Christmas Day!

*Editors note:  Sorry it took me so long to get this typed up.  Also, I think I might be missing the last page...(the part that says Love, Sister Anderson)

Dear Family                                                                           December 24-25, 2012

Now is the time that I document my whole MTC Christmas experience.  Today has been awesome thusfar.  This morning we (my roomates, companion and I) got a scak breakfast and ate it in our room.  I had two donuts, an egg, and milk.  MmmmmJ  Then we (the same four plus some new people) went to our weekly service project.    I leaned sinks!  And I sang Christmas songs the entire time!  Then we had gym time.  The gym  was closed so I went to the fitness center.  I taught 3 elders how to row properly.  After gym time, I had personal study time for an hour.  Then lunch.  MmmmJ  During the hour of language study  I did quite a few things.  My favorite part was learning Helaman 5:30 in Chinese.  Then we had class for three hours.  We taught an investigator at 2:30.  It was AWESOME!  Sister L. and I were so in tune with each other and it really went well.  I love speaking Chinese SO MUCH J  I had an awesome spiritual experience the last hour of class.  BUT ONCE CLASS GOT OUT I WAS THRILLED!  Literally bouncing off the walls J  I love Christmas.  I miss you all, but I’m also so happy to be here J.  We headed to dinner.  Now I’m at our Christmas Eve fireside. J

I love you all so so so much!

Okay, This couldn’t wait for our Christmas program.  A bunch of missionaries were asked to be part of a nativity.  They were using a real baby until now.  Baby started crying, but the mom took him away and they pulled a doll out from under the manger LOL!  Knod of hilarious.  Maybe you had to be there…but I was dying of laughter along with the other 2000 missionaries here.  LOL!

Oh and the narrators are speaking so slowly.  I think they are trying to be dramatic, but it RIDIC HOW SLOW THEY ARE SPEAKING!

Okay, it’s Christmas now.

Yesterday after the nativity, we watched “A Christmas Carol” and ate popcorn.  MmmmJ  It was kind of a scary version of the movie and I spooked SisterL. When I grabbed her shoulder and yelled “boo”.  Shans, I though of you JLOL!  After the film, there was a mad rush to be the classroom buildings to get our stuff and head back to the residence houseJ.  My roomates and I (since P-day and Christmas is the same) prepared ourselves to wake up early for laundry.  We got to bed exactly at 10:25 after saying family prayer and opening one gift (thank you for the Christmas socks)  Our alarm was set for 5:30.  And we settled in to sleep.

Then something STRANGE happened J  I rolled over and woke up to see that we had slept in!  It was 20 til!  We were suppose to wake up at 5:30.  I jumped out of bed calling to my roommates that we were late!  I yelled, “ShengDan jie Kuaile”, I’m turning on the light!  Then flicked it on.  Sister L. rolled over to say her morning prayers.  Sister B. asked the time while Sister G. just groaned, not ready to get up.  I said that it’s “shier” and started to say the time but I couldn’t think how to say it in Chinese, so I just quite and said “twenty til”.  Then I looked again at my clock and saw that it was 12:40!  Ahhh!  So embarrassing.  I apologized for my mistake and turned off the light.  Needless to say, we had a good laugh.  I’m still laughing about it.  The crazy part is that when I said the time in Chinese, I said 12.  So somewhere it must have clicked.  Whoopsies!

AnywayJ I woke up a lot during the night worried about getting up in time for laundry.

We got up at 5;30, and got our laundry in a little before 6.  We spent the rest of the morning getting ready while our clothes washed, then going back to switch it over then getting ready while they dried, then picking them up, folding, opening gifts.  Breakfast was good.  Not quite mom’s breakfast casserole, but it’ll do in a pinch J  Breakfast  led right into choir practice.  Now I’m just sitting here waiting for our guest speaker to arrive in 10 minutes.  I love you all so so much J

It’s Elder Nelson!  And I lost my pen.  Sad day!

And now I found it.  I’m in my classroom now writing more letters I’ll write more about the remarks in my email…which you’ll get before you get this letter.

