Que Tal mi Familia!

                                                                                                        6/28/2012

Thanks for all the care packages that you have been sending me. Before I leave I will be sending you some stuff that I don't need to take with me, like extra books and what not. So there was a mishap at the engraving office for my scriptures and I now am the proud owner of a new set of English scriptures haha SWEET! so I was just wondering if you would send me a case for them, Preferably since they Bible and Book of Mormon are separate, a case for each one. Understand? like so that the cover of the scripture can slip inside a flap of the case so it like becomes part of the scriptures. Sorry if that is confusing, I would just like to keep them separate. if you guys could find a nice wire bound study journal type thing that would be nice. i have a notebook but they get torn up to easy and I am afraid it will not last that long. Oh and in McAllen we do a lot of service so could you ship another pair of jeans, a few more pairs of socks, some old tee shirts, a belt, gloves and a pair of my shoes that i can do work in. I would also like a calling card so I can call you guys when I get to the Airport in SLC. Also next week sometime I will send you a package of stuff that I don't need to take to Texas.

Que Tal mi Familia!

So the New Mission President Seminar went so great! Sweet story, so I was just sitting in the hallway because Elder Barth was getting an interview for our Branch President. Just reading the Book of Mormon when Elder Packer comes and sits on the chair directly across the hall from me. I looked up not knowing what to say to him as he started going through some notes. Then he must have felt a set of eyes on him and looked up. He raised is eyebrows and said, "Do you know its true?"motioning towards the Book of Mormon. haha we both laughed and I answered, "Well of course!" He smiled and said that I should be an excellent missionary then haha and then went back to his notes. I was having a small anxiety  attack with one of the brethren so close and then out of no where Elder Nelson comes as sits right next to me. He asked where I was going and where I was from and then Elder Barth and President Wing came out of his office. I guess President Wing and Elder Nelson are good buddies because they began to talk about how work was going (they are both doctors) and then President Wing mentioned that I wanted to be doctor. Elder Nelson then gave me some advice about how I should go about doing that. So grateful for that opportunity to see the brethren like that.  So I don't know what happened but only L.Tom Perry was able to speak to us this past week because of something that was gong on in SLC that required the First Presidency's attention. He gave a statistical review of the church that should be available to the public in a few months so look out for that, it was pretty neat to see all the physical and worldly benefits of being a follower of Christ. But there were 10 of the twelve present for that devotional and so that was pretty awesome.  

So not a lot has been really happening this week because well...its the MTC haha. Being a Zone Leader isn't too bad, you just take all the punishment when Missionaries do stupid things. We had one missionary sneak out and go and flip the breaker boxes for all the other rooms in the building except his (he isn't too bright). Anyways I had to wake up at 3 am and talk to a security guard and sort everything out. But other than that it hasn't been too bad. There have been many miracles with the Language and I know that the gift of tongues is real. So as of June 27, 2012 it has been exactly 166 years since the Prophet Joseph Smith was killed at Carthage. Here is a wonderful testimony of the prophet given by Elder Holland who is quoting one of Joseph's dear friends and companions Elder John Taylor

"I testify that Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer of the Lord, has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men in this world, than any other man that ever lived in it. … [He] left a fame and name that cannot be slain. He lived great, and he died great in the eyes of God and his people; and like most of the Lord‘s anointed in ancient times, has sealed his mission and his works with his own blood. … [His] innocent blood on the floor of Carthage jail is a broad seal affixed to 'Mormonism' that cannot be rejected by any court on earth. … [It is] a witness to the truth of the everlasting gospel that all the world cannot impeach. … [It is] an ambassador for the religion of Jesus Christ, that will touch the hearts of honest men among all nations" (D&C 135:3, 7) until the great Jehovah Himself shall declare the work is done.

Presidents and sisters, at this season in this latter-day work, we are not called upon to seal our testimony with our blood, and surely your missionaries are not. We go to great lengths to make sure that that does not happen. But we are called upon to seal it with our devotion, with our energy, with our love, and with our loyalty—loyalty to the miracle that God has wrought in this last and greatest of all dispensations.

I testify that God is our Father, and I testify that He has not left His children without hope or happiness or a chance to return to Him in heaven.

I testify that Jesus Christ is God‘s own Son in the flesh as well as in the Spirit, Himself a God and the son of a God—the Only Begotten of the Father, the Savior of all mankind. I testify that the Father and the Son chose young Joseph Smith before the foundation of the world to be a prophet, a seer, a revelator, and the bearer of the keys of the kingdom for this last time in the eternal plan for the salvation of the children of men.

I testify that Joseph beheld the Father and the Son in vision and that that vision was but a preface to the remarkable rhapsody of events that would restore saving principles and authoritative priesthood to the earth—those principles and essentials and ordinances for the salvation of all humankind.

I testify that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and the keystone of our religion. I testify that it is a new witness, another witness, another testament of the Lord Jesus Christ and His gospel, and the most correct book on earth—undeniable, unassailable, unrelenting evidence of the truthfulness of the Restoration of this gospel.

