Sunday, December 21, 2014

Elder Timothy Anderberg, also known as TJ, left for the Mexico MTC on December 10, 2014.



It was a tearful goodbye for those of us being left behind, but he had a smile on his face the whole time. As his mom, I could see him keeping that smile just for us and being a bit tearful on the other side, but he ran into several people on the other side of security who sent me emails and said he was so happy when they saw him in the terminal. He was so ready to go.

He was pulled through to the pre-check line and was gone faster than we could imagine. The next 13 hours were rough, waiting to know he had arrived safely. Because we all got up early to take him to the airport, after breakfast, we went home and slept. But we all cried a lot that day. But we all know he is doing what is right and he is our gift to the people of Mexico. That email that he had arrived safely arrived about 8:30 pm.

He was there and so excited to be meeting his companion, Elder Roland Adams. His P-Day is on Thursday's right now so I will post his emails here for Anyone who is interested to read. Many of you are on his email list, so this will be redundant but we welcome you all.

We love you all and are so grateful for all the support he and we have and continue to receive.


On Thursday, December 18, 2014 Elder Anderberg emailed the following:

This week was pretty sweet! I'm already having a blast!

My companion's name is Elder Roland Adams, at first glance he's a nerd but he is seriously one of the funniest kids. He's so great! He does this rap of a nerd via geek and i can't handle myself.

We are learning so fast. We are teaching a fake investigator, who doesn't speak any English. It was pretty tough not being able to talk to him and communicate what I was trying to say because I knew what to say but i

I didn't know how to say it. We have had 4 lessons so far and the last two were amazing. I was baring my testimony to him and didn't know how to say what I wanted in spanish but he understood me. The gift of tongues is real. The Lord is the best companion to have during a lesson. When the spirit is so strong in there I'm pretty sure it doesn't matter what language him or I is speaking.

We have a teacher Hermano Ramerez helping us learn more about the gospel and the language. He really loves beef jerky and they don't make it in Mexico so we bribe him with it to not get mad at us for not doing our pre work. He loves us tho.

We have a district that follows the rules but still has fun. The other districts seem to not like to have fun? It's confusing but we still have fun even when they give us dirty looks.

We are in a room with two other Elders and they are way fun, Elder Condie and Elder Anglesey. We sit there and laugh till we have to look away because my face is purple and I can't breath.

I'm loving being out here and the spirit here is insanely awesome. It feels like church everyday but without the boring part? If that make sense... haha. Missin' everybody! Hope everything is going good at home!

Love you all!

Elder Anderberg

Waited a long time for that name. It sounds good.


Elder Anderberg and Elder Adams
Elder Condie and Elder Anglesey

On December 24, 2014, Elder Anderberg wrote:

Week 2 down!

This last week has been so sick.  I can't even wait to have Spanish down! It's getting so easy! This week I had a couple really cool experiences.

The first one, I was sitting in the class reading Revelations out loud with just me an my companion.  And the Spirit literally stopped me from talking and to ask my companion a question. A couple Elders in our district came in and joined in the conversation.  We had a talk about guardian angels and how the Lord is always there for us and has given us guardian angels to help guide us through life. I could tell when one of the Elders came in, he had been having a rough day. After our conversation, I noticed a change. I don't know what would have happened if I didn't say anything when the Spirit told me to, but I do know that following the promptings of the Spirit is a blessing. I can already see the Lord using me as a tool.

Another experience, I was reading my Patriarchal Blessing and it asked me to study some things that I had never really had interest in. But when I saw that I said, I need to do that and I was looking and looking and I was like, Where is this scripture? So I said out loud, "Jesus help me find this scripture" And no joke opened right so it. I was so pumped! I jumped out of my chair and said "The church is true!" It was pretty awesome!

I don't know if I said this last week but we decided my companion looks like Dwight from the office. He says things so sophisticated ( asked him how to spell that.) So it just sounds like Dwight when he's nice and it's so funny! He doesn't ever say anything negative which is awesome.

My teacher also loves beef jerky and will basically do anything for it. We got him to get us Dr Pepper and a frisby to play ultimate. Also we have been playing volleyball everyday in the sand, which is fun.