Okay, it’s now 9:30pm and I feel like I have so much writing left to do.  Today after I wrote this (above), I emailed home, then we had a great lunch: turkey, stuffing, potatoes, the works!  They take care of us.  Then we had a district meeting where we discussed the meeting we had with Elder Nelson.  It was a nice discussion, but it was obvious that everyone was tired.  After the meeting the Elders walked ot the temple.  Sister L and I came back to the residency where I took a twenty minute nap.  It was much needed.  When I woke up we got ready real quick and went to stand in line for seats at the talent show.  While we were in line, Elder V. and his companion Elder J asked us to save them seats (they are our friends from the classrooms across the hall going to Korea)  The talent show was awesome.  Sister B. ROCKED it on the piano.  After the show, we had 5 minutes to run to the bathroom and head back to our seats.  We got to hear Greg Olsen speak.  He’s an artist.  His fireside was stellar.  The things he said really brought me closer to Christ because he talked about what Christ may have been like as a baby/child.  It was interesting.

After the fireside we headed home for a sack dinner in our rooms.  It was delicious.  Okay, just a ham sandwich, chips, and sprite.  LOL J

At seven, we (well, really 6:45) went back to the big building to watch “It’s A Wonderful Life”  I had never seen it before.  I loved it so much!  I’m a little surprised that they let us watch it at the MTC though/on a mission.  It’s such a feel good movie.  I will admit though, after watching it, all I could think was “I LOVE LOVE!”  Which I say all the time.  Elder J heard me yell that in my classroom building and told me to lock my heart LOL!    Consider it locked!!  Double locked.  Anyway, now I’m on my bed and I still have a lot to do before bed.  But I’ll leave you with this.  I thought about you guys all day.

An unexpected email...

They told me I'm supposed to email you because I went to a podiatrist today. Anyway I'm doing well. Yesterday morning I fell down playing basketball and rolled my ankle. They sent me to the doctor and they referred me to a podiatrist. I was on crutches yesterday and today. At the podiatrist they took some x-rays and concluded that I tore a ligament on the side of my foot. They gave me a brace and a post-op shoe. I have to wear the shoe for a couple days and the brace for a month or so. On January 17th I have a follow up appointment to see if the ligament is healing itself. If not, then they'll have to repair it in whatever way they repair ligaments (I think that means surgery). I guess we'll see what happens. For now I just have this boot get up and when it hurts badly I need to use the crutches--which I might do tonight becuase it's starting to irritate me. Anyway, I don't want anyone to be alarmed. Just keep me in your prayers.

 

I love you all,

 

Sister Anderson

Happy New Year!

*Editors Note:  I usually take out all the personal notes/stuff from her to the family, but thought you might like a little peep into her personality, so I left it all in this time...

Hey Family,

 

In T minus 21 days I'm going to Taiwan! Holla!!!

 

Okay so first I have individual things to say to each of you because you all wrote to me this week! That is the most exciting part of receiving dear elders! I love seeing letters from my siblings. I can feel all of your support and it thrills me! I'm writing to you all in no particular order (well it's the order that I opened your letters actually).

 

Garrett: I'm so glad you got a bunch of new clothes. You probably look awesome. Sweet shoes, bro! I still have pictures of you on my camera from you allstars meet. I love to show those to people. I'm glad you enjoyed Christmas. Sorry I missed it. I just had so many things going on that I couldn't make it back to Virginia. (: I anticipate missing next year too. But not to worry, two years from now I'm all yours! I really enjoyed reading your testimony about Joon's baptism. Continue to seek spiritual experiences like that and when you feel the Lord's love, write it down. If you write those experiences down then you won't forget and I know that you'll keep growing in the gospel.

 

Braeden: Congratulations on seeing Les Mis! Promise to watch it again with me when I get home? You're the best! I'm still a four square champion. Well I'm exaggerating. I've never REALLY been the best, but I have a great time and the elder's totally accept me in all my glory and goofiness. I'm still really silly. I make faces all the time (and sister B has caught it on camera). Yesterday I was holding a book in front of my face and when I moved it away I was making faces at elder K. He thinks I'm crazy! All the elders do. Congratulations on the big stage run! I heard you were the star of the show. That doesn't surprise me at all and I would expect nothing less.

 

I love you both immensely!

 

Sham: There is a letter in the mail on its way to you. (: Thanks for the pictures! Shandi, everyone agrees that you are the most beautiful girl in the world... And the elders are quick to tell me that you far exceed my very best self. I can't decide if it's a compliment to you or a dis to me. Lol.

