Lenei Vaiaso sa Sekia!

This week was super good. We had some bomb lessons. We had two with our investigator Doug. We lost contact with him for a while but for the last few weeks we've been able to have some good lessons with him. Unfortunately we were not able to have his in-laws join us for any of them. They're less-active and they usually join in the lessons. Sometimes Sister Sua'ava (his mother-in law) even helps us by testifying of certain points or sharing experiences. She still has a really solid testimony but hasn't been to church in a while. We're working with her. We also got to visit Tony and Tai and have a lesson with them. It's a LOT easier to have regular contact with them now that they actually live in the Long Beach Mission boundaries. Yay doing things the right way! We had a nice talk with them about conference and they loved it. They went with their fellowshippers on Sunday to both of those sessions. It was way cool to see them there. 

General Conference was great as ever and I feel like I received a lot of instruction specific to me. That's the wonderful thing about conference! Anytime there is inspiration received by the Lord's servants, the entire body of the church is blessed according to their specific needs. How on Earth is such a thing possible? The church as a whole received the same direction but at the same time you receive a specific message to you that is different from me. One of the most mysterious but coolest paradoxes that the gospel creates. 

I tried to make panikeke le poto poto again but it's hard to get them perfectly round. Plus the recipe is hard because the Samoans don't actually measure out anything. It's all kinda spitballed. -_-

I hope you all are doing bomba! Remember:

Keep it real.

Alofa ia te outou!

Elder Sanderson

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was really cool. We found out that our investigators Tony and Tai finally moved in the Long Beach so we can finish up their lessons. They've been trying to move into that complex for a while and it's finally the right time. We are pretty excited to finish up their lessons. Hopefully they can work out their marriage situation soon. When it comes right down to it I'm okay with anything as long as they get baptized but it would be really cool to get to be there for it. It will happen when it happens. I'm not worried at all about them getting baptized some day. It's just a matter of time. 

I got to go to the departure fireside this past Sunday. It was way good! We all crammed into the building by the mission office. I guess one of their traditions is to have all the missionaries go to the front and all sing that song about being as the army of Helaman. I didn't know that. :| It was fun though. even if I only knew the first verse. Most of them did so it's all good! I saw my daddy Elder Wahlen and my son Elder Roe! Seki a! I also saw some past ward members and chatted with them for a quick minute. 

Also I found out I'm going to be staying in the Samoan ward for another transfer! Woo! More fatness here I come! Worth it.

Anywho, Alofa tele ia te outou. You are all wonderful people and don't let anyone tell you differently.

Keep it real,

Elder Sanderson

Dear Friends and Family

This week was fun. We had like 3 or 4 set lessons cancel throughout the week which was a bummer. We did have some spur of the moment lessons though. We had one with Tapu the old lady we found a few weeks ago. We are afraid that she's just talking with us because she lonely. She doesn't seem to be progressing much and she is sort of content with her church even though she know's that there's problems in it. We also had a lesson with a guy named Zane. He has some mental problems and he's in a wheelchair. Before now he's showed little desire but he's really worried about death and stuff like that so we've been talking with him and answering some of his questions. He's starting to show a lot more desire and he's actually keeping his appointments now. We've been trying to meet with Tony and Tai but they're busy. Once they move in to their new place they'll be much less busy.

The Samoan Ward is sick. We had yet another Birthday party this week. It was for a 1 year old. To Samoans 1 and 21 are like the biggest parties of their lives. It's cool stuff. Good food!

I found out not to long ago that I have a weird cyst thing in my wrist right where the wrist and hand meet. I can't remember what they called it but it hurts when I bend my wrist sometimes and I bought a little wrist wrap for when it does hurt. It's been fun. It doesn't bug me too much but it kinda does.

This is what your refrigerator looks like in a Samoan ward. We barely bought any of that...#thuglife.

I hope everything is good with all of you.  I appreciate all of you more than you know. I'm loving my mission soo much! It's the best thing I could have done with my life.  I'm sorry the last few emails have been lame ones. I'll send a better one next week.

Keep it real.

Alofa ia te outou!

Elder Sanderson

This Week

This week was pretty good. We had a lot of stuff fall through and stuff like that. It was good to see Tony and Tai at church again. We still aren't sure why they couldn't come last week but they were at church so it was good. We also found out that their new apartment is ready now so they'll be moving in within the next week or two hopefully. Things are looking good with them. I just hope they keep progressing like they are. They're so awesome. Tony always contributes to the Elders Quorum lessons. It's way cool. I'm not sure what he's saying because my Samoan isn't good enough yet but I always feel the spirit while he's talking and we can tell he's doing well! 

