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!

Franca Fun!

Monday, April 27, 2015

So this week was an adventure when my companion was sick for 4 days and eventually had to spend a whole day in the hospital. At the end of the exams and tests the doctors said she had nothing and that she could go....hahahahaha OH BRASIL!

We have been teaching our investigator Castelo. He is 85 and adorable and we have to yell to teach him and HE'S GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY! Please everyone pray for him! The more knowledge we have of the truth, the more the enemy tries to make our lives full of trials and hardships. BUT, I am confident that he will make it! His wife and son are already members of about 5 months and they are really helping and supporting and encouraging him! SEND THE PRAYERS! We ask him questions as we are teaching him and his response is always something like "Of course I believe! It's logical and you wonderful young ladies wouldn't lie about Jesus!" Oh man I love him, he's just a cute old man without teeth that is about to receive salvation!

I've learned so much patience here in Franca and that when we REALLY exercise patience we see the blessings and the miracles really come. Less actives are returning to church, the ward is more united. we have weekly activities, and we are setting baptismal dates right and left with people that have been prepared by the merciful hand of the Lord!

I'm so grateful so happy and so tired but the work is moving forth!

Love you!

Sister Anderson

FOOD!!!!!

preparing myself for the days i have to be a mom and cook and stuff :)

these are the shoes i would like if you could send agian :) (Clarks is the brand)

look mom! i use the earings and headbands you always send me and i love them!

My dying companion sister Huamaní haha

this is Castelo :)

these are the favelas, full of Gods children ready to here the good word of the gospel by the mouths of Sister Anderson and Sister Huamaní!

FRANCA!!!

Monday, April 20, 2015

So I'm in Franca and its the "coldest" area in our mission. haha But because its cold here the people are too.  Also the city was built in between three mountains, so the roads are all tilted and there are millions and millions of mountains to walk up, both ways, every day. hahah  But really, it is so hilly and my calf muscles are growing. Also there are only 50 regularly attending members at the church on Sunday and A LOT of less actives.  We work 50 percent of the time reactivating and the other 50 with our investigators! Speaking of, we have an investigator who is 85 years old and has no teeth and can't hear and we literally have to yell for him to hear us! hahahaah I'ts so awesome! He is the husband of a recent convert of 5 months and his baptismal date is in two weeks. Pray for Brother Castelo! He is so dang cute I love him! He sings and dances samba and cooks for us. haha So the members here don't normally give us lunch, but they give us money so me and my companion, Sister Huamaní do a lot of cooking and experimenting and its really fun actually!

So i have a real testimony-builder experience that the Book of Mormon really does answer all the questions to all our problems. This ward here isn't very united at all, so we planned an activity using questions from the BOM and if you didn't know or answered wrong you got whipped cream in your face. hahah It was really simple and really fun and all the members LOVED it and told us that they want more activities! So here the activity planning skills I learned in student government and from my wonderful mother come into play. haha Anyway, now that the members are more united they are giving us more references and are giving us dinners and planning FHE with us and its awesome! I actually feel like I'm making a difference!!

From a very happy and VERY tired

Sister Anderson

the natural "fountain" in Franca :)

my hair after our activity with the members

it was POURING rain!! litterally it was like we were walking through a swimming pool hahaha

TRANSFERS!!!

Monday, April 13, 2015

WOOHOO TRANSFERS!! Just kidding it's actually like Christmas waiting and then if you get transferred or you receive the notice for something you never wanted it's like when they say that school is canceled and then call back to say never mind.... :)

So since I have no time with the transfer I'll keep the email short and send pictures!! I'm here in Franca on the very outskirts of the mission!! woohooo :) Me and my companion Sister Huamanì are the only sisters in our zone of 20 elders so that should be and adventure, right? I'm excited, and we are basically opening but not opening a new area and really changing the work here in this area. My companion is from Peru and is 25 and is crazy! She talks a lot, so that should be fun to understand her Portuguese with a Peruvian accent! haha I like her a lot already and I'm excited for the HUGE challenge ahead of us! like it says millions of times over in the scriptures, everything happens on the Lord's time and in the Lord's way, and we have to rely that he knows better ALWAYS. And when He calls I go willingly with a smile on my face. I made that a personal mission goal, that no matter what happens or what I go through on the mission, I will keep smiling and keep relying on the Lord. He gives us the strength when we feel like we have none!

I love this gospel and I'm excited to see the Lord's plan for me here in Franca!!

Sister Anderson

when we ate chicken feet.....yummmmmmmmmmm :)

Divisions with other sisters Azevedo and Guzman!

sister Andersen and her need to walk with everything in her hands :) im gonna miss her!

Week of Conferences!!!

Monday, April 6, 2015

This week we had a huge Zone Conference and of course it was General Conference!! I can't even describe in words how much I love to hear the words of our living apostles and prophets two times every year!!!

It was so special to hear the words of our beloved prophet Thomas S. Monson on Easter Sunday as he testified of our living Savior Jesus Christ. If you haven't seen the prophet talk here is the invite: Listen to the prophets words and you will, without doubt, feel the spirit of the Lord touching your heart and mind! What Love our Father in Heaven has for us to give us modern day revelation and guidance through His servants!

Something I love that L. Whitney Clayton talked about is that we CHOOSE TO BELIEVE. I love that because while we all have our agency, that means we have to make those steps of faith to believe in a higher power and in the atonement. He also said that every choice we make more often than not starts with a sacrifice. I would like to add that every choice to follow Christ starts with lots of sacrifices and a lot of applied faith. Instead of casually keeping the commandments we need to build upon the doctrine of God step by step in our faith. We should always hold fast to what we already know and then stay strong until additional knowledge comes! Stay strong! We have the power of the Living Lord on our side working against the powers of the enemy!! When you are on the winning side there is no way to fail. Put yourselves on the team of the Lord. He lives. He is all powerful. He loves us unconditionally. He suffered and died and resurrected so that we may enter into the presence of God with our families after this life. I love my Savior and I love His perfect gospel and plan.

HAPPY EASTER FOR CHRIST THE LORD HAS RISEN!

Sister Anderson

package number 6 from my wonderful mother!!!

Conferência Geral (General Conference haha)

watching good ol conference in English with my companion :)