"My Favorite Missionary"!!

Well It has been quite awhile since I have updated Derek's blog so this may be a long one! He has been out 18 months now and I can hardly wait for Febrary 14,2012 to come!!
He has served in a total of four areas and has had 9 companions. I will try and list areas, dates and companions:
Arrived in Chile on April 13, 2010 with his first companion being Elder Low and his first area LoPrado. On July 12, 2010 he got a new companion ~ Elder Wagner.
He got transfered to Rosende on August 16, 2010 with Elder Pando. On September 27, 2010 Elder Deardon became his new companion. On December 20, 2010 he transfered to Lampa and became a District Leader with Elder Elder being his companion. While serving in Lampa as District Leader a new Elder (Elder Brundt from Highland, Utah ~ our Stake) arrived in Chile. Elder Brundt and Derek did not know each other, but because Paul is our Stake President, he told Elder Brundt about Derek and they wrote to each other once before Elder Brundt left on his mission. Elder Brundt was assigned to Derek's District and Derek was able to go on splits with the first 2 days this Elder was in Chile. (It seemed to be quite a blessing to Elder Brundt as he was quite homesick and having the Stake Presidents son and someone from his hometown there was again a blessing for him. Derek told Paul that he would watch out for his flock from the stake and help take care of them ~haha! On March 14, 2011 Elder Ibarrola became his companion. Ond April 25, 2011 he again was transfered to Quilcura and became the Zone Leader with Elder Tialavea (one of his favorites). On June 6, 2011 Elder Kanahele became his companion (one of his favorites)
On July 1, 2011 he recieved a new mission President ~ President and Sister Essig from Logan, Utah. Derek seems to enjoy them but he does miss President and Sister May very much (He truly loved them) On July 18, 2011 he got another companion Elder Redd.

In July we (the family) were able to attend President and Sister May's homecoming and finally meet them. I just cried!!! I can see how Derek loved them, they did such a wonderful job and to know that these 2 were watching over my son for 1 1/2 years really hit me hard.

This is Dereks closet in Lampa ~ I am amazed at how clean it is! Is this really my missionaries apartment? Haha
Elder Anderson and Elder Elder at one of their baptisms
Isn't Elder Anderson just the cutest!!
Derek found a McDonalds and he was in heaven! What a smile, now that is what a mom loves to see!!
This is his food ~ nothing changes, he can down just as much food in Chile as he did at home. I just can't imagine him losing the 40+ pounds that he has ~ he is going to look so skinny!!

HAPPY "HUMP DAY"

Derek has been out for one year now!!!

Derek is now serving in Lampa, Chile and has been since December 20, 201.

He is loving every minute of his new area and the people are amazing!!!

He says Lampa is the largest area of his mission and covers for example ~ from Salt Lake to Payson. He says he can be in a bus for over 1 1/2 hours and not cover his whole area!

He is now in the full blown summer months and I'm jealous ~ haha!

Most importantly he has had NO INJURIES since he's been in Lampa!! YEAH!!

Here is part of a letter we just recieved!

"We are working super hard and the lord has really blessed me so much as I have dedicated myself to him and have been giving it all I got! He expects a ton out of me and its really crazy at
times. There is so much work for me to do now and really just more keeps coming! I haven’t been focusing on finding investigators but the lord keeps putting them in my way and it’s amazing! I haven’t knocked a single door in this sector but now I have 20 investigators with fechas! The lord is really blessing me! I’m still getting to know my huge sector and to add to it today was changes and Elder Elder got transferred! I’m with a new elder named Elder Ibarrola he is from Paraguay! The Lord and Pres. May expect allot from me and i’m ready and excited to work my butt off again this change! Its gonna be a ride that’s for sure!!!!"

Elder Anderson and Rosa Herrera and Pres. Jacque (the Branch President)
Rosa Herrera got baptized on February 6th and it was sweet! Derek said she felt a little scared because she is a big girl so she asked Derek and Pres Jaque (branch President) to baptize her. I stood behind her and basically lifted her completely out of the water after because President couldn’t lift her up haha it was funny! But it was freakin sweet!!!!

Elder Anderson and Francisco

Elder Anderson, Giovani and his friend and Elder Elder

Elder Anderson, Micro and Elder Elder

Derek on his p~day! They took a hike up the mountains!

Derek with a gun???? Who knows what they were doing, but you can sure tell he had fun!!

Elder Elder (from Logan, Utah) and Elder Anderson
Derek with his Christmas presents! The best part of the day was talking on the phone!! We only got 40 minutes and it was the shortest 40 minutes of my life but the best also!!!

