Catholic church here in San Vicente. It is very beautiful!
Nancy (the mom) Edward and Marc the little one.
Elder Cowan. We sat side by side on the plane down here and is one of
my best buddies here in the mission.
Monday, May 14, 2012
BEST DAY EVER!!!!!
May 14, 2012
Hey Everybody!
So For the first time in 5 months I got to TALK WITH MY FAMILY!!!!!!!!!!!
Easily the best thing in the entire world! It is true that absence makes the
heart grow fonder. They all popped up on the skype screen and the first thing I
thought was, "Wow! They are so beautiful! Why am I so ugly if they are so beautiful?!"
My parents and siblings are such beautiful people! Blows my mind! So that was
my first thought. My second thought was, "This is not real. This cannot be
real!" But then it was. And when I realized it was I just started to cry.
:) It was so great to talk to them and to see them face to face and speak in
English! It was the first time in 9 months that I have heard a prayer, the happy
birthday song, and a Church hymn called Families Can Be Together Forever, all
in ENGLISH!!!!! It was a pretty cool strange experience. It kinda was hard to
talk sometimes because the words that came to mind when I was describing people
or places for them were in Spanish! That is a good thing though! Made me smile!
We ended up getting back to our Pension really late. I was so out of energy
from being so happy and crying so much that I just walked in and went straight
to bed! Exhausted!!!!!!
Other then talking to the family, life here in San Vicente
goes on as usual. We are working with a whole lot of people but not seeing much
progress. That is frustrating. But we keep working hard and keep loving. We have
one investigator named Frank that tries to prove and disprove everything using
logic and doesn't believe in Faith. He believes only in what he sees. He is
really difficult to teach because when you take everything away, our message
that God has restored his authority and power in these days through prophets.
That the ordinances or promises we make with God using this power is crucial in
this life and in the life after. That it seals our families together and brings
us joy. And that the only way to know if it is true is reading the Book of
Mormon and then asking God if it is true! That when all is said and done, it is
a question of faith. If one believes in God and believes he can answer prayers
and actively participate in our lives. Without faith, when hard times come our
knowledge does not serve us. Our knowledge does not give us comfort when our
loved ones pass away because we don't KNOW where they go. We have to rely on
faith. It is hard for many to believe in what they cannot see. Sometimes it is
hard for me. But I have faith that God lives and loves me. And that he loves
every person in this planet with the personal love of a father. And so I keep
doing what I'm doing. Because I have faith and it makes me happy.
I don't really know why I shared all that, but it is what I've
been thinking about lately. About why I do what I do every day. I do it out of
love and faith and hope. Because when all is said and done, I don't know a
whole lot! Give me a break! I'm nineteen years old! :)
I love you all. Keep on Keepin on!
Love,
Elder Anderson
Sunday, May 13, 2012
May 7, 2012
Hey All!!!!
A beautiful autumn week here in San Vicente! The leaves are
falling the air is...cold, and everyone is happy and just keeping on with life.
I am surprised that life goes on here when it gets cold. :) Argentines are very
wary to go out in cold or rain or anything because it is “Bad for the
liver" they say. Makes me laugh every time!
We had two Noche de Hogar or Family Home Evenings this week
with the Branch or congregation here in San Vicente this week. It is informal where
we all get together and share a message and play a game and eat something. They
were great and we are starting to see the people united! IT is important and
amazing. I love it!
Another great thing is that we are finding people to teach
all over the place! Of every 50 doors we knock or people we talk to, 1 person actually
listens. If there is one thing that the mission has taught me, it is how to
handle rejection well. But this week we've found some great families that listen
and are just awesome. Makes me happy and excited. They take us in like their
children. It is amazing.
So everything here in San Vicente is going on as usual.
Normal and tranquilo! I am very content and just keep working! That is the key
to satisfaction, hard work! Found a great new scripture in 2 Nephi 1:23:
Awake,
my sons; put on the armor of righteousness. Shake off the chains with which ye
are bound, and come forth out of obscurity, and arise from the dust.
I'll leave you all with that to think about!
Love,
Elder Anderson
Sunday, May 6, 2012
¡Hola!
Bueno, todavia estoy in mi hogar de San Vicente. Creo que
voy a jubilarme aquí!
Welp, I'm still in San Vicente. I believe that I am going to
retire here!
For another 6 weeks for sure I will be here with my same
companion, Elder Prantl from Uruguay. At first I was a little sad, but I
realized I was being really selfish. We have been seeing alot of people change
and make progress in their lives here as we have worked together. The people
and Church here in San Vicente need us to stay for now. It'll be really good.
Something that has amazed me lately is how humble people
are. We had an incredible experience with one family in particular. We were
finishing teaching about the Book of Mormon and read the last paragraph in the
introduction that says:
We invite all men everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to
ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the
Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue
this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by
the power of the Holy Ghost. (See Moroni 10:3–5.)
3 Behold, I would
exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye
should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto
the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye
shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And
when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God,
the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if
ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he
will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And
by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
Those who gain this divine witness from the Holy Spirit will
also come to know by the same power that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the
world, that Joseph Smith is his revelator and prophet in these last days, and
that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the Lord’s kingdom once
again established on the earth, preparatory to the second coming of the
Messiah.
After reading this aloud, our investigator Laura paused.
Took in a deep breath and said....Wow. That is really powerful. It made me stop
and think. I take for granted so often the simple truths that the gospel
teaches us. This woman, so humble, was awe struck with the idea that God was a
loving God. That he knew her personally.
Another quick story that touched my heart. We have a family
that has not been to church in many years. They have a son that is mentally
disabled named James. For the first time in 7 years, they went again to church.
Afterwards we went to have lunch with them. James was sitting there and said to
us in his special way, "Elder, today I went to the chapel! I saw so many
beautiful people, so many angels!" I think often of how hard it must be to
have a disabled child, and I said this to the Mother. Her answer impressed me.
She said that having someone so pure and so happy all the time by her side had
changed her life. That she would not want her son any other way. That he was
perfect. Perhaps she couldn't see angels all the time, but he could. And he
tells her all about it. How amazing it would be if we all could be so close to
heaven. Whatever you want to call him, the universe, Allah, Jehovah, God, the
Great Spirit, whatever you call him, he exists. He loves us. He encircles us
about with angels. He is there. He hears our prayers and he answers them. I am
so blessed to be where I am doing what I am doing. I turn 9 months old as a
missionary on Friday. It is going so fast. It seems like a dream. I wouldn't
trade moments like these for anything.
I love you all so much and think of you always,
Elder Anderson
P.S. I ate McDonalds today AGAIN! It was amazing!
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