Miracles Galore

Aw this week has been great :) We are seeing an insane amount of miracles happening in our area.

First of all, Sam was baptized! The baptism and everything went great! Her husband wasn't able to get the priesthood in time because they went out of town, but Sam did not want to wait! She chose Hark the

Herald Angels Sing and America the Beautiful for the songs to sing at the baptism and it was the best thing ever. Nick is still on board and ready to be baptized this Saturday! Everyone is so excited for him :)

There are so many miracles happening here in Helena. We received a referral this week from someone in Colorado or something and we went to contact her and just ended up teaching the restoration and halfway through she asks, "how can I learn more about the Mormon religion?" Haha such a good question! She's awesome. We also went by the apartment where one of our investigators had moved out of to see if someone new had moved in and it turned out to be members! Their an awesome family from Virginia. When she opened the door she got this really excited look on her face and threw her arms in the air and said, "sisters!" Haha we were so confused. That's not a response we get everyday. The parents were both baptized three years ago and they are so missionary minded. They have only been living there for three days and she is already working on her neighbor upstairs and referred us to her! So we went to contact her and she too is so prepared and excited to learn more!

Victoria is also doing great and looking forward to baptism on the 17th! Sister Linney and I are just loving being here. So many miracles everyday! I wish I could stay here forever! We also had some awesome exchanges this week! On Tuesday I went with Sister Timothy to her area in Helena. That morning I was praying about how many new investigators we would find and at first I felt strongly that we would find 5. I was doubting a bit, but I told the Lord that I did believe we could find 5 with His help. So we worked hard, talked with everyone He put in our path, and before dinner found 3 new investigators! Then before the night was over we felt prompted many times as to where we should be and what streets we should go down and ended up finding 2 more! God’s plans are SO much better than our own. If we have enough faith, we can be guided by Him, and we will see miracles!

I say this all the time, but God is SO aware of each of His children. There are miracles happening everyday, all around us! He has not and will not ever forget us. I was reading through a great talk by elder Scott the other day that said, "You are one of the noblest of God’s creations. His intent is that your life be gloriously beautiful regardless of your circumstances. As you are grateful and obedient, you can become all that God intends you to be."

I love you all! Have the best week ever.

Love, Sister Anderson

Exchanges with Sister Timothy. Sometimes people own too many bikes!

Exchanges with Sister Christensen from St George

Sam on her baptism day

Celebrating 15 months as a missionary!

The sisters car battery died and we had to push it to be able to get our car next to it to jump it

Annabelle's newest outfit =)

We hiked to the top of Mt Helena again

More climbing pictures

Lunch With an Apostle!

Oh my goodness. Best week of my life!!!!!! I don't even know where to begin... I honestly can't even put into words how great this week has been!! I wish I could type out every second of everyday for you, but I'll try to give a brief summary. Just ask me about it when I get home someday.

We've had 11 meetings this week haha 12 if you count lunch with Elder Christofferson as a meeting. We had MLC this week!! This one was one of my favorites for sure. Be an active participant in meetings. The purpose of any meeting in the church is to become more like Christ. Because I was prepared before hand and was ready to receive revelation during and act on it after made all the difference and I got SO much out of it! We had zone training on Friday. President and Sister Wadsworth decided to show up at our zone training this time. ha. So of course I was super nervous for my discussion, but it was actually really cool to have them there.

Friday evening there was a YSA meeting with Elder Christofferson, Elder Sorez, and Elder Evensen and we got to go since Nick is a YSA and he wanted to go! So that was awesome. Elder Christofferson did a bit of a Q&A which was great and it wasn't all about getting married,

so that was awesome! They talked quite a bit about happiness. They are all really funny! Elder Evenson said, "we teach the plan of happiness. If we don't look happy no one is going to believe us!" So true!! If it's a plan of happiness we should find the happiness in it. "Be not afraid, only believe."

Saturday morning we went to the stake president’s home and got stuff ready for the lunch, then went to the missionary meeting with Elder Christofferson, Elder Sorez, and Elder Evenson. Ah I wish I had more time to write about it! But it was amazing! The spirit was so strong. He did another Q/A and talked about some amazing things. I'll maybe write more about it next week.

THEN WE HAD LUNCH WITH ELDER CHRISTOFFERSON!!!!!!!! So I'll list off all of the amazing people that attended this lunch at the stake president’s home.

