Where Has Time Gone?

Well, I'm not sure where the time has gone. Somehow it's almost time for me to come home.  In some ways I'm excited, but in others kind of heartbroken.  I absolutely love being a missionary and plan to continue to be one for the rest of my life. Rather than talk about all that I've learned this past year and a half I think that I'll just talk about my week.
  
Missionary work is wonderful. It's amazing to see others change and accept Christ and the truth in their lives.  This past week was way busy.  We were able to go to the temple as a district on Wednesday.  The temple is so amazing.  It is a place where I feel so much peace and learn so much about Heavenly Father's love.  I think that they are great symbols of that love. I've been thinking a lot about how everything that He does for us, including the commandments are because He loves us and wants us to be happy.  I find it interesting that prayer is a commandment but the whole object of prayer is to secure blessings for us that we need.

  
This week we haven't really had a chance to see much of our investigators.  They've been so busy and it seems like they've kind of dropped off the face of the planet. So Sister Thomas and I decided that we were going to set high goals for yesterday and expect miracles.  And you guessed it... miracles happened!  It seemed like it was one right after another.  

There is a recent convert who is super nice, but the elders drove her husband off last year and he hasn't been interested in learning much.  Well, each time we go by he seems a little more open to us.  His wife says that he likes us because we have personality.  She told us last week that this weekend was his birthday so we thought that we'd stop by and give him a card and dvd.  We were pretty sure that he'd be gone or if he was home that his wife wouldn't give him a chance to talk. When we got to their house the wife was asleep and he was home!  He invited us in because he wanted to talk.  It was great!  Even though a lesson wasn't taught, we are gaining back his trust little by little. To me, that is a miracle. 

We also contacted a few teenagers and they were all like "yeah!  I want to learn more!"  One was a referral. He said that his family used to go to church with his sister but she moved out and they stopped going.  Apparently, in the last little while, the dad has started talking more about church and how they need to go back.  The dad works shift work so we won’t be able to teach the family until Thursday but we're way excited about this!  From the way Jesus was talking, it seems like this family has really been prepared. He was a little quiet at first but then he opened up about football and I told him that I love college football and BYU.  Well, this just opened him right up!  We found out so much information about his family from just talking for a minute about what he's interested in. I think that people need to feel important before we even begin to teach them things. They can feel God's love for them as we find out about their lives.  One of his former teachers once told us that "he's a big loser."  How sad.  I think that sometimes we are too quick to judge.  We don't know what is going on in their lives and why they are the way they are. When I find myself starting to judge I always try to remember who they really are. Everyone on this earth is a child of God who once chose to follow Him.  They have testimonies of Him deep inside but they just need to be awakened. People rarely change without being invited to do so. 

We also talked with this girl who has felt lost and alone for a long time but has started going to a church.  She said that it must be true because people speak in tongues and that they're teaching her to do the same.  They also chant and it's interesting.  I've found that Satan twists and distorts things so easily.  He makes people believe in false things and it just pulls them away from the truth. In the scriptures it talks about people being blinded by the subtle craftiness of men.  That truly happens.  Something looks interesting and it pulls people in.  So many people talk about speaking in tongues and what not and I've wondered what it is like when they do it but I don't want to get anywhere near it.  We need to cling to the truth and not let go. I'm sure that satisfying curiosity is a lot of people's down fall.  Curiosity killed the cat right? 

Another thing that I've been thinking about is avoiding the appearance of sin. Often people are surrounded by sin but think that they're too strong and they wont ever fall into its traps.  Well, that's wrong.  After being surrounded by it people will fall.  We've talked about this to our investigators.  The key is Helaman 5:12.  We must be built on Christ.  If we are, we'll be safe.  If we're built on Christ we wont feel the need to satisfy curiosity or look for happiness anywhere else.  

Well, I love you all!  I can't believe that I'll be seeing you all this week.  Crazy!  Have a great week!  Be strong in immovable.  The Lord loves us and wants to bless us.  He is amazing.  I love the scripture that says the Lord is my light.  He truly is my light and my joy.  I love my Savior.  I'm so thankful that I've been able serve Him and invite others to come unto Him.  My life is forever changed and blessed.  I just love being a missionary.  There is nothing like it.  I feel like I have so much to say but I'll just end with this.  Always remember that the Gospel is definitely true and is such a great blessing in our lives.  When we follow it we will always be safe and blessed even if those around us are not. 

