Hello my dear ones, 

My new companion is ÈLDER Sanchez from Paraguay! That is correct. He is a new leader in the mission and he has got some fire in him, so it sure to be a blast of a transfer! We practice speaking english one day in the house and spanish on the other. Kind of fun, he is my 3rd companion spanish speaking, but the first who has wanted to speak spanish with me, but don't worry the Portuguese is still a major priority in our language studies and certainly the language of our daily work. 

We had a baptism this week! Ana Beatriz was baptized on Saturday. She was baptized by her uncle which was cool. She is super awesome and has a strong testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith- it is soo awesome to help someone recognize the Spirit confirm the truthfulness of the Gospel to them. 

This week we watched a missionary transmission worldwide, but we watched it in Spanish. . . ya and we were eating lunch at like the same time, but even with such distraction and difficulty I was impressed by our Inspired Leaders and the Spirit that testified of the truths they spoke. Here are a few things that stuck out to me in my roughly spanish to portuguese to english translation:

Teach Repentance and baptize converts. . . okay that was the name it, but let me add some more. . . 

Use the Book of Mormon to testify of Christ and of His Gospel

Teach people not lessons, and teach by the spirit

Helping investigators keep commitments and commandments 

working with members, less actives and recent converts. 

and the last Hymn "HARK ALL YE NATIONS" it was super cool, because that morning we had a zone meeting and we sang this hymn as a zone before kneeling to pray at the end of our meeting. I felt the spirit so strongly and felt the grandure of this great work. Some thing I found in my personal study that I was able to share with the missionaries in our meeting was a revelation from the Prophet Joseph in the Section 75 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Towards the end of the chapter God counsels his servants to be unified in the work including Simeon Carter and His companion. This revelation was given in the year of 1832 in which my great grandfather was baptized at 21 years of age by Simeon Carter. If it wasn't for these dedicated missionaries I might not have enjoyed all the blessings I now enjoy as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.

MISSIONARY WORK IS A MIRACLE 

I LOVE YOU ALL 

ÉLDER ANDERSON

Let the Games Begin!

HELLO, HELLO, HELLO,

Family I am soo sorry that some how my letter from last week stayed in my "drafts" box and wasn't sent to you all however I will send it and include some up-to-date info about transfers and such! LET THE GAMES BEGIN!

Well I'm sure the Spirit is very close to you all at this time of wedding and funerals, I'm surely thankful for the power of prayer and the love I feel from God as I truly pray to him. I hope you all an awesome week. Tomorrow my companion is going to Brasília and I will be in trio for a week until my companion arrives. I'm so thankful for the help my companion has shared with me in teaching with the Spirit and being obedient and diligent in the work of the Lord. He is a good missionary. I'm super excited to receive my new companion! I don't know who he is yet, but I have an idea. . . (ya, but that idea was wrong, my new companion's name is Élder Sanchez from Paraguay. Ya it was a mile away.) 

I'll fill you in next week, actually it will have to be the week after that, because he only arrives on Tuesday..  ( or today, because I already know. . . :) 

This week was cool as my companion was getting some contact information to help his recent converts, I too felt a desire to follow up a bit on some of my recent converts, it is such a great work we are involved in. I LOVE THE GOSPEL. ( Cool experience about that was the same day I called Èlder Sifuentes and to get some info about some recent converts and he informed my he had finished leaving a funeral of the father of some of our recent converts. I felt like the Lord touched in my heart to follow-up on some of the converts. 

HAVE TO GO

LOVE YOU ALL

ÈLDER ANDERSON

Ya so that was my letter from last week, with some up-to-date information. 

I'm feeling excited for the next transfer and hope to see some improvement in my work as a missionary and leader in our zone. I have felt a difference in the way I serve in as a leader and missionary in the past few weeks after the passing of Grandma and I know that the lord will be able to use me for much good in these next months on my mission. LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!

I Know that God has Grandma in His Hands/Joy/Gratitude

Man I'm really sad to hear about Grandma, but I know that God has her in His hands and that she is being well taken care of and is feeling free from her earthy stresses and that brings me joyful thoughts of gratitude. 

I wanted so much to send some pictures to you guys today, but once again- I am technologically unable and the little time I have doesn't help.  Today we went to a waterfall as a zone and took a few pictures. Man I felt like I was in a Book of Mormon seen. Wow I was in the Jungle- I even saw a monkey! He was throwing stuff at me from the tree tops. Luckily we didn't see any snakes! ahhaa, but it was super cool, but also a little stressful trying to handle everything as leaders, thankfully everything turned out okay. Man I tell you what I know that there are three things that help me so much with the load that I have in my life and as a missionary: Prayer, Scripture Study, and the Sacrament. This morning I woke up feeling heavy and I felt to slump to my knees, I began to feel lighter and the love that Christ has for me. I was reminded of the special hymn "Did you think to Pray?". I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ works and is true, because I use it in my life. I hope all of us may apply the atonement of Christ to help heal us. 

Love you all, I have to go, more info next week

"ON TO THE WEDDING!"

ÉLDER ANDERSON

Merry Christmas

MEERRRRRRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!

Super excited to talk to my fam this friday! It will be awesome! 

