Room in my heart...

Note from Sister Jen's parents:

She will be returning home from Japan 

Wednesday, June 5th!

She will be speaking in Sacrament meeting on June 30th at 9 am.  

The ward building address is 14400 South Redwood Road, Bluffdale.

My primary friend, Miku Chan

Dear Family,

I can't believe this time has come. Everyone keeps writing me about seeing me this week, and it just seems so unreal that I will actually be there!!!

Having that said, yesterday at Church was truly a crazy experience. We had nine investigators at Church, and lots who came later (maybe 7), and it was such a powerful testimony meeting. One of the sweet members just started talking about me at the end of her talk, and I was gone. I cried I think the whole day. The only 11 year old in Primary got up and bore her testimony about me, how we couldn't meet a lot but that we both had done ballet, and how much she loved me. Both of them! I bore my testimony to the sweet people who came, so many investigators, and just explained how much Heavenly Father loved them, and how baptism is the way we go to live with Him. It was all so neat to me. I love every one of the sweet faces in that audience. As I bore my testimony, I just kept feeling how Heavenly Father loved every one of those people in the audience, and how each of them was so special. I told my branch how my family didn't worry, because I had a family here in Japan. They are truly so special. I thought that there would be no room in my heart for love after Takamatsu, that it was finished. I realized that Niihama snuck in the back door and is such a part of my heart.

Three of our sweet investigators showed up the first time, a family, bringing Japanese gifts to send me off. Somehow, it all hurt as I talked to the less-active who is coming back with her non-member boyfriend, who we have an appointment to start teaching. The new outfit that my sweet friend Jedley bought me, with her two sweet recent convert girls. 

The hand made and signed fabric letter from the branch. I just love them so much. I've never known love like this, and we didn't even see a baptism here in Niihama. But it is so incredible. Our new investigator who brought us famous towels from a place called Imabari. An investigator who made a mistake last week and went to the wrong Church, another Christian Church close to us, but came this week and said to the Branch President: "This Church is different, isn't it? It is the best." I look up at the night sky and ask, how can I be so blessed? What did I do to deserve this mission in Japan?

The departing missionaries seem to have chances to testify so often. It has made me think a lot about success. Because I love each and every investigator, I want them to be baptized. It breaks my heart that many still are not. But their conversion will be a part of my prayers and a focus of my work until they are there with me, in the Celestial Kingdom, and I can teach them again, rejoice with them, in the Celestial Kingdom. I think success is in keeping at it, even when we fail. I think that if I had never failed, I never would have known the joy of my Redeemer. I think of how sometimes it was so painful. And then I rejoice that there is light at the end of that pain through Jesus Christ.

We truly do have the "good news." I know that my mission will not stop. It will continue. I told my Zone that as m\y time finished here, the thing I feel the most is just urgency. I feel so many unfamiliar emotions lately that I can't put my finger on with all of the change, it is a kind of pain and uncomfortableness, but also just the ever present change that is in our life--because we are journeying back to our Father. Did you know that repentance ties in with progress in the Bible Dictionary?

My heart is so full. I could write so many things I have written before, and I don't know how they would sound. I have had in my scriptures, by Alma 8:1, "June 2013." :)

It is strange moving on. And inevitably, there is pain. Excitement. Remorse. Joy. Deeply learned lessons. Testimony. It's incredible. My mission is nothing like I thought it would be. I look back at this patchwork of scattered experiences, and say, "Huh! That is a mission." No one would have told me before. But I look and know that every mission has a common element--the love that comes for the children of God as we spend time, serving them.

I testify to you that that is true.

See you in a blink!

Love forever,

Your Sister in His Service, Sister Anderson

This hug will be for real soooooooooooooooooooo soon!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

 hino shimai  

Dearest Family!!! 

 

The computers are so slow this morning, but we get to email you! Thanks for the phone call this morning! COY IS GOING TO SINGAPORE!!!!! I am so excited!! My companion and I were talking about what an incredible mission it is. My friend, Sister Becky Trottier, is on her mission there and loves it! I'm so excited for you Coy!!! And so, so proud of you and your willingness and preparation to serve!

 

I love you all! I am so proud of the good you are doing and pleased to be your sister in this great work. I am praying for Macy, and I am so grateful she is in good care.

