Letter # 48

Hey Family,

This week has been pretty good. We were able to teach 29 lessons! We are going to have a couple baptisms in a couple weeks, so it will be fun next couple of weeks too. We have Ketzally getting baptized first, she is from a part member family. Her parents are members, but none of the kids are. Ketzally is 9 years old and she is the only one that can be baptized right now. She is very excited about it. Next is Raymundo Ola; he is the husband of Paula Ola, and she got baptized on April 6th.

This week was a hard week you could say, Elder Rockhill left the companionship! (We were in a threesome and we had so much fun) Now that he left it, it is just Elder Larson and I. (I'll tell more about him in a second) Ever since Elder Rockhill left, it has been really different. It has gotten a lot quieter, and there is not as much joking and laughing going on. He was the "joke-ster" of the group for sure! haha. We were having a bunch of fun together, then we got the transfer call and we found out that he would be leaving. We had hoped we would get a new Elder to the area and that they would keep us in the threesome, but it didn't turn out that way... sadly! Elder Larson and I still do have a lot of fun! Y'all will have to see our videos that we like to do together. We have this thing that every once in a while we do a music video! We pick random Hymns or E.F.Y. song, and we just dance to it! ahah. It is soooo fun! So, Elder Larson is officially my new companion. He is from Mesa, Arizona. He has been out on his mission for about 6 weeks less than I have! His Spanish is amazing! I am lucky that I did not get a new Elder that I would have to talk all the time! ahah. We are doing good, and we get along really well. We both love the same things so that also makes things easier too! 

We had some sweet lessons with my favorite family; The Cervantes. Y'all probably heard about them before, but we always go over and have a blast with them. They have 4 girls and 1 boy. Similar to our family, there is Aleni 19, Analee 15, Ashley 13, Ayleen 12 and Issac 5. They are so funny, they remind me so much of our family! I love being over there, and sometimes we stay over a little more that we should. We try really hard not to chill over there too much! The difference is that they have a less-active father. He is is super cool, but he doesn't go to church much because he was offended by something. We have had two super spiritual lessons with them. The first one was when we watched the video "Good things to Come", and he had a similar experience as the story we shared happen to him when someone helped him out with his car. He said it was an answer from God, then he said that he is there, and it was awesome. Then yesterday we shared the video about Forgiveness; the whole family was practically crying! The spirit was really strong, and it was really good because every lesson we have had with him he had been able to feel the spirit really strong. The only problem is that then he goes right back to the same way he is living his life, being a chavo (bum). He says that he wants to get sealed in the Temple, but he isn't doing anything to have that happen. We had many lessons with them about the Temple ordinances, and what will happen if we are not sealed forever. He knows what is going on, but it is just upsetting at times because I love this family! They all will suffer not having the father with them if he doesn't do anything about getting back on track. We have a lot of less actives we are working on. That is the hardest, because they know everything is true, but they have just fallen into a different lifestyle. I know that I am here to help, and I will! I love my area and the people I work with, it is just hard sometimes. ahah.

Things are pretty good, and I am loving the mission day by day. I just can not believe that on May 5th it will be my year mark!! That is like 7 days away!!!! I cant believe it! UGHHHH It is going by so fast. I remember like it was yesterday when Mom and Dad dropped me off at the MTC! I can't really think of anything else to say, but one thing I am currently reading is a Book by Spencer W Kimball. It is called The Miracle of Forgiveness. It is an amazing book! If any of y'all get a chance to read it, I highly suggest doing so! It really has changed my expectations of things so much!

Love y'all so much,

Elder Andersen

P.S. Dad, Congrats on your amazing missionary work! I am sure it brings you back to the glory days huh?!?Keep helping the investigators, because here in the Spanish Wards they are not that good to welcome the new people. Always be that guy to say HI and talk, and encourage others to do the same! :)