Batismo

Olá,

We ran 25 this week, my shoes are beat up and I got a bad blister, haha I will buy some new ones today.

Elder Tanner is a direct descendent of John Tanner, yes The John Tanner Story. Pretty cool.

We are teaching a Catholic man named João (John) makes me think of Grandpa West when he was investigating the church. He has read 3 Nephi 11 and a few other chapters in the Book of Mormon.

Watching the mission counsel I learned about the importance of Good, clear communication. Presidente Tavares explained about how The First Presidency receives revelation and how they need to effectively transmit it to the members through the seventies, stake presidents, bishops, and how it should function the same way in the mission. Like the telephone activity with the cups and the line haha.

I have been studying now for a few weeks the "Questions of the Soul" of the Book of Mormon. The answers are so clear. I am grateful for the Book of Mormon I feel so good reading it, I know that it is true.

Frequently people tell us what we "believe" or the negative thing their Pastor said about The Church of Jesus Christ. A lot of untrue things. I am so grateful for my knowledge and testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to know that I don't have to believe the words of some educated man but that I can ask God in prayer to know for myself.

Paula was baptized on Saturday! It went great and she will be a strong member.

Tchau.

Elder Anderson

 Serra de Santa Barba the highest point on the island! We could see the ocean on every side!

 I am pointing to Pico where Ed Silva was born, the island with the volcano behind São Jorge.

 Porto Judeu

 A little over 2 years ago a man at a bar flirted with 2 "German Girls in John Wayne Skirts" (Sisters) and offered to buy them wine. The obviously declined but invited him to have a church tour, He read the Book of Mormon and Friday we went out to eat to celebrate Frank´s 2 years as a member of the church.

Semana

Olá.

Today started great with running a 10k, 5k to São Mateus and then we returned, it was super fun and beautiful! Then I had a good study of Alma 5.

Élder Payne´s joke: "Have you read the Book of Mormon?" other people, "We have a Bible and we need no more Bible!" "Are you sure? because you quoted it perfectly!" 2 Nephi 29:6 hahaha We see this prophecy fulfilled everyday.

Élder Payne was sick this week so I had a lot of time to organize the Area Book, and clean and study. It feels good to get that stuff done.

Paula said, "It just makes sense, this is the only Church will Jesus Christ it its name." Pray that everything will go right as she prepares for baptism on Saturday.

By following the Prophet´s counsel of receiving revelation my nightly prayers have turned into beaming spiritual experiences, I have been written all of my revelations down. The heavens are open, God loves his children and wants to talk to YOU!

Matthew 7:7 ¶ Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: 8 For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.

Boa Semana!

Elder Anderson

 Casupa

​My planners since i´ve been in Angra

Élder dos Açores

Olá,

Tuesday I had a feeling to call Vanessa, an investigator that we had not been able to talk with for some time, She was able to met with us that day and I noticed a big change in her faith since the last time we taught her 4 commandments required to be baptized, If all continues to go well, she will be baptized on the 28th.

Perfect timing walking up a road an old lady was getting dropped us at her house with a bunch of groceries, we offered to help and brought them all in her house for her.

In Riberinha I was talking with a woman on the street, a taxi came speeding by, I thought man that is coming by close, then BAM! she got hit. Fortunately she did not break anything but the side mirror on the taxi broke...Crazy.

"...that we may rejoice in the great privilege of our church, and in the cause of our Redeemer and our God." Alma 61:14 I shared this will some members this week and bore testimony of the privilege and blessing it is to be a member on the Lord´s Church to have a prophet that guides us, the Book of Mormon and so much more!

With little priesthood the Angra B Élders, Us are the teachers of the "Rapazes" young men. Motivated being my "last" week in Angra in the end we reached ALL of our weekly Goals and Paula came to church!

I gave a 30+ minute talk in Sacrament meeting about the Life of Christ, the miracles, baptism, example, his church and the Atonement. I talked about the great experience I had to serve in Angra and how I got better on the Piano. I took pictures with the members, I got a few tear-eyed "thanks for how you helped my Family and our Branch" and said my Goodbyes. It has been a wonderful 5 months here on this beautiful island.

