How lovely it was to see your faces

It was so unbelievably great to talk to you guys on Christmas!!!! But time went by soooooooooo fast talking to you. It felt like a half an hour. But seriously that was probably the greatest gift of all. 

This week wasn’t very productive. Which is hard. When the days aren’t productive that is when the mission is harder. So I’m so glad to be working harder this week and especially the 2^nd week in January. 

But here they celebrate Christmas on the 24^th, so we visited all the neighbors and ate a ton of tamales and ponche which is an absolutely delish drink here. It’s like pineapple papaya sometimes grapes or apples or coconut and its hot and probably one of my favorite things here. I will learn how to make it and we will drink it when I get back. Sooooooooooooooooooo gooood. It really was a wonderful day. 

The 25^th was the best talking to you guys though. Afterwards we helped the Hermana’s move into their new house and then all the missionaries in this area went to eat at the bishop’s house, which takes like 30 minutes to walk to. But it was a delish lunch. We had turkey and stuffing and mash potatoes…the works. Puro norte americano almuerzo. The bishop’s son shared stories about his mission.  He had some crazy stories. Like an Hna packed up in the middle of the night and left her companion to go to the airport to go home. Then after that there wasn’t much to do with the day so we finished helping the other Hna’s unpack then visited more members and stuff. 

But the awesome thing about this week was on Friday we went to the TEMPLE!!!! It was so awesome. I put all your names in. The temple here is gorgeous. I saw the new film… it was in Spanish but I understood it all. The new film is cool. When you actually have to talk in the temple…that part was a little hard in Spanish (Because Lindsie hasn’t been through enough to remember it). But the film I understood perfectly. It was sooooooooo soooooo good to go to the temple. So so so good. The temple here is gorgeous. It’s shorter than most temples so the Moroni on top is HUGE. 

The next day we had a multizona. It was basically the president telling us to repent and do better this year, which we all needed and it was uplifting and helped me a lot. But he really did tell us to repent hahaha. So this new year I have a lot to work on. But the AWESOME thing about the multizona was I got to see my Madre Hna Lopez. Man I love her guts and miss her like crazy. She isn’t doing too well with her companion. Her companion is crazy. But seriously it was so good to see her. We are both huehue-sick and miss it like crazy. I think right now she misses it a little more than me. But oh my goodness it was soooooooooooo good to see her. 

This week we had a very very interesting lesson on Saturday night. We passed by an investigator that I have never met yet because they are impossible to find at home but we finally did. She is like 16 years old. A cute shy little thing. But her family has had a lot of problems. Her dad drinks a ton. Seriously alcohol is ruining this country and ruining so many lives here. I have seen it in so many families. I hate it. But her dad came in and joined us. And told us he wants to change. He doesn’t want to drink anymore and wants to find God in his life. So we are stopping by every day to make sure he doesn’t drink. He has made it 24hrs…lets pray and hope he can do it. This family has so many problems it breaks my heart. But I think that all is going to change soon. So keep them in your prayers.

I’m not going to lie…I’m still not the biggest fan of Sundays on the mission. But we got one investigator to church. It’s a little girl named Karla. Her mom basically abandoned her and her two brothers here. And her dad got killed. So they live with their aunt and grandma. But she is the cutest little thing and brought her little Book of Mormon to church. I can’t handle how cute she is. She is 8 years old. And a member passed by so we took a ride in the back of the truck which is always so fun. But the best part of yesterday was we passed by an investigators house and they were finally home! But they were on their roof collecting their corn. Everything has corn on the roofs or in the houses drying to make tortillas. So I climb up the ladder and started to help. And my companion was scared of their ladder so she helped the investigators sister who lives next door on their roof. So we could still see each other. But seriously I was feeling a little down that day. And taking the corn off the cob was so relaxing the night was gorgeous and I got to know the investigators. I felt so at peace afterwards. 

