Das ist mein Freund!

Hello Family!
I am sorry I am the absolute worst because I haven't taken any pictures, but I will take some soon!

Well, opening an area is dang hard. Man. One thing that I am really going to learn this transfer is patience. We are outside most of the day and talking with tons of people and getting rejected over and over. The rejection usually isn't mean, but when it happens so often and you are not having any sucess finding potentials, you start to get a little frustruated. That is why patience is GOLDEN when you open an area. I know as the weeks go by, everything will get better, but sometimes that is hard to remember. Finding people is just something that is not one of my strengths. I mean we talk with everyone but I can just never seem to get their information-BUT I know it will come with time. I have been studying a lot about weaknesses lately, and I KNOW that the Lord will help my weakness of contacting turn into one of my strengths. I just can't give up.

Good thing is- this week is going to be so much better!! Sister Freimann and I have really been trying to figure out what we need to focus on right now. We both had a strong feeling that we need to focus on the part member families and other families in our branch- so this week we have a lot of appointments set up with familes and one potential family so that is going to be way good.

Saturday our district had a Finding Day in Schwemmingen and we straight street contacted for 5 hours straight. It was so hot and we found no potentials. It was a long day. Sister Freimann has been having a lot of trouble with her feet because we walk so much, so she was in a lot of pain and she was really struggling. I suggested that she get a blessing from Elder Gurney. She was hesitant so I told her I was going to get one too. After I said that I thought " I really don't need a blessing, I am fine," but it seemed to me that she didn't want to get one on her own. So I decided to get one. I was thinking in my head if it was still okay if I got a blessing even  if I didn't feel like I needed one... I didn't really know what to do because I didn't want one either. Well when we got back to Singen, Elder and Sister Gurney picked us up and took us to their house. They are seriously such a great ehepaar (Senior Missionary Couple). They have done so much for us!! But When we got to their house they talked to us for about 30 minutes and told us some stories. It was in that moment when I really felt like I needed a blessing. It was so weird. It was like the Lord was telling me that I really needed to recieve this blessing from Elder Gurney. It was crazy because I didn't even really want one at first. Well the blessing was awesome! O man, one of the best I ever gotten. I know the Lord was really speaking through Elder Gurney. One thing he said was "You are so young on the mission, and you are definitely not ready to be a trainer." That sentance was very BAM hahah I completely agreed with it and I thought about it a lot. I am so young on the mission, I still have no idea what I am doing, and I am not adequate enough to train alone. But, I am not alone. The Lord is helping me every step of the way. If I was training without the Lord's help, I wouldn't be able to do it. But I can do it, because the Lord is guiding me. He went on a said so many other things. Two other things that stuck out to me were "Use your personality to find people," that was really cool because sometimes I feel like to be a certain way in order to be a good missionary, but this blessing reminded me that I need to be myself and use my own personality! The other thing was "People at home are relying on you right now." That was cool because it reminded me that I have not only the Lord with me everystep of the way, but I have my amazing family and friends back home who are my cheer squad also helping me every step of the way. Man, I am so lucky.

How awesome is the Lord? Seriously, I have experienced so much as I have been here in Singen showing me that the Lord really knows each of his children. We are never forgotten!!

Well my branch is just so great. There is the cutest girl and her name is Kim Joy. She is 21 and is down syndrome.  We have become best buds. She is constantly following me around in church. It was seriously the cutest thing ever because in sacrament meeting yesterday the Branch president was talking about how he was so grateful to have 6 missionaries in the branch and he was naming off all of our names. When he said my name, Kim Joy yelled "DAS IST MEIN FREUND!!!!" (That is my friend!!!) It was seriously the cutest thing in the world.

Well thank you for all the prayers. I love yall so much. Next week I will make sure to send pictures!! Well love you!!

Sister Allman

Ich fühle wie Singen!

July 22, 2013

Hello Family!

As you already know because of Michael, and Schwester Tranum, I am getting transferred. :( I am way sad, but I know the Lord has another plan for me. I am headed to Singen, Germany, a small town right on the border of Switzerland. I am serving in the Singen Branch, which is a part of the Zurich, Switzerland Stake. I think my area has a little bit of Switzerland in it to which is cool! I never thought I would have the opportunity to serve or go to Switzerland, but now I do! It is awesome. But, I heard the dialect there is pretty crazy, so I am probably going to have to re-learn German. Supposedly people speak there as if they are singing. haha I have heard it is really beautiful as well because it is in the area of the Bodensee. Besides that, no one really knows anything about Singen! haha There are no Sisters there right now, so I will be opening it. That means we have no investigators, no area book, a brand new apartment, so basically we will be starting from scratch. I also will be training, so on Thursday my companion will be fresh off the plane from the MTC. I am kind of freaking out!! When president called and told me I was  in shock. It is definitely going to be way hard, but I know it will be good for me. I know I will definitely learn and grow a lot in these next few transfers. I asked Elder Orchard and Gochnour to give me a blessing, and that has made things so much better. I have felt at peace, and I know that Singen is where I am suppose to be going. It is going to be an adventure for sure!

I have absolutely loved my time here in Munich. I have been through SO much here. It was here where I was in my darkest time, and here where I was blessed with so many miracles. I have grown so much here and I am so grateful. I love the people here as well. Mom and Dad, and I am so excited for you to meet some of them in December. Ya'll have to look out for Schwester Fisherlaudenbach, The Arnold's, Birko, Angela, Marja, Britta, the Mason's, and Schwester Matthies. (Also Schwester Tranum and Michael of course!) Ahh they are all just the best.

Our investigators are doing great. Have I told ya'll about Tao? He is from China and is just about the cutest ever. He loves the church so much, but he just has a problem with alcohol. He has been investigating the church for 2 years now, so when we first met him we were a little skeptical. He moved here about 1month ago and came and found us. He has made so much progress!! Even though he had investigated for 2 years, not once had he gone to church or read the Book of Mormon. Well he has been reading in the Book of Mormon every night and he came to church yesterday! He loved it. He was about 30 minutes late and felt so bad. In Sunday School he said the closing prayer and it was the cutest prayer ever. He asked Heavenly Father for forgiveness for being late, and thanked him that he could come today, and thanked him that he could read in the Book of Mormon. He is just the best. He has a baptismal date that he is working towards and I know he will be able to do it!!!

Marja is in Finnland right now. She went to the Temple and she said it gave her strength!! I was so happy. I am also happy because I get to come back for her baptism in 3 weeks!!! She is awesome. I can't wait for ya'll to meet her.

Well Missionary life is an adventure. I am so weak, but the Lord always fills in the gaps and helps me. I know that is exactly what he will do when I go to Singen. I know that if I rely on him and the Spirit, everything will be just fine!

WELL I LOVE YOU GUYS!

here are 2 pictures from last p-day, we went to Garmisch and went hiking!!

Sister Allman