SORRY!
I am so far behind on letters!
Getting on the computer for more than a few minutes is a real task for me right now.
Here are Elder Andersons last 3 letters, all are definitely worth reading!
(If you are going to skim read any of these letters at least read that part that is underlined
he's a wise man)
SEPTEMBER 23RD
Dear Family,
I have not gone to the mission home yet to see if the package you sent has arrived! So you won’t get to know if I got it or not until next week! Sorry. But I am super excited to go see if it came! Again I’m super sad that I am missing out on all the fun parties going on at home and helping out with the projects. Sounds like you all have enough to keep you busy!
Shout out to Aaron Vincent, I kick myself in the butt every single day because I didn’t study from my scriptures and from the Preach My Gospel before I came out here!!!! You HAVE to have those books Memorized front and back in order to do this work. Wise word of advice, if you haven’t already started to train yourself on getting up and studying and reading, I would start. You would be doing yourself a Favor. Ask any missionary. Love You! I’m excited for you to leave soon!
Jared I am way excited for you to be out of primary! Now you get to be a real man! Dad mentioned that you have been learning a lot about priesthood this week I hope you are paying attention! Priesthood power is real and is something that will help you everyday if you let it. Mom I hope with all the organization you are doing none of my stuff goes missing. I know how you like to throw things out! Ha Just kidding I trust you! I love organization! In fact this week I don’t remember if I told you this last week or not but Elder Wright and I have been moving around the stuff in our room to make it way more ummmmm... Cool? Before it had bed frames and closets and desks in there that weren’t even being used. We took everything out besides our desks and our closets, Cleaned up the place and have started to turn it around into an awesome study area! (and a movie theatre for p day). Anyway! Its super fun and we like change, it helps make life more livable here.
Mom I have to say you would NOT like to live here. Since I got off the Airplane In this country I have been wet. Wet from sweat and rain, you are never dry! And you know what else is crazy, The people here are so super afraid to get dark skin! Especially the women. They will wear a knitted hat with a jacket and sweat pants when it’s over 100 degrees! It’s getting into the middle of Rain season here so it just pours buckets everyday! When it rains the world stops for Cambodians. They don’t go anywhere, do anything, visit anyone, don’t go to church!!! They avoid it like the plague! It’s the funniest thing! Elder Wright and I right now are facing some difficulty, a lot of the recent converts we are supposed to visit refuse to meet with us. TO the point where they run and hide! So we only have our investigators to fill our time. We need more investigators! oh ya and we have a part member family that I have been teaching since day one that will have 5 more people baptized in the next few weeks! we will see how it goes. It’s super hard to tell if these people are really, really ready for baptism or not. Ya just have to go by the spirit.
A few weeks ago I wrote home talking a lot about Receiving Revelation. I have been doing a bunch of studying and Experimenting on the matter and I must admit. It’s hard! Even as a Missionary where you live a lifestyle that is so closely in tune with the spirit as you can possibly be. Sometimes I look at a teaching record and I think about the family and pray for the inspiration to be able to discern their needs and teach the right things. I get stumped! And sometimes I get impatient and irritated. I’m saying to myself, Father these are your children right here with your missionaries, why aren’t you helping me help them by giving me anything to go on? I have been missing something however. The link between Revelation and Faith. As you also remember I have talked a lot about faith and how it’s a principle of action! It’s one of my favorite things about the gospel! Well, through some experience and trial and error it came to me. Our Heavenly Father isn’t just going to give us all the answers. He wants us to give it our best first, moving forward in faith. Then, if additional guidance is needed, he will give it. That is where the revelation comes in! After we have shown our faith and put forth action, revelation follows. It’s a promise from our heavenly father. My whole life I have been learning about the gospel but never really applied many of its principles like this one. My hope is that as I write home what I learn and I gain a Testimony of, Anyone and Everyone that reads them will take the time to ponder about it, but then act. Actually pick some things to change or start doing. I love the quote that says. “If you keep doing the same things you have always done, you’re going to keep getting the same things you have always gotten.” As children of our heavenly father, we have a great opportunity on this earth to 'never settle', and to always continue to improve ourselves. Sometimes we get too comfortable and forget how short this life really is and lose sight of what is most important. Which leads me to another quote. 'Don’t sacrifice what you want most for what you may think you want right now'. Family and friends I challenge you all to take some time and think of some things you can act on! Stir up some dead spots in your lives and change! Always strive to see the broadest perspective you possibly can! I promise anyone who does will find greater joy and happiness in their life.