 

Dad: Thank you for sharing your experience at the temple. I know that is the house of the Lord and he is always working miracles there. The temple here has been closed, but I look forward to doing a session next Tuesday! I love you so much and even though I don't hear from you always, I can tell you love me. All of your prayers have really made an impact on me. Elder M showed me your letter. I didn't read it but I got a kick out of the fact that you wrote to him! He's awesome and we're best friends. He just graduated in the spring so he's like a little brother to me. And somehow we've come to the conclusion that he will be my future husband's best man. Lol. Pray for him because he is really sick right now.

 

Mom: I got my letter from you last week. It's weird that it took so long, but thank you. You can email me pictures but I have no way of printing them. I would like hard copies of the kids from my daycare if possible, but everything else is fine via email (except if you hope that I will look at them other days because I can only look at the emailed ones on Tuesdays). It's your preference. Thank you for stopping by the daycare. You are the greatest. And congratulations on your mainstage debut. You were probably an amazing mrs. fezziwig (:  Oh I need a new hairbrush. I've had mine for years and it's falling apart. :(

This week I think we're getting a new MTC presidency. I'll miss President Brown. Everytime I see him I make sure I thank him for his work. He always tells me that I'm awesome. I have no idea where he's getting this information. Lol.

 

Tonight I'm saying the closing prayer at the devotional with the general authority (I don't know who is speaking yet). Wish me luck. There will be a couple thousand missionaries watching!

 

S. mentioned in her letter to me that she wanted to know what the music coordinator does. I thought I would share that with everyone. Basically that means I picked the music sung/pianist/conductor for priesthood and sacrament meeting. I also arranged a special musical number for each Sunday and also made sure everyone had copies of the music in Chinese because our meeting is primarily in Chinese.

I was released from that calling on Sunday and called to be the new coordinating sister. This means that I watch out for all the girls in our mini relief society (there are 8 of us). I'll also welcome the new girls that are arriving the 9th and maybe the new girls coming on Jan 20. All of use are Chinese speaking. I also deal with any immediate issues that I can deal with and send the rest up to the branch presidency. I love this calling so far. My girls are so sweet and I just am filled with love for them. I work closely with the district leaders and the zone leaders too. It's awesome because I'm getting to know people in other districts much better.

 

Chinese is coming well. I officially have 7 scirptures memorized. This week I'm memorizing 3 more I think. It kinds of blows my mind how much I'm progressing. It is so weird when people ask me questions in lessons that I can answer completely in Chinese just off the top of my head. I speak the language as much as possible and I'm starting to speak much more fluid and quick. It's really a cool experience. I am so blessed to have this opportunity and I can't thank the Lord enough for all the help He has given me in learning this language.

 

Mom mentioned that on sister B.'s blog you find out more about our daily schedule. I'm sorry if I'm boring you all too much with other things. Our daily schedule is pretty much always the same. We eat three meals a day. We have gym time. We have two class periods. We have two hours for language study (except for on Monday and Wednesday) and one hour for personal study. On Mondays we do a service project and on Wednesdays we have a workshop (best part of the week). On Saturday's during class time we teach at the TRC (teaching resource center) where we teach volunteers who are usually already members of the church. On Tuesdays we have preparation day (so the schedule is different) and the schedule is also different on Sundays. That's pretty much it. The moral of the story is that my time is planned out very thoroughly and I'm always seeking new ways to further the Kingdom of God. I'm looking forward to getting out to Taiwan. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

 

The other day we were talking about our younger siblings and the examples we are setting for them. (By we I mean my district of 6 elders, and sister L. and I). Little brothers, I really hope you are reading my emails. I would love to get your feedback on things that maybe I could work on and how I can solve some of the problems that I may have. Also, if you read any good scriptures I want to hear about them. Here's a challenge. For every sunday in the month of January, send me a scripture (via dear elder) that means something to you. It can be about any topic  but I want to hear what it means to you. Will you do that? It would make me so happy! (:

 

Okay I want to leave you all with a spiritual thought. Read Matthew 14:23-24. After Christ fed the 5,000 he went up to a mountain to pray. From the mountain He could see the ship of the apostles being tossed around. He immediately went to help them. This is when he walked on water. My question is where is the miracle? Feeding the 5,000? Walking on water? Both are indeed miracles, but the miracle here for me is that Christ is AWARE of our circumstances. He knows what troubles we are facing because He stands on higher ground. He is on the mountain watching out for our safety.

 

Now read vs 28. This is the essence of faith. Aligning our will with the Lord's and through Him performing miracles. As we pray we submit our will to God's and He will use us as tools in His kingdom. How great is this?

