Mi Alma Anhelo Estar Allí. Alma 36:22

Ashley's Mission Email #57

Transfer news...every one goes by faster than the last but anyways, I will be staying here in Alma Rosa but my companion's leaving me. I'll be here with Hna Muñoz! Comp number 11 or something like that!

So we did some more translating this Tuesday and Friday. On Tuesday I was with the nutritionist (Dr ALLEN! woop woop) and I actually learned a lot! We again weren't supposed to use it as a proselyting experience but if people ask questions, hey what can you do? :) He was Catholic but thought it was really interesting what we do as missionaries. On Friday I worked with the surgery at the end and one guy came up just praising how awesome the church was. It was honestly a great experience to work on my Spanish, but mostly to see how much we can share the gospel just by living it. I loved it!

I also found out that Frank, (remember him from Villa Mella) well he got baptized last Saturday! He's now working to prepare for his mission. I'm so proud of that kid! He’s still working on his parents but his testimony is solid.

We are also working with the familia Montero. Joseling (the dad) said the prayer and kneeled the other day without putting up a fight or excuses which was a step. They are still really going to have to work on their beer and smoking problems but this family is one of those that we can see in white and with a life completely opposite to what they are living right now.

I found a scripture that I loved this morning in Alma 36:22. I love the last line that says something like my soul yearned to be there (talking about with the angels praising and glorifying God). (Sorry if its a little off, that’s a rough translation.) I thought about how that is a measure of conversion. When our soul yearns to be with our Heavenly Father and yearns to help others get there too. God is so perfect and everything He does is perfect and every situation He puts us in is perfect. If you don't know that, you only need to look around for about 5 minutes to realize it's true.

Hey but I love you all and I hope your week is great!

Love

Hermana Allen

August 24, 2015

Dr. Allen and my MRE (military food)

The coolest zone shirts ever. La Bandera Dominicana (the Dominican flag, but they also say la bandera meaning the typical Dominican meal, so we made a shirt out of it... rice, beans and meat.)

The Villa Mella crew came to help out at the US Navy Clinic. I've missed this bunch!

Always Preach the Gospel. Use Words When Necessary.

Ashley's Mission Email #56

Luz got baptised!! She´s been working for this for 9 months now, but finally she was able to do it. She´s amazing and we are so happy for her!

Also, I now have a pretty cool point to add to my resume...translator for the US Navy Medical Humanitarian Project. A US Navy ship is here and they bring along a week of free medical services for any who wants to come but...they don’t speak Spanish. So seeing as it’s an event supported by the church, we got to go translate. I was in my world, getting to see lab tests done and talking with doctors. It was awesome and we get to go again on Friday! The coolest part was how we weren´t supposed to use it as a proselyting activity but we got so many questions about who we are, why we are here, how we know Spanish already and we got to share a little.

Our example says it all. If we live the way Christ lived, we´ll for sure get some opposition but people will recognize the good too. Our testimony in action speaks really loud.

Love you all

Hna Allen

August 17, 2015

Translating for the US Navy Medical Humanitarian Project.

How many missionaries can you fit in a Honda Civic? 8 if it's Dominican style. 

Luz got baptized!

We went to the beach.  No, this was just in the grocery store one day.

Coco Frio.

Ashley's Mission Email #55

Yeah I never got that package...I hope some Dominican girl is enjoying that skirt because I was pretty excited for it. Oh well. Haha

This week has been...HOT. It´s taking me back to my memories of last year entering the mission field. August is the hottest month of the year and honestly we are just trying to make it through. They say the only place that the sun is stronger than the Dominican Republic is in Queensland, Australia. Welp I´ve checked those two places off my list to visit. But I´ve found a new treat to cool off. COCO FRIO. They are coconuts that they keep in a freezer so they take it out, take a macheti to it and stick a straw in and you drink the milk then crack it open and eat the coconut. I love the carribean.

So this week we ran into some opposition. For one, yesterday we got locked out of our bedroom right before a lesson where we had planned to watch the Restoration video. (I have watched that movie a thousand times with investigators and everytime without fail, something happens before to try to stop us. I say that means it's true.) The wind blew the door shut and it locked with our stuff inside...well someone came over to fix it and all is good now but I´ve just learned that if Satan can't get us to stop teaching the gospel, he´ll at least make it difficult.

I also love in Alma when he talks about the eye of faith. I´ve realized that faith is such a simple but powerful thing. If we can see clearly, oursleves in the temple or receiving eternal life, our faith can make it a reality. Anyway I just know God knows us and this is His church.

Love you!

Love

Hna Allen

August 10, 2015

Zone activity playing Uno. It's kind of funny in Spanish. 

                                                             Back to Australia times.

                                                                       Locked out!

                                                           Breaking down the door.

A wonderful surprise to see the family Urena at church. (This was a family of investigators from my first ward and right now I am serving in the boarding ward.) Love them!!!

Platano Power.

Ashley's Email #54

Well yesterday I hit 13 months. I hear it's all downhill from here and the time just flies. That scares me a bit but it's exciting too. When everyone keeps telling me that I am almost done with my mission I feel like Mr. Incredible on the way to his wedding, looking at his watch and saying "I still got time!"... Haha.

Well this week we got a little wet walking home in the rain one night, we got to eat Mexican food at a members house, we watched Meet the Mormons for about the hundreth time, we walked a lot (oh wait thats nothing new.), we taught lots of people and today we went to Sambil (a mall with air conditioning!), found a shirt that says platano power that I really want, also one that says I'm Dominican, I can't keep calm, and ate Johnny Rockets (I felt pretty American until the juke box they had started playing Bachata which is very Dominican).

