12/29/2011

SOOO remember how we just talked on da phone and how awkward I was and I couldn't stop crying? I got off thinking you probably all think I am an awkward sister missionary now. But I didn't care cause I was just so happy to hear yo voices :) Everyone was making fun of me cause I was like pacing back forth sweating before cause I was so anxious. I am just justifying my awkwardness right now. Love you.

Literally the moment when I walked out of the room Elder Dougall said "Ready to get to work?" cause the floor was filled with non members and no missionaries. I walked up to a family of 8 from India and taught them with the temple panels. When I started talking about forever families I started crying again making them feel soo awkward cause I just love you all so much. Now I get why we don't get to talk to our families more than twice a year.

There was SO MUCH I wanted to know that I didn't get to ask. So tell me... Sara what do you do every day as a mother? Britt are you still working? What do you mean FIVE months!? You just got pregnant! Ahh he is coming way faster than I anticipated! Tawn like... are you getting married? Mom I want to hear more about your "friend"- okay thanks.

Since talking to you some incredible milagros han pasado. Yesterday a doctor from Iran who has been muslim his entire life comes in and the second he walks in the door takes me aside and shares with me why he is there. He said just a few days before the word "Mormon" popped into his head. He couldn't stop thinking about it. He kept using the word "vision" so it seems like this thought had been lingering to an extent where he knew it wasn't from him. Especially cause he had never heard of the church before. He was so confused and was looking up mormon on the internet. His eyes filled with tears when he said, "And I saw there was a temple in walking distance from my home and that's why I am here. I need you to tell me everything you know"- It was powerful. I briefly shared with him about temples and the restoration and he just soaked it alll in. His wife kept chiming in trying to leave and he said "NO I need to hear about this NOW"- I got his info and called the missionaries and left them a message straight away. Literally just a couple of hours later he came back to the VC WITH the missionaries. And in the least creepy way possible came up and kissed me on the head and grabbed my hands and with all the sincerity of his heart said, "THANK YOU so much" - I love to see learned men turn to Christ. Because it is often harder, but the truly intelligent sense something greater. Another doctor from Bolivia the other day came in and I was holding the "end of line" sign with thousands of people running into me and I typically can't talk to people in this position. His family asked me "What is different about this church and others?" I gave them a 20 sec explanation of the authority and the restoration and they kept going, but he stayed back and just kept jumping behind people in line to hear what I had to say. He was FASCINATED! The conversation ended with, "Okay... I go back to my country Feb 8th, how long does it take to be baptized?" - not exaggerating. We have been emailing non stop since and he just keeps raving about how good God is for helping him find the truth. And then there is the scientist from Russia who came in a couple months ag saying how the good feelings he felt at the VC were explainable just by the atmosphere. Came back last night to tell me that he has been reading the book I gave him and feels the spirit SO strong. He used the word spirit!? It was the coolest thing ever. UGH! It's just so great.

I am out of time and miss you all. Tawn wear your seatbelt I know you are not. Bear... cuddle with Luke all the time. Britt.. have a baby, but not for 5 months. MOM I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!! I miss you all!

Sis ALlen

12/14/2011

I will be honest, all of the exciting things going on back home is overhwhelming I don't even know how to approach the excitedness over email!!!!!! It's all so whunderfullllll!!!!! Although the part of me not being there- not so wonderful. But I am so happy and thrilled nonetheless. Congrats on creating human beings and giving them life!!!!! Bear.... ( I don't know if I should mention this in the mass email, but if not just take it out?) I had no idea about Sara's labor. I am so glad I didn't know while it was happening. I would have died of anxiety. That is so terrifying there are no words. I am SO overwhelmedly grateful that they are both healthy and happy. And I believe full heartedly that Dad was there every second. I bet Luke misses his grandpa cause I am sure they hung out all the time. So something I find kind of cool is that I made a little goal a while ago that every Dec 10th, Spet 29th, days such as those that I would want to remember dad by doing something to make him proud. So I found it very cool that last Dec 10th I got my mission call. This past Saturday (Dec 10th) I sang his favorite song at a baptism of someone I taught in the Visitor's Center ( I know it is funny to think of me singing a musical number- he made me do it). It also was his 3 year mark of his sobriety date. I think Heavenly Father just loves to give little tender mercies like that. He just loves it! Also that night at festival I was talking to this family and you only get like 1 min to talk to people and datch their interest cause you change positions ever 15 min, but for some reason I felt so strongly I needed to teach them about the temple at the temple kiosks. I have never done that ever in festival. But I was teaching them and there were 5700 people that night (literally) so it was loud and inappropriate but I felt so strongly I needed to share that it was 3 years ago that day that I lost my dad and that the temple is a sacred ediface that allows families to last beyond death. It was weird cause they were very closed off and not sharing much at all and I had just met them, but the Spirit was practically forcing me to say it jaja. So then, the dad reaches into his wallet and pulls out a picture of him and his 15 year old daughter who didn't have any hair and said holding back tears, "we lost her 3 months ago to Cancer"- my heart ached so much for them, and they just completely opened up and poured their hearts out. He resulted in how much peace he felt knowing he can see her again. It was a very powerful experience he had me in tears. but  I was thinking of dad and Rachel and all of you this week.. I would be really struggling at not being with you this time of year if it weren't for all the miracles at  the festival. An 18 year old 7th day avenist (Who are just as true to their religion as we are if you know them) walked in and said "I don't know why, but I feel like I belong HERE- I want this book in portruguese and to learn more. I talked to 11 other people that nights who also self referred. And when they self referr in the short 3 min you have to get their attention, they are legit. A woman yesterday said "please please send me missionaries I need to learn more about mormons" - she was from india. Yesterday a bunch of brazilians self referred. A family from Jordan, a huge family from Mozambique, a couple from France. OH and I am teaching the diplomats from Russia!!!  They said "Can we come back tomorrow and learn more?" (cause the VC was closing) - it's the coolest thing ever. There are no words. Everyone is from everywhere!!!!! I love the mission. I love you all. I love Luke so much and I already love declan. I love tawnee and mom and all yall. Dayna and beeps all you. All in my prayers. I love you so much pelase be safe and happy and have da best Christmas ever. 

PS Beny and Renee are being baptized on Sunday!!!!!!!!!::)) 

12/07/2011

IAMSOINLOVEWITHBABYLUKETHEREARENOWORDS. Those pictures make me want to cry in joy that he is so cute and sorrow that I am not there to cuddle with him too. He is the most beautiful baby I have ever seen. I LOVE HIM SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Is he just so fun? AHHHHHHHH I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU HAVE BABY!!!!!!!!!!! oh my... I should breathe. I can't grasp it all it just blows my mind. Maybe when I ever see babes in the VC I overwhelm people cause I am living viacriously through their child. Uinfortunately I can not touch them. But one day I will cuddle with luke and we'll be bff.

this week was excellent knowing that all went well with the babe and he is healthy and happy and super cute. We had our ambassadors night and can I just say it was the coolest thing I have seen iin my life? It was so elegant and classy and all these ritsy ambassadors from allll over the world came in with their big fur coats and hereisthecoolestpart. So they were sitting in the front lobby where they have the huge window facing out to the gorgeous temple and in the reflection you can see the Christus and every culture you can imagine sitting right under him in the vicinity of His arms. It's just cool to see those scriptures all throughout Isaih and Jacob 6 come to life. That His arms are stretched out to the four corners of the earth, to the meek and lowly of heart, and the haughty and prideful, and the rich and the poor, and the Kings of the world and the homeless. Sometimes we only mention His mercy towards those from humble circumstances, but as it says "His arms is stretched out still" - even after those reject Him time after time. Just like Dan (who is getting baptized Saturday and wants me to sing- jaja I thought that was funny). And these ambassadors actually were not in this case. Sadly we could not proselyte to them, but one of the dignitaries came up to me and just could not stop talking about how great Jesus is. Haha it was an incredible experience. The next night we invited more of the lower level dignitaries about 600 of them and it was really cool. Oh and don't worry I am just standing as an usher and up walks L Tom Perry and he is the coolest most loving man ever ps. It was really cool seeing an apostle of the Lord speaking with the dignitaries of the world. Fulfilling of prophecy!  They did this really cool count down and then him and the ambassador from Brazil turned on the lights. And the reason why Rome allowed the construction of a temple was because of two Italian Sisters at Temple Square so it was really cool when the ambassador of Vietnam came up and started talking to the member Congressman and talk about his daughter wanting to go to BYU and saying they were going to have a meeting together and the lady over it all turned to him and say "this will help the church ties substantially with Vietnam"- which doesn't have missionaries, right>? it was just an incredible experience. AH! And this past week of festival has been exhausting but amazing. We don't really have pday anymore and we have to be there every single night with change in positiion every 15 min. It's been a hard balance because we are working with such GOLDEN people in my area, but I have already seen so many miracles at the VC. Just in these first few days I have had 20 upperboxes. and it has nothing to do with me we are just surrounded with prepared people. But I am still missing my gente in the area. But God provides away one of our guys, Jose, came to the VC by himself for the lights and I happened to be on positionoutside and I said, "Pray about a specific date" and he goes "I thought I was getting baptized the 18th?" jaja- lack of communication during festival since it's so crazy and we have no contact with anyone (we get out at 10 and can't make calls and go to bed now at 11:30), but God privdes miracles still. any with this is all over the place just know I love you so and I LOVE LUKE SO MUCHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please tell me all the little cute things he does so I can pretend I am there to play with him!!!!!!!!!!!! 

