Bikes

This is gonna be short.

We had good lessons with our investigators and they are all still progressing greatly! The Ward is fellowshipping them so well. We contacted some Less active referrals and were able to find their spouse interested in the Gospel, hyped about that.

The work is going great here still! We were able to find some great New Investigators and we’re excited! I love this work so much! I learn so much everyday! We keep seeing Faith building miracles everyday! The Church is true! Yesterday we learned in Church about how important family history work is! The people on the other side need us so badly and want us to do their work for them! I encourage you all to do so!

Love you all! Elder Anderson

Jacob trying to go big on a jump =)

Alexis and David

Last Monday we went on exchanges and I went with Elder Alton from Texas, he just finished being trained this past week and it is always fun to go out with the new missionaries!

Tuesday we all met at the stake center for Zone Breakfast and listened to everyone get there Transfer calls! That was fun, my Boi and I will be staying together! That night we had dinner with the Fagerston’s, a super fun young couple that met at BYU. haha

Wednesday was P day and we all went and played DISC GOLF! There are a lot of great courses out here! We had a lot of fun, and at the beginning they said whoever loses has to buy the winner lunch. We got playing and I won! So I got a free lunch at Wendy's! haha Good thing too because I was broke! That night we had dinner with the Nelson’s, super good food! It's always fun going to dinner because most people invite all 4 of us Elders over, so that’s cool! After that we had Ward Coordination at the Church, which is always great! This land is truly blessed! The Missionary work here is amazing!

Thursday Morning we had a lesson with Chinyere and Julius, Chinyere was the only one that sat in on the lesson and she pretty much talked to us the whole time, all about how she doesn't like the way we teach, or tons of crazy stuff. Then she said "stop trying to convert me, I am already a member of your church" CRAZY, she was already baptized in 2002 apparently. We’re gonna try and find her records this week! She is so crazy! Anyways later that day we had a great lesson with Rosie at the Church and gave her a church tour and taught her the Law of Chastity! It was great! Right after that we had a lesson with Alexis and David on The Plan of Salvation! I was hesitant to extend a baptism date, but the spirit told me to, so I did and that’s when they brought up how he can't get baptized because their living with each other and not married, and that they plan to get married now in Dec. or Jan. instead of 2020! So that was a huge MIRACLE! Super excited for them! Right after that we had a lesson with Reggie and Mike, two excommunicated members that are so AWESOME! They got excommunicated a long time ago, not sure why but they're awesome and want to be re-baptized! Mike has to quit smoking tho, he texted us on Monday saying that he is wanting to start the Stop Smoking Workshop so he cut up and threw away all the cigarettes and some members gave him a blessing. We came over that night for dinner and helped them out with the Stop smoking workshop! But he ended up smoking on Friday, but he isn't worried, it's a work in process and he will get it!

Friday we had D meet and some lessons, then helped a really overweight Investigator move. We moved her entire apartment while she sat there in her lazy boy. When we told her we had to leave early she got mad at us! So that was fun! Then we went to 5 guys with Sis Krsek and afterwards gave her a blessing to help her with her health problems!

Saturday we balled hard core in the morning and it was soooo much fun! Then Weekly planned and went by tons of people to help them come to church!

Sunday we were able to see Alexis and David there and Rosie, and Joe Smith!!! We were so happy! And in Gospel Principles they taught the Law of Chastity! Perfect for Alexis and David! Joe Smith loved it and the Ward loved him, because he is sooo cool! Another amazing week here in Cedar Rapids/Marion! The work is amazing, I’m so excited for the people we are working with and to watch their lives change! The Gospel is so true! This week I got reminded over and over by the spirit that the spirit is the only way for someone to know of the truthfulness of this Gospel!

Have a good week!

Love,

Elder Anderson

Elder Alton and I

Saying good bye to Elder Spencer & Marshall. They just went home!

