This was taken on Thanksgiving Day

(Sent to me through email from a Sister in California)

This past week was SUPER fun!

How was Thanksgiving for everyone? I heard some funny stories and I wish I was there! My Thanksgiving Day was awesome! We woke up early to play football in the morning and we played for 5 hours with 2 other zones in our mission. All of us were so sore the next day it was hard to move. I don't want to get old! After that we had a dinner at a younger couples house and that is where they sent the picture from where I was in P-Day clothes because we were allowed to wear them on Thanksgiving.  We had some great turkey there and some rice that had carrots, hot dogs, ketchup, mustard, and some other stuff in it and it was really good! After that we went to another dinner at 7 and had tamales  chicken, beef, and some other stuff and when I stood up I thought I was going to have a heart attack, no joke, I had a sharp pain in my chest. I don't want to eat that much again!

Day 100 was Black Friday! We went out at 5 in the morning and put our money together and got a 56 in LG flat screen TV that came with a PS3 and 4 games! Just Kidding! So who went shopping? I know AJ did! What were the great deals and did Amazon have anything special going? Black Friday is probably my favorite holiday out of the year, so I want stories!

Well Mom sent me the best package I have gotten yet! I got dehydrated eggs that taste really really really bad (definitely a survival food), some protein bars, the military scriptures that I really wanted and I will send a picture of what I did with them, a gift card to Walmart (bought 120 eggs yesterday with it!), and some other stuff that I can't quite remember, cuz I probably ate it.

I need to write a ton of letters and I didn't have time yesterday so I am planning on doing it next P-Day. I am saving all the letters that I get so I know who I need to write!

We met a crazy guy in Walmart who believed Jesus was a sinner until he was baptized and didn't even believe baptism is important. I don't understand some peoples train of thought!

We had transfers this weekend! Elder Kaneao and Hosmer got transferred out along with Sister Fankhouser. The new missionaries that are here now I hear are cool so I am excited to meet them!

I also got a guitar from Elder Dial and will try and learn in my free time that I don't have so Cyrus send me some tips!

Well we also had an amazing week with finding and teaching. One of our investigators asked us to baptize him! Also one family that we taught on Saturday came to church the next day! We also found 12 new investigators which is awesome! The Lord is defiantly preparing people and December will be full of baptisms! I love missionary work and being out here serving these people!

I love all of you!

Elder Allen

Elder Allen getting ready for a baptism

 Another picture of the font

Well this week has been a little sucky and pretty good all at the same time! I have been having a blast all the time though because California is super awesome! There are going to be some funny stories in this email so I hope you like it!

 

The first story happened on Friday. I was talking to people in Walmart parking lot because we have to talk to 10 people a day. I gave this one guy a pass along card with our number on it and said if you need any help just let us know. At dinner that day we got a text saying this guy needed help moving. I don't want to write out the whole conversation so I will summarize it. We set up a time to help him on Saturday at 7pm and he told us he was gay and we weren't too worried about it.  By the end of the night he sent us a message saying maybe we shouldn't help him because he thought I was super hot and he said a ton of inappropriate things and it was the gayest thing that has happened to me! We definitively didn't help him!

 Circle K???

 

The other story was Saturday night we went into circle K to get a drink and this black guy who was so incredibly drunk and high came up to us and was mumbling something to us and we couldn't understand. We eventually found out he knew we were Mormons and said he wanted a million dollars. We laughed and said we didn't have that much money. He said ok and we went to get our drinks. He then came over to us and asked if we believed in God and we said yes and he then said then why can't you give me a million dollars? We just said again that we didn't have but $3 on us and he said oh and walked away. It was super funny!!

 

Last night me and Elder Dial went on splits with some members because we needed 10 more lessons to meet our weekly goal.  So me and this returned missionary who has been home for 3 months went to a super ghetto area and knocked on doors. Now our mission president has taught us a new door approach that is super effective. We go to a door and we say we are representatives of Jesus Christ and that right now we are going around blessing peoples homes and families. It will just be 5 or 10 minutes can we come in. It works really well! We go in their home and bless it and mention everyone's name individually and right after ask them to be baptized. No one accepted baptism last night but we got a lot of return appointments and we blessed 8 homes. It was the most fulfilling work I have done in my whole life! I love missionary work!

