Good week this week! (and happy 100th blog post Tressa!)

Dear Family,

 

Just got back from the temple!!  It was awesome.  Both Sister Christensen and I were counting down the days until we got to go.  I am so grateful for the temple, we actually taught a lesson on temples yesterday and while I was teaching the thought came to me how the temples are the closest thing we have to going back home.  Thinking about that today was wonderful and while I was in the celestial room I just felt good.  Just for a moment I wasn't a missionary, constantly worrying about my investigators, I was a daughter thinking about her heavenly father.  It was peaceful and sweet. 

 

Anyway-  that is why I am late writing.  We just got back from the temple and we grabbed something to eat and now we are here.  I love the temple but goodness gracious it takes up all of P-day.  Sister Christensen made me laugh because in her old area they went to the temple in a limo (I know!)  As we were getting ready to go she told me it wasn't quite the same without the limo. 

 

This week we had an awesome week as far as lessons,  probably the most that I have had in a while- it feels like it anyway- but it was record low for contacting.  I don't know why but there was just no one out this week!  I feel pretty bad because President Cook is really making a push to raise contacting and finding this transfer.  It was rough, but on a super bright note we found a new investigator while contacting. It was great.  Our goal this week for finding new investigators in like ridiculously high but we both feel pretty great about it.

 

Oh!  our investigator in our YSA ward gave me a pencil case!  It sounds so silly but the week before I had complained that I could never find my pencils and then this week as we were walking out of our lesson she pulled out a hot pink pencil case.  I don't know why but that just really touched me that she remembered and that she cared enough to do something about it.  Now I am happy to report that I am no longer loosing my pencils or pens.  It makes missionary work so much easier!  Ha!

 

This week we have also been going around meeting members.  It has been great because since we are both relatively new to the area we have the opportunity to go and meet members that I have not had a ton of interaction with before.  I really like the people in the ward and I hope that I stay here for a while. 

 

I had an interesting interaction this week.  We had a lesson with a returning less active that I have really grown to care about.  Both he and is family are wonderful and I am constantly trying to think about how we can get them to the temple and basically self sufficient as far as their testimonies go.  Well a while ago he confessed that he was having a lot on Word of wisdom issues and didn't really want to change.  After that he has been pretty closed, and it breaks my heart.  Well we had a lesson this week and throughout the lesson they kept talking about how prefect and obedient I was.  It made me super uncomfortable because I am so not perfect, but I can't lie and say that I have ever struggled with word of wisdom issues or law of chastity issues.  Anyway at one point he basically told me that because I have never struggled with those things I could not relate/understand to him and could never help.  It really bothered me-mostly because is stuck a lot of personal fears and insecurities.  I went to bed feeling like the most ineffective missionary ever even though Sister Christensen did a really good job at trying to cheer me up. 

 

The next morning in my personal study I got really randomly side tracked on studying about snares.  As I was reading and looking up footnotes, it was like I was having a personal study session with the Lord.  I learned that the thought that I am an ineffective missionary because I am obedient is a lie that Satan is trying to get me to believe.  I can't believe in that or else I will build up my own snare and get caught.  The truth is- I don't have to be the one that can relate because the Savior has felt everything he is going threw and can relate perfectly.  I just have to testify of the power of the Atonement and that I know for myself personally.  We all have personal struggles and concerns.  Every weakness we have can and will keep us from the celestial kingdom if we do not rely completely on the Lord.  But if we rely on him them we can grow and overcome those weaknesses.  I am so grateful for everything that he has done for us.  Well that is my little ramble for this week.  It was great to hear from you.  I love you all so much.  I am going to try to write a letter this week but I'm not sure if I will have time. 

 

Love,

 

Sister Allred

Crazy week

Dear Family,

 

I am sorry that I did not send a letter on Tuesday.  Sister Gittins was getting transferred and I literally had no time to write anyone, but it's nice to hear that you actually look for my letters.  I'm not sure if you noticed but I was even feeling a little distracted as I wrote my email.  I'm still a little sad that Sister Gittins got transferred.  I feel like literally in the last few days we made huge breakthroughs and then she got transferred. 

 

Last Tuesday was so busy.  We were constantly moving trying to get everything finished.  (I do want to say I have learned a little bit of the mad Allred packing skill.  I packed both Sister Gittins and Hermana Ortiz-  all of their clothes in one bag each.  It was impressive!  Mostly because they had both been in the area for 6 months and you acquire a lot of stuff after a while.)  Anyway we got to transfer meeting just fine.  They made a mistake in the office and all of the missionaries found out their new areas by logging onto the program we write our letters to president cook on.  It was pretty funny.  Anyway I am now with Sister Christensen.  She is from Vienna Virginia- but her family now lives in Arizona.  I really like her.  I mean I really really like her.  She is so fun and absolutely loves working with they people in the ward.  She was in the same area in Orange county for the 6 months that she has been out (she has only been out 6 weeks longer then me.  What is president thinking?!)  Poor Sister Christensen is going through culture shock.  All of our appointments on her first  2  full days here were in the really ghetto parts of our area.  She said a couple times that her orange county tiara was knocked off.  But she is so friendly that everybody loves her.

