Letter #13

Dear Family, 

It's official! I am getting a new trainy :/ I'll be training this
transfer! Tomorrow we are going to pick up the new sisters! We have to
leave at 5:45 a.m. to get to Tampa in time.(not excited about that part,
cause I will be losing 1 & 1/2 hour of sleep) However, I'm excited to get a new companion!! :) So I will be staying at the same place and my current companion Sister Williamson is going down south with her new trainy. We are still working out the apartment situation; which is kinda stressing me out. Right now we are going to be doing a "sleep over" with WITH ALL 4 OF US. Which honestly, I am not excited about. First of all; there 4 of us and only 2 bathrooms :( So now we have to share; and I have a hard
enough time getting ready as is. I usually finish just on time, only
about half the time do I have time to pour myself a bowl of cereal.
Second of all; there is only 2 beds. I don't know how that is going to
work out. Sister Williamson volunteered herself and her new companion
to sleep on the floor... and I honestly feel for those new sisters
coming out. I don't want the new sisters coming into a situation like
this, because I know what there feeling. Just 12 weeks ago I was them. 

I was very nervous and didn't know what to expect. It's a total new world;
"MISSIONARY LIFE". It is LONG long tyring days, with non stop working, and
no sleep! :) And honestly, I was really looking forward to moving away
from Sister Williamson. That sounds bad, I guess you could say. I'm
really ready for a new companion. This last week I've just been reminding
myself... "It's only one more week... It's only one more week..." and then this happens. I am going to have to live with her longer :/
I'm trying to look at the bright side and enjoy the work, but it is
not always easy. Your companion makes a big difference. Was it like
that way for you daddy? Was it easier with some companion's? Was there
ones you got alone with better?? It made me kinda sad at the
specialized training conference you see all the other sisters with their
companions and they are having good time, and getting along! I don't feel
that with Sister Williamson. I don't feel connected with her or that she
understands me at all. I'm just hoping and praying that my next
companion and i get along well, and work well together. It is hard because I usually get along with everyone!!?? I don't understand why it's been such a
struggle. I think I am a pretty easy person to get along with... Aren't I?
IDK? (=I don't know) I know the Lord has a plan. I am just going to put my trust in him, and know that he not going to give me more than I can take.

Honestly, it has gotten a lot better, and we've gotten to know each
other more. There been a couple of days that have been good but for
the most part I've just been counting down the days till transfers.
Well that enough on that. I'm excited for all the changes happening :)
All the new sisters coming out. The work is moving forward. The Lord is
really preparing people. As President Summerhay says all the time "He
hasten his work" with sisters. I can feel a change coming with all the
new missionaries coming out and with the age change. It will definitely be an exciting time to be a missionary :)

So Preston's paper were put on hold??? He has to lose weight??
What???!!! Did you send them in and they got sent back? Or President
Treadway couldn't send them in at all? So how much weight does he have
to lose? Keep me updated about when you finally get them in OK? :) I'm
so excited for you Ton! He is going to be a great missionary, I can feel
it! I am already thinking and guessing about where he is going... I keep
having a feeling he is going Spanish speaking. I don't know why...? 
Honestly... I would love for him to come to Tampa Florida!! :D Keep me
updated on him, and I want to see a picture of his girlfriend :) Crystal
I'll be trying to write you this week. Please keep me updated on your
job, you and Kevin, how school is going, all the gossip in the Single's
Ward;) and whatever else is going on. Mommy please send me a picture of
my room. I am a little worried it is already boxed up :(
Well... I am running out of time; so I have got to go! 

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!

Sister Sharon Andersen


Did you get your GPS?- yeah i got my package tuesday after we checked
our emails :) Thank You Mommy!! Is it helping? Yes, it is helping and
will be very helpful because starting Wednesday I'll have to know where
i'm going :/

Letter # 12

DEAR FAMILY!

Thanks for all the emails!!! I got to see Baby Bird! :) I got two emails, and a picture from Crystal, and letter from Mom and Dad :D It sure sounds
like everything is going good, and exciting things are happening. I love to hear that! :) Can you please record Preston opening his Mission Call!!?? ( I wish I could be there :(  AND take pictures of his girlfriend, I would like to see her please!? :) 
(picture is Sister Andersen, Sister Williamson, Mary and I think A Couple serving in Florida; Sharon did not give us that info)

So how was your week?  My week was so great!!! YES Mary got baptized and confirmed!!! It was so perfect. I took a ton of pictures but I don't know if I have enough time to download them today. So I might just end
up sending you one today in my e-mail, and  then send my flash drive
or memory card next week.( I don't remember if i told you or not, but Steven 
sent me another memory card for Christmas. So we can send those back and
forth since they are flat, but I don't know if you can put them on the computer 
or not??) So, I guess you can let me know in the next letter.

