October 28th, 2013

Hello Ya'll!

 

I use ya'll all the time now! At first, I worked on using it to try and seem more "native" but now its just a habit! I am afraid that I will be using ya'll for the rest of my life.

 

Well updates: Sister Lundholm is still the best companion. South Carolina is still the best mission. And Conway is still the best ward in the mission. Bascially, I am very blessed to be where I am. Thank you to all of you who helped me get here in any way!

 

This week we started teaching some new families! Two quick stories with that:

1) The Jones family was a referal. A couple of years ago they had the missionaries over, who were very kind to them and always offered to help. Well Sister Jones rememebred that and one day she asked he neighbor ( a less active member who we have been visiting quite often) for the missionaries phone number. She called and we came! Now they are to be baptized in a few weeks! Everywhere we go, the people have good memiories of the missionaries always offering to help. So go and be good examples!

 

2)  I taught my first lesson, with a member and my companion, almost ALL in spanish. The member did more teaching that I did, but wow! It was amazing. I was able to teach and bear testimony. The most powerful time was when I read (I didn't have it memorized in spanish) the First Vision. The lady said that this was the first time that she didn't feel aprehensive about what we were teaching. The Spirit is Universal! It truly is. I did not understanding everything she said and she did not unerstanding everything I said, but the Spirit was the teacher.

 

Inspiring Story: A few weeks ago in Stake Conference, Elder Paul V. Johnson of the Seventy shared this story with us:

 

When his grandson was 9 years old he was diagonsed with bone cancer. His grandson fought it for two years and eventually it went away, but the diagnosis was given that he would have to have his leg amputated. They were to do a new surgery in which they would amputate from his knee to his ankle.

 

So they amputated his leg and then re-attached his ankle to his knee, but backwards. The reason for this was to preserve the joint and to allow the foot to slide into a prostect leg. The surgery went well and the time came for the boy to go to physical therapy to learn to use his new knee/anckle with a prostect leg to walk. He tried and tried, but the progress was not happening, it only caused pain when pressure was put on it. One day he was walking and broke his leg.

 

His parents rusehd him to the hospital and the surgeon said that it was only a small brake, but that they would need to go into surgery again to re-brake the leg. By this point, after two years it began to be too much for the Mom. She wondered, why? Why is this happening. Hasn't be already gone through enough?!

 

Well the surgery happened, they readjusted the angle of the ankle. The boy was in terrible pain. He was able to do all the chemo with a good attitude and the first amptutation/surgery, but this one hurt more than all the rest. Once again, everyone wondered why?

 

Evenutally the leg healed and soon the boy was able to walk and then run! He nows plays on a soccer team. You see, the leg needed to be re-broken so that the ankle could be put on again but this time at a different angle. When everyone questioned, why is his happening, God had a plan. Had the boy not broken his leg, he would have made the big progress that he did to be able to walk and run.

 

I loved this story because it reminds me that God is aware of us. He knows every struggle that we are going through and if we just trust in Him and remain faithful, then we will be able to see his plan. Sometimes we are allowed to go through hard things so that we can be in the spot where God wants us to be so that we can experience the most growth. The boy breaking his leg was criticaly to his development.

 

Well ya'll, I am very happy and I am very happy to recieve letters as well! (Hint, hint) Send me your Christmas cards please! Also, how are ya'll doing on the goals that I sent ya? Remember, be a missionary! We are ALL missionaries! Spread the gospel, whether that is going out with the missionaries, sharing your beliefs on facebook, doing a good deed, or just giving a smile. You can do it! You need to do it!

 

Love,

Sister Anderson