This week... this week.

Let me start off this letter to the family by saying how much I love Chaunee Olsen. She is so awesome. She is preparing to leave on her mission. She leaves 24 days from today to serve in the chilly Milwaukee, Wisconsin. She is going to be one great missionary. I look to her as an example of courage and strength as well as knowledge and endurance. She has been going a little back and forth on the decision but we all did. Right? I have known all along that she would be looking at this as the best decision she has ever made. I love her, and I am grateful to be part of her story. She IS the bomb dot com! 

We are still teaching Kevin. He is super cool. The Lord has been preparing him a lot longer than any of us realize. As we teach the lessons he is telling us of the things he has stopped doing to make his Father in Heaven proud. I am grateful for him and his understanding of the gospel. What he looks forward to, the most, is sitting in a church pew with his young family. Isn't that crazy? What a righteous desire for a 20 year old in 2013 to have. 

We took our investigator, David, on a Plan of Salvation temple tour. He had so many good questions. We start in the beginning and talking about how we once lived with Heavenly Father. It was awesome to see the light in his eyes when we explained the we are all His spirit children. We went through the garden in the front describing it as the Garden of Eden and explained the story of Adam and Eve. It's really awesome because there is a tree that is darker and farther back than all the rest. We show the parallel from this tree to the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil and the sin and temptation we have here on Earth. There are some steps shortly after that signify the fall of Adam and Eve. We then walk around a long path along the side the temple. We walked slowly and talked about the steps Heavenly Father asks us to take in this life; faith, leading us to repent and change our life to receive more happiness, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and following the daily steps to stay on this long path. When we talk about the spirit world and how we are all promised a second chance, David really felt Heavenly Father's love. He expressed how it just makes sense that us on Earth, who have bodies, can stand in the place of those who have died and be baptized for them. He wants to give his family that chance. We talked a little farther about how our bodies will be reunited with our spirits and we will have them in a perfect form at the resurrection. We explained a little about the judgement process with Jesus Christ and how we will go to one of the heavens that our Father has mercifully prepared for us. David.. .changed. His interest level sky rocketed and he was at church!! I am so happy to have this knowledge. I feel love from my family all around because of it, and it makes me want to work super hard to have an eternal life with them!

Dillan, one of our other investigators, (we have a lot right now) hasn't talked to us in, like, 2 weeks. Until Sunday. When he unexpectedly came to church... and BORE HIS TESTIMONY IN SACRAMENT MEETING. Apparently (we weren't there... I'll say why in the next paragraph...) he talked about his relationship with God and how he loves to pray. He bore his testimony of the reality of Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. Like, WHAT THE HECK MARIO. It was crazy. Everyone came us to ask "did you hear what happened?!" It was awesome to hear he is progressing without talking to us. hahahaha... I guess. :P

We helped Elders Lovell and Mojica with the missionary mania thing. It's cool to see that something that came from my brain, with the inspiration from God of course, is getting spread. I have a passion for working with the youth. I now that they are the future!! I am excited to do something that could have such far reaching effects. :) I think I want to work with the youth when I get home. I don't know... I don't think about going home :P Anyways we did it in two different wards for third hour in church.

I loved the Relief Society Broadcast. 

We have a new investigator named Jacob. 

I love Ms. McDade. She is a member of our ward and I love her. Yeah, I love her.

Elders in our zone were poaching (stealing) an investigator from us.

We walked the last 3 days of the month. 

The Prophet, President Monson, is called of God. 

We went on exchanges and Sister Cooper jumped on my lap when a dog barked at her in a lesson.

