July 23, 2012

Hey Everyone!!!

I cant believe that Im done. I cant believe how many amazing experiences that ive had and how many changes that ive made in my life. I feel sad that im leaving, but extremely happy for what ive done out here and the amazing people that i have been able to help bring to Christ. This last week was incredible and i feel really good that i kept working until the very last minute of my mission. Both of the baptisms went through this last Saturday, and I was just trying to hold back my tears the whole time as i heard their testimonies and realized that this was the last time that id get to do it in the mission. Last night they threw me a going away party in our pension(where we eat), and it was incredible. Alot of people from the ward came and shared with me how i helped them in this time that ive been here and how grateful they were. when it was my turn i just broke down in tears and did the best i could to share with them what ive learned and how amazing that the gospel truly is. Im going to miss these people so much that it hurts to know that im leaving. I feel like Im leaving home once again and am going to some foreign place to start a new life but just that this time the foreign place is my house. I think I learned this week that the hardest part of the mission is going home. In a couple of days theyre going to take my name tag off and tell me that im no longer a missionary, but these people and experiences will always be in my heart and Im never going to stop living the things that ive learned here. I dont know what i have ahead of me now, but i know that everything i do needs to be done with the help of the Lord. Im excited to see everyone again and to start looking for that special person to start a family of my own. I have taught people for 2 years what they need to do to have a beautiful family, and now im ready to do it myself. what more can i say about these two years. My English is too poor to really describe myself how i would like to lol. I just want to say thanks to everyone that has helped me to come out here and make all these incredible changes in my life. you guys have no idea how much youve helped me. I still remember to this day comments that ive heard people say about their missions that have helped me stay strong and obedient even through the hardest times. I love all of you and my family more than ever. I love my savior Jesus Christ and his amazing sacrifice that he did for me. I cant believe how merciful that Him and my Heavenly Father have been with me and how many blessings that theyve given me. I dont know how else i can thank them apart from continuing on with the work that ive done here and continuing to apply the Atonement to my own life. I hope that everyone can feel what ive felt out here and know that God exists and loves you more than you even understand. The gospel or teachings of Jesus Christ, allow us to live with Him again and to have joy in this life. It is truly the remedy for the brokenhearted. I share my mission with you all in the name of Jesus Christ, amen!

July 16, 2012

Everyone!

This week was incredible, and i cant believe that the mission still keeps getting better! I had some incredible things happen, truly miracles, but you´ll have to wait to hear about them in my homecoming talk Sunday the 29th...The only bad thing about this week was that i got my camera stolen and now i have no idea how im going to take pics of my last week!!!! Im going to try and borrow someones camera but if not ill just have to have a good memory lol. This is officially the last week of my mission, and i plan on working as hard as i can to make it a memorable one. I cant think of anything better than finishing the mission baptizing a couple of the people that i have grown to love so much! Love You Guys! Elder Anderson

July 9, 2012

Hey Everyone,
This week was awesome, and we had alot of awesome stuff happen. Something sweet is that we created a Missionary Training Center program for the members of our zone, and now its become a part of the missionary plan in every stake, ward, and district in the mission. ITs awesome because everyones saying that its really helping the work alot, and everyones more excited to work. The mission is getting better and better every day, and Im just trying to soak in every moment that i can before i go. How do i summarize two years of amazing experiences lol? Anyways I love you guys and will see you all soon! Check out my blog( http://eldercodyanderson.blogspot.com/)  to know when im having my homecoming and all that so you can come. Absoluetly everyone is invited and id love to have you there! Love Elder Anderson 

July 2, 2012

Hey Everyone!
This week was sweet, but definitely one of the craziest ones of my mission. We had a bunch of different things going on in the zone so i was literaly working in different sectors every day. It was sweeeeet though because there was a new missionary that arrived a couple of weeks ago that wasnt talking and was having alot of problems and we were able to help him a ton! Hes talking now and teaching and joking around and everything and is pumped to be in the mission. the sad thing is that my companion is going to have a change within the zone to go help him though, so im going to get a new companion tomorow for the last 3 weeks of my mission lol. the crazy thing to is that its going to be Elder Santamaria from Colombia who was already my companion in Quillabamba. Crazy but cool ha. Anyways, everyhting is going great and we are just working really hard like always. Ive had a ton of amazing experiences but just dont have time to write them ha! Thanks for all the support everyone! I love you guys! oh and if you want to know about my homecoming information you can call my mom(Trisha) 6028181311 and she´ll fill you in! Have a great week! Love Elder Anderson

June 25, 2012

Hey Everyone!

