Letter #63

Hey family,

So this week was really good, of course it did have its down sides, but I wont let the bad things get in the way of an amazing week! We only had 24 lessons, but I believe we have gotten 7 new dates for baptism! The only thing is that they are scheduled for after the next transfer date, so I hope I don't leave this area next transfer. The new people we found are 2 from El Salvador and 2 from Columbia!

Dad, you will be really happy to hear that the ones from Columbia are from Bogota! I let them know that my father served his mission there. They thought that was cool, so then I told them that I am already in their family and they laughed. They did think it was really cool that I had someone connected to their hometown! After I shared with them about the First Vision the guy from Bogota said that the same thing had happened to him too. He said he saw an angel or something like that, but it looked just like the picture of God and Jesus Christ. I just told him that God was preparing him for what he saw and what we shared. Then I invited him to get baptized and he accepted! He went to church that week and loved it! They are definitely getting baptized pretty soon. So Dad your Bogota Columbia mission did me good too :) haha!

The other two from El Salvador are parents of daughter that are members already. The parents aren't members but they want to become one day. We extended them a baptism date also and they accepted too! Their daughter is going on a mission pretty soon and they are a cool family. They were saying that they want to go to BYU-Idaho too. I told them I went there before my mission so they got excited and now they think we will have a party if they went! I joked about how it is "BYU-I DO" because everyone gets married really fast! Then the parents looked at each other and laughed and said that they don't want their daughters going there now! It was a blast being at their house!

To top of the WHOLE week we took the Canos to the temple! Like I have told you in past letters it was Hermana Canos dream to get baptized for her mom there... it came true for her! She did the work for her mom and  I was able to watch the Baptism and the Confirmation (they won't let missionaries do Baptisms for the Dead at the Temple. Some dumb rule that missionaries cant baptize women...? idk why) Anyways, I was the witness and I stood in the circle for the confirmation. Right after that part the spirit was so strong and I looked at Hermana and I saw her balling. She went and changed and after I asked her how she felt after doing the work for her mom, she said that she knew she was there! She felt her presence, and man I almost started crying hearing that! I knew the spirit was so strong, but I just told her that I knew she is here and is happy for what she did! The next day when we visited her she said the whole family told us that they didn't want to leave! They just wanted to stay in the temple all day! It was so sweet! Then they made us empanadas yesterday! It was so good :)

It was a really good week... here are some pictures of this week!

Love y'all

Elder Andersen

 The Missionaries and the Canos Family at the Temple.

 Elder Larson and I (he is my last companion.)

Elder Jarvis and I (my new companion)