The Bike-less Week

Hola Family and Friends!!!

I hope this letter finds you all happy and well! I have had a pretty great week myself, if I can say so:) Clearly, as you can see from the title, this week we had no bikes! You see, we had thought that maybe they just ran out of air, but after refilling the tires 2 times and having them deflate within about 20 minutes of riding them, we knew it was a hopeless cause. I have thoroughly enjoyed every minute of being able to talk with and get to know Hermana Bautista a little bit better, however, as with all things in life there are downfalls. First, apparently when all our appointments fall through and it’s hot, Hermana Bautista gets a little frustrated and doesn’t like to talk, and likes to walk in front of me and not tell me where we are going or anything like that - that makes me kind of sad because we are supposed to be a companionship! Preaching the Gospel side by side, not one in front of the other, I would try at times to talk and ask her questions and lift her spirits, but it didn’t really work. Luckily, this only happened for maybe 2 days during this week, the rest of the times we had enjoyable conversations! Now for the next one, sadly this downfall is a little worse than my companion being frustrated... and sadly this downfall is a scary one for me. My knee. - NOOOO!!!!!! Yeah, that’s right. Because of all the walking this week my knee (the one I injured 5ish years ago) has been giving me issues. It kept me up a couple of times because of the pain, and it has been a little distracting. I’ve talked to the nurse and we are trying to work something out - please PLEASE PLEASE! pray that maybe my knee can have the strength that it needs. I feel so much love for my mission and excitement to keep going, I don´t want to have to end because my knee was week - please pray.

But enough of the scary stuff – let’s talk about the happy moments this week! First, we had 6 investigators attend church this week!!!!! YAY!!!! And 8 less actives that we teach too!!! WOOOHOOO!!! The work is real! It was so great! I couldn´t stop smiling! Everyone in the congregation was probably wondering why the American at the piano couldn´t stop smiling the whole meeting, but how could I not?! It was so great!! Now second, let’s talk about an amazing lesson we had with Gustavo this week:

Background info: Gustavo has problems with the Word of Wisdom - he used to smoke close to 40 cigarettes a day, but in the past couple of years has knocked it down to 2 - go him! But... 2 a day is still 2 too many. bueno, now for the story.

So it was Tuesday and it was hot, and we were walking, and because of all these things we were late for our appointment (ugh! I hate being late) but it’s okay, cause Gustavo and Pres. Analiz were talking and having a great time together. Anyways, I had been a little bit nervous for this lesson because Gustavo is so golden and ready and wonderful, I didn’t know how he would react to the Word of Wisdom. As we taught, he was so humble so much that when we started to present a goal for him Hermana Bautista said, "okay for the rest of the week you can have 1-2 cigarettes a day and then next week do you think you can quit completely?" (except of course she said it in Spanish) and then Gustavo replied (in Spanish;)) ¨well if God wants me to stop now, then I want to stop now, and I know He’ll help me¨ Woah! Go Gustavo! It was amazing. During the lesson I kept getting this prompting to ask him if he wanted a Priesthood blessing, I was preparing myself for this, getting pumped up, trying to remember the Spanish to do so and then there was a break in the conversation - I knew this was my chance. I bore my testimony about how I knew that God would help Him quit because it’s His commandment and He wants Gustavo to keep it, so He will help him. Then I asked him if he would like to receive a blessing from Pres. Analiz, he said yes! (YAY) and then President gave the blessing. Wow. It was so powerful. I couldn’t understand everything that was said, but from what I could hear it was exactly the blessing that Gustavo needed, and it wasn’t just about power to stop smoking, it was also about Heavenly Father’s love for Him and joy in Him coming to the Gospel. The Spirit in the room was so strong. At the end of the blessing President was crying, and after Gustavo opened his eyes he started putting his hand over his chest. He had a look on his face that I don’t think I could ever forget and he said “I have heat in my chest”, and then he just sat there and took in the feeling of the Spirit. It really was incredible. It was like one of those moments that you only ever hear about - how incredible that I was blessed to be a part of that! I feel so blessed to be able to have been a part of that, and to be able to be a part of this experience of bringing sons and daughters of God unto Him. I am lucky to be and instrument in the hands of God at this time. I know the power of the priesthood is real. I know this church is true. I know God loves each of us, is aware of each of us, and wants to help each of us to be able to return to Him. It’s amazing!

