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!