09/07/2009

Hey família.
How are you doing? Well this last week was pretty good for learning; I had to learn all the ropes again. Besides getting home a little late because I had to learn the área again so it was a good week. This week will be a better week and I think we will enjoy the time we will serve. A lot hás changed here since I was last here. Many members have moved and so there are some new faces to get to know. Also, the callings of some of them have changed, so I am getting used to working with the newer people. Our Ward Mission Leader is really good and I know we will have a lot of success with him. So how my companion reminds me of me is that he is pretty much like I was when I got on the mission. So I am trying to help him through that because I know that that isn’t exactly the easiest time. But, he speaks really good Portuguese and the people for the most part understand everything he says. We have been doing lots activities this last week with the members, trying to get them excited for the missionary work. It is a good experience and I think we will get a lot of confidence from the members. Our baptism fell through this week but she will be baptized next week with her younger brother. Some things happened and it didn’t go so well. The same thing happened in our other área of the district and so it was sort of an obstacle to get by. We will resolve everything and then it will be ok, but Saturday will be our baptism. I feel the wards will be really excited for this baptism especially because it hás been so long since they have had one. We have a lot of crazies here also and that makes the work a little interesting. One guy tried speaking English with me, that was pretty funny. We have a lot of people that only know what they hear at their church about our Church, so it hás been interesting trying to teach them what we really believe. But that is normal and I am getting used to it again.
So the work is good as I learn the new things I am supposed to learn, I am growing and that is important.
I am sorry I didn’t e-mail last week. We went to Maxeira and visited with a member from Arcoverde. She was visiting family and wanted to see me and Elder Brinkerhoff again. So we went there. But as the buses are as they are we were a little bit late getting home and we couldn’t e-mail. But I’ve learned that it isn’t good to do things like that the complicated way because it just makes everything complicated. Anyways it was an enjoyable Day and I thought of you. Dad I am sending your birthday letter soon. I need to pass by the post Office. You will get it soon. Would it be helpful if I began sending your letters to one of our family members’ homes when October hits? That way you will get all your letters. If you give me one of their addresses or tell me who to send it to when I send mom’s birthday letter out it will be sure to get to her.
I love Rio Doce I am sure we will have a lot success here and we will enjoy the time we have to serve. I hope I can do much better this week after having learned some things about what I am doing. That’s me I guess I get on to something and I have to learn usually a week in trail and error before I get it. My companion is a lot like me. He drops things like I do and doesn’t like to talk much in the morning after we wake up. Right now he is really quiet like I was at the beginning of the mission, so I told him about 6 months into the mission you’ll snap and be crazy just like the rest of us. It is sort of true about 6 months in something happens and we all go nuts and start talking to everyone.
So how is packing How is work and school and such? Tyler, tell Mrs. Bauer hi for me!! Well I hope goes well I love you all and I am praying for you always.
Love Elder Allred

