Free pants from a JW - Norwalk, California

The last couple weeks have been great!! We have transfers on a Friday now instead of Tuesdays, so that's been throwing us off, but I have a new companion! Sister Dalton got moved to the mandarin branch, so I stayed in Norwalk, and Sister Cook came in. She is the best. We'd served together in Cypress so we already knew each other, but being her comp is so much fun! And we have lots of work to do in this area, so we are feeling super blessed! 

One of the people we're teaching is named Josh! He's probably my favorite person to teach. He just accepts everything we teach him so readily, and is so willing and prepared to learn everything we have to teach him and do what we ask him to do. His wife is not super open to our religion though, so that's kind of stopping him from being all in. So please pray for him!! 

We're teaching a bunch of people rn who are in super different places in life, but it's been so amazing to see that the common ground between all of them is Christ. Every single one of them just genuinely wants to be a better person, or have a stronger relationship with God, or be happier in life, and Jesus Christ is the way to achieve all of those things. As Ryan K. Olsen said in general conference last year: "no matter how difficult or confusing the challenges may be, you can always remember that the answer is simple: it is always Jesus." I've had many opportunities to testify of the Savior recently, and it brings me so much joy!! I love to see how He can succor and change people, through us, the humble instruments in His hands:,) 

We have a lot going on with the family history work too! We're making this giant guidebook for the mission so that everyone will know how to use familysearch and be able to teach other people how to do it. It's a cool project to be working on and I hope it will help a lot of people! 

We have a new mission president as of this morning  President and Sister Galotera and their three kids flew in this morning, and we will get to meet them tomorrow morning!! I get the blessing of having three different mission presidents, and I know that each of them were called to be MY mission president for a reason. I have loved getting to serve with the Platts and I will forever be grateful for their high love + high expectations. I love President and Sister Platt so much and I'm grateful for all they taught me:) 

I love you all, I love the Lord, I love this work. If you want to pray for our friends, that would be much appreciated. Keep in your prayers: Emily, Jason, Josh, Jaylen, Lopez family, Jonathan, Cheryl, Kenric and Patricia <3

 Sister Anderson 

Pictures:

We play Secret Hitler almost every pday in this
zone hahaha it's so fun, really feel the Spirit 

The ladies in our ward have a sewing night
every week and teach us how to crochet:)

Sister Dalton

Morning sports with Cypritos! 

More Mobat/Anaheim sisters!!! 

Last hug from the Platts:,( 

Cool pants we got from a Jehova's Witness garage sale 
We ended up referring my man Fabian in the end lol

Family history MIRACLES! - Long Beach? Norwalk?, California

Hey everyone, the last few weeks have been incredible! We are finding so many people to teach, and the Lord is entrusting us with people who are so prepared! It's amazing!

One of the miracles we saw yesterday was this lady named Anne! She was talking to my companion on social media about her family history- she's adopted and wants to find out more about her birth parents. Yesterday, we went over and talked to her, got some more information from her, then went to work to find her records of her parents! We ended up finding both her birth parents, grandparents, and so many of her full siblings!! It was so exciting, because she didn't know hardly anything about these people before, but we were able to connect her to her family, which meant so much to her!! 

 

We are also working on 'Family History for Dummies: for Missionaries' lol which is a comprehensive guide of how to use the family search app, so that all our missionaries can feel comfortable doing their own family history, and be prepared to help other people, just like we helped Anne! It's a lot of work, but it's a good project to work on in our free time:)

This was my favorite miracle of the week: so for some backstory, in my last transfer at the mobat, President Top challenged us to mark up a Book of Mormon with our favorite scriptures about Christ, write our testimony in it, and then give it to someone really special we meet before we left the site. Well, I marked it up and everything, but never ended up giving it to anyone before I left San Diego. I was kind of discouraged about it, but I was determined to still find someone to give it to. It was sitting in my suitcase for a while, but I had a prompting to pull it out and leave it in our car for when I needed it. Yesterday, we went to a members house that we go to every week, and they have an 11 year old niece who is staying with them who really wants to get baptized and learn more about Jesus. We started teaching her, and even though she lives in Vegas and won't be able to get baptized here, we are going to start teaching her every week. We went to our car to get a Book of Mormon for her, and I had my special copy to give her!! I was so happy I finally have someone to give it to, and I really hope my markings are meaningful to her, and that she finds her own verses that will have meaning to her too. We talk a lot about how people are prepared to hear and receive the gospel, and I think Heavenly Father prepared that special copy of the Book of Mormon just for Emily. It just makes my heart so happy!! I love being a part of this work