 

I would love to elaborate more on these but I've gone over time. Take the time to think about these scriptures. How has the Lord blessed you? Thank Him for that and I know He will continue to bless you all.

 

I love you so much!

 

Love,

Cae Cae

 

A Christmas Miracle

Okay actually I have no Christmas miracle to tell you about (:

Starting yesterday I have been writing down everything about Christmas Eve and Christmas in a letter that I will send out tomorrow. You have that to look forward to (:

 

Okay first items of business before I get to the meat. (PS I'm writing personal letters to home today also)

Thank you so much for the package you sent me. It took some serious patience, but I waited until today to open it. I love everything so much! Especially the tiny yellow puppy who now bears the name of O'Henry. Everyone loves O'Henry. (:

I opened the Oh's early and have been sharing them with people at breakfast on Sundays. It's perfect (:

 

Chinese is going very well! I now have 5 scriptures memorized in Chinese. Alma 7:11-14, 1 Nephi 3:7, Helaman 5:30, Moses 1:39, Moroni 10:4-5

 

Merry Christmas, everyone! I miss you all a ton and everytime I look down at my clock I wonder what you could possibly be doing. I think about all of you a lot. Of course I miss you, but I'm happy to say that working hard makes it easy to bear. My heart is very full today with love for everyone and I wish you all could feel the spirit that is here at the MTC today. It is so strong.

 

Ps. Elder Nelson says Merry Christmas!

Double Ps. It is truly a remarkable feeling when an apostle of the Lord tells you that he knows Jesus Christ is happy for my work.

 

Okay I have lot's of things to write about things I've learned. They are of a more serious nature and I hope as you read this you will know how truly grateful I am for the Savior's atoning sacrifice.

 

I was reading in Enos 1:27. Enos in this verse mentions how excited he is to see the Savior again (considering he is going to die soon). As I read about the joy in his heart knowing that through Christ, he could receive rest, I was so touched. He really did have a testimony of the atonement. I want to add my testimony to his and let you all know that I know with a surety of knowledge that all your pains, fears, guilt, EVERYTHING can be healed through the atonement of Jesus Christ. Elder Nelson mentioned that this is our Christmas gift to the world. The gift has already been given. Receive it. In a discussion on Sunday about the atonement in a district meeting I felt very full of the spirit and wrote these words afterwards in my journal. "I know that I am supposed to be a missionary right now. I know that everyone can be healed through the atonement." AS A REPRESENTATIVE OF GOD, I CAN TELL YOU THAT ALL THINGS CAN BE OVERCOME THROUGH THE INFINATE ATONEMENT OF OUR SAVIOR AND REDEEMER OF THE WORLD, JESUS CHRIST! Come unto him, all ye that are heavy laden, and He shall give you rest. Learn of Him, for His yoke is easy and His burden is light. I absolutely know without any doubt or reservations that families are eternal. After death, hope does not end. After death families do not separate. After death we do indeed live again. We can live again with our Heavenly Father, our creator. And we can do it with our families. This is indeed such a great message. I am not scared to be separated from my family on a mission because I know that no matter what happens, we will be together for eternity. Thank you mom and dad for being worthy to be sealed in the temple of the Lord for time and all eternity so that we can be a forever family.

 

I don't have much time left because we only have 20 minutes today. I have gained a testimony recently of the apostacy. That seems like an odd thing to testify, but I'm telling you, without the apostacy there would be no need for a restoration. AND I KNOW that Christ's gospel was restored. There are SO many evidences of the great apostacy. Maybe I can go in more depth another time, but I know of ten different ones. The first being that the Bible ended. Anyway, I digress. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. It contains the fulness of the Gospel. As people read the Book of Mormon and the Bible together, they WILL gain a testimony of the entire gospel.

 

No more time, but I encourage you all to BE BOLD!

 

In the TRC last saturday we invited the boy we taught to never miss a day where he shares the gospel or some piece of it with others. I send the same invitation home. SHARE YOUR TESTIMONY! There is power in that.

 

I love you all!

 

Love,

Micaela

Chinese is going great!

