Pictures from the mission

Here's a collection of pictures Mem sent home.

This first is a couple of pinatas, the other Hna's bought them, that reminded me of my nieces.
This is my first companionship, Hna Clark & Hna Woods.
The next two are from our Hna activity.


Three of our baptisms. Claudia, Lisandro, and Jonathan.



Love, Mem

Saludos de Modelo(todo via)

Hola Familia!
We had changes this week and let me tell you, what a change. Hna Woods headed to another zone, to open a new area with a new missionary, and I am here in Modelo, wth the cellular that everyone calls when they get sick. Oh and my companion-also a new Hna. So I am Training for my first time, and I've got the full carga of the Mission health Specialist. I forsee great growth-at least on my part. So we've had an interesting week. We're teaching Diana Lara and I just love it, She accepts every commitment and Is gaining such a strong testimony of the church. We also found another family the other day, and I am so excited to go back and teach them again. We are really focusing on families, because the goal is the temple.
Quiero ver... Sunday night we found out about changes, monday we went to San Salvador to do some things for nursing(and visit a member in the hospital) and then we came back and we attended to the new Missioneries, and Hna Woods packed, then Tuesday we had our new people meeting and Hna Woods went to her new are with her new comp and I came back to mine with my new comp, and we started working. And thats what we´ve been doing everyday since. I really do love the mission. Hna Cordon always says the mission is like a pressure cooker. That we learn so much, and grow so much, faster than others who don't have this experience.
Love ya'll
Hna Allen

saludas de El Salvador

Hola amado familia!
Things have been going well this week, we had a few miracles(I love miracles) happen this week. First we had one investigator, who when we met him told us he would never be baptised, tell us that he will be baptised in December. HUGE step for him, he had told us that when his daughter comes in December he'll be baptized, but he told us that whether or not she comes, he'll get baptized, he also promised he'd come to church the first sunday that his son is out of the hospital and back in the house(their son had a brain tumor that was operated on about a month ago)-.another huge miracle for him. We have seen him progress so much while we've been working with him.
Our other major miracle of the week came when we dropped by the church on mututal night to talk to the bishop really fast. He told us that one day he had been in his mom's house (which is infront of the church) when this young woman with a baby in her arms come over and said that someone from the church(the bishop of the other ward) had told her to talk to our bishop. SHe asked bishop if he could baptise her baby. He told her that we don't baptize babies in our church, we give them blessings, but that if she would like, we could baptize her, she said she'd like to be baptized, and bishop took down her name and address and when we came by he gave them to us. Her name is Diana, and she said she had gone to church with a friend 5 years ago, and they had given her a Gospel principles book that she had been reading as well as they had taught her how to pray, and that she had been praying since then. SHe said that she had been praying about Joseph Smith and she believed that he was a prophet... she is so amazing. She has been through so much in the last 5 years, and we are jsut so thrilled that we get to help her find the path to happiness. We're planning on the 17th of september for her baptism, and we're so excited about it.
Changes are this week. I am pretty sure I am staying, but we'll see on sunday night.
The El Salvador Temple opened to the public on tuesday the 23 and president said that one of these p-days we'll get to go to the temple. I am excited about that.
I read an article in a liahona about our refined heavenly home, and about learning to be more refined here will help us feel more at home there. It made me think about how our homes are supposed to be a little bit of peace and calm in the sea of caos of the world, but that so often(too often) we let the busy pace of the world flow right on into our homes, and we don't have a place of peace and calm.But how important it is to make that effort to have our home be that bit of calm where we can go to relax and enjoy those we love.
I also was reading another article about finding our own place to go to think and ponder and pray-to meditate- it talked about finding our own sacred grove. That doesn't mean wandering out into the wilderness or anything, just means finding a place in our home where we can have time to really talk to our heavenly father. where we can open our hearts and pour out our concerns and problems and honestly talk to Him. I think sometimes we (I personally) are so used to the formula, heavenly father, we are grateful, we ask for, in the name of... that we forget to actually talk. To pour out our souls in prayer, so Our loving heavenly father can help us. I have been taking some time in my personal prayers to turn it into a conversation, not just hey here is a list of things i am grateful for, and hey i'd like these thiings, but really say so today we didn't have a good day, or today was such a great day, or i have this concern, or i feel so blessed. I think at times I have been guilty of not really letting my prayers get beyond the ceiling, because they didn't come from my heart. I have gained such a great testimony that when we sincerely pour our hearts out to him, when we take our problems and concerns to him, maybe he won't take them away(probably not) BUT he will take the weight of them, so we can continue.
The dedication was great and our meeting with President Eyring was wonderful, I learned so much and it helped me change my perspective a bit.
I love these people, and I love learning about the gospel. And I love helping others learn about the gospel as well.
Con mucho amor,
Hna Allen

