Sunday, June 28, 2015

Our GOLDEN investigator

Monday, June 8, 2015

So we had a day this week when 8 of our appointments fell through and we ended the day with little success in the way of numbers. BUT, the next day we contacted a reference from a member and she is PERFECT! She had already started reading the Book of Mormon (don't even know how she already had it) the week before and said that she had been praying for someone to help her complete her promise to the Lord that she would show Him her gratitude for saving her life and follow the path that the Lord would show her. She has SO MUCH faith and I'm blown away by her spiritual maturity. We had our first lesson on Saturday and she came to church on Sunday and we scheduled her baptismal date for the last Saturday of this month! I LOVE SEMINÁRIO! This area is seriously my promised land and I really feel like I'm where I'm supposed to be. I'm also having to work the hardest I've ever had to work though, with being a trainer, and being the only sisters in the zone, and working in this area and ward that has had a a really hard and sad history with the members themselves and with other sisters.

I found a scripture (in Portuguese because I haven't used my English ones since December) in Luke 9:23

"Se alguam quer vir após mim, negue-se a si mesmo, e tome cada dia a sua cruz, e siga-me."

I'm really learning what it means to take upon myself the cross and follow Christ and to treat every soul as precious and important and valued. I love this work and I love this gospel, and while I am almost have way through this wonderful process, I don't ever want it to end. I am an instrument in the hands of my Heavenly Father and I am inviting souls unto Christ for the first time and for many just to come back to our Good Shepherds fold.
I love my Savior. He is the Good Shepherd. He will leave the 99 and come after that one lost sheep if we show him where to find us and that we want to be rescued.

COM AMOR

sis anderson


#7!!!!!!


Got me a new watch!


Delighted in the work of the Lord

Monday, June 1, 2015

This week was wayyyy good and wayyyyy hard! We went to Daniel´s baptism on Monday (he's the son of some of my favorite members) and we met a lot of non-member friends of the family! On top of that, the same family brought a young couple to church the Sunday before and we were able to go and start teaching them! While they still don't have a date, they accepted the baptismal challenge and we are working a lot with them! It's really quite funny because he is 21 and his wife is 19 and they have a one year old baby...We still haven't had the conversation of "How old are you guys?" but when we do I think it'll be even funnier. haha We also may or may not have had ANOTHER BAPTISM!! I love this area so much and the people even more. We are really having a lot of success and it makes me so happy to feel like the Lord is satisfied with my obedience and work and dedication of every ounce of energy that I give to him. When it hits 10 o'clock on P-Days, all I do is sleep because we literally walk and work so much during the week...I LOVE IT! It's such a good feeling to be so tired form serving so hard!

With that said, this opportunity to train is also taking it out of me. Lucky for me "my daughter" is really cool and we have a lot of fun together. Sister McMakin (to tell you a little more about her) actually happens to be a genius. Like she graduated from college while she was in high school genius. She is really funny though because she LOVES cats and has these cat socks that I make fun of all the time. So I'm making her sound like the typically really weird nerdy kid but shes actually way beautiful and fun and we get along really well. She's just in that "I'm frustrated because I still can't speak Portuguese very well" stage but she is learning so fast, as am I. I'm learning SO much from this experience and while it is sometimes painful, and sometimes hard, and sometimes both, we are growing together and the Lord is blessing us!

On top of our WONDERFUL baptism we also were so surprised to see a less active mom, daughter, and granddaughter come to church after almost 2 and a half years of being inactive. I cried a little. haha SO MANY MIRACLES! God is SO Great!

até mais

Sister Anderson

Daniel and his baptism :)

Sister McMakin´s vein that exploded because she wasn't used to walking so much...

Edinaldo!!!!

She broke the mission rules and was riding a horse

Tuesday, June 9, 2015

The Promised Land with my Daughter!

Monday, May 25, 2015

So I'm in Franca still and I'm training a new American missionary! woohooo!!! Sister Mcmakin is from Salt Lake City, Utah and spent one transfer in a Washington mission waiting for her visa. A week ago she flew straight from Washington to Brazil by herself. She said that it was quite an adventure. haha So we are having a communication problem because it turns out that I'm really bad at speaking English and my translation from Portuguese to English is apparently very wrong. Who knew that I wouldn't remember how to speak my native language. All the missionaries here call me the Brazilian-American and then I laugh when I remember that I can't even speak English anymore...

We have a lot of work here and the members are starting to give us more references of people to teach! We are already going to have another baptism this Saturday of Edinaldo who has been going to church for about 5 months now and already goes to institute regularly...HE IS A GOLDEN INVESTIGATOR! We a re really excited to be a part of this covenant that he has been preparing to make :)

Something really cool that we have been doing is having mini practice lessons with our neighbors to help Sis Mcmakin with the language and feel more comfortable teaching, We go over to our neighbors (who are both member families) and act like they are investigators. It's helping a lot and its pretty funny :)

Anyway I'm starting a whole new adventure and applying a lot of patience and a lot of love to this new companionship and the work that we have. I know how it is to be new and American and not to be able to express myself so its helping her a lot. Well at least she says that! The Lord always knows best and I learn that more and more every day!

