Monday, March 23, 2015

Ponta Pora Week 51


March 23, 2015

Loved ones, everyone looks beautiful. I am indeed back in Cuiabá. They opened a few new areas on the border of Bolivia and had to reorganize the whole mission. My companion is a Gaúcho from Rio Grande do Sul. He is super cool and super excited. I will for sure have some crazy stories in the new future about him, he is insane... My area is Coxipó, it´s huge! it´s about half ghetto classic Cuiabá, half capital. it´s awesome. I will send a bunch of pictures next week. It´s crazy to be back in this part of the country after almost a year. Ponta Porã is completely different, culturally. Here in Cuiabá is HOT, life is definitely alot crazier here. I am still Zone Leader and my zone is huge. We have a ton of work to do. It is going to be a wild ride.
    Today, for P day, we played soccer with the other zone here in Cuiabá. We played at the Mapim chapel... My first area! it was one of the nostalgic area moments of my mission. Crossing the river in to Várzea Grande and walking from the bus terminal to the chapel, down the same streets I walked down as a lost gringo. Streets where I saw fights, topless women, bought the best street food ever, and learned to love this crazy place. The strongest sun in the world, the mosquitos, the language, the walking, the food, the prayers, the best people in the world.
      The last year and half has been the greatest of my life. It has been a sacred time. I can´t help but be blown away by the amount of love that has been shown to me from Heavenly Father over the last two years. I know that he is mindful of every single one of us.
      I have no idea what size of suit I wear. I am so excited for Richmond! he is going to kill it! And have the greatest adventure of his life. I will head down there to visit him in no time!
   I love you all and miss you all like crazy!

Ponta Pora Week 50

March 16, 2015

Hello family! So this week was interesting. I have been realizing how blessed I really am.  We worked like dogs this week. I did 3 exchanges in two different areas, organized a super awesome service project at an orphanage, taught our english class, and had 20 visiting folks at church.
      Late last night I got a phone call saying that I was going to be emergency transfered to a new LZ area in Cuiabá, 20 hours away, and that I was to leave today. So that´s my reality. After nearly six beautiful months here in Ponta Porã, one 2 minute phone call can send me far away. Ponta Porã has become a part of me. I learned and grew here more than I describe. I made friends with best people I have ever made in my life and had a great time. I worked hard and looking back I know that I did the most significant work I have ever done in my life. Bendito seja o nome de meu deus. 
      I must admit that I am TIRED, but very happy.Super excited to hop on the bus and to take on the next adventure on in CUIABÁ!!

Ponta Pora Week 49

March 9, 2015

Family, I am sorry I have been so weak with the emails home to you. For some reason it is getting harder and harder to write. Even with things going as well as they are. This is definitley one of the best yet most stressful periods of my mission. This week had some serious ups and down. We went to campo grande for leadership training, which was great I learned a ton and it´s always an adventure traveling there and back. Our bus got stopped and the police searched me. It was awesome.
       The rest of the week was spent on the usual grind and resolving problems with some of the ward leadership in the stake. That part was not very fun. However, we resolved it as best as we could and at the end of the day everything worked out. 
     Tiene this awesome girl that we are teaching got baptized and confirmed! She is super elect and through the whole teaching process showed tons of faith. The baptism was awesome. We had tons of folks there and all of the whole service was super sincere and spiritual. 
   I love golf pants. You have to get them tailored. But they are the greatest.
      That pretty much sums it up for this week. The mission is the greatest ever.
love,
Elder Anderson


Exercising
 This week in our MLT,  President  asked the missionaries if they were exercising? Just what we thought, very little exercising going on in the MIssion. They admit that they do not do it! Probably only 5% of our missionaries exercise at all. He then asked how many push-up they could do? When he get's to the one that can do the most he asks him to come up to the front, takes off his suitcoat and hit the floor. After that I said to the missionaries "What about President?" They all whoop and hollar when President Reber takes off his suitcoat and shows them 46 push-up! They loved it! It was pretty fun! He impressed them all. They all comment that they are going to start!
Very Impressed with these 50 push-ups these Elder pumped out!  






Ponta Pora Week 48


MLT with the South
March 3, 2015
This is always such a great time with our Leaders.  We teach is taught and trained.  It is a grea time to be together.











