May 23, 2011

So how was your week?

This  week went really well. I mean we had a baptism and baptism's just make the mission. I love them. They are prob the best days of my life. To see some one that you taught and watch the changes in their lives it is just to good. And Julian is going to serve a mission when he turns 19. It's great. I love it.
So we also got a new investigator and he is awesome. His name is Jessy Riley. He played AFL and  he is so much fun to talk to. I really hope his family will get baptized. We are teaching him today. So I'm pumped for that.
Our zone is doing great and we're breaking records back to back. We just broke the record for most baptisms in a single month and 8 of those our Carrol's and I. I love it. We are almost baptizing weekly.
But this week went really good. We got a nerf hoop for our apt and we play every night and we have bets on food challenges haha, Like last night I had to eat to burritos blended up. It was pretty gross. Our apt is way fun now. Living with just you and your companion gets really boring, but I must say we did get a lot more work done when is was just us. But staying with other missionaries helps me not get stressed or home sick cause we are always doing something.
Anyways this past week it was pretty cold and there was a ton of wind. I hate riding my bike in the wind. But this up coming week it is going to get really hottttttttt. And yes we have to ride our bikes in the heat all summer long. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. I love it!!!
How's your health?

My health is doing great. I'm finally starting to gain some  more weight. I was at a steady 165 and now I think I'm getting up to 170. I would say I'm eating a little healthier food thanks to the smoothies.

Your investigators? Any new ones?

Our Investigators are doing great. I love each and everyone of them. We just started teaching Georges Baldonado's wife and she has a lot of questions and she is going to be a little harder then we thought, but I'm sure the spirit will touch her heart and she will be baptized by George our convert. He is awesome.

Sam and Hope are doing great. They keep bailing out on us and I think they are doing this because our next lesson were going to talk about there path to baptism and what they must do. So there going to have ti get of the cigs. I know that they have the faith to quit though.  We have a lesson with them today so hopefully everything will go good and we will have a date for them to be baptized on. So that is exciting.

JULIAN'S the man. His baptism was so spiritual. His Mom got up and bore her testimony after and said "this is he best day of my life. I cant think of a more special moment". And she was baptized a year before that. Then Julian bore his testimony on how excited he is. It was just a great day. I love that man. His Mom also came up to us after and sad that she was trying to get Julian to come to church and she was praying for help. And then we show up. I love the power of Prayer and I know I have an even stronger testimony of it now. Julian can now get the priesthood into that home cause its just him, his sister and Sister Jenkins. They are an awesome family. We got to be the witnesses of the baptism and watching Julian come out of the water with a huge smile just made all the hard times worth it.

Johnathon He is just solid and his going to be baptized this weekend. I'll tell you more about it next week.

Lopez Family well they are a family of 8 and we will prob commit them to be baptized this week. So that is going to be nuts. They have been coming to church for the past 3 weeks and they are awesome. Its just none of the them know how to read. So they make the lessons really interesting.

 
How are your members doing that you baptized?

The Yazzie family is doing great. They continue to come to church and they love it there. We taught them about the temple yesterday and were going to try to get them to do baptism for the dead.

George is doing great and still strong in the church.

Brittany  is awesome.

  

I love you and thank you for everything.

Elder Anderson

May 16,2011

So how was your week?

Well this week just flew by. It was crazy. I seriously feel like it was just Pday. Well it got pretty hot this past week and my tan lines are getting worst and worst every day. But that's all good. It's suppose to be cooling down this week. So it will be in the 80's I can't wait. But I love the heat cause it's like the foreign aspect of my mission. One of the hottest in the world.
Well this week I was praying for a miracle to happen. And it did! We got a referral from the MTC (media) and we went to visit the guy right away cause I had a feeling we should so Brother Crouse picked us up and we went over to the house. David Tafoya is his name. We taught him the first lesson and it turns out he was baptized but his records are lost. Salt lake can't find them. So we invited him to be baptized and his date is for this week but we might have to move it cause he could make it to church yesterday. Because he didn't have any nice cloths. I would have given mine to him, but he's a little bigger then me. So we have taught him all the lessons almost in one week and that was really fun cause he knows so much already and his goal is to get married in the temple, so we are pumped for him.