 

I love this work and it is the Lord's! Recently one of our investigators moved and is having a hard time in her new area, we'd love prayers for her, we call her "Rose." We've picked up some old investigators and found a new family this week that we just started teaching, we are praying it will go well from here. We delivered some beautiful flowers and a note to one of our families:

It truly is the best work in the world. What could be better than gathering Heavenly Father's children? My heart is full of gratitude to be involved in this great work! Weaknesses and shortcomings will not hinder it as we depend on Him. :) Isn't it an incredible privilege to be alive, part of an eternal family, and with the greatest joy in the world: The Gospel of Jesus Christ!

 

Happy Mother's Day Mom!! Thanks for being you! Thanks for all your love and support - you are the best!!!

 

Love, Sister Anderson

333 

 P-Day with our investigator and her husband

Healthy eating in Japan!

note from Sister Jen's folks:

We loved talking with our sweet missionary yesterday, and her laughter and spirit filled our home once again! What a perfect Mother's Day gift!!!

She doesn't want to think about it, but her mission is drawing to a close.  We got her official flight itinerary and she will be arriving home June 5th!!! She will be taking some BYU classes this summer and moving to Provo in the fall to attend BYU full-time. 

Her nephew, Coy Christensen (son of our daughter, Jana, and her husband, Jeff), will be entering the MTC on September 11th, to learn the Malay language and receive training for his mission to Singapore!   

He is our oldest grand son and such an amazing example for the others!  This summer, before he leaves, and after Sister Jen returns (and after her brother, Nate, returns from his tour to Japan and Korea), we are having a family reunion and all  of our children, their spouses, and all of our grand children will be here!  What could be better?  It may never happen again. :)

Sister Jen mentioned that she is praying for her cousin's daughter, Macy, who fell over twenty feet from a tree.  Here is the update from her Mom, Merrilea:

Macy has splints on both her arms (fractured wrists) and will be in casts next week for about 6 weeks.  She is in a neck brace for the time being.  the brace may come off but for now she is a trouper though...She has fractured her t5 and t6 vertebrae and for now remains completely flat in bed.  She will be fitted for a brace that kinda looks like a turtle shell which will protect and alleviate pressure off the the spine.  Once that is fitted, she may start to walk when she feels up to it. She is incredibly sore and her lungs are bruised, so she remains on oxygen. We are working on strengthening her lings by blowing bubbles and other breathing exercises.  Every day she is getting a little stronger. The doctors and nurses at Primary Children's hospital have been fantastic with us, and i am so grateful to them.  So for now we are taking baby steps in the right direction...Again, thanks for all your prayers, thoughts, sweet gifts, and for taking care of Parker, Brylea, and Logan.  I hope everyone has a beautiful Mother's Day!  I am so grateful I am mother to four amazing children!  All my love, Mer

Sister Jen's cousin, Quinn Lythgoe, served in the Kobe, Japan mission also - as many of you know.  Sister Jen has told us about him being a fantastic missionary, and the times they got to see each other over the course of their missions.  He spoke in his home ward sacrament meeting yesterday and gave a wonderful talk.  We loved hearing about how his mission taught him to use the atonement every day...missions do that for missionaries!!! We got to meet four more missionaries from their mission who all knew Sister Jen - what fun it was to hear them talk about her!  Here are some pics:

 Mao and Whitney

 Quinn and Rex

 Candice and Quinn's mom, Laurie, who is Scott's sister

Sister Jen and Candice when she was Sister Cheney 

and went to Nara with her ...

Earthquakes and Promises

Dearest Family,

 

So many amazing things in my life as a missionary! We were surprised on Saturday morning to an earthquake alarm going off on our phone, and huge megaphones saying, "This is an earthquake." I shook my companions shoulder gently and said, "We need to get up Sister, thee is an earthquake." I think that missionary work has prepared me to handle more gracefully the panics that must come with motherhood. Last night, we were riding in the poring rain for 30 minutes, and I just laughed and laughed. It was so funny and so wet! We both forgot our rain coats. It was a pretty great sight. I actually felt like for the first time in over a year, I'd gone swimming!! So great, and really foreign ha ha. (The earthquake alarms were intense but we didn't really feel the earthquake here, it was in a part of the mission that used to be in my zone while in Akashi called Sumoto... we are all safe! Thank you for your concern.)