But that was my weird not very productive week missionary wise. But thanks for everything. And for the packages and for your support. May we all have a very good New Year - 2014! And try more than anything to put the savior first. Because that is when everything works out just fine. Love you all 

Hna Anderson

I’m now in La Esperanza

The unexpected happened and I had emergency changes. I’m now in  La Esperanza. It’s the outskirts of Xela. My area is huuuuuuuuuge! The ward is huuuuuuuuuuuuuuge!!!! There is like 380 that go to church every week. It’s so different from my other area. But really pretty. We share the area and ward with a set of hermanas and elders. Sometimes we all eat together at the member’s house…it’s weird. I’m not used to it yet. My new companion Hna Cordova is a love. She is so adorable. The poor thing was SUFFERING with her other bat crazy companion. And that’s why we had changes. Some of the members when I met them were like oh it’s the gift from god. An elder said oh good the sickness of zone left. So at least my welcoming was warm by the members but not by the climate. By the way it’s not summer here. It’s just that Guatemala has 2 seasons and that’s it. Summer and winter. and nothing more. So right now its winter. How I miss heating systems. Thank you mom for saying it was a good idea to bring my blankets. I sleep with so many it’s great.

The apartment we live in is really nice and big. The water is a little bit of a pain. But we aren’t in the house a lot so it’s fine. Just to have water there is a bunch of knobs and other stuff we need to do first to have it. We both have a bathroom which rocks. We have four rooms and a place to hang clothes and a huge kitchen it’s really nice. My new area is definitely has more money. All the houses are huge and people have a lot more nice stuff. My area has the peace of Benjamin but is way more populated. Is really is a gorgeous area.

We tried to have a baptism next week but that fell through because they didn’t go to church. But it’s a boy named Cristian and a girl named Karla. They are siblings. Adorable and so smart. They are so great. We took them to the baptism of the other sisters and they know they need to be baptized so hopefully next month. I still feel pretty lost here. But I’m trying to figure my way around. One family in the ward is my favorite. They went to the Aerosmith concert when they were in the capital. And we talked about music and everything. And they had Aerosmith on 

during lunch…I was so happy.

I am really happy here but man it’s hard to leave your first area. I have never given so much of my love to people and never have gotten so much back. I felt I was leaving my family again. I felt the same like I did when I was at the airport. Some of the members just gave me a huge hug and both of us were bawling our eyes out. But I know I will always have family there. And I can never forget them ever. They are so special to me. I love this work. I love my mission. The crazy things can happen but nothing is better. I can’t really think of much right now. And I will talk to you guys on the 25th. Be ready around 8am in the morning my time. And I will write another email explaining more about this in a bit. Pics soon to follow.

I love you all so much. feliz navidad y prospero año,

Hna Lindsie Anderson

I had ranch today and it was delish

Today we went to ruins again. It wasn't as fun as the first time but I bought some cool stuff. Afterwards we had lunch together with the sisters. Getting to lunch was an absolute mess. But we made it. We had meat rice and salad and there was ranch let me tell you after about 6 and half months without it. a la gran queeeeeee ricoooooo!(really delish). 

But anyways now to the more important things. We didn't have our baptisms this week BUT they are for next week. Leonel hasn't talked to his family yet so that’s why we couldn't baptism him. And Fabiola had work all week and we didn't have time to teach her anything. So I'm praying my guuuuuuuts out that we well have them next week. We also have a date with Antonia and Jesus the lamanites seriously they are lamanites. I feel the spirit so strong with them and I can feel the spirit testify to me that they are. Antonia accepted right away. This is something she has always wanted. The problem with Jesus is he works at Mega Paca and right now it's crazy.  He is working double shifts and doesn't get home until 12am and leaves to work at like 5am. He works on Sunday, so we are praying for a miracle for that. The problem is we need to talk to him about this but he is never home. If Heavenly Father wants him baptized he will be baptized. That is one thing I have learned on the mission. If Heavenly Father wants it to happen it will happen. No matter how difficult or how strong Satan might be...somehow...some way...it happens. 

This week we went to the baptism of the grandson of one of our members. This family has SO many trials and problems in their life it's crazy. She has 7 kids and all but 3 are inactivate and all of her daughters are single moms and basically all of them live with her. One of her grandsons had his baptism on Saturday. He was so scared and didn't want to be baptized. Finally he decided to enter the water and when his uncle almost said Amen he freaked out. They were kind of fighting in the water and he left crying his eyes out... poor thing. He didn't end up getting baptized and his mom was so upset and crying her eyes out. Here hitting kids isn't a problem but I think hitting him is one of the reasons he didn't get baptized but I hope someday he will. 