This week I truly felt the meaning of loving your Investigators. Yesterday I felt like we should go to Sam and Hopes cause they didn't make it to church. So we got there and they told us they couldn't make it cause they we were stuck at Sam's parents home. They don't have a car. So we just read a chapter out of the BOM with them. Alma 7 one of my favorite chapters ever. It talks about baptism and eternal life, I love it. Anyways I told them why I'm at their home and it is cause I love them and I want to see them live a better life and stand up straight. I was kinda bold and then I started thanking them for all they taught me and how to be a stronger person, cause that one time they kicked us out just tore me apart and I've grown from that. I started crying and then Hope started to cry. I love them so much, but there's only so much we can do as missionaries. Were just the guider and helper. So I really hope that they will start making the right choices and get on the straight and narrow. This week was pretty awesome though.
Investigators?

Our Investigators are doing really well. The family of 8 that we are teaching doesn't know how to read and speaks Spanish better then English, but they said they don't know how to read Spanish either. So we asked them if they wanted to go to the Spanish ward and they said no. So were teaching people that don't know how to read and have a hard time understanding. I love it!!!. It makes teaching so much more fun when they don't know a thing. But it is so hard. We had to change our whole teaching pattern, but it's okay.

Johnathon is still solid and now he is getting baptized in a POOL hah so sweet. He's also getting baptized on his birthday so were going to have a pool party after. JK. I wish. Anyways our lessons with him are just great and the spirit is so strong. He is just solid and is going to make a really good missionary some day. so that is great to hear I love it.

Julian is going to be baptized this week so we are so pumped for him. 21st is going to be a great day. he said the testimony I wrote in the back of his Book of Mormon made him want to be a member and know he is going to make a great missionary. It is awesome to think that I brought him to the gospel and now when he serves a mission he is going to bring others. I love the domino effect in the gospel. I love Julian and I hope some day that he will baptize his younger sister. She's not yet interested in the church, she has been sitting in on the lesson and we have been teaching her. But she doesn't want to take that step yet. She will though some day. I'm not to worried.
Roomies?

My Roomate's are awesome. We bought a Nerf hoop for our apt and it is sweet. I dominate it. We only play at night though other wise it distracts from the work. I love my roomies though and there really fun. And they have a car so they drive us around.
Your District?

My District is doing AWESOME. We are having the best progress since I've been here. The sisters are baptizing like crazy. Carroll and I are killing it. Changing a 1 baptism a year area to a 10 baptisms a year area. It's pretty sweet. I love it, but the district is doing great and they are awesome I love them.
Your wards?

The wards are doing really good. The people here are way nice, but that's just MORMONS were all nice. Anyways I've been in this area for awhile so I know about everyone so that's good. The members are just awesome. The Lady that cuts our hair had a baby like 2 days ago. crazy stuff.

Love,
Elder Anderson

May 9,2011

Well I'm guessing you forgot to write me because I talked to you on the phone yesterday. But, I just thought I would write you and give you another update on my mission life.

So life is great. I truly love it out here. I'm not gonna lie I did get a little emotional yesterday on the phone and I think Chad made me the most emotional. I can't believe that little guy is growing up. I'm kinda bummed I'm not there to see him. But that's okay I'm doing more important things right now. That's really funny they ask themselves "what would Trent do?" haha I find it funny cause what I would do now, knowing everything I know. I would be a whole different kid. My mission has truly changed me. My thoughts are different. I always ask myself "what would Christ do?" and I just follow the spirit. Mom I'm sorry for being such a trouble case I truly feel bad. Ashley kinda brought that to my mind yesterday as I was talking to her on phone. So I'm sorry is there anything you would Like me to do? I mean I'll be coming home when Chad turns 16 so I'll make sure that he won't be a trouble case like I was. I just feel bad now. I wish so bad that I could go back in time knowing the things I know now. But that's life and that's what repentance is for. I have a strong testimony of repentance. My faith in Christ I would say is unbreakable and trust it has been tested out here. I love this Gospel. And I know that it blesses our family.

Well About my mission. Our Investigators are doing really well. We have 2 people with a date.

Jullian and Johnathon.  They are bother great guys. We were actually talking about missionary work it was awesome. They both want to serve missions. I can't believe God has trusted me to serve his sheep. I would have never thought this day would come when I was a junior in high school and LOST,  but it has a I have a strong testimony of it. I love teaching people about the gospel. I just love going to bed knowing that I guided someone to salvation. I helped them feel the spirit stronger in their lives. I LOVE IT. I also love the people I serve and when I say that I'm willing to take a bullet for Jullian and Johnathon cause I know that they are going to make great missionaries and I'm so glad God has given me the chance to be an example for them.

So living with other Elders is really fun. We don't go to bed on time though so I'm like extra tired all the time. But were tired all the time anyways ha. But it's fun. Before it was a little tough and lonely but now we have people to talk too and share our experiences from the day. I love it.