Saludos de Santa Ana

Wow, well greetings y'all. This week was interesting. We finally found one of our investigators, Yuli, she and her family have part way moved to another area, but she still is visiting the house here in our area on occasion. She is great. Every time we teach her a principle, she immediately starts living it or at least trying to live it. She was living with her boyfriend here in our area, and when she read the Law of Chastity pamphlet, she had a talk with her boyfriend and told him she'd only come by durring the day and her and her kids moved back to their other house in the other area. Which complicates things, but He decided that he doesn't want to lose his family to alcohol and is starting to change, so I think they'll get married. We're going to teach them on Sat and I'm excited. Also another investigator has a baptismal date, and I feel good about this date. Next Sat(27). He's had 3 fechas fall, and his big problem is he really loves playing futbol on sundays.
Tomorrow we have our planiing in the am then we are going to San Salvador in the pm, so today we are doing all the normal pday things(except the office elders who only get to write and buy food today and the rest of the day is spent like all other thursdays-in the office. pobrecitos.)
I have been studying Arrepentimento y la expiacion. (repentance and the atonement) What a wonderful and amazing gift and example. Our perfect brother submitted himself to the Father's will in all things, his life, death, resurrection and of course that pattern continued afer his death(it talks about him having other commandments of the father that he had to do when he is talking to the Nephites about why he has to go.) And just as he did all that, we need to be willing to submit to the father's will in all things as well. En verdad we need to have our will be to do the will of our Heavenly Father. I love to think about that he knows me, and his plan for my life(and all of our lives) is so much greater than that plan that I could immagine. And If I am willing to put my life in his hands by choosing to dedicate my time, decisions and efforts to things that bring me closer to him, and to doing his will(by following the spirit which will be with us if we are making decisions and putting in the effort to live a life with the constant companionship of the Holy Spirit) he will lift me up to my highest potential. I can do great things in the kingdom of God. I can be a great instrument in his hands.
I am really excited for tomorrow. It is like I get another general conference this year!( in addition to the other normal 2)
I am so glad for the opportunity to be serving a mission right now, it is so wonderful to be able to dedicate all of my time, thoughts and efforts to the lord. I love you all, and I love hearing how things are going at home, I hope all are happy and healthy.
Love
Hna Allen