Smiles from Sunrise

~Sister Fields

Things are going from brown to brown here this beautiful Autumn season.... #VegasProblems

Last Monday I got a hair cut. Not because I wanted anything to change about it, I just needed the split ends trimmed. It ended up being about 4 inches, but my hair is well below my collar bone still. Just, I guess, for your information. :)

We taught FHE (family home evening) Monday night and it was super awesome!! The spirit was so strong! We taught The Restoration. We started be asking everyone to pull out their phones and make a list of five non-member friends they have. We went on to explain how Heavenly Father loves each of the people in the room, and each of the people in the world. We taught about how we were placed into families, and given ward families, to understand God's love more. We taught about how there are prophets all through out history that lead and guide until Christ came. After his death, many people believed that the world was left to their own interpretation of religion, and honestly they were. Until Heavenly Father prepared the world again to receive a prophet. We showed the (20 minute, check it out) restoration movie (http://www.mormonchannel.org/films?v=870618547001). At the end we bore some powerful testimonies about how the restoration of Christ's church has blessed each of our lives, and our families, and how we know it will bless the rest of our lives. We challenged the crowd to look over the list again, prayerfully, and ask Heavenly Father who is prepared to receive the gospel NOW. It was super fun and super sweet.

I want to shout out to all the less-active members we are working with. They have such unique backgrounds and stories. They all have reasons for falling away and they all have reasons for needing to come back. We are working with an (AWESOME) kid who was bullied by church kids growing up. Because of that he slowly lost his testimony. He joined the Marines and just got harder and harder hearted. One day we stopped by and we were able to help him to change his life. :) We have been meeting with him for a month now and we finally asked him to make a list of things that he believes so he knows what he can start with. He sent us a text. "Sisters I did it." We asked him what the list was. "I believe God exists and I believe He will forgive me of my sins." Let me tell you, that will make a sister missionary cry. It's EPIC the change that has occurred in him. He hasn't missed church, and doesn't plan on missing it ever again.

We are also working with a lot of people who just let work and school take priority. To see them beg God for their testimony back is so humbling. I wish I could just take all of you to one of these lessons. I want you to feel what I feel. I want you to know how much Heavenly Father loves them like I do. OH MY GOSH> I am just so full I can't explain it! :)

By the way, Sister Coltrin fits in her suit case. We were super stressed after a really weird thing that happened this week and we just went home super giggly! I was hiding behind the clothes in the closet to scare Sister Coltrin and she was thinking where she should hide. I dared her to fit in her suit case. And she does. You welcome world. My companion has a sweet super power. :)

We had zone training this week. I got to sit next to Sister Barth (my MTC companion for those of whom don't remember/know). We learned a lot about organization and about the things that make member-missionary work roll. Sister Neider showed a little clip about some guy who did the Iron Man Triathlon with his autistic son. It was so crazy. He did the whole thing with him strapped to him. In the swimming part he pulled him in a raft, he had him in a little car seat thing for the bike part, and he ran with him in a stroller during the running part. It looked insane! I realized how much we need Heavenly Father and how we can't do it without him!! I loved all the little trainings. I am ready to apply them and be super successful and work super hard! :)

We just started teaching this kid named Kevin. He is so ready to live the gospel. He had a friend that was an awesome example and invited him to learn more. Kind reminds me of the infamous story of Jake Hansen. :) It's cool to see the missionaries' side of the story. Jake, bro, you're a blessing. Text your missionaries and tell 'em you love them. Their job was hard.

We made T-shirts. They say Mormon,org. And they are awesome. I will send pictures!! :) (When I take them.....)

There is a girl named Emily Mower who moved here from Oregon (via BYU-I) to be a Spanish teacher. Anyways, she is one of the most talented musicians I have met in my whole life. She was playing around on the piano after church and I joined her. We sang together and it turned into an intense 20 minute (gospel) jam session in the chapel. I loved it. It was so relaxing and stress relieving! I felt like a real person for a while. I love love love love love loved it!! :) Tender mercies!

I SERIOUSLY AM JUST SO HAPPY. I HOPE YOU ARE TOO!

