CHRISTMAS GRATITUDE

Monday, December 29, 2014

Monday
It was p-day so all of us (meaning me and the 3 sisters I live with) went into the center of the city to buy each other Christmas presents, and that was actually A LOT of fun. Showing people you appreciate them is so so important to having a strong relationship.

Tuesday
Sister Kelly and I taught this wonderful couple, Regina and Delso, lesson one: The Restoration; which I LOVE teaching. They have been married for over 30 years and are still so in love with each other and respectful and they tease each other. I just love love! Especially here where long term and loyal relationships aren't really common.

Wednesday
VÉSPERA! (Christmas eve) we got invited to a Ceia (feast), and as our message we sang in harmony Silent Night and the Spirit was so strong and there were wonderful unplanned testimonies shared from less active and active members that really strengthened my love for my Savior.

Thursday
CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!
I AM SO BLESSED TO HAVE THE FAMILY THAT I HAVE BECAUSE THEY ARE JUST SUCH LOVELY PEOPLE!!! We Skyped and laughed and cried (a lot) and talked about Christ and it was perfect...I couldn't have asked for a more rockin fambam that I'll be blessed to have FOREVER! I love knowing that we have eternity together because then 18 months seems really really short :)

Friday
Receiving personal comfort and guidance from the words of prophets through the scriptures and conference talks. When we ask in faith and show our gratitude to our creator, He will 100 percent answer us in His way and in the time we need.

Saturday
We were at our lunch appointment in the last street of the last neighborhood of our area and it was 45 grous (116 degrees F). We called president asking what to do because we were honestly suffering and out of water and far from our house and some members happened to be driving by and gave us a ride after president authorized that we could we return home. If I hadn't already sweated all the liquid from my body I'm positive I would have cried.

Sunday
The teacher in Relief Society said something really profound and simple. She was talking about how not one single soul, child of God, is excluded from the saving power of the atonement. From Adam, the first man, down to the last man to live.  We all qualify to receive the saving power of the atonement in our lives.

This week was a week of humility and a week of constantly having reasons to be grateful for my Father in Heaven. Especially during this holiday season I see people realizing how wonderfully blessed they are and then willingly blessing the lives of others! I LOVE THAT! I love my family and I love being a missionary and having the opportunity to teach about the importance of families and the divinity of God's plan for all His children!

love love

Sister Anderson

bike shoppppppppp :)

CHRISTMAS MORNING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Stockings and the nativity :)

Just a few pictures

Monday, December 22, 2014

(No message this week because we talked on Christmas)

Christmas Zone conference!!!! Our Zone leaders and all our costumes for our skit (haha)

Christmas package!!!!!!!

I had a migraine so i labeled it (haha)

MORE RAIN!!!!! WE LOVE RAIN HERE BECAUSE ITS SOOOOOOO HOT!!!!!

Ceia de Natal!

Monday, December 15, 2014

We had a huge Christmas feast this week with our ward and lets just say that it was DIVINE! Of course rice and beans, but they had this chicken that I just couldn't stop eating, and of course my favorite beverage on this planet (besides root beer and hot chocolate) Guaraná!!!! The best part though was that all the primary kids put on a little nativity while a choir was singing a beautiful (don't remember which) Christmas hymn in the background. Something with children makes me feel the Spirit so strong because they just barely left the presence of our Heavenly Father in the grand scheme of things.

I started a "personal sanctification" fast with Sister Kelly, and man am I being humbled and sanctified. We had three days in a row when all our appointments dropped, there was no one in the rua to make contacts to, and it poured rain on us and remained freakishly hot. But, the Lord strengthens us so much in times of struggle. I already had a testimony of this but my mission so far has already showed me that humility and relying on the Lord are SO important in receiving blessings and progressing towards becoming like our Savior. This week I saw a perfect example of this.  The four of us sisters were eating with a really humble family in our ward. When we had finished eating when we heard someone clapping outside. The dad of the family got up a returned with a boy that I know I'd never seen before but the way he acted towards him it seemed like he was his son. This boy was homeless, and yet I didn't know. The family gave him so much food and talked and laughed with him until he said he had to leave. Lucas is only 12 years old and relies on the kindness to others to live.

