Hello!  

I am doing well.  I still can't believe how fast time is flying.  One week feels like just one day....it's kind of scary!  This cycle went by really fast.  (A cycle is 6 weeks.)  This morning as I was washing my clothes in my bucket, we received the transfer list....and I am not transferred!  I am happy.  I've been having weird dreams where I get transferred to a weird place, and I was feeling a little bit nervous.  But, I am staying in Cauayan City for another 6 weeks. Yay!  And, me and Sister Teabwabwa will still be companions. Yay!  I really like her, and we have a great time together.  Sister Teabwabwa is such a kind soul.  She teaches me a lot by her example.

This week was a good week.  I am confident that serving a mission is the best decision that I have ever made.  I am starting to understand how much a mission blesses lives - not just my life.  A mission blesses my family at home, the people we teach, my ward back home, the people we contact, and much much more.  What a blessed time this is to serve.  I know that I will never be the same after my mission.  My little brother, Luke, emailed me and said that he thought I didn't really need to go on a mission, that I was okay the way I was before.  But, he also said that because of going on a mission, I will be much better than I was before.  I think about what he said all the time.  I hope and pray that what he said is true.  I want to become a better person from this experience.   I was okay the way I was before, like he said, but now, I am becoming who my Savior and Heavenly Father want me to be.  They can make me more than I could ever make of myself. 

This week was good.  The Philippines is such a wonderful place.  It was "freezing" here this week.  I had to wear my cardigan and socks and long sleeves around the house all day because I was so cold.  I checked my thermometer thing to see what the temperature was, and it was 71F!  I was so surprised because I was SO cold.  It made me think how cold I'll be when I get home, especially because I'll be coming home in the winter time.  I'm going to freeze to death when I get home haha.  Here, the normal weather makes you sweat even when you are sitting still.  So pretty much, if you're not sweating, it's considered "cold."  All of our investigators were so funny about the weather.  They would tell us to keep our shoes on inside their houses because it was too cold, but I always tell them, "it's okay!  It's colder in America."  That always makes them laugh.

I will tell you a little bit about my area.  One part of my area is called San Fermin and is where our house is.  It's mostly city, but it's not like the cities at home.  There's still cows, chickens, and dogs everywhere, and there's only a few roads that are paved.  The city has a lot more people than the more farm areas, but that makes it very very dirty and very very loud.  Also here, the garbage system isn't very established.  Everyone burns their trash here.  The air is really smokey all the time.  Sometimes, it gets so smokey, it looks like fog.  When you enter into Cauayan City, there's a big sign that says, "Hello!  You are entering a smoke-free city!"  That always makes me laugh, because it is not true at all.  

Our area is doing well.  We have some great investigators and are seeing some progress.  We have one investigator who we are really excited about: Jay.  He is dating a return missionary, and she has taught him a lot about the gospel already.  He is very prepared for the gospel and is progressing very quickly.  We are trying to also do more with our less actives as families, and we have been having success with that.  I am excited to keep working with them as families.  I really love teaching families as a whole. That is the ideal setting for the gospel after all! We have been focusing on three particular families.  We taught each family from Helaman 5:12 and talked about having Christ as the Foundation for your life.  All of the lessons were really good.  I felt the spirit so strong.  On Sunday, all the families came to chruch!  It was such an amazing feeling.  It's nice when you can see the fruits of your labors.  

I miss you all so much.  You are always in my heart and on my mind.

I LOVE YOU!  

xo Sister Allen