Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Monday, December 29, 2008

La Obra Misional

I love the mission field. It has been such a blessing to me to be able to serve the Lord. I know that God exsits. HE loves us so much. I think that many of us forget that there really is a God and that we have a Savior. They have done so much for us. I know that this is the work of the Lord and that Jesus Christ is the head of the church. I know that the First Presidency and the 12 apostles are in perfect unity with the will of God. They know so much. All the prophets have since Adam. I am so thankful to have so much sacred scripture. We are so blessed to have so many testimonies that God is real and that he cares about us. I have gain such a great love for the Prophet Jospeh Smith and his teachings. He knew so much. I too would like to become very knowledgeable in the Gospel of Jesus Christ and also learn to become more and more Obedient. I pray every night that I may become a better instrument in the hands of the Lord. I know that as I study and reflect diligently I will recive revelation and knowledge that will help others.
 
I was so glad to be able to talk to every one of my siblings. Even though it may have been but moments, I know that you love me and that I share the same feelings with you. I hope I anwsered all of you questions about whats going on in the mission here. So much is happening, it is so hard to put into words. The work is super excellente here. I know that the Lord is blessing us greatly. We have 10 investigaotrs with baptismal dates for the 10th of January. I´m so happy that they have come to know the church. I know that they will help the church and be great strong members one day. It is very cool because I can see people in the future and being great members. With some investigators I cant say the same. I know that with the power of disernment which is in me as a servent of the Lord I have that ability to see and know what to do. ONe familiy has already become so blessed by the Gospel, even though they arent members they are paying tithing, having familiy home evening, and reading the Book of Mormon together. We are only waiting on 1 paper to be married then they can be baptized. The Wife has been sick though because she is pregnent and is having some dificulties. But we are very pleased to be with them in these happy times. It brings me such Joy to see this perfect investigaotrs famliy progress. They have changed so much. I am pretty much a member of their family. I have gotten so close to them. I was with them since we found them adn up until now tehy have been great. They love the Gospel. We also had 2 new men come to church. ONe of the men is named José Mercedes Rodriguez. We met him this week adn has already recieved his awnser by the Holy Ghost. He understands the perfect need for the Restoration and also the need of A prophet. He really enjoyed church. We also had a lady adn he 2 little ones at church for hte first time. She really liked the church but weel see if she really understands the importace of the restored church.
 
Today we went walking out in the boonies of Hato Nuevo. It is a boony. We took tons of sweet pictures in the greenery and also I have a sweet story. We approch a spot where there were many cows grazing. I started to charge the hurd yelling and waving my hands until the bull arrived. He started to chase us and we took off. Those things are fast. ahahha. I also had a redside bag on . So I think I made him doublely ticked. ahahha. I cant belive that just happend I almost had to wave my bag to my side and do that weird spanish thing with bulls. ahahhaha. I will send pictures.
 
I hope that all can have a great new years and a new year.  May God bless you all greatly.
 
 
I  love you all and Pray for you and your families.
 
 
Elder Anderson

Friday, December 26, 2008

Monday, December 22, 2008

The NEW guy.

