Wednesday, February 26, 2014~Week 28
Quezon City; 12:22 PM Wed (PH); 9:22 PM Tues (US)

Kamustaaaaaaa! It feels like it's been an eternity since I last wrote to you all! Today is a much needed p-day! Sooo I'm just gonna hurry and go through the week for ya all.

     

Today!

Tibs Today!

After I emailed you on Monday, we had a zone activity where we just played games and stuff and ate food. So that was nice. We went and got chocolate shakes after and that was probably the happiest moment of my whole p-day. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Then it was a completely regular week until Saturday!  

On Saturday we got to do a service project and I LOVED it!! We don't get to do those very often and so it was fun to do some good hard labor for once! We went to a member's house for the service. Our entire zone came because it was a HUGE project to tackle.Basically, her backyard is just a million of these cement fish ponds that weren't filled with fish. They were filled with dirt, trash, pipes, plants, ants, and other various objects of that sort. So we all got to work and everyone was sweating like no body's business because it's bloody hot here! But we got done really quick! ........Until we walked a little further and saw that there was an entire other section of the same thing only bigger! Hahaha sooo we started on that and it was even hotter and so we sweat even more and I would like to proclaim that it was the most disgusting I have felt my entire mission! I was covered in dirt and sweat. Yummm.

BUT! It's all good because HannsBoNanns got to use a real life MACHETE! Yes I did. I was hacking away at this tangled up bush thing that they wanted gone. I felt like Indiana Jones. Like really. I felt legit. Obviously there were people who were worried about me handling such a tool but I just thought YOLO because duhhh I'm in the Philippines and I wanna have funnnnn. I promise I was careful though mom and dad! I may be a clutz but I'm still smart! Luckily, there were no HannsBoNanns moments that day.

And honestly, that's the only exciting thing that happened this week. Except for yesterday, Vanessa Sudario worked with us and we took pictures of her and she's a baaaaaaaaaabe. Haha no but really. I love her so much because she reminds me of the Laurels that I used to look up to when I was still a Beehive. She's just like Michelle Morley, Aubrey and Amber Peacock, Amanda Nelson, etc.

She is so beautiful on the outside but she's even more beautiful because she literally glows with the light of Christ. We're super excited because we're going over to her house today to do her hair and make up and get her all dolled up to take pictures of her because she's turning 18 and I guess there's something called a debut here when you turn 18 and it's a pretty big deal I guess. Anywayyyy that'll be funnn.

As far as investigators go, it's been a rough week. Our newer investigator, Cesar, was set to be baptized on March 29 and he was SO excited! He is literally SO prepared for the gospel! He was completely golden! He smoked 10 cigarettes a day and after we taught him the Word of Wisdom, he immediately went down to 1. THAT'S A MIRACLE! He came to church! ANOTHER MIRACLE! He's so so SO receptive to the spirit! BUT! He's going to Boracay for a month for work and there are no missionaries in Borcay! It's the worst possible thing that can happen. And it happened. So everyone PRAY FOR CESAR. And A., too. His baptism has been postponed because he has Word of Wisdom problems. We're working on it though! And just pray for everyone else here too syempre.

The temple this morning was, as always, wonderful! Haha it was a little tough to stay awake though. Speaking of that, Tibs and I need everyone's prayers that we'll be able to sleep at night. We have basically had no real sleep since Friday night. We're not exactly sure why. We just can't! So prayyyy please. I need sleeeeeeeeeeep. I think it might just be because we're stressed or something but I don't know.  But really, I love the temple. The celestial room of ANY temple is my favorite place in the world. We are literally in the world but not of the world. We are truly in a heaven on earth. The blessings of the temple are sooo amazing! And to think that I don't even understand them all the way! There's MORE! It blows my mind how generous our Heavenly Father is with us. We are so blessed. 

 My favorite experience out of the whole week though was when I stayed home with Sister Campbell on Saturday because she was sick. So the other sisters went out to teach. Sister Campbell was upstairs asleep and so I had a few hours just to study and it was amazing. I studied the Book of Mormon first. And then I decided to watch the Joseph Smith movie. We all know how that ended right? HannsBoNanns in tears because I have the strongest love for the Prophet Joseph Smith and when he's riding away on the horse, I feel like I'm there. Every time. And my heart just begins to hurt.  But there's a scene where Joseph is in Carthage and it starts to play back different scenes from his life. All the miracles that happened during his lifetime. The first vision, angels, temples, etc. And then the last scene they play from his life is when he was a little boy and he's riding on the back of his brother Alvin and Hyrum is running along side them. They were so happy! And then a tear rolls down Joseph's face. And then the mob comes and Joseph is martyred. But at the end of the movie, the words come up, "Shall we not go on in so great a cause?"

And my mind went immediately to the scene where he's with his brothers. THAT'S what this is all about! God sent us here to obtain joy! Especially within the bonds of family and friends. And then he sent his Son to help us understand that we can have that FOREVER! That's why I'm here! Because I want people to know that they can be with their families for eternity and have a fullness of joy that we can't even comprehend in this life! I was overwhelmed with gratefulness to KNOW that this is true! I know without a doubt that families are forever! All we have to do is come unto Christ and do our part. It's so amazing! I sat there crying because I was so happy and grateful and felt so much love from my Heavenly Father. This was a sensitive subject anyway because Sister Tibungcog and I had just talked about a certain part member family in our ward the day before during weekly planning. We love them so so much. And I sat there crying because I could feel the love that our Heavenly Father has for each one of them and I just want them to have what I have because I know that there is nothing else in the world that will bring more happiness and joy. Anyway, it was just a really great experience for me and I felt blessed that I got to stay home with Sister Campbell. Hahaha twisted I know. I don't know if anything I just said made any sense but I'm too tired to go back through and read it. 

Cute little wall in Pansol!

 

Okayyy anyway! Thanks for all the support and love and prayers! I promise that I'll try to be more careful! Hopefully the HannsBoNanns moments will decrease in number as I go along but who knows. All I know is that I'm so grateful for all of you and I love you all SO much!! I'll talk to ya next week!!! LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!!

Love, Sister Andersen

That's my burn. It looks SO much better now.
This was a few days after it happened.
And those are my dirty feet after a whole day of work.
#welcometothephillies 

Twisting on the chair and it broke!

Kawawa siya naman.

Cuter than Wonder Woman!