Motivating the Elders

This week was good. We struggled with numbers, but we are still working hard and learning a lot of lessons. We had 4 lessons total on before Saturday and we really wanted to teach more so we went out to our area and we taught 3 lessons in a couple of hours. I know that if we just keep trying that we will be rewarded for our efforts. 

One of the areas in the district is really struggling to stay busy and they really discouraged. They called me and asked for a "motivational call", so I told them to keep their heads up and to show what faith they had, or to gain faith, you need to work and get out and in their area and not stay in their apartment. If we sit inside all day and someone moves into our area that is ready to receive the gospel, then we are not doing our job as missionaries. 

We are teaching Amy, she is our progressing investigator. she will be baptized on Nov. 1. She is coming to church every Sunday and progressing very well. I am really excited for the winter. I miss the hot chocolate and wintery stuff. Nobody here likes egg nog, but I'm sure I will get them to like my hot chocolate/egg nog recipe. I would like some Jon Schmidt music. I deleted all of it  accidentally.  Thanks for keeping me updated on everything back home. 

Love Elder Anderson

Taking in Every Moment

Elder Oswald and I are doing great, except that Elder Oswald is home sick today. He is slowly adjusting to missionary life. He really loves the workout in the morning, personal study, and sleep. Our area is in need of some new people to teach, so we are finding some. Elder Oswald is a little timid about tracting and it is hard for him, just like it was for me. But we are working on that. 

One of our investigators is on date for the 1st of November and she is coming to church every week. Her name is Amy. We found her while tracting and she said that she grew up going to primary, but never go baptized and didn't go back to the church since. I will leave just after her baptism in November. 

What are some things you would like for me top take a picture of? I will do it , but I have just run out of ideas and that is why I have not taken as many. 

I'm not gonna lie, being a district leader and a trainer is hard, not too overwhelming, but it is definitely stressful at times, especially when I have never trained before and I have only been a district leader for a short time. This is really good practice though and I am learning a lot and taking in every moment I can and enjoying my time as a missionary. I love you all and have a good week!

Love Elder Anderson  

Another Great Week!....and SNOW!

Holy cow, I have almost been out 1 year! It definitely doesn't feel like a year, but this week was really great. I have a great companion who wants to work hard and to be a good missionary. We get along good and the missionary work is moving along. our district started at the bottom of the hill this transfer, but we are climbing very fast and improving to make a great district. 

We were asked to give talks in Lusk and we had 1 day notice. We prepared them Sunday morning and we were asked to take 10- 12 minutes. Elder Oswald spoke and I noticed that he was bearing his testimony for a really long time, and then he finished with like a 6-7 minute talk and graciously left me with the rest of the time:) there was a rerst hymn and I was writing down so many scriptures during that song. I ended up talking 30 minutes on the gospel of jesus Christ. I actually felt like it was a good talk and I had no trouble talking for 30 minutes, it felt like I was talking at district meeting, but no one responded back so I was like giving a really long sermon on the mount.

I am really getting to know the people here in Douglas & by the time I leave I will have been here for 9 months. It will be a sad day when I leave. What else is happening back home? It sounds like I am missing lots of sports, activities, dances...(oh, bummer), and other stuff. You should send one of those Madison sport schedules again so I can keep up. Right now I think I pretty much an set for winter and I have everything that I need, I will probably go to an outdoor store and buy a mitten cover shell thing for my wool gloves. Did you hear about the snow this week? It was just like Christmas; we had hot chocolate and played Christmas music because it snowed for 2 days. but now it is back up to the 70s. That's pretty much all that happened this week, I love you all!

Elder Anderson 

I love it here and I will love it till I leave!!!

So, I am now companions with Elder Oswald from Utah. We are very similar in personality and I am very excited with the next 3 months. He wants to work, and he is a very fast learner. When we set our daily planning goals for yesterday we set a goal of 5 contacts in the small town of lusk where there are no people, and we talked to 17 people in 39 minutes and got 17 contacts. Miracles are already starting to happen; it's amazing how much the work can change when you have companion that wants to work hard and is obedient. The other set in Douglas is a fresh set of missionaries and they are the same way. Elder Oswald loves to run, swim, do outdoors stuff, and yeah, it's pretty cool. 

I met another person that I know at church last night. I was just sitting there waiting for the sacrament song  to start when I heard,"hey are you the son of Tom and Kerry Anderson from Rexburg? He said his name was Jed Mum, and he knows the Saunders real well & he also worked with dad @ the college. I'm sure dad knows him, he looks like a mountain man and has a big scruffy beard. I seem to run into people that know me almost every Sunday, it's pretty cool.

Right now in our area we are trying to build it up by finding new people to teach. By the time Elder Oswald is done being trained, he will be a great finding missionary. I know that I will probably leave after he is trained because I will have been in Douglas for 9 months! I love it here and I will love it till I leave!. We are going to Casper today to get some winter sloths for the new misisonaries, because it is supposed to snow on Thursday:) So yeah that is all that is happening. Also I am working with the Glenrock missionaries so they are not so depressed in their area. They are struggling to keep busy and I am going to their area to help them today. 

I hope you are all doing well. 

Love 
Elder Anderson

A new companion! Hooray!

This week was Elder Thornton's last week! Holy crap, he was difficult, but it is over now and I have grown a ton these last 6 weeks. This is definitely been the hardest 6 weeks of the mission so far.   It was rough; he still did not get up on time, or work out, and it was very hard to motivate him to go work and to do missionary work. I hope he is doing well at home.  :)

Elder Child got here and he will be training a new missionary and I will be training one also. I saw a picture of my companion and he looks pretty cool.  He is from South Jordan, Utah. He will have a good time here in Douglas, i'm sure. I was very sad that Dezerae didn't get baptized, but we will let things settle and she will when she is ready.  My letter probably is going to be small this week, but I will have more to talk about when I am with my new companion. 

These are pictures of Elder Thornton and I helping move the Wellmans.  Great family!!! I love you all! Love Elder Anderson