Happy Thanksgiving!

Hellllllloooooo!  How is everyone?  Get ready for some big old turkey dinner!  For the record, thanksgiving is not celebrated in Brasil.  Dang!  I hope everyone got to see the pictures sent last week.  

This week went very well.  We had a baptism on Sunday for a lady that we have been working with for 4 weeks.  It was really cool.  She always has alot to say to us about the most random things but it was a good experience to see her enter into the waters of baptism.  She choose our LMA (Ward Mission Leader) to baptize her.   He did about three times because I think he was really nervous.  We were able to guide him through it though :)  He just got his mission call to Missão Brasil Maceio and will be leaving in Decemeber so we figured it would be good to give him the practice. 

We were really focusing on Lucia this week for baptism but had  other teaching oppurtunities.  We taught this young man (19 years old) who has a really strong belief in God.  We actually ended up staying at his house for 2 hours talking about everything there is that God has to offer.   It was wierd when I walked in to the house I looked at my watch and then the next thing I knew I was looking back and two hours had passed.   There was a lot of good things to discuss and hopefully he becomes more interested in the church.   We also were teaching the lessons over again to Sandra, our baptism last week.  We are having to preparing missionaries teach her and helping them along as they learn the lessons.  I just kinda feel like that that was our week focusing on recent converts and our baptism for this week.  This next week we are planning for one more conference with Elder Claudio Costa of the Seventy and that should wrap up our General Authority visits. We have a Zone conference with him on Friday this week. 

I have realized that I am pretty sure my subconcience is a missionary as well.  I woke up this week a few nights dreaming that I was a missionary.  I was doing missionary things in my dreams and it just seemed crazy.   There was moments when (in my dreams)  that I would be second guessing if I should be doing something or if I would have to call President about something.  I woke up thinking how strange my life is right now.  A 19 year boy,  in a different country,  speaking a different language, living with three brazilians and going out every day telling people how they can be more happy in their lives.  I guess life isn´t normal right now because, I´m a missionary. 

Pictures are now realesed on the church website for the Fortaleza Temple.  The temple land was dedicated last Tuesday by Elder Bednar.  http://lds.org/temples 

I am grateful for...

the people here in Fortaleza

the fact that I don´t have to walk in the rain every day

bug repellant

the Gospel of Jesus Christ

My call as a Missionary

My Parents 

My Family and Friends cheering me on back home. 

´´In the season of Gratitude, let us all remember what we are grateful for.´´

I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving and continue to remember the blessings in your lives.  Remember Turkey can make you sleepy, break a ´´wish bone´´ for me, and eat your heart out.  I probably won´t be eating turkey until 2013. Also don´t forget about the discounts and ´´hot´´ deals for Black Friday!   Love you all! Happy Thanksgiving!

Love you all!

Elder N. Anderson

Conference with Elder Bednar and the City

One day late!

Hey everyone!  Sorry its one day late today!  We had a pretty busy week and it just seemed like there was never time to breath.  We had a great conference with Elder Evans, Elder Costa, Elder Goodoy and of coarse Elder BEDNAR! I feel like I have a good chunck of of my mission to work on every thing that they all said.  It was well worth the wait to here from these men.  It just seemed like it was a good way to start a new part of the mission. 

 

So to start this week was pretty busy with alot of appointments and a lot of people to meet.  We had a few references come in that helped alot with keeping us busy and find new people to teach.  We were really focusing on our investigator,Sandra to we scheduled to be baptized this week. She is 14 and had a lot of questions before we arrived on her doorstep.  She wasa actually a reference from a member of the ward. When we first started teaching her, she already wanted to be baptized. She said that there was something different about us, something she is not sure exactly but she just felt that it was right, what we taught.  To make a long story short, this girl was baptized in 2 weeks.  Not a miracle, just finding the right person prepared.  I had the oppurtunity to baptize her which was awesome! The minute she came out of the water I just saw this huge smile on here face.  The water was a little cold but to her she said it felt warm.  I was a really cool experience.  (Picture)