I love my missionary and I'm so very proud of him and his dedication to the Lord and to the work and people of Chile! What more could a mom ask for!! I LOVE YOU DEREK!! :)

Rosende, Chile

The only real solid investigator that we have right now is a 48 year old man named victor. Wow the lord has definately worked a miracle in his life so far... one month ago this man was in the streets selling and doing drugs and beleived in being posessed by demons and it was a big mess in this mans life. We started working with him and helping him out and wow has he changed! It has been a dramatic change in the period of a couple weeks and truely i think it has been from his assistance in the church. He has 3 assistance in church and came to one session of conference which he loved. This man has completely changed and although he still has a ways to go with the word of wisdom he is progressing dramaticaly and the lord is working a miracle in front of us here in rosende! The coolest part was yesterday at church Victors prima came up to me and told me thank you for the work you are doing with my cousin, noone beleived in him and he has no support at home but you beleived in him and now he is changing. It was such a great experience for me for her to tell me that and it gave me that purpose of why im here in the mission. He even came to church sporting one of my white shirts and a tie that i gave him!! He was looking good and deffinately felt the spirit in the church. He was laughing with the members and it was so funny! i cant tell you how much i love this man! he is amazing! My way to get to him is the scripture that says come unto christ like a child haha so i always tell him he is a nino pequinito! its so funny! this man has changed his life around 360 degrees! He sits outside sometimes with his mom and just enjoys a little fresh air and all wow this man is great! The lord is really blessing me with the people he has put in my life!

(This is the letter Derek sent to his mission president and he published on his blog ~ he was very proud of Derek just like we are!!!)
Derek with Victor
Derek sporting the wedding tie on the day of Steven & Suany's wedding
Derek sporting the boot on his right ankle
He tore some tendons and ligaments in this ankle too!!
Derek sporting a boot on his left ankle

He tore some tendons and ligaments in his ankle playing soccer and is in this boot for 6 weeks!!

Best Week Ever!

Derek is in a new area called Rosende La Zona Zapadencia. He has been here since August 16th and loves it! He says it is the smallest area of his mission and in the northern part of his mission where the gansters are. (He says they sell drugs outside the chapel)

His first companion (actually 3rd altogether) is Elder Pando from Peru. He really likes Elder Pando and says that he is now becoming quite the soccer player as Elder Pando is a professional player for Peru.

As of September 26, he is now a senior companion and is serving with Elder Deardon. Elder Deardon has only been out for 3 months and he and Derek were in there first zone together. Derek says they get along great and are both hard workers, so he is really excited.

What a cute Elder!! (and little boy)
Derek and Gabriel
Derek and the Bishop filling the font.
He says if this experience:
We had 3 baptisms! Catalina, Gabriel, and Hilaria. Wow it was amazing! We filled up the font and it was full and so we started the baptism, when we moved to the font to perform the baptism I entered first to baptize Gabriel and the water was almost all gone! There was only like a foot of water. I jumped in and ran to the drain and the drain had turned and opened somehow! Crazy how it happened cause no one entered the water before that and the drain is at the bottom of the font... so we had about a foot of water to baptize so we had everyone go into the chapel again and watch a movie that we prepared during the time we were all changing our wet clothes but we watched it before. Than we took out the fire hose and went to work filling up the font haha. Finally we got some water (freezing cold but water) we performed the baptisms and it was amazing! Than after the Bishop asked me to share my testimony so that was an amazing experience!

Elders Anderson & Pando with a cute chilean family
Elders Anderson & Pando

Derek says in his email:

Two amazing stories but the best part of the week happened today... last night we had changes and I got a new comp. named Elder Deardon he has half the time in the mission that I have so it will be crazy! He went to timpview for a little and then moved to boston . He is really cool! He looks like harry potter haha. but when I went to pick him up I saw Elder Fischer so I started talking to him (Elder Fischer is my buddy from Lo Prado who is zone leader there). He walked up to me and was like guess who got baptized yesterday. Right when he said that I knew and got all shook up and just about lost it! Veronica quit smoking and was baptized on the 26 of Sept! Cristian her husband baptized her! WOW the most amazing day of my life I couldnt be more happy to know all that. Amazing experience! wow!!!!

Great Week!!

Here is my cute Elder with some cute Chilean children! Can you tell he just loves these people.

Here is a recent letter from Derek ~ He is doing so good and is loving being a missionary! Wow ~ What more could a mom ask for!! I love this boy!!!

