physically starving, spiritually fed

'm really really really hungry right now. But the good news is that I'm still filled spiritually after this last week when Elder Holland came and spoke to us!

I'll write more about that a little later!

I have to tell you a story that our district leader told us. So there was a family. They had three kids and a turtle and two parents of course. One day the turtle didn't have a head or any of it's legs. The distraught children when to their dad and told him their turtle had died. So the dad, being the good parent that he is decided they could have a funeral for it. He assigned each child their different roles. The oldest was to make the epitaph. The second child was in charge of writing a program for the funeral services. And the youngest child was in charge of the coffin. After a few hours of planning and preparing for a beautiful funeral ceremony they went to the cage to put the turtle in his coffin. They stopped just in time to realize that the turtle had come back alive and had the appropriate 4 limbs and a head. All their work was for nothing. "No!" said the oldest kid, "Let's kill it!"

I don't remember why he told us this story. But I think it's hilarious. You take what you want from it!

The other day we taught our investigator D. about the word of wisdom. He is a good man... that has a problem with everything on the list. Obviously he said the toughest to give up would be smoking. He agreed to do try though in hopes that this time it'll work for good. And thus at the end of the lesson I asked him if he had anything on his person that shouldn't be there. He quickly reached in his pocket and gave me a half smoked pack of cigarettes. After which, my companion said "anymore?" To which he reached into his other pocket and gave me and almost full pack of cigarettes. Good for him. I biked home with two packs of cigarettes in my jacket pocket. I never thought I would say that sentence! It was weird.

We have been really cold in our apartment recently-- but my awesome companion who is not afraid to admit when something is wrong told the people at the mission office and had them send us really big, fluffy, comfortable blankets!

I've been feeling a little pressure to be perfect recently since we're going to start doing exchanges almost every week until the end of my mission. It was kind of stressing me out (for about 10 minutes one day--- because I don't really let things stress me out) and then I got better because I went on exchanges with my old sister training leader and she talked to me about how what matters is that I do things the best I can and just be the kind of leader that sisters can trust and learn from. That's not too bad. I think I can do it. We have two exchanges this week that will get us started for a very fast, very busy transfer. And then I'll do it again next transfer.

I've had two really interesting dreams in the past few days. First was last night-- I dreamt that our house in Virginia was having problems and there was all kinds of nasty stuff leaking from the ceiling from the plumbing. How interesting is it that mom told me about plumbing issues in our house today. I'm gonna take that as a warning sign and tell the family-- I'm not sure how bad things are--- but it was NOT PRETTY in my dream. So I would just suggest we get that fixed. Lol.

The second was that I got home and we were at a swim meet and I accidentally ran into Braeden with out realizing it and knocked him into the pool. I didn't notice at all and just kept walking. I sat next to mom and she scolded me saying "Go back to Taiwan! You haven't changed from your mission at all so we do NOT want you back yet!" Needless to say I woke up a little shaken and spent the rest of the day and the next couple of days thinking about my mission and if I have really changed. I think I have-- but I think I just want to keep changing and becoming a more Christlike person. I hope that in the next two and a half months I have out here I will continue to improve so that when I get home I won't have the experience that I had dreamed about.

Just two days that dream we had the privilege of having Elder Holland come to our mission to visit with us. Well that is why I am spiritually fed! He had a lot of really great things to say and spoke to us for an extra half hour than originally planned. We didn't get home that evening until 10:40pm. I'm still really tired. But it was worth it. He said a lot of really great things and I felt the spirit very strongly. I'm so glad that I was able to have this experience on my mission. And let me just tell you-- shaking the hand of the apostle is intense. He told us later that when he shakes our hand he looks right into our eyes and interviews us. I'm not sure what he got out of our exchange. He said to me "Sister Anderson, how are you?" I said "Fine! How are you?" He said he's good. Then I asked if he's tired. He said yes. (And he probably thought-- well that was an obvious question). I'll admit-- I'm not that great at first impressions. But that is okay because it was still a fantastic evening. He talked to us about being more bold and persistent. And not holding anything back. He talked a lot about how our missions can change us if we let them. I thought it was a great answer to my prayers because I had been thinking of that already. The thing that touched me most was when he said (something along these lines) "I think I can speak for the world when I say we are proud of you. You don't realize this, but people hold you on a pedestal. They think you are perfect. Your mom, your dad, your brothers and sisters. They pray for you daily and they think you are perfect." At that moment I realized that you all really do pray for me daily. I always knew that, but I had a picture appear in my head of my little brothers kneeling down to pray before bed and asking God to bless and protect me. That was the first time it had clicked that strongly that you all pray for me. Thank you. I hope that I can be the missionary that you think I am and want me to be. I love you all and I appreciate your support and prayers.

