Week 4

So this past week has been so much better! We had Zone Conference on Tuesday and I saw Daylon Mecham!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We were so happy to see each other. I was hoping and praying I would get to see him, I was feeling pretty discouraged after the rough week and just wanted to see a familiar face!  I just wanted to give him a great big hug...but I refrained and left it to the good ol' handshake. He is doing great. Also there is another Elder, Elder Perrett who is Kayla's brother. Kayla is the Ingram's cousin. So that was cool! Basically- seeing Daylon just made my entire day and week!

So after Zone Conference we were feeling pretty pumped and then a miracle happened! We went knocking doors and got 5 people's phone numbers!!!! That was amazing! And we found a girl, she actually let us in to teach her. She is 15 and is just so ready for the gospel in her life! I'm stoked for her. Then on Thursday we Blitzed our area...meaning that all the surrounding missionaries (3 other sets) came into our area to help us find people :) from that we got 7 phone numbers, and we have one guy who sounds pretty interested. We will start teaching him on Tuesday, and another boy, who is 16- we teach him tonight :) And another thing awesome happened! A guy called us up on Saturday telling us he was wants to come to church- haha we just talked to him on the street and gave him amormon.org card, and he looked it up and then decided he wanted to come :)- so he is another hopeful! There is also another couple- they are Islamic, well not really practicing or anything, but from Iran- so everything about Christ and stuff is a little different for them...it's just amazing to see how many new people we have found just last week!

 

We got caught in the rain once again....it was a downpour...no unbrellas...no coats....we were soaked- called a member to come and get us...we hid out under a tree haha She is so good to us!

OKay now for funny stories....So on Saturday we were walking around talking to people..and this Greek man (doesn't speak a lick of English) comes up and takes a Book of Mormon from my companion's hand and starts kissing it...haha then he shakes our hands and kisses us on our cheeks!!! hahah oh my gosh- I could not compose myself...it was soo funny! then he followed us around for a bit- we were trying to make sense of what he was saying, then a guy in a van, yelling at him comes and picks him up...it was the strangest thing.

 

Anyways...things are going great :) life is good. Loving it more and more!

 

- Sister Allred

Week 3 in the Field

Well it has been a hard week! We don't have any progressing investigators at the moment- so people who are progressing towards baptism and there has been a lot of knocking on doors and just trying to get somebody to listen! In my head...with a Nacho Libre accent I just say to myself..."I'm a little concerned about your salvation and stuff". We are working so hard! and trying to find people, but the numbers when the District Leader calls just isn't showing that. So that's been frustrating.  There are YSA (Young Single Adults) Elders who cover our area as well..so whenever we do find somebody who is interested we have to give it over to them because the person is between the age of 18-30. It was actually pretty funny, my companion and I were street contacting and between the sparse amount of people who were out and about we were saying how easy the YSA Elders have it. They always have stories about people who just walk up to them and ask questions. And just as we were talking about this we ran in to a guy, we gave him a pass along card and he was all like "Yeah, I'm actually really interested, I have a friend who is Mormon who served a mission but I don't know much about Mormons. Do you have time to talk? McDonalds it right there". Haha so we taught him the message of the restoration there in McDonalds...got his information...and then handed him over to the YSA Elders to teach :( I tell ya, YSA is where it's at! Get them while they are young and not set in their ways! Oh and I did get called crazy/mistaken for the first time this past week. Once again he was male and around 35-40 years old and really wanted to chew us out...the smirk on my face probably didn't help...I just can't help but feel sorry for those people. They believe that the Bible is it, that there were no more prophets after Christ....I'm sorry but that just doesn't make any sense to me...what about all the Apostles? What were their purpose then? Why wouldn't we need direction today? I always want to pull out 2 Nephi 29:6-10, which starts off as "Thou fool, that shall say: A Bible, we have got a Bible, and we need no more Bible.....Wherefore, because that ye have a Bible ye need not suppose that it contains all my words neither need ye suppose that I have not caused more to be written/" But calling people fools probably wouldn't go so great haha It just seems sooo silly that people feel like the heaven's are closed, that we have received everything we need to know! I have been reading Jesus the Christ...(which is awesome, I can't put it down!) but even when Zacharius was in the temple and he was told about his wife who would conceive in her old age, people thought that there were no more messengers sent to the people in that time...Don't people see a pattern here?! Why is it so hard for people to believe revelation today, in their own time?

Anyways,....I've ranted enough :) I can't remember if I've told you about one of our contacts...We contacted him on the street...and he said "I speak french"..and then I was like, well what a coincidence! I DO TOO! haah so we have been trying to get him to church and stuff, but again, he does not live in our area, but the other Elders don't speak french...it's kind of a mess...BUT I've gotten to use my french! So that's awesome.

