4/23/2012

Hi mom and family,

 

Great to hear all the great news from back home.  Love hearing that the family is sooooo close and sooooo big!!!!  I hope school finishes up just great for all of you.  Mom and Dad, how is Centerville life treating you?  Is everything still really normal?  Have the neighbors changed?  What is going on in my home!!!???

 

So second week in my new sector...this ward is incredible.  First off, it is one of the first areas of Ecuador that the missionaries arrived to, and so a bunch of the members already have a lifetime in the church.  The leaders really know what`s up--especially the priesthood holders.  Our bishop is like a clone of Bishop Wadley.  Really young and full of energy and all of the youth love him.  It is also the first ward where i have really seen members visit the less-actives and fulfill with their responsibilities as Home Teachers.  And the best part of the ward is that their are five preparing missionaries.  This week we have someone assigned each day to help us out in the work!!  Everything starts with organization.  It the leader is organized he can organize his "sheep" and if the "sheep" know their responsibilities everything is soooooooo much easier!  The ward mission leader is very organized and very willing to help us out.  I am so excited to really jump in and be a part of this ward.  I have a feeling and I pray that I can be here for a good chunk of my mission.  We shall see what the Lord has in store for me.

 

Well I got my in-grown toenails taken care of--all 4 of them.  The doctor decided not to give me anything to numb it so he just dug in.  Haha it hurt but he did it really fast and really effectively.  And the next day I could walk completely normally.  FINALLY!!!! I hope I never ever jamàs nunca have to deal with feet problems for the rest of my life.

 

As for the investigators and the baptism.  Well second baptism in a row, we had everything ready and last-minute something happened with the investigator`s family and they got scared.  We still haven`t been able to meet with Eduardo to see what`s up, but I feel like he shall be ready ONCE AGAIN to be baptized very soon.  I have gotten to know the majority of my sector and I am still very excited to find more people to teach because there ARE so many people to teach.

 

Mom-I still haven`t seen any monkeys.  There are tons of iguanas and such, but that is about it.  I hope to find a monkey soon.  They still haven`t told us anything about the phone call, but i promise that I will let you know.  No te preocupes.

 

Well, Elder`s Quorum was awesome this Sunday.  Yes...we talked about moms.  It is a pretty touchy subject for any missionary, but when they ask you to share what you feel for your mom when you are on the mission, that just isn`t fair.  Mom, I love you.  You brought 6 children into this world and did everything necessary to make sure they had a good future.  I don`t think I could ever really understand all that you did for me just like I willl never understand all that Christ did for me.  I love my mom.

 

And that just about wraps everything up. 

 

I shall talk to you soon

 

Elder Anderson 

4/16/2012

Hellooooooo!!!!!!

Ah things are sounding so great back at home and so glad to hear that everyone is soooo busy.  Finals week... holy cow I wish everyone the best of luck.  That is so awesome to hear about all the missionaries in our ward.  I have grown up in the midst of just outstanding people.  Wow dad... big shot, eh?  I hope everything is going well in your new assignment, and I don`t know....it might be completely great if you wrote me.  Love you, Dad.  Sounds like Kyle is just about ready then?  Slow down, everyone!!!! I have only been out 9 months and the family has gone up by 4!!!  Good to hear it, though.  I know that you all are happy and that everyone is on the right path.

 

Haha I would like to see Ryan Francom-my tallest friend-climb out the window.  Travel is very different outside of the states.  I am sure Ryan is experiencing the same thing that I am.  Last Monday, we got on a crowded bus with all of our groceries.  I had to set them down or else I wouldn`t fit.  When I went to pick them up my back pocket got caught on the sensor thing that the bus companies use to charge the Bus Drivers.  The Driver got way mad because he was losing money and it was just an all-around great experience. 

 

So I guess I am still a district leader.  It`s different though.  In all 9 months of my mission I have never had Sister Missionaries anywhere near me, and now I am their District Leader.  Wish me luck, I guess.