Ponta Pora Week 47

Feb. 23, 2015

Family! I am the happiest man alive! Richmond is headed to Indonesia!!!!! I told everyone in the world. I am so stoked for him. He is about to embark on the greatest adventure of his life. I can´t help but reflect on the feelings I felt one I opened my mission call and reading Cuiabá, Brasil. I remember looking at the red cliffs and feeling a tiny bit of eternity. It´s an incredible feeling. When you realize that soon you will be amongst people who´s eternal destiny will be influenced by you. It´s the greatest thing in the world. The last year and half has been the greatest of my life. 
I know my savior and my heavenly father. I know why I am here. It has been the hardest thing I have ever done. I LOVE these people. I love there language, I love this country, I love there food. They are my people and I know we´ll be close forever. Its super hard to express my feeling about my mission. Soon Richmond will know what I mean.
     You can be sure that I will be cruising over to Indonesia in about a year to vist Rich. 
This week was nuts. I thought I was getting transfered for sure and I was super bummed out. I spent the last week visiting all the people that I have grown to love so much here. They´re awesome. We saw some crazy miracles. One is with a man that has helped me out more than anyone else on my mission. His name is Éder. He has taken care of me when I was sick, helped me rediscover how fun being a missionary is when I was in a rough spot, and helped me raise my vision. He´s rad. Anyways, about 3 months ago our bishop(who has some problems) chewed him out and offended him and about half the ward. We have worked super hard to help mend the fences and even though Éder has always helped us out a ton,  he hasn´t came to our ward in forever.( he is a high priest as well) Last night we visited him and had an awesome conversation about life. I didn´t even think much about it. We went over to his house for lunch today and he explained how after we left inspired to drive to Bishops house and clear everything up. He did it and for some reason it was incredibly fulfilling to see my influence not only as a missionary but as a friend. When you love people you it makes you happy to see them happy.
 Other stuff: -I am staying in Ponta Porã! with the same fetching comp....
                   -Bia got confirmed
                   -two young men we baptized got ordained teachers
                    -I bought a suit
                    

I don´t know what more to say. God is good. May we all get to know him better every day. I am praying for you all and hope you all know how much I love ALL of you.
-Your brother and friend, forever!,
Elder Davis Anderson

Ponta Pora Week 46

Feb. 17, 2015

Family! Sorry that I have fallen off the face of the earth.  It is carnaval here in Brasil and here on the border it´s crazy. Everyone is drunk, naked, and having huge water fights. It´s been tough to get much done. This week was awesome. I feel like I am really seeing the divinity of my mission and enjoying every second of it. Everyday I almost cry because I am so gratefull for life. The mission is the greatest thing I have ever done. It really is such an incredible experience to take two years to serve and love your human with all your heart might mind and strength.
with love,
Elder Anderson.
PS Rich is headed to georgia.




Ponta Pora Week 45

Feb. 9, 2015

Family, this week was awesome. We are teaching some super interesting people. My whole mission I have stayed in the humbler parts of the area. This transfer we have visiting a lot of members and organizing everything from circus family nights to english classes and cultural activities. It has been super refreshing to see how the lord really does smile on the work that we do with a smile. I feel incredibly grateful for everything. I have been super blessed here. 
      Richmond has his papers in?! That´s rad! I can´t really comprehend that but I am super excited for him! My only advice is to just to start to pay more attention to life. Theses times before he leaves need to be enjoyed and soaked in fully. The mission is such an incredible experience so the faster you can learn to take it all in and begin to see how blessed we are to be alive will help you a ton. Just be happy my man. 
   I love you all so much.
god is good


Monday, February 2, 2015

Ponta Pora Week 44






Davis had a baptism this week and taught a rad English guy! Feb 2, 2015

Monday, January 26, 2015

Ponta Pora Week 43

Jan. 26, 2015

Family, 
It is getting harder and harder to fill you all in on what's going on down here. Over all life is so good! This week was a blur. We traveled 6 hours up to Campo Grande for our meeting with President and stayed another day for an exchange with the assistants. It was a good time but We got back to Ponta Porã late Wednesday night super tired. Thursday we prepared some awesome things for our zone. We organized an awesome english class for the elderes in ala 2 and got it put in the paper.  We planned on zone meeting, and began to clean our destroyed house for a move, which is a painful proccess, being so far away from the office. (we live in a sketchy location in respect to single women and prostitutes so we are getting out of here)
      We held an awesome party for our zone to get the elderes excited and our zone meeting went great. Our area is getting a little neglected but we are excited to manage the time better and get to work more in our area. Our recent convert got the priesthood on Sunday and I think we are going to baptize his cousin on Saturday!
-I love you all so much. I love this mission. Don´t stop believin!


Here is a picture of Elder Anderson with his companion and Sister Reber.