Com amor

Sister Anderson

My MTC companion Sister Clement and I waithing for our daughters together

All the trainers! And then of course my mom Sister Kelly just happened to be there to see her daughter train haha

Sister McMakin and her first time trying Açaí!
Mom teaches her daughter to eat yummy food :)

8 day old puppy :)

My baby came early!

Monday, May 18, 2015

I'm gonna be a mommy and I only have 8 months!!!!! ahhhhhhhhhh We got the transfer notice on Saturday and I'll be training a Brazilian tomorrow, but I don't know who.  It'll be a suprise! I'm way excited and I'll be staying in Franca in my ginormous zone of elders, but I really like it and it's cooling down to where it gets in the 60's and it is so wonderful!

This last week with Sis Huamaní was awesome and it was so cool to look back and realize that our transfer together was full of miracles with the ward members (who now give us lunch AND dinner) woohoo, with the less active members (the number at church went from 60 something to 84), and with our convert Castello who received the Priesthood this Sunday! I shed a tear I was so happy :) It's such a good feeling to know that the Lord is happy with your work and right now I feel like he is with mine. I learned a lot about patience and humility and perseverance this transfer and it is something i will never trade. I learned how to truly and honestly rely 100 percent on the Lord.

We are working with our awesome family that live across the street from the church and after they chose to get married there will be nothing in the way of their baptism!! God is great and full of miracles!

Something that I learned from my wonderful Peruvian companion is to take upon Christs cross does not mean to carry sin and heartache, it means to stand side by side with our Savior Jesus Christ and follow the example that He set by everything that He did and still does for us. I love my Savior. I know He lives. I'm growing closer to Him daily as I seek to find rest by His side and in the Celestial Kingdom some day...

I love the Lord and I love being His representative here in Brasil!

Sister Anderson

Love should be our Walk and our Talk

Monday, May 11, 2015

Of all the wonderful things my amazing mother has taught me one of them is to love everyone with the love of the Lord and to love what you are doing when you are doing it. One of the MANY lessons of my wise and fun mommy.

I was so blessed yesterday to at least talk with them for a little bit in the midst of frequent power outages because of thunder storms :) Technology can be such a blessing and yesterday for me I felt blessed to have seen the faces of my little brother who is already a man with big muscles, my beautiful mom, and my ever-goofy father. :)  I am sure Cam looks good too but I never saw him. haha  Thanks mom (and dad) for giving me two wonderful brothers who are doing great things in their lives...

"There is nothing in this world as personal, as nurturing, or as life changing as the influence of a righteous woman." M Russell Ballard

"We call upon the women of the church [world] to stand together for righteousness. They must begin in their own homes, They can teach it in their classes. They can voice it in their communities...I see this as the one bright shining hope in a world that is marching towards self-destruction." Gordon B Hinckley

The work is really moving along here in Franca and I'm happy with this transfer I had with Sister Huamaní and am excited to see what the next one brings! She has been a good companion to me and we have learned and taught each other! That's what a companionship is all about! The transfer ends this next Monday and who knows where I'll be or what I'll do, but it's all in the hands of the Lord and He ALWAYS knows best. It's getting colder here and rains every single day, so I'm preparing myself for Brazil winter! woohoo! had to buy some pants today to sleep in because I get cold. haha

I'm happy and healthy and doing well also because of the wonderful family and support I receive daily from my Heavenly Father and the close to perfect people I'm blessed to have in my life :)

Sis Anderson

me looking kind of like a little boy...hmmmmm

A Thailand scarf from Blake!

I was a cook in a skit we did for mothers day :)

keeping myself warm with random clothes i found in our house

BAPTISMBAPTISMBAPTISMBAPTISM!!!

Monday, May 4, 2015

My very favorite 85 year old man Irmão Castelo was baptized on Saturday May 2nd!!!!!!!
woohoooooooooo

Some thoughts:

  • This church is a church of sacrifice and of work. Nothing happening in the Lord´s work if we aren't willing to put him the first place of our lives!
  • Patience patience patience. Missionary work is a work of love and a work of patience! The Lord´s time is ALWAYS the best time and we have to remember that and pray for His guidance. 
I've waited and worked hard for almost 8 months and I have the pleasure of saying that we have one more son of God numbered among the saints of the true church!!! I truly am so happy that I have been an effective tool for the salvation of my dear friend Castelo! I'm grateful that I can listen and follow the Spirit and endure 'just a little bit more" until I see the fruits of my diligence, faith and patience. In all things we must look unto the Lord and seek his guidance in humble prayer. I have a testimony that prayer really works and that God really loves us and that He answers the righteous desires of our hearts more than we can imagine if we have the patience to 'just wait". I can't tell you how many times that was the answer to my prayers and scripture study and conversations with people I love and trust. "JUST WAIT" and when the Lords time has come He will rain His blessings upon us!

I'm so grateful for this mission that I'm serving for my Savior and for my family. The sacrifice is worth the prize of eternal salvation for one of God´s beloved children!

With love
Com amor

Sister Anderson

Fried egg rice salsa and sausage! i made it myslef!

açaí!!!!!!!!! I LOVE IT!!!! Bought it as a celebration after castello passed his interview haha

IRMÃO CASTELLO AND HIS FAMILY!!! AFTER THE BAPTISM!

OUR BEAUTIFUL CHAPEL IN FRANCA!