HELLO!

welcome WELCOME HOME AMBER---YOU ARE SOOOO AMAZING AND YOU HELPED A GIRL NAMED ALINE TO GET BAPTIZED LAST WEEK BECAUSE I TOLD HER HOW YOU ARE GREEEEATLY RESPECTED BECAUSE YOU LIVE THE STRENGTH FOR YOUTH PAMPHLET---I BAPTIZED HER A WEEK AGO!

Hello family---I love you all. 

 

I sent a picture of my cut foot---I sleep next to a fan and it doesn´t have a cover and in the middle of the night I cut my foot--OUCH. But no worries it healed up quickly---our bodies are amazing. 

This week I was greatly blessed to be able to have a great Zone Conference Meeting. We made pizza with brother Antonia de Jesus and it was SUPER TASTY. I played the piano and I combined to hymns on the piano with Sister Wilson MAIS PERTO QUERO ESTAR AND GRANDIOS ES TÚ. Starsky Wilson was the district leader of Siostra Allen and Elder Allen is the Zone leader of Sister Wilson---WIERDO---a brother and a sister in Poland and Brazil---coool! 

Elder F. Souza gave the training and I helped him a lot. He is a great 19 year old companion from São Paulo. He is super hillarious and he loves to teach SUPER AMAZINGLY GOOD! He is great. 

I love you all.

--Élder Allen

September!!

Hello family!! I hope that everything is going good. You all sure are great. Thanks for all of the great e-mails as always. Sorry, I´m short on time again today. Love you all,

--Élder Allen (Gregg) 

September 23

HELLO EVERYONE!!!

It sure is good to write in some ENGLISH!! I love Portuguese but sometimes it is just a great relief to be able to talk in your own languange. It sure is a lot easier to joke with people and get after people without offending them and sense of humor is much more advanced and vocabulary and ability to describe and teach and accent and knowing when to speak loud and soft and using tone of voice correctly, etc. I LOVE PORTUGUESE AND I AM GOING TO DOMINATE THIS LANGUAGE SO THAT I CAN SPEAK ENGLISH LIKE DEITER F. UCHTDORF SPEAKS ENGLISH---yes---mission impossible made possible baby! Dad, how is your Swedish going? How is Mason Bailey---tell Sister Bailey that I said hello and send him a BIG CHEST BUMB! It´s got to be loving it there in Sweden.

Hello Scott Amber Nathan Tiffany----MY WONDERFULLY AWESOME COMPANIONS IN THE MISSION FIELD! How are you all doing---sending you all a hug from Brasil!! Everyone sends each other hugs here--I know it sounds weird in English but it is totally normal---UM ABRAÇO CARA!!

The AWESOME ÉLDER that I trained---Élder Boccia---His father was an acoholic and his brother that returned from his mission is not going to get married in the temple and basically his mother is the one that kept him strong like a beast spiritually and he helped like crazy with his callings and in the Priesthood in Parana, Brasil!! His mother passed away two weeks ago and HE DECIDED TO STAY ON THE MISSION AND SERVE THE LORD JESUS CHRIST---he is totally my hero and he is awesome---what a great and wonderful privilege I have to be a missionary. I know that I am INCREDIBLY BLESSED---God must be awfully frustrated with me sometimes and the way that I complain, am prideful, don´t trust in His Son´s Atonement for myself (Yes the Atonement is for all of us and you need to forgive yourself and fight against the enemy and sin) We can be forgiven. Baptism is a sacred ordinance and the Sacrament is SACRED too! I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer and that we come to know him through true repentance and then through humbly recognizing His hand in all things and the Hand of His Father in all things. There are two sides, Christ and Satan---there is no other decision--choose one or the other!!

This week Lucia was baptized on Saturday and confirmed on Sunday---IT WAS GREAT---I was privileged to play the piano in both meetings! 

Elder De Oliveira sure is a great companion. We are achieving goals as a Zone and the Lord is blessing us greatly. YOU CAN NEVER QUIT PEOPLE AND YOU HAVE TO BE MORE EXCITED, ESPECIALLY WHEN THINGS AREN´T GOING WELL YOU HAVE TO BE EVEN MOOOORE EXCITED BECAUSE YOU CAN ALWAYS always give yourself this rallying cry---Remember Him---Jesus Christ already paid for whatever is ahead of you. Study of Him, Learn of Him, Trust in Him, in Him we can find Joy, answers, success, happiness, knowledge, etc. 

I know that God is the author of the Plan of Salvation and we are a part of it!! I know that this is true and I am strengthing my testimony ever day! I know that repentance and true change of heart is needed by us all and we can always have changes and a renewal of heart WHENEVER WE DECIDE TO DO SUCH!! 

This week is going to be the last week that will count towards the month of September and so I have a lot,  A LOT of things to get done! I love our ward and I love it when people care. Be a person that cares, and if you don´t care then pray until you do because God CARES and he created you, without him you´re nothing and we should all love Him so CARE and forget what others think and work for Jesus Christ wherever you are. Maybe you lost out on past experiences but take the consequences and go forward--looking back for too long will only hurt you. Look back, learn, repent, change and then don´t look back again and plan so that you WILL BE STRONGER IN THE FUTURE!!

Love you all family and friends and Shady and Trenton and whatever other animals are still alive in Provo and the Ropes Course and the Lakeside 2nd Ward!!

September 23, 2013 has been and will be a MARAVILWONDERFUL DAY! 

Remember that Christ can make your frown a smile and we should smile and we should WORK HARD. I know that Jesus Christ lives! 

--Elder Allen

AWESOME LADY!!!

We found this AWESOME LADY  AND SHE IS SUPER PURE AND READY TO BE BAPTIZED!! So Elder De Oliveira and I have been trying to visit less actives because Elder Mazzagardi gave us a promise that if we visited less actives the number of baptisms would DOUBLE---WHAT---Promise from the Seventy--that´s pretty cool!! Anyways she has already been to church twice now and she had her baptismal interview on Sunday and she is going to be a GREAT MEMBER OF THE CHURCH! I don´t know why God is willing to bless me to be able to be a part of her life. She reminds me of Grandma Henderson or Mother, she is super pure and LOVES TO OBEY THE LORD! I know that she is developing a testimony SUPER FAST AS WELL! Love you all and have a wonderful week--thanks for all the great prayers AND AWESOME E-MAILS!!

Sincerely, Gregg 

--Élder Allen :)

September in BRASIL!!

Hello family!! How is life going wherever you may be? This week it rained twice in Teresina---MIRACLE!! We are entering the epic that everyone knows as the B R O Bro. In Portuguese the last three months of the year are like this: Setembro, Outubro e Dezembro and these months are the hottest of the year here in the Northeast of Brasil and so because of the "BRO" at the end of each of the names of these three months the entire state of Piauí knows that the "B R O Bro" is the hottest time of the year---it´s a pretty cool abbreviation---I like IT!

  This week we didn´t go on quite as many divisions with other Elders and so were were able to work quite a bit in our area!! We are preparing an elderly lady of about 60 years old to be baptized. We went to visit a less-active young man to reactive him, show him preach my gospel, the joy of the gospel, serve a mission, come back get married in the temple, understand the HUGENESS OF THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST AND know how to earn REAL joy and happiness on this earth and trust in the Lord in all that he does. We enter the "quintal" which is basically a patio and I asked him if I could enter his house and talk with those that were in inside---HE SAID SURE!! key: ALWAYS invite every single person to hear the message of the gospel. I am trying to develop more of this skill and teach more people at the SAME TIME!! I VERY MUCH DISLIKE teaching less than 5 people. I am here for two years and this is the time of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and I know that sometimes we have to teach someone one on one and sometimes there are those that have special needs but usually it is best to teach as many people as you can! Invite, those in the home, neighbors and ask them to call their friends and then wait for a few people to gather---it´s much better than walking individually to each one of their homes!
Anyways---she told us that she doesn´t like her church very much anymore and that she was ready for a change so we TOOK THAT WAVE AND SAID GREAT---WELL HERE´S WHAT YOU´RE LOOKING FOR!! The Gospel of Jesus Christ is right here!! She came to church on Sunday---we got a member to drive his car to her house and we planned this morning to bomb her house this week with missionary lessons and she will be baptized on the 21st of September!! We just have to work and pray and do better to achieve out goals--not only of our area but also of the ZONE TERESINA!!

