Last the best of all the game!

Sup.

 

So the reactions I got from everyone from last weeks email were golden. THANK YOU for all your support and love! I was quite nervous to tell everyone just because I didn't want everyone to be disappointed or anything that I was coming home, but I got quite the opposite reaction, so thank you :)

 

This week I don't have much to report unfortunately. We are really trying to find people and to work hard but it's soooo difficult. I don't know, everyone is bein big time haters right now!

 

Since I only have 8 days left being a missionary... I have had a lot of time to think and reflect on my mission. What a freaking awesome year and a half its been! Seriously it's been the best decision I have ever made. I have made so many eternal friendships that I wouldn't have otherwise. I have been able to bring the gospel to people and help them grow closer to Jesus Christ. It has truly been the best! I'm not so good at being spiritual on pdays.... Hahaha sorry. But just know that my testimony has shot through the roof because of my mission. There is nothing I would have rather done these last 18 months than to be here in the ghetto of California serving all these homies :) Good stuff. I have truly come to know my Savior. Really know Him. Before my mission I thought I knew what the gospel was, I thought I had a strong testimony. But as I look back and realize what I have gone through and how much I have learned and grown since I have been here, I realize I was just a little baby in the gospel before my mission! Of course I still have a long ways to go and a lot to learn, but I feel that I have grown into the person that God intends for me to be right now at this time in my life. It's such a good feeling to know that my Heavenly Father is proud of me and the service that I have rendered to His children here. It's good to know that I am doing the right thing in my life right now. What a blessing it has been to be here! I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

 

Well I guess that is about it.... Haha see ya in 8 days suckas!

 

Love you all!

 

Sister Anderson :)

Surprise!

Homies:

 

First things first! We moved apartments! So my address is now 22985 Climbing Rose #206 Moreno Valley, CA 92557. Before it was #204 but we moved because the dude that lives under us smoked big time in his apartment and we would come home to a staaaanky apartment every night and it was making us all sick. So now we have a nice clean one :) So send everything to #206!

 

Well this week was good! So Elder Evans from the 70 came to our mission... That was interesting. Everyone thought we were going to get iPads and that that was the reason he was coming.. But nope! Nothin. Whatever, we don't want iPads anyways................... But yeah he was really good. He was super bold but honestly I don't know what the purpose of him coming was... Haha but it was a good spiritual boost and I got to see some old homies so that was fun :)

 

Soooooo.... As you all know I have been dealing with these stupid migraines basically the past year of my mission. So after much prayer, fasting, blessings, thought, and everything else... I'm coming home. In two weeks. 16 days. Surprise :) Suuuuper crazy but I am excited and it needs to happen. So let me explain..

 

So obviously these have been a problem for quite some time.. But not once have I thought about coming home early from my mission. Not once. But one night my migraine was especially bad and I was laying there just thinking and out of the clear blue the thought came to me that I needed to go home. Obviously I was shocked and pushed it out of my mind but it kept coming back. The more I thought about it the more it made sense. We have been staying home a lot... I mean a lot.. and getting nothing really accomplished. It's been pretty pathetic and pretty discouraging for both myself and my companion. So I prayed about it.. and prayed.. and prayed. I kept getting the answer that it was my choice, and that everything would be okay either way. I talked to my mission president and started the interview and just felt really at peace about it. Then we were able to go to the temple.. Which was much needed. The feelings and the answers that I got in the temple were undeniable that I needed to come home. But I also felt so much love and appreciation from my Heavenly Father, that I wasn't giving up, but that this was a part of His plan for me. For what reason, I'm not sure. But I know that everything will be okay and that Heavenly Father is proud of me. I know that I have accomplished what I have been sent here to do. In my heart, I honestly don't feel like I am coming home "early". I am coming home at 17 months and I know that I have served my full time mission to the best of my abilities.

 

So.. Surprise! I will be home on November 4th :)

 

Basically that has been preoccupying my thoughts this last week. That and how annoyed I am with my bloody migraines. Haha but all is well. We'll work hard these last couple weeks and end on a good note. I'm determined about that! So I guess I will see you all soon! Thank you for all of your support and love lately. Much appreciated :)

 

Love you!

 

Sister Anderson :)

I love to see the temple!

Sup party peeeeps.

This week was aight. Same ol' with the headache. I had another appointment with my super smart neurologist and he just gave me another medication. I wish I had a doctor that would figure out what the heck is wrong instead of just masking it with medication. Messed up but whatevs.

