Pics and crazy ugly spiders and stuff

(These were forwarded from Cameron by his companion, Elder Bradshaw on October 29, 2012...I have no idea what the reference to spiders is all about! -Mark)

 

Sweet and Short.....just linke my favorite asian people. :)

(December 10, 2012)

Hi all. Really short and sweet this week. First off I want to wish my Grandpa Tom a Happy Birthday. Grandpa I look up to you alot. You are one of my greatest examples.

Some things I realized this week I take for granted:

• Running water....we haven't had any for 9 days.
• Showering....thanks to not having running water.
• Umbrellas and rain Jackets that work. I actually have both but it has rained so hard lately and for so long.
• Credit cards that work without having to put in your social security number. Here it is called your DNI and I can-t remember my Argentine DNI so I have to just take out cash at the ATM. Lame.
• Barbeque sauce....I am sick of meat with absolutely no seasoning or sauce.
• Fruits and Veggies.....hard to come by and VERY expensive.
• Trains and buses that always run.
• Having a car and not having to use trains and buses.
• People smiling and having all their teeth...very rare here.

Overall a good week. We are working hard and echando las ganas. So things are looking up. Looking forward to talking with my family on Christmas. It is the best gift ever.

 

Love you all,

 

Elder Anderson

Navidad

(December 3, 2012)

Hola!

Entramos en Diciembre!!!! Que alivio, ¿no? Llegamos por fin!!! Hope you are all enjoying cold weather and turtle necks and mittens and scarfs. Here I am sitting, feeling sticky from humidity and wiping sweat out of my eyes! Just kidding. It isn't that bad. It is hot though and hot+Christmas I don't think will ever work out in my brain. It just doesn't feel like the Holidays without snow, cold, and pneumonia to accompany them!

This past week was spent with my Companion Elder Bradshaw and also with a Brazilero that was waiting for his new companion. It was a strange experience but fun and good for learning Portugese! Who knows, maybe I'll come back speaking Portugese and Guadani too! One thing is certain though, my English spelling and grammar is going down the tubes! I want to apologize to all those that taught me how to speak read and write and say that at least part of your efforts were in vane. Terribly sorry!

We've been working hard and having a lot of fun lately. We had a conference from a seventy or general authority of the church this last week! His name is Elder Di Giovani and was excellent! He dropped the cane on us and chastised us for not writing in our journals. No worries though! I've already filled 7 and am working on number 8! Ya'll will have a lot to read when I get back. Not sure how exciting it will be!

In thinking of how we can prepare for Christmas I've begun to think of how others prepared for Christmas in the Holy Scriptures. The kings, shepherds, Mary and Joseph, and even the angels. But seeing as it would be rather hard to buy camels, sheep, find an inn with no space, or be anything like an angel, I continued searching for an application to me. I was reading in the Book of Mormon of the Prophesies of the Birth of Christ by a prophet named Samuel the Lamanite and how he said we could prepare for Christ's coming. In Helaman 14 it says:

1 And now it came to pass that Samuel, the Lamanite, did prophesy a great many more things which cannot be written.

2 And behold, he said unto them: Behold, I give unto you a sign; for five years more cometh, and behold, then cometh the Son of God to redeem all those who shall believe on his name.

3 And behold, this will I give unto you for a sign at the time of his coming; for behold, there shall be great lights in heaven, insomuch that in the night before he cometh there shall be no darkness, insomuch that it shall appear unto man as if it was day.

4 Therefore, there shall be one day and a night and a day, as if it were one day and there were no night; and this shall be unto you for a sign; for ye shall know of the rising of the sun and also of its setting; therefore they shall know of a surety that there shall be two days and a night; nevertheless the night shall not be darkened; and it shall be the night before he is born.

