Tranquila

Ya, estoy bien. No os preocupáis. The hurricane was a little rain with
some wind and not much else. It was more of a challenge to explain
daylight savings to my companion than it was to survive Hurricane
Patricia. Nothing can stop the work of the Lord. This week was truly
fantastic (as is every week in the mission). We found a bunch of new
people to teach and can I just tell you, there is no way we would be
able to find these people without the help and guidance of the Lord.
For example, we were searching an address we had of a young woman
named Angeles. We searched the street like 4 or 5 times and the house
number we had just didn´t exist. So we said a little prayer and felt
inspired to ask this young man that was sitting on the sidewalk if he
knew this young woman. Turns out it was his sister, and they had
actually just moved houses, but the young man was able to tell us were
their new house was and when we got there, the whole family warmly
welcomed us into their home and intently listened to our lesson about
The Restoration. But really, what are the chances. The thing is, there
are no coincidences in the mission. Another day we knocked on the door
of another address we had to contact. We didn´t find the person we
were orginally searching for, but rather a middle aged woman who´s
father had passed away that week. The Spirit was strong as we taught
her the Plan of Salvation and that families can be together forever. I
have no doubt that the Lord leads us to these homes. He prepares the
hearts of these people.
Laura is steadly progressing toward her baptism! She came to church
yesterday, and since the ward went to the temple on Saturday, many
shared their testimonies of the temple and the work we do there.
Afterwards she told us that while she still didn´t completely
understand what they do in the temples or what they are, she really
really wants to go after hearing everyone´s experiences. Haha. Some of
our recent converts were able to go for the first time and do baptisms
and they shared some beautiful experiences with us. Some other
families from my previous areas were sealed together. It made me so so
happy to hear all the wonderful things that are happening as the Lord
hastens his work here. I feel so grateful to have been able to do a
little of my family history and attend the temple frequently before my
mission. It has given me a stronger testimony of everything we do here
in the church.
Other than that, I had companion exchanges with Hermana Vargas here in
Salvatierra and that was good. Also the hermanas from Acambaro are
staying in our house until they find a new house due to safety
concerns. But one of the hermanas is the Hermana Tupounuia...my
companion from the MTC!! We´ve basically been in the same zone our
entire mission and now we get to live together! It´s fun to reminise
on our first days in the MTC and in the mission field. It helps remind
me just how far I´ve come these last 8 months. But really, it´s been
great to have someone to share these experiences with throughout my
entire mission. So many blessings in the mission.
I love you all and thank you for your prayers. They really help.
Les amo,
Hermana Anderson

Celebrating Hermana Trejo´s birthday with sparklers and cake

Cause there´s just so many pretty flowers and colors here in Mexico

Hurricane Patricia in Salvatierra

Hermana Gonzales and I enjoying the Park on P-Day

The fantastic 4

Walking Down the Street

This week as we were walking down the street a man working in a
car-repair shop stopped us and asked, ´You two pass by every morning
smiling and greeting everyone that you pass, why are you so happy?´
The answer was simple...it´s because we´re spreading the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, a message of hope and happiness. And can´t even put to
words the joy that this work gives me. This last week, one of our
investigators, Laura, told us of her different experiences she´s had
with prayer and the Book of Mormon, and her desire to be baptized.
While her husband wasn´t to fond of the idea, God softened his heart
and he gave her permission to be baptized. She told us, ´I´ve made up
my mind, I´m going to be baptized and no one can stop me.´ I don´t
think I stopped smiling all day. Her mother is a member of the church
and is currently living with Laura due to cancer and other health
issues. She can´t walk or say very much, but she shared with us how
she has been praying for her daughter to receive the Gospel everyday
since she was baptized more than 15 years ago. Nothing makes me
happier than to see families united in the Gospel.
Yesterday we had stake conference so we got to go to Moroleón to
attend. We had members from Salvatierra, Moroleón and Prados Verdes
there. a.k.a. all of my areas so far in the mission. I enjoyed seeing
all the members and I was so happy to see previous investigators there
now as new members of the church. Many were surprised to find that now
I can actually speak Spanish, unlike 6 months ago. Haha The church is
growing rapidly here in México and I feel so blessed to be a small
part of it.
The mission has taught me a lot. I´ve gained a stronger testimony of
my Savior, The Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, and many other aspects of
the Restored Gospel. I´ve learned what it means to have patience, with
myself and with others. I´ve learned to trust in the Lord and follow
the Holy Ghost. And I´ve also learned that there are consequences when
I don´t fulfill all my responsibilities... like paying the electricity
bill. Haha we didn´t have any food this morning to eat, so after our
studies we went off to the market to buy some things. We got home, and
quickly started making some tacos and smoothies. With meat and
tortillas on the stove, and strawberries in the blender, we soon
realized nothing would turn on. That´s when I remembered we have to
pay for electricity. So we went and bought some pizza and spent a
solid hour of our P-Day today waiting in line to pay for the
electricty. I´m pretty sure I won´t be forgetting that ever again.
I am loving it here and I can´t believe how quickly the time is flying
by. I appreciate all of your love and support!
Les amo mucho!
Hermana Anderson