Random two minute story:  When we were walking back from the zone meeting there was a cow just walking in the middle of the road.  It was super funny (had to be there I guess). 

Speaking of zone meeting, we have a new zone leader. He is from Monticello Utah and knows Miriam Reay (An old neighbor and friend of Lindsie's who moved there). We had an awesome meeting and talked about the birth of Jesus Christ and how he wasn't born with any privileges. He was born in a stable with animals everywhere and very unsanitary. But in the midst of one of the dirty and worst places, the greatest hope of the world was born. I love the symbolism of this. I love this time of year. I feel more than ever grateful for my Savior this year. I love my Savior Jesus Christ so much. Words cannot express how I feel about him and all that he did for the world and for me. I love watching the gospel of Jesus Christ change the lives of others as they apply the atonement to their lives. It has probably been one of the best Christmas presents I could ever have. I love my Savior I love his work. I am so happy to be part of it. 

Back to other stories this week. My companion and I are in the ward choir for the Christmas program this Wednesday, so we have had a practice. And we are singing peace and goodwill song (I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day) I don't really remember in English anymore and after that we are singing Feliz Navidad.  I had to teach everyone how to sing it in English. I sang solo...absolutely solo in front of everyone the English part. Yeah...Lindsie...the Lindsie that doesn't sing loud enough for people next to her in church...sang in front of everyone.  The mission is changing me jajaja. But it’s probably more because nobody here can really sing so I feel comfortable singing. jajaj But yesterday we had choir practice. My mission leader is probably the most tone deaf person I have ever met in my life and he sings louder than everyone else. He only went to yesterdays practice and he decided that he needed to teach the women how to sing too. So he would face us and shout sing to teach us how to do it. Oh my heck, I have never listened to such a horrible choir. I don't want to be in it anymore. I was fine earlier when we weren't terrible, but now we are just horrible. 

Also last 2 weeks ago we had a really fun activity in Relief Society. It was a Christmas party and I brought my Oreo treats and everyone loved them and asked me how to make them. My companion made potatoes with a sauce. There was so much food. It was awesome. We had an investigator there. I love my ward so much. Seriously I feel like I'm in my home ward. I will have a half a year in my first area. Crazy how fast time goes by! 

Yesterday we had to talk in church. My ward mission leader knew about it on Wednesday and told us Saturday at 4 pm, but the spirit really directed me in what I needed to say. It went really well. Yesterday...oh my heck...I have never been soooo full in my life. We ate a little bit before lunch because we had about an hour and a half and last Sunday because I didn't do eat I almost passed out. So I ate a little before going, but lunch was so good it was chow mien and they served a lot. My companion ate too much before we left and she didn't finish and I didn't want to offend the member so I ate hers too. Oh my heck I have never felt this full in a loooooooong time. I thought I was going to explode. 

But anyways, sorry my letter is all over the place like usual. Thanks for your letters and for your support. I hope to be sending you pics of the baptisms next week. I love you all and hope you all are enjoying this time of the season. It's really weird to me that it’s almost Christmas because there is no snow and some days I'm dying of heat. But the weather here is crazy.  One day a ton of sun the next it's a little bit cold. But it's waaaaaaaaaay better than Utah. I feel bad you are all freezing your back ends off. I will enjoy the sun for you. Anyways. feliz semana. lo quiero muchooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!! 

con amor,

Hna Anderson 

They announced the changes yesterday and....

I don’t have changes! Which I’m glad about. I’m glad I will be here for Christmas. Also we have two dates for baptism this week. But oh my heck…last night we were waiting for the changes and we received a call from the zone leader. My companion answered and he said pass the phone to your companion. I was like oh my heck no I have cambios!!!  The zone leader started saying, “Hey Hna Anderson it has been so great to having you in the same zone. You are a great missionary and I hope that someday we can be in the same zone again. I hate to tell you that I have changes and you are staying in La Viña.” Oh my heck it scared me so bad, especially because we all thought the other zone leader was going to go because he has been here the longest. But nope. I’m glad I will be here for Christmas, but I think they will have emergency changes later because the other cambios (transfers) aren’t until the 8th of February, but who knows what will happen.  I’m willing do to whatever the Lord wants me to do. I was talking to Froley and he said, “oh my heck you have so much time here you are probably going to have your whole mission here, let’s start building you a house you poor thing.” It was super funny. But seriously if I don’t leave until Feb I will have 7 months in one area. Which is crazy. 

