I am having the time of my life here in Nicaragua in the Zone of Managua.

June 29, 2015

Wow so much to talk about!!

Well I guess I could talk about first things first....Changes

Yes I did have changes. I got changed to the area Las Palmas in the Zone of Managua. I am still in the same zone and am right next to my old area. I was called to be the new Zone Leader here with my new Companion Elder Hironaka. Wow we are already super great friends. He is super cool. He is from Arizona and we both love to talk about life and the mission. He is teaching me a lot about how to be a better missionary and Zone Leader. Elder Hironaka has just a little bit over a year in the mission. He came one transfer before me. Elder Castillo is being trained by Elder Hironaka and he is from Honduras. He is a super cool guy and is super funny. Elder Presinal is my other companion and is from the Domincan Republic. He just got here to Nicaragua and I am his Trainer. He is a lot of fun to work with and get to know him.

The area here is kind of the same as Lezcano with a few differences. We have a fairly big area with a lot of people to visit and teach. We had one baptism last Friday as well as my old area Lezcano. It was cool to see my investigator get baptized in my old area and our investigator here in my new area. He is a super cool guy and is about our age. We are hoping to have 2 more baptisms this Saturday. As I have gotten to know these people this last week I can see a change in them everyday as they continue reading the scriptures and as they went to church with us on Sundays. The true sign of repentance and change is through actions. 

One of the great parts of getting a new area is getting to know new people especially all the members in the area. I already have a lot of friends here in this area and that is great to be able to find more investigators. As I have said before. Its a lot more easier to find people to teach with the help of the members. 

My testimony has grown so much these past few weeks its been amazing. I love learning from other missionaries and learning of their experiences. I have learned how to be more humble. Listening to the advice and council of others but then putting that advice into an action really shows the Lord how willing you are to receive revelation. Being humble and patient are great characteristics to be able to have. My new companions have taught me a lot about how to love others and find ways to serve the other missionaries, ward members, and investigators. 

I hope all is well at home. It sounded like a way fun week that was packed with lots of cool adventures. Dad was with big time businesses like NASA in Alabama, Mom at Girls Camp, Jaren living at home alone for a while.....again.....haha hows that? Carter and Dallin down in Utah County! Did you guys get to go fishing again?? Keep having lots of fun this summer! I love hearing about all your adventures and seeing pictures. 

I am having the time of my life here in Nicaragua in the Zone of Managua. I love it here. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else in the world. I love the people, food, culture, and this great work that we have here to do in Nicaragua. 

I love you guys! Take care and stay safe. 

With Lots of Love,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

A rainy night and a great find!

A Rainy Night and a Great Find!

June 15, 2015

This week was a crazy adventure and I loved it. It was filled with a lot of ups and downs throughout the week and just goes to show how much the Lord’s hand is in the work.....

This last Tuesday it started raining...and it rained so hard! I am super grateful for this rain coat that I bought before I left! So when it rains here it rains super hard usually later at night around 6 and stops raining at about 11 but sometimes it can just rain all day. There were some parts where you are up to your knees in water as you are walking through the street. We got caught in the rainstorm way far from our house and continued to keep working and finding people who we had to visit. Its a lot easier to get into houses when it is raining.

As it was raining it was getting late and about time we needed to start thinking to go back to the house but we decided to contact one more house. The only house with the door open and the light on.....haha. So we went up knocked on the door and they let us in. Inside was a family where the wife and mom are members but her husband is not. Wow what a miracle! These members have not been active for a long time but want to start going back to church. They are a great family and we have visited them a couple of times and they really want to go back to church. Its hard to find the husband at home because of his work schedule but I know that we will be able to teach him and help him be baptised. The work is so much easier with the help of members and when you can baptize and also reactivate a family it makes it that much better!

This week I learned a lot about the Plan of Salvation and of the Sabbath Day and how important that is. Its easy to keep the sabbath day holy here in the mission but there are so many temptations at home that can change this sacred day from a day of rest to a normal day. I encourage you guys to keep the sabbath day holy and do everything you can possibly do together as a family. I learned a lot this week how families can be together forever and hope I can share that knowledge that I have with the people here in Nicaragua.

Sorry I don’t have much time to write. I love you all and hope all is well. Keep up the great work and take care! Carter, I am super pumped to here you won Gold!! Be safe at work and other hobbies. Tienen planes para ir a Lake Powell este año??

Les Amo!!

De Nicaragua Managua Sur,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Broken Camera! :(

June 8, 2015

Wow, time is going by super fast.  Just about every week I comment on how fast it's going. Haha!  Sorry, I will stop making remarks like that. This week was a great week and hope I can share some fun and spiritual moments with you from this week. 

Well it finally started raining this week!! YES! I love the rain here. On Tuesday night as soon as we got into the house it started pouring and I mean pouring. Earlier in the day it was super hot and I was worried we were going to have another super hot week, but as we got in the door at the house it started raining. Here in this part of Managua its kind of a down hill slope toward the lake since we are so close to the lake and all the water from Managua runs down this way. So when it rains really hard the streets fill with water and turn into rivers. So that's pretty cool. Usually when it rains we just keep working. Its a lot cooler at night and in the morning.

So this last Monday we went and visited a less active family and we had a small family home evening with them. I took out my camera and it fell so now I don't have a camera....sorry, I will not be able to send pictures for a while....its broke. Haha. It's alright though.  I am talking with dad about how I can get a new one. 

