whatever

My Missionaries-

 I thought it would be great to get a picture of all my return missionaries.....so I had each of the boys bring their missionary tag. [Mason was our last one to go out.}

Dan (the Dad}- Argentina 1976-1978,   Sam-Cochabamba Bolivia Mission 2000-2002,

  Kent- Portugal Porto Mission 2004-2006,  Denver- São Paulo North, Brazil 2006-2008-  

 Mason-Billings Montana Mission  2009- 2011

What a blessing; one of the things I like about this picture- All the boys still look like missionaries.  On Kent's mission at a Mission conference someone from the Quorum of the Seventy - said- we won't know for sure if you were a successful missionary for 10 years....if in ten years you still look and act like a missionary, pay tithing, marry in the Temple, work to gain an education in some way.....then we will know  you were a successful missionary. (he had some more points, these are just a few I remember}

   “ it is not a two-year mission; it is an eternal mission."

 
Love that you really can't tell who the most recent return missionary is-

Mason wanted to say good-bye to his worn out old Mission suit- by turning it into a wet suit.

 
Good bye old suit- Hello new suit.

Welcome Home Mason-

 

 

 

 

His shoes are worn, his white shirts gray, his pants are tattered; but his smile is big, his countenance bright, and his testimony strong.

 Time to come home.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last week we went to Billings Montana Mission Home to pick up Mason- It was so wonderful.  We arrived at the Mission Home around 8:30.   So sweet to walk in and see Mason standing down the hall.  As soon as we saw each other it was wonderful...Just had to embrace for awhile.

The office staff were so kind and you could tell they loved our son.  We spent some time there so Mason could say good bye, we also had a tender sweet meeting with his Mission President and wife.

 
 

 

 

 
Then it was time to say good bye...more tears.  {Mason loved that his Mission President was his same height....that doesn't happen very often.}

We then planned to spent the next couple of days traveling around some of Mason's mission to see family and people he taught, and to visit some of the places he lived etc.

 
Mason in front of the last home he lived in.

 
Enjoying the Montana Spring weather...crazy.

 
Mason's Uncle Ed and Aunt Linda live in Mason's mission area, so he was able to visit with them from time to time. His Cousin Lori and her family also live in the area.  I'm so thankful for the way they took care of him.  Taking him to dinner and making sure he had a place for Christmas.  I will be forever thankful to them... Love you guys.

 

Montana has a big beautiful sky, and kind people.  It was wonderful to see the area Mason worked in for 2 years. So Wonderful.  If you would like to know more about what a mission is, go here.  

Time to go home-

 
 
 
 
My heart is full, I feel so blessed. I'm so very thankful to my children for the love they show us and to each other.  I'm so very thankful for the opportunity that Mason had to serve a mission. {this makes four sons we have sent on Missions} and it has been a blessing to each and everyone of them.   I wish I had the words to express to my Heavenly Father how very grateful I am....but for now all I can say is  "How great thou Art"  and I love thee.

and now.....part two.  All the family together tomorrow!

Nicholas and family are here...more family coming in tomorrow.

A couple cute notes- Nicholas calls Mason- 'Sawmay'

He has the cutest laugh and uses it all the time.

Last night at  dinner,

Preston said the blessing on the food-

quote- "bless us that we won't have temper-tantrums and that we won't get bit by a tarantula spider."

 

 

Oh, it's going to be a fun week!

Mason... Mission Update-

Mason is nearing the close of his Mission, just 99 days left {give or take a day} He is doing great, I thought today I would share a few pictures and a few of his thoughts-

This was taken at Andrew's baptism...a little fuzzy- sorry. {Mason, 3rd from the left}

Mason-

•  Well this week was awesome. We had the best week I’ve ever seen here. We reached 20 lessons this week. So that was really exciting to do that. It has been a long time since we did that. And Allen, Henry and Fernando are reading the book of Mormon a lot lately so that is really awesome. They are the Guys from Brazil. They are really cool. Fun to teach, they are really opened minded and like what we teach. So they are really fun.
   
   
  Morning Montana sky-

Mason-

•   I know that we need to make good choices in life so that we won’t have heart-aches in our life time here. It is all about are agency. That’s why I love prayer because we can ask anything to our Heavenly Father, and if it is according to his desires then he will let us know.