08/26/2009 Letter

Oi família
Well I was transferred can you believe it. I had believed that I was going to stay there in Setubal so you can imagine the surprise I had when talking to the assistants last night. Elder Davis was transferred and he was that was no surprise; he had been there for a long time. Then my buddy Elder Sudweeks says can I talk to E. Allred? Well I get on the phone and He doesn’t say anything I just laugh and say I can’t believe it. Then he said don’t worry you will like it. Well I packed until 2 in the morning because I had left all my stuff strung around the apartment and finally got into to bed to sleep. Yeah, so we get to the chapel to begin transfers and the transfers passed for a while with out my name and I was getting nervous already. Then the área Rio Doce comes up and I get this thought like that would be cool,, and so my pic appears on the screen and I am reopening Rio Doce… Remember I served here during my birthday and through January. Also my companion’s pic didn’t show up on the board and the president says you will be training!!! I also received another responsibility with training a new guy and the president looked at my face and the way I was taking it and
Said“ I think we have scared him“ So I am back. It was closed to the mission for a transfer and the good members here were really saddened by that. The most of all was our Bishop who is one of the best bishops I have worked with on the mission so far. He had been very saddened by the news. So the President didn’t tell anyone and I was told the key to our house was at the bishop’s house and the bus passes right in front of their home. We got off the bus. Two missionaries with each a backpack and two luggages and who happens to be on the street walking past? The bishop’s wife. The surprise she had when she saw two missionaries ready to work in the área again was priceless; needless to say she was happy to see that I returned to the área. She immediately ran home to tell the Bishop. The Bishop was so happy to get us to the house he left with out sandals to help with our luggage. It was an experience to see how surprised he was. They made us lunch and we chatted for a while in catching up. I pray that I and my companion will do a success here in the área. I want to help this área so much. Elder Craig Justin Higgins is my new comp; he is from Florida and hás many similarities to me. His Dad also works for the government, only as an FBI Agent and hás moved around a lot also. I will find a great joy in working with him. It brings back good memories of my trainer Elder Riddle and I hope to be as good a trainer as he was to me. Even IF I was half that it would still be sufficient. About the other responsibility I received you will hear from the mission they will send an e-mail explaining about it. My last Comp R. Santos was called as District Leader as I had predicted and stayed in the área.

We baptized Aerlane!!! She was baptized in the ocean. Can you believe that? She will be sending a letter and pics to you of that. I really saw how much Heavenly Father helped everything work in the end after we worked to hard. It is no difficult principal in hard work. It only hás one element and that is work and more work. You don’t even need to be super charged with energy you can be tired but IF you work the Lord will work out everything in the end even when things don’t GO right. That is what I saw personally this past transfer. Well I love you all I will be working hard. I want to wish Dad big congratulations on getting the job to Boise. I knew with out a doubt you would do it and could do it. I will be visiting Sioux Falls after my mission for sure. I know that this is the Will of the Lord for our family and support it. I am glad I had a little sense to pack all my things before leaving. Now the only question is IF it will be easy for you to move it all. If you don’t have room for some of them and want to sell them its no problem. The mission hás taught me that it gets to be a pain to acquire items and have to move. Haha..Well I Love you all I can’t wait to hear from you again.
Love Elder Allred

08/18/2009

08/17/2009

Hey familia.
Well I was surprised to see my e-mail from last week didn’t go through apparently the address to dads e-mail won’t accept my e-mails anymore. So I will be sending this to both the work and the e-mail at home. Probably will have a spare sent to my home address.

Anyways, imagine a week of running around. It looks like we as a family have been running around a lot this week. We had a lot of people we met on the street this week. We also had a baptism planned. Our blessings came because of the hard work we did. So first of all our baptism fell through. But she will be baptized this weekend. I can’t explain why it fell through but I will be sure to include it in my journal for you to read when I get home. Nothing bad happened it is normal but everything happens for a reason and so we will go with it and baptize her this Sunday.

We have been teaching a reference from my ol buddy Elder Sudweeks. Their names are Joao and Cida they are an older couple and love the missionaries. We have become close with them and hope to help them to accept baptism. Today was Sr. Joao´s birthday and so he invited us and Sudweeks and his comp to a Brazilian churrascaria similar to the one in Salt Lake. We ate lots of meat today. The members and investigators are treating us well here so make sure the sisters there are getting fed well, which I know you always do!!!!
We had interviews with the President. That was a lot of fun. I always enjoyed the interviews with President because I get more strength to work for my week. I had told him I was a little stressed about the baptisms this transfer. I have already had 4 fall through. He said it is all going to be fine because he knows we are working hard for the lord and even though things don’t always work out we plant seeds. He then told me about his son who served here in Recife about 4 years ago. He said that a few weeks ago a missionary found a Book of Mormon given to an investigator of theirs with his sons name in it. And that this person was baptized because of the seed planted years ago. You can imagine how tall I felt after walking away from that interview. It was a good reflection period for me. I need to remember that I am working hard and being obedient and as long as I am doing the work I will at least leave seeds in good ground somewhere.
Luzia and her grandson will be baptized this week. They have come a long way and I am proud of their commitment and love they show. We took them to a Family home evening in the ward last night. They really enjoyed it and told me how much it relieved the stress they were having. It goes along with that same thing I learned on the mission. You get a group pf people together who are all smiling and happy it is literally impossible to be sad and depressed. A laugh is contagious and a smile clears away all the stress. That night she had been having such a difficult time she didn’t even go to church. But she went to this activity and saw everyone having a good time over some of the simplest games (telephone and scissors) that she forgot all about the bad day she had. I want to implement that in my life.

