Is it January? Or mid-April?

Hello everyone! 

It's been in the 50s-60s this week. California, you are unreal! We go out biking during the day and in the evening and it's so nice out!  Most of the time people don't talk to us, but just being outside feels great and gives us all the more reason to keep biking in our area. But besides the warm weather, we had a great week. It's been one of those weeks where my heart feels so full of gratitude, I don't really know how else to put it. But the conversations I've had with others. Personal revelation I've received. Principles and new things I've learned from studying and the scriptures. Our meetings in church. Answers to prayers. The list just goes on and on. The Lord is so aware of each of us in such personal ways.

We had zone conference on Tuesday, it's always fun being with the other missionaries and learning together. Right after I switched with a sister for an exchange. Sister Munns and her companion for the night taught our investigator Anthony that night and had a great lesson. They were planning on teaching Gospel of Jesus Christ, but ended up having a great discussion on the Book of Mormon and the Atonement. He has a lot of questions and looks at things from a very logical point but he's keeping his commitments so he'll get there! On a random note, the other day we were trying some potential and former investigators. As we rode by we saw this older Chinese man doing kung fu in the parking lot. It's just us riding by...and him in the zone...Hey how are ya, can we talk to you about Jesus? He didn't even blink. I swear I have seen it all on my mission. 

Since Thursday, I'd kept thinking about the sister I had gone on exchanges with the previous day. I kept getting promptings to go see them but there was always something, some dumb reason not to go down to Modesto. Saturday morning was hard for me. We didn't have any set plans for the day and I felt really unmotivated to get out, lame and selfish I know but I'm only human. After studies I knelt down and prayed asking to please give me an opportunity to serve someone that day; stop thinking about selfish and self-centered me and help someone else. A few minutes later these sisters zone leaders called me that they had given one a blessing just a few minutes ago. That was the last prompting that I needed to get in the car and go. They weren't expecting us but I took the one sister I'd been thinking about over the past few days and took her to taco bell (I was hungry and wanted a taco!) and we talked for a while. She opened up about some of the things she's been struggling with, not that I can make it all better and solve her problems, but it's nice to know that you're heard and that someone cares for you and will listen. On our drive back I was thinking, feeling so humbled by that experience. The spirit kept prompting me goooo seeee theeemmm I felt him say over and over again. Sometimes he only gives you just one prompting or impression and if you don't take it then someone else will do it and you lost your chance. But I was extended such mercy with this, it felt like. "Come on Sister Allen, here it is AGAIN on a silver platter go see your sisters! They need you! I'm not telling you again!" So not only did he keep giving me those promptings to see these sisters, when in the past whenever I receive those I act on them immediately; but he also answered my prayer immediately and it was a testimony-builder for me that he really does know me. I asked, please give me a way to stop thinking about myself, and my petty challenges and worrying about going home, and give me a way to serve someone else today. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. And then my phone rang. Seriously? Those things don't just happen by chance. He knows me, he knows what I need. And even though I was being kind of a punk I asked for a way to get out of my own head and help someone else and there it was. I know it sounds small, but it's those little things, those answers in small and simple ways that touch my heart and remind me how true all of this is. How incredible the gospel is, how our savior lives and loves each of us. He knows us individually and has felt every single thing that we have. Each broken heart, ounce of regret or remorse, the inadequacies, weaknesses and self doubt. All of it. It ceases to amaze me how someone can love each of us so much to do that for us. The other night we were reading from the Book of Mormon with a family that is getting sealed in a few weeks, and the wife asked us how do we do this? When it's so hard and you face so much rejection. We said it is hard, but to see people's lives change out here and back home and your own life change in so many ways, makes it so worth it. And then I think of our selfless and loving apostles and prophet that serve all day every day, and they just ask me to do 18 months. So I can give 18 months. Some days are better than others but all he asks is that we do our best. 

So there are my thoughts from my deep well. It's been a humbling week as I said earlier. I'm having kind of a hard time wrapping my mind around the fact that I only have 7 weeks left...we find out about transfers this weekend. I'm curious to see if I'll stay here in mountain house or if they'll move me one last time. Oh the suspense! The drama! Tune in next week for more! Just kidding, but yes, I'll let you all know next week. 

Until then, thank you all for the kind and uplifting emails. You are all so wonderful. Have a great week!