 

So now I am going to write down my notes.

 

I need contacts soon and don't know how to get them

 

I ate pig skin! it was basically soggy pork rines. Not too bad.

 

It has been about 70 degrees here except today its 60 and a little chilly

 

Me and Elder Dial have been listening to Christmas music and wearing our Santa Hats everywhere its super funny.

 

We have 3 progressing investigators. 2 are an older couple and they are pretty ready for baptism and the other is a guy who doesn't know much and is a little feminine but he is progressing too.

 

I want to go to a couple thrift stores today because I love them!

 

I can't believe Ethan is on Honor Role! Is it your first time? lol I love you Ethan and miss you a ton!!!! Write me soon! PLEASE!

 

I am pretty sure any wrapped present will count as a gift in me and Elder Dial's competition. Thanks Lizzy!

 

Why is everyone moving? Tennessee and now Rhode Island this is crazy!

 

Well my time limit is about up. I love all my family and I really appreciate all the support you give me while I am out here.

 

Love,

Elder Allen

This is Elder Allen's mission

 These are some of the stakes he is living around.

 This is his stake! (area)

Well sorry my email is a day late. We thought since it was Veterans Day that the library would be closed but I don't think it was. It has been a good week, but I am a little sick right now. It started yesterday and I hope it doesn't bother me too much.  Well here are the notes I wrote down!

I got the Shirt Stays Mom and they are awesome! Thanks a ton!

What am I going to get for my 1st Diabetes Birthday? It is Nov.29!

One cool things I noticed is that we have 3 Marquez families in our ward. So Jill and Cisco need to move out here to make it 4!

One cool thing people could send me is Book of Mormon action figures! They are cool!

I went on exchanges this past week with Elder Cook on bike and it was super fun! We are both new (greenies) and we had a great day! When we would go to talk to people and say we are representatives of Jesus Christ, some would say "No hablo ingles" and I would say "Yo hablo espanol!" and they would either look really bummed cuz now I could tell them about the gospel or really excited because I'm white and can say 3 words in Spanish!

I SAW SOME CHICKENS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  I'm sure he was so EXCITED!

I want to go to the thrift store sometime on P days but we are so busy doing other things so that stinks.

Hey Dad could you send me the book called "The Book of Muscle?"

I'm not too good about testing myself but Elder Dial is defiantly improving.

So I have ate a ton of different food but the weirdest is probably pigs feet with hominy   It was really good! No joke! Some other things that I might eat in the future is tacos de legua (tongue tacos) and menudo (intestine) apparently they are pretty good. We get fed really good here!

This is his church building

 This too...

 and this too!!!

I have attended lots of baptisms of other missionaries here and even spoke at one this week which is really cool!

We have given lots of blessings on people and over there homes which is really cool.

Don't send packages to the Hardy's because I get them later than usual.  I got Robyn's package and wrote here a quick letter and then I got Morgans later that night and didn't have time to write a letter. But I loved the packages and have eaten most of the junk food already but next time pick out some healthier food so I don't get super fat in these next 2 years!

He says he loves the palm trees.

 Elder Allen & Elder Dial

 More palm trees!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It was pretty cold on Saturday and got down to 56 degrees but yesterday was incredibly nice at 76 or somewhere around there.

On Thanksgiving we are planning on playing foolball for a couple hours which will be fun and then we will just go to a bunch of members houses and eat a TON!

Carmen Arevalo was the hermana that I baptized.

Thanks so much everyone for all your support and help that I get from you.  It is amazing out here and I am loving every day!

Gracias

Elder Allen

For all of you who think about Evan and his diabetes!!!

His A1C (3 month test of blood sugars)  It was 5.8 which is REALLY good.  It is AMAZING for him to not be on insulin and still doing this great.  He just got this test done this last Monday. One year ago he was told he had diabetes and his A1C was 12.7 and in 6 weeks got it down to 7.2 and it kept going down and he is still doing so good. I know its because his Heavenly Father knew how bad he wanted to serve his mission!  Some people don't understand this when I tell them but as a Mom I know how BAD he wanted this and nothing was going to stop him from doing it!  I have had people ask me if he was pressured into going and I can say not at all.  He is such a great son!  I love him so much!

