Individual Emails

April, 27, 2015

Today's email was individual to each member of our family.  Many things Elder Anderson shared are personal and not something to be posted on his mission blog.  He is doing well.  It continues to be hot, and he is looking forward to the middle of May when the weather cools down and the rainy season starts.  We haven't had pictures the last few weeks.  That is my favorite...pictures!  I miss seeing his bright smile when he doesn't send pictures in emails.  He enjoys the responsibilities of being a trainer and District Leader.  He often comments what a humbling experience it is to train a new missionary.

In a recent snail mail letter he stated, "...He is a pretty cool guy with lots of excitement to work.  It's a lot different being a trainer.  I am able to study a lot more during the day.  I have to teach a lot of the lessons and I have to teach a lot of daily normal things of the missionary life.  But just like Elder Orellana, I was new in the mission too once.  Elder Martinez, my trainer was such a great example to me and I hope I can be a trainer like Elder Martinez was for me."

Elder Anderson has such a respect for his trainer and when he sees him he always tells us how great it was to talk to him again and how he continues to learn from his great example as he is now an AP.

Elder Anderson further stated in his letter, "I love the mission more and more each day.  I love Nicaragua! I love the people!  I love the this gospel of Jesus Christ.  I know its true."

As a missionary mom I am very proud of Elder Anderson.  He is a valiant servant seeking to do the Lord's will each day.  He is continually teaching me to be a better person and to be more missionary minded.  My favorite quote as he is serving is, "Find Joy In The Journey".  This journey is filled with JOY!  I love being a mom to 4 sons.  They each bring me such JOY!

April, 20, 2015

Wow time has gone by way fast. I have about 9 months in the mission. The time is flying right now. 

So only one of our 3 possibilities was baptized....ya that was a little bit stressful, but I love being able to work.  As long as I do my part the Lord will do the rest. 

This week was a little bit of a struggle but I learned a lot. We continue to work and find people but I feel there are more people out there waiting for me to contact them...  Something I have also been thinking about is that I need to work better with the members. Out of all my baptisms only 3 were from contacts in the street.

As members of the church we not only need to help the missionaries with food, rides to different places, but people to teach. How great the blessings are when we help and find those people who need to here the gospel. I know in Utah it can be a little bit harder to find non members but they are out there waiting for us to help them. Everyday we interact with people who are ready to listen to this restored gospel. 

It continues to be super hot here. Hopefully about the middle of May it will start raining again.  

I love you guys. You guys are always in my thoughts and prayers. I love you!

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Tacos, Interviews and Scheduled Baptisms!

 April 13, 2015

Well once again I don’t have a lot of time to write.

This P-day we did a district activity and made Tacos. They were alright.....haha

Wow it is really humbling experience to be a trainer and the new District Leader. I spend a lot more time on the phone as I talk with my district and helping them to be successful. I also have a cool opportunity to get to know more of Managua as I go throughout my district to give baptismal interviews.

I love the opportunity to talk with these people and get to know them as they are getting ready and are excited to be baptized. I can feel the spirit so strong as I once again understand and learn how importance baptism is. It not only allows us to enter into the kingdom of our Heavenly Father but also how it prepares us for other covenants in the future and to enter the temple. I love the temple and the peaceful feeling I receive as I visit the temple.

This next week we hopefully have 3 Baptisms. It’s a mom and her two kids that are really cool. But some weeks they are really positive and other days they don’t seem positive at all. On Thursday we talked about the word of Wisdom and she committed to give up coffee. We went back to visit on Saturday to see if she had kept her commitment with our Heavenly Father. We first asked her if she was ready to be baptized this next Saturday and she answered YES!! I was super excited. Then we asked about the coffee. She explained how Friday she didn’t drink coffee but then on that same day she drank coffee in the morning..........ya super exciting then super sad....... The lady committed to giving up drinking coffee again on Saturday. Which can be really hard to do? A lot of people have coffee and a piece of bread for breakfast here. I am excited to see them be baptized. Keep them in your prayers please that they can continue to feel the spirit as we teach and prepare them for baptism.

I am learning so much especially about patience and humility. I love learning about the life of the savior and how I can better be like him.

Thank you for all your love and support. I Love you guys so much!!

From Managua, your son, brother and missionary,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Changes!

April, 6, 2015

Elder Anderson and Gomez with a Church member

I am sorry that I don’t have much time to write. All is well in Managua and I am doing really good.

So the story of the week is that there were lots of changes this change. I got a new companion named Elder Orellana. He is a new missionary, so I am now training a missionary. What a humbling experience it is to train a missionary. I am learning a lot while training. I am learning how to be more humble, patient, and have more charity.

I have also been called as the new District Leader here. I have a lot of fun with this new responsibility and hope to have a lot of success. My district has great missionaries and is having a lot of success.

