Hello Everyone, (from Brent's dad)
I updated the Brent Comes Home date to reflect the actual return of Starsi Brent. Sorry this took so long to do. I just didn't remember to do it until today. His 2 year anniversary of being set apart as a Missionary is February 3. He will actually be returning home on March 28, 2011 when we arrive with him from Prague. We will be picking him up at the mission home on March 19 and spending the week with him touring Czech and the surrounding area. We are looking forward to seeing him again.
We hope you have a great day and that you have been enjoying the adventures of Starsi Brent.
Brian and Kathy Anderson
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Co že? ( Week 34 in Prague, Week 94 in Czech )
Well, this was an interesting week. A really interesting week.
The continuing saga of visas and insurance came to a head this week. There were about 3 or 4 points where we weren't sure if we were going to be losing an entire group of missionary visas, but we pulled through. The insurance is squared away, we have all the documents put together for their renewals, most of which now have to be notarized, and the missionaries will be coming on monday to file their applications.
I've got to say that it's really hard not doing missionary work as much as I used to. They say that missionary work is the life-blood of the church, but it's even more so the lifeblood of the missionaries themselves. It was very exciting getting to go sing and contact yesterday. An anecdote worth sharing was when the new mongolian sister missionary spotted a couple of mongolians walking through the crowd. She slipped out of the group that was singing and rushed over to them. The rest of the district was so excited to see her have a chance to shine, since she doesn't have fluency in english or czech just yet. We were singing "Lead Kindly Light", but all of us had our heads turned and we were leaning and straining so we could see around the whiteboard we had with us how she was doing. And, she was very successful. It was very exciting to see and there were a lot of high-fives shared when she came back.
I think it's interesting to use her as an example, since she really doesn't have much going for her. Except for one thing: She knows what she believes is true, and she's willing to act accordingly. Her willingness to sacrifice stems from her faith and hope, and both of those stem from her willingness to follow the rules and live what she believes. When we have that confidence backing us, we cannot fail.
In other news, Lilia decided to get married and the marriage took place yesterday. We were invited, and it was a simple ceremony at a town hall in one of the quarters of Prague. Her husband isn't a member, he seems nice enough. A lot of their decision to be married revolves around having someone there for the other (She's a widow), and another benefit is that she's now a czech citizen. This will help her a lot in establishing herself financially, and in being able to visit the USA to see her son who moved there many years ago. And, she'll be able to go to the temple in Freiburg for baptisms since she'll have a passport and all the documentation she'll need. We're very happy for her.
On the way back from the wedding, we were in the back seat of a member's car. As we were going through an intersection, another vehicle swerved into our lane and rammed the back of her car, giving a good knock to everyone in the car. Her car didn't have much damage, a literal "fender-bender". The other car had a nice round dent in the front, though. After assessing the situation, me and my companions left the scene to get back to our plans for the day. But, now I can say I've been in a car accident in the czech republic. I guess I can cross that one of my list of mission experiences.
This next week will be a good one. There is much to be done, and I'm glad to be where I am. I don't count, but it's hard to miss next wednesday, the 3rd of February at 8 PM I'll have been a missionary for 2 years. It's such a great blessing, and I'm glad there is yet more to do and more time to do it in. I couldn't ask for more.
One last note: This week I was blessed with a new investigator! Last saturday a lady walked in the door who wanted to learn about our church and asked some very specific questions regarding baptism and church membership. I was very grateful to explain some principles to her, and she is now engaged in reading the book of mormon. I'm glad the Lord gives us small and simple things like that which end up meaning so much to us.
Elder Brent Anderson
The continuing saga of visas and insurance came to a head this week. There were about 3 or 4 points where we weren't sure if we were going to be losing an entire group of missionary visas, but we pulled through. The insurance is squared away, we have all the documents put together for their renewals, most of which now have to be notarized, and the missionaries will be coming on monday to file their applications.
I've got to say that it's really hard not doing missionary work as much as I used to. They say that missionary work is the life-blood of the church, but it's even more so the lifeblood of the missionaries themselves. It was very exciting getting to go sing and contact yesterday. An anecdote worth sharing was when the new mongolian sister missionary spotted a couple of mongolians walking through the crowd. She slipped out of the group that was singing and rushed over to them. The rest of the district was so excited to see her have a chance to shine, since she doesn't have fluency in english or czech just yet. We were singing "Lead Kindly Light", but all of us had our heads turned and we were leaning and straining so we could see around the whiteboard we had with us how she was doing. And, she was very successful. It was very exciting to see and there were a lot of high-fives shared when she came back.
