Hello hello! 

I am doing good!  I really am.  I have had such a speedy recovery from the accident last week.  When I was at the hospital, Bishop Tamayo and some of the other members stopped by to make sure that I was okay.  It was very nice of them to do that.  As I was laying there, a few of them kept saying things like, "You'll probably have to rest for a few days," and "Your mission president might transfer you for safety," and "I bet you'll have to stay in the mission home for a week," and things like that.  I know they were saying those things out of concern, but I started to get annoyed.  I told them, "NO!  I am going to be fine and I am going to do the work that I have been sent here for."  They were quiet after that, but I could tell they didn't believe me.  On Sunday morning, there Sister Delinila and I were, standing and smiling at the front doors like we always do.  They stared and said, "You didn't have to stay in the mission home?  You didn't have to just rest?  You didn't get transferred?"  Me: "NOPE!" :)  The priesthood blessing that the zone leaders gave me was very powerful, and I have been doing my best to put my fears behind me and just to live in faith.  Because of that, I am healing.  

Because you asked, I'll give you an update on my injuries.  I was SO SORE for the first few days.  I really felt like I got dragged down the street a few blocks.... hahaha.  Cause I did!  I was like an old lady sitting down and standing up.  My legs for the first few days were the most sore and it was hard to walk.  Moving my legs moved my skin, which moved the abrasions, which HURT.  Luckily it has been cold and rainy this week, so there weren't any flies flying around my abrasions.  Whoohoo.  I had a hard time sleeping for the first few nights.  When I woke up one morning, I didn't realize that all my abrasions on one leg had stuck to my sheet, so when I got up, it ripped all of the new skin and scabs off....ouch!  I have a better set up now:  I don't put my blanket over my legs (just the upper half of my body), put a stack of pillows under my legs so that the abrasions don't touch the bed, put some socks on my feet (cause they get cold), and then go to sleep.  It's been working good.  My abrasions are all dry now and are healing well.  No signs of infection.  I slather them with neosporin a couple times a day.  My bruises are still there, but they're starting to fade a little.  My elbow is fine.  It's healing up the fastest.  The giant hole in my hand has been the most painful, but it's doing okay now.  It is healing up too and has a good layer of scabs and new skin.  My hand was really sore too for this whole week.  Today and yesterday were the first days that I could use it normally.  Bathing for the first few days was almost impossible.  The water hurt my wounds too much, so to wash my body, I just gave myself a sponge bath (thank goodness for baby wipes and washcloths!).  To wash my hair, I just hung my hair next to the faucet in the shower and did my best to wash it with one hand, which didn't work very well.  But HALLELUJAH, I found dry shampoo at the drug store so I was saved.  Yes!  Perfect timing!  So basically I showered as little as possible.  Haha ew.  Now that my wounds are dry and healing, I can shower fine.  No problem.  I just shower in the normal water, and then wash and rinse my wounds with the filtered, clean water afterwards. 

The hardest part of all of this was the effect it had on me, mentally.  I was so scared to go out and work and to ride a tricycle.  On Monday evening, after p-day was done, the usual time that we go out to work was ticking closer and closer.  Sister Delinila told me that if I needed a rest or if I was too freaked out to go and work, that it would be okay for us to take a break.  I thought about it and concluded that what I was facing was fear.  I was in a situation to choose; choose to doubt, or choose to have faith.  If I didn't face my fears right then, I knew I would have a hard time getting over them.  So we went out.  I was terrified, but we did it.  A quote from President Uchtdorf kept running through my mind: "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."  I did my best to have faith and to trust that Heavenly Father would take care of me, as long as I was doing what He wanted me to do.   I learned a lot about faith this week.  Faith and fear can not exist at the same time.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!  I hope you have a wonderful week. 

xo Sister Allen

(A letter to the family from Sister Delinila)

hello sister 

this is sister delinila. i am sister allen's current companion. im just writing to let you know sister how brave your daughter is. i appreciate her as my companion. i don't feel good about what happened to her especially i should be the one looking out for her. but then again, there is only so much i could do. your daughter is especially amazing sister. i only have a few minutes left to use the internet but i would like to share what i have written on my report to our mission president. 

"....I appreciate Sister Allen’s example. While at the hospital, I was seated on the corner still shaking from what happened. Sister Allen on the other hand, though bleeding on the hospital bed, started to talk to the nurse staff and introduced ourselves as missionaries. While I failed to open my mouth, Sister Allen never forgot her purpose. Nothing could stop her and I appreciate that from her. I appreciate her example. ..."

i am truly grateful for your daughter. i love her example. thank you for raising her and letting her be a blessing to the lives of the people here especially to me.

Sister Delinila

.......