SEPTEMBER 14TH
Dear Family,
Thank you Natalie and I think I got mail from Megan this week as well, I can’t remember it all runs together! Mom I would say don’t worry about the photos for right now. They sell a photo book here in the city that is perfect for teaching it’s just a little big but I can deal with it for now. Thanks so much for letting me know though. What is the status on the other things I’ve written home about? Anything else to report? The news about that package is super exciting! I’m very very excited for next Pday now! When I read your emails from home, I so wish I could be home for all the fun stuff going on at home! Like forget the pool party, I want to use the big tools to rip apart the basement! That reminds me of a thought I had the other day while riding my bike. Every single person that we talk to we always ask if they have anything that we can do for them. I’ve done everything from moving tons of dirt- one basket at a time, to wiping off palm tree leaves so they can use them to make numes. A nume is the name for anything that is a baked good. Like a cookie or something. However, they only use rice for EVERYTHING! Anyway my thought was, I ask people so much if they need our assistance that I bet that habit will carry on even after my mission. I thought, this is one of those attributes that the Lord helps you develop on your mission, and then I can use it after my mission to bless the lives of others as well as my own.
NEWS: Elder Conway is transferred to the north zone! A place called Kompung Jam. And my New Companion is Elder Wright. He came to the country one group before I did. Meaning, I’ve been on the mission for 6 months and he has for 8. Right at first the change was very weird, but after a few days and a few trips out to Bakuu we are totally good with each other. The last few days we have been setting goals and making a vision for the next two transfers and I’m excited! This mission is still very new so young missionaries are really pushed to the limits and are expected to learn fast! That’s what both of us plan to do! We have plans to keep the work fun and enjoyable so we do work and grow together! There are a lot of details that I won’t bother to tell you, but I’m optimistic. I know there are going to be a lot of terrible lessons, contacts, and mistakes to be made ahead. But that is how ya figure this thing out! Towards the end of my last transfer, I couldn’t really see every day my growth. But now after this change, I am put into a clutch situation and I can see growth again. This is definitely the hand of the Lord working with us missionaries! Everyday like I have said before, I think, “Don’t take counsel from fear" and don’t worry. Move forward in faith, don’t doubt yourself!!!!! Anyway that’s my soapbox again.
I lied last week; I didn’t get that memory card in the mail. We ran into some problems in the city and we couldn’t make it to the post office. But I have it all ready to go right now for today! Oh and I’m not District leader by the way thank heavens! You have no time to do anything and you don’t even get to study what you need to study for your personal study because you have to prepare lessons for district meeting! That would kill me!
I want to give you a little insight on what a few of my goals and plans are for the next three months. Branch: All callings are filled out and leaders are trained in their duties. All priesthood holders are taught and trained on how to use their priesthood and what their part is in the branch. Train all members how to share what they know and to be member missionaries. Cambodia has one of the Highest baptism rates in the church in Asia, but has the lowest retention rate! I, we are all trying to build stronger foundations to hopefully get better retention and reactivation. I am trying to work through the branch to get home/visiting teaching started both in the city and Bakuu. There are many other things to do, but we can only do so much and a lot of it depends on the help of the Members and leaders.
Personal/Language: At the end of the next two transfers I want to be able to use only my Khmer Book of Mormon and not even have to use the English. I want to become a way better teacher! The last three months I hardly taught at all but now I will get a lot of opportunity! I want to have finished the New Testament (how do you spell that?) and get to Alma in the book of Mormon (I’ve already read the whole thing once, I finished like a month and a half ago). I want to be a much stronger teacher from the scriptures! I want to be a Book Of Mormon Missionary. I want to be able to teach all the lessons in the language, probably not very good but to know the words to get the message across. For example, I don’t know ANY words to be able to teach Chastity or Modesty! Basically prepare myself to be ready to get a companion younger in the mission than me be the time the next transfer comes around. It could very well happen. My main Topic for the next three months is Confidence! Confidence in my Language, Confidence in my ability to receive revelation for my area and investigators and then act on it! Get this thing under the belt so we can start doing some real work!
