Blog Archives - Adventures of Elder Anderson x2

A Song and a Blessing in Mexico

3/31/2016

This week was awesome! First off I want to tell you about a very cool experience. About a week ago we went to this house to just knock on the door. It was on the top of an apartment. A guy was very discouraged becuase he couldn't move his leg. He is about 60 years old. He was the only one home so he told us to come in. We sang him a hymn to calm down and taught about the authority and about blessings. He told us he wanted a blessing so me and my companion gave him a blessing. After the blessing the family came home. We left and hadn't heard from him for awhile until this Tuesday. I guess after the blessing he felt something go into his body from the top of his head and he was able to walk again, shower on his own, and walk all the way down the stairs from his apartment. When he got all the way down he collapsed again. His family took him to the doctor and they said that he had a stroke! He kept telling all the doctors and family about the "two angels" that came and sang him a song and gave him a blessing! He said that they saved his life! The family was crying and thanked us and we have dinner with them tonight!! I was shocked! Never in my life did I think I would feel worthy or be the person to be able to be an instrument in the hands of God! What an amazing experience!!

Our converts were comfirmed and they are doing amazing! They recieved their temple recommend and they were able to go do baptisms for the dead. They said it was so beautiful!

Me and my MTC comp Elder Andriese

The temple on Monday was a great experience! The celestial room is beautiful in Monterrey! I sat down and prayed for the things that I was worrying about and for the first time in my life I felt like I had received "that" answer! My chest was burning and I couldn't help but hide myself because I didn't want anyone to see me with watery eyes!

I'm so glad everyone is doing great! Thank you so much for your prayers and support.

Peace out fam-
Elder Carson Anderson
Mexico Monterrey West

Easter in Puerto Rico

3/28/2016

Yo my Peeps - it was a good Easter!!

This past week went really well for us. Our investigator Alfonso is still struggling with the Word of Wisdom and other small things and so he couldn't be baptized but we will keep working with him. The other Elders, Elder Hanna and Elder Reyes, had a baptism. Her name is Sulaika and she is so cool. President Boucher came to the baptism so it was cool to see him. He came up to me and said he was very impressed with how hard we are working so that was pretty sick to hear from him.

Last night we were teaching a family we had just recently met and they accepted baptism when they are prepared - so that's cool. After that we got a call from a guy who is Jehovahs Witness named Julio that wanted to know more about the Mormon Church. We met up with him in the Church and he is a really cool guy. He is in college right now but I can't remember what he is studying. He was telling us he has been pretty much jumping around religions his whole life trying to find the one that he feels really confident about. He told us he never had the chance to "try the Mormon church out". I loved that because if he has been in all of these other churches, as he learns about the restored Gospel it will make so much sense and he will feel the difference when he attends church.

Here in Puerto Rico they have what is called Semana Santa. A holy week before Easter. It pretty much was tons of people using their 1 time a year Church assistance just because its holy week. When I hear other churches going off preaching it just builds my testimony stronger and its so nice to know that the whole truth has been restored and there is no confusion. If only that can get into the heads of the people here...but eventually we will find the Golden Contact.

I have got to go but I LOVE YOU ALL!! Have a good Conference Weekend! We all have the opportunity to hear from Prophets and Apostles. Prophets in our day just like Moses or Abraham. They receive revelation from God for all of us.

Elder Cody Anderson
Puerto Rico San Juan Mission

Praying for Alfonso

3/23/2016

Hey - if everything goes well this week we will be getting Alfonso in the water! It will be a cool day. This past week has been hard just finding people and teaching. A lot of our appointments fell through and people didn't want to hear us but its ok because I know I tried. This week WILL be better.

We met with Alfonso this past week and went over the questions with him and he was struggling with coffee and the commandment tithing. We taught him these things over again and he feels more comfortable. He has his interview tomorrow to see if he is prepared. I know he is prepared because he has a strong testimony of Joseph Smith and he believes the Book of Mormon is the word of God. Once you know these things it all falls into place and you realize how much sense this makes and there is no doubt that all of this is true.