Hey family. I am so glad to be writing to you again. First, some items of business. Since Christmas is on my PDAY I'm not sure when I'll get to email home--but don't worry. I will email sometime ON CHRISTMAS. I will make sure that happens. I love you all so much and even though I'm missing Christmas in Virginia, I know that I'm in the right place here and they will take good care of me. Also, just like I sent home a letter on Thanksgiving, I'm going to keep my notebook with me and tell you EVERYTHING that I do/feel on Christmas so you can experience it with me!

Next- the other day I ran into an Elder Utsch from Edmond Oklahoma. He's in Aunt Leslie's ward. PLUS Uncle Les was his home teacher. Small world, huh?

Things are going great out here. I sing in the choir every week--which is so awesome. Also, tomorrow we're getting a new group of 19 missionaries!! SO CRAZY! I'm thrilled (: My roommates and I have, in light of the newcoming kiddos, stepped things up. We try to SYL as much as possible and we're really working hard to be perfectly obedient so that we can set a good example for the new missionaries. Plus, on January 6th we get ANOTHER load of new Chinese speaking missionaries! I LOVE MISSIONARIES!

Chinese is going well. Now that our older generation has left to go to the mission field, we have a lot more pressure. Sister Latimer and I are the music coordinators for our branch. (Which i feel like i may have mentioned last week... whoopsies). Anyway, we also all have to give talks in Sacrament meeting. We all prepare a talk before hand and during the meeting we are called up at random to speak. It's incredible intimidating. ESPECIALLY BECAUSE WE HAVE TO USE CHINESE! Eeeek! Here's some good news about the language though! This morning, my roommates informed me that I was sleep talking all night (like literally all night) and it was in Chinese! How great is  that?! I guess that means I'm dreaming in Chinese--even though I don't remember my dreams.

Here's a great thing though. I'm really working on relying on the spirit more during our lessons (rather  than having so much of a script). I think it has helped a lot. Our last lesson (with an investigator that has not been particularly receptive) was awesome. We told him that we missed him at church on Sunday (because he informed us that he couldn't go since he had a softball game). This was still part of the chit chat at the beginning so we didn't ever actually end up saying an opening prayer. We told him that the joy he feels while playing sports is even less than what he could feel at church. Then we talked to him about the importance of going to church and about how he will be blessed if he comes. We ended up having a very spiritual lesson about keeping the sabbath day holy (and we never even started our lesson about the Plan of Salvation)!

It was cool!

Also, Sister Ganowski (from St. George) got a pie in the mail from her mom. After we finished eating it (which I didn't actually get any...) we gave the plate to Sister Frischneck (whose husband is Grandpas doctor). She cleaned it up for us and filled it with goodies. We made a card with an invitation to always come closer to Christ and gave it to her to give it to a less active woman in her ward. I really hope that the things we wrote in the card will touch her heart.

ALSKDJFEIOWASL;KDFJ AHHHHHH!!! I'M SO EXCITED THAT NELLY IS MEETING WITH THE MISSIONARIES! I literally cried when I found that out. And I wrote a letter to Elder Gronning. I have been praying so much for her and I finally feel like that prayer is getting answered. I couldn't be happier now. I know that if she continues to meet with them, she will find sincere joy in this life and eternal happiness in the life to come! Today I have been sharing the good news with everyone! I"m just so thrilled. (: (: (: (:

Okay, in the last little bit, I want to share what I have learned this week. Well actually I have learned a lot.

First-- something about Christmas. We watch music and the spoken word every Sunday before Relief Society. This is what touched me. "The real spirit of Christmas is giving everything you have no matter how small a gift. I hope to dedicate my life to nothing less than that." That's exactly how I feel right now. All I want to do right now is dedicate every single day of my life to the Lord. How lucky am I that I get to do this?! I couldn't be happier. I'm antsy to get out to Taiwan for that very reason!

