August 27, 2014

Hello familia y amigos!!!!!!! How is it going??

Wow seems like forever since I've been on here, ha its been a whole 9 days. I'm sure so many things have happened so we will see if I remember it all. I'm also kind of running out of time.. Whoops!

Okay we will start with my new companion, Seour Gaell-Morgan Calves from Bretagne, France! I love her so much! Oh my goodness, she is just the sweetest!!!! She is just so excited about everything. She is always happy and just wants to work. It's great :) 

We moved into a new apartment this week, or casita/guest house/mother-in-law/whatever you want to call it. Here in Southern Utah they call them casitas. Anyways, it is sooo nice! The family we live with, The Parrishs, own 10 of the McDonald's here in St.G so to say the least they are pretty well off. So we are spoiled. Did I mention our bathtub has jets?? 

Anyways, Eric got baptized on Saturday!!!!!!!!! Aw so excited!! He just makes me so happy! He changed so much from the first day I met him to his baptism date (7 weeks). His heart was so extremely softened. He went from only wanting facts and proof to going off the spirit and feelings he felt. He is such an example to me of following the promptings we receive and letting them changes us! Unfortunately he moved to another stake here in St.G so he will have the after baptism lessons from other sisters. But that's okay, he is where he needs to be and doing what he needs to do.

Things have been kinda slow lately with lessons. School started 2 weeks ago and ever since it has been slow. Which is weird because you think people would buckle down but they haven't quite yet. But we were able to get in and see Dale and Immi. We saw him last Sunday night, so my last when I was still with Sister Hokanson. At the end we go to give him a handshake and he pulls Sister Hokanson in for a hug but she didn't know what he was doing and so it ended up being this awkward side hug. Then he does the same to me and it ended up being like a "bro hug". As we are walking out he asked why Sister Hokansons hug was so weird and awkward and of course we explained to him that we can't hug males on our mission and he voice his opinion (like always haha) and talked about how weird that is. The next day he calls and I answer as Sister Hokanson is driving and he starts telling me how offended he was because she didn't properly hug him. He made some other weird and prideful comments and after we talked about it for 15 minutes we hang up. So when we go back to see him, now Sister Calves and I, we have to bro hug him. (Dont judge) but oh my gosh.. I have to say that was the weirdest experience of someone getting offended over. We taught him the Restoration the next time and he has lots of questions but still very open I feel... Anyways we will see with them. He has still gone to church every week since they moved here 2 months ago, except once. She has only come once because she likes the Baptist church but we will see.

Funny story: This week we went to one of our investigator families, the Arzates, and as we were talking to her on her porch this wasp flies up right behind me and the little boy freaks out. So the mom freaks out too and is like "come in, come in!" I"m trying to push Sister Calves in and telling her to go in and she says (in her cute accent) "Oh I know.." And she pulls out a Book of Mormon and hits it! Hahahahaha then it got up and started flying around again so we finally all run into the house. Afterwards we were talking about and I guess Sister Calves that we were telling the wasp to go 

in not her. Oh my gosh, it was so funny! #languagebarrierprobs

It flooded last night and it was so crazy! I also was on an exchange with one of my former copmanions, Sister Diaz! So fun!

Okay I'm sure there is more but I am out of time! Sorry, love you all! And have a great week!!!!!!!!!!

Picture directory:

- Transfer day craziness in the rain

- Sister Calves and I tracting

- Our landlord haha

- Driving haha self explanatory

~Sister Allen

881 S River Rd

St George, UT 84790

August 18, 2014- "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." -2 Nephi 5:27

Hello people that I love!!!!! How's it going??

Mission life is crazy and oh so amazing!!!!!!! Today marks day 1 of my last transfer! I can not believe it but can at the same time I can. I have thought a lot lately of my mission and of all the experiences I have had! Oh okay I need to stop getting all sappy but this week was soo sooo great and this week will be too!

Last Friday Mary (from my last area-Bloomington) got baptized!!!!!!!!!!! YAY! I was able to go to the baptism service and it was so great. She is hilarious! She is older and so kinda loosing it but nonetheless she was ready and prepared for baptism! She has been welcomed into the ward so great and awesome fellowshippers as well. There is a picture of us below and of course her dog, Tinkerbell is in it. She has to bring that dog everywhere. Except surprisingly never brought it to church but needed to have her watch her be baptized. As Mary came up out of the font, she said "Did Tinkerbell see!?" Hahahaha oh my goodness, it was so great!

Ok next exciting news- Remember George and Bonnie from Fredonia ?? THEY ARE GETTING SEALED THIS THURSDAY IN MANTI! And I got permission to gooooooo! Our senior couple in our stake, the Hensleys, are being so kind to drive us up there. I'm so stinking stoked. And Sister Hollander and her companion will meet us there!