Anyways I just hope you all know how much I love you and love the gospel.There´s a reason I´m here and at this time specifically and I´m so grateful for my perfect Father in Heaven for giving me this chance. I hope I can make the best of it!

Love

Hna Allen xx

August 3, 2015

Yeah for Australia!

                                                               
                                                                  The DR..... love it!

                                    Carritos. This is Dominican public transportation for you.

                                                                  Dancing in the rain. 

Happy Dominican Father's Day!

Ashley's Mission Email #53

A small miracle of the week... I had been thinking a lot about how we were going to find families to teach because our goals right now in the mission are really high and really focused on the family. But it's hard to find a whole family ready to hear the gospel. Anyway, thinking lots and lots, this house came to my mind one night and I just kept seeing this house. It's a house we pass by all the time to get to other investigators. Well the next morning after a cita fell... sorry, an appointment. We just walked to that house and the dad came out. We asked him how he was and he said. " A little drunk, starting the celebration a little early". (This was the day before fathers day here at like 11am and you know how Dominicans like to celebrate anything and everything with alcohol.)  Well we talked to him about his wife and 5 kids. He said the only person he loves is himself. Well, going along with Fathers day we talked about his Heavenly Father and where we really find happiness, in the family. We were pretty straight forward with him and he told us to come back on Wednesday with him and his wife. The gospel changes people and we have faith that this family can change.

A scripture that I like a lot that President Corbitt has shared a lot is in Revelations 12:7-11. It talks about how we all fought the battle against the opposition in the life before. And we won! By our testimonies and the blood of our Savior. The coolest thing is that we are here in the battle again. And we can win AGAIN. By our testimonies and the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Love you all and remember who you are.

Love

Hna Allen

July 27, 2015

Our little (not so little) visitor. 

Service day! 

Planning time. 

Soy legal!

Ashley's Mission Email #52

So my new companion is Hermana Greenstreet! The Domincans have a tough time with that name. (It's Hermana Calleverde in Spanish.) But she's great! She is from Washington but guess what? She lived in Brisbane Australia for a year and a half! It's been so cool to be reminded of the tuck shop, the footy games, and 

I also spent many hours this Friday in the visa place with about 10 other missionaries trying to become legal again in this country. It was a lot of waiting but in the end I got my green card. Literally. And we are good for the next 6 months! Then we got to go to McDonalds. Haha it was a great treat...it's been a while.

So I didn't realize this before but I found a quote by George Albert Smith that says that we will receive our exhaltation in the Celestial Kingdom only on the condition that we share the gospel with other of God's spirit children. That's pretty strong huh? Pero vale la pena. It's worth it! The blessings are more than the uncomfortableness or the sacrifices. I promise. I know God knows us. And He will make us equal to the tasks before us.

Alma 34:37 a good scripture my comp showed me this morning.

Love you all.

Hna Allen. xx

July 20, 2015

Mango smoothies!

                             Look what I did today! The mission really teaches you so much.

                                                                Bye Hermana Chan.

President Corbitt says Hi.

Ashley's Mission Email #51

Mommy, President just walked in. He says hi...

Well transfer time. Didn't I just say that? Every transfer goes by faster and I'm not sure I like that. But I am sending Hna Chan home so I will be staying in Alma Rosa with.....Hna Greenstreet! I'm excited for another transfer here. 

I don't have lots to say this week because I'm in a mix of emotions with my companion going home and starting my 10th transfer. (I STILL feel new by the way). But I hope you guys all know how much I love being a missionary. I always say this but it really is the hardest thing I've ever done. But I love it so much. I am no where near a perfect missionary or a perfect person. But that's just the thing. That's the cool part. The Lord in His perfectness can work His perfect work. Even with His imperfect servants. I am just trying to please my Lord. That's the real mission. So I hope you guys too can take a minute to think about what you can do or stop doing or do better to please the Lord.

I love you all.

Hna Allen xx

July 13, 2015

Dumplines.

                                                                             Flan.

This is Andreina and her crazy family. We ate tacos with them to send off Hermana Chan. 

                                                                         Welcome.

Un Ano!

Ashley's Mission Email #50

Well what can I say? This whole hitting my year mark has got me a little sentimental. I would say it's gone by way too fast but then I think of everything that has happened in this year and I could go on for years telling the stories. Overall I´m just beyond words grateful for the time I have had here and the time that I have left (because there´s still LOTS to do.)

I got to attend the leadership meeting this week even though I technically wasn´t supposed to be there. (Again, that happened at the beginning of my mission too. Pres. just can´t keep me out. ) It was so great. We talked about Joseph. All of them. And there potential and how we continue their calling and work. It's a cool topic. Study it sometime.

Just a reminder that la familia puede ser eterna. The family is something ordainded of God. What does that mean? It's sacred and beautiful and valuable beyond what we can imagine. That means it's worth protecting. Remember to treasure and protect the family. It´ll be worth more and more as we do.

Love,

Hna Allen

July 6, 2015

Villa Mella reunited.

                                                My crazy Dominican. Hermana Pichardo.

                                                         Hermana Chan hit 18 meses!

Uno ano. Don't worry guys, I celebrated well. Elder Aquino and Gomez (missionaries from the office, so they have special privileges,) passed over to the west mission to pick up a few highly craved Krispy Kremes.