5 And behold, there shall a new star arise, such an one as ye never have beheld; and this also shall be a sign unto you.

6 And behold this is not all, there shall be many signs and wonders in heaven.

7 And it shall come to pass that ye shall all be amazed, and wonder, insomuch that ye shall fall to the earth.

8 And it shall come to pass that whosoever shall believe on the Son of God, the same shall have everlasting life.

9 And behold, thus hath the Lord commanded me, by his angel, that I should come and tell this thing unto you; yea, he hath commanded that I should prophesy these things unto you; yea, he hath said unto me: Cry unto this people, repent and prepare the way of the Lord.

It is interesting to me that the way to prepare the coming of the Lord was to repent. To change one's self. Many ask, "What can I give to Christ this season?" It is a good question seeing as, after all, it is HIS birthday we are celebrating. The answer is simple. He already has EVERYTHING minus one small thing, and that is our free will. The only thing we can give to him, is our decisions, our love, and renewed commitment to more closely follow Him. He lives, He loves us, and He is the reason for this season. So think for yourselves. "What can I give Him?" Think of your "favorite sin" or habit most difficult to forsake and gift that to Him this year. Give it up. He's already paid the price for it and now all he asks of us is to give it up. To be more happy and be more like Him. I know as we do so, we will see his hand in our lives and grow to truly understand how much we mean to Him.

I love you all and am thinking of you EVEN MORE in this Christmas season. If you are expecting a package from Argentina though, forget about it, because it costs 350 pesos to send a kilo and I only live off of 800 pesos a month. Sorry. You'll have to wait one more year....I am too poor! I pray for you though!!!! :)

Love,

Elder Anderson  

Short and Sweet....sorry

(November 26, 2012)

Hi all!

So the news of this week would be that I received ANOTHER companion and didn't loose one! That is right! I am now the leader of a tripod! Super crazy and funny. My new comp is Named De Oliviera from Brazil and my good ol comp Bradshaw from UTAH. We are doing great and working hard and just "raining train" on Luis Guillon (for you old timers that means something like "tearing it up").

I am yet again sniffly and sick though. That would be the bummer. Probably because I've been crying in my bed at night so much....just kidding!!!! Doing good but one day really hot and the next rainy and cold in killing me. I am not feeling 100% but "fake it till you make it."

The biggest news for taday is that my MOM IS HAVING A BIRTHDAY!!!!! Happy Birthday Mommy! I miss you a lot Mom!!!! Don't worry though, I'm still gonna send that letter I have written!Other than that everything is regular and AWESOME!!!!

I love you all and miss you a ton!

Love,

Elder Anderson

My simple life.

(November 19, 2012)

Hey all!

Really short this week. Not a whole lot of time! But I want you all to know that I am still rocking and rolling and doing my best. It is strange to be moving into December and the end of the year. It has come so fast. I am entering into the last little bit of my time here. It is very strange to me. Although what we as missionaries do every day seems very routine, it never ceases to amaze me how different every day is. I have such different experiences and see such different things every single day even though in essence I am doing the same thing. I have come to realize that where I am is never coincidence. It always stems from a direct decision to do GOOD things or to not. 

 

I have realized how beautiful can be having nothing materially and that at the end of the day, the lives you've touched and the improvements you've made in yourself are the only things that matter. 

 

I believe God is very attune to our wants and needs and gives us what we need to progress. Sometimes that is a mountain to climb. I heard a quote the other day that said "He that deals justly with God, God deals justly with Him." It is very true. The more we align our wants and desires with the wants and desires of God for us, the more we recognize his hand in our lives. God is there, he is good, he loves us, and he knows you. 

 

I love ya,

 

Elder Anderson 

 

 

More Pics

 "Funeral de Elder Cayata"

Me with my beanie of ARGENTNA!!!!!!

Me in a house behind a house, very common here

Pictures!

Por fin llegó!

Hey all!

Short and sweet of things is that I am doing great and seeing lots of miracles in my life. I am working hard and giving it my all which is exactly what God asks of us! A funny story this week would be that we got chased by two teenagers with a knife this week because we looked too long at them.....that'll describe the area I'm in right now. FUN! It isn't all like that though! There are some pretty parts. I am in Guillon still with Elder Bradshaw. He is a stud and we have a good time and always try and make others laugh.

