Ya! San Vincente!

Hey Family,

Today (Dec. 19th) was translados or transfers. We found out on Saturday and I have left the gran ciudad of Avellaneda and am now in the....Campo. I'm in a town called San Vicente with an Argentine companion named Elder Cayata. He is incredible. A really really nice guy, and from what I've heard, a really hard worker. He doesn't speak a word of English. It is going to be the language learning experience I was looking for I think. The only down side to all this is that....there is no skype capabilities here like there were in Avellanda. BUT I CAN STILL CALL!!!!!! I get 40 minutes max to call and can call from the house of a member, the chapel, or a cyber. So I'll have to ask one of the other gringos how it all works to call out of country but I'm going to call Monday in the Afternoon between 2 and 6pm our time. So ya. Sorry for the let down, but trust me, it is all part of the plan that I am here right now. I keep getting this overwhelming feeling of excitement to be here. I don't know where it is coming from either which means it is coming from the Spirit! I'm just so excited to be here in San Vicente. I think I'll be here for a while. Elder Cayata has been here almost 10 months! We have a Rama or a branch here of 40 or so members. We have a brand new Capilla though! It is HUGE!!!! Almost the size of the Green Mountain Building which for Argentina is Massive! We are in the Campo too. Fields and clean air and grass and everything is clean. 100% different from Avellaneda and the big city life. It is crazy the difference. At first I was nervous to have a Latin Companion, but now, even after a few hours with him I feel comfortable and ready to work. It is really a huge blessing. Me and Elder Hope had a great last week in Avellaneda. We prepared 4 people with baptismal dates to be baptized one each the next four weeks. One of these choice people is named Isaac. He is about 65 and is one of the wisest most humble men I have ever met. He met other Elders on the Collectivo and they gave us the reference. He had met with missionaries before and I don't know what happened but they never went back. In the past three weeks we have taught him every other day. He has read almost half the Book of Mormon AND half of the Bible AND 5 pamflets we left AND two Liahona Magazines. The guy is on fire!!! He is truly feasting on the words of Christ and is chosen and prepared to be baptized right now. All he needs to do is get married to his almost 80 year old wife who he has been living with for 45 years and never married. She is really close to passing to the other side and very fragile but they are gonna do it. The last time I asked him how it was all going, he just said "Fine. I'm still just trying to convince the witch." Totally straight face. Here people use nicknames we would never use in the states endearingly, like witch or gordita(fatty) or fea(ugly) or grandota(huge). It is pretty funny- couldn't help but laugh. I really have learned alot form him though. In Preach My Gospel it says something along the lines of "You can know when you have taught with the Holy Spirit as your guide when you leave the discussion having learned something yourself." It is very true. Everytime we teach or learn by the Spirit we learn aun màs (that much more)! I have a testimony of that. That when we learn with the Spirit and have an open heart and mind, it can and will be filled with truths. I've had so many beautiful experiences with that already in the mission. God is so merciful to me. It is amazing. My Spiritual thought for you all this week is simple. It is found in Revelations 3:20.

"Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me."

I think I've shared it before, but it is that good and that important! God is at the door (our hearts) knocking. He will not force his way in. If he did so it would be contrary to his plan that all of us have agency or the ability to choose. But he is there, knocking. If we open the door I can promise you that he will be standing there with his hand extended. This door could be our hearts, or it could be more literal. Maybe this door is your front door, and maybe the hands of Christ are extended in the form of two young men in shirts and ties. Missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The next time they pass by or if you see them in the streets, call them over. What they have to say might just change your life...it has changed mine! :) I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know that through the ordinance of baptism in this church, that I have a promise. He has promised me that when I keep his commandments he will ALWAYS have his Spirit walk with me. And I've promised him that I will never forget that. Now I get to help other people make that same promise with God! There is no greater cause in Heaven or Earth! I love you all, and I challenge each of you to go outside your comfort zone and ask to talk to the missionaries. It'll be awesome!!!

Love,
Elder Anderson