So we were teaching this one dude named Miguel. He is friends with a member. We started talking about Prophets and then he starts going off about how Joseph Smith was a False Prophet and how Thomas S. Monson is a False Prophet also. He kept speaking like this and I got pretty disturbed so we "spit some fire" with real doctrine and just destroyed. He was dead quiet and then told us he needs to study more. Some people just only listen to what people say or what their pastor says and not do their own study to get their answer for themselves. I KNOW they are Prophets of God.

Wow - conference is coming up fast! It just felt like we just had the October General Conference. It will be cool to hear what they all have to say.

Love you all and miss you
Elder Cody Anderson
Puerto Rico San Juan Mission

FIRST BAPTISM!!!

3/23/2016

Yesterday I had the opportunity to baptize my first 4 investigators! Back up and read that again. It was an amazing experience! There were so many people there to support them that we had to use the sacrament room to put all the people in! I had the opportunity to baptize one of them and it was so cool! All the hard 7 months paid off! The best was at the end... i asked them how they feel and they said they all felt CLEAN!

This week started off a little sucky! I got STREP THROAT so it took me out of the game for a while! I was lucky enough to get three shots in my butt for 3 straight days. These are SO MUCH better than pills and they work so much faster. My comp was dying to do the shot but I was like NOooooo... but finally the last one I agreed and he did a GREAT JOB!! hahaha. It was definitely a FEAR BOND.

Me and my companion have a problem! WE CAN'T STOP LAUGHING! We bust up laughing at everything... even during lessons and soemtimes its so embarrasing! BUT when I start laughing you know that I can't stop! One time when we were contacting and a lady was screaming at us that she is already on her way to Jesus and she doesn't need another way! She was really rude! So..... I doorbell ditched her! I dont know why - it just felt like a natural response. My comp was like "WHAT ARE YOU DOING??"

I am staying with my companion this transfer and I'm very happy about that. My comp said that whenever I speak the spirit hits the room. He is teaching me that even though I do not have Spanish down the spirit is there. He is letting me know that as I go along and the Spanish will get better - it will be amazing. I am thankful of the opportunity to teach with the spirit. I am PRAYING for the opportunity to teach with the spirit in SPANISH at some point. I have faith that I will get there.

Thanks for everything! I miss you a lot! Tell me how everyone is doing! Say hi to Jovi for me! I love you all!

Elder Carson Anderson
Mexico Monterrey West Mission

Warm Milk instead of Coffee - CHECK!

3/14/2016

My MTC bud Elder Hendriod

Hey this week was good. We found a lot of potential investigators that we are going to follow up on so we will see how that goes.

So our investigator closest to baptism is Alfonso. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and it went really well. Without us asking him to drop his coffee, he told us that he will change it to warm milk instead of coffee - so thats perfect. He came to chruch yesterday and was answering questions in the class about Joseph Smith. I can see he has a testimony of Joseph Smith and how he was a prophet of God. He has a baptismal date for the 27 of March.

Ramon the Fisherman hasn't been coming to church. He is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy. We taught about how there is only one way or path that God has in order for us to recieve our salvation and return and live with him again. God is not a God of confusion. He has established his ONE path for all of us. He has his ONE WAY for Baptism and that is by IMMERSION and with the PRIESTHOOD AUTHORITY and this can only be found in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.
I think it woke him up a little. I think he understands the importance of this message now that he understands that God has his path established in the Restored Church of Jesus Christ.

Our new District leader is Elder Hanna. He is from Texas and is 6'6" - a giant! haha! He is pretty cool. He has a grandpa or great-grandpa that played for the Lakers so thats sick but I still hate the lakers.

LOVE you ALL
Elder Cody Anderson
Puerto Rico San Juan Mission

Busy, Busy - 40 lessons in a week!

3/14/2016

Hey mom and dad!