This week a super fun, awesome thing also happened---I GOT TO TEACH THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST AND TALK ABOUT THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS IN ENGLISH FOR LIKE AN HOUR!!! One afternoon I was getting a bit frustrated with our afternoon visits because we were visiting people that just aren´t progressing and so I said let´s go find some NEW INVESTIGATORS!! The afternoon is tough because everyone is working and all you find at home is people that don´t have much of a life or the elderly that are usually very SLOW to teach---but God loves them too--hah! Anyways we went to a giant paint shop, a hospital and a Language School asking if we could mark a visit when they have meetings with all of the staff! The Language School said that we could return that night and that I could practice English with them!! They spoke AMAZINGLY WELL---there were like 25-30 people and all they asked were questions about the gospel!!! I basically taught a lesson and bore my testimony for like 45mins to an hour and my companion just sat there smiling and understanding here and there---BOY IT SURE IS AMAZING TO TEACH THE GOSPEL IN YOUR OWN LANGUAGE---the words have soooo much more meaning and I feel so much more sincere and the Spirit was awesome---BOY I SURE NEED TO IMPROVE MY PORTUGUESE SO THAT I CAN TEACH LIKE I DO IN ENGLISH---still getting there!! One day I will speak this language FLUENTLY!! 

I love eating bananas with powdered milk and oatmeal in the morning. At night I eat eggs, rice with milk and beans or bread and butter!! I LOVE SERVING A MISSION AND I HAVE SO MUCH TO LEARN AND SO MUCH TO DO TO BECOME BETTER AND HELP OUT THE ZONE---I still know that the President and God expect waaaay more of me and I know that I can be waaay more too but I have to be patient and DILIGENT AND SMART AND PRAY MORE OFTEN

--Love you all my wonderful, huge family!! Thanks for never giving up on me!

Love you guys. HI NATHAN AND SCOTT AND TIFFANY AND AMBER---YA WE´RE ALL SERVING TOGETHER!! 

--Élder Allen!

Our latest baptism - they are friends (boyfriend and girlfriend)

MISSIONS!!!

WOW---You blow my mind Amber and Nathan and Scott---you guys are such AMAZING MISSIONARIES---I need to trust in God more like you do---thanks SOOO MUCH FOR THE MIND OPENER----Sorry family----I spent my entire time reading the e-mails from Scott and Amber and Dad and such and was GREATLY EDIFIED. NATHAN YOU ARE AWESOME---YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THE MEXICO TEMPLO---THAT´S SOOO COOL THAT YOU ARE IN MEXICO---I love that country and I love Herimosillo and those orphans and all the AWESOME THINGS WE DID THERE AS A FAMILY. Thanks so much dad for taking us there!! 

Thank Mom and Spencer and James for the great e-mails as well---I learn so much from you guys---have a WONDERFUL WEEK!! 

Love you all. 

--Elder Allen :) 

It´s August--HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA ALLEN!!

HELLO FAMILY AND NATHAN AND SCOTT!!! HOW IS LIFE IN PROVO, POLAND, THE MEXICO MTC AND THE PROVO MTC?? Things sure are going great here in Teresina Brasil!! I´m going to catch the hottest part of the year here in Teresina---one of the hottest cities in the world---YESSSSS!!! It really isn´t too bad (the sun) I just sweat like CRAZY. You know me, I already sweat a boatload and with this solzão (HUGE SUN) I sweat even more and sometimes I smell like a dog by the end of the night and I look like I just got finished playing an SVU soccer game on the hot turf!! It´s pretty awesome--I arrive at home super sweaty and I want to just scratch myself all OVER because the water here is dirty water that I take a shower in and so it leaves me a bit itchy---the water isn´t super, super terrible but it´s enough to make you itchy all over! I also have some kind of allergy or maybe I went walking through poison ivy because I have read dots all over my arms --SPREADING EVERYWHERE!!! We also spend sometimes a good 45 minutes playing and writing in the area book and doing stuff for the zone and so I stay with my tie all done up and my shirt tucked in until like 10:15 at night sometimes and it leaves you ITCHING LIKE CRAZY---hah--but I LOVE IT!!! It´s all worth it when you finish out the fourth quarter. When you don´t finish out the fourth quarter you always look back and are a bit frustrated with yourself---but all you can do is forget that fourth quarter and go dominate the next one---Champions are made in the fourth quarter. It takes 90 minutes to win a soccer game. You can accomplish a lot of good in this world---you can be ahead in a soccer game 8-0 with 85 minutes already played in the game but if you decide to sit down and relax those last five minutes the other team can score 9 goals pretty quickly and all of your 85 minutes of hard work can go to waste. Don´t let your guard down---SATAN WANTS US TO QUIT----BUT WE WILL NEVER QUIT---Keep being strong and doing what´s right---especially when you are tired or you don´t want to do it anymore---just continue to the end and the Lord will BLESS YOU RICHELY!!

Well, happy birthday grandma Allen! I hope that you have a wonderful birthday!! How many years have you earned on this earth again?? You are just two years younger than grandpa--correct?? I hope that you have a wonderful birthday there in the BEAUTIFUL AND AWESOME STATE OF IDAHO---eat lots of ice cream, have pancakes and bacon for breakfast and give a BIG, GIANT, HUG to everyone for me there in Idaho!! Oh and you should learn how to sing the happy birthday song in Portuguese--it´s pretty rad!! Thanks so much for the packages and for that letter that you sent to me--it sure is great to receive things from family!! I often wonder how those that served in the war did things without hardly any contact with family or friends. 

This week family we taught a cool family--they are not married yet but we are going to take their names and information to the marriage/court house this week and they will be married here in like 15 days and then will be baptized afterwards---I have faith that it´s going to happen and I´m so excited to see them enter the waters of baptism--they are a super cool couple. The wife-soon to be- said a prayer to ask God if the Book of Mormon was true and didn´t receive her answer--she said that she was trying to say a delicate and fancy prayer and that she was trying to push the answer but then decided to just forget everything and open up and converse with God--she explained how the Holy Spirit touched her---she explained it in a way that she didn´t really explain it---sometimes it is hard to explain the answers we receive from the Holy Ghost but yet we KNOW that we have them---they are often times are glorious and wonderful but yet we have a hard time explaining them--just like Joseph had a hard time explaining and describing Jesus Christ and His Father, our Heavenly Father after seeing and conversing with them!! Well our Zone has a goal of 15 baptisms for the month and we still need 7 this month and so we are working hard for this---we are also trying to make sure that the baptisms are of quality and not just convinced to be baptized like people sometimes are just to fulfill a number or a goal. I know that God wants us to work with numbers but to be careful and remember that these numbers represent our BROTHERS AND SISTERS---His children. 

 

Ate mais!!

Love, Elder Allen ( one of the Elder Allen´s---haha---YEEES!!)

THE BIGGEST ZONE IN THE MISSION!!