11/30/2011

Oh...  my.... goodness.... I just don't know where to start or what to say. I want to just scream, but the email doesn't capture it. AHHHHHHHHH BEAR DIO LA LUZ!!!!!!! ohhh myyy goodness. He is THE MOST BEAUTIFUL THING I HAVE EVER SEEN. Can I just say I have literally 5 min left on email cause I just spent the last half hour just looking at pics of the luke in awe. I am just so confused cause I never have fully grasped that Bear was pregnant cause I just see pics and I can't fully grasp it and all of a sudden she has this CHILD this little MAN! I am so in awe there are no words. And aren;t newborns not supposed to be cute cause he is BEAUTIFUL!!!! I am so happy he has beautiful dark hair! HE is such a stud! Bear I need to hear a very detailed account of your 14 hours of labor and what it feels like and itf its scary anbd why you shouldn't brush your  hair? I am dying to hear details!!!! OH my goodness. there are no words. I wish so bad I was there to meet this little man. This email just doewsn't capture what I feel right now. AHHHHH!!!!!! I LOVE HIM ALREADY!!!!!!

Well, I literally am out of time already. I guess I will just write a couple words. We found the most golden man I have about met on my mission this past week. He walked in on an appointment with his roommate and we didn't really think much of him but we gave him a Book of Mormon anyway and he was just quiet. We came back for his appointment and the roommate wasn't there, but he was and he came out with his Book of Mormon and said he read all of Alma 5. And I asked him how he decided to read Alma 5 (it's long and was PERFECT for his situation) and he said he just prayed and turned right to it. So he recently had a deathly surgery and like wasn't supposed to live and said he was not close to God at all before that and was really prideful. He he was looking at the Book thinking that he wanted to know where he stood with God and how to assure He can pretty much go to Heaven when he dies. If i knew that was his question, I would have honestly assigned him Alma 5. and he said he said a pray and opened right to Alma 5 and he said he just felt the spirit so strong and he knows it is all true. He is getting baptized on Dec 18th. He is SO GOLDEN we asked when he hwas the happiest in his life in a lesson and he said, "honestly right now just learning abou tthe word of God". AH! We also met many other golden people and a man just called us last night that we have never met in our life and said he got our number from a friend and wanrts to meet with us. Tonight we have 250 ambassadors from all over the world and The Marriots and senators and L Tom Perry coming on to turn on the Christmas lights for festival and a fancy dinner. Coolest mission ever? 

HAd some sad news as my companion had to return home on medical release. I love and miss her, but I know her situation needs to be worked out at home. Pray for her.

Welp, Sara had baby Luke. and I aam SO HAPPPPPPYYYYYYYY ANd I already love him sooooo muchhhhhhhh!!!!!! And I still don't really believe it I think they just borrowed a baby and took a picture. oh my goodness
love you all

11/22/2011

Querida familia,

So my heart hurts a little that Thanksgiving is this week and I am not dancing or playing the flute in our annual thanksgiving dinner. Okay well, I don't miss that that much. Don't worry we definitely had our ward thanksgiving dinner and it was just like our family talent shows I loved it. They even announced that we were singing a musical number without us knowing about it. I don't know why, but that reminded me of, "This year has been a little hard with Tawnee's candida"- But it will be grand. We are going to Eliana's, la familia escobar's, and Julio's for thanksgiving dinner (now I feel how married people do when they have to eat 2 huge dinners) and watching church christmas movies at the vc. I down wit dat. So how are Carolyn and her family and Cami's family? I have not been able to stop thinking about them. They are in every thought and prayer. And unfortunately we had another tragedy in the ward this past week. Our ward secretary/pres of high priests was killed in an automobile accident. The whole ward together esta de luto because he was SUCH a good man. His wife is young women's president and he has a beautiful young teenage daughter. It's hard to see all these children lose their fathers :( And Sunday someone came cause they were going to give him a new calling. He was also going to confirm Shirley on Sunday. He was always so sweet and involved in every baptism and always willing to help. So all day today we have been helping at  the funeral and oh wow it was the most incredible thing I have ever seen. The room was full of hundreds of non member latinos and every single talk given they were just preaching about the gospel and the plan of salvation. At first I kind of wondered if the wife maybe was thinking "oh this is about my husband let's talk about him"- but no when she got up she just testified and taught the plan of Salvation just as you would in a missionary lesson. They were teaching about the Book of Mormon and wow it was incredible. I was translating to a bunch of nonmebers who didn't speak Spanish and it was a really powerful experience. Anyway the Plan of Salvation is SO REAL. And just fyi I want that same thing at my funeral. Don't talk about me just about the plan and God and how great He is. thanks.

Besides that this week has been filled with miracles. One ofmy fav things on the mission and in the world is to see someone feel the spirit and like it says in the bible how it "passeth all understanding" and to see people feel it and understand it for the first time. It's SO incredible and makes the spirit seem much more real. Some people cry, some touch their chest and say "wow I can't describe what I am feeling right now"- Julio shared with us a very sacred experience that probably wouldn't be appropriate to share over email that happened in one of our lessons the other day and that is what has kept him going. He he soo solid he just will rave for hours on how great God is, but not in the typical latino way, but in that God put us in his path because we represent the true church. Eliana the other day- JA- I wish you were there. We were praying together to know if she should be baptized the 11th of Dec and we were silent for a moment and asked how she felt. And then she went on to sing two verses of a song that I don't know if it exists or not called "El espiritu de Dios este aqui" jaja it was great. So since that moment she has been so solid on her  bdate! Ah, I just love the mission. And this mission happens to be the best in the world, for real though. In which mission do you get to have a night at the VC with 250 ambassadors from around the world? Where L Tom Perry and the Marriotts (of Marriot hotel) turns on the Christmas lights? Or get to teach busfuls of nonmember soldiers on the base about the gospel? We are SO blessed. And I am SO excited for festival of lights!! ahhhhh.

Ps I had a dream Bear had her lil babe. Did that happen my chance? I wish I could tell you the deets it was funny. I love you all! What's new? Please tell. I miss you?

11/16/2011

Oh my goodness my dearrrressttt family. I love and miss you all so much. I would have given anything to be at Uncle Frank's funeral. I wish so bad I could be there for Aunt Carolyn and the cousins. Please send me their addresses so I can write them. Also please send me Cami's address. I just expressed my feelings in Sara's email, but Wally truly was one of my favorite people not just in the family, but that I have about ever met. He took all of my friends and I in Ghana to eat and to a movie and it was really expensive there and just was hilarious my friends LOVED him. My heart is completely broken for his beautiful children and wife, please send them my love and address cause I want to send them a letter. I literally gasped and then cried reading about the horrible news. But always combined with the gospel (the GOOD NEWS!), that the Plan of Salvation just becomes so much more real. He was a wonderful man and I don't doubt where he is and what he is doing.

To answer all your questions, Mom Eliana is actually doing really good and has a new baptismal date for Dec 11th. She has had a lot of pruebas lately but she has stayed solid despite her challenges. Beny (Shirley's mom) finally chose a date for Dec 18th!!!!! Let me just say I am so glad my brithday is on a Sunday. Cause as of right now three are on date for the 18th. JUst pray they go down! It was really cool cause we taught them a lesson about prayer, and then shirley lost her cell phone. We looked for it for a long time and then we were like "WHAT are we doing?" and prayed and found it like right after! And she was super against choosing her own baptismal date and always changed the subject and now she is really excited about it! And Beni, like shirley doesn't waver when they set their own date so that one is for sure happening :) Everyone else is doing good. We are starting festival soon so we will be at VC every day for the 1000s of people who come for the lights and I am stressed cause we are working with AMAZING people that deserve our time! I just love the mission so. And if you really are gonna send me a package... I just want a couple things. CALLI! anddd that tape that you have been talking about forever! porrrrffaavoorrr. That's it! And if you throw in sweaters and long sleeve shirts I will not be opposed. I love you guys so so  much I can't wait for zabear to have her lil BABE!!!!

