The Biggest Miracle

Magandang Umaga!

Things are going amazing here in Quezon 2nd ward, and it his week has been my favorite thus far. Things here are really progressing and I couldn't be more excited!! We finally had investigators at church, Edna and Dulctia, and they even attended our ward activity on Saturday evening. The ward is so great at fellow-shipping, and we will definitely be having at least 2 baptisms in August!!

Sister Duque and I are doing great! We are working so well together and we are really motivating each other to hit our goals. Our schedule has been so packed with so many great things to do and we are constantly moving from place to place. Last night Sister Duque asked me when we were doing our nightly planning if we could not make our schedule so full because she doesn't like running;) haha we are having a great time and working hard.

Sister Duque is such a fantastic missionary and I feel so exceptionally blessed to have her as my very last companion. Wow. The Lord really knew what we was doing when He placed us together in this area. I have learned so much from her and she is exactly the companion I need to help me finish strong and to become the person that Heavenly Father intends me to become. She has taught me how to be empathetic, patient, motivated, and diligent. The scriptures teach us that we must become as a child, and that is who Sister Duque is-submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, and so on. She is the biggest blessing in my life at this time.

Words cannot describe the emotions that I feel right now. How blessed I have been to serve here in the Philippines Quezon City mission for the past 18 months. Heavenly Father really knew what he was doing when He sent me here. These past 18 months have been the most rigorous, exhausting, and challenging thing that I have ever experienced. And with that said, it has been the most amazing, powerful and life-changing journey of my life. I have learned what it means to apply the Atonement, to serve my neighbor, and to bear one anothers burden. I have learned how to love as the Filipinos have showed me through example and word what it means to be charitable. I have learned that a testimony of the gospel is not enough- I have to be converted. Just as mentioned in Mosiah 5:2, I have experienced that mighty change of heart. I am still not perfect, but I have been changed. And that has been the biggest miracle of my life.

This will most likely be the last time I will be emailing, so I just want to express my love and gratitude to you. I have been so blessed to have had all of your support and prayers over the course of these 18 months. The time is far spent, and as sad I am to be leaving this place here that I love, I know that the Lord has other things in store for me back home. I look forward to be reunited with all of you.

Ingat kayo palagi,

Sister Anderson

Making the days count

Good Morning!!!

Well these weeks keep getting faster and faster and better and better!! This past week we had that opportunity to attend my very last and Sister Duque's very first Zone Conference. It was a very bitter-sweet experience as I shared my testimony to the Elders and Sisters in attendance, and it all felt so surreal. I really cannot believe that my days are counting down. I will just do everything I can to make everyday count.

Our area is continuing to progress little by little. Sister Bing has gotten really busy building her tindahan that we were not able to teach her at all this week which was a real bummer!! Raylanie, the 18 year referral that we recieved last Sunday, is doing great! She said that she has received her answer that our message is true and expressed to us yesterday her desire to be baptized! Its at those moments, that I really feel the presence of the Lord and I know that all of the work we are doing here has an eternal and divine role in helping others come to Christ. Sister Duque really are loving the work and we are enjoying every little experience!

Sister Duque got sick this past week, so we spent a whole day at home. I was able to get in a lot of good studies, and also got to start de-junking all of the random stuff I have been carrying around with me the past 18 months. I also got to write 45 letters to some of the sweet people I have met here in the mission field! By the end of the day, my hand was pretty much exhausted:) We also had the opportunity to go on splits yesterday with the ward missionaries! I worked with Benj, one of the RMs, and it was such a spiritual experience. She was able to give me lots of encouraging words about how to still stay close to the Lord and feel His Spirit in abundance, even when I go home. It was an answer to my prayers.

I am so happy serving the Lord. This has been the best decision I have ever made and I am so grateful to see how the Lord has been able to shape me. The gospel is true and it is personal. I LOVE IT:)

Love,

Sister Anderson

And we are progressing!!

July 5, 2015

Magandang Umaga!

This week was a whole lot of fun!! Sister Duque and I got to attend our trainer-trainee meeting on Tuesday which was great! And on Thursday we had the opportunity to attend the Philippines Children Medical Center to do a service project. We got to sing songs and play with the cancer children, and it just melted my heart. It confirmed to me that whatever decision I make in regards to a career, I need to do something where I can work with people and help them be happy:) And hopefully that means working or at least volunteering in the hospital. But as for now, I'll just keep being a full-time missionary:)

Sister Duque and I worked worked worked this week and we were able to accomplish so much through the help of Heavenly Father. WOW. I can finally say that our area here is really starting to progress! Heavenly Father led us to 8 new people who are ready to accept the gospel and 6 of them even accepted the baptismal invitation. 

Quezon City 2nd ward is also great!! They are so hard working and they all want to work with us! It is a blessing!! And the biggest blessing of all was that Bing, our investigator, attended church yesterday!! And so did 3 of the recent convert/less active families that we have been teaching. We really don't deserve all of the miracles that are coming our way and my heart is so full of gratitude. I have really gained a strong testimony this week that we really are children of a loving Heavenly Father who is ready to pour out blessings upon each of us who faithfully ask.

