Wow what a week!

(Elder Anderson with a family in his last area)

It has been a long week that is for sure! Our area is really slow right now and this week we had like twenty-five referrals to check and every single one of them were horrible referrals and none of them turned out good. So this week pretty much turned out horrible. But things with Elder Davies are going really good we are getting along really good and we are brainstorming new ideas as to how to get the work going better in my new area.

So last night Elder Davies and I got to go back to his old area to see a baptism of somebody that he taught. It was a really neat baptism. The lady had to be baptized 7 times until it got done right but it eventually got done right and it was awesome. The spirit was so strong there though! Afterwords we went over to President Stan Childs home to visit him. Elder Davies used to be really good friends with him and so we went to bug him and to see if we could get a ride home with him. He sat there and told me how good of folks I had and how good of people my parents were. It is amazing to see how many people I run into sense I have been on my mission and to see how they respect my Mom and Dad!

So yesterday at church I came across a scripture that I really really really liked! I think that it kind of has a lot to do with what I have been going through throughout the last 6 months of my mission (I hit my six month mark tomorrow) but not only the last six months but the last 4 years of my life. The scripture is D&C 122:7 "And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." This scripture is awesome! I really love it, especially how it says if all of these horrible things happen (Now don't get me wrong I don't think I have had it hard at all compared to lots of people) But it has been hard the last few years and especially the last six months. But the last bit of that scripture says, "all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good." All of these things that have happened in my life and in the last six months have been such a blessing for me! Lot's of people look at it and are like wow how could you go through that. And I am like you know what all of those things have made me who I am today. The last six months and what I have gone through have made me the missionary that I am today! Then in verse 9 of section 122 it says, " Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever." That scripture is what tops it off. For god shall be with you forever and ever! I know that God has been with me on my mission! He is lifting me up when I need that little bit of help or that extra bit of strength to make it through the day.

I love all of you and am thankful for the example that you have all been to me in my life.

I hope to get lots of letter's from all of you this week so I can hear from you and hear how your summer is going!

Love,
Elder Anderson