Anderson family

Blessings come in all ways

This one is hard for me to write and talk about. So I want to start off by saying ever since I was 14 I wanted to go on a mission for the church of Jesus Christ of latter day saints. These missions are 18 months for sister. I did what I can to prepare for it. After many years I got myself together and put my papers in with the help of my dad.

A few weeks after my papers went in I got my mission call. Now normally people open them within a day. I had to wait 2 days to open mine and it was hard. I just wanted to know where I was going to be serving. I got called to the Ukraine lviv mission and was leaving in 3 months.

Well I got to spend time with my family and work to prepare. My mom helped me get everything ready for me to leave. A week before I left for my mission my family all took a trip to Utah. It was fun because it was more time with my family. I love them. There were days where my dad and I would hang out and get sweets. My mom didn’t approve of them but he wanted me to have just me and him day. I was Soo happy for that.

While in the mission training center I got sick. I was losing more weight then I can put on and hurt my wrist while playing sports. Well I was told to go home and get better. That really hurt me because I wanted to just go and serve. Well I was home for 9 months. During that 9 months I had to get surgery on my wrist and finally was able to gain weight again. I again got to spend alot of time with my family and especially my dad.

A few days before my dad’s birthday I got a call that I was going back out but this time to Florida Tallahassee mission. I was leaving y days before my dad’s birthday. I was kind of upset that I was going to Florida and not to Ukraine anymore. I remember thinking to myself what if it’s for a good reason. What if there is something that might happen while I’m gone or someone needs me in Florida. So I went with an amazing attitude.

My mission was amazing until 7 month into it I got a call from my mom on my mission phone. Now that doesn’t happen often and isn’t really allowed so I didn’t know what to do. I called my mission president and told him what happened and he knew. He told me to be strong and call my m back. Now I was worried. I was at a members house and had an amazing companion. I called my mom and she said that my dad wasn’t doing well. The doctor’s told them that he has about a week left to live. My dad’s been battling colon cancer stage 4 for 7 years so this was hard for me. I then called my mission president and we meet up to talk about the plan. He told me that I can go back for 3 days and he wanted me to back in the field and I couldn’t agree more. I’m one that works through hard times.

On my flight home I was so out of it. I was getting frustrated because my flight got delayed and then I kinda go lost in an airport. Well I finally made it home Friday at 1 am and my dad passed away at 10 in the morning that day. It was really hard to deal with and all I can think about is being back in Florida and getting back to serving the Lord. This was the first time hat my family was together in 5 years. While I was home I helped my family plan the funeral that I knew I would be missing.

Well the time came, for me to go back on the mission. I was ready and didn’t complain. It was hard saying bye again but good to back to work. When I got back on the mission my companion and I set to work hard. We had busy days. We both also had hard days but we made the best out of them. With everything going on I wasn’t shy to share my story with other members and strangers about my dad and how it was only 3 days since and now I’m here.

I believe that I was called to Tallahassee o mission because if I was in Ukraine I would be able to fly home to say good bye to my dad. I also know that the Lord is watching over all of us. While on my mission I felt my dad so much near me and it was amazing. I know that the Lord has a plan for everyone and because of Jesus Christ families can be together forever. There is a reason for everything and we may not see it but we got to trust the Lord. Can’t wait to see him again. Because of my mission I was able to grow and learn so much. I made amazing memories and friends. I was able to build my testimony stronger. Also I got to meet my husband on the mission. ❤️

life in an orphanage

I’ve been asked by several people to do a blog on life in an orphanage. Well where do I begin. So one day my neighbor invited me to come over and eat dinner with them. They notice that i wasn’t eating well and wanted to help out. We had so much fun at dinner. Later that day my brothers and I went to another friends house and we played tag. By the time we got home that night there were cop cars outside of house. My brothers and I were worried. I was probably only 5 years old at this time. My brothers went up to the cops and asked what is going on. They told them that we were under arrest, because we stole from our neighbors. We had to explain that they invited us but they didnt believe us. Since my mom wasnt anywhere around, we couldnt get out of it.

My brothers and I were driven to a holding cell. In Russia it is not the same as the once here. But I just couldn’t stop crying because i was missing my house and blankets. The cops told us we better be quiet or else. They are not the nicest. They have a policy there where they have to make sure that you arent bringing anything in from lice to food. We had to get our heads shaved. We stayed a night in the holding cell till they were able to take us to the the orphanage.

