Elder Allen Week#17 Yeah, first of all, sorry that nothing much changes in these emails. The life of a missionary isn't super exciting. I mean it is, but it's the same exciting things every day. And I feel like I'm running out of things to write about. But yeah, It's been a good week!

First things first, was Monday night. It was crazy. We started a Visita Trabajo after emailing, and at 730 we get a call that Elder Jones and I need to be at the offices at 10, so Elder Alegre and I called the other Elders, but their phone wasn't working. Somehow, by the mercy of God and an answer to a prayer, we found them contacting a guy about an hour of looking. Elder Jones quickly got his stuff together, and we called a member with a car and asked if he could drive us. He could, but he didn't know where it was. So we looked it up on his poor quality phone, but the phone died halfway through the drive. So we got off on the wrong exit, and drove around Los Olivos for 30 minutes, asking random people on the side of the road where to go. We got there eventually, but it sure was an adventure. 

And as always, there's a lesson in that. Keep your phones on. Don't let Satan distract you and get you off guard, lost. Be ready to receive this revelation from God, and to go where he asks you to go. Don't lose your Liahona. 

We had to go to Lima to get our Visas, but hey, I'm legal now! So that was a fun and crazy trip. 

More updates on Family Villegas, they are really and truly elect. They're so ready for the gospel. Excited for their baptism, always keeping their commitments and ready to come to church. For December, we have a Family Night every day, and they even called and asked if they could do one! So we have a family night with our investigators, who are going to bring more non-members! They really are great, pray that all will keep going well for them. 

We had Zone Conference this week, and that was really good. But the most exciting part was I finally saw Elder Litster! It was good to catch up with him and see how he's doing. Weird to feel two worlds collide. 

We've been finding some really good people lately, one is Familia Abarca. They live in the same block as the church, but surprisingly have never talked with the missionaries! They're really receptive to the message, And I think they're going to progress as well. 

I also did one thing that you never should do here in Peru- Tell the lady that feeds you that you're switching back to your old pensionista- haha. Peruvians really like their food. It's all good though. And are you ready for a funny story- Elder Jones and I were on splits for an hour or two, and to start proselyting we say a prayer, ask for guidance where we should go and who to talk to. And the first door we knock, a guy answers and says the sisters are here, but we could come back in ten minutes. So we were like yeah! Cool! Two newish gringos are about to teach a lesson. So we come back and knock on the door, and the man says that the sisters are still here. The first time around, we thought he meant his sisters. But we look in the house, and sitting there on the couch with their "Bible" open is two Jehovah's Witnesses with a death glare on their face. We said we'll come back another day, and died laughing when the door shut. Pretty crazy. 

One of the things that we learned at zone conference was taught by Hermana Stauffer- and she asked us three questions. Where is your heart? What is your Treasure? Is your mission (for you it could be the gospel) your great treasure? And these really hit me. It's like the scripture, where your heart is, your treasure will be also. If your heart isn't in this gospel, your treasure isn't either. Make sure you have your priorities right, and just live what you know. The simple things. Reading, praying, going to church. Do what you need to do to grow that seed, to change the desire of your heart. And the rest will come easy. 

Thanks for all the prayers and for the words of encouragement! 

Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#16 Hola! 

It's been a good week, this email will probably be a bit short, not much has changed since last week. On Tuesday Elder Jones and I had a visita de trabajo, which meant two relatively new gringo missionaries spending the whole day together, it was pretty crazy, but we got some good work done. We're about to finish our 12 weeks of training, and it's pretty crazy how fast the time has gone. 

Familia Nieto keeps having problems, so no new updates on them really. But on the bright side, we found another really great family of three! Familia Villegas, they came to church yesterday, and have been keeping their commitments. I contacted Hmna Maribell on the street with my favorite manera, cual es su favorito plato. So that was fun. Her daughter is 16 and has two kids, so that's pretty crazy. They're ready for a change in their lives, so I think they'll do well these next couple of weeks. 

We somehow had 8 of the people that we are teaching come to church, which is crazy. Especially because church is at 830 in the morning haha. We haven't seen much success in the way of Baptisms and Confirmations, but we've been doing well otherwise. As long as you are obedient and work hard, the blessings will come. Not in your time, but they will come.

This week we watched a video a couple of times with the people we are teaching, and it's one of my favorite video's/ talks of the church. It's the Music of the Gospel, by Wilford W. Anderson, and it's all of your homework to go find and read it or watch the video. I think for a lot of people, especially the youth of Utah, we tend to dance without the music. And that's a hard thing to do. So go read the talk, and ponder it. Think about what you need to change to hear the music. A question that relates to that pretty well, is are you living the Gospel because its good, or because it's true. Any reason to live the gospel is good, but it's so much more real, and so much easier when you realize that this is all true. 

But yeah, that's basically it for the week. Sorry, it's a bit short, hopefully, something exciting will happen next week we'll see haha. Love you all! Thanks for the prayers! 

Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#15 Que tal todos? Yo espero de ustedes tuven una bueno semana! It was a great week! I learned a ton, and It´s already really helped me to be a better person and a better missionary. First of all, Tuesday was one of the craziest days of the mission. We had Divisionones with the Zone Leaders, so I was up in Pachacutec with Elder Quispe for the day. It was good, and the plan was to meet up and Elder Viera and I head back down to Mi Peru that night, but they got here super late, and we ended up having sleepover round #2. It was crazy, but it was fun.  What I learned that day has helped me a ton this week. Attitude. Choose to be happy. Choose to see all the blessings that you have. The gospel can't make you be happy, you have to let it make you be happy. And that change has helped my mindset about basically everything. So if you're not happy now, change something. I know from personal experience that it works. The other thing that I learned was that our Church leaders are literally called by God, and we should follow them without hesitation. Whether it's your deacons quorum president, the bishop, your dad, or the prophet, they have been called to help and direct you.  We can work until 10:30 every day now, so that's crazy. I think that one of the sacrifices the Lord wants me to make is sleep, so that´s rough, but at least it´s not anything too hard for now.  And now we are back to Familia Nieto. It was a rough and crazy week. And they didn't end up getting baptized. Tomorrow though. We´re shooting for tomorrow. There were some difficulties with the kids' father and some poor circumstances, and it just didn't work out. We tried so hard, but it´s alright. Satan is trying hard, but we already know that the Lord will win. Always.  Sorry, its kind of a short email, but that's pretty much the week. And happy birthday Maya! I can't believe that you´re going to be 13! Good luck mom and dad with 3 teenagers now.  Some other advice that I got from my Companion this week has helped me a lot. Living in the church for my whole life, I know the doctrine. I know everything in theory. But it´s a little hard for me to apply it and remember it in my own life. To see the blessings. Something that my comp told me would help is to write down these experiences and my testimony in relation to a gospel topic. And once you can apply the gospel in your life, you´ll really be built upon the rock of Christ. It´s a whole lot better than the sand. I would know because there's a whole lot of sand here in Peru.  Thanks for everything, and I love you all! Elder Allen I hear there's been a bit of confusion about my email, so its allen.trevor@myldsmail.net ReplyForward

Elder Allen Week#14 Hey!

It was a good week, not much crazy happened. Other than the fact my Zone Leaders just baptized a wanted drug and human trafficker this weekend. True story. Super funny. Not quite sure how. Speaking of the zone leaders, we had a Baptismal Interview for Familia Nieto on Tuesday, and they couldn't get back to their house in time, so they got to stay with us for the night. That was a ton of fun, Elders Quispe y Nance are awesome. 

We were supposed to have the baptism for Familia Nieto this Saturday, but everything crashed down on that. Satan is real guys. They all passed their interview, all have the desire. But the baby of 6 months got pneumonia for the second time and Hmna. Naomi couldn't leave the hospital at all for over a week. We fought and tried as hard as we could, but it didn't work out. This week though. They really are awesome. Naomi is a single mom of 4, and Carla and Aron are at baptism age. I'm excited for them. They're ready for this change in their lives. 

For the service of the week, we carried a pile of at least 500 bricks up a floor, that was painful. Elder Jones, the other Gringo in my district got bitten by a dog this week, so yeah that's pretty funny. But yeah, it's been a good week. Todo tranquillo. Not much changed, so this email is going to be a bit short. 

On Saturday we got a text from President Stauffer saying that we were going to work until 10:30, which literally never happens. The whole mission is struggling. There are a lot of inexperienced people like me, and there's not a lot of faith. Satan is working hard on the people here. But we already know who wins the fight, so we'll make it through. 

Today was awesome. My best pday yet. It was pday de Zona, and they didn't tell us where we were going. All 14 of us got in a cumbi, and we were on our way. We went to a cave on the beach. It was awesome. So pretty. The cave was a ton of fun. It was fun to be hiking and out in nature again. I'm sorry that none of you are probably ever going to make it to Pachacutec Peru because it was breathtaking. 

When President Nelson came to the mission, his wife spoke first. And part of what she talked about is this line- The fight against Satan is real. And that is one of the most true things I have ever heard. He is working hard guys. Really hard. These are the latter days, and if you don't prepare, he will find a way to take you down as well. Put on the Armor of God. Study and apply what you read in the scriptures. Really pray, pour out your heart. Go to church every week. Listen to the words of the Prophets. Serve others. Try to be more like Christ. These are the latter days. And that seems more and more real every day. Don't forget who you are.  Be a power for good, not one for evil. And especially not someone who just sits on the fence. No man can serve two masters. 

Thanks, everyone! I love you all a ton! 

Elder Allen

Elder Allen week#13 Buenas Tardes!

How was everyone's week? Mine was great! not much changed. Knocking doors on Halloween, throwback to life at home haha. Made it to my first Cambios (transfers)! Yeah, nothing changed. Same companion, Elder Viera, same Area, Mi Peru, and same district. But its all good! I love it here! One of my ZL's, Elder Acarapi, is the new assistant now so that rocks. But yeah, that's pretty much it for cambios. 

Annnd only 2 1/2 months late, I got my package that was supposed to arrive to the ccm but never did! Nice surprise though! 

We've got a baptismal interview for Familia Nieto tonight, and they should be getting baptized this weekend. So that rocks! Super excited for that. Naomi, single mom of 4. Carla, 11; Aron, 9; Chewy (Jesus) 4; and Diago, 4 months. All from different fathers. They've progressed a lot in the 6 weeks I've known them, I'm really excited for them. 

A crazy guy in the ward tried telling me that the Internet is the anti-Christ haha. 

Jose Henry is 18, and super shy. We contacted his Dad, (Gonsales Familie), but Jose was the only one that came to church. But that's alright because I think he's going to progress fast! Excited for that too!

An Evangelist Pastor stopped us in the middle of the lesson and asked us why we don't walk with people of color...Everyone here is a person of color to me lol. 

Familia Huancari is doing good, the father, Walter, is having a bit of a difficult time. He's been a Catholic for his whole life, and it's hard to change something this big. But he's slowly seeing the church is a good thing, and I think he definitely knows what we are saying is from God. 

