This week was interesting.  We got a call from President and he told Elder Cook that he was being transferred  to Glenrock. So we now have 2 in Douglas instead of 3. Now we have the whole town of Douglas to find and teach.  Not what was expecting, but Oh well. We are now a 4-missionary district and I think most of the missionaries will leave this transfer and I will be the only one left again, but hey, that's alright, because I love it here. 

We have zone conference this week and we are also planning on teaching 20 lessons this week which is the standard of excellence. I have never reached that in one week and I am excited to teach this week. Today we are planning on 4 lessons in 2 hours, so we will go on splits with the members. 

I hope this was enough, I tried to make extra to type. It sounds like everything is busy back home, or will get busy. Keep me updated on all the soccer games and all the other stuff that happens. 

Love Elder Anderson   

Advice for future missionaries

Elder Elison got transfered to Souix Falls, so we are now in a tri-panionship for the next 3 weeks. It is sorta fun, but a lot harder to get new investigators, so we are just maintaning the ones we have. We set Amelia on date for the 11 of October. She is so self-critical of herself and during the lesson @ the church Suzan, our investigator who will be baptized on the 23, walked in for night sacrament mtg. and that was the best thing that happened that night for Amelia, becasue Suzan has been where she is now.  So, we were so excited to do service for the state fair that is going on this week and we went like a month and a half ago to set it up by talking to the people in charge, but it's not goin to0 well now. The person in charge, Tyler, told us to go pick up trash the first time we went over, which was fine, but we came back when he told us to and he couldn't think of anything for us to do. I was pretty mad, so we just left. Also, Elder Thorton was getting pretty trunky, but now that we are in a tri-panonship he is doing really well. I don't even think he will sit around and do nothing for the last few weeks because there are two of us to motivate him now.

You asked me what the youth can do to prepare for their missions.  Here is what our mission president suggested:

HOW TO PREPARE FOR YOUR MISSION (President and Sister Anderson’s top ten picks)

1. Learn how your family works. Discover the blessings your family has received because of the Restoration of the Gospel. (Hang out with your dad (Boys). Hang out with your mom (Girls)
2. Learn how to be courageous and "do hard things". (Get a job)
3. Know what it feels like to feel the Holy Ghost in your life and learn how to sustain it.
4. Read and have a testimony of the Book of Mormon.
5. Know how to pray, not just how to say a prayer.
6. Be able to “Go and do” on your own initiative.
7. Know how to keep the space you occupy clean.
8. Develop a personal fitness plan and be responsible for your own health.
9. Learn to be obedient and how to repent and how to help your friends be obedient and repent. (In other words be a missionary before you are called as a missionary)
10. If you are afraid to inform people they need to repent, Get over it.

I sent this to jacob a couple of weeks ago when he got his call. But personaly one thing I would suggest that helped me is home teaching, so visiting teaching for the young women. The first lesson I had with someone was just a visit and I felt comfortable because I went home teaching. I knew how to talk to connect with people in that kind of setting. Also, I wish that I would have gone out with the missionaries in Rexburg before I left. I'm sure the missionaries would love people to go teaching with them. If not, they are crazy or they aren't doing enough work:) That's what I would personally suggest because no matter what anyone tells you about missionary work, the best way to know is to experience it for yourself.

Thanks so much, Mom, you are the best.

I love you all,

Love Elder Anderson

 Time to catch up (4 weeks!)

July 14, 2014

This last week was pretty good. We are teaching all new investigators that we found in the last 2 weeks, because the people we were teaching weren't answering the phone and not keeping their commitments. So we are teaching different people who will listen to us and keep our commitments. One of our investigators was waiting all day for us come over.  Her name is Diana. She is on date for Aug 23. We have 4 people that I know will be baptized who are on date right now, because they are progressing so well and wanting to learn. This area is so exciting to be in right now with all the hard work we are doing & it is finally paying off. 

I don't know where my camera is. Elder Eckley has some pictures I can bring up of the Legend of Rawhide in Lusk. We went to an Indian pageant about the history of the area and of how the Indians and the whites hated each other. 

One funny missionary moment we had was when Elder Eckley got mad and blew up at a person on the door step while tracting. This lady told us that we were teaching a lie, then Elder Eckley got mad and said something back. Then the she told us that Mormons had the highest suicide rate because of the high school she went to as a kid. Eckley told her that was just that city, not the whole mormon population. Then she said we were a lie because we believe that we can become gods. Elder Eckley said "well if we are god's children then we can become like him becuase children become like their parents". Then she told him that he was good at twisting words, he said," Well you are too ma'am", then we left. I thought it was pretty funny. I love you all.

Elder Anderson  

July 28, 2014

This week Elder Eckley left and Elder Thornton is now my companion. Elder Thornton has lots of good ideas and I will try some of them and hopefully the area benefits from him. He is from North Carolina and is planning on going into the navy when he is thorugh with the mission. With this being his last transfer, he tells me that he is trunky,  but for being out 23 months he is doing really good. The area is doing well and we are trying new things to do better, like scheduling better and working with the members.  One of our investigators told us they didn't want to convert and they told us to stop meeting with them. I know they felt the spirit in the lessons and they know the truth, but they got offended by one of the leaders of the church. Also, one of our investigators wants to be baptized on the 30th of August. Her name is Dezerae. She has been investigating for 6 months and she is finaly able to be baptized! We are really excited for her and she is excited also. I love you all so much and I hope you all have a great week.

Love Elder Anderson

Hello Maggie! thank you so much for sending a letter! we went fishing last week, but I didn't catch anything. This last week it was in the 90s and I was pretty hot, but this nice guy gave us cold air fans for us to put into our house, so our house is cold. A couple of weeks ago we went hiking and there was a bear cave where I crawled into. It was awesome and I was scared that a bear would come in and find me, but nothing happened and we had a good hike. Maggie,I hope you have a great week! Thank you for the letter.   Here is a picture of a lightning strike:)                                                                                    

August 4, 2014

Hello from Douglas Wyoming! I love it here in Wyoming. The people are pretty rough, & the area is pretty rough. We have other missionaries in the same town, so life is good. Well, I will start with the good news from this last week. Dezerae is getting baptized on the 30th. Suzan will be baptized either on the 16 or the 30th because of work. and Hope is still on date. AlsoA will be on date soon, but not yet. Bad news: Diana dropped us because one of our wealthy church leaders offended her. Also, Tyler will be moving soon, but hopefully not to soon:) and Howard has been gone ever since you left. Elder Thornton couldn't believe when he got here that we had 6 people on date. but now we have 3 soon to be more:) 

District leader is ok. I never thought it would be fun; I was right. Elder Cook and Elder Thornton had a little argument, well not little, but I had to intervene so Elder Thornton didn't kill Elder Cook. Yeah, its not fun but I am still doing well. I am definitely learning a lot. Oh, thanks so much for all the birthday stuff. I had an amazing birthday. I used the money to buy a board game called empire monopoly. I loved the derby pie. It reminded me of home. Thanks so much for everything.

Love Elder anderson