One Last Week

This last week we had 2 exchanges, one in Cedar Rapids and one in Des Moines. So we were out of our area a lot.

In Des Moines I went on exchanges with Elder Schoenfeld. He and I came out together so it was a lot of fun to spend the day with him and do some good work.

We had a great lesson with Jim, he is awesome. He is still reading the Book of Mormon. We had a lesson with our ward mission leader there. It was really great but he still is skeptical of the whole thing, even God. I invited him to get on his knees right before bed and pray out loud and ask for a sign. I hope to hear that he had a good experience. He is out of town this week, so I will be able to teach him one last time.

The Rodriguez’s are doing great we had some good dinner with them. They cooked some great burgers, I had 4 they were so good. They were all at Stake Conference Also!

Love you all,

Elder Anderson

Giant Tenderloins

God’s Time

What up family and friends! I love this work. We kept busy this week with lots of awesome lessons!

We taught Jim Bradley twice, the first time we had Bishop out with us and we had an awesome lesson with him! We planned to teach the plan of happiness but decided to read the introduction of the Book of Mormon. It was awesome! Jim read the first 11 chapters on his own before we showed up and both the restoration and plan of salvation pamphlets! This guy is awesome! But he is struggling with his skepticism of God. Jim is in his 70s and lives alone in a nice house. He is hoping to move to Philadelphia soon to be close to his 2 daughters. He grew up Methodist but has always been skeptical of the fact of life after death. He is going through chemotherapy so he is always tired. He is retired so he has a lot of time to sleep and read things we give him! He really absorbs everything we teach which is awesome! He was going to come to church but felt it would be sacrilegious because of his skepticism.

We taught the Rodrigues family and they are awesome! Israel is awesome and came to church but Audrey did not! We're teaching them every week now and their fellow shippers. We had lots of people tell us they were going to come to church but didn't show. :)

We are working hard and trying to see people at church. But we are learning that God's time isn't our time. The blessings aren't always baptisms.

I love you all and am excited to see you!

Elder Anderson

Oh also this week was the last home game for the Hawkeye! So we got signs and and set up at booth down by the stadium and gave out free hot chocolate! It was awesome! Tons of drunk people but we had fun and gave out lots of cards!

Elder Crookston from Springville, preaching at the game

? =)

Fyi

Last P day we got a call from President Badger and he told us a missionary in the Waterloo zone is going home early and that we needed to take him to the airport! So we picked him up and drove all the way to the Des Moines airport. But first we stopped at Chick-fil-a and there was a member that was leaving right as we walked in and she payed for all of us! Then there was another member there that day by us and she asked us all to tell our conversion stories. Then the elder that was going home asked her to tell hers and she did. It was really really cool and she has been going through a hard time since her husband fell off a ladder and has brain damage and is not the same person anymore and he left the church. She has 5 boys and was traveling home after watching conference with a friend. Afterwards she told us she loves missionaries so much and she said "keep going, keep going!" That was straight from God for the elder that was going home. Then he asked for her name and she said it and her last name was Duty and she said, like do your duty! So it was all perfect for the elder that was going home, we hoped he would change his mind but he did not.

We also had a miracle with a solid member referral and we brought the perfect member for him. We had an amazing lesson but then he called the next morning saying he wasn't interested. Big bummer because he was awesome and really needs this Gospel.

Also met with our part member family that is awesome! The rodriguez's and the mom set her own baptismal date for December 1st! She is awesome and their kids are awesome! She had a baby about a month ago and so did their fellowshippers so it's awesome. We are gonna have another lesson with them and the Parkinson's their fellowshippers. BRO Parkinson blessed his baby yesterday and Bro Rodriguez was there to watch, he is excited to bless his kids too!

Other than that we had 2 great exchanges and 3 great district meetings!

Love you all,

Elder Anderson

#NoBadDayz

Yooooo. This week we had MLC and Interviews! MLC was on Tuesday and Interviews on Wednesday. So both those days were shot! They were both my lasts so that is bitter sweet. I enjoyed them.