 

We have had some really good lessons this week and we had two investigators in church this week!  Yeah!! I hope that keeps on going. Anyway- I'm trying to think of some really good highlights and I can't really think of anything.  It has been pretty stressful because I am the one who is navigating through the area and I don't even have a Thomas guide here.  It is stressful for sure.  Oh my favorite contact this week was an old man named Erwin.  We talked to him for a couple minutes he was so sweet and then when we were leaving he shook my hand pulled me in and gave me a kiss on the cheek.  He did the same thing for sister Christensen (Jeesh her name is really long to type).  We are trying to get an appointment with him later this week.  I hope we can start teaching him because with one kiss on the cheek I am completely smitten. 

 

Like I said before we have had some really great lessons.  It's always a little weird trying to teach with someone new but I think we are doing well.  I think a great thing about transfers is that the new person has a free pass that first week to ask anything they want in lessons.  You can't blame them because they are new.  I did it when I first got here and now Sister Christensen.  It has been great because we prep a little before our lesson and we have gotten some really great information and we can understand a couple of our less actives. 

 

(Okay so the man next to me is playing some "Secular songs."  I really miss those songs so I am now listening to the Mormon.org videos to distract me.  I hope the rest of my email is coherent.)  Yesterday we did some service with a less active we have been working with.  She has to get her home ready for the child protective services inspection that they are expecting because she is taking care of the cutest little 2 year old.  I am really happy that we were able to help a little bit even though there is a lot more to be done.  I am so grateful for the life that I have.  Going out and seeing all these different people I am learning so much.  I see so many different situations- different challenges that come from them and also the different strengths that you get from each situation.  I am so grateful for the blessings and challenges that I have in my life.  Sister Christensen and I were talking about this in companion study.  But I am learning that we all have our unique challenges, but we have to look and see the simple blessings that Heavenly Father puts in our life.  Those huge signs and miracles are actually pretty easy to dismiss.  But when we are in the habit of seeing those everyday miracles that is when we are able to truly solidify a true faith in Jesus Christ.  Okay that is my thought for today. I really hope that made sense. 

 

Anyway I love you and it was so good to hear from you.  I will write later today and possibly send pictures. 

 

Love Sister Allred

Transfer Week

So today is transfer day.  It has been an absolute crazy transfer.  This week especially was crazy but awesome.  Sister Gittins is getting transferred.  We won't know where she will be going until the transfer meeting this afternoon.  We are both really nervous.  Sister Gittins is nervous because she doesn't know where she is going and in just a couple hours she will be surrounded by people that she does not know- but such is the life of a missionary.  I'm nervous because in just a few hours I will have a new companion that I really don't know, (I've narrowed it down to about 2 or 3 possibilities but still i don't  really know them) and for some reason President thinks it's a good idea to have me be the companion with the most knowledge of the area.  I don't think it's a good idea- but such is the life of a missionary.  Oh gosh, I'm just nervous.  

 

This week has been great.  We had our blitz and it was amazing.  We had 85 contacts in one day which for us would actually be a really good number for the entire week.  I was with Sister Savalina and it was so much fun.  She is one of the most experienced sisters in the mission and it shows.  I hope that one day I will be as cool as sister Savalina.  We also picked up a new investigator for the YSA ward and for the family ward.  I'm really excited to start teaching these two.  I just know that the gospel could help them in their lives.  Of course the gospel can help everybody, but that's not the point. 

 

I have to tell you about one crazy day that I had.  I contacted one man that was really nice, but as we were talking he looked at my shoes, (I was wearing the dansko maryjane shoes) And then he said, "You must be from Utah."  I told him I wasn't but I knew they were not the most attractive shoes, Then he told me, "No but I guess they are comfortable."  Then for the rest of the contact he kept staring at my shoes.  That made me feel good.  Then later in the afternoon I contacted a man who told me I was the Devil trying to get into his head.  That was sweet of him.  But he did make it clear that Sister Gittins was not the devil.  Poor sister Gittins working with the devil for the passed 6 weeks. 

 

I've had other really cool experiences this week, where I feel like I am getting prompting from the holy ghost.  One morning I was reading in Jacob and I read a verse that I just could not figure out what it meant.  I was looking up foot notes and references and I just got nothing.  Then we went to a recent converts and were reading where she was in the book of mormon it was the same chapter I had been reading in.  As we read that chapter we reached that verse and all of a sudden it was like my eyes were opened and I felt like i understood the verse (I wish I could remember it off the top of my head)  any way I just got so excited I started talking about it and asking Sam questions about it.  I felt really bad because I thought I was int erupting the flow of the lesson and I was just rambling but then we were done talking about it, Sam said that it was exactly what she needed to hear because she had been praying to Heavenly Father about a problem in her life.  It was really cool because I felt like Heavenly Father really was using me to answer her prayers.  That is a really humbling experience.  Anyway- just little things like that have been happening all week and I'm so grateful.  I know that this church is true and my greatest desire is to be an instrument in the Lords hands to help others. 

