SHARING THE LIGHT ❂

Hello po!

I miss you all so much! Thanks for your awesome letter and for your awesome pictures. You all sound and look great.

My sickness and fever are all gone and I feel great. The weather has been pretty hot and it hasn't rained in a while. I got a little sunburn this morning. Hopefully it rains soon! Our branch and our investigators are doing amazing. We taught about 20 lessons this week. I am doing good! Still working, still kicking.

This week was a good week. It was an up and down week.

I am feeling kind of bummed today. We received the transfer list this morning, and I am not transferred. Neither is my companion. This will be my fifth cycle here in Burgos, and my fourth cycle with Sister Escalante as my companion. I thought for sure that I would be transferred or that I would be experiencing a change this cycle, but I am not. I know that there is a reason. I will bloom where I am planted and do the very best I can. Through change comes growth, but maybe unchanging will bring a change inside me that I need. I'm not sure what the reason is right now, but I know that there is one. I will always do whatever the Lord asks me to do. I will be okay.

Getting the news that I wasn't transferred is hard. It makes me think of how important it is to endure to the end. My nanay, Sister Maroket emailed me this last week:

"This morning, our Zone had the chance to go to Banaue Rice Terraces! It looks more beautiful in person, and it gave me comfort that everything will workout....I wonder how the people in Ifugao made the terraces. Obviously, it took them a lot of time, effort, and sacrifice. After several years, their efforts really paid of. People from other places of the world visit it.

The terraces are made strong, and no doubt that there were several storms that tried to destroy it. Yet it is still there -- standing strong, no matter what. The same is true with our lives. The Lord building us up through His commandments and the covenants we make with Him for us to be strong with unwavering faith. Our lives are one evidence that there is Someone who created us and we are not of this world (Alma 30:44). The Banaue Rice Terraces is no doubt not made by humans alone. When the people of Ifugao made the terraces, Heavenly Father did His part by making it strong.

We need to do our part by being obedient to His commandments. It is the only way for us to reach our divinest potential and for us to be truly happy. Heavenly Father can make so much more of us than we can of ourselves."

Her words are so true! Just like she said, success takes a lot of time and effort. I think that is true for me here. Maybe I need to do more here so that there can be success. Whatever the reason is, I will continue to endure to the end. God made me, and He can make me strong enough to get through anything, if I will love Him and trust Him.

Here is my week:

On Tuesday we had our Zone Meeting. It was pretty good. We talked about getting investigators ready for baptism, the requirements, and what we can do better to help them be prepared. It was a good lesson. Mostly businessy stuff. After we took some pictures, which was fun. :) While we were in the meeting, my companion was not looking good. She caught the fever I had last week! After the meeting, we went back to the apartment and she rested for the rest of the day. She got better, and we were able to work well for the rest of the week, which was good.

On Wednesday, we had a good normal day of work.

On Thursday, I went to the doctor's office to get my big toe inspected. I have a gnarly ingrown toenail! The doctor gave me some medicine and told me to come back when the infection is gone. I've been taking antibiotics and the infection is going away. Hopefully I'll get the ingrown removed this week! So yeah, that was fun. After that, we just worked.

On Friday, we had another good day of work. We taught with Nanay and Tatay Garuella and helped them prepare for their baptismal interview and get things figured out for their baptism on Saturday. It was amazing! They are so prepared for the gospel.

On Saturday, we spent the afternoon tracting in Luna. It was HOT. But we got a few new investigators and met some new people, which was good. That evening, Nanay and Tatay Garuella had their baptismal interview with our district leader, Elder Davis. We are not allowed to sit-in in the interview, so we just waited outside. I was nervous and was praying that everything would go smoothy. After the interview, Elder Davis said that everything was great and that Nanay and Tatay are ready to be baptized. Yay! I was so happy. Elder Davis told us that when Tatay closed the interview with a prayer, he said, "I have been to many churches and have learned about many religions in my life, and I am so thankful that I have found the true church here on earth. I am so happy to be a part of the true church of Christ." That is amazing. Tatay and Nanay are so prepared!

On Sunday, we had church. It was good. After church, we had a branch coordination meeting and then went to Brother Roland's house for lunch. They offered me dog to eat, but I kindly said no. Haha. Then we taught a bunch of lessons and it was awesome.

I love you all so much. I miss you all so much! I think of you always. You are always in my prayers and in my heart.

I LOVE YOU!

xo Sister Allen