"You know, I don't know that much Spanish. I don't have a perfect testimony of everything. I am only 19. I get proud. I get discouraged. I get impatient. I have problems. But the God of heaven and His glorious Son appeared to a fourteen-year-old boy with problems in the woods in New York. The creator of the entire universe answered a humble prayer of a boy with miracles that resulted in the restoration of His gospel. I am young, and I am not perfect, but that doesn't mean that God doesn't want me or that He can't use me. There is a scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants that goes something like this: 'And by the weak things of the earth shall I thrash the nations by the power of my Spirit.' I love that verse. We are weak, but He is able. Even though the missionary force is very young and not perfect, the Lord will continue to thrash the nations. To bring them to repentance. To help them receive the blessings of His gospel.
I am so thankful to be a part of this miracle."

Monday, December 23, 2013

Feliz Navidad!

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MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!!!!!  

If you are worried about mine and Sister Jackson's Christmas, you shouldn't be.  We have so many plans!!!  We are definitely bringing our mattresses into the main room of our apartment tonight and watching one of our Church Christmas videos, and we bought eggnog and peppermint icecream for treats.  I got the package!!! All of the presents are sitting, dutifully wrapped and waiting, under our beautiful tree.  Plus, we have meals set up with members so we will have things to do. :)

So funny thing about Latino culture.  When they say "Christmas," they actually mean "Christmas Eve." Apparently, they do all the big fun stuff on Christmas Eve.  They have a huge dinner and then stay up until midnight and open their presents! What?!  Haha fascinating.  I never knew!

So there are some big changes afoot in the Florida Orlando Mission.  One is that we are now allowed to go to the temple twice a year, in January and in July!!!!!!  I am so very excited to be in the temple again and to be strengthened there.  The other change is that we are becoming and online proselyting mission, which means I will be on facebook in a few weeks.  I keep my old account and go through it to make it more professional, and then we can teach people online also.  They have seen many blessings from reaching out to people through this. I can't talk to people from home unless they are participating in a lesson or are nonmembers that we can try to start teaching.  I know you will be good at this, but please tell everyone not to try and chat with me or post on my timeline.  The work is moving and changing - how exciting!  Along with this, we can't have blogs anymore, which means you are going to have to take all my letters offline.  They don't want it to somehow link to my profile and so my investigators can read about themselves.

Investigator update: we got dropped by one of our star investigators, N, this week.  That is sad, but we still have some great people we are working with!  C. stopped smoking this week.  That is a miracle.  He is still working on his divorce papers and has a very solid date for February 9th, so he can get married and live the word of wisdom.  What faith we have seen in their family as they quit jobs, give up addictions, talk to lawyers, and fast until 8 at night in order to put their lives the way God wants them.  They know and they act!  It is the most amazing thing ever, and we feel the Spirit very strongly with them as they change.  Please pray for him and his wife and son L. 

We had this amazing Christmas devotional for the mission on Friday.  I sat there in the chapel, listening to the musical numbers and speakers, and I was so full.  I had this joy and wholeness well up inside me that just filled me up and made me so happy.  I love Christmas, because that is what it does to people.  I cry just about every time we sing the song "Silent Night."  Son of God, love's pure light!  Wow.  What an awesome message we have for everyone about Jesus Christ.  He was born, He lived, and He lives today for us.  He fills our lives with joy and happiness and peace.  I love breathing deep in and feeling this peace with myself and God.  Maybe things don't go right all the time.  Maybe I don't fill my purpose like I know I should.  Maybe sometimes I miss you all at home.  Maybe sometimes I am tired.  But all of that can be and is swallowed up in the joyous message that we can find peace for eternity.  That our adversity and afflictions are all but a small moment.  That we live now to bring our testimonies to those who are lost.  We taught a man this week named D.  We asked him why he wanted to talk to us, and he said it was because he was lost.  He needed a change.  We read John 3:16 with him.  "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."  In Spanish, the end says, "no se pierda," which translates to not get lost.  D. is finding purpose through the Book of Mormon and the message it brings of a Shepherd who is always finding His lost lambs.  

Is this not the most exciting thing ever, that we can all be involved in helping people not be lost?  Thanks for being such great examples to me of everything we should do as members.  This week, me and Sister Jackson watched a lot of the videos on hasteningthework.org to see if we wanted to share any. I challenge you to watch them and catch the wave!  I love having brothers and sisters all around the world in the gospel.

I love Christ and what He's done for me.  I love learning about everything out here.  I love that He is purifying me and shaping me to what He wants.  I love you all so much and can't wait to talk to you soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Hermana Allred




(Kara's nativity snowflake that she made for her investigators)


(Hermana Allred and her tree.)




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