An email from Sister Allen...

Hey everybody!

has this week been crazy or what? Being in this trio is just go, go, go all the time. With two areas and two wards, we are just crazy busy all the time. But its pretty nice because I would rather be busy then trying to find something to do.

Mom, i know you were worried about my situation for meals...but dont worry, i am being taken care of. The ward feeds us every night for dinner and we get to go grocery shopping for breakfast and dinner. I usually have hummus or a sandwich for lunch. For breakfast we make a spinach smoothie. Its my new thing. Spinach, banana, milk, and a little bit of nesquilk. Its super good and very healthy which is even better. :) Oh and this week the Elders brought over a $60 gift card from some random less active person in our ward. It was so nice of whoever it was but we eat at subway every once in a while because it is just across the street.

Every morning we ride our bikes a mile down the road to a park where we run around the park for 30 minutes. Its a really nice park and i usually do stairs, lunges, or whatever my heart so desires. We have also been going to soccer some mornings at the stake center. The elders all play at 6am in the cultural hall gym. Its actually super fun and even though im not that good, i try my best. Im definitely getting better but its all fun and games. I just usually try to avoid getting passed to...i did score a goal though in our game on saturday. Go ME! haha.

Sister Dalton and Sister Powell have been great. We are all above 5' 8" and so everyone calls us the "tall trio". Sister Dalton is from New Jersey and graduated from Dartmouth (ivy league, i know!)...she wants to be a midwife and i told her she could deliver my babies one day. She has been out for ten months and is in charge of driving the car. Lets just say she is a bit of a cautious driver haha. We were driving the other day and she was trying to get in to the other lane and she slows down WAY slow so she is holding up traffic behind her. Well that day the lady behind us was not happy and totally flipped us off. hahaha. Sis Dalton didnt see and i ended up telling her later that night. It was so funny. She drives WAY slower than the speed limit which i am not used to. But, hey, at least im safe. :) Sister Powell is from Rexburg and has been out here for about 3 months. She is cool and knows everything about the bible. She can whip any scripture out and knows all the stories of the bible. Its really helpful in lessons haha. She is 21 and loves rexburg and will defend that city until the day she dies...ive already told her how i felt about rexburg and thats when she started trying to convince me of why rexburg wasnt that bad. i still promise myself i will never go back, even after talking to her. haha.

The city next to us had their giant peach festival this weekend. Its pretty huge and they have peach everything. Peach jam, peach tea, peach ice cream, etc. Because it wasnt in our area we didnt get to go. so we had our own peach festival consisting of buying our own fresh peaches from a fruit stand and enjoying some peach ice cream from a members house. gotta make do somehow.

In the Buttes Vista area, there is a retirement home that we go to every day. It is called Yuba Manor and let me tell you, it is always an adventure...There is a lady named Lois who lives there and she forgets everything in two minutes. She cant hear well or read well either. Its hilarious because every time we are there she stops and asks us our names. Every time we pick something different. On Saturday I told her my name was Sister Allen. She goes, "Allen?! Isnt that a boys name?! Whats your last name?" I could barely hold back my laughing and just said "My last name is Johnson". She looked at me so confused and basically yells, "ALLEN JOHNSON?! HUH? And not a boy?!" We make up new names every time we see her and it is hilarious! Plus she gets right up next to your face so she can hear you. I cant even handle her...Oh Lois. Oh Yuba Manor...classic. And then there is Jim, he is the crankiest old man i have ever met. He is 81 and has a baptismal date for August 10th. He is always so angry because the food sucks at Yuba Manor. We buy him corned beef hash because thats the only thing he will eat. Jim has been free of tobacco and coffee for 12 days now after being hooked on it for 62 years. It really is a miracle and i know he sees it too even though hes stubborn.

We met this man in my area named Narayna (N-orion-ah) who is really interested in the book of mormon. It was amazing because we went to go see a less active and as we were walking back to the car he came out with his daughter. She is 3 and literally the most darling little girl. He is in his mid 20s and after Sis Powell got done explaning about the book of mormon and the restoration he just goes "Hm...i get it. That really all makes sense to me." UH WHAT? who says that? no one. thats who. because it was like it wasnt real life. but it was and he wants us to come back and teach him. The best part was when i was talking to him about being a single dad and how my dad was like my best friend and raised me. He goes, "Really? Well i want my daughter to grow up and be just like you some day." Uh yeah...what? that was an unreal experience.

One of the people we are teaching in the Buttes Vista area is so ready to get baptized...but there is a bit of a problem...shes a lesbian. Eeek...she loves the book of mormon and knows everything is true. Her name is Rose and she lives with her partner Donna. they have been together for 30 years and basically donna is the worst and she does nothing for Rose while Rose does everything for her. Rose is completely deaf and only reads lips but she can hear some things through an amplifier and headphones. We have been trying to get her to pray about leaving donna but never really reads our lips correctly. At church yesterday, she told Sis Dalton that she had this dream and an angel came to her and told her that she needed to leave Donna. Woah! The best part was Rose told us, "The only reason i remember the dream so well is cause my favorite Rhianna song was playing in the background the whole time." HAHA. she is such a hoot. literally the funniest person ive met. she NEEDS to get baptized and NEEDS to leave donna. maybe now it looks like more of a possibility to her.

OH! yes! i forgot...everyone really needs to read the talk "Beware of Pride" by Ezra Taft Benson. its amazing and such a wake up call. its really great.

It is seriously crazy out here but so much fun. A mission is hard. Its VERY hard. But this work is so worth it. I am missing everyone like crazy but I know this is exactly where i need to be.

I keep you all in my prayers and hopefully you are doing the same for us because we need them. :) thank you for every letter, package, note, etc. I appreciate it all and could not ask for better family and friends.

what an experience this is and what a blessing it is to be out here.

i love you all!
Love,

Sister Allen

sisterlexisallen.blogspot.com
ps. i hope everyone is still receiving my emails!