The picture is of an actividad that there was in the other Stake of Cusco that i got to go to and where I saw my old bishop from Santiago and my convert with her kid! Its been exactly a year since i had seeen them, but it was awesome to see that they are doing so great! My convert even told me that shes all spiritual now which was awesome haha! Everything is going great here really and im really just enjoying every day. Our stake president came and talked to the whole zone today and then our mission president so it was really sweet. The mission seems to just get better every day, and im starting to see that ive developed alot of great habits that im going to take home with me. The stake president today told us that every single family that comes to him with problems or is thinking about getting a divorce had stopped doing the basic things like praying and reading the scriptures every day. Its amazing to see how much the little things affect us in this life, but thanks to the mission i know that if i always do them that ill be okay and will have a happy family. anyways, i just thought id share that with you all! Love you guys! Elder Anderson. oh and my new companion is Elder Coti from Guatemala and is a really cool guy. We are getting along great, and the time is truly flying!!!!!

 

June 18, 2012

Hey Everyone!
This week was awesome, and we had an awesome baptism! Albert went through a ton of changes in this last month to be able to be baptized, and it was definitely one of the most suprising and at the same time amazing things that ive seen. It came to the point where we thought that he wasnt going to be able to make the changes, and i think that even when we were about to give up on him, the Lord touched his heart and helped him to do it. Im truly amazed by what happened, and it just goes to show that the Lord really does have all power and can help whatever person make whatever change. I learned this week that nobody is tooooo lost to come back to the right path and to get to know their Savior Jesus Christ. 
Also, I found out that I´m getting home at 11:55 am on July 26th. I forgot my flight number but im flying by Delta Airlines and will be coming from Atlanta Georgia. Everyones invited thatd like to go! If youd like any more information just let me know. Love you guys! Elder Anderson. Oh and i hope that you like the pics of the baptism and of the BBQ that we had with President Calderon for Father´s Day. And happy Father´s day to everyone as well!!!

June 11, 2012

Hey Everyone!
This week was amazing, and we had another baptism that was sweet
because it brought a family together and really helped them a ton. We
found out yesterday though that my companion Elder Parra has a change
which sucks. We seriously had the best change together and became best
friends. It looks like hes going to be the new assistant though for
all the success that weve had and how amazing he is which is sweet
because he´ll help the mission a ton. It just stinks cuz i wanted to
finish the mission with him but i guess that im just happy that he had
a change and not me because I love this sector and we should have alot
of success this next change. Its weird to think that this is my last
change and that im finishing the mission, but it hasnt really hit me
yet and i hope that it doesnt until i get home ha! Love you guys!
Elder Anderson!

June 4, 2012

Hey Everyone!
This week was amazing!!!!!!! I found out that one of my investigators from Quillabamba that moved to Italia while i was there got baptized along with his wife!!!!! He had a ton of doubts while we were teaching him, but we were able to resolve alot of them before he left. It also helped that he was reading more than 500 pages a day about the church doctrine ha! I was able to give him a blessing the night before he left, and well i guess Ill share more about that in another moment with you guys because its really spiritual and personal to me. Its enough i think just to say that the mission has been the most amazing experience ever for me and that i feel truly grateful for getting the chance to be an instrument in the Lords hands. I know with all my heart that the Priesthood is real and that it is very powerful and sacred. Thanks to everyone that have helped me to become a member of this Church and that have helped me to go on the mission. ITs changed my life.

May 28, 2012 Happy Memorial Day!

Hey Everyone!
So after being in bed all day last monday I was able to start working again on Tuesday which was nice. It turned tout to just be a virus that is going around. its kinda funny cuz one person just keeps passing it along amoung all the missionaries and members ha. Anyways, everything is going great here and the zone is doing really well. I get along great with my companion, and we really are just enjoying the work. We are now getting ready for june, and its looking like its going to be another good month. Anyways, I dont really know what else to say ha..i guess that after 22 months of writing you kinda start to run out ha. Everythings great though! Thanks for all the support! Love Elder Anderson!