Conference was so wonderful, wasn't it? There are two things I am really touched with. One is the fact that we are here on earth to gain experience. We will have desperately hard times, happy times, lonely times--because that is what we are here to do, so we can "prize the good." But, we do not have to face them alone. Because Jesus Christ came to earth and experienced  every joy, sadness, loneliness, we too can rejoice in experience, and really feel it, whatever feeling it is, and turn to Him. He is so amazing. I read this morning about the Savior being the only one, "from a mortal mother and immortal father... who could voluntarily lay down His life and take it up again." (Elder Nelson from this month's Liahona) Isn't that incredible? Our Savior was the only one born who didn't have to die, and yet did because it meant that we could then choose to live with God again, and our families. The second one is just about the eternal nature of families. I was so impressed at Conference at the joy that comes in family, the work it does take, and the incredible blessing my family is. I thought of you, sweet people, and the influence you have had in my life. I had a lot of individual thank you's, but this is for all of YOU. I love you so much!

 

Our beautiful investigators... Some of them are starting to weed out a little more, to the ones who are willing to act and meet with us, and the ones who had just been meeting with the sister missionaries before. We have been meeting Hino Shimai a lot, and had a wonderful lesson about the Spirit, one of the best we've had. She had said when we watched "Finding Faith in Christ" that she had a warm feeling inside. So for the lesson on the Spirit, we brought a big blanket, and almost put it on a few times, and then put it all around her to show what the companionship of the Holy Ghost is like and what it feels like. It was a fun lesson! She came to all of Conference, and Melody and Sayuri also came. This nice less-active walked into listen to conference and the members did not recognize him because he hasn't been to church for so long. We will make sure he comes back! I just wonder how many people there are like that in the world, who aren't thought about a lot and still want to come to Church, still love their Savior, but are staying away.  If they were just invited, given callings, hugged and invited to the second row to listen, how "at home" they would feel and how they secretly, in their hearts, want to return. Isn't that exciting! It is like the most serious treasure hunt in the world - the treasure hunt for souls, and it is precious. They need us. I've realized what a completely different member of the Church I hope to be when I get home. Missions change your membership forever. Members are NEEDED so much and they feel a role that we can't as missionaries if we want our investigators to stay. Their ties must be strongest with the ward. They need members and the service you all have to offer. Spend your time working on their salvation, going and finding those sheep! We need every lost one. (is my plea!) And it is the sweetest work in the world - bring souls to Jesus Christ who loves them.

 

I love this work. I feel so inadequate, but I think in the right degree, it is a component of the work. I realized again this week at interviews and training that I do NOT have the power to change a heart by myself. It doesn't matter how amazing my teaching skills might be, or if I have six flip charts and eight videos - what matters is that we find out what they need from the Spirit and teach them, with the spirit IN us. That was something we discussed in training from Ether's example.  "And he could not be restrained, for the Spirit of the Lord which was in Him." My prayers have changed this week. I want the Spirit IN me. I love the Spirit so much. I am grateful for this tool. We cannot, cannot, cannot strive to do this work alone - it will be empty. But by relying on the Lord, going slow enough to feel those promptings, with the faith of a mustard seed, as Elder Holland so beautifully taught this week, we can work miracles in bringing our brothers and sisters home. What a privilege! Every Sunday meeting is a family meeting, and who is missing there? Our less-active friends, families? Our neighbors who haven't heard? We should share the Gospel because we love it, like a life-vest in open sea, or a mask in a dangerous wind storm - it saves! We, of course, love and respect agency but do EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER with the Lord to help them.  We have a lot of power if it is with Him. He is amazing! We have all of the tools we need to be successful missionaries, spouses, friends, visiting teachers, home teachers, members, and active participants in helping others on their walk to salvation. What is needed is not a perfect understanding of all things, or even a perfect US. We need to be perfectly reliant on HIM, and He has the "being perfect" part of the equation covered. What is asked for, and I know this through my mission here in Japan, is a heart of love for the people, and to work harder we've ever worked before. It is daily repentance, devotion, picking up and always keeping going. I think that is the definition of heart, might, mind and strength to me. It depends on where our hearts are in the right place then our feet will be moving in the right direction. We will be effective instruments in His hands, for it is His work. Amen!!!!

 

I love you all so much, and rejoice to be having this earthly experience with you. Whether you are in pouring rain or an earthquake on the other side of the world, or the only thing quaking is a little piece of your heart, like Elder Holland encouraged -trust Him. If our whole heart can muster just that flame, ignite that. Flame that in others. We have that power.