 

Anyway I've got to go.  I love you!

 

Sister Allred

Miracles (Jan 3)

Dear Family,

 

So this past week has been a pretty crazy week, but there have been a ton of miracles.  I just don't even know where to start.  I started the week feeling pretty crummy.  I was feeling like a bad companion and especially like a bad missionary.  Now I feel like a good companion and a adequate missionary.  I'm happy with that.  I think mostly because I feel like the Lord is trusting Sister Gittins and I with some of his children. 

 

Okay-  So we picked up 2 new investigators this week. They are 2 sisters who are living together while their husbands are deployed.  They both have 5 month old babies and one sister has a 3 year old daughter.  Sister Gittins and her previous companion had done a ton of service for them but were never able to teach them a lesson.  Pretty much all of this transfer we were trying to go over and see them to start teaching them but we either were never able to share a lesson or they were never home.  (Where do you go with a toddler and 2 babies!)  Anyway were were at the point where we were going to not go anymore and Thursday were didn't have them on our schedule at all (Which we usually put them as a back up or something)  Anyway we were going to find a less active and Sister Gittins didn't know the street which is weird because she like knows the area perfectly.  Well we thought we would try the neighborhood where these two sisters lived and when we were there we that their car was their.  We thought that we would just try to see them, but honestly we didn't have much hope of getting in the door.  We knocked the door was answered immediately and they invited us in.  After talking for a while they asked us to share some scriptures with them and we have an appointment with them today to start teaching them.  I really hope everything goes through!  They really are great ladies- going through a lot but I know that the gospel will help them. 

 

Oh and we met and passed our contacting goal this week which was really exciting!  Yeah!  We have been struggling to reach our contact goal the past couple weeks because no body seemed to be out.  Which is frustrating.  Anyway this week there were just a ton of people outside.  Not only were we able to meet our contacting goal but we got the year high for the area.  It was a really simple thing but I'm really excited because at least I see some improvement in myself.  At the beginning of my mission I was absolutely terrified of contacting.  Now it's kind of second nature.  Now I just need to work on making them more meaningful.  (which I've even seen improvement in)

 

We gave talks this Sunday.  Brother Anderson called on Friday morning and said he completely forgot that this Sunday was not Fast Sunday and so he was wondering if we could give talks.  Sister Gittins talked on why we serve and I talked about what members can do to help us.  Sunday Morning as we were figuring out what we were going to say, Sister Gittins sent President Cook a text letting telling him we were speaking- because he likes to know when his missionaries are doing this like that.  I thought he wouldn't be able to make it because it was only a couple hours before church started, but sure enough there president and sister Cook were.  They said we did a good job, but it is so nerve wracking to try to speak when your mission president is listening. 

 

Anyway the coolest thing that happened this week was yesterday.  We had a lesson with a recent convert and then a whole afternoon of checking on people.  We were at the church getting ready to leave when this man named Tom came up to the door and asked for a pastor.  We asked if we could help and he said his car ran out of gas.  He is jobless- homeless and doesn't know what to do.  We left a message with our bishop who is the transient bishop and then sat down and talked with him until our bishop got their.  Honestly there were a whole bunch of little miracles that lead him to us.  I'm grateful that they Lord trusted us enough for us to be the ones to meet with him.  Tom has been struggling, and feeling pretty lost.  We sat and talked with him for a long time and I kept thinking, "What can I possible say that can help him."  I knew without a doubt that they Lord had directed him here and that the gospel would change his life but I felt so inadequate to help him.  While we were talking President Cook happened to pass by.  I wanted so badly to call out to him and say, "Help!  You would know how to help him so much more then I could."  but I know president would have said something like "you are a full fledged missionary.  Follow the spirit."  Both sister Gittins and I tried to follow the spirit.  I hope what we said helped.  When Bishop lewellan came and we needed to go to an appointment.  Tom told us he wanted to meet with us again.  We gave him our number.  That's the problem with teaching someone who has no phone or home address.  It's kind of hard to track him down.  Anyway, I don't know if we will ever see Tom again.  I hope we do-  but I think we helped a little bit, and again I'm grateful that they Lord trusted Sister Gittins and I to be the ones who sat and talked to him. 

 

Well I need to go.  The blitz is tomorrow.  I'm more at peace with it, I know that I will learn a lot. I love you all and thanks for your emails.  I loved them.

 

Sister Allred