw a dog get hit and die this week...that was scary and sad....umm yea oh and hopefully I can send pictures this week...ps the center here is sooo much bigger than my last and lots of shopping...good thing me and Hermana Tovar´s birthdays are only a day apart...lots of shopping to be done that p-day :). well lots of love from Chile

 

Hermana Anderson

 

ps yea I hope I get my birthday package around my birthday...at least Mother's day is that weekend and we get to talk. Oh Hermana Hermansen sent me pictures of John´s baptism...they all looked so great!!! 

Morgan's birthday is coming!!!!

May 9th is Morgan's birthday!!! Since this is her first birthday in the mission field, we want her mailbox to fill up with letters, cards, and packages. Please take a minute to write her a quick note and send it NOW so she might have it for her birthday!

Limari Alton

Hola Familia!! 

First off, thank you so much for all the emails...they really made me super happy! I am glad everyone enjoyed conference and Maddy´s birthday..I can´t believe she is 7 years old and receiving curlers for her birthday :). Also I received the Dear Elders of everyone on the mission this week so thanks Mom. Also we now have permission to email friends...which I am super super happy about because I was worried I would´n´t be able to share things with Kari or many very much but the rule has changed...yay!

Well the biggest adjustment for my week was transfers ..yes I was transferred on Wednesday to Limari Alto...which I found out Wednesday morning and transfers were that night....so I started crying because even though I couldn´t communicate very well in the language I was going to miss the people so very much and Hermana Hermansen helped me so much with everything...we became very good friends and I will hold our times very dear to my heart..I wish her all the best..you should look her up when she gets back in September. I probably didn´t cry as much as I did the week when I left for my mission...I hadn´t felt so much of a home sickness in so long as I did for that area and those people I came to love..but mamita gave me some sock things because she would always scold me when I didn´t wear shoes...but this is so great and don´t you worry, I am doing so much better...so on to explain my new area and companion.

My companion is Hermana Tovar from Peru (this is why I cried one day while studying) just because things were different..but I know we are both trying because we both have a barrier between us which is the language...but she is helping me so much with speaking and teaching lessons. Transfers are hard, but I have learned and continue to learn to really put my trust in the the Lord. Hermana Tovar is super sweet and tries to help me..it´s just hard to communicate and also make sure I am not offending her...so this is fun :). Oh did I mention we are opening a new area...yea so we are trying to find people to teach we are in a rama or something that isn´t quite a ward yet and there are four sister missionaries here. So yea the members are super super nice and willing to help us out with everything  I did miss my old district the first district meeting but these elders are super great and helpful..I feel bad because our district leader is district leader and training..he has a lot of responsibility right now..but he is doing a great job. He is also gringo and said the same thing happened to him that he was put with a native speaker his 2nd transfer. He really helped me feel better and said my Spanish is going to improve..I can already see it´..it´s crazy...oh and us being girls couldn´t get the water heater working (so yes we showered for 3 days with cold water..that was fun) and had to have a man from the ward come over..yea we are those kind of sisters always asking for help...okay not always but you get the point. 

So like I said I had a rough weekend and tried to stay strong because I knew both me and Hermana Tovar were suffering because she was in her area for 4 months (her whole mission) this is both our second area. But she is a great work and a great missionary and is teaching me a lot about contacts and how to get other lessons during the day. Our area has lots of hills which is great and very beautiful..I love it.  We are in the northern part of Chile so yes we had to take a 6 hour bus ride here Wednesday night...and needless to say I threw up...but only once...don´t worry! and got a good rest on the bus...we all know it wouldn´t be a trip without me getting sick..I think it was a mixture of the new area with a companion that doesn´t speak English and the motion sickness. Okay so I had been praying to Heavenly Father to help me know what to do and adjust to a whole new companion and way of teaching and getting along and yesterday in church I felt the spirit so strongly and Relief Society was about what to do in times of struggles ..this week has been really great. Of course I am still getting used to things..we ride taxis more in this area than last...so that´s fun. Í have started talking with more contacts and with the members. Hahah this girl in the  ward who seems to like me mostly just because I am North American and she asks me all these things...but she learning English and she showed me her note book and she is so good at English..she should show me how to do what she does only with Spanish ..but I am trying to talk more with Hermana Tovar as much as possible and she really pushes me to talk more..everything truly is a blessing form the Lord and I know with all my heart in times of trouble or fear all we need to do is put our trust in the Lord..follow the commandments and we will be able to overcome the difficulties..even though they may not go away we will know how to over come them. 