 

I love you, and delight to be your fellow servant!  There is no place I would rather be in my journey through mortality than in the vineyard of my divine, resurrected Lord. I never want to leave that place. This commitment is longer than a few plane rides, or even exits and entrances to life. This is our destiny and privilege. 

 

Love, your missionary in Japan,

Sister Anderson

Report from the mission president:

6.0 Earthquake Near Kobe by Richard Zinke We were awakened by an earthquake this morning at about 5:30.  Everyone is fine and there seems to be no damage of any significance.  It was centered about 25 miles south of Kobe. We have a couple of Japanese sister missionaries just a few miles from the epicenter serving in the Sumoto Branch.  They called within a few minutes of the quake.  They reported that they were fine and that some church members were with them already.  They were nervously laughing with the members.  A lot of things in their apartment had fallen off shelves but nothing was broken. The sisters were a little shaken and began running to the mountains in their PJs in case of a tsunami. After a bit of clean-up they dressed and went to assist some members at their homes. Today and tomorrow the saints here gather to see General Conference broadcast at the stake centers, wards and branches. A media report is attached below. Strong quake in Japan but no major damage reported April 12, 2013 05:41 PM EST |  TOKYO — Japan's Meteorological Agency says a magnitude-6 quake has struck near the southwestern city of Kobe, but public broadcaster NHK reports there is no major damage and no tsunami alert has been issued. The quake hit at 5:33 a.m. Saturday and was centered on Awaji Island, just south of Kobe, the agency and NHK said. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles). The quake was centered near the same area where a magnitude-7.2 quake killed more than 6,400 people in 1995.

 

 

On to something good...

Dear Family,

LOVES!!! I love you all so much. So glad to be your friend and servant in this work. Thanks so much for your letters and love! This week has been sweet! One of our investigators set a goal date for May 12 for her baptismal date! Her name is Melody, and she was raised Roman Catholic and really wants a confirmation of the truth of the Restoration. She will definitely feel your prayers if you pray for her!

I love my companion and I love training! She is so fun. It's been so funny this week, because we feel like satan knows we are on to something because with every lesson we had with an investigator working toward baptism the environment just goes crazy and it seems like all heck breaks loose! The devil knows Niihama is on to something good - but we are getting so much help. :) One of those moments was at the park (it is cherry blossom season here!), when our investigator talked to us for 10 minutes about what she was learning from The Book of Mormon.  during that time no one else talked to us. The minute we close our eyes to pray, this drunk man comes and talks to us because we know English, and insists we meet his family. It was just so funny, because as my eyes are closing, I see him, and i wonder what was going to happen. We met his family and invited them all to Church. This was the third time something funny like this happened during a lesson. I had to laugh inside. It was so neat though, because Hino Shimai pulled out her Book of Mormon and started testifying of Heavenly Father to his family! Heavenly Father definitely put roses on thorns and it was such a great moment as she was testifying and explaining who we were and inviting them to Church before we even could. The work will not be stopped!!

Our other investigators are coming along. It's all so great! I love the work. I have felt more ups and downs than any other time in my life, but it is such a privilege - and to be expected because when preaching the truth there will always be opposition. I love it! I have been drinking deeply from Book of Mormon study this week and LOVING it. I know I forget sometimes what a tool this is. I feel the armor on, protecting us as we prepare through study. Did you know I LOVE IT?! I had the chance to read the end of the Book of Mormon again - I LOVE IT. I know the Book of Mormon is written for our day and is a Book of power, a book of God. I am 100% confident that the 100% confirmation our investigators seek will come. I love the additional witness Moroni adds to Moroni 10:3-5 in Moroni 10:29, 
that I 全く didn't remember...　"And God shall show unto you, that that which I have written is true.” That promise is real and affirmed. Those who ask, seek, and knock, WILL come to know it is true. It is not a question. If they truly want to know, and read from this great book, they will know for 100% it is from God.

I love you too, and feel so many blessings I'VE had from God through you! We also had trainer/trainee training this week and sang in Church, some fun things like that. The bus from Niihama to Kobe took 5 hours!! I also got a plethera (I still remember that word) of cute things for Easter to spice up my "finishing the mission" wardrobe from my cute diva Mama. Thanks Mom! I love you so much.

The work is opposed. The work is true. It will not fail. It will go forth. I feel blessed to be a part of it. I want to add my testimony to my new favorite scripture, Moroni 10:32--"Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God." I love my Savior and I know that our commission is to love Him, serve Him, and be perfected in Him. Our perfection is even reliant and intertwined with our Redeemer. We are safe in Him.

