Letter #65

Hey family,

This week was really good; first off, what happened that made me really happy is that we received our calls to see who is leaving and found out that i am staying here for another 6 more weeks :)  By the end of that,i will be here for 9 months :)  I love this area even though it's pretty difficult! But me and Elder Jarvis have been thinking and we should have at least 5 baptisms this transfer, so i am very excited to see this!

We talked to our leaders in the ward and still no news on the new bishop, it makes things a lot harder, because nobody wants to do anything because they are like, well, we don't have a bishop so why try! Which is horrible, and we already have people in the ward that have stake callings that talk bad about the old bishop! So hopefully we get a new one soon!

And dad talking about Rivercats reminds me that i was telling some people in the ward about baseball and they said we need to play baseball so we have a game scheduled for labor day (and btw my Pday next week will be on Tuesday).  And they are like, Elder Andersen i hope you stay so i can go play, i am super excited to go...now all i need to do is find an investigator to come play with us! so hopefully we can find some new people to come! But man i miss those days at the Rivercats was so fun! i definitely miss baseball alot! I get to play catch with the 1st counselor in the bishopric; so that's cool!

And dad, i do not remember who the Presslys are, or their daughter Jamie... do you have a picture of them, maybe i can recognize them, but it doesn't seem familiar at all! But it's good to hear that alot of missionaries are leaving on their missions! The mission is the best, i am going to bawl all night the day i get home! ahah But i didn't know that Trevor got his call and has left already; that's sweet! 

I heard about the new video, i talked with the sisters about it because they went on the going home trip to the temple and  they told me all about it, so it was cool to hear! i haven't been for about 4 months, so I'm due to do a session! i have been learning alot about the gospel lately, reading alot of talks about the atonment, one of the good ones is by M. Russell Nelson, he talked about it and different languages and it put alot of thoughts in my mind! When i think of reconcilliation in English, it translates to re- again, con-with, cillia or close to silla- to sit or chair and in spanish the root words mean to sit again with, like when we make it up to the heavens and through the atonement of christ we will be able to sit on the throne again on the right hand of god or something close to that, so it's cool to think of it in that way! But studying in 2 different languages is cool because sometimes different words have different meanings so you have 2 ways to look at it sometimes!

this week was really busy we had 29 lessons, and we have members asking so much of us, we are running in every direction to help everyone out, i hope this hard work pays off :)

Love all y'all

Love Elder Andersen 

Letter #64

Hey family,

So this week was a fun week! All of the weeks are normally fun, however this week we were able to go to the chiropractor! My companion has something wrong with his neck and has to go there once every 6 weeks. I told myself that I might as well get a massage too because it is free! So I did! Haha. I feel amazing now!

To answer your question Dad; we have not gotten a new bishop yet. They are still finding out who would work out so we are still in a wait for that! I hope to find out next week if i get transferred or not. I don't think I will, I actually hope that I wont! We are finally getting things started here, so I pray that I don't have to leave yet. In a month we will have about 3 people to baptize so if I leave now I would be a little upset to tell you the truth! Haha. If I have to leave it is because God needs me in another place! 

There wasn't too much that went on this week. We taught a lot of people, and we are trying to help the ward. All the members ask a lot of us missionaries. They have asked us to visit everyone on the ward list to see if they live there or not. I was thinking to myself like that isn't our responsibility... at times I feel like I am the "Dad" of this ward! haha. I have to tell the leaders how to do their jobs, and i think it is kinda sad sometimes. We were talking to the First Counselor about who he thought would be the next Bishop and he doesn't really know. I told him it would be him, and he said he has to be a resident of the USA first. Then I told him if that was the case then nobody can be the Bishop of the ward except the one white guy that married a Hispanic girl. The only thins is that he is moving in about 3 weeks... and then he said to me "Well Elder Andersen, it looks like you will be the new Bishop!" and I just laughed and said "No Way I could do that!" Haha. So now when we go to visit all the members in the ward they ask who we think the new Bishop will be and then they all say it will just have to be me. So I really hope they don't call missionaries to be Bishops! I know sometimes in different places they have been called to be like a Branch President, but I have never heard about one being a bishop! All the members say "Hey, you have been here 7 months, so there is a reason you have been here so long, and that reason is to be bishop!" I just laugh. I do  hope I can stay longer in the area. I think I will be here one more transfer and then be out but we will see! 

