Hola todos!

     First of all, FELIZ CUMPLEANOS Courtney!! 18 years!! I can´t even believe it. I hope you have an amazing day baby sis!! I love you so much!

     Welp familia, I can´t believe that another week has come and gone. This week was really great for us! This week we were looking and working like crazy, and we found 14 new investigators!! 14!! Hna. Callister said that she´s never had that many nuevos in a week in all of her mission. We´ve been pretty excited! I feel like we´ve got more animos now to work. I don´t know how to say animos in English, but it´s the only way to describe how I feel ha.

     

     Part of the reason we´ve been working with more animos is because we have a new ward mission leader. His name is Juan Carlos, and he is actually the son in law of our pensionista (land lord). At first I was worried that we had a new ward mission leader, because our first meeting with him he asked us exactly what was his calling. BUT, he´s really taken the iniciative to learn and to help us in the work. He wants to meet all of our investigators which is GREAT! That´s exactly what a ward mission leader should do. We had a couple awesome lessons with him yesterday with two different families. We finally found the parents of the familia Castilla and shared with them the proclamation to the world. The seemed to really like how we focus on families, and the dad really liked that we believe that God has a plan for us here. He said that it makes sense then that we´re here with families to help us progress and learn. He works for the police, so I told them that my dad works for the police too. He thought that was really cool ha. Juan Carlos also came with us to teach another new family. We met these two ladies in the street last week, because they called us over and started speaking to us in English! They speak English pretty well and wanted us to teach them. We visited them yesterday and shared the Book of Mormon with them. They were sohoho surprised when they heard that Christ came here to the Americas! It was actually kinda funny ha. We had a great lesson with them and the spirit was so strong when we testified of Christ. They both told us that they felt like God didn´t hear their prayers, but we assured them that he hears everyone´s prayers, because we´re all his children. It was a great lesson and I´m excited to teach them again.

     

     On Wednesday we started teaching an English class! We´ve been trying to organize a class ever since Hna. Callister got here, and we finally had it. About a dozen people came and we taught them the basics, like how to introduce yourself. A family of investigators came that we had never met before, so now we have another new family to teach!! We´re going to teach them at their house, but we haven´t been able to find them yet. We´ll keep looking this week! 

     This week we also had exchanges with our hermanas trainers. I went to San Miguel for the day with an Hna. Asay. She is from Provo and has two months left in her mission. We had a lot of fun together and I learned a lot from her! I stayed the night in San Miguel and in the morning we went to Miraflores because Hna Asay had an appointment with the skin doctor. Miraflores is the richest part of Peru, and it was supa supa weird!! I felt like I was in the states and I felt so out of place ha. It was nice to see a nicer part, but also weird.

     I hope you know that I love my mission and am learning a lot. There are hard days, but most of all I am happy here and love the people here. Yesterday when we were sitting in Sacrament meeting, I was a little bummed cause no one could come with us in the morning. Then I looked behind me, and three of our investigators showed up just in time! I´ve seen miracles here and am learning that the Lord´s time is different than our time. We just have to trust in him, and we will see miracles and blessings. I love you all so much!! Have a great week!! 

Con amor, Hna. Anderson

P.S. Photo is from the window of a restaurant in our area. Chevere!

Another week!

     Hola familia y amigos! Sorry that I didn´t write yesterday, we took a bus for about 2 hours down south to a beach called Mala for P day and I didn´t have time to write. We played volleyball on the beach and I actually got a little sunburnt, which is weird cause there wasn´t any sun ha. It´s still pretty chilly here most days but last week we had a few days of sun so that was nice. I think it´s gonna start warming up here pretty quick! I´m ready for spring!

     This week we had interviews with President Borg. Presidente Borg and Hermana Borg son lo maximo! That´s the phrase that everybody uses here to say that something is awesome ha. But really, I feel like they´re my family here! In my interview I told President Borg that I was a little bit frustrated that we haven´t seen the fruits of our labors as far as baptisms go. He said that as long as we´re working hard, we´re obedient, and we´re teaching with the spirit, then we´re having success. That made me feel a lot better. The mission is hard to explain because, I have to admit, it´s super hard, but it´s the greatest thing ever! There are some hard days, but all of those are just forgotten when we have a great lesson and I can feel the spirit and know that we´re helping someone come unto Christ. Even though we aren´t having baptisms right now, I know we´re helping people here in our ward. Baptisms will come as we just keep working! 