Hello family!!! My Mission President put me as a Zone Leader of the biggest Zone in the mission---WHAT---I still don´t even speak Portuguese---haha. We already had our first Zone meeting and there are 8 sisters in our ZONE----YA FOR SISTERS---I FEEL A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO AMBER NOW!!! Our Mission President is really pushing for us to baptize more and I am related to my wonderful mother and like to take everything upon me when the house isn´t clean or when everything doesn´t run smoothly or when the zone DOESN´T BAPTIZE as much as we should be BUT---I have full certainty that our Zone is going to baptize our goal of 2 families, four men---FUTURE LEADERS AND FATHERS!!! and 15 people in total! I love prayer, and goals and hard work with the Lord. I know that I have a lot to learn and a LOT TO DO BETTER AS A MISSIONARY-IT DOESN´T MATTER WHERE YOU´RE CALLED BUT RATHER HOW YOU SERVE. -I know that I need to do better to always be on the Lord´s side---WHO´S ON THE LORD´S SIDE WHO----ME!!! I love singing songs with my family---boy oh boy how I miss singing with you all--I have an idea---everytime that you want to scream or you are a bit frustrated or when you´d just like to be a bit more happy and full of AWESOMENESS---start to sing that song and I´ll sing it too and then we can be singing at the same time!! Don´t worry about what others think of you, BE YOURSELF, AND REMEMBER THAT IT IS STILL REAL LIFE, YOU DON´T HAVE TO HAVE A JOSEPH SMITH FIRST VISION EXPERIENCE EVERY SINGLE DAY. Just live your best and be happy and do the simple things: Read the Book of Mormon, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY, smile and have fun and testify and be an example and trust in the Savior Jesus Christ. 

I love you all Allen family--please pray for me to be the missionary that I should be!! Thanks for all of your support---I LOVED THE LETTERS FROM THE WARD PRIMARY FROM AAAAMBER!!! AND THE PACKAGE FULL OF JEEERKY AND AWESOME GOODS FROM YOU MOTHER AND FAMILY! 

I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He is the head of this church and I need to have more love and respect for Him each and every day. Have a great week everyone! 

Love, Gregg/Élder Allen!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN AND HELLO EVERYONE!!!

Today is transfer day and I only have like 2 hours to get everything ready and head out so I think that will have to keep this letter short. HAPPY BIRTHDAY NATHAN---I CAN´T BELEIVE THAT YOU´RE 18!!! You are the coolest 18 year old on the planet earth. You and Scott are going to rock the missionary world. Thanks Nathan for always being a great example of hard work.

I am being transferred to Teresina---WERE IT´S TRULY HOT--

THANKS EVERYONE FOR THE GREAT E-MAILS---LOVE YOU ALL!!

--Elder Allen

July!

This week as been as hot as ever!!! I usually sweat a bunch!!

 

All of our recent converts are staying pretty strong! I´m here in the internet house with a recent convert. His mother is going to be baptized on the 20th!!! She tries to tell us that she needs more preparation and that she doesn´t feel ready but we tell her---YOU ARE READY!! YOU HAVE FAITH, YOU KNOW HOW TO REPENT AND ARE REPENTING--YOU KNOW WHAT HAPPENED IN THE GARDEN OF GETHSEMANE AND THAT IS ALL THAT MATTERS, YOU HAVE THE DESIRE TO BE BAPTIZED AND YOU KNOW THAT YOU WANT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY IN THE CELESTIAL KINGDOM---YOU KNOW THE BEST THING THAT IS GOING TO HELP YOU---THE HOLY GHOST--HE WILL GUIDE YOU AND BLESS YOU SO THAT THE REST OF YOUR FAMILY CAN ALSO CLAIM THE BLESSINGS OF THE HOLY GHOST AND THE FULL GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST!!

 

I feel kind of lame sometimes because it seems that we have so much success with women and with young women and I would love to see more success with men and complete families. This church needs more families and more priesthood influence. But, I CAN NEVER COMPLAIN--I AM SO BLESSED TO BRING SOULS UNTO CHRIST--HE IS OUR REEDEMER AND LOVES EVERYONE--EVERY CHILD OF GOD NEEDS THE GOSPEL! 

 

I´m not sure if I told you but we baptized a 17 year old and his 16 year old sister-she is a FIREBALL---Elder Boccia and I are big fans of her. She already acts like a member of 2 years! References from members is the KEY TO THE WORK, USING THE MEMBERS TESTEMONIES AND INFLUENCES IS THE KEY TO THE WORK. YOU DAY YOU WILL LEAVE AS A MISSIONARY BUT THE MEMBERS WILL STAY THERE FOREVER!! Their mother is going to be baptized after there wedding at the end of the month!! I might get transfered though--that is sad---but maybe I can return in a year and see their wedding or something--who knows?? LOVE YOU ALL AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK--MY HOUR IS UP!! HAVE FUN AT THE JAMBOREE NATE AND SPENCER--YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME. --LOVE YOU ALL. TCHAU

 

--Elder Allen (Gregg)

LOTS OF THINGS TO DO!

Hello my wonderful family!! This week was very crazy and I loved, LOVED IT!! Our Zone made a goal of 20 baptisms! Our district set a goal of 8 baptisms!! Elder Boccia and I had a goal of five baptisms the month of June and Elder Soares and Hatch had the goal of 3 this month. REMEMBER--YOUR GOALS ARE THE DEEP DESIRES OF YOUR HEARTS!! If you set a goal--set a goal that you know the Lord wants you to acheive and then fast and pray and go to work for that goal---in missionary work there is always the free agency of the investigators involved that makes your goal a bit harder to achieve---it is not only weighing on you but on the Lord and the individual!! We fasted and prayed a bunch and a bunch of miracles happened and I just sent a bunch of information to our leaders and to the Mission President and etc.--ya my hour is up again. I really wanted to write the awesome things that happened but anyways--we ACHEIVED OUR GOALS OF 8 BAPTISMS!! Love you all and have a great week! Keep praying for me please and I will keep praying for you!

 

--Elder Allen

Happy June!!

Hello family--things are going good here in Brasil--I am learning to be more calm and quit running from place to place. You can only do so much as a human being and you can only be satisfied and happy with your best AND LEAVE THE REST TO THE LORD!!  

This last week I baptized a young girl of 16 years. SHE WAS SUPER HAPPY AND LOVED RECEIVING THE HOLY GHOST THE NEXT DAY.  This week our district: Me, Elder Boccia--the crazy, loves to tease and joke with people until the joke is like a dead fish and he´s still waving it around--I love him!, Elder Soares, the most humble and pure 21 year old I know, Elder Hatch, a Spiritual POWERHOUSE---HE ROCKED SOCKS WITH HIS TALK ON SUNDAY---PREPARATION PAYS OFF AND I WAS SO HAPPY FOR HIM! He spoke with such great simplicity and the questions he left for everyone were inspiring and the members were VERY QUITE THROUGHOUT THE MEETING! I love the sacrament, the reverence is getting better here in the meetings in Açailândia!! Our district was able to bring 19 people to Sacrament meeting this week---YES---THAT WAS A FIFTH OF THE ATTENDANCE!! Attendance this week was 120! We´ve already hit 155 since I´ve been here though so there is much to be bettered! 

Yes---JASON AND TONJA AND FAMILY---I´M SO SORRY I NEVER MENTIONED THAT I RECEIVED YOUR PACKAGE---SOOOO LONG AGO! It was wonderful and I LOVED it and I´m still eating the starburst. Elder Hatch, from Idaho Falls, Idaho ate one just this morning and was like----OHH STARBURST---YEES! I still haven´t made the cupcakes and Elder Soares is begging me to make them because he´s never seen such strange cup holders and he is amazed and obsessed and excited to make them! I think that we are going to make them and take them to a couple that was recently baptized and are preparing to enter the HOLY TEMPLE TO BE SEALED FOR ETERNITY, YES ETERNITY here in one year!! 

Well have a great week Scott and your talk is going to be AWESOME---remember that you are the to simply let others feel the Spirit and to leave your special, SUPER SPECIAL AND STRONG TESTIMONY OF THE LORD AND SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST AND THIS HIS EVERLASTING AND TRUE GOSPEL! I love you Scott and you are going to be one of the best missionaries ever--just keeping being YOU!!! 

