November 30, 2015: Hermana Sutton Brought Me NUTELLA!!!!

Hola familia!! How is everyone? I really enjoyed your letters! It sounds like it was a great Thanksgiving, even if the football game was freezing cold ha-ha. First off...HAPPY BIRTHDAY MADISON!! There, I didn’t forget. Also, another subject I need to hit before I forget: our mission will now be a Facebook authorized mission for the new Christmas initiative that the church is doing. We will be posting things about it. I’m not sure if we are going to start tomorrow or next week. Long story short, don’t freak out when you guys see something from me on Facebook. I’m obedient ha-ha. And yes, it was SO FUN to see Hermana Sutton!!!! It was great to meet her family too. She gave me the big hugs you guys wanted to send...and a Nutella!! WOOHOO!!! Thanks for the pics of the apartment. It looks great! Thanks so much for getting everything for school lined up for me. That really has helped me feel a little bit calmer about coming home.

Well, this week was another great week and it flew by! I was really only in my area 1 day of the entire week. I went on intercambios with Hermana Clark, she knows dad’s nephew Brady Anderton. Anyways, her area has hills in it...I’ve been in flat areas my entire mission, so I was dying about half-way through the day. But it was fun! We visited a family that has a baptismal date for January and we were teaching the Plan of Salvation. The dad wouldn’t accept that the Fall was part of Heavenly Father’s Plan. I was really bothered by it...he was SO stubborn!! He said that we could have all just lived there and stuff. I pulled out the Book of Mormon and asked him if he thought it was true, "Ummm, yes." Okay. So we read 2 Nephi 2:22-25. He didn’t get it the first time, he still said it was their fault we were here suffering. So we broke down the verses a little bit and took pauses. It finally clicked. "So, we wouldn’t have been able to progress there, we wouldn’t have even been born? And we are here not just to suffer? And God knew that was going to happen?" "Yes." Power of the Book of Mormon made manifest. I spent the weekend in Juarez for another meeting...then came back on Saturday night. I’m going to go back this weekend too. I’m really getting to know the highway between here and Juarez ha-ha. Overall, I can’t believe how fast this week has flown by!!! And even more, I can’t believe how little time is left. I am really having contradictory feelings, I’m so excited to see you guys and watch the Lion King....but I’m so sad to be leaving my mission!!!!!! So yeah, I really am not trying to think too much about it, but I’m trying to make friends with the unchangeable fact I’m on my way out.

My thought for you guys is going to come from my personal study. I’ve been re-reading Jesus the Christ. I just got through the part where after His baptism; he was tempted during his 40 day fast. A pattern I saw, every time He was tempted...He overcame it with a scripture. And that reminds me of a quote (surprise) from Richard G. Scott:

"Scriptures are like packets of light that illuminate our minds and give place to guidance and inspiration from on high. They can become the key to open the channel to communion with our Father in Heaven and His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ.

The scriptures provide the strength of authority to our declarations when they are cited correctly. They can become stalwart friends that are not limited by geography or calendar. They are always available when needed. Their use provides a foundation of truth that can be awakened by the Holy Ghost. Learning, pondering, searching, and memorizing scriptures is like filling a filing cabinet with friends, values, and truths that can be called upon anytime, anywhere in the world.

Great power can come from memorizing scriptures. To memorize a scripture is to forge a new friendship. It is like discovering a new individual who can help in time of need, give inspiration and comfort, and be a source of motivation for needed change."

I love my scriptures and wish I could just plant in everyone the understanding of just how wonderful they are!!! The ponderizing challenge is still on people! I know that the scriptures are a powerful source of inspiration. So, keep picking ponderizing scriptures and read your scriptures daily!!

Well, I love you guys so much and am so grateful for the wonderful family I have! Thanks for all the love and support you all give me. I love you all so much and am getting really excited to see you again!!! Have a great week!!!!!!! :) XOXOXOXOXOXO until next time....

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Anderton

Making Tortilla's

Dublen Zone

Dublen Zone

Hermana Sutton was Raegan's trainer.  She visited the mission over Thanksgiving.  A special delivery was made.  Nutella!

A long distance hug from Mom and Dad delivered by Hermana Sutton!!!

November 23, 2015: My English Is Super Shaky!

HOLA FAMILIA!!!! Everyone sounds great!! And like they are counting the days....crazy how little time is left! I can’t believe it!! I’m really having mixed feelings. I am so excited to see you guys, but I’m going to be so sad to leave my mission. Oh well, I am just going to soak in the moment I’m in!! I also want to wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!! Give everyone a big hug from me!

