He's coming home!!

So Elder Allen was scheduled to get into the Toledo airport at 10:35pm and we had it all planned out!  Found out at dinner that he was delayed and didn't know if he would get here later or have to spend the night in Chicago or drive to Detroit to get him...we WAITED then decided to head home from Toledo from dinner and on the way home got an update that said his connecting flight from Dallas was waiting for him in Chicago.  So he got on that flight which got delayed 2 more times as we waited at the Toledo airport on him. His times were 10:57pm then it was 11:57pm I was about to quit getting excited BUT FINALLY at 12:12am we got to get our  long awaited HUGS!!!!

It was great to see him he is thinner and some say taller than when he left.  I think he looks so so handsome!  He seems a little bit different but yet he is still my son EVAN!

Thanks to all who came and waited with us during this exciting time and thanks to Rudi Allen, Jenny Perry and Alisha Pieracini for helping me with his signs!  They were fun to make and looked AMAZING!!

 Finally got my HUG!!!! 

Dad did too!!!!

I

I couldn't wait to see Evan & Ethan hug and see each other!  The BEST!!  Love my dads face here see he can smile!!!

Love having our whole family back together!

Thanks for all who came out so late and made Evan's homecoming to great!!!!!

My last email!!

August 4, 2014

Well this week was good! Our investigator didn't come to church though so no one else will be getting baptized before I go home. My greatest friend ever helped me out though. On Saturday I went back to Hemet and baptized one of my old investigators! Thanks Elder Harris!!! His name is James and he is kind of a punk kid but I worked with his family my whole time there.

One more week to go! I am nervous about home but I know it won't be horrible.

I love my mom soo much! She is the greatest! I can't wait to see her!

I had the greatest mission ever! I wouldn't change any of it!

Elder Allen

Well I'm not done just yet!

July 28th, 2014

So our investigator that is pretty solid came to church! His name is Pedro Cabezas so that is Peter Heads in english hahah. He is cool though and reads the Book of Mormon a lot. He is on date for August 10th which is my last Sunday so that means he can't miss a time to church in order to make it! We are going to make an effort to have daily contact with him so he won't mess up!

I gave a talk in sacrament meeting too and that went ok.

Its crazy there is only 2 weeks left and this week flew by! I hear the last week feels super long though. 

I am almost done reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish! I only have 2 chapters left!  

Nothing else is really going on and I can't think of anything else to add so I guess thats it.

I miss you all and I will probably only send 1 more email!

Elder Allen

Well I'm High!

July 21, 2014

No joke Taco Bell didn't have diet Mt.Dew so I drank regular!!! I hate sugar headaches!!!!! Its gonna be a quick email.

I was sick Saturday and Sunday so that slowed us down. No one came to church, that's frustrating.

Elder Barton had his Birthday on Friday and he is now 23. There was a surprise party and everything but its in my journal so if you really want to hear about it you can ask me to read it out of there.

Increased my max again, 245

Still got a runny nose

I am pretty tired, no joke.

This is the last week for anyone to get baptized while I am here so I am going all out with the lessons that we have. They have to come to church!!!

Sent out 3 more boxes this week

I saw my old companion, Elder Santos at church too! He is a goofball! 

I need insulin :)

I hope everyone has a good week! I can't wait to see you!

Elder Allen

I absolutely love my mission!

July 14, 2014

I have made the coolest friends in the past 23 months! Tanner Beeston, Blake Baltazar, and Porter Harris. Thats the order of when I met them so don't complain about being last Port! I have met so many other people that I have seen change in so many different ways and I can't wait to have the ability to stay in contact with them easier! I have grown so much! But...Its not enough. I got a month left and I have more memories to make and more people to teach, I am going to try my hardest to stay focused. I have done things that people might call dumb but I have absolutely no regrets so far and I am going to finish without regretting anything. 

