Letter from Nov. 18, 2010

Date: Thursday, November 18, 2010, 2:14 PM
meine familie,

So things are going well. . . I know Mom had a lot of questions in her letter to me, but I will answer and say more in the letter that I actually mail home, since time on the computer is limited.
Thanks for all the letters and I can't wait to get those drawings from Caleb and Garrett as well as Lindsay's letter.

So This week as been awesome!
On Sunday for Relief Society, Mary N. Cook (General YW Presidency) spoke to us sisters for RS. She talked to us sisters about virtue and since none of us were young women when that value was added she expanded more on what it means. She said that we must have virtue in order to access the fullness of the Atonement. She told each one of us to ask the question, "Am i virtuous?" and went on to also have us fill in the blanks of "For the atonement to have more powerful benefit in my life I must ______" also She wants us to each say to ourselves over and over again. .. I will be the best______ I can be! We are to put are name into the blank. .. I will be the best Sister Anderson I can be!
She was very good with us sisters as she explained why it is so important to have this as sister missionaries.

For Sunday nights fireside Mark J. Lusvardi (Missionary department/Public Progress) talked about Divine Love and that it is important to take time to get to know someone to really help and understand there needs instead of diving right into the first lesson.

And to take care of all the talks from this week. .. Tuesday nights devotional, Kevin W. Pearson (1st Q. of the Seventy) spoke about four principals under the doctrine of POWER! First is Agency/Accountability: we are set apart to be beyond average. . . NOT average. Our mission here today is our future and our family. Second was Power of divine Identity: A child of God. the question to ask is, "What will I see when I look in the mirror? We are to see A true disciple of Christ. .. a disciple does not try, they do. . . he then quoted Yoda saying "do or do not there is no try." We have been set apart for a mission to become who we really are. Third was Faith: it is a gift based off righteousness, it comes from obedience. finally fourth, Prayer: The relationship needs to be clear. . . we must be under his will not his will under ours.
He goes on to say that every one we will teach already knows the truth. . . it's just our job to help them remember.

Those were the talks from this week and they were very amazing.
Sister Peltier and I also decided to sit down one night and brought ourselves more unified with one another. . . we are now reading from the German Book of Mormon Together and working on talking more German to one another. . . it is a struggle, but Preach my Gospel says that if you are not struggling with the language then you are not doing your part in receiving the gift of tongues. ..

I try to use all the words I know in German when I can even if it does not make since and the investigators we are teaching Sister Peltier and I are becoming more unified together when we teach. It is a great feeling to be able to know you have the Spirit there with you as I teach I am able to speak German that I never really knew that I would remember.

Oh on a side note. .. I am going to stalk up on a 16 month supply of deodorant because I am not getting it there. . . Europe deodorant is just a perfume you spray on your arm pit and it really doesn't do much for ya. . . I have found that out by living with an European. . . She is amazing, but our room does smell from her European deodorant.

So I am about out of time, so once again I will finish writing more in a letter. . .

So Blake, Lindsay, Garrett, and Caleb:Y'all rock and I love hearing from y'all!
Kimberly, David, and Lydia: Same with y'all and watch out world here comes Lydia!
Eric and Kiersten: I saw your sister, Kiersten. .. and also I love hearing from y'all as well.
and Neil: Stay cute little bud. . .
Mom and dad: Love y'all

I will say more in my letter home!!

I love all of y'all and wish email time could be longer

Love sister Anderson <3

Mailed letter from Nov. 18, 2010

Dea Familie,
The MTC is stress-free because the gospel if 24/7, but the language is hard and for sure a struggle. I am getting better at it ... I almost taught a whole lesson on praying to know if the Book of Mormon is true in German ... That was exciting.

Neil is a tough cookie if he wanted to get back on that horse. I don't know if I've mentioned this but there is an Elder here named Ford who has Down's syndrome. He is from Houston and going to Hawaii ... I actually think he's left already though. It was fun to sit with him during meals though.

Well, hopefully you get this letter before you go to El Paso. That'll be fun though to see all of Don & Janet's family. I put Grandma on the prayer box at the temple. We go to the temple every p-day, except next Thursday b/c it's Thanksgiving.

In my district Sister Peltier, me Elder Davis, Elder Marshall and Elder Healey are going to Berlin ... The rest are going to Frankfurt. Branches are zones and we only have German missionaries, since church is in German. On p-days I go to the temple, write letters and do laundry - that is pretty much it.

We do learn gospel studies separate than German but we are to use as much German as possible. My teachers are great and everyone wants to make the sisters as comfortable as possible. Our needs come before the elders.