Love, 

Sister Allen 

 

Hello everyone! And happy new year! Can't really believe that it's 2016. On Friday I couldn't help but look through my journals from the past year, I've probably said this already (but this is my email so I'll say what I want!) but I remember being back in east sac with Sister Kandare sitting in the car in tears asking her and myself how the heck was I supposed to do this for another 14 months...and somehow the year has come and gone. Fun to re-read journal entries and look through pictures. Oh memory lane. As I've thought about what I wanted to write about from this past week, I've noticed how scattered my thoughts and the range of topics are. So are you ready for a wordy and ranty (is that a word? Probably not) letter? Okay, here we go. 

I'll start with our area, we recently either dropped most of our investigators or they dropped us. There were a few that I could tell weren't really progressing, when we asked them if they had a desire to learn more they all basically said no. So that's always hard, especially when you come into the area with a solid teaching pool and over time it gets smaller and smaller. We're trying to work with our members; set up appointments, teach a principle from preach my gospel etc. I love the ward but we've been getting kind of a push back from them over the past few weeks. We know that they like us but when it comes to sharing the gospel there are really only a few families that seem to want to help us but a lot of them are pretty focused on their own lives. And I totally get it, especially with how many young families with small children there are. But it's hard for us at the same time. We really need to find families and we know they're here. So please keep it in your prayers we'll find them and that we can know what we need to do to help this area. I'm thankful for an awesome ward mission leader and bishop who are very supportive and want to help us. 

This week I attended several trainings and meetings in preparation for zone training on Thursday. We focused a lot on distractions and how we can be more focused and think less of ourselves and what holds us back and think more about serving the people here and remember who it is we represent. President was pretty bold about a lot of the things he said. Definitely something I needed to hear. I attended two zone trainings, one in Manteca for the zone we're in and also in Modesto where some of the sisters I work with are. President was at both of our trainings and asked the leadership to debrief afterwards. He asked us both times what we learned and we shared some of the thoughts and insights that we had. There was a different spirit about the second training we went to, both of them were good and I learned something from both trainings but the second one especially. When he asked me what I learned I said, maybe this is too honest to say but I learned that I'm thankful for the distractions that I have because they help me to remember that I'm far from perfect but I'm not expected to be either. And that the distractions I have help me to rely on the Lord and his atonement and to repent daily. Because I'm learning that repentance doesn't have to be some huge complicated process. 

Sunday was both really good and bad. Hard for different reasons so I asked my ward mission leader for a blessing to stay focused the last few months that I'm here, and the the testimonies that were shared and the lesson in gospel principles were just for me. And just what I needed. I've been feeling like a complete failure this week. With our area, and challenges with sisters I've just felt like I'm failing and can't do anything right no matter how hard I try to do what I need to do. But yesterday, during my blessing especially I felt so peaceful. And received the confirmation that yes he loves me. And to just keep going. I was going to add more, but I don't really have the words to do that. So we're just holding on. Keep us in your prayers. 

Thanks everyone for the fun pictures and emails, it's always so great to hear from you. Have a great week. 

Love, 

Sister Allen 

It was Christmas, so why not?

Totally kidding. Promise. ​I hope everyone had a great Christmas and enjoyed time with loved family and friends. There was much rejoicing in the land in our little apartment as I ate a bowl of Reese's Puffs for breakfast, given to me by my beloved Sister Neeley. It just isn't Christmas morning without a bowl of cereal aka straight sugar that will rot your teeth off, but it's christmas morning so who really cares? 

Sister Munns and I had a great day, spent time with different families. Everyone here is so generous and had the nicest gifts and meals prepared for us. Missionaries are spoiled rotten here...but it was nice to enjoy the day with different families when we couldn't be with our own. 

The work has kind of slowed down with the holidays, so we are looking forward to 2016 and for things to pick back up. But we're thinking positive! Sister Munns is doing great. She didn't have the best training experience so there's been a lot that she's working on to be better, but she's doing awesome. I'm really proud of her and thankful that we get to be companions. 

That's really about it...thankful for all of you! Talking on Christmas was the highlight of the day! Thankful to still have a few more months to be here, working, blessing the lives of others and serving the Lord. This has been the best experience, so grateful to be here. 

Happy new year everyone! 

Love, 

Sister Allen 

"It's those girls again! Why do they keep coming?"

​Story of my life. ​Besides small children getting freaked out about us trying to see their less active mother for the third time...I love being a missionary. It's crazy how fast the time is flying and that Christmas is almost here! This week was good, sadly not a whole lot to report on. Lots of exchanges with other sisters...yeah nothing really else to add besides that. 

