Week 24: Feliz Navidad!

Hola familia y amigos y FELIZ NAVIDAD!!

What a wonderful time of the year!!! Today our P Day got changed so that we can spend today resting and enjoying the Christmas Spirit. Here's what I have been up to!

Last Friday we had a Ward Christmas activity and invited a lot of people to take part in it. We sang some hymns, a couple people played awesome musical pieces, we talked about the meaning of Christmas and ate some delicious Pozole. It was a really fun event and it was nice that it was here nice and close and not super far in the Stake Center. We had a couple investigators come and check it out, which was nice to see as well.

Our ward Christmas program for Sunday was really cool too. We had three really awesome talks about Christmas and Jesus Christ and it was very spiritually uplifting. Afterwards we had some Ponche and Tortas and chatted a bit. Again a couple investigators showed up and looked like they had a really good time. We have seen some awesome progress recently and I think it's due to the spirit at this point in the year. 

Yesterday we spent the day giving a few Christmas gifts to members who have really helped us out and some investigators that we are really close with. It was really fun to give a little tiny bit back to those that are constantly helping us out with the Missionary Work and share a little bit with them. A few of them were super surprised and felt really good so that was really awesome to hear. With Light the World, giving gifts and Christmas activities there are so many awesome ways to invite people to hear more about the church in this time of the year. It has been pretty great.

Today we had a little Christmas activity with the rest of the missionaries in our Zone and hung out a little bit and ate some food and hot chocolate and had a good time! It was a pretty fun way to spend Christmas day especially because almost nothing is open haha. 

Well that was Christmas for ya!! Now gotta prep for New Years Eve!!!!

Love and miss you all!!

Elder Anderson

No pics this week :(

Week 23: Cold-Hearted Rejection

Hola familia y amigos!!!

First week of this transfer already down, it feels like it has been flying by I can't even believe it. I am coming up on the 6 month mark on the mission and can ́t even believe that I am about to finish a fourth of my mission. Makes me cherish every precious day here in the mission and never take for granted the opportunities I am given. 

This week was a pretty tough one. We focused almost 100% on finding new people with very little luck. My companion Elder Ramos has spent his whole mission in the north so he kind of got caught off guard with the cold-hearted rejection we receive so much here haha. He's learning quick though which is good. Here in the city we find some of the most open, receptive people and we also find some of the meanest, closed off people we can find. It's all worth it though because people are listening and are making changes in their lives which is awesome to see. 

This week was also the stake christmas activity and we were able to go and celebrate a little bit of Christ's birth. Such a powerful time here in the mission and it is crazy how many people soften their hearts in this season of the year. It doesn't feel like December here but it sure does feel like Christmas haha. Lots of Christmas lights and lots of joy as well. 

That's really all I got for ya this week! Hope all is well back home and only 9 days till Christmas!!!

Love and miss you all!

Elder Anderson

Pictures!

1. A while back in the Christmas Conference with President and Sister Equihuas

2. Tortas we made and ate

3. Making the Tortas with Hermana Lulu

4. The DISTRICT

Week 22: Christmas Conference!

Hola familia y amigos!!

This week was super fun and had a lot of great highlights. 

This week we had our Christmas Conference, where the five southern zones of the mission came together to play games, sing Christmas songs, eat lots of food, and do some skits as well.  It was a super great experience and I think really helped the missionaries in this time of the year with Christmas coming up and everything. It is crazy the family feel that we have in the mission and I am so grateful for all the missionaries here in Xalapa. 

Also, this week is the week of transfers!! I will be staying here as senior companion and will be joined by Elder Ramos, from the other side of Veracruz. He arrived one transfer after me so it will be fun to have two newbies out here in the city together with lots of energy and spirit. I am grateful for this past transfer with Elder Gonzalez and have learned an incredible amount from him. We have a lot of great things happening here and I am so pumped to stay here for the Christmas season and help more people find this joy!

Other than that not a ton to update on!! Just doing the Lord's work day after day!!

Love and miss you all!

Elder Anderson

Pic!

 With President and Sister Esquihuas at the Christmas Conference

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