What A Difference A Day Makes...

Hey there everyone! 
So as most of you heard, I was emergency transferred on Thursday to Northwest Tucson.  A sister decided that a mission wasn't for her after being out for just a few weeks and went home.  I feel bad for her because she's going to miss out on so many great opportunities now that she's gone home. 
I guess that President really struggled with whether or not to just close the area but then decided to leave it open and for Sister Mackay or myself to come here for 2 weeks.  When he called he didn't initially tell us where and I was just praying that it wasn't to El Paso.  Well, even though he said that either of us could go, it was me that he wanted to send.  It was funny because on the phone he kept saying, "Sister Anderson, I'm so sorry but this is just for 2 weeks.  In 2 weeks you'll be back in St. David with Sister Mackay."  We were both so so excited to hear that.  I'll be honest, this transfer has been difficult.  It's hard because I'm only here for 2 weeks and it isn't really my area, but Sister Howard and I are working really hard and seeing miracles. 
Speaking of miracles, on Friday President Walker interviewed our investigator Matt in St. David.  Matt has had a bit of a rough past so one of the bishops asked that President would interview him.  I guess at the end of the interview he called Sister Mackay and Sister Rodriguez into the interview.  Matt was sobbing and President told my companions that he didn't want Matt waiting any longer to be baptized and so he got baptized Saturday and confirmed and given the priesthood yesterday.  He also got his temple recommend and will be going to the temple on Saturday.  I've been talking with my companions everyday and they were telling me about how amazing it's all been.  Matt's friend Paul baptized him and I guess that there wasn't a dry eye in sight.  After the baptism I talked to Matt, Paul, and Nat on the phone.  It was really neat because it was like I was almost there.  Thank goodness for phones. 
Also yesterday, Terry, Ian, and Conner were given the priesthood.  It's hard not to be there for those things, but I know that I'm needed here in Tucson.  (The night before transfer) 

This weekend Dorothy will be baptized.  I've realized that it doesn't matter if I'm not there for baptisms, what matters is that they are doing what is right.  It was funny because before this transfer I was just praying to be able to stay focused on my mission and not on anything else and this transfer has really helped me to focus.  It feels like St. David is my home and that it's where I belong.  I just love that place.

Everyday being here in Tucson it gets better and better.  I guess that the sisters didn't really have a whole lot of chances to work hard before I got here so Sister Howard and I are working hard to fill of the teaching pool.  There are a few investigators but not nearly enough.  We're covering 2 English wards.  The members here are really willing to help out so that's super nice. 

Like you know, I sat next to Kimmy's roommate yesterday in RS and that was really cool.  After the 2nd ward Sister Howard and I were talking to some people.  They asked me where I was from and I told them and they said something to the fact that I was there cousin.  Well it turned out that it is Uncle Norman's daughter Sister Strickland (I don't know her first name).  Apparently we have lessons in there home often so that's neat. 

Last night we went to an appointment and the people weren't there.  As we were walking away Sister Howard saw this man and approached him, gave him a Book of Mormon pass-along card and said, "call this number for a free book."  We walked away and a few minutes later he approached us and said, "what if I need something more than just a book?"  So cool!  He invited us into his home and we taught him the first lesson and now he'll be baptized at the end of July!  It was amazing because he said that he always closes himself off to religion, but he was out and felt like he needed to go home so he did and we showed up right as he pulled up.  It truly was a miracle that we needed. 
I know that the Lord really is preparing people and it's up to us to be bold and open our mouths.  I know that there are no such things as coincidences.  It was no coincidence that I saw the people I saw yesterday and that we met Jaime just outside of his car.  (My New Companion Sister Howard)
Someone else that we're teaching here is named David.  Last week he saw the elders at Taco Bell and approached them and told them that he wanted to be baptized.  He is hungry for the truth and it is so amazing to see how he has been prepared as well.  Something that I've noticed is that it is often the people that we least expect that are the most prepared.  It is so amazing.  The Lord's hands really are in all that we do.  I know it. 
 
