Letters From Arozina

Dear MOM and DAD (Even though he's in Alaska right now)

Tell Danielle "Hi" from me, you two will have so much fun, it's like a girls week!! Take pictures for me! My companion and I are good, we aren't BFF"S or anything but that's okay and we are working hard to build up the work. I just finished Alma 36 this morning, I have it all mapped out so that I finish on time and I'm right on track, then when I finish I can get back to reading the New Testament and D&C I've never finished both (or the Old Testament, but I started it and it's not my favorite so I'll work on the other two first).

I'm super jealous that dad is up in Alaska, I bet the weather is perfect right now! That's okay cuz come October it will be so nice here. So life in Mesa? Well I can tell you mom that you don't have to worry about me becoming a "big city" girl (i think maybe if it was like Urban City I might but it's not) I really like smaller towns. They are prettier and you know where all the restaurants and stores are. My area is less than 2 miles and I still don't know what's all in it...

But the people (at least the members in our wards) are really great. There are several I really love (and hope they don't forget me, my companion says that because it's my first area I probably won't get transferred back and I can't come back during my mission once I've been transferred) But there are the Birch's, which I told you alittle about they are still just amazing, The Mickelsons, we've been teaching them the member lessons (just the missionary lessons but to members, it give us practice and helps the members to trust us) and Sister Mickelson is so missionary minded that she's always helping by coming to Lessons and inviting non-members over, The Shelley's, Sister Shelley is the RS Pres and we ate at her house last week, we got Brinner (Breakfast/Dinner) it was yummy, The Ash's, Brother Ash is the ward mission leader and is so good at his calling. Our mission president is very focused on using the members in our missionary work, so we spend quit a bit of our time helping and lifting the members/less-actives (because we don't have any investigators)

It's sad because every time we think we've found someone to teach they drop us or move... our area is so small (1 sq mile block) that everyone is a member/less-active/or has been invited so often. But we have faith that it will pick up. We spoke in church on Sunday about increasing our faith in missionary work by opening our mouths and inviting (even when they've been invited 100+ times) because we don't know when they are ready and when they might accept, so it's our job to invite as often as possible. We will see miracles soon.

Last night we had a storm and it was awesome, tonz of lightning (far off so I was safe, DAD) and then I got to get wet it was like 87 degrees LOVED it!!! (that is what the wet hair picture is for, the pose is for Kember)

So last week someone decided they didn't like Jesus and throw a beer bottle through the window of the visitor center (it was early morning so no one was there). We have the window fixed but there's still a nice stain on the carpet from the beer... some peoples kids.  Got to see another miracle, a girl about my age came into the visitor center looking for some information on where she could go to get some temporal help, I took her through God's Plan for His Family (she cried, most do) and she accepted the missionaries, I get to see so many people that God has prepared and are ready to receive the gospel all because I'm in the VC, how blessed am I. I truly love the Visitor's Center it's AMAZING!!! It's like I have 20 sisters, many of which are good friends already.

When you talk to Dad next tell him I said "Don't get eaten by a bear!!" LOL Let me know how your shoulder stuff works out I'll be praying for you!

How was the 24th (I missed Holden's celebration the most)? But we got to dress up at the VC on the 23rd (yep they do celebrate the 24th here, CRAZY I know I thought it was a "Utah" thing)

 Thank you for all the support and prayers! Miss you much, LOVE you MORE!!!

Love, Sister Anderson

Missionary Experiences

Dear MOM and DAD

This week started out pretty rough but you know me I always push through. A couple of days ago at the Visitor Center I got to experience a really cool miracle. We had a party of 3 people come in that weren't members so I got to give them a tour,  the spirit was so strong after I took them through God's Plan for His Family and then we talked about the Book of Mormon and I gave them their own copies and committed them to read and pray, and they said they would. It was so cool to see the excitement they had about reading it, they didn't accept missionaries... yet but I know as they read they will want to know more and I gave them the cards so they could contact the missionaries when they wanted to know more. So that was my cool VC Miracle.

I also gave away my first Book Of Mormon in the field the day before, it was sooo scary but exciting too. We also had another miracle that night we gave a BOM to a kid named Rodney/Roney (we aren't quite sure which it is) and I felt he didn't really seemed interested but he said we could come back, well later that night we drove past his house (not because we're creepers, but because we have a TINY area and you can't really help it) and he was reading the BOM we gave him!!! SO EXCITING!