I had fruity drinks yesterday!!!!! They were soooo good!!! Watermelon, Pineapple, Grapefruit juice, Orange, and Cantaloupe. Mexican's can make good drinks! (no alcohol I promise)

None of the people we have came to church and if they don't come this week or the next then they won't be able to get baptized while I am here so I am going to start throwing down! No regrets right? I am ready for another super elect person and we got to find them soon!

I love having a nice haircut! I feel fresh! #getfaded

I increased my max bench today too. I am at 235! I have to do more though if I plan on living with Elder Harris because he is a super strong guy.

Diabetes is good, ate a bunch on Sunday after church and thought I would be high but I was just 135 soo that's cool.

Its been a little weird lately with my companion Elder Barton. I just feel like he is always right next to me all the time. I think its just me and my body knows I won't have a companion much longer but its weird. I want to tell him to get away and go sit in the other room but that's rude so I will just suck it up and enjoy being around a guy 24/7 for another month.

We were in the car this week too and I day dreamed running back home. I ran my normal run on the railroad tracks behind my house and that was weird because I remembered little details about it too. My mind has been doing dumb things lately. I had a dream about Taco Bell and eating a cheese quesadilla and dipping it in cheese. 

I am tired

I love you all! Have a great week because I know mine will be awesome!

Elder Allen

PS Go Bucks!

Exit Release to Parents letter

(Its getting REAL!!!!)

2 July 2014


Mr. and Mrs. Scott W. Allen  9705 Co Rd 8-1 Delta, OH 43515


Dear Brother and Sister Allen,


It is a privilege to announce the honorable release of your son, Elder Evan Robert Allen, from his labors as a missionary serving in the California Riverside Mission.  He has served a successful mission and will be returning home on  August 12, 2014. Please schedule a time when your Stake President can release him. You should have received a copy of your missionary's flight plans. A current view of it is available on the web.  The website will ask for the reservation number, which is located on the  itinerary.  If you have not received the itinerary please contact us and we will forward. It is also recommended that you contact the airlines the day of travel to find out if any changes have occurred in the flight. Your son will receive a Tuberculosis letter in his final packet. Please help your missionary remember to take the test upon his return home. You can be proud of your son and the fine work he has done here in the mission field.  As he has served and taught, his testimony and overall knowledge of the gospel has grown.  His missionary experience can now be a solid foundation on which he can build a life of happiness, success, service, and increased spirituality.  As his service here in the California Riverside Mission comes to a close, I express my gratitude for the valuable contribution he has made to our missionary effort. We thank you for the love and support given to Elder Allen while he served in the mission field.  May the Lord's choicest blessings be yours for sharing him with us in this tremendous experience.


Sincerely,

John H. Mullen, President

4th of July was FUN!

July 7th, 2014

Well this week was cool! The 4th was on Friday and that was when we got to meet the new mission president. President Mullen is super cool and is going to pump up the mission. He is quite a bit different than President Smart but he is cool. We then hung out with other missionaries the rest of the night because we had to be inside.

It got up into the hundreds this week and biking stunk! It was sooo hot! We are still going through people, looking for the ones that are solid. It is getting a little frustrating though. I can't believe I only have 5 weeks left! I have to definitely make some good memories these last weeks.

Today I met Elder Harris' family and they are super cool! They came down to drop some stuff off for him and go on their vacation. I was a little nervous because I will be hanging out with their son (Porter (Elder Harris)) for the rest of my life and you can only make one first impression...hopefully I'm cool!!!! 

I see so many people swimming hear and i am super excited to go swimming! I wonder if it will feel weird? 

My shirts are getting worse and worse! I am wearing one with 3 black buttons on it right now because I ran out of white buttons. It looks pretty stylish though! I got style now!

Here is a picture of me and Elder Beeston at our Multi-Zones a couple weeks ago. I figured we should get some sick mirror pics haha! 

I have to go but I love you all! Have a great week!

Elder Allen

Here is the picture that Elder Harris' mom took. My comp is beside me Elder Barton.