Monday, September 30, 2013~Week 7 Quezon City; 12:47 PM Mon (PH); 10:47 PM Sun (US)

Kumusta pamilya at mga kaibigan!

First of all, HAPPY BIRTHDAY ON SATURDAY MOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'm so sad that I'm missing it! But just know that I'll be thinking about you all day!!! You are literally the best mom in the whole entire world and I miss you more than I ever have in my whole life!!!! Your birthday letter will be late but it's coming!!!

The flight from LAX to Hong Kong took 14.5 hours

After a 4 hour layover the group headed to Manila

Sisters Andersen and Sims arriving in the Philippines!

                  Well.... I'm here in the Philippines! I made it! Just as a quick side note for Nick, ya know in the Bourne Legacy where they have the motorcycle chase? That was filmed in Manila and YES THE DRIVERS ARE LITERALLY THAT INSANE! It's amazing that I haven't seen someone die or crash! There are NO rules! People just walk in the middle of the street and jeepneys and bikes and cars and tricycles and EVERYONE just cuts in front of other people and they all honk but it doesn't really matter because nobody even cares! It's crazy! If you can drive in the Philippines, you can drive anywhere!  And it definitely smells here. Sometimes I wanna throw up but maybe I'll get over it as time goes on. Hindi ko alam.

Soooo I'm just gonna go ahead and tell you a few things about this place. Umm I tried my very first mango ever at the President's house when we got there and it was HEAVEN!! I loved it! I didn't get my first bug bite until Saturday night and since then I've only received four more. I must not taste very good because everyone else is getting eaten alive!

Sisters Andersen and Jones

Oh yeah! My new kasama! Her name is Sister Jones and she's white! She's from Mesa Arizona and she's been in the field for like 8 months I think? I think after the end of this transfer she'll be at 9 months! She's very very nice and patient. I live in an apartment thing with two more Americans which they said is very unusual. That usually doesn't happen. But their names are Sister Hepworth and Sister Streble. They're also very nice! The area I'm in is the Quezon City South area and my kasama and I cover four parts of it. Pansol, Kainig 1 &2, Katipunan, and Daang-Tubo. Daang-Tubo is my least favorite place to go because it's the poorest. But like, it's really super gross. It's called the "squatter" area because the houses are basically just stacked on top of each other and you have to squat in a lot of them. It just stinks really really bad. Nonetheless, we still teach there!! 

EVERYBODY stares at me here! Because I'm white and I'm so tall! And they call me things like Beauty Queen, Barbie, Miss USA, and Miss America! Hahaha one investigator called me sexy and I was like what?! That is no allowed! Bawal! But apparently here it means like you have a good figure and you're tall. So that was kind of funny! Last night we were at a dinner appointment and a nonmember just started breastfeeding right in front of us. I knew it was gonna happen but I didn't think it would be so soon! Haha ahhhhh this place is crazy. Speaking of that dinner appointment, when they brought out the food, something that Brother Mansfield told me at lunch one time came straight back into my mind. We were in the cafeteria at the MTC and I was kind of playing with my food and examining it as you all, especially dad, know that I do very often and he said, "Sister, you have to learn not to look at the food or you will starve in the Philippines. Just close your eyes and eat it." And I definitely had to do that last night. It was the first time I've actually had a real Filipino meal and it tasted fine, but it looked like.....rat poison. So that was an adventure for sure. I ate it though! Yay me!

Our MTC teacher Brother Mansfield

Our other teacher Sister Briggs

 The showers are cold obviously but we at least have a shower head hose thing that we can use! BAH! The cockroaches flyyyyyyy!!! WHAT THE HECK!! THAT IS DISGUSTING!!! Luckily, I haven't seen any in our apartment. Lots of little itty bitty ants but they're easy to kill and sometimes it's a fun game to take a tissue and kill an entire trail of them. 

As far as the language goes, I did not learn a single thing in the MTC. Joke lang. I did. But I don't really know how to speak. I can understand them pretty well. And all I really do during the lessons is bear a really short, simple testimony but I think it's okay because that's all I really know how to do anyway. Pray that I will start learning how to speak it and that I will be able to understand how to use the structure! Pray, pray, pray!! 