I also was able to go on divisions this week with some of the Elders in my district and help them a little bit. It was a lot of fun to go to a different area for a day and meet their investigators. It rained really hard that day too and we were pretty soaked by the end of the day. 

This week was a great week as we have met a lot of new investigators and are retaining the old ones. We found a guy to teach that through the last few months has lost everything including cars, motorcycles, and even his family. It was a great blessing to contact him and teach him and get to know him and feel the spirit guide and direct us as we know how to teach him and help him overcome his needs. He was able to go to church and has a lot of friends that are actually members here in the ward. 

This week was also filled with lots of guidance from the spirit. As we were leaving a less active members house yesterday a family walked by and I hurried and contacted them with my companion. I didn't know why, I just did it. I stopped them and started talking with them and found out that a couple of years ago they talked to missionaries and loved the church and were actually ready to be baptized then there work schedule changed and were not able to go to church. I learned that they are now not working on Sunday. And then they just told me that they want to go to church this Sunday and be baptised!!! Haha Yes!! Its amazing to see blessings like that. It was a great example to me to be ready at all times to proclaim the restored gospel. Even if it means contacting in buses and doing things that seem out of the ordinary. It is always the spirit guiding us as we are obedient and ready to listen and follow the promptings. 

Hopefully we will have a baptism this week. We met this guy a couple weeks ago as he was leaving a little store in the street and he told us he talked to missionaries before and that he was about to be baptised but then got really sick. So now were teaching him and he is really progressing and doing well. I love seeing people change as they live the commandments and choose to follow Jesus Christ

I love you all and hope all is well. From the pictures you send the mountains are super green and looks like you guys are loving life. I am excited to see how summer games is going to go. Send me a bunch of pictures. Be safe while driving and everything. I love you guys. Talk to you next week!! 

With much love from Managua Nicaragua,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

Being a Member Missionary

June 1, 2015

It's already June. I cant believe it.

This week was a lot of work to finish up the last week in May. We as leaders were running around like crazy helping and doing baptismal interviews and helping investigators be baptized.  The district and zone did amazing this month as we had a great number of baptisms.  I learn more and more on the mission how much I love the people of Nicaragua. I love being able to talk to them in the streets, buses, stores, and especially in their homes. 

The biggest thing about this week was how great it was to have this baptism. We baptized this guy this week and he will be a great member for the rest of his life. It was so much fun teaching him and hearing his story and helping his testimony grow. I loved being able to teach him and see my own testimony strengthened. He struggled with a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon. I felt my testimony grow every time I shared with him about the prophet Joseph and how I know the Book of Mormon is true. It was also a great experience because we did some of the teaching in English. He speaks both Spanish and English really well. This baptism was made possible by one of the members here and with his help we were able to meet the goal of getting him baptized. This is why I am pushing you guys to do more missionary work because I know first hand how much easier it is to do the work with the help of the members. I know that as our family commits to do more missionary work we will be blessed greater than we have ever known. Our Heavenly Father will open the heavens on our family as we commit to the work of bringing people to the fold of Jesus Christ. Whether they are lost sheep that have gone astray or are being brought into the fold we will be blessed.

Today was great as we went and played soccer and ate pizza. It was a really nice p-day.

It has been fun to here all about soccer and what is going on there. I cant believe Dallin is playing for
La Roca!!  I never thought an Anderson would put on a La Roca jersey.

My time is up but I want you guys to know how much I love you. I know this church is true. Thank you for all the emails. 

With much Love, your brother, son, and missionary,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

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Preview attachment IMG_1698[1].JPG

I hit double digits!

 May 25, 2015

Dear Family and Friends,

Well I hit double digits this week.....10 months on the mission! There are so many days I just want to go back and start all over on day one again. I love the mission and can already see how the mission has changed me for the better especially with being more humble and patient.

So I guess the big news of the week is that our old lady that was supposed to be baptized this week was not baptized....wow I didn’t know that I would have so much stress trying to help her get baptized. She knows the church is true and loves going to church. She has had some problems these last few weeks with her family and I know that has put an impact on her decision. She also has been sick and hasn’t been able to leave the house very much....So we continue to keep working with her and the members to try to help her get baptized hopefully within the next few weeks. Just as Nephi said, there is opposition in all things.

But the Lords work is always moving forward. This week will baptize a way cool guy! I am so excited for this baptism. He will be a great member of the church as time goes on and it all is going to start with the baptism on Saturday. He lived in the states most of his life and speaks better English than he does Spanish so I just end up teaching in English most of the time. 

During the week I always have a ton of stuff I want to share with you guys or pictures I want to take but I just don’t take the pictures....haha. For example this week we were walking by the Jehovah Witnesses church in my area and there were a bunch of kids outside of the fence looking at the wall of the church. We went over there to see what's going on and there were two huge iguanas!! The one was probably about three fourths of my size!! But here is the thing..... I didn’t remember my camera. So I took a sweet mental image.... sorry!

I am doing really well I love the mission more and more each day. I hope all is well. It’s crazy to think I almost have a year in the mission and how school is going to end for you guys and everything. Have some fun while on summer break. 

I love you guys!!! I will take some pictures this week!

With love, 

Elder Morgan M. Anderson

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.