Wherefore Can Ye Doubt?

This week has been great!! I just love being a missionary. I’ve said this before, but this is by far the best decision I've ever made! :) I've been so blessed with amazing companions and areas to serve. Speaking of that we got our transfer news yesterday! Sister Pearson and I are both staying!! Wahoo! She is the longest companion I've had, and will ever have on my mission! I love her and Helena so much :) It's going to be an awesome transfer!

The cotton is flying, which is making me sneeze like grandpa B. But things are still going great in the 1st and 5th wards! :) I love all of the people here. Lauren is still on fire and ready to be baptized on July 9th. We had a bit of a freak out because we thought she wasn't living in our ward boundaries for a second, but it's all good! She does :) Brian is still learning a bunch and is going to come to church again this week! Dan is still camping. He says he likes to go camping for weeks on end and live in the wild with nothing but a gun, so we haven't seen him for a while. Hopefully he'll come home soon. we are starting to work with a few new people, so we are looking forward to this coming week! :) We also went to a gospel sing this week! Just a bunch of different religions come and sing songs! Our zone sang count your many blessings. It was a good time :)

I went to Butte this week on an exchange with Sister Smith! Not many people seem to have the best things to say about Butte, yes it is a different town, yes not many people wear shirts, and yes the missionaries there have to stay in on St Patrick's day, but I loved it!! We had another one of those "golden missionary minutes" we had about 5 minutes left of the night and we were going to contact a family, but once we got there literally their house was gone. Haha once upon a time it was a trailer in a trailer park, but now there is nothing left. So we talked with some of their neighbors and as we were walking back to our car we were coming up to a house that I'd noticed earlier. They had a creepy creaking gate that was wide open, and the first time we walked past it I thought it seemed a little creepy and had no desire to enter that gate, but as we were walking past it again I felt more and more prompted to go and knock on the door. I told Sister Smith and we went and tried it. It was a cute young family. We were able to share a quick message with her and she was open to us coming back! That seems to be how it goes sometimes, we feel a little bit iffy about the situation, then the Holy Ghost says, "come on, let's go!", and when we chose to go we see miracles happen!

This week I was reading in 1 Nephi chapter 4. In this chapter Laman and Lemuel are being...Laman and Lemuel... And they are doubting that they will be able to get the plates. Nephi starts talking to them about how they have seen many miracles and they just saw an angel! So he asks, "wherefore can ye doubt?"  This question has been on repeat in my mind for the last couple of days now. I love this question! It can be pretty easy to doubt. I find myself doubting sometimes a prompting of the spirit, or my own ability to do something the Lord asks. But when I think of this story and the question, "wherefore can ye doubt?", I think about the miracles that I have seen in my life and in the lives of others, the times that I've felt the spirit witness of truth, and the testimony that I have of the gospel, then ask myself that question again, "where can ye doubt?". It's such a powerful question! I have seen miracles. I do know God is real, that He loves me, and that He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to this world for each of His children. I know that I have felt the influence of the Holy Ghost in my life multiple times. How can I doubt? President Uchtdorf taught to "doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith" I invite you to do the same! :) I love this gospel and I love learning more about it each

day and sharing it with others!

I love you all so much! And I'm so excited for the 4th of July! I don't know why, but that is one of my favorite holidays! Have the best week ever!

Love, Sister Anderson

With Sister Smith in Butte

Lady of the Rockies statue of Mary on top of a mountain in Butte

Reading the Book of Mormon to Colonel Sanders!

Let the Holy Spirit Guide! ...Mission Tour!

This week seems like it has been 5 weeks long, but it has gone by so fast! And miracles galore! Such a good week. So much has happened.

We met with Lauren! I was so nervous and I don't know why! It was like I've never taught the restoration before! Haha But it went great. She is the one I said came to church the other week with the returned missionary family. Oh my goodness she is SO prepared it's crazy. When members get involved miracles happen! She's on date to be baptized on the 9th of July and she's so excited! She said she feels like this is the first time in her life that she has felt the spirit. It is always so strong as we teach her :) She is so willing and has a strong desire to continue learning. We met with her 3 times this past week and she is progressing so much! She read all of 1 Nephi in 2 days!

