Service, Service, and Hiking!!!!

January 3, 2012

Dear MOM and DAD,

Well this week was full of service. I LOVE SERVICE!!!!!! Just so you know. Probably one of my favorite things to do on the mission because you get to know people, help them, and work hard!!!! Thank you MOM and DAD for teaching me hard work, I love it and then I am tired and sore which reminds me that I did something for someone else.

The first service we did was helping a less-active family prune some trees in their back yard. Now I know that pruning clipper are not meant for anything much bigger than an inch but when I came to some 2+ inch branches I couldn't back down. I conquered!! With minimal bruises... 5 or 6 at the most.

The next day we helped the Phelps (sister Phelps is active and brother Phelps is getting there) paint the apartment in their back yard for four hours. It was great I love painting and my quads hurt so bad the next day from all the squatting. We also found out the Sister Phelps has a very similar back story to Misty's (investigator). Tender mercy for doing service, we wouldn't have found that out any other way.

We read a few chapters in the Book of Mormon with Kayla and she came to sacrament meeting even though she was sick. So we're thinking she's on the right track to getting back where she was. We can just see the potential she has and how if she lets Heavenly Father assist and even take the reins He will get her further than she can herself. (I guess we are all that way though)

Yesterday we hiked Camelback! It's about 1.2 miles to the top and it is up all the way, climbing over boulders and rock, never really flat. It was a struggle the last quarter mile but I did it and I even helped encourage the sisters that were with me to finish. I didn't know I could motivate so well... lol It was so fun and now I'm sore from that, but it's great!!!!

We had another lesson with Misty yesterday and Sister Phelps came. It was a good lesson, we talked about the Doctrine of Christ and the importance of Reading, Praying, and Going to Church, she committed to come if she wasn't working. I'm excited to see her figure out that it is true, I think it will just hit her like a wave.

Well that's it for this week. I'll probably have more next because we are headed back to full field as of today!

Miss you much, Love you more!

3 Nephi 18:24 with Hymn # 335

Love Sister Anderson

Hiking Camelback

"Hold to the Rod" so you don't fall down the mountain

Part way (maybe 3/8 of a mile)

Hole in the rock

The top (1.2 miles up boulders and rocks)

Christmas Tree at the top

Sister Lamb and I (hiking buddies)

Ring out the old, ring in the new... hey that's repentance!!!! =D

Dear MOM and DAD,

I LOVE our family soooo much! It was the best getting to talk to everyone! And guess what I didn't cry when I got off, I went and helped Sister Vance finish getting ready for dinner. I was a little worried that I didn't cry but as I was thinking about it and I came to the conclusion that, I didn't cry or get homesick because in a way I'm always "homesick" meaning I love and will always want home but since being on my mission I've learned (for the most part) to put that aside and focus on the task at hand, and because of that practice I did good on Sunday.

On Christmas Eve we ate with the Senior Couple Missionaries in one of our wards, the Phippins, they were really sweet to feed us and that morning we had a Prep meeting where some of the Sisters preformed cultural dances.  We have a lot of diversity at the VC so it was fun to watch. 

The pictures are Elder and Sister White (the VC director) and me, Sister Holliday and me, Sister Parker (she came out with me), Sister Holliday, and me. And the luminaries were from Christmas Eve, the whole neighborhood puts them out and lights them, we drove around a couple minutes and saw them all before we came home. 

This year didn't really feel much like Christmas, for several reasons: no snow, no family, no traditions, and as missionaries we do missionary work all the time and we were at the VC so it was like another day... except on Christmas Day we got 80 Top Boxes (people who accept to have the missionaries to their home), 40 was a record high two days before.... and we got 80! I couldn't think of a better birthday present for Christ. =D

We had our second lesson with Misty this week. It was really good, she doesn't have a lot of religious background other than what people have told her about their religion, so it's fun to see when things click for her. We asked if she had prayed to know if the Book of Mormon and Church were true she said she had and felt like she had received half  an answer but because she had only really half prayed about it... which is really good she recognizes that if she wants a full answer she need to pray sincerely. She said she would this week. We have a lesson with her tomorrow, so we'll she how she did. 

Kayla had a rough week... her less-active boy-friend, who is in jail broke up with her and that just threw everything off, but in the long run it's good because now she has to decide why she's doing it, if it was for him or for her. I think she'll be okay but it will take some work on her part. She could use some extra prayers right now.

One cool thing the spirit taught me this week was that he talks to me a lot more than I thought. For the longest time I wasn't sure how the Holy Ghost communicated with me and just in the last few weeks I've realized that the little random, good thoughts I have are him telling me something and since I've started giving him credit I'm seeing more and more of the Holy Ghost in my life. I bet he's glad I figured that out... it just took me 24 years! Haha

Which makes me even more grateful I was raised in a home where that was just natural everyday stuff. I think part of the reason it took me so long was because I had always had it, not that I'm anything special but I was taught and raised in a loving, Christ centered home! Thank you mom and dad, you're the best parents I could have!

Oh and let the Mace's know I will be at the VC both nights from 6 to 10. And did you get my priority envelope with your Christmas present in it? That's it for now.   Thank everyone who sent me a Christmas card I was really grateful for them thinking of me!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!

Miss you Much, Love you More 

3 Nephi13:34

Love Sister Anderson

Twas' the Week Before Christmas... Really?

Dear MOM and DAD,
12:30 will be great, I'll be at the Vance home. Brother Vance said he was going to call you yesterday so that you could get all the kinks worked out, because I only have 40 mins to talk and I don't want to be trying to figure anything out and wasting time.