They just finished redoing God's Plan for His Family and it is AMAZING, talk about a sucker punch with the spirit, people will almost always feel it when they go though, no matter their back ground or belief. You should go down to St George and see it. They have the new one there too.

I'm almost half way though the Book of Mormon and I'm loving reading it so fast.  It makes it clearer and you can see the whole picture. When I went into the MTC I didn't feel I had a strong testimony of the BOM, I knew it was true but I didn't really understand the power it could have in someones life that hadn't grown up in the church, and I wanted to gain that testimony, well I can say that I'm well on my way. It was like a light went of in my head and now I can relay the importance of the BOM to people.

Still working on getting to know the members and getting them excited about missionary work. They are slowly getting there but we have lots to do. Though the members are amazing!!! 

I love the senior couples at the Visitor Center it's like I have 4 or 5 grandmas and grandpas and I learn so much from them.

Miss you much LOVE you more!!

Love, SISTER ANDERSON

 

Cooling Down?

                            Elder and Sister Ellsworth and Sister Anderson

Mom and Dad,

Well this week it got all the way down to 100 degrees (never thought I'd be glad for that) and we had a crazy sand storm. It was like the kinds you see in movies, I believe they have a news blip on it at Yahoo.com. I am getting more use to the heat, still sweating aton, but I can't wait for the winter months.

We've been very focused on finding ,and we thought we found a new convert. We taught him the first lesson and he seemed interested but when we came by again to set up another appointment he told us we were waisting our time. (We think he might be gay cuz he asked about our views on homosexuality...)

Got to go to the Mesa Temple this morning (at 6... we had to get up at 4:30) it's pretty sweet the inside matches the outside in design. I think it's my second favorite temple, St George will always have a place in my heart so it gets the top spot. Well that's all for this week. Miss you lots, love you more!!!

                                                                                                                                  Sister Anderson

                                         Sister Anderson and Sister Dyer

Happy 4th of July, Happy Birthday Kelsha

Mom and Dad,

****HAPPY 4th OF JULY****

So about a week and half ago was the New Mission Presidents Training and during this time the First Presidency and 12 Apostles come and teach all the NMP's, well we got super lucky! Elder David A. Bednar spoke to us on a special Friday night devotional, it was AMAZING!!!! Elders' Oaks, Andersen, Holland, Ballard, Nelson, and Scott were all seated on the stand as well, I got to sit less than 100 ft away from the stand. Talk about cool!!! The spirit these men have is so amazing, it was awesome!

Well I'm in Arizona now and it is very hot! The temp has ranged (during the day) from 115 degrees to 119 degrees (that was on Saturday and it was the fourth hottest day on record). I've also found out that the Phoenix area is the 3rd hottest area in the world. I've been very lucky so far because we have a car (mostly because my companion has knee problems, but I'm not complaining) and for most days I get to be in the Visitors Center for half the day. The VC is such a wonderful place to be I love the spirit here (and it's always cool). Here at the VC we call referrals and ask if they would like the missionaries to come by their house and I got my first confirmation yesterday, it was so cool!

My trainer (or mom as they call them in the field) is Sister Sarah Dyer from Kaysville UT, she has been out a year and is on the same cycle that I am just one year ahead. She gave me some really great advice; to find the person where Karmin and Sister Anderson meet and that is the missionary that God wants me to be. Because being a missionary doesn't mean losing your personality and who you are to become a robot sister missionary. She's great and I already love her so much! This first week here we have just been meeting the members, we are over three wards(2 home and 1 singles) and none of them have investigators... yet but they will, we are just currently working on building trust with the members. Our mission president is very much about working with the members and getting member referrals. One thing we talked about in the MTC was that friends and family of members are the most ready to convert and stay converted. There is one family that I love already the Birch's they have 5 sons and 1 daughter, all under 21. They are really close with the missionaries because Brother Birch use to be the ward mission leader, they have one son on a mission and their oldest is working toward going. It's like I already have siblings here, which helps with the homesickness (don't worry no one could replace my real sibs). HAPPY BIRTHDAY Kelsha!!!! (tomorrow).

Last week we had the power go out in the whole valley because a power plant up in north AZ had a transformer explode, it was off for about 5 hours, which made me nervous because of the record high heat.

