I'm back!  I had to go to a special place for missionaries who have been very crook, where they feed you up and send you back to work.

Yes, I got sent to Manila and I'll share with you my journey. I had to catch the bus from Tacloban to Ormoc in the morning, then when I arrived I  caught a ferry to Cebu, where I had to catch a taxi to the airport (by the way I'm doing this on my own, no companion and it felt so weird), then I arrived in Manila and man isn't that place so crazy, its like Las Vegas, just a HUGE city with lights everywhere.  It is huge - especially compared to small Tacloban!! 

Then I arrived in the MRC where Sister and Elder K (the missionaries in charge of the medical recovery center) welcomed me and showed me around where I was staying. So just let me say - I thought I was in heaven for the 4 days I was up there!  I turned up for dinner and Sister K said that my pancakes appetisers are ready for me in the kitchen and I was blown out of my mind.  I ate the pancakes and everything that followed!  Then I had air con in my room, HOT showers, and a comfy bed where I laid down for 3 hours a day resting - and we have movie nights, had washing machines and study as usual!! 

The Manila temple was just across the road and we were allowed to go and do sessions and you bet I did! 14 months without the temple - wow I enjoyed this special, special, special opportunity.  I got to ponder and relax and it sure did help with my sickness.

Then I came out of the temple and went back to the MRC, and next minute I hear someone screaming, running towards me and I turn around and Elder Wynn McGregor, one of my all time best friends is full speed about to tackle me haha.  It was really random and didn't really hit me, but we hugged and talked and took pictures. Man he has grown up and is so mature!!  It was also good to hear the fresh NZ accent haha!

A beautiful experience!!   I also saw a Sister Vea who knew Dad and she ran up and said, your dad's president Anderson!!  So that was cool.  Overall, I had a blast - but I wanted to go back, staying there was just too luxurious and unrealistic and I just wanted to head back to my little Tacloban and work!! 

So, I was allowed to go.  I had my tickets all booked for me  and I flew to Cebu where I got to take pictures of the temple there and then I caught a ferry back and heading back to my own area that I love!! 

What a choice experience - right?? Now I'm perfectly fine and we are back into the work!! 

I love you family and loved ones and  thanks so much for your prayers as I have been ill. I have really been focusing on working on my Christlike attributes.  I am continually changing and I'm happy with  my progress. 

I think in some ways I have really changed from a boy into a man.  That is what I feel, but I guess you can judge for yourself when I see you again.   No one here believes I'm 19, they all guess 23 or above!!  Must be my double barrel shotgun arms.  

So that's interesting!! Love you again.

Elder Anderson

Well this week was quite a big journey! I got my trainee!! Elder Means from Provo Utah at 19 years old!! I have been SICK this whole week which was not at all the good start I wanted to give him, but he is such a good missionary, definitely knows why he is out here on a

mission!  I speny an afternnon in hospital with a sore stomach and ear, and I have not been eating well at all.  I'm quite skinny.  I am feeling a little better each day though.

I know God knows my desires to work and exactly what I need and I can see this new missionary helping me a lot in the area!!

It was really funny seeing his facial reactions to the Phillipines during our 4 hour drive from Tacloban to Maasin.  He looked like I must have, so worried, where I am going haha, and I love to ask him, has it hit you yet elder? He always says, NO, I don't think it ever will!

We speak a lot of Cebuano in the house and he sounded exactly like me when I started my mission, but I give him encouragement and known that he will be very good in the future, even better than me!!

Sorry this is small, I'm out of time, but I love you all and I cant wait until I'm better, and can get out and work hard!! Love you family!!

Elder Anderson!

A more difficult area...

Kiaora all!

First I'd like to say, the last transfer (6 weeks)  flew before my eyes. I said goodbye to Elder Balmediano and this week I pick my brand new greeny  haha !

Yes I'm training!!! I am beyond the moon to have this opportunity to train!! The one thing I wanted to become is a trainer!! President Uchdorf in a talk said," only the best train"!! So yes I am picking him up Thursday this week so I am super excited for that!!

In my mission there is a procedure now: Before we go home - on our last sunday, we get to go to our favourite area here ( and I will probably go back to Kananga). One of my best elder friends( Elder Carlson) came to Macrohon to visit, and he goes home next week!! Everyone is going home and soon my batch will be soon!! Next month i will have 10 months left in the field, so I want to use every bit of time to the max!!