This last week, yesterday actually was Mother's Day here. It made me think a lot about MY mommy! It is hard being so far away because I am a total Mommy's boy! She raised me right though and that is why I am in Argentina as a missionary right now. It is true that we learn more within the walls of our own home more than any other place. I appreciate so much the upbringing my parents gave me now that It is the only thing I have to rely on besides God!

Some fun pictures and I just want to tell you all that I love you and miss you a bunch! Also since I've not been able to send mail these last few weeks to everyone I failed to wish my Grandpa Larry a HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Also my Grandpa Russ on the 25th! I love you both so much. Thank you for being such good men and examples in my life. And last but certainly not least is my bestest friend since kindergarten Kat Dao! She is really really old! Feliz Cumple! You are AWESOME!!!!!

I love you all. Thanks for your support,

Elder Anderson

Fotos from Luis Guillon

MORE MORE MORE!!!!!!

Hey All!

Some pictures of Guillon for you! FINALLY! Sorry for not writing these last few weeks! I promise it isn't because I'm lazy! There is just no dang time! Life here in Bs.As. is super super awesome. Me and my companion Elder Bradshaw are working really hard and doing great! Our ward or congregation that we work with is really really great and I really have grown to love them. It is sometimes hard to love people you do not know, but it is something that I am learning to do!

These last few weeks I've been studying and reading a lot about baptism and some scriptures really stuck out to me!

 57 Wherefore teach it unto your children, that all men, everywhere, must repent, or they can in nowise inherit the kingdom of God, for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence; for, in the language of Adam, Man of Holiness is his name, and the name of his Only Begotten is the Son of Man, even Jesus Christ, a righteous Judge, who shall come in the meridian of time.

 58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:

 59 That by reason of transgression cometh the fall, which fall bringeth death, and inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory;

 60 For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are justified, and by the blood ye are sanctified;

It is amazing to me how clear the symbolism here is. It is kind of profound but it is also so clear that a child with a little explaining can understand it. As missionaries, our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ and his atonement through faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the holy spirit and enduring to the end. That all men one day must stand before the bar of God to be judged is the reality. And that God wants us to be prepared is clear. What we do is show the way and invite. We are tour guides to salvation as I like to put it. We are baptized to wash, protect, and cure us. To purify us to be pure even as HE is pure. If there is one lesson I learn over and over again, it is that God loves us a whole lot and wants us to live with him in the same way that he lives, and the only way to do that is to live his gospel. Play by his rules. Many times I hear "I worship God in my own way." But in the end "our way" is not enough. We have to worship in God's way. His way or the highway! :)

I love you all so much! I hope you are doing well and are healthy and happy and following God in HIS way. HIS way in the BEST way.

Love,

Elder Anderson

Por fin! Una carta de verdad! Que trucho que han sido! :)

Hey all!

Another week here in Luis Gillon! I have already been here for three whole weeks! Time really does truly fly! I can't believe it. This week we had a really really funny experience. We were trying to find a family that had requested that we pass for their house. We knocked the door and it turns out that they are not the same family. So my Companion asks the young man if he had ever talked with missionaries before. The guy looked at him confused. Something to know about my companion is that he has a very thick American accent when he speaks Castellano and so most people have a hard time understanding him. My companion asked him again if he had ever talked with missionaries and he replied back, "Do I want to talk to you guys? Well I guess so...I've never talked with you guys before!" My companion and I just stared at him. We had no idea what was going on at that point. He looked at us and said "Well are you gonna come in or what?" We laughed and went in and had a great talk with him and his wife. They are a great couple and are very excited to get to know them and teach them the gospel. Now my companion can never remember his name. He always calls him Sanchez and his name is Ramón. Not even close!!!! :) Makes me laugh. The small things in life like that keep me smiling and keep me going.

