Enriqillo

This week was amazing. I had so many great experiences. First off, Elder Jimenez and I worked our bum bums off. And we were rewarded big time with a baptism. Mariel was baptized on the 28th and is really looking forward to being a missionary some day. She gave an amazing testimony at the baptism. This week Elder Jimenez and I did almost 1/2  of what the zone did. and our Zone isnt that small either. We did much work with the assistents and the president this week. We have really been in much communication with them. The president loves what we are doing out here in Barahona. So hes coming all the way out here to visit and work with us. I love him. We did so much work this week that I cant even remember what day it is, really, I dont know. All the days are intertwined. We are alwaays working and getting things done. We have comletely consecrated ourselves to the work. I love it. I really know what missionary work is all about. My mind has been so enlighted and the Spirit is so strong with us. We are always talking about the Mission and waht needs to happen in it. What do our missionaries need adn how we can teach them to be better. We love our investigators and are having great joy in our labors. As of right now for this month we have 16 baptisms planned. I only know that we are not alone in this work. THe Lord is leading us be his Spirit to his servants in the DR. This next week we will have 4 baptisms and in the next on the 11, 3 baptisms, and on the 18th we will have 8. The Branch is going nuts here. THey love what we are doing. Now hte Branch is starting to gget fired up. I promised them on Sunday as I gave a talk to them, that if they bring their friends and familiy to the church they would be baptized. I exhorted them that if they dont share these blessings with others then they are selfish and that they need to invite adn open up there mouths. It was a very spiritual meeting as Elder Jimenez adn I spoke. We decided to leave with a member everyday to visit our investigators. Our vision is the following

1. One Lesson

2. Attend Church and put a baptismal date

3. Follow up with member visits

4. Baptism and Retention

 

We love this work and are trying to do and be the best we can. I know that the Lord will bless us according to our Obedience, Faith, and Diligence in the work.

 

This week was also a Conference of all the Country (non capital or city zones) Zones. We learned many things from our President. He is very intelligent and is very close to the Spirit. We know that if we follow him that we will be blessed so thats exactly waht we do, OBEY, and look at what we have accomplished. We have done miricles in a place were they dont come often. The Lord works in mysterious ways.

 

I was on an intercambio in an area that is called Enriqillo. It is south of Barahina and almost 2 hours in a small bus. It was so beautiful. I got some great pictures of hte most blue and beautiful water I have ever seen. It is a paradise there. That area is really hurting so we decided that I go there to see what is up. What I found was an area that is very hard but on ly for hte people that think it is. We need to think positively and  we can do miricles. There an God´s elect people in every area. But it is according to our Work, Obedience, Faith, and Diligence that we will find them. This week was a little hard to see numbers really low from the areas and I know that they arent getting the picture. The mission isnt a game and it shouldnt be relaxing. We are here assigned by a PROPHET of GOD and we have the confidence in the calling that he gave us. If we do nothing we are mocking God and the Prophet. I know that God lives and that his son Jesus Christ that died on the cross, is ressurected and that he now leads and guides his church in these last days. We are the stripling warriors and the great missionaries of the day. If Nefi and Lehi baptizrd thousands, why can´t I and my companion.  Way cant we convert the whole Dominican Republic. All I know this that we lack much faith. We have so many testimonies and exhortations right in our faces. We need to step up and do what is of the upmost importance, and that is Preach the gospel.

 

 

I want you all to know that I love you and that I care for you all. I know that this is the True Church of JEsus Christ. I know with all my heart. The Holy Ghost has given me the opportunity to know for myself and I have steped up to the plate. Im here for life and to do all I can to bring blessing to others. I love this work. Im so Happy and I wish all of you a great confrence weekend. It will be super special for us because 4 elect brothers and sisters of ours will be baptized inbetween the afterneoon session and the Priesthood session. I´m so grateful for there choices and will be greatly blessed.

 

Adiós mis queridos hermanos y hermanas, nos vemos pronto, que se cuiden

 

ELDER Spencer William ANDERSON

 

Hola mis queridos!!!!!