Okay now I want to really talk about how important the Gospel of Christ is. A quote that we heard in our workshop on Wednesday was from Elder Christofferson. He said "There's a large difference between sharing information and offering salvation." The obvious meaning of this is that we need to have the spirit present when we teach, but what I got out of it was much deeper. I am not out here to simply tell people about the Gospel. I am on a mission because I want to offer people the greatest gift there is--salvation. I want everyone to know that they can be with their families for eternity. They can find happiness to a degree that they never imagined and through the atonement of Christ they can be completely cleansed from any sin or transgression. Not only that, but Christ took upon himself all the pains of this world. THIS MESSAGE IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MESSAGE IN THE WORLD! I am so happy to share it. With that in mind-- I invite everyone who knows about the Gospel to PLEASE SHARE IT! People may think you are weird, but there will be someone within the sound of your voice who is ready to hear the word of God--and is seeking it with all their heart. I know this because I have done it. Sister Dalton told us this in Relief Society on Sunday, "Don't be hesitant to bear your witness that Jesus is the Christ. He is the son of God. He came into this world to save us all and through Him we can return to live with Heavenly Father again." OUR MESSAGE IS GREAT AND OUR MESSAGE IS TRUE! Seriously though. I have never felt more strongly about something in my whole life. Do NOT be afraid to share the gospel. We were born in this day because we PROMISED the Lord we would share His message. That is exactly what we should be doing. Never let a day go by where you don't share your testimony of the power of Christ to someone you know or just barely meet. In the recent weeks, I have been memorizing Alma 7:11-14 in Chinese (which I'm almost done doing). I promise that the things this scripture says are true. I promise that the Book of Mormon is indeed the word of God. I know that we are ALL children of a loving Heavenly Father and he loves us so dearly. I KNOW without a doubt that families can be together forever if we follow the example of Christ and join His fold.

I don't have much time left. I hope that you all know how much I absolutely love this Gospel. I don't feel like I put it very adequately, but I do know what I know. This is the Church of Jesus Christ. And it IS true. Completely.

I love you all.

Godspeed,

Sister Micaela Anderson

6 Weeks in the MTC

Wow! I can't believe I've been out for six weeks! I'm halfway through my MTC time. It's amazing to me how much I've grown and progressed both spiritually and with my Chinese. There really is a spirit of progression here at the MTC. I know that this spirit that I feel daily can be felt anywhere--by reading the Book of Mormon. that has kind of been the theme of this week. Study the scriptures and you shall find answers to ALL of your questions. I really have a testimony of the scriptures... especially the Book of Mormon. Before I get all spiritual, I guess I should mention some of the cool things from this week.

I talked to President McIff of the Mission presidency in the cafeteria the other day. He knows Grandpa Anderson and told me I have great grandparents. He's right--and even though he doesn't know all my grandparents, I know all four of you and I think ALL of you are fantastic and such incredible examples of faith for me.

Today I had lunch with President Brown. This is our third encounter.... Everytime we run into each other I have been wearing a different pair of glasses. It always confuses him at first. After a conversation with him at lunch, he told my companion and I that he is proud to have us here and he feels very strongly that we are here for the right reasons. (Please note, he asked if I had a boy waiting for me  back home. SO HILARIOUS! I laughed out loud and told him that of course I don't!)

This past Saturday, one of my best friends (Kyle Bishop) volunteered at the TRC. At the TRC we practice giving lessons in Chinese to members who speak the language. It's mostly good practice to speak Chinese with people who understand what you are talking about and can give you some good feedback. Teaching Kyle was probably the highlight of my weekend. The spirit was really strong in our lesson and we were all uplifted together.

Also this weekend, Sister Latimer and I were called as music coordinators for our branch. This means we pick the hymns for Sacrament ad Priesthood meetings. Awesome!

I've discovered something this past week that has been AMAZING! It's called planning. LOL! In the life of a missionary, you take the time every evening from 9:00-9:30pm to plan for the next day. My favorite part about this is making a language study plan. This essentially means that every minute of everyday is planned out and I am studying Chinese during any down time... Literally. I bring my flashcards to gym and study new vocab while I'm waiting in line to play four square. I have noticed a huge difference in my day since I started doing this. I have been learning roughly 30 words a day plus any extras that I need for my lessons. I have also begun to memorize scriptures. This week I've been memorizing Alma 7:11-12 in Chinese (and I still plan to do verse 13). It's an amazing scriptures.  
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
  12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
13 Now the Spirit knoweth all things; nevertheless the Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance; and now behold, this is the testimony which is in me. 

Basically I have learned a lot about how to make this time the most beneficial. I have noticed since my planning has improved that the gift of tongues has also come easier. Last night, as a district, we read our scriptures together. We usually do this in English, but now we're starting to read in Chinese. We read and discuss the scriptures completely in Chinese. Last night we started in Alma 26. We only made it through the first eight verses. It was amazing to me how much I understood without having to look up the English. When we discussed the scriptures and what we got out of it, I was happy to share my thoughts. I felt very strongly after reading these scriptures that God will truly make me an instrument in his hands. I feel so blessed to have this opportunity. I know He will help me learn Chinese and that all my progression comes from His goodness. I shared that with my class. A few other elders added their testimonies to mine. It was a very special moment. And it was all in Chinese. The gift of tongues is real!

