Friday, July 22, 2016

June 13, 2016 - The blessing of an unfair life

Sister Helmick and Sister Allan

Celebrating Nathan and Michelle's wedding from Puerto Rico

On Exchanges

Tan companions - must be in Puerto Rico :) 

Loving the Beach


I love this picture!


Practicing their musical number

Beautiful Puerto Rican beach



Thank you for sending me pics! Everything looks so beautiful and Nathan and Michelle look so happy! Congratulations!!!!!!!!!! I'm so glad everything turned out well and that you all enjoyed it so much. I love that we have the gospel and that we know that this isn't a temporary happiness, but an eternal joy that we can feel throughout our entire lives and through the eternities. I know that families can be forever and how exciting that Nathan and Michelle are just starting their own eternal family! :) CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!! :) 

Monday was so much fun! As sister training leaders we get to plan a sisters activity for the zone so on Monday after emailing we drove around to different sight seeing places to pick a spot to do the sisters activity. We found this super fancy beach resort that was absolutely GORGEOUS! And then we also explored a natural reserve in Humacao that was equally gorgeous! I just love Puerto Rico so much and am so overwhelmed by the beauty of the world around us!

Then on Wednesday we had the Mission Leadership Conference which is a meeting for all the zone leaders and sister training leaders with President Boucher and his wife at the mission home. It was so much fun and very spiritual and uplifting. Hermana Helmick and I along with the two zone leaders did a musical number which turned out really well! It was such a wonderful experience!

Then I had my first exchange as a sister training leader which was also super wonderful! I was a bit nervous at first, but the sister I was with it amazing and she helped me out a lot. She is absolutely wonderful. She hasn't had very much success at all on her mission but she has so much faith and is always so positive and just keeps on working hard. She's such a great example to me and I'm so grateful that I have this opportunity to learn from so many wonderful missionaries! 

Also, something kind of funny happened this week... So when we visit people here, most people offer us a drink with some crackers or some sort of snack thing. and this week we were visiting a less active who left to get us something and when she came out she gave each of us half of a block of cheese. That was it. She literally just took out an entire block, cut it in half, and gave that to us to eat. It was the strangest thing, but I guess that's just the culture. :) And needless to say, we felt pretty sick afterwards for eating so much cheese....

Ready for our miracle of the week? On Sunday night we were really close to our house but we still had one more hour to work and we didn't know what to do. So we said a prayer but still couldn't think of anything specific. But we both felt strongly that we just needed to keep walking and keep working. So without knowing what we were going to do, we started walking and when we got to the end of the street we both felt like we needed to turn right. So we did and headed our way was a young couple with their baby. As we passed we introduced ourselves, gave them our number, wrote down their address and then kept on going. Well, long story short, we visited them twice this week and they are already reading in the Book of Mormon, praying together, and they want to be baptized! Unfortunately they couldn't come to church because they woke up really sick but I know they will next week. It was such a miracle and I know the Lord was blessing us for trying to be obedient and for working until the very end. This couple also needs to get married before they get baptized which may take a bit of work, but I believe in a God of miracles and I know He will help us be able to help them make that decision. Many prayers would be greatly appreciated! Their names are M. and A. Thanks! :)

Also, one day we were contacting and we found two guys on the side of the road. We taught them a little bit about the restoration and then invited them to church and guess what? they came! :) Usually we have to drag people to church and it usually doesn't happen until a couple weeks of teaching them, but they were simply a random contact in the street and they came! It was a huge miracle! 

I read a talk this morning from Elder Dale G. Renlund that I absolutely love! He talks about how if life were fair, we wouldn't be able to be resurrected and we wouldn't be able to repent and we wouldn't be able to become like our Father in Heaven. Because Jesus Christ lived the most unfair life. He was the most perfect person, but He also suffered more than anyone will ever have to suffer. So if life were fair, He wouldn't have done what He did, and we wouldn't have the wonderful blessing of the Atonement in our lives. So even though life is hard, and unfair, I'm grateful that it is. Because we have the Atonement. We have the Lord on our side. And we have the "hope of a better world" here and in the life to come. (Ether 12:4). I'm so grateful for the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. For the chance He has given us to repent, progress, and be perfected through him. 

I love you all so so very much and hope you had a wonderful week and that you have another wonderful week this week! :)  And way to go Heidi for driving to Colorado and not dying! :) :) I love you all!!!!!!!!

--
~Hermana Allan

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