 A cool quote from president Monsen, "Decision Determines Destiny" So I'm out here using this quote in all I do to prepare me for my future!!  I'm working very very hard to work on my slight little weaknesses here in the mission to be the ultimate example for my brand new missionary and others in the future.  I cannot wait to see his reaction to the beautiful Philipines, like mine  when I first arrived!! I remember my trainer said i had a worried face the whole time and now I get to experience that!!  I cant wait!!

So my area:  It is super super hard, but we are working on it!! Somedays we don't even get to teach a lesson, but Im getting really good at finding.  My favourite is to play basketball with the tiny pinoys and my companion talks to everyone else and does o.y.m( open your mouth)!! I thought, they love basketball, why not join in and play and gain their respect and break the ice before getting into the sharing, because if we go straight and ask to share, most of the time, they're not at all interested.  

So yes!! IT WORKS  and we have o.y.m'ed over 40 people because of it!! They love it when I dunk the hoop haha.  I dont even know how to play, but when I dunk, its the end of the world for them!! They have never seen it before!!   So it is really funny when ever I walk past them now:  All  I hear is, Elder Anderson DUNK, DUNK, DUNK!!    I think to myself, yeah, we can arrange that for you...  Even the old folks join in and chant haha.  

But the main thing is I feel I am gaining the trust of tonnes of people here and if I dont get the chance to harvest, I know they will remember me and my love and accept the restored gospel in the future!! So, I love my area, challenging and humbling, and I am striving for excellence in my work.  I know Im so blessed!!

Also we have a baptism lined up for next month hopefully - first one in this area  in a whole year!!  I am super excited.  He pays his tithing and everything, I'm sure he will be good!!

 I love my mission, my testimony in Jesus Christ grows every day and I  love working with the Spirit!

Love you all

Elder Anderson

Philippines Tacloban Mission

Hey family, just another short one!!

I got my package:) and man did those chocolates melt in my mouth!! Thanks mum and family, it really made me happy!!

Me and my companion sat down as soon as we got the weetbix in the package and we downed the whole kilogram of weetbix in one meal!.  Actually while tasting the weet bix, I got a little bit  home sick haha, I wrote in my journal, I want to have my New Zealand food everywhere, in my fridge, and cupboard, but in reality all I see is RICE :( haha i had a little giggle over this!

The work in Kananga is really progressing!!  I want to share one miracle I saw last week!!

We have been re teaching our recent convert Brother R every night the past week, and one night he gave us his brother as a referral! So we went that night and had a good lesson with Sister jennifer the daughter 16, brother Joemar, his  son 12 and brother Eddie Rojas the father. After our first lesson we asked if we could come back the next day and they agreed!! 

We came back the next day, to find all the family sitting quietly, their book of Mormons already out on the table opened to the assignment we left them last time.  Our seats were there and they were quiet, and as we turned up, I got a shock, a big shock - never in my time here on a mission have I seen a family so prepared and willing to learn from me and my companion at the second lesson. They are golden - every time we show up, they’re ready to be taught, no mucking around!!

So for me, while witnessing this and day after day returning back to their house, I  see that God touches and prepares people for us!! He himself prepares these beautiful people to follow his begotten Son whom he sent!!

 They have their agency, ,yes, but what makes me as a missionary most happy is when I see them using this beautiful gift for the right, for Eternal Life.

I love this work and it is true!! Love you family

Elder Anderson

Hey family 

Brother R and his son, and Sister Karly, our beautiful investigators are being baptized this Saturday!

Sis Karly is a gem!! Shes a 21 year old that had family that are members. She does all the commitments, even over what we ask her to do! In her lessons, there are 4 languages that everyone mixes up and speaks, Tagalog, Cebuano, Waray Waray and English!!! hahah its funny, I understand English and Cebuano, and my companion and her understand them all!!!  But Im getting a rough outline of tagalog, konti lang (haha Jeremy)

 Shes got the knowledge downpat, and her desire just grows every time we visit her. It takes us a good 45 minutes to walk to her house, in the hot sun, sweating a lot, but its fun and we enjoy it.
Bro R a husband of a member who has two kids, didn’t ever go to school, and doesnt know how to read, but his desire to want to be baptized and follow Jesus Christ amazes me!! 