Well this week was really good. Brittany got Baptized. It was a really spirit filled baptism. We got to do our presentation right after. And we pretty much just teach the first lesson in 10 mins. Its really fun. I always cry though. Yes I'm still a crier. Ha But it's okay. The baptism was great and she said she felt like she was doing the right thing. She has a really strong spirit about her. I loved teaching her cause she would pretty much teach the lesson. After the Baptism we went to old country buffet. YUM I ate a lot of food and felt sick but that's good I need to eat more. I only weigh 168 pounds. LOL good life.

Well I love you very much and thank you so much for everything.

Love,

Elder Anderson.

May 2,2011

Do you get to watch any of the playoffs? NO,we don't get to watch the playoffs I wish haha. But I get the updates from members and friends out here. So it's all good. I am jealous that you get to go to the game though. 

Okay back to life...
How was the Baptism?

The baptism was awesome. They were a little late so I was stressing out. I got to baptize Dana, Carolyn, Neem, and Rochelle it was really fun and exciting. The spirit was so strong there. I had to Baptize Rochelle twice cause she like jumped out of my hands, so that was really funny. And I guess the second time I did it. I slammed her in haha so that was funny. She's the youngest of the family and just wild. But the baptism was really sweet. I got a picture with all of us in white and I think it is my favorite one so far. I just love being a missionary. There is no other place I would rather be. I love it here and we just keep baptizing we have another one next week on the 7th. I love it.

All of the investigators?

Our Investigators are AWESOME I love them. And they know that. I just love people I serve.
Jullian has a Baptism date now and he's getting baptized on the 28th. So were super pumped for him. He is the reason why I think I'm staying this transfer. I believe I was sent here to find him and be-friend him, because he has no friends at the church and now the whole ward has taken him in. And the way I got to teach him was by playing basketball with him. That's the only way I got to talk to him and teach him at the beginning. Now he loves the church and wants to learn more. It is so sweet. I love the guy.

Johnathon is doing great too. he has a baptism date on the 28th also. There going to be baptized together. That is going to be a great day. Baptism days are the most stressful but at the same time they are the best and make me feel so good that I guided them to salvation. I love it. But Johnathon is the man and he is so solid he pretty much teaches us the lessons.

Brittany well her baptism is this Saturday, so were super excited for her. We taught her last night and she taught us the lesson and we went over the interview questions she is so solid. Golden! So we have her interview today at 7 so that should be good. I love teaching people.

Sam and Hope they came to Church and we had a lesson with them. They just need to get enough money to get married and they need to stop their addiction, but Sam said he wanted me to baptized him. I love the man and he knows I do. I just want whats best for them and they are striving to do good. So were just helping them out with that.

Lopez family well there are 8 people in that family and they came to church all of them. So that was so awesome. We have a lesson with them on friday.
Oh we SET THE RECORD FOR THE MISSION. 19 INVESTIGATORS AT CHURCH IN A SINGLE COMPANIONSHIP IT WAS SWEET. So that's pretty awesome. haha

Your district?
Are you losing your companion? Nope we are staying together. No one got transferred in my district. The other Elders are moving into our apt though. Party haha.
Any good stories from your week?  Well the best story is probably having one of the best weeks in the mission. For progress and baptisms. We had 5 baptisms and 19 in church. That is like unheard of. The AP's called us and Congratulated us. That was sweet.

Well we ran into this crazy guy. Not really crazy but really smart and tried to prove us wrong we talked to him for like an hour too. He is a dentist some weird religion He doesn't believe in God and he believes in evolution,but we just talked to him about the plan of salvation and the church. He tried to throw trick questions at us. But the ending results were He said "well i'm never going to shake your faith cause you guys are really spiritual and IN, but if you were to convert me I know that God would have a Gold chair and maybe even fist pump you as you walked into to heaven. So here's what I'm going to do I'll give you my address and you guys can come by and we'll talk about the God stuff." We just said alright and were going to visit him this week, so that should be fun. 

What time do I get to talk to you on Sunday? I'll call you 6 pm az time. So have everyone there.  

I need some photos. I'll send you the photos today there really good.
Do you need anything other than the m tab cd?

No I'm good thank you. I can't think of anything right now.
Did you get my package?

Yes it is awesome. I've been making smoothies all the time. Thank you so much.

Make sure you wear sunscreen everyday, I don't want you getting skin cancer!!!!!
Do you want me to send you some good sunscreen? No but can you send me some tanning oil? haha

Thank you so much. I love you. And we will talk soon on the phone:)

Elder Trent