A scripture that I've had as my motto this week is Proverbs 3:5-6.  It says, "trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and he shall direct they paths."  In all of life we need to trust in the Lord.  As we do so He will direct our paths and lead us to peace and joy.  I see this everyday.  He loves us and really does want the best for us.  It's up to us to do our part.  I know that as we do so we will see the blessings that we so desperately need.  Trust Him! 

I love you all and hope that you all have an amazing week! 
The Gospel is definitely true.  
Love, Sister Anderson  

Hey hey! How are you all doing?

This week has been so amazing!  We've seen the Lord's hands here in St. David so much.  It truly is amazing.  I also have some bad news... I'm starting to go gray.  I was worried all week because who wants to get gray hair before their parents, but I was pleasantly surprised to see in some of the pictures that you sent that Dad has some gray hair too.  But really, who wants gray hair at my age.  There are these two sisters here in town.  They are about 2 years apart, the older one has zero gray hair (and doesn't dye it) and the younger has completely gray hair.  I have a feeling that this is how it will be for Suzy and I.  Oh well.  If a few gray hairs are the worst thing that is happening to me than I'll be ok.  Anyway, that was just a side note. 

Like I said, this week, like every week was so great!  We saw so many miracles.  On Wednesday our district had a fast to find new investigators.  My companionship had just fasted a few days earlier, but we knew that if we sacrificed again that the Lord would pour out blessings on us.  And He did!  

Since we got to town in March we've been trying to work with this part-member family.  Nothing had really come of it but we still went by a few times a week.  Well on Wednesday we went by.  The mom let us in and told us that her son wanted to be baptized!  It was so amazing!  When we showed the Lord even more effort, He blessed us so much.  This kid's name is Patrick and he's 10 years old.  He's super smart and wants to do what is right.  He's really cool. 

We had a really cool experience with Dorothy this week as well.  We were teaching her and she wouldn't accept a baptismal date.  She said that she needed to know "the rules" first.  So we decided to teach her one of the commandments.  She already knew it and asked for another and then another and then another.  After hearing the Big 4 (tithing, law of chastity, word of wisdom, and sabbath day) in a space of about 40 mins she said, "you know, this baptism thing is something that I can really do."  So we set a date with her for the 4th of July!  The only problem is that she's temporarily care taking land in the next town over but is trying to find land here in St. David.  She gets along great with the ward here so we're hoping that she'll be able to find some land here in the next few weeks.  She's so cool and loves learning about the Gospel. 

Also this week we had a really neat experience with Terry.  He had lost something really important and called us to see if we knew where it was.  We said no but to pray and that we could come over in a few hours.  Well, when we got there he still had no idea where it was at and hadn't prayed yet.  We used this time to teach him about the power of prayer.  We all knelt down and prayed to find the item.  I knew that as we prayed that we would find it.  After praying we got up and Sister Mackay and I walked right to it and found it.  It all happened in less than a minute and was so simple.  It all happened because of prayer.  We were then able to talk to Terry about how Heavenly Father really wants to talk to us about everything.  We shared Alma 37: 36-37 with him and then prayed to thank Heavenly Father.  It was amazing and a really neat lesson for all of us. 

The climax of the week was Ian and Connor's baptisms and confirmations!  This family is so amazing.  In just a months time they went to the temple and came back and got baptized.  They knew what they needed to do and wouldn't let anything get in the way of them doing that.  It is so cool.  Something neat about it is that Shannon's brother came in from Albuquerque to perform the baptisms and confirmations.  They hadn't seen each other in over 5 years and the temple brought them together again.  The spirit was so strong at the baptism and in Sacrament Meeting.  It was incredible.  I'm so excited for a year from now when we'll come back and go to the temple together.  The ward was also so supportive.  There were more people than chairs because so many people came out to share in the joy of their baptisms.  Something that I've really come to know is that the members are SO important.  If there is little or no support from the members than the work is so hard and almost nonexistent.  But when the members are excited and involved the work is on fire. 

