Why Hello

Hey hey! It sounds like you all had a great week! This week has been really good. We didn't have a whole lot of success numbers wise but I know that we did our best and that that is all that matters. Sometimes I worry that people get so wrapped up in numbers that that is all that matters. Oh well.

We've only had 2 investigators since I got back and it looks like neither of them really have a whole lot of interest in the Gospel so we're going to give them a break. One, Jose Salinas (one of the few Spanish speaking people in town) is interested in finding a wife... which none of us can help him with. He's in his 60s and has cancer. He's just so lonely so I hope that he'll be able to find a wife here in town. It's funny because his fellowshipper Hermano De La Cruz told him that talking about his desire for a wife is not respecting us as missionaries so we'll see if he decides to learn more about the Gospel or not. (Our neighbor that greats us every night when we come home.)

The other investigator, Edith is avoiding us and her fellowshipper so that's fun. This week we mostly spent all of our time doing finding activities. We went to Tombstone and met a lot of people who haven't been to church in years. For the most part, Tombstone is a place where people run to to get away from reality so the people there are really interesting. The people in that town just have different desires than those in St. David and you can definitely feel it as you go from one town to the next.

In St. David pretty much the only way to find is through the members. It's just not realistic or time efficient to go knock on doors. So pretty much we've started to do what we did when we first got here, we're serving everyone. We've seen a lot of blessings from it already. People are giving us referrals and the members know that they have a large role in the success in this area.

Another thing that we've started doing is going into the homes of the members and doing this thing called "The President Monson Approach." Pretty much what it entails is that we go into their homes, share the first lesson, and invite them to pray and create a family mission plan. It's pretty powerful. If nothing else, it helps the members to become more missionary minded. I really like it.

We're really focusing on the Patton ward because we've done the least amount of work in that ward. It's starting to pay off because yesterday in church a man passed us a note that said that as members we often forget our duty for missionary work but so much of the responsibility lies on the shoulders of the members. I know that as other members of that ward come to have his same attitude, miracles will happen in the Patton ward. Yesterday it was really neat because Jesse Ingram was the youth speaker in the San Pedro ward. It was so neat to see someone that we taught get up and teach the ward in Sacrament Meeting! He said that he had been reading the New Era and a article about patriarchal blessings caught his eye and that he couldn't stop thinking about it. So Jesse got up and taught the ward about patriarchal blessings for probably 7-10 minutes. It was amazing! He said that the way he sees them is that we are all walking through fog but our blessings are a flashlight given to us to illuminate our paths and to keep us safe. I really liked that analogy. It's so cool to see how Jesse has changed. He went from barely being able to look us in the eye to speaking in Sacrament Meeting calmly without notes. The spirit was way strong as he testified of the scripture that says "by their fruits ye shall know them." He says he knew that the church was true because we believe in forever families and because we have patriarchal blessings. Jesse is 17 right now and I just know that if he goes on a mission that he'll be powerful. He and his family are so great! (On our way to email)

So yeah, that's kind of where things are at now. We're looking forward to this upcoming week and know that we'll see so many miracles. I love being a missionary! It is the best thing ever and makes me so happy!

Find ways that you all can be missionaries. I know that it will bless you. There is no doubt about it and no doubt that the church is true. Christ is the head of the chruch and we are so blessed to have the truth. We need to share it! Have a great week! The Gospel is definitely true!
Love, Sister Anderson

You know that you've been on a mission for awhile when...

Well hey there everyone!  How are things going?  Things are going great here!  I'm back in St. David!!!!  I'm so glad to be back and there is A LOT of work to be done.  I loved being in Tucson.  It was so hard, but so so good.  I learned so much while I was there and really grew to love the people there.  (right before Sister Rodriguez left)

One of the people that Sister Howard and I were teaching got baptized on Saturday!  Yes!  I got permission to call Sister Howard on Saturday and get the down low about it all.  She said that after he was baptized he got up and bore his testimony about how everything is possible through Christ and how the Church is true.  I guess that it really touched our other investigator Jennifer and now she is so excited to get baptized and her kids are going to join her as well!  Testimonies of recent converts are so powerful! 

I can't remember if I told you last week or not, but when I had my interview with President he told me that I didn't belong in Tucson, but that I belonged in St. David.  I quickly agreed and am glad to be back.  St. David just seems like home.  I love small towns! 

So as my subject says, I came to a realization that I'd been out for awhile this week.  Sister Mackay and I were talking to our new companion Sister Curlee and she mentioned something about an "I-Pad."  Well naturally Sister Mackay and I just assumed that since Sister Curlee is from New Hampshire she had an accent and meant to say "I-Pod."  I guess that we were wrong.  Oh well. 

So yeah, I'm in a threesome again for a bit.  We don't know when Sister Mackay's companion is going to be able to come out so she's with us for a while.  It is so fun!  Sister Curlee is a hoot!  She is 4' 10'' and so funny.  We're having a lot of fun together.  She's only been out for one transfer so it's fun to learn from her and for her to learn from us.  It's kind of refreshing to have someone new with us.  New missionaries just seem so fresh and excited about everything.  I love it!  She's also really really good at Spanish so I'm thankful for that.  


(Rattle Snake in Tucson at our house! After they cut off it's head I got to hold it, but it started squirting blood all over me and Sister Howard didn't have time for a picture. I got to keep it's rattle!)

We're working really hard at filling up the teaching pool right now.  We've run into a problem that isn't really a bad thing... all of our investigators have gotten baptized.  While we were teaching them we were trying to find new investigators but had little success so now we are doing all that we can to find new ones. (When we met our friend Damon he would drink at least 16 beers a day and now he's sober. His favorite thing to tell us is that he's "too blessed to be stressed".

