HI

Washington DC South mission! Satan doesn't stand a chance!

Great week. We've been teaching a ton of lessons! When we aren't out knocking doors or talking to people in the streets, we're teaching members in their homes. We have definitely been keeping busy!

 

Centreville 2nd ward is awesome. I love it! The members are so missionary minded. There were four women who came out with us this week, each on a different night. It's just amazing to see the miracles that happen when members and missionaries literally work together!!! 

 

Miracle #1. Our Relief Society President came out with us to check on a few less active members. We decided to check on a part member family to get to know them and help them all feel welcomed in the ward. The wife is a member of the church, and the husband isn't. He answered the door. Sister Heiner, the relief society pres, loves to sing hymns...so we asked if we could sing to him! He said we could (he was probably thinking we were insane...haha!) But we sang, the spirit was there, and he came to church on Sunday! Woo!

 

Miracle #2 We went out to check on another less active member with Sister Hughes, a ward missionary. We couldn't remember where this person lived, so we knocked on the door that we thought was right. Turns out, she didn't live there...but a really great lady named Annita does! She's from India and was so sweet. There was a bit of a language barrier, but as soon as we said "Jesus Christ" she was all smiles! We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and promised to come back at another time with a copy in Hindi. We also invited her to come to church and she said she wanted to, but that she'd have to check with her hubby first.

 

Miracle #3 Sister Miller, a former ward missionary, and her husband took us out to dinner on Saturday. We started talking about the ward and found out that her new calling is teaching the 5 and 6 year olds during Sunday School. There were a few kids that don't show up as often, so we made plans to go out the next day and visit them together. Sister Miller is awesome. After we visited the few houses that we had planned on, with not much luck, she said, "Well hey. I'll just hang out with you guys until your next appointment if that's all right!" She was with us for three hours yesterday. Talk about going the extra mile. It was awesome. We went to various apartment complexes hoping to catch some potential investigators at home. On our way to check on Paul, a high schooler that we talked to earlier that week, we met Paul's brother on the doorstep. His name is Semo, visiting from Mississippi. Sister Miller, Sister McKee and I taught him the first lesson all together right there on the doorstep! He took the Book of Mormon and agreed to have misisonaries over when he gets back home to Mississippi!! Sister Miller was so excited!

 

I'm tellin ya! Members + Missionaries = MIRACLES. And that's a promise! I've seen too many miracles to say otherwise!

 

Thursday there was a huge snow storm. We couldn't drive anywhere so we put on our pants (HALLELUJAH) and helped our neighbors shovel our their cars so they could get out. It was a lot of fun. We had a snow shovel in our closet, and borrowed another from the elders. (There are three sets of elders that live in the same apartment complex) We would just walk up to someone who was shoveling the snow, and jumped in helping them! It was so fun! Turns out, we helped all the right people. The first man said that we were heaven sent because he was having major back problems. It was just a great opportunity to get to know our neighbors. And it was a lot of fun! I'm grateful that Mom and Dad taught me how to work. And I'm grateful Sister McKee isn't afraid to work.  It's AWESOME.  

Sister Anderson and Sister McKee shoveling snow.

Sister Anderson

 We had a few appointments Thursday night, but we weren't allowed to drive our cars in the snow. We decided to try to walk over. We made it a ways out, but our growling tummies got the best of us. And it was freezing. We made it to a little strip mall area. We narrowed down our choices between Panda Express (my first choice) and 5 Guys. I was set on Panda, but decided a burger didn't sound too bad... God works in mysterious ways...because he works through our empty tummies. While we were there, a less active member that we've been trying to get a hold of and trying to help out just walked in! I smiled really big, waved at her and invited her to sit with us! She said we were sweet, but that she was just picking something up for her hubby. We said we'd come by later the next week :) 

 

Miracles are happening in Centreville! I'm so excited!!!! I love this area so much!

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day!

 

President Riggs has challenged all of us missionaries to memorize all the scripture references in the first three lessons of Preach My Gospel. And right now we're working on the Plan of Salvation lesson. There are soooo many scriptures in this chapter! But as I've been studying and trying to use the scriptures in my teaching, I've really come to appreciate this wonderful plan that our Father in Heaven has laid out for each of us. We are here on earth to be happy and to become like Him. Our savior is central to this plan, because we couldn't become like Heavenly Father without Him and His atonement. There is so much peace and hope that comes from knowing where we lived before this life, why we are here, and where we are going after we die. Because of this plan, I am not afraid to die! I know that so long as I'm doing what I can to understand and become like Christ, I'll be okay. And I know my family will be okay. I love this gospel!