There is a huge correlation between member involvement and success.  An example of this was a member (Brother Davis) invited his neighbor (Asher)  to go to the temple open house with him.  Because of his sharing our beliefs with this friend, the friend was more open to the Gospel.  Brother Davis was then able to invite Asher to his home to hear a message from us.  We taught him yesterday and set a baptismal date with Asher for July 24th!  None of this would have ever happened without Brother Davis and him being brave and sharing what he knows is true.  Member involvement is pivotal.  I'm so thankful to be in an area where the members know that.  Because of the change in the members we've already reached the yearly baptismal goals for 2 of the 3 wards.  It has everything to do with the Lord and member involvement. 

Oh, after the Kirkwood's baptism Bishop Jones shared some really neat thoughts.  He was quoting Paul about when we join the Church we are no longer strangers but fellow-citizens in Christ.  I love that!  The Gospel really is what binds us together.  I love the Church because no matter where you go you have brothers and sisters there to buoy you up and to be there for you. 

I just love the Church.  It is so true and really is the only true source to happiness and joy.  There's no doubt about it.  I've seen it so many times, when someone is living the Gospel - truly living it and making an earnest effort to live it - they are always happy.  That doesn't mean that they don't have hard times but they are able to see the good amongst the bad. 


Well, I hope that you all have an amazing week!  Happy Father's day!  The Church is definitely true!

Love, Sister Anderson

We're Seeing So Many Blessings!

Well hey there!  I hope that you're all doing well and enjoying the summer!  Things are going really really well here in St. David.  We're seeing so many blessings!  It's incredible! 

This past week was amazing!  We were able to see the Lord's hands in our lives and the lives of the people here so much!  It’s amazing to look back on events that happen throughout the week and to be able to see how the Lord really does play a huge role in our lives.  I know that the role he plays is even bigger than what we can even imagine or comprehend. 

I love the scripture in Moses where it says, "this is my work and my glory, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."  Our Heavenly Father and Savior are all about helping us to have eternal life.  Based on that truth, I know that they play a huge role in everything that I do. 

We saw so many miracles this week and I'm so thankful for them!  Thursday we had zone conference.  The all-around theme of it was faith.  We need to get back to the basics and faith is where it all begins.  Faith is an abiding trust that we can do anything with the help of the Lord.  Anything that he asks us can be done because of our faith.  When we have faith we know that Christ is who He says He is and the He did what He said He did.  Faith in Christ needs to be a foundation for our lives.  I believe that faith is a principle of power.  If we have faith we act and see miracles.  Miracles don't bring faith, they come from faith.  President Walker told us that as we gain for faith that we will be more bold and more powerful missionaries.  My companions and I are all working to increase our faith.  We also talked about how Christ isn't complicated.  He makes things as easy and straight forward as possible.  It's us who makes them complicated.  So I'm now trying to uncomplicated things.  I always love zone conference!  It is so great to be able to talk about what we can do to become better missionaries. 
 
Thursday night was the Terry's baptism!  He is so amazing!  He ended up being grateful that we pushed back his baptism because it ended up meaning more to him and he was more ready.  It was so cool because we had 6 investigators come to the baptism and they were able to see it and it calmed their nerves.  One investigator, Carol Linda, told us that she like it a lot because it just seemed like home.  I like that, when we are following our Savior it just feels right.  Afterwards Terry said that he couldn't ever imagine being any happier.  I'm so proud of him!  He's really changed so much.  Yesterday we were talking to him about receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and he said that since he was confirmed in church yesterday he can now understand the scriptures.  Before he couldn't but now he can.  So cool! 