We had a specialized Training Conference yesterday for all the current Sisters
to prepare for all the new Sisters coming into the mission. It was so nice. We were 
able to go over a lot of stuff that we needed to know. They also had a training 
on Preach My Gospel; My Purpose part ( it is the last page of the Preach My
Gospel Handbook) It goes over points of what we need to be doing, and focusing 
on day by day which really helped me. There is going to be another training right 
before the Sisters come. I am still super worried and nervous about it, but I'm
trying not to think about it too much because that is when I start freaking out. 
Now that I am thinking about it; this time next week I will have a new companion!!! 
I am excitied, and a little sad. I really came to learn to LOVE Sister Williamson. 
Even though she wouldn't be someone I would pick as my trainer, and we do not have
a ton in common; we really learned to work well with each other. It is going to be 
strange being with someone new, but exciting as well! I just keep telling myself that 
the Lord  is not going to give me more than I can take! Any struggles I have will only
make me stronger in the long run.

We haven't gotten official transfer calls for yet. Last Monday when we had
interviews with the Mission President, he told us pretty much what was happening.
We are pretty sure that our ward is going to get chopped into 3 sections. I am going 
to say where were are at right now, and Sister Williamson (and her new companion) are
going to move more South and cover that area. So I will be staying in Naples!! At least 
for another 6-12 weeks.

Sorry about my last email; I was so excited and focused on Mary that I forgot to tell
you about me not being able to email on Monday of this week. (It was Martin Luther King
Holiday, so the Library was closed) Sorry. I still feel like I am all over the place with my 
emails :( Hopefully I am making a little bit of sense when I write, I worry that sometimes. 
My head is all over the place and I know that I  jump from thing to thing. There is so much 
I want to tell you guys and just don't know where to start.

P.S. ~ Mom I still have not gotten that package.
and P.S.S. ~ You are painting my room?? Dad please help! Please don't get rid of all my stuff, 
or change my room to much! I don't want to come home to a completely new house??! 
Oh and please send before and after pictures....

Sister Sharon Andersen

Sister Andersen and Mary; her first baptism on the mission.

Sister Andersen with her Christmas Packages.

Letter #11

YES We have been able to teach a lot of people! :)  It has been a very
exciting week!!!! We were able to help one of our investigators, her name is
Mary. (I don't remember what I've told you about her; so I'll just start
from the beginning...) She SET A DATE!!! she is getting baptized on SATURDAY!!
This Saturday, January 19th, 2013 she will be baptized. I am beyond excited for 
her. She has been meeting with the missionaries for almost a year now, and has
gone through a couple sets of missionaries. Back in March (I think?) she had
set a date to be baptized. She was ready; she had her outfit picked out, 
her program put together, she sent out her invites, and was so excited. When her 
family got her invitation, they “freaked out on her”. They didn't know she was
meeting with the missionaries. Her family has a  strong Cathoic background and 
have been members forever. So she got so scared that her family was going to
dis-own her so she canceled her date. :( So fastforward to now... Sister Williamson 
and I have really been focusing and working with her about building up her faith 
and trust in Lord. We would always remind her that through HIM anything can be
done. The Lord can soften her sister and family’s hearts!! Well, we have been
meeting with her since I came to the area. (off and on) trying to build the strength
she needs to set a date to be baptized.  So this week we were able to finalize a date!!
Of course with a huge help from the ward, and Bishop. We have been asking the
member's to have her in their homes for F.H.E; and she has loved that.
She was able to come to know the members better, and feel like a part of the ward 
family. It really helped being in the member's homes' where she could feel the spirit 
so strong. And see the family love. She always talks about how she loves seeing the 
families in the church; how close knit they are. And how they practice what they 
preach, and how they raise their children to know God. That part really helped 
her progress. She wants that spirit in her home.
There was also some legal info we needed help with, so our bishop
helped us with that. ( Did I ever mention our Bishop is a Lawyer? He has his own
practice here. There are tons of Lawyers and Doctors in our Ward. Also tons of
students! ) Anyways... because Mary is in her 70's, and her sister has taken over 
her finances. ( Because she has a "slow learning disability" or at least that is what she 
calls it ;) ) It makes things hard for her do on her own. I guess she gets overwhelmed 
very easy. So her sister has more control over her than we knew. However; it all worked
out! :) Her sister is not able to stop her from getting baptized.  It is very interesting 
now that Mary has set a date. We can see Satan working even harder on her. 
She is having some rough days, he is sure sending her problems and trying to overwhelm 
her.. she so close to the truth and that is making Satan REALLY upset. Which is such 
a strength ( in a weird way) to me. I don't think Satan would be working this hard on 
her if she wasn't making the right choices. He is going to do everything in his power to 
prevent her from making this covenant with God. It sure is a testimony builder to me, how 
important my call is; bringing souls' to Christ! :D
And for all that Satan is doing; our Heavenly Father is working just as hard to
help her. So that the most exciting news of the week! Oh, and I have some more updates
on transfers. Yesterday we had interviews with the mission President ( this is standard to 
do this every other tansfer) That is why our P-Day is today instead of yesterday. It is
totally going to throw me totally off... L.O.L. Anyways... So I'm definitely training this 
next transfer!! :/// Crazy!!! In my interview I said something about me, possibly training 
and President stopped me and said I'll be training this transfer AND for a long while after
L.O.L. So he gave me a breakdown on all the new sister's coming out. There are 7 sisters
this transfer, 9 on the next, then 8 on the next and that is just the English Sister too!! ;) 
So in total there will be 18 sisters coming out in January, and 21 coming out in Feb. and March.
It is so exciting!! 
Have we got any sisters in our ward or stakes?? So most likely (nothing for sure, but hopefully) 
I'll be staying in Naples. They will send 2 more Sisters to our ward; one for me to train,
and one for Sister Williamson to train. They will be moving our ward boundres around,
and then divide it into 3 pieces. I'll know for sure on the 26th, and transfers will be on the 29th. 
I will give you more information as it comes. :)