We met a new group of people. He came up to us on the street asking for us to stop by. His name is Lula and he has helped us reach many of his friends. He was so excited to come to church that he was ready before we even came on Sunday at 8 o clock. We will be working with him this next transfer if I stay. We will have transfers next week. So next Monday I won’t write. Wednesday will be our p-day in this occasion.
I hope you are all having a great day and a safe travel. I know it isn’t easy to say goodbye. Unfortunately we have to do that part a lot in life. I’ve learned to say goodbye a lot here on the mission. But I know that I will have an opportunity to see them again. They only last for a little bit. I hope Tyler will be alright these next 6 months. It won’t be long. I can’t believe I only have 6 months it doesn’t seem possible. Well I hope this letter finds you and that you have a great week. I love you and hope you have a safe trip.
Love Elder Allred

08/11/2009

08/11/2009 Subject: last weeks e-mail that didn’t get through to you

Hey Familia, Yeah this week was crazy also. This first really cool news is that my companion in the CTM, Elder Timothy Sudweeks, was called to be an Assistant this last week. It was really cool. We had a division right before he was called up. It was great. He had already passed in this area and we visited some people who he had already seen. It was a pretty cool day. I enjoyed getting to work in the field with him and see how much we both have learned since then. Our baptisms fell through again. It seems like one big battle, as soon as we arrive on someone’s doors step, the adversary just seems to get in and ruin everything before we show up the second time. Amazingly enough we have the spirit with us in our obedience and there is no way he can stay for very long when we arrive. Luckily the new guy Elder Johnny William Wagner de Lima said something really interesting. He said “you lost the battle but we are winning the war.” I thought that was very inspired and it will serve me these next months of the mission.

I thought we would have a good 4 baptisms this next week but three were moved for further dates and this one fell through for the time being. We will visit him and his family tonight to make sure all is fine. We also had a difficult time getting in to visit the families this past week. They were either not home or had not bothered to come to the door. Altogether it was a very difficult week but that is the mission. I know I have many difficult weeks on the mission and it could have been was worse than what it was. We are showing a greater will to work and a greater desire to baptize and I know the Lord will bless us with support and his spirit and will direct us to those waiting for the gospel in their lives.

Well this week is my week for the Presidents interviews. I am not sure what will happen this time but I will ask for a fervent prayer on your part on my behalf that I will be able to present the information in an intelligent manner and in humility. I have been often amazed by the way that your prayers have brought so many blessings. Your prayers and those prayers of all those who read these letters and pray for me have helped me so much as well as the other missionaries who have like circumstances. There is no replacement for prayer and for thanksgiving. I liked how one of the things the prophet has asked us to practice is fervent prayer. I think I am just beginning to understand what that is exactly and there are so many things to learn. I think it will be a life time before I can get it right. But that is what life is for.

We are trying to get some references from the members. It is going really well. I have been hoping that the members will have more opportunities to meet people. I hope you are able to give some references to the sisters. I think some times we have no idea how much the missionaries are praying for us to have these opportunities and then they come and we miss them. I hope that you are able to share the gospel with all those who need it. The sisters/elders there in the ward will be very happy to have the references; because that is one more opportunity they have to share our unique message. Our family is doing well. We invited them to be baptized and they are studying hard and praying for their answer. Of course Heavenly Father gives the answer to all those who ask and we simply present the doctrine as the spirit teaches it. The direction comes from the spirit of the Lord and their answer and desires are between them and the Lord. So we will be working with them this week trying to get their worries out of the way. Their faith and the Lord will do the rest. The rules in the missionary manual say not to ask our family to pray specifically for things so I will just ask that you keep asking the general things; that I can have success in my work and the spirit to guide me. I know you already do that but I just wanted you to know you don’t have to include our family we are teaching in your prayers.

