How is everything going for the family this week? things are going good for me here. we are in Delta right now emailing because we are gonna get a ride with the Delta elder's to montrose which is another 30 minutes away. we get to bowl for free down there so we are gonna go bowling today and have lunch down there with the other missionaries down that way, so i hope it will be fun. things are going good for me though, i have had a few ruff days but overall things are going well for me. what is new back home? so last week went really well i enjoyed my thanksgiving.. Wednesday afternoon we went to a seniors lunch with some elderly people in the ward, they have a community thing where a lot of the seniors from the area go and have lunch on monday wednesday and friday but on Wednesday they had a thanksgiving lunch so a member invited us. it was funny they had flowers that they give away (well as you come in you sign a paper and there is a number next your name and then they draw a number and i won the flowers) lol i thought it was pretty funny. but i was glad they invited us to go. On Thanksgiving day we came down here to Delta to play in a turkey bowl with some other missionaries and ward members, it was a blast i miss playing football so much! then we went back home and got changed and then went to dinner we went over a bit early to help with things the meal was really well. when we went around the table and said what we were thankful for i said for the love and support they show us missionaries to make us feel welcome and then for my family back home! then that night we went and played basketball with brother Van Vleet and his grand kids it was good to get some excercise haha. So i found out that we have to talk to sacrament again on the 13th of this month! haha i just spoke not even 6 weeks ago and here i am again talking in sacrament but its ok i guess. Our topic is the Greatest Christmas Gift. so yeah... haha pray for me.. we haven't had too much success this past week with things it has just kind of been a blah week, we are still getting out and doing things but not too much has happened. which is alright i guess i mean im sure we'll see something come up sooner than later. i cannot believe that Christmas is just around the corner is honestly seems like less than a year ago we had Christmas. Bishop Bayles told us that he was grateful for us and for the great work we are doing in the ward, so i thought that was nice of him to give us a compliment. i haven't heard of anyone in this area that doesn't like me yet so lets hope it stays that way! haha.. but yeah not too much sorry if this email isn't exciting but things are going good. just trying to stay positive and make the most of the time i have. I am only in 3 Nephi also mom and im gonna finish it, you'll just have to read like 4 chapters a day or so. haha just keep trying and like you said its quality not quanity. we should read the Book of Mormon FOR Christmas not BEFORE if that makes since. but i am really excited to be able to call andtalk to everyone. The next transfer is December 17th and i think that i will stay here another transfer at least with Elder Hahne but im not sure and i guess i'll hvae to wait and see what the Lord wants. i love this area and the people here. well thank you for everything you do. i hope things get more exciting back home i miss you and love you all so very much! :) love you!love Elder ANderson

I hope that everyone is enjoying the week so far, and i also hope you have a Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. Things are going good out here and tomorrow we are having 2 thanksgiving dinners our mission President told us not to have more than 4 haha so we have two lined up and then we will just relax. that is way cool that Connell won there football game ha i knew they would and they totally kicked butt! well if Chelan beat Royal up pretty bad maybe this weekend will be a close game? you'll have to let me know. I'm so excited for them, i hope they take state this year! I'm so happy to hear that Daniel's talk went well, i am so excited for that guy and i wish him the best of luck. He is such a good kid, i think it would be so hard to go after just being a member for a little over a year. this past week has been a good one. My favorite part of the week was interviews with President. He is such a great guy, i didn't have a one on one interview this time cuz he was in a hurry so he just meets with the companionships and anyways he is always so inspiring. i asked him a few questions that i had and he answered them for me. That was on Saturday and then the next day we had Stake Confrence and Elder C. Scott Grow of the Seventy was there and he did a great job speaking, he and his wife are from Boise. Then President and Sister Christison spoke and they did a great job talking about missionary work. We had two investigators there from our ward. I got to go up and talk with Elder Grow afterwards and he gave me a big hug i was telling him how y'all got to hear from Elder holland the previous week and he said yeah i was just talking with him befre he left. I think that is so cool! :) Monday we had district meeting and then after district meeting we went on team ups, i stayed here in our area and Elder Hahne left and went with the district leader i really enjoyed going on team ups this time because the kid i served with is on his second transfer and has a bad stuttering problem and he is so humble i definitely learned a lot from him. i think it was on Saturday when we were on our way home we stopped by this ladies house Mary-Ann she is in her 50's but anyways we got there and her mother came to the door cuz its at her mothers house and she said that they both weren't feeling well so we probably wouldn't be able to visit so we left and then we got this phone call on our way home and it was marry-ann and so i pulled over and was talking to her (cuz we are not supposed to talk on the phone if we are driving) haha and she told me that she was reading the Book of Mormon when we came over to the house and she thought it was ironic. So i talked to her for a little bit and asked her if she needed help or had any questions to just call us and she said ok. Then like 10 minutes later she calls us back and asked how come God hasn't called disciples today like he did in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, and she was meaning Prophets and so i started telling her how he has and told him what his name was and then i told her i would take her a confrence issue of the Ensign and she was excited to hear that we had a Prophet on the Earth today. It was like perfect haha people dont ask questions like that too often. so that was a overall view of my week, it went really well. so i cannot believe that the month of November is almost over already and same with the year 2009. Time is flying by, but im not complaining haha. I hope that everything continues to go well for all of you and you enjoy your Thanksgiving Holiday! i love you all and miss you so much! thank you for all you do! Love, Elder Randy Anderson