Soooo Meet the Mormons! What did you all think of it? I'm assuming you saw it but maybs not. We got to see it and I thought it was pretty good! Pretty cool to hear people's stories. I think my fave was the football one (gotta love them football boys hahaha) and the missionary mom because that hits close to home. OBVI. Well just the part about being on a mission. But yeah I thought it was pretty well done. Go Mormons!

We also went to the templeeee. Gosh that place is beautiful. Café Rio is beautiful too...... Just sayin. I miss that place. So I'm glad we get to go every time we go to the temple :)

Sad to hear about the turtle dying! I honestly forgot about him hahaha and I kinda laughed when dad said he died and you were having a funeral service for it.

Gosh this sucks that my emails are so little.... But there just isn't very much to report!

I think my body is freaking out on me. I am hardly eating and there were 2 nights this week where I wasn't tired and layed in bed until 3 in the morning..... I don't know what the heck is going on but its freaking me out! I'm fine though.. just a little strange.

This week Elder Evans from the Missionary Department is coming so that will be interesting. Rumors are going around that we are getting iPads but I don't think so. We'll see though.

That's it for this week! Love and miss you all!

Sister Anderson :)

Receive. Remember. Apply.

Sup homies.

Well to begin wasn't conference great? I'll get to that later but seriously you guys, we are blessed.

The headaches are the same.. If not worse :/ But I have a doctor's appointment this week so we'll see how that goes. Sister Staker is great about it.. She is super patient and seems to really understand how hard it is for me, so I am super grateful for her.

This week was pretty crazy. We had 2 of the less actives that we were working with move and we were the only ones that they could get ahold of to help them! So we helped 2 people move in the same day and we did it all by ourselves! Talk about heavy duty. We lifted the couches, dressers, beds.. you name it. We actually surprised ourselves haha I think we had some Heavenly help for sure with this one because seriously.. I have no muscle haha. But it kept us busy for a few days so that was good. We also woke up suuuuper sore... Yeah we felt like we were 80 years old haha.

Do you guys remember Liz and Isaiah? They were baptized in Riverside. Well they came and took us to lunch this week! It was so great to see them. Liz has her patriarchal blessing and a calling and is going to the temple to do baptisms! It was so neat to hear that. Isaiah is doing scouts and she said that he bears his testimony all the time in sacrament meeting. They are so great :) Also there was one night where there was a knock at our door and I went to answer it and it was Skyler and Sister Graves! They had also just come back from the temple doing baptisms! Gosh it was so cool to see and hear my converts gaining a stronger testimony in the gospel and doing what Heavenly Father has asked them to do. It was such a tender mercy from Heavenly Father to be able to see all 3 of them this week. I know He knows I am struggling with these dumb migraines, and I think He sent them to me to let me know everything is okay :) It was such a blessing!

We went out to dinner one night because a member gave us some money.. And we were eating and a different waiter came up and said "Save some room, I'm gonna buy your dessert." Haha it was kinda funny and I have no idea why he wanted to buy us dessert but it was nice and we got free food! We get so many perks as a missionary haha.

So conference! Pretty much I think we need to make sure to follow and sustain the prophet! That was pretty clear haha. Also... I don't know if it was just the lighting or what but it looked like all the apostles went and got a spray tan right before conference started haha. Even Lil Tommy was lookin pretty tan. Right? Maybe it was just me but I kept laughing every time there was a new speaker haha. But disregarding thaaat... It was all pretty good. I actually didn't catch all of it because the fluorescent lighting in the church made my head hurt really bad so it was hard to concentrate.. But I tried really hard! However I really feel like my "strength was faithened" hahaha we all died laughing when that dude said that. Pretty good. I thought Elder Andersen's talk on Joseph Smith was really good. That will be good to use with future homies that want to bash with us. Overall conference was good. It went by super fast which in the past I would never say that.. I was telling Sister Staker that on my mission is the first time that I haven't fallen asleep during a conference session :) Boo yah.

This week we are going to the temple and having interviews with P. Mully (President Mullen) and watching Meet the Mormons! So it should be a good week. Thanks for all your support and love. It's much needed and much appreciated. Love you all!

Sister Anderson :)

The Convenient Messiah

Hiiiiiiiii everyone.