WORK

I can not believe it's already Monday again! What is time? And another transfer gone. This is a 5 week transfer because President Badger has to go to a Mission President Training. So next Transfer will be 7 weeks. Not really a difference since we’re training, we will still have the 12 weeks unless one of us gets transferred this week but I doubt it.

This week was so busy and cold and wet! Tuesday it was our walking day and it was dumping down rain all day, but luckily they changed the walking day because it was raining so hard. But we still had to bike a little bit because we’re still in a car share. We also had a MIRACLE happen that day! We went to our lesson with Rosie and we got Scott Brough to come with us, he is a priest in the Ward who is thinking about going on a mission after a year in the army. I think it was great for him to come out with us and have an awesome lesson. We taught her the Word of Wisdom, and she was super excited to hear that because her Doctors had already told her to get off those things for her health! So that was one MIRACLE, then she was talking about all her nephews that she pretty much had to raise because their mom was never around. And she went into detail on one for some reason. But we soon found out that it was the spirit that led her to do it. Because she talked about one of her nephews who loves to cook and works at Red Robin and I asked, is his name Cameron? And she jumped out of her seat saying "You know Cameron Harris!?!" And I said ya we just went and ate at Red Robin a couple of nights ago and met him because he was super close to being baptized about a year ago, he even signed the Baptism sheet! So we told her we were meeting with him on Friday and she said she wanted to come and surprise him! So she did and he was so shocked and knew it was a blessing from the Lord! He is the NICEST guy ever too, just super chill and awesome! We’re so excited for them!

On Wednesday me and my Boy had to go to Iowa City for the Trainer Trainee meeting, that was fun. It was a great meeting and I got to get some WHITEYS! SO good! That night we had an awesome lesson with Alexis and David, David is now a new investigator! They’re so cool, but they didn't come to church yesterday. Not sure why but we will be meeting with them this week.  

Thursday we had Zone Conference, it was great! Learned a lot about being very bold and confident in everything we do. Like with Finding, Planning, and setting dates, and striving for stronger faith with all of those. After that we all went to Texas Roadhouse which was a lot of fun!

Friday morning is when we had breakfast with Cameron and Rosie and got to know Cameron. That was awesome too. HE even said he knows our Church is the true Church on earth, he now needs to be Baptized!! haha Also did a lot of finding and going by people this day. And had a super good Dinner with Sis Thornbloom, a super cool old lady who had all 4 of us over!

Then on Saturday we got to play Basketball in the morning with the stake, and a ton of non members that come out. And for this one African American family they come and just dunk on everyone! lol not me tho! But it is so much fun playing there! After that we went to the other Elders Baptism and it went great. Elder York and I got to teach the Restoration there. Then after that we got on the Bikes and started heading to an appointment and that was a long ride in the rain. We were completely soaked and covered in sand, just to find out he wasn't home. But we still met some cool people! And we had an adventure riding through a trail in the forest and I found the largest waterfall in Iowa, I’ll send pics! Overall it was an awesome week, stayed super busy, so that's super good! I love it when we are just going non stop! I Know this work is true!!

Love, Elder Anderson

Iowa’s Largest Waterfall! haha

Big Jake

My District

Miracles Everywhere!

Miracle #1

Monday we helped a super solid Referral from a member move in, it's a couple and he is a prospective Elder and she isn't a member. But she asked about how to get Baptized and join the Church. MIRACLE. But she is in the other Elders area, so they will be teaching them, but that's fine!

Miracle #2

Bro Bailey a member challenged me to some Tennis!! So we went and played one morning and it was awesome! He is older so I stomped on him, but man the memories of Tennis all day every day were flowing in! I Love TENNIS!

Miracle #3

Solid lesson with Sis Merritt, she is still super Golden. We had a lesson at the Church with Bro Sherwood the Ward Mission Leader. It was an awesome lesson on the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Miracle #4

As we were planning I found a totally random member to go by and we went by and a cool guy in his 20's came out asking if we were looking for Alexis and we said we were. He let us in and we got talking to the both of them. They both moved here a couple of months ago. She is a member that has been inactive for a little while, both from L.A. she got Baptized when she was about 19, he isn't a member but wants to be! They told us his job just let him have Sundays off so now he can start coming to Church, and they were both talking about missionaries recently and then we showed up completely out of the blue. They both came to church and told us to come over this week to teach them! MIRACLE! I couldn't believe it! So Awesome! Except they don't plan on getting married until 2020 because weddings are expensive! haha Hopefully we can change that real quick!

Miracle #5

We got our Investigator Ryan to Church! We went with a member to pick him up and he came and right before sacrament meeting was over he asked where’s the bathroom, and left. We guess he walked all the way home! Which was quite a walk! haha we were sad that he just bailed like that. We will see if we can contact him this week.

Miracle #6

So on Friday we went by our Investigator Julius and he said to text him sometime on Sunday to set something up, but we totally forgot. Then we went to Wal-Mart this morning and BOOM, he was there and we got to meet his wife! His wife has met with missionaries a lot before in Canada and Texas, and she has gone to Church a lot! So we got an appointment for this week and are super pumped for them!

This week has been awesome! Just full of Miracles! We were also able to get in contact with a lot of Less actives that we have been trying to meet with. Sis Merritt came to Church and loved it, we haven't been able to set a solid date for her to be Baptized yet but it should be around the beginning of November! Also had Interviews with President and that went great! We all went out to a great restaurant after!

The Church is true! I love this Gospel, I love reading The Book of Mormon everyday, and praying about it everyday! You can never pray to know if The Book of Mormon is true enough. I know that it is true but I have seen that still praying about it strengthens my testimony! I love you all! Love, Elder Anderson

Our zone with President & Sister Badger

My boy, passed out =)

GENERAL CONFERENCE

What a weekend watching the Apostles of Jesus Christ speak to us! I loved all the talks and learned so much! We watched all the sessions at the Cedar Rapids Stake Center, brand new Stake Center too. Some talks that stood out to me were Elder Eyring's and Tad R Callister's! Elder Eyring's were so powerful and the spirit testified to me so strongly, gave me chills! Tad R Callister's was a big answer to my prayers and to my question, very powerful and clear!

This week we were super busy, we have been trying to free up our evenings to be able to go knocking when people are home but about everyday this week we had things going on.

Tuesday: We spent some time going by some Less Actives and Ex communicated members. We met some awesome people who are ready to change and come back to Church. Also had a lesson with Rosie, we taught her more about The Book of Mormon and General Conference, with Bro Bailey there, and it went great. She watched Conference and loved it!

Wednesday: We were going all day with District Meeting and another lesson with Rosie with our Ward Mission Leader Bro Sherwood who is a convert and the lesson was powerful. Bro Sherwood helped Rosie so much! That Night we had dinner at a nice restaurant with a member, then had Ward Coordination meeting at the Church, and man this ward is Awesome! Their truly doing their part in the Missionary work here and helping soooo much!

Thursday was my first day on the mission where I got to ride bikes!!! It was awesome! We rode around all day going by people and knocking, also spent the night helping a recent convert move.

Friday: I went on exchanges with Elder Jacobson from Springville, UT. That was fun, we did a lot of knocking in his area.  

Saturday and Sunday we spent most of the day watching conference and eating. Since we were a ways out of our area we couldn't get out to work since we had to save miles.

Great week tho, the Ward is giving a lot of solid Referrals so I am super pumped to see the success in this area! I know that this work is so true and the Apostles and Prophet are truly called of God, I loved being able to listen to them. I was sad to hear about Elder Hales, glad he went peacefully, he was a very powerful man. Sad to see that Thomas S Monson couldn't make it, I hope all is well with him. Love you all! Elder Anderson

On Bikes!

We got stranded with no car or bikes, so we bought some PIZZA!