His desire is as strong as anyone I have ever taught!  His prayers are so heartfelt, so spiritual and just beautiful.  I love waiting till the end of our lessons so he can pray. It leaves me with the spirit. I feel heaven is around me!!!
 He has been afraid of the interview that he needed with the district leader, but i told him, he would be fine! He has had a lot of time and we have taught him for over two months, so he could really understand the doctrine and understand what covenant he is making!
Last Sunday he was interviewed and he was good!!! He was so happy and gave me a big hug after. He and his son and sister Karly will be baptized this Saturday and we are all excited!!
 Hopefully I can send some photos!!

Love you family, sorry about the short emails, but I will Skype next week! i cant wait:):) 

Love Der Anderson

28 April 2014

WOW its been a very busy busy week!

 Haha i think i say that in all my letters, but we had a lot to do preparing for our two family baptisms! The Salve family and the Baracuso family! Two very special families that have seen the light, and have walked through that gate way, being baptized last Saturday ! It was funny, after their baptisms, the two little kids in the photo with me, were scared and practicing their testimonies in the toilet while getting changed into  their dry clothes! 

It was awesome, have the chance to baptize PeeJee, the father of the Salve family! And I really felt the spirit raising my hand to the square, saying," Having been commissioned of Jesus Christ, I baptize you in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost"! W hat a beautiful opportunity I had to do this! I love it and i love these people!
Little experiences like these I love and will cherish for Eternity!

TOMMOROW we have Tacloban conference in Tacloban! President Nielson will be talking! Im excited! And i get to see the rest of my batch!  I will send a batch photo next week!

Love you family, just a short one today!

Elder Anderson

Missing Pepe...

Again:) another fabulous week of the Lords work!

I have two experiences this week that have made my testimony stronger.

So first experience:

I don't know if I told you my family, but a few weeks back, me and my companion and another two Elders from my district were playing basketball on p.day, and the game got faster and faster! Next thing I know, my companion is on the ground, with his shirt over his face finding it real hard to breath! 

We stopped the game to find out what was wrong. He said he was allergic to eggs and chicken - which we had eaten that whole week! He said he had been through this before and needed to go to the hospital! So we asked the bishop to take us and he did.  We walked him in, and he needed all these injections and the doctor told us if this gets any worse, he will need to go to an upgraded hospital! So within 20 minutes we came from playing a happy game of basketball, to a hospital! After about 4 hours waiting, he was fine.

 

Then last week, last p.day,we played touch.  He survived it, there was no problem, until when we got home. 

He started to puff up again  all over his body  and began to breath really deep.  I said, Elder, lets go, we need to go to the hospital before this gets worse! He said to me," "No" Elder Im fine! Im really fine, I can handle this". I said back, "no elder we need to go"! 

As I started to get things ready, something told me, "he needs a blessing" I listened to the simple,calm and gentle feeling and I said," before we leave Elder I will give you a blessing"! He agreed and I gave a blessing that I knew came from  God through me. 

 5 minutes later he was fine, the swelling had gone and his breathing calmed down. Both me and my companion and other missionaries saw a simple miracle from God.

This experience is like the experiences of the prophets of old all through the Book of Mormon, Nephi sees the spirit of the Lord in 1 Nephi chapters 11 to 14, the sons of Mosiah and Alma the younger seeing the Angel in Mosiah 27 and the brother of Jared who saw the Lord and was brought back into His presence in Ether 3!

And I know  I had a similar experience, I saw the power of God work in front of my very eyes and my companion was fine. The priesthood is the power of God and I'm truly grateful for this experience.  I will cherish this memory for the eternities.

Second:

Lately I've been really missing my little Pepe!  Despite the many challenges we missionaries have everyday one of my hardest challenges is not seeing my little sister. I've been really missing her to the point where I have been praying to Heavenly Father to give me a dream about her or with her. 

 It didn't come in an instant but a couple of nights later I had a dream that I was at home.  I was lying down in my room and I was pondering.  As I was pondering on my bed I heard a noise, a noise that sounded familiar to me, but in my dream I couldn't really recognise who it was! 

     As I lay down on my bed  the voice become louder, and I could understand her voice.  She was speaking fluent English! Pepe came speeding around the corner as she does and started speaking to me! 

I said, "kinsa man ni"" which means "who's this?" in Cebuano - and Pepe said, "it's me - Pepe, your younger sister"! 

I woke up that night, very happy and blessed to have that dream! That dream mean't to me that Pepe will be speaking English to me when I come back home! (and maybe understand cebuano :/ haha) I loved that small simple dream, and it built my testimony that Heavenly Father really answers our prayers!

Family I love you as always, and I just want to testify that all I have said is true! God loves us, and I know and feel it every day!

Love you

Elder Anderson