Also at Terry's baptism, a teenager from one of the wards brought his friend Matt.  Sister Rodgriguez and I decided to show the Lord our faith and went up, introduced ourselves, and invited him to be baptized on July 3rd.  He accepted!  We hadn't taught him anything but the spirit was there and we decided that there was no better opportunity to invite him to come unto Christ.  After setting the date we had a lesson with Matt, Nat (the one from Thailand), and their friend Paul.  Paul and Nat bore powerful testimony of the reality of Christ and the importance of His Gospel.  It was probably one of the most amazing lessons that I've ever been a part of.  At one point Paul started crying and told Matt that the reason that he wanted him to be baptized was so that Matt could be happy.  All of the boys and us were crying as Matt realized that this was the only true source of happiness.  It is true.  It was so cool to see Nat share his favorite scriptures and how he found out that the Gospel is true.  I think that Thursday was probably one of the best days of my life. 

Saturday Rainee was baptized and it was such a neat experience.  She has changed so much and really come to realize that happiness doesn't come from breaking the commandments but from following Christ.  She is trying to find ways to draw closer to Christ and to help her family to do so as well.  It was cool because Matt came to Rainee's baptism as well.  They used to hang out with the same group and he told us that if she could change then so could he. 

On Saturday night one of the prominent families in town had a wedding reception.  They invited us to come and it was just like our glory days back at the temple open house.  It was so fun because I just walked around and talked to everyone for a little over an hour and got tons of referrals!  I love referrals and am so excited to contact them and fill up our teaching pool.  Even President and Sister Walker came to the reception.  It was quite the party. 

Yesterday I had a really neat experience.  As I was praying I prayed that someone would come to church and ask us to teach them.  Throughout the day I was on the lookout for this person and at the very last hour of church - hour number 8 - we found that person!  A woman named Dorothy showed up at the church wanting to learn more.  The members helped her into Relief Society and we found her sitting between two ward missionaries who were already sharing the Gospel!  It was so neat!  My prayers were answered!  She doesn't quite live in our area so we don't know if we'll teach her or the elders, but it was still an answer to my prayer and a great miracle! 

Well, as you can see it's been a great week!  I love serving the Lord and so many miracles come showing Him our faith. 

This week the Kirkwoods are getting baptized.  Please pray that everything will go as planned with that.  I love you all!  The Church is definitely true!

Love, Sister Anderson  

Things are going great here in toasty Arizona!

Hey everyone!  how's it going?  Things are going great here in toasty Arizona!  The past few days it's been quite hot (around 105)!  This morning around 10:30 it was already 95 degrees.  It's going to be a warm warm summer but I'm excited.  I've been blessed so much because it hasn't been too bad yet.  I think that Heavenly Father is blessing me a lot!  So this past week has been really good.  it's been full of lots of ups and downs.  Like I said last week, we were planning on having the baptismal service of Terry this week.  Unfortunately we needed to postpone it a week so he should be getting baptized this week instead.  He thought that it would be a good idea to prove to his friends that he had quit smoking by taking a few puffs and then putting it down.  It is amazing how the adversary makes things like that seem like no big deal when in fact it is a big deal.  When we told him that he couldn't be baptized last we he was not happy at all.  Not in the least bit.  He got really mad.  It was so hard to see him so upset but we all knew that we had done the right thing. 

I had been praying to understand the Lord better and I think that this experience helped me in a way.  The Lord is merciful and just and that is how we had to be.  Luckily we have an amazing ward mission leader.  After we talked to Terry we called him and told him what happened.  He and his family got in the car and went to visit Terry.  It helped a ton.  Terry was able to share with him how he felt and the next morning he called us and apologized for how he acted.  Unfortunately I was the one that shared the bad news with him so he's still not super happy with me, but he's happy with my companions and so that's good.  

