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!!!!!!!!!!!!