Unexpected Journey

Well. What a week. This week was super super fun and awesome! We had lots of weird things that happened though but nonetheless it was very awesome!

It all started with Monday night. We had Zone Conference on Wednesday and our district leader wanted to do exchanges so we did them right after preparation day until Tuesday night. I was lucky enough to be with Elder Barker!! For those of you that don't remember or don't know, Elder Barker and I used to be on the same baseball team and in the same stake back in Kaysville! It was sooo fun being with him! He just finished training and holy cow he is a beast!! We hit the streets super hard and had a blast! We were doing what we call 7 sit downs which is we go to every single 7-11 or Family Mart that we see and talk to the people sitting down inside. We were going for a while and we see this man sitting in the back of the 7 and we went over to talk to him. He just looked soooo sad and bummed. We asked if we could sit down and talk to him about Jesus Christ and he said yes. We talked with him for a bit and talked a lot about the Book of Mormon. He had tons of questions and we answered. The spirit was super super strong! We exchanged information and he set up for another time! Sadly he didn't come to his lesson but in those few minutes that we were talking to him, you could tell that the spirit was working with him. By the time we left he was smiling and it was just incredible. I don't know what will happen with him. Hopefully he will accept the gospel. We'll see!

Then on Wednesday we went down to Zone Conference in.... Forever healthy 永康 (that's its literally meaning) down in Tainan. Super fun! I was able to see lots of friends that I haven't seen in a while so that was great. In the meeting we talked a lot about new stuff for English Class and some other trainings and then we did a musical program for Christmas. The night before I found out that I need to play the piano for like 5 people so that was fun. One of them was really touching. A sister missionary was singing the First Noel and she really needed someone to accompany her and so I did and before she sang she was crying and told a story about how much this stuff means to her (I'm not going to say details because it is her story) and as I was listening I just felt really grateful that I was able to be a part of this and help her out. I think for the first time in my life I felt grateful that I know how to play the piano. Really touching. Probably won't ever happen again because I hate the piano. Oh and Sister Teh always calls on me to play the piano! President knows how much I hate it so I think he tells Sister Teh to always call on me haha. 糟糕 then we barely made it on the train to go home after and yeah.

Then it was a week full of contacting and working hard! On Saturday we had our ward Christmas party and that was super great! There were so many potential investigators there! So we ate as fast as we good and then just talked to everyone. Tons of fun! We found one potential that we actually tracted into! We asked him who invited him and he said it was us! We were super surprised! Then he said he was busy this week but he could set up another time! He was the only glimpse of success we saw from it but he seems very promising.

Well, on Saturday night I received a call from the Assistants. Normally when they call they are asking me to play the piano so I was super bummed. I answered and they told me I was moving! WHAT. Then they asked where I thought I was going, I told them that President Teh probably traded me to another mission for some Books of Mormon (Book of Mormons?) we had a good laugh. BUT they said I was moving back to Nanzi to be with Elder Nelson again!?!?!?! CRAZY! I was so shocked and so surprised! I was only in Yuanlin for 2 weeks! What happened was some local missionaries got their visas to go to the mtc so we had to do a few transfers and I was one of them that was transferred. It was super hard to leave Elder Zhang! He was not very happy about it haha. We had a blast together! But it's fun to be back in Nanzi with Elder Nelson!

Last, as I have been pondering lately I have just been thinking of the question 'Why?'. Like "why did this happen?" "why did we meet him?" "why did this cool miracle happen and then they never showed up again?" "Why did I get called to the same mission as my sisters?" "Why was I in yuanlin for 2 weeks and why am I moving back?" As I have thought about these types of questions I cannot find an answer. The only answer I can think of is from Isaiah 55:

 8 ¶For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

 9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

I know that God has a plan for each and everyone of us. We have no idea what is in store for us in this life. But (because of the Christmas season) we need to 'put one foot in front of the other' and keep going! We are meant to be happy! this is a happy time to be alive! Even though the world around us is dark and evil, God and Christ will help us! They know what they are doing!

That is it for this week! Super pumped to be ambitious for Christ with one of my best friends!

PEACE

Merry Christmas

Love

Elder Anderson

Elder Barker from Kaysville who was on Miles' baseball team

Elder Bradford from the MTC

Saying goodbye to Elder Sims

Transfers

Transfer

Well this will be a short email but yeah. Deal with it. Anyways. This week was a great week! Elder Zhang is super cool and we laugh a ton and are having a great time! We spent about 95% of the week out on the streets finding people. I have felt like the Lord is testing my faith and patience. No one would give us the time of day to hear a happy message about Christ. But that's ok. I have learned a lot this week. I have really understood the phrase that 'some people sew and others reap'. Granted, we would all want to be the people that just reap all day every day and just baptize the world. But that is unrealistic. 

Let me tell ya, this week I have already grown so much closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Transferring areas was really hard because I really loved my last are and companion but I am loving this area and companion just as much! Even though we don't have any investigators, we are strengthening ourselves. It makes me think of Alma and Amulek. After Alma found Amulek they sat down and ate some food and such. But it didn't say that they immediately went out to baptize. Alma stayed there for a little bit with Amulek. I imagine during this time they were preparing themselves for the task ahead. They were strengthening their faith. Elder Zhang and I are preparing ourselves by going out and giving it our all. All day. Every day. I have been reading my scriptures and praying more than ever before. It really has brought a new light into my life and into this work. What gave me comfort this week was that the people we met that actually had interest, live in different areas. But it made me feel good because we are helping someone come unto Christ.

