February 3, 2014 The Gilbert Temple is Beautiful

Elder Aranibar and me

This was a pretty awesome week, but also a hard week. On Monday we played Settlers and of course, I won both of the games we played (beware of pride, my eternal souls is at stake, I know) but I did destroy all of these elders here. Then on Wednesday we went to the temple open house, which was so cool. We went with our investigator, and she loved it! She talked to the member that took us, on the ride home, we sorta figured out why she isn't baptized yet (she's been investigating for 3 years or so).

We had a hard week though, because we didn't really have any set lessons this week... So we really didn't teach very much at all. It was really hard, especially because the zone leaders went on exchanges with us on Saturday, and Elder Cassiano and I stayed here and he saw how much our area is struggling... It kinda stinks. So I was pretty sad going to church on Sunday. Well not sad, but frustrated that our investigators are not progressing and that we don't have that many people to teach. So I fasted this past Sunday that our investigators would come to church and spark that interest again in the gospel. And only our temple investigator came.... That was hard. But then I remembered something, that she has the meeting with the bishop after church (I had forgotten) and so after church she had her meeting, and we couldn't wait for it all because we had to go give someone a blessing, and so we left, but our ward mission leader stayed to give her a ride home. The bishop called us and told us that she is ready to be baptized now, and that he was going to extend a date, but that's our job. So we went by her house that night.... And she's in date for the 15th!! I'm so pumped for her :) but that is about all that happened this week! It was a good week, all in all.

Élder Allen

January 27, 2014 Not so good of a week

This week has kinda sucked to be honest. Monday was fun, we ate these really hot peppers (not quite habanero heat, but hotter than a sorano, or so I've been told) and that was fun as always. Then we went over to the church to play Ganor (or maybe it's Gator) Ball. This game that is a mix of ultimate frisbee and soccer. It's really fun. Then on Tuesday we had our regular district meetings and stuff, but I started to feel really sick. I felt like I was just punched in the stomach, and it hurt at all times. I never felt like I needed to throw up, but just that my stomach hurt a lot. And so on Tuesday we had our regular work day, but then I woke up Wednesday morning, and I just felt terrible. So did another elder I live with, Elder Baker. He and I had the same symptoms and so we stayed in Wednesday, and Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday, and Sunday.... It was bad. By the time Sunday rolled around we felt a lot better, but Sister Toone told us to take it easy, and to rest and drink lots of water, because this sort of flu bug that we had has been going around the mission, and there are a lot of Elders and Sisters that feel good after a few days, and so they try and go out, but then they just get it even worse. Especially because it's starting to get warm again (not super warm, but no more sweaters). So yea, Elder Baker and I stayed in those days and slept a lot, told a ton of stories, and just felt sick to our stomach! Yayaya!.... Not. But we're feeling a lot better now, so we should be good to go for the week.

One cool thing we did do while we were sick was write a poem/song. Elder Baker sang it and put it on Facebook, but I'll put the lyrics to the poem at the end of this email.

Yep. That's pretty much all that happened this week! It was pretty lame and sucky. But I still love the work, actually now more than ever! I hated not doing anything--even worse, not being able to do anything. I know that this is the work of The Lord and that I'm here serving him for these 2 short years. I love you all so much!!

Élder Allen


Thy Great Love
By Elder Christopher Neal Baker and Elder Trevor Joseph Allen

As I sit and ponder on Thy love for me
I am filled with gratitude and love for thee
That thou would sacrifice thy holy life
For me a sinner, whom thou would die

Thou came to the earth in a humble way
For there in a manger thou did lay
As thou grew,  mighty miracles were performed
By thy loving hand broken hearts were reborn

Thou suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane
Mocked and scorn thou hung on Calvary
I  marvel at the thought of the pain thou endured
For all my mistakes and sins I incurred

Yet while in the tomb thou wast not wont to stay
For in three days time thou woke to say
"My plan fulfilled, my kingdom come
It being complete from all that I've done"

My hearts filled with joy for all that thou did
On my behalf so that I may live
My wish when Resurrected to a perfect state
Is To stand right before thee and hear thee say

"Blessed art thou for all thou hast done
For all of the weary their you turned away none
Thou good and faithful servant enter into my rest
For thou hast proved faithful and thou shalt be blest"

I will Love my brother as myself
I will love thee Lord like nobody else
So go forward with faith is what I must do
So when this life ends I may live with you!

January 20, 2014 Another Week Down

This cat doesn't want me to hold it.  

Well to be honest, not a lot happened this week. We went and did our regular teaching, and I honestly can't even remember what we did... Uhh... 

We had all of our regular meetings, and yea! Something cool that we did was watch the Thomas S. Monson Documentary with one of our eternigators. He is 18 years old and has been investigating the church for about 4 years now. His dad said as soon as he turned 18 he could be baptized, but then he was baptized, and his dad said no... So that kinda sucks. So we go by ever once in a while, and he is always down to listening to us. Hes a really nice guy, and so then we invited him to the mission presidents fireside, and he said "ill be there, no excuses" and guess what happened? HE WASN'T THERE. No surprise really. We went by his house and he wasn't there. So we didn't end up going! So that was a bummer! 

But that is really all I can think about that happened this week... Sorry this is so lame. I have some fun pictures to send, so that will be fun. 

