Getting St. David Back Into The Missionary Swing

Congratulations Reed and Jenn!  

Ok, wow well this week has been really great.  We've been working hard to get the town back into the missionary swing of things.  Before we left each of the wards committed to find us 5 people ready to be taught by the time that we got back.  Well, one of the wards pulled through.  We're really excited because this ward has been the ward that had been struggling the most in the missionary department, but the bishop decided that it was up to him to find people and he did! (Hazel, our investigator from Germany got to shake President Eyring and Elder Holland's hand at the Temple Celebration! She was way excited about that.)

St. David has really had some huge blessings as a result of the the temple open house.  I guess that tons of people that hadn't been to church in years have come back and this includes a lot of part member families!  Last Sunday a family showed up to church that no one knew.  Their names are the Kirkwoods.  Sister Kirkwood is a member of the Church but has been inactive for about 10 yrs.  Her husband and 14 yr old son have not been baptized.  Some of their neighbors that they didn't even really know invited this family to the open house.  As they walked through the temple, the spirit testified to them that that was where they were supposed to be.  As they sat in the Sealing Room they knew that they needed to become an eternal family so when they got home they looked up who was their bishop and gave him a call.  That night Bishop Jones and his wife walked over to their house and got to know them.  The next day they went to church and have met with Bishop Jones a few times since then.  He told us about them and so we stopped by their home.  They were so excited to see us and had us over for dinner and a lesson on Saturday.  They are so cool!  Both Ian (the dad) and Conner (the son) accepted dates to be baptized on June 19th!  We're all so excited! (With our investigator Nat) 

Yesterday was the temple dedication as you know.  It was so neat!  Our temple here has been such a great blessing and it will only continue to bless this area.  In the dedication Elder Holland talked about how the temple is a place of forgiveness and healing.  It's true!  Everything we do in the temple points to the atonement and being purified.  I just love the temple and am so thankful for the blessings that come from it.  We are so blessed to have temples. 

Because there wasn't church yesterday, we had a special fireside about temple for our investigators.  It was really neat to be able to teach and testify about temples.  As I was preparing for it I thought a lot about what temples are.  They're so much more than beautiful buildings, they're the house of the Lord.  They are a demonstration of Heavenly Father's love for us and also a demonstration of our love towards Him.  For me, the temples are a refuge from life's storms.  They're houses of faith, peace, comfort, learning, and so much more.  I just love them! 

We've had another miracle this week, our investigator Terry has quite smoking!  His doctors told him never to do it because he would have a nervous break down, but he knew that the Lord would provide a way.  He's been blessed with so much strength and now doesn't even have the desire to smoke!  I know that as we trust in the Lord, He does provide a way for us to accomplish the things that He's commanded us to do.  Well, I hope that you're all doing wonderful.  I love you all so much!  Have a great week!  The Church is definitely true! 
Love,
Hermana Anderson

P.S. I'm super nervous about transfer calls tonight!
(In Tombstone with a Bison)

Exciting News!!

We are so HAPPY that Reed and Jennifer have chosen August 17, 2010 to be married for Eternity in the Salt Lake Temple.

Back To St. David All Safe And Sound

Well hey there! 

We made it back to St. David this morning all safe and sound.  Dad you were right, it was bitter sweet leaving.  I can't think of a better thing to do than to have a temple open house right before our mission splits.  FYI transfers are next week and it is this transfer that will determine everything.  We'll see where I end up because there is a sister in El Paso going home next week and so there will be an open spot there.  I don't know what will happen but I'm just praying that I'll be able to accept whatever happens with excitement.  (My companions in the field)

Ok, so the open house is over.  I was thinking about it and this past month that we've had in the valley has probably been one of the best months of my life.  I saw so many miracles and was blessed more than I could have ever imagined.  The temple truly is the house of our Lord. 

It was wonderful to be with all of the sisters.  Really, it was so much fun!  We saw a lot of miracles this week.  On Thursday Sister Mackay and I saw a huge one.  To preface it, I have a quick story.  Well Sister Mackay and I have been having a friendly competition/tournament with Sister Cope and Sister Cosgrove.  Among the events in this tournament were volleyball and badminton.  Well Thursday morning while running backwards to hit the birdy, Sister Mackay slipped on some rocks and sprained her ankle really bad.  It was huge and bruised and just nasty.  We both knew that even though it hurt way bad she still needed to go to the temple and we would see miracles for her faith.  Usually when we're at the temple we do video rooms but since she couldn't really walk, we stayed in the cultural hall to answer questions and to just talk to people. 

