The Winds Have Changed

My dear family, my Mission President has declared that each missionary should have one hour to email their families so i'm in a bit of a transition here because I am now accustomed to more time than that, please forgive me. Many changes are happening here in the Brasilia mission, and not just rules, the Lord is preparing is vineyard for the final gathering of His fruits- Jacob 5

Mother Dear HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! Have you received my letter yet? I love you very much I'm glad you and dad were able to support our family in the temple. Thank you so much for the scripture, I'm determined to become a man of God and share JOY with each one a meet, joy that comes from repentance and the living the Gospel. Those emails you sent listing the books you read me as a kid, are some of my greatest memories, I have the greatest mom ever. 

This week I shared a message about the stripling warriors and how they were taught by their mothers that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. I bore my testimony of the love that these young men had for their parents, because I have this same love for my mother and my father and I know that God will deliver me and many others if I remain faithful and obedient. 

OHHHH my I LOOOOOOOVed the Package, I could not imagine better I have written a letter for the Rosdahls to thank them, but the photos of family, the drawings, and letters are absolutely wonderful. The dog's drawing however did some damage to one of the collages. . .chloe. haha

Wow Clark 100 percent that is sweeet parabéns!

Austin can't wait to hear you banjo playing!

Where is Chase L going serve his mission?

Okay well, I don't have pictures yet, but 2 weeks ago Elder Mattos and I baptized and young women into the church and I am so happy to see the changes she is making and the friends that are helping her. Oh the love and gratitude I feel for a member to takes the time to befriend an investigator or recent convert. 

oh I felt the spirit strongly when Andrew Reported, "our neighbors are accepting the gospel". Every member is a missionary, and God will help his children if they ask him. I'm so proud of my family. 

This weekend we helped with an activity that I suggested relating to stories from the book of mormon, we had a water balloon fight-stripling warriors, buried swords-the people of Ammon, and some other activities. It was wonderful, glad to see how the Book of Mormon can apply to each one of us. 

Elder Mattos and I also helped with a birthday party at the church, the day before we made salgados and some desserts, it was good to practice my culinary skills and get to know some less actives. 

Well, my time is short, so I will let some photos do the talking, 1 my zone, 2 the party 3 Syndey's gift!- which doesn't fit i'll send it next-  Love you Guys, Elder Anderson

"Time to Make the Best of Time..."

Dear Family, Name that TUUUUUNE or BAAAND i know iknow hahaha

I say this because P-day is over and I'm sending email. yes i know, but my companion was robbed today, yes it is true, by a crook no, heavens no, BY THE BANK. But trust me he isn't the only one many other missionaries had the same thing happen to them, but we weren't smart enough or have the gusto to find a different bank, I was apprehensive and i think i still have my money, i think. the mission money that is.

Well, what amazing letters father whoa I hope to eat the fruit of your labors when I return and enjoy the yard, thank you for your testimony this week the leadership of our ward including the missionaries had a training that was absolutely wonderful and helped my realize the importance of the phrase Elder Utchorf i think said "Unite and Serve" how important this is and oh dearest mother of mine how important I realize is the application of the atonement realizing that no one save our Savior is perfect and we all have to repent and love one another. These are the teachings of our living prophet. I definitely feel a change in my heart, a desire to repent, and I really do Love my job by the way. 

OH and by the way I looked really quickly at my blog but my companion said I cant go to other sites. 

But my time is up i am sorry, but today's pday was hardly a pday, but I love you all, God loves us, I mentioned that we have a new companionship here? The work is progressing, 

Love you All

ELder Anderson

Blessings/additional Roomates/Fasting and Prayer

Big, Big, Big points for the mumzy today, what a great recap of your lives, all of you, I know everything. No just kidding, but I did hear some wonderful things,

Isaac, wow well when you are rich and famous and discover that there is life on the moon or something lets have family parties at you house. haha I picked a piece of petrified wood of the ground the other day and though of you, maybe i'll try and send it to you guys, would you guys like a package, that might be cool. . . which reminds me of a story Elder Sales told last week about a rock peddler man that pick up a stone in the street that was just really dirty, but he took it and cleaned it and it turned out to be really beautiful. I like this analogy because they may be someone in the street that may seem unlikely to accept the gospel, but really we are all children of God