11/10/2011

El tiempo me acaba, but I will write very quickly some milagritos of this week! First off, I have been so heart broken this whole past week thinking of Aunt Carolyn and the cousins. I love them and have been praying for them incessantly. Please send me their addresses cause I have letters for them. They are in every single one of my prayers. Mesa just won't ever be the same without Uncle Frank, it's times like these when the Plan of Salvation becomes so real. Send them my love and My comp and I always pray for them

So just some quick miracles this week cause mom I know you look forward to them:) First.. this young man daniel comes into the VC kind of without purpose. That morning in our prayer meeting I remember praying that whoever The Lord has prepared would be lead into the VC. Kind of a typical prayer, but I felt that someone was coming in who was more than prepared. I was outlining a kiosk in the back and supposedly according to him humming a song and we ran into each other and it was awkward for a second, but then he was like asking all these very deep questions. He was an alcoholic who tried to commit suicide and just felt very lost and he said he was supposed to go to work that day, but just felt like something dragged him to that big white castle off the 495. We had an incredible converstion about the atonement and of course was more than thrilled to learn more from the missionaries. Just saw him again yesterday he came into the VC, shared another incredible experience and he is getting baptized!! And his countenance is SOOO different already. He has had a dramatic change and it makes every single hard part of the mission completely worth it. He was just glowing it was unreal. Ugh you jjust gotta meet him. I am comforted this week that God will place people in our paths that we are meant to meet. If we miss a subtle prompting, he makes it happen. For example, We're riding our bikes and Hermana Shannon runs into the fence and falls over. It was funny to the point that we almost missed the latin workers in construction inside the fence. We talked to them, got their info set an appointment, no big deal. But he (Juio) is one of the elect we have been looking for! And I don't know if we would have any other way found him. But it all worked out cause God is just sooo good at what He does. He said he used to meet with missionaries but they just disappeared and now he has this sincere desire to learn. He wants to meet with us every day and he says "I'm so sorry if I am being a pain, but ocould you come tomorrow too?" jaja he is soo good. He is preparing to be baptozed the 4th of december :) Keep him in your prayers. He just keeps talking about how he feels every word we say is as if it's coming from Jesus Christ, it's really cool to see how people can recognize that although we are weak, that we are representatives of Jesus Christ. And he keeps saying how it wasn't chance that Hermana Shannon ran into the fence jaja. Shirley got baptized this past SUnday and it was the most beautiful thing I have every seen!!!!!! oh my word. She was just GLOWING! and she couldn't stop talking about how she wants to serve a mission and get married in the temple. And there were like 80 people there, it was amazing to see the ward step up and support. Soo we had intercambios this week and maybe I rode my bike past the railraod tracks and the train went by and I lost my comp (for the day) for like 10 min. I was running up and down the streets screaming her name. It was funny. Okay anyway I love you all so much. Your lives are way too exciting it thrills me that you are being so blessed<<33333333 MWUAH!

11/02

Did Sara happen to have her baby today? I feel like she did! I know that would be early, but Luke is anxious. And oh my word, I can not believe all the crazy tragedies turning out to be miracles happening in the family right now, with the roll over car accident, Uncle Frank's heart attack, Britt have a big glass fall over her head? I need that one better explained to me. WOW Just know you are all in my prayers ALWAYS! Also fasting for Frank here. That's so crazy. How is Aunt Carolyn coping? Will he not need a transplant anymore? Wow, he will be in every one of my prayers.

This week was filled with miracles over here too. It almost got funny the end of the weekend to have the less active who hasn't been to church since he was baptized in his country come to church with his whole nonmember family, or to have emerson who hasn't talked to us in weeks call us cause he was at the VC and wanted us to come teach him. He fasted with us yesterday to find a new job so that he can come to church Sundays and get baptized on Nov 20th (Latinos are NEVER willing to look for another job, that's a miracle), or when we just met the most golden people ever!!! Seriously, it was funny. I was just in shock at how miraculous this last week has been. I have been praying to find this certain elegido that for the past 2 transfers I just feel like there was someone out there who was SO READY and we finally found her this past week. Her name is Patricia (MOM!) and she is no less than GOLDEN. She ate up every word of the lesson and the day after we met her already talked to her boss so she will never have to work on Sundays. When we invited her to be baptized the 20th is what kept coming to my mind, and she said, "That's my birthday!" and she thought it was so inspired haha and will no doubt be baptized on that day. And SHIRLEY is getting baptized this weekend! Por fin! She is so excited. Oh ps Halloween is THE BEST here. It's creepy and it's just like in the movies. The cute cottagey houses with trees everywhere, poorly lit streets, dead leaves all over the place. We had to be in by 6:30 so we got pizza. Twas fun. I just love this whole mission thing. Way too much. A sister this week told me the amount I love it is annoying. WOOPS. Sorry. I love you all and I miss you so. Plz be :) n safe olwayZ

Tawn- yes we only teach Hispanos so we only speak Spanish and both at da VC, and we run every morning and ride our bikes every day, so yes we exercise and I should  have a rockin body but I don't. And yes I love you so much and miss you and I am happy you finally wrote me. And I hope you had da best birthday. I will write you segun tus experiencias. <3 u SO!

10/26/2011

I HAVE 0 0 0 TIEM BUT I JUST WANTED TO TELL YOU I LOVE YOU ALL. Whao caps. Remember how Bear's baby shower is the cutest thing I have ever seen?!!!!!! AHH I can't believe I was not at Bear's baby shower nor bridal shower nor will I be at Britt's. Maybe that makes me want to cry. But I just so happy that my familee has so y babies!!!!!!!

I do not have any tiiime but this week was rough. SO GOOD but rough too just cause Eliana. We had this huge latino festival in the VC and it was heaven for me. Dancing and tons of musica latina and I just have come to find my latin roots. I am convinced that part of me is latin cause there is no way I could enjoy and love it so much if it weren't the case. Anyway and one of the 70 came that just spoke in conference (Alonzo) and Eliana went up to him and was like "I am getting baptized Saturday!!" and she was inviting her whole family and we bought her invitations and everything was set. Baptismal dates falling through isn't super out of the norm, but when they are this set it is the most depressing thing ever when they let the adversary get to them just days before. It is a long story but it ended up with her storming out of our lesson and just being really weird. No time mas but we really did see so many miracles this week and found 10 new investigators even though we have planned appts every second, but God makes it work! And we found families and yeah... it was great. And Juan and Jose are SO GOOD they just love reading and learning and they both are progressing towards baptism. Shirley as well is getting baptized next Sunday. Little milagro- even though things aren't currently working out with ELiana, we were meant to find her to find ANGELICA! She is so golden. Her son died and we taught her the plan of salvation and it was really powerful. She is really great. When we invited her to be baptized (you always first get a ohh I am catolic o OO I was already baptized and then you solve the duda) and she said "OHH How do I get baptzed!?" haha. SHe is good. OKay no time love you all so much please keep receiveing blessings!!!!!!

10/20/2011

Oh how I miss you all. I am dying because this Saturday is Bears baby shower and I just want to be there SO BAD, UGH! I bet it will be the cutest thing in the world like her wedding. Can you please take 783 pictures and send them all to me? PLEASE? And... HAPPY BIRTHDAYYYY!!!! TO Lindsay, Hector, Britt, and Tawn. I hope your package gets there before the shower and before your birfdays. It's really lame I had to put it together in like 5 seconds cause that element of time is non existent in the mission. and I just have been waiting for the news of Britt's pregnancy for 7 years and I just WISH I WAS THERE TO participate in the JOY!!! ahhh. I can't imagine how much you guys are just lovin your lives right now. Kind of like on Father of the Bride part 2 when they just hang out and have fun being pregnant together. Is that how it is? DO YOU LOVE IT!? I Just so happy for you all!!!!!:::::::))))))))))

BUT as trunky as I may sound, I am seriously loving it over here. I love love love love it. I love bikes. I can not get over how BEAUTIFUL it is. Las ojas estan cambiando. We get to ride our bikes through the pleasant weather with beautiful colorful trees everywhere, to go to appointments with the most amazing legit people ever, to speak el idioma de los cielos. I love my comp. I love that my family is getting blessed!!!!!!!!!!! It's the best. I love ELiana and I love that yesterday she told us she finally wants to get baptized! She is just like my mom. She was on the phone yesterday and said, "Why don't you come over and put your feet in some hott water?" while in the background is the Christian channel talking about natural health cures. MOM!? She gave me 14 karat gold CROSS earrings and I laughed and then got really confused what I should do about that. Anyway so we have been fasting and praying lik crazy for her, with the specific intent that she would not only feel comfortable being baptized, but WANT it. And yesterday, someone called her during our appt. and she goes "ooo I am getting baptized you must come I am buying cake blah blah blah, and then you hear her say, nooo ME QUIERO BAUTIZAR!!!"" It was an EXACT answer to prayers. She even gave up coffee which she used to drink multiple times a day!!! And Shirley is just so excited for her baptism inviting everyone and her mom is getting baptized too! And it's all super fijada. I am just really excited. AND STEVE AND JOSE AND JANETTE ARE THE BEST!!! (Steve, if you are reading this, HI! And get baptized! It's fun!) - Steve informed me that he found my blog and read about he is investigating. SO maybe I should be careful what I write haha. So this week has just been super great. And Jose and and Juan my favs ever accepted bdates and are just the cutest happiest people. We are just so busy and I love it. We have four appointments tonight at 6 when pday is over. Not sure how that is going to work. We had 2 planned so we were going to do intercambios, but we got a message that a family is feeding us at 6 and another from Jose where he says "Hello Sisters, I want to learn about this chapted I read in Alma 40 you left me, I will be at the Visitor's Center tomorrow at 6"- JA! I love those little milagritos. Oh and every day this past week I've gotten self referrals in the VC! We just are getting the most golden people coming in. On Saturday there were 1300 people just in the first few hours and of everyone there I felt like talking to a young man who looked very mormon? I evenran to the back to find him cause I felt like I should for some reason. Turns out, not a member and searching for truth. Upperboxed right there and said he is looking forward to learning more. We had a big fireside with the former Treasurer like of America come in and I had to translate for her! It was so scary. But it went well. And to answer your questions mom, yes sometimes we eat weird food, but it's latino so it's all good. And actually since we are on bike and have been so busy we haven't had time to have member meals. So we just grab very simple foods on the run. Last night though we didn't ahve time for dinner after VC so we ran out and said a little prayer in my head that someone would feed us. All three of our appts had like big meals ready for us soo my prayer was a little too answered. Okay please be so happy dis week, have babies and love your life cause this is just so exciting!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! You are all in my prayers all de time

