A Good Week..........September 26, 2011

This has been a pretty good week.  we have taught a lot of lessons and have gotten 5 new investigators.
QUICK STORY:  We ran into this young man sitting on his porch.  He was really involved in gangs and other stuff and his family moved to this area to try and get him away from that stuff and help straighten him out.  As we we walking up he thought we were the police, kind of tells you how bad off this kid was.
But, I started talking to him about repentance and baptism and how all of his guilt can be gone through Christ.  He got very excited about what we were telling him.  He was really glad that we had stopped by.  But the bigger news is that we will be teaching his whole family.  So therefore we have the chance to bring an entire family together for eternity.... just another example of the amazing things the Lord does to bless his people.
Another highlight!  I also finished reading the Book of Mormon today. I'm going to start on the D&C now and hopefully before my mission is over, have read through the entire Standard Works, at least once, and the missionary library at least once.
Have a great week,
Love your son,
Elder Anderson

Elder Bates comes to Spotsylvania

Elder Slade has been transferred.  My new companion is Elder Colby Bates from Fresno, California.

Crazy Weather

It is August 23, 2011 We are still in Spotsylvania.  We are about 20 miles north of the epic center of an earthquake that hit the Virginia area near the town of Mineral.  We were having lunch at our Zone Leaders apartment when the earthquake hit.  We all thought it was the washing machine for a second till someone yelled EARTHQUAKE!!!  4 of the Elders sprinted out the door and were jumping down 3 flights of stairs.  While some how Elder Morrill and I ended up running to the bathroom for safety.  We are all safe and even Elder Carter and I went street contacting later on.  It was interesting to hear and see peoples reactions to the earthquake.  Then on August 28th Hurricane Irene hit!  Which was a little weird because just 2 days before we had a huge storm and we thought that was Irene.  So what do Elder Slade and I do during a hurricane?  We go tracting.  We did get 2 new investigators that day.  I know that the Lord blesses his servants and leads us to those who are seeking the light of the gospel in their lives.  
Mom and Dad,  I know this gospel is true, and I know the things that we are teaching the people are true.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God.  2 years is a long time, but I know we all will be blessed.  I love you both so much.  I am blessed beyond measure to have you both in my life. 
Love always, your son
Daktoa Thomas Anderson     

I will persist.

I will persist until I succeed.

I was not delivered unto this world in defeat, nor does failure course in my veins. I am not a sheep waiting to be prodded by my shepherd. I am a lion and I refuse to talk, to walk, to sleep with the sheep. I will hear not those who weep and complain, for their disease is contagious. Let them join the sheep. The slaughterhouse of failure is not my destiny.

I will persist until I succeed.

The prizes of life are at the end of each journey, not near the beginning; and it is not given to me to know how many steps are necessary in order to reach my goal. Failure I may still encounter at the thousandth step, yet success hides behind the next bend in the road. Never will I know how close it lies unless I turn the corner.

Always will I take another step. If that is of no avail I will take another, and yet another. In truth, one step at a time is not too difficult. 

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth, I will consider each day's effort as but one blow of my blade against a mighty oak. The first blow may cause not a tremor in the wood, nor the second, nor the third. Each blow, of itself, may be trifling, and seem of no consequence. Yet from childish swipes the oak will eventually tumble. So it will be with my efforts of today.

I will be liken to the rain drop which washes away the mountain; the ant who devours a tiger; the star which brightens the earth; the slave who builds a pyramid. I will build my castle one brick at a time for I know that small attempts, repeated, will complete any undertaking. 

I will persist until I succeed.
I will never consider defeat and I will remove from my vocabulary such words and phrases as quit, cannot, unable, impossible, out of the question, improbable, failure, unworkable, hopeless, and retreat; for they are the words of fools. I will avoid despair but if this disease of the mind should infect me then I will work on in despair. I will toil and I will endure. I will ignore the obstacles at my feet and keep mine eyes on the goals above my head, for I know that where dry desert ends, green grass grows.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will remember the ancient law of averages and I will bend it to my good. I will persist with knowledge that each failure to sell will increase my chance for success at the next attempt. Each nay I hear will bring me closer to the sound of yea. Each frown I meet only prepares me for the smile to come. Each misfortune I encounter will carry in it the seed of tomorrow's good luck. I must have the night to appreciate the day. I must fail often to succeed only once.

I will persist until I succeed.

I will try, and try, and try again. Each obstacle I will consider as a mere detour to my goal and a challenge to my profession. I will persist and develop my skills as the mariner develops his, by learning to ride out the wrath of each storm.

I will persist until I succeed.