Thursday, January 22, 2015

Monday, January 12, 2015

Ponta Pora Week 41

Another transfer has come and gone. Pretty wild. I will be staying here one more here in Ponta Porã! I couldn´t be happier. I really do love this area and the people. We have awesome plans for the area and the zone. Life is good.
    This week was a lot of work and I walked a TON. It was great. I actually don´t mind walking. The beginning of the week was spent teaching the families of some of the recent converts. We set up awesome family nights with members that speak spanish and guarani because a lot of the people we are teaching are more comfortable with it. We are getting this organization business down. Alot of times on the mission we convince ourselves that we have to sweat and knock doors (or in our case clap hands) all day to be a missionary who works hard, but the trick is working more with our heads and less with our feet. We baptized René, a super awesome guy who is one of our recent converts cousin. It is pretty awesome to see how all these young men who live in a rough part of town take care of each other and help us out with the missionary work. Its awesome.
       I did a 2 day exchange with a companionship that was having some troubles. We worked super in his area and talked a lot. It was a good time. The elderes in the mission are the best.
        I am missing you all like crazy. Everyone looks so grown up in the pictures. I can´t even handle it. I love you tons.
     -Elder Davis Anderson















Friday, January 9, 2015

Ponta Pora Week 40

January 5, 2015

Family. This week was great. The new year was brought in with a bang, we have stepped up our relationship with the members and folks that we are teaching, and I made some goals for the rest of my mission, 1, 3 and 5 years. I really don´t think I have been as excited about life as I am now.
   So the work was pretty thought out this week. We focused alot more on planning and really thinking what's going to help the people instead of just going through the motions. We had an exchange with the assistents and organized a sweet meeting with the stake president. They are going to redivide the wards! So this week we have to visit every priesthood holder in Ponta Porã. It will be a bunch of work but we are excited to get to know a bunch of people we don´t already know.
    Our recent convert, Giovane, has been inviting everyone he knows to church. His awesome friend René will be baptized this Saturday! 
   I will be out of area for two day this week doing exchanges.
      We welcomed in the new year with a bang! An awesome family, who I have come to love quite a bit, invited us to come have a churrasco with them. We ate a TON. I have never eaten that much meat and drank that much tereré in my life. It was a record for sure. The fireworks were CRAZY. Also a fun little cultural thing here in Ponta Porã; Guns are super illegal here in Brazil. For just about everyone. However Paraguay doesn´t have any enforced laws about it. So, here in Ponta, a bunch of people illegally are gun owners. And they have a fun tradition to get smashed drunk, and shooting off pistol rounds into the air. It´s actually super dangerous. We heard guns going off all night. It was one for the books for sure, Brazilians know how to party.
   I got super excited to make goals, I have got some rad things to achieve here in the future. I am the most blessed man in the world. The present is great and the future is going to be even better.
    Family be grateful, don´t just be impressed by the mountains, desert, weather, good people, and good moments. Be captivated, be blown away by the reality of the incredible oppertunity life is. Give thanks silently at all times. Keep a prayer of gratitude in your heart for sacrifice that was made for you and the ones you love. 
Just know that I love you all and that I am doing great!
   -Pass my love to all the cousins and aunts and uncles.
   -Tell Grandma and Grandpa Anderson thank you for the example and love, and that I am excited to serve alongside them.
    -Tell Grandpa Allen thank you for the support, and for teaching me how to apreciate and love the Latin culture and for letting me tag along on his trips down South. His conversation has always meant alot to me and that the man I am today was influence by those talks. Tell Grandma Allen that I think she is super pretty. And that I wish a Happy Happy Birthday! I don´t remember which day it is but I know its coming up.
      -Tell Holly and Roger that I love them and that I was praying for Frankie. Oh, and give Frankie a hug for me!
       -Tell Jessica and her husband congrats!
        -Richmond I love you! I am so proud of you. You are going to have the experience of a life time on the mish. Congrats!
         -Tell Breck, Bryn and John, Izze, and Austin that I love them like crazy and that we´ll be partying here soon.
-Mom and dad I love you guys tons! You gave me everything and I will forever be grateful for you two.
-Elder Davis Anderson

Ponta Pora Week 39

December 29, 2014

Family! Life is good! Talking with you all was awesome! I have never been so excited about the work in my life. It has hit me that I don´t have a ton of time so I am excited to go down swinging. There´s not a ton to say about this week. We did some exchanges with two young missionaries. I did an exchange with a new American Elder. It was funny to think about the days when I ran around with a little notebook writing every word that I didn´t know and asking my companion questions every 5 seconds. The mission has been incredible!
      Sunday we brought some awesome folks to church that we have been trying to get there for a while. I believe there will be a very special baptism Saturday. Good times. There is nothing as effective as teaching simply, and helping the people to see the small miracles that have already happened in there lives. My testimony of the Savior has never been so personal. The peace that I feel because of his sacrifice is something that every creature deserves.
   I love you all dearly.
-Elder Davis Anderson


