21 investigators at church....

Hey everyone, sorry about last week and the short email but p.day has come around and yay I get to email my family!!

WOW tonnes of missionaries going out Dad, thats super exciting and awesome!

Just a few questions:

-Can i have my family history chart please?

-Was there a typhoon in New Zealand?( I heard there was)

-How many temples are there in the world?

Chalamat ..

So so so..

Here in Kananga we have a brand new apartment, I mean brand new and its nindot kaayo!!!

I love being in a nice apartment and its good because its just me and Elder Minorias!! We have a shower, but it doesn't work yet, but it has HOT water, yay and we have a tap to wash our hands and clothes and a tap at the sink to wash our plates instead of always walking out to the well and filling up bucket with water outside and always calling my companion" companion I need help with the water" about 50 times a day haha.

But that's what makes a mission fun and memorable!! We have a brand new iron and ironing board, brand new curtains, Everythings brand new!! And I'm very happy haha I feel I'm in a brand new world until I walk outside and there's no houses.

The people here speak tagalog and waray waray, and I cannot understand any of it!! 

Hopefully by the time I finish my mission I will know it, and can speak to Jeremy.

 Anyway - Kananga!!

Well our ward is lovely, the members are really nice and the bishop is very nice and a Diligent Bishop!! Reminds me of you Dad. I had to speak on our first Sunday, and I was really frightened and started to eat my words. I guess i was entertaining when they were all laughing at me , but i know they got what I was saying through the spirit.

 They love us missionaries so much and express their love to us, because they haven't had missionaries in a very long time!! We started our area - just opening it  after the typhoon and had NO area book! Man wasnt this just so hard!! We had nothing, and it was really stressing me out, Then our president said we have to be back in the home by 5pm everyday, because there are no street lights and some rough people about.  So this stressed me out even more, because I know that 5 till 8 are the peek hours where everyone's home and there's tonnes of teaching!! So it was hard coming from Bacolod to here - but through the simple commandment of prayer, I realised that I needed to just relax, stop stressing out, know that we are only beginning  and to simply just enjoy the journey that will soon put us back on a roll again!

 

So in the last few days we have had a lot of work - we had 21 investigators at church!! Man tonnes, partly resulting from the typhoon. Most of the investigators are the fathers or mothers that are not converted and through the storm they have all been really humbled and are flooding in!! We then found our area book that wasn't even updated, ahah but it will be now!! 

This story reminds me of Alma, when he baptizes tonnes of people at the waters of Mormon - people are truly flooding to be baptized which is super exciting!! We have no font so our baptisms are in the creek!! Makes Alma's story come to real life even more haha!

 Me and my companion are different!! Very very different. When we became companions we knew we had different personalities, different interests and styles of teaching. Hes from Mandanao and is 24!! My last companion Elder Doverte was 26!! So Heavenly Father loves putting me with older people!! I love my companion.

We have been doing much service , building the foundations of homes - diggin diggin and diggin!! Work Work Work , I Love to Work! Love You Family - Be Safe

Love you

Der Anderson

Just arrived in Kanangan, Tacloban Mission...

Family, a very short one. 

We just arrived in our apartment here in Kanangan:) Five things I want to state:

1) I have a brand new apartment thats so clean and has nice tiling inside.

2) we have 2 new fans

3) we have a new ironing board and iron

4) new shower and bed and everythings new

We have no area book and are just starting from the basics!! So its new but good!!
Love you guys!! Have a beautiful week, keep the photos coming and letters.

Love you

Elder Anderson

Hey family, Im here in Tacloban :)

After I emailed you we went to President Lopez' house and there he bought us a feed and we got to eat all the ice cream we wanted!! YES so delicious!! I havent had ice cream in a very long time!! After that he talked to us and discussed us all the things we learnt from this mission, and how we can take it with us and its OURS!!  

Both him and sister Lopez dropped us off at the airport and he gave us a hug. He's so good family. He has taught me about the mission, and in his mission vision, has helped to change me. 

We checked in and I was 10 kgs over and had to spend a tonne  but I got on the plane which was the important part!! 

We traveled to Manilla and stayed in the hotel there.  As we walked into the hotel, we saw our old batch mates from the m.t.c and gave them all a big hug and had a good catch up!! 

Our flight to Tacloban was 4 in the morning. So early we got no sleep. We traveled to Tacloban and I was super excited. We got there and the airport was just smashed up and  the airport was so so small. 

We met with President Andaya and sister to and they welcomed us and took us all to the mission home. On the way to the mission home, my mind was just BLOWN away. Seeing the destruction that took place here 5 months ago, it feels like the typhoon hit this place only yesterday. It looks like the land desolation in the Book Of Mormon. It made me sad.. There are wires EVERYWHERE so I watch where I walk. 

