weekly - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey everyone!! We have had a busy week over here at the Mormon Battalion - busy but good!

The coolest thing I have to say is that we get to work inside the temple now!! It's a rule that proselyting missionaries can't work in the temple, but since we're not proselyting missionaries, we got it set up to help where they need us a couple times a week. So far we've gotten to help in the laundry and in administration! So we helped fold temple clothing (I folded over 100 pairs of men's socks ) and I got to help record name cards for different ordinances that have been done for our ancestors who have passed on! I feel like it's been so cool to see how systematic and orderly and neat everything is in the temple. The Lord's house is a house of order! I'm kind of sad that this is all happening at the end of my time here haha but still so grateful for chance I get to be involved in it at all! Historic site missions are the GOAT 

We had 50+ mandarin speakers come in for tours on Saturday morning (luckily they gave us a heads up) but we don't have any mandarin sisters here yet so we had some mandarin elders come and help us talk to them and we had translators in all the tours. So we played the videos in mandarin and gave the tour to the best of our abilities in English and waited for the translation after every part. It was interesting haha but I'm so glad all those people could come in and take the tour still 

My bestie Caitlin stopped by the Battalion the other day and I got to see her:) she's about to leave for her mission in Chile and she's gonna kill it! 

Because it's my last transfer, I get to go to preach my gospel bootcamp! (Basically an MTC refresher getting us ready to teach again) President Top was a dean of religion at BYU for many years so he knows a LOT about the gospel. Role-playing and teaching him about the gospel is intimidating to say the least haha but he makes it fun and it's been super helpful so far 

Missionary work is awesome, any form it comes in! Have a good week everyone. Jesus loves you 

Sister Anderson

Nat Pad will forever live on in our hearts 

Last pic with my trio girls before they headed off to Boston and Atlanta :,( love them sm 

Comp study/craft night- same thing 

Caitlin bestie!!!

Mormon Battalion Transfer 4: Senior Year - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Sooo a lot happened this week buttt I don't have a lot of time so here it goes!

- we had transfers!! Which means that I have a new companion (Sister Becht, she's the sweetest), I'm now on my last transfer here (), AND we had to say goodbye to 6 of our most amazing sisters. They're going to do amazing things in their proselyting missions but I miss them already:(

- we had to take a sister we live with to the hospital and didn't make it home until 2 am.... still recovering from the four hours of sleep I lost that night. She ended up going home on medical leave so we had to say goodbye to her too. Historic sites are amazing because you get so close to the people you serve with, but also so sad because you have to say goodbye

- we gave a tour to this lady who loves the Mormon Battalion so much, and she takes a new friend here every week. She said that there's just something about this place that draws her in and she needs to share it with everyone. We told her that that feeling is the Spirit! If I ever see her again I'll refer her to missionaries because she is so ready to hear the gospel

Missionary work is awesome, I love all the different ways there are to do it!

Love you all have a good week!! 

 Sister Anderson 

Enjoy some pictures from last transfer that I never sent haha and our last picture with Sister Shell :,(

"I'M IN A STORE AND I'M SINGING" - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey guys, I've just accepted that I only really write emails every other week now lol so here are the last two weeks!

Last week we had exchanges, so I spent the day with Sister Sermon, which was so much fun! It's always fun to see how other people give tours and to just switch it up every once in a while. We went to Keburro's, which is this burrito place in National City, and we got a bacon-wrapped California burrito. The last STLs raved about this place, and rightfully so because it was bomb. Highly recommend if you're ever in San Diego.

On p day last week we went to Mission Beach for sunset, which was so nostalgic because that's the beach I always went to growing up and it has the cutest little boardwalk. Sister Lawson and I were popping into a couple different stores and ended up in this t-shirt shop with just this little Korean lady, who started asking us some questions about our church. Long story short, she asked us what our favorite hymns were and when we told her, she asked us to sing them for her. uhhh so we sang them for her! I'll admit it was a little weird but she picked up the tune and joined in and we actually felt the Spirit so strong, even though it was the strangest experience lol. When we left she told us she felt the love of Jesus

I love being a missionary. I hope you all have a good week! 

Sister Anderson :)

Free Food and Tow Trucks - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Hey everyone! I feel like not a lot has happened the past two weeks but also so many things lol. Here are some highlights:

- we had two member meals!!! I finally had my first member meal four months into my mission and ya'll- I love them so much. The two families we had dinner with are so so nice and welcoming I just loved being in their homes and getting to talk to them. Makes me so excited for more member meals in Anaheim!!

- we also ate dinner with a senior couple here and they're from Louisiana so they made us gumbo! We lowkey almost got towed after but the nice man let us go. The Lord protects His missionaries! 

- I gave a short tour to a little family from Ukraine who didn't speak a lot of English but they did have a lot of good questions about the church and ended up taking a Book of Mormon in Ukrainian

- Sister Lawson did a solo tour after like 9 days here! #proudmommoment

- we went to the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier museum - pictures included

- we were invited to talk to the youth in the Chula Vista 1st ward we attend, and we talked all about missionary work and what they can do to prepare. It was so great! It was one of those rare moments where I got to stop and think: wow, I am a missionary right now. And that was cool haha 

Scriptural thought for this week:

Sister Lawson and I taught the Come follow me lesson this week, which was about the story of Esther. (It's a great read, highly recommend going through it if you haven't already) but one of my favorite parts of this story is just how much the Lord was involved in the details. When Esther was placed in just the right place at just the right time to save her people, she was asked this question: 

Esther 4:14 ...who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?

I know Esther was put there for such a time as that, and I know we've all been put here for such a time as this as well! I invite you all to look for ways that the Lord has been preparing you for the work He has for you, and what spiritual gifts He's given to you specifically to qualify you for that purpose. I promise this search will bless your life:)

I love you all have a good week!! 

Sister Anderson 

Pictures:

Wearing each others dresses to church haha 

Coronado Beach 

Balboa Park

Midway 

Celebrating Peru's independence day lol