Today my companion and I went to the temple (it's the best part about Tuesdays). As we were leaving I ran into my friend Lizzie Tutt from my major at BYU. She comes into the MTC on January 9 (give or take). She's going to Vancouver Canada. I'm so happy for her! I also ran into a girl who enters the MTC in February going to Taiwan Taipei. She told me she was a little nervous, but I told her not to worry because the gift of tongues is real. (I probably sound like a broken record!)

In my personal study everyday I have been devoting about 15 minutes to studying the life of Christ. I decided a week or so ago that I need to start being more like Christ. He really is the greatest role model. I have learned so much since I began this study and I have noticed my heart begin to change. I hope that when people meet me they are reminded of Christ and grow in their desire to know Him better. My most recent personal revelation is about the things I say. I have decided to start being more aware of what I say and also how I say it. Words really do affect people. I don't want to hurt anyone, so it's important to watch myself in that aspect.

I also thought today as I read Matthew 7 about judging others. It's easy to be judgmental, but I really want to start working on doing less of that. It will also probably be easier to speak kindly if there is no judgment in my heart and mind.

I have also decided in my time here (but mostly today) that I need to be better at applying the gospel precepts to my life. Since I desire to be more Christ-like, I know this will really help. Basically I want to do what Nephi mentions in 1 Nephi 19:23. Everything I read, I need to apply to my life in some way. I've dont a much better job of that in the more recent days. Today, while reading the end of Matthew 7 (the parable about the wise man who builds his house on a rock), I decided that someday when I'm a mother, I want to be able to have a stable home where my kids can grow in the gospel and feel comfortable turning to the Lord for all things. I know that's a long time from now, but it's the revelation I received today and I'm sure it will help any mother's who are out there. I know that as we strive to live like Christ, our children (or mine in the future as the case is) will also have the desire to find that happiness that we enjoy through living a virtuous and honorable life. In a world where standards are increasingly lowering, this will be a useful principle to live by.

Lastly, go read Doctrine and Covenants 31:6. It's all about how my family will be blessed during my service. I am happy to be out here and I find great comfort in this promise. I miss you all of course, but I've never felt like I have done anything more important in my life than I am right now. This chruch is true and I am so blessed to be part of the work of helping other people understand their purpose in life. I know that we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father. He loves us and will give us the revelation we need to return to him through prophets, scriptures, and our own personal revelation. Continue to seek after the things of God and I know he will bring all things to your knowledge.

I love you so much family. Stay safe. Give everyone an extra hug for me every day (:

Love always,

Sister Micaela Anderson

Another suitor for the princess...12/4/12

and by suitor for the princess i mean letter from the princess.  (:

 

There's kind of a lot to say today, but at the same time not.

First of all, I made the connection on Sunday that President Baker, my branch president out here, was Uncle David's mission president. Cool, huh?

 

Next. Remember how I had that amazing spiritual experience on Thanksgiving? Well after I found out that Grandpa Anderson knows President Brown and President McCiff because they are retired physicians, I resolved to talk to President Brown about it. After the Christmas devotional on Sunday, I headed over to talk to President Brown. Because I was wearing large white glasses and my hair covered my nametag, he didn't recognize me immediately. Once we started talking though, he realized that it was me who had that experience with him on Thanksgiving. He took my hand in his and grasped it tightly. While shaking it he said, "Sister Anderson, that moment that we shared on Thanksgiving was one of the most tender moments I've had with a missionary in my whole experience working at the MTC." I was so touched by what he said. It really was such a great moment for me that Thanksgiving day. It was that moment when I really felt an incredible amount of gratitude for the opportunity I have to be a missionary. I still feel so blessed for this opportunity. Of course I love it here at the MTC and I still/will always have a special place in my heart for the game of four-square. But what means the most to me right now is that every day I have the opportunity to wake up and spend my entire day thinking about what I can do to make myself a better servant of the Lord? I am constantly asking myself the question, "What will I do today to help further the Kingdom of God?" I have never felt more grateful for any opportunity in my whole life. I love the work I am doing. Although I have moments where I feel very down and I feel like my Chinese has peaked, I still feel so grateful for the work I am called to do.