This week went pretty fast again - we have been teaching over 40 lessons a week! THAT is A LOT so its been pretty crazy! I have GOOD NEWS. I should be getting a baptism of 3 on the 20th! This family is so cool and is so ready for baptism. I don't want to get my hopes up too high but it is looking good. Margerita and her 2 kids will be getting baptized! The mom has a testimony but the kids are just my "cuates" and I really love being with them.

We had a crazy lesson - A lady was sure convinced that we were the church of the devil and she thinks we get money to preach and that we give the money to our leaders. We kindly said " No it is for service." Then she started rambling off about how feelings change and how we really can't feel the Holy Ghost! I had a hard time sitting there listening to that so I stood up and asked, "Dont you feel good when you read the Bible?" She answered yes. Then I responded, "Why don't you feel that all of the time?" She had no answer- all she said was it was just a random feeling. I then asked "Well if it is a random feeling, make it up right now...." I tesified that the Holy Ghost bring joy, peace, happiness and comfort when we do the things of the Lord and have a heart of peace and love. When we are hard-hearted the spirit doesn't dwell in that space and does not want to fight with you. I couldn't believe what I just said! I felt so powerful - HAHA!!! She had no response and we respectfully walked out.

How Is the family? How was your trip? I bet the RZR sounds so good! I love you guys and miss you a ton! Have a safe week!

Elder Carson Anderson
Mexico Monterrey West Mission

Why 1820?

3/7/2016

We teach someone right here in his backyard!

Yo whats up!

We got the transfer call last night and I’m staying in Guayanilla with the same companion Elder Merrell. We will have 6 months together as companions! He is pretty cool and we are working hard. President said we are destroying here together so I think thats why we stayed. We have a possibility to have 4 or 5 baptisms this transfer so I’m pumped. Elder Morales thats from Guatemala is leaving to Salinas. I will miss him. We got to be super good friends. After the mission he is coming to Utah with me "to find snow bunnies" … he says this in his terrible english accent - its hilarious.

DISTRICT

So here is some information about our investigators:

Alfonso came to church again last Sunday and seems like with his progress he can be baptized this transfer. We are going to teach him this week about Joseph Smith and help him gain his own testimony. When you know that he was a Prophet of God everything else just falls into place. He will know then that the Church has been Restored.

Ramon is studying the Book of Mormon like crazy. I have never seen someone here study the book like he does. He is understanding lots of things in the book and he said its easier to understand than the Bible. He said he believes the Book of Mormon is holy scripture. We just need to get him to come to church.

Daisy wasn’t really progressing at first but now she is. We gave her a Restoration pamphlet and then when we came back she had written a full page report on everything she learned for us. We didn’t ask her to do that so it shocked us. She said that she wants to keep following this path that she is learning and she doesn’t even care what her family thinks. We are going to try and set a baptismal date with her this week.

Andres - we met yesterday in the church. A member brought him with her and introduced him to us. Andres said he loved the church so much. He said he has been to a lot of churches but none of them made him feel more accepted than when he visited yesterday. He learned a lot about ordinances and covenants like baptism yesterday and he said that he wants to prepare for it. We are going to his house this Friday and he said he is going to come to church again this week.

I read this talk last week that was just awesome! Its called "Why 1820" by Hyrum W. Smith. It really explains what happened in the Apostasy with a time table of events to help us understand and to show that there really was an apostasy and that the church that Jesus established really did fall. Then it talks about how the year 1820 was the most perfect time to have the restoration of the same church Jesus established. Read this - it is pretty cool.

Hope all is good back home. Let me know whats up!

Elder Cody Anderson
Puerto Rico San Juan Mission

Our church house in Guayanilla

Drop your Nets - Become Fishers of Men

3/2/2016

Yo, YO!

This week has been the best week yet working with members! Usually we can only get 1 or 2 lessons with members to come out with us every week, but we worked hard and got 7 lessons with a member present this week. Now I think the members see the progress of some of our investigators and like the feeling of being a part of helping someone towards baptism.