 

Have a great week!! Pray for your own miracles! You can be a part of them too! Keep reading the Book of Mormon! I know it's hard, but it's worth it. It really is another testament of Jesus Christ, and it will bring you even closer to Him. I know that it will!

Love you all!

Sister Anderson

I'M IN A FAMILY WARD! - Feb 10, 2014

I'M IN A FAMILY WARD AHHHHHH I'M SO HAPPY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love it. I feel more at home. I'm in the Centreville 2nd ward. My companion's name is Sister McKee. She's from Cambridge, Idaho and is the youngest in her family. She has two older brothers. She was in the MTC the same time that Sister Hansen was! So she's been out 11 months. It's nice having companions who've been out a lot longer than me-they know what they're doing! She's really sweet. She says she's shy, but she talks to me a whole lot! :) She loves basketball, volleyball and track, doesn't really sing on key, and has beautiful thick black hair! (Hopefully she'll let me take a picture with her so I can send it to you! haha!)

Sister Anderson and Sister McKee!

 My new address is 14203 Lotus Ln #625 Centreville, VA 20120. We have our own apartment. President Riggs doesn't like companionships to have roommates, which makes sense. They're too much of a fun distraction! :) I liked roommates, but it's nice to be able to focus. (Especially since I have a hard enough time focusing in the first place!) The apartment is kinda dirty...there isn't too much clutter, but it looks like no one has really deep cleaned it in a while. Gross. So I'll spend a good chunk of my preparation day today scrubbing... We have our own washer/dryer!! WOO! I don't have to spend almost 2 bucks on each load!

 

If you want to send me letters/packages, we have our very own mailbox! It's like ours at home where you need a key to get in.

 

Our ward feeds us REALLY well. We have a ton of food in our apartment. I won't need to go grocery shopping today! It's so nice not to have to worry about that. This ward is really great. The bishop and ward mission leader meet with the missionaries EVERY week!!!  They are so serious about this work and they want to do everything that they can to help us! It makes me so happy. It all starts with the bishop and the leadership. Once they're on board, the work is so much smoother.

 

Family wards just feel so much more normal than single adult wards. The lady who taught Relief Society yesterday reminded me of a mix between Sister Bates and Leslie Burnette. So, obviously, I LOVED it.

 

This ward has a set of sisters and a set of elders.

 

At the moment we don't have too many people that we're working with. There are a TON of less active members in this ward, and the ward mission leader, Brother Stark, wants the sisters to work with them because people have a soft spot for sisters aparently. So the elders have all the investigators at the moment.  

 

I'm glad baseball's started up again. Brendan's a good player. I love bragging about how my family's the baseball family! :) Give Lisa Jones a hug for me! She's a good coach. That'll be a lot of fun.

 

This area is a lot of fun. We've met a few really great people from knocking doors, and we'll check back with them this week. There's one couple that we checked on my first day here, and their story broke my heart. The sisters before me went to check on the wife, who was a former investigator of the church. The husband opened the door and said, "You are heaven sent. Come back tomorrow when my wife is here." So they came back the next day and met the wife...she is literally crazy. She took some weight loss pills three months ago that messed with the chemistry in her brain. And now she thinks that the FBI is always after her....and that's all she can talk about. The husband likes us coming over and talking to her. She is the sweetest lady. She really truly believes that the FBI is after her. Her hubby, Ray, is so sad. He is a really tough looking man from Queens, NY. He just sits there in the living room chair, exhausted and tired. He's desperate. While his wife talked about one of her stories about how she ran away from the FBI with Sis McKee, I started up a side conversation with Ray. Of course, we got to the subject of religion and God, and he claims to not believe. I asked him why, and he started his story, but never finished. I can't wait to go back and talk to him again. I was able to make him laugh for a little bit, and that made me feel good. He says that he thinks I'm cool, so I made a new friend. :)

 

I can't wait for the miracles that Sister McKee and I will be a part of in this area. The Centreville 2nd ward is the best in Virginia!!!!!!

 

Love you! Have a great week!