Sister Stewart, Risenmay and Wakefield are all in Germany now. And so us sisters are the oldest ones now. I don't know what's going on for Thanksgiving yet, but yeah. Things are great though -- I love playing volleyball with the elders during gym. Gym is amazing b/c it's a break from being in the classroom all day. Sister Browne likes to hide in my closet and under my bed to scare me ... oh them Irish. lol

Love, Sister Brittany Anderson

First week in MTC

We received two letters from Brittany this week...the first in the mail, and then one by email on Thursday. Her prep-day is Thursday and so that is when we will expect emails. Because I haven't been able to cut and paste her email, I will include excerpts from the letter and email here. If you would like to receive emails of her letters, please let me know. I have included me email in an earlier post. She would also LOVE letters from you. Her address is included on the right or letters can be sent through http://dearelder.com.

October 31, 2010
...My feelings with the MTC varies every once in awhile, but I'm still hanging in there. It doesn't really feel like I'm on a mission ... all we really do is eat, go to class, eat, go to class, etc.
My companion is Schwester Peltier from Vernal, Utah... Also sharing our room is Schwester Browne and Schwester Smith. Browne is from Ireland and we are so much alike, not to mention her awesome accent. She is a convert of 20 months. We all entered the MTC on Wednesday and are all going to Berlin. We sure do love to laugh. In fact, someone who spoke on Wednesday said "if you're not laughing, you're doing it wrong." ...
I've just finished my fourth day and I'm so overwhelmed. I'm trying to understand a learn German, but it's not coming to me. Our teachers spend a lot of time just speaking German and I never know what's going on. ...I'm just so lost right now and keep praying that this language comes to me. ... Hopefully today is much better. Everyone says that once you get to Sunday things get so much better. Anyways, I miss y'all and I can't believe I'm actually saying this, but I really do need a hug.
Always,
Schwester Brittany Anderson

Nov. 4th, 2010
Guten Tag Familie,
...Can I just say I love dear elder ... (http://dearelder.com) ...so Mom you should spread that around to people, maybe on my blog.
So I guess I'll begin this letter starting with Sunday and oh Sunday turned everything around here at the MTC. I was having a hard time and was too overwhelmed that I kept praying that things will get better and I can have the spirit with me always. Sunday we had church and yes, it was in German. ..I was so glad Pres. Curtis did not call me up to give my talk I had prepared. Every Sunday we have to have a talk prepared in German and we don't find out who is speaking until after the Sacrament has been passed. ... I was still having a difficult time with the language and so Pres. Curts talked to me privately. He told me that the best Sister missionaries that go to Germany and can't really speak German never fail because they know the true reason why they are out there and that is to invite others to come unto Christ and we put our trust in Christ that we may speak by the gift of tongues ... he told me that everytime I see him I need to say something new in German to him. I have made it my goal this week to bear my testimony in German by Saturday to someone. I know the Lord will bless me with the gift if I do my part in practicing and studying the gospel every day.
... We played san volleyball for gym and it was a blast... I have drank the chocolate milk and it is very good. LOL ...
Tuesday the spirit was so strong I conducted my companionship inventory with my companion and she and I grew to understand one another ... I feel more confident with the language, but it is still pretty difficult and everyone is amazing ... Tuesdays we have firesides and guess who came!!! Elder Ballard ... it was so amazing when he walked in because we all stand when an apostle of the Lord walks in and we were in the middle of singing Praise to the Man watching an apostle of the Lord take his seat before us. The thing that stood out to me the most was when he said "your smile is your most powerful tool".
Anyways, I love y'all and bear testimony to y'all that this is the True Church of God and I know that I will grow from serving him everyday ... I love that it is just gospel 24/7 here and I am so honored to get to listen to Elder Ballard that is blessed us missionaries with the gift of spiritual communication ... I know Jesus Christ loves us ...
Please write me. I do love letters and only get to check this (her email) on Thursdays...
I love y'all,
Sister Anderson

Nov. 4, 2010 (paper letter)

So I sent y'all my first email today ... Sorry, 30 minutes is actually not alot of time ... Normally we get on, print the letters to read later and then start typing ... but nobody even sent me a real letter on the email. So, going back to Monday... Brother Lehnert is from Germany and is also a counselor to President Curtis. He came up a few times this week to help me with my German and I think it has helped some. In my distsrict we made it a goal that we will only speak German during lunch, so I feel like that is helping alot. Ha! Sorry, Sister Risenmay is making fun of my laugh since I snort ... Yes, she is the one from San Antonio and we are so much alike! Love it! Also, Elder Davis in my district says my laugh or my ("chuckle") - that's what he calls it, makes our district the best.

So, on Sunday, David's brother played the cello, that big looking violin, during the fireside. Also, did you know that John from 1st ward in here at the MTC ... so cool. Talking a little more about Elder Ballard's talk ... a smile towards others is what brings people closer to Christ. After his talk/devotional all the elders and Sister Peltier and I in my district bore our testimonies about what was spoken and I feel that our district has grown so much closer.

So, with this letter combined with my email, pretty much sums up everything so far ... Ha! Sister Browne just cracks me up ... she's the one from Ireland ... Too too funny! Anyways, I love y'all and keep writing.

Love, Sister Anderson