 

And my new ward is way, way different from the wards I have been in so far.  Lots of worth priesthood holders and such.  It has a lot more members.  Then only problem is that sacrament starts at 8 so that makes it a bit harder for the not so faithful to wake up on time.  Really, though, we are going to see a lot of success in this area and I am super excited to get going.  I`ve been a little held back by an in-grown toenail, though.  I had to go to the hospital to have it looked at and the doctor told me to rest and take some pills and such.  The swelling went down on one side, but I have to go back again tomorrow to get it taken care of once and for all.  Wish me luck, haha.  I`m sure it will all be fine, just super annoying because I have always had this problem. 

 

So we should have a baptism this coming Saturday.  His name is Eduardo.  He is 22 and his girlfriend is a member of the church.  And that is about all I know so far haha.  We brought an investigator to church and she was going to leave after Sacrament meeting, but the Relief Society President saw her and helped her go to the investigator class.  It was sweet because I haven`t seen much of that in my mission.  The members are so important to this work and it is very easy to recognize that in my new area. 

 

We had Zone Conference this past Friday.  I left so inspired to work hard and be the best missionary.  The President is such a stud.  I just can`t believe how inspired he is.  Missionaries face a lot of difficulties in the work and some really fail in their responsibilities as a companion.  He said something that just hit me so hard about companions.  If we can`t settle problems with our companion on the mission."pobrecita su esposa" (poor little wife), because there are no transfers in marriage.  I really have come a long ways in the way I approach a problem.  Ususally I just ignored everything and isolated myself.  That is pretty impossible in the mission so something had to change.  I hope I can keep it up because everything I am doing right now has everything to do with everything I will do in all of my life.  I really feel like I am progressing, even if I won`t be able to walk for a couple days.  I love my companion.  There is so much work to be done in my new area.  I am a representative of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  I have a family back at home who supports every move I make.  Everything in my life is a gift from God, and I am willing to show Him a little gratitude.  I love you all and I hope you now that I am praying for you. 

 

Elder Preston Michael Anderson

I think conference made him a little home sick!!

hola familia

I really don`t think you guys will ever understand how incredible I feel as I read about all the great things you are doing.  Conference was so powerful.  Can you say "family".  Holy cow, our leaders really know how to pound in the importance of a solid family.  The one from Cheryl Esplin really got me good.  Then the story of the little boy who started singing "I Am A Child Of God" underneath a collapsed building.  How we should take advantage of all the spontaneous moments to help teach our children.  As the choir sang, "Love is Spoken Here," so many feelings of gratitude and pure love came to comfort me.  Mine is a home where every hour is blessed by the strength of Priesthood power.  My mother kneeling with my family each day...Mom-do you remember when for a couple months you would come pray with Paige and I every night before bed? I never ever will forget about that.  Dad-all the priesthood blessings before the beginning of a new year at school, I don`t think you will ever know how big of a blessing that has been in my life.  Every six months where all the boys could head out at 6 o clock and hear our Priesthood leader counsel us.  It brings tears to know that the tradition continues in the Anderson family at the Priesthood Session

So many emotions come into play in the mission.  Right now, I feel comfort.  I know we are guided by inspired Prophets of God.  We are part of an eternal family.  So yep.........I love you all.

This week was a good one.  I, personally, had lots of chances to teach.  Me and my companion, Elder Castañeda, are still working like crazy to get some people to progress.  Genesis went to conference and really enjoyed it and she is still excited for her baptism this Saturday.  Jessenia, who was just recently baptized is still progressing like crazy.  She had her temple recommend interview on Wednesday, and the headed out with the a bunch of members of the word to visit some less actives.  For some reason she wasn`t able to go to the temple on Friday, but she shall be going soon.  She pretty much learned everything there is to know about the gospel in 2 months.  How cool is that? 

We headed out to a place called Mexico Lindo which is about a hour away and to get there you have to get on a Ranchero.  It was way fun and I really want to go back again haha.  So we got there and started looking for more people to teach.  It went well but then the last Ranchero headed back out to Ventanas so we were pretty much stuck there.  We thought the members of the ward who were visiting some less actives would be on top of things, but we all ended up being stuck together.  We started walking back at 7 when it was already night time and another Ranchero happened to pass by to give us all a ride back.  It was really cool walking back, though.  There were tons of fireflies-something that I had never seen before. 