We then had a  breakfast, then a devotional, then I met my new companion, Elder Menorias from Mindanao here at the bottom of the Philippians.  He's fluent at every language which is good. He is going to teach me tagalog.  

There are seven languages here.  We got told that our apartment was not yet finished and we have to stay in the mission home for a week. Im fine with it because theres a washing machine, a dryer and showers:) hehe and our apartments are new, theres showers and toilets that flush:):) YES!! this made my day!! Im assigned in Ormoc. Which is Cebuano speaking - which is good for me:) Today we got a p.day and we went to the soldiers monument, which is the photo I had on my facebook before I came out on my mission!! One of the statues broke in the typhoon.

This mission is WAY different from  my old one, different vision, people, language and everything!! But I love it and am going to enjoy it here. I feel I'm only going to love my new mission even more!! 

I love you and I'll write you next week. Fams. Just letting you know im safe!!

Love

Elder Anderson

I'm so excited, my fingers are struggling to write!

WOW!! I received a call yesterday from my old companion Elder Burnett - that I am transferring back to the Tacloban mission!  I'm super super excited right now!!

I have actually left my apartment in Stop Alginado!!  My last good byes to my beautiful apartment!! My last look back to this beautiful place and members and memories.

 We had a baptism this week and I told the investigator I was leaving. He texted me and thanked me for all i did to bring  this beautiful gospel into his life!!! This was very touching and I love him.  I said goodbye to my companion Elder Doverte and gave him a big hug.  A big hug that showed to him, that I was grateful for all he did for me.  I love him heaps and will come back here to visit him. I traveled  from Stop to Bacolod which was 4 hours and I came here with my batch friend Elder Wheeler , man we are just so excited to move back to Tacloban!! 

Ii was thinking in my head the whole trip back, "Im really going back?? This doesnt seem real!" haha Being out in the mountains for 5 months is a very big change to here in the city!! Theres "CARS" haha it was really mind blowing!  I arrived at the office here in the big city Bacolod, and saw my old companion.  It was so good to see him and I'm having a good chat to him now.

MAN I've been blessed so much to have had two solid trainers with whom I've learned so much!  So Im in the office typing this to you.  I'm so excited my fingers are struggling to write because of my excitement!!

We meet with President in a hour which is going to be so cool. I will show him my love for the example he has been in my life.  I will give him your love too Mum and Dad!! WOW super excited!!  I'll be in Tacloban either tonight or tomorow , not too sure on the facts!! I'll send some photos on p.day!!! I love you family!!

My Heavenly Father has helped me so much in my life and I'm grateful for it all!! I love this church so much, 

 Sa simbahan ni jesu christo sa mga santos sa ulihing nga mga adlaw!! This is the true church!

Love you - here in Bacolod, soon to travel home to Tacloban!

Yours Der Anderson

P,S Pepe - give my little nieces kisses for me okay! Love you little sis

I'm bringing my Saints with me!

Hey everyone!! Ok I'm relieved that my sister is okay!! Please dad keep up dated me on her situation!!

So whats happening with me and Tacloban? Two people from my zone have gone already to Tacloban, and its just me and my companion left here. We think we are going back next transfer or maybe earlier, so less then 4 weeks maybe. The problem is housing for us.  So I'm going hard here in the meantime.

Ohh man I cracked up at the photo of Pepe holding Anataria  - haha its so funny!!

This week! This week has been very different for me.  Very different.  A lot of our investigators had just TONNES of questions for us about the gospel.  Questions I have not yet come across or answered, but through the experience of my companion I got a lot of experience for myself out of this week. Which is so good.

I want to share with you one of them.  Some of them are "funny" . Sometimes after the lesson me and my companion are  laughing OR stunned in confusion about what our loving investigators are trying to say to us!!  And as you know, everyone heres Catholic, so Ive heard a lot of things I have not heard before.

So one family: 

 So we walk in and start the lesson and the mother fires out!! "why dont you have graven images?" We explained why we don't , then she said , "I have saints who I worship every day, and if Im going to join your church, I'm bringing my saints with me."

 Im sitting there and thinking aye?  Whats going on here? - then we explain again. Sometimes we need to say things three times before they get it, but its fine, it teaches us patience. 

We walk out of that lesson a little  puzzled at what had just hit us, then my companion who is Philipino turns to me and says,"Elder there are 5 words to explain things like that", " You are in the Philippines" hahah we had a good laugh walking to our next teaching appointment!

There are tonnes of questions coming our way.  It is so exciting :):)  It is exciting to witness the spirit touch our investigators :) 

I love you all!! have a good week!! 

Elder Anderson

Heres a photo of one of our solid investigators!! he will go on a mission Im sure.  His baptism is in two weeks!! im excited:)  And no Nevah has not come over for a holiday - see pic..

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