Hola mom!
Wow this was an amazing week! First thing I have to say is that prayers are answered in the lord’s way and in his time! The lord has really blessed me and showed his love for me this week! We didn’t have a lot of success on the new investigators or baptism part but that’s not what the mission is all about! This week I (with the lord) brought a family back to the church, and brought another family one step closer to being able to enter the temple in a year! A lot of the work down here in Chile is working with inactive and I have really found a love for doing this! The scripture/saying searching the lost sheep’s has really brought on a new meaning to me! There are the people that are lost that have never been on the path and people that are lost that just got lost from the path.
so you know about Christian and veronica that I have been working with since like my 4th day in Chile... we have been working a lot with veronica to help her stop smoking and get baptized and I have been praying all day every day since that day we found them that we can get them baptized... a lot lately I have felt really strong that the lord has things he has to put in there way before she will be baptized but I have still done everything I could to help her to be ready for that day! so Monday night we went over there for a noche de hogar or family night I guess haha but when we got there, there was like 6 places at the table and I was like what the heck who else is here... and than veronica walked out of the kitchen super happy and I was just like what the heck is going on and it just felt way different... than right behind veronica walked out her DAUGHTER!!! CONNIE!!! The one that they have been having problems with and everything. Holy crap I almost fell down and cried cause it was like the best thing ever and the biggest answer to my prayers! We taught them and she was way cool! She was super acceptive to everything and accepted the commitments to read and pray and all. Turns out that she was only there for visit but at the end of the night she didn’t want to leave. So we went back on Tuesday to find out what is going on so we talked to Vero and she said that Connie is probably going to be moving back this weekend and wow it was sweet! She also told us that she is already smoking less and that she said when Connie moves back she is going to quit smoking all together! so than on Thursday night we went back and taught Connie and the family and one of veronica’s friends was there with her family and they are big evangelicals so it was kinda funny. so we started teaching lesson one and this guy was trying to pull scriptures out to prove us wrong and we just turned it against him and than when we finished talking about Joseph smith I bore my testimony to Connie and was like I know without a doubt that all this is true... no one could show me any scripture or tell me anything that would change my beliefs cause I know that its true! It was really cool and the spirit was really strong and this guy didn’t say one more word the rest of the night haha it was so funny. But than yesterday was the sweetest day of them all! They all showed up to church! Connie and the family!!! And than in priesthood Christian got the priesthood! Wow it was so cool and I just felt the spirit and the love of god so strong! It was amazing!!! Wow great week!
also this week we have been working with a couple that the husband is like anti Mormon now but he was baptized and we had a noche de hogar with them this week and he showed up to church too and asked me at church when we are having another noche de hogar! It was really cool! The lord has really blessed me with many blessings and answers to prayers this week! And I know that its all from god from just working hard and being obedient. I LOVE THE MISSION!!! Cant believe its flying by so fast!
So sounds like things are going pretty great back at home! Everyone is staying really busy and doing what they should be doing! I really miss you all and love you all very much! Tell everyone that I say hi and I miss them! I love you mom and family!
Love Elder Anderson
NO REGRETS!!!

Mother's Day Phone Call!

I had the best Mother's Day ever! Talking with my missionary was the best present I could have asked for ~ I just love and miss this boy so much!!! I am so proud of him and the success that he has had in only 3 weeks. He loves Chile, his companion and the people so much!

Can you tell that I am his biggest fan!!! :)

Derek and Paula who he baptized on Saturday May 8, 2010

Look at how cute they both are! This is what Derek had to say about the baptism:

"The baptism on saturday was so amazing! It was the best feeling in the world! After I went to the bathroom to change after I baptized her I just started crying because of the spirit and love I felt! It was so amazing! The whole day I just had the best feeling and at the baptism it was just a sense of this is were I'm supposed to be and this is why I'm here. It was super cool when we were at her house planning the baptism she said that she wanted me to baptize her and than her mom looked at me and was like Elder there have been Elders passing by here for the last 2 years and Paula hasn't been baptized... she has been waiting for you to come and baptize her. Wow it was the best feeling in the world!

I love being a missionary! I know that this is the Lord's work and I am just an instrument in his hands!"

Elder Low and Derek and the Zone Leaders (one on each end) with Paula

What a cute little girl she is. Derek says she is just always smiling and laughing and has a great spirit about her.

Derek and his companion Elder Low with Luz who was baptized on May 1st.

First email from Derek and his Mission President

April 14, 2010

Dear Anderson Family,

It was a great pleasure to welcome your son to our mission. He arrived in good health, is enthusiastic, and anxious to begin missionary work here in the Chile Santiago North mission. I have interviewed him carefully and find him well prepared, with a strong testimony, and a good beginning foundation in the Spanish language. I feel honored to be his mission president and know that the Lord has prepared many people here to receive the testimony of the restoration he bears. Sister May and I will treat him as our own son.

Thank you for all you have done to prepare your son for his mission. Sister May and I will do everything in our power to help him have a wonderful and productive mission.

Sincerely yours,

Michael E. May
President, Chile Santiago North Mission