PS WOW!!!! I can't not believe about the accident!!!! And that they are all okay!!! ahh wow that's so scary. I am so so happy everything is fine. I love that little family. That is no less than a MIRACLE

10/13/2011

I literally have 5 minutes to write cause I think you all felt bad for not writing me for 3 WEEKS and others too so I had to respond. BUT CAN I JUST SAY THAT I AM SO HAPPY YOU GUYS ARE ALL BEING SO BLESSED RIGHT NOW!!!! WITH BABIES!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I so happy! this will come in a later letter

Things are SO GOOD. SO OVERWHELMING. I have never been so tired in my life!!! It's a great tired though. We ride our bikes so fast appointment to appointment to VC and have no time for absolutely anything else (we even just have to take a sandwich with us for meals) and just crash at night. I love it! Shirley finally chose her bdate and she is SO EXCITED and so solid. AND she is planninh on going on a mission. ANd her mom is not only finally on board now, she is fasting today to know what day she should get baptized. They are great. SO remember the Pakistan man that everyone told me not to worry about cause he is in the middle east? DOn't even worry, just emailed me and told me he met with MISSIONARIES in PAKISTAN and wants to get baptized!! YES! The best part about this mission is you get to take part in the fulfilling of prophecy and help open up countries! There were so many miracles this week but I have no time, so here is a quick one. Man comes into the VC. Russian, atheist. No one was talking to him cause he appeared to just be a member wandering on his own, but he was proactive and came up to me and started talking about how everything is explained without a God. He is a scientist, super intelligent physisist and he said he had no intentions o changing. We had the most incredible conversation and the spirit was so strong, I wish I could tell you all about it, but the conversation resulted in him asking for the directions to the church building, requestin to meet the missioonaries asap because he now feels that there is more and wants to learn all about it. It was evident he felt the spirit SO STRONG and I just am so amazed by how good God is at what He does! One HUGE principle I have learned on my mission is that even though God does not have the power to take away our agency, he has the power to soften a heart. I never fully understood that until now and honestly of all the miracles, changes of hearts are my FAV! Well love you all so much sorry for being high maintenance the weather is better now but it will get colder again soon so I appreciate yor concern and willingness to help! Sorry I am so high maintenance. I just like my family so much I get so excited all week to hear from dem. PS there is nothing more beautiful on the face of the planet than DC/Maryland in the fall. It's very heavenly to me. I need to send you pictures I have never seen like colors and trees and stuff? just palm trees. K LOVE YOU!

10/05/2011

FAMILIA!

I thought the "forget your daughter/sister exists" comes after like a year not 6 months! But it's okay... I still love you. I am just worried. Just send me even a little email that says "we're alive" and I will be totally happy with that! Thanks:) And I don't know if you sent that package with the tape (so maybe I look for it every day cause I am so excited to hear your voices), but I am totally content with that for a time :) I just need to hear WHAT HAPPENED WITH BRITT, I am SO CURIOUS! ANd Luke is due like any week and I am so excited and want to hear how everything iz wif dat.

This week was good. I will be honest I am so overwhelmed! I just feel bad for my poor lil babe (I actually hate the mother/daughter lingo cause I find it degrading so I don't use it)- but I just am still really clueless about a lot of things. Our new DL added all these key indicator numbers that we have never counted before and it made me feel imcompetent that I didn't know what  they were and then Hna Shannon I bet was thinking "WOW why are they letting HER train" - JA. But it's okay. She is is like the SWEETEST and I really love her and we have lotz of fun and drink hot chocolate. Cause it's like 5 degrees. For real. It is so cold I can't bare it! And we still ride bikes in it! Today it was better though. But we don't have a heater so we always do our studies (when we get them) in like 5 blankets and huge jackets and gloves and beanies. I feel like CC and Hilary in Beaches. I hate to be a pain in this clearly hectic time, but if I have any long sleeve shirts or jackets or winter clothes laying around, can you send them to me? If not, that's fine. I  have a big jacket and they have some good winter coats here, but I need more to layer with is all. ANyway this week was good! Habia muchas investigadores that came to conference! It was INCREDIBLE to see how perfectly some of the talks applied to the investigators and how inspired it was that certain investigators came to certain sessions and needed to hear exactly what was spoken. They are truly inpired men! Benny and Shirley were like "I learned that we should refer to ourselves as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, not mormons" Yeah- they call themselves members, but won't get baptized! I actually think SHirley will be baptized in a couple of weeks. She is ready and has a solid testimony. We also had a miracle with the Sahonero familia. Sister missionaries have been working with this family for years and yearrrsss cause the wife is a less active. But they have never in any way progressed. They just are a really fun and nice family but never come to church or are willing to commit. We had a lesson and sister Shannon committed them to be baptized and they actually really pondered and very seriously looked us in the eyes and said "yes" - but of course we have the doubt to work through. He says, "when I get baptized my whole family will and my life will change, so it will take a while" Luis and Eliana came to the baptism this past weekend and were asking about baptism the whole time and are poco a poco overcoming their doubts. So this whole mission thing requires a TON of patience cause all of thesepeople are SO SOLID and READY but they have this silly little duditas it's so ridiculous. BUT. they will be baptized and SUPER solid members. NO DOUBT. We also found some super golden people to teach this week and the way we found them was miraculous! One we invited on the street to come to conference and he actually came! Unfortunately we were in VC so it was in English and I just had to translate for him.AND I am SO STOKED cause we are teaching a bunch of Brazilians! They are sweet and I am practicing portuguese. We have no problem communicating though (except for on the phone) when I speak Spanish and they speak Port so we'll see if I actually learn any. Anyway pray for them. By name. It works. PLEASE! You are all in my prayers I love you so. Please tell me how you are doing. LOVE YOU! 

9/28/2011

FAMILLEE!!!

Oh how I miss you. WHAT IS HAPPENING!!?? What happened with Britt... I need to know ASAP!!! How huge is Bear? Is she about to pop? Tawn are you in school working? I don't even know! MOM what's new wif you? I miss you all soooo. So this week has been no less than interesting. You will never guess... Di la luz!!! Like da bear. I got a message from the mission president that says, "Sister Allen, it's President Matsumori (He is really great, but has a really deep american business man intimidating voice!) - If you have appointments Monday at 10, cancel em. I need an hour and a half with you. This was Saturday. So I didn't sleep Saturday nor Sunday. I was soo preoccupied every thought crossed my mind. "My whole family died and he wants to tell me in person" or "They are switching me to English program" - I had resorted that they were switching me to English. Turns out, I am training::)) I AM SO EXCITED :) BUT SO NERVOUS!!! I didn't expect it AT ALL cause I have 3 transfers and the first day of my mission the pres said that training is not a right in this mission. Not everyone will get to and it usually comes at the end. And I hope it doesn't sound like I am boasting cause obviously it's because the average mission age has lowered I just want to express what a SHOCK this was to me cause there were still some older sisters so I thought there was more time to like not know what I'm doing! But I know God qualifies whom He calls sooo let's hope I don't ruin her mission. But her name is Sister Shannon and she is the sweetest nicest girl from Utah so I am super excited. I have a feeling I will learn alot from her. Everything in the area is great we have 7 people on date so I just hope and pray that they can each overcome their duditas and seguir adelante. Quick milagrito. So we met a friend of Luis 2 transfers ago named Shadreck, who is IMPOSSIBLE. He was the most intense, degrading bible basher I had met. We saw him again last transfer and he made Sis Marcy cry cause he was so mean to her! And she, like me, doesn't cry. Like.. it was bad. But we still left him with the Book of Mormon and told him that he couldn't know  unless he read it. That a spiritual conviction would surpass any of his evidential claims. One day we were on our way to Luis' and we decided to pray that Shadreck wouldn't be there. Well God quickly chastened us and made His will known because he was there. BUT let me just testify to whoever might be reading this that the Book of Mormon changes lives. I have taken t his book for granted my entire life and I am finally IN LOVE with it. Anyway, but he looked us in the eyes and says, "I am SO sorry about last time. Iread this book and it is really beautiful. I want to hear what you have to say"- WHAT! Let me tell you, of all  miracles there is nothing more miraculous to me than to see a change of heart. Because I think that can be more difficult than even defying science or walking on water. Changing a heart is MIRACULOUS. SO he wasn't in the area and the elders started working with  him. I guess he already associates himself as a mormon and has given up a TON to move forward. So he came to the VC this past week and we gave him a tour and invited him to be baptized. He still is really rough on the edges and was like "I do thangs my own way!" - but I guess he had a dream have 2 noches that Luis (our struggling investiagor who is now the hard one) was stabbing him with a sword and Hermana Marcy and I were protecting him with our mujerdocio (haha apostate) so who knows really where this dream came from, but to him it was enough! So much more happened this week, but I am out of time. Just know I love you all and pray for you every second of every day. Please be happy and safe and so so happy all de tym. <3 <3 <3

Hermana Allen

9/22/2011

Hola Familiaaaa!!! Les extrano muchisimo!!!!

