10/12/20: Plants are friends and food

 Ok. Let's gooooooo!!!

So we finally were able to go back to church this week! We had a little service outside with our branch in the church parking lot. Being here for 5 transfers in quarantine has given me a very special attachment to this little branch and the amazing members here and it was so rewarding and inspiring to see so many people we have worked with through these challanging times at the meeting! There was just a spirit of joy and excitement the whole little service! Everyone was in masks, sitting in folding chairs several feet apart, the busy street right next to us... but it was so cool! Kinda funny story... our branch president called us an hour before and asked Hermana Larsen and I to lead the music and we of course said yes but then we showed up and there was some confusion on both ends because when our little president got up at the stand he announced that we would be singing the hymn... and everyone else would be following along... silently... so me and my companion looked at each other... got up.... and literally just sang this random hymn in spanish we both didnt know... but it was awesome, people loved it, I felt the spirit, but it was an adrenaline rush. We had our friend Juan Lozano come to church and that was so exciting as he is on date for baptism this week! We also invited Baltazar and his whole family to come and THEY CAME!!!! I love that man. He is still happily living in the room we helped him find and keeps trying to get us to go to Denny's with him and his family haha! Miracles. 

Welp I went back to Turlock again on exchanges with Hermana Lion! I have always loved the spanish area the Turlock sisters cover because they only have bikes. And I love to bike. And we biked EVERYWHERE. It was very very fun! Hermana Lion is the essence of speak softly and carry a big stick. She is so kind, but preaches repentance with charity and clarity. I learned a lot from her.

We have been asked by our president to walk our areas and to get to know them and introduce ourselves to anyone who is outside and permits us to. So we have been walking a lot and this week we walked one little street and talked with a sweet lady working in her garden. We offered if we could help and she agreed so we started to help and then after finishing we kept walking the area but there was this CRAZY guy following us and he wouldn't leave us alone and it was getting dark and we didnt have the car... so we went back to the nice lady and she let us in when we explained the situation. So we stayed there until the other sisters came with the car. While we were there she asked us if we wanted to see more of her plants and we both said yes and she showed us into this little shack JUST BURSTING WITH EVERY PLANT IMAGINABLE it was so cute!!! She owns a little nursery and we went back this week to do more service with her!! We also met her whole family!! And ate a lot of her enchiladas. Good stuff.

Lots of good stuff here. 

Hermana Allen

A good quote. Before church. A sweaty cat photo. zone conference ish. Churros with some members. How to tell if a watermelon is ready.