Well Megan I just wanted you to know that I am proud of you for being so courageous in your leaving home and going to college. Not that leaving home is necessarily a good thing but it also brings much growing up and you will learn much while you are in college. I know Dad and Mom raised a kind, strong, and faithful woman in you and that you will do many great things in your life. Remember who you need to call when you have problems you have two of the best people in the world waiting for you at home. And get on your knees when you need help. You will feel so close to your father in heaven during this time get on your knees and pour out your heart to him. (Alma 37:37) James 1 also will help out. Just remember With It or On It.

Hey Dad and Mom you will grow a lot during this time also. I know all will be fine. It seems like you are losing us but really you are gaining stronger children each time. I wonder how Heavenly Father felt looking at us when we left and knowing what a world we would be going to. But think of the happiness he has for us seeing us grow up so much and become more like him in every way. Everything he has left for us to learn we grow with and become greater people and he is so proud of us. It will be a great experience to see her grow in newer experiences. I wouldn’t want to let her go either and I am way in Brasil. I hope all will go well I will include this time for you in my prayers and for Megan and Tyler as well. You have to send me her new address because you know birthdays are coming up in September. So Tyler you won’t be all alone for much time. Just hold out and you will grow some also. I have observed many of my friends who lived at home after their siblings left. They have a strength in them that doesn’t allow them to be sad. I know you will be happy in any situation. Continue to help Mom and Dad with things. It will be a good time to learn and take advantage of the extra responsibility you have. You will enjoy it I promise. You always had that undying happiness in you. I always wanted that. Have a great time and I will be with you soon and we will hang out a lot.

I love you all I know this is really long so I am going to go. Thanks for your prayers and thoughts. For all those who are reading this on the site also thanks for the prayers and thoughts. I love you all. Elder Allred

08/03/2009 Letter

Hey familia How are things going? I hope well for you. I am praying for you. So how was your trip from Kansas City? Are you enjoying the time to travel?

Well this week was good. We talked to our family and it was a good learning experience. I learned that my love for others has grown and that I am just beginning to learn the love our Father in Heaven has for us. It is good to see a family grow together. This last week we taught them the plan of salvation. They had many questions and were all really excited to learn about it. Pedro said he had received an answer to his prayer and that he would study more about the Book of Mormon. Also, Erlaine said she would want to baptized but still has a little more prep work to go before that. I am hoping all goes well this week that we can help them be baptized.

We met a man named Flavio. The amazing thing was we had nothing to do for practically 2 hours so we went knocking on doors. We passed a man and I had a feeling to talk to him. As we talked to him he said he was having some problems with his family and wanted that his family stayed together. We shared a beautiful message of the restoration with him that was guided by the spirit. I felt the calmest I have ever during a lesson. He accepted more visits and we will begin teaching his wife as well. It was a great experience and we could see him light up inside as we talked about the gospel protecting families. I was every impressed by his acceptance. We will be working with him more on this.

A woman who we thought was a member finally was at home so we could talk to her. She accepted a visit and we talked to her. She wasn’t a member like we thought. She had stopped us only days before inviting us to come we thought her to be really less active. But she accepted a message and we taught her the restoration. She had once been with a Book of Mormon and had studied it as a child but her mother wouldn’t allow her to read it anymore. And so she was with out one for many years. As we taught her the restored gospel she was very attentive to where she could get a book of Mormon. She was in tears by the time we said the book we would give her was hers. She accepted the invitation to read and pray and the next day we visited her was already on chapter 10 of first Nephi. We will be working more with her as well.