Oh did I mention Jean from my last area passed his baptismal interview Tuesday night...so he was going to be baptized yesterday. I don´t know how it went because I wasn´t there..but he seemed super ready and understood that this was a leap of faith for him..I am so happy I got to be part of his conversion..he will be a great member...also  last week before I was transferred me and Hermana Hermansen shared the importance of the LDM with a family and I felt their spirit and the importance for me to always live worthy of their trust and stay true to the gospel..I felt true love for them and hope they stay on the straight and narrow path throughout their lives... their boy reminded me of the Justin Bieber of Chile..so that was fun :) Oh also the lady that washed my clothes in my last area had my Taylor Swift shirt but Hermana Hermansen promised she would get it back for me...so yea there is my materiel worry for the week..but thankfully as a missionary you really don't have much time to think about such things. OH but we did have a conversation in our new rama yesterday of a young man named Francisco ..but sadly he is not in our boundaries .but we did find a a great family this weekend and hopefully they progress. It is hard opening a new area and remembering streets and such..in this area we have a small park that me and Hermana go to and I run around and she does other stuff in the field part because she doesn´t love running..but she is great and loving and does it because she knows I want to do that..I am thankful for her..new companions are just hard and when I left Hermana Hermansen I felt like I was losing my best friend...but I know I  will see her again..thankfully she is from Utah...she better not be married when I get home hah I have told her that like a million times. 

AH I can´t believe that about Jacqueline...that is so sad for both of them! and Mom, horse is good...when it has the right spices :). Congrats to Corinne for her YW award! Hope the family is doing great! and continues to have a great week. I am glad the Braves are doing well. 

I think that's about it for now.Hope Margaret and Derek the best with moving ..I hated moving just an apartment..I can´t imagine a house..but it´s exciting at the same time...use patience and look forward to the fruit that is what I am doing right now. Alma 32:41 has really become my theme scripture for the time being and it is great to use with members. Well I love you all. continue to stay strong  thanks for all the prayers and support and I am so grateful for you all..also Jason thanks for your advice to pick and choose battles with companions, I am definitely needing to remember that with my new companion now...she just does things different, which aren´t bad just different...so it´s good to remember that. Keep reading your scriptures and pray to our Heavenly Father....ah prayer is my favorite thing oh and studying :)..i know el libro de mormon can change lives. love you all

con mucho amor

Hermana Anderson 

Pictures of Hermana Anderson

I am a Missionary

Hola Dearest Familita!

Well it sounds like everyone had a great spring break and that Mom, Dad, Corinne, and Katelyn enjoyed St. George and Vegas. Sometimes the centro  (center) here reminds me of Vegas because of the smoke and lots of people..but if you go out there around 3 everything is closed so there aren´t many people. And tell Corinne I´m not fat..I am just becoming a missionary :) haha...she just can´t ruin my clothes...But speaking of being fat...gaining weight hurts, after some lunches my stomach has the hurt feeling as in streching, so yea if gaining weight didn´t hurt it wouldn´t be as bad..but hopefully I don´t gain much more and I can even it out now. 

But Mom you asked about exercise, sometimes we run in the mornings, but Hermana Hermansen has stomach aches right when we wake up so sometimes she just walks up and down our street and I run up and down it...if it´s too bad for her to go out she stretches and I do jumping jacks, run back and forth, and other such great things like high knees. but yea I always do crunches and my goal is at least 50 push ups a day. so that´s my exercise routine. 

And the bugs, for me they aren´t bad, but we saw some other hermana´s at lider last p-day who have been getting flea bites bad...but we don´t have carpet in our apartment so I haven´t had a problem with anything yet..so I am lucky! Speaking of lider or chilino Walmart I will tell you of my experience.  Well first we got on the micro which on the way there wasn´t too bad...they do make me sick and like I´ve said before they way people drive and how fast they drive scares me...when buses see dogs in the road they don´t slow down at all they just honk...so needless to say dogs have been hit..I am actually really surprised there are not more accidents. Lider was fun...they have American candy there like Reeses..which I didn´t buy..but kind of wanted to. and they have mugs which are so cute and only a dollar so yea I had to buy 2 :). I bought a pretty cool emergency back pack since we are supposed to have one and I bought some more sheets since I only had one fitted sheet (so after I get them washed, I am going to use the oil combination to spray them.) and I bought a warm blanket..which is great! So if you see my account missing money don´t be alarmed...and I didn´t know I would find myself saying this but I kind of miss Walmart..although lider wasn´t that busy it just felt like a war house and not like a homey place haha. But yea on the way back from lider on the micro I had all this stuff in my hands a full backpack and I am white..so yes everyone is looking at me and also this time the micro was full of people and you know being a new missionary I am all excited to hopefully talk to someone I sit by..but not I sit by some teenage who has headphones in and I try not to hit him with my bags and say sorry and he scoots further away from me...haha that was fun. also yea it made me a little sick, but not too bad. So that was my lider experience ..they do have more food options which is great!

So this week was another hard one for me and Hermana Hermansen with the work, but we were talking and I realized and was really thankful that we get along and that our hard times can be with the work, because that´s what we want our struggle to be. We didn´t have many citás this week, the ones we did have were meaningful and our weekly study of the scriptures class our ward does on Thursday nights we studied patience...so I had been reading about patience earlier that week and I found a great scripture in Alma 32:41-43 but I will only put 41 on here "But if ye will nourish the word yea, nourish the tree as it begineth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root, and behold it shall be a tree of springing up unto ever lasting life" I love this scripture! Because it reminds us that patience is not just enduring the hard things it is being happy and looking forward to the fruit in hard times, me and hermana hermansen said we felt like the lesson was for us that night...but as we learned in conference all we have to keep doing is keeping the commandments and mission rules and have faith in the Lord. 

