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

Elder Anderson Arrives In Chile!!

How beautiful upon the mountains....are the Feet....

New missionaries are ready to be walking in the footsteps of the Savior!

This was taken the day Derek arrived in Chile!! I copied it from his mission presidents blog. Look at how cute that is ~ Derek's foot is the one on the left of the tan pants.

(Derek has grey pants on)

Week 6 in the MTC!

Hola Familia
Well this was another great week in the MTC! Like I said all the days blend together and so you never know what day it is or anything. It’s amazing how fast a mission goes! It’s been 6 weeks already and it has flown by and all I do everyday is sit in the same classroom for 15 hours a day! It’s crazy! Can’t imagine how fast it will go once I really get to work in the field! Wow it will fly! But it’s all good!

I don’t know how much I will be able to write in letters today because we got transferred for some reason and had to move to a different building, so most of my time has been spent moving and helping my zone get all moved and settled in.
My zone is awesome and I’m grateful for this opportunity to be zone leader! I need to lead my zone and these elders to be the best we can be! I know the lord will work through me to make this zone better.

Mom yes I did get your package and I loved all the info about Chile! I can’t wait till I get down there! It will be so amazing to help all the people and let them see how much the gospel can impact there lives!

I had the coolest experience the other week at the Temple on walk on Sunday! This random native guy came up to me and asked if he could take a picture with us and so after I was talking to him and found out that he was a convert from Venezuela. We were talking and than we started talking in Spanish and I told him my Spanish is not very good and he looked at me and said Elder Anderson I know the gift of tongues is real. I have seen so many Elders come to my country and be blessed to speak the language. He said more but I’ll write it in a letter. Than we kept talking and he said Elder Anderson I love you, thank you so much for the decision you made to go on a mission. It’s because of you that so many lives will be blessed. Ten years ago a man like you came to my house and taught me about this gospel and blessed my life forever! I love you Elder! Give it all you got! It was the coolest thing ever! He was so so smooth!

I loved him!

I love you all so much! I have another promise I want to make to you and to everyone else...

"When I'm wet from the rain, when I’m cold from the chill of the night. When I’m tired from a long day, when I’m worn out, when my muscles are aching from walking around and working all day, when I've been pushed around, spit upon, laughed at , and rejected, when my mind is telling me I’m a failure, that I’m wasting my time. I wont give in. Never give up. Never back down. Buck up! I will dig down deep and find something deep down inside that I can give more. I will do whatever it takes to find those people in Chile that I have promised I would find and bring them back to Christ! "

Wow I can’t wait to get down there and just get to work! 2 weeks and I’ll be off and running!

Thank you all so much for all your support and love. It means so much to me you have no idea. All the support I get has carried me through these first couple months. 6 weeks down 98 more to go. Wow it goes fast and slow! ha Well I love you all so much.

Keep working hard and read your scriptures.
I love you Dad Mom Ashley Tyler Steven Brooke Kirsten .... I love you all!
Love,
Elder Anderson
No Regrets!!

Leaving For My Mission

On February 10, 2012 Elder Derek Barker Anderson entered the mission field. He is going to the Chile Santiago North Mission and will be in the MTC for 8 weeks learning the Spanish language.
We are so proud of Derek and know that he will give 110% to serving the Lord and the people of Chile for the next two years!!

Derek at the famous MTC sign just before checking in.

Now this is what a mom needs to see as her son is leaving for 2 years, A SMILE!!!
Derek and his host who was taking him to check in and all.
Saying our last goodbye and our last family picture for 2 years!
We love you Derek and will pray for you daily.