Yeah sorry that the Email is a little short and a little choppy this week, but yeah it's been a good week. I'm doing good. Loving the mission. The Spanish is coming along great. I basically understand everything, I just need to work on the grammar. My companion is a bit of an interesting guy, but his heart is in the right place. Love being out here!

And for the Spiritual thoughts of the week-- 

Do you do prayers or do you Pray? There is a very big difference. Do you just say some pretty words every night and morning because you know you're supposed to, or do you really get down on your knees and talk to our Father in Heaven. Do you ask Him for help? Do you pray for forgiveness? Do you thank Him? And most importantly, do you do it with a sincere heart and real intention? Think about it. And change what you need to. I promise that Praying is a whole lot better than doing prayers. 

And the other for the week, Revelation is in the Information. It's one of my Companions favorite phrases. Very rarely will we get this great vision or Idea that pops into our head. We need to put in our part. Do the research, try out a few things, make a plan. And take that plan to our Father in Prayer. If you feel like it's right after that, that's how you know what you need to do. And that's really what Revelation is. Guidance from God. 

Elder Allen Week#12 Hola! Que tal Amigos y Familia!

It's been a good week of pretty much complete rejection! Tue-Fri was basically the same day x4. Got up, got ready, studied, had lunch, and proselytized until 10, with little to no success. But that's just the missionary life, and as Sister Nelson said to the missionaries last week, it'll just prepare us for the rejection of dating when we get home! But in reality, the week wasn't as bad as that makes it sound, Saturday made it all better. 

But first, my unimportant remarks of the week! First of all, it drives me crazy that people think that there is a difference between American and British English. Every time I try to talk to anyone they say they only know British English...it's kind of funny really. They think it's like them and Spain with their weird vosotros form jajaja.

But yeah, Saturday was great. One of the first days I've really felt like what I was doing was making a difference. First of all, I had splits with Elder Jones for the Morning hours. He's a gringo with the same time as me, and he's not super confident in his Spanish abilities, so it was fun to take the lead in teaching and contacting for once. Then the afternoon was the best part of the week. We didn't have much else planned other than contacting and finding, because we didn't have a ton of people we could visit. The first miracle of the day was Family Gonsales. 

We contacted Jose outside his house, shared a quick message with him, and asked if we could come in and share more with his family, and he willingly let us in. We were expecting him and his wife and maybe a kid or something, but soon enough the whole family was gathered. Jose, his Wife, and 2 kids, 14&18. Iris, the sister of Jose. And Teodora, the mother of Jose. Plus a great-grandmother that couldn't hear a thing (And was probably very confused on why there was a gringo and an Uruguayan in her house) and like five other kids, not at baptism age. Their Father, Husband, and Grandfather had just passed away 5 months ago, and you could feel how much they needed this message, and how much hope they had by the end of it. 

Miracle #2 was Family Huancari.  This story is awesome. The other day we were knocking doors and started talking to a woman, who seemed to know an awful lot of what we were talking about, turns out she's a super inactive member and her husband and kids aren't members. So we set up a time we could come back and teach the whole family. The day and time come, we ring the doorbell (Surprisingly it actually works) And a man looks down on us from his 3rd-floor porch. It was the husband, and he wasn't having it. Oh well, we were used to rejection. During the interaction with the husband, I see his neighbor, also on his 3rd-floor porch. He watched the whole thing go down. When the husband left, I just looked up at this other guy and basically just say hey, do you want to hear this message? And he says yeah sure and comes downstairs. I didn't think it would actually work haha. But yeah, his name is Walter, and we talk for a minute and find out he has been having a kind of rough patch with his marriage. We ask if we can come in and share with his family, and he said yeah! We taught lesson 1 to him, his wife, and daughter. At the end of the lesson, we ask him to say the closing prayer and pray for his wife in specific. You could feel the joy, forgiveness, and love that was in the room. It rocked. 

And this is a lesson on the timing of the Lord. Practically nothing for a week, and then 9 Souls in one day. If you just trust in the Lord, keep pushing on in faith, the blessings He has promised you will come forth. They always will. 

So yeah, the Week was great! And to top it off, yesterday our best friend here in Mi Peru, Devie, and recent convert age 25 opened his mission call! He's going to Mexico! The mission right under Arizona. I'm so happy for him, he's going to be a great missionary. 

As always, I like to finish with a spiritual thought. For district meeting this week we talked about the Atonement. We looked at the classic painting of Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane. What a great love our Savior has for us. How much he suffered for me, "a soul so rebellious and proud as mine". Don't let that gift go unused. Repent, learn to rely on our Savior and Redeemer. Everything is easier after that. Homework- look at that painting, ponder it, and read Alma 7:11-13. And remember that the Savior loves you. Chao! Remember to pay your tithing! Love you all!

Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#11

I saw the Prophet this week! Well kind of. Not really actually. Due to a series of unfortunate seating arrangements in a stake center, and a poorly placed wall, I never actually did see President Nelson. A bit disappointing. But I hear I got a cameo on his Peru Ministry tour video so that rocks. And all said and done, It doesn't really matter I didn't see him, because I heard his voice, and definitely felt his spirit. He really is a Prophet of God. 

Not much really happened in a stuff we did sense this week. But the revelation I received and the amount I have grown, changed, and improved has been absolutely incredible. It started out with my first Zone Conference on Thursday, and it was absolutely awesome. Throughout the day, I could feel my testimony growing, and my desire, my fuego, for the work burning. These past 5 weeks have been awesome, and I have loved the work, but until now I didn't really feel that purpose, I didn't really know why I was here. But that's what I found this past week. I realized that what I do here and now, the way I spend my time, can and will have an impact on the eternities. Converting 1 soul doesn't just save them, it saves their children, it saves their ancestors. There are 1000s of people on the other side just waiting for one of their posterity to find the gospel, so they can have the chance to feel this infinite joy. My testimony on this work is truly stronger than ever. And I know that anyone that truly gives themselves to the Lord will see His hand in their lives, and will be blessed far more than anything we sacrifice. 

