Moving, baptisms, and going to Igacu Falls

August 11, 2014

Did you get moved?

Yes, finally, though we are putting the final touches on our old and new house

How is the work going this week?

The work was the best that it has ever been! Medianeira (my first city here) baptized 6 people! And better yet, I did the baptisms! Then the next day, we baptized HELENA!!! :) that was also really awesome! I was glad to be apart of all of the baptisms. as a reward, we are authorized to go to the falls!

What is the weather like in your new area?

Hot. muggy, and there are a lot of little bugs here that are annoying

How is the member support?

Depends on the member, depends on the day. Usually the Irmas love us and will make us food whenever we ask. I try not to take too much advantage, just when I'm hungry. the best part is they feel more blessed through doing this, it's weird how that works.

How often do you eat in member's homes?

Once a day, they have a calender going on. We eat with someone different every day of the month.

Is the food very different in your new area than your last?

The main difference is they use black beans here, and other places they use brown beans (called white beans? And they eat more Churrasco, or barbacue in english (not the same as ours, they don't use gas, they do it over a fire. its awesome! )

How is it different than "Mexican" food?

Forget tacos, forget burritos, forget enchiladas, forget anything Mexican with pepper. They eat rice with beans on top, but not re-fried beans, they just boil the beans for an hour and season it. It's always rice, beans, salad, and meat. Sometimes a fruit, and always soda or juice.

What characteristics do you admire about your companion?

He is really obedient. That's one of my favorite things!

This week was a blessing, we baptized 10 people in Foz, and 7 were in our district. for that, president is letting anyone that baptized this week go to the waterfalls, and the next week anyone that baptizes this week! I'm really happy for that. Unfortunately, Elder Zabala will go next week and not this, but that's OK. we'll live.

I'll take some cool pics, but here's a few for you guys of the baptisms!

Prayer and pancakes.

August 4, 2014

Did you get moved into your new place?

Not yet, this week we will go.


How many do you have living there?

Just us 4.

Are you in a pretty decent neighborhood.

Condo, it's really nice!

In what ways do you feel the Lord has protected you during your mission?

Well the lord protects me with his angels. I have seen it several times, and sometimes I feel his presence or see his hand in our work!

What things did you pray for this week?

I prayed for baptisms. for help for my district, for help in the ward. and I feel like I am getting the confidence of more and more people! Is this what success is?

Has the way you say your prayers changed over the course of your mission and in what way?

Things I've asked have changed a little. The way I ask also changed. Sometimes I really need to get better, I'm not a really patient person when it comes to prayers. I really need to be more sincere about my prayers sometimes.

Do you have very many pretty girls trying to get your attention?:)

Not really, it's mostly all Elder Zabala, though I'm starting to do some weight lifting, my arms are a bit bigger, my pecs are the biggest they have ever been, and if I can keep it up for a month, I will start taking whey before I get home. maybe that will help ;)

I think the biggest problem is I'm really really, really white. Like ridiculously white. I'm just covering it up with my redness.

Some things that happened this week: we had a fireside that we ran. It turned out really, really cool! Everyone loved it. and more than that, we made pancakes for more than 40 people prepared by who? ME! :P everyone loved it, and it turned out to be a success. They told me it was good enough to marry now.

Elder Anderson

Water trouble, baptism and PIZZA!

July 28, 2014

So there was a similar theme in my week, all week. That theme was water.

Monday- our water exploded.

So the pictures I sent show the tank of water that filters everything that goes down the drain, so the rest of the drain doesn't get clogged. well it got filled, and there was no way to pull it out because it was covered in fat and grease and eveything that's nasty, and the handle was broken, so I got down to digging, and digging and digging. That was the nastiest thing I have done in a long time. In the end, it's all clean now.

Tuesday, still was cleaning it out, and started to rain

Wednesday, still rained

Thursday, Rained

Friday, baptism of the other elders, Elder Zabala and Morocho

Saturday, baptismal interview.

Sunday, baptism! I GOT WET! that was awesome.

We baptized a kid that has been going to church for a month, so it was kind of nice to see him there in the water.

Well here's something crazy. Here in this area, we have been finding tons of pizza. like crazy amounts of pizzerias here, I think we have about 20 in our areas together, maybe more or less! It's awesome!

The other cool thing, we have alfajore here in our area! I haven't found it yet, but I have been getting hints about where to look! I'm super excited for that!

Other than that, nothing really new, just the fact that we will move to a new house this week in a condo, that will be really small but mildly fantastic :P

Miss you all write soon!

Elder Anderson

Great birthday surprises and transferring to Foz.

July 14, 2014

First I will make a list of things that I received for my birthday :)

1st and best of all! TABASCO SAUCE!!! I had no idea that I missed that stuff so much :P

2nd tacos (same Irmao in the ward made them for us, then my companion became sick. Didn't do anything to me). There were tacos, real tacos and guacamole (I didn't even eat the stuff before the mission and now I eat a ton!).

3rd. pens that are really really good!

4th tons of candy

(thanks to the Bristol Heights Ward Young Women that sent me a package of candy) (p.s. Mom, I paid 20 dollars to get their package).

5th freaking fabulous star glasses (my companion was making fun of me because of their gayness...)

6th the dart guns. holy freak that was a fun gift. We have had constant battles in our apartment.

7th a tie. It's a pretty cool tie too, thanks Irmao Leopoldo again!