Pizza for breakfast cause we
didn´t have electricity

 Salvatierra at Sunset

Fantastic Week

So this week was absolutely fantastic. My trainee is picking up everything so fast that I´m pretty sure she came pretrained... makes my job super easy. But really, this week we found some amazing people. First of all, one of our investigators listened to general conference with us last week and it changed everything. She felt the Spirit, gained a testimony of the Prophet and Apostles and asked us when she could be baptized. It´s hard for her to attend church because she lives pretty far away and is caring for her mom that is battling cancer, but she has faith that the Lord will provide a way. Also, this last week we received a reference from one of the members who happens to be the Seminary teacher. The reference was a young woman that has been attending seminary at 5 o´clock in the morning everyday these last couple weeks and everyone thought she was a member until the teacher asked her about her baptism experience....haha. So now we´re teaching the young woman, and her entire family wants to be baptized too! They are practically perfect. I love seeing how the Lord places certain people in our path and how the Lord prepares them along the way to receive this wonderful message. 
Nothing else super exciting happened this week. We managed to live off of 5 pesos for an entire week cause we didn´t receive reembursments yet haha. Good thing the Lord always provides. The ward is preparing to go to the Mexico temple this next month so we´re trying to help them all find family names to take. That´s probably been one of my favorite things this week. I just have this weird obsession with family history, and with anything that has to do with missionary work. I love the mission with all my heart. It doesn´t matter if we are walking all day long, up and down hills, in the sun, I´m happy and smiling because I know my Heavenly Father is happy, because I´m doing His work. After one of our lessons this week, my compañera told me, ¨I only have two weeks in the mission, but I can already feel my testimony growing, and I never want to go home because the Spirit in the mission is just so strong and it just makes me so happy.¨ That´s exactly how I feel. 
Les amo muchisimo,
Hermana Anderson

#WeDon´tNeedNoPinterest

Just a normal week back in Salvatierra

Well, I don´t think this letter will be nearly as exciting as last
weeks, but I guess that´s a good thing. Haha. But really, all is going
well here in Salvatierra and I couldn´t be happier with my companion.
Her first week in the mission field and she committed 3 people to
baptism. She has so much enthusiasm for the work that it helps me keep
a positive attitude too. We were able to find a bunch of new
investigators this week. There´s one woman we´ve been trying to teach
for over a month but is always busy. We had left with her some
pamphlets and a Book of Mormon to read but after time we kinda lost
hope that we would ever teach her. BUT, this last week as we were
planning, I felt we should go one last time. When we went to her
house, she had an entire list of questions for us. I guess this last
week, she experienced some deaths in the family and, looking for
answers and comfort, ending up reading all the pamphlets and nearly
all of 1 Nephi! She had felt the peace she was seeking, and now wants
to learn more and more.
Also, can I just say I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE!! How blessed we are to
have a living prophet and apostles. We had some investigators watch it
with us and they were all able to feel the Spirit and find answers. I
too found an incredible peace and comfort as well as an even stronger
desire to do the work of the Lord. AND I received my mother´s darling
package just in time to have candy sufficient for all the sessions of
conference. So I guess you could say this weekend was a success.
I´m safe, happy and healthy here in México. I love you all and I´m
always praying for you.
Con amor,
Hermana Anderson

Family Home Evening- playing games with Oliver

Pepe, Julio, Marisol (a.k.a. ex-hermana Moncada), Hermana Campbell,
Hermana Acevedo and I. Sending Hermana Campbell home :(

Hermana Gonzales´ first zone meeting

You can´t come to Salvatierra without eating ice cream in the park.