Small break before more spiritual stuff, It's funny how much everyone hates Chile. Sorry, Dad. And go Peru! Once again, sorry dad (Futbol). And speaking of futbol, that's what we did for PDay today, and my legs are killing me. And I am most definitely a gringo.

And thus we arrive to the visit of the Prophet. There is honestly way too much to write, I couldn't do it if I had all day. The messages of the Area President, and Elder Stevenson, were fantastic, and I learned a ton, but I'll focus on the prophet for now. His message was centered around 3rd Nephi, and I learned so much about this book, and about our Savior because of it. First of all, our teaching as missionaries should be focused on the same things focused on in Ch 11- Baptism, Doctrine, and no Contention. Ch 12- Be ye therefore Perfect is impossible until we are resurrected. If you compare this verse to his same sermon in the Bible, you will notice that in the holy land he only says be ye therefore perfect as my Father is, but in 3rd Nephi, it's also as I am. Meaning, we will never be perfect in this life. It's okay to make mistakes. But we should always strive to be better. Ch 15- The Americas are the inherited lands of the houses of Joseph, and we know from their promises that this is really where the gathering of Israel is going to take place. Ch 16- super bacan, there are other other sheep. And I really want to read their record of the Savior. Ch 23- Study Isaiah. Ch 27- What the Gospel is. And the Gospel is the Atonement. The Gospel IS Jesus Christ. If we turn to Him, we will be saved. 

That's obviously a very rough summary of what I learned, but what I felt is so much more important. He really is our living prophet, and we need to follow his words. Christ really is our Savior. He wants us to be happy, to have eternal Joy.

But yeah, to say the least, it was a great week. I love you all, I'm praying for you, and I miss you. Thanks for everything!

Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#10 Hola Familia y Amigos!

It's been an absolutely awesome week, and it started with Companion Exchanges on Monday. I left with Elder Alegre at 6, stayed at their casa (So much nicer than mine). It was fun to see another missionaries style, and how he works. We walked a ton. Up a huge hill. But it's all good, I need the exercise. 

Elder Viera and I found a great family that night. They're awesome. The Paralta. The father took the first lesson about a year ago, and it didn't go anywhere, but since then he was in a bad car crash and lost use of one arm. It's pretty sad, but it's helped him become more humble. He's still a little ify on the lessons, but his family is fantastic.I'm excited to see where that all goes. 

Wednesday was absolutely fantastic. After only 4 weeks in the field, I got to take my first trip to the temple. We had to get up at 3:40 am on the downside. But it was soooo worth it. I love the temple so much. It's my favorite place on earth to be. You can feel the spirit so strong, and I received so much revelation. Man, I can't wait to go back. That day we also had interviews and a devotional with Presidente Stauffer, and he is fantastic. Truly a servant of the Lord, and he understands and cares for all of his missionaries so much. Not to mention that he's a great teacher, and I learned a ton from him. 

The rest of the week has been kind of a blur, not going to lie. We gave three Priesthood blessings in the span of an hour, so that was fun. It's hard Spanish, but I got through it. 

I got to watch a few sessions of Conference, and I'm looking forward to being able to study it more. I got to watch with Elder Jones on Sunday, and after that, we went on splits for a bit. It was fun to be able to take the lead in the lessons, but it was hard. 

Sorry, I don't have a ton to write about this week, but of course, I'll finish with some spiritual thoughts. 

This week has been a little rough for Elder Viera, he doesn't want to go home. He dies in January. The thing he says he's going to miss the most is the power to be able to promise blessings in the name of Jesus Christ, and that got me thinking of how wonderful of a gift and responsibility that is. It's crazy that God would entrust something like that to a bunch of 18-year-olds, but I'm so thankful for it. It's built my testimony a lot so far. 

One of the thoughts of Presidente Stauffer was on Peace. In life, it's really hard to find peace of mind. When you just know that it's alright. It's hard to explain, but I testify that it's real, and one of the best places to find it is in the temple. But more often, we will have peace of conscience. A knowledge and trust in the Lord that it will all be okay. That doesn't mean that times won't be hard, but it means that we have a rock we can rely on. And I am so very grateful for that rock, My Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 

Sorry, I didn't write much this week, but I love and miss you all! Have a great week! Study Conference!

Elder Allen

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Elder Allen Week#9 First things first, 2 HOUR CHURCH!!! What!?!? I never thought that rumor would actually be a reality...

Second things second... That's about the only thing I got out of conference. Because of the Elections here, we couldn't use the chapel to watch conference, so we had to watch at the member's houses. Bad internet connection, loud children, and a few words in English then overdubbed by sophisticated Spanish does not make for a good learning environment. Luckily, I just downloaded the sessions in English. So next week I'll have a whole lot more to talk about I'm sure. 

Did I mention that I get to go to the temple on Wednesday?  Then on October 20th, The Prophet, President Russel M. Nelson is having a devotional with all the Lima missionaries on his way to the Arequipa Temple dedication? No? Well that's happening... hehe

The week was good. It went by really fast it felt like. 

Some drunk guys bought us some ritz and pulp, that was fun. barachos are funny. We contacted a guy, taught him a bit, to find out that He's a Buddhist, and said that even if we were right, he still wouldn't change. So that was fun. 