 

•  I love our Heavenly Father he loves us and wants us to be happy and he wants us to come back to him and say that we have fought the good fight and have won the battle. For he is watching over us and is sad when we do something against his will or commandments. But when we follow him and do what is right he cheers of great joy and is really happy that we made the right choice. So we need to do the right thing always.

Well I love you all and thank you again for the support and advice thanks.

 Love you

Elder Mason Andersen

Word from Mason

Bits and pieces from Mason's last letter-

• Well I survived transfers, I am staying in Lovell. I am really excited to stay because there are a lot of things happing here. My new companion is going to be Elder Hancock.
• I got your package and thank you for all the salt water taffy....ha.ha.ha.
• By the way we might have some baptisms coming up this next month. So I am very excited to see that happen.
• Also that you can be walking down the street and almost every car someone ether honks at you or screams at you for fun. That is what happens when you are in a town that is almost all members.
• Well, I am very excited to get my new companion, and see what this transfer holds for me. So far in my mission I have learned at lest something new in every transfer. It is cool and every time you get a new companion you learn something from them. 
•  I can’t believe that I only have about 8 months left, and I only have 3 more zone conferences left. I really want time to slow down. But these last months I am going to work like I've never worked before, because I want to put my all in this work. I love it, and wish I had more time.
• One of my favorite parts about being a missionary is that when you go into a place like a store or Restaurant everyone stares at you. You have to be careful sometimes because we are watched so close.
• That’s the best part of a missionary is teaching people and seeing them change for good. And also giving them the knowledge that they can one day be with their families forever. That’s the best gift you can give someone is the knowledge of the gospel.

• Well family I love you and I just wanted to share that with you today. I hope all is will.

  Love you all,

  Love
  Elder Mason Andersen

  
  

 

Mission update-

Mason is doing well and really enjoying his mission....here are a few of the latest pictures and "word" from Mason.

Gary and Mason

Hey Family,

This week was very busy for us. We found 3 new people to teach and did a lot of contacting. But, yeah over all it was a really good week. Well, the baptism went really well. Gary is now baptized yeah!!! I don’t remember if I told you but I got to baptize him. So that was a really neat experience to do that for someone. I will be sending you pics of it in this letter. There were about 30 or more people at the baptism. So it was really good.

June 12,2010

 

Well, the work is moving on. I love having to take care of 4 wards it is a lot of fun and it keeps you busy for sure. The coolest thing ever is that the people that we are teaching just come to us by members or they see us walking and want us to teach them. So it is very exciting for sure. God is blessing us and this area for sure. We still have 3 more baptisms this month that are going too happened. It is very crazy but I love it. And this transfer is moving fast we are already half way done with the transfer. Crazy I know right.

Well, like I said love you all and hope is all well. Love you all and thank you for the prayers.

 

Mason is doing really well and is very happy.  I wish I could of been at this baptism.... I'm sure it was tender.   He may be little but his spirit is big.

 

  

Mason...missed it again-

     Just received Mason's email today....we were so excited to hear how his first Baptism went.

{ this was going to be the first that he would preform, well, it looked like it was anyways.} 

He has had several others but would get a transfer just before it was to happen. ...we thought for sure that he would be around for this one. 

But at the last minute he was transfered to another State.  A missionary in  Hamilton MT. was left without a companion....some kind of emergency...So Mason was sent there to serve with the Elder who was left alone. 

He was disappointed of course....but totally understood and so happy that the Zone Leaders were able to take care of the Baptism.  Mason said that they have a shortage of missionaries in their mission...So the Zone leaders are going to take care of all of Cody.

In Mason's words: "I was really sad to go. But I guess the Lord needs me in Hamilton for now. Well, I have only been here for a couple of days. So far I love Hamilton because it is one of the prettiest places in the mission. And everyone was jealous because I was coming here. So I love it so far. Yesterday got to meet some of the members and they seem like they are great people and members. So I can't wait until I start to work in this area."

-Mason with the Potts- From Cody

 

-Mason with Brother Richards- Cody area

 

   

 Elder Morris, Elder Clouse, and Mason.

{Something sweet- I don't know if it's because of Mason's size...or just that people love him.  But quite often in pictures....the one standing next to him...always seems to have him in what I like to call a brotherly hug....see top picture and below.  I think it's sweet how they always tuck him under their arm.} 

 

{Mother's Note-  I hope in this area he gets to stay for the baptism...just being a Mom}

Pictures from Mason-

 

  

  

 He is happy and busy- Top picture of an a Young Man that was baptized, Mountains in WY, last picture Mason and his district.

