Week 21: Baptism!

Hola familia y amigos!

This week was a great week! This transfer is coming to a close and we have seen more and more miracles as we get closer and closer to the end. We found some more great people to teach and we actually able to give more and more meaningful lessons which has been something we have been struggling with. 

We also had a baptism this week! This weekend our friend Karla made the decision to be baptised and confirmed a member of the church. We first met her and her family our second day in this transfer and we could see that they needed the gospel in their lives. They were stressed, overwhelmed and had been having issues in their family. But after just a couple visits with them we saw a complete 180 degree turn. They were happy and energetic, and I know it was only through the healing power of the gospel and The Atonement of Jesus Christ that they were able to make this change in their lives. 

Other than that not much to report on! We have a fun Christmas Conference coming up which will make the last week of this transfer extra exciting. I love this work and I love this gospel!

Miss and love you all!

Elder Anderson

1. Baptism of Karla! 

Week 20: Thanksgiving in Macuiltepetl

Hola Familia y Amigos!

Another week here in Macuiltepetl and an early Thanksgiving to everyone back home! It is crazy to be spending my first Thanksgiving away from home. Good thing the people don't celebrate it here so it'll be just a normal week here preaching the gospel! Here are some highlights from the past week.

Unlike the last couple weeks we had a full week of work which was super nice. We were able to find a ton of new people to teach and we have huge aspirations for them. Finding people in the mission can be done in many ways. Of course there is the normal door approach but many times it ends with a fat door in our face. However, since my companion and I both love dogs we have found a ton of success in stopping dog walkers and asking to pet their dogs. After a short conversation and a lot of help from the spirit we are normally able to get a return appointment with them. After hours and hours of contacting you gotta get a little creative. Everyone needs the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives so whichever way can get you in the door works.

Each Friday night we host a sports activity for the members in our ward and ask them to invite their friends to play with us. We always get a good amount of people and it has been a good opportunity to introduce some of our investigators to our members if they are too shy to go to church. We always play a little bit of basketball and then some soccer. And I don't mean to brag but us 4 missionaries here are almost unstoppable when its time to play some soccer. And our team includes two Americans who hardly know how to play. I guess our missionary calling is enough to lead us to victory haha.

In the spirit of Thanksgiving I would like to thank everyone for all they have done for me. I am so grateful for the time I have to serve here and I can't imagine what I would be without it. I am grateful for everyone that helped me get here and for everyone that continues to support and pray for me in my work here. More than anything else though I am thankful for the restored church of Jesus Christ and for the blessings and happiness that it brings. I am grateful for The Book of Mormon and for closeness I feel to my Heavenly Father when I get the opportunity to read it. I am grateful for our living prophet Russell M Nelson and for the revelation he receives for us. And more than anything I am grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and that through Him I can be saved. I am grateful for His Atonement and for the strength He gives me everyday. I do it all for Him.

Love and miss you all!

Elder Anderson

Photos!

1. Macuiltepetl!!! 

Week 19: Corn Basket Workout

Hola Familia y Amigos!

The Lord is blessing us here in Macuiltepetl 2! We have found so many people interested in the gospel and we have seen so many miracles here too. It's funny because the rejections are a tad bit harder than they were in Tihuatlan but the good people we find are so much better as well. It's like when we deal with the harder rejections the Lord is preparing us for the people that are ready to hear our mesaje. He has a plan for us and the challenges are sometimes just the way to prepare us for the doors we will be opening in the future. So awesome.

This week we did a little service project out in the boonies of Veracruz cutting down corn for a member in our ward. My hands still hurt and Elder Gonzalez got bit by a spider and we don't know which one it was. I think we have eliminated Black Widow though. But yeah had to carry this big wooden basket on our backs and it was like going to the gym for 3 weeks. There also happened to be a waterfall on the way back that we stopped at and grabbed a few pics. It was a pretty good day.

Again this week we saw the joy that the gospel brings to peoples lives. The life here in the city is a lot faster and a lot more stressful and we have seen that many people have been just holding on to their jobs and their responsibilities and are relieved and helped when they find our message of peace and joy.

Not much more to report on this week!! Hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving!! 

Love and miss you all!

Elder Anderson

Pictures!

1. Burgers

2. All the corn

3. The basket

4. The waterfall

 

Week 18: Making Tortillas!

Hola Familia y Amigos!!

Second week down in Macuiltepetl 2. Still learning the area haha but we have seen so many miracles and received so many blessings here. We are working really hard and are seeing it pay off with every person we find and every lesson we teach. Here are the highlights

This week we had our Zone Conference. This was my first time having Zone Conference in the South and it was a pretty different experience. A lot of people that I had never seen before so it was good to meet more of the mission. It was super uplifting as always, but really hit Elder Gonzalez and I harder than normal and really motivated us to give everything in these coming weeks. It was a good experience for us. 

This week we helped one of our investigadors, Martha, makes tortillas mainly because we wanted to learn how. I think we both burnt like half of our fingers but made like 200 tortillas which was pretty fun. Basically pros by now I am pretty sure. 