 

If I could write about everything that I learned this weekend I would, but I would be here for an hour or two and you all would be reading for the long as well.  On Friday we headed down to another stake center on the other side of the city.  Its one thing to walk around in a short-sleeve shirt and tie, but another to be in a suit in Fortaleza, Goodness it was hot.  We had a good expereince with Elder Evans. He is the director of the missionary department of the church and works closely with Elder Nelson and Holland. He gave us alot of good tips about rules, doctrine, and a sneek peek of next years missionary program for the church.  He said that there will be a few things changing so it is was cool to here about that.  His wife, sister Evans spoke as well and it was a good way to start the weekend.  Saturday we worked as usual with a baptismal interview for Sandra.  

  

Sunday was our stake conference with Elder Costa and Elder Evans as well as President Souza.  I had another experience of taking a tour bus to conference.   I really dont think I will ever get used to that.  The conference went well.  Both Elder Costa and Elder Evans talked about the temple and the priviledge Fortaleza has of building one this next year. I dont think they have a set ´´completetion´´ date but I´m thinking that it will be close to the World Cup.  Fortaleza is a host city :) Elder Costa talked about the importance of having good friends bring you to the temple.  I guess I can say that my good friends were my Parents, thanks Mom and Dad (tear). After I had the chance to talk with Elder Costa for a few minutes.   I talked about him coming to Portland 2 years ago to reorganize the Stake. Dad he remembered me!  and he remembers that lunch we had at the Jensen´s home.  He sends a big brazilian hug from a small brazilian man.  It was funny what he said ´´You were a little shorter and spoke a little less portugues´´   Of coarse :)  Shout out to the Peacock Family as well because he remembers his lunch with you all.   (Picture) 

 

Monday was the big day with Elder Bednar.  We had the conference with him as the same stake center on the other side of town.  Again a long journey in a suit is not as comfortable as it is at home.  We were going to take a large group picture with him so we all had to get ready before he arrived.  (Picture) We all stood in position and waited patiently as he walked in.  It was the most quiet I have ever heard this mission.  The first thing he said was ´´Como Vai´´ (How is it going?)  Then it was all English from there.   He talked a lot about us acting as missionaries.  Doing arevery best to alwayss have the spirit and to keep striving for revelation.  Elder Bednar had a good question and answer part in which I think everyone wanted to ask someting but he wanted to stick strickly to Doctrine.  You know that feeling when you resite something over an over in your head and then you forget it when you finally have something to say. Yeah, that was me. Luckily it was the last question asked. 

 

There was a lot learned this weekend and I am grateful for the oppurtunity. According to Sister Bednar,  its an experinece that not every missionary gets to have.  What a story to tell some day. 

He is truly someone called of God and has the power to testify and ´´Pierce your soul´´.  I am a really grateful. 

 

Hope you all have a good week and you can see all the pictures!  Love you all! Tuda Bem!

 

Love,

Elder N. Anderson

 

Picture Two Elders

Bigger family!?

KARA YOUR PREGNANT!  I will return from a foreign country with a new brother-in-law, a new neice or nephew for sure, and maybe some more (hint hint nuge nuge Alicia and Emily)  ;D

 

Tudabem Familia e Amigos!?  Como Estão!?  Another week and transfer down here in Missão Brasil Fortaleza! 

Life is going good.We recieved the phone call friday night and I will be staying in my area for 6 more weeks as well as my companions Elder Nabas.  I´m not really sure if I will leave before christmas so who knows, I might make 6 months here!  It just seems like we were super busy this week and all I want to do today is sleep haha. We woke up this morning and did a DEEP clean of our Apartment.  It was pretty nasty.  After we headed down to the transfer in Aldeota.  It was cool seeing mission friends and all.  A few finished their missions this last transfer and will be heading home today.  I told them to give a big kiss to the US of A for me.  I talked with Elder Birdsall (My trainer) who will be finishing his mission this next transfer.  It was fun talking about our old area together and catching up about mission life.  It is interesting how in 4 months you can become so close with your companion they know your sibilings by name as well as parents and friends. 