I Baptized!

Well hows it going? I have had lots of fun this week and we did lots of work! We actually had a baptism this Saturday and I did it! I didn't even mess up either! I am going to do the usual and write about all the notes I wrote down this week.

 

I got mints in the package and that was awesome cuz I was going to ask for some!

 

Sorry about the letters again I am defiantly going to send a bunch out today, I promise!

 

I saw a lizard this week!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I wanted to catch it so bad and get a cage and everything but they are so crazy fast!  Elder Dial said I will see them all over, so I can't wait!!!  Also apparently there are wild donkeys around here too.

 

On Halloween night we had to be in by 6 or at an organized zone activity. So we watched the other side of heaven at the stake center and then had a huge NERF battle in the gym and it was AWESOME!!!

 

Hey could you get the BOM CDs in Spanish? they are on the church website for like only $11!

 

Also I got the little scriptures you sent but did you have extras? my little book of Mormon is pretty much destroyed so could you send the extra ones you have cuz apparently they are hard to get and I could sell them to the missionaries here lol

 

Could I get return address labels to the mission home?

 

I am planning on sending the pictures today too.

 

Some of these next comments will be answering some of the ?s in your emails

Elder Dial is the one that drives because I am not supposed to drive for the first 3 months

 

It is so funny that Mazie is in heat! hahhahahahaha

 

Hey could you check at the goodwills for the skinny ties with flat bottoms? I got one here and it is so cool!

 

So NYC with Paolo and his family was fun! That is super cool! I think California is cooler though lol

 

I loved the package you sent mom.  I missed my basketball shoes. It was funny you sent it to the members house though. My address will be at the bottom.

 

I will put my A1C in the letter if I get it done today.

 

Walmart cards should be fine THANKS!

 

I just don't need a mattress pad at the moment k mom : ) If I have a gross mattress in the future then I will got buy one

 This is Elder Allen's food cupboard and the bottom shelf in the frig is his because it has 2 coconuts on it!

 

I haven't grocery shopped in a while but we are going today and I will try and stay under $20 but you know me at the grocery store right mom!

 

Church is getting easier to understand what they are talking about but it is hard to make any comments

 Nice work out room in his apartment!

Me and Elder Dial are getting along well and working out in the mornings really hard!

 

We have Multi Zone Conference on Thursday so that will be really fun!

 

Transfers are in about 3 weeks but I will defiantly still be here for at least a total of 3 months and even then I think I will stay for a little longer.

 

I haven't seen President Smart since I got to Moreno Valley.

 

Send me some powdered eggs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

I am having fun out here and doing work.  I am always exhausted when I get home.  I love all the awesome things everyone does for me here and love all of you. Thanks!!

 

Elder Allen

Here are some pictures of his apartment!

 Elder Allen's Desk (send him a picture and he will post it up)

 He has his own bathroom!

 Looks like he needs my help cleaning!

 Elder Dial and Elder Allen's Cali flag!

 Nice linen closet!

 Elder Allen's very own closet!

View of his apartment

Second Week in California!

Well this week has been really good! I write stuff down throughout the week so I am just going to go through this list.

 

Whenever missionaries come over to my apartment and see my family picture they always think I am younger than Ethan. It is pretty funny!

 

Could you tell me my balance on my 5/3 card every email?

 

If anyone really likes me they can get me a Halloween/Thanksgiving present! Money is cool lol

 

Me and Elder Dial are going to have a competition to see who gets the most presents for Christmas  So if anyone finds anything that they want to get me for Christmas write "CHRISTMAS" on the package and I will save it. Thanks!

 

We did lots of service this week which got into our teaching and finding time.  We helped multiple people move and did some yard work too.

 

We have been looking for a couch for our apartment for a while now and were driving past Goodwill and saw a 3 piece furniture set in their dumpster! To make a long story short we took the filthy couches to our apartment and set them on our porch and they got stolen. Anyway we have some other couches lined up anyway so hopefully we can get them today or tomorrow.

