Week 57 - A new, sweet Sister to teach - The Lords Hands at work

 August 24, 2015

So this week was a little bit of a rough week with not having a ton of investigators in church. But I was able to see a lot of miracles in our area this week.

On Thursday Elder Presinal and I were contacting in a small hallway type thing. It’s called a “callejon” and is a little passage way to other houses.  It opens up into a bigger area with a bunch of houses. I like going back in these to see if we can find new investigators. As were contacting we spoke to a lady washing her clothes outside of her house. We were expecting the same answer of; “I am busy” or, “Come by another day”. But instead we were presented with two seats outside of her home. She then gave us some fruit drink to drink then told us she was ready to hear our message. We started to talk to her and hear of her story in life. She told us of how she was looking for Christ but just did not know where to find him. She told us she had seen us and other missionaries pass by and had been waiting for one day when she could talk to us. 

She then told us of a dream she had the night before. She told us she saw two angels that were standing in white that wanted to talk to her. She told us that she felt like that this was an answer to her dream.  As we taught her about the restored gospel, I sat in awe of the faith of this lady and her willingness to follow the Savior, but she just didn’t know how. We shared our message and felt the spirit so strong. We then committed her to baptism in the next month as well as going to church. My companion and I both agreed at how strong the spirit was and how we knew that we were only instruments in this instance to share His message.  She loved church this Sunday and is going to go back as well as bring her family!

Then as I was walking from her house I hit my head on some sheet metal....and I started bleeding pretty good. But I put a band aid on it and it stopped bleeding. I have a pretty good mark on my head though....hahaha

I have definitely seen the little miracles in my life lately. 

I don’t have a ton of time to write but to make a long story short I had to go to the foot doctor today because I had an ingrown toenail. Everything is fine and there aren’t any problems. They just took the ingrown part out. Pretty uneventful. 

When I was at an interview for baptism I saw a picture on this guy’s wall and it reminded me of the painting in Grandma and Grandpas house. I think it is the same painting. But I love that picture. 

I hope all is well. Take care.

Elder Morgan M. Anderson 

Week 56. New Contacts + Life Challenges = The Atonement

August 18, 2015

Well this week was not super eventful. It was just hard work every day all day. Which I love! I really like getting in and working really hard. Last night my companion and I staggered in the door super tired and worn out. Haha I had a hard time staying awake while waiting for and taking numbers. 

Elder Presinal and I get along really well! He is a fun companion. I really enjoy being his trainer. I like getting to know more about him and his family and about the Dominican Republic. 

This week we spent a lot of time contacting new people and talking to people from all over the country. We talked to a guy from Bluefield’s this week. He speaks a language called Creole. It’s just English but a lot of different words that mean a lot of different stuff. Elder Rodriguez was in Bluefield’s for a long time so he taught me a couple of phrases. We also talked to a lady that spoke Portuguese! She started talking to us and giving us directions to find a house and we understood her!! Elder Presinal and I were pretty proud of ourselves after that. 

We found a cool new Mom and her kid this week. They are really friendly. When we passed by to pick them up they were walking out the door to go by themselves to church. They told us after church how much they liked it and asked when we were going to come by. I love teaching people that want to hear the message of the restored gospel. Another lady we are teaching just has to go to church one more time!!! She is super ready for baptism but has not been able to go to church because of different little problems. I know she will go this week and be able to be baptized soon!

This week we talked to a lot of people.  It seems that each of them is laden with their own various problems.  A lot of problems! As they told me about all their difficulties in life, the message that played over and over in my head was that of the atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Each person on earth has the opportunity to partake of the mercy that we all receive through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The atonement is applicable to everyone who allows it. I have a strong testimony of the atonement and know the He will forgive us, strengthen us, and comfort us. He died so that we might live. I love the talk given by Elder Uchtdorf that he gave in this last conference about grace. 

My testimony has grown so much in these past months, well I guess a little bit over a year now. I have changed. I have seen so many other lives changed as well. The mission is the best. I love every second of it. 

I love you. Take care!!!

Nicaragua Managua Sur,

Elder Morgan M. Anderson 

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