This week hasn't been too exciting, we've been at the Visitors' Center a lot (which I love) and I'm finally starting to feel tired and I LOVE that too!!!! Everyone says that Christmas Lights is hard and you get warn out and tired, but I haven't experienced it yet, till this week. I love it because I know that I'm working if I'm dead at the end of the day.

A couple days ago we were taking some sisters home, which caused me to think. At some point I will move out of the house I've been in and it will be hard because it's change... but then the Spirit gently reminded me... "Sister Anderson, I know that change is hard for you, so I called you to the Visitors' Center, so you would always have a constant!" How cool? Even if I go full field again (after this transfer) I will still get to come back to the VC, Heavenly Father knew that always having the VC would help with whatever changes happen outside of the VC. Tender mercy

The Wu's "dropped" us, it wasn't a don't ever come back, more of a we'll call you when we aren't so busy... very sad day, but people have their agency for a reason.

The miracle/answered prayer lesson is with Misty last week.  She is finally an investigator and we have a lesson this week with her. The area is a little slow so we are praying for miracles which means repentance and more obedience! 

SOOOOO excited to see you all this week!!! Can you belive Christmas is 6 days away? 

Miss you much, Love you More!!!

Love Sister Anderson 

Double decked bus with beer by the temple, kind of ironic

Me on my birthday (it rained all day)

Angel Tree Baby stuff

 

 

 

 Grandma and Mom sent money for Sister Anderson's Birthday so she and Sister Stephens could do an Angel Tree Child.  This is one of Sister Anderson's  favorite traditions.

A Santa that reminded me of dad

Santa that reminded me of mom

12 days of Christmas from Family

Dec 12th

I just got the package, it's beautiful. I love you all more than words can express!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love Sister Anderson

Transfer News (Dec 12th)

Dear MOM and DAD,

So I have another transfer half full field. Which isn't so bad, I still get 3 weeks at the VC which is better that 6 full field weeks. Lots of excitement at the Visitors' Center we have a sister from Pakistani and a sister from Mongolia coming this week, who have been in the MTC for 3+ months waiting for their visas. Sister Stephens and I are still companions, so I get another transfer of driving all the time.

More exciting news we get to Skype this year for Christmas, so you'll need to get a Video Skipe account. I was thinking 8 am would be best that way we could still both make it to church. Let me know what would work best for you.

The other day I was talking to another sister about asking Heavenly Father for things even if they are little things, because he loves us and wants to bless us as long as we are willing to make it His will. As we were talking I was thinking "Heavenly Father I really want to go to Olive Garden for my birthday, but we aren't suppose to ask if we can leave our area to go eat, so I know that if it's okay with you you'll provide a way so I can go." Two hours later I got a text saying that we were going to Olive Garden for the Departure/Birthday Dinner... answered prayer!  The next day I decided to try it again when my shower was cold so I ask for some warm water and guess what he gave it to me.  I also asked if we could have a lesson with a girl we had been trying to contact and when we got to her house to just drop by she said she was going to call us that day and then we showed up, so we had a lesson. It was pretty cool to see all these answers to prayer.

So I don't know if Kristy told you but Sally came down and I missed her because I was sick, but I am feeling much better now. And I did get the package with the cards. Thank you!!! I love you all so much!

Miss you much, love you more!!!!

Love Sister Anderson

Christmas Picture

On the 5th of December we did not get an email from Karmin.  On the 9th (a Friday) we got this picture.  She had emailed but we don't know where it went or why we just got the picture.  Anyway here it is.

Sister Anderson in front of the Mesa Arizona Temple with the Christmas Lights.

MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone from Sister Anderson

Back at the Visitors Center

Dear MOM and DAD,

Looks like Thanksgiving was good.  I did get the package and it was awesome thank you.  I'll have to take a picture of the pillow case on my bed, I put it on as soon as I got home. Kelsha didn't tell me about her arm, but you did and Ry did a bit.

I made mashed potatoes for the family we ate with and they LOVED them (not to brag but I kind of expected it... lol). I hope someone enjoyed the skin on the turkey for me.  The turkey we had wasn't as brown on top as I like so I didn't get any this year. Sister Phelps got to see my OCD cleaning side on Thanksgiving and when we came back for pie a few days later. She just laughed!

I am SOOOOOOO glad to be back at the Visitors' Center.   I'm grateful for all the miracles we got to see as full field missionaries but I belong at the Visitors' Center. It has been CRAZY, over 4000 people a night to see the Christmas Lights, and we get to be with a Spanish speaking sister so I've gotten to  know some new sisters. It's been the best!!!!!!  Elder White gave us a blessing before we started at the Visitors' Center and as VC sisters.  In the blessing  he included our families, saying that you would have special and unusual blessings and opportunities this holiday season, so keep your eyes open.   I want to hear about them. c:

So Kayla and Cody were arrested this week for previous charges... Cody is still in jail and Kayla is on probation... but she still wants to get baptized, even if it's next year and she hasn't smoked in 5 full days. We are so proud of her and she is so prepared, she will just need a lot of prayers this coming year. We now know she has a sincere desire because it may be over a year before she can be baptized, but she's determined.   She says she's also been happier and even though she's been dealing with alot she has been claim. (The gospel is the best!!!!!) It now gives me a reason to come back to Arizona.

The Wu's are doing good, we have a lesson scheduled at the Bishop's home (finally) this week.  We still are working on getting them to church but Jay has promised he'd get work off on the 11th (because my B-day is the day after) and come.  He's also being deployed in March so we're thinking he'll be baptized in February, fingers crossed!   They are still amazing and I can't wait till they realize how much the gospel will bless their lives.

Well that's it for now. Remember the Reason for the Season!

Miss you much, Love you more!

Alma 26:12 (My new favorite scripture)

Love Sister Anderson

Sister Stephens and Sister Anderson