     Something else about this week is that on Sunday we had stake conference and watched a broadcast from Salt Lake. I´m pretty sure it was stake conference for all the stakes in Peru. We got to hear from Elder Bednar and Elder Scott. It was really great! Elder Bednar talked about repentance and how Christ is the great doctor. The guilt that we feel when we sin can be replaced with happiness and joy when we repent and use the Atonement. Christ can heal our spiritual wounds. Elder Scott talked about how woman is the most beautiful of all of God´s creations. I was a little surprised at first when he started talking about that topic, but then I realized that it was super great for all the women here to hear! Lots of the women we teach are single moms and don´t realize their self worth. I´m so grateful that Elder Scott talked about our self worth as women. I also love every time he talks about his wife Jeanine, it´s so cute! I just want every husband to talk about his wife like he does. Every women deserves that!

     I think that one of the biggest things I´m learning in the mission is how God must feel when we don´t keep his commandments. I find myself getting disappointed when our investigators don´t keep their commitments, and I can only imagine how our Heavenly Father must feel! I don´t know, it just must be really hard for Him to see when someone doesn´t want to hear about his gospel, or hear about what his son did for them. I appreciate so much now growing up with the gospel and don´t think I realized the importance of it in my life. I can see the difference in people´s lives when they don´t have it, and it´s really sad to be honest! I know I´m here to bring the happiness and light of Christ´s gospel in people´s lives. 

     Hna. Callister and I are still getting along great! We have a lot in common and are learning a lot from each other. Colton, your email made me laugh ha. I´m glad you are liking your Spanish class! Keep practicing with dad! And I´m sorry you lost in football. All you can do is just keep getting better right? I´m SO happy to hear that you´re all still reading the book of mormon. Ustedes son lo maximo! Thanks for all the updates about home. Glad to hear you´re all doing well. I love you all so much!!! Talk to you next week. Cuidense!

Con amor, Hna. Anderson

P.S. I can´t believe I´ve got 6 months in the mission. Crazy!! Pictures are of us in Mala on the beach.

Time is flying!

     Saludos a todos! I can't believe another week has come and gone. We had some pretty great lessons with some pretty great people this week. I feel like we're finally finding some new investigators and gaining some new ground with the ones we have. I'm learning a TON from Hna. Callister. We are just having a blast together! We get lots of people calling at us with lots of different names, but what can you do...

     Well the beginning of this week was honestly pretty slow. I felt like a bunch of our appointments were falling through and nobody was at home. We just kept going to our backup plans and praying for inspiration to know where we should go. We had a lesson with an hermana who told us that her daughter was in the hospital because she had to have some kind of operation, and she was praying for help in the hospital. She told us that she prayed that God would send her someone to help her in this time, and then we showed up less than a week later! She said that she thinks we're the answer to her prayers. We had a great lesson with her and invited her to come to church, but she said she needs permission of her husband first. We are going to try and teach him too. 

     We also had a lesson this week with a family that we found last week named the Familia Castilla. The mom is a member but hasn't asisted church in years. We went to their house to visit them but only their three daughters were home, named Avigail, Milagros and Eleana. The oldest daughter, Avigail, told us that she is a Jehova's witness, but that she has some questions about our church. We taught them about the Book of Mormon and are going to go back later this week! These three girls are sooo cute and I feel like they're my sisters already! I'm excited to teach them as a family.