Some of the Elders in my Zone

Uhhh Yea! I love the work, and I am excited to be here, but It has been a long time... 5 transfers is a long time in one area. But I love it! Love you all so much, and I love reading all of your emails

Sometimes we like to Box

Enviado desde mi iPad

Elder Burtenshaw and me

I love the Mexican Store

January 13. 2014 Transfer week . . . . . I am staying

You know I changed my iPad language to Spanish.

Well I'll just start out by saying this, transfer calls were last night, and I'm staying! Me and Elder Aranibar will be staying in Montaña del Sur for at least another 6 weeks. This will be my 5th transfer here, which will mean that I'll be here for at least 6 months of time in the field. Crazy to think about.

Honestly, this week hasn't been too interesting. We had a lot of training this week, which left us with very little time to focus on our area. We had Zone Meeting on Tuesday, where the zone leaders talked about putting things through the repentance process. Like if you're having issues being timely, then you need to put it through the repentance process, because it's an imperfection, and we have been asked to be perfect. It was a really cool zone meeting, I love our zone leaders.

On Thursday we had another training opportunity. We had zone conference! So we got to be trained by the APs and the Zone Leaders and the Sister Training Leaders. It was really good. The zone leaders talked about being unified as a zone. Then the Assistants trained us on having a vision. And that we need to always know where we want to go in life, and in our mission. Then the sister training leaders trained us on sustaining our leaders. And how we need to support them in all of their actions.

Then on Friday I was on exchanges with the Zone Leaders, in their area, with my favorite missionary, Elder Myler. He's the best. He's from Eagle, Idaho, so I gotta see if some of the people I know from there know him. His brother is in this boy band that is really good, by the way. You should look them up, Beyond 5 is their name. They're like 1 direction but 100000x better. I think you might like them, mom. Anyway we were on exchanges, and he had to go practice for Elder Holland (he was going to sing for him while 3 other missionaries would be on the piano, violin and cello. So we went to go practice. It was then, near the end of his practice, that we found out that Elder Holland was called away on emergency business to Salt Lake, and that he wouldn't be coming. We were all heart broken. Someone named Elder Jim L. Wright, from the 70 came. He gave a good talk, and we still were able to meet with the two other missions that came (Phoenix and Tucson) but we all wanted to see Elder Holland.... Oh well. It was still good. (Also it was Hayden's Birthday! S/o to him)

And that's pretty much all that happened this week! It should be a good upcoming transfer!

I love and miss you all so much!

Elder Allen


Enviado desde mi iPad

We all lifted a piano, can you find me?  

January 6, 2014 Not too shabby of a week.

Chocolate that reminds me of Elder Neal and Peterson

It has been a pretty legit week to be 100% honest, and it all really started on Wednesday. We didn't do a whole lot on Monday and Tuesday, just regular stuff. Then Wednesday was New Year's Day and that was cool. It all started with the arrival of Elder Burtenshaw and Bakers new companion, Elder Kauhi from Hawaii and Oregon. He's a good guy, he lived in Wilsonville before he came out, so we know a few of the same people. And we went out with some members to get some lessons in. And so by the end of Wednesday we had 3 member present lessons. Then we decided to go hard. Really hard. We had been slacking the last few weeks, not mainly because of us, but because of the time of the year. Christmas and New Years have been kinda killer on our teaching opportunities. So the Zone Leaders, (ZL's) the other elders in our ward, decided they wanted to get the standard of excellence, 16 lessons with a member present (16 member presents).

So then on Thursday we called some members to go out with us, one from around 2:30-5, and one from 6-9. And we got 6 member presents! And 5 new investigators! It was so awesome. So by the end of Thursday we had 9 member presents, and the ZL's had 11. So we decided to make it a little more interesting. We decided to have a completion with the ZLs to see who could get more lessons with a member by the end of the week.

So on Friday we had the same approach, get two members, one for earlier In The day and one for later in the night, and we got 5 lessons that day! And 4 new investigators! It was so legit. And so by the end of Friday we had 14, and the ZLs had 14 too. The competition was on.

Real stuffed peppers

On Saturday we had some things that took up a lot of the morning, mainly service with some of the elders of the English wards. It was good service, and a nice sort of break from the teaching, ya know? So we only had a member come out with us from 3:30-5 and 6-9, and we got 5 lessons again! So we had 19 on the week and the ZLs had 18. It was getting pretty close.

Finally Sunday came around. We all went to church, and there was some playful smack talking between the zone leaders and us. But it was all good. We were really pushing each other, to make the other try harder. To really condense the lessons we were having, to cut out the fluff that isn't needed, and to focus on what needs to be taught. So we went out from 6-8:30 on Sunday night, and we actually went on splits. So I went with our elders Quorum president, and Elder Aranibar went with out assistant ward mission leader. And we had 8 member present lessons on the day! I had 5 and elder Aranibar had 3! So we ended the week with 27 lessons with a member present! Pretty much unheard of. The zone leaders ended with 24, so we won :) it was pretty legit. As a zone we had 102 lessons with a member present this week. It was a really good week for us as a zone.

That's really all that happened this week! I got the blue pants in the mail, thank you mom! I love them. Now all I need to get next is brown shoes and a brown belt to go with them..... ;)

Love you all so much, and I LOVE MISSIONARY WORK!!!! It's the best work.

Elder Allen.