THE LAST EMAIL

Week 102
Monday, May 28, 2018

Friends and Family,

Wow... it's crazy that my mission has come to end.   I will be going home next week, and this will be my last email.

The last two years of my life have by far been the best ones yet.   I have learned so much... I love this gospel and my Savior, Jesus Christ. I have loved every moment of being a missionary. It has been so challenging but so worth it and I have grown so much. I know that God's plan was for me to come here and serve. I love my Heavenly Father and have really come to know what he needs from me and what things really matter in this life.  I just want to say I love the Philippines, and I love being a missionary. God's plan is perfect and he loves all of us. 

Have a great wek all, I'll see ya next week!

PLANGGA TAKAMO

Elder Andersen

"I'M SAD TO BE LEAVING!"

Week 101
Monday, May 21, 2018

Hello Friends and Family, 

This week was great, and we were able to get a lot accomplished. 

I'm sorry this isn't going to be a long letter.  It's crazy that I'll be coming home here in two weeks.  I know it's coming, but it has not really hit me yet.  It's even crazier that I'll be bearing my last testimony at my last Zone Conference tomorrow. The work here in the Philippines, Iloilo mission is great.  I'm sad to be leaving, I wish I was just starting.  Have a great week.

Plangga ta kamo

Love, 

Elder Andersen 

From our personal letters:

Question:  What will you miss most about the Philippines?

Answer from Elder Andersen:  "I will miss everything!  I'll miss the people, the food, the culture and most of all, being a missionary.  I have learned so much from my mission!"

A picture from a few weeks ago that one of Logan's friends just sent.

Filipino Barong

LAST CALL HOME

Week 100

May 13, 2018

We didn't receive an email from Elder Andersen today because we were able to Skype with him for Mother's Day.  It was amazing.  It was so good to see him, and hear his voice and his laugh.   He is so happy and doing great.  When our time was up, he finished the call by bearing his testimony to us in Ilonggo.  It was such a spiritual moment.  I am so proud of him! 

He will finish his mission in three weeks and expressed how much he will miss the Philippines and the people he has grown to love. 

Earlier in the week we received some pictures from some members that Logan has become good friends with.  The pictures are from the Mangahan Festival in Guimaras.  The mangoes are known for being the best in the world.  During the festival, there's "all you can eat mangoes".  Sister Saunders, One of the couple missionaries, messaged me and said that Logan ate 18 mangoes...WHAT???  (I think there is some kind of contest for who can eat the most.)  Why does this not surprise me?  

Last Skype Call...

Manggahan Festival

Our booth at the festival

Best Mangoes Ever...He ate 18!!!!

GOOD TIMES WITH THE PRESIDENT

Week 99

Monday, May 7, 2018

Hello Friends and Family, 

This week was soooo good...as in, it was so much fun!!!

On Tuesday, we has the opportunity to drive President Cruz, Sister Cruz, their daughter, and Sister Cruz's brother, sister-in-law, and nephew around Guimaras. It was so much fun... I enjoyed it so much! It was a lot of fun being with President and Sister Cruz's family and getting to know them.  It was also a cool experience because Sister Cruz's brother, sister-in-law and nephew aren't members of the church. So, we essentially spent the whole day building a relationship with them. After spending the day in Guimaras, we came home and found out that we had a surprise MLC (Missionary Leadership Conference) on Thursday and Friday. So on Wednesday we spent the day preparing for the MLC. The coolest thing that happened on Wednesday though, was President asked us to teach their family members. Honestly, I was soooo nervous... I mean teaching President Cruz's family... in front of him. But Elder Steiner and I prepared and taught one of the best lessons of my mission. It was funny because we couldn't tell if President was happy with our teachings.  We took their family to the airport, and after they had gone, President talked to us about the lesson. He said that our lesson was perfect, and that he wished he could have filmed us teaching because it was so good. He loved the lesson and our teaching style. It was pretty cool because this was the first lesson Elder Steiner and I had taught together haha. It was such a cool and spiritual experience. 

Thursday in Friday we had the MLC... it was great, I trained on "Ministering."  I focused on lifting others, and used the Mormon Message, "Lift."  I really like this Mormon Message...it's really good, I recommend it! 

Saturday, we were supposed to have a meeting in San Jose Antique, but after we drove two hours to get there, they told us the meeting had been rescheduled to Wednesday.  So, while we were there, we checked all the apartments in Antique,  We left at 6:30am  and got home at 8:30pm.   95% of that time, I was driving. It was good though. 

It was a great and another busy week.  This next week is also going to be very busy.  It's crazy I only have four weeks remaining in my mission, I can't even grasp it, while I am excited, I really don't want it to end.

I love you all.

Plangga ta kamo tanan

Love, 

Elder Andersen

Pictures from Guimaras Trip

 

Matching Ties- With President Cruz and other Assistants

AP's with President and Sister Cruz

MLC