Transfers are Getting Shorter

Ashley's Mission Email #66

I got my new companion today! It's not transfer time yet but Hna Corporan left to start her mission in Mexico and Hna Rivera came in to finish her mission here! She is from the north part of the DR (Mau) and she's awesome! We've been comps for about 4 hours but I can already feel her sweet spirit and the help she's going to be to Gazcue.

I've really learned this week how much obediencia really brings great blessings. We've been able to find a few families this week who seem to be in situations where they need the gospel. It's cool how little things like talking to the taxi driver lead us to be instruments in letting the gospel change peoples lives. That happened this morning on the way to the Sambil mall. The guy had a lot of questions about eternal families and what happens after and everything that led up to us getting in that specific taxi helped us know that it wasn’t just coincidence. He passed by once but it was full so he dropped people off and drove in reverse against traffic to come pick us up. He needs the gospel. 

God lives and works hard in our lives to give us the best and make us happy. I know it. 

Love you all.

Hna Allen

          October 26, 2015

Some pictures I promised of the sunrise at the Malecon.

Moro de guandules con coco, pollo y veninjera frita.

Family Photos.

Ashley's Mission Email #65

It's so great to hear from you guys. Why is Justin so tall?? And Megs and Lolo so gorgeous??

I'm still loving Gazcue. It’s a great area and really pretty as well. Today we did a photo shoot. We took some family pictures in some of Santo Domingo's tourist spots.

We have been doing lots of contacting lately and have had some interesting experiences. I had not met an atheist in my mission until getting here. I've met 5 now, I think… It's amazing how God really knows each of His children. Some of them maybe aren’t ready to accept the gospel at this time but that doesn't keep them from being given the opportunity to feel the Spirit testify of the truth.

October 19, 2015

Mi primera hija.

The happy family.

Bienvenido a Santo Domingo.

Our exercise club. 

The view from the roof.

 Y la segunda. 

Sorry, lots of beach pictures. 

Letter from Ashley's Mission President

I wrote a letter to Ashley's Mission President Ahmad Corbitt to thank him for all that he's done for Ashley while on her mission. This is an email I received from him. 

Dear Sister Allen,

Thank you for kind letter. It is a pleasure for Sister Corbitt and me to work with your precious and ever so capable and wonderful daughter. Here she is teaching a very wise lesson to the sister leaders of the entire mission. She has caught hold of the true principle that opposition always brings with it opportunity. She posted notes of types of opposition we face and invited the sisters to name some corresponding opportunities, which she then also posted.

She and her companion also shared with me how they would teach the atonement to a young child, including why Jesus had to die. She's a great teacher and leader. Your grandchildren will be most fortunate and blessed (when that time comes... :)

She said to say hi.

Warm regards to you and your family,

Ahmad Corbitt 

Sunrise.

Ashley's Mission Email #64

Welcome to Gazcue. I actually love it here. I´ve only been to the ward once but already feel at home. There are some families here that are so strong and I’m excited to work with them. Another plus is that our area borders the beach. Yeah, I like that a lot. This morning we ran down and sat on the pier and watched the sunrise. (I´ll get pictures of that one of these days). Also we live 6 sisters in our house which is awesome. We are a big happy family because my hija, Hna Garcia (the 1st missionary I trained) lives with me and now she is training too! (I have a nieta!) It´s super fun!

I just love how everything happens at the right place and the right time and the decisions we make daily change us and our future. The coolest lesson I think we had this week was yesterday. We have been contacting a ton and we found this apartment with about 10 youth from 13 to 20 working on a school project and they let us interupt and teach them a bit. We talked about the decisions they are making now and how they will effect their future. Then we talked about a young boy who made a decision to pray that changed the world. Joseph Smith. At the end we invited them to pray and it was really cool to see how some of them really related. One girl told us thank you and that she was going to pray and ask if it was true! 

I love you guys and hope everything is well. If it’s not, pray until it gets there. It works. 

Love 

Hna Allen

October 12, 2015

Hermana Corporan (mi hijita) from the DR. 

The Gazcue girls. 

Gazcue

Ashley's Mission Email #63

Transfer news…I am leaving Alma Rosa and will be headed to Gazcue. (That’s like the middle of the capital and right where the mission office is!) It will be a cool experience. I hear there are lots of tourists, lots of athiests (I haven’t met even 1 up to this point of my mission in the DR), lots of traffic, lots of people and lots of history. I’m excited! I’m going to be finishing the training of Hna Corporal who is here waiting on her visa. So she will leave me in about 3 weeks and I will start the training of another sister coming to wait on her visa too. And we´ll be white washing (neither of us have been in the area before). I’m excited though! The Lord really works miracles when we least expect them. 

Conference was of course wonderful. My main points were probably the question, What lack I yet? Also I heard a lot about the perfectness of the Savior's Atonement. It really does cover everything and everyone and lifts us to where we can´t go alone and who we can´t be by just trying. I KNOW Christ lives and loves us too. More than I can put in words. All He asks is that we recognize that and give ourself to Him by following Him. His path goes through hard things but it doesn´t matter because it leads to the highest place there is. And the most happiness imaginable. 

Love you all. Remember we learn more from conference AFTER conference is over and we apply what we learned.
Hna Allen xx

October 5,2015

                                                     Yeah Ozama.

                                          Meeting with the DR cops.

                                                    Yummy food.