That's so funny that you had the primary program yesterday! It was the primary program here too! And just to let you all know, there is a Jacob King or Max Morley in every part of the world. There's one little child that was screaming the songs basically! And when they would come up to speak into the microphone, ALL of them just yelled their part and it was painful to the ears but still adorable! 

Just for everyone's information, we get mail every two weeks here when they do a mail run. Also, we'll get the Relief Society Broadcast and General Conference a week later. I'm so excited for General Conference!! I can't wait!! 

Oh and mom!! THANK YOU FOR THE OATMEAL AND SPAGHETTI AND CHOCOLATE MILK!!! It has literally saved my life. It helped me feel a little more at home when I got here. They sell oatmeal here but it's a little different! So the food from home has been amazing and I use it sparingly so I can have it on days when I miss home! And thank you for sending my owl! Dad, it has been my best friend here! I sleep with him every night and I feel closer to home and to you and to the family!

Owl with the pillowcase made by Morgan M.

First morning!

I didn't really know what to expect when I got here but I know that it's harder than I thought it was going to be. The days are long and I'm still trying to get used to the schedule here but I know that it's worth it. I just want to bear testimony that I know that this is the Lord's work. And I know that this is where I am supposed to be at this time. It's hard and tiring and everything's dirty and I have been so blessed my whole life. They live without so much here! But I know that this is where I am supposed to be and this is what I am supposed to be doing because the Lord strengthens me every single day. I would not be able to do this without Him. I could never ever deal with leaving my home and my family and my friends and all the comfort that comes with just being home if I didn't know that this was important. I ask my Heavenly Father to give me strength every single morning and every single night and all throughout the day. Even if it's just enough strength to last for THAT day. And Every day he gives it to me. And I am so grateful!! 

I love you all SO SO SO SO SO SOOOOOOO much and miss you all too!!! Thank you for all your testimonies and words of encouragement and all your prayers!! I love you all!! You're amazing!! Mahal kita!!!

Love, Sister Andersen

Saturday, September 21, 2013~Week 6
Provo, MTC; 10:16 AM

Kumusta pamilya!! Sounds like everyone is doing well! This week has definitely been the best week at the MTC by far! SO many cool things! I probably won't even remember to tell you all everything because it was just such a good week but I'll try!! 

Tuesday we had my last Tuesday Devotional at the Marriott Center (tear) and it was so good but the best part was singing in the choir! We sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer" and it was A M A Z I N G!!! We sang it in a way that helped paint the picture of the first vision rather than just singing it! And the BEST part of the whole song is when Joseph sees the Father and the Son and we start to get all quiet and then we just stop and the piano stops and it's silent for about 2 seconds. And then we all sing a capella, "Joseph," (1 second pause) "this is my Beloved." (1 second pause) "Hear him!" (2 second pause) "Oh how sweet the word!! Joseph's humble prayer was answered! And he listened to the Lord! Oh what rapture filled his bosom! For he saw the Living God!" And then it's kind of like the narrator is saying "Do you understand what I'm telling you?!" Because then it says again, "Oh what rapture filled his bosom! For he saw the Living God! The Living God!!!!" And then it settles in how amazing this truly is and this time really softly and reverently we sang, "For he saw the Living God!" And then the piano plays a few notes and you can picture Joseph walking out of the grove of trees completely stunned and awestruck we sang, "Oh how lovely was the morning."(cue all the tears.) BEST SONG EVER! I LOVE JOSEPH SMITH!

So that was Tuesday! And on Wednesday, Brother Mansfield taught us the Law of Chastity. My kasama was so nervous for this because she thought it was going to be so awkward and embarrassing and most of the rest of the district felt the same way but I was so excited to actually have the lesson taught so that I would know how to teach it effectively! And it seriously was the most beautiful lesson on chastity I have ever heard in my life! He hit all the points we're supposed to hit as missionaries but he did it in a way that emphasized just how sacred and special the Law of Chastity is to our Heavenly Father and why! This may sound really weird but I loved it! And I'm so excited to teach it! 