How is everything? When do we know about Britt?!!!!!!!!! I am dying! When is Luke due? !!!!!! Tawn I am having a bunch of elders write you cause you are so pretty if that's ok. Mom how's VIDA!? I miss you all!

This week was good! SO craziest thing. This man named Johnathan came into the VC 2 weeks ago Sunday. He was GOLDEN. I took him on a temple "tour" (Although it's really a tour) He was crying cause he felt the spirit so strong and he just was glowing and said he wanted to meet with missionaries and get baptized. So yeah I was like wow that's great blah blah blah I will call you in two weeks to make sure the missionaries got to you. Well before I even got around to calling him we had the "Why I believe" program Sunday and there were hundreds of people there. And he gave the closing prayer (In french!) and said I got baptized two hours agO!!! What!!! He took less than two weeks to get baptized! HE is so golden and now we are like bff we were so excited to see each other after! It was so great!! OTHER AMAZING news... So Enrique (our recent convert (right before I got to GP)) the one that moved back to Peru? 17 years old? Remember him? So we would work with him every lesson to work on being examples to his family so they can follow his example and join the true church. And he said "No my dad is Jehova's witness and my mom is really strong Catholic, it's impossible" So it's only been like a month and we just got news that he just baptized his ENTIRE FAMILY!!!! AHHH!! Isn't that so beautiful!? It just makes me so happy cause I just love him so much! It made me feel better since things in our area are struggling. Eliana keeps moving her bdate cause a new doubt arises. This last week it was "I can't give up my virgin mary!" But she really is progressing. and we are just best friends. She is so much like mom I just want you to meet her! Sometimes she even holds my hand when we walk haha. Then Luis had a dream about counterfeited money and thinks that God wasd trying to tell him Joseph Smith isn't really a prophet. JA. Pray for him. He still is progressing as well though. Always comes to church and reads and has a testimony. He just has some things to work through. Beni and Shirley can't contact. BUT Steve we finally saw him and his family last night and (his mom is less active) and his dad and him both accepted baptismal dates for the 23rd of Oct (for Tawn and Britt's bday). Then we found 2 GOLDEN people this past week. Alex was a potential we checked on and we thought he wasn't home but as we were leaving he said "SISTERS!" and he was laying on his hammock and we taught him a whole lesson asi, and he just agreed with every single doctrine and said he would be baptized the 9th of Oct if he receives an answer that it is true. THEN another GOLDEN man named Emerson we just met on the street, and he was a missionary in his church for 6 years and agreed to come to the VC that night. He really did come and just ate it all up. He felt the spirit so strong and said that if the Book of Mormon agrees with the bible, it's the word of God, and if it's the word of God he better get baptized by the right authority found in this church- and is praying about Oct 16th. SO even though we are dealing with some pruebas, we also have some milagros! God compensates us for every loss. And I am aware that someone forgot to take out a part in my last emaillll that was not supposed to be therreee, BUT I am in the humbling process and realize I can not cast out the mote in my brother's eye and not recognize the beam in mine. SO things are good. Transfers are this week. I love the mission. Even though it's been freezing and raining and I have to ride my bike in it- I actually love it. It's like the realization of my DREAM! PS I had to speak again in the big theatre the other night and it was scary. I still don't love speaking. I love you all so so so much you have no idea. Some of the sisters were talking about how their desire to write their family has lessened, and although I admire their focused nature, I am not as good and I still just as much love you guys and get excited to hear from you. LOVE YOU!

9/15/2011

FAMILIA!!!! Can I just sin and say I get homesick sometimes and miss you? Okay... glad I got that off my chest. I love you all and hope life is just oh so wonderful. I am emailing early cause we had fall sports day today. The whole mission gets together and we play Hero ball (it's like squittatch (NO CLUE HOW TO SPELL)- famous to the mission. We had tons of teams in their own colors and we dominated the whole thing! It was pretty sweet. Oh and I saw my cousin. Like Lori's nephew? We're franz. Anyway so this week was good! We found a myriad of new people to teach! ALonzo's family have always been like ANTI listen to us, but miraculously came in on our lesson with us this last time? And their hearts are opening a little bit at a time. She says "Soy catolico y no voy a cambiar!", pero cada vez, poco a poco, her heart opens a little more. Eliana is to be baptized this Sunday. We are going to see her tonight because she is stil kind of switching back in forth between this week and next week. I just want you guys to meet her so bad!! She is just this funny funny old lady who is so dramatic and sweet and hilarious. She reminds me of mom! Which is why I love her so much! Not the old part, just funny and sweet:) But she was one of those "Soy catolico y no voy a cambiar!", and welp, now she is getting baptized! So remember that woman I met outside of the temple the first day of my mission who was like "I need to get inside this building, I felt God tell me I need to come here and get a gift from God"- so we got her info and gave it to the missionaries? well she came to the VC and has been baptized! I have been praying to see the fruits of my labor a little more cause sometimes it's hard in the VC, but recently the fruits have been a little more prominent and evident! A couple days ago, another GOLDEN man came into the VC. I was already off shift and I tried to hand him off, but no one would take him so I made my comp impatiently wait as I gave this Pakistan (OF COURSE!) man a temple tour. And he said "How do I get in the temple?" and usually people say "Oh sorry it's just for members" - but really... that's only slightly the case. I always say, "OH yeah all are welcome! Just need to get baptized and prepare for a year and live worthily and then you can enter"- To this he said, "Okay... where do I start?" - he accepted a bdate for 2 weeks and it's sooo frustrating cause I have been working with him on the phone since, but the missionaries haven't visited him yet!! Sometimes it's hard putting your trust into a simple text message or email you send a referral to the missionaries. BUT he is SO golden! He said he just felt something pulling him to the VC that day! And he walked up to me like he was expecting a tour or like we knew each other already. That's why i couldn't give him up! There are some people that you just feel you knew them before this life. He was one of them. Another man who I am working with on the phone I feel that with. He just got out of jail and I read D&C 39:5-10 with him and it was written for him, now he wants to be baptized! ALSO I have been working with church headquarters to get the man in Pakistan (Naveed) baptized! I HAVE to send you his email you would cry at how beautiful his conversion process has been! And this past week he told me he was going to go to INDIA to meet with a man from the church, but is on bed rest cause he has Leukemia :( sad huh. But we still talk on the phone and he's great. And I am working on getting copies of the Book of Mormon to an ENTIRE ministry of this PRIEST in Pakistan who is interested! We met on chat and he doesn't know I am female so he calls me "Brother Kelly"- it's super cute. That's one AMAZING thing about this mission is we get to be part of fulfilling prophecy in that the work of God will go forth boldly nobly and independent until it has visited every country, swept every clime, and sounded in every ear. SO Pakistan is one of those countries being prepared to be opened right now. IT'S GREAT! This week was also on the rough side. Don't put this in the mass email, but I'm struggling with my comp alot. And the spirit can't be there when there is tension so we lost multiple of our bdates and I feel we are at fault. Even though they used thier agency. They are still getting baptized, but just not this week (Beny and Shirley) as planned. She says she needs to study it more. But Shirley was SO excited!!! :( It's just hard... I didn't realize how important comp unity is. So it's something that no matter if she changes or not, I just have to grow and learn patience. It's a process but it's coming! And I do love her she is great. OKay done let me know how everything is going!!! !Tell bear I have dream about her baby!!! AHHH!!!! And I want to know what's going on with all yall I have no idea!!! LUVVZZZ

 ps I need amber creson's address!!! and figure out deferra;l thing!! LOVE YOU!

9/08/2011

Familia!!!! Sooo remember how much I miss you? Cause I do. Alot. I got that sweetest package ever from Brittany and annoying facebook statuses from Bear (THE BEST!) and I just love tawn and my mom soo just know how happy it makes me and how much I love you. So I have 7 min..

