Weekly update!

Friday, October 17, 2014

P-days are my favorite because i get to go to the Temple and write my fambam!!!!  On Sundays the Bishop gets up and then announces the 4 people in your zone who are going to give talks....right then....in Portuguese...haha.  Good thing I always prepare because I had to speak!  My talk was about being an "instumento nas maos de Deus".  I used Alma Chapter 29 v. 9.  I love this whole chapter though, and I invite you all to read it!  I talked about the importance of weakness its the role in our lives especially as missionaries.  Something that I wish I had more time for was scripture study! I always wish I could just sit down and read and read and read! I gain so much confidence and knowledge when I do! I only read scriptures PME and actually everything else in Portuguese now!

This is our 5th week here in the CTM and there is as little English as possible! You should see my word book and planner from everyday learning of new words and phrases. The motivation is love though! I LOVE THE PEOPLE OF BRAZIL AND I LOVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST! Seriously though, that's what gets me through...love.

Sunday Night for devotional Elder Ballard spoke and talked about the importance of staying close to your families. I've seen this so much in my life and invite you all to find something about every family member everyday you appreciate and then to tell them! Sometimes acting on positive and sometimes challenging thoughts is the hardest part. Never hesitate to say a kind word!!!

My goal is to be able to speak almost fluently by Christmas! I think I can do it!!! Please pray for me though. (haha)  Our last week here we are going to sing one voice as a district and I'm actually really excited even though I do not possess the singing talent like my mother and Cameron. (haha) ...and dad and cole...haha

The two things I hear the most here in the CTM are, Where's my companion!!", and "Como se fala" or "How do you say" and then fill in an English word. (hahaha)  Such a good time!

Yesterday I spent 5 hours in the federal police station...long story but i was in cuffs and fingerprinted and they were yelling in port....jk we just need to be official citizerns of Brazil or something now. (hahaha)

There are such sweet workers here in the CTM and none of them are LDS and this tiny red-haired Brazilian lady with no teeth, who me and my companions call "minya mai" (my mom) and she hugs us and kisses us and tells us how much she loves us and that she will take care of us here in Brazil and be our mommy while were away from our own. (haha) SO CUTE I LOVE HER!

There are two South Africans--an elder and a sister in my zone and they sang this click song for us...um SO BEAUTIFUL! They are also beautiful beautiful people, and their accents are for sure my favorite out of any accent! (haha)

Invitations to all:

• Read Alma 29
• Pray every morning and every night
• Speak only words of kindness!
• Record your results and compare your thoughts and feelings. I can promise you that you'll feel closer to God and to everyone around you!

Love, Sister Anderson!

Surprise Wednesday!!!

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

We call Wednesday "Surprise Wednesday" here because you never know what your going to find on your clean sheets or your pizza!! (haha) This Wednesday we also went proselyting to like real people of Brazil and it was amazing!!!!!  I placed all my livros on the bus ride where we were supposed to contact people (hahaha) It was awesome!!!! I love being a missionary! Oh and did I mention this is all in Portuguese!! (casual.casual haha)

Anyway, I love love going to the temple every P-day! Today we went to the Campinas temple instead of Sao Paulo and that was wonderful!!! We moved from room to room and the entire session was in Portuguese! One of the most spiritual experiences I've had thus far on my mission and especially one the most I've had in the temple.  My favorite part is the celestial room.  Just how beautiful and sacred and holy everything is and how peaceful you truly feel in the house of the Lord.

Conference was so awesome last week. Especially to listen to it with all the other missionaries.  That was too cool!  Um, Jorg Klebingats talk! What!!!! He dropped some serious gospel! Okay family and friends, Mormons or not, I invite all of you to look up the Saturday afternoon talk by Richard G. Scott and to apply it to your life starting now!!! Also, usually the General Conference of the church is directed to members, but one talk at the end of conference was given specifically for non-members.  Check out the message from David A. Bednar titled "Come and See" here.

My sweet visiting teacher, Judy, sent me a letter and as you all know I love getting mail! But this letter came on a day and in a moment I truly needed it the most!

People here always point out how long my hair is here and then of course they touch it. I'm trying to get more patient with that. (haha) Okay so every morning for breakfast we have paninis but this week we had PANCAKES WITH SYRUP one morning! I never knew I could be so excited for those! Reminded me of the good old days and lunch bunch! Not nearly as good as my mommy's though. (haha) Well, I want you all to know how much I love this gospel. I know that the power of God is the strongest power on earth and that through it miracles are possible!  I love being a missionary and spreading the good word of God to anyone I see! This church is true and God is love!! My mommy taught me that!

Love love,

Sister Anderson

I love singing and speaking in Portuguese!

Friday, October 3, 2014

Hello there all you wonderful people!!!  Lots to say and so little time.

Sister Baker's parents (Sister Baker is my companion) are named Mark and Jennifer....of course hahaha

I have gone through 3 pens in 3 weeks because I write down so many new words write in my journal write letters and sometimes draw haha (mom will you please send more .38 pens to the mission home in RP)

In Portuguese I told the CTM President I liked his fork when I meant to say tie...woops! Gravata and garfa, close right!

Thought of my mommy during Tuesday night broadcast devo when we sang Battle Hymn of the Republic.  I sang it in port with so much spirit you would have been so proud mommy.  I LOVE SINGING AND SPEAKING IN PORTUGUESE, its such a beautiful language and I'm catching on pretty quickly. The Lord wants me to learn so I'm learning fast! We've taught 20 something lessons now and I can go in with just my scriptures and teach and pray and ask questions, answer questions, and bear my testimony!! Oh how I love the gift of tongues!! For my family back home read D&C 100. I hope it brings you peace as I'm away serving as i know it did to Josephs family when they needed it.

