La Legua Peru, June 24, 2013 (15)

Saludos a todos! This morning for P day we went to Limatomba and played futbol against Hna Madsen´s zone. The good thing about being the smallest mission in the world is that I get to see everyone a lot. It was super fun this morning! Playing futbol with Latinos is fun because they´re so good and get so into it. Plus it was fun to run around and play a sport!

There was an earthquake the other morning, but it was only a few seconds. Still, it was my first earthquake ever! We only felt one, I don´t know if there were other after shocks or whatever they´re called.

I got suuuper sick on Wednesday from some clams that we ate at a member´s house. I don´t know if they were just not cleaned right or what, but Tuesday night I was sick throwing up, and all day Wednesday I stayed in bed. I called Hna Borg and she told me to just sleep it off, and I really did just leave the apartment once on Wednesday ha. Hna Rodriguez went on splits with Hna Nunez to our citas, so that was good. I´m better now, so don´t worry! I just know to be more careful with seafood now ha.

Remember our investigator Amador who was going to be baptized last Saturday on the 15th? Hna Rodrigez and I were thinking all week how we could help him feel ready, and we prepared a message for him about faith and how it´s not a perfect knowledge. We read Ether 4 with him and Alma 32 and talked about how he didn´t have to know everything before his baptism. He still had some doubts after that, so we had a lesson with his sister who is a recent convert. We realized we should have done that earlier because her testimony is so strong and it really helped him. We also talked about Christ and his atonement and how we can become perfect through him someday. He admitted that he wanted to be baptized, but was worried about things that his friends were telling him. After we talked about Christ´s Atonement for us and repentance, he opened up a lot more and accepted the baptismal date for the 22nd. There were a few problems in planning his baptism and we were running around trying to find someone to be another witness, but in the end it all turned out great! Amador was baptized and on Sunday was confirmed to receive the Holy Ghost. Hna Rodriguez and I went and visited him on Sunday after church and I could just see in his face something new that wasn´t there before! He was so much happier! My testimony of Christ´s Atonement was strengthened, because I realized that Christ really does have the power to heal anyone. I know the power of the Holy Ghost is real. One of the best parts of being a missionary is knowing if you´re worthy you´ll have the Holy Ghost bearing testimony of your words, no matter how bad your Spanish is

. I saw so many miracles this week and I´m so grateful to be doing the Lord´s work.

Yesterday we watched the leadership conference in the Stake Center. It was sooo good! It really stressed how every member is a missionary, and it´s so true, we need the help of the members! I was a little bit surprised when I saw the Marriott Center! It was weird ha. I don´t think we can use Facebook yet... I think they´re gonna do a trial run with missionaries in the States first.

 Thank you all so much for your letters!! I love hearing from you all! You´ve all been in my prayers this week as I know it´s been a hard time for the family. I hope everyone´s doing well. I know that this is the true church. I know that families can be together forever. I love you all so much! Cuidense!!

Hna Anderson

Amador's baptism

Beach in Chancay

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Jaden and Hna Rodriguez with Celia and her husband.  They made me a tres leches cake for her birthday.

Winter season is cloudy and cold.

La Legua Peru, June 17, 2013 (14)

     Hola todas! First of all, Feliz Dia de Papa dad!! Te amo mucho! Sorry I didn´t write yesterday. For P day we went as a zone to Chancay, a little town en la playa. We played futbol on the beach, and I´m not gonna lie, futbol is fun! At least that game was ha. We had fresh ceviche and Inca Kola and it was super good. For P day last week we went to a water park called, very originally, Parque de las Aguas. The park is really a bunch of fountains that you pay to go play in, so we ran around in the fountains for a while then rode home in a bus soaking wet. Our last two P days have been with the zone, so they have been way fun!!

     Last week we had Interpol, so we went to the mission office and met up with other new missonaries to go do a bunch of paperwork. The good thing about our mission being so small is that I got to see Hna Madsen, Elder Fankhauser, Hna Bejarano, y Elder Thomas again! We went over to a capilla b y the CCM and had our teeth checked and fingerprints done. We are gonna have to go back sometime to do Immigrations, and they said that would take all day. Fun stuff!

