Hey family! ya we had Elder Nelson come for christmas so it was sweet! he actually returned the next day and talked to us again during priesthood! my companion is elder dunford by the way. Elder santos is just a elder in my district that I have been helping! so this week has been good. The language is coming and im slowly progressing. My mtc experience has been more about me growing than I think me learning the language its been amazing! the gospel is seriously so so amazing and so simple. Today me becca na rawley were able to go to salt lake to go to the temple because we are international it was awesome! we also went to see the cristus and also the conference center! it was really nice to go in and remember just being there a couple months previous! so crazy thing on wednesday my district was helping in welcoming the new elders so basically taking them off the sidewalk from there familys and jupming right into the work and i got to help an elder from bow island that i met in the cardston temple like 10 weeks ago and actually baptised him for his family name! such a small world! he will be serving in sweden his name is elder woodruff! so that was really nice! ya mom we got the dear elderfood you sent and it was sweet! we seriously have so much candy here its ridiculous so i dont need any more during my stay here at the mtc. haha I leave here in about 11 days i fly out the 11th of january so i think ill get to call then. Its going to be wierd.  I dont have any really good stories like i did last week but just that the when we go through trials it is never for the lord to see if we can do somthing just like abraham didn't need to sacrifice issac for the lord to show the lord he was capable of doing it. Abraham needed to know he was capable and willing to follow our saviour and heavenly father. likewise in our our trials and hardships in life its for our benefit to grow and show the lord that we are learning about ourself. The trials here that I face are all about me learning what Iam capable of. The lord knows what I am capable of but he is helping me realize that everyday. There is so much power in the gospel and all of the simple commandment that it is just amazing. I want to challenge everyone todd tim hil mom dad steve heather lindsay to really try and share the gospel this week. Its hard but its so amazing and we constantly have opportunitys its so much easier to do it through asking questions. like what do you belive in jesus christ or whatever.. oh really thats so awesome we belive that he is our saviour too. why is that important to you to know that he has suffered individually for you? how can you repay him. The key to teaching is asking questions and teaching the basic docterine. God is our loving heavleny father. why is that important to know you have a heavenly father who loves you? its all about the investigator teaching themselves. when they understand the docterine it will change them. Like the quote true docterin understoood changes behaviour faster than the study of behaviour changes behaviour. its so true. honestly why are we scared to share the gospel. if you truly express love and sincerity why would they not be impacted that you care about them. or that youwant them to have a better life. everyone who has served missions i know its probalby hard to teach without having the mantle but why stop? seriously i really challenge you all to really try to help someone come closer to chirst because that is our purpose as a missionary and its so important because by doing so it is helping our heavenly father fulfill his purpose. moses 1 39. i dont want to ever have to look at someone hereafter and have then ask me. why didnt you tell me. you knew. why? because we were scared? big deal get over it. its like 2 min and do you not think the lord will help you? do you think he will just abandon you when you are trying to fulfill your purpose and thus allowing him to fulfill his? ya. exactly. the church is true. and they know it too. they just forgot it. in preach my gospel it says when you testify and the holy ghost touches them the gospel will have that "familiar ring" to them. i dont want you to try to cnovert anyone but build abpon the things they already know to be true. dont ever try to take away what they have but give them more. do it. I dare you. ps. theres a kid here that looks exactly like ralphy from the christmas story. I got pics. ya. its wierd. anyways. times up and i gotta write letters and do the laundry. I love you

Elder Anderson