We went to one of the people we're teaching house, and he was super busy with his Jean making job. So we made Jeans with him for an hour. His name is Ciro, he's 21, and a really cool guy. He's not really progressing, unfortunately. 

I taught my first English class, that was fun. My lesson was planned around grammar, but what was really taught was Head Shoulders Knees and Toes, and pronunciation, so that's fun. 

Gerardo Valencia, who has been delaying baptism for two years, should be getting baptized this week. I'm not really sure though. He has a lot of doubts, but we're trying to teach him it's time to stop delaying and just take a step in the dark, to have that faith. The first time I heard him speak, I thought to myself, if I can understand him by the end of my mission I will have made good progress with my Spanish. He is so hard to understand. But hey, guess what?! I understand him now! A few weeks later! The gift of tounges is real everybody!

We went to a baptism for Camilla (Every girl under 15 here is named Camilla), who is a 9-year-old the other Companionship in the District taught. We were there 3 hours. She is terrified of water. And when she finally got under, It was only barely. And I mean barely. It was a miracle from God because if she didn't get under, I'm sure she wouldn't have tried again. But it's all good because her testimony after was so strong. She has a lot of faith for being so young. 

My favorite people of the week would have to be Louis and Francis. Louis is Venezuelan, and is working here, and trying to raise enough money to get his wife and 2 kids here as well. I'm sure you've all heard about the financial crisis in Venezuela, so yeah, there are a lot of them here. But they're so humble, so ready for the gospel. Especially Louis. He's got so much faith in our Savior. And Francis is a friend of Davie, he's awesome. He's a little bit of a character, and he was in a gunfight a few months ago. 6 bullet holes. He's pretty cool. A lot of things he'll have to change, but I think he can do it, he has a lot of faith as well. 

As always, I'll leave with some spiritual thoughts. 

First thing I learned this week was from Jesus the Christ chapter 3 notes, Judgement is based on circumstances. And that hit me hard. A lot of people in this world don't know where the light is, and they can't be judged as harshly because of that. That's a Just God. But, I and a lot of you are very privileged people. Good families, sufficient money, and the knowledge of the Gospel. I take this information to mean that we, I, have to be a lot better. I have some serious things that I need to change if I want to stand before my God guilt free.

I've also been studying what it means to serve with all my Heart. And what I've concluded, is that its the deepest desires, and intentions of your heart. There are a lot of factors that change how we act and who we are in certain situations, but the heart manifests itself in the small things. In the exact obedience. And the only way to change your heart is to develop a real and personal relation with the Lord Jesus Christ, and that is done by using His gift to us, the Atonement.

One last thing, Spiritual Gifts are real. And If we want more, we need to use and develop the ones we have. But also, we need to show gratitude for the ones that we have. Which means we have to know what they are. And I'm very, very bad at recognizing the things I am good at. So if you're like me, really think and give thanks for what you have. Ask someone what your gifts are if that helps. 

I know it's very out of my nature, but I really haven't been taking any photos. It's really pretty here with the lights at night, but it's too sketchy to go take some photos. Lo Siento. 

And wow! It's been a crazy week back at home! Congrats to Cam and Sav! And to Aaron and Colton! 

I love you guys with all my heart and soul, and I'm praying for every one of you. I love hearing from you! Keep it up! Hasta la Proxima Semana! 

Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#8 Buenas! Que Tal? How's everyone doing at home or wherever in the world you are?

I'm doing fantastic, I really do love it here. Friday was our first training day, and it was fun to get to know president Stauffer a little bit more and to see my CCM friends again. Remember- Be an Aguila. Also, my zone was compared to Mordor. So that's nice. 

Zone Conference always rocks, I love my zone, a ton of great missionaries and fun people. We actually got a working microwave, so that rocks. Also, the running joke is that the gringos are actually from Cahamarica, a place in Peru with German ancestry, so that's fun. 

Not much really happened this week. I mean stuff happened, but it doesn't really feel that significant. I feel like I've been out here for ages. It feels like a second home. The streets of Peru are crazy. Our modes of transportation are Motos- A 3 wheeled taxi thing; Cumbi (Idk how to spell it)- A van that squeezes in 20 people who are all the right height for it except for me and the other gringos; and Bus- where the drivers don't stop for anything. It's awesome, I actually love it. It's always loud here. And the same song is playing constantly. I did hear some Muse once, so that was fun. Elections are on Sunday, so the campaigning has been crazy. Can't wait till that's over. (Side note, the timing of the election sucks because General Conference is that day, and it's a law that you can't have meetings that day. So I might not get to watch conference on Sunday. Which means it's delayed for another week, which means no sacrament for two weeks. Yeesh)

The food here is fantastic, My pensionista is a great cook. The plate is huge though. And I have to finish it all. But that basically feeds me for the day, so that's nice. 

My emails in the CCM were about what happened in the week because that's what was happening. But now that I'm out in the field, teaching people, helping others come unto Christ, my priorities are different. The whole week has been a blur. But I remember the people, and I remember the spirit I felt with them throughout the week. So most of my emails for the next two years will be people-centered, because its basically the same stuff every day. 

I have found my first Golden Investigator. Her name is Maria-Luisa. She found the Areanas missionaries and literally asked to be taught. We taught her lesson 1 on Saturday, and she came to church on Sunday. She's a single Mom of one, and she's awesome. I'm really excited for her.

Licet is a 20-year old that we have talked to a couple of times. She's really busy with school and work and doesn't really know what she believes. I think this message will help her a lot. 