May 21, 2012

Hey Everyone...Im a little sick today and dont really have energy to write so ill write more next week...everythings going really good though, and im really enjoying myself out here.love you all. Elder Anderson

May 14, 2012

This week was incredible!!! The whole week we were really just preparing the 8 people that got baptized this weekend! Their names are Hermelinda, Arturo, and the Sinchi family...Mariano and Berta, and 4 of their kids Juan Carlos, Yojaira, Nilton, and Rina Esther. Seeing the changes that theyve made in their lives was incredible, and it was awesome being able to be part of something so special. About 70 people went to the baptismal service, and now all the members are even more excited to help us in this work! The mission keeps getting better every day, and its amazing to see just how real and wonderful the Lords blessings are when we serve him with all our heart! There are many ways to find happiness in this life, but the joy that we all our searching only comes from keeping the commandments and serving the Lord. 
Love you all! 
Elder Anderson

May 7, 2012

Hey Everyone!

I got my new comp this week, and we have gotten to work ha! His name is Elder Parra and is from Bogotá, Colombia. HE´s my second comp from there, and is just as cool as the other ha. He has about 13 months in the mission, and im teaching him how to be a zone leader which is cool. We get along amazingly, and is just the companion that id want to finish my mission. We are working amazingly, and our zone is going to kick butt this month! This week is going to be amazing for us as well, and i honestly have seen more amazing things than ever this last week, and im pretty sure that this is going to be the most amazing week of my life. I guess that the pictures will just have to sum it up next week lol. Anyways, im doing amazing and am truly enjoying this work that im doing. I hope to keep serving the Lord with all my heart until they take off my name tag and tell me i cant anymore lol. I love you guys!!! thanks for the support!!

April 30, 2012

Hey Everyone!

This week was incredible as well. my last companion called me andletme know what was happening with our converts there in quillabamba, and they are all doing incredible and are progressing amazingly. One of them has even helped their parents to get baptized! Its really cool seeing how well everyone is doing! We just found out that my companion is having a transfer too, so tomorow it looks like ill be getting my last companion in the mission because i only have two transfers left now! man how time flies. Anyways im writting late today because we went to Machupicchu today!!!!!!!!! Here are the pictures that youve all been waiting for ha!!!!! Loveyou guys! thanks for the support! best mish in the world ha..

April 23, 2012

Hey everyone!
Everything is going incredible, and i think that May is going to be the best month of my mission thus far! The Lord is really blessing me now for how hard ive worked these 21 months. oh and i have somtehting amazing to tell you guys that i just found out. Espinar was my first sector, and even though i was there 2 transfers, i only had 2 baptisms. i didnt really know how to work or anything like that so its understandable, but i just found out that one of those baptisms lead to over 50 and that they have now opended up a new family home group in Machupuente by Espinar!!!!!!!!! I have a good friend thats working there right now and he said that it is progressing like crazy!!! Anyways, just wanted to share that with everyone to show just how much can come from one person coming unto to Crist! The mission is amazing! the only thing that stinks right now is that the doctor and my mission president want me to wear an ugly goofy hat because i have skin problems from being in the sun my whole life..i was going to send a pic of how goofy i look in the hat but i forgot my camera. im taking some other medication though so i should bhe good in a couple of weeks...luckily its not affecting the work or anything though! love you all..Elder Anderson!

April 16, 2012

Everyone,
Sorry for not writting last week. Im doing good though and have had a couple of great crazy weeks. A bunch of crazy stuff has gone down since i came here, but its all been great and has helped me alot. Alot of the great things are included in the pics though...One was Hugo and Herlinda´s baptisms, the other their wedding, the other was Jerson´s baptism (he´s the darker one in the pic ha) the other guys the one that baptized him. its cool letting the members get the opportunity to do it and it really gives the person that gets baptized a great friend. oh and the other one is just a pic of me in our gym ha. Everything is going great and im really just enjoying my time here in Cusco. I think that were going to plan a trip to Macchupicchu too so thats going to be ammmaaaaaazzzinggg! Love you all! Elder Anderson!

April 9, 2012

Cody apologizes but he didn't have time to write anything this week. Come back next week for pictures of his investigators wedding!

April 2, 2012

Hey Everyone!