This week was great! I got to go on splits with my buddy Élder Barreto who I trained about 10 months ago! He is a district leader in our zone know and it was great to work with him a bit. haha My companion Élder Schinigoski is awesome, finishing his mission soon, but we are determined to finish baptizing and thanks to Heavenly Father we Baptized Rodrigo yesterday. I love how the stake is applying some recent counsel from the area presidency about retention efforts! Rodrigo is being well integrated and will soon  receive the priesthood and a calling which helps people stay active and continue progressing. I had a special opportunity on Saturday to interview a man who is starting to trail that path of righteousness, but he has done some things in the past which won't allow him to be baptized right now, but I know that God loves all of His children and He is waiting for all of us to accept His Grace and be saved by it, so that we may be happy here on earth and in the heavens. The ward here is amazing. they put on a Christmas activity that was top notch! food, choir, and the members brought many investigators. I felt so strongly while the choir sang a song from the primary " He sent his son" the spirit during the final phrase that was "we must follow Jesus". I know that Christ is the Gift during This season and we must receive him by following his example. MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL.

I HAVE TO GO, but about the american, he is a returned missionary that is going to marry a brazilian returned missionary, ya pretty crazy right. 

love you 

´[Elder Anderson

Palmas is the "city of cities" of this state!

The minute I stepped off the bus my friends I could feel a significant difference in the air here- much more humid. And you know what that means. . . wet Élder Anderson all day long. HAHAHA I think I have a little bit more of a taste of what Clark experienced in Vitória, but on a smaller scale. Man it is a bit more toasty here, but I tell you what it is super organized and quite beautiful. Not to mention the amazing ward and stake that exists here. Holy cow I almost cried when a member drove us around the city in which we also visited the amazing chapels. I mean just imagine, beautiful well cared chapels, with large soccer courts and people, members, ya you can imagine how I felt after staying in Planaltina for so long where they have not yet received such facilities. Man this is a blessed place. 

My companion is Élder Schinigoski as a told you all before. He is going home this transfer, so you can imagine how that makes me feel when he talks about. .  it, hahah no, but it is just a little weird.. . . to think about. Anyway this week was great, and we are planing on  an even better one next week. We had some difficutly with investigators in the church this week, but we'll do better this week. 

Man did I mention that this city is like "city of cities" of this state. ya so sounds like the city was build like Brasília was built. My companion tells me we are like assistents to the President here in Palmas because we are so long from where they are. The city is all christmasy, can you beleive that, ya awesome, this area is a bit more weathly than I'm used to working in, but I'm not complaining. 

Today my companion and I went to the mall to buy a suit for my compaion who will go home in 5 weeks. We also prepared a small skit as a zone to share in the Christmas conference next week. It should get a few laughs. hahahha

Well, it has been good to work with such a good and experienced missionary this week. Not that I'm really young on the mission, but I love to learn something from all of my companions and it is such a priviledge to work in God's work for the salvation of souls, including our very own. God is at the Helm of this Ship. I believe that is a testimony that I have developed as a missionary is to trust in Him and in His power and that He will provide a way if i keep His commandments.

I LOVE YOU ALL! MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Èlder Anderson

Transfer to Palmas

Hey Folks, Transfers were today. I'm going to PALMAS! That is a 12 hour bus ride northward. I will be Zone leader with Élder Schnigoski who will be going home this transfer. He is a great missionary from Paraná, we passed a few transfers together in Santo Antôntio and I'm pumped to be able to work with him. Èlder Patterson is serving in the same state, but he is the zone leader of another zone, but we may see each other more often now. Well, not a whole lot of time to share news, but I'm well, we baptized 2 people yesterday. And the branch is in route to receive the chapel that they much desire. I'm sitting here in the chapel of the "south wing" in Brasília listening to Élder Christensen from st. George play some sweet tunes on the Piano. We will hope on the bus in a couple of hours and by morning we will arrive in the state of Tocantins. Well I love you all and I'm thankful for your love.

Merry Christmas!!

Élder Anderson

Thanksgiving in Brazil!

HEY MOM HAPPY BIRTHDAY! I hope you received my letter and you are well. I hope you had an excellent day and you had a awesome time. 

Thanksgiving surely was great for you all, but perhaps rivaling was my experience sticking my hands under the turkey's skin rubbing butter and seasoning all over that beautiful bird, when was the last time I had that experience- never! We even made pumpkin pie! Okay I sent dad some pictures, but I will include some for you all as well, the pictures will explain, better. 

We also had a baptism this week, Carol was baptized on Friday, she is super great and I'm really happy with her progress. She is super shy, but maybe that has to do with her life experience. She has 16 years and has been taking care of her grandma that last few since her mother died. They live in very humble circumstances, but they have such faith and hope and she will make a big difference in the branch that is growing to become a ward here and receive a chapel!!!!!! 

Man I'm officially 1 year and 4 months old on the mission. Weird right? But the work goes on. Yesterday we had a district conference which for those of you that don't know district is a small stake. I love the talks speaking of sacrifice, obedience, and the love and miracles of God for His children. I enjoyed a few comments about being called " to go" to zion, but to establish zion, that is our calling. Feel, I'm establishing zion as I work in HIS work. 

Love you all and HAPPY HOLIDAY'S