This week was super weird! I was only in my area 3 days this week. I went on intercambios with the sisters in Dublan. That place is a mini-U.S., everyone speaks English and for lunch we ate chicken pot pie. My English is super shaky, so don’t laugh at me when I get home. It’s a super beautiful area; there were orange and yellow leaves everywhere!!!! Their house also had a little farm to the side of the guy who owns the land. (He's the one in the pic with the goose that wanted to eat my face.) Anyways, I took the legit chance I had to feed the raccoon! I have a video of it. I will show you guys when I get home ha-ha. Well, after intercambios, I had to pack my bags and go to Juarez! We had a meeting with the sister training leaders and the district leaders. We crashed at the sister's house in Pradera Dorada, and I met Hermana Creer. She’s from Utah and read my blog before she came. She said she was excited to meet me ha-ha. I shared a few "how to survive the mission tips" with her. She was so sweet and will be a great missionary! Our meeting was a great meeting and I took a lot out of it. After the meeting, Hermana Camejo (my traveling companion) broke her glasses. The President took us to an optical shop to fix them, but they couldn’t do it. The President was determined to fix them, so he glued them together. But anyways, cool part: Hermana Camejo's brother was marrying a chick from Juarez and was getting married the same day we were in Juarez. The President asked at what time, and then told us we were going to go. I couldn’t believe my luck!! I wanted to go to the temple soooooooooo bad. Hermana Camejo was in shock. We told him our recommends were in Casas Grandes, so he just gave us other ones....then told us to hurry off and that he would pick us up around 830 pm at the temple and take us to dinner. Hermana Camejo wasn’t sure of her way around, but I know Juarez like the back of my hand and what bus routes we needed to take and how long the traveling time would be. We went home and fixed our faces and hair a little bit, then went to the temple to wait for Hermana Camejo's family to come. We took pics and wandered around a bit. It was strange to be in my Rio Nilo area again, but we didn’t get to wander around the area, so I didn’t get time to say “hi” to anyone. Anyways, the sealing session was really beautiful and it was fun to meet Hermana Camejo's family. The temple inside is super pretty!! When we come to Juarez to visit, you guys have to see it! After the wedding, the President picked us up and took us to dinner as promised. I really have a lot of respect for him and his wife, they really are stellar people. Then, Saturday morning, we traveled back to Juarez and I crashed the entire ride home in a deep slumber. Hermana Camejo and I were talking until about 12 in the morning, so I lost a little sleep and needed to catch up. Anyways, it was a super fun and strange week.

My thought for you guys is from Neal A. Maxwell:

“If, in the end, if you have not chosen Jesus Christ it will not matter what you have chosen.” – Neal A. Maxwell

I love this quote! It’s true. It doesn’t matter what we do, if Christ is not the center of our lives, we cannot be happy, and that is that. His way is the only way to be happy now and have celestial glory in the life to come. We are so blessed to have the Gospel, which helps us put Him first in our lives and acts as a guide in all we do. Thank you Mom and Dad for teaching me the Gospel, and about Jesus Christ so I can have the chance to choose Him.

I love you all and miss you all! Hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving. Thanks for all the love and support. You’re all wonderful! Have a fabulous week! Keep up the hard work! Until next time...XOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Anderton

Hermana Anderton at the Juarez Temple  (not sure about the angle??)

Hermana Camejo and Anderton.  Hermana Camejo's brother was getting married and they were allowed to attend.

Yes, that is the border and El Paso in the background.  Hermana Camejo and Anderton wandering Juarez.

I'm supposed to feed the sheep?

Goose attack!

Hermana Camejo and Anderton.  They traveled together to Juarez for some training.

Hermana's Reynoso and Anderton with Hermana Mary Garcia  (A Missionaries Mom away from home!)

Raegan stayed the night in Juarez.  With Hermana Creer

Old mission friend Hermana Mecado

Hermana Tiesina

At the Juarez Temple

Hermana Anderton at the Juarez Temple

Juarez Temple

Add caption

Juarez baggage cart!

Rocky Raccoon!

Yes, that's the rooster that woke me up!

November 16, 2015: Time Is Flying By!

HOLA FAMILIA!! I’m glad everyone is doing well!! It sounds like you guys had a super busy week! That’s great! Yep, one month from today you guys will be anxiously awaiting my arrival at the airport and I will be lost in the LA airport trying to find my way around ha-ha. But yeah, until then...I’m here working hard and staying focused.