Our area is doing really good even though it is still super hot here. I have a couple of baptisms coming up these next few weeks. Please keep praying for my investigators that they can follow the commandments, especially the word of wisdom.

I love you guys and miss you. I hope all is well. Keep up the good work. I am excited to read tonight the letters that you sent.

A picture with me and Elder Martinez

A picture with me, Elder Martinez, and my 
new companion, Elder Orellana.

With Love,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Pulperias, little juices.

March 30, 2015

Hey guys!!! So this week the story is about juice, the heat, and everybody has agency.

So this week it has been super, super, super hot. I have never felt so much heat in my life. So i am always stopping getting something to drink like water or juice. Throughout the day I am always asking the members for a glass of water. They sell little juices called Pulperias here.They come in a little bag. You rip open the bag with your teeth and then drink it. They are really cheap and they taste alright, so I have been living off those to try and stay hydrated.

I realized that a lot of my emails are super serious....I apologize. I will now try to start and add a funny moment every week into my emails.

Funny moment of the week:

One night all of our appointments fell through, so at about 8 at night we started contacting houses. Well we contacted this one house and a old lady came to the door. We started talking to her for a little bit then she just slammed the door in my face.....I never thought I would have an older lady slam the door in my face, but ya it happened.  

So this week we have changes coming up on Wednesday. So that is always exciting. We will see what changes brings. Changes are to make things better. I know that President Russell receives revelation from our Heavenly Father for the mission and each of the missionaries to help keep the work moving forward.

So this month we had a lot of positive people we were teaching, but I learned a lot about how everyone has agency. I know the Lord will help me find those people that are ready to hear our message and be prepare to be baptized in the True Church.

This week I really tried hard as well to focus on the needs of the investigators and trying to figure out how I can help them through questions and by following the promptings of the spirit. I have been studying a lot about how I can be more like Christ in my personal study. I know by doing so and applying it to my life I can be a better missionary and a better person in the future as well.

Thank you for everything. I love hearing from all of you guys every week. I hope all is well and that you are studying more of Jesus Christ and bearing testimony to those around you and helping them come unto Christ.

I love you guys,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

I attached a picture of Elder Carter and I and some of the other missionaries from my time In Masaya. The photo was taken after the Multi-Mission Conference.

Multi-Mission Conference.

March 23, 2015

Wow time is cruising here in the mission. It’s hard to believe that I already have 8 months today in the mission. I wish I could go back in time with all of the things I have learned and teach all my investigators over again.

This week was filled with a lot of ups and downs. One night as we were walking the street I had an overwhelming feeling of how happy I was. I wasn’t doing anything exciting, I wasn’t talking, I wasn’t eating anything good, I was just happy. Missionary Work makes us happier. I loved the talk from Elder Bednar that he gave last conference. Holy cow its almost time for General Conference again......but he shared that as we have found the true happiness and healing power of the gospel we have a desire to share it. People as they see this happiness also respond to that and want to learn more.

Something that I have seen as well is how Christ has placed people in our paths to teach. As we go to appointments or are leaving appointments He has put people in the streets that we need to contact. I am always looking to contact people in the streets, parks, buses, and sitting out in front of their houses. You never know when you will find a golden Investigator in your path.

Something I have been really thinking about this week is how to have more love and charity for those that I teach. As the people can see that Christ has a love for them they want to better respond to that and follow the commandments such as going to church, praying, and being baptised. I have started by making it a point to smile more during the lessons and really try to get to know the person and find the struggles they are having. When someone can really see that they care they want to learn more and act more. Elder Gomez was talking about some of the past missionaries in the mission. He told me of how some missionaries would really take the time to listen and then help the investigators, contacts, or members with their problems. I want to be more like them and help them see the love of Jesus Christ for them.

So this week we also had a big Multi-Mission for the North Mission and for the South Mission. Bishop Davies of the Presiding Bishopric and also Elder Ochoa came with their wives. We all got to pass by and shake their hands. They talked about how to use the scriptures more in teaching and also how to love others.

Elder Ochoa and Sister Ochoa gave a special thank you to you Mom and Dad. They told me to tell you thank you for raising me in a way that I could serve a mission here in Nicaragua, to help those that don't know where to find the gospel of Jesus Christ find it.

Something else that I am going to try to do more is serve my companion Elder Gomez. I read an article in the Liahona about how an Elder everyday would shine his companion’s shoes while he was getting ready for the day. I think I am going to start doing that.

I love the mission. I love the people. Se que este obra es lo mas importante que podemos hacer. Como miembros de la iglesia tenemos un responsabilidad para compartir este evangelio. Se que este es la Iglesia verdadero. Se que El vive.

Te amo,

Elder Morgan Monroe Anderson