12/14/20: explosions

 Welcome back! We will start with the news from Transfers! Soooo because the mission is actually downsizing they are changing some leadership organization. So this transfer I learned that I will be the only Sister Training Leader Lead in the South end of the mission! My new companion however will be Hermana Cragun who... funny story... her first area was Dinuba and then she was moved to Cutler/Orosi (the area next to us and the sisters that cover that area live in our apartment) and now she is moving back to Dinuba to be my companion!! So basically she is switching rooms haha... but I can feel that this transfer with her is going to be AMAZING. Hermana Roller is headed up to Fresno to train a new missionary there!

Some updates on the work!

We have a friend named Pilar Aguilar, who has been on date for January for a long time... her daughter is baptized and she wants the rest of her family to be baptized with her... and wow. Pilar is a FIRECRACKER. The first couple lessons I had with her she mostly made demands and chasitzed us and the other group members and we weren't able to help her learn or progress. So this week we decided to try something different with her. We brought a calander and we started to make some goals with her but as we did that she started to get even more demandy...  and so then I just asked her what blessings she had seen since meeting with us and attending church. She then looked me in the eyes and started ranting about everything haha... but then after a few minutes she stopped and went quiet. And then she started to cry and then she started told us that everything she had just ranted about wasn't true and that she loved the church and everything we had been teaching and all the members and Jesus Christ... but she was just so scared that her family wouldn't want to be baptized with her. So then we talked it out and made some plans to get her family more involved... it was good. The gospel of Jesus Christ just changes people. So much and in such unique ways that sometimes people dont even recognize it and forget to appreciate it.

Some other quick Highlights

- we went over to teach a lesson to a member family here in the group and the lesson started off great and spiritual... but then there was a knock on the door and literally like 20 people came in all singing and carrying food and gifts... and turns out the family was having a party and just forgot to tell us or something like that... I just know one minute we were reading the scriptures and the next minute we were being fed tacos and everyone was singing. We left after a few tacos... I still couldnt tell you what the party was for... everyone was too busy partying to tell us

- we have been going caroling with our district to some of the older group members and ward members. A lot of people aren't hosting or seeing any family for Christmas with everything going on so we thought it would be fun to do some fun social distanced caroling!!

- we had a little church/scripture study with a family we are teaching as well as with some members! It was awesome!

Welp. I am on my last transfer... kinda crazy. I hope Hermana Cragun is ready to FULL SPRINT. You are either all in or in the way..

With love,

Hermana Allen

1. Cat. Good. Cat.

2. Caroling

3. Church... we all are wearing yellow for some reason lol

4. some people that were at that party haha