Not much more I can think of to tell you! I love y'all!!

Have a good week!

Love, Elder Andersen

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)

Letter #62

Hey Family,

This week has been pretty good. We only had 27 lessons I believe, but we had a lot going on. We found a couple of new people to teach! To respond to Ian's question; we teach a lot of part-member families. We have the most success with them. What we are trying to do is have members invite their friends over when we come to teach. It is going really slow, but that is how our Mission President whats it to go. 

This week we had The Stake Presidency in our ward. Our Bishop just got released (he was only bishop for about a year and a half) We know pretty much what he did to get kicked out, and man I knew there was something wrong with him from the start! The Stake Presidency told us that our Ward is just dead. We know this because they literally do nothing, (we knew this for the last 7 months of being here) They will be helping us out a lot the next couple of months to get something going in our Ward. Lately we have been going threw a hard time! We got really good support from our leaders, and I have a appointment with my Mission President. I was going to tell him what the Bishop was doing, and what has been going on in the Ward, but it seems like he already knows some of it. I am happy that we will start fresh and hopefully be able to help the people in our ward.

This week will be good! We are taking the Canos' to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. So the story I shared with y'all last week about Sister Cano is going to come true! She will be able to get baptized for her mother! We are going Wednesday and I am so excited! To answer Mom's question; We will find out in a couple of months if they have to go back home or not. I really hope they can stay! I feel so bad for them, we practically visit them every day! I call them my parents, they always tell me that they would adopt me and call me their Colombian baby! Haha I told them that I was going to go visit Columbia with them! They want to take me after the mission so that would be super sweet! It is funny, because every time we see them I call her "Mom" and she calls me "hijo" (son) so I feel pretty much like they are my family here! This is definitely my hardest area I have been in, however I think it is also my funnest! I have meet so many people here, and have made so many friends! It is going to tear me apart if I have to leave it soon! I hope I can finish my mission here! :)

Nothing much else really happened this week, but just know that I love y'all and y'all are always in my prayers!

Love, Elder Andersen

Letter #61

Hey Family,

How is it going y'all? This week was really good yet really depressing! The good part is that we taught 35 lessons! I think that is the most I have ever had on the mission! The Lord has really blessed us this week with miracles. We have a lot of people progressing and we have found some new people to teach. We are hoping that it continues like this. The Canos' sister has been getting more and more interested, but sadly we haven't taught her this week. Hopefully we can teach her, and then she will get baptized soon! I love the Canos' more and more every day! Daniela (the daughter) is drawing me pictures of the Houston Temple and a graffiti of Columbia and the flag of Columbia, so I am excited for that.

The sad and depressing part of the week is that yesterday we were at the Canos' home and they told me everything is going on in their lives about trying to receive an "Acello"... I don't know the right word for it in English (asylum) but it is when you leave your country to go to another one to be safe. Apparently there are people in Columbia trying to kill them. Their son is there and they kidnapped them and told him if he ever leaves the village that they will kill him.  If the Canos' ever go back home and the government sees them that they will kill them as soon as they see them. All the stories they told me just made me feel so bad. It is going to be hard to go and try to get their "acello"  (asylum). She said that they have one more appointment with the judge and if they don't grant them it, then they have 24 hours to leave this county and they go back to Columbia pretty much to die. I am praying so hard that they can get there "acello"  (asylum) and that they can stay here and bring their son here so they all can be safe! As she was telling me the story I felt like balling, but man they are going through such a hard time right now! They are so strong in the church so that will help and that is what makes me so happy!

We have been teaching them about family history and we will be going to the temple really soon so they can get baptized for there ancestors. The coolest thing is that Hermana Cano had a dream when she was in Columbia that she came to the USA that she can get baptized. She said it was in the name of her mom that has passed away a couple years ago. That is why they came here and then when we talked about family history (about the 3rd time we ever taught them, we knew them for about a week at this time) she said she was sold that her dream can come true because we baptize for those people who did not have the opportunity to do it before. It was the coolest thing ever to talk to her about that again. I like that she had a dream about getting baptized for her mom, MAN the spirit was so strong when we were talking about it! I really am starting to love this area! I have been here for about 7 months and finally I am starting to love it, even thought sometimes the bishop doesn't help out, the members are starting to help us out!

