Trio life!! - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey everyone! This week was honestly pretty average but here are a couple cool things that happened: 

- Sister Kirkman and I got asked to make hardtack (a hard biscuit-like cracker that's made out of just flour, water, and sometimes a little bit of salt, if you're lucky ;)) and it was actually super fun and didn't taste too bad either haha 

- Went to chick fil a and for the first time in a couple months so that was nice  

- I find so many cool things on the gospel library app every day; this week I found an hour long documentary-style video about President Monson's life and service in the church (10/10), as well as a gospel library app for kids that has coloring pages! I've been spending too much time on it lol 

- We went to Balboa park for comp study, and now it's my new favorite place. It's so pretty and there are tons of cool things to see! Pictures included ofc 

- Two of my aunts came in this week with their families! I got to see my aunt Monique, and my great aunt Lorie, which was so fun. I love getting to show people I know the kind of missionary work I do every day :)

- Fun fact: today is Brigham Young's birthday, so of course we had a birthday party for him! He was the prophet at the time of the Mormon Battalion and convinced the men to enlist so he's like an extra celebrity around here haha 

- and most importantly: 

We had transfers yesterday!! I'm officially out of training and got put in a trio with Sister Sedgwick and Hermana Yin, which no one saw coming lol but it's super lit. Sedgwick is super fun and outgoing, and Yin is the sweetest person you'll ever meet. I think it's going to be a really fun transfer!! I think all three of us are a little ditsy and/or slow so it's a good thing we've got three of us lol. We already got locked out of our apartment last night hahaha so hopefully we survive out here. 

Things are starting to pick up over here now that everyone is getting out of school for the summer! It gets crazyyy when we're busy but I'm also so happy that so many people are getting to come in to take the tour! Have a good week everyone! 

Sister Anderson 

Balboa!!

Hardtackkkk

Las Chicas Poderosas <3

Brother Brigham's Birthday Bash

week 9!! - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey everyone!! I apologize for no email last week, my phone broke and I couldn't get it fixed until Wednesday haha. But the last two weeks have been great! We had a Battalion beach day (our whole mission goes to the beach and eats pizza), zone conference (aka Battalion field trip, where we all go and visit some sites that have significance to the Mormon Battalion's march), and a Battalion temple trip! I love how much we all get to spend time together:) 

Last week we had exchanges, so I got to hang out with Sister Gordon for the day! She's super cool and it was fun to see how she gives tours because everyone does it just a little bit differently. We went to La Jolla together and met some super cool people who we convinced to come into the Mobat! Our own way of street contacting at it's finest lol

We got to watch President and Sister Nelson's young adult devotional last week, which was so awesome! They are truly inspired and have so much love for us that is so evident in the caring advice they give us. 

On our field trip we went to a couple different catholic missions, where the Mormon Battalion stayed for a short period toward the very end of their march. I love learning more about their story, because it is always so evident that God was with them and always provided a way for them. It was super interesting to walk around these historic buildings as well, they have some very beautiful architecture and I love seeing the similarities and differences between the Catholic faith and ours. I really admire the devotion with which they worship. Our trip sparked a lot of questions about this topic, so we had a whole enrichment training this week focused on different religions and how they were formed during the great apostasy. What a great time to have a byu religions professor for a mission president haha. 

Because we have quite a bit of free time here, it's sometimes hard for me to feel like a missionary all of the time. I love how relaxed my mission is, but it's not always a blessing. Sometimes it feels more like a job, where we go to shift and then come home and just chill in our apartment for the rest of the night or go out and sight see instead of doing regular missionary things, like teaching or finding or eating at members houses. We aren't allowed to teach any lessons and sometimes it feels like we're shied away from talking to people about the gospel at all unless they come to us with questions. I'm still figuring out the dynamic and what I'm allowed to do without stepping on the San Diego missionaries toes too much, but that's been a challenge I've run into so far. It's just part of the gig I guess. But I am very grateful for all the time I get to study here, I've already learned an incredible amount just from how much I'm able to read the scriptures and other resources in my free time. I'm definitely soaking that up while I can because I know I'll have a lot less time in Anaheim. 

I hit my two month mark as a missionary this last week as well as my one month mark being here in San Diego! Time is truly so warped as a missionary lol. It'll be over before I know it! I hope you all have a good week, let me know if there is anything or anyone you'd like me to keep in my prayers:) 

Love you all! Sister Anderson

 

Gelato on Coronado Island

Little cave on La Jolla 

Comp study on Presidio Hill 

Mission San Luis Rey

Polar Pop gang on the field trip 

Exchanges with Sister Gordon!

Beach day with Las Tres Amigas

Halfway through my first transfer! - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey everyone! I hope you all have had a good week. We were able to meet so many cool people this week!

This man in the ward we go to, named Steve, is super enthusiastic about missionary work and he has just made bringing people to Christ his goal in life, it's so awesome. We ran into him a couple times this week and he actually came through the tour with his little granddaughter who isn't a member. When the tour was over she asked if she could do it again haha. So cute. 