During this Christmas season I hope we always remember others and put their needs above our own. Our Savior truly IS the present of Christmas and we need to be remembering that first comes God and then comes our families. I love mine and the knowledge that it can be eternal. Love your families. Cherish every moment!

lovelove,

Sister Anderson

One of my favorite couples in the ward! Julio e Melina!

3 Americans and 1 Brazilian :)

Sperry, Young, Anderson, Kelly

Our cute little treeeeeeeee!!!!

TRANSFERS!!!

Monday, December 8, 2014

Well its not actually a surprise but ill be staying in Aracatuba with my amazing companion Sister Kelly at least until the middle of January. After that I have no idea where I'll go, but that's why you gotta love that the Spirit and that mission presidents know exactly where to send you!

We went to a Christmas "choir concert" in the stake center (church meetinghouse) this week. There were probably 6 different churches represented in different choirs and one choir with a bunch of old adorable Brazilian women that sang, "Somewhere Over the Rainbow: in Portuguese WITH FEELING, and literally I was moved to tears...it was so cute!!!  I love remembering and worshiping my Savior through music especially during this Christmas season :) Also, we watched a wonderful video on natal.mormon.org that was truly inspiring. Mormon.org is such a wonderful place to go and really listen to the testimonies of others and feel closer with our Savior.

We had a wonderful Christmas surprise this week when a family out of nowhere brought 300 dollars worth of food and presents for us four sisters...I literally teared up I was so happy. And they bought us like the really good food too! I'm telling you I have never been more thankful for members and the pure love of Christ that they showed us than I was in that moment :)

I LOVE CHRISTMAS because during this season it always seems like people are more willing to give of their time, talents, and love, not just to family but to complete strangers too...one thing that I love to think about it is that EVERYONE has the light of Christ in them. A knowledge that their Savior loves them and lived and died and lives again so we can return to the presence of our Heavenly Father. I love my Savior. I have a testimony of his divinity and of His love. When we ask him, exercising a particle of faith, he will show us our divinity and our potential. But we have to ask. And we have to be faithful and open to receiving guidance in our lives.

Tis the season! Let Christ into your life 100 percent!!!!

Sister Anderson

Normal 9pm planning in our temporary trio :)

Yet another rain storm!!!

ABBA!!!!

Monday, December 1, 2014

So people here love to listen to American music, and there is this family that we visit pretty much every day.  On Friday their neighbor across the street was blasting BLASTING Abba, and I laughed out loud because I thought of my mom, and home, and dancing in the kitchen, and singing as loud as we could. That was a good moment this week :)

I live with a Chilean, Brazilian, and an American, so Thanksgiving was very interesting this year! (haha) We don't have the time or means to cook a turkey so we cooked this little baby chicken thing and it actually turned out really really good! Also, we drank Guarana in place of Martinellis. I was sad, but Guarana is like drops of heavenly nectar so it wasn't bad. (haha)

We also had stake conference this weekend and i really enjoyed all the talks. here are a few thoughts:

1. "If you are a disciple of Christ, you will follow His commandments"  Kind of like how parents always say "If you live in this house you live by my rules".  Well this earth is a gift from God, and last I checked were all living on the earth so we need to be following the rules the creator has set!
2. Everyone that has spent time on this earth already accepted the plan of the Savior in the pre-earth life. That means that everyone has the light of Christ. At some point and in some other time they knew the Savior and they loved and accepted him.
3. PRAYER. PRAYER IS SOSOSOSOSO IMPORTANT! Our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us! He loves us and has done literally everything He could to see us be successful! We need to do some things in return to show our gratitude:

• Have faith (its the power through which the Lord works his miracles)
• Learn and practice good works
• Be humble ( a prideful heart drives away the promptings of the spirit)
• Do everything in your power to show him you love him
• Keep all the commandments to the best of your ability

4. FAITH AND HUMILITY AND CHARITY
When you apply these Christlike attributes and you follow Christ, you cannot fail. There is no way to not succeed! How beautiful is the Atonement of Jesus Christ! Accept our Savior and live like He did and nothing on earth or from hell can destroy your knowledge that God lives. He loves us, and we will return to his presence one day if we live his restored gospel.

The church is true! I love You!

Sister Anderson

Sister Alegria is leaving this week to go back to Chile :( here 18 months are up but shes going to BYUI!

