Baby It’s Cold Outside

Yeah so winter is coming and I’m slightly afraid. Today is FREEZING and we don’t have a heater in our apartment so that’s been fun. But because its still fall the weather is really weird here. Some days it's freezing, other days it's really hot, and other days it’s normal sunny but cool weather. 

This week was stake conference so that was nice. The president del Templo de Cordoba came and it was fun to hear his talks. Once again I just want to go to the temple SO BAD. So maybe you all and do me a favor and head down to the temple this week in San Diego. I miss that place. 

Two things that I really liked from your letters mom and dad, was your teenage slang... it’s coming along! Dad described his new calling as ¨pretty chill¨ and mom described Hannah’s talk as ¨legit¨ hahah loved it. Yeah Dangue is a thing here, but it isn’t as bad here in Jujuy compared to other parts of the mission. 

We might have a baptism this week of one of our “investigators ETERNO.” His name is Hermano Rojas. Family is active in the church and his daughter served a mission. His whole family is miembro minus him. Since I’ve been here he has had 2 baptism dates. But this week is the “the most sure” I’ve ever seen him! He had an experience in the clase de principios del evangelio were he heard a voice over and over “You need to get baptized” So that’s pretty cool! The spirit is real. However, Satanas is also very real and I swear before every baptism something goes wrong or they have doubts, so keep praying for my investigators. 

Yes mom I’m still training :) training is two transfers! Yippee. Seriously I’m so blessed to have my companion. People all the time comment on our relationship and can see that we are unidas! Life in the mission is a whole lot easier when you can enjoy the mission with a great companion. 

Sorry not much to tell this week! Love you all to pieces!

Hasta la vista baby! 

Hermana Allen 

This photo was from my birthday. My companion bought me an ice cream cake and made me that sweet little sign.  I had a great birthday :)

HELLOS!

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes! I can’t believe I’m 20...soy vieja. Also I loved that in my honor you all ate a California burrito and went to the beach, because really that is my dream come true right now. hahah ask my companion... all week I’ve just wanted Mexican food. Speaking of food I’m getting fat again and I don’t know why?  No joke someone asked me if I was pregnant in the calle the other day when we were contacting, and then another day someone asked my companion the same thing and she is so tiny! Sometimes its really fun when people give you more food than you want and its all carbs! Its all good :) sorry for that food rant.

SO Josue got baptized this week, which was really special! However, Estefania dropped us :( we just got a text from her Tuesday and all she said was that she doesn’t want to get baptized or have anything to do with the church. We were heart broken and really confused and tried asking everyone so find out the reason why. We always met her in the church and we had no idea where she even lived so we couldn’t even just pass by. Finally Saturday we passed by her aunts house and she gave us a ride and showed us where she lives (stalker style) hahaha We talked with Estefania and she told us that she was only going to church to support her cousin Clara (who is in the process of coming back) but I don’t believe it because it just didn’t make sense when she was talking. Then after the lesson were waiting for the bus and just talking, Then I asked, “How is your boyfriend?” (I thought she didn’t have one) and she gave me a weird look and said “good” What you have a boyfriend!? 

Turns out she has been with him only for a few DAYS!!!  So I’m just talking a guess that she is no longer interested because of her boyfriend...stupid boys. 

Matias blessed the sacrament wahoo! His sisters are really excited to get baptized and so am I :) one of them reminds me of Lilly so much. I can’t really think of what else happened this week. Sorry kind of short! Love you all! 

Hermana Allen

Happy 20th Birthday to Hermana Allen

Baptism de Josue

Hola Familia! 