I think it's interesting to use her as an example, since she really doesn't have much going for her. Except for one thing: She knows what she believes is true, and she's willing to act accordingly. Her willingness to sacrifice stems from her faith and hope, and both of those stem from her willingness to follow the rules and live what she believes. When we have that confidence backing us, we cannot fail.
In other news, Lilia decided to get married and the marriage took place yesterday. We were invited, and it was a simple ceremony at a town hall in one of the quarters of Prague. Her husband isn't a member, he seems nice enough. A lot of their decision to be married revolves around having someone there for the other (She's a widow), and another benefit is that she's now a czech citizen. This will help her a lot in establishing herself financially, and in being able to visit the USA to see her son who moved there many years ago. And, she'll be able to go to the temple in Freiburg for baptisms since she'll have a passport and all the documentation she'll need. We're very happy for her.
On the way back from the wedding, we were in the back seat of a member's car. As we were going through an intersection, another vehicle swerved into our lane and rammed the back of her car, giving a good knock to everyone in the car. Her car didn't have much damage, a literal "fender-bender". The other car had a nice round dent in the front, though. After assessing the situation, me and my companions left the scene to get back to our plans for the day. But, now I can say I've been in a car accident in the czech republic. I guess I can cross that one of my list of mission experiences.
This next week will be a good one. There is much to be done, and I'm glad to be where I am. I don't count, but it's hard to miss next wednesday, the 3rd of February at 8 PM I'll have been a missionary for 2 years. It's such a great blessing, and I'm glad there is yet more to do and more time to do it in. I couldn't ask for more.
One last note: This week I was blessed with a new investigator! Last saturday a lady walked in the door who wanted to learn about our church and asked some very specific questions regarding baptism and church membership. I was very grateful to explain some principles to her, and she is now engaged in reading the book of mormon. I'm glad the Lord gives us small and simple things like that which end up meaning so much to us.
Elder Brent Anderson
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Be happyyyyyy! Elder Thompson be happyyyyyy! ( Week 33 in Prague, Week 93 in Czech )
Hello Everyone,
The subject line for today, "Be Happyyyyyyy!" is from a song written by Elder Blair that he performs from time to time on his Ukulele, or the "Uke" (Yook) as he's inclined to call it. It's the kind of song you can't not hear and smile, be happy, and start singing along, and like all good things, I thought I'd share it with you all. Just imagine the happiest song you've ever heard with the simplest of melody and lyrics, and that's the song. As for Elder Thompson, he is very happy - he'll be getting a gift from me and Elder Andersen that we picked up last week (One of the virtues of a threesome: One of you can distract the companion with the birthday while the other quickly gets through the checkout line and puts the most excellent gift in his bag.)
This last week was really busy and, unfortunately, the first wherein my efforts to get on top of the office work and get on the streets were thwarted. We did have some appointments with members, which was nice, and my two companions are doing a great job in pushing the work forward in our area. The Andersons packed their bags and took off from the airport into the sunrise on Wednesday. Such wonderful people with amazing experiences and burning testimonies. I'm grateful for them both.
The highlight for this week was definitely on Friday when we visited a members home, the Balačkovi. We shared a simple meal of pork, potatoes, and peas with them, and had the opportunity to commit them to sharing the gospel with one of their relatives. They've not known how to go about it, and with a little encouragement they've decided to have her spend the weekend to come to church. I'm sure that for some return missionaries this might sound pretty routine. We were very pleased with the results, however, since many members here are very afraid of admitting they are members. In fact, some will go to church wearing street clothes and will bring their sunday dress in their backpack so they don't look conspicuous travelling. For these two members to be inviting their family to hear the gospel is a great step, and I'm glad that we got to be a part of it. The Holy Ghost was felt by all as we asked them to relate their own conversion stories. "Who do you know who would also enjoy what you have felt thanks to the gospel?" It's hard to not want to share what one has that is good. Sometimes we are afraid or aren't sure what to do or how to approach it. But when we trust in God and use charity as our motive, it works out just right every time. It may not be that everyone we speak with will be incredibly excited about the gospel, but I know that it makes a difference in the lives of those around us and in our own lives when we share what we have and don't stifle it.
