P- day at the beach

July 29th 2013

Another week has come and gone! I hope that it was a wonderful one for everyone :).  Thanks for sending me the pictures Dan!I I have always wanted to go to color me mine!  Your guys's stuff looked pretty neat.  And thanks dad for sending me part of your lesson! I really enjoyed reading it, and even printed it out :) 

Well here is some fun facts of the week-

1.  So we worked with Ingri and her family, and Alexandra and her kids a

lot this last week... and Sunday they all came to church!! It was wonderful! And even more than that the kids had such a fun time in primary.  (Which is a miracle because the other times they really didn't like it)  The Lord works in mysterious ways :)

2.  One of my favorite moments last week... we needed to take a bus to San Matteo, and so we strategically planned our visits so that we could end a lesson and then wait for the bus on the side of the road... we got there a little bit early- and waited, and waited, and waited, and waited... and the bus never came.  About 30 minutes later I turned my back to talk to her, as we were making different plans for the day knowing we had somehow missed the bus... and all of the sudden there was just a huge burst of wind.  Yup.  BYE BUSSSS!! We dropped to the ground laughing.

3. Kinda a fun tradition, when you have a birthday here they crack an egg on your head.  When it was my birthday they were kind enough to drain the yoke... We did it to Tati this last week, it was really funny.,... maybe a tradition that Ill bring home.  Other than that would be frightening to have Seth run after me with an egg to hit on my head.. so maybe not ;)

4.  We had a movie night and so many of the members came.  We were all squished in a house, and it was wonderful as we watched the testament! Such a good movie to show the relationship the people of the book of Mormon had with the Savior.  After we played some games together, and over all had a great time.  I really do believe that it is unifying the Rama... which is the GOAL!!! One of the games if you messed up you had to go into the middle and do... just something... I busted out the clogging.  It was pretty great. No one saw that coming.  (HIllary, Riss and Teri-  You would have been proud.  Not quite as spectacular as when I didn't it int he apartment kitchen...)

5.  This week we have also had the opportunity to give some of our investigators blessings.  Which was a really neat experience.  I am so grateful for the priesthood power!

6. Lesson learned- the importance of listening to the spirit.  We had a meeting with a less active... she hasn't been coming to church for a while, but has a strong testimony.  We had a lesson planned for her, but as we talked to her, underlining questions of the plan of salvation came up. Quickly changing our plans we talked about the plan of Salvation, and the plan after this life.. She had forgotten so much!  Something that I had just assumed that she knew... The spirit was so strong.  Just testifying of the truth that she already knew.   I really saw and learned the importance of keeping our studies up, always learning something knew.  Our testimony isn't just going to stay in one place.  It is either going up or going down, maybe we all work our hardest to make sure that day by day it is increasing :)

LOVE YOU ALL  so much :)

I hope that you have a wonderful week

Hermana Anderson

ps.  I sent pictures, so you can see the pday at the beach :)

Another wonderful letter from Hermana Anderson

Hello family of mine!!

I hope all is going well for you!  Its July! I can hardly believe it. 

Well... so we were with some investigators the other day- and I showed them the family picture that I have.  The one that we took right before I came on my mission.  Hahaha, so my investigator looked at it... and then asked where my mom was?  I pointed to mom, and she said- OH, I thought that was the wife of him (pointing to Seth).  I could not stop laughing!! It was soo funny.  And she thought that Daddy was the grandpa.  We all got a good laugh out of it.  And Danny, if I had a dollar for every tica that asks if you are single I would be wealthy.

We also had a wonderful time at church this Sunday.  It was also really cool to see how the Lord answers our prayers.  My comp and I had fasted that this one family could come to church.  Well, in the morning when we passed by they were sick... We passed by for a different investigator and they were sick.  And then we went to get a less active, and she was still in bed.  So we went to church to wait to see if a couple others that we had invited would show up... Well one did.  His name is Mario (40 years old? Maybe less...).  He was actually baptized when he was 8 or so, but doesn't remember anything.  And the only contact that we had was on a bus, and we gave him conference talks, and we had called and invited him to church on Saturday.  Sacrament meeting started and then we had 2 other less actives that we had invited come, Nefi (He used to be a counselor in the presidency) and Zillah (Actually his sister) and Oscar (We have a marriage date for Zillah and Oscar this month! And the Sunday after his baptism)  Overall the spirit was so strong, and it was the best church I have been to thus far in the mission.    It was really a testimony builder that the Lord is hears and answers our prayers. 

I guess a topic that I have really really been thinking about lately is- What does Christ think about me. 

There is a book that is called, ¨You are special¨.  If you haven't read it yet... go read it right now!! Its so so good.  It is about a town of wooden dolls that are carved by a woodworker named Eli.  Each Wimmick is different, some are pretty- others ugly, some with big eyes and others with big noses.  Some have talents, and others don't.

Each Wimmick has a box of stickers.  Golden Stars and grey dots.  The wooden people went around the village sticking stars or dots on one another.  The pretty or talented ones got stars, and the wimmicks with rough wood or chipped paint got dots. 

Its a story about one of these dolls named Punchinello.  He he always tried his best to do something to get a star... but would always receive dots.  He ended up staying inside, or only associating with those that had dots.  He felt better around them.

One day he met a wimmick named Lucia, and she didn't have any stars or dots.  When he asked her how she didn't have any, she told him to go see the wood worker Eli.

At first he was hesitant... and thought Eli wouldn't want to see him.  But eventually he went. 

When he entered into the Workshop he was surprised that Eli knew his name.  Eli responded with- of coarse I know your name, i made you. 

Punchillo apologized for all of the grey dots that he had... Eli responded Ï don't care what the other wimmicks think, and neither should you.  All that matters is what I think, and I think that you are pretty special.

He then explained that the stickers only stick to you if you let them. He said ¨The more that you trust my love, the less you care about their stickers.¨ Punchillo was a little confused.  Eli told him that it would take time, but he would understand eventually.  And then asked him to come and see him every day to let you remind you how much I care. 

As Punchillo was leaving Eli said- Remember, you are special because I made you. And I don't make mistakes. 

Punchillo kept walking, but in his heart he thought- I think he really means it.

And when he did, a dot fell to the ground. 

I hope that I summarized that story sufficiently.  It really is so beautiful. 

The ultimate source of empowerment and acceptance is our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  They know us, they love us.  they know our hearts, our intentions.  If we look to them, we can find more confidence.  Having their acceptance can help us face everything that we have in life.  As we feel His love, our faith will increase, our actions will change, and we will truly find Joy in the Journey.

I'm so very grateful for the knowledge that I am a daughter of God. I can testify that we are all children of our Heavenly Father, and he is there to help us in every moment of need.  Just as Punchillo, we just need to go to Him!

I love you all so much!  Its going to be a wonderful week. 

Hermana Anderson