 

I got a letter from Liz this week (so uplifting). She taught me to always follow my promptings with no hesitation. The day after I got that letter from Liz, I received a letter from Sarah (best friend Sarah) which also mentioned something about following promptings. This is my resolve-- I am going to be the kind of missionary that the Lord can trust to give revelation to because I will act upon it immediately.

I also got a good laugh from Liz's letter. I shared some of it with my friends here. I think we can all agree that you (Liz) are a hoot... and I follow in those footsteps. Thank you also for your words about obedience. You're right, it's not a bad thing to be judged for your perfect obedience. I am doing better at being perfectly obedient and I have noticed a difference in the experiences that I am having out here because of it.

 

Tell Grandma Teel that I got her letter. I'm sorry I didn't respond to it by hand. I really appreciated it. Sister Ganowski (whom Grandma mentioned in the letter) is indeed from St. George.

 

Garrett and Braeden, there are letters in the mail for you two today. Also, Shandi/Sam and Mom. You have letters coming too. I wrote these a couple days ago so they are slightly outdated. Lol. Things move so quickly around here!

I pray for you all on a regular basis and I trust that the Lord will keep you safe and protected.

 

Speaking of safe and protected, I don't want to alarm anyone, but I may or may not have a decent sized gash in my head. Whoopsies! Actually it really is nothing bigger than a hilarious story. Yesterday I was scratching my head in the morning and I felt a bump on the top. I figured I just had something stuck in there-- which is actually a weird conclusion to come to. After further examination we realized that the bump was actually my head. I just cut it open slightly and there was some dried blood on it. Sister Burrows washed it off for me and put some stuff on it to keep the oils from my head from infecting it. Here's the crazy part... I HAVE NO IDEA WHERE IT CAME FROM! Kind of hilarious! I took a picture of it later that you can see when I send my memory card home.

 

Okay be warned, the rest of my letter is entirely spiritual.

 

The other day, I decided that I would be wise of me to memorize Joseph Smith's first vision in Chinese. I spent about forty minutes focusing on that during my language study that same day. (I believe this was Friday). That afternoon we had a lesson with our investigater He Jie Mei in which we talked to her about the restoration. When we got to the part about Joseph Smith, I told her about how he wanted to know which church to join. We read James 1:5 with her and told her that Joseph decided to pray to receive an answer just as the scripture says. Then I lead into the first vision and said "this is what he wrote about his experience." (Except in Chinese). I recounted the first vision to her in Chinese. The spirit was so strong. When I got to the last line "This is my Beloved son, here him" "Zhe shi wode Aizi. Ting Ta Shuo," the spirit was so strong. Tears were filling all of our eyes. I testified to her and I testify to you that Joseph Smith SAW God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. I have never been more sure of anything in my life. Later in the lesson we asked her to kneel with us and pray for herself about our message. After she prayed I invited her to be baptized in January and she said yes! It was the greatest feeling. Even though this is just a case study, I know the spirit was present. The Lord will help me be a teacher of His gospel in Chinese. I have never felt more lifted by Him in my life. The moral of the story is that the church is true. I'm not sure who reads these letters I send home, but if you haven't ever read the Book of Mormon or if you aren't currently reading it diligently, Start Now! There is power in this book that will change your life for eternity. I know that Heavenly Father sent us this book to help us learn and grow. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I invite all who read this to come unto Christ. Read the Book of Mormon. Receive your own personal witness of it's truthfulness.

 

Speaking of the Book of Mormon, I want to share something that I dicided during my studies. In 2 Nephi 28:13, it mentions that the meek will be persecuted. That is unimportant to my story. The important part is the word meek. I have made it my personal goal to become as meek as possible. I spent the next 30 minutes studying what meek is and I came to this conclusion. Matthew 11:28-30. Christ says this "Learn of me; for I am meek." Ultimately, the conclusion I came to about being meek is that what I must do is spend a few minutes everyday studying the life of Christ. As I learn of Him, I will have the desire to always strive to be like Him. As this desire grows in my heart, it will direct my actions. Basically, I can become like Christ. I can be meek and humble like Him, but first I must study Him and learn about Him. I look forward to doing this. I know that as I become more like Christ, I will be able to help bring other closer to Him. I can help people find His gospel and find the peace and happiness that I have felt everyday here.

 

I'm out of time, but I couldn't be happier right now.

 

I love you all immensely.

 

Love,

Sister Micaela Anderson