I LOVE BARAHONA. This place rocks. Miricles have been happening. IN less than a week we have put 11 baptimal dates for the next 3 weeks. 4 are scheduled for the General Confrence. They will be inbetween the sessions. We are also working super hard. >We are really trying to be examples to our misioneries. We leave in the mornings, eat than work for hours upon hours. I love it. I feel I´m living the mission the best I can. I want to end with a POW! It has been a crazy week here. First off we had a 3 and a half hour bus ride out to our area. We were also white washed as Zone Leaders out here. That means we knew no one and had to start with scratch. The missioneries before us left us with a couple investigators and one with a baptismal date. We work our little bums off and were blessed by being and doing the best we can.  My companion is Elder Jimenez. He is from the North Mission and is from Bonao. It is in the middle of hte DR. He is great. We love being together. He is really humble and loves to work. We are really going to turn this zone around. This zone is the worst zone on paper and the President has asked us to change it. Our first day we decided that no matter the past, will make it one of hte strongest zones. It has so much potential. We just need to work with super diligence. We need to put ourselves aside and put the work of Jesus Christ first. We need to love him more than anything. Lately I have been studing on how to be a Just, Rightous, Virtuous, and HOnrable man. I hope I can become like my brother Jesus Christ and also the member of my family. They are such great examples. I want to bring joy to so many people. I have learned to love the people and to smile and laugh with them. We have a recient convert with us and he loves the Gospel, but I cant describe here in this letter how much he loves the gospel. This man did a 180 and is now very strong in the Church. He has 3 months in the church and I asked him how many years he has in the church. HE just laughed and smiled. HE radiates this glad message his face eyes and body illuminate the streets. I too pray that I may be able to be an influence for good wherever I go. I invite all of you too to remember everthing we have and to share it. The prophet Joseph Smith taught that the most important thing to do in this life is preach the Gospel. I have seen so many members here be sunday morning members. We need to live the gospel and share it with everyone else so they may be able to sit with us in church. I love this work and this wonderful Area of Barahona. It is a District here and we are in the District Center. About 120 people assist our church´s sacrament meeting. The area is actually very well paved but in some parts it is dirt and rocks. Our house isnt such a great story be it is sufficent. We dont really stay their too much. We love to work. One funny thing about this place is that all the little kids here in Barahona have Whips. They have made homeade whips and know how to use them. Everywhere we go we can hear the cracks of the whips. I just laugh at the kids. We also live right next to the Mountains. I think we might go hiking. We are right next to the beach. There is a really big port here too. I got to see some big Tankers. It really is sunny here though. I now put sunscren on everyday.

 

Today for PDAY we played basketball in an Arena they have here. It had stadium seating adn also wood flooring. It was tight. We play with this 6 foot 9 guy. He was pretty good but I think it was because he was so tall.

 

Our house is really fun too. We live in a 4 man house. The other 2 misioneries are from the east mission and also from Puerto Rico. The misionary from Puerto Rico is crazy but really fun to be with. The other missionary is a huge balck man. and I mean buff. HIs last name is Mora and in English it is Blackberry. So we all call him blackberry. ahhahaha. I hope you all have a excellent week. Im positive I will. Live Stong and LIve Well.

 

Elder Spencer the MAN Anderson

Transfers

Well Yesterday we recieved I recieved a call from the President of the Mission and he said they couldnt get everything set up in time for tranfers to open the new area. So I will be moved now to be a Zone Leader in Barahona. I have been their once but it is beautiful. It is right next to the beach. I have some friends that said they ran on the sand in the mornings. I´ll see what I can do. I´m really excited to go to Barahona though. It shall be a great experience. The President also came to a Fireside we had at our Chapel. We had some investigators there too. We had a beautiful familiy and also many converts there. He got to know them and also spoke to the whole congregation about joining the safe refuge that we have in the church. It was an amazing discorse that he gave. I really enjoy being woth him. In these last transfers I have really gotten to know him and learn from him. It feels great how open we are together. With President Bair it was really different. I love them both and I was so blessed to have them both. I learned much patience with President Bair and how to deal with things. With President Almonte I have learned to become a leader and how to share with others what we have. I have also learned how things should really work. As I look upon my mission I can really see the importance of studying. When I really studied hard to learn I really grew. But when I didnt really study weel I didn´t progress. I have learned many important lessons being a missionary. I think one of the greatest ones has been a love and appreciation for the Lords chosen servents. I have really gained so much knowledge and understanding from them and their teachings. I invite all of you to study them and learn from their experiences.   IN Barahona I will be white washed with a Dominican named Elder Jimenez. He has about 9 months in the misson but is a powerhouse. Im so privliedged to be able to serve with him in Barahona. We will do much good their. We will both be new there but I´m sure the Lord has prepared some chosen and elect investigators. The President said that he is still planning on me going out to the New Area of Duveree to end the mission as an Assistent. I love this work. It really bothers me when the members tell me Im going home soon. I think I´m not going to tell the members in the New area either. I just want to do the best I can and let the Lord do the rest. I´m grateful for all your support and I´m positive I will need your prayers and thoughts in these LAst months of my mission.