This week has been amazing! Alonzo got baptized Sunday! And we messed EVERYTHING up. Everything that could go wrong, went wrong. I couldn't open the door to the font so I waded through the font that was being filled in my church clothes to trying to unlock it from the inside. But instead I cut myself and was bleeding everywhere and got it on the master program, which the copier was of course out of ink anyway. Then we forgot to set up all the food cause we were so preoccupied in finding transportation for our investagators. Then the joven we assigned to speak told us he doesn't speak Spanish?! So we turned off the water so we could fill more warm water right before it started, buttt forgot. And then we were so preoccupied we couldn't go over the words with Lino (who was baptizing him)- so he had to repeat it like 3 times and then the water was like up to his knees. I was so humiliated when they opened up the font and there was like no water. Then I guess we weren't clear enough on what to wear cause he came out in t shirt and jeans and a big cross, jaja. SO... lesson learned. I was so embarrassed and thinking about how I ruined the baptism that I missed the whole point. The ordinance was actually performed, and Alonzo made a sacred covenant with the Lord and will be eligible to enter His presence. I just get caught up in the little things I forget to look at the big picture. But that's really what it comes down to and I am SOO happy for him. He is so adorable I can't wait for you all to meet him! We thought Beni and SHirley (who were supposed to be baptized Sunday) dropped us cause they would NOT answer our calls for a week and a half. But Shirley shows up to church and says, "I know we were supposed to be baptized today, but my mom can't make it so can we do it next week?" WHAT! I was just so confused. We took her to fhe that night and she just lit up every time we talked about her baptism. She is so excited and SO GOOD! And there were some crazy miracles in the VC this past week. The most golden man I have ever met came in Sunday. I was taking him on a temple tour and before I even get around to asking if he wanted to meet with missionaries he says, "I want to be baptized"- and was crying cause he felt the sirit so strong. So he already met with the missionaries and they just informed me that he is getting bsaptized next Sunday! Then 2 others came in and pretty much begged me to self refer. One lady I was asking her friends if they knew anyone we could call and send a BOM and she said, "Um can I fill one of those out for me?" JA! That happened multiple times this past weekened. And I have been working with this man in Pakistan who sent me the most beautiful email ever! I just had sent him a link to the BOM the day before and he emailed me and said, "I have read the whole first book of Nephi and I believe this is the word of God"- he wants to be baptized, but there are no chapels in Pakistan. So I have been calling people all over the world to work something out for him. I have investigators in Lithuania, Africa, Germany, 2 in Pakistan, Turkey. It's pretty sweet. I like don't have to do anything cause these peopel are just so prepared. So I am out of time, but I love you all and want to hear all yo stories! PS I was bed ridden yesterday with stomach flu and still don't feel very good. So mom I wanted you to know I am going to drink asea.... yeah... thanks for dat! LOVE YOU! 

PS sorry I was going to send pics, but I forgot my camera in the apartment :( I will next week. 

8/30/2011

Familia! No tengo mucho tiempo! But we get an early pday this week due to some sceduling changes. But how izz Mesa?! And Shay's wedding was this past weekend right? How was that? Tawn I heard you went SKY DIVING!!!! IS IT NOT THE BEST!!! ugh, so jeal. I want to  hear about it! And baby lukesy and how he is doinggg!!! I am still struggling comprehending that that Sara is really pregnant? I want to hear every fing! I miss you all ALOT. But of course love it here. We had some pretty cool miracles these past couple of days. So first off, Alonzo was going to get baptized this past Sunday, but then there was like a hurricane so they cancelled church and we were all stuck in our apartments for part of the day without electricity. PLus he had his test. But he crazy thing is when we first invited him to be baptized hace algunas weeks he was too preoccupied with his citizenship test  that was coming up (yesterday)- so we promised we would help him practice and felt prompted to PROMISE him that if he put God first that he would pass his test. We very shortly later regretted that promise as we went over the book of 100 questions only to hear him respond "four july seven seven eight" - to every question. don't get me wrong, it's the most adorable thing ever. But he was in a coma for 2 months recently and just can't retain anything at all. It makes it hard to teach him cause although he agreed to be baptized we're not sure if he 100% gets it all. Anyway, but we passed by his house yesterday really nervous to see how he did. Hegot... 100%... on his test...like... what? HOW? I don't know... but God is good, That is no less than a miracle. So he said he feels really tranquilo about his baptism this Sunday and it;s all set up!!! Another amazing experience. We passed by this part member family the other day. The mom is technically a member but extrememly innactive and hardly associates with the churches, but the older daughters are all very active and have been praying for their  bro Steven, 22, to accept the gospel his WHOLE life. So we have been meeting with him and his sisters this past week who are just so excited that they drive from other states just to be in on the lessons. And they always cry and say "you have no idea how long we have been waiting for this"- I guess they have tried and tried and finally he is ready! He accepted a baptismal date for the 25th. We are so excited for him and he is just about the sweetest most tender guy you'll ever meet! It just gives me hope for certain people that you very patiently wait for and think they'll never accept it, because one day THEY WILL! Eliana, the Chilean fromthe earthquake story, also accepted a baptismal date! She is SO GREAT and extremely funny. While we were relating the first vision to her we had to hold back from laughing. After every word she had some sort of dramatic gesture. "Vi una columna de luz, mas brillante que el sol" - "NO! NO MAS BRILLANTE QUE EL SOL. NO ME DIGA!! WOW!!!" "directatemente arriba de mi cabeza" "SU CABEZA!!! NO! QUE INCREIBLE!!!!" - it's good she is ready though! I'm excited for you to one day meet her. Luis is struggling, but also progressing. He will get baptized, but I just don't know when. I have never met such a confused worried man in my life! But he has some pretty miraculous experiences and just needs to act on it. He had the tree of life dream like to a T and then recently had another dream about una "Senda angosta" which were his EXACT words and the EXACT words used in the scriptures. He said he needed to enter a door, but was too afraid to open it. Baptism? The church is so true! And he knows it! Ugh.. just pray for him. Beny and Shirley are on date for this Saturday as well. Pray for them! Well family I love you so! Please tell me all about your vidas!

8/25/2011

Okay so we had the COOLEST miracles this week I don't even know where to start!! AHHHH. Okay so like 5 weeks ago we got a referral from a Jehova's witness. Which is a miracle in itself if you know any JW. And she was just like "I am saved hunny, but here's my friends number"- so we call her. No answer and we forget. So inspired though cause we were met to see this lady when and where we did at the exact moment we did. So we went to this international market and saw the Jehova's Witness AGAIN and she was like "what the heck, why did you only call her twice, call her again" - so we did and she was so excited so we set an appt and went to see her Tuesday. So she is like this viejita who lives in an assisted living center with a bunch of other elderly chileans. Which was random because mostly everyone is from Cental America. And then I felt weird and thought (no one will believe me, but whatever) "I bet there is going to be an earthquake" - so we go inside this lady;s apartment and then there was like... an earthquake. A real one! This poor woman was in the earthquake hace 2 years in Chile and seriously was about to  have a heart attack. She was crying and screaming "TERREMOTO!" and banging on the walls (although it was massively destructive even the Chileans said it was quite big, 6.0 according to the mission pres, so she had reason)- and so we grab these old ladies during the earthquake and walk them very slowly (their old and immobile) down 5 flights of stairs. Obviously by the time we were about one down it stopped. It was like a movie! I am not going to lie I was scared cause we were high up. But anyway the miracle is we go down stairs with all these terrified Chilean (and GHANAIN!!) anzianos. And we gathered them and prayed with them and calmed them all down and read them scriptures and found some of the most golden people I have met on my mission. We got sooo many return appointments and I just knew we had to be there at the very moment we were there, not 5 weeks ago, but at that moment. Cause A. that woman would have DIED she was like hypervhenalating (sp?) and we had to meet all those people because we can't knock at this center and wouldn't have met them any other way. I just wish you could have seen it it was so great! The weather really helped us out this week. We had twosuper intense storm and were able to teach the other stranded people and keep Shirley and Beni a little longer to teach them. We started to leave and Angel Moroni got struck by lightning and then there was like this hurricane looking storm outside. But we would have been driving in it (because the hurricane looking storm started a couple min after the lightning) if it weren't struck as we were walking out. And yeah the AP's called and said to be prepared for a hurricane Saturday, but I doubt it will get to us or be too intense. Anyway updates on the bdates: Alonzo has his citizenship test this week so will be getting baotized next Sunday, Shirley seems ready and excited to be baptized next Sunday, but her mom it seems like might take a little more time. Luis is REALLY struggling... that is a completely nother (?) story, Lorena very hard to get a hold of pray for her, We got two more this past week with La familia Vargas (but there's is muy complicado) and Henrey!! He accepted a bdate after our first lesson in the Vc on his birthday. So cute. Anyway sorry these stories are really all over the place I just am out of time and have to send it right right now. Love you all so :)

8/18 again

Hola familia!!! Sooo my prayers were answered an I am staying in Garret Park!!! I am so excited because this is area is actually really challenging so we worked sooooo hard this past transfer and dealt wh a lot of discouragement, but it paid off cause we currently have 6 really sold baptismal dates which is really rare for this area so I did NOT want to leave my pepes cause I love them so so much. AND I got the best comp ever! Her name is Hermana Marcy and we were in the MTC at the same time so just really have a lot of the same goals and mindsets. I had noooo idea missionary work was so controled by differing opinions and it can really impede the work. But she is super hard working so I am excited. And she actually likes to run with me in the morning to the temple in the forest and then she made me chocolate chip pancakes this morning!? I feel like on errand of angels when she has that super awesomecomp. The only thing is we are both young (mission young) and now the pressure is on that I have to know everything. I have to be able to understand every word of the lessons. I have to know every person in the ward and their schedules and how to navigate the entire area (cause I stayed and she came to me)- and I mess up... it's not just that I do poorly on a test,but someone's SALVATION is at stake! It's a huge burden just cause I am still learning. BUT I am excited and up for the challenge. So I have no time, but I will share a couple of quick miracles...

