I'M TRAINING! again.
looks like all of our predictions were wrong. I am staying here in Loomis and going to be training a new missionary again. This was not what Sister Laws and I were expecting at all, but I know this is exactly what the Lord has planned. It was such a surprise because we received the list of names of the new missionaries who are coming out this week and there was only one sister on the list, which means there would only be one sister needed to train. Last night as we listened to our voicemail from the Zone Leaders, they read off Sister Osborne's name (she's in Lincoln) and said that she was called to be a trainer. So we thought we were definitely off the hook. Then as we kept listening to transfer calls, we heard them say "Loomis 3rd. Sister Laws you will be transferred to Antelope 4th ward and Sister Allen you're training." We had to listen to it THREE times before it became real to us what was about to happen. I guess that they had some miscommunication with the MTC and there are actually 4 new sisters coming out this transfer. (one of them is from the UK. cool, huh?) The AP's (assistant to the presidents) gave us a call last night after we heard and gave me a huge boost of confidence. They said that President Weston trusts me a lot and knows that I am going to do great things again as a trainer. He knows what I am capable of and recognizes my hard work. Feels good to be trusted by the mission president. I am grateful for a mission president who is so in tune with the spirit and follows the promptings he receives to place us each exactly where we need to be. I wont lie, I am really sad that Sister Laws is leaving me. We have become really close these past six weeks and I am so grateful to have been able to serve with her. But here goes another new adventure!
A trainer is a great responsibility in the mission. Training sets the bar for how the missionary will perform for the rest of their mission. I am grateful for this opportunity.
On Saturday afternoon we had the FIRST EVER international skype lesson in the Roseville California Mission. Last week I told you all about Christopher, the guy from York, England who we had a lesson with. Well, he went home on Thursday and we had a follow up lesson with him via Skype. Isn't it amazing what we can do with technology these days? Christopher has already read through first and second nephi over the span of two days and is loving the Book of Mormon. He is definitely apart of the elect group that God has prepared for the gospel. He is going to check out the church building that is right by his workplace and will hopefully start attending church there. He is very intellectual and has always been the one of his friends that doesn't follow the crowds or see the point in partying, etc. The gospel is giving him a better outlook on life and hope that there really is a God and he desires for us all to be happy. That's the beautiful thing about the gospel, it gives people purpose and perspective for their lives. We are going to do one more lesson over Skype with him before we turn him over to the York missionaries. Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if he was baptized within the next month.
It snowed in California!!? I know, I can't believe it either. But on Saturday afternoon as we were sitting in the Alston's home skypeing Christopher, we looked out the window and flakes of snow were coming down! It was nothing like Utah snow and lasted for about five minutes then was gone, but that was the first time in about 10 years that Loomis has had snow. Crazy.
Brad Frantz, my recent convert from Yuba City, came down on Tuesday night and went to dinner with Sister Laws and I. It was awesome to see him and I am so impressed at how far he is coming in the gospel. I am amazed at what an example he is to his non member friends. At his age, it is hard not to follow the crowd and just go along with what seems to be the world's version of the "normal" thing for people in their 20s to be doing. He has so many awesome LDS friends from the ward and is constantly hanging out with them. He attends institute, church every week he doesnt have work, and is seriously embracing the gospel. It is so great to see success that comes from our work in the mission field.
We did a lot of tracting this week and although it is considered the most least productive thing to with your time, we didn't really have any other choice. But it ended up being a bit successful because we found two new investigators! And they both happened to be at the last house that we knocked on. Sister Laws and I have decided that Heavenly Father does that on purpose just to see if we will be diligent and knock on every single door. Our diligence paid off. Our first new investigator is James Bailey. James is of the Bahia religion, which is Islam, and believes that the second coming already happened back in the 1840s. Basically Christ came back and was crucified once again on the cross. Which totally doesn't make sense because Christ is a resurrected being and I don't know why God would have him killed again if he was already resurrected. Basically, this religion of his doesnt make sense. But he has read through the whole D&C, Book of Mormon, and Pearl of Great Price.....sadly, he doesn't believe any of it...for now. :) Our other new investigator is Bobby, he has also read parts of the Book of Mormon and doesn't believe it is true. Both of these investigators are going to be hard nuts to crack, but I know we will be able to do it. No one can deny the power of the Spirit.
I would invite you all to review Elder Ballards talk from this most recent general conference titled, Put Your Trust in the Lord.
"Trust the Lord. He is the Good Shepherd. He knows His sheep, and His sheep know His voice; and today the voice of the Good Shepherd is your voice and my voice. And if we are not engaged, many who would hear the message of the Restoration will be passed by. Simply stated, it’s a matter of faith and action on our part. The principles are pretty simple—pray, personally and in your family, for missionary opportunities. The Lord has said in the Doctrine and Covenants that many people have been kept from the truth only “because they know not where to find it”"......."We are not asking everyone to do everything. We are simply asking all members to pray, knowing that if every member, young and old, will reach out to just “one” between now and Christmas, millions will feel the love of the Lord Jesus Christ. And what a wonderful gift to the Savior."
Have we all accepted Elder Ballard's invitation to find the "one" who needs this gospel.? If you haven't then prayerfully seek that person out and you will find them.
I love you all! Here's to another solid week in the mission field.
16 days until Christmas and I can't wait to Skype. :) See you soon, literally.
Love,
Sister Allen
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