- Billings temple president and wife the Ghetts

- President and sister Wadsworth

- Stake president Bingham (future apostle) and wife

- Elder sorez of the 70

- Elder Evenson an area 70

- The assistants and zone leaders

- Elder Christofferson!!!!

Ah!!!! Elder Christofferson sat at the head of our table and I just felt like I was in a dream the whole time. He asked us about where we were from and all of the other usual questions. He has been to Salem before! He talked about Salem pond. Also he talked about how the day before he came he was assigning mission calls! No big deal. Aw it was amazing. This weekend has honestly changed my life in so many ways :) I will never forget the way that I've felt the spirit testifying to me that these men are called of God. I know that Elder Christofferson is an

apostle of the Lord.

Funny quotes from the week:

"The great thing about being a member of the 12 is you can be 70 and still be young!" - Elder Christofferson

"Any questions? Where are the 3 nephites? I don't know! They don't write...they don't call.." - Elder Christofferson

"I'm still trying to learn the English idioms. Like today I learned 'off the hook'. I had to think about it for a second, but I got it!" -

Elder Sorez

"I have to go into work." "Why?" " she hit a bear." "Is she okay?" "She's pregnant, but she's okay."

"I took a class in high school and learned that if you don't have stress, then you're dead." - Sister Brooks

Ps. We didn't get to get a picture with elder Christofferson...biggest regret of my life.

I love you all! Have the best week ever!!

Love,

Sister Anderson

Right after lunch with Elder Christopherson =)

This weeks exchanges

MLC

Sister Hodgson!

Funny President =)

Sister training leaders of the mission

Train tour of Helena

Summer Cold

Hola!

This past week has been great! And this week is going to be packed full with greatness!! Tomorrow is MLC

Wednesday - going on an exchange

Thursday - weekly planning...nothing too crazy.

Friday - zone training and possibly exchanges

Saturday - missionary meeting with Elder Christofferson!! And our stake president invited us and the zone leaders over to lunch after at his house with Elder Christofferson!! Ah! I'm super nervous, but SO EXCITED!!! It’s gonna be a good one.

Said adios to Sister Pearson and I'm with Sister Linney now!! She's from Orinda, California and also is a redhead in other words, it's going to be a really good transfer!! ;)

Yesterday we had some crazy good miracles. Brian and Victoria and Sam all came to church yesterday! It was the best thing ever. I don't know if I've talked about Sam yet.. She's SO awesome. The elders tracted into their family a month or so back and the husband was just baptized a couple weeks ago and now Sam wants to be baptized and her husband is going to baptized her! It's going to be so cool. They've been really prepared :) And then in sacrament I look over at the door and Sister Cutler was there! (My STL forever ago) so that was a fun surprise. THEN we found out that one of our members 17 year old son decided that he wants to be baptized and serve a mission in a year!! Needless to say there are a lot of miracles happening here in Helena :) I love serving here!

Stuff

- so I have had this cold for the past few days and everyone keeps saying, "sounds like you've got a summer cold huh?" Like EVERYONE. I've never heard it referred to that haha

- our brand new tire on our jeep got sliced open as we were driving down a dirt road

- Just walked into the gym at the church ready for some zone sports and president Wadsworth is here!

Have a great week! I love you all :)

Love,

Sister Anderson

The trio

The Knudson's

With Lauren!

Cruze showing us the latest peace sign =)

A random horse

After a long planning session

Our slashed tire

Transfer News!

First things first transfer news! I am staying! But Sister Pearson is leaving...Sister Linney is going to be my new companion!! We came out together! I'm so excited for this next transfer! I don't have much time today, but it has been a good week! We taught Victoria! She's a new investigator and she's looking forward to being baptized! She's awesome. Sister Smith has been with us in a trio since Friday! So that's been fun. We've been meeting some great people! Getting to know the 3rd ward a bit as well. Sister Olson is all moved out and living in Richfield now!

In church yesterday we had a lesson on charity 3 times! In the gospel principles book it talks about 4 ways to develop charity, try them out!

One way we can become charitable is by studying the life of Jesus Christ and keeping His commandments. We can study what He did in certain situations and do the same things when we are in the same kinds of situations.

Second, when we have uncharitable feelings, we can pray to have greater charity. Mormon urges us, “Pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love [charity], which He hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of His Son, Jesus  Christ” (Moroni 7:48).

