Letter #61

Dear Family!!

How is everyone? I was so happy I got to talk with everyone and see everyone :D It just made my Christmas!! :) 

I can not believe how big is getting, and that dad grew a beard!~ haha. I want all the kids to stop growing for a little bit!  My Christmas was so great :) I definitely missed the family, and it is so weird thinking I'll be home next Christmas. I am realizing that this is my last Christmas on the mission :(

The best part of Christmas was being able to talk with the whole family on Google plus. I was so happy I got to see Preston too. Seriously; that was all I wanted for Christmas!!  It was the best seeing him again! :)... He looked so good, and so happy! It sounded like his Spanish is coming along really well. I loved hearing him speak Spanish. I'm such a proud older sister :) I'm mad at myself, I was going to ask to hear the first vision in Spanish... I guess I can do that later.

So here in Florida we had a great Christmas. We went to the coolest family for the holidays; The Andres! Brother Andres is our W.M.L. (ward mission leader)  It was so great! We played games and ate a ton of food. It felt so much like home. They have the sweetest little daughter that just reminded me of all the grand kids. We got to play with her while the Elders where skyping. :) She is so cute!!  We also had District Meeting where we got together with all the missionaries and had a lunch appointment. It was a really great day :)  

Sadly, the rest of the week was kinda slow. Opening up a new ward is testing my patience... it was just a slow week. Everyone has been pretty busy with the Holiday's and everything else going on. Everyone wants schedule to see us after the Holidays. That has made it kinda hard, but it's been a pretty good week. We've meet some really great people. I feel like we are getting to know more people and the work is slowing moving forward. :) 

So beside getting to talk with everyone the most exciting part of this week was eating at the Amish Restaurant... no joke! Our church building is in Sarasota and on our drive home or if were driving around, we always see Amish people riding around on bikes. They ride 3 wheeler's around... Sister Calder and I would freaking out! haha. Only because we didn't know what to do. Do we take a picture of them? Talk with them? What ?!? haha So we got this gift card from a member in our ward to the Amish Restaurant "Yoders". We were in the area one day and and instead of driving all the way home for lunch, we went to this place hoping it would be good. So we get to "Yoders" and there this long line. It was like a 30 minute wait; which was a great finding opportunity for us! :) So we didn't mind that to much and then we found out that this place has been on TV... it was on a Man vs. Food episode! It was so great! Everything was super fresh and homemade. We liked it so much! Sister Clader and I got a whole pie and had it for breakfast, lunch and dinner! We figured we needed to work that in before the New Year rolled around!

...So what is everyone's New Years Resolutions? I have never really been a "New Year Resolutions" kinda of person. Every year I do the same thing... It's always that I want to get healthy and lose weight. This year I'm trying to think of something more meaningful that I'll really stick with. :) I'll have to let you know if I think of anything by next week.  

Like I told you on Google Plus that we (the Missionaries) talked this last week in church. I didn't have time today, I'll have to try to send you my talk later. It went pretty well. We wanted to ward to get to know us better, so all the missionaries spoke about the Plan of Happiness. :) It was really cool, we all took a couple points to cover the whole thing. I was talking about the fall of Adam and Eve and our life on earth. I pretty much got the best topic! I don't know why, but it scares me talking on the mission. I want to do a good job and I just worry if I do bad we wont get any referrals! haha. I have been out over a year and I still hate speaking in pubic. Before my mission some people told me I'd get over it, but i still don't like it! I get nervous and I talk super fast. The members said I did such a great job, so that kinda helps. hahaha. I still don't like it. That is not a talent I got from dad! :( I am kinda running short on time and I wanted to send a couple of pictures. I love you guys so much!!! And I miss you so much too!! You are always in my thoughts and I pray for your safety daily! I love you so much and God be with you till we meet again!!

;) Sister Sharon Andersen 

P.S. Nicole: I got your letter the day after Christmas :) loved it!! Your card and pictures are on my front door!! :) Tiffany: You were right, that brush is the best! :) Melissa: Loved it kitty cat, Thank You! Crystal: I was so sick of my sprays! haha. And Mommy and Daddy: Thank You for all you do!!! Thanks for being my #1 fan, my biggest support, and my best friends! I love you guys so much!! I got all I needed and more!! :) 

Sister Calder & Sister Andersen Christmas Morning

Yoders the Amish Restaurant ~ 

Enjoying the food at Yoders...

Looking forward to enjoying that pie too!!

CHRISTMAS!!~~

WE were able to GOOGLE PLUS on Christmas with 

Elder AND Sister Andersen... 

enjoy the pictures we snapped!!~~

 Elder Andersen with his adorable smile!

 Sister Andersen with her sweet smile!

 Some of the people at G&G Andersen's... Hailey, Crystal, Grandma, Kylie and Melissa...