LOVE GREGG (Elder Allen) smiley face!

We have three baptisms this week--I´m super PUMPED! My hour is up---I´ll talk to you all next week--thanks for the e-mails I will go and read them!!

--Elder Allen 

Love you all!

Happy Fathers Day

 June 17,2013

Heeeey -----Happy Father ´s day Dad!! I hope that you had a great Sabbath day!! This Sunday was great and I sure am learning a lot here on the mission. Yes, I am learning and growing and I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World!!!

This week we scheduled to eat lunch with an investigator. He likes to make fun of American´s!! There is quite a bit of hate towards americans here and it´s all good because Elder Hatch and I just joke back with them and try to make fun of Brasil a bit. But really this division of countries and color of skin and this and that is all the work of the devil. Competition is good and healthy and fun but don´t ever let the competition go over the line. Work with all you have to win but then in the end realize that the competition was only to bring out the best in the two parties and that we are all working against Satan--working for God and that God wants to save all ALL OF HIS CHILDREN ---HE WANTS THEM ALL TO RETURN AND LIVE WITH HIM!! 

We are teaching a Portuguese Professor. I really like this lady and Elder Boccia and I are super excited for her to get baptized-- -she is reading para CARAMBA!! I just know that she is going to one day wake up and say---isssh--I already know that this is true--each visit we get one step closer. I feel that with most of the people here in Brasil you need a good 12 -16 visits to have a strong baptism. Your teaching, conviction and love as a missionary can go a long ways in those 12-16 visits. If you just pass information they will merely be convinced of the truth---testify with all you have and ask the Lord to help you strengthen your testimony every single day!!   

 

Our bishop is like the shortest guy in the ward--haha---it´s hilarious. We helped him move homes this past week and it was great! Lunch at his home was also fantastic. Elder Boccia and Elder Soares always like to make fun of me because I don´t drink soda. I told them that I could run faster because I don´t drink soda. After our service project we decided to run back to the house and I beat Elder Boccia- --  YES! It was a good friendly race and he still likes to make fun of me for drinking soda. 

Read Preach My Gospel and study General Conference---do ALL YOU CAN EVERY DAY TO BUILD UP THE KINGDOM OF GOD AND KEEP YOUR COOL AND BE CALM AND EXCITED WHILE DOING IT!! MAY THE SPIRIT BE WITH YOU.  

--Gregg 

Elder Allen

Awesomeness!!!

This week was super good and things were great amongst our district. I´m praying that God will allow our entire district to stay together so that we can make things better here in Acailandia. In fast and testimony meeting we had 155 people. Does anyone know how many people usually are in the sacrament meeting of the lakeside 2nd ward?? Elder Boccia and I had an AWESOME planning session this morning and we were planning and full of ideas and excitement--it was GREAT!! We have been helping a lot of young men prepare for missions. There are nearly 10 young men here in the ward that could be serving missions and so the mission president has asked us to work with a lot of them. We have family home evenings with their families, we give them our Preach My Gospel dvds and we go on splits with them and they make visits with us and I´ve given practically all of my ties away and now have like five ties and they are all purple, blue or brown. MOTHER!!!---if you could maybe send me some new ties that would be awesome--I can´t have anything super thin or super fat or bright Pink or Purple but if you could send like maybe 15-20 ties of red, brighter green, brighter, HAPPY COLORS, orange, etc. that would be awesome--but they have to be COOL TIES!!!--hah, no just kidding, but, if you could ask Nathan to maybe go shopping with you--he can pick out the swag!! How is  Tiffany doing????

Love you all!!! My time is up already. I´ll talk to you next week. 

--Gregg (Elder Allen) 

Happy Birthday Hyrum!!!

HEY HYRUM---HOW IS IT BEING SICK--I MEAN SIX--have you had a lot of people already tease you with this joke. Don´t let them get to ya--just tell them that you are six with an X! Hello family--how is life in the great city of Provo, Utah?? Life here in Brasil is great as always and it is really hot and I´m always sweating. Thanks a boatload for the great package that I received from everyone. I loved the new pants and the two new shirts are SPECTACULAR!! I love being a missionary and I am super happy to be living here in a place where I know that I will probably never get sick because it is ALWAYS SUPER HOT!! Nathan--how is the mission prep going?? Spencer, how are the merit badges. The best thing to do on your mission prep journey is to learn to LOVE PEOPLE AND TRULY DEMONSTRATE YOUR LOVE FOR THEM---list the three people that most frustrate you in your life and go do a BOATLOAD OF ACTS OF SERVICE FOR THEM and pray for love and show your love and then continue onward with faith and God will help your love to grow. I heard about Scott and the baseball deal---that stinks that he lost but, oh well, he´s always a great sport about things. ALWAYS BE HAPPY PEOPLE--DON´T BE A MOODY BUM--NOBODY LIKES A MOODY BUM. Be organized and never quit and listen to the Spirit the first second that he talks to you. Here is a small bit of what happened this week:  Don´t ever dwell on the past, just learn from it and look towards the future with great joy. I´ve learned a lot with this on the mission---you can´t be a perfect missionary and everything is never going to go as well as planned. The most important thing is to just LOVE THE PEOPLE AND ALWAYS BE HAPPY!!! You are going to work miracles there in Jamaica. This week we had a small meeting with some of the youth and the bishop of the ward. He talked of his love for the Savior Jesus Christ and at the end everyone had a turn to share their testimony. My companion and I taught a young man named Wanderson and he was baptized close to two months ago. He shared his testimony and started to cry and said that the other night he was reading the Book of Mormon and he just felt this huge feeling enter into his chest and fill him with warmth and happiness. He stopped and could barely even talk the rest of his testimony. IT WAS AWESOME!!! I´ve totally been praying for this kid to strengthen his testimony and I want him to stay strong. FOREVER STRONG!!! We were able to get his sister to come to the meeting and his mother came to a fireside with the Mission President and his wife!!! Yes--the whole family is PROGRESSING!! Jesus Christ lives and loves us--I know he does!!

I let Elder Hatch take over with the piano--he is a member of my district and is from Idaho Falls, Idaho!! I need a dog.--HAH, just kidding. Been hunting lately Nathan with all of the boys?? HEY ISN´T SCHOOL OUT??? How was the year for everyone?? I hope that you all had a FABULOUS TIME!! Today for lunch I made beans, rice, linguica with alho and it was SUPER GOOD!! Love you all. Thanks for being my supporting family.

Elder Gregg Allen

Happy May!!

Sent Monday May 20, 2013

 

Hello EVERYONE!! How was your week? Thanks for all of the great e-mails. This week some miracles happend here in the ward. Two families that have been inactive for over four years returned to FULL-TIME ACTIVITY!! The father of one of the families was called as the new young men´s president and the other family has three young men that were interviewed and prepared to recieve the priesthood--they are going to receive the priesthood this week! One of these three is nineteen years old and he is going to go and visit a few people this week with Elder Boccia and I!! I am receiving a boatload of awesome information from the Lakeside 2nd Ward---sooo many missionaries--that sure is awesome. The mission is great---you´ve just got to keep on top of things. I am grateful for the scriptures and for the General Conference talks. I know that Elder Boccia was sent here to be my companion for a reason and I now that Jesus Christ lives and loves us. This week I taught a lesson to a family that had two you boys drown this past week. We taught them the Plan of Salvation and Elder Boccia taught really well and with the Spirit. I am grateful for your constant example as always Amber--thanks for your e-mail---I will go and print it. I hope that you all have a great week, in Provo, in Poland and soon to be in OREGON---go DUCKS!! Spanish, Polish and Portuguese---yayo---what a great combo!! Love you guys.

--Elder Gregg Allen

This Week!!!!

Hello family!!! It was great to hear your voices again!!! I´m so EXCITED FOR YOU NATHAN----you are going to be such an amazing missionary--I know it!!