I don't really know what to say because this week was all rejections,soooo 

Merry Christmas!!

Be ambitious for Christ!

加油！

Love

Elder Anderson

Miracles and Transfers

Well I am out of Nanzi and I'm in the new area of Yuanlin! It's my old district haha. When I was in Xihu we were part of the Yuanlin district. My new companion is Elder Zhang! He is from Taibei and he is super cool! He just finished being trained so we are going to be having a lot of fun this transfer! 

Leaving Nanzi has been really hard. I loved that area sooo much and I loved being with Elder Nelson. Serving with your best friend makes the work so much better! This week was incredible!

We were able to find many new investigators and one of them being a Mexican named Jesus (I don't know how to type the little accent thingy). He is a miracle in and of itself. A few months ago Elder Williams and I were biking and I saw a little food stand that had a sign with a burger on it and it looked really good. I told him we need to go there sometime. So we did. Turns out it is owned by Jesus and his wife who is an LA from the Philippines. He would come to church every once in a while and it was awesome. Then we were in the library at the church and noticed that there is a Spanish Book of Mormon. Like what? Why would that be here. Sadly we kind of forgot about it for a while...... but then this week Elder Nelson and I were determined that that book is there for Jesus. We stopped by his stand and talked to him about it. He was so willing to listen and to read it was awesome. He came to church this week and I am so excited for him! Never thought I would teach someone from Mexico in Taiwan. I love that man!

Another good one:  We were out contacting and we were talking to this guy that didn't seem to have much interest and then all the sudden a lady just comes over to us with a big smile and waving and speaking English. At first I thought, sweet! Golden investigator! But then we started talking to her and we found out she is a member from Nicaragua that is going to school here. She wanted to know where the church was so we tried to explain it to her but she doesn't speak any chinese so it was difficult to give her directions. So we gave her a number of a member and he helped her out! On Sunday nights we have a Sacrament meeting in English because there are many foreigners here. People from the Marshall Islands, Philippines, Solomon Islands, Ecuador and America and she was able to come. She bore her testimony about how she had been praying for a 3 months to be able to find someone to lead her to church and she came across Elder Nelson and I. It was just so touching to know that we were the answer to someone else's prayer. Remember, that everyone around you could be praying for your help. 

Most of our investigators right now are all new so there isn't much to report on that sense. But this week was just incredible. We came across old formers that said they could meet, or we met tons of people with interest, finding members and LAs and just having tons of fun. The church is true. God loves us and He loves everyone around us.

Even though I'm not in Nanzi anymore, I know that Elder Nelson will do wonders there. He is a very capable missionary and it has been awesome to see him grow these past two transfers. I have I expectations for you!!! (I know you will read this!!!!) :)

Elder Zhang and I have a lot of work cut out for us but we are just so ready to BE AMBITIOUS FOR CHRIST!

Last bit, I have been listening to lots of conference talks and songs recently. I keep listening to one that I really love and that is the song from Priesthood Session 'Ye Elders of Israel'. This song is just so powerful. I love the third verse and I feel it is very applicable for this Christmas season. It says: 

"We'll go to the poor like our Captain of old, we'll visit the weary, the hungry and cold. We'll cheer up their hearts with the news that he bore and point them to Zion and life evermore."

大家， I want nothing more than to be like our Captain of old. Think of how many hearts we can cheer up with the gospel of Christ. Think of that member we met on the streets. Just because we were out following our plan we didn't find any golden investigator but we found a lamb in need of His help. Go and Light the World like our Captain of old!!!! 

I love you all! 

Love

Elder Anderson

Life

Well this week... was a week. That's for sure. Things have been a little rough for us down here in 楠梓。 The hearts of the people are getting hard. But our faith is not lacking! We did have a few pretty cool tracting miracles! Last Monday we went tracting and it was the last door of the street (of course) and a 14 year old boy answered and we started talking to him and teaching about the Book of Mormon. Then his mom had to take his sister to cram school and as she was coming to the door we got a little nervous because usually parents just ruin everything when it comes to teaching. But she was totally cool about it. We talked to her for a bit too and she was really nice! We set up another time that we can come visit them so that was a great miracle! 

We have been working very hard but to little avail. No matter, we are still inviting people to come unto Christ. As you all know, us missionaries have a purpose that is stated in Preach My Gospel. I love how it uses the word 'invite'. It's not an easy way out saying that everytime you see someone you just say "Hey come to church! Yeah!! Church is good!" no. It's doing all you can to help them come unto Christ and you invite them to learn more. Then it is all in their hands. 

We had stake conference yesterday and that was awesome. There were 3 members of the seventy there because President Teh was there :) awesome. Talked a lot about loving the Savior and looking towards the future. Super great

Low on time. sorry mom

This week I have been listening to a lot of this past conference. Between this and stake conference I just really felt the spirit and I felt so grateful that we have the restored priesthood on the earth today and that we have a loving and living prophet guiding and directing us today.

I really liked Elder Uceda's talk about how he prayed with his lips in the morning but after his story he prayed with his heart. How many of us just pray with our lips as we go about living? I'd say the answer is too many of us. Praying with your heart is a lot like putting mayo on a hot dog for the first time. It's a game changer and you will never want to go back to your old ways. 

Well I gotta go but I hope you all will be ambitious for Christ by Lighting the World this Christmas season!! 

I love you all!

Love

Elder Anderson