I hope you have a fantastic week, and here's to seeing what happens in the next.
Love,
Elder Brent Anderson
The subject line for today, "Be Happyyyyyyy!" is from a song written by Elder Blair that he performs from time to time on his Ukulele, or the "Uke" (Yook) as he's inclined to call it. It's the kind of song you can't not hear and smile, be happy, and start singing along, and like all good things, I thought I'd share it with you all. Just imagine the happiest song you've ever heard with the simplest of melody and lyrics, and that's the song. As for Elder Thompson, he is very happy - he'll be getting a gift from me and Elder Andersen that we picked up last week (One of the virtues of a threesome: One of you can distract the companion with the birthday while the other quickly gets through the checkout line and puts the most excellent gift in his bag.)
This last week was really busy and, unfortunately, the first wherein my efforts to get on top of the office work and get on the streets were thwarted. We did have some appointments with members, which was nice, and my two companions are doing a great job in pushing the work forward in our area. The Andersons packed their bags and took off from the airport into the sunrise on Wednesday. Such wonderful people with amazing experiences and burning testimonies. I'm grateful for them both.
The highlight for this week was definitely on Friday when we visited a members home, the Balačkovi. We shared a simple meal of pork, potatoes, and peas with them, and had the opportunity to commit them to sharing the gospel with one of their relatives. They've not known how to go about it, and with a little encouragement they've decided to have her spend the weekend to come to church. I'm sure that for some return missionaries this might sound pretty routine. We were very pleased with the results, however, since many members here are very afraid of admitting they are members. In fact, some will go to church wearing street clothes and will bring their sunday dress in their backpack so they don't look conspicuous travelling. For these two members to be inviting their family to hear the gospel is a great step, and I'm glad that we got to be a part of it. The Holy Ghost was felt by all as we asked them to relate their own conversion stories. "Who do you know who would also enjoy what you have felt thanks to the gospel?" It's hard to not want to share what one has that is good. Sometimes we are afraid or aren't sure what to do or how to approach it. But when we trust in God and use charity as our motive, it works out just right every time. It may not be that everyone we speak with will be incredibly excited about the gospel, but I know that it makes a difference in the lives of those around us and in our own lives when we share what we have and don't stifle it.
I hope you have a fantastic week, and here's to seeing what happens in the next.
Love,
Elder Brent Anderson
Saturday, January 15, 2011
"Dobrý Den, Česká Misie Praha!" ( Week 32 in Prague, Week 92 in Czech )
"The Lord's my Shepherd, I'll not want - He makes me down to lie in pastures green...." *CLICK*
Elder Anderson set his phone down on the table and got on his knees. His companions were just waking up in Brno on an exchange with the Zone Leaders before heading to the leadership conference. As he dressed and shaved, he thought about his plans for the day. Studies, check the eMail, spend the morning in Sister Anderson's office, then switch over to the finance desk that afternoon...it was a markedly different pace than what he was used to doing. However, the Lord knew what he was doing and this Elder knew that too.
Following studies, Elder Anderson brought up the latest emails. The Office Elders were out taking care of registering a new senior couple with the foreign police that had just arrived. Interestingly enough, a new law had been passed on the eve of 2010 that completely transformed the foreign police system, merging parts of it with another government ministry, and at the same time recasting the processes for acquiring visas. The dist still hadn't cleared, and everyone involved was still trying to see how the law would be applied in practice.
As if an extension to his thoughts about these changes, an email blipped onto the screen about visas and insurance, an analysis of the new law and what it would mean from Legal Counsel in the Church. Elder Anderson read it carefully, noting all the new changes. It looked like they were in for an interesting couple of months! From changes in length to insurance requirements, there was a lot of work to be done.
The next few days were a flurry of activity, and Elder Anderson could start to see at least part of the vision that the Lord had had in moving Elder Anderson to where he was. All of his past experience with visas and Czech insurance, his new experiences with mission finance and having to work through contracts and legal documents in Czech, and the gifts he'd been given in communicating with the people were coming together at once to help solve the visa crisis that had suddenly developed literally overnight. With the registration and residence of half their missionaries up in the air, Elder Anderson could see where he was, where the mission needed to be, and how he fit into fixing the situation to help keep the missionaries legal and the mission moving forward smoothly.