I testify that 15 men have succeeded Joseph Smith as prophets and Presidents of this Church, leading in this day to our own beloved Thomas S. Monson. In one hour‘s time, in the same meeting where we will partake of the sacrament of the Lord‘s Supper, we will be in the presence of a living prophet called to pre-side over 14 other prophets. His life has been a legacy of service and sacrifice. He‘s aging, but you‘d never know and you‘d never be able to tell it. I testify that he, his predecessors, and his successors always will be authoritative and apostolic in every full and glorious sense of those words.

I declare that this is my personal witness. It is the truth that I share in the spirit that Alma declared his: "Do ye not suppose that I know of these things myself? Behold, I testify unto you that I do know that these things … are true. … I [do] know of myself … that Jesus Christ … the Only Begotten of the Father … cometh to take away the sins of the world, [and I] steadfastly [believe in] his name" (Alma5:45-46, 48).

Love you all so much and thank you for the continual support, you are all in my prayers :)

-Elder Sanderson

Familia!

Familia!

Everything is going great here. Thanks for the brownies and the pictures Stacie sent me. You all look like you are having a blast!

So not a lot has been going on here in the MTC. Our Branch President got released so now President Shumway is no longer with us. Sad day! He was honestly the awesomest ever. We have a new guy named President Wing and he is cool, but likes to do everything different. He is a lot more strict than Shumway so its been hard for some missionaries to transition. With all this new change somehow I have been called as Zone Leader. It becomes effective this Sunday and I don't feel prepared at all. There are so many meetings and you miss so much class time, I hope that it doesn't effect how well I learn teaching and languages skills. Still, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve in a leadership position. What is strange though is that My companion Elder Barth has not been extended the call yet so I don't know who will be the Zone Leader with me.

So the New Mission President's seminar starts this week! Within the next few weeks almost all of the Quorum of the Twelve and First Presidency will be at the MTC! So Stoked! This Saturday we get President Eyring, Sunday President Monson, Monday is President Packer, and for our Tuesday Devotional Elder Uchtdorf will be our speaker. That's as much of a schedule that they will show me but President Wing is very close friends with Elder Nelson and he is also going to be here sometime in the next week as well. All the Brethren have been called back to Provo from all over the world for this. The spirit is going to be so amazing!

So since a lot hasn't been going on I will try and make the email look bigger by putting in something that I had learned from Predicad Mi Envagelio this past week during personal study. Our purpose as missionaries is fulfilled as we become "an example of the believers"  in all we think, say and do. This is true whether our thoughts, words, or actions are directed toward our companions, the holy work to which we have been called, or any other thing we do while on the Lord's errand. This is true whether we are alone or in the company of others. We have been set apart to this ministry. As President Kimball stated, "The setting apart [we have as missionaries is literal], it is a setting apart from sin, apart from the carnal; apart from everything which is crude, low, vicious, cheap, or vulgar; set apart from the world to a higher plane of thought and activity. We are set apart only as we live up to our callings." K here is a sweet quote that I found in a talk given my Elder McConkie a while back: "I am called of God. My authority is above that of kings of the earth. By revelation I have been selected as a personal representative of the Lord Jesus Christ. He is my master and He has chosen me to represent Him--to stand in His place, to say and do what He Himself would say and do if He personally were ministering to the very people to whom He has sent me. My voice is His voice, and my acts are His acts; my doctrine is His doctrine.My Commission is to do what He wants done; To say what He wants said; to be a living modern witness in word and in deed of the divinity of his great and marvelous Latter-day work.How great is my calling." --Elder Bruce R. McConkie.

I am a Missionary and so grateful that I get to devote all my time, talents, and efforts to the Lord for this brief part of my life. I love you all so much and thank you for the continuous love and support you give me. You help keep me motivated and have the right attitude when everything seems to go wrong.

K so we got to go to the Temple today and had the most amazing experience! When we were walking out of the temple Elder Aplanalp and I saw a woman struggling to get some stuff out of her car for a picnic that her and her young daughter was going to have out on the Fields in front of the Temple. We asked if we could help her and after we did she mentioned that she was not a member of the Church and asked us about what a missionary was. We bore testimony about how we love the blessings of the Gospel so much that we want to share it with others. She was super amazing and wanted us to teach her how she could learn more. Turns out, every Thursday she and her daughter would walk or drive to the temple for a picnic because they loved the feeling they got here. They were always just too afraid of asking Members because they felt intimidated for some reason. We told her to stay put and Elder Aplanalp and I ran back to our room where we had a Book of Mormon with our testimonies in it. We asked the front desk for contact info of the missionaries in the area and wrote that in as well. We handed her the book and she seemed so eager to read it. She gave me her email and told me she would let me know what she thought about the book. SO LEGIT!!! It was crazy how natural teaching someone the Gospel was. So grateful for that opportunity to invite one of our sisters to come unto Christ. Hopefully everything works out for her.

Love you all! 

Con amor

Elder Craig Sanderson

Familia!