While I was on an exchange this week with Sister Ney we went to try one of our new investigators, Rachelle, but she wasn't home.  So we tracted a few houses around and as we were going back to the car I didn't feel like we should leave yet, but I didn't know where else to go. Then I had a distinct thought quickly come into the mind to go down the alley. I thought it was strange and I'm sure Sister Ney thought I was a little crazy, but we went anyway! Then once we got to the alley there was a guy walking down it, so we got talking with him and were able to share a short message and gave him a Book of Mormon! Then as we continued down the alley and back around to our car we walked passed the new investigators house that we had originally been there for and we heard someone yell, "hey! I'm here!"  It was Rachelle yelling at us through her window! She invited us right in and we were able to share a message with her.  The Holy Ghost is the best.

A couple days later Sister Pearson and I were back together and we didn't have any appointments, so we were trying to contact some people all day and just no one was home. It was just seeming like a really long day. Throughout the day in my prayers I was praying that we would find a new investigator. We don't have a lot happening in that part of our area, so we've been really trying to get some new people to teach out there.  We had been given 2 referrals from a member, so we went to try them and as I said the prayer before we went to try it. I could feel that we were going to find someone here! The first house we went to was a no go, but the second one was interesting! His name was George. George had a lot of questions. Good questions! And they seem like they were sincere. He asked us things about the golden plates and where they went. If Jesus and Satan are brothers. Is the Book of Mormon more true than the Bible. Priesthood. The Holy Ghost/spirit. God having a body of flesh and bones. We answered them to the best of our ability and he understood it all well. It was interesting because usually these are questions that people use to try and turn things into a Bible bashing, but with him they were all very sincere questions and he was really interested in learning more! He gladly accepted a Book of Mormon and we are going to meet with him in a couple days! I'll tell y'all how it goes! Prayer is pretty powerful!

This week we were looking at a map of the town and trying to decide where we should go tracting and at the same time we both said, "how about McDonald street". It was kinda crazy, so of course we went there! There was probably 20 trailers on the street and we were lead to a new investigator, a couple of potentials, and some less actives! Also a lady asked us, "have you tried my neighbor? She asked me the other day if the Mormon missionaries ever come around here." So cool!

As I've been typing this out the hymn, "let the Holy Spirit guide" keeps coming to my mind, so I wanna share the lyrics with you all!

Let the Holy Spirit guide;

Let him teach us what is true.

He will testify of Christ,

Light our minds with heaven’s view.

2.

Let the Holy Spirit guard;

Let his whisper govern choice.

He will lead us safely home

If we listen to his voice.

3.

Let the Spirit heal our hearts

Thru his quiet, gentle pow’r.

May we purify our lives

To receive him hour by hour

The gift of the Holy Ghost truly is a gift. Live worthy of his guidance :)

So this all happened before mission tour! Sunday after church we took off for Billings with Sister Hodgson and Sister Fletcher (sisters I came out with) spent the night in Billings. Had mission tour with half the mission, then had an MLC with Elder Andersen, which was SO amazing! Then we took off back to Helena. Woke up the next day for mission tour again with the other half of the mission! :) We were exhausted and on a spiritual high at the same time. haha It was SO great. We literally sat and slept and sat and ate and sat and drove for 3 days straight! Good thing I like road trips! I had some great travel buddies too, so it was a good time! :)

In mission tour Elder Andersen of the seventy came and talked about 3 different kinds of knowledge that we need to be converted and progress in the gospel. Mind. Heart. and Soul. Our investigators get the mind knowledge as we teach them and they learn information. Heart knowledge comes as the Holy Ghost bears witness to them of the truth. This is something that we, as missionaries, can't do for them. We can do things that bring the spirit, like pray, read scriptures, testify..Ect, But it can only come from the spirit! With heart knowledge comes desire. Then comes soul knowledge as we invite them to act. As they act with faith they are gaining "soul knowledge" and are becoming more converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ. I hope that makes sense.. I'm typing this as quick as I can .. haha But mission tour was amazing. It was really cool to be able to go to both of them. It was basically the same for both, but he taught it all in a different way. I loved every second of it! :)

Have the best week ever!

Love,

Sister Anderson

Zone Pictures

Temple drive by

Sister Hodgson, Sister Fletcher, and us

Sleeping arrangements in Billings =)

Sisters

Killing a pesky fly with a shoe!  I got it! =)

Lots of Rain and Sunshine

This week has been a good one! It's rained a ton and the sunshine never stops. I love it! We were talking to a guy in the pouring rain and he said, "you can't be happy in all this rain." And we told him something like, "what?! We love the rain!" He thought we were crazy, but he invited us to come back the next day! Haha I am loving the rain :)

I’ve also been noticing how just about everything relates to the gospel. The storms will come, but we can choose to be happy and find the light.  Let the Savior be your light through the storms of life and He will lead the way!  Like in Mosiah 16, "He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death."