I believe the Lord has definitely prepared these amazing people to receive the fullness of the gospel. They equally share one attribute that is their willingness to know, study, ponder it out in their hearts, and then ask of God and not men if the things which they heard and prayed about are true or not. They allow the spirit of the Lord to touch them and trust in his answer and his counsel. We do our part which is to teach the basic facts and principles of the gospel, but the real teacher is in reality the Holy Ghost. They are the elect because the truly follow the invitation to come unto Christ as children. Meek and submissive in their desires and in their faith. They willing follow the answers they receive with trust and conviction. This is the elect of God, those who follow Jesus Christ and ask Him and do not ask of other imperfect men what is true. I know what I talk to others is true and what I preach is true. But without their faith in asking of God nothing happens. I am as imperfect as the next and so that is why the message is so important to pray about. I learned that much about the message we have. It is unique and it is only through prayer that people know it to be of any worth or truth. I love it that way. It makes me feel better knowing that God gave me the testimony I have.

Well that is about it this week. A lot of knocking on doors and such also.
I couldn’t find a trolley for my luggage anywhere else. I heard they have some at the airport for me when I go home. Haha. If I can find one I will get it. Just to let you know. One guy in our apartment bought like 3 pairs of the same shoe and he only wanted to keep two pairs. My shoes are practically falling apart. So I bought the other pair which were never used because he is new to the mission, for 20 reis. Just so you are informed. They are good shoes and will keep the rain from getting in. Well I love you. I am sorry I didn’t get your e-mail today. I love you all. I am praying for you and love you very much. Love Elder Allred

07/28/2009 Letter

Hey familia..
Well things are going well. We had a call on Sunday night that said we would have p-day on Tuesday because today would be our day for the temple. So I was privileged ounce again to attend the temple. And I am happy to say that I understood the entire session in Portuguese. I really was proud of myself. Sudweeks and Hales our LZ´s were there and I was glad to have gone to the temple with them. It reminded me of the MTC days. Well the week was interesting. We did a lot of tracting because our investigators have been falling. The saddest part of the week was that Sandra and her two kids couldn’t be baptized on the account of a threat given out to her by her ex-husband. He called and said he didn’t want his kids baptized in the church nor her for the matter. She seemed really distressed by the whole thing and didn’t want to cause any huge problems. We tried as much as we could to get things to become better but it didn’t give. She didn’t want us to talk to her husband and so we had to let her choose for herself. We are waiting for her to come back though and invited her for the future. It is sad how people will exercise unrighteous dominion on others. I have unfortunately seen it many times and I feel so sad for the person who is blinds himself and doesn’t allow others to make decisions for themselves. The worst part is he lives in an area I worked in Barra de Jangada. Only she has no clue where his address is or I would send Elder de Souza and Barrwick to talk to him about the Restoration.

Well other than that we were blessed. WE got a call on Tuesday and Airon who is visiting his family here from BYU-Hawaii with his wife and kid was on the phone. His parents aren’t members and his mom had some pain in her back and head and asked for a blessing. So we went over there to give her a blessing and marked a day to stop by and talk to them about the restoration. We had met them earlier and they had shown interest in the discussions. So on Sunday they prepared supper for us and we had a go time getting to know them better and also talked to them about the Restoration and about prophets. They have become fast friends of ours. Tomorrow we will talk to them again and see how things are with them. We played some soccer with Airon there at their apartment building today and it was a lot of fun. I want so much to help this family. They are a special family and will be very blessed. I feel they are an elect family and pray all will go well these next few weeks. Actually on Saturday we had stopped by their home again to invite them to church and reminding them of the Sunday night we had marked. The Airon´s dad wasn’t feeling very good either and we gave him a blessing also. I feel the lord has given us many opportunities and guided us to this family.
We are going to work more with the families around here and help them. Our investigators have so many problems with it being a more ghetto part of the city with the law of chastity. It holds them back, also Saturday being a day off and also Sunday being a day off for everyone there is a lot of temptation to drink and party. It brings a lot of problems into working with them because those who don’t want anything we have to stop visiting we only have a limited time here and if they don’t want anything why use the precious time when so many are waiting to here the gospel message in their homes? SO we have a lot of people that we have to cut lose. I think it will be ok though. Our obedience will bring about blessings.

