Week of Thrills

Well to say the least, this week was really awesome. Elder Bingham and I have been putting in work.... Something funny is that EVERY week 5 of all my transfers has been like the best week... the streak continues.

So we were able to find 8 new investigators this week, which is the most we´ve ever found in El Cerrito. The on Tuesday we entered straight into a house of this guy named Jorge. He knows a ton about the bible but doesn't belong to a specific religion, that´s what he told us. So we basically just introduced the Book of Mormon and he seemed really interested which was awesome. Then the next day, we visited a less active guy who´s 18 and recently moved, and we taught his entire family. Then, we had a family home evening with the flia Vargas and one of their daughters brought a friend to it, and also brought her to church yesterday!! The members here have improved drastically in my time here. That´s how we got those new investigators this week, not to mention we´ve been praying a lot to find new people.. Prayer is real..

With our new heater the pench has been awesome.... away from the cold. But I´m scared to see the bill next month.... haha the weather down here has been pretty cold, but days when there´s no wind are significantly better. But all you have to do is have lessons and stuff to get away from the cold.

Yesterday we taught a really awesome lesson about the restoration. My companion, has really improved and was able to teach and testify really well. We left the lesson pretty satisfied and we feel as though the spirit is working through us. I think that´s what makes a successful missionary. That and being obedient.

Today for Pday we will be eating some peruvian food. Elder Rodriguez, in our zone, hurt his leg a few p days ago playing soccer, and he has to go home. So he wants to make some food from Peru... that should be good. Also this sunday we have transfers, so we will see. I would honestly be fine with staying in El Cerrito one more transfer... it´s been an awesome area and I´ve really come to like the members and the area. But whatever happens, it happens for a purpose. I´ve learned quite a bit from my companion in the past few transfers as well. Sunday is coming haha i´m scared.....

That´s it for this week. Have a good week!!!

love

Elder Anderson

this is the only photo I took this week. sorry.

 

One Year

Well last week I finished my first full year as a missionary. Pretty exciting, huh? Time has absolutely flown, I can only imagine it´s gonna go faster. Still chugging along. For my little celebration I bought some ice cream and may have burned a shirt... but yeah.

This week we had interviews with President Goates. I always really like interviews with president, he´s way awesome. My interview was the longest one I´ve had.  We also had some training meetings with Hermana Goates, and that´s always fun. We talked a lot about the plan of salvation and how we can teach it better to our investigators.

As far as investigators go, we let go of quite a few this last week, either because they were impossible to find or just didn´t progress. We still have a couple solid investigators, but they went to Mendoza this weekend so they couldn´t come to church. But when they get back we´ll get going on the baptism!

I´ve continued my study on Christlike Attributes, mostly patience and humility. Sometimes stuff happens and we just have to go with it. If life were easy we would be a very boring people. We wouldn´t learn and we wouldn´t be able to enjoy life. Being humble is something Heavenly Father is not afraid to answer. I promise you, if you ask sincerely in prayer to be humbled, he will humble you. Once you reach a point of humility you become a more accessible tool for Heavenly Father. That´s just how it is.

I also read through my Patrichal Blessing this week, which always is a great helper and testimony builder. I worry a lot and get stressed, but some parts of my blessing helped me with that. I know that they are inspiried and specific. My companion also has helped me to not worry so much, he is a great example in that aspect to just let things happen after you do what you can.

In other news, we got a heater!!! So I sleep really soundly at night and I don´t have to bundle up quite so much. But yeah, thank you Elder Arzubiaga (mission pensionista).

My son, Elder Bingham, is progressing really well. I don´t know if I have said this in a letter before but he is from Russia, lived there until he was 8, and then was adopted in the USA. So he´s been through quite a bit in his life already. But he´s a hard worker and I´ve honestly seen so many miracles in these past few months with him. Transfers end not this Sunday but the next. We honestly don´t know what will happen, but at this point I´m fine with whatever. We´ve become pretty tight with the members here. That´s a good benefit of being in an area for a long time... we´ve got the members on our side. If you want the missionaries in your ward or stake to love you just give them a reference.... hahah I promise you they will love you.

