2 Months to Enjoy...

I refuse to accept the fact that I just received my flight planes to go home... the good thing is I still have 2 months to enjoy. And I promise you I´m going to enjoy it. Rain, sun, hail, we´re making the best of it. Today we played kickball while it was pouring rain, and it was super fun! The entire week´s just been a joy. Maria Eugenia was baptized! And all her family even came to support. It was a beautiful event. We also have interchanges with some sister from Guadalajara and had some great experiences. My favorite was while we were walking down the street and someone starting talk to us. She said, ¨I just wanted to tell you girls how beautiful you are. You have some sort of special...light.¨ We introduced ourselves and asked if we could visit her. She excitedly agreed and said, ¨Who wouldn´t want to receive angels in their home¨ it made us smile. We were also able to knock on a door and find a family that happens to be exactly like my family. The oldest girl is 20, with her 18 year old brother and the smallest boy is 10. They showed a lot of interest and it was a special experience to explain to them the blessings that I´ve received in my family thanks to the gospel...and to help them realize that they could have the same. I love the mission so much. There´s nothing better than just forgetting about yourself and helping others. 

Yesterday we had our ward conference and after that, the members were super excited to help us in the work of the Lord. We´re working hard, and there´s a whole lot more to do. So let us all press on in the work of the Lord.

Les amo,

Hermana Anderson

Just a pretty landscape of my lovely Mexico

Marchas en Morelia-- we got caught up in one of the biggest demostrations in the history of Morelia... so that was interesting. It had to do with the teachers and education in Mexico and stuff

One of my favorite experiences...

This last week was probably one of my favorite experiences...watching my convert baptize my convert. Erik baptized Emily on Saturday and it was so beautiful! And it looks like my primary calling with the 9 years olds before the mission really has been a blessing. We do a lot of activating families which results in the baptism of their kids. And I love teaching these little children. They´re so smart and so receptive to the spirit. It was funny because after Emily was baptized, she went to go change and the rest of us were waiting while singing hymns. After about 15 minutes we were getting worried and went to see if everything was okay. But we couldn´t find Emily! We all went out to find her, and there she was outside running around and playing! When we asked her to come back in she told us, ¨But yeah I got baptized, what else is there to do?!¨ It made us all laugh. 

We also had a lot of cool experiences trying to find new people to teach. Lots of rejection but also a lot of people that let us in! We even found another family of 15. It was a good week. Lots of walking and lots of sun which means lots of sunburns, but we couldn´t be happier. My companion laughs at me cause my arm currently looks like nepolitan ice cream with tan, burned, and completely white, but that´s just how the mission goes. 

I´m just loving life and I´m enjoying the mission more and more everyday. There´s still a lot of experiences to be had and people to help these last two months I have in Mexico, so I´ll be sure to try to make the best of every minute. 

I love you all and I feel so grateful for your support and prayers and love. 

con mucho amor,

Hermana Anderson

It´s a strange thing, the mission

It´s a strange thing, the mission. We go out walking, knocking, and talking with people for hours on end, and you feel so happy that you never want it to end. There´s an incredible joy that comes from loosing yourself in the work of the Lord to help others. This last week in our Zone Conference, we talked a lot about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I realized how blessed I am to have this knowledge of the Atonement, and I don´t think words could ever describe the peace, the joy, the love I´ve felt thanks to Him and it would be selfish to keep this wonderful gift to myself. This last week we were able to teach a family that recently lost their mom due to cancer. It was amazing to see, as they came to understand the Atonement and the Plan of Salvation, this light of hope that came into their eyes. I wish you could all just come out to the mission with me for a day to see what it´s like. The miracles, the Spirit that so directly leads and guides us, the rain and sun and doors slammed in our faces. It´s a beautiful thing. 

Today while shopping in Walmart, a young woman came up to us and asked where she could find a church. We gave her the address of the church and asked if she would like us to visit her. She happily agreed and we were able to set up an appointment. The missionaries had visited her once or twice before and she explained to us that she´d been praying to run into us to because she wanted another chance to accept the gospel and change her life. It was funny cause we never shop in Walmart. In fact, it´s in a completely different zone, but for one reason or another, we decided to go today, and I´m glad we did. The Lord works in mysterious ways. I´m convinced that there´s no such thing as coincidences. 

Well, we continue to work hard and I´m honestly sincerly super happy here. We´ve got a lot to do before August 18th...

I hope you know I love you all and I´m grateful for your prayers, and love and support. I too am praying for you! 

Hasta luego,

Hermana Anderson

Angela, Hna yañez and I...we went to play soccer at the church this morning with a bunch of the youth and missionaries

Enjoying the rainy season in Morelia!!

Hna Yañez and Me

Y los cambios han llegado...

Well, I´m officially with my 12th and last companion. Her name´s Hna Yañez. She´s from Tamaulipas, Mexico but lived in the United States for a long time and speaks super good english...which is good to be able to practice some before coming home. I have to admit, it was hard to leave Hna Vargas, but I´ll be seeing her soon, and changes are just part of the mission, and life. This last week was Leadership Council. As always, it was super good and I learned a ton. Hna Vargas and I spent a solid 2 hours talking about the role of Sister Training Leaders and how to help the sisters in the mission. With 17 new sister missionaries coming to the mission these next couple weeks, it was an important subject. I´m super excited for this next transfer. We´re seeing lots of progress in the stake and the work is progressing like never before. The members are excited and are actively participating in the work. I love this ward so much! I can´t even explain in words the love that I have come to felt for these people. Investigators, members, less-actives, everyone. This last week, we were out teaching like normal when we both received a strong impression to visit our investigator Alicia. When we got to her house, her daughter answered the door crying, and when she saw us she just starting crying more. We asked what was wrong and she explained to us that her grandma had just passed away. She said that when she found out, she said a prayer and asked Heavenly Father to send her someone to help her feel better. That´s when we showed up, and three other youth were also acompanying us. It was a beautiful lesson with the whole family, explaining the Plan of Salvation and the power of temples. Day after day I´m amazed by the way that Heavenly Father guides us to the right people at the right moment. 

I also want to share my testimony of fasting. A fast with a purpose is a powerful thing. I´ve seen it change peoples´s hearts and help bring to pass miracles. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He gives us instruments to show our faith and receive incredible blessings, I love this church with all my heart. I know that it is true. There is nothing more beautiful than seeing someone become converted to this gospel. 

I love you all! Thanks for your prayers and love.

con mucho amor,

Hermana Anderson

The stake rewarded us for our progress this last month with Gourmet Hamburgers

Here´s a pic with Julio, Erik, and Sandy 

We made these for Relief Society to teach about working together as missionaries and members (M&M= missionaries & members) 

Family Home Evening with the Rodriguez Family

Hna Mortensen and Hna Guevara :)