I am so blessed to be a part of this work at this time. Although the heat is ¨bastante¨ (sooooooo hot), my body gets tired, or my knee may hurt - none of this seems to matter when I think of the people I am serving. I would (and do) walk for hours in the heat just to teach a lesson - that is because this Gospel is true. That’s because this work is so important. It’s because everyone of God´s children deserves to know the joy that this Gospel can bring them. How am I so blessed?

I love you all! I wish I could tell you about every moment I’ve had this week, but there’s just no time! I hope you have a great week!

Love and like you!

Hermana Anderson

Feliz Cumplemes 2!!!

Hola!

Feliz Cumplemes today! Wow can you believe that I have been a missionary for 2 whole months?! At times it feels like just yesterday I said goodbye in Provo, and then at other times it feels it's been over 2 years! Time is so strange, but no matter how it feels I've been doing this work for 2 whole months! And I almost have 3 weeks in Argentina too! Woah! Believe it or not, time is marching on:)

So this week I have discovered that although I'm thankful for my bike because the area we cover is so big, it is my biggest trial. The problem with the bike is we ride for so long and then get off and right away go into a lesson - where quite honestly I don't say much, because half of the time I don't know what is going on (but I'm trying to be better... poco a poco) - anyway this gives me a lot of think time. Which I appreciate a little bit of think time, but the sad thing is, I think I get too much of it, because I end up thinking of family, or what will happen in 16 months, and it kind of brings on homesickness (not really terrible homesickness, but enough that it distracts me and makes my heart a little sad). I discovered that this was the problem on Friday. Here is what happened on Friday: We had a full morning with appointments with new investigators and appointments with other investigators, I was very excited! Then every. single. one of them. fell through!!! NOOOOO!!!! Both Hermana Bautista and I were sad and frustrated with this, especially cause we were so excited, anyways we ended up having to ride our bikes for probably about 3 hours and had no success whatsoever... yeah so that morning I had about 3 hours of think time, while feeling upset, and I discovered that this is the problem. When I'm on the bike I can´t talk with people, or really be myself with anyone so I get more sad. BUT! Then I had a blessing! On Saturday evening we had just finished a lesson and were out visiting with an investigator, when we got ready to leave I got on my bike and realized that I had a flat tire, and when I say a flat tire, I mean it was completely flat! Then Hermana Bautista looked at her tire and she had one too! Completely no air! - Yeah we don't know how it happened (I joked that it was the Jehovah's Witness' missionaries that always glare at us - SABOTAGE! - but that probably wasn't appropriate, so pretend I didn't mention it;)) Anyways, I don't know how it happened, but it was an incredible blessing, because for the rest of the night on Saturday we got to walk and talk with each other while working and on Sunday we got to do the same thing! Ha who would've known that a bike would be my biggest trial, and a flat tire a great blessing? Now I know that I will have to get back on the bike because our area is so big in order to really serve the most people that we can bikes are the answer, but this has given me hope! Hope in the knowledge that at least I know where feelings of homesickness come from (too much time alone - probably yet another reason we have companions), and I also know how to solve it. The answer is get out of your own head and talk! I also have hope in knowing that most other areas in the mission are walking areas, so most likely for the most part of my mission, I won't have this problem:)

I am growing to love the people here more each day. Everything in life is a process, we just need a little bit of patience, and know that it will come. The language, is still difficult, but it's coming. Haha it's funny because now I can understand most of what Hermana Bautista is saying, because I know her accent and I can understand her better than others. So it's funny because someone will say something to me (in Spanish) and if I don't understand I'll turn to Hermana Bautista and she'll say the exact same thing (in Spanish) and I'll understand! Ha the people usually think that it´s weird because she's just "translating" Spanish to Spanish, but it's coming! It's a step in the process:) I'm so grateful for that, and I'm getting to the point where I am teaching in every lesson, I can't quite understand everything the people say, but I know how to testify of the truthfulness of the Gospel and God's love for all of us, and right now, that is enough. At the MTC I was told speaking Espanglish¨ is an act of faith. I believe here that opening my mouth in a lesson and trying my best to speak Spanish is an act of faith too. And I have seen God with me during the lessons, guiding my words, and giving me the words that I need to say in the very moment that I need to say them. I know that God is helping me in this. He is on my side. He wants me to succeed too, He has and I know He will continue to help and bless me in this work.