That´s all for this week. Have a good one!

love,

Elder Anderson

ok so mom asked if I could do a missionary plaque photo... well here you go. #coke

our district now... us and bunch of hermanas.

1 year down 1 to go

and a more serious one, featuring an awesome filter on the camera.

we made tacos

memories.....

El Cerrito week 15 I think

This was a way solid week, pretty normal to say the least. We were able to teach 4 lessons with member, which is the most we´ve had here for a while. After being here for a long time, I´ve finally built a good relationship with the members, so that´s good. Our progressing investigators didn´t come to church yesterday (sigh) so we´re gonna have to put the baptismal date for later. It´s all good though.

We went back over to Hno Vargas´ house and helped build the roof some more. My companion really likes construction and that kind of stuff so it was fun. Then they gave us an awesome lunch of chicken and mashed potatoes. The vargas family is cool.

On Thursday we did an intercambio with Barrio 3, because Elder Rodriguez hurt his leg really bad the other day. So I went with his comp, Elder Sears, and worked in their area. My comp stayed with Rodriguez for the day in the pench. But some members gave us some Reeses cups they got from a friend. It was awesome.

On friday we had a ward activity of eating pizza. Those are the best kind of activities haha. The members in El Cerrito are really awesome... I´m gonna miss it here when (who knows when) I leave. I really like this ward, and even though the work gets tough, I´ve learned a lot.

So then on Saturday we walked really far. And we went to this house, and talked with this guy named Mur. He has lots of animals. Well he was chopping some wood with a really old machete, and told us we could teach him, so we went into his barn thingy and taught.... hahah he was a little drunk and didn´t let go of his machete the entire time. It was... fun... haha yeah.

This week we have interviews with president Goates which is always really awesome, that´s gonna be great. I´ll also be completing a year this week...my oh my. I don´t want to talk about it haha time has flown.

As I have been on my mission, my testimony has really grown. Jesus Christ lives and directs this church... and if you doubt that go read the Book of Mormon. Everything depends on that book... so read it!!!! Yesterday at church we had ward conference, and the spirit was WAY strong. We sang the Armies of Helaman meets Sisters in Zion song, I played the piano. We had the stake president crying!! it was awesome. The church is true, don´t forget it.

Have an awesome week and be good!

love, 

Elder Anderson

4th of july, me, paredes, keyes, bingham.

chorizo from last week.

ward activity. all the pizza is gone

 

Happy Birthday USA

Well good morning America. Happy 4th of July. Today´s p day festivities include making chorizo and eating it. And playing soccer and basketball. Should be pretty great.

We have some solid investigators, we´re gonna have a baptism on the 23rd of July if everything goes as planned. We´re gonna go over to their house and make pancakes, cause they made us a homemade pizza and we have to return the favor. The work was pretty slow this week in general... it´s been really cold and stuff. We had 6 people say they were coming to church, and 1 of them showed up hahaha but it´s all good.

So on thursday this little pit bull dog started following us and we couldn´t shake it. so were walking forever and then it ran into a house and we talked to the people, and they said they´d keep it for the time being. Well we were walking to the church the next day and there´s a sign that says lost dog, and lo and behold it was him. And it said REWARD (RECOMPENSA) on it, so we called the guy and met him and went the the house, and he got it. And then he totally did not give us a reward, and didn´t even want to hear about the gospel. Seed planted I guess.

My companion ripped his pants twice this week. Fun fact hahaha. We are putting in work and I´m really getting along with him, a lot better than before. Now the question is if we are going to stay another transfer, but really anything could happen.

I´m having a lot of fun down in San Rafael, although the work gets tough, people throw rocks, and we get rejected a lot, the church is still true and works miracles. I´ve been reading Jesus the Christ a lot lately and it´s been strengthening my testimony of Him.

That´s all for this week.... have a good one and GOD BLESS THE USA!!!! seeya in a year....

all just because I....  ripped my pants.

The other day we helped some members build part of their roof. This photo could totally be an album cover... Inside The Manzana feat. Hermano Vargas