I can’t believe you were conned out of three tacos and a dollar. Tyler Tyler.. I hope he learned not to take his wallet out like that again. Haha. That is funny. That reminds me of when I got on the mission in Arcoverde. Haha. I guess brothers are alike.

So you have to send an e-mail telling how Berkley is. I miss him a lot and want some kind of a film of him. I hope he is in good health also I’ve been worried I wont get to see him before I get home he’s getting so old. Please let me know how he’s doing. I love Berkley.

Well I think that is about it. We are going to continue to work with these amazing people. I see my love for them increase each day. It breaks us to have to stop teaching someone because we love the people so much. I know all will be great. I am having the time of my life here. My companheiro, Elder R. Santos is the best. I love you all. I am praying for you. Love Elder Allred.

07/20/2009 Letter

Ou familia!! Como esta minha família tão legal. Voz amo sabia?

Well I guess things are going well. I was transferred and am in Setubal. It is in the city of Boa Viagem in Recife. I like it; it sits right on the edge of Borebema, one of the biggest farvelas in the city. I like it just fine though the members are awesome and they are taking care of us. I hope you are taking care of the missionaries there because here they are taking good care of me!!

Elder Riddle stopped by!! That is cool. I hoped he would have a chance to meet you and you him. He was my trainer and I consider him a close friend. He helped me in a lot of ways with the first six weeks of my mission and remains the only American companion I’ve had on the mission. After the mission I will definitely visit him and his family. If I choose to go to SUU he will be there with me as well as 2 other good friends of mine on the mission. I am not exactly sure what I will do after the mission. I need some information. I know that we are supposed to be thinking and making goals for when we leave about now. I am not exactly sure what I will make of myself when I get home. I was wondering if I could be sent some scholarship apps or something. Maybe on p-day (I will clear it with president) I can fill out some scholarship apps. I have the military pilot thing in my mind I just don’t know what branch yet and also there is studying. Boise state would be cool to do and then again SUU also. I know my first year will be generals anyways. BYU would be great if I could get in. haha. So anyways I am pretty sure I will make a visit to Grand Junction also. If we are living in Boise by the time I get back. It would be a closer trip to visit all the guys from the mission 90 percent are from Idaho or Utah. Haha.

Well so I guess this week was a little rushed. I spent Monday working and trying to get the investigators ready to go for transfers. We worked on visiting the members and investigators before the call on Tuesday. Then the call cam I was transferred. And wait I had to pack again. So for the 2 time in 3 weeks I was packing and going to the transfer meeting. I am in boa Viagem now. I like it a lot. My comp has almost 6 months on the mission his name is Elder R. Santos. He is from Curitiba. My comp from the CTM elder Sudweeks is my Zone Leader haha. Lol. We have many investigators here only they have a difficulty with many things. One thing is going to church. Here being so close the fervelhas Sunday is a big party day for a lot of the locals. It makes things very difficult especially when temptation is on their door steps. So we will have to work with that. But the lord has blessed us for our work. We met a family. A woman named Sandra was in a small alley was with her two children we met her at her friend’s home. We have been teaching her. We met her Thursday. She has completed all the invites we left for her and she went to church alone. We stopped by almost at the time the meetings began and she had already left. We thought she was sleeping or something because we called and no one answered the phone. It turned out she had left before us and with her two children went to church and stayed there all alone. I was delighted to see that. We have a weeding we want to get planned so they can all be baptized. But her husband is already falling back into the same old routines he had. He has a great problem with the law of chastity. He has children with another woman and will leave to be with her. It gives us difficulties because to be baptized we need to marry him and the woman he is living with because she wants baptism also. And he needs to choose who he will stay with and what he wants. We will talk to him tonight…