So this week we set two baptismal dates for this Saturday. The first one was with Leonel from the familia de Leon. We were at a meeting with our ward mission leader and Leonel called right before it ended.  I called Leonel back and he said he was in Hue Hue and wanted us to visit him.  We are also friends. So I set the time for 8:30 in the morning. I felt like we needed to. We don’t usually leave until 11am because of all the studying we do. So the next morning I woke up and the spirit said Leonel is going to accept a baptism date. He has had time to think about it and he will accept. I told my companion that and we left for the appointment. And that’s exactly what happened…he accepted. He wants to be baptized. He knows the church is true. He told us when he was little he wanted to be like Jesus was when he was 30 years old. He wants to be baptized but he is a little scared about what his family will say. I have been praying my guts out for this and hopefully we will be finally putting him in the water after four long months of working with him!

The other is a chica named Fabiola. She is the girlfriend of a member and she went to church two times with her boyfriend and we had a visit with her. We played duncan with them…it’s where you play games and then afterwards pray for the people to feel the spirit and let them know we are fun people too. Then the next visit we taught plan of salvation and invited her to be baptized for this Saturday and she said yes I want to, this is what I have been looking for. So that was really awesome. 

During district meeting the zone leader gave the message because we don’t have a district leader right now. But he said something I really liked. Let’s have a white Christmas by having lots of baptisms. And that’s what we are working so hard for. We also hope to baptize Antonia. 

So we visited a member this week that is having a lot of hard problems in her life. Both of her kids are in the hospital in Xela. Her daughter who is 20 something is pregnant and is having problems with her heart, so they have to deliver the baby earlier and her 12 year old son has something in his blood. So she is really stressed and hasn’t been going to church because of that. She lives out of our area but we got permission and visited her. She showed us pics of her daughter because I don’t know her. Her daughter is a gringa. Not really but she is blonde and blue eyed. Super pretty. Her dad died when she was 3 years old. He was a police officer and got shot at the Mexican and Guatemalan border dealing with drug dealers. Her dad is very handsome dude. But I was looking at a picture of her daughter and she was with a man so I asked the member if it was the dad. She said no this is the dad and then passed me a picture of a coffin. I almost died. She was like no this is him, he is in the box. It was the saddest thing ever but kind of funny the way she passed me the picture. I’m pretty sure my jaw dropped. a la gran. The life of a missionary…you never know what you are going to get next.

Speaking of you never know what you are going to get. There is a place in front of the church building where a lady sells drugs. Pretty sketchy…right? But don’t worry we are safe. Aaaanyways I’m kind of hesitant to tell this story because I don’t want you guys to worry about me. But anyways I will tell it. The lady that sells the drugs left her place and we were walking and she started talking to us. She had the sweetest face ever. And we started talking to her and she told us she is a single mom has two kids of her own and two kids that are her nephews. She told us why she has the kids because their brothers were tortured to death by somebody who inflated them with gas until they exploded. Saddest story ever. And it just broke my heart because I know she feels like she has to sell the drugs because that is the only way she can take care of her family. It’s so sad.

Yesterday during lunch the weirdest thing happened to me. I was eating and my stomach started to hurt. I thought it was just gas from feeling hungry so I kept on eating. Then I got ridiculously hot I took off my sweater and then I felt like I was going to puke and the world started turning.  So I told my companion and the members heard me so they showed me where the bathroom was and I tried to walk and I almost fell over.  My companion grabbed a hold of me and I almost passed out. The member, her husband, and my companion were all holding on to me because I’m so flipping tall for this country.  I almost fell so they took me to the bed and I was sweating like craaaaaaaazy and then my arms went dead. They said call the bishop and tell Hno Roque to bring his car to take her to the hospital. I thought to myself there is no way I’m going to the hospital here. But like 10 minutes after I felt a lot better and finished eating. I rested at their house for a bit then we left. But I couldn’t make it home so I called Froley and he drove us home and I slept. Then we left to the Christmas devotional and taught a lesson.  Today I feel totally better basically. I have no idea what happened. The member was a nurse and she thinks it’s because I’m not getting the vitamins in my diet. So I’m going to buy some ensure and fruit will be my breakfast now. No more junk food. But I feel good today. So weird. It freaked me out a little bit I’m not going to lie. But hey I’m good I’m living and looooooooooooooooooooooooooooooving the mission. 