That is kinda the only highlight of this week is transfers. I now have to spend a lot of time getting my new comp up to speed on the area so we can work together to do this thing. We will see what happens; next week will probably have a good "epic fail" story for you who knows. Love you all!
Your most favorite Elder! Elder Anderson!
NOTE of explanation for photo –
During the genocide and coup by the Khmer Rouge Regime, many thousands of acres were sprinkled with land mines. There are a lot of Cambodian people who lived through that horrible era, but have some part of their body missing due to the land mines. While many of the known mine fields are marked (as shown in this photo) the Elders have been encouraged not to venture into areas that are not clearly known as safe or not.
SEPTEMBER 7TH
Oh boy, I have a lot I feel like I have to say this week! Natalie and Aunt Becky thanks for your dear Elders!
Dad you can tell Grandpa that I have three Pairs of Shoes. One only for church on Sunday. And the other two I rotate through. I wear one and they get wet and muddy during the day, so that night I put them under a fan. The next day I wear my third pair and those get wet and muddy so I go back to number 2 pair that is now dry and I polish them up and wear those while pair number 3 gets dry. Easy right? Your weekly letters are great. They are perfect length. I’m interested in things happening in the news and sports! I love to hear stuff like that.
Mom thanks so much for getting a package together I know it will be sweet! I look forward to when I get it in three or so weeks? As far as other mail? The Dear Elder thing seems to be the most reliable method to get me mail. Anyone that wants to write, just use that. And if you have something very long you want me to read send it via Dear Elder.
Hey and sorry about those photos!!!! I tried and tried for weeks to get them to you but every week it wouldn’t work. I’m glad Becca was able to get them to you. Please forgive me! Dad I plan to send pictures home today! I have them all backed up on a flash drive, so if the card I’m sending you in the mail gets lost... I have them all safe and sound.
News!!! Big news!!
As of Friday I will have a new companion... Sad day! Elder Conway has been my trainer for 12 weeks! And now he is being transferred up north as predicted. Which means I lead the area. But wait, the new companion that I am getting came to the country only 1 group before me! So he has only been here for a few months more than me! I think we are both going to be learning a lot of Khmer the next few transfers! But wait, it gets better! They haven’t called the District leader for our area yet! There are 4 Elders in our area. One is a new Khmer Elder so it won’t be him. The other, my new comp. doesn’t know the area at all so it probably won’t be him. Elder Ott the other Elder has already been a District leader once.... So who is left? Shoot. ME! Ha, we don’t know who it is yet but we all have our guesses. I’m not worried at all, however it goes down, that’s how it is! I don’t feel as much panic as I thought I would. I know it’s going to suck and for a while it will take a lot of work to get things going but we will make it through! As long as you learn everyday and are having fun!!! Fun is so super important for me in my mission so far. It helps to make the time pass, helps you learn, helps you make better relationships. Anyway that’s news!
In other news, It’s my Brothers birthday soon! I wish I could be there for his Primary graduation! I’m sure it’s a day he will never forget. I also hope he fully understands the importance of his role as an Aaronic priesthood holder! I sure didn’t when I was his age and I wish I had taken the initiative to take up more responsibility. And taken time to learn more about what it actually means to hold the priesthood. Anyway, happy birthday Little Bro! Enjoy being twelve while you can, you only get to be a Deacon for 2 years. Take advantage of every moment you get to serve!
Okay, so I had some notes on a spiritual thought for all of you but I left it back at the house so it will have to wait for next week. But I do have a story. Last night we were in Bakuu and Elder conway was saying goodbye to some people because they won’t get to see him before he transfers and a lady, one of my favorite members, said Elders you must eat the dinner I made you can have it. We protested for like 15 minutes but just gave up. We should have held our ground. Dirty rice, soup with baby shrimp, and other mysterious items. These were whole baby shrimp too, eyes, head and everything. She had some weird Egg thing that was cooked with bad water. And last but not least, she had "chiam" which in Khmer it means blood. I was shocked! Apparently they take blood and let it turn into a jello somehow and then cut it up and eat it with rice. It looked like liver! She made us eat and eat! We were both about to barf so we had to leave!! It was crazy! Right when I got home I had like 4 Oreo’s to make myself feel better!
Love you all
until next week