I love you too, and pray for you!
Love,
Sister Anderson

My bus lunch

A list I found under my desk--it's true!!

Also, I got to see Elder Lythgoe at Trainer/Trainee training, and he is tearing it up! President asked his trainee when their next baptism was. He said Sunday. He asked when his last baptism was. He said last Sunday. Their next one will be in a few Sundays. Awesome right? Awesome missionary cousin! Everyone asks is we are really cousins. I'm glad we are!! 


Love you all! THE WORK IS TRUE!!

Also, this man we called from the area book stopped in the middle of our conversation and said he could tell I was a devoted missionary. Isn't that amazing? I love representing my Savior. He is our strength, song and salvation. (2 Nephi 22:2.) I've had so many great comments from funny grandpas in Japan. :)

62 years????? Just wow!

Happy Anniversary Grammy and Grampy!!!! 

Thanks for being you and for all the love you have for each other and all the love you share with others!
If I could draw some kites in this note, I would. :)

Love your missionary grand-daughter,
Sister Jen in Japan
33333333333333333333333333333333

Christmas is coming!!!! The Gospel is true!!!!

Hey Fam!!

Merry Christmas to... me? You are so sweet!! Thank you!  Grandma and Cami - the divinity and caramels are soooooooooooooo yummy!!!!  You know how to cook it up!

Today needs to be kind of quick because we are limited on computers, but can I just say I love you! I know that anything that comes to us in life can make us stronger, so many of you have shown me that. That is all through the Lord. Because of Jesus Christ, we do not have to face life alone. Isn't that amazing?
Some of our investigators are doing really well, and others not so much, and others aren't listening any more. I love Heavenly Father so much. I can't imagine seeing your children feel your love and still want to leave, I can't imagine what that would be like as an earthly parent, nonetheless a Heavenly Parent. 

I cut my hair today, but only a little bit! (It will be long when I come home, don't worry Dad.) Christmas is such a special time of year. We are teaching an incredibly special investigator. I know that the Lord truly is preparing His children, that there are forces on the other side helping us. The sweet, funny grandmother we met we are now teaching, and she came to the Christmas party on Saturday.

 The ward did a beautiful play illustrating the effect Jesus Christ can have on our lives. She came the next day to Church from that play even wanting to hear MORE about God!! She likes to be called "Rachel" because that is the name she picked, and is a kindred spirit for those who catch it. She researched up on Mormons even though we just started teaching her and is a little hesitant about giving up her Frappacino, that is the only thing she can't decide if she should give up or not. She uses every English word she knows when she talks. She is so great. Special experience of the week: We were teaching her and I pulled out a little picture of the Savior, and she picked it up so carefully, and said: "I have this feeling that this is my older brother." Tears came to my eyes. She had had another experience that would make her feel like that too, but I am just amazed at the people He is preparing. They are valiant and they are waiting.

Other than that, we had a kokan this week, the Christmas Party was so fun, we tried to play hot and cold with the 60 people there, and I think that might be kind of an American game... not to mention one of the Bishopric members said (after I used a word I'd found from my dictionary that day), "The missionaries use hard words! What they meant is..." ha ha ha. Christmas is so soon, so excited to talk to you, I'll forward you info about the call, but your Christmas day, between 8 and 11 in the morning here, feel free to email the Dobson's maybe... 

I LOVE YOU! The Savior is THE reason we are. We are so incredible blessed. Keep our beloved investigators in your prayers and for us to find those He is preparing.  We also got a referral this week from a member who became on investigator! Starting the journey!

I love you. His work is true!
Sister Anderson

PS Nate, my prayers are with you!  I hope your knee surgery goes well and you recover quickly!

PPS I loved all the pics of the Christmas parties - so fun!  Happy birthday to all of you who celebrate in December!  I can't believe Seth is five!

PPPS  Thanks to all my sweet friends and family members who wrote to me this week!  I LOVE YOUR LETTERS!!!!!

Here are the answers to Marissa's questions:

.what is your companions whole name? Nicole Allyse Dobson
.where did  you get your bed where you sleep in Japan? It was in the apartment already!!
.are Japanese foods spicy? Some of them are! Like curry! Sometimes you can choose how spicy too. :)
.could you tell me some Japanese words? Love-ai tree- ki Marissa-Mah-rii-sah -Heavenly Father--Ten no Otosama. (Ten no Otosama wa Marissa chan o ai shite imasu!) means* Heavenly Father loves Marissa!

