This week

This week was slow again. It just seemed like everyone was either busy, not home, or not interested. We did end up hearing some good news from our progressing investigators Tony and Tai. We learned that a spot opened up in the apartment complex they were trying to move into so they're going to be moving into the ward boundaries in a few weeks. That was a huge miracle because that spot had been taken by another family that really really wanted to move in there about a month ago. Turns out that same family is going to be moving out so that spot's open. It's perfect because two of the families that are fellow shipping Tony and Tai a lot live there. One of them is even our ward mission leader. Another thing that was really cool with them is they started Tony's divorce papers. They were told that the papers should go through pretty quick seeing how long Tony and his wife have been separated. We've been praying a ton for them and we're starting to see the hand of the Lord in our work.

I'm going to be staying in the Samoan Ward for another Transfer and McPheeters and I are staying together. It's going to be super cool! I hope you all like the picture :)

Fa'afatai tele ma fa'amanuia Le Atua ile tatau uma! (Thank you very much and God bless you all!)

Alofa

Elder Sanderson

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was pretty cool. We had a little bit of a tough week with investigators canceling and being out of town and stuff like that. It was tough but it's all good. So far the Samoan ward has been treating me well! The food is really good and now that I've lost like 10 pounds from being sick a few weeks back I can gain it all back!

This past week one of our members, Bro Tufuga brought a friend to church. We met him last week and we started teaching him. This Sunday he got called into work so he couldn't come. Also this week Tony and Tai who are usually solid 2 lessons a week investigators had to cancel both lessons because of Tai being out of town and Tony being back and forth from LAX airport helping her out. Even though they were all messed up we got to teach some people that we haven't been able get a hold of for a while. One is named Doug and the other is Paulo. We got to teach Doug and his less-active in-laws about the Plan of Salvation. He was really involved and he agreed to be baptized. but he doesn't want to set a date yet. We'll get him. Paulo's lesson was ALL IN SAMOAN. I could not follow it. I could pick out some words here and there but I couldn't follow the conversation that well. I am getting a little better though. I'm up to now being able to usually understand what the very broad subject of talks in sacrament meeting are! I'm happy about that.

I'm super excited for this week. We already have some pretty solid stuff lined up. I still have to squeeze another exchange with the other companionship in my district so that'll be tough. I also need to go with the Zone leaders too. It'll be an interesting week for sure.

You all are awesome! I hope that all of you know that. I'm grateful for the blessing I have to be a missionary. I hope the Lord blesses all of you from my service. The blessings of missionary work don't just come to the missionary they come to everyone that the missionary cares about and loves as well. I hope you all receive the choicest blessings the Lord has in store for you. The Church is True! Even when it's in a language you can't understand. It's still true and the Spirit is still there. I promise you all that if you look to the Lord he will bless you. I know he will. I know he loves us all.

Have a great week. I'm gratefully for each and every one of you!

Keep it real.

Elder Sanderson

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was pretty cool. Tony and Tai were as solid as usual! We taught them on Saturday and Sunday. They were really accepting and again they even shared a few thoughts/scriptures of their own! It was way good. 

I don't have a ton to report on this week. It's been a crazy couple of weeks. The work here is not at all like what I'm used to. We do a lot of working with members. That's how we find almost all of our investigators. Well, all of them really. The people we do find are usually pretty solid because of it. Working with members is hands down the most efficient way to do missionary work. Especially when the member is prepared themselves to help teach. The more prepared the member the more effective the work with them will be. I can only think of a few times when a member who was prepared and provided someone for us to teach that was not successful. Missionaries and members working is the way that the Lord wants us to do His work. Imagine that. The Boss of the company is telling us exactly what he wants us to do! How often does that happen to us? Usually it doesn't but it happens in missionary work. The Lord has told us the way. Lets use that.

I can't adequately express my love and appreciation for all of you. I'm grateful for each of you and I hope each and every one of you know it. I love you and pray for you. I hope that helps you in whatever way you may need this week. Keep up the smiles and as always keep it real!