This week was very interesting. For wendsday and thursday I was on an exchange with another Elder in my house, Elder Reber. We were to wait at our house for 2 days then we recieved both of the new missionaries. SO that means I am still in Hato Nuevo. I love this place. It is definantly one of my favorite areas in my mission. Elder Reber recived a new missionary from El Salvador. HIs name is Elder Gonzalez and he is really chill and cool. I love talking to latins. I love how friendly they are and how they talk. He reminds me of my second companion Elder Gonzalez that was in Nizao. I recived Elder Barnhurst. He is from Vernal, Utah. He is a super humble kid and really wants to learn. I love being able to share my knowledge with him. He really wants to be a good missionay and has a real desire to help people. Im glad that he is here to work. I will try to train him into a an Extraordinary missionary. My purpose is that he can start his mission great and to be a better missionary than I. AS of right now we have 10 investigators with baptismal dates. The work is really going. I know that faith and prayer is a big reason of the sucess that we have had here. Obeying the rules and really working hard has been a great blessing for me in my mission. I love being on a higher plain than the world. It is amazing how much of a differance we can make if we are example of rightousness.  People can look at that and then want to participate in it too. Elder Barnhurst is really hard for people to say here so they call him Van Helsing. Van Helsing is a movie. I know that I will have a great Christmas because I have a great familiy here. I know I will eat well too. We are to dine with many peple during the next week. Im sure that I will add a few pounds. ahhaha. Im excited for the new year which brings around new possibliities. I have some huge goals for hte next year and Im set on meeting them. I have learned so much about planning and about using time wisley. I have learned that many things really arent important and that many more great things are more important. I love singing christmas songs with everyone here. IN the church they sing christmas songs and also we sing during lessons. Im so gratefulo for a voice to sing with. I hope that the blessings of GOd may be with you all this week adn that his spirit can touch you all. I know I will feel your prayers and your spirits too. I pray for you always. I love you all so much.
 
 
Elder Anderson

Monday, December 15, 2008

I´m PREGNENT again!!!!!

Well it turns out I will train again this transfer. I have been so blessed to become a trainer again. I think it is the coolest calling there is in the Mission. It is so sacred and special. I learned so much the first time I trained and now I will apply what I learned with this time with my New Missionary. HIs name is Elder Barnhurst and he is from Vernal, Utah. From his picture he looks like a really chill kid. I know we are going to do great together. I´m sure that prayer will be up the upmost importance and the pregresión of the area. I have been so blessed over these last weeks I have had. Yesturday we had 17 people in church. It was amazing. Miracles are really happening here. Prayer has meant so much to me. I know that through our faith and the faith of our investigators the will of God is taking place. We now have 7 investigators with baptismal dates. We are expecting more this week too. It is actually hard to explain all the things that are happening here. Im 98% sure I´m staying in Hato Nuevo this next transfer. President said that, but all is subject to change as it is always. We are preparing  3 families for baptima too. I love this work with all my heart and Im so grateful for all your letters and support. Today I recived a letter from all the seminary kids. I cant belive how old some of those kids are. It was great hearing from them. I actually knew many of them. KIds from the trek and my friends little siblings. Im sure I will miss all of you this christmas season but Im excited to here your voices. I have much to tell you. This place is so crazy but so awesome at the same time. Everyday I learn something new from this people and land. I love to laugh and love the people. It brings me such joy being here and growing with people. I hope I can leave a legend, and be in the hearts of these people forever. Already I have friendships that will stick with me forever. Im sure I will never have a day that I wont think about my mission.

Your all great and I love you all.


Elder Spencer

Monday, December 8, 2008

THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!

Isn´t is cool. We are in the true church. I was so impressed by moms letter to me. Im so proud that my parents are missionaries. Im so proud of my brothers, sister, adn inlaws who have served missions. They have been a great help and examples to me. We had interviews with Presidente Almonte on Thursday. HE said I would probably train again or be called to a diffrent calling. IIt could be this transfer or the next. I guess well see. I love talking to President Almonte. I can really talk to him freely and we get much work done. This work really is a marvellous one. On sunday we had 13 people in church. It was amazing. The lord really is blessing us for our hard work and obedience. We have a familiy of 4 that will be baptized on the 20th and we are very close with another family of 6 too. We had to awesome families in church and it was beautiful. The members are getting really excited too. They are leaving and contacting on their own and looking for referances. They are also leaving with us to teach. We are teaching preach my gospel to them and they are eating it up. We are helping other young men prepare for missions. Last night one decided that a mission would be placed before baseball. He will probably sign  with a team in the next couple of years. But now he is super focus on a mission.  This  last week we found many new investigators. They really have a desire to grow and know for themselves if the message is true. What we do is we knock on the door and testify to them. It is about 30 secounds long. Then we say that we will be at there home either the next day or in 2 days. ON that day we share a short lesson with them of 5 to 10 minutes long then leave rapidly to leave the spirit there. When we come back for a 2nd visit If they read and understand the pamphlet or prayed we put another return appointment, if not we just invite them to church adn dont go back. It is wonderful. We have found the true chosen people. They are so much different than the normal people. The normal people just waste time. We contact tons of people one day then have one day full of people. We have contacted so much people and it is true that the chosen ones are few but they are worth it. They bring me such joy as they follow their commitments to learn and accept the messege.  We also have dedicated about 20% of our time to the members and less actives.  I know that this is the work  of the Lord.  I love all of you and wish  you the best. We get transfer calls next monday so I´ll tell  you whats going on.