This week, we saw a lot of progress.  I am definitely a changing person and all my dumb little personality traits are changing bit by bit.  My companion does lot of things that bother me.  But their things that really don`t matter.  I finally understood that and I hope to be able to start focusing on what matters.  Mom and Paige-you guys are definitely the winners as far as writing me goes.  Keep it up.  Every word in your letters is another help to keep pushing forward.  I`m doing great.  I am still really healthy.  And even though I can`t afford 485 dollar shoes(hahahahaha Tracy) I am still very happy

I am not sure how Easter goes down here but lots of people are starting to talk about the Pascua and I am pretty sure there are going to be lot of parties and lots of drinking.  But.... I hope you all enjoy the Easter Season, reflecting on the life that Christ has given to us.  I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH. SIGAN ADELANTE CON EL AMOR PURO DE CRISTO. LES QUIERO MUCHO. OREN POR MI.  ESCRÌBANME HERMANOS.

March 26, 2012

Another week in the mission.  Over all, I would like you to know that I grew about 10 times closer to Christ in these past few days.  This week was quite the struggle, but I know without a doubt that it is all worth it. 

The Cook family sent me out a package.  Holy incredibly kind.  I am forever grateful for the good friends that I have always had and for the parents that knew how to raise them.  Anyways, they sent a bunch of yummy cookies and I am loving it because nobody bakes in Ecuador.  I finally got a letter from Levi, also.  His mom also sent a little note and a couple of pictures of Levi and I in the MTC.  Wow my friends are so cool.  The Garrabrant`s also got another letter out ad everything just came at the right moment.  I was really in need of some encouragement from those I love. 

So this past week was quite the bumpy ride.  We are still able to teach a lot of lessons, but people`s hearts are very hardened to receive new light and knowledge in their lives.  I just want to yell it in their ears until they understand the way the spirit can help them in their lives and teach them what they must do.  Not a ton of people have been able or willing to progress in the gospel these past few days, but I know our Heavenly Father still has something in store for us, and I am more than willing to keep searching for that something.  There are still people who listen to us and accept the teachings and we will continue to help them through the challenges of their lives through the power of the restored gospel.

I don`t know if I have told you these funny stories yet--the old guys here are pretty crazy sometimes haha.  We once invited this guy to be baptized and he responded, "Dios me bautizò" (God baptized me).  He was way confused and we did our best to help him out.  A different old guy started talking to us about how aliens came and took him away one time and he has these paintings of UFO´s on the walls of his house.  The funny thing is that he had already accepted the book of mormon as the word of God and Joseph Smith as His chosen prophet.  A different guy started reading a few verses in Matthew and came across the word Raca, which is a name.  He read it as Roca--meaning rock in English.  Then he started saying that I was a rock and just so strange.  Haha, the confusion has really gotten deep in these old guys.

Well, this week a lot of people have been out of town or out on the town--nobody stays home for more than two seconds!!! Mostly because it is the last week of their School Vacations.  But we shared a lot of great experiences and I`ll just share a quick one.  So it was fast and testimony meeting.  First Josè Orellana, who recently has made a ton of changes in his life to be able to come back to church and has gotten married and is super stoked to be sealed to his family in the coming months, bore his testimony.  Way powerful.  The his wife, Marlene, bore her testimony.  She is the sweetest and most sincere little person this world has every seen.  Then the Branch President`s wife, Consuelo Llaguno, bore her testimony.  Practically the most powerful testimony I have ever heard.  The power of the spirit in her heartfelt testimony of Jesus Christ just nailed me.  Then to top it all off we sang "I know that my Redeemer lives" at the end.  I could not get the words out of my mouth.  I absolutely broke down in complete joy and peace and comfort and happiness and every good feeling that there is in this world.  After 8 months of just really pushing and pulling and doing everything you can to help someone get baptized, it isn`t way easy to always remember why we do it.  Jesus Christ is why.  I am his representative and too often we lose track of the importance of our calling.  Well I found it again and I am energized for the next year and a half of my life.

Oh how I love my Savior.  I love you all back at home and I am overjoyed to know that you are all doing well--including the three new additions. 