Love,

Elder Sanderson

Hello All,

This week was sloooooooow. We had a tough time finding people at home and stuff like that. It was still a good week though. We worked real hard. We ate a lot of food. Usual stuff. But really, we had a sweet lesson with Tony and Tai. We still have no clue if Tony is a member or not. It's leaning more towards he is. I hope he either isn't a member (As bad as it sounds) or (more realistically) he accepts the fact that he can't just be baptized again because he wants to. He was baptized when he was like 12 and he doesn't remember very much so he wants to do it again...If only that's how it works Tony..Regardless, they're both doing awesome and as soon as we can get their situation figured out they'll be baptized. We taught them the end of the Plan of Salvation and the whole Gospel of Jesus Christ. They had a really cool experience. They both play in tennis leagues. They have matches on Sundays pretty often. They decided that they need to go to church so they prayed that they're matches wouldn't be on Sundays anymore. They just got their schedule for next month and NO SUNDAY MATCHES! How awesome is that? Now they have testimonies of prayer and the importance of church. I know that because they told us that themselves. The Lord prepares people Ladies and Gents. We can find them. I'm talking to all of you not just the missionaries. 

All of Southern California had Stake Conference yesterday. There was a special broadcast which President Eyring presided at. Elder Anderson was there too. They talked about Hastening the Work of Salvation. They especially focused on the importance of bring back members who have fallen away. Which in my opinion is one of the most important duties that members of the church have. 

Bringing people in to the church is just as important but allowing people to slip between the cracks should never happen. Every soul is numbered and everyone is known by our Heavenly Father. He knows exactly where they are. We might not, but we sure as heck better never let people get lost. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. If they aren't great enough in our own eyes to go out and search for them then we have so serious rethinking to do. Never allow the attitude of "They won't come back" or "They've made their choices already" even penetrate your minds. Those ideas are just as dangerous as thoughts like "Just once" or "it's not that bad". You might notice that all 4 of those thoughts have one thing in common, they come from Satan. Of course he doesn't want us to worry about those who have fallen off the path. He wants to keep them there. You have the power to bring them back. So do it! Pray for miracles. I promise they'll come. Nobody should be left behind. Don't let it happen.

I hope you all have good weeks. I love all of you and I pray for you. I try my best to pray by name but sometimes that doesn't happen. I'll do better.

Keep it real!

Alofa

Elder Sanderson  

Herro.

Man this week was a blast. We had some super cool stuff happen. We were eating dinner with a member Friday night and, as missionaries always do, we asked her if there was any of her friends that we could teach. She gave us a family to go by and agreed that she would come with. We went over Saturday morning and taught the family about the Book of Mormon. After that Sister Betham (the member) wanted us to go by another family that she knew. So then we went by her and taught her the first lesson. We set times to return to both of the families we taught. It was a great experience. Later that night our ward mission leader had us over for dinner. He invited his friends who have been taking the lessons and after we ate dinner we taught them a lesson. Their names are Tony and Ta'i. At the end of talking with them Tony wanted to be baptized immediately but because of a situation with en ex wife in Samoa who isn't legally officially an ex wife, we need to wait. Tony was bummed and with a sad look he asked, "How long is it going to take? 4 months? Longer?" His look of despair left as we told him that if everything was resolved we could have him baptized  sooner than 4 months or longer. He was overjoyed at the idea of not having to wait that long to be baptized. It was so cool to see his faith in action. Meanwhile Ta'i sat next to him and talked about how she knows the church is true and that she finally understands what people mean when they say in testimony meeting that they know the church is true.

Also I've been learning more and more Samoan. We have a nice MTC textbook from the 80's or 90's. Sweet. I even have been given a Samoan last name. Because Sanderson is too hard for them to say, that's why. 

Anywho, I love each and every one of you. Keep it realer than you have ever kept it.

Fa Soifua!

Elder Samesogi

Dear Friends and Family,

How are you all doing? I'm doing well thank you. First week in the Samoan Ward down! It's been nuts. We get tons of food and tons of gift cards. I don't even need to buy groceries this week because I didn't eat any of the food that I got last week! Isn't that fun? My new companion is awesome too. He's from Utah. Third one in a row...It's cool though. He's been in the ward for a little while so he knows some Samoan and I've been learning. I know the numbers and how to say hello, how are you, and goodbye. That's it. It's a party learning Samoan! We even have Samoan Preach My Gospels, Book of Mormons, dictionaries and textbooks. WE GO HARD. The work here is very interesting. We pretty much just go over to members houses and share spiritual thoughts until the give us people to teach. Either that or do less-active/ recent convert work. Either way we end up being pretty busy and it's awesome. We had a lesson during church yesterday. Our ward mission leader, Brother Tia, brought a family that he's friends with to church. Almost the whole lesson was in Samoan so we don't know exactly what was being said but we knew what was going on. At the end of it the guy was talking about how he wants to skip the lessons and be baptized! Also his wife said that she will go to the church that he goes too and she says she feels the spirit here! It was so awesome!

It was a good week and I'm super pumped to be here in Long Beach!! I hope you all had a fun and safe new years!

Keep it real,

Elder Sanderson