We found out about transfers Saturday night: Sister Neeley is leaving the area and I'm staying with Sister Munns. She just finished training up in Galt, I've been her sister training leader the two transfers that she's been out but it should be fun! I'll still be a sister training leader but on my own this time but not as many sisters, it'll be nice to have more time to work in our area. We already have a lot of appointments set for the week with our ward council and some activities lined up with our relief society president and the young women that we're wanting to find through. 

The work has slowed down the past few weeks with how busy we've been with so many sisters, but with less sisters and more time to work in the area we're hoping things will pick up. Please keep us in your prayers! 

Thank you all for the fun updates from this past week, glad to hear everyone is doing well! I hope you have a great week, thank you for all that you do and the love & encouragement you offer me. 

Love to you all, 

Sister Allen  

Who invited them?

Where to begin, where to begin. I'm so unfocused right now... I'll probably sound like a crazy person, so just bear with me. So, hello!

Thanksgiving was so much fun! We got to spend the whole day with different families and had a total blast. We went to several different homes where there were non-members; it cracks me up to walk into a house where non-members are, not expecting mormon missionaries to walk through the door and their entire demeanor changes. They're laughing and having a good time, they see us and just like that their faces drop and it's blank stares, like who they heck invited them? Yes, we love it. We were invited over to one house for dessert and I asked for a slice of the pecan pie that looked delicious, the sister says to me  "oh you might not want to eat that..." and I ask why? and tells me "they put some bourbon in it, it'll burn going down" I decided it'd be better if I didn't eat it and went with pumpkin instead haha. We found out that other missionaries didn't have very many appointments or places to be for Thanksgiving, so we were so thankful to have set up several places to be so that we stayed happy and busy all day. We ate so much through out the day, more than I have probably my entire mission. I've discovered expanding stomach and being able to eat more than you would like is definitely a gift from the spirit to missionaries. We were both so done with food by the end of the day. We had a backseat full of leftovers...it was crazy. 

On Tuesday we attended a mission leadership council and set baptismal goals missionary/month. I won't say the number and I'll be honest the council was hard to follow everyone's comments were all over the place but we all ended up giving a number by the end of the meeting that made me want to cry. I thought to myself, I can't do that! None of our investigators want to get baptized, we have sisters all over the mission, I just can't do it and settled on a number lower but still looked and felt okay. Thankfully on Friday we attended several other meetings (the zone leaders and sister training leaders bring back to the rest of the missionaries what was discussed during that meeting earlier that week) as we were discussing with these other missionaries, Sister Neeley and I were given the motivation we both needed that despite working with sisters and our area slowing down we will find people to teach. I was given the not so subtle poke from the spirit that I needed to have more faith. Trust in the Lord and in his hand as he works in our area, despite not getting to work there all the time. Good things will happen, and if we don't achieve the goal or that number we have set we can know that we tried and did everything we could. So Sister Neeley and I are really looking forward to December and working in Mountain House. The church just launched a new video: A Savior is Born. It's powerful, I loved the video from last year so much, He is the Gift, we're excited to use the cards we've been given and to share this video with those around us. You should too! 

Monique came to church on Sunday! We were supposed to have a lesson with her on Saturday but it didn't end up working out. Sacrament meeting went really well; towards the end I leaned over to my companion and asked if she thought we should change the gospel principles lesson for the second hour. We texted our ward mission leader before sacrament meeting ended and he said he would take care of it. I guess after he went up to the teacher and asked if we could change the lesson. She told him to give her 5 minutes and she would have a lesson. We've been going through the gospel principles manual and the next lesson was about judgement day...definitely important, we all need to know about it but maybe not the most appropriate thing to share and discuss while an investigator is there and has questions/concerns with more basic things. Instead the lesson was about prayer; something Monique has been struggling with. The way she explains to us she says God has already given me everything I need so why would I need to ask for more? We try to explain that yes we can offer and we should give prayers of thanksgiving, but it's also important and critical that we ask questions with a sincere desire to have them answered but that really only comes through prayer. It was an excellent lesson, we're thankful for that sister who was willing to change the lesson at such short notice and for it going exactly the way it needed to. Please keep Monique in your prayers! 

I need to get going, again sorry for being a crazy person and how scrambled this email is, I'm happy and doing great. Thank you for all your fun emails! I'm thankful for you all! Here are a few pictures from thanksgiving having too much fun drinking our sparkling cider. And preparation day playing football. I actually participated AND scored a touchdown. Who are we kidding, no I didn't, I just stood there. But at least I was there, right? 

Have a great week,

Sister Allen