This past transfer was just 5 weeks, this next is 7 because of a Mission President Conference. I have 4 transfers in Angra and I will be, surprisingly staying for a 5th! More 7 weeks on the Island!! It was a shock to me, our whole Zone stayed put.

Até o próximo!

Elder Anderson

 150 steps

 "Goodbyes"

 Natural Mineral Water

Follow the Prophet

Bom dia,

At a Family home evening this week  Irmã Conceição invited a nonmember, Carlos,  to learn more about the church. I led the lesson talking about how the plan of Salvation is written in the Bible but cleared up in the Book of Mormon. We watched "Finding Happiness" and President Thomas S. Monson´s talk from April 2017 conference "The power of the Book of Mormon" and testified about the power of the Book of Mormon to make us better people in every aspect. I have read the Book of Mormon 4 times, and as a zone we are reading it before the end of the transfer and in my studies I have been studying one of the questions of the soul chapters. I love the Book of Mormon and know without a doubt that is it true.

I flew for a 4th time to Ponta Delgada for Zone Conference, that morning I and Elder Lofthouse woke up early and had a beautiful 4 mile run through the city and on a bike path close to the beach. At Zone conference I learned about doing the work for the right motives, how to strengthen the invite to be baptized, ways to strengthen the date for baptism for investigators through members and President spoke about how making sacrifices and always leaving the comfort zone leads us to being touched by the power of the Holy Ghost, completely converting us to the Gospel with no desire to every go back. The Azores are the best!!

After downloading all of general conference last week, I have been listening to the talks through the week preparing for the day, during lunch and at night. And applying the teaching in my life, Every night I have been recording the impressions and revelations that I receive during my prayers and the Prophet counseled to do. I know that President Russell M. Nelson is the Prophet of God here on earth and that by following his counsels we will become closer to God and the Savior.

Boa Semana!

Elder Anderson

(No pictures this week...)

“He Is Not Here, for He Is Risen”

Ola,

Divisions with the Zone Leaders- Elder Birt went with us and we taught a few great lessons to Barbara and Tresa. Teaching Catholics about the Apostasy and the Restoration reminds me of  Gérald Caussé´s Quote from conference, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not just look exactly like the church of Christ that he established, but it IS the Church of Jesus Christ that he established restored to the earth."

We have Family Home evenings weekly with the members here, Elder Birt did an activity writing on about 20 pieces of paper physical things from a house, car, phone to spiritual things like a perfect knowledge and understanding of the Bible and testimony of the Restoration. 3 out at a time and everyone had to choose which 3 would stay every time. In the end the Testimony of the Restoration was the thing everyone found most important, and them explained how all the other 20+ things, perfect understanding of the bible, family eternal until all the material things will come as blessings from having a testimony of the Restored Gospel and living the commandments.

I have been doing a deeper study of the Atonement and the events in Gethsemane- pretty interesting, the more I study the more my gratitude for Christ and testimony grows.

This General Conference was my favorite. I looked in the talks for the Doctrine, Invite and Promised blessing, that Elder Bednar explained when I was in the MTC It is very cool to find them in the talks. After Elder Dale G Renlund´s talk I am so excited to do Family History and temple work, those blessing that he listed were incredible. Elder Gong and Soares will be incredible Apostles, I met Elder Soares a year ago as he passed and trained our mission I have shook hands with 3 Apostles, Elder´s Holland, Andersen and Soares. Pretty neat. I loved the talks about Love, Forgiveness magnifying our callings. and the respect the brethren have for President Nelson. I know he is a prophet of God.

The Gospel is Restored, The Church is true, Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know this is true.

Tchau,

Elder Anderson

 Angra is the best

 We met Deshon on the road, he invited us to his basketball game, we passed by for 20 minutes and saw him drain a 3 pointer