The highlights of the week;

I recited the 1st vision (in Spanish i might add) for my first time in a real lesson here :)

Me and Hermana Hermansen had a noche de hogar (fhe) with a member family and her brother and made real American apple pie for them (which we weren´t quite sure the ingredients with the crust and before we put it in the oven we tasted the dough and it tasted and smelled like play dough so we got really nervous that we were cooking spiced apples in play-dough..but don´t you worry it turned out great (making pie isn´t really that hard) and that we had a lesson about the importance of working..but I got lost at what people were saying haha Chilieans speak so much..but bueno I am learning to understand

Me and Hermana Hermansen got our first 22 contacts in a day! Yay...our goal as a mission is to have 20 a day, it was hard but we did it and on that day we met a man (Emanuel who was really receptive to our message and took a Book of Mormon and he thanked us for what we were doing and said we would touch peoples hearts, so that was a tender mercy from the Lord...we tried to go back and have a lesson with him the next day but he wasn´t home, we hope to find him this week, because he seems ready to hear the gospel)

I ate horse this week, also I don´t know if I told you in the last email but for one lunch I had mashed potatoes with fried egg on top..which i think is weird .that´s weird right? Hermana Hermansen didn´t think it was weird .she is just used to things here now..but I am pretty sure they don´t do that in the states. 

We received a reference from SALT LAKE CITY...yea I bet you are just as stunned as we were excited and called the number the next day, just to find out that it was the 2nd counselor in our bishopric...him and his wife wanted to know how long it took for references on the internet..we found out it takes about 2 weeks because the zone leaders called us right when they received it and we called them the next morning...but yea we should have known because the name was Cinderella....BUT on a happy note we did receive a real reference this week and contacted them and they said their family would be really happy to receive us...so we have a cita with them on Wednesday  Hopefully we don´t get transferred so we can go to the cita...we find out transfers Wednesday morning than we have the meeting Wednesday night. 

And last but not lead CONFERENCE!!! Ah conference as a missionary is amazing and it went by way too fast..sadly one of our investigators who said she was going to come didn´t...but we gave her the church web page and hope she looked it up. Jean did come and came to the baptism...we have a cita with him tonight to talk more about conference...we are hoping he paid attention to Elder Hollands talk..which was really awesome-loved it! And yes I got to watch conference in English-yay! Also can I just say I am glad I listened to the prompting to come on a mission, they talked so much about missionary work and I know I am in the right place at the right time right now! 

So yea I loved the references to missionary work. Also there was a theme of keeping the commandments, and how true peace is found in living the gospel. From President Monson I learned to be thankful for everything- he is always so thankful and is a great example of showing his thanks. I loved I think her name was Sister Wixon but she talked about children and the story of the man loving to learn and try to things...that´s like me as a missionary. I liked how she said it´s okay to try, it´s true with any party of life, you just have to try. And again with Elder Holland I loved how he said we have to act on what we know rather than focus on what we don´t know...because we will never know everything.

And Elder Richard G Scott on the Christ centered home..I loved that! I loved all the talks really! I love the power that comes from conference and the Spirit we feel! I am glad you all enjoyed it and learned from it. Mom when it comes out in the Ensign, could you send me a copy so I can mark up my own, thanks! 

OH I almost forgot our amazing cita we had with Carlos on Saturday between conference and the priesthood session...we had Hno Julio (from the bishopric) join us because he used to smoke and has a testimony on that...so we talked about the Word of Wisdom and he committed to a date to stop smoking completely ..it was amazing and what´s even more amazing is he has gone from smoking 20 cigarettes a day to 5 a day! so he is on a great path! 

Let´s see walking home from conference last night was so great..it was a peaceful night and I was just able to reflect on conference with the beautiful scenery of Chile and reflect upon how grateful I am to be in Chile, safe, and healthy, preaching the gospel. I am truly so blessed...and I can´t believe I am a missionary!!!!

Oh yea Hermana Hermansen is teaching me cool trenza´s (braids) that´s fun! Also I have learned so much more about the importance of prayer and scripture study everyday..I really don´t know how you can survive without it! Prayer truly is such a blessing from our Heavenly Father!!

p.s Aleisha sent me an email, let her know she has a letter on the way that I sent 2 weeks ago I think and that I love her very much and that if I could email her I so would! So yea just let her know I haven´t forgotten about her...it´s just snail mail :)

I re-read the book mom gave me before I left with advice in it, I love reading it in free time like p-day, so thanks Mom!!! 

I love you all and this Gospel is so great! We are all really so blessed and we can help others feel the same. les amo!!

con mucho amor,

Hermana Anderson