Today we are going to NASA there has been some new stuff in there since we last went, so I hope it will be cool! The Sisters in my district really wanted to go and they begged us to go with them. I finally gave in so that is what we are going to do today! Secretly I am kinda excited about it, but then at the same time not really. But not much has gone on since that.

Love y'all,

Elder Andersen

Letter #60

Hey Family,

So as I was emailing y'all this random Indian guy came up and gave me a paper that said I should attend his Bible Study Class. It was really weird! I looked over to my companion and he just laughed. My new companion is Elder Jarvis. He is from Orem Utah! He has been on his mission for about 1 and a half years. (Just a little more than me.) He was supposed to go to Brazil, but then he received a letter from President Monson telling him that he is getting reassigned here for his mission, and speaking Spanish. He was serving about 6 months in English waiting for his visa and then got reassigned here and now is speaking Spanish! That is the background story I have from him! He is pretty cool, he is really good at playing the drums. He attended BYU- Idaho (same time as I was there) and was in the jazz band. He played the drums at a members house, and I have to admit he is super good! He is also very smart in the gospel! It is crazy, I thought I knew a lot about the Gospel, but after listening to this guy I am starting to think to myself... "Man I need to study more!" Haha He has been teaching me a lot of things. I have had questions about a lot of things I have been studying lately. I have been learning about miracles, the Atonement and what revelations mean! There is a sweet talk, (I don't remember the name) but it breaks down what will happen for the second coming and what revelations mean, IT IS CRAZY!!!!!!!

This week has been really good. The Lord has blessed us with a lot of miracles and lessons. We had 28 lessons I believe! It is really nice being here, this area is growing a lot.  We have decided to work with the members more and have them help us out. Oh, President called us Tuesday night to let me know that I am the new District Leader. That is a little scary to be a D.L.! I know the Lord will provide! I plan on teaching how to work with members, and how it is more effective than with our own efforts. I have been praying a lot and I know this is what the Lord wants! One thing that the President has asked us to do is to pray for at least 15 min every day. That has been helping me a lot! I feel the guidance of the spirit, and I can really feel the presence of God and his love! My Testimony has grown so much this last week, how this is God's work. He wants us all to do it! Not just the missionaries, not just the leaders but like as prophets have said "Every member a Missionary!" It is TRUE! 

My Challenge to y'all this week is to pray for someone to share the gospel with. The Lord will provide and put that person in your way!

I love y'all and here is a funny picture for the week! Man Hispanics crack me up! :p

Love, Elder Andersen

Letter #59

Hey Family,

This week was really good. It made up the bad times of last week! As you can see in the photo Daniela decided to get baptized too! We went to her house Monday night with Hermano Diaz (the fellowship-er) And we talked about blessings we get from baptisms.  Hermano Diaz bore his testimony, and told his conversion story and it was everything that she needed to hear. The spirit was so strong and we told her this is your answer! Then she told us "I want to get baptized!" Man the spirit was so strong! It was the coolest experience ever! I knew the Lord wanted her to get baptized and we just did what the Lord told us and it was what she needed!

The Baptism was amazing even though most of the people there were just friends of the Cano Family from other Wards. Barely any one from our Ward came, but it was still really good! The spirit was so strong and at the end when everyone was congratulating them on the baptism. It really hit me and I saw the family crying because everyone was just so happy for the decision they made!!! I was fortunate enough to be able to baptize the parents, and then I confirmed the Mother. It was a good experience for me, and then after the Sacrament Meeting the next day a lot of people went and talked to them. They are receiving some help there too! :) By the way... Am I looking any darker in the picture? The sun is getting pretty bad, but luckily we have the car for now.

Today we found out who is leaving, and my companion is being transferred... It is a sad day because we get along so well, and now its coming to an end! This will be my 5th transfer in this area! I will be going on 7 months in this ward soon. Like Melissa said in one of her last letters, there must be something I am not getting out of this ward! haha It is crazy to think that I am getting a new companion, I really hope it is someone cool, and someone I can get along with :) I found out my comp from the M.T.C. is leaving his area so I hope he comes to me! :) That would be sweet!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't believe my time here goes by fast and faster. I feel like I am counting down the days when I come home! It is going toooo fast! It needs to slow down! I feels like all the days go by faster, all missionaries say that your last year fly's, and now I believe them!!! ahaha

Love y'all!

Elder Andersen