Monday, December 1, 2008

Thanksgiving!!!!!!

Well I had a great week this week. First off I want to tell you all about our Investigators. We had  11 people in church on Sunday. I was so pumped. I didnt know what to do with all of them. We had a full Investigators class too, with the 2 investigators from the other missionaries. We had a class on the law of Chasity. OUr teach is a young sister that just got off her mission in the East mission. I am so impressed with this ward here. There are tons of members because the retention is higher. Every is a friend and has something to do. We have gotten the ward to get up and work with us. And we have seen the benefits of their work. We also have been teaching Preach my Gospel to the members and encouraging them to help us and also to help themselves feel the joy that comes from missionary service. I walk with Preach my Gospel with me wherever I go. It has been a huge blessing. I have used it many times also before lessons and during lessions to know what to do in certain instantses. We also put 4 baptismal dates with a family. They are so prepared. Their names are Carlos, Yabell and their 2 kids 12 and 9 years old. They read the Book of Mormon together and love the gospel. It has completely changed them. It was a sacrifice to give up all the things they did. They always talk about the days before they met us and how they never want ot return to that. We also have a family of 9 people. Ramon, Dulce, and their 7 kids  20, 18, 16, 12, 11, 8, 7.  They are awesome and are reading the scriptures and the pamphlets we have given them.They didnt go to church though. They live very far from the church and to pay for 9 people is difficult. Ramon is a fisherman and walks 3 or 4 miles a day to fish in the rivers. We also have some other new families that we are teaching but havent gone to church. We just contacted tons of Apartment buildings and have plety of new investigators. We´ll see how many are the chosen ones of the Lord. We might have a few. Im always praying for the opportunity of finding the people ready to here the gospel. I know that pray is the way to go. It is so important to give a relating of the things we have done in the day and also the things we want to acomplish in the next day. I love to pray. It is so special. Sometimes I feel bad becuase I have been praying with not so much of a real intent. I have been humbled and have started strong again. We also had a great Zone COnfrence that I definantly needed. I love to get reapmt and ready to make miricles happen. I love how the president thinks. He has such an excitment when he speaks. I hope that I can learn much form him and put it into practice. Afterwards we went to a restuarant with the Zone and it was awesome. The president paid and We ate tons. He loves to feed us. As a house on thanksgiving we make the carcus soup and also have bread. But the main part was a roasted Chicken from a Pica Pollo or a place that sells fried chicken. BUt Today as a ZOne we ate a 15 pound turkey in a really rich members house. We invited the whole Zone and it was tight. We had Turkey, yams, that cranberry junk, Mashed potatoes and Carrots. It was just like a Thanksgiving but really hot and with all Missionaries. Im really gratefull for the many blessings that I have recieved from the Lord. I love God so much and for his DOn Jesus Crist too. I have such a strong tesimony of their existence. They live!!! And theyu talk to prophets today. WOOOOHOOOO. çIts that awesome. I love you all and wish the Best too all.
 
 
Elder Spencer William Anderson,               AKA SPUD!!!!!!!!!