Week 22!

Family and Friends,

Another week down in the mission field, here are the highlights...

- My comp and I started memorizing 10 words a day (me in Portuguese and he in English) its pretty funny sometimes, he's got a big accent and says ``Whats up man!`` a ton.

- 2 great restoration lessons this week. Those two people seem real sincere and I'm excited to continue talking with them.

- We have a mission wide goal of talking with 10 new people every day. We rarely hit it, but it makes us stretch and find people who are interested in our message of Jesus Christ. this past Thursday, I talked to 13 or 14 new people. Super tough but great.

- This Thursday we helped our bishop build a wall at his house. Mortar and bricks against another wall. it was my first time doing so and was really interesting to learn how to do. I joked with my companion (who´s from mexico city) about it. a mexican building a wall haha. (mom, you can take this out if you want).

- We found a skunk skeleton next to the road one day and took it home. its sitting in a tub of soap and water until its clean enough to set out somewhere. I also found a snail shell that's now sitting above my desk (Already cleaned it)).

- and much more!...

I studied idleness and diligence in the scriptures and it was really cool, I want to learn to use my time better and more efficiently. Love you all!

- Elder Anderson

Week 21!

Family and friends,

This past week has been wild haha. I started getting diarrhea 2 weeks ago, I took some medicine we had in the house but it didn't help, we bought some medicine from a drug store, used it for 2 or 3 days, it didn't help... This past Wednesday, we called our mission leaders and got permission to go to a hospital in Campinas. I was told I have a virus and that my intestines are swollen! I was then told to, and bought, 3 different medications to use for 3 days. I did so and am now feeling much better! Medicine is a real blessing. 

Christmas and New Years were really neat. We had a ton of food and saw a ton of fireworks. Awesome stuff. The highlight was definitely the SKYPE with my family! Man, it was great to see them again and talk face to face (although through a computer haha). The second highlight was definitely the toy Lamborghini I bought at a nearby supermarket. 

I´ve been focusing lately on improving my goal setting and also following through with goals. It´s something I want to master and that will really help me in my life. Also, I´ve been studying Integrity a lot. I read a speech by General Charles C. Krulak titled ´´Integrity`` its super great and I invite all of you to look it up, watch or read it, and accept the invitation he gives at the end.

- Elder Anderson

No Week 20 letter

Tyler only responded to a few emails and didn't write a main letter this week. Computer time was limited for him because it was New Year's Eve. :0

Week 19

Feliz Natal!

Bom dia meu amado amigos e família!

This new area is really great. I like it a lot. We live really close to the center of town so most everything is really close and accessible. The house here for the missionaries is huge, probably 2 to 2.5 times bigger than my first house on the mission. It´s great.

My new companion, Elder Villagomez is awesome. He's super funny, good at talking to people, wants to work, and is helping teach me Muay Thai. Super cool and fun haha. We´ve also played a ton of chess and... I still haven´t lost haha.

We had a Mission wide reunion the 20th that was awesome. I got to see a ton of people that I hadn´t seen in a while, hear great counsel from President Bangerter, and also play the part of President Bangerter in a skit that we presented (all the zones prepared and showed a skit/play) it was super fun and funny. On the way home, we saw a small semi truck that was flipped on its side. No clue how it happened but it was cool haha. The rest of the week was great. We contacted a ton, taught a ton, and had 2 new friends of ours who we are teaching come to church. I also gave a talk it was probably 8-10 minutes. It was a quick intro about me, my mission so far, and about faith. I related faith in Christ to faith in Santa Claus. we have to believe and have a good year to receive presents and in the gospel we have to believe and have a good year to receive blessings. It was super fun and a neat experience.

Below I´ve got a ton of pics from the Mission Conference and with friends in the mission.

Merry Christmas! Love ya all,

- Elder Anderson

My new companion, Elder Villagomez.

(Sorry about many of the below pics being the wrong angle...for some reason I'm having trouble with our computer and our pictures...very strange but it's not working like normal and I can't figure it out! :) - Kristy)

Week 18

Family and Friends,

I found out this past Saturday that I will be transferred to Hortolandia Zone, Guanabara area. I already forgot the name of my new companion but everyone has said he's cool. I will be in my new area Tuesday night of this week.

This past transfer has been incredible tough, but I have learned and grown a ton. It´s been an incredible opportunity to really stretch and push myself and become better. 

This past week was good. One of the young men in the ward left to the MTC (I´ve seen 3 youth leave on their missions and a 4th will leave in January), I got to sit on not one, but two(!) Honda CBR600´s, and I got to say good-bye to many of the people I have come to love here in Portal Bordon, Brazil. This area has been really great. 

Just one picture this week, please take a minute to try to appreciate the beauty of this machine hahaha,

Elder Anderson

Week 17!

Family and Friends,

This email will be quick, the computer I'm using isn´t working all that great and I don't have much time. 

The highlight of this week was definitely a direct answer in response to a prayer. It's a long story so I can't describe it all, but God absolutely answers prayers and helps us out when we need it. We have to have faith both to ask for help or a miracle but also have faith enough to continue to without receiving what we want. Sometimes, what we want for us is not what God wants for us and we need the faith to trust in Him and continue on.