70 new US missionaries came in on Wednesday, so one of the instructors had me wear her name tag at lunch and go reprimand them for not speaking in Portuguese.  I told them, "somente fala em portuguese!!" They were all stunned and embarrassed, and didn't know what to say. I didn't laugh or smile and they were so confused. haha

The city isn't too too dirty which is nice. We have a certain area we get to walk around on p-day and I love it!!! Sometimes the CTM feels like a social experiment jail. (haha) Dress both guys and girls up all nice and then tell them not to flirt but how to speak an entirely new language...yeah okay!
They don't have sidewalks like on huge city streets. They have middle-of-the-street-walk. (haha) Too weird but kinda like an adventure!

Also, check out Mosiah 28:1-9.  This is a passage in the Book of Mormon that talks about missionary work among the people of that time.  Missionary work has been and will always be part of the plan!  Love it!

My favorite scriptures I read this week were in Hebrews 11. The whole chapter is about miracles and faith! Let me tell you that really APPLIES TO MY LIFE RIGHT NOW for sure!!!!! (sorry, didn't mean to yell that) hahahaha

Anyways I love you all and this Sister Anderson loves our Savior, loves Brazil and loves being a missionary!

love love,

Sister Anderson

Okay update for this week!!

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Hardest most beautiful week of my entire life. Life as a missionary goes something like wake up at six and don't get back to your room till 10. In between nos fallamos portuguese sempre (haha). Seriously, like we cant speak in English our teacher says, so ever since day 1 we communicate pretty minimally (haha) no worries though when we have really good detailed funny stories to tell we tell them in English.

We eat a lot of weird stuff. The Brazilians like to make EVERYTHING into pudding. Wow mom, I was thinking about how much you would probably actually love it (haha).  The toilet paper here is exactly like an upside down tissue box, so that's different and the soap comes out in little spritz.

Everything we read and is said to us is in Portuguese and it forces us to pretty much learn fast or die (haha).  There are big scales everywhere to weigh luggage but we just weigh ourselves before and after meals for fun (haha).  They're in kg so you feel good about yourself.

Im typing on a port keyboard btw, and they are weird and different so I can't put all the smiley faces I want or the punctuation (mehhhh).  Anyway, we have lots of interesting fruits everyday and they make all of them into juice too! I love mixing flavaflaves and yesterday like most days we had rice and beans with a side of beans and rice.  LOVED IT.  We listened to a broadcast devotional Sunday night by Elder Scott and I'm 60 percent sure i saw my friend Sister Helton singing in the choir. I freaked out! Our teacher Irmao Britto is 23 and the nicest Brazilian man. He laughs at our English when we ask him how to say things in port (haha).

The presiding bishop came to the CTM and spoke to all of us last night. He said something really profound BEGIN WITH THE END IN MIND (the end being exhalation and eternal life).

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! Sorry this email is pretty jumbled and rushed but I wanted to tell you about fun things about Brasil.  I need all the prayers I can get so thanks for them all!

Love you,

SISTER ANDERSON

Your missionary´s arrival at the Brazil MTC

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Dear Parents,

Sister Swensen and I are very happy to let you know that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil Missionary Training Center.  What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they begin their missionary experiences with us. We will surely take good care of your missionary.                                                                                                    
The missionaries now have companions and are settled into their rooms.  They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study.  Their branch presidents and wives, will meet them this Sunday.  These wonderful couples are richly blessed as they work with, motivate, and interview the missionaries assigned to their branch.

The MTC has a full-time live-in physician to care for their health needs.  He is assisted by his able wife who is a nurse. We are also happy to report that the cafeteria food is plentiful, healthy and very good.

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple.  This will be either Wednesday or Friday, depending on individual assignments.

Your missionary is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of many others. President Lorenzo Snow said: “There is no mortal man that is as interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the Gospel as is the Lord who sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord's children".  We love these missionaries as if they were our own.  We will watch over them carefully to ensure they are ready for a wonderful missionary experience after the rewarding time they will have in the MTC.

We thank you for preparing such a wonderful representative of the Lord.

President Robert Swensen and Sister Julie Swensen

Sister Anderson is alive!!

Wednesday, September 17, 2014

Hello family!

Made it through the Atlanta airport just fine to my gate for Sao Paulo!  Met up with three more sisters. One was a visa waiter who has been serving in Mesa for four and a half months. The other two got their visas and were reporting today as well! The flight to Brazil was 10 hours and the lady next to me didn't speak any English, so there's that (haha).  She also coughed and sucked in boogers all ten hours. It added to the adventure! They gave us a dinner meal around 10:30 and then breakfast around 7.  They both made my tummy hurt, but I was hungry so I didn't care!  I fell asleep on and off for like three hours. I guess I was tired because I drooled a little (haha).  I have two companions in the MTC,  Sister Clement and Sister Baker, who are both lovely.  Sister Baker and I especially get along really well and she is such a good time!!  Anyways, pretty uneventful getting to the MTC which I guess is such a blessing.  I did notice that everyone has motorcycles and they weave in and out of cars SO FAST.  Scary!!  I love you all and I love Brazil and I love being a missionary!!

Love always,

Sister Anderson

P.S. I would send pictures of all the elders and sisters I traveled with but i dont know how yet...sorry mommy

I'm a missionary now!

Monday, September 15, 2014

Officially set apart as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Chirst of Latter-day Saints

Tuesday, September 16, 2014

Final packing

Out the door

Super Sister!

Checking in

One last kiss goodbye

Last family selfie