More food pics for anyone who loves food! Look at how cute they are in Japan... I know a lot of you foodies will really love these pics!

 Celebrating! Sister Missionary exchange...

A lady we are going to start teaching who is half Mongolian and grew up in Russia but speaks Japanese... and likes hats!

Japanese phrases that come in handy!

Beautiful Akashi!

To my Incredible Fam,

I love you so much!! Thank you for all you've done for me and the
wonderful help you are to everyone. I love you!

This week: at basketball I knocked down a Japanese man using only my
head, we tried to make cake for a dinner appointment only to find out
the sugar I bought was salt (yes, I do know Japanese...)

and our follow up cake also failed--ending up with half solidified 
jello (oh it was so funny)! I titled our weekly report "Akashi Food!" 
Oh, well... so many adventures! And...that's the short list of what 
happened to your missionary in the last few days. Ha ha!

So, I knew I wasn't any good at basketball, but we were doing a drill
and I don't think I moved fast enough, and all of a sudden something
hit my head... and I turn and see one of the nicest Japanese guys flat
on the ground, and his head is bleeding! It was so bad... I have a
goose egg, but he got it worse... I really quickly learned an extremely 
polite phrase for "please forgive me" (moshi wake gozaimasen)... he was
really nice about it though. He is fine (I think...).

Apart from that essential update, I love you tons fam. Whatever life 
throws at you, the gospel is true. Never be too stressed to count your 
blessings. There are ALWAYS miracles in every phase of our lives, 
we just have to slow down enough, listen to the Spirit enough, 
think about eternal things enough to see them. The Gospel is the 
most important thing. I know that the Savior's love is real for our 
investigators. I don't have time to tell you every specific thing about them, 
but I feel this love that I know is not my own for them, that is so big, that 
just wants the best for them. 

I love Jesus Christ. I love my Savior. There is nothing I would not give 
to follow Him. I love that the Lord loves us enough to try us. I love that 
He takes the time to chastise us, teach us, guide us. How Heavenly Father 
loves His children!

Sister Belnap had to go home due to her illness. I will truly miss her, but we were able to accomplish so much! My prayers are with her in her recovery.  

Note from Sister Jen's mom:
This is what the mission president said about Sister Belnap in his blog:

This wonderful sister missionary arrived... [having] “survived” the MTC...She arrived exhausted and dizzy.  We thought jet lag hit her particularly hard until we discovered that she had a problem with her ears on the airplane, and she developed a case of vertigo that lasted for several weeks.  From there her health continued to deteriorate...

Her heart was completely in the work, but her emotional, physical and mental condition would not let her do what she so much wanted to do.  Frustrated, she prayed harder and put more faith in the Lord.  A bicycle crash may have been the last straw.  Her energy was sapped.  Mentally, physically, and emotionally she had given all she had to give.  She needed to return and get some attention that is not possible in such a foreign place as this is. She wanted to continue her mission more than she wanted to breathe.  

Forever Friends!

永遠の友達 (Eien no tomodachi)

This is my new companion - Sister Dobson.

She is from American Fork Utah and likes smiling, missionary work,
taking pictures of Akashi and long walks on the beach ha ha. And...she plays
the flute and studies Special Ed at USU. So great - ANOTHER
COMPANION TO LOVE! Yay. Already, she is so brave and fearless with
stopping others. I am so grateful that the Lord lets us do missionary work 
with companions. It really is His appointed plan.

I LOVE THE GOSPEL, and I love you! Our investigator that has a
baptismal date has been studying SO WELL. She will come to lessons
with her shukudai (homework) all done, parts of scriptures or
pamphlets marked... it is so amazing, even though she doesn't
understand everything she is working so hard. (ishokenmei!)
Understanding is really hard for her, but her heart wants to work. I
am so grateful for the gifts that Heavenly Father gives us. There is
nothing like this Gospel. Sometimes I just want to think about myself
even less, I want to just go and take them the word, I want to become
a teacher that teaches so simply a child can understand perfectly my
teachings about Him, most of all I just want to share my love for Him.
We were in a lesson this week and our investigator wasn't
understanding, and suddenly tears were just pouring down my face as I
taught this beautiful woman how much Heavenly Father loves her. I want
to do everything I can to become a good teacher, witness, missionary,
saint, for Him. How I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I delight in
telling others about Him. I delight in the message of the
Gospel. I delight in sacrifice. I try every day to devote another
piece of my stubborn part to Him, to give Him a little more. I know
that He has the power to heal us, and helps us endure. I have faced
things I know that I couldn't face alone. How I love my Savior Jesus
Christ.

