Hallo!!!

GUTEN TAG!!!!!

This week has been great. The weather is finally beautiful and life is good.

Today we had a district P-day and we were able to go mini golfing by the old Olympic Stadium here in Munich. It was way fun. My district is seriously the best and it is great having a family here in Europe with me:)

Hmmm... This week went really well. We worked really hard and were able to accomplish a lot of our weekly goals. It was awesome. We were also able to meet a lot of really cool people and talk to them about the gospel. Everyone is so happy here because the weather is so beautiful, so it has been great because we have been able to talk to so many people.

Lets see...

Marja!! She is the coolest girl ever and she comes from Finland. She is 27 and is just so solid. She knows that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet and knows that God lives, and thinks the Book of Mormon comes from God but that it didn't really happen.. So this week we had a great lesson with her and we asked her to bear us her testimony. She told us all those things and then said she has now made a goal to get an answer that the Book of Mormon really happened. It was such a great lesson. She set a goal to be finished with the Book of Mormon by May 21 and is searching and praying to receive an answer. She said as soon as she receives an answer she will be baptized! We were so happy because it was a huge step for her. So keep Marja in your prayers. She said in the lesson we had with her that this upcoming week she will set a baptismal date, so we are excited:)

Britta is still just awesome. She has a lot of concerns but is really searching. I have no doubt that she will get baptized one day. If you want to keep her in your prayers that would be awesome too:)

Do you remember the family I talked about that owns the Italian restaurant? Well GIAN FRANCO came to church yesterday!!  It was huge. His heart has totally softened to the church and he came with Johanna and it was soo amazing. It was so sweet because his girlfriend Johanna was so happy. We talked about in Relief Society how she had been praying for 3 years for the restaurant to be closed on Sundays so she could come to church, and Johanna was just balling because she was so happy. Ahh it was the cutest thing.

It is so fun reading Jacob and Spencer's letters about their missions. Missionary work is so different here. In Spencer's letter he talked about how their mission baptized like 180 people in a month??? Well that is more people than were baptized in my mission all of last year. hahah Our goal this year is 290 and we are working so hard to get it. It is just so funny to read the differences, but even though the numbers aren't huge, people really are prepared here!!

Well I love you!! Have fun in Hilton Head this week!!!!!!!!

Sister Allman:)

A blonde, brunette, and a red head...

HELLLO FAMILIE!!!

Wow, this week turned around and it was soooo good!! I ended up getting a blessing from President Miles Monday night and it helped me so much. Satan has really been working on me and my confidence, but ever since the blessing, I have been doing sooo much better. I am still struggling, but the Lord is helping me:)

Well a lot happened this week...

First I got another new companion!!! Crazy huh?? Guess who it is?!? Becca Smith who went to Vienna on my study abroad with me!! I was soo excited! She just barely got out of the MTC, so Sister Stowell is training both her and I right now, but then next transfer after Sister Stowell goes home, I will be training Sister Smith! I am kind of freaking out about the training part, but it is such a tender mercy that it is Becca! She is so amazing, it is like she will be training me. haha I am so happy though. On Tuesday night we went and had dinner at the mission home, and then I was able to surprise her as one of her new companions! It was so much fun. I just still can't believe that I am one of her first companions.. I honestly never thought I would get the opportunity to serve with her, so I was happy. So now it is three of us again. One Blonde, One Brunnette, and A red head...hahah but I really think we are all a great team!!

O man, this week was just so good and just what I needed. First off, wasn't conference so amazing?? Ahhh it seriously is like an energy drink for missionaries. It pumps us up so much! We still haven't been able to watch Sunday afternoon session, but supposely they will broadcast it to everyone during church in one of the upcoming Sundays. I am so happy we still have one session left because it went by too fast. I think my favorite talk was from Uchtdorf or Sister Dalton. Those were just both what I really needed to hear. 

We were able to have 4 investigators watch it and they liked it a lot. We are so excited to meet with them this upcoming week and talk to them about it.

MIRACLES...

So this week I feel like I have been able to see some pretty wonderful things. First we had a lesson with Britta at the Mason's (The lady who just showed up at church). We were talking about the Plan of Salvation and I just had this strong feeling that I needed to talk to her about priesthood blessings. Random right?? Well I brought it up and told her about it and told her Elder Mason could give her one. She wanted one and after the lesson Elder Mason gave her one. She always says how she has never felt the spirit, but after the blessing she said she really felt something go through her entire body when he gave her the blessing. She said she couldn't explain the feeling but it was something that she has never felt before. I was soo happy!! It was such a tender mercy and I was so grateful I followed the Spirit!!!