Keep up the great work

3/19/2012

Wowwww how is everything going?  Glad to hear that everyone is still hanging out and loving life even if they have to go back to school haha.  Have the mommies adjusted their lives to the new babies yet?  

So this week was just something else.  Really so many prayers were answered and I am just so certain that God is watching over me.  First off--our angel investigator was baptized.  We visited consistently this week, but she continued to be a little unsure about the baptism because of her parents. Her mom is pretty hard core catholic and Jessenia worried about the changes she would make by becoming a member of the LDS church.  But we got her into the baptismal interview and I was sitting outside the door so nervous and just praying like crazy.  It was a really long interview but she came out of the door just completely quiet and relaxed and I was scared to ask her how it went.  So she walked out and I looked at the missionary who gave the interview and he showed me her signature at the bottom of the page.  No, I don`t believe you!! Wow I couldn`t fight back the tears I was so excited and shocked.  My prayer was answered and all of the efforts really payed off.

So we planned the baptism and everything was just awesome.  She has got all of the support in the world with the Relief Society and just incredible how the spirit has touched her heart in just two short months.  She is already excited to go to the temple and just learn everything about the gospel.  Holy awesome.  The only sad thing is that her parents still don`t know about the baptism.  She is scared to tell them, but I feel like they will soon see the joy she has found in the gospel and change their minds.  I could talk about this one forever and ever but just know that the Lord is leading my efforts and their are people in this world hungry for the gospel.

Yesterday we had an experience that I thought would happen a lot sooner and lot more often in the mission.  This guy named William is super awesome.  He was way anxious to hear our message and everything.  We had given his sister a Book of Mormon and he ended up being more interested than she was.  We started talking about what the Book of Mormon and then we assigned him to read 3 Nephi 11 (When Christ visits the Americas).  He was all in shock saying, "What? Christ came to the Americas?!!!" Of course he did, we responded.  He was so curious and excited to read about it and I was so excited for him.  We shall go later today and talk about the chapter and give him a baptismal invitation.  

Not to much else going on with other investigators.  UMMM so Ana and Diana (the dry members-haha) went to the temple with all the young women on Friday.  Of course they couldn`t go in but it got them a ton more interested to get baptized.  We haven`t been able to visit them tons because their parents make it hard for them to progress, but they got all mad at us and forced us to go visit again.  Finally we were able to talk at least a little bit with their Dad and set up an activity with the whole family.  This Thursday we will know if they will be baptized or not.  And besides them, Genesis could not make it to her baptismal interview this past friday because she was in Guayaquil, but she also has a lots of hope to be baptized this coming  saturday.  We shall continue praying for all of them.

I still am here in my area for at least three more weeks.  It will be really rough to leave behind this area.  We have grown really close to all the members and they support us in so many ways.  Wow, I will have to take advantage of the blessings I have here and just hope for the best in the coming weeks and months.  

Can you believe I have been out 8 months?  Can you believe how long you and Dad have been married?  Just a few more days and you got some good 30 years under your belt, right?  Haha we are all getting so old, but we got lots of life left in us and I am very excited for all of it.  I love you all very much and I am still here praying for all of you.

A little spiritual thought--I don`t know if you guys had the same lesson that we had in Priesthood meeting, but it was about sustaining the Lord`s servants.  It had the example of Aaron and Hur supporting the arms of the prophet, Moses, while he held the staff up above the battle that was happening.  By simply raising our hands to show our sustaining vote we help the work move forward.  The leaders of the church need our support.  May we always give it to them.  Prepare for the coming conference.  Wow it is gonna be awesome.  I just know it.  

Keep me updated with Brother Flake.  

Much love, Elder Anderson

3-12-2012

Hello family.

Glad to hear los tres pequeños are all doing alright, and I hope Heather can be back to her regular strength.  I wish Paige and Kyle wouldn`t be having so much fun without me haha. I love you all very much.  Jealous of all the amazing things that are happening right now in your lives.  We have it pretty dang good in Centerville, Utah. 

