The most epic picture of my life on a cool bridge in my sector. Ha Ha it is so cheesy, but I love it!

Why hello there! How are you all doing this fine day? It has been a great week here in Villas del Bosque. Things here are going really well and we have having lots of success. My companions elder Llanes and Elder Menchaca are great and I am just having a blast here with them. It is a lot of fun to be in trio. Seeing as I have quite a long time in it I have become pretty used to it. It is quite great honestly. 

This week has been really fun and interesting. I did some more comp exchanges and helped train some other elders. A really cool part of the week was saturday when were asked by the stake presidency to teach all of the youth of the stake on how to share the gospel. So we were able to teach 4 little workshops with about 50 youth in each one about how to share the gospel and well it was great. We were able to recieve a referral from every person there. Honestly, that just shows me that every person knows somebody that can be benefited from the Gospel. Many times we are just too afraid to open our mouths and share it with people. So basically we are training the members on how to get over that fear and also how they can share the gospel in different ways so that they can feel more comfortable doing it.

We also had a really cool meeting with Presidente Carreon and the stake presidency here the other day to speak about how the stake is doing in the work of Salvation. There are some really good things going on here but we came up with some really good ideas and plans of how we are gonna get better here. The nice thing is that the stake president here is incredible. He is very very very good and really does everything he can to make the changes here so I am super excited to be able to work here with him.

In our area we have some good stuff going on. We have 4 investigators with baptismal dates for this week; Diana, Viviana, Mary, and Elena. We are working hard with each of them so that they feel prepared for this day. Each of them have their individual challenges and things that are pulling them back a bit, but they are on a good path and it should be a really good week here. It was just a little sad yesterday to see at Church that not many came. It is incredible to see how satan really is real and does everything he can to keep people from going to church. He just does simple things to hold us back from going. I just love the promises of God, that if we keep his commandments, satan will have no power over us. As long as we do what we are asked to do and hold strong to the iron rod we will be protected.

I believe that I had one of the most interesting lessons I have ever had of my life the other day. We went to visit a family of members and I met there their 16 year old son who has not been baptized. So as usual when I find a situation like that, I started talking and was seeing what has held him back from being baptized. He goes to Church, reads the Scriptures, says his prayers, and knows that the Church is true, but there is just something that holds him back. So we were just trying to follow the Spirit and honestly, it was just hard. We were running out of ideas until the thought of the Virgin Guadalupe came into my mind. So I asked him and come to find out it apears that he has had some experiences with the virgins and saints that he doesnt want to deny or I guess leave behind. So we are working a lot with him to help him make the decision to be baptized and well I know that God can soften his heart enough so that he will feel that desire. 

My Sons, Pokemons, or Trainees as some would call them. Elder Lundberg & Elder Menchaca.
(By the way Elder Lundberg is an Assistant now.)

Well honestly, things are so great here. I am loving it I just want to end with a little something that President Monson said during this conference which I love referring to Missionary work. "It has scarcely been one year since I announced the lowering of the age of missionary service. Since that time the number of full-time missionaries serving has increased from 58,500 in October 2012 to 80,333 today. What a tremendous and inspiring response we have witnessed! 

The holy scriptures contain no proclamation more relevant, no responsibility more binding, no instruction more direct than the injunction given by the resurrected Lord as He appeared in Galilee to the eleven disciples. Said He, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.”2The Prophet Joseph Smith declared, “After all that has been said, the greatest and most important duty is to preach the Gospel.”3 Some of you here today will yet remember the words of President David O. McKay, who phrased the familiar “Every member a missionary!”4

To their words I add my own. Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together, to labor in the Lord’s vineyard to bring souls unto Him. He has prepared the means for us to share the gospel in a multitude of ways, and He will assist us in our labors if we will act in faith to fulfill His work.

To his words I add my own, that God lives and that this work is true. Missionary work is the only way that our brothers and sisters will ever find happiness and this life and salvation in the life to come. So, work with the missionaries, share the gospel, and see miracles in the lives of those you know. 

Well I love you all just soooo much! Have a great week and remember who you are!

Love, Elder Tommy Anderson

I went to got get some tacos the other night and I thought you might want to see a picture of what a taco shop looks like here in Tijuana.