 

We ended the transfer well.  Seriously Elder Nabas and I were dying this week.  I have never been so tired.  I think this last transfer made me so tired that this last week was brutal.  We continued to do our best but had no baptisms this week.  This next transfer we are planning on baptizing demais!  It is a lot more reassuring when both Elders are staying together because you don´t have to teach a new area to some one.  Also we are both comfortable with our teaching styles so were planning on just continuing to work like mad men. 

 

This week we have our fireside with Elder Costa (Brazil Area President) and Elder David A. Bednar (Quorum of th 12 Apostles).  We also have stake conference this week with a stacked schedule of speakers our Mission President, the temple President of Recife Brazil,  Elder Evans of the Seventy and Elder Costa.  We also found out this friday we will have a fireside with Elder Evans.  This next week we are planning on having 2! Mission Conferences.   Next week I will be emailing earlier (Morning) because of the fireside with Elder Bednar so if you email you have until sunday evening.   I think everyone is really excited about the conferences a good way to be focused on the work and get inspired.  Elder Bednar will hold a question and answer YEAH!

 

We have plans to baptize a few people this transfer especially the couple that I talked about last week, Joséberto and Nilde.  We are also planning to baptiza a few youth and a Senhora named Lucia.  Our zone (Benfica) was dissolved this transfer and we will be teaming with another. To end this next transfer we will be planning to have a ´´white Christmas´´. Which means the last saturday (Dec. 17) of the transfer everyone from the Zone goes to the beach to baptize some of their investigators that have accepted the gospel.  We are excited! It is still a plan in the works.  

 

I love the mission.  I love being a missionary.  I love the work and I am learning to love this blasted SUN!  Things just continue to get better. 

´´Do and be your very best to gain what will be the best in eternity!´´

I love you all!  Have a good week!

Love,

Elder N. Anderson :)

Oct. 31st Sleeping with a hanger under my pillow

Happy Halloween! 

Familia e Amigos,,, como Estão!?  It still hot, still sunny and life is going swell here in Fortaleza Brazilllllll! So an Elder that we live with, Elder Cavaleiro, is convinced that are house is possesed.  Seriously like there is so sort of spirit that lives inside or ´´visits´´ us during the night.  I am not really sure if I believe it or not but he did have some pretty convincing stories.  It also wouldnt suprise me since the house we live in is about 15 years old (Meaning 15 years since missionaries have lived in it) and I am in Fortaleza where people practice ´´Macumba´´.  It is pretty funny some times when I wake up and see Elder Cavaleiro sleeping with his scriptures opend right next to his bed with chapters opened to when Jesus casted out Devils in the New Testament.  Elder Cavalerio also snores like a lawn mower.  I think I woke up 6 out of the 7 nights this week to him honking!  I couple nights I threw hangers at him to get him to stop.   Hence me sleeping with a hanger under my pillow!  :) We are working with a couple that got married this last week named, Nilde and Joseberto.  They are super nice and really interested in the church.  As a wedding gift we gave them a picture of Christ that they have hung in their home.  Nilde, according to my comp, is crazy about me.  Sometimes I agree.  When we teach she sometimes stops Elder Nabas in the middle of the lesson just to ask random questions about the US.  She says to do just to hear my accent.  Sometimes its really funny! ´´So we would like to talk about the baptism of Christ tonight´´  ´´Wait!  How do you say my name in English´´  Something along those lines.  We are gearing up to baptize Nilde and Joseberto this week as well as Luzia, Camilia and Iara.  Hopefully things will go well and Elder Nabas and I both agreed that we need a miracle this week. To Everyone Pray for these people!  We are entering into the 6 and final week of the transfer.  I am not really sure what will happen.  Friday we will get the call.  I will either stay or go, Elder Nabas will most likely stay for sure.  I am hoping to stay a couple more but I guess we will have to wait and see.  Today I told the brazilians (my roomates)  that we would celebrate Halloween.   They werent really sure what to do so we went to the store to buy abombora´s..Pumpkins!  Turns out it didnt really catch their attention but I am still doing it! I am carving an outline of brazil in my small little pumpkin!  They bought stuff to make cookings and asked me to make some,  cake mix cookies of coarse :)  So will probably be doing that later tonight.  They dont celebrate halloween here.  Actually they dont celebrate thanksgiving as well.  How do I know?  well they were pulling out Christmas decorations this week in our house.  Yes we have our christmas calender and stockings hung.  I dont know why, I was knodding my head as they were hanging up the stuff.   Life is going swell.  Minha vida esta melhor porcausa da missão Realmente amo esta lugar e tudo que esto aprendendo. 