This week has been super busy and we are just working away. We set a baptismal date for the 12th of December with Evelyn; she accepted and is really excited. She reads everything we give her and learns the material really well. She is attending mutual and has a good group of youth friends now. She promised not to miss a single week of church so that I could be present at her baptism. The investigators have to attend 5 times before they can be baptized. Elba is progressing, too. She was sick on Sunday, but is doing everything else. We were wandering around on Wednesday; nobody was accepting visits from us. While we were walking down a street, a car pulled up and a woman yelled out, "What are you guys doing?" I replied that we were preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She smiled and said, "I’m a less-active member. I haven’t gone to church in 10 years. Can you please visit me tonight?"  Then we wandered around some more, feeling a bit like Nephi right before he went again the 3rd time to get the plates...not knowing what the heck we were supposed to do...and found a woman outside of her house who is now a new investigator. She said even though she is Catholic, she is sure that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the true church. Her name is Lupe. Soooooo, even wandering around in the street has a purpose in missionary work. We always find ourselves where we need to be, it’s kind of cool. Anyway, our zone leaders are really pleased with our work and have told us to keep going. Our area has been kind of dead for almost a year, and now it has some movement. Yesterday, the primary piano player was sick, so Hermana Valenzuela asked me if I could help out and play. I accepted without thinking twice. I loved going to the primary! It was super fun, and I love the primary songs. They just say the simple truths in such a beautiful way. So yeah, it’s been a good and busy week! I love my mission!! Time is flying by!!!

Today, my thought is about following the Spirit...and taking initiative...and progressing.

"If you don’t go after what you want, you’ll never have it. If you don’t ask, the answer is always “no”. If you don’t step forward, you’re always in the same place."

Really, it’s simpler than we think. We just need to feel what we are supposed to do, then do everything we can to get it...and of course ask for Heavenly Father's help along the way. It’s the only way we will ever get anywhere or do anything.

Well, I love you all so much and hope that you all have a great week!! Thanks for all the love and support!! You guys are wonderful!!! :) Well, until next time...

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Anderton

November 9, 2015: Last Transfer..... Here We Go!!!

Hola familia!!! You all sound wonderful!!! I’m glad everyone is well!!! And everyone sounds super busy!! Time is flying. I’m freaking out!!!! But yeah, there will be no changes for me this transfer. I’m staying in Estacion with my companion. I will be the sister training leader of the sisters in the zone and there are 3 companionships!! Hermana Zepeda will be one of them, she just can’t get rid of me ha-ha. But yeah, I’m cool with staying here. So, we are going to work hard!!!

This week was good!!! We have two teenagers on board to set a baptismal date and Paulina has a date for the 21st of November. Elva is progressing really well; the only problem is waiting for the divorce of her boyfriend of 20 years so that they can get married. Good gravy, peoples personal lives here are super complex. We have found a lawyer and everything for her ha-ha. She suffers from a lot of health problems, she is almost worse than Mom!! So the problem is the money really because she pays lots of medical bills, and a lawyer and a divorce and a marriage requires $$$. But she is super excited about everything and is reading the Book of Mormon and always has lots of questions when we come. The two teenagers we have on board are friends of a less active family that we have reactivated. We had just barely met them and they said, "We want to be Mormons like you guys! We want to get baptized." (Their names are Evelyn and Alexis. Please pray for them.) Well, we can make that happen. On Thursday, I got to travel to Juarez and was there until Friday for our mission leadership meeting. I LOVE JUAREZ sooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much!!!!!!! Its super ugly, but when I pulled in there, I felt like I just got home. And I was secretly excited to get off the bus because it was making me nauseated. The bus was super rocky...and after 4 hours I was done ha-ha. I know lots of people probably won’t even understand it, even other missionaries tell me I’m crazy for loving Juarez so much...but really, I have lots of great memories there and learned so much in Juarez. I just love it.....Anyways, the leadership meeting was super good!!! I learned a lot. They talked about diligence and discipline. Really, the things we do here in the mission and the habits we form will have a huge impact on our lives. It’s kind of like running, I learned a lot about being disciplined and not making excuses....and I’ve had to apply that here. Being responsible and taking initiative....it doesn’t go away when I go home. I’m so glad I came on my mission, its changed me a lot...and for the better. I can’t believe how far I’ve come, and I still have a long way to go. I still have a million things to learn, so even though everyone is telling me it’s almost over, I’m just going to stick in my zone and keep working up until the end. Oh, and we are going to have a Christmas choir here!! SOOOOOOOO HAPPY!!!! We are singing "Mary, Did You Know?" I love that song!!! It’s better in Spanish I think, it sounds really pretty.

