Week 24 1/25/16 - 1/31/15

Week 2 of Transfer 5

Bike stats

Total Mileage: 326.02

Miles on the Week: 59.148

Max Spd: 28.5 mph

AvgSpd: 10.8 mph

Time Moving: 5 hrs. 25 min. 31 sec.

Hey y'all!

W2 of T5 1/25/16 - 1/31/15

I still can't get over the whole transfer #5 and everything.

Monday thought

We just taught a really cool guy named Eric! He is super cool and I wish all of you could meet him. Today was pday and we did our laundry at the other missionaries apt down the road cause they have a washer and dryer and we didn't want to pay $5 to do it. We had to leave before my clothes were done, so I asked them to bring it to pday, cause it had all of my pday clothes in it. That happened.

So I played bball and soccer and volleyball in pros, which is missionary slang for a white shirt and tie and slacks. I didn't have shoes, so I played in socks and now, as of 9:59 at night, my feet and ankles hurt REALLY bad. So I am trying to decide if it was worth it or not, but I am pretty sure it was.

We had to fix Elder McDonald's bike today cause he got hit by a car last Saturday, sorry, I neglected that in last weeks email... Anyway, his back rim was bent up pretty bad, so he blew a bunch of $$$ to fix it.

Tuesday Thoughts and Feelings and Stuff that happens.

Well, it's raining today. WE found a few people this morning! There were quite a few people that were obviously prepared to receive The Lord's message. it is amazing to talk to so many people and see how Heavenly Father has worked on each one of them for a long time. All the events leading up to them meeting with us is amazing. It is amazing to see what happens when we are able to teach with power and authority that is given to us. I have been thinking a lot about how we can prepare for opposition and questions that will come up and what it comes down to is this: Fasting and Prayer will build your testimony.

Build you testimony before you need to stand up on your wall of faith.

Prepare now for the future that will question your faith. You can't stand up in the moment if you have nothing to stand on.

Build your testimony. I wish that I had had a better testimony before I came out on a mission. But I have since learned why scripture study is so important and that is because we can apply the scriptures when dealing with opposition throughout the day. Study. Pray. Ponder.

Apply. And then see what happens.

So a few days ago, we were stopped by a lady who spoke only Spanish.

We were biking down the road and she honked at us and motioned us over to her car. She didn't speak any English but we were able to talk to her a little bit. She asked if we would go over to her house and talk to here. We couldn't, cause we don't speak Spanish, ya know? So we gave the referral to the Hermanas. This was last Saturday. Tonight we got a call from the Hermanas saying that they had stories for us. Come to find out, the lady was ALREADY a member, but she was inactive.

Lately, before she met us, she kept having these promptings to go back to Church. She kept pushing them aside until one night when she had a dream that she would see two Elders on the side of the road and talk to them. They would take her info and tell her where the church was.

The very next day, she was driving down the road that she had dreamt about and saw the two elders that she had seen in her dream... Us. She knew it was a sign from God that she needed to go back to church. So she is coming to church this weekend after being inactive for the last

9 years! Kinda a cool story!

We got rained on a lot today. There was a lot of mud and water and we just got soaked and dirty. We finally threw all caution to the wind and hightailed it home after dark. We got home and we each had mud all over our backpacks, pants, crotch, etc. All over. Love it.

I finally feel like I've moved into the apt here in the Broadway 1 Hobby area. I have everything pretty much organized and I have a lot of my food now. I am still kinda down on food, but it's all pretty much there.

Wednesday Stuffs

Well today was pretty good! We had a few lessons and actually felt like we were working. We biked about 25 or 30 miles today trying a bunch of potentials and such. It was a lot of fun to actually get out and talk to people about the Gospel!

Then we biked some more.

I studied Preach My Gospel this morning. PMG is amazing and I love it so much! There is so much good stuff in there. The entire Gospel has been condensed to 2 or so chapters. How to teach it is in the remaining of the 13 chapters in the book. Coupled with the Book of Mormon and the Bible, there is no clearer way to understand the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I have been learning about the responsibility of a missionary and of a leader in the Church and it's been cool to come to realize the true nature and responsibility of the nature of our calling. I love it! I have also recently been taught about the importance of prayerful preparation for the times to come. Temptation and opposition will always come and we need to be ready. WE can't just expect to suit up for the Savior if we haven't developed the armor to withstand the Devil. Always remember to suit up. Every morning.

Develop that armor. Then live your life in such a way that you are worthy to be on the Lord's Calvary.

Thursday

Well today was weekly planning. We had a lot of just planning this morning.

Today is a beautiful day! It feels like Utah on a cool and crisp spring morning. It was just that clear, wonderful day! I love it.

I just found some old Mexican powdered lemonade in the cabinet and I made it up. But it has a very bad after taste.

Elder McDonald just made us up a big can of of Chef Boyardee beef ravioli and I tried to eat it using a fork, but then Elder McD made me change it out with a spoon, but when I took it to the sink, I spilt on the floor... So I had to use a rag to clean it up with.

