Monday, July 25, 2016

Always Changing!

God really does not want Sister Pearson and I getting comfortable here in Helena. haha From switching wards right when I got here to moving 4 times and now switching wards again. You know how we were covering 1st and 5th ward? Well starting today we now cover 1st and 3rd ward. I am going to miss the awesome fifth ward people, but I'm excited about 3rd ward. The elders haven't told us much and our area books in our iPads haven't changed yet, so we still don't know a ton about the area, but it will be fun! Change is good. I’ve found that you learn a lot quicker when you're out of your comfort zone. Heavenly Father knows us SO well. He especially knows how to keep me out of my comfort zone. It's a good thing. :)

I went to Great Falls again this week!! Aw I love all of the people there so much. We had dinner with the Blatter family and guess what we had again.... Chicken gizzards! Hahaa of course the one day I come back ;) but it actually wasn't too bad this time! Gotta love the Blatters!

I also went on an exchange with Sister Arnson! She just came out from the MTC, she's from American Fork, and she is an amazing missionary! I have never met someone SO EXCITED to be a missionary! She just has such a fire in her and absolutely loves everyone she meets. I loved spending the day with her because her happiness is contagious!! I got back with Sister Pearson and she just thought I was crazy because I was just so excited about everything! Haha after being out over a year, yes I still absolutely love being a missionary, but I'd lost that excitement a bit. Now it's back and it's never going to leave again! I love being a missionary!

On Saturday we went to try a former investigator and she was busy, so we decided to tract around to the other apartments and we ended up meeting this awesome lady named Sandra! It was so cool! She's been living here for a while and she has been wanting to go to the Mormon church! She said that many of her family members had suggested it and she had tried to look up our number in the phone book, but she couldn't find it. Us knocking on her door was an answer to her prayers. We are excited to start working with her. :) God is preparing people everywhere to receive His restored gospel.

In preparation for MLC we've been asked to read the talk, Faith is not chance, but by choice, by Elder Andersen and oh my goodness I love this talk! If you haven't read it in a while, you should. In it he shares a story about a family ... I'm just going to copy and paste the story.. It's SO GOOD!

"On June 12 of this year, I received an email telling me that the bishop from a Utah ward, his wife, and two of their children had been killed in an airplane accident. Bishop Mark Openshaw had been piloting the plane as it left a small airfield, when it suddenly fell from the sky and crashed to the earth. Bishop Openshaw, his wife, Amy, and their children Tanner and Ellie were killed in the accident. Miraculously their five-year-old son, Max, thrown out of the airplane in his airplane seat, escaped with only broken bones.  I learned that their son Elder Porter Openshaw was serving in the Marshall Islands Majuro Mission and that their 17-year-old son, Zane, was on a school cultural exchange in Germany.  I called Elder Openshaw on Christmas Island. Although heartbroken by the unexpected death of his mother, father, brother, and sister, Elder Openshaw immediately turned his concern to his two younger brothers.
        Ultimately it was Elder Openshaw and his brother Zane who decided that others could help at home and that Porter should stay on his mission. They knew it was what their parents would want.
        As I spoke with Elder Openshaw, I felt his sadness but also his unquenchable fire of faith. “I have the confidence,” he told me, “and I know without a shadow of a doubt that I will see my family again. … Strength in our trials is always found in … our Lord, Jesus Christ. … God’s omnipotent hand has been so apparent in helping [me] and my brothers throughout [this] very difficult challenge.”
        I met Zane for the first time at the funeral. As I looked at the four caskets before us in the chapel, I marveled at the faith of this 17-year-old as he addressed the congregation. “Today,” he said, “we have gathered with humble hearts and weary souls to remember the lives of my mom, dad, Tanner, and Ellie. … We have talked together, cried together, remembered together, and felt the hand of God together. …
       “The day after I heard the news of the accident, I found a letter in my bag from my mom. In the letter she wrote: ‘Zane, remember who you are and where you come from. We will be praying for you and missing you.’” Zane continued: “There could not be more fitting last words from my mother. I know that she, along with Tanner, Ellie, and my dad are … praying for [my brothers and] me. I know that … they pray that I remember who I am … because I, like you, am a child of God, and He has sent me here. I testify [that] … no matter how alone we feel, God will
not forsake us.”
        My dear friends, your faith did not begin at birth, and it will not end at death. Faith is a choice. Strengthen your faith, and live to be deserving of the Savior’s approving words: “Great is thy faith.” As you do, I promise you that your faith, through the grace of Jesus Christ, will one day allow you to stand with those you love, clean and pure in the presence of God, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

I love you all! Have a top notch week!
Love,
Sister Anderson


Random things
- Everyone has been feeding us SO much food lately and like 3 desserts every meal! ...don't expect me to be the same size I was before I left when I get back...
- Good news! We shouldn't be moving any time soon :)
- Tomorrow is MLC! Wahoo!!
- Waylon Dayton (the 9 year old in Sheridan, Brandy’s son) is getting baptized on Saturday!! So happy for them :) he'll be an awesome missionary in 9 years ;)
- We got some flathead cherries! (Really yummy cherries)

Sister Arnson and I
Flathead cherries!
A deer in town
All dressed up =)
24th of July celebration with the stake

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