 Dad (Lovin' the beard) Kylie and Matt sleeping, Mom

The Richardson House...

The Ray House...

 Preston at the end of the call giving us a WINK...

 Sharon at the end of the Call giving us her WINK!!

AND then showing us her Christmas Gifts... she LOVED the Kitty Cat ring I got her!

It was SO fun to talk with them! LOVED IT!!

Merry Christmas!!

Letter # 60

Dear Family,

 

Sorry my e-mail is way short this week. I am just really excited to see you guys and can't wait to talk with you online. I will tell you all about what has going on then. I can't wait to see you all on Christmas :) :) I miss and love you guys so much!!! Let me know when you hear from Elder Andersen (Preston) so we can get things figured out! I would really like to see and talk with him even if it's just for a little bit. I will be at my WML (ward mission leader) house at 4-ish my time. So that would be 1 your time, i think. :) I am thinking I can get on anytime after that. (he also said if we need to we could move it earlier to see Preston too, that would be fine also? So just let me know :)  Also, President said we can e-mail tomorrow too to confirm Christmas plans. I'll get on sometime tomorrow morning... 

I'm so excited for skyping with everyone, but I am also nervous! I am just worried I am going to be crying the whole time. I miss you guys so much! I feel so excited that I can be with Sister Calder for Christmas!! We have got some plans to make, and it really sounds like fun. I think it will help not get so home sick this holiday. 

All of the picture I sent were on the beach. They were from our Christmas Conference this year :) It was so much fun!!!! 

WELL I LOVE YOU GUYS!!! Thank you for all you do!! God be with you till we meet again! :) Can't wait to see you soon! 

Sister Sharon Andersen 

 getting her nails on...

 doing her missionary study in a hammock...

 Sister Calder and Sister Andersen TOES

 ADORABLE sisters in Florida!

 all the adorable sisters in Florida.

 haha

 Sister Andersen and Sister Calder

 Sister Andersen and Sister Calder THIS Christmas 2013 and Summer 2013

                                                                                The Sisters and the Elders

Letter #59

Dear Family,

I love my new area! AND I LOVE my new/old companion! If you haven't heard already; I am with Sister Calder again! :) We are in the University Park Ward. It is a brand new Ward; like 4 weeks old! They have never had sisters, so they we're super excited to finally have sisters. (they had not had sisters in their previous wards either!) They pretty much LOVE us already!! We just need to keep it up, and work hard!! The University Park Ward seems great. They are super on top of things, even more so than Wards that have been organized for years. hahahaha! 

Our W.M.L. (Ward Mission Leader) is awesome! He is also super excited about the work! He has got some amazing goals for the ward! He wants 100 baptisms by this time next year, and he wants each missionary getting 100 referrals each month! :) It is great to have someone so excited about the work. He is also the Gospel Principals Teacher and is really good at explaining things! hahaha. 

Our Ward is the coolest; we have someone that is in the circus! They runs their own show! hahaha. It is a family show that's been going on forever! I guess it is currently the "off season" but they said we could come see them practice. We also heard about the coolest R.C. Biker chick, and our 2nd Counselor in the Bishopric is  an Olympian. AND our Elders Quorum President is a actor or something. It has just been slow getting everything started.  The stake took chucks of like 3 different Ward's to make this ward. We are coming into this not knowing much, so we have really just been trying to get things organized this week. It has been good, we have been meeting with a lot of the new Leader's and trying to help this ward in whatever way we can. Hopefully I'll have more to report next week. 

Yes, Mommy I got your package! I was able to pick it up on transfers day at the office! It was perfect timing! And Bird I got yours as well!! I'll be sending off my packages today. You should be getting it shortly. I'm not sure when I'll be skyping? We are going over to the Bishop's or our W.M.L.'s house. I'll be emailing you or calling you about it. Look out for that!!! I wanted to talk with Preston (Elder Andersen) for a little bit so when you get any new news from him about when he can Skype let me know. I Love You guys!! I miss you a ton!!!! 

LOVE, Sister Sharon Andersen

 Reunited and it FEELS SO GOOD!! Sister Calder & Sister Andersen

 Found these pictures... Sister Kitchen & Sister Andersen

ADDRESS UPDATE!!

She sent her new address from Transfers... Here it is...

Sister Sharon Andersen
11120 Lost Creek Terrace Apt #210
Bradenton, FL 34211

Letter #58

Dear Family! 

Guess what...??? Last week I forgot to tell you that transfers are coming up. So guess what?... I'm getting transferred to drum roll ......................................................................................................... I don't know yet! HAHA! I also don't know who I will be serving with. It is a new tradition that President Cusick started once he came into the mission.

