"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, October 13, 2014

The Rock


Samurai Semoran has proved to be a rollercoaster of events and emotions! I would really appreciate a couple extra prayers as I am still trying to hit my stride here.  Thankfully, our teaching pool is filling up and we have been blessed to work with a lot of awesome people!


First, there is W. and A.  We met them one night biking through their neighborhood.  They are from the Dominican Republic and have only been in the country for a few months.  They have a really cute baby boy named William, and they are just the greatest family ever.  We taught them together on Tuesday, and have ran into W. several times since then on the street.  They are excited to keep meeting with us, and W. said he would be baptized if he came to know it was true.  We feel really good about them and are excited to set a baptismal date with them when we go to see them tomorrow.  Keep them in your prayers!

Second, we were visiting some former investigators that we had chosen when we met M.  She was just sitting outside of her apartment, and we introduced ourselves and talked a bit, then asked if she had a few minutes so we could sit down and talk more.  She did!  We went inside and had a really awesome Restoration lesson.  She was confused by difference in doctrine when she was younger in her churches, and has been looking for truth.  We all felt the Spirit as we testified of restored truth, peace, and church organization.  She also said she would be baptized when she got her answer.  We are meeting with her also on Tuesday and are excited to prepare her to partake of everything the Gospel has to offer her.

Additionally, we found A. walking in his complex the other day.  We had a short lesson with him about how the Restoration can help him, and we are coming to see him again on Sunday.  We have been blessed with more people to teach, and that has been awesome!

The Semoran Branch is really small and with a new Branch Presidency is trying to build up and stabilize.  Thankfully, there is a lot that we as missionaries can do to help! I am just going to put in another plug for the piano.  Keep practicing.  It's the 8 years that keeps giving for the rest of your life.  I am not the branch accompanist as I have been in other wards, but I continue to use my skills every Sunday and in between.

I have something very important to say:  IF YOU HAVEN'T GONE TO SEE MEET THE MORMONS YET, DO IT!!!!!!!!  Haha I am not sure exactly how that is working in Utah.  It is showing in three theaters here in the Orlando area.  All of us missionaries got to see it in two huge joint-zone meetings on Thursday.  I loved it.  It was the best.  I am so excited for the whole world to see it!!!!  A lot in the future depends on the opening week success, so please go support the Church and see it!!  Apparently it was initially made for the Legacy Theater in Salt Lake, but the test audiences liked it so much they decided to make it public!  We all felt the Spirit so strong, and it was really entertaining too!  The Candy Bomber was my favorite - it totally made me cry.  What made all the other missionaries cry was the missionary mom one, which was also really good.  Haha you will all love it. 

This has been a transfer unlike any other!  Sometimes I get tired, but I know what I have to do and that the Lord works miracles.  As I keep studying the doctrines and reading Preach My Gospel, a whole world of knowledge is being revealed to me!  There is so much to learn about Truth and the Source of all Truth.  I am so grateful to know where I can find truth.  It would be a nightmare to do a research project with all your sources being fictional stories and third-hand opinions.  Some people in the world today are sludging and sifting through a lot of fiction, a lot of "good ideas," and a lot of falsehoods.  They pull together a sketchy raft from the truth that they can pick out, and then drift on a sea of conflicting information (to use the analogy from President Uchtdorf).  They are always confused and always are unsatisfied.  I am so glad that from the time I was little, I have been able to go directly to the Fountain of all truth and goodness.  The Holy Ghost and the Holy Scriptures help me discern truth from error.  A loving Heavenly Father has provided me and everyone on the earth a Gospel that will not lead us astray.  Compared to the sketchy raft, it really is the Old Ship Zion (wow, I am on a conference roll!).  The ship that is true and sure with a prescribed course to exaltation. I know my Rock.  I know the Truth.  Every person who has truly accepted baptism or is moving through Primary right now also knows the Truth and the Rock.  Y que dicha es! 

Even when the storms come, the Anchor stays the same.  And He never goes away.


I know it!


I love you all a lot!
Have the best day ever!

Love, Sister/Hermana Kara Allred/Alfred/Ayered/Allrd


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