I can send you a list of quotes that President Day wrote down that Elder Holland said:

Here are a few things I wrote in my notes concerning Elder Holland’s remarks. I know that many of you have much, much more:

·         “We only send the world’s best to Taiwan.”

·         “We didn’t get up this morning and decide to come here and share a fairy tale.”

·         In 24 months of his mission, everything was “turned upside down—or right side up” and he said, “I want that for you.”

·         “Don’t you ever leave anything to carry off the field.”

·         “Don’t go home with any regrets.”

·         “I want you for the rest of your life to feel like I did about my mission.”

·         “This is real life.  You will never come closer to real life than right here.”

·         “You are on an ascending curve.”

·         “Everything you want for your investigators, He wants for you.”

·         “You’ve got to be a little more persistent” and “not obnoxious but bold.”

·         “A ‘Preach My Gospel’ missionary is so in tune with the Spirit they can teach what they need to teach…”

·         “’Preach My Gospel’ says missionaries are to go to the people. We are going to find them where they are and take them from the Sacred Grove to the Garden of Gethsemane.”

·         “When we shake your hands we interview you.”

·         “I think this [Taiwan Taipei] mission is poised for the hastening of the work.”

·         “Why is this so hard?….Because salvation is not a cheap experience.”

·         “God never intended a mission to be easy.” 

·         “It cannot be easy for you because it was never easy for Him.”

·         “A little bit of your mission must be spent lugging a cross.”

·         “The road to salvation goes through the Garden of Gethsemane.”

·         “Don’t think you’re going to have a picnic in Taiwan.”

·         “You have to sign on for the whole experience.”

·         “Don’t spend time wondering why your mission is hard.”

·         “You are being shaped and molded into disciples of Christ.”

·         “Difficulties will make you more like the Son of God.”

·         “Your family has you on a pedestal.”

·         Next to possibly General Authorities, “you are the most prayed over group in the Church”

·         “Everyone wants their children to grow up and be just like you.”

·         “We’ll absolutely change the world.”

Take these words and ponder them.

And let’s absolutely change the world.

 ^^ That last part and very first part was President Day.

Two funny things: I ate spicy chocolate yesterday. It was bizarre. And also after church a member (who I think is less active) came up to me and said "Hey, do you want to get dinner with me on Friday night?"

uhhhhhhhhhh... no.

It was really awkward.

Lastly, this past Saturday our investigator got baptized. It was a wonderful event. 

P.S. I forgot to mention this lady. This is part of my letter to president this week.

We met yesterday with a lady that Sister Bang and I found before the New Year. We went to her house and had an amazing experience. When the member who was there said the opening prayer Sister C. (the investigator) said she got goosebumps out of nowhere. We explained about the Holy Ghost. Then taught her about baptism and confirmation and more about God and the Book of Mormon. She had a lot of really good questions and she looks forward to coming to church, reading the Book of Mormon, and praying in hopes that she can feel that again. When it was her turn to say the closing prayer she felt it again. After the prayer she showed us her goosebumps and the tears that had started in her eyes, blotting them away quickly with a tissue. As we testified of the feelings that she felt, the spirit continued to pour itself out on her. She will be baptized on March 22. I love her so much.

Double P.S. Psalms 27:14

"Wait on the Lord, be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord."

I hope you all know that I love God. <3