We have seen lots of miracles, and we know there are many more to come!! One of the biggest things I've learned this transfer is how to really receive revelation for my area. It really is the Lord's work, and it's sooo much better when you do it His way:) 

Anyway, I love it here in California! It's actually been super overcast and chilly for the past couple months, so it doesn't really feel like summer yet haha. But its okay, I love sweater weather. I love being a missionary, and I love the gospel of Jesus Christ!! Have a fantastic week everyone:))

 Sister Anderson

Went to a baptism in the mandarin branch and
my comp translated. She's so cool 

Zone sports + service is my fav!

Gluten free + vegan cookies

JACARANDAS (still can't figure out the correct
way to pronounce it, but I love these purple
trees so much. They bring my joy)

Everything but the kitchen sink - Long Beach, California

This week was absolutely insane. I feel like I say that every week haha but it's true, missionary life is just crazy!!

This Saturday, Sister Jones flew home :(( We didn't get more than a days notice and she was out the door! I'm so glad I got to serve with her, she's an amazing missionary and I learned so much from her. I got transferred to Long Beach when she left (which totally shocked me btw haha) so now I'm in a trio for the rest of the transfer! I love both of my new companions, and one of them is Sister Davidson, who I served with at the Mormon Battalion! They're on the mission's social media team, so we have a lot to juggle between both of our areas, the social media team work and the family history team work haha. It's fun to get a taste of what they do though, it's really impressive!

THE coolest miracle happened this week! We have this friend Jay who was taught a few months ago before we were in the area, and he was on date for baptism, but had a couple things holding him back. We had been trying really hard to get in contact with him, and he was pretty insistent on not getting baptized. His heart was softened and he gave us a call on Thursday to ask if he could be baptized that Saturday! We had to figure a couple things out and unfortunately had to pass him off to the Elders in our ward because we got transferred the next day, but he is getting baptized this Saturday and I'm so excited for him!! I think it's kinda cool that the craziest miracles that I've seen on my mission are purely a result of my being in the right place at the right time, the Lord did all the work. 

We have a time slot blocked out at the Newport Beach temple every month for our missionaries to bring their recent converts and returning members to do baptisms, and we've been trying to get the mission hyped about going and utilize that tool more. One of the coolest parts about my job is that I get to help missionaries make the connection between missionary work, family history, and temple work, because it really is all one work! You can't have just one, they function as a whole. We have a few members we're working with to go to the temple trip, and that's been really fun. I love this work!

Missionary work is so great. I'm learning so much about how to rely on the Lord though all the unexpected twists and turns:)

Have a good week!! Smile at someone today! 

 Sister Anderson 

Downtown Disney for Sister Jones last pday!

Last hurrah in cypress :,)

Trio gang 

Facebook Good-bye post - Mormon Battalion Historic Site

Well, my time at the Mormon Battalion Historic Site has officially come to an end. I don't think I ever expected to feel such a strong connection with this place, this story, or these people, but it truly has become so special to my heart. I have loved serving on this sacred ground every day for the last six months and I will forever look back on it with fondness. This is a place where I have learned so much about myself, about the Savior's infinite grace and goodness, and about how He views and values each person that I got to meet there (and all of His children!) The Battalion's story of service, sacrifice, and faith in Jesus Christ has inspired me to strengthen those qualities in myself and has made me a better missionary and disciple of Christ. Their story truly is so inspiring to me. As I continue my mission in Anaheim starting this week, I will take with me what I learned and I know the love of the amazing people I served with and the "Mormon Battlion in the sky" will carry me. I'm so grateful for my time here and everything that it's taught me. I'm grateful for the Lord's hand in my service here. I love my Savior. I'm so infinitely grateful for His Atoning Sacrifice that makes second chances and eternal glory possible. I know He lives. I love living this gospel. It brings me so much JOY! God is so good:)

If you're ever in San Diego, stop by and say hi for me;) I promise you'll fall in love with it too!