I ate chicken heart for the first time ever this week and it was surprisingly good. We had Zone P-day today, and played soccer together and planned an activity we will do during our mission conference in December.

Love you all!

- Elder Anderson

Week 16!

Family and Friends,

Another incredible week in Portal Bordon, Sumaré, São Paulo, Brazil! Tuesday this week was especially great and for only 1 reason: I saw a Porsche Panamera 4S. Some of the views here are incredible but that car up close... man, it was incredible haha.

I had the incredible opportunity to give two blessings this week, one of comfort and counsel and the other for the sick and afflicted. They were really special, humbling, and spiritual. Blessings are incredible for the recipient and just as special for the person who is able to give it. Really great stuff (and they were in Portuguese). 

This week I experienced yet another miracle. Elder Reynolds (American with about 4 weeks in Brazil) and I were on divisions again this week and stopped by the house of Ioni (ee-o-knee) to say hi. She is not a member of the church and is a great friend and person. She invited us to come over later in the day to eat some bread she was making. We said we would return at 7 that night. After leaving, we remembered that we were fasting and shouldn´t eat the bread that she was making for us. We both sat down on the side of the road and prayed that we could explain to her about fasting and that we wouldn't eat her bread. We also prayed that she wouldn't take offense about us not eating it. We returned to her house a little before 7, planning to explain that we were fasting and wouldn't eat the bread. Her daughter came to the door and before we could try to explain the situation, she told us that the bread wasn´t ready and that another day would be better. We marked another time and left without ever having to talk about fasting. A Miracle. Truly incredible. A direct answer to a direct prayer. Man, the mission is great.

We had a fun P-Day today! The whole zone came to our ward building and played soccer and ate a ton of food. Great Stuff.

Love you all!

- Elder Anderson

(no pics this week)

Week 15!

Family and Friends,

This week was good. we had a multi-zone meeting this Wednesday and it was really great. Great testimonies, counsel, and ideas/techniques to try for teaching. 

This Friday and Saturday I was on divisions with elder Reynolds (an American with 3 weeks in the field) it was super cool. We had a great lesson with 4 people after asking for water and we both spoke incredibly well. The Gift of Tongues is real for sure. I also had a prompting to take a different road when we were walking to the bus station (to end divisions) and we found 8 kids playing soccer in the street. We talked to them about why two Americans are in Brazil haha and prayed with them and their parents (4 parents of 2 families) and we will return to teach them soon. Miracle.

I´m doing well here! Portuguese is coming along, I'm studying a ton and trying to work a ton too. I don't want to be ´´weary in well doing´´. Tchau!

- Elder Anderson

Week 14!

Family and friends,

Our email time got changed to 1 hour so this email will be short again. My companion has been given a 3rd chance to stay on the mission and still be a part of the greatest work on the face of the world. Its tough with him and we don´t see eye to eye on a lot of things but I'm going to learn a lot about Christlike attributes this transfer. 

We had some good lessons this week and meet some cool people. Attached are pics of me and my companion, Elder Corrêa, with Cleide and Gabi, and also me with Sumaré in the background.

Elder Anderson

Week 13!

Family and Friends,

This week has been wild. My new trainer, Elder Corrêa, is emailing his family right now that he will be coming home soon. I won´t go into details about why but he is still worthy. 

This week we found some great people and will be returning to teach them this week. I´m having fun, working hard, and doing great things. I really love it here. 

My testimony has really grown in the short time I've had here. I know I´m doing the will of God and becoming the man He needs me to be. I wouldn´t want to do anything else right now.

Sorry this email is short! I´m going to email more people individually this week.

Tchau,

Elder Anderson

 Shoe Polishing time!

Some of my socks were hung up to dry and blew onto the roof, away from our porch...

Week 12!

Family and Friends,

This past transfer has been really great and really flown by. Time flies when you´re having fun and staying super-freaking busy haha! I´ve learned a ton about teaching and communicating with people, a ton more Portuguese, and my testimony has grown a lot too. I really like it here.

If you all want to see my area, my zone is Sumaré, and my area is Portal Bordon (the name of the neighborhood where I live). If you put both (and Brazil) in google maps, it should pull up my area.

I went on 3 divisions this week which is a ton haha. the first with Elder Ruiz. He´s from Honduras and is super cool. this transfer is his last, so he´ll be flying home tomorrow. He served a good mission but he´s super excited to return home. My second division was with elder Motta, hes super cool and has an incredible testimony. He is also nearly fluent in English from video games and reading the Book of Mormon. We had a contest to see who could get the most contacts one day and I won with 10 (I think he had 8) haha, it was fun and great practice with talking with people in Portuguese and helping bless their lives. Now, I´m on a transfer with Elder Christensen. He is an American with one more transfer than me. Not the best setup to teach people haha, but just how the logistics of transfers worked out for today.

I´ve had some really incredible experiences here, especially with the Book of Mormon. It holds the answers to all of our problems, it is the Word of God, and it is another testament that Jesus is The Christ.

Love you all!

- Elder Anderson

 Zone P-day last week! 

 a crazy car we saw

 Elder Christensen playing the piano in the ward building

 p-day adventures. sumaré is in the background

 cool quotes i put on the wall

totally fried :\ 2 1 hour walks to and from the zone leaders area, and many hours of soccer and volleyball