Not a ton of time to say stuff this week. I'll leave it at this, I love all of ya'll.  I hope you're all doing great. I love being a missionary and serving the Lord and everyone around me. 

I didn't say keep it real last week. Thanks for noticing. JK LOL <3

Alofa ia to outou,

Elder Sanderson

Hello Group,

This week was a little rough. But that's okay. We got to help some other missionaries find some potentials through sending some referrals, so that's good enough for me. I get bugged whenever missionaries use the fact that they can't continue teaching someone as an excuse to give up on the contact or the lesson or whatever finding situation you're in. We are all on the same team my friends. There is no A-team or B-team. There is no Red team, Blue team. When it comes to being engaged in the wonderful work of salvation, there can be no divisions. If there are, they need to be fixed. That applies to not just missionaries but to all members. Since we're already in the middle of an analogy of teams, I'll continue. Members are not the crowd or the cheerleaders, as important as those people may be. Members are mixed right in with the players. There are missionaries out there who are not pulling their full weight and there are members out there who pull more that their fair share. As unfortunate as it is that some missionaries are not as "anxiously engaged" as they should be, it happens. Missionaries and members work together so the members can help push through missionaries weakness' and missionaries do just the same for members. Heavenly Father is very, very good at working with imperfect people. With the exception of the Savior it's all He's been given to work with. We can each make a difference. Remember, the Grand Canyon was not formed overnight; Mount Everest was not built up in an afternoon. Sometimes these things take time. Remember that, and you will not be discouraged.

I cannot fully express my gratitude for you all. I'm gratefully for each of you. I hope you are all doing well. I hear good things from many of you. To those of you who I don't, you know who you are. Just kidding. Alofa ia te outou (Love to you all).

Alofa,

Elder Sanderson

Dear Friends and Family,

I don't know how everything got shaded in gray...I apologize. I'll ask a scientist when I get the chance. Oh, I figured it out. Oh well. I like it.

This week was a little dead kinda like a baby zombie. We had a ton of stuff that was pretty set fall through which is always a bummer but we still got to have some good experiences. We got to teach Tapu, the older lady we found last week, again. This time she seemed a lot more willing to do something. She accepted a Book of Mormon and committed to start reading it and to pray about it. That was a pretty big step because last week she kept talking about how all religions are the same and that everything is good. I'm glad that she is willing to at least look into the fact that there is a true church out there and that she can ask God which church it is. We also had a cool experience with one of our member families, the Arps. We shared a thought with them yesterday and asked them for referrals when we felt the Spirit was right and he talked about a friend that he wanted to keep trying to talk to. Then Brother Arp asked us to come back tonight to give a family home evening lesson about how members can help us do missionary work. It was a really cool experience to have with them. Hopefully we can give them a good enough lesson.

All in all this week was good. Slow, but good. When we were at the Arps I got to play their ukulele too. It was way legit. I felt like a Samoan. I got new Samoan books too! Straight from the MTC baby. Fluency here I come! 

That's it for this week. 

Keep it real.

Alofa

Elder Sanderson

In case you can't tell I'm just now starting to play with the font settings and stuff.

Dear Friends and Family,

This week was a little slower again. We did have a really cool finding experience this week. We decided a while ago to start going through some names on a really well organized but really old potentials list. We have been working this list for a while and a lot of the stuff is outdated but we've been hitting the pavement hard on it. We finally had a really good experience. We found this elderly lady and she is living with her son. We started talking to us and we were able to teach her about the restored gospel. She goes to church but she is unhappy with a few of the things they do, such as having to pay the ministers a ton of money. We shared as many basic, simple, overview doctrines as we could in the time that we had and set up a return appointment. She was quite receptive and it turns out her grandkids are members and they haven't been to church in a little while so their sort of on the downward slope to being less-active. It just seemed like the timing was all perfect that we found this lady, named Tapu, to teach and then found a family to try and reactivate. People are prepared to receive the gospel! Miracles happen when you turn your heart to the Lord. I can guarantee you that there are people around you; your friends, your family, your classmates, it goes on and on, who are ready to hear the gospel. If you don't believe me then I invite you to try! Reach out to your friends, your family, or your classmates. I promise that there is some sort of good that you can do. The worth of souls is great in the sight of God. I know they are. 

This week we also had a lot of fun! the ward had some really great activities and there was a really good turnout for nonmembers. It was cool to see members invite their friends out without any fear in them! Let's all follow the example of these wonderfull Brown people!

Das it for this week! I appreciate all of you and everything you do. I really am grateful for each an every one of you.

Keep it realz.

Alofa

Elder Sanderson