Oh and I got to host on Wednesday too! It was so weird! Because I remember being dropped off at the MTC and how it seems like it was both yesterday and years ago! And now I'm about to leave! It was insane! It was like, time warp. Anyway, I hosted two Sisters but it was crazy because the first one I hosted was from Idaho and she is going to the Washington D.C. mission and she knew Madi Stucki from instagram or something! It was so weird! What are the odds! 

Yesterday was infield orientation and it lasted all day but it actually went by really fast! I learned a lot about how to be an effective missionary and it got me super excited to be out in the field! My favorite thing that was said during it was by one of the instructors. His name was Sam Anderson and he was talking about how before missionaries come into the MTC, it doesn't matter where they get called to, people always decrease their expectations somehow. They'll say things like, "Oh, you're going to Romania?! Well you'll plant a lot of seeds Elder!" Or "You're going to the Philippines?! Oh well even if they don't get baptized, the seeds you will plant will be amazing Sister!" And then he just stopped and with SO much power and fervor he said, "We've been told over and over again that the field is white already to harvest! Not brown already to plant! Yes, you will plant seeds. But that is not your purpose. Your purpose is to baptize! And every single missionary, no matter where in the world they get called, every single missionary can and WILL baptize if they are obedient, faithful, believe that they can. Every. Single. Missionary. The field is WHITE already to HARVEST Elders and Sisters. Believe that!" It was crazy powerful! And what kills me is that he was only 24! It was so intense! And then later that evening, during class, we had a substitute teacher because our other teacher Sister Briggs wasn't there. His name was Brother Nordstrom and he was so cool! But he said something to us that was also really powerful! He asked us all how long we thought it would take for us to be able to have a full on conversation with a Filipino. Everyone started saying how long they thought it would take. And then he was just silent and after a few seconds he said, "Why wait? Why put a timeline on what God can do for you? Why wait?" WOAH. It was just really cool and kind of put into perspective how fast we can learn this language with God's help.

So that was basically my week! I have one more thought I want to share!

Come thou fount of every blessing

Tune my heart to sing thy grace

Streams of mercy never ceasing

Call for songs of loudest praise

Teach me some melodious sonnet

Sung by flaming tongues above

Praise the mount, I'm fixed upon it

Mount of They redeeming love

Here I raise my Ebeneezer

Hither by Thy help I'm come

And I hope by Thy good pleasure

Safely to arrive at home

Jesus sought me when a stranger

Wandering from the fold of God

He to rescue me from danger

Interposed his precious blood

Oh, to grace how great a debtor

Daily I'm constrained to be

Let Thy goodness, like a fetter,

Bind my wandering heart to thee

Prone to wander, Lord I feel it

Prone to leave the God I love

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it!

Seal if for Thy courts above!

Here's my heart, oh take and seal it!

Seal if for Thy courts above!

Today is my last time to go the temple while at the MTC. While I'm in the Celestial Room, I am going to figuratively leave my heart there. All my hopes, dreams, wishes, wants, desires, everything. I am on the Lord's time and everything I am doing is for Him and for his beautiful children in the Philippines. I will give my heart to the Lord and let Him seal it up for the rest of my mission until I can come back and pick it up at the end. I am so grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and the light and joy that He brings to my life. I am humbled and grateful that he would trust me enough to let me teach the people of the Philippines about Him and His atoning sacrifice. I'm not nervous or scared. The language will come. I know it will. I have faith in the Lord and in my God. I love this gospel so much and am so excited to share it! I love you all so much! I'll talk to you on Monday! Literally! Sobrang mahal kita!!