Third, we can learn to love ourselves, which means that we understand our true worth as children of our Heavenly Father. The Savior taught that we must love others as we love ourselves (see Matthew 22:39). To love ourselves, we must respect and trust ourselves. This means that we must be obedient to the principles of the gospel. We must repent of any wrongdoings. We must forgive ourselves when we have repented. We will come to love ourselves better when we can feel the deep, comforting assurance that the Savior truly loves us.

Fourth, we can avoid thinking we are better than other people. We can have patience with their faults. Joseph Smith said, “The nearer we get to our heavenly Father, the more we are disposed to look with compassion on perishing souls; we feel that we want to take them upon our shoulders, and cast their sins behind our backs” Charity never faileth :)

I love you all! Have the best week ever!

Love,

Sister Anderson

Trio with Sister Smith

Goodbye Sister Pearson

Sister Olsen

Zone Conference

Sisters of the Zone

Cool turtle!

Be of Good Cheer! :)

This week has had some great ups and some downs.

UPS

- We had MLC! Got to see President and Sister Wadsworth! Love seeing them. And all the great sisters, like Sister Wong! We learned about mental illness for a second, which was very powerful. And about a bunch of real good stuff I wish I had time to write about.

- Zone training went great! Sister Pearson and I gave a discussion and did some role plays with finding and we learned a lot about being diligent and fulfilling our purpose. Such a good day!

- We found MANY new investigators!!! Ah I love finding new people! We have been going through and trying our former investigators and we haven't met any of the actual formers, but people around the area or who live there now have been being prepared! One guy, his name is Kenny, he recently moved here for a better life for his son! And recently he's been wondering about the church and wanting to learn more! He is really interested in the Book of Mormon and what it's all about!

- We've been riding our bikes pretty much everyday, which is so fun! Even though we may look like we're dying as we do. Which we are, but it's fine.

- I went on an exchange with Sister Freeman from lehi! We walked and biked and found some great people all day.

- Being in 3rd ward also now we cover these little towns out into the mountains and they are so cute!!

- I found out that if I don't get transferred I will get to have dinner with Elder Christofferson and 2 members of the 70. No big deal. ;) (pray that I don't get transferred!)

- Miracle! We got a call from a member in our ward saying, "hey I have a friend that would like to take the lessons. So we can meet every Wednesday at 6 o’clock at my house until she is done with the lessons, okay?" Haha um okay!!! We are so so so excited for that.

- I met a dog named Chaplin Stew

- I learned you can do "bull riding" with a hose.

- 3rd ward is great!

- My tan lines from my watch and shoes are going strong.

- I learned that the Isaiah chapters are much easier to understand when you are searching for the character of Christ! That is something we are doing as a mission now. Going through the Book of Mormon and marking the character of Christ. You all should give it a try! I am learning so much about Him and noticing things throughout that Book of Mormon that I haven't noticed before. I'm loving it!

- It rained SO HARD on Tuesday and we got SO WET. Luckily it was the end of the day so we could just go home because we were soaked.

DOWNS

- I don't like focusing on the downs, but we did get dropped 3 times this week by some of our progressing investigators which was really sad, but each time we've got dropped God has always provided someone new that has been searching and is ready to receive the gospel fully at this time! We are here to work with those that are prepared. Those investigators simply weren't prepared at the moment, but God is still working on them :) I know they'll come back in the future!

- Got bit by a mosquito.

There has to be ups and downs in life. ‘For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things’ (2 Ne. 2:11). It's part of life! In the scriptures the Lord commands us to be of good cheer and to lift up our heads and rejoice!  It's not a really suggestion. There will always be ups and downs, but God loves us! There are so many ups and blessings in life that we can be thankful for.

"Verily, verily, I say unto you, ye are little children, and ye have not as yet understood how great blessings the Father hath in his own hands and prepared for you; And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious; and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." (D&C 78:17-19) "Lift up your heart and rejoice!" D&C 31:3

I love you all! Lift up your heart, rejoice, and have a great week!

Love,

Sister Anderson

Out and about on our bikes, the sun was sure bright!

Exchanges with Sister Freeman

A little rain doesn't stop the LDS missionaries!

Pretty rainbow and sunset

I needed a new facebook picture...

Tracting in the forest!

I spy bambi!

Cutest girls ever! Alexa & Haven Blake

Waylon got baptized back in Sheridan!

Bull riding a hose with Nikki =)

I'm funny =)

Annebella's in her life jacket

I spy an owl