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.

Confianza en El Señor

I was debating whether or not to share my experience from Saturday
night, because I don`t want to scare anyone from going on a mission
and I certainly don`t want you worrying about me, but as many of you
have already heard a little bit, I guess I`ll share. As you read, just
know that I`m okay, I`m in the hands of the Lord, and there`s nothing
to worry about:

1:30 a.m. My companion woke me up frantically wispering, ¨There`s
someone in our house, there`s someone in our house.¨ We quickly locked
the door to our bedroom and listened. Sure enough we heard footsteps
outside our door and others screaming on top of the roof. We called
President. He told us to try and call members or neighbors, so we did,
but no one answered. President called the Zone Leaders and they called
the Police. Hermana Acevedo and I huddled in the corner and said a
prayer. I don`t think I`ve ever prayed so hard in my entire live. We
submitted ourselves to the will of the Lord, and as we finished the
prayer we heard banging on the front door of our apartment. Our room
doesn`t have windows or anything else besides two beds, so we hid
under the bed. As I laid there I really wasn`t sure what the outcome
of that night would be. I felt scared, but I tried to replace my fear
with faith, and suddenly I felt a peace come over me. I still wasn`t
sure what was going to happen, but I knew it was all part of God`s
plan. Someone entered the room, firmly grasped my arm and pulled me
out from under the bed. It was dark and I couldn`t see who it was, nor
did I know his intentions. He asked me who I was and what I was doing
there. I quickly replied with the only thing I could think of, ¨I`m a
missionary from the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
We live here¨. He then explained that he was the head of the Police
squad and he had some questions for us. As my companion and I answered
some questions there in the room, the rest of the Police squad
arrested the four people that were in our apartment. They had managed
to jump down from the roof into the little patio we have to wash
clothes and from there entered the house trying to hide from the
Police. We had some members and the Zone Leaders come pick us up and
we were able to go sleep in the house of some other sister
missionaries for the night. Everything is just fine, and I know the
Lord is with us in every moment. God answers prayers and He protects
His missionaries.

Okay, now for the good news of the week. I was able to return to
Prados Verdes for a couple days and see two of my previous
investigators that were baptized this last week! They were just
glowing as they told me all about their baptismal experience. Hermana
Moncada also returned to Prados Verdes to see the baptisms so I got to
see and talk to her! And then yesterday I was able to meet my brand
new companion! Her name is Hermana Gonzales and she is from Peru. She
is a convert to the church and has such a strong testimony that is
going to bless so many people! We will be working in Salvatierra,
which was a nice little surprise from President from what we had
planned before. I`m excited to continue working there! The mission is
such an amazing thing. There`s every emotion possible here in the
mission from disappointment to complete joy, moments a little scary
and others absolutely beautiful. Every thing happens for a reason, and
we just need to trust in the Lord and keep moving forward.
¨Y èsta es la confianza que tenemos en èl: que si pedimos alguna cosa
conforme a su voluntad, èl nos oye.¨ 1 Juan 5:14

Thanks for all your love and support and prayers. This is truly the
work of the Lord and the Church is true.

I love you all, don`t you ever forget it.

Love,

Hermana Anderson

P.S. Pictures to come the following week :)

¡Viva México!

My dearest family and friends,
This week was honestly one of the best weeks of my entire life.
Despite all the crazy independance day parties that kept us up all
night, we were able to work hard and see the fruits of our labors. And
on Sunday ALBERTO WAS BAPTIZED! It was such a Spiritually uplifting
experience. My favorite was his confirmation. Alberto is divorced and
has asked a lot of questions about Eternal Marriage. He has such a
strong desire to fulfill all the commandments of God and has been
worried about his ability to complete with the commandment of
marriage. In his confirmation blessing, he was told he would one day
be sealed in the temple, serve a mission with his compañera, and that
all his children and grandchildren would receive the blessings of the
Gospel. I don´t think there´s anything more I could possibly want for
one of my investigators.
This week, after a day of walking and not much else, we felt like we
should visit a less active member that basically lives al fin del
mundo. We went and sure enough she was home, and she also had a friend
over. After a couple minutes of talking, we found out that the friend
is the niece of one of the members in our ward and she has gone to
church a couple times. Just recently, she has felt the need to learn
more...and that´s when we showed up. We taught a wonderful lesson
about the Restoration and she understood everything perfectly. I´m
excited to she how she progresses!
Well, this is my last week in Salvatierra. It´s 99% sure I´ll be
returning to Uruapan this next week with a new companion! I don´t
think anyone has ever had so many changes in so little time in the
mission. Haha I guess that just means there´s something the Lord needs
me to learn from all this. I love the mission so much because it is
such a prime time to learn and grow as well as help others to do the
same. I love the mission with all my heart and I know this is where I
need to be.
Alma 26:30-31
Con todo mi amor,
Hermana Anderson

Here are some photos of Alberto´s bautismo

20 de Septiembre
2015-- Salvatierra, Guanajuato

Cause we have matching polka-dot skirts

Our little Spidy friend...

