Week 54- Crazy Service Project

Friends and Family,

This week has been interesting, exciting and great! We have been teaching Lorenzo, a friend of a member. He is really interested and committed to learning more. We have a semisolid baptismal date. He want's to be baptized, but there are still some reservations. But it has been neat teaching him with different members, hearing their testimonies. It's a blessing to be apart of this process.

We did a crazy service project this week. He helped someone move into an apartment. It was this famous interior designer. It was her sons new college apartment, but apparently it's being featured in USA today. haha. It was really cool though.

I'm beginning to realize how awesome the members here really are. I hope I don't get transferred soon. I will miss them all. I feel like I've had a lot of fun with all of them and have gotten to know most of them on a personal level. It's really neat.

Love y'all!

-Elder Chandler Allen

Week 53- Charity Beats Fear

Friends and Family,

This week has been great. This area is blooming. We are starting to teach some great investigators. One of them came to church yesterday and enjoyed all three hours. He is very serious about joining. He's Catholic, but he believes in the Apostasy and likes what his member friend has told him so far. His name is Lorenzo. Really nice.

We haven't had a lesson with Aaron and Jerry recently. Hopefully we see them again this week. We also ran into a man named Donald. We really connected with him. He said he is always open to learning about different religions. Hopefully he has the faith to be baptized into this church.

We were shocked to hear that more police officers had been shot. Most of sacrament meeting was talking about how charity replaces fear, and how all of us can be an example of charity. I still feel safe here. We are staying away from all demonstrations. President Hansen sent out an email telling us that he feel at peace about keeping us where we are, letting us work still. I have faith in his inspiration. He is very in tune with the Spirit always. That is something I really look up to him for.

We are also having lots of fun!. We have great members in our ward, and we are getting them involved in the work. I'm really excited about it!

Love y'all!

-Elder Chandler Allen

Week 52- Miracles In July

This week has been great. We were able to do a ton of volunteering. Spray painting a big cabinet, moving and packing furniture, cleaning and organizing clothes hangers, and other stuff. We also had great lessons with both Jerry and Aaron. I thought Aaron might drop us at the beginning of last week because he didn't show up to church like he said he would, but then we had a really good lesson and he actually came this week! He came in by himself and just sat by himself. I was frustrated because I wanted to meet him when he came in and have him sit by a member he knows. But luckily after sacrament, we were able to introduce him to some great members. And what are the odds that President Bascom, the stake president, just happens to speak in church? That talk really touched Aarons heart. And President Bascom came and talked with him afterwards and gave him some great advice to listen to us and pray to know for himself. It was quite the blessing.

Jerry is going to get baptized. I just know it. He is so ready. I know he will recieve an answer as he comes to church and continues to read the Book of Mormon. 

We set a goal to have 2 other lessons last week. When sunday came around, we didn't have any. So we decided to go tract and see what happens. We don't usually have lessons while tracting, but yesterday we actually had 2! Almost three. We have a return appointment with one lady, and the other guy we ran into said he was looking for a church and that he would pray to know if he should consider us. It was a miraculous Sunday.

There are still a lot I'm trying to improve on. At our Zonr Meeting, I was fairly humbled, realizing a lot of my weaknesses. But God gives us weaknesses, that we might turn to Him and make them strengths.

Love y'all! Have a great week!

-Elder Chandler Allen

Week 51- Independence Day

Family and Friends,

This past week has been great. Yesterday was a blast. We were fed all day long. haha. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. In fact, we went out with some other missionaries for dinner. It just so happened that members from Mississippi saw us there, and decided to pay for all of us. It was such a neat blessing. They are the true heroes.

We were able to see some fireworks, play basketball, and just hang out and relax. I love the 4th.

On Thursday, we had two great lesson, with members present at both. The first committed to baptism if he found the church to be true. His name was Aaron. The second was a man named Jerry. Some members felt inspired to invite him over while we were there. We just got to know him, then he became interested in us, and we shared the restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon. He should be reading that right now. We are going to see him tonight.

We finished the week off with a baptism. The sisters had been teaching the husband of a member for a while, and he just decided to get baptized. It was a great experience and the Spirit was there in abundance.

Thanks for all the prayers and support. Love y'all!

-Elder Chandler Allen