First day in the orphanage we got to learn where we will be staying and the rules. We had to learn everything from how to properly make a bed to when we can and cant talk. The staff there loved quiet time which was always. Maybe that is why I’m not very quiet myself… We had so many rules we had to follow and if we didnt do it right we would get whacked. I was really worried, because my brothers couldnt stay in the same area as me. They have different places based on the age. Since they were older then 8 years old they had to go to the old housing. We didnt get really anything but a bed and food that day.

They have different activities so that people dont get bored and staff can have a break. My favorite activities were being outside and building a snowman; playing on the playground, or just being inside and watching an old show and playing with wooden blocks. I didnt make a friend but i was still worried, because I was in a new area and didnt know who I can trust. While on the second day i heard a very familiar voice. My dad arrived to see what was going on. He got us out.

With my dad we got to spend time on a farm and get things done. We also got to be as a family. We had so much fun; until my brother clipped my nails and made it bleed. We had to go to the doctors. Well there we found out that we hand to stay longer do to us having eczema and some other health problems. We had a lot of tests done on us. The hospital we got lots of cream of wheat. My favorite!!! and still to this day its my favorite. My dad again arrived after a week and just took us. That is again how we all ended back in the orphanage.

Back in the orphanage we again got separated from each other. I went back to doing that activities that i liked to do. Once again a few weeks later my dad arrived again. He was able to only get my brothers out. There were rules where i wasnt allowed to leave with them, because i was still young and needed better taken care of. My dad promised that he would come back and get me but he never did. He then disowned me and that was the last time l heard about my brothers and dad. My mom also couldnt get me per her rights were taken away when they found her drunk and she told how she throw a table at me.

Once I hit the school age i was able to go. But I had to walk to school in the snow and in a dress. I only really had 2 outfits and washing day was once a week. If i was late to school or coming home to do chores I would get in trouble. If I go in trouble at school I would get in trouble at home also. It was a common thing for me to get in trouble. Well in Russia I was in first is first and second grade. Then because I learned fast and was doing good they moved me to 3rd grade. That grade everyone had to learn cursive. I didnt like it much, because i was not good at it and would get in trouble all the time.

I slept in the same room as like 15 other kids. We had a certain time we went to bed. I learned that if I agree to give the older girls {who were there to make sure that everyone was in bed and asleep} a massage they always let me stay up later and get an extra snack. I just was not good at sleeping by 8pm everyday. Food there was hard to get we would get a soup and bread or cereal and milk only.

Blessings after trials

Hey y’all I’m Nerissa and I just wanna right this blog to help others. My life hasn’t been all rainbow and rose all life. I have been through a lot. When I was younger I was disowned by my father and my mom’s rights were taken away. I was in an orphanage with my siblings. I had 2 brother and a half sister. My brothers and I were picked up by the police who are not nice at all.

In the orphanage I had only one friend that I don’t talk to anymore. She was always by my side through everything. I would always get in trouble 😂. I sometimes went to bed without any dinner or very early cause the workers didn’t want to deal with me. My brothers would make fun of me, but they would help me in anyway they can. There was also a staff that would be there for me always. The only one that was nice to me and got me my only present for my birthday.

What felt like an eternity later I got to meet a couple. I was Soo confused with why these two adults wanted to meet me but I agreed. When I first met Dan and Deanne it was weird I would live. I didn’t want to stay there alone with just me and them, because they were different and I didn’t know them. As time went on I got more and more comfortable where I would stay a couple hrs with them. There is one time that I remember my dad asked me if I was hungry but I thought he was asking me if I was cold so I said no. Then he asked if I was cold but I though caset he said hungry so I said yes. Well I was lost when he brought me a blanket and wrapped me up in it.

A few months later my parents ( Dan and Deanne) told me that they want to adopt me. I thought that was weird. But then they took me shopping and I felt like I worth a lot and can finally trust them. My mom had to fly home early so I was able to spend some time with my dad. My dad and I would hang out and then we went to church with elder Peiper at his house ( one of the quorum of the seventy). I then got to fly home with my dad. Who wouldn’t let me sleep on the plane cause of the time difference. I would try to sneak it.

I personally see this as a blessing. I was then able to meet my family that adopted me and loved me for who I was. Now I was still a trouble maker but had to keep something the same. They loved me unconditionally and that is all that I wanted. They took me for who I was and helped me. They watched and protected me and gave me a safe place to be.

Now my other w brothers in Russia were gotten by my dad in Russia cause he loved that they were boys and can carry on the name. They got out of the orphanage within like 3 weeks because my dad got them. My half sister wasn’t ever in there with us.