These Boots

January 23, 2017

Hello fam! 

I am reminded of the song by Eric Church called, These Boots.  In the song he talks about how many miles they have walked. Haha, boy I sure walked in my leathers this week! 

This past week we worked hard and it has been a blast! I truly have started to be very, very happy here in the mission.  I love working.  We have been in the streets all day contacting, getting chased by dogs, and exploring and contacting parts of our sector that we didn't even know existed! We have some fields in my sector and it turns out there is a bunch of houses in a grove of trees way out in the middle of nowhere! 

My investigators are doing well.  We have some people that are gold!  We have had a few setbacks though, one got his appendix out yesterday and the other was at her daughters.  Neither of them attended church, so there baptisms will be pushed back another week.

This past week we had a zone conference with President.  He talked about exactly what I needed, how we need to not focus on the down part of our lives and always focus on the good.  We need to focus on the up!  That is what we all need to do and up is always the Savior!

The house is doing a little better. Haha!  I killed lots of spiders! Fixed lots of stuff, but it still needs some work! Good thing I worked for the city! Haha I will rig something up!

I had a talk in church yesterday.  I guess I got carried away.  I was suppose to talk for 7 minutes.  Elder Rios said I was over 20!  I don't think my Spanish was great, but everyone said it was good!  Haha my first talk in Spanish! I really actually loved it!

I love my investigators.  I have really started to love everyone! This is such an amazing opportunity here in the mission.  It is hard. Lots of time it is super hot, but I love it. 

Thank you everyone! I love you all! Hope all is well!

Love Elder Anderson

January 16, 2017

January 16, 2017

Update on the house. I fixed the sink so that works now. We need to get the house sprayed.  We have problems with brown recluse spiders. Haha!  Look that one up!  These things are huge! 

Our hard work has payed off! We got a baptism date! The 28th! So pumped for that! 

I hope all is going well! I kinda miss being in all your snow! Haha!  Send me a package of it if you can! 

Love you all! 

Your Missionary,  Elder Anderson

January 9, 2017

January 9, 2017

So to start off we moved into our new house! Haha its okay. It's just me and Elder Rios and we have tons of room, but it's missing the essentials right now. Like a toilet seat, a shower head, gas for the water heater and stove. We can't shower. We don't have warm water.  We can't cook, but hey I have a bed.

This past week I have studied repentance. There is a big process to repentance, but in the big thing, it is change. It is changing ourselves to become more like Christ, 2 Nephi 9.

This past week I had the opportunity to be the senior companion in a trio for a day as Elder Rios since had to go to some training. So I was the senior comp with 2 very green elders. It was great to be able to lead and teach them and to rely on my knowledge of the area and everything. That day we contacted some French people. Later that day as we were walking they saw us and invited us to play ping pong with them. Haha it was fun. The one guy doesn't speak Spanish or English just French. We played ping pong for a while until the wind blew it under my shoe and I crushed the ball. Ooops! 

Everything here is coming along.  No one really wants to listen or come to church or anything. It is very hard, but we just have to keep on keeping on. 

I love you guys and hope all is well! 

Elder Anderson

Oh, I almost forgot! Haha!  I had a problem with an ingrown toenail before I left for the mission. I got it taken care of, but its back!  Right after I am done writing I get to go get it taken out! The only thing our doctor Hermana said is that they don't have anything for the pain. This is going to be fun!

Love you all!

January 3, 2017

January 3, 2017

Hey everyone! This week has been one of the slower and harder weeks for me. We had last minute changes and on Thursday night we got a call at 10 and Elder Dumer is now a senor companion in the coastal part of the mission. It is back to just Elder Rios and I.  We still are living in the house in the main city, but are planning on moving into our new house tomorrow. When we live there it will just be he and I.

Sorry I didn't write yesterday.  It was some sort of holiday here and so president changed our p day to Tuesday just for this week. Next week I should write on Monday.. 

Since this past week was a little harder me, Elder Rios responded with doubling our numbers. We contacted like crazy and got tons of lessons in and have a bunch of new investigators. 

This past week I studied the talk by Elder Anderson given this past General Conference called A Witness of God. It was a really good talk. We all need to be looking for more opportunities to stand as a witness and to not be discouraged when people don't accept our invitations. People have their own agency and will accept the gospel in their own time. This next week I would like you guys to be looking for opportunities to stand as a witness and then share those experiences with me.

So as we were changing houses Elder Arcos gave me some high topped shoes that are pretty sick and I will use them during the rainy season. 

I have finally been able to answer the long since asked question, how long does it take for once person to use a full size toothpaste tube?  The answer is 2 days short of 3 months. Wow that is crazy, I am just 2 days short of 3 months in the mission!   

I hope all is going well and I really love hearing from you guys. Keep on doing great things!

Love, Elder Anderson