It made him happy to see how a lot of the little things he'd felt prompted to do for many months were coming back as pieces to the puzzle, and he was grateful for personal revelation and for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Truly it was the greatest gift one could receive, and many other things stem from that gift that are vital to treading the right way. Since they were going into the unknown, it would be reasonable to have some sense of apprehension in solving the problems of the day. But it was evident that the Lord's declaration "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" was in full effect here, and the interesting thing was that no-one had been actively preparing against the situation (as the changes had been presented, passed, and implemented literally within a week by the government), but we had been preparing by doing small and simple things as prompted by the Spirit. Making good contacts with certain people, reviewing and revising the visa handbook kept by the mission, learning how to use the tools we have to prepare legal documents better, and many other little things that had suddenly come together.
Elder Anderson was grateful for all he was learning, and he knew there were yet other places the Lord was leading them to, other bits and pieces that would come together and resolve into what was yet in the future. And, with the handful of chances there had been to preach the gospel, he had found great success and great satisfaction as well. There was much to be done, and thankfully there seemed enough time to do it all in. And it made him happy.
S láskou,
Starší Brent Anderson
Elder Anderson set his phone down on the table and got on his knees. His companions were just waking up in Brno on an exchange with the Zone Leaders before heading to the leadership conference. As he dressed and shaved, he thought about his plans for the day. Studies, check the eMail, spend the morning in Sister Anderson's office, then switch over to the finance desk that afternoon...it was a markedly different pace than what he was used to doing. However, the Lord knew what he was doing and this Elder knew that too.
Following studies, Elder Anderson brought up the latest emails. The Office Elders were out taking care of registering a new senior couple with the foreign police that had just arrived. Interestingly enough, a new law had been passed on the eve of 2010 that completely transformed the foreign police system, merging parts of it with another government ministry, and at the same time recasting the processes for acquiring visas. The dist still hadn't cleared, and everyone involved was still trying to see how the law would be applied in practice.
As if an extension to his thoughts about these changes, an email blipped onto the screen about visas and insurance, an analysis of the new law and what it would mean from Legal Counsel in the Church. Elder Anderson read it carefully, noting all the new changes. It looked like they were in for an interesting couple of months! From changes in length to insurance requirements, there was a lot of work to be done.
The next few days were a flurry of activity, and Elder Anderson could start to see at least part of the vision that the Lord had had in moving Elder Anderson to where he was. All of his past experience with visas and Czech insurance, his new experiences with mission finance and having to work through contracts and legal documents in Czech, and the gifts he'd been given in communicating with the people were coming together at once to help solve the visa crisis that had suddenly developed literally overnight. With the registration and residence of half their missionaries up in the air, Elder Anderson could see where he was, where the mission needed to be, and how he fit into fixing the situation to help keep the missionaries legal and the mission moving forward smoothly.
It made him happy to see how a lot of the little things he'd felt prompted to do for many months were coming back as pieces to the puzzle, and he was grateful for personal revelation and for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Truly it was the greatest gift one could receive, and many other things stem from that gift that are vital to treading the right way. Since they were going into the unknown, it would be reasonable to have some sense of apprehension in solving the problems of the day. But it was evident that the Lord's declaration "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear" was in full effect here, and the interesting thing was that no-one had been actively preparing against the situation (as the changes had been presented, passed, and implemented literally within a week by the government), but we had been preparing by doing small and simple things as prompted by the Spirit. Making good contacts with certain people, reviewing and revising the visa handbook kept by the mission, learning how to use the tools we have to prepare legal documents better, and many other little things that had suddenly come together.
Elder Anderson was grateful for all he was learning, and he knew there were yet other places the Lord was leading them to, other bits and pieces that would come together and resolve into what was yet in the future. And, with the handful of chances there had been to preach the gospel, he had found great success and great satisfaction as well. There was much to be done, and thankfully there seemed enough time to do it all in. And it made him happy.
S láskou,
Starší Brent Anderson
Saturday, January 8, 2011
What it's all about ( Week 31 in Prague, Week 91 in Czech )
Hello Everyone!