Mensajito de El Salvador

Buenas dias familia!!!
This week has not had the luxury of flying. We´ve been having difficulties helping our investigators keep their commitments and two of our families that we were teaching dropped us, which is better than the eternal sneak and peak. But we have had some great lessons with our investigators, and I think they have come to understand why we keep teaching them about the book of mormon, and asking them to read it, and pray about it. I have been studying about faith, which has been very enlightening for me, I have really come to understand better how powerful faith is. I mean I have always known the scripture that says if we had the faith of a mustard seed we´d be able to move mountains, and all the scriptures that say, when we have faith, nothing is impossible. But really I have come to understand better that faith leads us to action. I have the faith that this message can change lifes. I know it can. Hna Woods says its the power of positive thinking, but I have come to believe that positive thinking is faith. Faith that everything will work out in the end. The gospel is so amazing. The gospel really is a great problem fixer, or rather a personal strengthener, even if the problem doesn't go away, the gospel gives us the perspective and strength to fix it.
But that is enough of the past week, our next week looks really great! THe greatest thing is that next friday we (the two missions in El Salvdor) will have a meeting with the general athorities that will be here for the dedication. President Eyring and Elder Christofferson. AND I get to be in the choir that will do a special music number :D and then on Sunday (21) will be the dedication and we get to go to all three sessions. XD I am not sure if we´ll have P-day on Friday next week or not, because if we do we won't be able to work at all, with having to be in San Salvador by 4pm. (pday usually ends for us at 5pm and it takes about an hour to San Salvador). I am so excited for the Dedication! and the choir! We´ll practice on monday, which works out great because I am already in the office, which is in the Stake Center where we have the choir practice(it is pretty central to the El Salvador part of our mission).
It has been really hot and the people all say it is abnormal, especially because it is what they call winter(that just means it is supposed to rain everyday and it hasn't). Nothing compared to you Sister Walker, I´m sure.
Nothing really exciting has happened with the health side, an Elder has a pretty bad sprained ankle, but he'll get better.
We learned a fun new game today in our Zone meeting, Pobricito mi gatito(my poor little cat) every one in a circle an one person in middle as cat, on all fours, and goes up one of the people in the circle and meows, and the person has to say pobricito mi gatito with out smiling, and if you smile you are the cat. It it was a fun game to play, especially because every one is laughing so hard.

Yo espero que todos tiene salud, y que les vayan bien
con amor
Hna Allen

Well...

Hola Familia!
Another week has flown by here in modelo. We've found more people to teach, and we're excited about that, though this past week was a little rough as far as finding new investigators. We're working hard and I'm loving the work. My spanish is of course a work in progress, and I imagine that it will be for all of my life. So good news, on the 19th the 2 missions will have a special meeting with the General authorities that will be coming for the dedication, Elder Eyring and Elder Christofferson. I am really excited for that, also We have permision(and almost orders) to go to all three sessions of the temple dedication on the following sunday, and I am also super excited for that.
SO adventures for this week, on sunday we had a baptism, which was complicated by 2 things that amazingly had nothing to do with Lisandro (the one getting baptised) First, one of the Hermanas dislocated her shoulder puttingon her backpack, she had dislocated it before and hadn't let it heal well, so we had her coming in to the hospital in Santa Ana, where President Cordon was going to meet her, and then it was pouring down rain, which you'd think wouldn't mean anything to a place that always has rain, but for some reason when it rains, no one comes to events, or wants to leave their houses(we wanted to do divisions and I could go to the hospital and Hna Woods could stay at the baptism, but we couldn't find anyone who was willing to leave their house in the rain, which was why president met her at the hospital). We almost couldn't have the baptism because we didn't have the priesthood present to be able to perform the ordinance. Then as we were finally getting ready to start the baptism, President Cordon Called, and said that the hospital in Santa Ana didn't feel confident to put the shoulder back in place so we had to take her to Santa Ana, Luckily we finished the baptism, and we just getting ready to have refreshments when President Cordon came to get us and we headed to San Salvador to the hospital, but the rain had caused an accident on the highway so what would have been a 45 min trip to San Salvador turned out to be a 2 hour trip to san salvador, we got to the hospital, they put the shoulder in, and we brought her back to our house for the night, then she went back to her area the next morning.
Other than that it hasn't been to bad, a few people with amoebas, a person with an ear infection that didn't belive me when I said that antibiotics take more that 12 hours before you can notice that they are working... things like that.
I have been studying about how important it is that we as missionaries invite people to do things. Everytime we invite someone to do something(will you come to church? will you read the book of mormon? will you pray?) we are asking them to change, to sacrifice something they would have done for this better thing, and that really is the basic principle of repentance, a change of a habit or action for a better(holier) habit or action. Also when we invite people to do something we invite them to gain their own testimony. It is when we are being obedient to a principle that we recieve testimony that it is true. Like it says in Malachi about tithing, prove me herewhith that I will open up the windows of heaven and pour out blessings upon you, or something like that, sorry I have only read it in spanish for quite a while. But the key is Prove me herewith. He invites us to keep the commandment of tithing and promises that when we do we will recieve blessings, but not until after we do it.
I love the gospel. I love that it can be so simple, that even a small child can do it, but that there is so much to learn that one could study it for an entire lifetime and still not have learned it all.
We planned for week four yesterday. Crazy I feel like we just started this change, and already we are almost half way through it. I have enjoyed having Hna Woods as my companion, and I just hope that I can learn how to be as great of a missionary and nurse as she is while I'm with her. I feel like I still have so much to learn about everything, and every day I just find more things I just don't know. But I have learned so much up to this point.
I love being a missionary. In our multizona last week one of the Elders that is going home this change said, you just have to learn to love the work, and if you love looking for people and serving people, and teaching the gospel, and you really love the work, even if you have days when you knock every door in a neighborhood and get nothing but rejection, you'll still be having a good day, because you are doing what you love to do. He said that the attitude we have makes a huge difference in the experience you have. The time passes whether you are miserable or just loving every minute. Love it.
Thats all I have time for now.
I love you all so much,
Love Hna Allen