 

I love you all and want you All to know that I love this work and that I care so much for you. I hope I can be a missionary forever adn be able to recieve many blessings of the Lord. I know that you all will also recive of those blessings according to hte needs and desires of our hearts.

 

Elder Spencer Anderson

Uuepa!!!!

Como están Uds.,

 

As always I am happy. Today for P-DAy we got permission from the Mission President and we watched THE BEST TWO YEARS. It was awesome. I never knew how true and how similiar everything is. Even though we are in different parts of the world and in different missions many of the things are similar. There it is really hard to get in peoples houses and to give books of mormons away. Here is the complete opposite. I can probably count on one hand the times that a door was slammed in my face or that They didnt invite us back. We need to be able to distingish between who are good and who wastes time. It is really hard but with the spirit we can can know. I love being so close to the spirit. It really is a whole ton easier than being without it. That is one thing I really want to do and work on. This week we ate it up on our contacts and knocking doors. We just really have a desire to find new people. We also find people than get rid of them if they cant follow their commitments. If they fall we just walk up to their door and say hi to them sometimes we say a prayer. We do that so that maybe after a while they will have a desire to follow in hte gospel. We are looking for the elect of God and not just people who cant progress. I really know that this is the work of the lord. It is just amazing to see all the witnesses we have of this Church. It really is a marvolous work and a wonder. Just to let you know transfers arent until the 18 of MArch. I still have a week and 2 days here. IN 2 weeks I will be able to awnser all your questions about the new area. I love you all and hope that you all find more peace this week in Christ.

 

Elder Spencer Anderson 

What A Week!!!!

Well as always I´m pumped and ready to work. We work really hard during the week and were rewarded with a baptism. Regalado Morrillo Cabrera was baptized. He is a great man with much faith. He really worked hard for this baptism. As a district we had 4 baptisms.  We invited the President of the mission to come to the baptism. He and his wife came and it was a great experiance. On friday we had the privleadge of going to the Temple. It was amazing. We also had the opportuniy to have Presidente Almonte their to in the session with his wife. I really love to be with him and learn from him. HE really is called of God. We also had interviews with the President on tuesday. HE told me exactly what I´m going to do for the next 2 transfer to finish the mission. HE told me that I am going to be the Presidentes Helper or ¨Ayudante¨  in the country zones. I will also be that, with another new missionary. I will be training for the 3rd time. Also I wil be opening a new area by Barahona. Right next to Haiti. I might also need to be the Branch President out there. All this is subject to change but he is already getting the house ready out there and is it is written on his transfer list.  I hope that I can be a great missionary and continue to help others come unto Christ. I love this work It is so amazing. I am so blessed to be here and for being a Missionary in the host that exsists today. I love all of you so much for your support and comforting words of inspiration and knowledge. I hope that I can live up to the 2 names that I carry. The first JESUSCHRIST and the second ANDERSON. I love you all and wish the best of luck to you all.

 

 

Elder Spencer Anderson

Sorry!!!!!

Sorry everyone the power went out as it usuallly does. Our internet center tells us about 20 secends before the batteries go out. Well Everything is perfect here. We are going to go to the Temple this Friday so Im really excited. I wish all of you the best and hope that you can all keep living the life well. We have too much great stuff in our life to make us sad. It really shouldnt happen. I love you all.

Bye

Elder Anderson

Whats UP!!!!!

HELLO EVERYONE,

 

Im doing great here in the Dominican Republic. I love being here it is amazing. SO many great things have happened to me. I have been so greatly blessed. This week we will have a baptism of a man I started teaching in my first transfer here in Hato Nuevo. He has about 4 months waiting to get his papers so he could get baptized. He has shown such great faith. I got to got light is leaving

Un mensaje para ti.....