Ponta Pora Week 38

December 22, 2014

This was taken From Sister Reber's bolg - Mission Mom





Our Christmas Zone Conferences
December 16, 18, 2015 
This is the only time of the year that we come together having 2 Zone Conferences.  We meet with the 4 Zones in the North of our Mission,
then we come together having the Conference with the 4 Zones in the South.
We celebrated in the Morning with President challenging all our Missionaries to be Consecrated Missionaries
We Consecrated a vial of Oil - Each Missionary went home with a personal vial of our Consecrated Oil

We then celebrated the 3 Gift's of Christmas.  It has become our tradition these past 3 years.
The 1st Gift is a gift the Missionaries give to the Savior - Each Missionary was challenged to give a Baptism, a true Convert.
The 2nd Gift was a gift that the Missionaries give to the Mission President - Each Missionary was asked to memorize a favorite Scripture - they all recited to President and Sister Reber 
The 3rd Gift was a gift to the Missionaries from President and Sister Reber -  This year we played the story of the Nativity
As a gift to all the Missionaries we gave them each a MissionTemple Recommend Holder, and Pop up Clothes Hamper 

After lunch we asked each Zone to share a Talent with us.  They shared music, skits and even a little Magic.  We have a talented group of Missionaries!

We closed the Conference talking about the Living Water


Aimee Anderson's Testimony- MOM

I want you to know that I have a testimony that Jesus Christ is our Savior.  I know he has taken upon him all my sins and died for me.  I know he rose from the tomb on the third day and that he lives.  I know that because he lives we all will be resurected and have the opportunity to live forever with our families.  A few weeks ago my son was with some friends and one of his friends was in a terrible accident.  They were all alone on a country road and his friend had serious head injuries and they didn't know if help could make it in time.  He prayed and had a peace come over him that his friend would be ok. He received a blessing from someone who came along that he would have the blessing of healing.  Help did come and he is now in the hospital in critical condition.  None of the emergency team thought he would survive the ride to the hospital, because he was in such bad shape.  Miracle are happening for this boy.  His family has bore a powerful witness that he knew he was going to come to earth and undergo this trial, but with the help of his family everything would be ok.  His mom told me if the Savior needs him more than they do right now, which she couldn't imagine, but if he does then she would accept his will.  I know our savior loves each and everyone of us no matter where we live in this big old world.  I hope you have a wonderful Christmas Season sharing the message of our Saviors birth.  I went on a mission and their isn't one day that I don't draw strength from it.  

Take care and God Be With You! 
Mom

Austin's Testimony- 13 years old

I remember a story my mom told me here it is.
This has a thought provoking message no matter how you believe. Does evil exist? The university professor challenged his students with this question. Did God create everything that exists?
A student bravely replied yes, he did!"
"God created everything?" The professor asked.
"Yes sir", the student replied.
The professor answered, "If God created everything, then God created evil since evil exists, and according to the principal that our works define who we are then God is evil".
The student became quiet before such an answer.
The professor was quite pleased with himself and boasted to the students that he had proven once more that the Christian faith was a myth.
Another student raised his hand and said, "Can I ask you a question professor?" "Of course", replied the professor. The student stood up and asked, "Professor, does cold exist?" "What kind of question is this? Of course it exists. Have you never been cold?" The students snickered at the young man's question. The young man replied, "In fact sir, cold does not exist. According to the laws of physics, what we consider cold is in reality the absence of heat. Everybody or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy. Absolute zero (- 460 degrees F) is the total absence of heat; all matter becomes inert and incapable of reaction at that temperature. Cold does not exist. We have created this word to describe how we feel if we have no heat.
The student continued. "Professor, does darkness exist?" The professor responded, "Of course it does".

The student replied, "Once again you are wrong sir, darkness does not exist either. Darkness is in reality the absence of light. Light we can study, but not darkness. In fact we can use Newton's prism to break white light into many colors and study the various wavelengths of each color. You cannot measure darkness. A simple ray of light can break into a world of
darkness and illuminate it. How can you know how dark a certain space is? You measure the amount of light present. Isn't this correct? Darkness is a term used by man to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally the young man asked the professor. "Sir, does evil exist?"
Now uncertain, the professor responded, "Of course as I have already said. We see it every day. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. "These manifestations are nothing else but evil."
To this the student replied, "Evil does not exist sir, or at least it does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe the absence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is not like faith, or love that exist just as does light and heat. Evil is the result of what happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes when there is no light."
The professor sat down.
The young mans name --- Albert Einstein

I like this story because it shows great courage and faith to be able to stand up for our religon and our beliefs. I have a testimony that evil does not exist on this earth it is just an excuse that we humans made up when we shut god out or when he is not near. I also know that heavenly father has a plan for each and everyone of us and we can have the privilage to live with him once more. Don't shut god out don't let evil become your excuse for wrong chooses or bad things that happen to you just have that faith and courage like this student had to his professor.

The Church is true.
-Austin B. Anderson