 

One of the English Elders got his $700 bike stolen yesterday at church.

 

I need to buy a Nerf gun for a zone activity that we are going to have on Halloween so I am trying to save up and get a good one lol

 

I went to Burlington Coat Factory and bought ties... I know I shouldn't have but they were sooooo cool! I got 4 and they were either 7.99 or 12.99.

 

I have been slipping up on the letters recently and will try and write a bunch today and get them out too.

 

We got 4 new investigators by knocking on doors which is really cool and 2 already have a baptismal date!

 

It has been a little cold so today we are going to Goodwill and I am wanting to find a sweater

 

I am also wanting to send pictures next week so I will try and take more this week.

 

We have an hour time limit here which sucks and I feel rushed but its cool though.

 

There is an Elder Romney in our mission and Elder Dial said I look like him but I saw a picture of him and I don't think so.

 

Hey mom can you send my white and black Nike zip up basketball shoes?

 

Elder Dial is really cool. We make fun of each other all the time and get along well.  He isn't as cool as Elder Beeston yet though. I don't remember how many siblings he has but he is the oldest. 

 

I don't have a mattress pad but my mattress is pretty new mom. I do have a blanket and found a comforter in my apartment too.

 

My Spanish is still really slow and its hard to contribute during lessons which sucks.  I can recite the first vision and that's what I do and explain some other simple parts of our lessons but I know it will come.

 

At church yesterday we had our Primary Program and the kids are Spanish Geniuses!! The songs were in Spanish too and that was cool.

 

We have a baptism coming up for an older lady soon but need to organize everything and then we have about 5 or 6 others who are on date and some are progressing. We are doing work and its fun but I can't wait to be able to understand more Spanish!

 

So how is everything going? Anything new happening? I still don't know my address to my apartment and it is only like a day later that I get my mail.  I will send the apartment address next week if I remember lol. Thanks for all the support I am getting it really helps!

 

Elder Allen

So as I read this I thought you didn't need more ties and could of used the money from buying them for the nerf gun. I have a problem with him not having a mattress pad and I think I'm going to send one!!!!  I don't know why it bothers me probably because I was raised with using them ALWAYS!  Thanks mom...I'm glad I was taught that.  I kinda got a little scared about the couch and the bike.  Where is this kid living???  I thought a great place. Cool how he was hearing the primary program on the same day!  I really liked that. So cool how he is seeing people join the church and we are too!!  I wonder if it because we have missionaries serving???  I BET!  About the money he wants he loves buying things & he is a great saver about it too.  I think he either was in the MTC so long he wants to shop or being in his first area he needs more things right now. He has been to a Walmart it shows on his debit too.  

California Finally!!!! 

 Well I have lots to talk about! I am in a library right now and I have a 1 hour time limit. First off the field is way more different that the MTC! Also the Spanish is so much more hard to understand. We have taught quite a few lessons and I just sit there because it is so hard to follow in Spanish.  When we got off the plane we met President Smart and were taken to the mission office where we had some field orientation.  After that we went to the mission home and got our new companions and ate dinner. I am in the Moreno Valley Stake and cover everything west of a street called Parris.  Elder Beeston got sent to the desert and I was told your Spanish gets really good out there. I got paired with Elder Dial who is really cool.  We are getting along really well. He is a type 1 diabetic and has a pump. He was diagnosed when he was 16 and doesn't do to good right now with it.  I have been testing a little more here and I have been pretty good. Our apartment is HUGE!! It isn't super nice but we have a kitchen, living room, study room, bedroom, and we also get our own closet and bathroom with showers. I cleaned my bathroom and now understand why it is so nice to have a clean bathroom! We are cleaning the apartment today and then I will take pictures of it. Elder Dial speaks really good spanish but he doesn't speak it much with me and I am going to ask him to start so I can learn more.  I had pizza for my first meal with a member which was dumb but I ate it.  I had some great mexican food at another house though. It was homemade re fried beans and rice and these peppers filled with cheese and they are really good!  I also had homemade orchata and it was awesome! We ate dinner at a baby shower too and they had some orchata stuff but it had strawberry stuff with it. I got the recipe for it. Church yesterday was crazy! I had to pass sacrament and they do it a lot more different than we do. I didn't have to introduce myself in sacrament either.  In all the classes I couldn't understand anything because it was all in Spanish.

