White Christmas

Hello! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas! I'm pretty glad that this is my last Christmas away from home. Definitely missed home. But now I can say, I'll be home for Christmas! So today is our P day because Monday was Christmas and they let us have P day today which is nice.

Last Monday we got to play ball at the YMCA with Austin Bloyd, he is in the Branch and has been a little less active even tho he is only 15. In the town of Creston where he lives there is a lot of racism. He is African American and he has gotten death threats and everything. It’s so bad that he has to get home schooled now. So we have been trying to lift his spirits. We had a great time playing ball with him, he is pretty good too so that was fun.

Tuesday we had a Christmas Zone Conference, basically just sang songs and heard some training's on the birth of Jesus Christ. That took up our whole day, long meetings.
Wednesday we had a lesson with our investigator Rich, he is about 65 and works at Mcdonald's. Nice guy, and he works on the weekends so he can’t come to church right now. We'll see where he goes.

Thursday was exchanges, I went with Elder Baldersten, that was a lot of fun. Elder Baldersten is from Utah and we have served around each other for over 6 months. Friday we finished exchanges and weekly planned and did some finding.

Saturday we did service for the Creston Food pantry and that was great! They fed us lunch too! Also did a round up to get people to church but no one showed! It was only an hour too! But it snowed 5 inches that night so they probably got scared! Also was my Dad's Birthday so Happy Birthday Dad!!

Sunday we went to Church then went out to Blockton Iowa and had lunch at a get together with a members family. Pretty much their entire extended and immediate family makes up the city of Blockton so they were all there. That was fun and they sang some karaoke! Then we went to the Bloyds for dinner, and had a good time there.

Monday we got to sleep until 9:30 so that was great, but I couldn't even sleep that long, I’m so used to getting up at 6:30. Then we went to the Bloyds again for lunch and played Clue, then we went to the Branch President’s house, and got to Skype home! It was great to see the family. That was fun but ended up being really hard. On that skype call home I heard that my Uncle Dan had passed away. It was such a shock it was hard to take. I loved my uncle Dan so much! I'm so sad that he had to go so soon, but I know he is in a better place now and will help us from the other side. I love and miss him and the Floyd family is in my prayers.

I love that I get to take the Plan of Salvation to all these people and bring to them comfort by letting them know that they can be with their loved ones forever and will see them again. There are so many people that believe after this life, it's all over. A lot of the time when we’re out knocking, that is the first thing I tell these people, is that Families can be together forever in happiness! Because it is so true and people need to know that.

I love this Gospel and the comfort and happiness it can bring to us. Especially the Book of Mormon, that book can heal us, as we ponder it's words every day it will heal us and bring our lives joy!
I love you all and your all in my prayers!

Love, Elder Anderson

With President and Sister Badger

Its freezing!

Lots of these signs marking where the saints went through, and lots of these towns I cover are from people who decided to stop, and they lived where they stopped, and now there towns. So lots of church history.

This is where we live and that's our car! haha

Merry Christmas!

I can't believe it is already here again! It doesn't feel like it though, we’ve been having good weather for a while now and the sun is still shining! Normally it is grey and cloudy for months out here in winter. But I guess it's not here yet. No snow yet either.

Well I'm getting used to the area. This week we spent most of our time going by members or Former Investigators and then Knocking all around their houses. We were able to pick up 12 new investigators, so we will see where they all go! We are excited for a couple of them. Also did service at the YMCA and a food pantry. That was fun.

Our Zone here is pretty cool but we never see them besides at District meeting. Church was good, we had a lot of people show, so it was a full house! Literally, it was because we had a branch potluck, so that got out all the less active families. ahaha.

We’re still lighting the world by giving plates of cookies to random people haha. Elder Lamborn loves to cook and bake so he makes me good food! He makes cookies and what not and we will take them out and put them on peoples doorsteps and run! haha

That’s about it for this week, at least that's all I can remember! I did finish the book of John and I loved it! I learned a lot from it, definitely helped me grow closer to my Savior. I encourage you all to strive to grow closer to your Savior by lighting the world this week! Spread the light and love of Christ!

#lighttheworld #MerryChristmas

Love, Elder Anderson

The Boonies

Yes they finally did it, they sent me to the middle of nowhere! Haha I am in the Lenox area, we live in Creston, IA. Super small town. And we cover tons of super small towns all around here, but there all like 45 minutes away. We drive a 2017 Toyota Corolla, our apartment is super small. It was hard adjusting to this place since I came from Cedar Rapids, but it's growing on me.