This week was pretty incredible.  We still have our investigator sent from heaven ready and excited for her baptism this Saturday.  She came to Church with her little boy and she just has the sweetest spirit.  In the MTC I always dreamed of people like her who really recognized us as representatives of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.  She has found a testimony of Joseph Smith and finds so much peace as she reads the Book of Mormon.  She has always had a fear of praying in front of others but she said a prayer the other day and it brought me to tears.  She is so incredible and the Lord is so mindful of her and of me at this time.  Such a strength to the healing power of the Atonement in our lives.

We don`t have tons of investigators right now but we have lots of opportunities to teach.  There was a few weeks where hardly anyone would accept us, except for little kids, but now there are a lot more adults that at least listen to our message before they reject us at the door. 

One difficult thing that has been going on in the Branch is that all the young men who are at the age to serve a mission have gone completely less-active.  I want to carry them all to the MTC and kick their butts into shape, but that is just not how it works.  I am extremely grateful for the encouragement I have received my whole life to serve a mission.  Incredible parents and siblings, outstanding leaders, and exemplary friends. 

On Tuesday, this guy yelled out, "tell me about Joseph Smith." Turns out that he was a referall with whom the missionaries had talked to the day before.  Fernando has completely changed his life around in the past few months leaving behind a drunken past.  He knows that God loves him and his humble heart is so ready to hear the gospel.  He still has quite a bit to change but the Gospel will help him do so.  There are always the bummer people who say they will go to church and never show up, but these past few weeks have been a little different, because people actually show up.

Well that was my week.  Keeping up my spirits to work hard and push forward.  I love you all very, very much.

Until next time,

Elder Anderson

Preston is having a hard time remembering that Tyler and Annie really had a baby boy

Big baby, eh!!! So glad to hear he finally made it out!! How awesome!?? Are all the moms doing alright? Wow, how does my brother Tyler feel to see his little girl.  Oh my wow.  I am so excited for all of you.  I read the talk from Elaine S. Dalton from the last Conference about a father`s love for his daughter.  I got all this baby fever and it just makes me feel so thrilled for Tyler to have a little baby.  I love you ALLL!!!

This week went really well down here.  We got our best investigator back on track, Jessenia.  We were really worried but we went over on Tuesday and we used the General Conference talk with the Book of Mormon and the Bible represented by the two dots.  It worked really well and it was such a spiritual lesson.  She went to church and intends to go the next week and the next week.  She has a baptismal date for the 17th of March and all seems to be going well for that.  We have other investigators right now, but many are really struggling to progress.  However, we met an awesome family this past week and it is one of the first times I have been able to sit myself down and teach a mom, a dad, and their kids.  People just do not spend time as a family and it makes it way hard to find families to teach, but we have lots of hope for this one.

We got some good solid rejections this week haha.  I think every house in this area has had missionaries knock on their door more than once, and people have really hardened thier hearts.  We have other small neighborhoods that we would love to go visit but they are way far away and it is a little hard to get there because they are in the middle of nowhere.  But it seems like the middle of nowhere is where we have had success so we shall be heading out very soon. 

The new Liahona this month is a lot about the life of Thomas S. Monson.  We still don`t have one in the house and it is killing me.  I hope you guys all take advantage of the amazing gifts we have as members of the church and read the words of the living prophet. 

We had a family night this past week with a family that has a less-active dad.  It was all awesome and at the end the mom spoke very boldly and very frankly to her husband.  She told him straight up in front of everyone that she wants to be sealed as an eternaly family and be married in the temple, and that he is stopping that from happening haha.  It was brutal but necessary and he ended up going to church this past week and they are on their way to go to prepare for the blessings of the temple.  So excited for them. 

Well, that is my life this past week.  Praying for you always and counting my blessing everyday.  I have been blessed with the gospel, with a stable family, and with a testimony of the Lord, Jesus Christ.  What else could I ask for?  Satan would have me discouraged right now, but I cannot let that happen  The work moves on and I love to be apart of it. 

Have I told you that Zach Davis is in a couple of the DVD´s that we have.  Every companionship has Preach My Gospel DVD´s and he is in a couple of them.  Haha fun to see someone I know in live action. 

Hey is Brother Flake coming soon?  and when you told me that I should buy directly from the credit card, were you talking about my card from home or my card on the mission? LET ME KNOW!!!

I love you all and Congratulations Tyler and Annie!!!!