Then on Thursday we had a lesson with one of our Chinease investigators Xaio Hui(You know I love asians:)) . She is 27 and just the cutest, happiest, thing in the world. We asked her how her Easter was and the first thing she said was, " Sisters, I have recieved a manifestation from God." She has never believed in God, but over Easter Weekend she had a really cool experience and now she believes in God!! She was so happy. She was soo grateful and said that she just wants to learn more. She said she also started reading the Book of Mormon over again and the more she reads the more she loves it. Wow, it was such a wonderful lesson and a tender mercy!!!

Then on Friday I had the opportunity to go on split and teach a lesson with Sister Mason (The Senior Sister who is over the institute in Munich with her husband), while sister Stowell and Smith went to another lesson. I got to teach Britta and we focused all on the Holy Ghost. It was just what I needed because I was able to teach her without relying on Sister Stowell. This time when we taught Sister Mason was relying on me and it was just what I needed. The lesson went well and Britta is beginning to recognize the Spirit in her life. Each time we meet with her she lets some of her barriers down and it is amazing. I have no doubt that she will be baptized. She is so prepared!!!

Ahh, it  really has been great. And then today for P-day we are having a zone p-day! I am really excited. We are meeting in about an hour and having a sports day. It should be fun.

Funny story (I figure yall might enjoy this).. I am so AWKWARD when it comes to the Elders. O it is bad. Last night we were with all the missionaries in Munich because of conference, and I was about as awkward as you can get. My companions were just laughing at me when we got back to the apartment because it was bad. I am just so awkward because sometimes I don't know how to act as a sister missionary or they just intimidate me. Sometimes when I get with them I studder every other word or I ask  really creepy questions or ahhh... It is bad. hahaha - So yesterday all of the missionaries and a ton of members were in the gym eating  in between sessions and I walked in to put a bowl of food on the table and when I walked in everybody just stared at me. I got all nervous and made a little " ahasdfhausuhhh" noice and ran out of the gym without even setting the food on the table... hahah o dear. Hopefully this makes sense, but I feel like yall would like picturing me being awkward. hahaha

Well I have to go. I love you guys!! Thanks for the prayers!!!! Hopefully you can look on the mission blog and see pictures from when we picked up Sister Smith. I will hopefully send the picture cd home this week.

LOVE YALL!

At the mission home with two Fast Trackers - Sis Weening and our new companion Sis. Smith along with  President and Sis. Miles daughter who just returned from her mission in Italy.

A blond, brunette and a red head.  Our new companion Sis. Smith - I am so excited, we both were on the study abroad together.  It is so fun to serve with such a great friend!

The missionaries picking us up to go pick up our new companion - but first they surprised me with this big sucker for my birthday.

Servus!

I think this week has been by far the best of my mission. I'm not going to lie,  I was really struggling for a while, and then this week everything finally clicked.

It started off when we got to meet the New Deutschers at the Airport! It was soo fun being able to pick them up and see them again from the MTC. I was soo excited. They all apparently knew I was serving in Munich because one of their moms saw my blog? I am not sure. But it definitely was a happy reunion. I got to take 3 of the sisters out and help them contact on the Ubahn. Contacting on the Ubahn usually terrifies me, but because I had to take them, it helped me soo much and I am not scared anymore. I was so proud of how brave I was and that I was able to do it. The new sisters did really well.  Because they were so great at it, it helped me overcome my fear. It was such a blessing that Sister Stowell and I were able to help because it was just what I needed.

On Thursday we got to help again with the Deutschers to get them to Hauptbahnhof to get transfered. That was fun because there were like 50 missionaries in the train station, hopping on trains to their new areas. It was like a huge reunion. How cool is that? The missionaries in the mission are now my new second family. It is really cool and I feel so lucky that I get to experience it. We also picked up our new companion! She is actually way cool and she is perfect for our companionship.

So many wonderful miracles have happened this week. First, last Sunday this lady just showed up at church. Her name is Britta and when she was about 10 her family was taught by the missionaries. The missionaries were actually a huge part of her life when she was younger and she said when they were around she was the happiest she has ever been. Well her family did not get baptized and she stopped meeting with them. Now 35 years later she wanted to try out the church again. She loved it and asked if she could meet with us. That seriously never happens. People don't usually come to you in Germany. haha But we met with her and all I could think about while we were teaching her, is that the Lord has prepared her. She still has a lot of questions and is way skeptical about the church, but I have no doubt that she will get baptized. I just know it.

Saturday was my favorite day so far. First we went to the Jadike Familie's house who were a referral. They were being met by the missionaries in Frankfurt but then moved here a little outside of Munich. They are this couple with 4 kids ages 7-14. As soon as I walked into their house I just looked at them and I knew they would be baptized one day. They already seem like a mormon family. In fact, they would be the PERFECT mormon family. We ate lunch with them and then talked with them and they are amazing. I love them so much. We have another appointment with them this Saturday and I just know that they will be baptized someday. I am so excited.