Other than that not a ton to report on this week. We have a couple investigators really close to baptism and are really strong and we are working a ton with them. I have seen this week, especially a change in people when they begin to follow Christ and keep His commandments. There is a change in the well being and happiness in people when they start to find Christ and His gospel in their lives. I invite everyone who has it in their lives to invite someone else to enjoy the same blessings because it is a gift that many people are craving.

Love and miss you all so much!

Photos!

1. making tortillas

2. Zona Macuil!!!!

3. Some of the men from Colorado

4.Hiding

Week 17: Zona Macuiltepetl!

Hola familia y amigos!

I don't have a lot of time to talk so let's just get the updates!!

Things are great here in Macuiltepetl 2. We are working hard and I am working all day to try and figure out my area. Almost the opposite to Tihuatlan. The weather gets cold here sometimes and lots of rain. We are in the heart of the city and don't have a huge area. Those are only some of the opposites. It's been a good experience to try and figure out ways more effective to preach the gospel and find more people who are willing to hear our message. I have realized that every area is different and brings its new set of problems and difficulties. But things are so good and everything is possible with the Lord on our side.

A fun thing this week is that it was Dia de los Muertos. Here the tradition is Tamales, Hot chocolate, and really good bread. So of course we probably got fed that like 15 times. Not even upset about it but I might gain a ton of weight. But the traditions for Dia de los Muertos are really cool here and it was a great experience to learn about some of it.

Other than that not a lot to report on. Working every day to reach out to more people and spread the gospel!! 

Love and miss you all!!

Elder Anderson

Photos!!!

1. Zona Macuiltepetl!!!!!

2. Me with a huge moth :)

3. Painting we found and liked because its Dia de los Muertos and CoCo

4. Chinese food buffet

Week 16: Transfers!

Hola familia y amigos!!

My time in Tihuatlan has come to a close! After being born and raised here for 3 months, I will be taking my talents to the Zone Macuiltepetl, and my area is Macuiltepetl 2. My new companion is named Elder Gonzalez and I will have the incredible opportunity to be the Senior companion in our companionship. I am incredibly excited for this opportunity and can't wait to see what I can do! Anyways here was my final week in Tihuatlan!

This week in church was the "Primary Program" for our branch in Tihuatlan. They have more or less 10 primary kids, so it was super fun to see them perform their songs and give their memorized parts. It reminded me a ton of back home and I was another testament to me how similar the church is in so many different parts of the world. It is also a testament to see how much the church is growing. These few kids are some of the first kids in their families to be born within the church. The majority of members here are converts, so to see this rising generation with lives in the church makes me excited for their future. The members are so faithful here and are raising righteous families within the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

We also got to bring a few of our investigators to church for the first time which was super nice because it has been a challenge for us as of recent to get people to attend sacrament meeting. Of course it would happen in my last week here but you know what that's just life.

Elder Gavia and I had a super fun lunch the other day with a member that just recently was added to our meal list. We got there, chatted a little bit and all of a sudden she throws down 20 enchiladas in front of each of us. It was like the leaning tower of enchiladas, and we knew there was no way we were finishing all of them. She then proceeded to bring out beans and eggs and we knew we were toast. We tried our best, but unfortunately could not eat it all and finished with a few enchiladas remaining. One of our biggest challenges always is if we can finish the food haha I know I sound pampered right now but its like real life. 

Anyway, those were some of the highlights of the week! Love the work and am excited for the new opportunity in Macuiltepetl 2!

Love and miss you all,

Elder Anderson

Pictures!

1. Tihua       tlan

2. Eating some pizza

3 & 4 Some goodbye pics with my fav family 

Week 15: Carne Asadaaaaa

Hola familia y amigos!

I am coming up on what might be my last week in Tihuatlan! We will see what happens with transfers this week but I am fine with whatever happens. I am very grateful for Tihuatlan as my first area and for all of the things I have learned here. Let's talk about the week

On tuesday night we had a little carne asada party for the son of one of our investigators named Raymundo. We cooked up some bomb meat and spent a little time with their awesome family. 

We found a couple families this week who have been inactive from the church for many years but are great and I think have been waiting for the missionaries to give them a little push. They also have little kids who don ́t know really anything about the gospel and so it has been nice to teach them as much as we can. A lot of our work here in Tihuatlan is reactivating members because their are a lot of inactive members. It has been very productive for us to work and help them.

We also helped with a little service project for some members in our ward, moving dirt and stuff like that. Super fun to hang out with them but we were so dirty with our mission clothes because we didn't bring other clothes haha. 

Today we had a carne asada (yeah I know two carne asadas in one week what are you tryna do kill yourself?) with our Zone to celebrate our missionary who is finishing his mission this transfer and as a little goodbye for all the people who might be leaving to other Zones. We cooked a ridiculous amount and so we stuffed ourselves haha. 

That´s all for this week love and miss you all!

Elder Anderson

1. Carne Asadaaaaa

2. Us with our guy Raymundo

3. This whack like ramen noodle thing we are eating this week

4. Service is the best!

5. Repping the 303 with Ahlstrom and McCollum