Monday, August 18, 2014~Week 53

 Antipolo; 1:40 PM Mon (PH); 11:40 PM Sun (US)

Hello there everybody!!

TODAY! 
{I'm so glad that I bought this shirt
 when I was 10 years old and I'm now
20 years old and it still fits like a gem.
 #yayformagicclothes}  

This has been an incredible week! Miracles truly happened and I'm so so grateful that we had such a wonderful week. I truly saw the hand of the Lord in our work this week. So our focus in the zone has been finding the 6 new investigators that we're supposed to find every single week. WE haven't been able to hit it the past few weeks because Sister Hernandez has been super sick and other road blocks always seem to pop up. But we had faith that THIS week, we were going to get it. And then we set out to work! On Tuesday, we had a goal to get three new investigators because we were going to contact and teach three referrals that we had received. Well, we got punted by the first two. So we set out to find the third one and we walked ALL OVER THE DANG SUBDIVISION! We kept asking people if they knew where the street was that we were looking for and people kept pointing in different ways. So when we finally found the street, we were already sooo tired. And then we walked up and down the street (which happened to be a very big hill) and we couldn't find the address that had been given to us! My poor little anak was dead and was saying that maybe it didn't exist. But I told her that we need to try that last house. And so we went up and guess what!! It was him!! He let us in and we were able to teach him and his two children! That's 3 new investigators!

#overlook #theresnoshortageoftreesinthephilippines

And then on Wednesday, we had a goal to get 1 new investigator and when we went out to work that morning, low and behold, our investigators invited their friends to listen to us! We were able to get 3 new investigators that morning! One of which was taught by Elders a year or so ago and was going to be baptized but his dad didn't give him permission. But hearts change and people change when the timing is right so this could be his second chance!

My anak is a cutie.
When she gets hot, she just wipes baby powder
 all over her face and leaves it there. 

 Birthday chocolate for my date with my mama :) 

And then Thursday, we had the wonderful opportunity of going on exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders! I got to work with Sister Cutia which is opportunity we've been waiting for for like the past 4 transfers! WE had the best day ever! We had set a goal to get 3 new investigators that day and we ended up getting 4 WONDERFUL new investigators with SOOOOO much potential! I loved being able to teach with Sister Cutia she is such an amazing teacher. She teaches with such power and love and I'm just so amazed by our STLs! They are truly such great examples of servants of the Lord. When we did our evaluations, Sister Cutia told Sister Hernandez and I that we were such a great inspired companionship and that they could really feel the spirit and that we were Preach My Gospel missionaries. That happens to be #thebestcomplimentever  Haha no but really, it's just good to know that after a year of serving the Lord, I've made progress and I really am doing my job and helping him here in this part of His vineyard.

So this isn't a very good picture of it but 
a miracle happened last night!! I got Brent
 to laugh for me for the first time EVER! 
I was so excited!  He's preshhhhhhhh

. Haha he looks like he's saying,
Uh hum.....excuse me??

Then on Friday, we had set a goal to find 2 new investigators and when we went out to work, those same investigators that had invited their friends before, invited MORE friends for us to teach! And then we went to teach our investigators that are getting baptized on August 30 and they had friends for us to teach too! So all in all, we were able to get 4 new investigators that day!

THEN! On Saturday, we went out to work that morning with the goal of getting one new investigator but the investigators that are getting baptized on the 30th invited two more friends to the lesson. And then we went and taught one more potential investigator! Which means that we were able to get 3 new investigators that day!!

So total for the week: 17 new investigators!! I was so excited!! It was just truly amazing to watch the hand of the Lord help us not only to reach our goal, but completely exceed it! I was so amazed and so humbled! I know that if we put all of our faith in the Lord and work hard, we can accomplish anything and everything!! It was the best week ever!!

Now, just for a little note about my birthday. It didn't actually feel like a birthday.

 Wait what? It's your birthday today??  

I got texts from other missionaries and members in the ward and I read all my little birthday cards that my family sent me.

 If you can't read it, it says Happy Birthday on my cheek.

But it really just was another working day! We got up, cleaned, I ate oatmeal for breakfast, showered, did personal study, companionship study, worked, came back, ate lunch, did language study, did training, worked, had a nice dinner appointment with our neighbors, came home, they surprised me with a birthday cake that they all ate, and I went to bed!

My Birthday Lunch! :) I found Bean and Bacon soup here!
 It was just a tad bit expensive because I'm on a
missionary budget.... but I said #YOLO #ITSMYBIRTHDAY 
{Made me think of you dad!}

Haha normal day! But, it was still a good day. It was the first birthday in my whole life when I wasn't thinking about myself the whole time and neither was anybody else really. As I was riding in a tricycle I was thinking about how insignificant I really was. There are BILLIONS of people all over the world and I'm just one of them. But I was thinking about my own insignificance {not in a sad way.... just a thoughtful way}, I also came to realize that I was born 20 years ago from that day so that I could be serving as a missionary in the Philippines today. And despite how insignificant I may be, I thought about all the people that I've had the opportunity to serve before and during my mission and how my little insignificant self might have been able to make a significant difference in someone's life. I'm just grateful to be little insignificant me, making a significant difference in this lil' ol' world.

#birthdayselfie #owls #polkadots #fanbecauseitsstillbloodyhot 

Sooooo all in all, this was a g r e a t week!! And I know there are better ones to come!! I love being a missionary! I love serving the Lord! I love everything! I'm so blessed! Always have been, always will be!! Hope you all have the best week ever!!! LOVE YOUUUUUUUUUUUU!!!! :)

Love, Sister Andersen

P.S. Happiest Birthdays to my dearest Kenna Benna and Nessa!!! I love you both dearly and miss you like crazy!!!! HUGS AND KISSES MY DARLINGS!!! :)

My A M A Z I N G birthday gift from Loren Mendoza!

The cute birthday gift that Sister Cutia and Sister Franks gave me. 
Hahaha I told them it was PERFECT because one year ago from
that very day, I went and saw Despicable Me 2 with my little brothers.
#tendermercies #nomatterhowsillytheyare