 My companion let me talk to his brother--it was pretty awesome. He sure is a great missionary--Elder Boccia--he is from Parana Brasil. When he was younger he used to travel to Paraguay buy things there and then return to Brasil and sell them for a lot more--this is how he earned money to serve here on the mission.

This last week, Isabela, age 17 sang for the beginning of sacrament meeting. Elder Boccia baptized her since it was his first baptism--we are now trying to baptize the rest of her family. This week Elder Boccia and I had the chance to give a lady a priesthood blessing and afterwards she felt completely better she said--it was pretty neat. She then came to church and it was great to see her there. Elder Hatch helped me teach the English class on Saturday and he played Waterfall on the piano--basically perfectly for everyone and they all loved it--the size of the English class has diminished a lot lately. I love to buy powdered milk and make it with water here in the house because the milk here is really expensive---my powdered milk with the packets of oatmeal were SUPER DELICIOUS---thank you family.

I love being able to listen to music and feeling the Spirit of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. We had an awesome family home evening this week that the Elders and I planned!  We invited two inactive families that have been inactive for four years and THEY CAME!! The father of the one family CAME TO CHURCH, HE MOVED HIS RECORDS INTO THE NEW WARD AND WE MARKED ANOTHER FAMILY NIGHT IN HIS HOUSE TOMORROW WITH THE BISHOP --I am so glad to have had the chance to be help his family ----God is really the one that helped them --I am just a servant, only a servant. I know that  God lives and loves us all and that we can always return and feel his love when we are willing to let him in. Only follow good examples okay and remember that Christ lives and that this is HIS CHURCH AND THAT THE GOSPEL IS A GOSPEL OF JOY!!
Love,
Elder Gregg Allen

HAPPY BIRTHDAY AMBER!!!

Hey-----AMBER YOU ARE THE BEST MISSIONARY IN THE WORLD AND I LOVE YOU! 

This week was pretty good. José Vitor likes to go and visit people with us--he is a teacher in the ward. He is 14 and wants to know if you saw his friend request on facebook Spencer??

Elder Boccia likes to run and clap his feet in the air. He is pretty crazy but he´s a great missionary and teaches with a lot A LOT of ENTHUSIASM!!

I love you all! I hope that Goldie has a great baptism and that everything works out with the garden and all. This internet is SUPERSLOW.  This week we are hoping to help Markin accept a baptismal date and enter the waters of BAPTISM!! 

gotta go--love you all!!

HAPPY APRIL!

Hello---HELLO EVERYONE---HOW IS LIFE GOING? Thanks for all the wonderful e-mails:

 

JAMAICA---SERIOUSLY---SCOTT!!!!! ENGLISH SPEAKING??? HOW CAN THAT BE? IS THIS A JOKE OR IS HE SERIOUSLY GOING TO JAMAICA??---CONGRATULATIONS SCOTT--YOU ARE THE MAN!!!

 

This week we reveiwed the Plan of Salvation the night before the baptism with Isabela--she was BAPTIZED SATURDAY NIGHT BY ELDER BOCCIA---HIS FIRST BAPTISM HERE ON THE MISSION!!!

 

Amber thanks for your e-mail of working hard and taking everything one day at a time. Keep up the good work there in Poland--I love telling other people that you are serving there!!

 

This week after Isabela was baptized she shared her testimony and all she could say is I´M SOO HAPPY, I´M SOO HAPPY AND IT WAS PRETTY COOL. It was a great meeting and we sang a bunch of hymns! Church was good. I bore my testimony.

 

Tell Holly and Joe--thanks for all the GREAT E-MAILS--YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST!!

 

YESS--I RECIEVED A LETTER FROM AMBER, RISHI, THE PACKAGES---NEW SHIRTS, PANTS, ETC.---I LOVE IT!! LOVE YOU ALL!

 

We just have to help the less actives here to be a bit less lazy---LAZINESS NEVER WAS HAPPINESS AND LAZINESS AND PROCRASTINATION ARE OF THE DEVIL.

 

Love you all and I´ll keep praying for you. Talk to you all later!!

 

--Elder Allen

 

Happy Easter !!

Hello and Happy Easter everyone!

CONGRATS TO TASHA---BABY COMING SOON!!

AMBER´S B-DAY IS THIS MONTH!!!

NATHAN YOU GET YOUR CAST OFF SOON?

I am now training Elder Boccia from Paraná Brasil! His father died a few years ago and his mother was inactive until he turned ten and was baptized. He has 9 years as a member and went through the Curitiba Temple! He is a great missionary and we invited Isabela to be baptized like the second day he arrived and she accepted and we are going to have family home evening with her and a few inactives tonight!! She is going to be baptized on April 13! Church was good--I decided not to play the piano because I kind of destroyed the last meeting with my terrible piano playing. We spent of bunch of time organizing things here in the house. Love you all. Have a great week--I´ve gotta go already!

THNKS FOR ALL OF THE GREAT E-MAILS---NO E-MAIL FROM AMBER???

UNTIL NEXT MONDAY!! PLEASE KEEP PRAYING FOR ME AND I´LL PRAY FOR YOU!!!

Love, Elder Allen

Happy March Madness

Hello family!! I´m sorry I didn´t write a decent letter the last few weeks. Two weeks ago we had the opportunity to baptize a young man that lives across the street from a church that is really big here in Brasil, Assemblea de Deus.  

I have for sure been struggling a bit these last 4 weeks and don´t feel on the same spiritual level of awesomeness and confidence like I had in the MTC and in Araguaína BUT I´m going to regain my confidence and spiritual awesomeness because I know that nothing is impossible with the help of Jesus Christ and the scriptures and all of you--awesome family members. 

Congrats Jenny---YOU´RE GONNA BE AWESOME 

MASON BAILEY--THE SAME MISSION AS MY DAD---THAT IS SOOO AWESOME! A

Thanks for sending the awesome pictures of the moodbloods that Shady had!

This week I played the piano in church again and also gave a talk in church about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and missionary work and didn´t do too swell but I will do better next time. It looks like my companion is going to be transferred tomorrow and I´m going to train--TRAIN---a brasilian--I´m not 100% sure who will be my companion but I think that he´s Brasilian--I sure hope he is--I want to have even better Portuguese. 

GO BYU---I HOPE THEY CAN WIN THE TOURNAMENT 

SORRY TO HEAR ABOUT YOUR BRACKET SPENCER. 

Thanks for all of the great pictures and letters I sure love them. I hope that you all have an awesome week. If some of you could pray and fast for me to return to be the same missionary that I was in the MTC and in Araguaína that would be awesome--I know that I can do it---REMEMBER THAT THIS IS THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST!!!

LOVE YOU ALL!!!

quick hi!!

Hello family!! Everything is going great here in Açailândia. I love you all and I will have to write more next week. We have a training in Imperatriz with the Mission President tomorrow!! Love you all and THANKS FOR ALL THE AWESOME E-MAILS!!! 

ACAILANDIA!!!

Hey everyone!! How was this week? This week I had the great opportunity to know Robson!! He is an amazing young man that was baptized only five months ago and he has a testimony like Gold--we taught like 10 lessons with him this week and he has a missionary planner a back pack and everything and is preparing to serve a mission here in a year!! I spent a boatload of time writing to others today and doing things with the mission. Remember that Christ lives and that he atoned for our sins and that we are all His children and that He loves us and can help us out. I love you and have a FANTASTIC WEEK!! I´m sure going to have a fantastic week! Keep choosing the right and never be lazy or procrastinate or let other people affect you---keep your testimony strong ALWAYS! I promise I´ll write more next week. Love you all.

--Elder Allen

Happy Birthday Mother and Happy March ev...