As far as my area is I will like it. We played soccer today in a park that sits on the other side of the beach. So we had a good ocean side view playing some soccer. There is a member and his wife who are here for the summer. They attend BYU Hawaii. I have only seen them a few times. He played soccer today with us. We have a good chat. We will try to baptize his parents this transfer.
Well I am very happy that you are all doing well. I miss you and can’t believe how fast the time is flying. I hope you can pass through some of the church sites on your travels in Missouri there must by many. I hope you are loving the work and the vacation. I am praying for you and your travels. Love you all I hope all is well. Love Elder Allred

07/15/2009 Letter

Hey família
So, a funny thing happened today. I was done writing one e-mail and unfortunately the computer Guy turned off my computer because of confusion with my Portuguese. I lost my letter to you and being that we worked a little early today in our p-day I have some time to write you again. I love you all and thank you for the letters you wrote me.
This week went by really fast. I was surprised to find that it was already the end of the transfer and that I was getting so close to the call day. Well call day is tomorrow. Fun stuff I guess. Anyways we had a few set backs with the investigators. Turns out that the baptism we planned wasn’t approved by the young man’s dad. His parents are separated and he didn’t want his boy baptized. So on Saturday when we arrived to our surprise he was in another town nearby with his father for the weekend. But everything is fine. Maybe now is not his time.

I learned that we need to smile at these times and give others things to smile about.
Our investigators are mainly a family that we are working with. I see that many times they have trials in their lives. It was a great learning experience for me. I learned that I need to stop thinking of myself. I am usually hot from the sun, I get tired and have very little to smile about right? Wrong. I learned that in all honesty I have everything to smile about. My testimony of the truth helps me know that I can be happy with my family for eternity. I know that I have a Father in Heaven that loves me and a Savior that paid the price for my sins. I see that I have everything in the world to smile about and more. Sometimes the simple things can make big problems seem like nothing. In learning this I learned to arrive with my testimony on my face. After that I learned to be happy. My happiness in turn helps others feel happy. My love for them helps them love me. So I learned that the mission really is to share the happiness I have with others. I do that by sharing my testimony and help them come to church and to feel the spirit I AM blessed to feel each Day. This family has taught me that we need to be happy because any time I have seen them they always have huge smiles on their faces from seeing us. I must admit at first I was my normal self. You know, the way I am during times of stress and in the morning when I wake up. (jk) But in seeing how much this family makes of each moment we come, I have learned that we need to be happy in the most difficult of times. That happiness is contagious and is abiding. Just thought I would share with you the lesson I finally learned in smiling and happiness. I probably learn a new aspect about it each transfer on the mission. I agree in the Lord’s words when He gave his sermon on the mount. He said that where our treasure is, our hearts will be there also. He taught to treasure the things in heaven where neither moth, nor rust, nor thieves can get to them. I see how much we need to treasure the gospel and the truth in our lives and also our families and the love we enjoy. When we do this our hearts will be there and our true happiness will last because these things will last. It’s funny how I’ve been here three weeks and these last few days of the week I’ve discovered this.

Transfers are going to be Wednesday. My comp will be a sênior so one of us will be transferred. Who knows what could happen. I know we have p-day on Wednesday. So today was split p-day until about 2 o clock and then Wednesday will be p-day starting after the transfer meeting until 6 o’clock because of transfers to give the missionaries more hours to work. Because usually transfers mean unpacking and the idea was to allow us to work today and also give us a break without worry or stress on transfers and provide means by which our work didn’t get interrupted. I really liked the idea. So for now until a new change or my coming home the last weeks p-day will be like this. so if I don’t have time on a Monday to e-mail, know that its probably because of transfers and I can write on Wednesday (so for the future) I am writing now because of our 1 hour dinner break we have and that we started a little earlier working. If I do get transferred I will write next Monday letting you all know what happened. I love you all. Tyler I wish you a happy 16th birthday stud!!! And Sam also I wish you a happy 16th birthday. Megan have fun with the teeth. I want pics taken when you are passed out like you guys did to me. haha. I am miles away but still have Tyler to get ya!! That way I can laugh later. Haha.. A video of her talking would be hilarious!!!! Just don’t watch any comedies those are killers when you get teeth taken out. Ask Austin and Nick about that when we went to Rush Hour 3. Haha.. Mom and Dad thanks for everything you do each day for me and have done for me. I Love you all I hope things are going well. I am praying for you.
Love Elder allred