Well I was walking around and this woman named Linda approached me.  She wanted to know if she could go on another tour because she was "looking for something."  I said sure and then she proceeded to tell me about her life.  She's been through a lot of hard hard things.  Well, we had been talking to her for awhile and this man from the temple committee approached us.  He told her that her friend had just told him about her and he wanted to talk to her.  He asked me to go get my companion because we were going to teach Linda.  So we went to an empty room in the church and he shared with her some personal feelings and he said, "now Linda, you came here today looking for an answer.  You've received it and need to follow it.  Please share with the sisters the experience that you had in the the temple."  She proceeded to tell us that while in the sealing room she could see everything behind her in the mirrors but the mirror in front of her was just like a normal mirror and that it stopped with her.  The man left and we talked to her.  Pretty much we listened to her and then we taught the first lesson.  Apparently she is a former investigator but hasn't been meeting with the missionaries in the past few years because her husband wouldn't allow her to anymore.  She is currently going through a divorce and is coming back to church.  Linda's friend drove her to the temple (it took 5 hrs) because she knew that she was get direction in her life.  While teaching her, the spirit was so strong and I don't think that Sister Mackay and I have ever been so bold with a person.  At the end of it, she said "On Sunday I'm going to talk to the Bishop so that I can get baptized!"  Yes!  She then asked us to go with her through the temple again.  We found 2 tour guides to take Linda, her friend, and the 2 of us through the temple.  While in the temple the Spirit was even stronger.  The best part was while we were in the celestial room and sealing room.  We asked the ushers to give us a bit of time alone in the Celestial Room so that she could pray and receive an answer.  It was really neat to be able to be in that room with just the 6 of us.  After a few minutes in there, we went to the sealing room where our tour guides bore powerful powerful witness of the reality of the Gospel.  Linda took the time to look in the mirrors again and this time it didn't just end with her.  It went on and on and on for eternity.  What a miracle!  Something that I thought was interesting though, is that Linda didn't see the miracle until she showed her faith.  It reminds me so much of Ether 12 and Moroni 7 when it talks about how we receive the miracles after the trials of our faith.  It is true for both Linda and for Sister Mackay and I.  If she hadn't have hurt herself and shown the Lord her faith and dedication, we wouldn't have had this experience.    

Another really cool thing happened this week.  The monastery from St. David came up. (Our Nun, Sister Corrin)  It really was an interesting experience.  Each person that came up got what they wanted from their trip.  Those that wanted to have more understanding got it.  Those that wanted to find faults didn't have a good experience.  It's pretty much like all of life, whatever we put into it we get.  Overall it was a really neat and positive experience to have them come up and to see what we believe in and find commonality in our faiths.  (Paul and Ruth, Paul is our investigator.)   

On Saturday night, the couple that we've worked with the most at the temple took us sisters on the last tour of the open house.  They decided to give the tour different then the other tours that they had given.  In each room, they bore testimony.  It was so powerful and really was something that I'll never forget.  None of us sisters wanted to leave the celestial room.  The power of the temple is so real. (We all worked together in with the Temple Open House.)
  

Like I said, my time at the open house really did change my life.  I know have a stronger conviction to attend the temple as much as possible so that I can have the blessings that come from the temple.  Also, so that I can help others receive those blessings.  The Plan of Happiness and our lives would have no purpose without the temple and the covenants we make in them.  I just love the temple so much.  This temple has become my temple and I can't wait to go through and do sessions in it.  I'm so excited for the day that I can go into the temple with my investigators and recent converts and to be with them as they make sacred promises with our Heavenly Father.  My job doesn't end as soon as our investigators walk out of the baptismal font.  It's much deeper than that.  I need to see them all at the temple and doing what they can to keep going and enduring to the end.  The temple really is what brings me the most happiness and joy and I'm so thankful for the covenants that I've made there. 

The Church is definitely true and it is up to us to share the truth and joy with everyone!  Have a great week!  I love you all! 

Love, Hermana Anderson