Hey Ya'll

So I’m kinda freaking out right now.

Rimac is my favorite place on earth.

If I could die here I would.

I’ve found my own little family here.

This transfer has been unlike any other.

I’ve been able to reflect on a lot of things.

I’ve learned a ton

and grown even more.

I hope to one day be able to explain it all

but every time I try to put words to it all, it just doesn’t do it justice.

Basically I have been in Peru for almost a year.

I can’t believe it.

I kinda had a mental breakdown about it all yesterday.

One year.

One whole year.

Only half a year to go...

Not going to think about that.

But it seems like every day is going by faster and faster

which is hard because every day I love Peru and my Peruvians more and more.

I have really come to see how much Heavenly Father loves all his children.

How much it must hurt to see how we choose to disobey Him or when we hurt and everything.

I had no idea that heartbreak was real.

But I have felt it and understand perhaps a small fraction

and I have felt my heart swell as well as I have been a witness to the Atonement working miracles in the lives of those I love.

I want to share just one short story about that

last week we met a woman named J.

She perhaps is one of the most prepared people I have met on my mission.

We found her in the street last week, she’s about 50.

She’s had a really hard life

and she just put her 19 year old son in rehab

(lots of drugs in Rimac.....)

We approached her to give her a card and she started telling us about her life

and started crying and we shared a small message with her and plan to come back throughout the week.

And so we did.

Never have I seen someone so excited to hear about the restored gospel.

When we shared the first vision her eyes got so big and I almost started crying right there

but I’m a big girl so I didn’t.

I never realized how much I took for granted.

For me Joseph Smith was always a prophet. I always knew it and that was just part of my life

but for her it was life changing.

And it is.

Everything we shared she accepted with awes and gasps and big eyes.

Fast forward.

It’s been a test of our faith as we are no longer able to teach her

and are learning to trust that the Lord will provide the way.

The gospel is beautiful.

The mission is wonderful.

Hermana Anderson is happy

and loves you.

See you soon

perhaps.

Love,

Hermana Anderson