Oh (tangent) that takes me to companions.... Transfer calls: Sister Hokanson is going up to Manti with Sister Pene. I will be staying in Washington Fields and Sister Calves will be my new companion. I am sad to have Sister Hokanson go and so far away but excited for Sister Calves!!!!!! This will be the first time that I will be companions with a sister that I actually know pretty well. We have served in the Visitors Center with each other before. She is from Brittany, France and has the cutest little French accent ever. Oh my gosh she is just so cute I'm excited!!!!!!!!! When President told Sister Hokanson and I we both just screamed on the phone. Haha! Sister Hokansons first area was Fountain Green which is not too far from Manti. We even guessed it because Manti was going to need a new STL up there. She is excited to go up north and to a small town again. 

More exciting news- Eric is getting baptized this Saturday, August 23rd!!!!!!!!!! AHHHHHHH! Yes we have seen him multiple times this week but the first time we followed up and we asked if he had talked to his family about being baptized. He said "No.... but I still want to set a date." We said "Okay so when are you thinking?" There was a pause... So I said "Eric we know that you are ready now...." Then he cut me off and was like "Woowww I'm not ready right now. How about anytime after next Wednesday?" Hahahahaha Sister Hokanson and I were in shock. Apparently Eric thought I meant like that day? Haha who knows? So yes this Saturday he will be baptized! We have already seen the adversary come in since he picked a date but he is so strong and so ready!!!! I'm so stoked!!!!!!!! Ekkkahahaha!

Oh my birthday was this week and it was so great! Thanks for all the birthday emails, letters, and cards. I appreciate it! My birthday was as great as it could have been. It started out with our Sisters Training Meeting (VC sisters meeting every week) at 7:30AM at the Jacob Hamblin home where we got a tour from a senior couple, the Dabbs. So then we can tell more people at the VC about going there for tours. Then we went straight to Zone Conference which we had a few trainings on faith and miracles and then a testimony meeting. It was so fun, there was 4 zones there so a lot of missionaries and sso i got to see so many peopple I love on my birthday. Then we just went out in the area and did normal missionary work but it was great. Had dinner with one of WMLs, the Maclellans, and they are so funny I love them. Their sense of humor reminds me of my family.

Ahhh okay there is probably so much more that happened but I have to go. Love you all!

Picture directory:
- Marys baptism!
- Face masks :)
- Next few pictures are from Zone Conference :)

~Sister Allen
881 S River Rd

St George, UT 84790

August 11, 2014

Hellllooooo, how is it going??

This week has been so eventful!!!!! And a week full of many emotions!

So this week I had my first MLC. It is a 6 hour long meeting with President and Sister Center and the other leaders in the mission. I was terrified for who knows why, I just get nervous. President at one point asked what I liked about a story in the scriptures and I just sat there because I honestly didn't know the story that well.. and so I told him I wasn't sure. I felt so stupid for not knowing this story better, because I know I've read it and even know what chapter it was in, but my mind was just blank. Anyways, I was called to repentance by the spirit because it was a huge slap in the face that I should know the scriptures more. So i'm working on it. My memory is just horrible but I have been writing more in my study journal so it should help me to remember more. Anyways, The trainings were really good though! One was on working with members and the other on the importance of the Book of Mormon in conversion. It was fantastic and always a good reminder of these things! We had to do part of the training the next day at Zone Meeting so I got to study these things even more. It was great! I'm grateful for this transfer because it has pushed me so much to be better.

We went on exchanges this week with the Kaibab sisters! And I was able to go and stay in Kanab!!!!!!! Ah it was amazing! Like I didn't realize how much I needed it, but it was so sooo good! I love Sister Davis and it was our second exchange so we were just alot more comfortable with each other this time around. But she is a fantastic sister! We got there at like 4pm and had a lesson than dinner with one of the Bishops there! It was so good to see him and his family and catch up. Then one of my RC lives across the street so we got to go see them- Sue and Jim! Ah it was amazing to see them and see how far they have come since I left 8 months ago! Then we had another lesson with someone I didn't know but then we went and visited the Robinsons!!!!!!!!! Ah it was just amazing! It was so good to see these people that are so dear to me. I didn't realize it until I got there how hard it has been for me with these last 2 transfers. Last transfer Sister Garcia and I white washed and then I was transferred to Washington Fields. Its been hard to start over 2 transfers in a row. Because you really cant get too close to people in that short time and you don't get to see people progress as much. But going to Kaibab and seeing these people really helped me. It brought back so much to my remembrance that was really good. And to see as well how much I have changed since I have been there. It is hard sometimes to see if we have changed just day by day but going there and thinking of all the times there just got me thinking alot. Anyways, I'm just rambling now but it was amazing! Kaibab will forever be my home :)

But I am loving Washington Fields though! We have transfer calls this Saturday and I am really hoping that I will stay, I don't want to start over for my last transfer, but of course whatever happens is meant to happen! God knows best right!

So we had a fantastic lesson last night with Eric! Oh my goodness he is so close to baptism!!!!!!!!!!! Bishop Thibault and his son (who just returned home from his mission last week) joined us as well. We taught tithing and fasting, which by the way he has already fasted 3 times!!!!! WHAT who does that before we have even taught about it!? But he does have a fantastic fellowshipper and just finished reading the Gospel Principles book so it doesn't surprise me coming from him! It was so funny, Bishops son would start to say "Well we invite you to..." and then he would be like oh my gosh I cant do this I'm not the missionary! hahahaha it was so funny! We told him to continue though because they were great commitments! Anyways, Bishop asked him if he had set a baptism date and then just opened it all up, it was perfect. Pretty much long story short, Eric wants to get baptized but wanted to know how many lessons were left. We told him 2 and then he said he will talk to his family (who are not too crazy about the church) and next lesson we will set a date. Ahh woohooooo we were freaking out! So ecstatic for him!!!!!!

