12//23/19 Ok ok tis the season to HAUL AT GIVING PEOPLE THE RESTORED GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST

 We were able to go to the temple for the first time with Vinnie this week and he was baptized for a family name and that was amazing!!! He also got to baptize us for some family names of a lady in the ward so that was super super special! We are working on getting him connected with the YSA group in Merced and also shipping all of these lonely YSA's here in Los Banos out there for church! Vinnie has jumped right into the ward and all its activities and is just the best!

Gabriel was able to pass the sacrament for the first time yesterday!!! A lady in the ward bought him a nice shirt and tie and he wore it and did his hair and looked so excited! The gospel changes people let me tell you, no matter what age... this kid literally hated us and church and everything to do with it but now he is super excited over his little white shirt and tie and we are going to buy him a belt to complete the whole set!

Jayduse and Lee are doing AMAZING!!! They went to San Jose to visit some family over there so we taught them over facetime... it was productive for a little bit but then well... see photo below haha! It is just crazy to see what the spirit has been teaching them! We are trying to make their time here in America as fun. as. posible. so on preparation days we play sports with them at a little park and they taught us how to throw a football rugby style... i super suck at throwing a football football style so you can imagine how that turned out...but they are on date for the 27th and we are trying super super super hard to get Gabriel out for their baptism and for other activities we are trying to do because Jayduse and him are the same age and heaven knows these kids need quality, righteous friendships in their lives.

This week we went to South Dos Palos... I can't even describe what that place was like but just picture like a remote western themed Tim Burton movie setting...yep. But we were talking to this sweet little catholic lady who let us into her kinda like open ended barn thing, gave us some arroz de leche and we were just talking about the Book of Mormon when all of the sudden a pair of Jehovah's Witnesses walk in through the open door... and so there we were eating Tamales with the JW missionaries just kinda trying to talk about the Book of Mormon with this sweet lady who had more interest in feeding all of us then listening to what any of us had to say... only in South Dos Palos. 

I gotta talk about Randy. Randy is the husband of a lady, Danielle, who was baptized into the church when she was very very young but her family situation just spiraled and she never went back to church until NOW! Since moving here with Randy and their two little boys she just felt the need to come to church and Randy came with her and so we have been visiting them and talking about church and helping them with the manual labor part of their super crazy book business thing that they do on the side of life and it has been so amazing to kinda watch the Gospel re seep into Danielles life and touch Randy's life as well... we talked about eternal families with them last night and they have two little boys and Randy was holding one of them and he had been kinda quiet for most of the conversation but then he just looked up and asked, "how do you know when you are ready to be baptized?"  after talking super super excitedly a bit about baptism Randy decided that he would pray on his question. He is so so so so ready but he definitely needs that confirmation from Heavenly Father... We have gotten to know this family really well over the past month and both Danielle and Randy have come from pretty rough pasts but Danielle just remembered that little bit of joy the church brought her when she was younger and Randy has just been drawn to this concept of eternal families and we have seen the gospel just kinda begin to heal them a little bit.

Ok everyone please please please reach out to people this Christmas season and in the new year! find someone who you think needs help and just do something to help them... dont even ask first just do it. I dont know be creative, get out of your comfort zone. I dont know what that will entail but doooo iiiiiit alll year round not just now.

love you all so so much!

Hermana Allen

photos

photo with the Hermanas serving in Chowchilla that I did and exchange with this week!

Our Christmas themed sports night that we organized for all the youths

At the temple with Vinnie

Facetiming the children for a lesson

Eden, these updates are getting better and better. I feel invested in the progress of Vinnie, Gabriel, the kids from New Zealand and so many more. The story of Danielle and her family made me cry and cry tears of joy. I can’t help but compare their experience to my Grandma Jeannie and Grandpa Putnam. I am so glad they have recognized the truth of eternal families. 

I miss you like crazy with all the holiday traditions we wish you could be a part of. But I couldn’t be happier about what you are doing and where you are at and who you are becoming. Merry, merry Christmas love!! 

Mama