We just got back from a lesson with a lady named Mickey; we took Brother Aragon with us! He is a super cool guy and is truly hilarious.

He made a lot of jokes about Eggo Waffles and me getting hit by cars.

I don't even know what it was about. Haven't been hit yet.

We had a lesson with Eric tonight. It was a good lesson! He is a retired professional DJ and it's really cool! he has the whole thing set up in his living room and everything.

Friday

This morning we had a District Meeting! It was my first one outside of Beaumont and it was different, but it was a really good meeting! We had a very good discussion about missionary work and how to be more effective teachers. We have a straight Elders district and it gets fun sometimes!

We spent the rest of the day helping S get ready for her baptism on Sunday! She is super solid and is basically golden! She got the green light in her interview and she is super excited for her baptism!

We had a lesson with Bishop today and he gave her some really good advice.

Tomorrow we get to see President Nelson! He is coming to a tri mission conference held outside our mission boundaries. It's gonna be great! I get to shake hands with an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ! If President Monson dies, President Nelson will be the next prophet. I am super excited for tomorrow morning. I'm gonna go to bed now so I don't fall asleep while he is talking to us tomorrow.

Saturday

We woke up early this morning and went to the chapel at 1101 Bering St. in Houston to meet with 3 other missions. There were over 700 missionaries in one chapel. We had 20 Stake Presidents there from all the different stakes covered by T.H.E Mission, Texas Houston South Mission, and the Texas Houston mission. The Houston Temple President, Marshall Hayes from Beaumont was there also along with the 3 Mission Presidents and their wives. There were a lot of people. Oh, and Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge and President Russell M. Nelson were there also.

It was definitely a day to remember.

We got there in the morning bright and early and were seated by 7:30.

It started at 8:00 and went for 3 hours. President Nelson and Elder Corbridge were conducting interviews in the stake offices that morning. They didn't show up till about 8:30 or so, so we had an extra half hour to study and prepare for the upcoming experience.

President Nelson and Elder Corbridge came walking into the chapel very fast. I thought he was moving extremely well for a man that old...

They stood at the front and all the missionaries, 700 strong, filed up to the front to shake their hands. It was honestly one of the neatest experiences of my life and as I am reflecting on it, I wish I could've said something like 'Hi President' or something like that, but I was too busy trying to keep my head screwed on right. He looked me straight in the eyes and said, "Elder Allen, it's very good to meet you!" I never thought a simple greeting could have so much meaning behind it. I never thought that you could feel the Spirit by just a simple handshake. He had a surprisingly firm handshake for someone that looks so frail and I can honestly say that God preserves His servants for the work that they are doing. One more thing, President Nelson and Elder Corbridge both conveyed so much love as we were able to shake their hands. The Pure Love of Christ, Charity, has so much power.  I understand what Moroni was talking about in Moroni 7:46-47 "Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail. But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him."

Charity is everything in this world. We must have charity towards everyone; it is the driving force behind the missionary effort and everything really. Without charity, nothing would be able to exist. If you don't have charity, you are nothing. So get some charity so you can do something. Without charity, we aren't able to do anything, so get some and start changing the world. It is within us to do so.

Anyway, Elder Corbridge got up and gave us a nice talk recapping the missionary broadcast this last week. It was very good to remind ourselves about what our purpose truly is. This is the second time that we have had the opportunity to listen to him speak to us as missionaries. He is the author of the Fourth Missionary, which is fantastic, by the way.

President Nelson got up and spoke to us for about 2 hours. It was amazing. I think he touched on just about every aspect of the Gospel... The main theme was the Gathering of Israel and such. He read scriptures to us from every single one of the Standard Works. He taught us and instructed us and expounded the scriptures to each one of us. He had the mission presidents speak to us for a few minutes. He cracked joke after joke and also gave us the rest of the story that he told in General conference. The one about the operation on the daughters of this couple who ended up dying? Remember that? Well that isn't even the half of the story. He is truly an amazing man who understands the Gospel very well. The Gospel is really simple.

Last thing, we played basketball with some black kids tonight! They were dang good and schooled us big time cause we are not so good...

They were like 14 and beat us pretty soundly. They have been playing bball their entire lives and that's all they do, all day, everyday.

Kinda crazy if you ask me.

Sunday

We got to church today and it was a missionary Sunday! That means that the missionaries put on Sacrament. We had one of the missionaries speak about missionary work. Elder Asay. He went until the close of the meeting at noon... We still had a special musical number and another speaker to get through. We decided to still sing and it was amazing. We had a lot of people come up to us afterwards and commend us for our amazing voices. Then President Rascon spoke. He is in the mission presidency and he is also a newscaster for ABC News. Channel 13. He is a really neat guy! He is also very good at speaking cause that's what he does for a living, ya know? It was really cool.

After church we had a baptism! SW is pretty much the golden investigator. She has had contact with other Mormons in the past and has had questions in the past. The missionaries that were here before me were the ones that found and taught her. I basically came in and just dunked her. The Spirit was super strong in the program! It is truly amazing what happens when the members get involved in the conversion of someone.

-Elder Allen