So this is it...

I cannot believe that the time has gone by. 18 months. Just like that. And I have to admit, I really hate saying goodbye. I´m just a big mess of mixed feeling right now. Of course, I´m excited to see you all, friends and family, but at the same time, I´m leaving behind my new found family here in Prados Verdes. It´s been more than a year since I first met many of these people here, and we´ve all grown spiritually together. I´ve seen families baptized, others return after a long time, others sealed, and it´s been a privilege to be a part of their lives. I will never forget my experiences here. 

This last week was easily one of the craziest of my entire mission. To briefly summarize, it included 20+ hours in meetings and another 20+ hours in bus to get to all the meetings. And the majority of that traveling took place in the middle of the night. So we´re kinda tired, but I have to admit, it was fun. Hna Yañez makes everything fun and exciting. And it was a great thing to see and interact with so many missionaries. They always teach me new stuff. Now I´m just hoping to get home and be able to keep applying everything that I´ve learned in the mission. It´s been a grand adventure with so many ups and downs. I´m so grateful for the opportunity I have had to give this short time to my Savior. By giving my time and giving myself to this wonderful work, I´ve gained more than I ever thought possible. 

I can´t wait to get home and tell you guys all about my experiences. And just so you know, tomorrow I´ll be traveling to Guadalajara, we´ll have interviews, temple, tacos, testimony meeting, the final dinner and Thursday morning I´m headed to the airport for a long flight home. I´m anxious to see all your beautiful faces. You´re the bestests.

les amo,

nos vemos muy muy pronto,

Hermana Anderson

Hna Mortensen y Hna Tere Bedolla

Mi hija Hna Gonzales

The Crew. President Egginton, The Assistants (Elder Starley, Elder Suarez), and us. 

My dear Hna Yañez. Man I´m gonna miss this girl

...after nearly my entire mission, I finally found the ocean :)

con la familia Ventura

Our last zone meeting. They feed us :) 

Another one of us...cause we´re cool like that

They shoved my face in cake this last week to tell me good bye

Here´s a pic with my comps, Julio and Karla, and the other one is in Lazaro Cardenas

Hna Angelita... one of my converts from my first round in Prados

The Final Countdown

Wow...there aren`t even words to explain my many mixed emotions right now. 10 more days. I`m excited for what`s to come. I realize there are many things for me to learn back at home, but it`s not going to be easy to leave so many people that I`ve come to love so much. I completed 9 months here in Prados Verdes...that`s half of my mission. Prados is like my second home. And part of my heart will always be here. This last week of my mission will be one of the craziest. In a couple hours we`ll be leaving to Guadalajara (again). We were just there last Friday and now we`re going again for a future leader training thing. And we`ll be coming back to Morelia tomorrow or Wednesday with President Egginton. We will then be teaching the same training session here in Morelia and we will also be having our zone meeting and somehow we`re going to fit two companionship exchanges in the middle of all that. I`m just trying to enjoy every last second and trying to use up every last drop of energy I have. There will never be another time like this in my life. I feel so blessed to have had these experiences, to have gotten to know this people, and more than anything, to have gotten to know my Savior on this wonderful adventure. 

I`m excited to come home and put into practice all that I`ve learned here on the mission. It`s been an experience that I will never forget. I don`t have much more to write. I`ll be there soon to tell you all about my adventures. I just want you to know that I love all of you and I`m so incredibly grateful for your support and love over these past 18 months and over the course of my life. You guys inspire me. 

See you soon. 

Remember that patience is a virtue.

les amo,

Hermana Anderson

Exchanges with Hna Tupouniua! 

The Crew (Hna Aguilar, Hna Yañez, Hna Vidales, Yo, Hna Sutherland)

Hna Ana de Salvatierra

The three Hnas Anderson...and yes, we are all distantly related 

Con Hna Isabel Chavez :) 

This one`s for all the Anderson CrossFitters out there

This mission is not mine...

`My mission belongs to the Lord, with all my heart I give my energy and my time to the Master. Therefore, I`m going to look at every day not as mine, but as His. Because I love Him. And I will treat each minute of His time with respect and focus and the dedication that it deserves.` (M Russell Ballard) This has been my goal my entire mission, and I believe it applies more than ever in these last couple weeks. It`s not easy, but it`s worth it. This last week I had one experience that made me realize that this mission really has been worthwhile. We went to a youth conference in the Stake to help with a mini MTC activity. While there, I ran into one of my investigtors from the beginning of my mission. He excitedly ran up to me and told me that he had some good news. He explained to me that him and his family are going to be completing thier one year as members and are preparing to get sealed. He invited me to their sealing and with tears in his eyes he told me, `thanks to you, I`m going to have an eternal family`. I explained to him that I really hadn`t done anything. I had just been an instrument in the hands of the Lord to invite him and his family to come unto Christ and accept the gospel in their lives. But hearing him say that made me realize the importance of serving a mission. I`m truly convinced that I promized the Velazquez, even before this life, that I would share the gospel with them. It`s a satifying feeling to know that the Lord has let me be a small part of His great plan in truly changing the eternities. And I hope that in a little less than 2 months from now I`ll be able to come back and see this family get sealed for time and all eternity. 

We`ve also seen many miracles this last week as we found new families to teach. Remember the guy I told you about a couple weeks ago that we knocked on his door and we found out he had a member friend and all? Well they are all progressing really well! And we`ve found various other families this week through members and referals and just talking to people on the street. But honestly, there`s not a day that goes by that I see the hand of the Lord so clearly in this grand work. 

These upcoming weeks are going to fly by with various trips and trainings and companion exchanges that we have planned. I can`t believe that it`s all coming to an end. It`s been such a marvelous adventure. 

I love the Lord with all my heart and serving a mission as truly been one of the best decisions thus far in my life. It has brought me more joy than words can describe. But don`t worry, I`m also excited to you all in a couple weeks (17 days to be exact.)

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Anderson