Follow Christ and He will direct your paths.  Well, adios! 

Hasta luego! 

Love,
Hermana Anderson

Hola coma esta

(This morning we helped renovate a home from the 1800's)

Hey everyone!  I know that I always say this but time is just flying bye.  I can't even believe that I'll be home next week.  It's so weird. 

This week was really great.  It's been a roller coaster to say the least.  I feel like missionary life is always a roller coaster.  Just when you think that you have everything figured out and everything is going perfectly something happens.  That is whats happening to us. 

On Thursday we had the baptismal interviews lined up for Candi and her 2 daughters and Rycca.  Unfortunately, Candi is the only one that had an interview.  Her daughters, Brianna and Alicia, still need to get permission from their dad.  He is kind of under the impression that the Candi is forcing this on them.  It's amazing to see what her 4 daughters learn at church though.  Every time we see them they sing us songs that they learned at church.  Their favorite is "If the Savior Stood Beside Me."  It's funny because they'll be singing it while they're acting up and Candi says something like, "would you really be doing that if He was beside you?"  and it gets them in line.  Candi's interview went really well.  She's so prepared and amazing. 

Shortly before the interviews Rycca's grandma called us and said that Rycca doesn't want to get baptized yet.  It's sad because she is ready but she feels pressure about it and what it involves from the whole ward.  It's pretty sad.  But the ward has realized that they need to make some changes in order to help her and others like her out.  So all of that happened on Thursday and on Friday night Candi texted us and said that she didn't know if she was ready to make a covenant yet because she's afraid of breaking it.  Great! 

We haven't been able to see her since then because she's been out of town but Joshua 1:6-9 keep running through my head.  I especially love verse 9 which says, "Have not I commanded thee?  Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed; for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest."  To survive the test of life we must be strong and of a good courage.  We can't let our fears get to us.  Fear is from the adversary!  Joseph Smith once said, "I make this my rule, if God commands do it."  Our Heavenly Father is loving and will not ask more of us than we are able to give.  Yes, sometimes it does take us be strong and of a good courage but we were sent here to do hard things.  We're not here to just sit idly by until our time comes.  We're here to follow God to show Him that we will follow Him even if it is hard or scary.  Life is a battle but if we want to make it we have to be strong.  That's just how it is.
So we're praying that we'll be able to see Candi today and help her through some of her feelings.  I keep thinking that I just don't have time for her to be doing this but it isn't about me.  I just know that I'm supposed to be teaching her and that I need to do all that I can to get her baptized before I leave.  So please pray that everything will work out.
  
Our 11 year old investigator Wesley is getting himself into trouble as well.  He's been getting in lots of fights lately.  I've put a lot of thought into what's going on with him and have realized some things.  His family has him reading an anger management book.  Now, that's a good idea but I don't think that it is the best thing for him.  As I've been studying and contemplating the scriptures I've come up with some things.  There are countless stories of people who changed their lives around.  They went from being evil to the best people in the world.  After hearing his address, King Benjamin's people "cried with one voice, saying: Yea, we believe all the words which thou hast spoken unto us; and also, we know of their surety and truth, because of the Spirit of the Lord Omnipotent, which has wrought a might change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually."  What made this might change of heart happen?  They became truly converted.  They learned for themselves who their Savior was and that He was mighty and able to save them. 

So the conclusion that I had this week is that it is a good thing to study behavior but the best thing is to come unto Christ.  As we come unto Him we naturally become like Him.  His wants and desires become our wants and desires.  I know that as Wesley continues to come unto Christ he will have "no more disposition to do evil but to do good continually."  We are so blessed to have a Savior and to have the opportunity to become more like Him everyday.  
The Gospel is such a great blessing.  As we live it and let it really be who we are, it changes us.  It makes us better people.  It makes us more worthy to be called the sons and daughters of God.  

The Gospel is definitely true.  
Have a great week everyone!  I love you all lots!  

Love, Sister Anderson