     We had a super funny lesson a few days ago with a reference named Carlos. Carlos is probably about 60 years old. First of all when we walked in we walked through a cloud of incense burning by the door and I had no idea what we were breathing. Then we sat down and Carlos starting speaking English words in sentences that didn´t make any sense, so I just laughed cause he was laughing. We were talking and we told him that we serve for 18 months. He said, ¨Do you know what 8 plus 1 is? 9, that´s right. How old was Christ when he died? 33. What do you get when you multiply 3 and 3? 9, that´s right.¨Ha and also, ¨Do you know how many bones are in the spinal column? 33, that´s right. And what happens if you break your spinal column? Yes that´s right, you die.¨Ha he was hilarious just telling us random facts about numbers. He reminded me of the dad on that movie about a big fat greek wedding. Everything is Greek. Haha.

     Last night we had a family home evening con the Bishop and his wife. We watched a Mormon message from Elder Holland where he talks about no matter how hard life my seem, better things will come. The Bishop´s wife said that those hard things in life are our mirror. When hard things come it´s a chance for us to see how our relationship is with the Savior. It made me think when I go through hard times who do I turn to first? I really love the message to just keep moving forward, and all things will work together for our good.

     In our meeting with the ward mission leader this week he told us something that I´ve been thinking about all week. He said that here in the mission we have the opportunity and power as missionaries to promise people specific blessings. He said that as representatives of Jesus Christ, we have the power to promise blessings, and no other time in our life probably are we going to have that same power. It really struck me that I need to be worthy to be able to promise those blessings. And it gave me a greater vision of my responsiblity as a missionary.

     Thanks again for the birthday wishes! My birthday was great!! I got two cakes ha, one was tres leches and one was chocolate. I´m glad that even though I couldn´t be with you guys on my birthday, I got to be with friends and people that I care about. I´ve realized lately that life is so much easier when we count our blessings!! The mission, and just life in general. I love being a missionary! I´m just happy. I´ll get over it I´m sure :)

Hna. Anderson

La Legua Peru, June 10, 2013 (13)

Hola todas! Wow I have so much to write about! First of all, yes dad, I did see Elder Miner, that Elder that we were stalking before at the Zone conference and at transfers, but I didn´t say anything to him. I didn´t know how to say anything without sounding like a complete stalker ha.

Group that I play volleyball with.  Far left is Melany, Emely (a new investigator) next to her and middle front is Joselyn.  Hermana Roriguez on the right.

We had transfers on Tuesday and it was a mix of emotions. I was so so happy to see Hna Madsen!! We saw each other and just ran and hugged each other! I was also super happy to see Elder Fankhauser! It´s been such a long time since I´ve seen my MTC buddies. I also saw my friend Andrea Ocampo who was in my freshman ward at BYU. We both forgot that we were in the same mission, so it was cool to see her. So I am still here in La Legua with Hna Rodriguez. Hna Seclen left to another area so Hna Rodriguez is my trainer now, and she has just a little more time than me in the mission, but she has been great! We get along so well! So at transfers there are two stakes that are transferring to the Lima East mission, and Hna Obrigawitch who was the other gringa here with me is leaving for the other mission! We were all kinda bummed that she is leaving. And Hna Ocampo is her compaion so she is also leaving the mission and I won´t get to see her either! We know that they´re where the Lord wants them to be though. Hna Madsen is now companions with Hna Suqui, one of the sisters that I was with my first day in Lince. So that´s pretty cool!

So Hna Rodriguez and I have had a pretty good first week. It´s kinda funny, cause I thought with Hna Seclen gone I would feel more pressure with just two of us, but it´s just like that quote from Spiderman, but opposite... ¨With great responsibility, comes great power!¨ The Lord qualifies those whom he calls, and he´s going to strengthen us in the work. Hna Rodriguez y yo were kinda glum on Saturday because one of our investigators named Amador was going to be baptized on the 15th, but we went over to his house and he told us he doesn´t feel ready. We are working with him still and hopefully he can build up his testimony of the Book of Mormon, cause he said he hasn´t really read it. But on Sunday we were super excited cause three of our investigators came to church! And we have several new investigators that we are excited about. I love being a missionary!!