We also picked up 3 new investigators this week!!!! The Arzate family! They are so cute! We have just met with them once so far so more details later on them.

I am running out of time as always, but know that I love you all! I hope you all have a great week!!!!!!!!!!!!

Picture directory:

- Sister Hokanson, Sister Vergara, and I at MLC

- Sister Leota and I at the VC

- Our sisters at Zone Meeting

~Sister Allen

881 S River Rd

St George, UT 84790

August 4, 2014- "..the sacred word of God, to which we owe all our happiness." -Alma 44

Hello everyone, how's it going??

Today is officially my parents last day of their mission!!!!! Insane right? I just can not believe where time has gone, but I am so grateful for this opportunity I have had to serve at the same time as them and to share all these experiences. It will be weird for them to be home and not missionaries, but at the same time it will be weird to go home and know that while I was gone they were missionaries. They left after me and will return home before me. Crazy!

Anyways, this week has flown by but at the same time some things seem like they were forever ago. For example, our interviews we had this week. We had interviews with President and Sister Center. I was nervous as always, and not feeling too well that day but they were really good actually!! I just love them so much!!!!!! Its kinda cool being at the tail end of my mission for one thing- that I am finally starting to feel comfortable around them and like we are just friends! I love them. I am maybe starting to feel excited for my first Missionary Leadership Council which is good because it's this week. I have realized so much lately about how we need to be a mission family! Its easy to go through our missions thinking of ourselves, our companionship, our maybe even our district but it just has hit me how much we need to be strengthened as a mission family. Maybe if we do that we can then be a church family. We talk about that but don't see it too much here. So I am excited for zone meeting this week and zone conference next week (on my birthday)!!!! I hope it pumps us up as a mission because it seems like everyone has been down lately.

On a good note- Eric has a testimony!!!!!!!!! YES Eric, our military, tough, no touchy feely investigator! We had a lesson with him the first part of this last week at the Visitors Center. We had him watch the Joseph Smith movie: the prophet of the Restoration. He told us afterwards that he didn't disagree with anything in that movie. Haha he's so funny. He always beats around he bushes when we ask questions like that. He likes facts and proof of things. Anyways,after we left we saw him like 2 blocks down just walking. We knew he had to be pondering on the things we had talked about! We then pulled over to pray for the great spirit we all felt and that he would be touched and recognize his answers. Then our next lesson he told us that he went on a walk after our lesson to ponder! (eeekkkk!) then he decided to walk around the temple!!! And that's when he told us he believes he has a testimony! He said its little but hey we got to start somewhere! Then the bishop texted us yesterday and said he got up and bore his testimony!!!!!!!!!!!! We are seeing him tonight and I am so excited to see where he is now. We having been slowly having him pray more specifically so tonight we are going to pray about a specific date to be baptized on. He has been slowly progressing but he is coming along :)

We picked up a new investigator this last week-Dale. He has gone to church the last 3 Sundays and paid his tithing all 3 times. Ya what the what!? Him and his wife, Immi, just moved here 1 month ago from Tennessee. A x-mission president and his wife in our area told us about them and had us go stop by. The first time we met Immi, she is Korean. We talked to her on their porch for maybe 5-10 minutes. They were baptist but looking around at churches here. She has gone to church just once so far. Anyways, Dale was sleeping at that time but we went back and met Dale Saturday. They both are liking it here so far and liked church but unfortunately she went to the baptist church yesterday. But funny- Dale came and he said he hopes she doesn't like the baptist church here and oped that they would have bad speakers. Haha anyways, they are super open and we are so exited! Hopefully we can pick up Immi as a new investigator as well. We did get her a Korean Book of Mormon so she was super excited for that! We shall see..

Funny story: So we came home one night and there was a ginormous spider on the wall right outside our door. It was terrifying oh my goodness! (There is a picture of it below) Anyways I didn't know what to do so I finally mustered up the courage to grab a basketball to throw at it. We had nothing else, okay!? So I threw it and I hit it perfectly and it just fell down dead! Ah God helped me with that one because I'm sure it wouldve attacked us if I didn't kill it the first time. Sister Hokanson got it on video so someday I will show it to you mom! Hahaha so funny! I think it was just preparing me for scorpions back home. Ugh anyways...

Sister Hokanson cut her finger this week and all we had was sticky notes. Hahaha she didn't think it would work but I convinced her that it would and it did! Hence the picture below!

Today we went to the temple and it was so good to go again. It had been like 3+ months since I had gone before. I love the temple!!!!! Just what I needed :)

Well I better get going but know that I love you!!!!!!!! Have a great week :)

~Sister Allen
881 S River Rd.
St George, UT 84790