So this might be really weird, but since I have noticed that specific prayers are actually like.. answered.. I pray for really specific things. And its can't be like "bless Luis will get baptized" cause even God can't take away a person's agency. So I pray for experiences that I know they will use to agency to choose to be baptized. So I have been praying for our investigators to have dreams, because latinos always act on their dreams. So this past week one of our SOLID bdates shirley was impossible to get a hold of. We called like 3 times a day and stopped by their house and we knew they were avoiding us which was devastating cause they were sooo golden. Then Sunday we all freaked out when her mom answered the phone... but only to reject us very coldly and hang up. We wanted to cry. And then we get a message like 5 min before church that said "come get me for church I'lbe waiting outside"- then she told us that she had had a dream that her friend came to her and said "you need to go to church" and she remembered that after she hung up on us. So her and her daughter came to all of church nd then we gave them a tour at the visitor's center and they both very willingly accepted bdates for the 4th and we went to a baptism with them and the whole time were saying, "Oh I want these treats at my baptisms, oh I want her  play the violin at my baptism"- it seriously was soo miraculous! And then Luis had pretty much the same exact dream as the tree of life. We showed him and related it to baptism and since he is freaking out about falling after his baptism (next week!) we were able to comfort him in showing him how the people were able to stay on track by holding to the rod, or the word of God. Since then he has been reading like 5 chapters a day in the scriptures even though he is super busy. It's just super miraculous to see how A. God cares for each of His children, B. answers specific prayers and... I actually have to go... LOVE YOU ALL SO  MUCH KEEP HAVING REALLY AWESOME LIVES!!!!

8/18/2011

oh my familia... there is SO MANY exciting things going on back at home I can't take it all in. You are supposed to sit around until I get home and have all these exciting things happen when I get home!!! No I am the most happy for all of you and will write each of individual letters of joy cause I need to hear details of all this craziness Matt coming home and Andrew and all that fun stuff too. Let me know how dat goes!

SO this week was much better than last until the last two days. Ivon got baptized Sunday!!! it was soooo bonito he had such a light in his face! Then I got a phone call at the VC of a woman from Mozambique that I have been working with on the phone and is just INCREDIBLE. She is a genius nurse but can't get a job and is like dying of poverty. Her husband literally slipped on a banana peel at work and died and she was stuck in an elevator for three days this past weekend. I was concerned that all the adversity would weaken her faith, but NO. She called me to let me know she is getting baptized Sunday and she is SO HAPPY! It was so great :) We found a huge houseful of latinos that we are working with and they are SO GREAT. Straight from Bolivia and this BEAUTIFUL 15 year old girl Shirley accepted a baptismal date for the 21st of August and they are simply GOLDEN! We had a lot of miracles with people calling us and asking if they could come have a lesson at the VC which is very rare for them to come to you. Mainly these jovenes that everyone was like "stop talking to the jovenes they aren't worth your time!" Well, along those lines. But one accepted a bdate and these young boys were calling us cause they wanted to learn more! And then Luis told us their facebook status said, "Just went to church for the first time in mfe" - haha dey loved it. Then the past two days were kinda horrible and I wanted to cry to find out Luis has an issue that we have to work out before he can be baptized. I have been so depressed about it cause he was FOR SURE getting baptized Sunday. We were filling out his baptismal record when he told us. So that was hard. But I know like Pres Monson encourages us to face discouragement with cheerfulness and triumph with humility. He is just so great and I have grown to love him so it's hard to see. And we just have had A LOT of people bail on our appointments the last couple days. It's really frustrating.It's just hard when you are willing to miss your meals and work SO HARD and to face so much rejection.
But asi es la vida de la mision! I know better than to complain. We see so many miracles as well so I feel blessed :)

Well I am out of time. I love you all so much and maybe I am a bad missionary and think about you all the time. Someone even had to tell me I wasn't focused enough cause I dream about you guys. Sorry I just kinda like you.. k BYE

8/4/11

SORRY- I know this one is out of order- looks like I missed a few:

8/4/11 

 Hola familia!!!

HI HI HI!!! WoW so many crazy thigns going back on home, but it makes me so happy you guys are being so blessed and have such happy exciting lives! A little jealous..just saying...

I will respond to each of your questions and exciting stories in your letter home today because I have ALOT to say about several things in your email and especially about SOME PICTURES I got of a little FRIEND in the mail!!! ::))))))

Also I can not believe that about Leesa! What a miracle that she is okay. I will pray and fast for her, please send her my love.


I have like 10 min. This week was great, very trying but great. This area is a lot harder. It's nicer so there are less latinos and the ones we do find are a little more hard hearted. BUT we still saw miracles. Yesterday LUIS finally accepted baptismal date for the 7th! And he is serious he didn't want to accept a date until he knew all the commandments and made sure he could keep them and stay strong. Still pray for him though. And we seriously are teaching the cutest old man ever named Alonzo. It's interesting to see how God really prepares these people in different ways. Alonzo was in an accident and in a coma for like 2 months and just recently woke up from it. His near death experience really prepared him and our first real lesson with him he accepted a baptismal date for the 7th!! He seems soo legit too. We called him like 10 min before church Sunday and he was like "YEAH I will come how do I get there!?" He dropped everything right then and came in his regular clothes and just soaked it all in. You know someone is legit if they come to church because people, even if they accept baptismal dates, have a really hard time coming to church for some reason! It can be so frustrating! So Britt, YOUR FRAN IS LEGITIMIA. K get this.. we went to visit Brenda (who it seems her family wil not let her get baptized on the 31st :( ) and there was a man named Carlos working there and he became our investigator. But when I called him he texted and said he would be out of town for 2 weeks. I jokingly said to my comps "OH perfect, 2 weeks of church there (required to baptized) will you get baptized the day you get back?" They told me actually to send it and I thought it was ridiculous, but I invited  him to be baptized via text message. I was so stressed about it. He called and left the SWEETEST message ever and was just like "I had to call you and thank you personally for that message. I would really like to talk to you about that" We are both trying to get a hold of each other since then and haven't been able to. Ijust think  it is so interesting where missionary work is going technologically. We get THE MOST PREPARED people vchat and incoming calls. You would  just cry talking to these people. I had a girl call yesterday who just reads the Book of Mormon for fun and didn't understand the three Kingdoms of Glory. Of course I explained and invited her to meet with the missionaries and she was so excited and was like "OF COURSE!"- I had someone call and ask if tI could make sure the missionaries get to his house THAT VERY NIGHT cause he believes everything. And I talked to another guy who called a year ago caus he watched a DVD and believed everything and no one ever came so he called again cause he wants to be aptized. It's seriously the coolest experience ever. We have some new investigators via chat as well from all over the world that are SO READY!!! I wish I could just tell you all about every single person I have been able to talk to... My eyes have been so opened to how many people really are ready. I am kind of ashamed at my past self for not talking with certain people.

Dayna and beep and ector- I loveth you! Beep I wrote you!! Did you not get it?! I write again k luv u luv u- Dayna n ector i wrote youask mom about it (wink emoticon)

Love you all hope all is well!!!

 

Another one from 8/4

oh my familia... there is SO MANY exciting things going on back at home I can't take it all in. You are supposed to sit around until I get home and have all these exciting things happen when I get home!!! No I am the most happy for all of you and will write each of individual letters of joy cause I need to hear details of all this craziness Matt coming home and Andrew and all that fun stuff too. Let me know how dat goes!

SO this week was much better than last until the last two days. Ivon got baptized Sunday!!! it was soooo bonito he had such a light in his face! Then I got a phone call at the VC of a woman from Mozambique that I have been working with on the phone and is just INCREDIBLE. She is a genius nurse but can't get a job and is like dying of poverty. Her husband literally slipped on a banana peel at work and died and she was stuck in an elevator for three days this past weekend. I was concerned that all the adversity would weaken her faith, but NO. She called me to let me know she is getting baptized Sunday and she is SO HAPPY! It was so great :) We found a huge houseful of latinos that we are working with and they are SO GREAT. Straight from Bolivia and this BEAUTIFUL 15 year old girl Shirley accepted a baptismal date for the 21st of August and they are simply GOLDEN! We had a lot of miracles with people calling us and asking if they could come have a lesson at the VC which is very rare for them to come to you. Mainly these jovenes that everyone was like "stop talking to the jovenes they aren't worth your time!" Well, along those lines. But one accepted a bdate and these young boys were calling us cause they wanted to learn more! And then Luis told us their facebook status said, "Just went to church for the first time in mfe" - haha dey loved it. Then the past two days were kinda horrible and I wanted to cry to find out Luis has an issue that we have to work out before he can be baptized. I have been so depressed about it cause he was FOR SURE getting baptized Sunday. We were filling out his baptismal record when he told us. So that was hard. But I know like Pres Monson encourages us to face discouragement with cheerfulness and triumph with humility. He is just so great and I have grown to love him so it's hard to see. And we just have had A LOT of people bail on our appointments the last couple days. It's really frustrating.It's just hard when you are willing to miss your meals and work SO HARD and to face so much rejection.
But asi es la vida de la mision! I know better than to complain. We see so many miracles as well so I feel blessed :)

