Hello Dad,
Things are still going good in Clarksburg. We had a rough week finding people to teach and almost all of our appointments fell through. BUMMER!!! But we will work harder this week and hopefully the Lord will bless us.
Nothing has really changed for me. We have still been doing a lot of tracting and spending time trying to find people to teach. We are starting what is called OYM's ( Open Your Mouth) all it is is everywhere you go you open your mouth and share the gospel with those around you. It has been a challenge but it really helps you love the work.
We had a lesson last night with an excommunicated member of the church who would like to be rebaptized. He is going through a lot of problems trying to get back on the right path. All I can say is addictions are intense. Satan really knows how to use them against us. That is why we are counseled to stay away from anything that causes addictive behavior. One thing that we are trying with him is we are reading the Confrence Ensign with him and his family. It is amazing the power that comes from the words of the prophet. So much strength and hope.
We started asking around and we found three AC Units. The only problem now is the breaker keeps flipping. So we can only have a few lights on while they are running. We are so ghetto. LOL At least we don't sweat when we sleep.
Well, I wish I had some fun stories to tell you but nothing is really happening at this point. I love you all so much.

Love Elder Anderson

Hello Dad,
Sounds like you all had a great 4th of July. Things were a bit different here. They still celebrated Independence Day on Sunday, so we missed all of the good times, and it didn't help that it was a fast Sunday. Oh well.
Things have been going good for us in Clarksburg. We are teaching a few more people. This week we taught a man in Grafton, his name is Donald Edison. We took a member with us, her name is Sister Poe, she is from the Philippines (? spelling). It was a great lesson! He said that he was interested in coming to know if it is true. I have been praying really hard for him. I know that if he reads and prays with a sincere heart and real intent, then the Lord will answer his prayer. We left him a Book of Mormon and asked him to read the first two chapters.
Also this week I had the opportunity to go on exchanges with Elder Moreang. He is doing really great for only being out for two weeks. I think that he misses home. He is staying focused on the work and loves it. We tracted into a young girl named Tiffany and now they are teaching her!
The Ward Members are so great here. They are all really excited about the work and are always willing to help. We went and ate and the Gladwells on the 4th of July, and they noticed that the shoes that Elder Moreang was wearing were falling apart. She called us this morning and we secretly took him to JCPenny and she bought him new shoes, some short sleeve shirts, and some new ties. The people out here so love. She offered to get us something but Elder Houser, Elder Hegland, and myself are getting ready to come home. There is no reason to get new things. Plus, I just got new pants.
We have had some fun adventures this week. There are some members that have a huge rope swing the swings out over the road. We got to go and swing on that. It was so high. I thought that the rope was going to break with all of my weight. It was really fun though. Then later we were working next to a lake so we went over and got pictures of the dam. West Virginia is so beautiful!! I love it here.
We have still been doing a lot of tracting lately. Something very interesting has happened the last two weeks. I think that the Lord is pushing us into talking to people about Family History. It all started with Sister Haws giving us some Family History Pamphlets, then the next day I was reading in "Preach My Gospel" and noticed that in the "Finding" Section that the biggest portion is how to use Family History in finding people to teach. I got a really strong impression that that is what we needed to try. So, we followed the promptings and there are a lot of people that are interested in it. So now we are looking at how we can introduce people to Family History on the door step, and at the same time share the gospel with them. We have come up with the idea to teach them about the spirit world and the importance of Family History to bring the gospel to those who will be taught there. Then this morning I was reading in the June Ensign and there is an article about Family History in there, and as I read it I got the same strong feelings. This is definetly something that the Lord wants us to do. I have been carrying around my Pedigree Chart and the pictures of Vera Strong and of Mom's Mom. People really open up when you share them stories about these people. It has been really exciting!!
The work is going so good!! I love it so much and continue to love it more each day. The Gospel is true!!!
I love you very much. Thanks for everything.
Love
Elder Anderson

Hello Dad,
Things are going great here in Clarksburg. We found two new investigators in the little town of Grafton. We have still been doing a lot of tracting but every once in awhile someone will let us in.
Yesterday was Zone Confrence. My first one as Zone Leader. I was really nervous at first but it went really well. One thing about leadership is it helps you find your weadnesses really fast. I feel so inadequate sometimes. There are so many great Elders in this mission that could do a much better job then me. For some reason the Lord thinks that I will do a good job. I have never prayed so much in my life!!
My studies in the morning are probably my favorite part of the day. I love the scriptures so much!! Everytime I study with a question, that question is always answered through the scriptures. I have really come to form a testimony in prayer and Heavenly Father hearing our prayers. Everyday he answers my prayers and helps me become a better person.
This work is so much fun. I have never come to love something so much. It is pretty amazing how quickly you can learn to love somebody because you are sharing the gospel with them. The Lord really does bless you with Charity if you pray for it. I am really going to miss the people of WV. They are all really friendly and so laid back. I can't wait to come back and show you all my mission. I think you are going to think it is great as well. I am so glad that I was called to the Charleston West Virginia Mission. The Lord really does know where we are supposed to go.
Well I hope that everything is going well at home. I love you so much!!
Love Elder Anderson