Henceforth, I will learn and apply another secret of those who excel in my work. When each day is ended, not regarding whether it has been a success or a failure, I will attempt to achieve one more sale. When my thoughts beckon my tired body homeward I will resist the temptation to depart. I will try again. I will make one more attempt to close with victory, and if that fails I will make another. Never will I allow any day to end with a failure. Thus will I plant the seed of tomorrow's success and gain an insurmountable advantage over those who cease their labor at a prescribed time. When others cease their struggle, then mine will begin, and my harvest will be full.

I will persist until I succeed.

Nor will I allow yesterday's success to lull me into today's complacency, for this is the great foundation of failure. I will forget the happenings of the day that is gone, whether they were good or bad, and greet the new sun with confidence that this will be the best day of my life. 

So long as there is breath in me, that long will I persist. For now I know one of the

greatest principles of success; if I persist long enough I will win.

I will persist.
I will win.

Transfer to Spotsylvania

No, the name is not a typo.  I am really in Spotsylvania, Virginia.  It is the most southern district in my mission.  My companion is Elder J.T. Slade.  He is way cool.  He and I both played sports in high school and were both football studs. :)  We get along so good!  Elder Slade is from Arizona and will have been out a year on he 11th of this month. Spotsylvania is so different from Ashburn.    Ashburn is a very suburban type area, and Spotsylvania is a very farmland area.  As missionaries we always have the opportunity to do service for others. Elder Slade and I went over to a less active Sister's home and did some yard work for her on Saturday.  I got to mow the lawn.  That brought back some memories!   What was really awesome is that she came to Church the next day.  I see the Lord's hand in all that we do.  My testimony has grown so much.  I am so grateful for my family and all that I have.  I have been truly blessed in my life.  Mom and dad, I love you so much and am so grateful  for you both.  Our family is really changing.  Me being gone, Jord and Shine are in California,  Bran and Lindz are working on getting to medical school. Just Crazy!!! -Mom
I can't believe another week has gone by, the work is going great!! We had a family of 6 come to church yesterday and we hope to set them on date this week!!
I love it out here in Spotsy, and I love Elder Slade as my companion, we have become way good friends!!
Well until next time my friends and family. Stay strong to the gospel because it is true, and remember...have fun and smile!!! (:
I love and miss you all!!
Elder Dakota Thomas Anderson

Rough Week, hope you all are doing well!

Well 2 Months in officially and I got my first sickness. Elder Lafeen and I both came down with the Flu. We determined it is probably from one of our investigators who was sick and we got it when we went to give her a blessing. We have been out of commission, it's been a little rough but, back to work we go, WE HAVE PEOPLE TO SHARE THIS GREAT MESSAGE WITH!!
Prior to our getting sick Elder Lafeen and I had a week full of teaching.   We taught over 20 lesson committed a lady to be baptized and are just working really hard to bring people into this gospel.  I do have a young man I'll call him J, that we are working with and he is wanting to be baptized.  He is a great kid who loves the gospel and loves Jesus. So the exciting news for me is that I am the one who will get to baptize him.  I can't wait!!!!
I was on my bike the other day and we went like 20 miles.  Well my knee was killing me, it never hurt like this before.  Not sure how much bike riding I will be doing on my mission.  Oh, and to top it off I got a flat tire!!!!  I don't remember If I told you that I am also learning sign language. It is so cool!  I love this gospel and I know the happiness it brings. It's really starting to hit me how short my time is out here. Time sure does go by quickly. On a brighter note, been getting mail from people I would have never guessed to get it from! So that's always fun on weeks like this. Hope everyone is doing well and having fun!
Miss you all
Love you all!
Elder Dakota Thomas Anderson

Having a Great Week

It seems like it was only yesterday that I wrote.  It seems like the weeks are starting to fly by...almost!   

The weather here is hot!  It is 93* with 95% humidity.  Walking door to door in a suit!  Great times!

The members here keep telling me, "Oh, it is going to get worse."  (That's a fun thing to hear. :)

Elder Lafeen and I attend the Ashburn Ward at 9:00 a.m. and then go to our investigators class at 10:00 a.m. and at 11:00 a.m. we go to all the meetings at the Belmont Ridge Ward.  Elders Quorum was great as we talked and learned how to become and attain an eternal family. I am so excited to someday take my own sweetheart to the Temple to be sealed for Time and all Eternity with her and our family.  I am so blessed and happy  to be with the family I have now.  With you( mom), dad, Bran, Jord, Linds and Shine I know that I can do anything and get through anything.  You are my rock and I love you all. 

The work continues to move along here in the DC area.  I do get frustrated when we knock on doors and the people don't even give us a chance to talk to them.  They just say,"Yea, we know what you have to say."  Well obviously you don't if you just shut the door in my face!  

On the up side, we do have some families that we are working with and have 3 baptisms scheduled on the 23rd of this month, hopefully all will go as planned.

     To my family and friends please sends pictures, they are like gold in the Mission Field.  

You are in my thoughts and always in my prayers.

                                                                                Elder Dakota Thomas Anderson