I just erased the entire letter I'd been writing today. It was full of action, excitement, and the tale of three hungry missionaries who, due to an unfortunate series of P-days landing on holidays when everything is closed, were out of food. It was a tale of missionaries on a fast sunday worried they'd not get to eat until Monday, but who had this feeling of hope spring in their hearts that the members would have them over. But who? And why? It wasn't that often that missionaries were over for meals with members (albeit there were great blessings to be had for such a kind gesture). Even so, they were hopeful that such would be the case today. Church was over and the missionaries had begun to wonder if their hopes had been in vain. Their hearts sank, and they were just resigning themselves to the thought of perhaps spending lunch-time reviewing Nephi's bow experience to get pointers for next time, when a text came through: "Hi elders, care to come for dinner?" Witnesses to the scene can tell you themselves: There were tears shed, there were awkward three-missionary hugs, and there were prayers of gratitude on the spot.
Now, I share this little anecdote, especially the bit about having deleted this story, because I realized that, while funny, it's not what this is all about. I feel to apologize, since this story also has food as part of the picture, but that is merely an accessory fact; Let's get to the better story.
This past week, I've been in the office about 1000% more than in the past. Running both jobs is really quite challenging, and it will be interesting to see what happens when the Andersons are completely gone in a week and I don't have the spot-help that I have right now (Sister Anderson always likes to be doing something, so she'll help me with my to-do list). But, I change hats at 5 PM and get to proselyte. One night, we had planned to fulfill a home-teaching assignment we'd received. A sister, Jana Rezkova, who had recently suffered a bad fall down the stairs and was just home from the hospital, was excited to hear from us. She was about 70 and was mostly house-ridden in her present state, especially given the weather. The Elders embarked on the drive out into the Czech countryside, onto twisty cobblestone roads between small villages that looked like something out of a whole box of postcards. They finally pulled up at her home, a small cottage with a few apartments in it at the edge of a township just outside of a tiny village out in the middle of nowhere. Stars were gleaming overhead, and the open air was absolutely frigid. They knocked, were buzzed in, and she welcomed them into her home. Her legs were still seriously bandaged, almost as bad as when the Elders had visisted her in the hospital originally. Seriously discolored and bruised, she couldn't do much but hobble, and with great difficulty at that. Then to their surprise, they walked into her front room where there were three place settings all ready to go. She came hobbling in with a large pot and a ladle, and she proceeded to portion out a soup she had prepared. Shocked at what she'd done in her condition, the missionaries expressed their gratitude for the meal and blessed it with her. As they finished their soup, she came in with a larger pot, full of czech sauerkraut, and balancing on her arm a steaming pan of home-made dumplings! The Elders insisted she sit down, but she brushed them off and proceeded to serve them heaping portions of the classic czech food. They helped her carry things from there on out, as she still had sauce and meat to add to the pile, and they were all overcome with her consideration to prepare a meal for the elders despite her severe injuries. Following the meal, the trio sang her several of her favorite hymns and invited the spirit further with a priesthood blessing. However, as has been said many times by many priesthood-bearers, these Elders felt that they had been ministered to by the example of the loving old woman.
In thinking about the experiences of late and of my whole mission, it's remarkable how my perspective has changed over the course of time. I see things much differently than I used to. The examples of the people here preach sermons, the sorts of things they found difficult to write in the book of mormon, or in the bible, or that I find difficult to describe effectively here. But I hope it makes sense when I say that it's all about this kind of example.
I've been studying the Gospel pattern lately, and I've concluded that the Gospel was established to make us pure, to cleanse us and make us into something far greater. I always felt that the example of purifying gold was effective, as we are placed under immense heat and the impurities are drawn from us in successive degrees. It is when we become pure, cleansed, and sanctified, when our patterns of behavior are reflective of the life of Our Exemplar, that we're actually getting somewhere. The Gospel is not about doing good things repeatedly, it's about becoming one who is good continuously. Like this woman, we all need to be looking to become like Him, to have and express his Love, and to show it.
I hope you all have a fantastic week. It's going to be a good one, I can tell. One interesting anecdote: If you keep an eye on solar and star calendars, you'll have noticed there was a partial eclipse of the sun this week that could be seen all over Europe, western Asia, and Northern Africa. I'd never seen one before, and it was really quite impressive.
Love you all,
Elder Anderson
Saturday, January 1, 2011
Missionary Work ( Week 30 in Prague, Week 90 in Czech )
Hello Everyone!
It seems like during the holiday season there are many excuses for having "special edition" versions of things, like letters. I don't think I'll be doing another "special edition" letter today, but I would like to talk about missionary work.
