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.
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!
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