Love, Sister Andersen

Saturday, September 14,  2013~Week 5
Provo MTC;10:15 AM

Magandag umaga!!! Okay really quick I have a story that the boys are going to love probably. It's from last week and I just forgot to send it! So one night we're all sitting in the class room and all of a sudden it just stinks. SO BAD! Like it was disgusting! And we could not focus and none of us knew what the heck it was from and so our teacher says let's go outside and so we all get up and I open the doors and we're all taking a huge breath of air that we think is going to be 5000000x better but NO. It was 500000000000x worse! It was like rotten eggs that had been sitting outside for months! And then Elder Lasley exclaims "What the heck?! It's like a poop meteor hit the earth! My nose is literally crying right now!" Hahahaha it was so funny! We all DIED! From the smell and the from the laughter! You actually probably won't find that funny but I swear on my life that it was.

Okay moving on! So it's been a pretty eventful week! Last Saturday after the temple, it was pouring rain! And we had to run all the way back to the MTC in it and it was AMAZING because I love the rain and we got drenched and we looked disgusting and I was so happy about it! My kasama was definitely not as happy but that's okay! I was! I'm so excited for the every single day in the Philippines! Later that night was such a cool experience because we watched The Testaments and it was my kasama's first time seeing it! At the end when the dad is blind and can't see the Savior, who he has waited for his entire life, is where the tears start to flow. His son, Jacob, is weeping because he knows how much his father has waited for this day and because of his pride and disobedience, his father was blind. Jacob is faced away from the Savior and hugging Helam, his dad, when the Savior rests his hand on Jacob's shoulder. Jacob turns around and just starts weeping more. Then the Savior stretches out his hand and says in the most loving peaceful voice, "Helam." And Helam immediately recognizes who it is and falls to the ground weeping. It's so amazing!!! I LOVE that part! And then he's healed and can actually see the Savior and then the words come up onto the screen, "Christ came to the earth. And he will come again." Or something like that. SO cool! And obvi my kasama was bawlin.

 Last Sunday

We were cold and the Elders gave us their jackets and thought it was picture worthy.

So Sister Sims and I got to visit the outside world! WHAT?! It was cray cray. She got real sick and so we had to go outside the gates of the MTC (in the fun rain again) to the BYU Clinic and pick up some meds for her.  Nothing really exciting happened except for the fact that we saw real people and stuff. So that was pretty neat.

Okay so that same day, which was Thursday, was my favorite day of the week and maybe for the whole time of being at the MTC because of how the day ended! First of all, during our class with our teacher, we were talking about the doctrine "Teach People, Not Lessons" and we practiced teaching to our kasamas using the influence of the Holy Ghost and not just teaching what we had prepared. It was SUCH a neat experience because the question that we were answering was "How do I feel God's love for me? How can I know that he loves me?" Sister Sims went first and was silent for a solid minute because she didn't know what to say. And then after she prayed in her heart to know what to say, one word popped into her head: Atonement. And from there she went on and talked all about the atonement and bore a powerful testimony of that! And then when it was my turn, I didn't know what to say either. So I was quiet for a solid minute as well. (Oh and we were pretending to be the investigators that we're teaching right now. If that makes sense. So she was being one of our investigators, "Jenny.") And then one image popped into my head and it was the image of our first meeting with "Jenny" and I asked her why she let us come back after that first meeting. And then just went from there. It was cool because it was the exact same question but we answered in two completely different ways!! But they were both powerful and both answered the question! So it was neat to feel that our lessons should be completely tailored to fit the needs of the investigators!