As I've thought about that experience, I've thought that things like that are what make missions hard.  It's seeing people you love make bad choices and then having to deal with them.  So we're praying that Terry will stay strong and that he'll be baptized on Thursday.  Satan is working really hard against him, but he can handle it.  The ward is also stepping it up quite a bit to make sure that he is nourished daily by ward members as well.  

President Walker often says, "The adversary is getting in his daily nourishment.  Are you?"  It is so true.  We need to build each other up in order to off-set the adversary. 

We had some really amazing experiences this week.  Nat, our investigator from Thailand is AMAZING!  Every time we visit him he teaches us.  Here are some of the things that he said to us this week:  1.  He read 2 Nephi 1:6.  It says, "There shall none come into this land save they shall be brought by the hand of the Lord."  My companions and I have talked about this scripture among ourselves and how the Lord prepared him and brought him here so that he could have the Gospel.  It was so cool because in Nat's daily scripture study he came upon this verse and knew that it was talking about him.  He kept saying that it wasn't coincidence that he came to St. David, Arizona to hear about the Gospel and that it was the same year as the temple open house and TCC.  This kid is so amazing.  He always talks about how he'll go back to Thailand and be a missionary to everyone there.  #2.  We were talking about Christ and all that he did for us.  Nat stopped and said, "I think that Christ is so happy.  Just think about when you give people you love great gifts how it makes you feel.  If Christ did that for each one of us he must be so happy."  I had never really thought about that before but it is so so true.  #3.  He prayed after one of our lessons and we all told him that he did a great job.  He told us that with each time you pray, you really come to know God better.  He said that he's gone from not knowing our Heavenly Father to becoming very close to Him in the past few months.  So cool!  #4.   Nat bore his testimony in church yesterday.  He got up and said, "I'm not a member of your church... yet" and proceeded to bear one of the strongest testimonies that I've ever heard about our Heavenly Father and His love for us.  The spirit was so strong.  So those are a few stories from Nat this week.  He is such an amazing kid who has more faith than anyone I know.  Just 3 months ago he was Buddhist and knew nothing about God but now he is so strong.  He is so humble and I think that that is one of the reasons that he is so teachable.  So yeah, there's a bit about Nat. 

Since about the time we got here we've been teaching a girl named Rainee.  She's 20 and the only person in her family not baptized.  Her parents are under the impression that everyone just needs to get baptized and then they'll be saved.  So we've been teaching her for the past few months and nothing was really happening.  They would only let us come once a week if we were lucky and her parents would talk the whole time.  We got back from the temple we decided to have a lesson with just her and just see what she wanted in life.  From that lesson we decided to continue teaching her.  We started teaching just her (minus the parents) at the church everyday.  With each new lesson she changed a little.  Now, she is a completely different person.  On Thursday she was telling us about how at first she wanted nothing to do with us but because of our persistence and the Lord she is different and wants to be better.  Rainee is getting baptized on Saturday!  We're so excited and so is she!  It was so cool because during our lesson on Thursday the stake president walked in and just started to tell her about his conversion story.  He was about her age and he plead with her to keep moving forward.  It was perfect!  The spirit was so strong and she knew what she needed to do.  We're so so happy!
      
As you can see, last week definitely had its ups and downs but it sure was amazing.  I swear a mission is like a roller coaster but I wouldn't have it any other way.  It's like in 2 Nephi 2.  If we don't have hard times we wont have the good times or appreciate them.  I'm thankful for everything that has happened to me on my mission, the good and the bad.  It really has made me the missionary/person that I am today and I'm so thankful. 

Thanks for all of your love and support!  I love you all!  The Gospel is definitely true!  Stay true to it!

Love, Hermana Anderson 

Happy June Everyone!

I survived the mission split and am so happy that I'm staying in the Arizona Tucson Mission and that I'm still in St. David.  I can't believe that as of this week I will have been gone for a whole year.  It's so crazy!  This year has been the best year of my life.  I've learned more during this year than any other year.  I would like to think that I've changed a bit as well. 