No worries mom, if you can't find the cord.  Just PLEASE send my G.P.S.
I'll be driving in 2 weeks and I don't know where anything is! So get that out a.s.a.p. please!!!


Preston sure is on top of everything! :) That is great! I wish I would have been
better prepared, and got my papers out sooner...any advice?? Get all your shots at the doctors
so you don't have to get at the M.T.C!! Dang it, my time running out! I have got to get off. 
I'll try to write a hand written letter this week and give Preston some more advice. 

Crystal, I will keep you in my prayers! Always! I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!! 
KEEP IT ALL COMING! I am so thankful for such a supportive family! I LOVE YOU 
WITH ALL MY HEART. I'll send pictures next week after Mary gets baptized. Sorry :D
~Sister Sharon Andersen

Landon Birthday Card ~

Sister Andersen sent Landon a birthday card for his BIG #4 Birthday today!!

He LOVED it!

 On the outside of the back of card she wrote:

"Happy Birthday, Happy Happy Birthday, Happy Birthday, Happy Happy Day!" 

It is kind of an inside joke for the family that was in Fresno Last New Years. We went out to dinner for Landon's Birthday (on New Years Eve) at Mitsui Buffet. (a local Chinese Buffet) and when they came to sing 'Happy Birthday' to him we were singing along! Until we realized they sing a TOTALLY DIFFERENT SONG!! It was funny!!

 She got a few cards from people in her mission area, and she has been sending us the

 BIRD cards that she got... this little bird is CUTE!

 She started it off with "Happy BIRD Day!!" Landon liked that!

 But he liked THESE even more! Not sure if you can read the card, but she said these shells and shark teeth are actually from the beaches in Florida! The bigger shell is called a Turkey Leg. 

He thought that was funny! He REALLY loved the shark teeth! The kids bathroom is "Ocean Themed" so he put his special treasures in with the other shells and every morning he tells me about the 

REAL SHARK TEETH auntie Shar-Shar sent him!

  Thank you Sister Andersen for thinking of our little man while you are serving!!

Your card and present made his birthday complete!!

Letter #10

QUESTIONS from my Parents highlighted with Sister Andersen's Answers...

Do you want us to send you your Garmin? -yes please!!!! Since Preston
is back I am guessing you guys are not using it. If you could also send
the car charger, the dock, and one of my old phone chargers; (to charges it
too but only if you can find it) that would be awesome! Please and Thank You!!!
Also; you are sending another package already :) really!!! What for ?? 
My birthday isn't for another month...