There are so many more fantastic people that I'm teaching right now, and I really wish I had the time to write about them all. Now for some members-

David is a 25-year-old convert that is working on his mission papers right now. He's a moto driver and a huge help to us missionaries. I love the guy. 

Our pensionista family is the Medinas, and they are fantastic. Half active, half not. They're so fun and nice to be around. The 2&3-year-olds nicknames are China and Chino. That's fun. 

I don't have much more time, but I want to leave with a couple of thoughts and a couple scriptures that have really helped me this week. First of all, we're all going to go through hard times in our life. Every one of us. And the secret to getting through it is to rely on our Savior. And if you are struggling with anything, do what our Savior would do, and serve someone else. It'll help, I promise. Go read Mosiah 24:14, and Jacob 5:72. My favorite scriptures of the week. 

I love you all, and miss you all so much! Hold to the rod! I'll catch you all next week!

Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#6&7 Ay Ay Ay, this has been the craziest week of my life. But It's been absolutely awesome.

Nothing really happened at the CCM before I left. We left Monday at 1230pm and got to the airport. The flight was supposed to be at 430, but it was delayed, and then it was delayed again, and we left at 1030. Meaning that we got into Lima at 430 Am, went to a hotel for an hour, and got up for the day. But that's alright, Elder Humphreys and I were able to place our fist Libro de Mormon at the Airport, we were talking to two ladies for about an hour and a half with our broken Spanish. But hey, we got the message across I think. 

Tuesday was such a long and boring day. We had to go get our Visa and Immigration stuff done, and that took hours upon hours, but that's all right. We got to the Mission Home (Kind of, it's really just a chapel and the AP's casa is across the street) And chilled for the rest of the day. And then fit 25 people into a house made for 10 max. It was fun. 

Wednesday is when the real mission began. We had interviews with President Stauffer in the morning, had some Shwarma, and then got our Companions. 

My Trainer is Elder Vierra, he's in his 20th Month, He's from Uruguay, and he's awesome. I'm the first Gringo that he has trained, so it's been a little hard on him, but for the most part, this week has been fantastic. We are in the Zone Pachucutec, in the Area Mi Peru. I absolutely love it here. It's nothing like Utah that's for sure. There are some paved roads, but it's mostly dirt. About half of the area is really poor and up on the hill, and the other half is in the valley (Idk, it's still on the hill but lower?). The people here are so humble and willing to talk to you. It's fantastic. The only problem is often times, they aren't home when you come to the appointment. But that's just how it is here. Esta Bien. 

I had my first Baptism on Saturday. She's a 14-year-old girl named Milady (Idk how it's spelled in Spanish) And she's awesome. It was an awesome experience, and I can't wait to get the chance to baptize someone that I've actually taught. 

Do you remember the 21st night of September?

My zone is fantastic. The district leaders are so cool, and about half of us are Gringos. and 4 of us are all new Gringos. Elders Humphrys y Martin are in the Zone, and In my district is Elder Jones. I didn't get to know him too well at the CCM, but it's been awesome hanging out with him and being able to talk to someone in English. He's a great guy. I've got on splits twice now with Elder Alegre, Jones's companion because their Area is just being reopened. He's awesome. Truly Alegre. He's from Bolivia, and such a fun guy. 

There have been too many spiritual and crazy experiences too write even 5% of them. But being able to testify of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer has helped me so much. My own testimony has grown so so much. We can really rely on Him for anything. He knows us, and He loves us. I know that's true. And I promise in His name, if you share this message with someone that doesn't have this joy in their life, you will know it too. 

One crazy experience we had was last night, we were up on the hill( The hike up there is comparable to the Adam's Canyon switchbacks, it's not fun. But hey, I'm already lighter, I need the exercise.) and we were looking for the house of an old investigator. And we could not find it. Anywhere. We asked many people, and were about to give up but decided to knock one more random door and ask if they knew. A lady answered and immediately said come in! It's freezing out there! (It was) We had no idea what was going on. Turns out she's an Active member but goes to the wrong ward. And she knew where the house was. What a crazy world. 

One other thing my testimony has increased on is the gift of tounges. My Spanish was not great leaving the ccm, but after 5 days here, I can say pretty much everything I need to say. The Spanish isn't nearly perfect, and I don't know a lot of the tenses, but I can follow basically anything that is said. And I know that's not by my own crazy lucky skill. It's a blessing from God.

This week has been long and hard, but it's been awesome. I love it here. I love serving the Lord. I love the food (My pensionista is great), and I love the people.

Today was chill, we basically just played soccer. I'm terrible. For now. 

I love and miss you all so much, and I hope that all is going well at home. Thanks for everything!!

-Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#4&5
Elder Allen Week#4 Buenos Dias! 

It's crazy to me that I've already been out here a month! It feels so much longer, and so much shorter at the same time. This week was awesome! We've definitely got into a groove this past month, and not much new happens every day. It's just the same schedule- Wake up, get ready, eat, class, eat, class, eat, devotional/class, go to bed. It's not like its a bad schedule, it's just a little repetitive, and I'm ready for a change of pace. But I am going to miss my time here at the Mexico CCM. 

And here's the sad news of the week, four members of my district, my best friends, my family, are leaving on Monday. Nobody knows why, but yesterday we find a note on the door and Hma. Kim & Boyd, and Elders Nebecker & Phillips are heading out. We're pretty sure they're going to the Peru CCM for the week, but it's really sad. 4 of my favorite people are going to leave, and class is going to be so weird without them. It's going to be a long week. *Note for my friends soon to go on missions, get tight with your district, because they'll be some of your best friends for life. 