Things have continued to go amazing, and the zone is really kicking butt right now. We are going to have one of the most amazing months ever here i think. we just have to keep working to find out. General Conference was amazing, and it motivated me even more to keep going. They even included Cusco which was awesome! This was by far the best conference for me i think just because my testimony has become stronger and i was actually eager to hear what the prophet and his apostles had to say. Before i was kind of just trying not to fall asleep and every once in awhile something caught my attention. Anyways, my sector here is really cool, and were really just trying to get to know all the members and work with them so we can have more success. This week should be great because one of the families that we are teaching is going to get married and baptized! Im really excited. OH and also one of the coolest things about this sector is that we have a gym below our house that we get to use every morning!!! After 20 months of pushups and backpack curls it is really amazing ha! Anywyas im doing great and love you all! Thanks for the support! ELder ANderson

April 2, 2012

Hey Everyone!

Things have continued to go amazing, and the zone is really kicking butt right now. We are going to have one of the most amazing months ever here i think. we just have to keep working to find out. General Conference was amazing, and it motivated me even more to keep going. They even included Cusco which was awesome! This was by far the best conference for me i think just because my testimony has become stronger and i was actually eager to hear what the prophet and his apostles had to say. Before i was kind of just trying not to fall asleep and every once in awhile something caught my attention. Anyways, my sector here is really cool, and were really just trying to get to know all the members and work with them so we can have more success. This week should be great because one of the families that we are teaching is going to get married and baptized! Im really excited. OH and also one of the coolest things about this sector is that we have a gym below our house that we get to use every morning!!! After 20 months of pushups and backpack curls it is really amazing ha! Anywyas im doing great and love you all! Thanks for the support! ELder ANderson

March 26, 2011

Hey everyone!
Im oficially in the zone of inti raymi which is here in Cusco! I was in the other stake before when i was here in Cusco, but now im oficially in the biggest strongest ward and stake out of the whole mission! It is such a blessing because more than 200 people attend church here, and all the members are really great and help us a ton! Im also in the ward of my mission president which is really cool too cuz we do Family Home Evenings with him and can invite our investigators! I got to share my testimony yesterday with everyone, and i tried as hard as i could to share with them just how much i love this work and just how ready i am to serve them. Im oficially in my last sector, and something inside me doesnt let me rest even a minute. I think its my testimony that has grown so much, because just the thought of having to stop doing this work is bringing tears to my eyes. i dont understand how a missionary could get lazy as he finishes the mission, but i do know that thats not going to happen with me. every day my testimony keeps getting stronger and my desire to do this work is incredibly strong. Im now zone leader of the biggest zone in the mission too, and after having its worth month every i think that we are all ready to go! Im trying to apply everything that ive learned in my mission, and even just in this first week weve already seen a ton of blessings and have had amazing experiences. I can already see that these three changes are going to be amazing, and that God needs me to give more than i ever have before. Sleeping doesnt really matter to me anymore because the work that we are doing here is wayyyy better. Ive practicaly forgoten about everything else and am just completly focused now, and It feels amazing. i cant wait to see what God has in store for me here!

March 19, 2011

Hey Everyone!
Im glad to say that my toenail surgery went well and that everything is back in order ha! Im oficially walking in shoes like normal, and i honestly had one of the most amazing weeks of my mission. We did work divisions with some elders that were having alot of problems working together and stuff and it turned out to be one of the most amazing days of my life. I prayed really hard to be able to be a great example for that missionary and help him with everything and just show him how much i love him and everything. We had a really successful day, and afterwards the missionary even told me that he learned a bunch of things from me and realized what he was doing wrong even though i didnt tell him. He expressed how grateful he was for me while shedding tears, and it made me realize how we are all just going through changes and trying to become better people. it helped me to realize as well just how apreciative that i am for all the people in my life that have helped me to  become a better person. I cant believe the changes that im going through out here, and Im to the point where i dont want to stop doing this work and go home lol. I know I have to go home, but I never want to stop being in the Service of other people and especially my Heavenly Father. I found out that i have a change and will be going to what will probably be my last sector since i only have 3 changes left. Im going to work my butt off wherever it is, and im just going to keep trying to make more changes in my life and help as many people as i can to come unto Christ. Thanks for everything. Ill find out where im going this Tuesday at 5pm our time, and ill let you know Monday where im at! Love Elder Anderson! oh and the picture is of the dinner with our pensionista and her daughter and our friends here in an Italian restaurant..it was our going away dinner to show her how much we apreciated everything..Hna Constanza is amazing! and has delicious food haha..