07/06/2009 Letter

Hey familia!! Well things are going well here in UR-7. We are teaching and trying our best to find new people. We marked a baptism but it fell through because his dad picked him up for the weekend. But this week we will help him and everything happens for a reason so I am not worried. His mother is still trying to get an answer, maybe this week she will receive it. We have a new program here on the mission. In 24 months which is a missionary’s normal time, he will open up a new ward. We have the numbers to open up and divide the mission. I am thinking this will really help the mission grow and I think we could see this mission split in 2-3 years!!!! I am really excited to get this new program underway. We have been working more this week trying to find people to teach. We grabbed the ward list and began visiting people who are attending church regularly to see if they have references. Also I have been getting to know more members. On Tuesday, we had our zone conference. It went well and we learned a lot more about what we should be doing. I met Elder Broadhead from Uncle Kevin’s ward. He is a neat guy and found out we did some of the same things before the mission. If it works out I will see about playing a game of tennis against him before I leave. On Wednesday we went to Camaragibe and had our Zone dinner. That was a blast and then we didn’t have lunch on Saturday so I made pizza for me my comp and the ward mission leader, Maxi, and also Bruno our ward missionary. We discussed the mission here and made plans for future activities that will bring more excitement and more investigators to the church. I also had a good challenge making brownies for our Family Home evening. We planned for more than 5 investigators there but only two showed up. Luckily though they have been to church and accepted a visit so we will work this week with them. So I had a good time cooking this week. Now for the funny part, I have always thought that our apartment was a little creepy. My comp and Bruno won’t stop talking about werewolves and what not. So yeah it puts crazy stuff in the mind when trying to sleep. I was trying to get to sleep Saturday night and there was a crash in the other room and I heard what sounded like someone walking or rather sliding on the floor. I woke up my comp and we inspected everything. Needless to say I wasn’t exactly happy because it’s creepy. Well I closed the door and we didn’t have more problems that night. Last night I said a good prayer and it happened again except this time I decided not to worry about it. My comp said he was hearing it also and so that was about all I could take. We inspected the apartment again and still the same thing. Well it happened the third time and the sound entered the room. The funny thing was I didn’t freak out I just got really mad because I wanted some sleep. So my comp broke down and showed me the trick he was playing on me. It was really genius I give him that and pretty funny afterwards because of course I knew what it really was. He put a string on a book and things on top of the book. When pulling the string, all the stuff fell making the crashing sound and then he would pull the book across the floor making the sliding sound. He did this all while in his bed. Of course I being on the other side of the room and it being dark never expected anything of him. I am glad it was just that and nothing like the stories I’ve been hearing on the mission. I guess some missionaries have seen some crazy things here. Oh well. It at least taught me to put more faith in the protection of our apartment. Haha… if I was a good prankster I would think of a good way to get him back… haha… Well I am glad you will get to travel. I can’t wait to do some good traveling when I get back. At least you will be able to make some good laughs and memories while you are in Des Moines. I will pray for your activities and travels and health. I hope you take the time to enjoy the memories you will make and I know it will be a little stressful but at times we need the stressful time to keep us on our toes for the bigger things that could happen. I hope you will be able to find a cool site to see or new things to do while you’re out. I feel this will bless you a lot in one way or another. Especially when the Lord said it will be fine to do. I love you all. I hope everything will work out just fine. I am praying for you each day. I am proud of each of you and your hard work in your callings and for your love. I love you. Have a great week. Elder Allred

Pictures

I know how you feel man!

Thanksgiving Zone Conference at the Beach