Hey Everyone,

Im having such a great time here in my mission. Im so grateful to get up everyday and preach this glad message. Im so blessed with so many things it is hard to express it. I know that God exists and that he loves us. WE ARE HIS CHILDREN. It is a little hard to realize in this mortal life but as we read the scriptures and pray it all makes sense. Jesus Christ lives and is the head of the Church. It is his and he leads it is guided by a prophet how hears him and who recieves much needed knowledge. Even as it goes down the organization to our Bishops and members it is perfect. God is not a dead God that lives through the Bible but he talks with men today. He has sent his powers gifts, and priesthood to worthy men today to do his will. I now know really why were here on Earth and I invite all of you to look for the anwsers too. This week has been great. We are teaching so amazing families. This week we had a mix of things that happened to them. ONe familiy had a new baby boy, another seperated from her husband, another is getting married this next week. Many things have happened and I know that this week we will recieve more blessings. I remember one day we probably had one of the worst days together, it seemed as everything went wrong, so we stuck with it adn prayed hard. The next day we had an excellente day and did much to further the work. We are also teaching a great man. He is a little crosseyed man that has a huge heart. He is 45 adn lives alone. He never had a wife and always lived with his mother to look out for her. But sadley she passed away about 4 years ago. He loves the message though. He is read much in the Book Of Mormon and loves it. We reads and tells us exactly what happend. He has also given up drinking and coffee to fulfill woth the Word of Wisdom. We will put a baptismal date with him this week. We are working really hard trying to build up this ward. We are very close to the ward and are making corrections and changing the way we do things in the ward. We have schuduled visits with members everyday this week to visit investigators. It is amazing the disposition of the memebers to help in the work. We are not only going out with the leaders of the wards but also we are going out with the people who need a little help. Doing that with really help edify the church at its roots. We are also doing little 1 or 2 minute visits with active and less active members. We hope to get them excited about being members and remind them of what great blessings they have. I love this work so much. I hope I can become a great missionary as teh ones in the scriptures. Sure I wont do as much as them but I know that I have tried my best. I love my opportunity I have been given to be a representative of Jesus Christ. He is why we live. He is why we live the way we do. AS we living in this world we are not of it. I hope YOu all have great week adn that you all can always have huge smiles and love life.

Elder Spud Anderson

Hey All

Well Im staying here in the same area with the same person. Elder BArnhurst and I are really doing well and we expect many great things to happen here in HAto Nuevo. We are really trying to work hard and we are really doing a great job. We are teaching many families but they either dont have their papers or money. It is really hard and very stressfull. I just wish they coud be baptized. It is up to them though and their faith. We can only do so much. I pray that they can get everything prepared. I am lovingnary. As I saw another group go home I really put it into my mind to finish super hard. Im really trying to take advantage of the time I have here to help others and also to become more knowledgeable. Here are the people we are teaching:

 

The Families

 

Porfilio and Iselsa

Carlos and Alejandra

Carlos and Yabell

Esteban and Luci

Leonidous and Nena

 

Also we are teaching other people

 

Junior

Frank

Regalado

 

They all are great and are in their own ways progressing. We are always getting new and also getting rid of investigators. I hope that we can get these famlies to get married. Nothing more is really new. Our house is very fun. Right now Im reading the Teachings of the Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith. It is amazing. It has really helped in my testimony and also in our teachings. I love you all and wish you all a great week.

 

 

Elder Anderson

!Que lo Que!

Hey everyone,

 

We had a great week teaching many families and men. We do need to marry 4 families so they can be baptized. But we havent had too much progress. I pray that they can be able to get married and eventually be baptized. Im so grateful that I was sent to this area. It has been do great to me and the work still goes forth. Many members are helping us and most of our investigators have friends in the church. Well today we will get transfer calls. I know that whatever happens the lord is in charge. I now have 3 complete transfers left. Im just entering my 3rd to last. So im really pumped to work super hard and work diligently. This last week I recived a think about it letter. This letter asks me what airport I want to land into and also if Im getting picked up. When I recived the letter I almost started to cry and my whole body just slumped over. Ithen started to yell a little and was ticked of. I dont know why but I really love this place.

 

A cool story this week is that when we were teaching a lesson outside under a tree, something hit my head. I thought it was either a bug or a leaf. So i left it unnoticed during the lesson. Elder Barnhurst saw something on my head during the lesson but waited afterwards to hit it of. When he swatted it it smeared. It turned out to be some bird poo. ahahhaha. It was ugly.hahah

 

Elder Spencer Anderson

 

Ill tell you next week what happened with transfers