Week of June 10th

The internet is a pretty powerful resource when used correctly. We have the opportunity to have an hour a week to visit the Mormon.org website. They want to make sure that we are all used to the layout and what not so we can help investigators and members use it. We've also had the chance to share some Mormon messages with people. Mormon messages are a great way to invite the spirit into someone's home. I would highly recommend using them if you ever have the chance to share the gospel with someone.

Sorry for not saying anything about the package, I tend to forget to mention a lot of things when I write so sorry about that. The package was great! I loved the Book of Mormon especially! The talks were also awesome. If I didn't love you so much I would rebuke you for sending me an Elane S. Dalton talk. I'm sure you love her a ton but I have trouble relating to her because I'm not a woman. Just in case you cannot tell, I am just being goofy. It can be hard to display jokes in emails. But I digress. The package was great. I haven't had candy in a really long time to be honest. It doesn't really seem worth it to buy anymore.

The work is going pretty well. Some days are tough but that's just part of life. Especially missionary life. It seems like the hardest days are the days that end up being the most rewarding in the end.

I'll probably be sending that SD card home this week so I hope that gets home safely. I hope that everyone is doing well. I love you guys and I pray for you all every day.

Love,

Elder Sanderson

Weekly Leter 5/27/13

Dear Family and Friends,

The last week has been pretty good.  We finally had our first real lesson!  We taught a couple named Maria and George.  The are a perfect example of how the Lord prepares people for us to teach.  Maria and George were raised Catholic (Just like EVERYONE in California) but don't go to church (just like EVERYONE in California - just kidding, a ton of people go to church here).  Even though they have stopped going they feel like church is important and they can feel something missing because they do not attend church.  If that isn't the Lord preparing someone to receive the gospel then I don't know what is!

I feel like this has become sort of a Mormon cliche, the example of Nephi is perfect!  "I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandth them"  The Lord does provide a way.  There is ALWAYS a way.  I know that the Lord provides a way.  He knows us perfectly.  I would like to challenge everyone reading this to look for a way to do  something you thought to be impossible.  Share the gospel with a friend, go to church even if your schedule is tough or take time to read the scriptures for at least a little bit every day.  I know that the Lord will prepare a way.

Elder Sanderson

Weekly Letter 5/20/13

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was full of learning opportunities.  I had the chance to go on exchanges with our district leader.  It was great and I learned a ton.  This week was also full of some tough days.  We had almost no success in finding and we had only one appointment actually go through.  This week went by slower than any other week so far.  I really hope this next week is better.  There were some times when I was pretty discouraged.  There were some times where I wanted to just throw in the towel.  How blessed I feel.  How blessed that the Lord loves me enough to  teach me how to improve.  Trials are interesting.  It seems like the more trials, the more I'm grateful for them.  It's amazing that we can learn so much from such awful experiences.  I'm glad that things aren't easy.  I'm glad that things don't always work out perfectly.  I know that the Lord is going to help me and I know that through the Lord I can do great things.  By myself I can do nothing but with the Lord I can do anything.  Anyone can.  The Lord prepares a way.

Elder Sanderson

Dear Family and Friends

This week was pretty tough.  We again were struggling to find people to teach and to teach people we found.  It seemed like the people we met were solid but most of them ended up never following through with being taught.

We had a few people who were nice, let us talk to them and set up times to come back this coming week.  I hope those work out because if not then it's going to be a really rough week.  That being said, I'm really not too worried that things won't go well because even if we don't visit these people then there's someone that we're supposed to meet, maybe someone who lives by them or maybe a family member.  There's always a reason to what happens. We may not always understand that reason but things eventually come together.  Doctrine and Covenants Section 6 verse 36 says; "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not,"  It's so simple that it's almost difficult.  "Doubt not, fear not."  May we all remember those simple words and put all our trust in the Lord.

Elder Sanderson

Week of May 14th

Dear Family and Friends,

 I've already been out for over a month and it has flown by! I can't believe how quickly things have started going. We are still struggling to find people to teach, but they'll come. As long as we keep working hard, they'll come.

We got a chance to go to the Newport Beach Temple this morning. We had to wake up at around 3:00 am to get there though. It was tough to get up so early but it was worth it. The temple was beautiful (I forgot my camera so I don't have pictures D: I'll get some next time.) and the session we went to was really nice. They have a lot of really cool painting and murals and stuff like that. It's amazing how I just keep learning more and more from the temple. I love it and I can't wait to keep going back.

As usual, I'll send out a letter this week that you guys can put up. I hope you are able to read my writing all the time. I think it's getting better. At least I hope so.

I just want to share an experience I had. We having a rough day. Nobody really seemed interested in what we had to say and our appointments were falling through. We got to an appointment and nobody was home. It was at an apartment complex. We decided to knock on some doors around us. We went to the first door and when the guy answered things felt...Different. He was very receptive and we were able to have a great conversation. I invited him to be baptized (my first invitation). He didn't say yes but he also didn't say no so it's a start! I learned that as long as you keep trying and keep having faith the Lord will bless you.

I hope all is well at home. It was really nice to talk to you all on mothers day and I hope that was a great holiday for you.

Love,

Elder Sanderson

Riding a bike is sometime harder than it looks

I was riding down a hill on the sidewalk and the sidewalk was a little bumpy.  I hit a bump and when I landed, my handle bars freaked out and went all the way to the right.  I hit the wall but bounced off.  At this point I kind of panicked and tried to pedal, but I was moving too fast.  The second I tried to pedal, the sudden shift in wight caused me to turn right back into the wall.  This time I stayed up against the wall for a solid 3 - 4 seconds grinding my right hand and right shoulder on the wall.  Luckily my shirt protected my shoulder (the shirt was ruined) but my hand was not so lucky.  My pinky got pretty well shredded, leaving the top layer of skin, from my second to third knuckle, gone.  For a few days my pinky and ring finger were pretty numb but they ended up recovering pretty fast. 

Week of May 6th

Dear Friends and Family

We spoke to an older gentleman named Sox Argyle (Yes, that's actually his name). A few years ago he had an operation go wrong and he was paralyzed from the waist down. Recently he has gained control of his right leg but the left leg still will not respond. After talking with him a few times, he expressed that he thinks that if he keeps up with his therapy and exercises that he'll be able to walk again. His optimism and drive was inspiring. Sox is probably around 80 years old and he's showing no signs of ever being able to walk again but he still has hope. It's so easy to give up hope. Never give up hope. Never. The more I face adversity and trials the more I see that hope is all we have as people living in the probationary time on earth. If we give up hope then what do we have.  Alma describes "Faith as a having hope for things which are not seen, which are true." The only thing that is more important than hope is faith. It's tough to have faith. It's tough to have faith that the trials you have will be for your own advancement. It's hard to have faith that God has a real plan for us. May we never give up hope. More importantly, may we never give up our faith.

Elder S.