The Dalles

Elder Anderson's e-mails have been kind of short since he settled into his newest area.  But today we got a great e-mail focusing on prayer.

"Six months have come and gone and i don't know where the time went.  Its been crazy how fast the mission picks up once you get the hang of it.  But i still am in awe over the fact that 6 months have already past and that i have finished 1/4 of my mission already.  (but at the same time i don't even remember home so it feels like 6 months).   And one of the best things is that i am in one of my favorite districts that i have been in my entire mission.  We are in the Dalles district and it has  6 missionaries in it.  But mostly just 4.  The entire dalles has 4 missionaries and i am one of them.  So that leaves 3 others that we get to mingle with all the time and get to know.  They are Elder Hobbs, my companion from mount vernon Texas, Elder Fenn from Benson Arizona,  And Elder Roundy from Las Vegas Nevada.   They are truly like my brothers and i treat them as such.  Though at times i want to kick there butts and i end up doing so because i'm bigger and stronger them all of them we have a wonderful time together.  We are truly in love with this work and we would do nothing else but look to serve and help those that are in need.   I can say thus far that these 3 missionaries are my favorites as of yet. 

   This last week was a long week due to the fact that p-day was on thursday and it took so long to get here.  But it was a very good weekend.  On tuesday night i was asked to give a talk in church on the 13th and he asked me to talk on the power of prayer and how it relates to missionary work.  Well as you know from previous letters that prayer is truly one of my biggest strong points in the mission and i was really really excited to give a talk.  I ended up giving a really long talk and when i had no more time left i was sad because i had so much more to say. But i would like to share a few little key things on prayer and how it is so important in our lives.  First off my life has been changed by prayer.  I don't think i would have gone on a mission if prayer wasn't there.  Prayer is the way we get answers about questions and eternal truths.  Prayer is what started this whole last dispensation here on the earth today.  JUST BY ONE PRAYER.  And now we are led by a prophet here on the earth today because of it.   But the most true and dear thing to me about prayer that i would like you to realize is that it is truly something we need to do all the time.  It says in 2 Ne 32:9 that we are to consecrate our lives in prayer in everything we do.  Our lord and savior Jesus Christ went into the garden of Gethsemane and before he started any of his work he knelt down and said a prayer to his father.   Our savior and redeemer started this great atonement in a prayer.  And i would just like to emphasize how important prayer truly is and how we need to continue to prayer to our father in everything we do.  (if you have time anyone please check out the Bible Dictionary on prayer its a great thing to study). "


Wow!