July 21, 2014

What a week! It was both really hard and really great!!! Really hard because Satan was pulling us down from every angle, but really great because I got to go to the temple!!! There's a rule in our mission that missionaries can go to the DC temple every six months. Since the last time I went was in October, I decided I was way over due for a temple trip! There were some sisters in my zone that were going, so I asked if I could come along. Sister Lamborn went on Memorial Day so she couldn't come with me. We exchanged companions and she stayed back and hung out with the other sisters' companions. It worked out really well. The timing of the temple trip was much needed. As soon as I walked into the temple, my heart melted. I felt like I had come home. I've had a lot on my mind and the best stress relief is the spirit that is felt in the temple. We got there five minutes late to the 12 o'clock session, so we decided to do some invitatories. I don't know how to spell it.... but that was the first time I'd done invitatories since I'd done my own. I love, love, loved it. We went through the 1 o'clock session and I was silently crying to myself the entire time. Thank goodness for waterproof mascara! I just thought of when I went through the temple and how special it was that Grandma and Grandpa Anderson, Sister Burnette, Sister Grondel, Tanner, Sierra, Sister Burton, and I think Sister Bates were all there. (My memory is failing me!! I really wish I had written down who was all there when I went through the temple the first time. At least, I pictured Sister Bates was there in my mind! :) There is so much love in the temple. I made a promise to myself and to Heavenly Father that I will go to the temple every week when I get home from my mission. People think that the world is reality...but they are completely wrong. The temple is reality and I want to spend as much time there as I possibly can. And don't worry, I know a weekly trip up to the Seattle temple might be a lot, but I'll get a job really quick so I can pay for gas! And I'll go with my friends who can carpool with me!

 

Quick update on our finding: it's still really tough. People are generally really nice, but they're not interested. Their ignorance is bliss. They don't know what they're missing! And I try really hard to testify of the Savior and His gospel so that the Holy Ghost can touch their hearts...but they're just not open to it right now. And that's okay. God will lead us to His prepared children sooner or later!

 

Our District Leader, Elder Ekins, who is from Portland (woo pacific NW!!) asked Sister Lamborn and I to teach a portion of our district meeting. The only assignment he gave us was to teach about something we're good at so that we can help strengthen the other missionaries! We thought about it all week and decided to teach about being HAPPY! :D Sister Lamborn and I are known for laughing all the time. We just love to have fun! So we talked about how being happy helps all aspects of missionary work. If you want to be happy, you have to work! If you want others to be happy, you have to open your mouth and share the gospel! If you don't want to be discouraged, be positive and look at the glass as half full!!! We started our lesson by putting a glass half full of water on the table- it reminded me of when Dad taught me about looking at things with a half full attitude. :)

One night we pulled up to a less active member's home to see if we could visit her and we parked next to a woman sitting in her car listening to music and crying. It was starting to get dark, so it was a little sketchy to knock on the window and talk to her, but Sister Lamborn did anyway! She went to the passenger side and knocked on the window. We shared a scripture with her about Christ and how he suffered literally everything for us. The woman said she recognized us from when we came into the restaurant that she works at and she quickly went from crying to laughing! :) We didn't get a return appointment because she wasn't too interested, but it was good to know that we were in the right place at the right time and that we were her angels in that moment. I'm glad Sister Lamborn was brave! :)

 

Our district is awesome! Elder Ekins likes to have district bbq's every now and then and we had one on Friday. He didn't buy hamburger meat...instead he bought....SPAM!!! He made us all SPAM BURGERS! AHH. I didn't want to eat it. Hahaha. But all the elders made me! It actually wasn't too bad.. it had a really weird texture, but it was okay I guess. Again, I thought of Dad. He would have been proud in that moment.

 

I think those are the highlights of the week. At least the ones I can remember! Time flies. The 18th was my 10 month mark. Summer's half way done! What the heck!

 

I love you guys. Keep reading the Book of Mormon! I find a LOT of peace through the scriptures. I hope you learn to love them as much as I do. Oh and speaking of peace, I learned that Satan has a counterfeit for every emotion except for peace. For love, he has lust. There's laughter and then there's loud laughter, godly sorrow for worldly sorrow, excitement and anxiety, passion and obsession... but the only emotion that Satan does not have a counterfeit for it peace. And that is a feeling of the

Spirit that is clear as day. I just think that's really cool.

Have a good week. Seek to be more consecrated to the Lord and his gospel!

Love,
Sister Anderson

Have a great week!!!