Hello Dad,
Clarksburg is great. My new companions name is Elder Houser. I have served around him on my mission so I feel like I already know him. It has been a great experience so far to serve with him. We are living in a big house looking over the city of Clarksburg. It is really strange being in a house. It feels like we really are coming home in the evenings.
We have had some great experiences this past week. Just yesterday we were tracting a little town the missionaries haven't tracted in awhile. We talked with a women that we supposedly talked with at somebody elses house. She was very nice but said she wasn't interested. We started walking away and there was a man working in a garage just down the road. It was her husband. We talked (bashed) with him for a few minutes and the the spirit softened his heart. It is amazing because we talked with him for over and hour and his attitude didn't change until we shared a scripture with him from the Bible. We asked him about what he thinks happens to people that die without knowing the gospel. He said that he didn't know. We read him a scripture from 1 Peter that talkes about Christ teaching the gospel to the dead. He thought that that was really cool. It answered a question that he had had for years. The gospel is true!!!!
We have been doing a lot of tracting this past week. People are really friendly but don't want to talk religion. We did get a new investigator but it wasn't from tracting. It was actually and investigator referral. We taught a man named Lee and he brought a friend named Ginger. We taught them the Plan of Salvation. The lesson was so amazing bacause we had a member there. He was able to teach them the gospel in a way that they both understood. The spirit was so strong!!
Everything has been going really great for us. We are working hard and having fun doing it. I love this gospel so much. I love that if we have questions we can ask and receive. I love the spirit and the direction it gives us as we live worthy of that amazing gift. God really does know us and care about us. My new address is 790 Locust Ave Clarksburg WV 26301
I love you very much!!!

Hey Dad,

Well, I found out where I will be going and what I will be doing. I have some big responsibility ahead of me. I was hoping that I could have gone through my mission without being in leadership positions, but I guess the Lord has different plans. I will be going to Clarksburg West Virginia. I actually will be working in the city of Bridgeport but living in Clarksburg. I will write to you and give you the address as soon as I get there. I am going to be a Zone Leader up there. I am really excited and really nervous.
I guess I should tell you what a Zone Leader is. Right now I am a District Leader which means that I am a leader over four other missionaries. As district leader you teach a district meeting once a week. As Zone Leader I am going to be a leader over about twenty missionaries. I will be teaching a Zone Conference once a transfer. Zone Conference is when President Thornock and the Assistants come a watch. I am really nervous about that. I hope that I can do everything that the lord needs me to do.
It has been a great transfer here in Blacksburg with Elder Hofheins, but I am ready to go. I am really tired of living out of a suitcase and sleeping on the floor in Dublin. It is going to be great to have one area that I am over and I know that I will be there at least two transfers. I will be able to see people progress towards baptism and come closer the Christ.
I love missionary work. It is really exhausting sometimes, but really rewarding all the time. I am so grateful for this chance that I have had to serve the Lord. And I can't wait to continue to serve him for the next five transfers.
I love you very much!!!
Love
Elder Anderson

Hello Dad,
It has been another crazy week. As I told you last week, we were told that we needed to pack everything up and move it Dublin. Well, guess what, things have changed again. We had President Interviews last Wednesday and everything that we were told was changed. We are back to our normal routine now. Blacksburg on weekends and Radford during the week. The only difference is all of our stuff is now in Dublin and we live out of suit cases when we come to Blacksburg. Talk about throwing a stone in the pond!!
This week was really hard for missionary work. We have still been spending a lot of time tracting and doing follow ups, but nothing is coming from it. In Radford people are very content with their lives and in Blacksburg, everybody says they are to busy to sit down and talk. I guess we will continue to press forward and hope for the best.
I wish I had some cool stories to tell you but I really don't. Oh, I take that back. We met the best banjo/mandaline player in the United States. We went to some members house for dinner and they have a family band called "Tossin' Possum". And this guy was over there helping them make a record. Hopefully I will be able to get one of their CD's so you all can listen. Good old bluegrass music.
We have been meeting some very interesting characters while we have been tracting. Yesterday we were tracting to finish out the day, around 8:30, and we had some people tell us that we were breaking the Sabbath and then one of them said "I guess that means we have to stone you now". Wow, some people are really special. I don't think that they think before they say something.
Well the bugs are starting to come out. We have been killing spider, earwigs and mosquitos like crazy. We even had some bug spray in the closet so we sprayed it around the house to try and keep the bugs out. You all know how much I love the little critters.
We have been having some really intense rain storms the past couple of weeks. One minute the sun will be out and then the next there is a huge black cloud rolling in with lightning and thunder. I have never seen it rain this hard in Utah. It floods the main roads and fills all the ditches. You can barely see when you are driving. It seems like we have a storm like that at least twice a week. Thank goodness you sent me out a rain coat!!
Well hopefully things will start to go back to normal. I love you very much. Have a great week!!!