I went back to Great Falls for a day!!! Aw it was good to be back. They are teaching someone that I met while I was there! It was so good to see how everyone was doing. :)

Brian is doing good! Things are starting to click for him :) Dan is struggling with A LOT of different things. Keep praying for him! Yesterday there was a homecoming for a sister in the ward and she has a sorta family friend that has come to church a bit and the mom basically invited her to be baptized and we are meeting with her ton!! We are SO excited!

Lately I've been thinking a lot about repentance and what it really is. I think it is a really misunderstood principle of the gospel. Many people we teach don't really know what it is or how to do it. Sometimes in the world it is looked at as more of a "back up plan". Repentance is not a backup plan. It is the plan!  We should be applying this everyday! As we do we will grow and become the person God knows we can be. Moroni 6:8 "But as oft as they repented and sought forgiveness, with real intent, they were forgiven."

Also Mission tour is next week!!! Sunday we are driving down to Billings and staying the night. Monday we have an MLC with elder Anderson of the 70! It's going to be so good! Then we get to go on both of the mission tours! SO we will be emailing next week on WEDNESDAY :)

I love you all! Love, Sister Anderson

Really wet from tracting in the rain

Sister Pearson can't do the face =)

Sister Thomas and I on exchanges! We woke up at 4 to help do service
for a race!

Rawlins the dog and I (Bishop Campbell's)

Scenes from Great Falls

A bunny in Great Falls

My mother remembers eating at this Wendy's with her friend Stacey about 25 years ago. 

The Golden Missionary Minute

Another great week in Helena! We just got done hiking Mt. Helena! I about died because I'm so out of shape...but we made it! We had some pretty cool miracles this week!

We had some exchanges with some sisters in Helena, I was with Sister Jacoby! We were out trying a referral and they weren't home. We had about 5 minutes left and we really wanted to hand out a Book of Mormon. There were some apartments down the street, so we RAN down the street to try them, but no one lived in them. So we ran across the street to some other apartments! At first Sister Jacoby said, "let's try #3!" But there was a man outside at number 1, so we talked with him for a second. He wasn't interested and quickly referred us to #3. Even his dog was trying to run us off to get us to #3! So we went! Now we literally had 1 minute left. It was 8:59 and we knocked on this door.  Before he answered the door Sister Jacoby said, "this is the golden missionary minute!" The man answered and turns out his brother is actually a convert to the church. They are moving soon, but we were able to give him a Book of Mormon and talk with him a bit about the gospel! It was a miracle!  An answer to a prayer :) Sometimes we work hard all day and not a lot happens, at least in our eyes. Then at literally the last minute of the day we find what we've been working for. :) It makes it all worth it!

CHURCH!!!

So first ward church - Brian our investigator came!! He's so awesome and he participated a lot! He is still trying to find out if Joseph Smith really was a prophet of God, so keep praying for him! Oh and in sacrament meeting Dan bore his testimony! I don't know if I've told you guys about Dan yet. He's great. Sister Pearson found him on an exchange while tracting. They tracted into his aunt and set up a time to come back, then when we came back she sent Dan out to tell us to go away. We ended up talking with him and found out he is a member! He hasn't been active since he was like 10 and he is in his 50's now. He's got some major word of wisdom issues, but he's working on it! He told us today that yesterday was his last beer!! Which is HUGE for him. HUGE. Funny part of it all though is that he had the last beer right before church... So he was pretty buzzed at church haha When he started walking up to bear his testimony Sister Pearson and I were praying our little hearts out that he wouldn't be too crazy up there! He did good. He kept saying, "I've never been so happy!"  Haha we love Dan. He also has a funny friend that sings songs about everything we talk about when we have a lesson with him.

Fifth ward - There was a long pause during the fast and testimony meeting, then Jennifer leans over to me and says, "it's your turn!" I said, "I'll go if you go!" So we went up together and she bore an amazing testimony. She is such an inspiration to so many. The ward just loves her :)

A scripture I've been loving this week has been Alma 27:17-18 "Now the joy of Ammon was so great even that he was full; yea, he was swallowed up in the joy of his God, even to the exhausting of his strength; and he fell again to the earth. Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness." I want to experience this joy! I’m striving to become a truly penitent and a humble seeker of happiness. I invite you all to do the same! :)

I love you all! Have the best week ever!

Love,

Sister Anderson

On the way up Mt Helena

Up a bit further...

We made it! 

One last look around

The way back down

Wendy's for lunch at the church =)