I've  been thinking a lot lately about how as missionaries we ask people to completely change their lives and turn to our Savior.  I hope that I'm doing the same.  I don't want to come home the same person that I was when I left.  I just love serving a mission!  I've also been thinking a lot about Doctrine and Covenants 123.  It talks about how there are so many people longing for the truth but just don't know where to find it.  It also says that we need to "waste and wear out our lives in bringing to light all the hidden things of darkness, wherein we know them."  I wonder if I'm doing that.  If I'm doing my very best to bring to light the truth.  On days where I come home exhausted I know that I've been doing this.  I really do feel like my body has aged quite a bit in this last year but I wouldn't have it any other way.  I love the Gospel because it is true and it gives us the light and knowledge that we all desperately need.  

Yesterday we had a great zone bonding experience.  Our zone leaders asked us all to meet in Sierra Vista yesterday morning and didn't tell us what we would be doing.  They just said that we needed to wear PDay clothes.  So we drove over an hour to get there.  After we all had arrived at the church the zone leaders led us to the bottom of the mountain.  We all got out and hiked a bit of it. We would stop along the way and they would share different thoughts with us.  For the last bit of the hike they asked us to be reverent and to think about the Savior and the miracles that we have seen.  At the top they talked about how our perspective of the valley below us was different from the top.  We talked about how as we become celestial missionaries we see things differently.  The zone leaders had an old shirt that we made our zone's own title of liberty on.  We all wrote what we would do to become celestial missionaries on it.  It was powerful! 

I want to be completely different now.  I'm not a bad missionary but I can give so much more.  We've all committed to give this transfer everything we've got and then some.  It really will be the best transfer ever. 

If everything goes according to planned, Terry will be getting baptized on Saturday!  It is amazing to see how the Gospel changes lives.  He went from being a hard-hearted old man to one of the softest men I know.  He said that he would never quite smoking but he has.  Satan has really been tempting him this past week but he is amazing.  He says that he knows that he's doing the right thing when he's tempted and tried and when that happen he just laughs at Satan and says, "you can't get me."  Isn't that amazing?  He recognizes what Mormon talks about in Moroni 7:12 -13: "Wherefore, all things which are good cometh of God; and that which is evil cometh of the devil; for the devil is an enemy unto God and fighteth against him continually, and inviteth and enticeth to sin, and to do that which is evil continually.  but behold, that which is of God inviteth and enticeth to do good continually; wherefore, every thing which inviteth and enticeth to do good, and to love God, and to serve him, is inspired of God." 

I think that we can all follow the council of Mormon and Terry and to evaluate where everything comes from.  If it's good we can see that it is from Heavenly Father and follow it.  I know that if we make a pattern of evaluating our lives we will end up happier and better. 

Also, Terry is a great example of people that have been wanting the truth but didn't know where to find it.  A good number of the people he associates with are members of the church and the missionaries actually used to go over to his house all of the time but no one ever taught him anything.  He was looking for light and truth but didn't recognize it.  We can't give up on people if they don't want to learn right away because with time, they will. 

We also had a great time teaching the Kirkwoods this week.  They are amazing and prepared!  They went from being a super inactive/part-member family to being on fire.  I love it!  Ian's parents are super anti-mormon.  On Saturday they were going to be visiting the Kirkwoods and they told us that if their parents started bashing the church they would stand up for it.  Shannon, the mom, said that she isn't ashamed of the church and she will stand up for what she knows is true.  So cool!  What a difference and it's because they went to the temple and the spirit testified to them of the truth.  When we're at the right place at the right time the spirit will testify of truth. 

I'm so thankful for the Holy Ghost and the difference that it makes in my life.  Find ways that you can have the promptings of the spirit in your life more.  Giving up things that we initially don't want to really do make all of the difference.  I know it. 

I hope that you all have a great week!  I love you all!  The Gospel is definitely true!
Love, Hermana Anderson