Sister Anderson

February 3, 2014 - Grumpy Men in Arlington

This week was a good one. Not to say that I didn't see miracles, but nothing too spectacular happened. We spend a lot of time working with members since that's where President Riggs says that's where our focus should be. I love teaching them the missionary lessons, even though they already know the material. It just proves that even though I'm the one speaking, the real teacher is the spirit! There is ALWAYS something new to be learned, or remembered from the simple doctrines of Christ's church!

 

We always try to take an hour every day to find people to teach. We don't always get around to it because we have many appointments to run to. But one evening we were checking on a less active member. She wasn't home. We know that God has a purpose for sending us to each place we go each day, so we decided to make the most of the time we had in that small neighborhood. We knocked on every cute little townhouse door we could see. No one was too interested, but most people were polite. Which I DEFINITELY appreciate. I mean, rejection is hard enough as it is! Sister Hansen and I do a pretty good job keeping in good spirits though. We make it fun! My favorite door of that night was a grumpy old man. Haha. It was one of those moments where I really wish I had been holding a camera so I could show him how silly he was acting. It was my turn to introduce ourselves and who we represent, so I gave a nice musical knock. This gentleman opened the door and immediately looked confused. Our conversation went something like this:

"Hello? What can I do for you?"

"Hello Sir! My name is Sister Anderson and this is Sister Hansen! What's your name?"

"Um. Okaayy. What do you want?"

"We just want you to know that your Father in Heaven loves you so much! He--"

"Wait. Who are you?"

"Representatives of Jesus Christ."
"OHHH you people are SICK!!!!!!! GET out of here!"

*starts doing a little dance*

"YAH just get off my porch. Come back when you find a God that cares about people!" (Goes on his angry rant for a bit longer...)

"Okay sir, have a good night! :) Goodbye"

 

Oh man. I couldn't even believe it. I mean, sure people yell at us all the time (you could call it an occupational hazard), but he was the worst by far. I walked away wishing that people would be a little more mature with how they handled themselves. I wish people really knew that we are not walking around just trying to convert people. I mean what do we have to gain? Nothing from a worldly perspective! We talk to as many people as we can every single day so that they can experience the same happiness that this gospel brings into our lives! If they REALLY understood Jesus Christ and His teachings, they would at least give this message a chance. I do not care about numbers. I care about helping my brothers and sisters realize their full potential that they can achieve in this life and the life to come. This is a gospel of love. This is the gospel of Jesus Christ! :)

 

Anywhooo. That was a fun one. :) I've been learning a lot about people and how different everyone really is. I'm grateful for every experience I've had on my mission and I can't wait for more to come.

 

We had another lesson with Chad this week. It was a rough one. He is really closed off to anything and everything we say. One of the members that we brought with us to his lesson was bearing his testimony, and Chad cut him off to yell, "NO. Absolutely NOT. I could NEVER believe that." Sooooo....... we decided not to teach him for a while. We are going to focus our efforts on people that are prepared and receptive! Not that we're completely forgetting about Chad, but we're just going to let him simmer down for a little bit until the right set of missionaries feel inspired to start teaching him again. He's a great person! He just doesn't see us as representatives of Jesus Christ... everything we say isn't credible to him and he blows us off. His lessons are just so stressful! So it'll be nice to take a good break for a while. :)

 

We had a last lesson with Brother Garlock this week! He moved to North Carolina. We prayed about what our last lesson should be about, and we felt like he needed to be reminded of repentance. Again. We gave him a going away gift! We gave him a pen...I had taped a piece of paper to it that said rePENt! in really big letters. Hahaha! So cheesy. But I love it!

 

Sister Hansen, Sister Taylor and I got to sing our "Amazing Grace" again at a New Member Fireside. There were about 5 new members of the church that bore their testimonies about why they decided to join the church. The spirit was so strong! Their stories about their conversion to Christ are so touching. I felt so blessed to share my testimony with them through song.

 

I love being a missionary. It really is the best thing I've ever done in all 20 years of my life! I'm learning so much about myself, my Savior, and what I need to do/become in order to become more like Him.

 

Transfers are coming up this week! I'll be getting a phone call hopefully tonight or tomorrow night that will confirm whether or not I'll be staying or leaving. (I'm probably leaving though. President Riggs himself told me that it was about time. haha!) I'll be sure to email you my new address as soon as I find out!

 

Love you! Have a great week!!!!

Love,

Sister Anderson

Julie @ Arlington National Cemetary