Enjoying time here in Zionsville! I have a feeling this will be my last week here...transfers are next week...so we'll see what happens. Sis. Crosby and I can't believe how fast the time has gone. We've been laughing about how similar we are...both our younger sisters got married at 19 (except her sister had a baby the day Sis. Crosby went into the MTC!). We also love peanut butter and carrots (actually I converted Sis. Crosby to that). And we're both 22 (I forgot how old I was the other day when someone asked...). And we both have the same blue shirt that we bought at Down East. And we are both very logical! And there's lots of other things that I can't think of right now...but basically we get along great.
I love knowing people like Pres. and Sis. Collins, because it gives me a taste of how I might feel when I meet the Savior. We're riding with them up to a training this week, and these are the scenarios Sis. Crosby and I have come up with:
"We're going to send you both to open a new area together!"
"You're both going to stay in Zionsville and train a new sister together"
"We're assigning you to speak Spanish"
"We're sending you to Russia!"
Well, we doubt any of these will actually come true...but you never know!
It's good to remember spiritual confirmations that we've had, because Satan is so good at making us doubt immediately after we've received a confirmation that what we're doing is right. We really can never predict what will happen from day to day on the mission, and we have to keep the right perspective all the time because there will always be opposition. But if the missionaries don't have the faith, who will? Who else will teach these people and help them overcome the barriers that will arise? Sis. Crosby brought up the quote, "Your future is as bright as your faith." We really can do anything if we have the faith and if we rely on the Lord. There's no stopping us in the work of the Lord!
We've been teaching Carla a lot lately. We speak slowly and clearly so she can understand, because we're giving her a lot of new information. At one lesson, whenever we would stop talking and wait for her to say something, she would say, "Tell me more about the Lord!" She says, "The more I know, the more I want to know!" That's the Holy Spirit working inside of her. It's so cool to see her change, and her desire to learn more. In one of her prayers she said, "I love my sisters for teaching me the Word. I love 'em to death." She makes us feel pretty good :) One day when we had to leave she said, "I'm just gonna keep reading the scriptures to you so you can't leave!" It's hard for her to understand the scriptures when we're not there to read with her, but she still reads when we're not there! We told her the more often she reads, the more she'll understand.
We had a lesson with an older man who we've been trying to meet with ever since I came to Zionsville! After teaching him, we asked him if he would read from the Book of Mormon and pray to know if it's true. He sat for about a minute just thinking. He finally said, "It's difficult because this just goes against everything I've grown up with. I knew one Mormon, but I've never considered what y'all actually believe. We were always told growing up, 'Don't join the Mormons.' I probably won't become a member, but I'd like to keep meeting with you, because it's good to learn and clarify misunderstanding." We were able to clear up a lot of his misconceptions. These things are new to him, but I think different than what he expected. He's great! We'll see what happens!
On Sunday we joked about asking everyone at church for a referral. We didn't ask anyone...but we totally got one! After choir, a woman came up to us and told us to visit a couple who just moved into their grandma's home. Every time we joke about how we will get a referral, God sends one our way. Btw, in choir we are singing Look at the World, and it means the WORLD to me because that's what my family sings every time we get together. Ah, I can't even handle these tender mercies, God is just so good. The branch choir director told the whole choir how much I love the song :)
We had dinner at the stake president's home last night, and their family is so much fun! Four daughters--one just got home from her mission, and another will be starting her papers soon. It felt so good to laugh and talk with them, and even the stake president was quoting Brian Reagan and Emperor's New Groove.
It hit me last night how amazing it is that the Lord entrusts us young, naive missionaries to bring people back to His fold! The Relief Society President gave us a list of people to go visit, and I didn't think much about it, but later I thought, Wow, these adults are giving us the responsibility to contact and help these people. What a great and wonderful responsibility!
Wow, this email was longer than I expected it to be. But I had more time to write than I usually do. I love you all!!!
Love, Sister Allen
PS - Here's a picture of our district! And the zone leaders. They're all great.
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