8th cologne. I don't know what she's trying to say. thanks Irma Juliana!

9th. cake. gotta have cake

10th, beef jerky.

Now, I was thinking about getting a Brazil jacket that's really nice, and I could use it at home, but I would like to ask the advice of you Mom, it's about 100 reais or 40 dollars. Should I get it? it's something that I'm thinking of getting as a remembrance of my mission.

Next up, we had conference which I got to see a ton of missionaries that I know and don't know. It's surprising to see how many you don't know. You get here knowing nobody, and go home the same way. Go figure.

The other news, I am going to foz!!!!! Waterfalls! Cataratas!!! Yayayayayaya!

I will be in an area called Itaipu with Elder Helms. I don't know him and so I will have to get to know him a bit. but the cool part, he has been baptizing 5 weeks seguidas. So he should be good.

I will miss a lot of people here in Semiramis, its been a long time since I have been here, and will defiantly keep in touch with all of them!

Anyway, that's my life this week, thanks for all the prayers! See you in a bit :P

Elder Anderson

Birthday, great divisions, and celebrating Independence Day.

July 7, 2014

Well thanks for the birthday wishes, and the letters and everything, it was great reading them! I will print them off here today to read them again!

As for the news here, this week started out really stressful and ended stressful.

But the middle was great!

Let me explain.

So in the first part of the week, I was really stressed out with my companion because he stopped wanting to talk to me. I didn't know what to do and so I tried to give him some space while I did divisions with other missionarys (the division was because of the other missionarys, not him.)

(Side story, Elder Zabala, the other missionary in my district that has been here forever as well, fell in a hole and got 12 stitches. it was bad.)

So, I did a division with his companion and we worked quite a bit, found a few people that we were going to bring to church, and some of them didn't (all). Elder Gomez is great, but I don't understand him so much. He's from Chile, and he doesn't speak really well yet. but he will get over that after time.

Next, we worked again, me and Elder Maldonado, and did a division the next day, this time it was my time to learn! I went with guess who?

ELDER POORE!!!

(For those of you who don't know, Elder Poore is from Rigby, Idaho, and was in the MTC with me for 9 weeks, and then went to Iowa for his temp mission and then came here with me. He will go home with me and all, and he is my zone leader).

So we did the division, and I don't know what the other elder did, Elder Rosa, but Elder Maldonado is better now. me and Elder Poore went to ala 2 and we did another division, me with Elder Morocho, a 4 foot 6 missionary that is from Peru that I also don't understand. He got here with Elder Monk. That was a good day too.

But that night, I went with Elder Poore, and we ate pizza and the next morning gave the Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the states, and sang some national anthems and such. it was really cool. Did some good work there as well

The last couple of days were great, but I'm still stressed out cause I want to baptize. That's the only thing I want to do for my birthday :P

This week will be good too because we have conference, my birthday and transfers.

Anyway, that was my week, now to get my birthday package and to have a party!

Miss ya'll!

Elder Anderson

Ten things I've learned over the last 21 years!

June 30, 2014

Ten things I've learned in my 21 years on the Earth:

1. theres always just a little more that you can do.

2. Just put in a little elbow grease, and it will work out.

3. There is not such a thing as too much dancing.

4. Make a plan.

5. Make a plan b, c and z as well.

6. Think about others, but make up your own mind.

7. The coolest things are really cheap.

8. A week without exercise makes one weak.

9. Making your bed makes a difference.

10. Don't worry about how your food looks, it all goes to the same place.

Well, I won't say that the week got better, but at least I have some things to share.

1st off, I did 2 divisions, had a great experience and missed my area. When I got back, things were going well for a bit, and now they just all blew out the door. Because of that, we only had 1 person at church this week, and still no baptisms.

2nd, I burned bread, and the house still smells like burnt bread after 4 days...

But the best part, the ex wife of one of our baptisms was baptized this week by some other elders. it was awesome! I did the interview.

About the interview, it went really well, it was inspired, it was something that I really felt the spirit and the desire the woman had to follow Christ. she had a really cool story. Apparently, I already had invited her to church twice, and then she went in a different place. she went 3 times there before the missionaries went to her house. They taught her, she received a response and made the decision to be baptized. now her friend will also be baptized on Friday. it was really cool to talk to her about her daughters!

Anyway, that's about all I have to say, just a few questions that my Mom had about the church we attended last week,

1st I felt welcome, but it was weird, I just don't feel comfortable there. its different than what I am used to.

2nd. I missed the trombone a ton. I almost grabbed one to play it.

Anyway, I have maybe 2 more weeks here, we'll see what happens here.

Miss ya'll!

Elder Anderson

Frustration and the Rubix Cube.

June 23, 2014

Well, this week went a little like this:

Frustration, frustration and happiness.

I don't even know what to say right now, its really annoying. Basically, we brought 3 people to church, and we are moving along really slowly. That's really all I want to say this week.

I guess I will include one funny story. We have a guy that we teach, he sells oranges. (a lot of oranges too). We brought him to church on the condition that we would go to his church. So we went, and found that they sing a lot, they have a live band, and they have a lot of people that go there. The best part, they have a trombonist! (2 actuallly if you count the director) I got to talk to them and meet a guy that plays sax as well, that was really cool. The saxophonist will go to church with us this week!

And, I learned how to do a rubix cube. in 3 minutes.

Elder Anderson