Well now I am going to write about some stuff that I need or noticed

I need some more church socks of colors that will match my pants and also my black Nike socks.

If anyone wants to send me something money would be good because I don't have much, groceries are expensive! So that means you can send food too. I would prefer healthy food too because I don't want to gain a bunch of weight.

My first day here I saw a shooting and the Crime Scene Unit was everwhere and the cops blocked a street off too.

I want some more of our honey! and could you put it in a squeeze bottle too?

I also want some of those red pocket scriptures so I don't have to cary around my big english ones. So if you could send those soon that would be cool. See if they come with old and new testament along with D&C. Thanks

When could I get more contacts? I am not sure if I have my perscription here.

I loved the greenie package! A lot!

Is Ethan reading the Book of Mormon I sent him?

I need a good picture of the Rooster because there is a member who paints pictures for the missionaries.

See if there are Spanish Hymn CDS

Whats the Laundry Soap recipe?

I got all the bedding I need thanks for the concern mom lol

I also don't know my appt address and I am not sure how many letters I will be able to send, I am way busy.

Thanks for all your support and everything you do for me. I love You!

Elder Allen

Men in Black

OHIO STATE 

 Elder Allen and all the Elders going to Riverside with him!!

Evan has taken a lot of pictures of the Mountains

His MTC badge

I asked him what it is used for and he said each week he gets $6.00 put on there to buy things he needs.

 Not sure which
Elder this is???

 Elder Allen & Elder Beeson

 Elder Allen with Elders who were leaving form his zone!

 Don't you like the way he combed his hair here????

I'm leaving on a Jetplane!

Well its my last day in the MTC and I am so pumped to get out of here! I said bye to my investigator who is a paid actor and got a picture with him which was really cool! I also said bye to my favorite teacher Hermano Hale. I learned so much from him and am glad I had him.  I say bye to my other teacher tonight.  I am sending a bunch of pictures home today and some shorter letter because I have to pack. I packed all my Spanish books in a box and am going to ship them to California so I don't have to worry about weight on the plane ride.  I also am the flight leader and we have 16 Elders going to California but I am not sure if they are all going to Riverside. I am getting up around 4 or 4:30 and then our flight leaves at 8 or 8:30 and we fly to Ontario. Remember the time change too! Now since there are so many elders in our group we won't be able to make super long calls, maybe 15 to 20 minutes. Plus I want to give out a Book of Mormon and some pass along cards in the airport so I'll need some time for that too. I am so excited to talk to you and Mom you can save the crying for afterwards, ok!

It is so crazy that the church got broken into! So did they take the TV or no? I am reading and speaking Spanish it is still a little difficult but I am catching on as I practice. I got a Spanish "Book of Mormon Stories" book in the bookstore with pictures and it really helps because the Spanish is a little easier.  I have no idea what is going to happen when we get there and I am a little nervous about it. I am still excited though!

Ethan!!!!! You finally passed a test, I mean the test! What job are you thinking of doing in the Marines? Working on airplanes and helicopters would be so awesome! Do you like the shirt I sent you? or the Book of Mormon? I hope you try and read it.

Hey mom I need you to forward my emails and inform my teacher of my blog. His email is hno.hale@gmail.com Thanks! Also Elder Beestons mom's email is azbeeston@yahoo.com did you write it right last time?

I need to go pack but I love all of you and love the support you give me while I am out here!

Elder Allen

His flight made it to California and he was going to his new area today!  I will find out where and who his new companion is on Monday in his next email.  He was so excited when we got to talk to him today.  He tried to hand out a BOM in the airport but 2 out of the 3 they tried were already members and the other one said no he didn't want it.  I can't wait to hear all about his new area and the mission president and see him on the mission blog!  So many things to wait for!

For all of you that might wonder????  I kept it all under control until I had to say good bye to him and then I did cry at work today with my sisters.  Luckily I work with family!