One last thing that was sad and strange... We had a really good investigator this past week that we met while tocando las puertas, Martha. She seemed so ready for the message of the Gospel, so sweet, so wanting to learn, everything. Then when we started coming to her house more frequently she told us that her husband didn't like us coming so we said that we could meet at the chapel or a member´s house and she said that would be great. So we set up an appointment at the chapel, and she didn't come:( When we went to her house the next day she told us that her husband said she couldn't see us anymore, or any religion anymore. Apparently he believes in what they call the ¨Santa Muerta¨.. or holy death... apparently he actually worships the devil... like prays to Satan... WHAT?! That's a thing??? How does that even make sense? If you could choose to worship someone that was loving and merciful and has your best interest in mind, or someone who was the complete opposite, why would you ever choose the other? Some things just don´t make sense... anyways, we had to stop seeing Martha, because we don't want to cause problems, but I don't know. I wish I knew how to help her. She told us some of her problems, and I know that the Gospel is what she needs. I want her to have the peace that it offers, but we can't go if we aren't welcome or if we are causing problems... I just wish there was something we could do to help her. It's so sad to see these things happen sometimes.

Well overall it's been a successful week! Gustavo is still progressing! And some of our other investigators are progressing in every aspect except coming to church, so we'll hope to know for a way to help them come to church next Sunday!

I love and like you all so much! I hope you having a good week and doing well!
Suuuure love ya!

Hermana Anderson

ps
the hot dogs here are incredible! They're called panchos.. and wow.. we had these ones that were longer than my arm, but literally if Argentina knows how to do anything (other than soccer) right, it's ice cream and hot dogs!

Mucho Amor

(A little note from Raquel's Dad)

I know some of you have requested a mailing address from Raquel. However, they don't really have addresses and mail delivery in Argentina like we have here in the States. She told me she lives in the blue building, second floor, etc. Anyway, I asked the Mission Office and they confirmed that there is not really mail delivery -- however, if you would like to send her a litter, you can send it to the mission office and they will deliver it to her. (However, DO NOT send any packages. Apparently the Argentine government confiscates or destroys any and all packages originating from the United States.) Here is the address:

Hermana Raquel Anderson

Misión Argentina Mendoza

Casilla de Correo 631

Mendoza 550

Argentina

Hermanas Anderson and Bautista

(Post written by Raquel's Father.)

I realized today while looking at Raquel's Blog that I never posted a picture of Raquel and her trainer. So here is a picture of Hermana Anderson and Hermana Bautista. Hermana Bautista is about half way through her mission and is from Mexico.

Hermana Bautista and Hermana Anderson

Jumping in and gettin' all wet! -- Literally!

¡Hola! Mi familia y mis amigas!

In some ways it´s hard to believe that it has already been a week and in other ways it feels like its been an eternity since I last wrote! As you can see, this week I get to write on a computer that is a little bit less of a dinosaur and the keyboard is a little bit better! Still a little bit different, but not as much - thank goodness!

This week has been well... wet;) as you can tell by the title of this email. ha it has rained almost everyday this week! But I have enjoyed it, because if it´s not raining then it´s hot so I enjoy the rain much better. Hermana Bautista and I are on bikes so we've enjoyed more than one really nice wet rain ride. All of my skirts are polka-dotted with mud spots from the dirt roads, but that´s okay, because today is laundry day too! Ha one really good rain story real quick. I guess there is a cute little leak in the roof right above where I sleep, because one night this week I was enjoying a pleasant sleep when all of a sudden I feel this wet thing fall on my forehead, and then another, and then another! Yup there is a leak right above my head, thankfully I was able to be awake enough to realize that I could turn around and put my feet where my head was so I was able to fall back to sleep just fine:)

Oh! We have one progressing investagtor! His name is Gustavo! He came to church the past two Sunday´s and has a baptismal date for the 30th of this month! WooHoo! And what makes it really great is he is friends with the branch President so we have appointments at his house and he gives us Coke! (like everyone gives us either coke or tang to drink - I guess I´m going to come back really loving coke...)

Hmmm... what more?? Ha all of the members like to practice their English on me... I´m pretty sure I can understand their Spanish better than I can their English, but hey it´s all good! I´m just thankful to have a little bit of English amongst this pool of Spanish I feel like I am drowning in. But be sure that I know that the gift of tongues is real and that I can feel and see how the Lord is helping me to learn this language.. poco a poco ... it will come. I know it will. I´m beginning to be able to understand my companion more and more each day and to communicate better with her too! I Absolutely love her! She´s great:) Ha the people that we teach are saying that my accent is rubbing off on her;) She probably doesn't like to hear that, but I think that it´s funny! Also, this is weird, honestly absolutely everyone here doesn't think they speak Spanish, they think the speak Castillano... yeah so Castillano is the name of the accent they have, not their language! It would be like the people in England saying they don´t speak English, they speak the Queen's English... which I guess they say that too, but I just think it's funny. Spanish is Spanish!