One day this week we went with Joselyn to the house of the relief society president to get some new clothes for Joselyn. We walked into the Hermana´s house and Joselyn was in heaven! Hna Meche´s house is a little nicer cause it has painted walls and a tile floor, and Joselyn spread out her arms and was twirling around and was SO happy! I thought to myself, I am never going to complain about a crummy BYU apartment ever again!

Area next to mine called San Martin

To answer a few of your questions, our apartment is actually pretty nice. Sisters get nicer things here ha. Our showers are usually cold, but it´s all good ha. There are dogs everywhere. Some days Spanish comes easier than others, and some days people compliment me on my Spanish which makes me happy! Some days it´s just a completely different language when people talk to me. Oh, and the new sister that replaced Hna Obrigawitch here is named Hna De La Nieves. She is from Uruguay and her accent is crazy. But she´s great.

Well I love you all sooo much!! Thanks for the letters and the Birthday Wishes!! I am so excited for Kenzy!! She´s going to be an amazing missionary! Whenever I show people the picture of our family everyone says that mom looks really young and that Courtney is older than me. Love you guys!! Chaufa!

Hermana Seclen and me with Titi.  He has no use of his arms or legs but is super positive.

For breakfast we drink a lot of tea like drinks.  It reminds me of mate.

La Legua Peru, June 3, 2013 (12)

 Across the street from my apartment

     Hola familia! Sorry that I didn´t write yesterday, but we have cambios today so Hermana Seclen wanted to say goodbye to lots of people and we didn´t have time to write yesterday. Hna Seclen has been here in La Legua for 7 months so she had lots of people to say goodbye to. I am staying here with Hna Rodriguez who is going to finish my training! I get along really well with Hna Rodriguez, and I love love love the people here so I´m glad I get to stay for at least another transfer. AND I´m so excited for today because everyone in the mission is getting together for cambios, so that means I get to see Hna Bejarano, my friend from the MTC, and Hna Suqui and Kimes, who I was with my first day here. ALSO, Hna Madsen and Elder Fankhauser from my MTC district are here in Peru!! President told me at our multizone conference on Tuesday that they would be here for cambios, and I´m sooo excited to see them!! I think that Hna Madsen just got here last night. Today is going to be a great day!!

     I don´t have a lot of time to write, but there are a few things about this week that I want to tell you. On Tuesday we had a multizone conference and Elder Andersen from the Seventy came and talked to us. We watched the video about John Tanner and how we need to keep an eye single to the glory of God. Everything about this work should be focused on Christ! I was reminded that my thoughts need to be centered on my purpose here, on helping people come unto Christ.

     Yesterday we went to the Plaza de Gobierna to buy a maleta for Hna Seclen. For breakfast we had bread with fried platanos and a smoothie with papaya, platano y eggs. For lunch we went out with some Elders and ate Jalea. It was a HUGE plate of all different kinds of fried seafood. It was way good! Then, at the next house, we had alfajors and some kind of puddingish cake. Then, we went out to eat with a member named Titi. He is a way cool guy. He´s in a wheel chair, because he can´t use his arms or his legs, but is always so positivie. But we ate pollo con french fries and coca cola with him. I was so full! Then, we went to another house for a noche de hogar and ate rice, french fries, and chicken. We drank this purple juice that is made from purple corn, which sounds weird but I actually love it! I don´t think I´ve ever felt so full of food in my entire life! Oh man haha.

     Sorry I don´t really have time to answer your questions about everything, but next week when everything gets back to normal I will. I love you all and you have no idea how much I love getting your emails!! I always feel so awesome after I read them. Hope everything´s going well at home! I am keeping you all in my prayers. Chau!

Carinos, Hna Anderson