My mission president is so focused and I already love him, but the sisters at the Visitor Center have another "dad" Elder White, he is the VC Director and is over all the VC Sister's he really is like a dad and it's been great to be here, he even told me when I'm feeling down I can come in and chat with him, he also gives us side hugs (not real ones) but it's been nice to get those. We currently live in a members home and she is great. She's a convert and all her kids are out of the house so it's just us three girls.

I know the Jesus lives and loves us, so much that if you or I had been the only one on earth he still would have come and suffered all that he did. I'm so grateful for that knowledge and for a family in which I was raised to know that. I know that Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus and that through him the full gospel was restored to the earth and the Book of Mormon was brought forth. I know that God prepared this land so that the Book of Mormon could come forth and on this Independence day I'm even more grateful for that. I know that President Monson is a living prophet and is inspired by God to lead our church, and I know that God gave us families to be happy and I'm grateful for a righteous family that I can look to in trials and times of need. I love you all very much and am so grateful that I have the BEST family EVER!!!!

Sister Karmy Anderson

The Pictures:

The VC sisters at the MTC

The rest my district!

Call from the Airport

We (Mom and Dad) were at the Grand Hotel in Copenhagen Denmark. She was a bit teary but when we got into the conversations she was ok. We talked about her experience giving tours to the new Mission Presidents and their wives. She got to take two couples and show them the MTC. She was also able to here Elder Bednar speak and see several of the apostles. Her flight was only going to be an hour and fourty minutes. Her address from know on will be the mission home address in Scottsdale, AZ.

Mesa Mission Address

Sister Karmin LaNae Anderson

Arizona Mesa Mission

6265 N 82nd St.

Scottsdale, AZ. 85250

More from the MTC

June 15

Mom and Dad,
I'm getting more use to the MTC, but as I told April I miss my own cooking Our teachers are amazing and time flies when we are in class. Brother Beeson and Sister Smith. One of our progressive investigators (the investigators our teachers role play to give us practice) has committed to be baptized if he find it to be true, of course we know he will! In class we learned that once an investigator say yes to a commitment there are inviting the Lord to work in our lives and once the Lord can start working miracles will happen. It was a very special experience because the spirit guided the whole lesson and we were a "true companionship" (teachers words). And it had been an answer to a pray of more faith on my part.
I've memorized quite a bit and I'm finding that I really good at it. In addition to "Our Purpose" and "The First Vision" I have now memorized D & C 4 (it's the missionary chapter). I'm learning a lot I never knew and remembering a lot I learned in primary. Which is so fun and makes me want to watch all the Living Scriptures over again.
Yesterday we had Sister Rosemary Wixom the General Primary President come and speak to us, it was amazing, she has a degree in Elementary Education and as we all know those are the best speakers/teachers lol! And on Sunday in Relief Society we had Sister Ann Dibb (Pres Monson's daughter) speak to us. Relief Society in the MTC is the best! Our Branch President says he wishes he could go because we always have the best speakers come.
As always my district is amazing (and I'll post pictures when I'm in the field, I can't here) i would say they are like little brothers but they don't act like 19 year old boys (most of the time). Can I just say I love not having to open my own doors, most of the time, that will be a hard adjustment in the real world
Copenhagen sounds beautiful, can't wait for pictures! I love you both very much and am so grateful for all you do and have done for me! I wouldn't be who I am without you! The church is true and Heavenly Father loves his children!
Sister Anderson (Karmy)


June 22

First and foremost,
Happy Father's Day DADDY!!! I would have sent a card but you weren't home (Just know I LOVE you very much). Happy Birthday Kelley! Can't wait to see pictures of your baptism.
Look at you two being missionaries! (It just reminds me that I wouldn't be were I am with out my parents) Well all of the visitor center sisters get an amazing opportunity to give tours of the MTC to all the new Mission Presidents that are coming in for training this week. This is the most exciting week at the MTC because ALL the Apostles (I believe that includes the First Presidency) come and teach the NMP's so there is always a chance of seeing an apostle, but the likely hood of not seeing one, security goes way up. But we still get the great honor of giving tours to some amazing men and their wives.
Well today we start VC Training and I'm super excited, there will be a lot of personal study time so I plan on reading the Bible and Book of Mormon. I've never read the Bible and as I have started it it has been really fun to remember all the stories I learned in Seminary. I can't wait to read the BOM in a missionary mind frame! We get to go to Temple Square and go on splits with the sisters there, kinda nervous but excited at the same time. Mostly just ready to be in Mesa! The church is true! Love you all miss you more!

Love, Sister Anderson (Karmy)