So how are things going? Everything has been going good for me this week about for everyone back home? so yeah the Van Vleets got home last night and we talked to them this morning and she gave me a big hug and was telling me all about it. She was thrilled that you called her back, anyways yeah they are good people and today was the first time that Elder Hahne met them haha and he's been here for dang near 2 weeks now. yes kade can use my turf cleats but tell him only if they win state cuz if not then im gonna beat him up when i get home! no but tell him he can use them only if writes me a letter after the game and lets me know how it went. haha but tell him and Kraymer good luck for me and to make the most of it, i cant believe they play Riverview haha they will blow over them. I cant believe Royal lost out already i guess they definitely aren't the same program as they normaly have. of course i remember playing up in Cascade as a Sophomore and i got to go in and play quaterback and i threw a touchdown pass to Austin Higuera haha that was my first touchdown on varsity. great memories! that is awesome that Stephanie Ririe got her mission call, i cant imagine going to south america that would be different. So this past 6 days since i last emailed have been going pretty good i have used the Priesthood a bunch. Saturday we went over to the Wallaces and they fed us a big breakfast and it was delicous and then afterwards they both wanted a blessing so i gave one to brother wallace and Elder Hahne gave one to sister wallace, they had been having some health problems well we had dinner there last night and they thanked us again for giving them blessings and they said how it helped cuz the next they felt better. Then on Sunday i had the chance to ordain Johnathon Van Vleet into the office of a teacher and then give him a blessing, his dad isn't the most active and just didn't feel comfortable doing it and his grandpa was up in washington so he asked me if i would do it. They are a way cool family and that was such a great experience, im glad that they asked me to do it. oh and also just on monday night a family wanted us to come over and dedicate there home and so we went over there with the thought that we were gonna leave a blessing on the home and then we ended up giving the Dad a blessing and two of the daughters so it is great to see the Power of the Priesthood in action and how it can bless peoples lives. On last monday i gave that girl Sara Weston a call and talked to her a little bit about the church and i asked her how come she didn't make it to church and she told me, well she was affraid that people would judge her cuz she is pregnant and so i explained to her how some people may judge (even though they shouldn't) but we cant be offended by that cuz going to church is for our own salvation and we dont need to worry about judging others. It's like the parable in John 8:1-11.. read through that and you'll know what i mean. but anyways i also talked to her about the repentance process and just tried to comfort her, well anyways she came to church with her friend on sunday and i guess in Relief Society the teacher made a comment that helped answer some of her concerns and i just love how the spirit can guide people with what to say. Sunday night Elder Hahne and i went over to the Duncans (Sarah's friend) and talked with her to see how Sarah enjoyed church and she said that she loved it and my phone call to her is what made her decide to come to church. it was pretty neat to hear that. They also said that Sarah is wanting to go to Stake Confrence with them this weekend, so hopefully all goes well there. Other than that we have been knocking on lots of doors and trying to visit people, but not too much has come of it but we just keep doing it cuz we know that we will be blessed for it later down the road. i hope that things keep going good for the family, i will make sure to keep in touch as best as i can with letters. thank you for all the love and support you give me it means so much! i miss you and love you! until next week, take care and be safe! bye byeLove, Randy

Elder Randy Anderson on his 20th Birthday. We Love you and we are all so proud of you!!!

Harlen comes to Paoina thanks to Elder Matt Andersen

With all of his Birthday gifts. Randy will be warm in Paonia this winter.