Week Seventeen-- Monday February 2, 2015

Wow what a week! Can you believe it's February? The past few weeks just fly by. 

We've had a great week here in East Sacramento! 

We made it part of our transfer "vision" to work and build member missionary work. With street-contacting not being as successful as it is in other areas, we are trying to help the members of our ward getting excited about sharing the gospel with those we know. We have great families in the ward and we love getting to spend time with them in their homes. So we go in and share a message with them, increase their spirituality like it talks about in Preach My Gospel. So far so good! It's great to see their desires to share increasing and their trust in us as the missionaries in the ward. We visit lots of cute older ladies in the ward, one of them, Sister Campbell (in the picture with Sister Kandare) is teaching us calligraphy once a week during our lunch hour! It's been so fun. She is darling and has the sweetest testimony. 

Kirk and Colleen are both doing wonderfully, Kirk is now into his second month off of smoking and f feeling great. Really seeing those blessings from keeping the commandments and following the word of wisdom. Still loving the Book of Mormon, we are now into the book of Mosiah and reading the counsel from King Benjamin that he is really enjoying. 

We went and visited Don last week, he's the one from my first transfer that we helped with his sheep. He's been out of town the past few weeks, while he was gone a few of the sheep had lambs! So he wants us to come back this week to help with their shots. Sister Kandare and I are so excited to help, the lambs are precious. I have a few pictures attached. 

We had dinner with a part member family on Thursday night, they are both in their 80s and he insists that he take us out whenever we eat with them so we drove to the opposite end of our zone (don't worry, it's allowed) to go out to red lobster. Most hilarious dinner experience, his wife isn't a member and has had a few strokes so she isn't really all the way there and says the most hilarious things. Then on the way back, we almost died like three times, his driving is awful which makes sense being in his 80s. Driving in between lanes, running red lights, going way over the speed limit. Good thing he couldn't hear too well because Sister Kandarre was dying with laughter in the backseat. I think it's safe to say we will be driving next time he takes us out! 

We also had zone conference on Friday. So great to be with a few other zones and to receive the training...I also had the opportunity to sing a musical number with one of the other sisters. Using those talents, you know. Haha.

One of the many highlights from this week is our new investigator, Dekontee. Two Sundays ago, she saw one of our churches and just decided to go in with two of her children. The missionaries talked with her and got her contact information but she's actually in our area. So we went and stopped by her apartment but she wasn't home and we left our card, telling her daughter that answered the door that we would come back another time. She called us on Tuesday (which hardly ever happens) and asked when we would be coming by to visit. We went on Wednesday and taught her the Restoration and invited her to be baptized. She told us that she had already been baptized but that with the whole proper authority deal, that she would think about it. She's originally from Liberia but moved to California about a year ago, so understanding her is a little difficult but hoping that she is ready and prepared for the gospel. She has three children: Valentina is 11, Faith is 6 and Calvin who is 13 months. Beautiful children. 

She came to church yesterday and being fast and testimony meeting, we were a little nervous. But members bore wonderful testimonies; Kirk actually bore his testimony about the Book of Mormon! Most powerful testimony from an investigator I've heard yet. Then Betty Temple, a recent convert also bore hers as well. She's the sister that goes up and sings her testimony and each time I want to "amen sista betty" and clap along but that's definitely not approved. She was singing about how grateful she is and sang the word "grateful" I kid you not at least 50 times. She sings it a few times and we're thinking okay, she's probably almost done. Nope just keeeeeeps on singing...so there's that, and we're just grateful that she is still strong in the church and "grateful" as she sang over and over for the gospel. Dekontee stayed the full 3 hours, she planned on leaving after the second but when we went to go get Faith from primary she goes, "No Mommy! I want to stay and play!" Thank goodness for primary! So we stayed for relief society and set up another appointment for today to teach the plan of salvation. Please keep this wonderful family in your prayers!

Then last night, before having dinner with the Browns we stopped by an apartment complex to visit a less-active family but they weren't home so we decided to go to a potential investigator's, Amber,  apartment. We had tried her a few times but she was never home, so when she answered she's like "I've been trying to get in touch with you! Someone stole my phone and I didn't have any of the cards you left to get your number. I've been wanting to go your church but didn't remember the address or time it was!" So we gave her the information she needed and she continued to tell us that one of her friends was coming into town for the week that has been wanting to get Amber more into going to church and that they were going to look up the address for our church so that they could go on Sunday. So she called the friend while we were there at her door and told him that we were there and gave her the information she needed. We could hear her friend on the other line, "They seriously just showed up at your door? God is so good!" We set up for another appointment with them this week and are looking forward to going back and to see them on Sunday. 

So it's been a great week! And we are looking forward to another good one. I am so grateful to see God's hand in our lives and for all of the tender mercies and miracles he showers upon us, and as we recognize these things throughout the day and week, he continues to give us even more. I hope everyone has a great week and will also take the time to reflect and recognize the tender mercies from the Lord each day. 

Love you all!

Sister Allen 

a few pictures here and the rest on the blog!

 

 

Service from a few weeks ago.

Making pancakes...

Always making pancakes...

 

Sister Kandare and one of our members, Sister Campbell

Baby lambs!

Sister Kandare, Sister Hickman and myself at zone conference

Sister Swainston, one of our sister training leaders

Goofing off during service. Ha!