It is crazy that I'm already off to Peru in a week and a half. I feel so ready, and not ready at all. My Spanish has improved exponentially over the past month, but I still don't feel like I know enough. I'm really really good at saying what I know how to say and what I use a lot, but the grammar and the words I don't use often aren't really sticking with me. I'll get there though. I testify that the Gift of Tounges is real, because I took 2 and 1/2 years of Spanish, and didn't learn anything. And I'm a month into the CCM, and I'm a good enough speaker to get around. Long ways to improve though. 

My week was awesome, lots and lots of cool and spiritual experiences. We had our first TRC, which is where actual people come into the Arena (CCM) and we get to give them a short lesson. That was a lot of fun, I could actually understand what the lady was saying. My teaching skills have also greatly improved here, and Elder Humphreys and I give consistently good lessons, so that's awesome. 

The week honestly has just blended in together. On Sunday I was able to give Hma. Kim a blessing and everyone felt the spirit so strong, it was awesome. The new gym time activity is Volleyball, and every game I play I get better so that rocks. We played with the zone for like 2 hours this morning, it was tons of fun. I've officially been a part of my fist Tie Trade on the mission, got a sweet new floral tie from elder Tescher (He's the other District in our house, also going to Lima West, that district is tons of fun). Also, Go Cougs! Glad to hear that we started off on a good foot this season. Speaking of the Cougars, a guy in my zone, Elder Erickson has a full ride to play basketball at BYU, so I'm sure we'll be seeing a lot of him on the court in a few years here.

As always, I could write books about all the Spiritual experiences of my week. But two of my favorites and ones that all of you can and should do are watch Elder Hollands Testimony: The Book of Mormon is the Word of God, and Elder Bednar's missionary address called the Character of Christ. The second one is a bit longer, but if you get a chance, please please please go watch it. He talks about how Christ turns outward when the rest of us turn inward, and that's how we need to strive to be in life. We can not afford to have our testimony planted in the good works of the church or the apostles. We can't have a testimony of these worldly things because when something in them changes, your testimony is tried. We all need to have a testimony, for ourselves, that Jesus is the Christ, He is our Savior and Redeemer. Once we know that, we will never fall away from the gospel of Christ. Build upon his rock. Elder Hollands testimony is just so powerful and reminds us of the truth of all these things. Please go watch those videos. I promise that they will help your testimony grow. 

Other than that, not much has gone on this week. I'm ready to get out into the real world. It started feeling real when we found out that some of us are already leaving. As a reminder, please keep sending emails and letters! I love hearing from you all! I miss you all at home so much, and I'm thankful for your prayers and words of encouragement, but if you really want to help, get involved in the work! Make a Mormon.org profile, talk to an inactive or a nonmember friend, invite them to church, invite them to come unto Christ. I promise if you do, your testimony will grow as well. 

Love you and Miss you all so much! Sorry, my photos haven't been sending, the computer comes up with a new problem every week. This week the files are "too large". Hopefully, I can get it to work down in Peru.

Also, just fyi, our district group email is called Los Toros de Los Pantanos in case anyone was interested haha. Hasta Luego!

-Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week #5
Buenos Dias! This is it, everybody! My last 4 Days at the MTC, and then I'm off to Peru! 

My time here at the Mexico CCM has been fantastic. I've met some of my best friends in my entire life, I get to see a beautiful sunrise every morning, I've been able to begin to learn Spanish, but most importantly I've come to grow closer to the Savior. I'm excited for my friends that will soon enter the MTC, but I wish you English speakers would have to stay in for 6 weeks instead of 3 because these 6 weeks have been fantastic. 

This week has been a lot of leaving to the field prep- tons of seminars and going over what we've already learned. But it's helped a lot. Got my flight plans, a 5-pound Spanish review book, a filter water bottle (now I have 2 haha). And most importantly, we got our colored dots!!! We're officially old! On Sunday night we said goodbye to the 4 that left early, and that was sad. Class is weird without them. But that's alright because we'll bee soon to follow. 

The days are starting to blend together, and I honestly don't remember most of the week. But as our teacher Hermano Galloso pointed out, it's important to stay excited about the work. The habits you make in the MTC will stick with you in the Field. But yeah, more volleyball, trying to take cabinets off the hinges, etc. 

Even though it hasn't necessarily been exciting, it has been a really spiritual week, and that's been awesome. We had Elder Pindrick (?) of the 70 come and speak to us, and that was really good. It was about using the Atonement in our lives, and how it can help us in all things. A girl had a comment about the symbolism of Olive Oil that I really liked. In Christ's time, everyone relied on olive oil for nearly everything, food, light, etc. But the process to make it involves putting the Olive under immense amounts of pressure. It's similar to Christ and His Atonement, because of that pain and suffering that Christ endured for us, we have a source of Light. I really liked that. 

I've started to read Jesus the Christ, and man is that book big. But it is awesome. There's so much insight, and it has already helped me strengthened my testimony on the Savior. I recommend. 

Yeah, there's not much more to write. Packing has been stressful, but I think it'll all work out. Next time I email, It'll be from Peru! I'm excited to get down there and to really start making a change, and bring people to our Savior and Redeemer. But I'm also thankful for my experiences at the CCM. And I'm looking forward to the challenges that are to come. I hope I'll have a baptism to write about in my next email haha. 

Love you all! Please keep sending Emails! When I get to Peru, I'll be able to print them out and read them! Stay Safe, and have a good week!

-Elder Allen

Elder Allen Week#3 Hola Amigos y Familia!