Hey EVERYBODY! This week was great here in Açailândia, Maranhão!! The ward here had a frequency of close to 120 people---ya! I played the piano during sacrament meeting and I´m going to be giving a PIANO LESSON on Wednesday for 5-8 people in the chapel for one hour. There will be less actives there so pray for everything to go well and that they can decide to leave their struggles and angers behind and COME TO CHURCH AGAIN!! We invite people to come to church all week long, testify of the Spirit there and testify that it is a holy edifice of the Lord--the chapel. ARE YOU DOING YOUR PART AS A MEMBER OF GOD´S CHURCH TO BE PREPARED EVERY SUNDAY! I encourage you all to go onto LDS.ORG and print off two or three talks about the Sabbath Day and see what you can do better during the week and especially on Friday and Saturday to prepare for GOD´S DAY AND THE BEST DAY OF THE WEEK. Remember there are missionaries that are depending on the 3 hours being amazing, spiritual, extremely reverent when necessary and remember the reality of the sacrament. Are you taking the sacrament worthily? I know that I´m going to do better to prepare for the Sabbath day! You may have to make sacrifices and do some hard things but there´s no feeling like being 100% prepared when the time for delivery comes!

Well my hour is up---LOVE YOU ALL. Keep praying for Amber and everybody in the whole world every day--we sure still have a lot to do before the Second Coming. WE´RE SOOO BLESSED TO HAVE THE RESTORED GOSPEL--LOVE YOU ALL!

 

--Gregg

--Elder Allen

TRANSFERRED

So Monday of this past week is when we hear that we are going to be transferred or not. Only one Elder was told that he would be transferred. Then Tuesday morning the Assistants to the President called again and told me that I was being transferred to a city 5.5 hours away called Açailândia. Okay, I´ll admit, I cried because the morning of leaving my first area. It was almost like home again and you know me, I´m always a bum with having to say goodbye and change things BUT I LOVE THIS NEW CITY TOO! I was able to make 10 contacts on the day of the transfer and talked with people on the bus at the bus station, etc! I feel really dumb because I´ve fallen asleep several times the last few weeks without saying a decent nightly prayer or writing sufficiently in my journal. Satan wants to slowly lead us down to hell. I used my START STOP CONTINUE method that I learned at Timberline--HAH--Nathan--you see Timberline information can be used in America, Brasil or whatever part of the world--hah, just kidding.But I recommitted myself to better with the small and simple things. I feel that I´ve been doing fairly well but please pray for me to do even better and learn even more. My companion, NEW COMPANION, is Elder De Los Santos from Argentina! He is from Buenos Aires and is a couple years older than Elder Rodrigues. He has a sister of 23 years old and he is 25 and said that he received his testimony here on the mission---YES! Missions aren´t only to bring new people to the truth, it´s to strengthen the people already inside the walls so that one day we can sit in the mansion with our Heavenly Father. He is a burley Elder and walks at his pace AND THE GREAT THING IS THAT he plans things like a BOSS and we visit a bunch of recent converts and less actives! There are several strong young men in the ward that have already made visits with us! I had the chance to leave a message with a REAL FAMILY! It´s so great to see a full functioning family, ward, a CHURCH, pianos, youth programs, etc. I was soooo blessed to grow up in Provo and I definitely should have invited more friends to MUTUAL, FIRESIDES, CHURCH, ETC. We have such a great blessing there in Utah--take advantage of wherever you live and be a better missionary this week. Set a GOAL. Start out small if you need to. Açailândia is a city with people every where and we live smack dab in the middle of it--I love it! The solgados here are DELICIOUS and my companion loves to eat good FOOOOD!---YES---I´m always ready for some tasty food! This week I had the great opportunity to buy a new shirt and an AWESOME TIE---I thought about keeping it for a while---FOR OUR GREAT FRIEND PEDRO WHO WAS BAPTIZED THE SAME DAY AS LUKE! I hope that he likes it--I told Elder Rodrigues to give it to him with a picture of the baptism that I printed and a few words of encouragement.

 

Amber, I love your e-mails! WAY TO BE---ACHEIVING THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE AND ALL! Love you sister--I hope that everything is going good there in the amazing land of Poland!!!! 

 

 Please pray for me everyone to be the missionary that God wants me to be and pray for yourself and for each other so that we can all live in the Celestial Kingdom again some day! I´m praying for you all! Did you get my letters yet--I sure hope so!!

 

I love Elder Rodrigues!! He was a great trainer--I totally gave him my awesome 80-90 dollar shoes because he needed new ones. I love giving people things and trying to serve--it makes me feel happy! We had a GREAT TIME TOGETHER ---YA!

 

Okay, gotta go. Love you all!

 

--Elder Allen

HAPPY FEVEREIRO!

Hey FAMILY and people that maybe read parts of this e-mail on a blog or in the Lakeside 2nd Ward!! This last week was great! I feel like my Português is really improving and I can´t believe that on Mother´s birthday--the 26th of February I will have 5 months here in Brasil--time is flying by way to fast and there is still much more to be done---there´s always more to be done--isn´t it great that we always have something to do, someone to help, someone to teach, someone to teach us, someone to develop Christlike love for, someone to listen to, etc. I´m grateful for the daily schedule of a missionary! Sometimes I get a bit frustrated that some Elders like to sleep longer than is needful or don´t exercise or eat junk food and then end up sick in the house and others suffer because of it. I sometimes get a bit frustrated when one Elder doesn´t treat a sister in the ward with genuine respect and then her and her family lose respect for all of the Elders. It is a bit difficult sometimes to have the same name as other people that don´t always act in the way that name should be known---ELDER! Elder is a great calling from the Lord. The Priesthood Power of a full-time Elder can be amazing if you do your part. I love being an Elder and I know that there are things that I need to better and that we all have strengths and weaknesses and the mission is not only to help those that don´t know about the church but it´s also to better the members, us the missionaries, and me! I know that I have just as much to learn from the other Elders, and probably even more to learn from the other Elders then they do from me. I have already developed more love, more wisdom, more knowledge of the scriptures and a lot more and I hope that I can continue to understand even more of what the Lord wants me to do.

This week I made some awesome cardboard missionary name tag´s for Rogério and Henrique because they are always stealing mine when we visit them, during church, etc. Thanks five younger brothers for always doing stuff with me and I´m glad that we had a blast together and that you´re all having a blast right now were you´re at and I´m having a blast here where I´m at and that we´re going to have even more of a blast when we all live together in the Celestial Kingdom and ya--KEEP DOING WHAT´S RIGHT. I know that wickedness truly never was happiness, Just like Alma, the great Prophet, taught his son--Alma 41:10. Today, Elder Correia is going to be transferred and he´s been here in Araguaína for like six months--we´re going to go eat lunch with him during our P-day at a place called Giraffas! 

This last week I had the great opportunity to baptize a young boy named Henrique--he is ten years old! He reads his scriptures--the Book of Mormon--almost every day and it´s always great to study with him because he likes to study. I know that I sure wasn´t good at reading the scriptures like him, James, Luke and Hyrum when I was younger. I know also that I used to make everyone late for family trips--leaving on vacation, going to the store, etc. I also know that I didn´t do all of my chores as diligently as Spencer does, I didn´t laugh as hard as Rachel does, didn´t get as good of grades--like Nathan and didn´t make as many friends as Amber did but hey---I´m learning and becoming better every day and I´m grateful that I have all of you as examples! The following day in church though was the best. I didn´t play the piano because I think he friend--I plugged it in and something was messed up with the electricity and something popped and then it smelt like fire and the piano was shipped from the USA from the church and ya---I don´t know for sure but--there was no piano on Sunday. I gave the lesson in the Principles of the Gospel--it was my first 45 minute lesson all in Português--it was AWESOME AND GREAT PRACTICE AND I LOVED IT! Who knows if anyone understood anything but hey they were smiling and nodding their heads and so I think it was good--hah--no I think that everyone understood at least 90% of the things I was saying--hopefully they understood more of what the Spirit was saying because that´s more important. The man that helped us with the Service Project over at Hozana´s house ( a single mother that just moved and we moved dirt for her for like 3 hours!) came to church and seemed to really enjoy it! The cool part was that Presidente Alves blessed Henrique--that he would be a FUTURE MISSIONARY in his confirmation on Sunday--YA! Now, I´ve just got to stick with it and do my part to always keep contact with him. Never forget others and never forget that a few kind words can go a long ways. You don´t, DON´T have to baptize people to make a difference. You have to give your all to make a difference. But as we all know, we are just tools in the Lord´s hands and He is the one that does all of the real work---The Godhead make the difference! 