 

 A picture of the sky...Mason took it while they were tracking.

 

Sweet note.....

{I received this note along with this picture in my email yesterday.} 

 Hello Sister Andersen!

Just wanted to let you know that your son is now in our area and that he is doing a wonderful job!  He is an exceptional missionary and we're very
grateful to have him here!  They were at our home for dinner, so I thought I'd get a couple of pictures to send to you!  We have a son on a mission
in California - he's serving right now in Oakhurst!  Not the same ward as yours, but it seems pretty close!  He's loving it there!  He has his one year
mark this next week and he's served 6 months up there in Oakhurst!  

It was fun to visit with Elder Andersen and Elder Vroom!  What a great spirit they bring with them!  We get to see the Elders quite often, so we'll 
keep good track of him!  He seems to like it here in Cody!  

Thanks for sharing your son with us! 

How wonderful for her to think of us....sweet.  

 Mason is doing great.  He just got transfered to Cody....After having the wonderful experience of being around his Aunt and Uncle Ed and Linda....and his cousin Lori and her family. They all took great care of him and we are so very appreciative of their doing so.

Here is a little note from Mason- "Everything is going great. This week has been a blast with Elder Vroom. He came out with me, We were in the same distract in the mtc. So it is fun to see how much he has changed, and he said that I've changed a lot too. Well not to be prideful but this last week in 4 days we got 24 lessons and a baptism date. So this area is great. It is nice to be in a area that is going. Before this area I was in areas that I had to build up and find people. So I know the lord is blessing me to be in a area were I can teach a lot and I love it. Like last night we had a awesome lesson, the best lesson I've had on my mission so far. His name is Mark and he is a investigator and he goes to church almost every sunday but yet he is not baptized. So last night we talked to him about obedience, to pray often and study the scriptures. The lesson was sweet because we all felt the spirit, it was so powerful that I began to cry and so did Elder Vroom and everyone there. And we told him if he prayed about the Book of Mormon and asked God if it is true he will find out the answer tonight. And so he said he would pray. So we are just waiting to see what he says. 

So I hope that he will act on the answer that he will get. Love Mason.

We also had the joy of having a couple of the grandkids around this weekend.

That's always a blast and makes for a Happy Day!

 

  

Preston loves to mow the lawn, and he doesn't give up, sticks to the job until it is done.

 

  

(Also check out this site for a way cute Visiting Teaching gift.}  

Mission update-

 

Mason is now in a small town call Forsyth. He is loving it there. He says the town is like something you would see in a Western movie. They have a very small branch there. Smaller than the one from his home town.

He is mainly working with people on the  "reservation". He was excited to have 15 lessons this week, saying that the area is just blooming.

Mason had a awesome experience- {His words} "We were walking around and these guys on horses with flags came by...then I realized that it was Veterans Day.  Anyway long story short. One of the guys called us over to them and mentioned that they were going to a parade at the High School and asked if we could pray for them. So we did, After we finished they started saying a prayer in their language. It was cool they had circled around us with their horses we were right in the middle of them while we prayed. So that was an awesome experience for me."

Mason's "Trunk or Treat" They didn't have a car at the time so they dressed up his bike.

He is doing well and loving his Mission.

 

This week has been very sad for me....I will be meeting up with all my siblings to Lay to rest our brother Don. Who died on Monday- we are all very sadden by his passing.

In Honor of my brother, please join me in doing a kind deed this week.

 

Mason's Words-

1. Well, it is snowing now.
2. Tell Jake I'm excited about his mission call, send me his address so I can give him some advice, things that I wish that I did before I left.
3. Working so hard that my legs, my eyes, my feet and the rest of my body is always aching at the end of the day.
4. Right now it's really hard. This is so far my favorite area, because if it was easy like Billings then I wouldn't be able to learn what I need to.
5. We got hit by a Deer. right in the middle of town- it rammed us on the drivers side of the car. So, yeah, a deer hit us.
6. Conference was awesome.
7. Love you guys.

October 22, Mason hits the 6 month mark in the mission.  He has been asking for ties- so I'm getting a big box ready to send next week of nothing but ties-{Happy fun box of ties}  if you want to join in on the fun, send him a tie...his address is on the right.