Oh and there are a lot of Mennenites here! I don't mean ones like at home, I mean like ones who drive horse and buggies through town! haha they even have hitch posts and barns for them while they shop! haha

Oh and I was going to tell you a little about our area, we cover both the outskirts of Kitchener and Waterloo...so we miss both of the downtowns, which kills me a little because the cutest houses are there...but there is quite a commute to those town. I like Waterloo the best and it's where we are spending most of our time. Kitchener has 130,000 people and Waterloo has 230,00 people- you'd think with ALL those people we'd be able to find somebody! It's beautifully green and lush on the outskirts of town! There is a small town called ST Jacobs- we were going to go up there today because it's more like a farming town, with the buggies and everything but it's raining...sooo naptime this afternoon instead :) I seriously fall asleep all the time...I fell asleep saying my prayers...it was right before companionship study and I was kneeling and leaning on my chair at my desk...and my companion was waiting for me...I woke up and it'd been 10 mintues...so I just slyly stood up and pertended like it never happened. I just figured she'd think I was super spiritual or something...but when we were done studying she asked me if I had fallen asleep...sooo I fessed up to it.

I havent been homesick much...I think of all of you a whole lot! But nothing too bad..the one time that it hit me kind of hard was when we were tracting and this lady came out wearing an apron and she said she was baking a cake and couldn't talk to us...I JUST WANTED TO BE HOME BAKING A CAKE WITH MY MOMMY! haha I got over it real quick though.

Oh I had my one month birthday as a missionary! We got Coke :)

We have Zone Conference tomorrow, and I'm just hoping that I see Daylon Mecham or Teancum Carter there! I just want to see a familiar face!

 

Well I love you all- and I'm still alive!

 

Oh one more thing...there are these surplus stores here that are awesome! They have a bakery - 50 cent Country Harvest bread, and all sorts of other things, and then they have another surplus store that has everything else your heart could desire...gardening things, camping things..tools....Dad, you'd go crazy :)

 

Love you!

 

Sister Allred

Week 2

This week flew by- I'll probably say this every week- but time is just weird when it is measured by Sunday, PDay, teach, tract, contact, then sunday...and it just repeats hahaha focusing completely on one day at a time makes a day seem so long, but a week so short!

Loved the emails and pictures this week! Granty Pants and Benson boy are getting sooo big! and just so you know, I pray for them by those names every night ;) Heavenly Father is well aware of Granty Pants and Benson Boy- I'm still working on a nickname for baby J! It's hard to even remember what I did this past week! It all seems like a blur! It was a bit of a tough one- the mission is going for 60 baptisms in June....and we don't even have a progressing investigator! We had one guy with a baptismal date in June...but he called saying he didn't want to see us again, and it has been one person after another calling us back claiming we aren't Christians....just for the record...my name tag says: the Church of JESUS CHRIST of Latter Day Saints....I don't know but that seems like a pretty good indicator that we are Christians? 

Oh but I have a good story to go along with that :) So we got a referral from a member in the other ward, and we had tried to meet up with this girl, but she missed one appointment, but we finally got incontact with her. So we meet her,  and so we sit down and start talking to her...trying to get into to what our purpose as missionaries is and how we can help her. So we ask her what she would like in her life to change...and she just says she needs more money...she was on welfare etc...anyways we try to explain how coming to know Jesus Christ and making some changes could help her in every aspect of her life, even her temporal needs. So she kind of stops us mid sentence and asks..."So some churches give gifts to new comers....does your church do that?"  hahaah My companion and I kind of paused and looked at each other...um.....hahah Eternal Life? haha we didn't say that but she seemed pretty disappointed when we told her no. She ended up cutting our appointment short, but we did have a return appointment with her...then later she called us and canceled. Oh boy. after her, it was just one person after another who canceled.

 

 People definitely are hard to find! But I know there is someone out there! My new super power I would want would be to be able to speak every language EVER! That would atleast get me in the door most places. It has come to light that I might be prone to Bible Bash haha I just speak firmly for what I believe. IT has only happened twice. Both instances were men who were probably about 46 years old ish...in both cases their daughters come to the door and we chatted and then the daughter invited us in...then the father's who in both cases had met with Elders before, and were delighted to see sisters who just seemed so meek and inferior, then they try to tear us apart....well let me tell you...I won't be having any of that ;) If anyone treats me inferiorly I'll be getting my ghetto on haha just kidding  I'm working on that...I just have a hard time backing down...I count on my companion for that- she's great at saying we have to go lol Half the time I don't realize that I'm speaking so firmly. I blame it on my public speaking class- speak with confidence!

 

Hmm...oh we got caught in a huge thunderstorm! (picture to follow!) my skirt was soaked up to my thighs! I even had a long raincoat on! Mom, thank Terri for that raincoat- it has saved my life! The weather here is so weird. One day it is blistering hot, make me want to die humidity, and then the next I'm shivering and doing jumping jacks trying to stay warm! I definitely am starting to get brown from the hot days though! Oh and the other fun thing was going to see a recent convert in the hospital, she got the flu but we had to suit up because they weren't quit sure what it was....don't worry Mom, I feel fine ;). I've been seeing all kinds of things that make me think of you guys! Cute houses remind me of Abby, Bridal Veil flowers remind me of Mom, all the walker lawn mowers remind me of Dad, everytime I see an RBC I think of Darby's and the list goes on! Oh and the pictures of me sitting is from this morning...I got water on my scriptures because my water bottle leaked in my bag :( so I was trying to flatten them out.

