Week - 55. New Camera + Some Changes

August 10, 2015

“Cambios”  a word that means changes in English. Changes are always for the good and to help the work move forward and keep going in a direction where it can grow. I did get new two new companions. Elder Hironaka and Elder Castillo both left for new areas. I will miss Elder Hironaka to be serious. He is definitely a lifelong friend. He taught me a lot about missionary work and how to be a better zone leader.

  
My new companions are from El Salvador and Belize, Elder Henriquez from El Salvador is the other zone leader here. He has been a zone leader for a while out in a zone called Juigalpa. I am excited to work with him. His companions name is Elder Rodriguez. He is from Belize. I guess in Belize they speak more English than Spanish. The first day we worked together so I could show him the area and he was just speaking English with me. I asked how he learned such good English; he looked at me then said, I am learning Spanish. I just speak English....I was pretty shocked...haha. But it’s fun to talk a little bit of English in the house with him. 

This week was a little bit rough with investigators. We did have one baptism though. His name is Eddy. He is the man I have been telling you guys about. How he has changed his life and everything. After his baptism he came up to me and told me that he wants to help us baptize some of his friends too. We are already teaching some of his friends and all of them are really positive to be baptized this month. I love the scripture though in Nephi that talks about how there is opposition in all things. Even when you have a golden investigator there is always something that Satan takes and uses against the situation. But I know that through that we all grow greater testimony. I also love the parable about the sewer and the talk from Elder Oaks. It’s so true how we need to plant our roots deep so that the sun cannot scorch us.  

We had a lot of investigators that were really positive to go to church this week but then couldn’t come because of emergencies or just weren’t home. Sundays are really the days when you can tell if someone is a positive investigator or not. When people start to obey the commandments they start to change. That is why we are asked to follow the commandments, to be obedient, be protected, and change and become more Christ like. 

Elder Anderson with Elder Hironaka

I took some pictures this week! Cause I got the camera. Wahoo!! So I took a bunch of pictures this week for your mom! Hope you enjoy them. 

I love you guys! You guys are always in my thoughts and prayers. Take care and always remember the Savior in your life. 

Week 54

August 3, 2015

Alright....wow its already August.....craziness.

Elder Anderson and Elder Hironaka

This week was a really interesting but great week. We worked really hard in our area but also had the opportunity to have a lot of different meetings as a Zone Leader with Elder Hironaka. I have learned a lot in my mission about how to be a better leader and to learn from other leaders. 

It was a good Pday. We went and got hamburgers at a local restaurant. I also got some ice cream with cake. I love Ice cream!! We then went and played a little bit of soccer then me and my companion Elder Presinal got haircuts. Good Pday! 

This week we had Stake Conference in our Zone. A Seventy came and spoke in the conference and said some very great things about how to be better converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. He shared a story about how his family got converted to the gospel and it made me think about my ancestors and how they got converted to the gospel and how much of an impact they have had, and are having in my life. I feel of all my families love and support daily and keep me going strong. 

 

This next week we should have a baptism of an older man. He has made a 360 turn in his life. It is one of the most amazing things I have seen in my life. Even through the stumbles and falls of being an investigator converting to the true gospel, he has come out amazing. He is one of the most amazing people I have met on my mission. I remember the first day I met him and remember hearing him pray with true sincerity that our Heavenly Father would help him change those bad things in his life. Every time I see him I am truly filled with a great love and filled with the spirit as I converse with him about his testimony of the gospel. He will be a firm member of the church throughout his life. 

After about a week of not talking to one of our really positive investigators we finally got to talk to her yesterday afternoon. She told us she had been in another city taking care of her family. She expressed with us great sorrow and sadness through many trying times in her life. My companion then asked her a great question. He asked, what do you think will bring you the most happiness in your life? She then responded that the church of Jesus Christ will bring her the happiness she needs. I also felt the spirit so strong in that moment. I know that the only way we will find true happiness is to turn to Christ. He is happiness. He is hope.

I love you all and hope for the best. Take care and always remember the importance of prayers and scripture study, individually and with family!

Amo Nicaragua, Amo los Nicaragüenses, Amo la obra del Señor. Se que este es la iglesia verdadera. Se que Jesucristo guía este iglesia. 

I love you guys!

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

When the work is hard, work harder!

July 27, 2015

I apologize as this will be a very short email....I promise I will write more next week.

