Good news! I am to stay in my area in Zaragoza. I was overjoyed at the opportunity to serve more in this area. At transfers, President Anaya called my name. I stood up and waited to hear the name of the new companion. Suddenly, he announces TWO names, and announces that I am a secretary. I see Elder Loveland and Elder Merino stand up as well. I was shocked. I HAVE TWO COMPANIONS AND I AM A SECRETARY. I was stunned!
By the way, I met Tyler Gardner. He's very cool!
Well, things began to unfold. We got to work immediately after transfers. At this point I should explain that with Elder Cardona, I had my own little world. I didn´t know how to do many things, but I didn´t care very much because he knew how to do it all. All of a sudden, he is gone. I don´t know how to get to my area from the temple. I don´t know how to pay the rent and the bills. I
don't know how to do many things that Elder Cardona always did. We finally got back to the house, and they almost immediately began to discuss moving and finding another house. I asked, "Why do you want another house?" They told me that it was too small. "We have a floor." I said. "We can sleep on the floor. We don´t need another bed." They decided to move anyway.
Moving houses has been horrible. We are almost settled. Elder Merino was transferred, so now it's just Elder Loveland and I. I have learned that I just have to stay humble and learn. I have been taught to just go forward. Decide now to do my best. In high school, a freshman shouldn´t drop out of school for getting C's his first semester. He goes forward and gets A's the rest of the time. And with time, those C's fade away because of the amount of A's. It is the same on the mission. There are many missionaries who struggle at first and soon finally turn around and serve with all they have.
Here are the answers to the questions...
1. Yes, I am in the offices a lot, and rarely in the area.
2. I am secretary over materials, so I work with getting materials for the mission, and I support my companion in getting visas figured out. I OFTEN have to leave and do things in order to help other missionaries get their visas renewed. Tomorrow will be the first time I do that on my own, by myself. I will take a group of elders from another mission to Polanco, which involves taking the metro, a bus, getting their fingerprints, and then returning. I am a little nervous but it will be fine. I will do this sort of thing very often.
3. The whole BASICS OF LIFE deal, like cooking, is coming along. Well, cooking, no. But other things like rent and how to rent a house are coming along. I am learning a lot.
4. P-Days are still Mondays. It changed because we were so busy on Monday.
6. Yes, our mission has a website, but I am not sure what it is.
7. I have not seen any camera. I am in the offices so I might be one of the first people to see it when it gets here.
Ok, I don´t have much time but here is an amazing experience that I had.
Once I was walking in Zaragoza with Elder Vera. I was with him for awhile while Elders Merino and Loveland were doing other things. We were heading towards the "combies"...small buses....where we could go back to the offices and meet up with Elder Merino and Loveland. As we walked, I felt impressed to not go to the "combies". I ignored this impression unfortunately. It returned every once in a while. I kept walking, however. We had to get to the offices - that was the plan - and there is no reason to stay in the area. So I kept going. Then a thought came into my head and it told me to call my companion. With time, I stopped and called my companions. They told me that they are 1.5 hours late. Wow. I officially have no reason to go to the offices. If we go, we will sit there for one hour doing nothing. That isn't happening. So, I told Elder Vera that we would stay and teach. He didn't want to. He wanted to go to the offices. I think he was tired. I began to think....what is happening? I have suddenly been given 1.5 hours. Missionaries don´t just suddenly get that much time by COINCIDENCE. I began to think. This has happened for a reason. I have been stopped in my tracks with Elder Vera, and have been given a lot of time. I began to look around at the people on the streets. Am I supposed to talk to someone? Soon, I told Elder Vera that there was someone that we needed to meet. I didn't know who. I decided to visit a less active member at his car shop. We got there and met a man I have never met before. We talked to him and found that his is a member, but very less active. As we talked, Elder Vera and I felt the Spirit tell us what to say. We have his address and will send other missionaries to his home (because he lives outside our area). When we walked away, Elder Vera thanked me for stopping him. He wanted to go to the offices but he felt the Spirit calming him down when I said we had to see someone.