 

I am doing great! we are getting more dinner appointments :) Treat those Sisters well at home! I love my companion- of course there are differences with personalities but we get along great!  I've really been focusing on just giving myself to the Lord and trying to work my very hardest! I'm learning so much and know that through Jesus Christ we can be eternal families, and that all our mistakes, feelings of hurt and discouragement can be healed through his Atonement!

Thanks so much for the emails!

Love,

Sister Allred

Week 1

Holy Cow! I've only been here a week- not even a week yet, but it feels like i've been here for months, but at the same time it feels like I got here yesterday- time seriously is messed up when you're on a mission.

I don't even know where to start! I've been keeping a list of things I wanted to tell you all about....then I forgot my sticky note at the apt! So I'll do my best! First off- thanks for all the emails! Especially with pictures!

I've been meeting a lot of the memebers here and there are some super awesome members! We had a service activity on Saturday- we got free T-shirts= score! I'll do just about anything for a free tshirt ;), but the service was awesome haha we cleaned up some trails behind the church and got to know some of the members. 

 People are obsessed with their cats and small dogs here. Dad, I have to opress the Vanderhoofian in me and not think about what people would say or do about that at home- if you get my drift.

 

We have gone out tracting and I have gotten my fair share of doors slammed in my face- who knew people were so edgy about religion! Even have gotten the polygamy card pulled on us the other day- just to clarify "MORMONS ARE NOT POLYGAMISTS!", but I kept my composure and just smiled and waved. The most common answers we get from people are A) my grandfather was catholic, my father was catholic, I cannot change B)I do not dicuss such things with strangers (typically a door in slammed in our face after that one) and C) I don't believe in anything Oh AND D) I'm happy with where I am, oh and one more E) No english- haha so many ppl don't speak english here!

I keep telling my companion- "How can people refuse our message! We are so cute!", You would think they'd at least be a little nicer about it. One thing I have definitely found is that those who profess to be dedicated Christians are definitely the rudest of the people, whereas the people with lots of piercings and a bit of an edgy haircut are very kind and love to chat :) And I wish I knew like all the languages! So many people don't know english- that or they are fooling us! We are teaching one lady and she is from Iran, she speaks english fairly well, but she speaks like 10000mph! It took us an hour to teach the preearth life, birth, and earth in the plan of salvation! haha. 

 

So moral of the story- be nice to the missionaries! we've only had one dinner appointment since i've been here, but the bishop gave us subway cards and another lady gave us some food- good thing I think cereal is a treat! I've been eating lots of it! The hardest thing so far for me is just being able to stay awake! Personal study in the morning is so hard! I've been trying to come up with clever ways to keep myself from dozing off- from standing, to sitting on the ground, to eating...the list goes on and i'm sure it will get longer. Mornings are definitely tough! But it is after we have taught a bunch of lessons in the afternoon and evening when I am reminded why I chose to come on a mission! I KNOW that through Jesus Christ we can change! More than half the ward is inactive, and it breaks my heart that we missionaires come out here to tell people about a wonderful gift that is available to them, when there are so many who already have it, but choose to set it aside and to put their hearts on the things of the world! The majority of the issues of why people leave are because of being offended- I find that to be the most frustrating response possible! I just want to tell them to give their head and shake and get over it. Church is for the sinners- no one is perfect there- so we all have to give a little and remember why we really go to church- to come closer to our Heavenly Father and put aside the pride that would otherwise keep us from going to church.

This is a quote from Our Search For Happiness by Elder Ballard, "If you really concentrate on trying to walk the way He walked-loving, caring, serving, and obeying each step of the way- one day you'll look up and discover that His path has led you directly to the throne of God. For that is and ever has been His great purpose and mission: to lead us to our Heavenly Father so we can dwell with HIm in His heavenly home."

 

The Baptism yesterday went so well! She is so remarkable! OH and the Mission President and his wife showed up! totally unexpected! this week we are going to teach her about temples. She had an older sister who passed away some years ago, so we are really excited to teach her about baptisms for the dead- the Young Women are gonig on a temple trip the 11th of June so she will get to go! She has also been learning about patriarchal blessings! Ah! She is seriously just so amazing! And it has reminded me of all the blessings that come from living the gospel and being a member of the Church.

 

I am loving it out here! It is an amazing feeling to totally set yourself apart from the world, without the distractions, and the loud music (though I miss the loud music a tiny bit) and being able to totally give yourself over to the Lord to do his will!

 

I love you all!

 

Sister Allred