We're going back to what we did when we got here:  service.  We're going to do all that we can to boost the members and than they'll find for us.  Member involvement is everything!  We're also excited because this week is girls camp and there are at least 4 potential investigators going up so we're praying that they have really spiritual experiences while at camp and come back ready to be taught!  I'm sure that it will happen!  We have so much potential here in St. David and in Tombstone and I'm I'm excited for the miracles that we'll see this transfer!  We have a lot of work in front of us, but we're ready to get it done and to see the miracles!  I completely expect them to come.  I always think of that movie "Field of Dreams."  If we build this area people will come and our teaching pool will fill.  Kind of lame analogy, but I think about it all of the time. 

Anyway, that is about all that is going on here.  I love serving a mission!  I've never been so happy!  It was amazing yesterday to hear 2 of our recent converts bless the Sacrament and for another to pass it.  When I see things like that it makes everything worth it and makes me so happy.  The Gospel is a gospel of happiness.  I know it!  When we live it and do what is right we can be confident that we will be happy.  I love you all!  The Gospel is definitely true!  Have a great week!  
Love Hermana Anderson 

We thought you'd find some humor in Melissa's response to our cat Mitzi's death. I'm sorry about Mitzi, but I know that she is in a better place and is teaching her brother about the gospel and helping to call him to repentance. That cat needs all the help he can get! (As you recall there was no love loss between Melissa and Rusty)

Happy 4th of July Everyone!

Happy 4th of July everyone! It's so good to hear from you. It seems like you're all doing great! We had a great 4th! At the end of the day Sister Howard and I were able to watch all of the fireworks from Tucson on our neighbors balcony. It was really cool!


This past week has been really good. Honestly, it's been hard to be here in Tucson but it has also been so good. I've really enjoyed my experience here and know that I've been here for a reason. So last night we got transfer calls... and I'm going back to St. David! There is a really sad part though, Sister Mackay is getting transferred to the Gila Valley. She'll be opening up a new area and training. We're both pretty bummed because we were both assured that we'd be staying together for at least one more but I guess that the Lord has other things in mind. My companion will be Sister Curley. It will be her 2nd transfer out in the field. This transfer she's been with Sister Aquino so I'm sure that she's been taught well. It turns out that Sister Mackay's companion is still in the MTC today and wasn't able to come out yet because she's sick so we'll have a few more days together. Sister Howard will be training again and is terrified but she'll be great. She's a great missionary. I've really enjoyed serving with her for the past little bit. It's funny because it seems like we're practically the same person. We are a lot a like and have really helped each other out a lot.

So yeah, we've had a bunch of great experiences these past few days. We've been teaching this woman named Jennifer who has been through a lot in her life. Because of her experiences she has a lot of lasting issues. It is amazing to see the transformation that has taken place over the past week with her. At the beginning of the week she was in hysterics and out of control. We were able to calm her down and told her that now is the time for her to take over her life. To look forward and never look back and to let Christ become her foundation. As we told her these things it kind of seemed like it was all going over her head or in one ear and out the other but we said what we knew needed to be said boldly. Well, every day since than she has progressively gotten better and better. It is nothing less than a miracle. She has now taken control and is focused on Christ. It was amazing because yesterday morning she called us to tell us that she was going out of town for a few days and asked us to come over before hand. So we went over and some of her fellow shippers that live in her apartment complex were fighting. As she found out she calmly had her son go get their son and bring him over to her apartment and asked us to pray with her for them. This may not seem like a big deal but it was huge. In less than a week she has gone from a woman in hysterics to having great control over herself and her family. It's all because of the atonement. She's taken Helaman 5:12 to heart and is strong. It is so amazing.
Melissa, Grandpa Anderson's sister Annette & Sister Howard

We've also been teaching this man named David. He approached the elders at Taco Bell and gave him his info and said that he wanted to be baptized. Needless to say, he's getting baptized! Last night he told us that he had been a smoker for over 10 years but could never quit. On the day that we taught him the Word of Wisdom he knew that he had to change. So he went home and got on his knees and plead with the Lord that He would take away his addiction. Well, apparently later on that night he went to smoke. He had the cigarette in his mouth and every time that he would put the lighter next to it the flame would go out. He tried over and over again but nothing worked. Well, since that day he hasn't touched a cigarette! He has no cravings and no problem. We asked him how it happened and he said that it was because he had put it all on the Lord. He knew that as he asked for help that the Lord would provide. He also said that the Book of Mormon has helped him to stay strong.

These aren't just nice stories, they're real life. I know that as we put our complete trust in the Lord that we can overcome all and that the Book of Mormon is a tool to help us. The Book of Mormon is powerful and miracles come from consistent reading. It is amazing! I think that often we don't think that we can receive the miracles but we can. We're the only person stopping ourselves.

Since I've been here, Sister Howard and I have been super diligent in our search for new investigators but hadn't had much success. This means that we've been knocking on doors in 110 degree weather. As a companionship yesterday we prayed and plead with the Lord to give us a miracle and to have someone find us. Well, we had our miracle. About a minute after we ended the prayer we received a text referral saying that this woman wanted a Book of Mormon. We called her and she said that she is a former investigator and that now is the time to join the Church and to change her life. No one can tell me that prayers aren't answered and that miracles don't happen. I've seen too many answered prayers and too many miracles to say that. It reminds me of Moroni 7. Miracles aren't what bring us faith. Faith brings the miracles. It is true. Our lack of faith is what holds us back from receiving the miracles.
(Look close and you can see that Melissa is pointing at her name on the family tree hanging in The Stricklands home)

The Gospel is definitely true. There is no doubt about it. I hope that we can all stay true to it. I hope that you all have a great week! Love you lots!
Love,
Sister Anderson