Well I am out of time. I love you all so much and maybe I am a bad missionary and think about you all the time. Someone even had to tell me I wasn't focused enough cause I dream about you guys. Sorry I just kinda like you.. k BYE

8/11/2011

Querida Familia,

Halloooo! I am sure your lives are all as exciting as usual, but since I didn't hear from anyone, but Britt I don't have much to say on

This week was good! Luis and Alonzo accepted new b dates for the 28th de Agosto and they are actually progressing and coming to church and reading which is REALLY GOOD. I have had this phone investiagtor in Germany that I totally forgot existed and yesterday I was like, "Hm.. I should see how Jac is doing"- and I called him. come to find out he has been going to church and reading very faithfully! Which was great news. and several of our chat investigators were completely self motivated and have been going to church. I am just amazed by those who are self motivated. Usually we have to beg them to come to church which is kind of ironic since we are begging them to accept their own salvation? Alonzo is the cutest man you will ever meet in your life! He is like an old version of Hector who just got out of a coma and isn't completely all there. We are helping him study for his residence test so he doesn't get kicked out of America. Which is poor failing memory worries me, but it's really adorable when he says "consteetushun". i am so happy cause I have been praying to find families to teach my whole mission, but we very rarely find whole families who are wiing to listen. Maybe just one, or most moms are single moms and the men are just single men who live with their 1st 2nd 3rd 4th and 5th cousins and aunts and great aunts and their dogs. And I still hadn't taught a whole family! But we found three complete families to teach this week and they are SO GREAT :) Well one is particularly great- pray for Victoria and Jorge. Thanks :) Oh and oh my goodness this woman Lorena pray for her. AH SHE"S GREAT!!! She was sooo not interested immediately when we came she siad "I am Catholic, all my family are pastors don't bother, but you can clean my kitchen"- so we did and someone else in her ouse accepted a return appt so we came back he suddenlly he wasn't interested and she came down when we recited the first vision and she was crying quite a bit and in tears her exact words were, "WOW, me senti que eso es verdadero" - and she immediately started talking about how she wanted to make covenants in the temple?! If we weren't inhibited by the other guy bashing we would have invited her to be baptized. Tomorrow. K well, I somehow already ran out of time. But I hope all is well in Babylon... (wait... that might condemn me)- Love you all sooooo please writme and let me know wuzzz up!! Too many exciting things going on at home. Ps I have transfers this week and they stress me out cause I really want to stay in GP. But ok. it's ok. Love you!

Did any of yall see Matt since he been home? How was dat? Okay love you again!

7/27

HI FAMILIA!!!!

Is Tawn still in Haiti? I need to know! I heard baby baby today and I wanted to cry cause I miss my sister and I get nervous that she is in Haiti. So tell her I say... hi. I want to hear every detail about her experience

This week was.. honestly probably my hardest thus far. Really good, but wow... this area is rough. I don't know what could possibly happen to make an entire area so challenging! We had nearly every single appointment bail on us and we ride our bikes in the heat for quite a while to get there. Then of course we have backups and check on others. We had several people agree to meet with us, only to find out they are not in our area, or they are more comfortable with English, or whatever reason that we don't get to be the ones who teach them. And Alonzo, who is supposed to get baptized next SUnday is like MIA! I am so confused what is happening with the poor old man. I mean, he was just in a coma so is partially justified. But he'll be like "YEAH I'll come to church! 15 min before and doesn't come? Or yeah come over! And isn't there?- Just pray for him. He has a such a good heart and he wasn't even doubting getting baptized! BUT of course there is beautiful opposition in all things and that was very evident this week. Even those most everyone bailed on us, there is always the miracle in the day. The person that says "Pasen! (come in)" before you even introduce yourself. That actually happened a few times this past week and we found some great people. And my fav miracle of the week. One woman said "pasen" before we even said anything and we taught her all about the restoration of the church. And so we invited her 8 yr old son to read a scripture and she started to say that he can't, but he read anyways PERFECTLY. First off, it was SO dark in the room I could only recite memorized scirptures cause I couldn't read. So her jaw was dropped and she was in awe and said that he can't read at all without his glasses, and that he can't read in Spanish. She said "I know you are sent from God" and agreed to be baptized on the 14th of August! It was SO miraculous! Oh and her answer when we invited her to be baptized wasn't "mmm... tal vez" or "Si Dios quiere" (very common)- but "Claro!" which is like obviously! That made the strenous week vale la pena. Also when we went over the baptismal interview questions with Luis. AH FUE BONITA! He is SO ready and he is excited. We still meet with him like every two days and he works like all the time, but prefers to use his rest time studying and with us preparing for his baptism. I just want you to meet him so bad. I also had another amazing experience in the VC with a family from Mexico that came in and spent hours there cause they loved it so much and they ALL (they all live seperartely) very willingly upperboxed (agreed to meet with the missionaries) and will all get baptized no doubt. And they all just kept thanking me in the most sincere tone and wanted to get pictures of us together. One thing I actually do love about the VC is that you get to have your own investigators (that's actually new)- we teach alone and get to call them and teach them over the phone. It sounds selfish, but I love having people that are like MY PEOPLE that yuou don't have to share. Okay that sounds bad. you just have some really cool experiences at the VC teaching alone. Anyway, I love you all and have to go. Please update me on all yo vidas!

7/14

Dearest familia,

Rumor has it all of you are around the world and country. It makes me feel weird that no one is home and all your lives are so exciting and crazy..I want to play! Can we do this stuff together when I get home? Is that okay? Guess what, I actually go home in a year from like tomorrow. I sound super trunky right now, but I am just making you aware. And okay...maybe I miss you alot. LIKE ALOT.

but of course I love it here and everything is going great :) I am starting to adjust to the new area. My comps are great and latina which is always good and I love being on bikes in the dreadful heating going uphill for hours. I really do! Or riding in the pouring rain is super sweet. So I felt slightly discouraged our first day in the area. There was only one investigator on the wall and the goals were like a third of the goals from my last area. But I thought about it, and God's elegidos are in this area too. So I just prayed like crazy to build our pool this week and it went quite well. We found 8 new investigators last week and already 8 this week (starts Monday)- it's still hard cause there weren't many progressing when I got here so we're just starting from scratch, but hopefully some of them are legitimo and progress. Louis actually is. He is the best we meet with him like every 2 days and he comes to church and always brings his book of mormon and just is the cutest! He is super shy and doesn't open up a lot. But he shared an experience that he had a dream about his salvation and that he had to do certain things to have it which totally prepared him to meet us. Only problem is he won't accept a bdate! He wants to and knows its true, but he doesn't want to fall after being baptized. We have explained the sacrament and preserverar hasta el fin, but it has to come from him. He will though. And we met with the daughter of one of our investigators and she seriously accepted a baptismal date right away. She LOVES the message and she is only 13! Her dad is the sweetest man ever and we ran into him yesterday and he seems reluctant cause they are catolico. So pray that A. they will let her get baptized. and B. they will too! Thanks. It gets pretty discouraging that people will progress so far and just not get baptized. It eats at me all the time. this past week we visited a less active who used to be ward mission leader and hasn't been to church in a long time. He told us that he is sorry to say that it will  be a long time before he can turn back to the Lord cause  he is really bitter. So my heart lept when I saw him at church on Sunday. There is no better feeling to see someone overcome the most powerful enemy of pride and humble themselves before the Lord. And I had to speak at church AGAIN that same day. It was intimidating. And this ward is quite large and they are all so friendly I really do love them! So I never talk about miracles in the VC, but we really see them all the time. I have had the wonderful experience of taking non members on tours who upper box, which means they refer THEMSELVES to tmissionaries. GOLDEN!!! My fav experience was this last week. A Bolivian man and woman came in the other night and I figured out he wasn't a member so I started taking him on a Restoration tour (which can vary in resources). But the sSpirit prompted me in another direction to show them a talk by Thomas S Monson and to let them choose which one. They chose a talk on comfort in death. We continued on and they informed me that her fiance, his brother, just passed away at a young age. I showed him a kiosk of the spirit world and we all were crying, because I have been holding in all these emotions about dad lately, and of course cause I felt for them. He had not the slightest doubt it was true. He kept asking, "Did Jose (the brother) know about this?"- And the fiance explained to him that he had and believed it and it brought him so much comfort. we became the best of friends. he wants me to come stay with his family in Bolivia after my mission haha. I have seen the most incredible miracles in the VC as well even though I never talk about it. I still am not yet IN LOVE with being a VC sister, but it will come I am sure. I am humbled every time someone comes in just out of pure curiosity and they want to learn more and meet with the missionaries. I got a WHITE family the other day that all upper boxed! They were so GREAT! And this guy who came in just to see the art work and he was interested with the fact the Christ visited his people in the Americas after his resurrection and wanted to learn more. Some other really cool experiences.

Okay I am out of time. Just know I love and pray for you ALL THE TIME. I am jealous that your lives are so cool and super eventful