Monday is P-Day

Trevor is living in an apartment in South Phoenix.  The mission home has asked us NOT to publish his address for his own safety.  If you would like to have it, please email me and I will send it to you.  ckallen05@gmail.com

I am in South Phoenix right now, and everything is going well. I'll send some pictures of my appartment. I live with my companion, Elder Hernandez, and 2 other English speaking Elders, Hyeer (I think that is how it is spelled) and Elder Burtenshaw. They're English elders who are in an area that is close to mine. Our area is... Humble. There are a lot of trailer parks that we go to, and people normally live in houses smaller than our apartment, but have twice as many people. Even with these circumstances, these are some of the best people I've ever met. They're so kind to everyone. I love them already.

"Bed Sheets?, Who invited that kid?"

My companion is from El Salvador originally but has been living in Salt lake since he was 13. Hes been in the mission for 21 months, so I'm probably going to be his last companion (assuming that I don't get transferred before I finish training). I love President Toone! He's an amazing man, and even though I only got to talk to him for about 5 minutes but I can already tell he's a spiritual giant as well as a literal one (he's 7 feet tall). 

The bike is wonderful! It really is a quality bike. I love it. I lock it up everywhere I go because it looks so nice

Before my first 1/2 day on a bike

After a full day on a bike, "I was dead tired" 

and new. And bikes are stolen very often here. I talked to the mission president's wife, and she said I am not allowed to have light grey suits :( I can get light grey and khaki pants, but just not the suit. That's a bit disappointing, but I'll be okay. Some super cool things have happened already since I have been here.

I already saw a miracle:

Okay here's the story: It was after church yesterday and one of the Hermanas (sister missionaries) in our ward (we have 6 missionaries that cover 1 Spanish ward) asked us to go over to an investigators house and give her a blessing for the sick. We of course agreed and they took us over to her trailer. Once we got there we talked for a little bit and we found out why she needed a blessing (she was having some pains in her leg). We then did the sealing. I anointed the oil and my Companion sealed it and gave the blessing (all in Spanish, may I remind you) As my companion put his hands on her head, she began to shake a lot. Like it almost felt like she was having a seizure underneath us. After we were done she was talking to us and she said this (in my own words) "As you gave me the blessing my vision started to go dark. I couldn't see anything, but as the blessing went on, I saw a light. The light started to get closer and closer to me until it encompassed my vision. Then I realized that this light was me being baptized. I saw myself getting submerged in the water and coming out. Then as you finished the blessing, there was a warmth that went my head down unto my leg and the pain went away"  I was crying the spirit was so strong in that house. 

We have some really great progressing investigators! And they are such a great family. They have a baptismal date for the 17th of August and I am so excited for them. We just need to get the father on board...

Then we have a 19 year old boy who just got here from Mexico and his family is all members so he is taking the lessons. 

I know that this church is true. It is only confirmed that it is true through miracles like that blessing. I know that there are people here that need me. I love you all, and I'll see you in 2.

Elder Allen

Last week in the MTC



Karina and Elder Trevor Allen

This week has been kind of weird. The schedule has been slightly different than ones I have had in the past. We had In-Field Orientation all day Thursday, where they basically just tell you how things are going to work in your actual mission. It was kind of weird to have it that late in my stay at the MTC but I guess it makes sense.

 

The language is coming along great. I feel like I hit a new level this week. Like I am really getting comfortable talking to others in Spanish. I'm 99% sure that that confidence will go away as soon as I hit the actual mission field, but I can dream can't I?

I get to see one of my good friends, Karina, pretty much everyday because we have breakfast, lunch, and dinner at pretty much the same time (she has it a bit earlier than me but the times overlap)

Also fun fact: I met a teacher here named Hermana Child, and her cousin was that sociology professor that I loved! Small world right?



Look who Trevor found walking the Temple grounds on Sunday.

I really don't have much more to say! I got my calling card, and so I will probably be calling you some time from 5:30 to 7:30am Utah time. So just be ready for that on July 30th. 

Know that I love you all so much! And I wish I was in Sunriver so I could see you all, but I know that this is where I need to be.

Love you all

Elder Allen
 

What is English

Wow I cannot believe that a week has gone by already. It seems like was yesterday that I was emailing home!! Not a ton has happened this week to be 100% honest. We had a really good Tuesday night devotional by Richard G. Hinckley, the son of the one and only Gordon B Hinckley. He had a great talk about missionary work and about how you should leave your mission without any regrets. That hit home with everyone in my district. We all want to make sure that by the time we leave the mission field, we don't have any regrets. Another cool thing that he said was "we are the arrows in the bishops quiver" And I really liked that! I thought that was such a cool analogy on how we are under the direction of the bishop in the ward we are serving. I just am so excited to get out there in the mission field. The MTC gets old. Especially the food. I just want to get to Tempe and serve the people!!! And then hopefully they will serve me some good Mexican food... Jajaja but really, I just want to get out of here! I haven't had too many struggles or hardships this week, so that's a good thing. I considered writing this whole thing in Spanish, but then I remembered 2 things:

1) I don't have that much time

2) I don't know Spanish that well.

So alas, you're stuck with English. But that's okay. I really don't have much to say this week, as not much has happened. But just know that I love you all! And I know that this is where I need to be. This is the work that Christ would be doing if he was on the Earth today. How could I be doing anything better than that?

Wow wait there are so many things I forgot to mention!