District Activity with the best District in the world!

Throwin´ it back to the MTC days with Hermana Tupounuia!

¡Salvatierra es hermosa!

Conferencia de Zona- Aeropuerto, Septiembre 2015

The house of one of our investigators that lives next to the river.
We always have our lessons out on the grass right next to the river 

Saving Souls in Salvatierra

I´m pretty sure every week of the mission just keeps on passing by
faster and faster. This week was absolutely wonderful. With baptisms,
the temple rededication, and zone conference this week along with
other Spiritual experiences and miracles, I couldn´t be happier.
First of all, one of the baptism on Saturday was of an 8 year old boy-
the son of a less-active member we´ve reactivated. And what made it
even better was that his uncle, who also used to be less-active,
performed the baptism! It´s been so great to work with this family and
see them come together as they´ve returned to the fold of God. We are
also preparing one of our investigators, Alberto, to be baptized this
next week. He has such a strong desire to learn about the Gospel and
follow Jesus Christ. Since we introduced the Book of Mormon, he hasn´t
let one day go by without reading it, and everytime we teach a new
commandment or Gospel principle, he immediately puts it into practice
without question. Last night, after the temple dedication, we had a
movie night where we watched Joseph Smith: Prophet of the Restoration
and asked a few people to share their testimonies. Alberto shared his
testiony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and it was so
powerful!! I can´t wait to see him enter the waters of baptism this
next week. He will truly be a wonderful addition to this amazing ward.
I LOVE THE TEMPLE SO MUCH! Yesterday we were traveled to Morelia to
watch the Rededication of the Mexico City Temple. I was especially
touched by some of the things Elder Holland said about temple work in
these latter-days. He talked about how before this life, we were set
apart to come forth when the Gospel is restored, in it´s fullness, to
receive the blessing of the temple and to help others to also receive
these blessings. Without the temple, without the Priesthood to bind
these ordanances here on Earth and in Heaven, there really would be no
purpose in this work. The temples we have throughout the world are a
sign of the true church in these Latter-days. The temple is litterally
the house of The Lord and it is there this Gospel becomes eternal.
I love this work, these people, this culture, and this Gospel more
than words can describe. The joy of the work of Salvation is something
we cannot find in any other way. Sure it´s hard, and there are days
where my feet hurt, it´s hot, and I just want to sleep, but at the end
of the day, there´s really nothing else I´d rather be doing.
Trabejemos hoy en la obra del Señor,
Con todo mi amor,
Hermana Anderson

BAUTISMO!

Traveling to Morelia for the Temple rededication

Cathedral in Salvatierra

With Hermana McBride

The new crew. Hermana McBride is compañera #7...I don´t know how
much longer I´ll be able to keep track of them all ;)

¡Hola hola de Salvatierra!

I officially think I´ve been to every part of the mission...especially

after this week! Haha I had the chance to go back to Prados Verdes for

a couple days, Guadalajara for a few more, and now I´m down in

Salvatierra! And what an adventure it was every step of the way. About

3 weeks ago I shared a story about how Hermana Campbell and I knocked

on a gray door and it happened to be the home of a sister that had

listened to the missionaries 4 years before but now is so prepared to

hear the Gospel...well, yeah, this last week while I was in Prados I

got to go teach her! She has attended the church a couple times and

all of her little kids all say they want to be missionaries! She´s

reading the Book of Mormon everyday and is preparing for her baptism

this month. What a miracle! And one of our other investigators from

Prados had her baptismal interview and everything and will be baptized

this next week. There´s nothing better than seeing others accept the

Gospel and come unto Christ.

In Guadalajara we had the chance to attend the TEMPLE! Oh how I´ve

missed the temple. There´s just such a special Spirit there that can´t

be found anywhere else. I was so grateful for that chance to go and

receive some much needed Spiritual strength and revelation. And of

course you can´t have a temple trip without some ice cream afterwards.

So we found a Dairy Queen and ate some blizzards. It doesn´t get much

better than that.

And now here in Salvatierra there´s some great work going on. I´m here

with Hermana Morales, one of the sweetest, most patient, funniest

people I´ve ever met. She was in my very first district and I remember

thinking what a great companion she would be, and would you look at

that, now we´re companions. We´re working with some really great

investigators and are anticipating some upcoming baptisms! What a

marvelous work this is, and how very very happy I am to be a part of

it.

I know without a doubt that this Church is true and that this is the

Lord´s work. There are miracles everyday and I´m so blessed to simply

be an instrument in the Lord´s hands. Keep being the amazing people

you all are,

Les amo,

Hermana Anderson

Uruapan...where I learned how to hike in a skirt

 

Guadalajara, México Templo 

Selfie con the gang and some
awesome Blizzards from DQ

 Consejo de Liderazgo Septiembre 2015

En Prados Verdes otra vez--con Julio y Pepe of course

Enjoying some ice cream in the park :)

Uruapan, Michoacan 

La Hermana Morales de Xalapa, Veracruz!