... And a happy New Year!

So.. This week was BOMB. Goodness it was such a good week!

We started off with New Years! It was absolutely nothing like new years in the past. We did nothing hahaha. We still had to go to bed at 10:30.. Except Jenkins and I stayed up talking about our New Years resolutions.. then we fell asleep but we set an alarm for midnight so when it went off all we did was get mad that we woke ourselves up! Haha there were fireworks and stuff outside though so that was fun. But regardless, I am so excited for this new year! I realized that this will be the only year of my LIFE that i will be totally 100% dedicated to the Lord. Pretty sweet huh?

New Years Day was a mission wide deep cleaning day, thank goodness. Sister Greenwood is so messy so I am glad we got to clean everything up! Then we went and hiked Mt. Rubidoux which was really fun. I don't know the historical significance behind it but it had a big cross at the top and part of a castle.. but it was a good hike and we had a blast! 

Liz is doing awesome. We taught her all the commandments this week and she agreed to keeping all of them, which was an answer to our prayers. At the beginning of the week, she was still really hesitant about Joseph Smith and basically about being baptized.. But after we taught her and testified to her, something changed. We went on Saturday and she said that she got her answer and that she wanted to be baptized for sure. She told us that for years she had prayed that she would find true friends and a church to go to and she finally feels that she has. She finally feels like she belongs and she has that peace in her life. It was such a spiritual lesson. Both Sister Greenwood and I and Liz feel like we were lead to each other for a reason, she needed us and we definitely needed her. She has been such a blessing in my life and i am so grateful that i have been able to see the Spirit really work in her. Not sure what scripture it is, but there is one that says you don't receive a witness until after the trial of your faith. I definitely KNOW that is true. I was thinking of how difficult it has been the past few months and how I haven't really had much success. But I put my trust in the Lord and did my best and now i am being blessed beyond measure. It really is such a miracle. I know that when you give everything you have to the Lord and put full trust in Him, He will ALWAYS provide and keep his end of the deal, and how grateful i am for that!

Sunday, in gospel principles, we were talking about talents. The teacher asked if anyone had any experiences about how someone else's talent has blessed their life. Lisa, Liz, Anthony and a less active sister that we teach all said how mine and Sister Greenwood's talents of teaching the gospel has blessed their life and how they would all be lost if we had not come into their life. I have NEVER thought of me being a missionary and teaching people as a talent. I was so shocked to hear that! I was in tears as they were telling everyone how grateful they were for us. I just feel so blessed to be here and to be able to bring this truth of the gospel to people's lives. I am honored that the Lord trusts me enough with His precious children to bring them back to Him.

Okay enough of that haha. The prank this week was PRICELESS. We went to a members home to visit them, and they have a pet tarantula (probably the size of a tennis ball). It's disgusting. And its name is Molly hahaha. Anyway they were talking about how when it grows it molts, or sheds its skin.. So.... I politely asked if I could take the skin home (which was still in the shape of a spider) and they let me! Hahahaha I am laughing just writing about this. Oh my gosh. Okay. So we get home and put this tarantula skin in Jenkins' bathtub.... and we told Sister Fia and Sister Todd about it so they wouldn't freak out.. So we were just waiting for her to go in the bathroom and she finally did.... and I kid you not you would have thought someone was getting murdered. She screamed SO loud and for probably 5 minutes hahahaha. She started crying too and had to go in the closet to calm down and i thought that was the end of our friendship... haha I really was worried that she would never talk to me again. But after like 5 minutes she came out laughing and was just saying "game on Anderson! Game on." She told me how much respect she has for me and that she is going to get me back so good :) That was probably the greatest prank I have ever pulled haha.

We also put almonds under the toilet seat, so when you sit down, the almonds break and it sounds like the toilet breaks. It's pretty classic haha.  I can't wait to come home and do all these to you guys!

That pretty much sums up this week. I am happier than ever and i love being here on a mission! Something Sister Greenwood and I are starting is personal progress again! We got books from our YW leader and we are going to do it all again :) Hopefully i get more out of it this time than i did last time :)

I hope you all have a good safe week! I love you all and pray for you every day! Hug hug kees kees :)

Sister Anderson

p.s. the pictures are all of Mt Rubidoux. Mostly of me, jenkins and fia. And on December 31st at the end of the day our odometer was at 2014 and i thought it was pretty cool! That's for you dad :) Oh and i took pictures of the spider in the tub too :)

p.s.s. Everyone has told me that i keep talking in my sleep.. but i am not just talking.. i am teaching lessons! Apparently I have taughy the law of chastity and i taught the restoration last night in my sleep! Funny huh?