I've realized that these last few weeks have been really difficult for me and yet I feel like I am where I need to be doing what I need to be doing. Seeing people change and smile and laugh and have hope because they learn more of the gospel is the most satisfying experience. I've learned that I am most satisfied when I don't think in myself and think in others. That my problems seem very small and that the generally resolve themselves when I do my part and then try to focus on others and lifting them. It is hard to be down on yourself when you are teaching such things as that the family can be forever. That God loves us and knows us, and that he wants us to come unto him to be lifted and changed. He wants the best for us. He really does. It makes me so happy to know and teach that! Shall we not go on in so great a cause?

I am doing well and watching time fly by. Scares me.

Also Happy birthday to Madeline (sorry, a little late) and to My Nana Olivia! I love you both so much! My birthday gift to you is a beso and I'll eat some steak and pasta for you! :)

Love,

Elder Anderson 

Hi!

Hey All!

This week has one word! TEMPLE! The temple of Buenos Aires was rededicated and it was amazing! It is something that you cannot describe. PLUS I don't have time.... :) But I love you all and I'm sure my mom will cut and paste something from the email I sent her! Wink wink nod nod mom!

Love,

Elder Anderson

Part of a letter to his mom:

 

I have thought of all of you soo much this week as I have been so connected with the temple and Rededication. It was a moment for me to recognize that now is a time for me to rededicate myself to the Lord as well. Refocus and really do EVERYTHING I can to be worthy of his blessing and his trust.

Through all the course of events I have had my testimony so strengthened in the thoughts that we are childern of God and that he loves us. That the priesthood is real and has power over ALL things, and that the light overcomes all darkness. That families can be together forever if we do our part and endure to the end. That repentance is real and means not only not doing bad things but replacing them with very good things.

It is an amazing time to be a missionary here in Buenos Aires. I have come to feel like I am one of the people and that I belong here. As scary as I'm sure that is for you to hear! :) I love these people so much and I feel like I am one of them. That they are my people. I don't think I've loved so much for people I don't really know in my entire life. I love them so much!

Friday we were able to listen to President Eyring. All the missionaries in Buenos Aires, over 600 all went to Ramos Mejia in the West Mission and he held a fireside with Elder Ballard and Elder Christofferson. It was amazing and the spirit was so strong there. He said something that made me remember you. He said "Smile! Be happy! God wants you to have joy! On top of that, who will listen to you if you look sad and tired! I promise that if you smile more, you will BE happier!" That is something that I remember you told me a while ago and thought...."interesting that Mom and Elder Eyring recieved the same bit of revelation. Must be true!" It made me SMILE and think of you.

Saturday we spent the day in the Soccor Stadium of a team called Independientes. It is in Avellaneda where I started my mission and was strange to go back. A very cool experience. Once again ALL the missionaries were there and it was fun to see many that I hadn't seen in a long time and see some from the MTC in other missions.

Sunday, yesterday we went to the dedication. I cannot describe the spirit I felt and the LOVE that was so strongly felt. God loves his children! President Eyring said something that made me cry because it was something that I had felt before. He gave his testimony and said, "Your descendents were the people that greated Christ the first time he came to the Americas. Those are they that bathed his feet with their tears and kisses. I see in your eyes that you are the same type of people. That you will be those that will greet him at his second coming." I feel that very often in my interactions with these people. They have a profound love for their Savior. They really come to know him. And when he comes, they will already recognize him and he will recognize them.

ya...lame I know.

Hi all!

No writing this week! Sorry! But suffice it to say that I am doing well and just keeping on keeping on!

Here are some pictures of the temple of Buenos Aires!

Love,

Elder Anderson 

The trip was AMAZING!!!!! By far one of the most spiritual experiences of my mission thus far. We had 42 members there and 68 investigators. We are working miracles here in San Vicente. We took more investigators than the rest of our stake combined. It was incredible and all from the excitement and commitment of our members and rama. It was so beautiful! 

Not much to say...actually alot but no time...

Hi all! 

Some fotos to explain my last week! It has been one of the best of my life! I have been transfered from San Vicente though and am now in Luis Guillon. Look it up on Google maps! I love you all! Thank you so much for suporting me and all the missionaries! We need it...plus it is good Karma for all you guys! :)

Love,

Elder Anderson