This week we had transfers and we brought in three great, fresh missionaries: Two going to Slovakia, one going to the Czech Republic (He's actually from Germany!) These elders are so incredibly excited to start finding and teaching and laboring as missionaries, and one can't help but feel excited with them. They are starting on such a wonderful adventure. My whole mission is like a great gift: so many amazing things have been learned, experienced, and I'm so happy to be here. I've recently been considering the importance of missionary work and how it is we can fulfill this sacred calling best. I realized that the best way to do missionary work is to simply teach everyone. That is basically the call: To preach the gospel to everyone, and to provide the ordinances to those who choose to follow and keep His commandments. D&C 80:3 nails it right on the head:
Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.
It happens a lot that we start looking for "the one", that we start trying to sift through a lot of noise to find that one prepared person. I can say that I've seen that on my mission when it was applicable, when the Lord did lead us to "the one", that person that was going to need to gospel the most. But I can also say that those times when I was led to "the one" was when I was trying to talk to "the everyone". I remember my second transfer when we found Daniel in Ostrava. He was baptized a month after we found him and was really prepared. He was "the one". That day, however, was spent with us running around the city trying to talk to as many people as possible. The circumstances were that we were trying to contact more people than the sister missionaries in the city that day, and in our frenzy of finding we stumbled across a man sitting on a bench texting on his phone. When we showed him the book of mormon and the picture of Christ among the Nephites, he said "I've seen that before." He was thirsty to learn and find out much more, and was baptized. I suppose the point of this thought today is that if you want to succeed as a missionary, preach the gospel. It doesn't matter where, or to whom: Just preach it to everyone that will listen. In doing so and in being obedient, you are successful.
In other news, I've started officially as the financial and executive secretary this week. The Andersons are supervising me now, making sure that I'm doing everything the right way. It's fun, it's interesting, it's different, but it's not missionary work. I'm happy to do it and I'm glad that I still get to work and teach when I get the chance, and it's comforting to know that the Lord worked everything out the way he did for a reason. It's not just by chance that I entered the MTC 8 months after I put my papers in. It was a long wait, but He knows what is right.
Love you all,
Elder Brent Anderson
It seems like during the holiday season there are many excuses for having "special edition" versions of things, like letters. I don't think I'll be doing another "special edition" letter today, but I would like to talk about missionary work.
This week we had transfers and we brought in three great, fresh missionaries: Two going to Slovakia, one going to the Czech Republic (He's actually from Germany!) These elders are so incredibly excited to start finding and teaching and laboring as missionaries, and one can't help but feel excited with them. They are starting on such a wonderful adventure. My whole mission is like a great gift: so many amazing things have been learned, experienced, and I'm so happy to be here. I've recently been considering the importance of missionary work and how it is we can fulfill this sacred calling best. I realized that the best way to do missionary work is to simply teach everyone. That is basically the call: To preach the gospel to everyone, and to provide the ordinances to those who choose to follow and keep His commandments. D&C 80:3 nails it right on the head:
Wherefore, go ye and preach my gospel, whether to the north or to the south, to the east or to the west, it mattereth not, for ye cannot go amiss.
It happens a lot that we start looking for "the one", that we start trying to sift through a lot of noise to find that one prepared person. I can say that I've seen that on my mission when it was applicable, when the Lord did lead us to "the one", that person that was going to need to gospel the most. But I can also say that those times when I was led to "the one" was when I was trying to talk to "the everyone". I remember my second transfer when we found Daniel in Ostrava. He was baptized a month after we found him and was really prepared. He was "the one". That day, however, was spent with us running around the city trying to talk to as many people as possible. The circumstances were that we were trying to contact more people than the sister missionaries in the city that day, and in our frenzy of finding we stumbled across a man sitting on a bench texting on his phone. When we showed him the book of mormon and the picture of Christ among the Nephites, he said "I've seen that before." He was thirsty to learn and find out much more, and was baptized. I suppose the point of this thought today is that if you want to succeed as a missionary, preach the gospel. It doesn't matter where, or to whom: Just preach it to everyone that will listen. In doing so and in being obedient, you are successful.
In other news, I've started officially as the financial and executive secretary this week. The Andersons are supervising me now, making sure that I'm doing everything the right way. It's fun, it's interesting, it's different, but it's not missionary work. I'm happy to do it and I'm glad that I still get to work and teach when I get the chance, and it's comforting to know that the Lord worked everything out the way he did for a reason. It's not just by chance that I entered the MTC 8 months after I put my papers in. It was a long wait, but He knows what is right.
Love you all,
Elder Brent Anderson
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