HEY I FINALLY WROTE AN E-MAIL OF DECENT LENGTH!! YES! 

Have a great week family in the SNOW! I´m sweating here--but I love it! Mother I encountered your letter in my baptismal pants but it was soaking wet and didn´t read all of it---some of it was destroyed but I think that I got the main message of the letter---THANKS A BUNCH--IT WAS AWESOME TO FIND THAT THERE! 

Love you family and keep up the good work. Thanks for everything. Don´t forget to be good member missionaries and pray for me and Amber.

TCHAU! 

--ELDER ALLEN, (GREGG!)

Happy Birthday James!!!

Hello everyone this is Gregg's mother, sorry I am a bit late posting this email which was sent Feb. 11, 2013

Hey James, I love you man---you are the coolest 10 year old in the world---I hope that you have an awesome birthday!

Keep looking away when Satan is present and don´t ever think that it´s okay to just go a little off the path that Christ has shown but sometimes we mess up a little and sometimes we mess up a lot and either way the best thing to do is ALWAYS---PRAY. Pray to God and ask for help and then with the Love of Jesus Christ you can make it back on the line!!

Happy Birthday to James, Shon, Joshua, Arrel, T-Ike and any other family member that has a birthday this month. Thanks for all of the prayers and love.

Way to be Sister Pace--you´re going to make a great missionary!! I´ll BE PRAYING FOR YOU! 

Don´t every forget that forgiveness is real everyone. It´s real--Christ is real and we ALL need to repent every single day. 

Love you lots family---extended family, Lakeside 2nd Ward, friends, etc :) 

Até mais!

--Elder Allen 

HERE'S A BAPTISMAL FOTO!!

Luke, my brother and Pedro baptized on the same day---a baptism here in Brazil and one there in Provo on the same DAY---YEA! This week we visited Pedro and/or called him almost every day leading up to the baptism. He is 53 years old, is single and lives with some of his brothers and sisters and their children. He studied the scriptures like crazy and asked for a Doutrina e Convenios and we gave it to him and he is just a great reader and always has a question! He had a few problems to take care of but was willing to change everything and live the commandments of God so quickly!! We really, Elder Rodrigues and I, wanted to baptize him (one of us at least) but we made a team decision that it would be better for a member to baptize him so that he could build a friendship there! Irmao Rocha--the Elder´s Quorum President baptized him!!! It was a great meeting. I played the piano, and bore my testimony. The four of us elders sang I like to look for rainbow´s while Elder Rodrigues played the guitar and the Spirit smacked me in the chest--I love the way the Spirit testifies during MUSIC!! THE SONG OF THE HEART IS A PRAYER UNTO GOD! Pedro bore his testimony that night and started to get choked up and talked about how the gospel was changing his life and he was very grateful--he gave me a big hug and said that he would never forget this day.  Sunday, Elder Rodrigues confirmed him and the three of us, (Elder Rodrigues, Pedro and I) bore our testimonies during fast and testimony----Pedro talked about how he wants to share the gospel with his family and it was an AWESOME AWESOME fast and testimony meeting and the Spirit was there and an investigator came with her daughter and a recent convert and a less active member---YA!! Well talk to you later---LOVE YOU ALL A BOATLOAD. THANKS SO MUCH FOR ALWAYS SENDING A MILLION E-MAILS---I LOVE IT!! Go get em Tiffany and Ivette received her call---WHERE?? Awesome! And did you say that Danielle Pace is going to serve---awesome! Love you all. Thanks and have a FANTASTIC WEEK!

--Elder Allen 

PEDRO, addictions & tasty foooood!

This week our good friend Pedro is going to get baptized if all goes as planned--which I have 100% faith that it will. He´s going to be interviewed tomorrow and then we will be visiting him 3 or 4 times and calling him the days that we don´t visit to make sure that he is preparing and avoiding the strong temptations of the devil before his baptism this SATURDAY--FEBRUARY 2ND!! This week was good. My companion has a lot of headaches and so we were stuck in the house the first part of the week again but it was no biggie--I just went to a studying--I LOVE STUDYING---but good studying is just like making a good meal--like mother always says: If you want to make something decent it takes time, at least 30 minutes to an hour. Often times I feel the same way study time; it takes a while to get into the groove, feel the Spirit and be spiritually fed. Studying short and quick sure helps but a good long study, more like 15-30 minutes for those of you that are at home--can really make a big difference.

This week Elder Correia and I were on splits for the evening and Elder De Oliveira stayed in the house with Elder Rodrigues so that we could visit some people from my area!! We were on our way to the last visit of the night and Elder Correia started walking for the short cut that goes through a tiny forest close to an old college. I knew that it wasn´t a good idea to pass through this area after dark but felt that since Elder Correia was the senior companion I would just continue walking at his side and wait to say something once we got a little closer or wait until he said something. We were about half way to the shortcut through the woods when we passed the same bar that we pass several times a week. I thought to myself, say hello to the people over there drinking but then I let a second thought come in and say: Oh they´re all probably just drunkards and so what´s the point. I then decided that I better listen to my first thought and say HELLO! I did, I said hello and we kept walking. About three seconds later a lady emerged from one of the tables and said, hey wait---p.s. Portuguese computers like seriously don´t have quotation marks and so this story may be hard to understand, who´s talking when and so on. But, continuing, the lady said: hey wait and told us that she wanted us to come by and visit, we invited her to attend church and she told us her life story. She was baptized at age 12 in Teresina--16 hours away and hasn´t attended church or been involved in over 7 years. We told her that we would stop by and visit and told her that she would be welcomed at church and that she should just come. As soon as we left her side to continue walking, like 5 seconds later, Elder Correia said, hey wait--we should stay on the main road at this time of night and I said yes you´re right. We returned, passed the bar and got back on the main road. I´m glad that God allowed us to take that turn just to find her and I hope that she will take the opportunity to listen to the healing message of the gospel and return to the fold! 

This week we are helping an awesome sister stop smoking--I helped her make a list of goals and told her to take some tape and smack it on the fridge. I also made a calendar on a picture of the Savior and so every time she smokes or drinks coffee she has to mark the picture--which she really doesn´t want to do because it makes her think of how she is hurting her Savior. We also call her in the morning sometimes at 6 am and tell her that we are going to pray for he and that she CAN DO IT! We also instructed her to chuck her cigarettes underneath her bed so that each time she goes to smoke she has to kneel down and thus---PRAY. She has been doing this! She is totally gonna make it and she´s going to abstain from that junk for two weeks STRAIGHT SO THAT SHE CAN BE BAPTIZED!! We are fasting and praying for her often! 

I love joking with Elder Correia--he likes to tell me that Americans are lazy and so I always wash his dishes--to prove that I aint lazy--HAH! Elder Correia is very good at joking with people and is a very relaxed missionary. Every type of personality is needed in the mission field and every person has an important role to touch, effect and help certain others. Pray to know who YOU should be helping!!! We ate this SUPER DELICIOUS CREAMY DESERT AT THE PRESIDENT OF THE BRANCH´S HOME--his wife makes great food!!

Thanks for the awesome pictures of the family, Rishi, Amber, etc....I LOVE IT!