Friday already?

Hola family!
Wow this week really did fly by fast, we had a multizona with president and I came away with a list of things that I need to do and habits I need to form to be a better missionary, as well as a few clarifications of the rules. One of which has to do with only 1 hour on the computer every week, so my letters will be shorter. We had a good week, we have a golden investigator, who is going to get baptized this sunday, we are really excited for him. although he has been looking for another house and he might wind up living outside of our ward boundaries shortly after he gets baptized. We have been looking for the references from the temple, and have been wandering the streets usually durring the hottest time of the day, which isn't the funnest, but it could definately be worse, since the hottest time of day is probably only in the mid 90s. The water for all of Santa Ana went out very early in the morning on thursday, so we are without water for the second day in a row. Sadly we didn't have our pila full, but there is a little faucet in our house that has a little trickle of water that will come out of it, so we've been catching that and we used that to bathe in and to wash our hands, but there is not enough water to flush the toilets, so thats getting a little gross. Also the dishes are starting to pile up. We are hoping that the water comes back tonight or tomorrow so we can wash our dishes, and take real showers, and flush the toilets, and so everyone who doesn't buy purified water can have water to drink. They had water trucks that came around and people came running with anything that could carry water to be able to bring it back to their houses. There were some people that were carrying water at least a quarter of a mile last night one five gallon bucket at a time. Really you don't appreciate what you have until its gone.
Mom, thanks for the recipe for snickerdoodles, the only thing I haven't been able to find is Cream of Tartar (people don't bake much here) so I don't know if there is some way I could make it, or if there is a substitute for it... :D
In my personal study I have been studying about the blessings that correlate with keeping the commandments, because blessings come from obedience to the laws upon which they are predicated. As I have started from the top of the list of commandments we teach from lesson 4 in chapter 3 of preach my gospel.(first is obedience, then pray always then study the scriptures etc) I have really been impressed by the simplicity of those things that if we do we will be so much stronger and be able to return to live with Heavely Father. I have realized that so often we are like the Israelites in the old testament, who when they were afflicted with fiery serpents, all they had to do was look at the brass serpent and they would be healed, but like Alma says to many died because they would not look. Such a simple thing could have saved them, yet they would not do it. Today we are all surrounded by fiery serpents of the adversary. They come in many forms, however the remedy for them is no less simple, even the primary children know the answers. Have family home evening, personal and family prayer, read the scriptures as a family and personally (in spanish it forms an accronym NOE noche de hogar, oracion, y estudio de las escrituras). when we do these things we too can be protected from the fiery serpents of the adversary.
How often we try to make life so much more complicated than it needs to be. I remember an object lesson I saw once, where the goal is to put a certain amount of sugar and a few big objects like eggs in a jar. If you start with the sugar, there is no room for the eggs, but if you start with the eggs the sugar flows around and fills in the spaces between the eggs. These basics are the eggs, the most important things, and everything else is the sugar, and when we put everything else first of course we can't find time to read our scriptures, pray and have FHE, but if we put them first, everything else that fills our lives will learn to flow around those things that are really basic fundamentals for our spiritual well being.
I Love you all, and I love to hear from you.
Love Hna Allen