I know that this work is the work of the Lord and I have never been so happy serving Him.

Love,

Sister Anderson

 

Another Week in QC2

June 28, 2015

 

Hello!!!

Well this past week has been great!! We are still exploring our area and working our hardest! Last Monday we found a new investigator, Bing. We were punted one morning and just kept talking to everyone as we were making our way to all of our back-up appointments. Bing was outside sweeping, and the Spirit literally pulled me to her and let me know that I needed to talk to her. We shared how we are Mormons and she said that she used to actually attend the lds church with her friends when she was young. She had been taught twice before by the missionaries and was going to get baptized, but that things always got in the way. Third times a charm, right? She let us in and we taught her right away. GOLDEN. In our next lesson with her, her brother from the province joined and he told us that he wants to have the missionaries sent to his family so they can all be baptized. And then last night we met Bing's other brother and found out that his daughter just got baptized back in the province, that she is always working with the missionaries and wants to serve a mission. The Lord is really preparing this family for the gospel! I am so glad that the Spirit is my constant guide to lead me to those who are ready and waiting.

We had some great member visits this week and were able to also visit Bishop Gatpo. We had to realign the areas because we are whitewashing, and it turned out great. We really have the trust of Bishop Gatpo and I am so excited to serve alongside him. We also had a ward activity on Saturday and Bing attended!! 

Funny Story... Sister Duque and I were riding a jeepney to the chapel for our ward activity. We were both talking to the people beside us, inviting them to listen to the missionaries. All of a sudden, the jeepney driver slammed on his brakes and Sister Duque went flying forward! She body slammed me hard, her bag and water bottle went soaring and then she ended up at the front up the jeepney- flat on her face on the floor! Everyone freaked out at what happened, but she got up just like nothing happened and just continued to get the address of the girl she was talking to. hahahaha it was the funniest thing I have ever witnessed!! Ahh, good times!!

I love you all and I love being a missionary!!! 

 

Sister Anderson 

CHOCOLATE WORLD

June 22, 2015

Magandang Hapon!!

Well today was such great day as we got to attend the temple!! How blessed we are here that we live in the boundaries of the lovely Manila temple!! And we went to a place called CHOCOLATE WORLD!! Yep, that totally has mine name written all over it, right?! 

This week has been AMAZING!! My cute little trainee is Sister Duque from Baguio, Philippines! She has such a big heart and really loves the people. She is such a natural at missionary work and is adjusting so well to missionary life. We have officially made it one week in our new area here in in Quezon City 2nd ward, and it has been great. Because we are whitewashing, we are having to do LOTS of finding and so we are talking to EVERYONE!!! And walking A LOT!! But it has been so great! The members have been super supportive, especially Bishop Gatpo. IT has been such a blessing!! Our area is pretty big and so we have been doing a lot of adventuring as well, but I am proud to say that I haven't gotten us lost one!!

In other news, the GIMINA FAMILY WAS BAPTIZED!!! I am so sad that I was not able to attend, but it went great!! Sister Maricel sent me some really cute photos of the baptism that I will have to forward:) 

Thanks for all your support and prayers!

Sister Anderson

The Final Stretch

June 15, 2015

 

Good Morning!!

Well tomorrow is transfer day, and guess where I am going?! The Lord has assigned me to serve in the Quezon City 2nd Ward- I will be whitewashing and training!!! My kabahay is the one and only Sister Lopez (my batch)!! She is also whitewashing and training as well! Wow!!! I could not be more excited!! I feel so privileged that the Lord has enough trust in me to fulfill this assignment, and I pray that as I rely on Him, I will be able to do it. As hard as it will be to leave Quirino, I know that I am needed somewhere else.

Quirino is doing AMAZING right now, and I am pleased to say that it is finally progressing! It took lots of hard work, fasting, and prayers, but the Lord has really opened the heavens and poured out blessings here.

Because the temple is here in my area, we had the opportunity to do a temple tour this past Saturday and we took the Gimina Family, Kristine and her kids 9 (Judy and Gian), as well as Andy and Sonia (the non-member family of Anton who is leaving tomorrow to serve in Australia). They all enjoyed it so much and they really felt the Spirit.

The Gimina Family had their baptismal interview on Friday, and they passed!! They will be baptized this Saturday!! I am so sad I cannot be there, but I am sooo happy for their family and everything that they have been through to make it to this point. At church on Sunday, Tessie came up to us and said that Hector was looking for Brother Encabo, the member who offered Hector a job. Throughout all of last week, Hector was still pretty set on going abroad, but a MIRACLE has happened and he said that he wants to forsake his job opportunities in Saudi, and stay here with his family to enjoy the blessings of the gospel! Ahhhhh!!! I literally wanted to cry when I heard this!! I know that Heavenly Father really does hear and answers our fasts and prayers!!

I love being a missionary and wearing the Savior's name on my heart each day. I pray that I can continue to represent him well and serve this last transfer with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. This final stretch is going to stretch me, but I am ready. I know I need this opportunity in order to accomplish what Heavenly Father has sent me here to do.

I love you all!!!

Sister Anderson

Ps I will send pics next week.. The computer is being a stinker:)