So some of our investigators and their progress:
Alfonso is progressing the most right now. We got some members to come with us and we had some killer lessons. We taught about the atonement of Jesus Christ and how we can feel more of the blessings of the Savior’s sacrifice as we follow his example and be baptized. He said that he will be baptized if he is prepared. We told him that coming to church with us is a huge part in preparation for baptism. We got a member to come with us to pick him up and he came to church!! He said he was really happy he came and was satisfied. Coming to church is a huge part in conversion. I’m sure he felt the difference as he attended the Lord’s Church.

Ramon is our other investigator. He is digging through the Book of Mormon like crazy and comparing it to the Bible. We got some members over there also and taught about the Sabbath Day. He is a Fisherman and says he fishes every Sunday morning. We shared with him the story of Jesus and Peter and how the Savior invited him to drop his nets and follow him and be a fisher of men. He made plans to come to church the following Sunday.

I had an interview with President Boucher last Wednesday. It was super cool to talk to him. We talked a lot about the work and also hunting and fishing. President had shared with ME the story of Jesus and Peter, and Christ’s invitation Peter to drop his nets and Follow him and be a Fisher of Men. I remember thinking about that story and that I pretty much have the same invitation..kinda of like “drop your Fly Rod and follow me and be a Fisher of Men in Puerto Rico”. It was a cool thought.

We just had a golden contact the other day. A family invited us in and we shared the Restoration. They seemed pretty excited that they have an opportunity to actually search and know for themselves and receive an answer from God... that the same church Jesus Established has been restored. We see them tomorrow again so I’m pumped for that.

I’m glad to hear that the funeral for Great-Grandma Nea was really good! I’m sure she is happy.

Love you all! Let me know what’s up!

Elder Cody Anderson
Puerto Rico San Juan Mission

First Talk in Church en Espanol

3/2/2016

Mom and dad

This week was a great one. It was by far one of the toughest to find people. I had a lot of doors slammed in my face but all in all I felt good that I was hitting the street even though no one wants to listen!

We have a family that has a date for the 20th of March. The 2 kids and a mom have been coming to church for 3 weeks straight and are loving it! They have so many questions too. The 2 kids go to mutual and seminary and the mom goes to the activities with the Relief Society! The husband is a convert of like 2 months ago. Its awesome to watch and I cant wait for this day to come!

We taught a lady whose husband died a couple weeks ago and she did not look good at all. We shared the plan of salvation and that just made her smile and she had a light back into her! I shared about Janette and Grandma Nea and how much I loved them but I WILL see them again! The spirit was so strong! I won’t ever forget this day!

I had to give a talk in church yesterday!! Oh man I was so nervous but it turned out ok. I talked about the atonement and missionary work! I through a huge scripture in there thats really fuerte... D&C 112 28, 33. Hopefully that will get them fired up and be scared for life if they don’t start to help the missionaries! Haha!!

Today I actually made homemade gringas and tacos of Trompo as a district activity! It was so good! I have a lot of photos so tomorrow I’ll send them to you. I have come to the point where I can almost understand everything but I cannot express myself at all! Sometimes I don’t know how to talk! I’m learning each day so pray for me that I can start TALKING!!

Well... thanks for the letters - I love them! Say HI to everyone for me and I hope the Jazz make it to the playoffs! That would be so cool!

Elder Carson Anderson
Mexico Monterrey West Mission

Elder Cody W. Anderson
SAN JUAN PUERTO RICO MISSION
cody.anderson@myldsmail.net

Puerto Rico San Juan Mission
Urb. Jardines de Caparra
#500 Calle Marginal Norte
Bayamon PR 00959
Puerto Rico

Elder Carson R Anderson
MEXICO MONTERREY WEST MISSION
carson.anderson@myldsmail.net

Mexico Monterrey West Mission
Calle Chiapas y Concha Espino # 303
Col. Roma Sur
64700 Monterrey, Nuevo Leon
Mexico

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