Thursday we had a "Good day", idk if I already talked about our zone expectations or not. But the theme is #nobaddayz. So we named the days where the whole Zone knocks all day long "Good days". It was a lot of fun! We were on exchanges and I was with Elder Rutledge. We had a lot of fun! I love knocking all DAY! Especially after having 2 full days of meetings! It felt great to get out.

Friday we did some service helping a less active move a fridge. We weekly planned. Then did some more knocking. I loved being able to invite everyone to come and listen to a prophet's voice! Sadly no one came. But that's ok! Last night we went by a former because it was pouring rain like it has been all week! All the rivers are overflowing big time! So we visited this former and when we got there, his door was open and he was about to leave. We started talking to him and he talked about how he went to church a few times but it wasn't for him and he offered to give us the Book if Mormon back but we didn't take it. He didn't like the church because the bishop wasn't paid and no one got paid to clean the church building. Never heard that one before. But he did a full 180 and said he will start coming to church and work on being baptized! Super awesome! The big game changer was when he told us he struggles reading big books and that he only reads comic books due to a brain injury he had. So we told him about the Book of Mormon stories book that is like a comic book! He was excited to start reading it!

Last night we also got in contact with a referral from a member. He finally got back to us and wants to meet this week! He sounds super solid so I am super excited! We have a great week ahead with 2 exchanges and all 3 district meetings! Everyday we are praying for miracles and we are starting to see them. Everyday I am praying to finish strong! I love this work! I love the Book of Mormon and how happy it makes me!

I loved general conference and am so excited for the changes and 2 hour church! I think that will be SO great to have better family studies!

I love you all!
Elder Anderson

Out knocking doors on exchanges

Transfers

This past week was Transfers and my companion and I stayed! We also welcomed 3 new areas to our Zone so 6 new companionships! We are now sharing a Ward with the STL's Sister Harmon and Sister Plum. I served around Sister Harmon for my 3 months in Cedar Rapids so it’s cool to serve around her again! Since we got so many new companionships we now have another District we cover. So that’s 3 total. Which makes us even more busy! I am excited for this Transfer and to be able to work harder than I ever have! I know we will see miracles! Actually we already are!

Yesterday the Recent Convert family in the Ward brought one of their daughters to church! She is 20 and from Chicago and just moved back in with her family! She came to all of church and loved it! We had an awesome lesson with her and her family last night with our Ward Mission Leader! But she said she would like to meet some girls her age in the church. So we told her about the Sisters that just got here and they are going to teach her now! LOL sad day but God has a lot of other people He is placing in our path! Like yesterday we literally only had time to knock one door! But that one door was a great lady! She said she had heard some not good things about our church and the Book of Mormon, but we kept teaching and she accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon and a pamphlet and I said the closing prayer and after that she was tearing up. We asked if there was anything we could help her out with before we leave and she said, "oh, no you have done enough, thank you so much!"

We also finally moved back into our apartment! But before we did, we did a deep cleaning because that place was nasty! So we scrubbed and vacuumed everything and had the YSA Elders help us! Then we spent $100 on new appliances and things to make the place nicer. Good thing the mission is reimbursing us for that! So now our place is great! Glad to be back!

This week is a SUPER busy one with MLC, Interviews, Exchanges in Des Moines, and General Conference! I am SOOO excited for General Conference! So many rumors of changes I can’t wait! I am also striving to prepare my self spiritually. On lds.org they have a list of 5 things to help you get the most from General Conference. I am striving to do those! I invite you all to do the same and to tune in to General Conference because it is going to be epic!

I love you all!
Choose the right!
Elder Anderson

Crazy Storm we got caught in while knocking! We didn’t care so we kept knocking and we got completely soaked! It was awesome! The Thunder storms in Iowa are probably my favorite things about it! They are legit!