So we have a huge transfer meeting on Tuesday morning. I'll get assigned my new area and companion then. It kinda feels like game show; everyone that is getting transferred is there (So there are a lot of missionaries.) and you go up to the front and they are all like "come on down" (done it the voice of "the price is right") Not really, but that is kinda what it feels like! hahahaha! 

I am really sad to be leaving Brooksville. :(  It always feels like once you finally get comfortable and start getting the hang of things in an area (or at least for me)... that is when I get transferred. I'm kinda worried not knowing anything beforehand. I do understand the meaning behind it. I think President Cuscik does it this way so we don't get any "pre-ideas" of where we are going to be. Before he came to the mission you would know where you where going and who you where going to be with; and then you could call around and try to get the scoop. hahaha. 

I'm really sad leaving Brooksville. I was thinking I'd "die here" and it would be my last stop. I guess I'll have at least one other area to add to my list. I have no idea where I'll go, but my guess is somewhere in the middle of the mission. I have already gone as south as you could go (literally Marco Island to the very top of the mission) That is where our Relief Society President is living, just outside our mission... CRAZY~ to say the least! hahaha

So, like I was saying we have started to get the hang of things here. We have meet with a ton of people 

this week, and did a ton of service.  It has been a pretty good week. We are helping at the Nursing Home during the day when less people are home.  We get to help with Art's and Craft's. AND every week they have an Ice Cream Social! haha It is pretty cute, they put on 60's music and we make them banana spits and root beer floats. Scooping ice cream for old people... I guess that is what you get in Florida!! :) We were helping with one of our returning members (Sister Breamer) paint outside. I am  going to be a pro painter by the time I get home! hahaha. 

Well I'm going to try to send some pictures. So until next week :) Love you guys!!!! 

God be with you until we meet again! :)  LOVE YOU!!! MISS AND PRAY FOR YOU ALWAYS!! 

Love, Sister Sharon Andersen

 Saying "Goodbye to the Elders on Sunday!"

 Saying "Goodbye to Brother P" last week.

Shopping with the Elders on P day.

 Thanksgiving with the Kanes Family.

Saving Goodbye to the Evans Family.

Letter #57

Dear family

 

I don't know how to describe this week..out of the norm? Well our Thanksgiving was pretty good. We had dinner at the Kane's and ended up spending a majority of the day there. hahaha... We spent like 4 hours there. I just love them! We just talked with them and played with their new born! haha. He is pretty much the cutest thing! ;) After visiting with them we went to the Brannan's house. They are the sweetest part member family ever. It kinda felt like home, they have like 5 girls and 1 boy. Weird right? We were playing games and eating a TON  of pie with them. haha 

Oh my, and one of their daughters does modeling and has even been in a movie. :) Crazy right? It's called the Tooth Fairy 2 with Larry the Cable Man. They showed us clips of the movie. I'll have to show you once I get home. I am thinking of getting her autograph. hahaha Their oldest daughter is writing a missionary right now, and she was telling us all about it. haha It was fun she was asking for our advice and things, it kinda took me back to my high school days. :) 

Sister Kitchen and I only made one dinner appointment and one dessert appointment. Some other missionaries go a little crazy... the Elders like to go to multiple people houses to eat. We weren't completely stuffed by the end of Thanksgiving like others!

It was just a weird holiday because it didn't feel like Thanksgiving, really at all.  It just felt like a free day. So President came out and said "No Turkey Bowl!" He has started to get pretty hard core! ;/ The Elders were super upset. So............. we played basketball instead. hahaha and "scum" (sp?) It is a card game that I am super bad at. hahah Oh, and we also got to make a pie. We made Nutella Pie, and it came out pretty good. Hanging out with the Elders helped a little bit, but it is hard not being home :( But I loved all the pictures!!! looks like you guys had a great trip! :) 

Last week on p-day  we went shopping! I got some Christmas shopping out of the way. Yay!!! We somehow... I don't know how talked the Elders into coming with us and also driving us! haha to the closest mall. It was like 45 minutes- 1 hour away! It was really fun but also weird... I felt real normal; not like a missionary which doesn't happen to often. We usually totally stand out! 

Our mission has gotten chosen to do Online Proselyting! Yay! This means we are going to be on facebook teaching people :) I still don't know any of the rules,  We are having a conference call on Thursday about it. I guess we might get to be friends with you all but not be able to talk with you somehow? Or maybe you'll be able to follow me? Not really sure yet? Either way I am excited! We will be able to reach so many more places this way~ to all the ends of the world :) I love being on a mission at this time, you can see the Lord hasten his work... with all the changes. It's the best :) I love you guys!!!!! I miss and pray about you always! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!! XOXOXOOXOXOOXOXOOXOXOOOXOXOOXOOX 

Love, Sister Sharon Andersen :)))))