I love you all!  Have a good week everyone!  Until November :)

love,

Elder N.  Anderson

Oct. 24th Another Nasalily Week

So I am not sure if everyone remembers but when I was in the MTC, I remember that I was getting a little sick however it seemed like my portugues was improving while being a little nasaily.  Well it happened again this week.  I woke Friday, Saturday and Sunday sick.  Blah!  I don´t think there is anything worse then being a sick missionary!  I´m pretty sure I had the flu but it is all passed now.  However, Elder Cavalheiro, an Elder that I live with is sick now.  oops :)  On Sunday at Church, a member of the ward complimented me on my portugues saying that I sounded like a brazilian.   Goodness...This week was excellent other than being a little under the weather.  We decided to have a crazy week of teaching and just go at it.  We did excellent teaching whoever, whenever.  We have a a few investigators that are progressing well and hoping that by the end of the transfer (Nov. 6) We will see some fruits of the progression.  Right now we are focusing on a 14 yearold girl named, Iara (EE-ar-a)  and a couple named Nilde and Joséberto, they will be getting married tomorrow, we´re pretty excited! I just seems like a normal life.  Everything that I am doing.  Every day I have my routine of working out, getting things ready for the day, breakfast, study and then teaching.  I still come home exhausted and there are some nights where I wake up and I have huge cramps in my legs.  It is interesting how I have dedicated my feet to the work.  Who knows if they will ever be the same after these 2 years.  We just got word that Elder David A. Bednar, of the Qourum of the Twelve Apostles and Elder Claudio R.M. Costa, Brazil Area Presidente will be coming here on November 14 to give a special fireside to the missionaries serving here.  They are coming as well to dedicate the Temple plot, which will begin construction this December.   Everyone is really excited.  Especially my ´´roommate´´ Elder Cavalheir.  His exact words ´´I hope he burns me.  Something along the lines of Jeffery R. Holland but Elder Bednar style´´.  Whatever that means.  We had an interesting experience with an Evangelical Lady this week.  The minute we began teaching she pulled out her Bible and was reading word for the scriptures and what not.  As we were finishing up we both felt that all we could do is invite her to be baptized just not mark a date.  She accepted and said she really enjoyed the discussion.  She ended with that ´´We need a lot more people like you two in this world, your on the right path.´´  It was pretty awesome.  She said she had nothing to come back at us.  Our message was direct and she said that what the most enjoyable part.   What I have noticed to be the hardest part of it all is getting people to go to church.  It is seriously like pulling teeth.  They either don´t feell ´´Prepared´´ or dont wake up.  The majority of the time is them not waking up. We have decided to give wake up calls to those the say they will go to church.   Our chapel is progressing well.  The finishing date is set for December 15th.  Hopefully I am still here.  Life just seems to be going well tambem.  I feel like I am in the ´´Power Band of the Mission´´ :)

Love you All!  Keep Praying for those missionaries!  Falou

Love,

Elder N. Anderson