This was a really great week. I received more and more of a testimony as this is the Lord's work. Its not my work its the Lord’s work. This Friday I was super tired and some of the doors we contacted didn’t open or our set visits seem to fall through. Like Elder Martinez once taught me as well as my parents, When things get hard, work HARDER! We continued working hard trying to find someone who would accept the message that would change their life. As we walked down a street where we have a couple of really positive investigators, I was drawn to a door that I had never thought to contact. We followed the whispering of the spirit and contacted there. We were let in and found to our surprise a family of 4! Wahoo!!!! We taught the message of the restored gospel and then invited them to be baptized and they accepted a date! They also committed to go to church. Then on Sunday, they came to church on their own!! I know it was the guidance of the spirit that we were led to this family. I hope they continue to progress and can be baptized in the future.   The moral is..”When the work is hard, work harder”!

We also have been teaching an older gentleman.  He is very good at reading our handouts and the scriptures. As we taught him he taught US the lesson of the restoration! The lesson was filled with the spirit as we shared the first vision and shared with him about the Apostasy. I gained a better testimony of the Restoration as I taught and learned from him. I know that the Lord has put people out there that are just waiting for us to be taught and be baptized, including a man that hopefully will be baptized this week.

I apologize I am out of time. I love you guys and hope all is well. Take care.

I love you,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Week 52!

July 20, 2015

So this week I will officially complete 1 year in the mission. It seems like yesterday I was loading up my bags to go to the airport......

This week was a really great week filled with a lot of hard work!

Here are the answers to Moms weekly questions,

Weather? Its been raining. Cool story further in the email.

House? Hot water? Its a normal house. We have a bedroom and bunk beds along with an area to study..  We have a small kitchen and bathroom. We don't do a lot of cooking due to time. We do not have hot water. I am pretty sure during my mission I never have hot water.

Las Palmas? It is a really cool area. It is a lot like my old area. It has a lot more business though and a lot more big roads that go through and around the area. We are right in the center of Managua pretty much.

Traditions for the year mark? There are not any traditions for reaching the year mark that I know of.

To start things off, we were able to have another baptism this Saturday! She is a family member of some of the members here in the ward and is now officially a member as well. This Saturday it rained super hard! We got out of a lesson and the wind was blowing a little bit. My companion, Elder Presinal told me he wanted to go get his umbrella because it looked like it was going to rain. Just as he said that it started pouring!! And I mean pouring!  We hurried and ran to the nearest roof that offered enough protection. It was the hardest rain storm I have ever seen! We were stuck under the shelter for a little bit of time and we watched as the streets filled with water and carried loads of garbage down them.  We even watched as it took a small car down the street. The car was parked on the side of the road then we watched as it slowly drifted away. The next thing we saw was a very worried owner run down the street in sandals and shorts after his car. Haha!  It was pretty cool to see a rain storm like that.

This week I got to go work outside my area to go meet some of the investigators in our zone that got baptized on Saturday. I love going and seeing the change in peoples eyes as they accept to change and receive the gospel.

This week we got to go to a Multi Zone conference! Wow!  It was such a spiritually uplifting experience to listen to President and Hermana Russell speak to us. I am uplifted and inspired after they teach us. Elder Hironaka and I were assigned to teach a class on how to better teach the Book Of Mormon. I know that my testimony grew so much as I had the opportunity to teach this class. Its super important for our investigators to know how much of importance the Book of Mormon has. The investigator needs to know that its the most precious thing we have. I love to read the Book of Mormon and of the great writings that it contains.

As I look back on this past year,  it has been full of changes. Granada, Masaya, Managua, and Nicaragua all have a very special place in my heart. I never thought I could love these people so much. I have a great love for them and the work that I do. I have walked through cobble-stoned streets, markets, had areas that are overshadowed by volcanoes and walked through water filled streets to be able to share the gospel with others. But the biggest thing that I have seen is  lives being changed,  hearts softened and opened to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. I have seen people through all walks of life be baptized and make special covenants with our Heavenly Father.

But something even more special....it's not over. I have only begun on this great adventure to serve these people. I know that this upcoming year will be even better than the last. I know that through the power of our Heavenly Father, un openable doors will open, hearts will be changed, and many more people will enter into the waters of baptism.

I also know that I will have many other opportunities to eat more Gallo Pinto!! haha. I love the mission!

Con mucho gozo y amor,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

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