Miracles, Joy and Papusas!

July 13, 2015

This week was a really great week and I wish I knew how I could fully word it better. But mom had a couple of questions she wanted me to answer before I get started.....

My favorite responsibility as a Zone Leader has been just helping everyone in our zone.  I love getting to know all the missionaries better and know their investigators and try and help them reach their goal of baptism. This week I was able to go and help a lot of companionships in our zone with different investigators and getting to know them.  It was a great experience!

This week will also be very busy as we will hopefully have more baptisms in our zone. 

My favorite meal this week was some chicken pasta. I also drank a really good juice that kind of reminded me of that orange drink we used to make at home when I was younger.

Yes, we still have someone cook and do our laundry for us. That is something that we should always have. 

The highlight of teaching investigators.....I will talk about that in just a second. 

Papusas are actually a traditional food from El Salvador. I ate it quite a bit when I was with Elder Orellana. I like them a lot. They’re pretty good. 

Wow what blessings I have seen from the Lord this week. I reflected many times on Alma 18 as it states that they had much success after much fasting and prayer. Wow as I put that to the test this week I have seen doors open that I never thought would have been opened. On Saturday, my companion and I were talking outside of a house with an inactive member. As we left it started raining, we stopped in front of a wealthy house and started putting our rain jackets on. A guy who was standing in the door told us to come in and sit down. He is such a cool investigator! As we talked to him he completely opened up to us and told of his trials and struggles in life. I felt the spirit so strong as my companion and I taught how he can start a new life through baptism. He quickly accepted a date. The next day he came to church by himself and stayed all 3 hours! He is a golden investigator!

We also met another lady and her two kids who also went to church. We went by her house and asked her if she liked church. She looked at us, and then told us. I think am going to visit your church every Sunday! Yes!!! She also accepted a date to be baptized! 

This week we are also preparing two other people for baptism including one guy who has completely given up working on Sunday. He quit his job just to go to church on Sundays and is super excited to get baptized. I love the mission!

What miracles we have seen this last week. It has rained quite a bit this week while some days have been nice. I love it when it rains a little sprinkle. Enough so that it’s not super hot but not that you are soaking wet.   

The mission is the greatest experience I have ever had in my life. I am having a lot of fun right now. I have never worked so hard, been so tired, but had so much fun. I have learned a whole new perspective to, mourn with those that mourn, comfort those that stand in need of comforting... and experiencing joy with those that have joy..... I made up that last part..haha. But really, how important it is to help everyone and talk to everyone? Our Savior Jesus Christ was a great example of this. I want to be more like him, I know as I develop these attributes I will be a better missionary and person. 

Your son, brother, and missionary,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Fourth of July in Nicaragua

July 6, 2015

Well I guess the fourth of July was on Saturday. It was a great day of work for us. There weren’t any fireworks or special parades or anything just pure hard work and a lot of joy as well. 

So this last week was filled with learning experiences. I love being here in the area of Las Palmas and being with my new companions. I learn a lot from each one of them about how to be better and better every day. 

So this Friday a couple of our appointments fell through so we decided to go and contact a little side street in our area that hasn’t had many missionaries contact it. We started talking to a guy probably about 50 years old and at first, didn't want to talk with us. He explained he had talked to missionaries before and didn’t have a lot of interest. I asked him what he thought about our church and he explained he didn’t agree with prophets in these days. I quickly pulled out my bible and began to read a few scriptures and ask questions about what he thought the scriptures referred too. As I was speaking I felt totally controlled by the spirit. I honestly don’t remember a lot about what I said. After we talked with him in his door step for about 15 minutes about the restored church. We then paused for a second. He then looked at us and said; I would like for you to come back. Wow what a huge change we saw in this short 15 minutes! I know that through the spirit is when the real teaching takes place. He came to church with us this Sunday and was ready and waiting when we got to house to go to church. Miracles!

Another cool event took place this week. We just got out of sacrament meeting and an older gentleman walked up to me. He was dressed in a buttoned up shirt and black pants. He looked at me and said he was coming for the first time and wanted to learn more about the church! Yes!!!! He stayed for Sunday school and priesthood and loved it.  We went to his house later that night and he began to explain why he was interested in the church and that he had already read and learned a little bit about it. He was so humble and expressed to us his desire to change and become a better person. He will be a great investigator and I am excited to go back and teach him this week. 

So on Saturday I was able to go help in another area for a little bit with their baptism.  I then ran back to our area for our two baptisms.  It was great as we got a lot support from the ward and their family members. 

I love working hard, coming home at night then being able to say I put in 100 percent today. The mission is a great experience and I love working more and more in this work. These past 11 months seem like such a short time and I want to keep working even harder to accomplish double of what I have done in these few short months. 

Love,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson