Thanksgiving!

This week was great, we stayed busy with lessons and member meals.

Wednesday night Elder Alton and I were on exchanges and we went and had an awesome lesson with a sick Less Active family. After that we went knocking for a little bit but, had no success, and I told him we should go apologize to the guy we made mad. Lol So last Sunday when we were Mansion Knocking we knocked on one and the guy wasn't interested. Then as we were driving out we took the wrong road and went down to this guy’s pond and had to back up and drove on his grass a little bit and when Elder York got out to back us, the guy was up at his house yelling at us to get the truck out of there. So we did and he came to the road at the top and cussed us out and took a picture of our license plate. He told us that the ground is really soft down there so we made huge ruts. We didn't feel like we did, it was dark so we couldn't see if we did. We wanted to go and apologize to the guy the next day but Elder York and Elder Decker were not wanting to. They said he will be super mad at us still, or there is no point in doing it. Idk why they thought that. But Wednesday night we went back and apologized. We got let into the mansion and talked to the guy and he was happy to see us. He said there were no ruts and he smiled and laughed and it went great. After that we felt soooo good it was awesome! The other guys felt pretty dumb after we told them.  

Thanksgiving day we had Breakfast with Sis Thornbloom then went and played ultimate frisbee with the zone. Then had dinner, then another dinner, then another dinner! haha We were so full! It was all good food tho! After that I called up some Investigators and got them to the Church so we could play basketball and burn some calories! That went great, and felt great!

On Saturday we were able to attend 2 awesome baptisms for the Zone! One was for a 13 year old boy who’s dad finally let him get baptized after 2 years. Missionaries that taught him and had gone home came back for it. It was a full house and was awesome!

Yesterday we had a good time mansion knocking! Talked to some great people and even got a potential investigator haha. Also, yesterday Rosie received a calling to be a Ward Missionary!!!!! So awesome! I’m so happy she gets to come to the Ward Coordination meetings now and will share the Gospel with all her friends and Family! I love this work!!

Yesterday we got an awesome Investigator to Church and he bonded really well with the members! It was awesome, we are seeing so many miracles out here and I love it. Transfers aren’t for another 2 weeks, so that’s good!

Love you all! Elder Anderson

Another Day in Ohio

This week was great! Monday was a good normal P day of Basketball, Soccer, and Ultimate Frisbee with the Zone. Monday night we had Dinner with the Oneil’s. Bro Oneil is in the Stake presidency, it was awesome he is sooo smart. He pumped me up to work even harder, he told some awesome stories too and he let us ask him any questions about the Gospel. So of course I asked "where is the sword of Laban?" haha He said "maybe in heaven maybe on earth, I like to think it’s somewhere on earth though"  pretty good answer haha. He was a super cool guy.

Tuesday we had exchanges with the Zone Leaders, I went with Elder Clark, pretty weird kid. I had a terrible headache and started to get a cold, pretty weird/ off day.

Wednesday we went to lunch at a care center with some old ladies from the Ward, their old but they are so awesome and so nice. One of them gives out cards that say things like "you are terrific" but you only get it if you are. haha She gave one to our investigator at church so that was awesome lol good thanksgiving food tho. Also took out Bro Clark to work with us, he is an older African American convert of about 5 years and he is so awesome. He brought his baptism picture to show to our investigators and bare his testimony. Man it was great having him out with us!

Thursday was Zone Conference back in Davenport! That was fun and we got some Whitey’s!! So good, and we went and visited Sis Hirst, the nice lady from the ward that always had us over! That was cool to visit an old area.

Friday was great we visited with Camron and had a great lesson on Families and Temples. I love that Pamphlet and the Learning and Serving in the church one, they really help! Afterwards we spent some time with Camron and his Best friend and his super funny brother. They are all so much fun and they went and got us some good Italian food! That evening we had an awesome lesson with Rosie helping her learn more about the Temple and Family History work. We had the Stake family history lady and her husband there to help us teach her. It went great, Rosie is excited to go to the Temple. Also, Rosie is soon to be called as a Ward Missionary!!! I’m so excited for her!

Well other than that it was a normal weekend and rounding up our investigators for church.  

Love, Elder Anderson

Zone Conference

Whitey's!!

Rosie Merritt

What a week! To keep things short, we kept things very busy with lessons, finding, and biking.  

MIRACLE We got back in contact with Alexis and David. Apparently they were pretty sick for a while. We had an awesome lesson and brought Bro Espinosa with us! Bro Espinosa is a stud and a Returned Missionary and from Ecuador! He even wants to have Alexis and David over for Dinner at his house with his wife, and show them their wedding video so they will want to get married asap! We’re super excited for that.

MIRACLE Rosie got BAPTIZED!! It all went so well, we got all the talks and everything assigned and it went awesome! The spirit was so strong! Elder York got to Baptize her and I got to Confirm her! Such an awesome experience and opportunity! Rosie loved it!   

MIRACLE Our Investigator Quincy that we just found last week came to the Baptism and Quincy and is on date for Baptism on Dec 2nd! He is so cool!

Also had interviews on Friday, which I love cause I love the Badgers! President was able to give me some advice on how to help the excommunicated members we are working with, Mike and Reggie. They are so awesome! He is a returned missionary and used to be the Elders quorum President, both raised and from Utah. Been away from the church for over 20 years. But they are really close, but he picked up smoking, and it is holding them back. Reggie is his wife and they got married in May. Since he is an RM, he pretty much knows all the answers so that is why I asked President because I was stumped. President told me to teach the Word of Wisdom very spiritually. The thing he needs is the spirit. I will let you know how it goes. They seemed pretty exhausted, Apparently president only got 4 hours of sleep. haha but I am very grateful for the work they do for us! They are awesome!

It has been an awesome week, especially seeing Rosie get Baptized and Confirmed! I have loved being able to teach her. The first Sunday we were here we met her and that week we started teaching her! I bore my Testimony on how thankful I am for the great Ward here and their involvement with the Missionary work. I'm very grateful for Sis Garner wanting us to teach her! All of it has added to and built my Testimony! I LOVE THIS GOSPEL!

Love, Elder Anderson

Rosie is on the right in the middle, and Sis Garner is next to her. Love them both so much!

I started a new tradition of Knocking Mansions every Sunday!

365 Days??

1 Year down already! I can't believe it, it has been such an awesome experience! I LOVE MY MISSION! I have learned so many things out here that I would have never learned back home! I'm so grateful for this great opportunity! And I still get one more year! :)

So this week on Monday it was beggar's night, idk what that means just the night before Halloween I guess. So they grounded the cars at 6 on Pday. We didn't have any appointments or member meals, so they told us to stay in and we were on exchanges, so I got to cut the other 3 Elders hair! Haha They all turned out pretty good! The next day was Halloween! We had Zone exercise and went to Ihop with the Zone! Knocked a little bit, it was funny to be out knocking on Halloween evening, the first thing we would say was Trick or Treat! Haha That was fun! And then Sis Krsek from the ward took us to Olive Garden! YUM!

Wednesday we did a lot of work, went by a lot of people and taught a lot and knocked a lot.

Thursday was my 1 Year mark! We had Zone Exercise and District meeting and a great lesson with Rosie. Then went to a great restaurant to end the night! And burned a shirt! haha

Friday and Saturday was more work. We lost contact with Alexis and David, idk what happened we have called, texted, and gone by but haven't gotten anything. We sure hope all is well with them they are so cool! We also balled on Saturday morning which is always way fun! This weekend was stake conference and it was awesome! Some GREAT talks on retaining Recent converts! And Family History and temple work! Rosie was there and she loved it and she passed her Baptismal Interview! She is getting BAPTIZED this Saturday!

Last night we went to a members and they fed us soooo much fried steak! I think I'm sick but it was good! Also had Waffles this morning with Sis Thornbloom the coolest old lady that still moves like she is 30. We helped her clean her gutters by holding the ladder for her!  haha She is awesome!  

I love you all! The Church is true! Elder Anderson

Elder Anderson

With Cory Rice, my home teacher from back home, at stake conference

One year down