HELLO PO! 

I am so happy to be writing you!  This week was so busy. Happy Summer to you!  This morning I chopped my hair!  It's too hot and too difficult to have long hair here.  It's the same length as it was when I went into the MTC.  It's SO much cooler without my blanket or hair on my neck and back.

This week was an amazing week, and it ended beautifully with the baptisms of our three investigators, Carmelita, Kylene, and Angelica.  It was a magical day!  Everything went smoothly on the morning of the baptism.  The three beautiful girls looked so peaceful and so happy in their white jumpsuits.  They looked like angels.  There was also a little girl in our branch there for her baptism, Kaykay.  She just turned eight years old.  They each had a glow in their eyes.  We started the service at 10:00 am.  I was the pianist.  We sang, then heard two short, but sweet, talks, then started with the baptisms.  Each baptism was wonderful, and only two of them had to do the "immersing" twice. Hehe.  It's not a baptism if something little doesn't go wrong, right? :)  They each were so happy and smiling as they came out of the water.  Watching them, I couldn't stop smiling.  My eyes were wet with tears, but they were tears of joy.  I smiled especially wide when Nanay Carmelita got baptized by her grandson, Jason.  It was such a sweet moment.  I could feel Heavenly Father's love so strongly as each of those beautiful daughters of God were baptized.  One of the best feelings in the world is the feeling you get after you get baptized.  One of the best feelings in the world also, is seeing someone you love get baptized.  I love Angelica, Kylene, and Nanay Carmelita so much and it was such an amazing feeling to see them make this important step towards their Heavenly Father.  I am excited to see them, later, learn more, grow, and eventually enter the temple.  What a blessing this week was.  What a miracle!  I will never forget that special day. 

On Sunday afternoon, Carmelita and Angelica were confirmed members of this wonderful church.  Kylene, unfortunately, was late to sacrament meeting and didn't get confirmed yet.  That caused a major panic attack for Sis. Escalante and I!  She said she took a really long time choosing what to wear.  Hahahaha.  But, all is well, and she will be confirmed next Sunday.  

I am so blessed to have witnessed these daughters of God be baptized and confirmed.  These are the moments that I will never forget.

I took so many pictures at the baptism.  I was so excited to send them and print them off for those that got baptized.  When I got to the computer shop and plugged my memory card in.....everything got wiped.  All my pictures got deleted and are gone.  I am so upset about it.  I cried and cried here at the internet shop.  I have a copy of my pictures from before, but all the pictures from this week - all the pictures from the baptism - are gone. :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( :( 

This week, on Tuesday, we also had our interviews with President and Sister Rahlf.  This was our last interview with them, because they will be headed home on June 30th.  It was nice to spent some one on one time with them, even if it was only for a few minutes.  Sister Rahlf asked each of us to prepare a three word goal that describes what we want to be as a missionary.  It was really really hard for me to choose.  I finally chose this phrase: finds the joy.  I hope that in my mission, in my life, and in each moment, I choose to find the joy.  I want to always choose to be happy and choose to see the good in everything, even when things are bad.  I hope you all choose that too!  Later on that evening, I really did have to choose to "find the joy."  As we were out working, about ready to head back to the apartment for the evening, a huge rain storm hit.  The electricity went out.  We didn't have our phone to call for a ride home (we accidentally left it at the house).  We just had our umbrellas and about a 30 minute walk ahead of us.  I'll be honest.....I was pretty scared.  It's scary enough to walk around at night here, and with no lights to guide us, no way to communicate with anyone, the rain pouring down, and the thunder and lightning flashing all around us, it became even scarier.  But, we had no choice, so we just started walking.  Then, we started to sing as we walked.  As we sang, I felt safe.  I felt like we were protected, and I felt that angels were watching over us.  We sang all the hymns and Primary songs we knew!  Despite all that was happening around us, we found the joy in our situation and sang as we walked and walked in the rain.  

I love you all so much!  Sorry again that there's no pictures.  Trust me, I'm just as disappointed as you are.  Thank you for all the light and love that you give me every day!  I hope you all have a wonderful week. 

I love you to the moon and back and all the stars 

xo Sister Allen