I had interviews with the mission President this week. I was really really down beforehand, feeling overwhelmed, very homesick, many stressful feelings, but in my interview President Goates gave me a Priesthood blessing, let me call my mom, and gave me very good spiritual uplifting counsel. I have been so much better since then! I´m so grateful for my President!

Also this: Apparently they have to send lots of missionaries home with knee issues here because the ground is so uneven and we walk a lot. Luckily right now I am in an area that is so large they give us bikes, but I won´t always be. I´m just a little bit nervous because I have had knee problems in the past, so please pray for me that my knees will be strong enough to help carry me through my mission:) Thank you!

Oh one last thing! I miss the temple so much! This week I've really wished that I could go - so love the temple, and never take the opportunity to attend for granted! The first day I get back I want to go to a session;)

I love and like you all! Thank you for your prayers for me this week - I've truly been able to feel them.

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Anderson

P.S.

The ice cream here is the best thing in the whole world - so good!!! Drowning in Spanish is worth it because of the ice cream... and because of the work too;)

What a Week!

wow. life is crazy. first off the keyboards here are strange, so i'm not going to use caps unless its super important, so yeah. anyways here goes...

i loved loved loved talking to you in the airport. i wish that i could have more but sadly i couldn't because our flights were delayed. yeah lets talk about flying. i definitely prefer driving. now you may think that is strange because i get car sick when i drive, well lets just say i didn't know what motion sickness was until i flew for almost 16 hours straight. yeah... i got really sick, but it was a good experience. on the long flight from Atlanta to Mendoza i sat next to a man who was really curious why i would leave my family and friends for 18 months to go to a country where i didn't speak the language. it was a great opportunity to explain to him about our church. after we had finally landed in Argentina Hermanas Christensen, Brown, Lee, and I all had dinner at the presidents home and spent the night in a hotel. the next day we had a small orientation and got our companions. my companion is named Hermana Bautista. i love her so much. she is a great example, shes been out in the field for 9 months and is very comforting. the only thing that is difficult about her is, ha no not that she passes out haha, but she's from Mexico, as such she is fluent in Espanol and knows just about zero English... aaaaahhhhhhh. its difficult for me to communicate, but she helps me and i can see myself progressing in the understanding of the language and in the speaking of the language daily. poco a poco. this week we taught a couple of lessons, we don't have any progressing investigators right now so we've asked for a lot of references and done a lot of tracking too, but we were able to teach a few. ha yeah... some went better than others. in one lesson we were teaching the lady actually got up during our lesson and started washing a pile of dishes. she wasn't very receptive to the message, but i'm glad that we could help her make the time to do household chores. *winking face. also, i remember lots of people told me that there are lots of blonds in Argentina... yeah i don't know what they were talking about cause there aren't. ha i'm definitely the only person that looks like me here. ha everyone askes me where i'm from and i say the US and they all say, yup i knew it. ha but sometimes its not that great like during lessons i'm a distraction sometimes. we were teaching one lady and right in the middle of the first vision she looks at me and turns to my companion and says 'she's beautiful' ha how nice, but compared the the first vision, that compliment was a distraction also little kids look at me funny... sad.... ha but its okay. I feel like Brad (Paisley) 'I know what it's like to be the only one like me... I know what it's like to talk and have nobody understand.'

so for this week also things about the culture

• I love the food, they have this pizza that isn't really pizza at all but its good. also the lasagna is good.
• everyone drives like the harry potter night bus
• they put eggs in lasanga
• they eat 2 meals for lunch and no dinner
• they don't have levers on the toilet so you have to reach into the top part of the toilet to flush it... gross... but you wash your hands so mom don't freak out about that.
• busses don't really stop when letting you on or off and they dont really close the doors either
• when it rains it really rains and its really loud on our apartment roof
• everyone and their dog has a dog
• you clap outside gates, people have gates surrouing their front door
• all keys are like super old fashioned looking
• there is like no grass except at the church

Love you all

Hermana Anderson