Okay. So I need to apologize for being a debbie downer the last few weeks. I have just been having a little pity party for myself and that's not okay. I do, however, appreciate all of your love and support on my behalf. Yes these migraines are a pain in the you know what, but apparently there is not much that can be done about them. This week was not any easier, if not worse, but I am sick of being depressed and not acting like myself but I can't seem to snap out of it. I'm trying really hard to be happy and to get through this but it's harrrrrd.

Which I guess leads me to the title of this. The convenient Messiah. Interesting right? Yesterday in sacrament meeting, one of the bishopric members bore his testimony about a book that Elder Holland wrote and one of the chapters was called the Convenient Messiah. He said that NOTHING in this religion is very convenient. And if you think about it, it's totally true! Callings are never convenient. Missionary work isn't convenient. Obeying the commandments isn't convenient. But it's always worth it. Always. Even with these migraines, I have been able to see blessings from it. I have come a lot closer to Jesus Christ, and felt a small portion of what He felt when He was suffering. I have spent many hours on my knees trying to understand why I am having this trial and why I can't just do the work that I came here to do. I still don't know why, but I do know that Heavenly Father knows what I am going through, as well as my Savior. I know that everything will be okay, no matter the outcome. And I know that this is happening for some reason. I'm trying to stay positive, I really am.

That's basically it for this week. We didn't get much done because of the migraines, but hopefully this week will be better. You are all the best. Love and miss you all.

Sister Anderson :)

p.s. This week was freeeeeeezing. It was 65 for a couple days and i was dying hahaha.

The Noggin'

Hola errybody

Well I am staying here in Moreno Valley with Sister Staker! Heaven help us haha.

I don't have much to report again this week.. Nothing much has changed. Same stuff, different day.

My head is winning this battle I'm afraid. This week was one of the worst. We stayed home a lot and the stupid pill isn't working. I called the doctor and told them that it wasn't working and that it was making my hands tingly and so the genius told me to cut the pill in half. Like that'll work! If the whole pill isn't working try half the pill! Okay. So obvi that hasn't worked either. It makes me super nauseous too and I have hardly eaten anything all week! It's screwing up my body haha. There were multiple nights this week where I thought I was going to throw up at dinner so I had to go in the bathroom and just pray that I would make it through dinner. So this week has honestly been awful.

On the plus side... Have you heard about the movie Meet the Mormons? It comes out October 10th. I guess it just profiles a few members of the church to let the world know what we are about. But we get to see it! Unfortunately not in theaters.... But we get to get together as a mission I think and watch it so that will be fun :)

Welllllllllllll yeah.. That's about it!

Have a good week!

Sister Anderson

Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God

This was the best freaking week ever!! 

Okay not really but I'm trying to stay positive.... Haha. 

So with the Neurologist. We went in for about 30 seconds and he said that I have chronic migraines.. YAY. Not. So that pretty much sucks. But he is trying to find medication to prevent them. Currently the one I am on makes my hands tingly.... Weird. But it's kinda fun :) haha

We taught a family this week that recently got baptized but hasn't been to church recently. We talked about the importance of putting God first in all that we do. I read in 3 Nephi 13 about "seeking the kingdom of God first then all things shall be added unto you." As we were teaching I was thinking about how grateful I was for YOU GUYS. I am so glad that I was brought up in a home centered on the gosepl, where we always put Christ first. Even though I complained probably without fail every Sunday or Tuesday for mutual, I am so glad that your testimonies were strong and that you made that a priority in your life and in mine. Now I see the difference and the importance. I see families where the gospel is the last thing on their list of priorities and I see how screwed up their lives are and in my mind I can see how simple their life could be if they just came to church and kept the commandments! Gosh it's so simple! But my testimony of that got strengthened a lot this week. 

We got a referral for a guy named Jawon Longo this week... Yeah. Jawon Longo. He is actually pretty legit but i don't know enough info to say anything yet!

Other than that things are sloooooow. We are still doing the 30 day fast which has been going good. But a lot of the days this week we literally had nothing to do. And we had a massive heat wave this week. One day it was 115. Yiiikes. I'm so sick of the heat!!!! I am actually looking forward to it being cold. Wait. Did I just say that? Aaaahh! But we went to get Yogurtland one day and someone there paid for it so we got free yogie so that was good :) 

Well. Transfer calls are Saturday so we'll see what happens! Crazy. That means I will only have 12 weeks left..................................

Anyways have a good week! Love and miss you all!

Sister Anderson :)