This week was really great!  We had zone conference and we left with so much animos to improve. They talked a lot about converts and less actives and the work we need to be doing with them and I realized we were not focusing on the mesnos activos and conversos like we need to be doing, so after the conference for Hermana Herrera and I made a list of the converts and less actives that we don’t know. We then prayed to know which person to visit the next day and one name stood out to the both of us. So we wrote down the address and found Melani. She is less active and was baptized about a year ago. She was so nice and then we started the lesson by singing “Nearer my God to Thee” she just started bawling. We could feel the spirit so strong and then she started to say how so wants to come to church but she cant because her mom wont let her go without her brother (who is also less active) and her mom wont let her go alone....I don’t understand why.  Then JUSTO her mom pulled up in her car and Melani said, “ummm you guys need to go I didn’t think my mom would come home she only here on weekends” She begged for us to come back, so we are going to her house again today. It was great because after the lesson Hermana Herrera was so happy and said ¨we followed the spirit and we need to help her¨¨ It made me happy because I think it was the first time my comp had an experience like were she really felt like we were being guided by the spirit, and it led me to think back to the first time i felt like that and all the moments in my mission were you just know you have found someone by the spirit and just have a love for them.

Also yesterday at church was SO TENDER. Matias received the priesthood and was the first time he came to church in white shirt and tie, he brought his sisters to church, and he bore his testimony! Hermana Herrera and I just felt so happy because seeing one of your converts progress in the gospel is just great. I don’t know if I told you that we are teaching his sisters, Candela and Guadalupe? They’re so sweet, they are10 años (twins). When Matias went up to bear his testimony Candela looked up to me and said ¨Hermana Allen I want to be baptized in the Iglesia Mormon¨ ahhh the sweetest thing! They both love primary.  Matias is all excited because he wants to baptize them! 

Estefania and Josue are getting baptized this week so that’s exciting also! Estefania is the cousin of a less active and Josue is the brother of the less active (Clara). Estefania is so sweet. She loves the church and is so golden. The first lesson: Why do you want to be baptized? her answer. ¨because I want to change.¨ So sweet... before she had bad friends, did drugs, and was just miserable. I’m so happy for her! 

Also I’m just going to say my companion is so funny! We laugh so hard together and she has defiantly been a tender mercy. Literally the fastest transfer of my life. So happy I have another one with her! 

Have a great week! Sending all my lovin to you! Be brave. Eat a California burrito, and soak up the California sun. 

Con amor, 

Hermana Allen

P-Day Ping Pong with the Jovenes

Hola Como Estan? 

Okay first off I loved the pictures that you sent! Nathan as Steve Jobs made my life. Looks like you guys enjoyed conference! I did too :) It was in Spanish this time and we had some investigators come too, so it was really great.

ALSO I GOT MY PACKAGE! THE BEST PACKAGE EVER! So fun to hear all the kind words from friends, family, and my ward family. Literally made my week and also the Sees candy was a highlight. Thank you! 

So yeah last Monday we were just about to finish pday when we got a phone call from the YW leader and she said ¨um Hermanas, there is a girl in the group text for YM YW that wants to get baptized¨ I felt like the Elders in the move The Best Two Years when the investigator calls after they pray. Haha literally a miracle! So yeah turns out she is a cousin of a menos activa that has been reactivating! Her name is Estefania she has 15 anos and is so sweet! She has a baptism date for 16 de April! Then after conference yesterday, the mom of Clara (the menos activa) shouted from her car ¨Hermana Allen I need to talk to you!¨ She said ¨Can you give the lessons to my son? I want him to be baptized this Saturday¨ WHAT! haha turns out the whole family are members minus him. We will meet with him today so we will see what happens. His name is Josue, 11 years old. Literally it is so true when they say less actives and converts are the gold mine to missionary work.

We have been working a lot with the YW YM and it just makes me so happy! A lot of them are reactivating and giving us a lot of referrals and bringing their friends to activities! Also Matis has a lot of animos for missionary work! He is going to be a great missionary! He has been coming out with us and has been contacting too! haha yesterday he said, ”Hermana Allen contact that person over there so I can see how you do it.” 

Sorry this week sounds more like a report for district meeting than a letter. Promise the next week will be more entertaining. 

Love you all! 

Hermana Allen