This was probably the most spiritual week of my entire life. On Thursday we were able to go to the temple again (got to see the old video, that was fun), and it was awesome! Unfortunately, I don't think I'll be able to go again while I'm here. On Friday, Elder Bednar came and gave one of the best devotionals that I have ever listened to. I could write a book about it. It was awesome. He didn't actually prepare a talk or anything like that. He led a discussion. The topic was mostly directed to Faith, and what Faith is. And all in all, he taught that faith leads to action, that with faith you can find the answers to your own questions. In that way, he taught everybody exactly what they need to know. He taught us that we don't necessarily need other people to answer our questions, because if we have the faith and put in the work, we will receive the revelation that we need to answer it ourselves. 

A quote from Pres. Bennett that I really liked is "If faith isn't moving those mountains, grab a shovel and start moving some dirt". It's important to do whatever the Lord asks of us. 

The other reoccurring theme of the week was the Restoration. In Bednar's devotional, he told us that the gospel is not restored (preterit tense), But that it is being restored (Imperfect/progressive idk). There is still so much that God has yet to reveal for us, and we have been told by many prophets that these next years that are leading up to the coming of Christ will have some of the greatest miracles God has ever worked. I don't know about you guys, but I'm excited for that. We also watched Joseph Smith, the prophet of the restoration, and had a discussion on him. I gained such a stronger testimony that he is a prophet of God. In the Doctrine and Covenants, it says that Joseph did more for the building up of the Kingdom of God on Earth than any other man, save Jesus. And I believe it. We also learned more about Emma Smith, and how even though she fell away from the church in the end of her life, that she still did so much to help build the kingdom. I love learning about the early days of the church. So many great people and prophets. 

Other than the feast of spiritual knowledge, the week hasn't been anything crazy. We're kind of just getting into the schedule now. I'm halfway done with my time at the CCM! That's crazy! We started playing a game called Guess the Latino- There are two teams in the district, and one person from both teams is the Latino who can only speak Spanish. You have to guess the other teams, so everyone just speaks Spanish so they cant find out. It's honestly so much fun. Some guys in my district picked a flower and planted it in a Mtn Dew can and put it in their room, so that's pretty awesome. Also, our anthem is Ye Elders of Isreal by the Lower Lights. 

And time is seriously broken. I've been here 3 weeks, but it somehow feels like 2 days and 2 years all at once. It's going so fast, but also so slow. It's really weird. 

There's honestly not much more to write except a little more about my district. My Companion is Elder Humphreys, and He's the District Leader. He's a fun guy, reminds me a lot of Dallin. Except he's from Texas, so yeah. You can imagine. I room with Elder Brown and Elder Manning, and they're tons of fun. Elder Nebecker and Phillips are pretty much Sean and Gus from psych, Phillips even tap dances so yeah. Despain and Peterson are awesome. Martin is a super funny guy, and Rockwood had longer hair than me before he came out. Hermana Boyd and I have like the same personality, but we're also like the completely opposite person, and Hermana Kim and I have this ongoing joke that we're related (She's Vietnamese (But actually Californian)) Because I found out that my Sweedish ancestors were also Kims. It's really hard to put these people into one line, it doesn't feel right. They're my best friends now, and they're all so unique and awesome people. I wish you all could meet them. 

The CCM is awesome. Three great meals a day, awesome teachers. We live legit the farthest from anything you can get, in casa 35. We're the oldest district in our zone now, so that's pretty weird. We're on week 4 now, it's crazy how fast (and slow) time has gone.

A few last things:

Go to https://www.missionarypackagemx.com and write me a letter. It's free, I can get them and read them any day of the week, and that way I'll have more time to respond and stuff while emailing. Pleaseeeeeeeeee  I want to hear from you guys. My district is 13F and mission is Peru Lima West (and if you know Spanish, write me in Spanish)

and lastly, I found a golden scripture. 1st Corinthians 11:14 - Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?-- When I get roasted by the Bible

I love you all so much! Sorry that the photos didn't work last week, I'll try and get them to all work now. If you want to hear more spiritual experiences from my week write me a letter and I'll get back to you, because I have a ton. Miss you all, hope all is going well at home! Til next week! Remember that God loves you!

-Elder Allen 

Elder Allen Week#2 It's been an awesome week! After I emailed last week we took the crazy bus ride to the Mexico City Temple and did a session. And unbelievably, as I walked out into the lobby, I see Bishop Cook talking to the Hermanas in my District. So that was a lot of fun, and it reminds me of the many talks that say there are no coincidences. (I get to go to the temple again in an hour!!)

This week hasn't been as jam-packed as last week, but its sure been awesome. I have learned so much. How to be a better teacher, how to ask better questions, how to speak a bit more Spanish. I feel like I’m struggling a bit with the language, but when I look back on myself from 2 weeks ago, the growth has been absolutely incredible. I love the Spanish language. 

Besides the daily classes and devotionals, I've been able to get closer and closer to my amazing district. I learned how to throw a water bottle lid and I’m also the bomb at ultimate Frisbee.  I found out the hard way that my allergy meds are drowsy when I took one at 7 am and proceeded to fall asleep all throughout my morning classes.

Although I've only been here 2 weeks, it feels like an eternity and a day all at once. My District is 11 of my best friends in the world, and I've had so much Deja Vu this past week that I'm convinced I defiantly knew them all before. 

I miss you all so much, and I'm thankful for all the support I’ve been getting from back home. My last thought will be a scripture that I memorized this week.

John 14:6

Jesus le dice: yo soy el camino, y la verdad, ya la vida: nadie viene al Padre, sino por mi.

Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. 

Christ is the way. The only way. Turn unto Him, and He will lead you and guide you. 

I love you all, and I love being down here at the Mexico City CCM! (It rains like crazy down here it's awesome!)

Elder Allen