September 23rd

I am once again in a TRIO! My new companion is Hermana Landaverde from El Salvador. That makes her my 11th companion as I begin my 12th transfer!

This week we had a great visit from Elder Claudio Zivic from the Seventy (also in the Caribbean area presidency). He and his wife came to teach us during a multi-zone conference which was phenomenal. It started off with a big shock for me, though. After the opening hymn my zone leader announced that an elder would speak for 4 minutes on the Restoration and that I would then speak for 4 minutes on the Plan of Salvation. I wish there had been cameras filming my face. We had been advised to prepare a message of 4 minutes on EITHER the restoration OR the plan of salvation (unfortunately I had opted for the first) but I didn´t know that I would be asked to stand up in front of Elder Zivic and his wife, my mission president, and 3 zones of missionaries to speak!!!! But I think I spoke well (Elder Zivic said he liked it, so at least I got a compliment out of it). Oh and dad, you´re always asking about my spanish. Elder Zivic emphatically told me that it was "brillante" and since he´s a general authority it´s basically scripture that I speak good spanish ;)

A nice surprise was that after the conference we got to have a meeting wtiht he Zivics and the Castillos as leaders (8 missionaries) and it was very personal and enlightening. Another great surprise was that on Sunday, Elder Zivic and his wife came to our branch´s sacrament meeting. I think it´s safe to say that I´ve never been more nervous to play the hymns in church, ha ha. I loved the story that Elder Zivic shared in the conference:

Elder Pace was once on a small jet with President Spencer W. Kimball and a few other people. During the flight there was severe turbulence and it seemed quite likely that the jet would go down with all of them in it. The commotion in the cabin was great--things falling from the overhead bins, people shouting. In the midst of it, Elder Pace saw that President Kimball and his wife were calmly seated, holding hands. After the jet regained stability and the passengers regained their composure, Elder Pace asked President Kimball how he had remained so calm during the ordeal. He wisely responded that he knew that his life was in the hands of the Lord. To him it didn´t matter in he were to live or die because, as he told Elder Pace, "I have my life in order.¨ I think that this is the true key to peace: to have our lives in order before God. If we know we are in good standing with Him, then we will be able to have peace, no matter how rough the turbulence of life. My challenge to all of you is to do something today that puts yourlife more in harmony with God´s will for you. I promise it will bring you a greater measure of peace.

Love

Hermana Anderson