Familia!                                                                                                   6/14/2012

Another week here at the MTC has just flown by! Only 3 1/2 more weeks and I'll be out in the Field! The times here have been so great though and I have been so blessed. As a district the past week we have spoken nothing but Spanish and I've maybe said about 10 English words in the last week. My Spanish has improved so much and its amazing what the gift of tongues will do. So if my grammar is super bad because I am trying to speak in English I am sorry.

We have received a new district again this past week so guess who had to train the new D.L.s and give them an orientation tour once again. Me! haha there are some really weird missionaries but they have wonderful testimonies and are really excited to be here and help build God's Kingdom. We are now a full zone with about 60 missionaries. My district is by far the smallest because we have been plagued my missionaries going home. We might get some more kids though that are excelling in Spanish so that should be neat.

So as a the dude that goes around and trains the younger group I have to interview all the Hermanas' and make sure that all their needs have been taken care of. haha its sometimes weird because they are older and usually so much my superior in the ways of the Gospel so its weird sometimes trying to council them and give them advice about their stay here at the MTC. There is Hermana Thompson though and she is awesome! K so her dad went on a mission to Argentina, went back a few years later for a service mission, found her mother and were married. They then decided to live in Argentina and so that's why she has such an American name. Anyways she is fluent in Spanish and is going to Spain but her English is very limited. So even though she can move up to advanced Spanish, she wants to stay with us and help us with our Spanish if we help her with English. So during my language study, Hermano Davis and I try and teach her Spanish and then after she helps my with my pronunciation. Thus I know have a sick Argentinian accent. For instance llama in normal Spanish is pronounced (yama) but in Argentina they pronounce it (shama). So hopefully I develop this accent because it sounds awesome!

I had to teach Priesthood this last week about comparing ourselves to others. Here is a some of it that I really liked :

Elder Holland taught us to be quick to rejoice in the triumphs of others and to not be self-centered. At times, we judge ourselves or compare ourselves with others. Sometimes we are tempted to look at the accomplishments or progress of another and question why we have not accomplish that same feat or been called to that same position of service. In so doing, we fall prey to a tactic of the adversary. Elder Holland taught:

"Brothers and sisters, there are going to be times in our lives when someone else gets an unexpected blessing or receives some special recognition. May I plead with us not to be hurt—and certainly not to feel envious—when good fortune comes to another person? We are not diminished when someone else is added upon. We are not in a race against each other to see who is the wealthiest or the most talented or the most beautiful or even the most blessed. The race we are really in is the race against sin, and surely envy is one of the most universal of those."

- Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Laborers in the Vineyard", General Conference, Apr. 2012.

Remember that "the race is not to the swift, not the battle to the strong." (Eccl. 9:11). Endurance and perseverance are important traits of a disciple. We will be judged by what we do with what we have been given. Our race is the race against our own carnal and devilish self. Each day we must become better, more faithful and disciplined disciples of Christ.

Love you all so Much! Thank you for you letters and for letting me know how your life is. It helps me to forget myself and focus on others. Have a wonderful week!

con amor

-Elder Craig Sanderson

Familia y Amigos!

Familia y Amigos!     6/7/2012

Its almost been a month since I've been in here haha time flys by so fast. It's crazy to think that I'm almost half way done with my MTC experience. Other missionaries tell me that once you get to about 6 weeks the MTC gets super hard because you want to be in the Field so bad. But so far I love it and its been going great. We got a new district again this Wednesday and once again I have to teach them and show them around with the other District Leaders. There are some pretty odd Missionaries, its always interesting how much they change in the first week after they have been severely humbled by their first investigator.

Talking about investigators, we had some legit ones visit our class! They were from Chile and were in Utah to check out the Church's welfare program. Then I guess one of the Members of the 12 told them about Missionary work and then they wanted to meet some. So the Church drove them down to Provo and out of all the districts here we got to teach them. There were 4 families and I was able to teach with my teacher Hermano Davis. He was such a stud missionary and it was such a comfort knowing he was my companion. We taught this young family of 5 about the Plan of Salvation. They loved it! There was one sketchy part thought when they kept saying that they cannot believe in a God that allows them to suffer so much. Hermano Davis told me that I should never be afraid of being bold, so I opened my mouth and hoped the spirit would direct. I told the mother, "Guadalupe, I don't know why all these bad things happened to you and I know you don't deserve it, but neither did Jesus Christ! He was the greatest being to walk this earth and yet he suffered more than we can ever imagine. I know God gives us trials so that he can humble us and direct us back towards him." I said it rather loud and was afraid that I might offend but there was a long moment of silence before the mother broke out in tears. Teaching with boldness has now become my favorite thing. It shows people that you have conviction and truly are passionate about what teach. We switched contact information with the family so that we could keep in touch. Hope that when they get back to Chile they will accept to follow the example of Jesus Christ.

Really nothing has been going on here in the MTC. We've had a few missionaries leave for home though which is sad. In my district we started out with 12 and are now down to 8. It's sad to watch kids go home, for some this is their second time coming here and then leaving. Hopefully some felt the Spirit here and want to come back. Love all of you and all the support you give me. Maybe next week I'll have some legit stuff to tell you.

Con Amor 

-Elder Sanderson