I know God guided me to that man. Jose Juan. I needed an experience like that. And I will testify that we don´t need a mission in order to have those experiences. Follow the Spirit.DIOS VIVE
Elder Anderson
Moving houses has been horrible. We are almost settled. Elder Merino was transferred, so now it's just Elder Loveland and I. I have learned that I just have to stay humble and learn. I have been taught to just go forward. Decide now to do my best. In high school, a freshman shouldn´t drop out of school for getting C's his first semester. He goes forward and gets A's the rest of the time. And with time, those C's fade away because of the amount of A's. It is the same on the mission. There are many missionaries who struggle at first and soon finally turn around and serve with all they have.
Here are the answers to the questions...
1. Yes, I am in the offices a lot, and rarely in the area.
2. I am secretary over materials, so I work with getting materials for the mission, and I support my companion in getting visas figured out. I OFTEN have to leave and do things in order to help other missionaries get their visas renewed. Tomorrow will be the first time I do that on my own, by myself. I will take a group of elders from another mission to Polanco, which involves taking the metro, a bus, getting their fingerprints, and then returning. I am a little nervous but it will be fine. I will do this sort of thing very often.
3. The whole BASICS OF LIFE deal, like cooking, is coming along. Well, cooking, no. But other things like rent and how to rent a house are coming along. I am learning a lot.
4. P-Days are still Mondays. It changed because we were so busy on Monday.
6. Yes, our mission has a website, but I am not sure what it is.
7. I have not seen any camera. I am in the offices so I might be one of the first people to see it when it gets here.
Ok, I don´t have much time but here is an amazing experience that I had.
Once I was walking in Zaragoza with Elder Vera. I was with him for awhile while Elders Merino and Loveland were doing other things. We were heading towards the "combies"...small buses....where we could go back to the offices and meet up with Elder Merino and Loveland. As we walked, I felt impressed to not go to the "combies". I ignored this impression unfortunately. It returned every once in a while. I kept walking, however. We had to get to the offices - that was the plan - and there is no reason to stay in the area. So I kept going. Then a thought came into my head and it told me to call my companion. With time, I stopped and called my companions. They told me that they are 1.5 hours late. Wow. I officially have no reason to go to the offices. If we go, we will sit there for one hour doing nothing. That isn't happening. So, I told Elder Vera that we would stay and teach. He didn't want to. He wanted to go to the offices. I think he was tired. I began to think....what is happening? I have suddenly been given 1.5 hours. Missionaries don´t just suddenly get that much time by COINCIDENCE. I began to think. This has happened for a reason. I have been stopped in my tracks with Elder Vera, and have been given a lot of time. I began to look around at the people on the streets. Am I supposed to talk to someone? Soon, I told Elder Vera that there was someone that we needed to meet. I didn't know who. I decided to visit a less active member at his car shop. We got there and met a man I have never met before. We talked to him and found that his is a member, but very less active. As we talked, Elder Vera and I felt the Spirit tell us what to say. We have his address and will send other missionaries to his home (because he lives outside our area). When we walked away, Elder Vera thanked me for stopping him. He wanted to go to the offices but he felt the Spirit calming him down when I said we had to see someone.
I know God guided me to that man. Jose Juan. I needed an experience like that. And I will testify that we don´t need a mission in order to have those experiences. Follow the Spirit.DIOS VIVE
Elder Anderson
I love reading Elder Anderson's blog just about as much as I love getting my Elder Gardner's emails ;)! That is so fun to see his name (Tyler's) mentioned in a different blog.... that means he really IS alive and well in Mexico!
ReplyDeleteCarry on, Elder Anderson! Keep up the great work that you are doing. We pray for all the missionaries ...but especially for a few that we know in Mexico City East ;) !
~Sister Gardner :)