Have you heard any more about the transfers and you training the new missionaries?
-No, I have not heard anything yet. And I won't know about
any transfers before the transfers occur) I don't think I will know for at least
another 2 weeks. I know I have at least 3 more weeks here in Naples.
So... in about two weeks if anybody needs to send me anything, send it to 
the mission home because I might be leaving Naples. idk? (=I don't know)
At the beginning of our first transfer I thought I was going to take over Naples
after my 12 week training was over, but I keep getting the impression and 
prompting that i'm going to go to a whole new area; which is very scary!!! 
I think I'll be training and in a totally new area :/ Which is why I would like
to have my need my GPS because I've learned that I am  very bad with 
directions. I also know that I can't really read a map LOL. However; I might
be wrong because it is not up to me. It's up to my Mission President and 
more importantly the Lord:) LOL. And I know he is not going to give me 
more than I can take or bare. I am preparing for either situation. I am just
asking tons and tons of question about how to train!?! How different areas are? 
How to open new areas? I am just trying to learn it all! Which is exhausting!
I am tired all the time! But I am growing and learning so much every day.
I feel like I am in a constant state of TIRED...LOL. When I can I like to take
naps at lunch! :)

So how are things going for you? - This week has been great!!! VERY
VERY long but great. We got 4 new investigators!!! Which is so excited
and an answer to our prayers :)  We were teaching a HQ (headquarter)
referral. That is someone who requested a visit from the missionaries, 
wanted a Bible, a Book of Mormon, or just wants to know a little
more about what we believe. They are referrals from online. So I always
make sure to tell everyone about mormon.org! We are teaching a sweet 
old couple who were rasied Catholic. The husband requested a Bible during
Christmas time. We were close by where they live, and so we decided to 
see how he was doing. We had a pretty good meeting with him; the first time 
we meet him he was very open and even took a Book of Mormon :) So this
week we went back to see him again to see what he though about it and we ended  
up teaching him the first lesson! He was really open and wanted to learn more; 
but sadly his wife is not as open as he is. She said she is not interested in changing
religions. So we are still trying to teach him without offending her. That have been
kinda our stuggle the last couple of days. How do we reach out to him without 
stepping on her toes? We know the door is still open, but we dont want to push 
to hard you know? So that is the Danglos Family. :)
We are also teaching a Mother and soon to be Daughter in Law? It's kind of 
a weird situaion. She is 25 years old and is living with her boyfriend's
Mother LOL. Her boyfriend is going through some kind of rehab or something
right now. This should make it interesting when he gets out. We are trying to stay 
positive. The boyfriend and girlfriend have a 3 year old daughter. She said she 
wants to be baptized with her whole family!!! So they are great!! The grandmother 
is in her 60's and feels the spirit very strongly. I can tell because she is almost in 
tears after each lesson; but she doesn't believe in Christ as the redeemer of the 
world. It is kinda different? I have never really heard that one before?? We continue
to be positive and try to be guided by the spirit in how we handle that concern.
Oh, and we have another gentleman we starting to teach again. I don't know if I 
told you about him yet... His name is brother Talbit. He is in his 80's; and the best
way to decribe him is... ugh.... Ok... You know thoose Disney /Pixar little short movies?
You know the one where the old man is playing chess with himself? You know, he 
keeps turning the chess board around and taking his glasses on and off to play?? LOL...
(I think it is on after the toy story movie if you have not see it) Anyways... he looks 
exactly like him! lol :) He is so sweet! His problem is (why does everyone have problems? 
Why can't we just have someone who is just ready?? I guess that would be just too 
easy... HUH?) that he enjoys drinking coffee. He has been drinking for YEARS 
and he doesn't think he can stop. We were really trying to strenghen his faith and trust
in the Lord. We are telling him that only through him can all things be possible:) 
So he has a daughter who is a member already. She is going to be in town this February, 
He would like to be ready and get baptized when she is in town. We set the date
for the 9th but we still have a long way to go before he is completely ready. As you can tell
the work is moving along!!!  We are teaching more people and the work is really 
progressing :D

So things have been getting a lot better.  I am starting to get more used
to everything. I feel more comfortable; but that doesn't mean it is all easy.
It is hard work being a missionary! I'm starting to love the work more and more.
Please keep the letters and everything. 
Crystal ~ I am still waiting for my handwritten letter! 
Melissa~ I am still waiting for my brakedown on the last twilight  movie :) 
Oh, and please let Carly know I sent off her letter today! And tell her sorry
for me for being so slow! :o 
I also sent off birthday card for Landon and John-John! I know it is SUPER late but
it's been a long week! I have been way to tired by the time I got home, SO Sorry.
Preston ~ I'm still waiting for a letter from you! I want to hear about your girlfriend, 
and all the other things you are up too. :) 

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!! My time is running out and I don't want to get
kicked off again :) Oh, and by the way... next week I might be emailing you 
on Tuesday. I have interview with President on Monday, but I'm not for sure about that.
I just wanted to give you guys a heads up on that so you are not freaking out or
anything. And the reason we were writing super later this week is because we didn't
have the car and we could not get a ride until later) So just wanted to let you know 
just in case, but you can write before Monday just in case. LOVE YOU
GUYS!!!!!I miss and pray for you always!

Sister Sharon Andersen