I don't know if anyone knows this about me, but I really don't like to read. It's not fun to me usually. But this last week I have learned already that the scriptures are a blast to read! When they ask us to stop reading I still read until the end of the chapter! 

I hope everything is going good at home! Love you all!
   
 On January 1, 2015, Elder Anderberg wrote:

Week 3!

Heyooo! How is everyone doin?! I'm doing great out here and it is so fun! I had a really cool experience this week!

So the email last week said that I asked Jesus to help me find a scripture that i had no clue where to find. I was reading it and it was in Genesis 22. I didn't really understand so I said  a prayer to have the Lord help me understand.  For Christmas we had a devotional and you'll never guess what it was about.  Yep, Genesis 22. It was really cool that the Lord decided to do a devotional for me.

Yesterday we taught 3 lessons. The first was to a fake investigator named Rodrigo.  He is really cool! He is actually my teacher but he is fun to teach. The Spirit is always so strong teaching him even though our Spanish isn't up to par, we do our whole lesson in Spanish!  
We had TRC which you never know if your going to get a real investagator, non member or a member with questions.  But it's really cool and fun to teach them. And then the last one was Javier. He is really cool and speaks a little bit of English so it helps. Before we went in, I said my second prayer in English since being here, just to be fast. I asked the Lord to bless us with the gift of tongues and that we would be able to answer all Javier's questions. It worked. The Spirit was there we had answers to all his questions and were able to speak Spanish like no other! Best lesson yet!

Anyway the food is still gross and it's not getting any better, haha, but I eat anyway. I have lost like 18 lbs, so fast and I eat more then everybody else.  It's pretty sweet, my suit is getting baggier and baggier! This place is so cool and I'm even for getting words in English. I am actually pretty pumped about it!

Oh and Christmas was nothing special other then talking to the Fam and a devotional for me! ... But I would love to hear about how everyone else's Christmas was!

Love Yall!

Elder Anderberg
On January 8, 2015, Elder Anderberg wrote:

Wow, Week 4!

So this week was incredible. I don't even know where to start! I guess first of all, I want to start out with our lesson this week with a real investigator!

We have a thing every week called TRC We usually go teach members who help us and let us teach them! But this time it was a real investigator who was Catholic, but didn't feel like it was true! He said, he was looking for the true church and I understood everything he said and knew what to say! I was literally teaching by the Spirit and there is no doubt about it! And it was also so fun!

 So last night I was talking to one of the guys who lives in the casa with us, he was having a rough time and asked me how I always have such amazing experiences and always have the Spirit. I got to tell him that it's all the Lord! And that if you have faith and actually believe that he is going to help and when you ask a question, know that you are going to get an answer no matter what and that he will be there for you whenever you need him and when ever you ask him for help then just trust that it will happen then you can rely on him where ever you are and with whatever you are going through! He told me that I answered about 90% of his prayers. And while answering his, it also answered some of mine. It is just a testament to me that the Lord is here to help us and love us. 

I love it here, being able to stay here all the time, to only learn about the gospel, a little bit of Spanish and being able to teach people and teach them how to know the gospel is so sweet! I've never had the Spirit with me so much.  It's amazing. It's calming to know that the Lord will help me know or find anything I need whether it be for a surprise investigator or a member.  I feel he is using me as a tool and I love it.

This is an awesome place to be and I love it here. The other missionsarys are so awesome and our teachers are great. My companion is still the bomb and I'm so happy to be here!

Hope everyone is doing great! 
Love you all!

Elder Anderberg
 (The previous letter didn't come until quite late in the day.  I was beginning to get a little worried because every other pday, he had emailed us earlier in the day. I sent him an email asking if he was okay.  Below is his response.)

Hey mom! Sorry we went on a long bus ride and just got back. We were driving and we saw a protest. It was a bunch of dudes in their underwear.  We were laughing so hard but then there was a line of naked women. All the laughing went to AWWWW NOOOO! I SINNED! I'M GOING TO HELL!  It was actually kind of funny.     

 

My District