I'm in Montana!

It seems like it’s been months since I was in the MTC! So weird. But its great here and the sky really is bigger! I like it a lot. So WAY back on Tuesday. We woke up at 4ish to make it to the leaving office place and then they said that we didn't need to be there for an hour. So that was cool and we just went to the cafeteria and ate some cereal. But then I found out that I was the travel leader haha I don't know whose great idea that was, but there was two of us and I was over the ones going to Montana and he was over the ones going to Panama and a couple others were going to London. So I was over like 13 missionaries and this other stuff. We had ALL of our luggage and needed to get on and off of the frontrunner and the trax in like 30 seconds. The elders were literally throwing our suitcases on and off of the trains as fast as they could! We wouldn't have made it in time if they weren't there haha we got kinda lost and went up and down some escalators with all of our HUGE luggage. That wasn't necessary, people were staring, it was fine, but we all got on the plane and we made it! haha 

Once we got off the plane and down to the bag claim our mission President and his wife were there! They are SO nice, I love them. and there was also a couple of elders one of them looked SO familiar then he asked me where I was from and turns out we're both from Salem and went to high school together for a bit! Elder Curtis. There are a lot of people from Salem in this mission its great! Once we got to the mission home we ate some REAL food and it was so good and then we had training at the stake center, which is very small, then we went back for some more real food, had a testimony meeting, which was great, and then all of the sisters stayed at a hotel for the night! Then the next morning we went to the temple! it is SO pretty! I love that place, it’s great. We also took some pictures and such. Then we went to the church for some more training and sister Van Ausdale was there! (Also from Salem) we took a picture, hopefully I can figure out how to put that on here. But then we went to Golden Corral and then I had to say bye to Sister Pearson :( cause she was off the her area in Wyoming. 

OH! Earlier though President had us spin a wheel to guess where we were going for our first area haha, I was wrong but I am in Great Falls!! And my companion is Sister Stacey! Anyways so that evening they sent us to downtown Billings and paired us up, gave us a Book of Mormon, and some pass along cards and told us to meet back at the van in an hour and a half! So I was with Sister Johnson and we went on our way! haha So we saw some guys crossing the street and they asked us if we were crossing too and we were like sure! Ha they asked us about who we were and what we were doing and one of them was interested in hearing about the Book of Mormon! So we were like great! But the other guy was totally drunk. Ha, and only was talking to me, so Sister Johnson was teaching the other guy while this guy was telling me how he just got a ticket cause he was drinking and was like "I’m an Indian! Indians can’t get tickets!" I asked him what his name was and he said "I am two moons" and showed me these tattoos on his arms that were like half burned away because I guess one night he and his brother were cold so they kept burning each other to stay warm and awake! He went on and on and said "I am two moons. I fight against the police on the front lines. I fight for my people." He said that probably 5 times. And he talked about the moons and vampires and Zeus. I don't know, he wasn't all there. But then this cutest/nicest old homeless guy came by! He's like "are you guys the Mormons? I know Mormons!" Then he told us about this one time how he had a warrant out for him and he saw some men in white shirts and suits and thought that they were the FBI coming to get him so he ran onto the bus, but they came and sat right across from him. One of the men reached into his pocket and he thought that they were going to pull out a gun, but then he just pulled out a Book of Mormon haha he said "and that's how I met the Mormons!" Ha he was a funny guy. The other guy goes "I like your smile. i don't like his smile, or really his smile either" then the homeless guy smiled and all his teeth were gone hahaha then the drunk guy started talking about marriage and I was like We gotta go! And we got far from there haha turns out the elders saw that they looked kinda sketchy and they were watching us from around the corner in their car haha so we were good.  Then we met another homeless guy and long story short he has had a really hard life and has probably never had a real home, but we talked to him and he knows that God loves him and we gave him a book of Mormon and it was cool.  Most other people we noticed would walk slow or fast or pull out there phone or get in there car just so we wouldn't talk to them haha then it started pouring down rain so we went back, but it was cool!

The next day we all got in a big van and we were off to our areas! For me it was about 5 hours of driving. Then I met Sister Stacey! She is great! Kinda not super talkative, but it's cool. I am learning a lot from her! She is an awesome trainer! We are both new to this area called Portage and so these past couple of days we haven't taught many lessons because I guess all of the appointments that the other sisters set up for us weren't official appointments? So we have been just getting to know A LOT of people! Everyone here is so nice! Especially the members! They love the missionaries and are so involved with the work it's awesome! The Bellessas are the first people that we ate with and they are our ward mission leaders! Oh on Friday we ate with the Jackson's and BBQ up some elk that they shot and it was so yummy! But I didn't have a knife haha and everyone else did and at first I didn't want to say anything.  So I tried to cut it with my spoon and fork.. haha That did not work. Then the husband started laughing and I asked them for a knife haha then I opened up the ranch and It EXPLODED all over my face!! Oh man... haha but it was a good time. 

This is a long letter sorry! I need to start rapping this up

We live in an old apartment and it's pink, they call it the pink palace haha I like it.  We have our own washer and drier so that's nice! 

Oh there are a lot of Native Americans here who are very into their native tribes and all that comes with that so that is always interesting. 

On 10th avenue, which is like the main street, there are 39 casinos. 

A lot of different churches. Everybody has their religion, mostly Christian 

This place kinda all looks like Richfield! But a lot more houses and not as small. Probably 50% of the streets are one way streets and there aren't very many stop signs so you just look and keep going haha. 

I've also realized how allergic I am to animals! Everyone has at least one dog and there it is snowing cotton everywhere so I am sneezing all of the time haha. 

Also older ladies are very into their cookie jars and glass animals and antique stuff like that. They are all over there houses! Usually they have a specific animal too. Like one of our investigators has like 200 giraffes all over her house! Another common one is frogs.  I’ve probably only been in maybe 2 houses that were clean. Nobody has a clean house here. But they are all great people! 

Oh and I saw Elder Rowley (also from Salem) and Sister Sewifinewa (don't know how spell that) 

Welp things are pretty good here! Sometimes it's hard, but I'm for sure trying to get use to this missionary life style.

This week we actually have "official" appointments, so we will get to teach a lot of lessons!  So that'll be fun! 

The gospel is true and the book is blue.

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Love, Sister Anderson

Jessica & all the incoming Sisters

With President and Sister Mecham

With Elder Curtis & Sister VanAusdal also from Salem and serving in Montana

Note to Mom & Dad:

Thanks for emailing me mom and dad! I don't have much time or else I would write you back, but you can send real letters and I'll have more time for those! But I like these too! 

Oh and if you want you can send me a CD called lower lights? It's a good one.

I'll write a letter to you guys so you have my address cause I cant remember it right now.

I LOVE YOU! Thanks for all of your prayers I can definitely feel them helping me along.

Love, Sister Anderson