Which brings me to a cultural experience from the week. I gave some purified water to a homeless man, who mentioned he was thirsty. The water was purified because Elder Mattos fell quite sickly this week again the the doctors said it was due to the water quality of our area, so we are supposed to drink it any more. But, I gave it to him and I felt god about it and I feel like he appreciated the gesture. I thought of the scripture, when you have done it unto the one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me. Mathew 25

This week I was able to give Elder Mattos some priesthood blessings because everything he would eat he couldn't keep it was pretty awful at first, but now mostly just has diarrhea and must be more careful with what he eats or he ends up really weak afterwards, we end up in the house, again. But, he is tough, and we will make it through especially because we are receiving new Elders in our area! and they are going to live in our apartment. . . yah it will be packed, but should be fun and beneficial i hope. 

Okay so last week I was speaking with the bishop over the phone and I told him I would fast for him because he and his family have been having doubts about his calling and are really discouraged. Anyway really sad, but I told him I would fast for him and yesterday he announced in church that he is now able to work in Brasilia which is much closer to home and he won't have to be gone from home for weeks. He mentioned me and how thankful he was for our prayers and fast and man it caught me by surprise when he said my name, but I am soo happy he will be able to be more involved in the ward now and hopefully we can have more meetings with him the the other leaders of the ward!

Dad what a wonderful testimony, I agree that living in gratitude is the best attitude indeed.

By the way I'm not supposed to give my address to people so that is a no can do, so my package i guess will be sent to the mission home. yah? 

Well Clarissa by desert blossom congrats on your book! Are you happy with how it turned out? Andrew, are you still clean shaven? do you have a mustache? haha I met a cool elder who reminded me of you this week and then i remembered another Elder Clark who obviously reminded me of Clark and I really my companion elder Mattos, reminds me of Nolan a lot. 

God is merciful and I'm thankful for his tender mercies. 

Mom I have to say that you are one of the more cheery blessed souls I know and I think it has to do with your desire to serve others and show your appreciation and love for them. Even if it has to do with carrot hats. oh and please record the out house poem for me that will be awesome. 

Okay well I hope you all feel included, this week I participated in my first helping hands activity! I wore a yellow vest and everything. It was great and wow you really can see the strength of the members here, the sacrifices they make and the desire they have to serve with valiance. 

I've been studying the book of Mormon in the Isaiah chapters and I really feel the prophecies are being fulfilled and Brazil, South America, all of the tribes that were lost are now being gathered, the spirit of Elijah is upon us and wow what a time to live. We are living in the Restoration of the fullness of times, how incredible.

I can't express my love for you all, our baptism that was scheduled for this week was postponed until next, but I feel the work is progressing, and it is important that we keep track of everything so the spirit can effectively guide us. 

Hey, I want some photos from Halloween please

Oh and mother as far as a package goes I would say garments but a member of our ward is going to the temple this week and he is going to bring me some, I don't know why I didn't bring more pairs. But, I really don't know yet, I'm surviving doing well, I made rice this week Brazilian style, it turned out pretty good. 

Austin dude, basketball man, don't worry about the big fellas man, just keep working your tail off. I remember getting beat up a little bit too because I didn't let them have it easy, but hey, do your best, be smart, and always courteous in your behavior, remember the reason for the game never forget your name and who you represent. word. oh and please record the banjo guitar action that will be soo cool.

Clark, turns out summer in my area actually has more rain then anything else, my companion said that your area has more sun, so i may be keeping more weight, but I did do some walking in the rain the very day I received your past email, and my companion and I were drenched- I think I will walk with my umbrella, but man was it funny. Oh and this Ambassador girl tell her I want some hook ups when I get home because I'm interested in trying out. just need to work on some dance moves. . .

Well, Tchau Familia

Elder Anderson

PS-oh and mom send me the address of the blog and then I can see your progress, i'm sure it is marvelous.  