My thought comes from Mom’s email, loved it a lot so I want to share it:

“Sometimes there is no next time, no time outs, no second chances. Sometimes it’s now or never.” – Alan Bennett

It’s true. This life has no rewind or pause buttons. I believe that everything we do in life needs to have a lot of dedication and we should do it with purpose. It is what makes life wonderful!!! Really, even though we often say we are here to pass through trials and all that jazz, we are also here to make something of ourselves with God’s help. I know that if we include Him in everything we do, our life will always have a purpose and we will always make the best of the chances we have. So, now or never....start the improvement. If you fall down, get up and cowboy up, then keep going. Do everything you do with purpose and LOVE IT!!!! Today is the day to get started.

I love my mission, I love you all, and most of all I love the Lord. Keep up the great work!! Good luck with tests, read your scriptures, pray, keep calm and carry on. HAVE A FABULOUS WEEK!!!!!! XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO......XO. :) Until next time......

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Anderton

Bustillo's family with Hermana's Reynoso and Anderton at Karla's Baptism.  Elders Riding and Carrasco on the right.

District:  Hermana's Reynoso, Anderton and Elder Riding (Returning home this week) and Carrasco (new District Leader)

Statue of Benito Juarez, a progressive reformer dedicated to democracy.

Transferred to China?

A park with nobody in it??

Not sure....   All of her pictures in town seem to be at a time everything is closed down and there is nobody on the streets???

No water under the bridge

Raegan was never sure.... Ying or Yang?

November 2, 2015: I'm the Cream of the Crap.........

Hola familia!! Como están!! Muchas gracias por sus correos!!!! I know I am getting really bad at writing, but really I’m just pooped out of doing it ha-ha. But I really appreciate your emails!!!!! Sounds like it was a crazy Halloween, I can’t believe the amount of candy you guys gave out!!!!! Glad all is well at home. Tell Caprice congrats and that I look forward to her wedding and meeting her future husband!!!!

This week was great!!! Funny things first: I was teaching Hermana Reynoso phrases in English. I was teaching her: I’m the cream of the crop. She didn’t pronounce it right, and said: I’m the cream of the crap. I about died laughing. When I told her what she said, we were both laughing so hard we almost were crying. Yesterday, we found a woman in the street that was crying. We went up to talk to her, and at first she just asked if we had tissues and kept crying. Her name is Paula. We waited a few minutes while she cried....then when she finally looked at me; I asked her what the heck she was doing outside in the dark and in cold weather without a jacket. She told us her grandpa had just passed away. Well.....testimony time. I just told her about my experience with Grandma Anderton. Then told her I know that the relationships we have in this life are never over. She thanked us for our words, and we swapped numbers and we took her address. She accepted a visit at the end of the week since they will be busy with the funeral and stuff right now. We met a member’s husband that lives in Alaska, he is familiar with Skagway. So we had a fun chat about Alaska, I love Alaska and all the great memories I have there with you guys. This week Dante was baptized. He is the son of a less active member we have been working with. She is active now....yay!!! Dante wanted us to have a part in his baptism, so we threw it together really fast for the weekend. We ran out of gas.....so we have had to shower in cold water the past few days. We called the offices to send us gas, but the people never came. I’m marching down to the gas office today to tell them that I want gas now. It’s been kind of an adventure....it’s funny....and it builds character....and it’s good for your hair....but yeah, I’m kind of sick of cold water ha-ha. Other than that, just talking to everyone about our message and inviting everyone. Elba is progressing really well and came to church on Sunday. She loves everything!! She gave us lots of food the other day and perfume before we left her house. It was super sweet. Paulina also came to church. We are going to set a baptismal date on Wednesday. Our less active family with a future missionary also came to church.....yay!!! So yeah, I’m going to keep rolling, time is flying by!!

My thought for you guys comes from a quote I saw on a notebook this week of a missionary:

"Heavenly Father knows you best of all, knows your talents and strengths, as well as your weaknesses. He has placed you here on the earth at this time to develop and refine these characteristics. I promise you He will help you."

I’m not sure who said it...but I love it!!! It is true. He knows us best. He will help us with all we do. I know we have an all knowing and loving Heavenly Father. We can all trust in Him.

Well, I’m tired of writing ha-ha. So that’s all for the week!! I love you all sooooooooooooooooo much and miss you all lots! Thanks for the love and support!! I have been blessed with an amazing family!!!!!!! I’m doing great down here and am loving every minute of my mission, even the cold showers. I’m so happy I came. Thanks so much for supporting me!!! Well, have a great week!!!!! Until next time.....XOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXOXO

Con todo mi amor,

Hermana Anderton

Hermana Anderton, Dante and Hermana Reynoso

Hermana Reynoso and Anderton

Hermana Anderton and Reynoso

Casas Grandes Trio!  Anderton, Reynoso and Garcia