Panoramic view of our classroom

And then! That night was so so soooo amazing! Everyone, including myself, has been sick for like 2 weeks. And no one was really getting better! So I just had the idea maybe we need blessings. And I so I asked our district leader if we could give blessings after planning that night. I actually was almost completely better and probably would have been fine without one. But I realized after it was all over that I don't think I asked for them because I needed one. I think I felt prompted to ask for blessings because other people really needed them and because some of the Elders really needed to give them. There were two Elders in our district that had never given a blessing to anybody before. Elder Lasley and Elder Johnson. So I asked them if they would be the ones to give me a blessing. Obvi they said yes but they were sooo nervouse! Especially Elder Johnson! So after planning, we started the blessings. Elder Johnson was going to anoint me and Elder Lasley was going to seal the blessing. Elder Johnson put his hands on my head and he was shaking so bad! But he did it just fine and then ended it. Then Elder Lasley put his hands on my head and Elder Johnson joined in and I received probably the sweetest blessing in the world. He said three things to me. He blessed me that I would recover from my illness, feel comfort in the MTC, and learn the language. And then ended it. It was so simple but it was so perfect. I didn't need anything else! I loved it! And then the Elders continued to bless anyone that needed or wanted a blessing whether it was a blessing to heal them or just a comfort blessing. The spirit was so strong! It was such a neat experience to watch the Elders give blessings! They used such simple phrases but they were exactly what the person needed and nothing more! Anyway, super neat experience and I am so grateful for the priesthood!  We actually kind of made a joke because the next day I was basically completely better and Elder Lasley was all of a sudden sick so we just say that he sucked all the sickness right out the top of my head and straight into him! What a gentleman.

Feeling better on Friday!

Oh flight plans! We got them yesterday! I'll take a picture of them and send them to you!!

FLIGHT PLANS!!!

There is so much more I wanna say but I have no more time left!! I love you all so much!!! Thank you for all the love and support and letters and everything!! Nagpapasalamat po ako para sa inyo! Totoo ang Simbahan ni Jesucristo ng mga banal sa mga Huling Araw! Sobra mahal kita!!

Sister Andersen

PS:  I forgot to take a picture of my flight plans!! But I leave on the 23rd! I report to the travel office at 2:00 PM. My flight leaves SLC and goes to LAX.  From there we have a 4 hour layover and then travel to Hong Kong! We have a 4 hour layover in Hong Kong too. We go from Hong Kong and arrive in Manila on the 25th! I'll send you a letter with all the details later today! I did that from memory so I hope it's mostly correct! Love you so much!!

PPS: Let me explain the investigators real quick. Our teacher Brother Mansfield is "Ranie" and our other teacher Sister Briggs is "Jenny." They are role playing real people that they know very personally and were able to teach the gospel to. So it's a very real experience. They separate themselves very well from their real selves and we as the missionaries treat them like the investigator and as if we don't know them. It's literally like they are different people. So when I refer to "Ranie" or "Jenny," it really is like I'm teaching them as real investigators. 

Saturday, September 7, 2013~Week 4 Provo MTC;9:56 AM

Kumuuuuuuuuuuuusta! First of all, tell everyone in the family not to worry about how long their email is because we just go print off the emails that we get in the mornings before breakfast and read them during breakfast so that after personal study time we can just reply without taking the time to read! So don't worry about length! I have plenty of time to read them! But don't get crazy. (Bon Qui Qui reference)

Last Week on Pday

We mustache you a question! Wanna hear about the gospel? 

Celebrating Sister Briggs' birthday with our district.

``Okay sooo I don't even know where time is going! It seems like my last p-day was yesterday. Time is literally flying by! On Monday, the older district leaves and then we'll be the oldest district in our zone! Like what?! How did that even happen?! That's insane! It's all good though! I'm ready! I wanna go to the Philippines and conquer this dang language and master everything about a mission! Oh my gosh! We met this sister from the Philippines and she's ADORABLE! She's like 2 feet tall and speaks like a mouse and I died when she started talking to us! And she knows my mission president! She said that he is very humble! I'm so excited!

Our District celebrating our half way point!