Missionary Work Blesses the Giver AND Receiver

Firstly, i would like to appoligize for last week, I discovered that any type of real time chatting is not allowed- dad you were right, I felt a little odd too, but I my companion has been doing it ever since he as been out here and I was so excited to talk to you guys. Well, until Christmas yah!

Well, I feel bad for last week's letter and I want to improve the information that is most important with you all and I feel that has to do with what I'm learning and the progress of my area and things of that nature so here goes. 

Yesterday I gave a blessing in Portuguese to some one I didn't know before hand, he can't speak, but I blessed him that his mind and body would be capable to receive the revelations the Lord wants to give him. Elder Seth Neleman and Elder Sales visited our area yesterday and because Elder Seth wasn't feeling well,it was my oportunity to make some visits with Elder Sales. Elder Sales is finishing his mission and I hope to become reaquainted with him after the mission as he will be attending BYU . He has a an immense faith and testimony and shared some powerful doctrine and testimony with me that he has received through prayer and scripture study and fast. He is a great Example for me. 

His example includes a topic I studied this morning in regards to the Word of Wisdom. My heavens, I was in pain yesterday after the meal, because I ate too much. It was the most uncomortable I can recall, the time after a wonderful meal which because of my foolishness turned painful and affected my ability to administer in my sacred calling. The Word of Wisdom really is a Word of Wisdom and I realized that in Elder Sales também. 

He taught me this super cool way to eat mango too, you kinda work it over in you hands until is is soft, then you bite one end, and he says it is like the milk from a cow, you suck the goodness from the mango and you don't get stuff in your teeth! 

I have a goal to become more familiar with the food here in brazil and make one new meal every week so far i have made cuz cuz, kind of a corn meal chow, it is really cheap, but I'm going to try stroganouf brazilian style this week, because my companion is pro and making it. 

Oh speaking of my companion, he was called to be the district leader, It was kind of stressful for him at first, but I really can see how the lord is shaping him into an incredible servant. I just keep trying to be humble, obedient, and I really do believe that the Lord will do His work. 

We have two baptisms marked for this Sunday, two neices of a investigator and of a member preparing for a mission, they all attended church yesterday which by the way was incredible, that gospel prinicples class, sacrament meeting, in which I bore testimony and played the organ, but not too loudy :) 

Mother you asked who we are teaching, I think the couple most insipiring resulted from a contact a made the first day in my area. We were on the bus and I starting talking with a young boy whose name was Gabriel. I asked him if he knew the significance of his name, which he did not and I told him that Gabriel anounced the coming of our Savior. Turns out the woman sitting next to him whom I could tell was touched by what I had spoken wanted to learn more. My companion wrote down her information and when we arrived at her house weeks later, she told us that when she saw us on the bus she knew she needed to learn from us. Her finance and she are wonderful and I do hope will commit to a baptismal date this week. 

Fun fact: the streets don't have names here they barrios or large regions in the city and they have blocks, or quadras, and houses, or lotes, for example quadra 54 lote 23 barrio Centro, it really makes things fairly simple. 

Oh by the way don't do contacting at night in dangerous areas okay, just wanted to make that clear. I didn't realize how far we were from home. I think my companion was more worried than I was- that was the problem. But, I only did one and that was it- that was all it took. 

Well, my dear ones. my companion has a birthday coming up and has asked that I by him a captian America lego guy or a harry potter wand. I think I'm going to buy the Lego guy and write something smart about his American companion. It should be nice. He really is a big baby like me, but he has got a tougher shell.  

Well enough about me, what about you!?

Mother I sent your letter, please tell, me which letter's have you received that I have sent, did you receive Isaac's, Grandma and Grandpa's, the family one? Did you like them? I hope you could read them. . . 

Austin I hope you liked my advice, I'm not quite sure why I decided to say all that, but i think it was good stuff, I'm trying to apply it. Clark great email, thanks for the recap, Andrew and Clarissa are you still alive? I certainly hope you are well and joyful as usual. Isaac, find any cool rocks lately, Mom how was halloween?! Dad were you the spinach guy, please say yes. Well, I'm going to push send.  Love you all

Elder Anderson