I love you Fam! You are so wonderful. あなたはとても素晴らしいです
Anata wa totemo subarashiidesu!!!

I know eternal families are a part of Heavenly Father's eternal plan, and I
know that I was meant to be one of the Anderson 7 siblings (the last and 
most spoiled one!) I am so grateful to have such beautiful nieces and 
nephews, and I am in awe at how you parents teach your kids so diligently
about Jesus Christ and His love. He really is the reason. I love Jesus Christ 
and want to put my heart, needs, desires in His hands.

This Gospel is true. Let us not rest, but carry it to every soul that
is prepared to hear the advent of His coming, His love, His life and
this: HE LIVES.

I love you all!
Love,
Sister Anderson

The Plan of Salvation in action! ...and a purple cow!

To the Sweetest Family in the world!!!

How I love you! I just count my blessings to have been sent
to such "goodly parents" and wonderful brothers and sisters. I love the pics, everyone is beautiful and growing up so fast! It is like seeing the Plan of Salvation in action. I love you so much and I am constantly grateful for your love, prayers, and examples. There is nothing like having an active, wonderful, enduring family--I love you all so much! Tyler and Ashley's wedding looks so fun!! And I loved seeing pics of Nora's. Congrats everyone! Lizzie is so cute, I haven't seen pictures of her since she was tiny. Claire is so darling and grown-up! What a fun time you all had with the Souliers and having beautiful Brenna's baby blessing in Utah.  Cousin country! That is so exciting that Spen and Rach and the kids got to come. Maybe Ella will get a horse someday and name him Skip. haha. Did Lolly and Rob find a house? I love reading all of your letters!

Well...I never saw a purple cow and hoped to never see one. But this I do know anyway, I'd rather see than be one! haha. But I did see one - in Japan!

This week...what a whirlwind! Emotions are so deep on the mission, it
is crazy. Sometimes I just have to stop and think about it all for a moment. Things are so busy, working to serve the Lord. We have wonderful investigators who are all progressing right now. One of them has a baptismal date! It is such a miraculous work and I love it - I love missionary work!!! I am realizing that everything could be difficult, or it could be an adventure.  I choose to have it be an adventure! I love this mission. There are so many miracles, and not all of them we
understand. We are living in the middle of miracles even in our trials, and that amazes me. That brings me so much comfort. Today in language study I read in Mosiah 23 and thought so much about being nourished and being tried. This is truly the Lord's church, and He will bless all who put their trust in Him. I have seen that in my missionary life more than ever!

Kana Chan is not getting baptized yet, but is doing great! 

mai chan, and a doseki (ward member who teaches with us)

It's a little short this week... I just want you to know how much I
love you. I love you sweet fam! There are times when I feel you so
close. There are ministrations of the Spirit beyond what I can
describe here, and probably even ministrations I can't see. I love the
Lord. I love His help. I love His time table.

YOU ARE SO WONDERFUL! The Gospel is true. Thank you for your prayers,
updates, support, and love. This is a work of miracles. I LOVE YOU! 
You are in my thoughts and prayers.

I love Jesus Christ. I know His help is real. I know His love is real,
so personal, for EACH OF US! This work is His work.

I love you!
Love, Anderson Shimai

kirei (beautiful) Japan!

Postscript by Sister Jen's mom:

Who knows?  She didn't give a description.

rice hot dog? stuffed baked roll?

Note: Sister Jen's cousin was married in the 

Salt Lake Temple last Friday!

 Tyler and Ashley Davies

Grandma Jan with her great grand-daughter Lizzie 

(daughter of Taylor and Kara Stone...Taylor is Cherelle's son)

 Jen's friend Nora Skoubye Gleed

Baby Brenna (child number five for Lolly and Rob Soulier) wearing the same dress in which her mom was blessed...and in the quilt made by Grandma Jan

 Cousin Country at Gma and Gpa Jello's!

FHE Olympics

Riding horses at Aunt Relle's and Uncle Bryan's