     A couple days ago we received a reference from a member named Hna. Celia. The reference's name is Ana Maria. We taught her a couple nights ago and she told us that she's been living in the street for the past couple months, without friends and without work. Now she's working for Hna. Celia, cooking and selling hamburgers. When we were teaching her, she told us, I don't know if God really knows me... I'm just a normal person working at a cart. I felt so much love for her and just wanted to give her a big hug and tell her that everything will be okay. We taught her the Plan of Salvation and testified that God does know her and loves her. We are going to teach her in the house of Hna. Celia tomorrow. Sometimes people are humbled so that they are more prepared to hear the gospel. I know that the gospel can help every single person, and that's why I'm here in the mission, is to help people like Ana Maria. 

     We are still working hard and trying to be better teachers everyday. I feel like I'm learning so much every single day!! I love being with Hna. Callister and love my area. I love you all so much and hope that everything's good at home. Keep reading the Book of Mormon! Good luck with school and work and everything. Oh, and here is my address if you want to write me a real letter:

Sister Jaden Anderson

Peru Lima Central Mission

Av. Jorge Basadre 592, Oficina 604 B

Edificio Torre Azul

San Isidro, Lima 27

PERU

Our room

My new companion Hna Callister from California

Cooking french toast

Well hey!

     Hey there! Welp theres been a lot of changes around here to tell you about! First of all, you are not going to believe this, but my companion is another gringa!! Her name is Hna. Callister and she is from California!! Ha we both cannot believe it still. We have basically been floating on cloud 9 this whole week that were together... thats an expression right? Hna. Callister was studying at BYU Provo for three years before her mission. She was studying business, did ballroom dancing, and ran cross country for BYU. Dont worry, weve already started going running in the morning! She also went on a study abroad to Europe so we talk about our experiences there a lot. Shes awesome! So there are four sister missionaries in our ward including us. In the other companionship is Hna. De Las Nieves and her new companion Hna. Brudnicki, who is from Wisconsin. So last transfer I was the only gringa here, but now there are three of us! We are loving life! Hna. Callister has 10 months in the mission so her Spanish is pretty good. Were still learning a lot together and just laugh when people cant understand us, or when we cant understand them ha. The new hermana Hna. Brudnicki is having a hard time with the language, but I think its good that were here to help her. This transfer we had so many hermanas from the states come in. Its amazing how many sister missionaries are coming! Our mission is really young cause theres so many more people coming than going. Its exciting!

     I was a little worried that our investigators and everyone would take a little time to get used to Hna Callister, but theyve all just opened right up for her! Shes so great with people so theyve just basically spilled out their whole life story to her. I feel like I know more about our investigators and their needs in one week with Hna Callister than the three months Ive been here! Shes really taught me the importance of teaching people, not lessons. Shes got some great ideas for our area, so Im excited to see what we can do together!

     Last night we were teaching Mireya, a member who is about 13 years old, and she told us that her mom really liked coming to church and that she wanted to keep coming. We were like, thats great, she should keep coming to renew her baptismal covenants with the Santa Cena and everything, and Mireya was so confused. She was like, but my moms not a member. Hna Callister and I just looked at each other and we both had this huge grin! Hna Rodriguez and I thought this whole time that her mom was a member! Que barbaridad! So now we have another investigator who is progressing and wants to keep coming to church! Ha it was great. We were pretty excited to find that out.

     Another experience we had was a few days ago. Hna Callister felt like we should knock this random door, so we knocked and found a family whos mom has been inactive for a good number of years. We had no idea she was living there! Her name is Marriot and she has a husband and four hijas who we are going to teach! A new familia! It was a moment when we were really just 100% led by the Spirit! Its pretty cool to realize that we have the guide of the Spirit.

     Well this week has been a great one and I am loving the work here. I love my new companion and Im excited to see the progress in our area this transfer! Were still working with Soledad and are trying to find Miguel again, because weve been having trouble finding him lately. BUT, we are going to keep looking! Good luck with school! I hope everythings going great at home. I cant tell you how happy it makes me to hear that youre reading the Book of Mormon together! Seriously, thats so great! I love that youre learning together. Thanks for being such good examples for me. I hope that BYU has better luck (for lack of a better word) in the upcoming games. Sounds like Coltons team is doing great too! Welp I love you all so much! Thanks sooo much for writing! Cuidense!!

Carinos, Hna Anderson