POURING POURING rain after our district meeting!

Brazillian/ Chillean/ American Thanksgiving

first package in the mission!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO MY MOMMY!!!!

Monday, November 24, 2014

MOM! WOW! Happy birthday beautiful lady!!! I'm so excited for you because I know that you probably aren't excited to be another year older...sorry i brought it up... (haha)

So this week I started reading "Believing Christ" and I loved some quotes he said:

"Any two people who are joined together and have become one in a covenant unity are perfect as long as one of them is Jesus Christ"

How beautiful is that? I love how true this is!

"We must believe in Christ and we must believe in justification by faith in Christ. We must be committed tot both. Knowing that we cannot do everything that the law demanded from us in the gospel covenant we agree to do all that we CAN do. We agree to give our Savior our best effort to give Him everything we have. We agree that perfection is our ultimate goal and that we will work with him toward that goal. In return we also agree to repent whenever and however we fail to keep the commandments perfectly and to try again and again and again if necessary and never to give up repenting and trying to be like him."

Being here in a completely new culture, in a completely new world is such a wonderfully challenging experience. To be honest, I often get frustrated with myself and my inability to communicate how I think I should be able to.  I express this to sister Kelly (native Brazillian) and her response to me the other day was this, "Every day are you going to worry about how many more words you know our grammar you understand, or are you going to focus on the people?" That's the true answer: focus on the people. Love the people. The answer for me and the answer that the savior always gave was love, or charity, His pure love.

As I was praying the other night this thought entered my mind in regards to talking in Portuguese, but I think it applies to all of us with some sort of fear to share our faith.... "Let go of your pride. Let go of your worry that people will laugh when you speak or that you'll say everything wrong. Speak from your heart, not just from your mouth alone."

I know that when we have trials or fear to do something new and different that God will give us the strength IF WE ASK FOR IT and then RELY on his power! Ask and rely!

Saw a 4 foot long lizard this week. well....Sister Kelly actually almost stepped on it! (hahaha)
Oh, a really cool miracle happened too, Carlos is preparing to be baptized the 30th but he has a problem with coffee. The other week right after we finished teaching and left their house. Irma Val told us that the cup and coffee maker just broke!!! (haha) The Power of God is real!!!! Small and simple things shall bring to pass great miracles!

LOVE, SISTER ANDERSON

ps HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!!!!!!!!

shut my foot in a door, but nothing is broken! 

 1/9th done with the mishhhh

matching the eggs

2 MONTHS!!!!!!

Monday, November 17, 2014

Hi! 2 months already?! (haha)  That doesn't feel that long, and yet it does somehow because I'm away from so many people I love! This week I went to a civil wedding of a sister in our ward with all her kids and it was so weird. (haha) It made me appreciate how beautiful and special temple weddings are and the promise we have to be with our families for eternity.  I had my first zone conference as well, and of course it was us 4 Sisters and 8 billion Elders. :)  It was so good though to receive training and practice how we can be better missionaries and use all the tools we've been given to meet and teach all of Gods children.

Okay this was a fun day, on Thursday we had divisions and I went with Sister Young....the other American....and we're in Brazil. (hahahahaha)  Let's just say we had a lot of interesting encounters with A LOT of Brazillian men. (haha)  On Friday it was a holiday here, but all that really means is that everyone is still sleeping at 2 in the afternoon, and if they're not sleeping they're already drunk...so yeah that day was fun making contacts too.

We went to a baptism on Saturday af a little 8 year old in our ward. At the end the bishop invited all us missionaries up to the front to talk about baptism. There were actually a lot of nonmembers there and we were fasting too so the spirit was so strong. I love that every day I witness and help with the work of miracles. The spirit is the most powerful tool in conversion and the only way people receive a witness of this gospel.  The fast was country wide too because Brazil really REALLY needs rain BECAUSE ITS SO HOT AND IT ALL EVAPORATES PROBABLY. :)

This week has been hard and wonderful! Just like every other! But I love this work and wouldn't be anywhere else than here :) I love my savior and I KNOW with every fiber of my soul he loves each of us back! Love you!!!!

Sister Anderson

surprise birthday party of a lady in our ward

Aracatuba!!!!!

some cute grandkids of the lady that got married :)

me being well....me

me with a little kitty!!!