It was hard saying goodbye to everyone:

Monday I kinda wrapped up training Elder York, and did some work. We talked to a Basher and Elder York kinda lost his temper, he was like slamming the Bible on the table and stuff. Haha pretty funny.

Tuesday we went and said goodbye to Camron, then later that day we got our transfer calls! Then we had a good lesson with Rosie and said goodbye. She cried and it was sad! Also said goodbye to Reggie and Mike, the excommunicated couple we have been working with, their so awesome and I’m gonna miss them. They have come along way and Reggie sent in her letter to the 1st presidency to hopefully get re-baptized!

Wednesday we played a lot of pool with the Zone at a members house, that was fun. Then we had my last Ward Coordination meeting and dinner with the Espinosas. Also went to Red Robin and Camron got us free milkshakes and a mud pie to go! Love that man!

Thursday I got here and visited the Branch Mission Leader and the Branch President. When I got here I called them and got lucky I was able to get to know both and hear about the Branch and what kind of help it needs. Yesterday we went to church in Lenox. They meet in a small house! haha pretty different! but cool.  

Love you all! Elder Anderson

Goodbye to the Ward mission Leader Bro Sherwood

Me and my new companion Elder Lamborn

Nativity

This week consisted of Last Monday, we went to a cool state park with big cliffs and the Cedar River. Tuesday we went on exchanges, I went with Elder May he is super fun, we had a lot of fun together. We even went and got cheap blankets from Walmart and went and put them on peoples porches and knocked and ran off. We set up his GoPro in the bushes next to the peoples door and so we have them on video! haha it was awesome. We could tell the people were super thankful. On one door some kids came out and thought it was awesome, and they yelled "YOU EASTER BUNNY!!" haha It was super funny!

On Wednesday we had apartment appreciation day, a day the mission has set aside to clean the apartments all day and donate all the left behind clothes and what not. So that was crazy, but our apartment is way clean now! That night was ward coordination and it was Rosie's first time, but she did awesome and told some stories about how she is already sharing the Gospel! SO awesome!

Thursday was District meeting and Zone lunch. That took up a lot of the day but we had some time to find a new investigator and go by some of our Investigators. Also, we had Dinner with THE Sis Thornbloom! Friday we spent time with Cameron, had lunch and a lesson! He is still awesome and said he is gonna take us on a vacation out of the country when we get home! Haha I can’t wait for that he is awesome! Only had about 15 minutes to go finding this day but we found a cool New Investigator that was friends with the Bishop’s daughters! That night we had a great lesson with Rosie and we showed her the Restoration video and the spirit was so strong and everyone in the room felt it! Then we went to Applebees with Sis Krsek. She is awesome and takes us out to eat every week! After that we went to the Nativity at the Stake Center. So at the church they have about 800 nativities set up, mainly on tables, lots of small ones, and they are all sooooo cool! But the main one is about life size and used to be in a popular store in Downtown Cedar Rapids, and a lot of the public loved it. However it got damaged in the flood in 2008, but Church members took it in and fixed them all back up and now they have them on display every year! So tons of the public comes to this awesome event! And while you look at the nativities, there are choirs and bands playing. I even sang in the choir for a little bit of it, and an awesome bell band from the Methodist church in town! So tons of non members come out to the event, and there has been a lot of miracles and stories of people telling everyone about it, and feeling the spirit so strongly there. We got to share the gospel with a lot of the people there! Over Friday and Saturday there were about 1500 people that went! Such an awesome event to get people in the Church building to feel the spirit there!

On Saturday we spent a lot of time at the Nativity talking to people and showing them around. Sunday was great as always! We got another Potential Investigator that lives in a mansion! haha And had 2 dinners, I ate way to much at both of them! The Second one was Filipino food, super good but I can still smell it on my jacket. haha.

Tomorrow we get Transfer calls and I am most likely leaving! I love it here so much and don't wanna leave but I will do what the Lord wants me to do! I'm excited to see what happens! Because the wards are all changing on Dec 17th and lots of missionaries are gonna be leaving this area so we will see who stays. I love this Gospel and I love being able to serve the people of Iowa. I love getting able to share this Unique message with people every week!

Love you all! Elder Anderson

Palisades State Park!

Nativity at the church