Hey, 16 days left until I talk to you guys. Wooooooooooooooo. And it’s been 5 months today since I have been in the mission field.  Time flysssssssssssssss by! 

Anyways this was my week. I don’t have a lot of pictures to send. I might not have any but pictures to follow maybe. 

And about the little boy at the bus terminal, I feel like the worse person in the entire world. I was just in such a shock and a trance with this little boy I couldn’t move I couldn’t do anything. I am so mad at myself for that. But another Hna bought two treats. And you better believe I will look for this little boy in the terminal next time I’m there. The saddest thing is there are thousands of these little boys here. And I just want to take them all home with me. Sorry I’m horrible. I just couldn’t give over his eyes and him. I just couldn’t do anything. It was like I couldn’t move. But yeah sorry. ... 

Anyways that’s my week. Love you all. Feliz semana y feliz navidad in 16 dias! 

con mucho amor

Hna Anderson 

I felt like I was writing you guys yesterday and here we are on another week

Today we went to Mega Paca and ate at McDonald’s.  It wasn’t that fun and there weren’t a lot of good clothes. I have been really emotional this week, especially today and yesterday. On our way to Mega Paca we took a bus and the bus passed by the terminal where all the buses are at and there are always people there to sell treats and other stuff. There was a little boy about 10 years old, absolutely dirty from head to toe. He was in old ragged clothes selling candy. Pretty sure he doesn’t have a family which was probably the saddest thing. It was such a powerful moment…I’m bawling my eyes out right now just thinking about it. It really got me thinking. Life isn’t about things. One thing I have started to hate about the USA. We are so blessed and so lucky. Yes we need the food and the necessities of life, but we are SO BLESSED. The eyes of this little boy will forever haunt me. My invitation for you all this Christmas season to not get wrapped up about stuff. But to worry about others and how we can serve them. Sorry about my rant about that. 

This week was so cold actually just the 27-29th. A la gran.  I have no idea what happened there but it was so cold. And there is no such thing as heating here. So the houses are freezing too. But now it’s the normal Hue Hue again. We will see what happens. I need to buy more tights and warmer clothes especially if I get send to Xela. 

But Thanksgiving was so great! All the missionaries in HueHue had Thanksgiving lunch at a member’s house that lived in Utah and learned how to cook there. He lives in the middle of nowhere in HueHue.  I probably could never find it again. But we had turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, the works…it was sooooooooooooo goood. We also had an ugly Christmas sweater competition. Basically only the gringos did it. But I won. My sweater is hideous. I bought this crazy sweater in a Paca and put Christmas things on it. It was really fun

The next day we had multi-zone conference. It was so good. I learned so much. The president of the mission is awesome. And one of the AP´s is soooo amazing. I feel like I’m listening to a future apostle. He is sooooo great. There were so many good talks. We finished around 3:30 and it started at 9:30ish or maybe ten but we were there at 8:30ish. Afterwards we went to the house to get our stuff ready and my comp puked. Then she felt better so we went to an important lesson but afterwards she was sick again so we stayed in that night. 

We kind of had a baptism goal for this month with an old investigator from the other Hna’s before us. I know she would have accepted if it wasn’t for her husband. She is going to talk it over with him. I just feel like now is the time for them. We explained the difference in baptism and it made perfect sense to her. I hope she will accept. 

We are trying to get more investigators right now. And I have just been talking to everyone. It’s kind of fun and it kind of shocks people when I ask them how they are. 

I love the work I love the people they are changing my life so much. And I don’t ever want to leave. I am starting to understand more my life purpose of service to others here on the mission. I really truly do love it.

Love you all. Love this work. 

Love Hna Anderson