 What was my most challenging part of the week? Fast Sunday. Without a doubt. Because we are forced to eat three meals a day every single day which I'm not entirely used to. At home I just ate little meals whenever I wanted and it wasn't like a set thing. But now that they have us on this schedule where we eat like that every single day and then there's just NOTHING TO EAT FOR LIKE ALL OF ETERNITY and we have like 20 hours of personal study and a 2 hour conference and we're already exhausted. I was so tired and when we ate dinner finally, it was like manna from heaven. Literally. Okay I'm exaggerating a lot but it was kind of hard. BUT! My day ended in the best way possible! After the Sunday devotional which by the way was all about the Philippines basically because the speakers used to be the mission president and his wife in the Philippines! They showed some pictures and it's so poor and dirty and beautiful and I'm stoked! And they showed this one picture of a little girl, probably like 4 or 5, and she's hugging an Aklat ni Mormon with all her might and smiling so much and it was perfect and I love everything! Okay so after that though, we went and watched the Joseph Smith film and I bawled like a baby of course but only because I love him so much and I'm sure that we were best friends in heaven. But there's this part at the end, after Hyrum is shot and Joesph looks to the window and there's a look on his face that's almost peaceful and you know that he knows that this is the end but he runs to the window and then it goes black and silent and it's just his voice when he says, "O Lord, my God." He sees the Lord! He's in heaven! He finished his mission! And the Lord is standing there welcoming him! "O Lord, my God." CHILLS. And tears. Ohhhhhhhh I love Joseph Smith. I will never not know that he was a true prophet of God! NEVER.

We learned this is what Filipinos do....
the way Japanese love to make the peace sign.  :)

Our investigator Ranie is getting baptized!! It was kind of funny because in the first lesson I asked him, "When you know that these things are true, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized?" and he said that when he knew they were true that he would. And so then in the third lesson, after we taught him and everything, my kasama is looking for something in her scriptures and then I just turned to Ranie and said (sa Tagalog of course), "Ranie, do you know that these things are true? Can you feel that they're true?" and he was silent for a second and all the while my kasama has no idea what I'm asking because she's still looking for something, and then he starts saying how he's never felt anything like this before and he loves his family so much and wants to be with them forever and he knows that this is the only way and can feel that and he knows that. And my kasama looks up finally and is kind of confused because she has no idea what's been going on and then he looks at me and says. "Yes! I want to baptized! Very much!" And my kasama starts asking me where a certain scripture was or something and I tell her and then I say, "And um...he wants to be baptized. That's what he just said." And she goes, "What?! REALLY?! YAY!! WOO HOOOOOO!!" And Ranie just started laughing! It was so funny and so great! But yeah. He's getting baptized and I'm so excited because that means that his wife will probably get baptized because she's in the Philippines taking the discussions and then they can be sealed and his two little girls who are 2 years old and 6 months will be baptized when they turn 8 and they'll be an eternal family and that's what this gospel is all about and I'm so happy and excited!!!

This is our half way done party with the roomies!

Sister Sims' family sends several boxes like this....
I think they think she's starving in here!
We have already polished off two boxes like these!
Everyday is a party in our dorm!!

 Anyway, I love the MTC and I love being a missionary and everything's wonderful!  I go to the temple at 2 every Saturday. Laundry is scheduled from like 10:00 to 12:00 or something. It takes like an hour and a half and then while you're down there you can send pictures.  Umm I don't know if we have a country flag. I can check. They have one of those luggage weight things on my floor in my residence so I'll know if my weight is okay. But I don't know if you still wanna send me one to have for the trip home. I still don't know how all this works. YOLO. But I get flight plans next Friday! Woo!! Tell Elder Morley I love and miss him and that if I think of anyone he can teach, I will let you know and then you can message him back on Facebook!  And thank you for the package! I love everything! Tell Jake his sweats saved my life and I'm wearing them right now!! The picture books are so cute and Shannon is a saint! Tell her thank you from the bottom of my heart! Could you maybe send pictures from like graduation?! Like some with my friends! Katelin, Manda, the one where I'm hugging Alena and Melissa, the one with Brock and Brady if you want, etc! And then just some more random pics if you have time! I love the pictures! 

Happy to see Hermana Amanda Nelson Beirdneau!!
(She teaches Spanish and is a close family friend from home)

Okay well my time is basically up! If you have any more questions, just send a quick note and I can answer while I send pictures!! I love you all!! You are all amazing! Thanks for everything!! Sobra mahal kita!!!!

Love, Sister Andersen!

P.S. I'm slightly embarrassed because last week I spelled the sorry not sorry thing wrong. Tagalog doesn't even have the letter c in the language. It is definitely, pasensiya, hindi pasensiya!