On Saturday we got to sit outside the temple all day! It's honestly so sad to tell people that they can't go inside. They just come to the temple because it looks cool and they know nothing about it but then they ask if they can see the inside and we have to tell them no. Kinda breaks my heart tbh because I wish they could. But it meant we got to explain why temples are so special and sacred to us and show them some pictures of the inside. There were a few weddings in the morning so we got to see all the pretty brides and their fun bridal parties and everything, which made me so happy. Then the McCartneys took us out to Canes (this ones for you elder santana) and to their sealing session. We were able to help them with some of their daughter names and it was awesome because I love doing proxy sealings and it's something I thought I wasn't going to be able to do for a year and a half. I <3 the temple. 

I've been reading the Book of Mormon a lot this week, mostly in the end of 1 Nephi and beginning of 2 Nephi. I love reading the scriptures and I'm convinced I could read the Book of Mormon 1000 times and still find more things to love or understand better.

That's about it for my week! I'm headed to the beach for beach day  (isn't my mission just the coolest?? I'm so lucky) 

Have a good week everyone!

My mobat besties Sister Newman and Sister Shell :)

With Sister Kirkman at the San Diego Temple

Cane's with the Mccartneys!

Making mothers day cookies for the senior sisters 

Transfer pics

Transfer pics

Sister Kirkman and Sister Anderson

Talking to my lovely mom on Sunday 

Cinco de Mayo in Old Town San Diego! - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey everyone! This was a super fast week but it was pretty good 

On Thursday we had a temple shift, basically where we sit outside the San Diego temple and talk to people on the grounds and offer to take their picture. The San Diego temple has a lot of visitors who have no idea what it is, because it's just so grand and interesting from the outside. The temple was actually closed that day and they had some pretty loud construction going on, but we were still able to talk to some really cool people! One younger guy from Brazil came and we ended up setting him up with the missionaries in his area, as well as helping him download the book of mormon app and hopefully instilling in him a desire to read it. We gave out 3 other books of Mormon that afternoon! That's a lot considering how many people we actually got to talk to hahaha. That evening, the Allens (a senior couple here) invited us over for dinner. We played games and they took us up to Mount Soledad, which has a pretty cool lookout over the San Diego Valley! 

On Saturday and Sunday there was a Cinco de Mayo celebration going on in Old Town San Diego and some of the living history missionaries in the area put up a fun family area with lots of little games and crafts for kids and we got to help out down there when we weren't on shift. It made the days feel longer but it was really fun and we got to tell tons of new people about the Mobat! 

This week I continued to add new little parts every time we gave a tour and on Saturday I did all of Sister 2, the other half of the script! So I was able to practice just doing that part for a couple of days and then yesterday Sister Kirkman pushed me to do a solo tour where I say both parts all by myself! She's a really good trainer and she knew I was ready even though I didn't think I was haha. It ended up being a really fun group of kids that came in so it was perfect for my first solo tour and even though it was kind of stressful, it was a good tour and I'm proud of myself! I have never ever been good at remembering or memorizing and so I can say with confidence that the Lord is answering my many prayers and making my weak things strong :) 

On Saturday, Sister Kirkman and I taught the Come, Follow Me lesson for our mission (we get to meet together as a mission like three times a week it's so awesome) and it was super interesting to read the chapters of Exodus for this week. A lot of the Come, Follow Me lessons for this year so far have been stories I've always heard but never read and I've really enjoyed actually reading them. I think another way I've been blessed as a missionary is being able to understand scriptures I absolutely never would have understood before haha. We didn't get to talk about a lot of the things we had planned because everyone had so many good comments about the first slide we just ran out of time lol. But one of my favorite parts of this story with the Israelites making the golden calf is when Moses asks in Exodus 32:26, "Who is on the Lord's side?" And then in verse 29 he tells those who answered to "consecrate yourselves today to the Lord". I love the idea that consecration is dedicating what you have to the Lord and His purposes, and that what you have and bring to the table is special and has value to God. Consecration doesn't mean to give anything up, but to put it to use for the Lord's work. And everyone's unique personalities and experiences are needed to really progress His work. I encourage you to answer this call and to find ways that you can further consecrate yourself to the Lord today. 

This Sunday we went to a Spanish ward! No I do not speak any Spanish haha  but one of the sisters we share a car with does and she wanted to go so we just went with her lol. I didn't understand anything anyone said but everyone there was so kind and welcoming and happy :)

Anyways that's about it for my week but I hope you all have had a great week and give your moms all some big hugs :)

 Sister Anderson 

Celebratory picture after my first solo tour!!

Views from Mount Soledad (you can see the beach
and the temple in the same picture it's awesome!)

Day with the Allens 

Spanish ward (the Hermana in the middle is the
only Spanish speaker and our translator lol)

Dancing down at the Cinco de Mayo celebration