~Smiles from Sunrise

Sister Fields

While we were there we made this for one of the Elders in our district. He eats with an apron at all the house he goes to because he is messy. His companion asked us to do it for him. :) It's one of his ties tied down and a puff painted tag. hahaha :)

This is Sister Coltrin, Ms. McDade and I. We went over to her house for service. We helped her puff paint (thanks to my Awesome DAD) T Shirts for her and her class :)

OH HEY, ELDER ANDERSON... of the 12, yeah that one.... HE SAYS HI!!! :)

Yesterday I arranged music for a "Why I Believe" fireside. It went so well. I did it last time, but it was last  minute. I will send a copy of the music to you, Mom. You'll just have to get someone to read it for you. haha. The first was Onward Christian Soldiers and the Elders sang the second verse like soldiers. It was AWESOME!! The spirit was super strong and we got a whole bunch of "hey you did great," texts and calls. The second was Sweet Hour That My Redeemer Lives. :) That was awesome, too. I wish all of you could have been there. When Mom and Dad come down to pick me up I pray it's near a Why I Believe. :) None of the people we invited came, though. we will have to secure rides for all of them. i think a lot of times the people we are teaching don't take our invitations seriously. Besides that I loved it. :)

This mormoning (that was a typo... I'm gonna leave it) we got up at 3:30 to hike the mountain. It was super cool. I think when we got there it was 78*. There was also a breeze. Every  time I closed my eyes I felt like I could fly. Sister Coltrin is so awesome, obviously I am not the fittest person in the world (SIDE STORY: So we have a Tongan Elder in our district, Elder Tongi {no joke} and he "noticed" Sister Coltrin and I are gaining weight and in his polite Tongan way he said no one will notice mine because I am tall but that Sister Coltrin and I should still probably work out..... awko taco....) the point: Sister Coltrin stayed with me and we all had a great time! :)

Elder Anderson meeting notes:

All get a hand shake

I matched Sister Neider

Tad R. Callister was his companion (though both of the wives were there)

We talked a LOT about how to use the Atonement in our life

We were committed to keeping all the commitments we leave with everyone. ("How can you expect others to do what you are not willing to?! When you ask someone to pray if the church is true you better be doing it yourself. That night. Watch what happens.") It was super powerful.

Sister Fields needs to be a better missionary

Sister Fields needs to work harder

Sister Fields needs to not rely on her social skills and she needs to be calling upon the powers of the spirit every time she opens her mouth (which needs to be more often)

He also shared an awesome story about eternal perspective. He talked about how he has had a "lot of experiences to not be physically able to deny the Plan of Salvation." I loved the unique spirit in the room. It was FULL of others with the same full-time calling I have. If you want to know more, ask questions. Sorry I don't really know what to say :P I was just blown away and I've come back a better, more consecrated missionary. 

We had an awesome guy from the Stake High Counsel (don't know what that is? Find out here... http://www.lds.org/topics/church-organization/how-the-church-is-organized?lang=eng) come talk to us and he said how we should be "mistaken for Jesus." We should become so much like Him, he says, that people should KNOW that we are His followers and that struck a chord in me. I need to be awesome ALL the time, like Jesus Christ. We don't need to be like Him, we need to become Him. It was a wonderful "ah-ha" moment I had. :)

I have done so much growing. It has been 6 months and I don't even know who I used to be. By no means have I lost my personality or my charm (hahah) but I have changed my attitude about life. It always makes me seem like I was such a bad person when I talk about it, but really I was good and now I am better! I love the enthusiasm I have gained and the determination to live a good life I will be proud of every moment. I think less of "why do I have to?" and more of "what more can I do?" My room is always clean, I am always smiling, and I just can't get over the happy feeling I have. Honestly I couldn't get rid of it even if I wanted to. I love the gospel, I love being a missionary, I love Sister Coltrin, and most of all I love who I have become. I have learned a lot about the Book of Mormon, planning, goal setting, hard work as well as many, many other things. I have also had a grand opportunity to teach people around me how to feel the same happy I do. It's hard to explain, I'm sorry. But let me tell you, I have grown closer to my Savior, my family, and my friends, and I'm the farthest I've ever been away from home. I know what needs to be done, and more over I do it. :) Thank you all, over and over and over and over and over and over again. Thank you SO much!! Your support and love is carrying me. That's my little happy 6 months to me rant. 1 year..... shoot. only 1 year. 

I gotta get back to work!!

Smiles from Sunrise. Buckets of smiles!

Sister Molly Fields!