I bought this book called 'Book of Mormon stories illustrated" And it basically has all of the pictures for every chapter of the Book of Mormon. I figure that will be helpful for investigators. I got an English and Spanish.

We got our travel plans!!! Here they are:  Meet at the bus from the MTC at 4:30am on July 30th

The flight leaves SLC at 8:36am (Flying Delta) and lands at 9:15am Arizona time.  And here is the craziest part.... I was made the Travel Group Leader! So basically I'm in charge of 32 people and making sure that they get on this flight safely. it's not a huge assignment, but it is one none the less. I'm not quite sure why The Lord keeps giving me these leadership position, but I know that through him I can do anything.

 

Love you,

Elder Allen

The Elders in my District

 

Como' como como un lion?

My time in the MTC is flying by!

I haven't done much this week to be honest. I've been pushing myself when I have work out time, normally playing basketball, but then every night I try to do 30 push ups and at least 50 sit ups. I'm really trying to burn off all of the calories I know I eat every meal. I feel fine though, which is surprising. I thought this food would be terrible for me, and even though it is, I haven't gotten sick yet. So that's a good thing.

I put Cholula on everything. They have it sitting out for all the meals in a sort of sauce bin, and I use it all the time. Like I said earlier, I have been trying to use the gym time as effectively as I can, but sometimes it is hard. I do my only little personal work out every night. Surprisingly, the heat hasn't bugged me too much. Our temple walk on Sunday is pretty late in the day, so it is pretty hot out, and my teacher told me it was 104 and I was barely sweating. So I guess that's good?

I do have an assignment for you all. Look up the talk Character of Christ by David A. Bednar. I'm sure Kyle and Andrew have seen it, as they play it every Sunday night here at the MTC, but it honestly is life changing. The best talk I can think of.

I have seen Ryan Carter twice now. I saw him after a priesthood meeting on Sunday and then I saw him walking home from the Tuesday Night devotional at the Marriot center, so I talked to him for a while then. It was nice catching up with him. I also saw Nick Hicken a few times. 

The Language is coming really well actually! We just had an evaluation for being half way through the MTC and they said I just need to work on the Preterit vs Imperfect Tense. It's not an easy thing to differentiate. At least not at first.

I think (or at least hope) that people are emailing to the wrong address. They should be emailing to trevora@myldsmail.net . Most of the missionaries have their first and last names in the email address with a (.).  I don't. Hopefully all of you will make sure to email trevora@myldsmail.net  

The teacher on the far left is going to the Mexico MTC to teach.

I was made the District Leader on Tuesday night... I forgot to say that jaja (gotta learn to laugh like the people I will serve right?). My companion was the old district leader, so I was surprised I was made the one after him. They only do 2 DL's per 6 weeks in the MTC so I guess you could say I'm a part of a pretty elite group.

Also one of my teachers is leaving! That is so sad. He was our first investigator and then he became our second teacher. I hope that makes sense.

Love you all

Miss you Bunches.  And I miss ESPN's PTI.  

I guess I'll bare my testimony.... IN ESPAÑOL

Yo se que Jesuchristo es me salvador. Yo se que Dios es amor. Yo se que un Mission es que yo nessicito hacer. Yo se que Jose Smith es un profeta y el quiere saber la verdad como mi.

En el nobre de Jesuchristo, Amen.

(The stupid accent mark wont work, so that might be hard to understand, but it's all true.)

Elder Allen.

"Fue criado por lobos? -- Elder Sylvester"

So this past week has flown by. I don't even know if that is the correct word to use there, but I don't care.

I had a lot of fun this week. Up until yesterday (the 4th of July) it was pretty standard. We had classes, taught investigators, and ate more food than we burn off. Its kinda gross like that. I mean I've been told that I wouldn't have a car at all in my mission, and yet they feed me unhealthy food? I don't know I probably shouldn't complain because the food is good, I just know it isn't good for me. I try to do my own personal workout every night and eat a salad and fruit with all my meals (they have pineapple everyday so I love it) But surprisingly, with all of this food I think I have lost weight. I am pretty sure I came in at 155, and the last time I weighed myself I was 149. I have +/- 5 pounds every day though so I don't think I'll stay there. Back to the 4th. It was a normal day until 7pm. We normally have class till 8:25 on Thursdays, but we got to end early because it was a Holiday. We ended at 7 and then went to a 'Firework side' Get it? My comp came up with it. I thought it was pretty clever. But it was a really short fireside where the speaker just talked about a story of someone who served in the army. I cant really remember it, but it might come to me. Afterwards, at probably around 7:45 it was announced that we were going to watch 17 miracles as an MTC and then go outside and eat ice cream and watch the fireworks at Stadium of Fire (and no I couldn't hear Call me Maybe playing :( ) We watched the fire works from 10:20 to about 10:45 and it was pretty cool. They were loud and pretty, but fireworks are fireworks and they get old after a while. 

This is my whole district (left to right)Elder Whitted, Elder Allen, Hermana Lamphire, Hermana Manwill, Hermana Law, Hermana Rich, Elder Sylvester, and Elder Mabey

Oh another sucky thing that happened this week! The temple is closed :( and will be for the rest of my time in the MTC. I heard rumors that certain districts and zones are asked to help clean the temple while it is closed, and I would love to do that. What a cool experience.

Love you all, Elder Allen

Elder Mabey, Me, Elder Sylvester, and then Elder Whitted

Picture of me pointing at this random drawing that I drew. The Hermanas told me what to draw,