HAPPPY BIIIIRTHDAYYY--RACHEL AND HAVE A GREAT BAPTISM LUKE---LOVE YOU ALL. CONGRATS TIFFANY. I´M PRAYING FOR AUNT ANN. MY HOUR IS OVER- LOVE YOU ALLLLLL!! 

--Gregg 

--Elder Allen

President Siedchlag visited Araquaina!!

Sent Jan. 21, 2013

 President Siedschlag visited our area this week with his second counselor and the interviewed us and gave us all a great training! We had 55 PEOPLE IN THE SACRAMENT MEETING--YES! Elder Rodrigues and I had Pedro--he´s going to be baptized on February 2nd and also Ivanilda, a 50 year old lady that looks really young, kind of like mom--almost 50 but looks 39. 

 

Thanks for the letter Lyle and Michelle and Grandma and Grandpa Allen and the Sorensen family--the letters WERE AWESOME! 

This week was good but wasn´t perfect. I saw several miracles, one being, a family that had decided to not be baptized told us last night that they would be baptized---the mother of this family told me that she prayed and fasted very much and it was a great strength to my testimony of fasting and prayer. This family is a mother and her two sons. The other elderes are responsible for them and they should be baptized the beginning of February!!

 

We are teaching Pedro--he had a dream about reading Alma 37!! We shared with him verse 6 and 7 and also verse 37. He is elect and it is amazing to see the difference in a person when they truly seek daily, keep a study journal and pray--he is going to be baptized the 2nd of February! He will help a lot with the small, young leadership here in Araquaina--I´m very grateful for his example. 

 

This week I gave a tie and a new Liahona to Rogerio--a 14 year old young man that doesn´t have a ton of knowledge and about the priesthood. I love that kid and the other young men here I´m grateful that I have the opportunity to be associated with them. They strengthen me as much as I am hopefully strengthening them. Well, sorry--I promise I´ll write more next week. Love you all! 

 

Elder Allen!   

Rain!!

It rains pretty much every day here in Araquaina right now!! This week we had three investigators in church--BANG! YES! And I know that we will have even more next week. We are working with some great people and some people that need some work--but hey--we all need some work--right! This week was good. We lost our awesome district leader but received a new awesome one--MY COMPANION! Elder Rodrigues is awesome and he had his wisdom teeth pulled this week and with the transfers and all our numbers as far as lessons and all were pretty weak this week but we had THE BEST PLANNING SESSION ever with the President and the lideres do ramo--the branch! I was finally able to express a few more of my ideas as well as our new addition to the district--Elder de Oliviera--he added some great ideas! I know that this branch is gonna grow and we set a goal to have enough people attending church by the end of this year to buy a piece of property and began the construction on a real chapel---YAAA! I know that we can do it if we just keep planning and working day by day. This morning we planned for like 3 hours straight and worked with the Area Book and all--it was super great! Also we are fasting ate o pó--to the dust! I know that fasting and prayer work!

 

This week I almost cried at a family home evening we had with Carmosina and family--we played a game shared a very spiritual and special message and there were powerful testimonies shared--the Spirit was strong there and the young boys there loved me--it was awesome--we played games with my nametag, read the Book of Mormon together and ya--it was just a really special day and it´s those types of experiences that make the mission all worth it--BUT STILL---we need more--BATISMOS and we need more firm members in the faith! It will come with faith and prayer and work!

 

I wrote a long e-mail to the President and all and so I only have five minutes--sorry.

 

I RECEIVED THE PACKAGE--THE JERKY IS AMAZING!!!

Mother--thank you so much for Amber´s address.

 

Margaret Spencer and family sent me a letter---THANK YOU A BUNCH--THAT WAS AWESOME!

 

Also Rishi--I don´t know what happened to the letter I wrote you--I think that I left some of my personal papers at an investigators house--sorry--I wrote a letter for happy b-day on the 11th and the new baby and all--thanks A BUNCH FOR THE LETTER.

 

This week was good and the next will be even better. I know that God lives, just have faith, pray for the Spirit and keep working hard and you can accomplish your goals.

Watch the videos from Zig Zigler about setting goals--they´re awesome!

Love you all, ate mais!

--Elder Allen

Happy Birthday Luke !!

LUKE YOU´RE GONNA BE 8---YES! Don´t forget to take lots of pictures and to write in your journal on the day of your baptism. I´m glad that you had a blast at the fireside--way to be PUMPED about the gospel--to many people in this world think that being spiritual isn´t ´cool´ but the truth is that it´s totally awesome and it´s what brings TRUE HAPPINESS--REAL LOVE FOR THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST--THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS! 

Tchau Willy--I´ll be praying for you--you´ll do awesome!

Thanks to all of your PRAYERS EVERYONE--I AM HEALTHY!! I was a bit frustrated this past week because I knew that my stomach problems were not normal and that I probably had some kind of virus or something and really didn´t want to get shipped to Teresina to the hospital or something. After a crummy stomach for several days my companion and the other missionaries advised me to rest one day in the house, eat nothing but liquids and we got a bunch of stomach virus pills from the hospital!! I took all the advise and I lost a bit of work time but now I´m back to 100% and so sometimes it´s important that you take a small rest and recover rather than trying to continue at half speed and just get worse and worse. The sad thing is that two of the other three Elders here with me, including my companion, have been having problems with fevers, tooth aches, stomach, etc. Our mission president sent out a list of new food eating and water drinking rules and we have to be really careful what we eat here. I know that my stomach thing was from some of the water I drank or some food that wasn´t properly washed---I am definitely going to have to use a lot more money and time to buy things to cleanse water, wash fruits and veggies with vinegar, boil stuff, etc. 

This week we only had ONE INVESTIGATOR IN CHURCH---but hey--that´s a blessing--sometimes we have zero. Learn to always follow through with your word people. Saturday we called and visited probably 3 families and 12-15 people in total that said: YES I´LL COME TO CHURCH BUT THEN DIDN´T SHOW UP---GARBAGE. We have to keep having faith. This week we learned a great lesson about teaching with the Spirit and working better together as a companionship--never leave the house or make a decision without the Spirit--if you need to, take some extra time, study, pray and get the Spirit back with you and then you can continue your day! 

This week I made even better friends with Henrique and Rogerio--the only problem is that their families is in the area of the other Elders---blah---they´re stealing my investigators--hah--no just kidding, we´re all in this together. I invited Henrique and his mother to church and Henrique loved primary, he adored it and by the end of church was wearing my name tag, taking pictures with us on his mother´s cell phone and his mother and him talked about getting baptized--I love it when young innocent people feel the great influence of the Holy Ghost and then influence them around them with their excitement. Keep up the good work you younglings: James, Luke, Hyrum, all of you cousins, etc. The rest of us--become more like little children--the Holy Ghost is real--if you don´t believe it--GO READ THE LIAHONA, LISTEN TO GENERAL CONFERENCE, READ THE SCRIPTURES AND THEN SEEK, KNOCK AND EXCERCISE FAITH AND THE MIRACLES WILL COME! 

Amber and I still haven´t baptized any of our investigators but like Amber said, by the way I love you e-mails--they pump me up and I love your spirit and everything you write, we´re going to always be excited and look at every Saturday as if there is going to be a baptism--like truly plan for it, have faith with works--not just say that there will be a baptism. 

My companion is going to remove his wisdom teeth this week--pray for him to recover fast so that our district can return to normal health and work 100% Last week we lost close to 4 whole days combined with all of the sickness. 

Satan is working hard so we have to WORK HARDER THAN HIM--REMEMBER YOU CAN CRUSH HIS HEAD AND HE ONLY HAS POWER TO BRUISE YOUR HEEL. 

I know that Jesus Christ lives and sharing your testimony helps to strengthen it. Well gotta send an e-mail to the AP--I will talk to you all next week--have a great time in the awesome cold weather--that´s so cool that it´s soo freeezing! Love you guys! 

--Elder Allen