Later that night we had an appointment with one of our investigators Andreas. He was met by some other sisters. He had gone up to them at the Bahnhof and told them the spirit told him to talk to them. How awesome is that?? We have met with him 3 times, and the 2nd  time he had already read from 1 Nephi thru Mosiah, and then this 3rd time we met with him he had read Alma to Mormon. We had a really wonderful lesson with him and I was able to commit him to baptism!!  It was so cool that my very first time asking, and he said YES! I was so happy. We didn't set a date, because he wants more time, but it was just cool that I was able to ask and he said yes. There still is a lot more that needs to happen, and just because he said yes doesn't mean anything, but the Lord has truely prepared him. I just know it.

It is so cool to see the Lord's hand in this work. I have never prayed so much in my life, and wow has the Lord answered my prayers. I am really falling in love with Munich the longer I am here. There are just so many wonderul people here and I just feel so blessed that I get to teach them.

This church is true! It really is. I miss yall so much. and I hope yall have a wonderful easter!! Just know you have a daughter in Munich, Germany that loves the heck out of yall:)

Sister Allman

Elder Young, Elder Eacker, Sister Allman, and Sister Stowell helping welcome the new missionaries to Germany.

On the streets of Munich!

March 18, 2013

Wow! I cannot believe that Mckay got his mission call to the Phillipines!! I am so beyond excited for him!! Ahhh I am so happy and proud of him. How are you feeling mom and dad?? Can we go pick him up when he is done?!?!:)

Wow, I just can't even begin to write, I am soooo happy for Mckay. I am soo excited for him!!!!

Well this week was great! I was able to go on an Austauch (exchange) with Sister Pingree in Passau! It was so much fun and Passau is BEAUTIFUL. It is right on the river and all the buildings are colorful and it is just gorgeous. The Passau sisters work with a branch and I got to meet some of their members who were just amazing. They loved me right from the get go and made me feel so welcomed. The exchange was just what I needed and now I am just so pumped and ready to work this next coming transfer.

Speaking of transfers.. I recieved my first Transfer call!! Elder Sullivan (our ap) is a little jokester and he called and here is how the conversation went....

Elder Sullivan: "Sister Allman, do you know what is means to white wash an area?"

Me: "uhh... ya. It means two new missionaries go into the area who have not been there before and basically start from scratch."

Elder Sullivan: "Yes, that is what it is. The two new missionaries build up that area. (Something along those lines..)

Elder Sullivan: " Do you believe that President Miles gains revelation from God on who whitewashes areas?"

By now my heart is pounding so fast and I am freaking out. I havent even finished training and I barely know German....

Me: "Yes, I do believe that he recieves revelation for that."

Elder Sullivan: " Well Sister Allman, you will not be doing that this transfer!"

O my goodness. I was so relieved!! He started laughing so hard because he could tell that I was freaking out. haha I wanted to smack him. hahah Then he said: " You will not be whitewashing, but you will be recieving a new companion! You will now be working in a dritt with you, Sister Stowell, and Sister Armstrong in Munich."

So I am getting a new companion on Thursday and now there will be 3 of us! So I am excited. Sister Stowell and I are really pumped up and have set so many goals. We are going to make this Sister Stowell's best last transfer ever!! We want to baptize Germany! haha

Mckay getting his mission call makes me want to work so hard. What an example he has been to me! I am so excited that we will both be out at the same time.

On Wednesday Sister Stowell and I get to work with the New Deutschers coming into the mission! We get to take them contacting and I am so excited to see my other deutscher friends from the MTC.

Well the work is good and I am continuing to learn a lot. I am not going to lie, some mornings I wake up and think that I can't do this for another 15 months. Sometimes I really want to quit, because a mission is hard. But I continue to push through and something happens that makes it completely worth it. We talk to someone, or we have a lesson, or a tender mercy of the Lord happens. I have learned that the key to having a good mission is completely forgeting about yourself and focusing on the people, when we do that, that is when I am happy.

 

On the Austauch (exchange) Sister Pingree told me a quote that will stick with me forever.. She said" The harder you work, the easier it gets." So Right now I am trying to give it everything I have and working really hard, not just so it will get easier, but because I love the Lord.

Well family, I love you so much. I am so excited for Mckay. wow. Also, I finished the Book of Mormon this week. How amazing it is. Continue to read it everyday! It will bless your life!!!!

Sister Allman:)

Sister Allman attending her first Zone Conference In Munich.

All the missionaries at the Zone Conference with March birthdays- Jordan Eaker is the elder on the far right- he is not only another missionary with a March birthday, but also from Georgia!  They are both from the Cartersville Stake.

Dinner with the missionaries and a couple of members after church on March 17, 2013.

Sister Allman attending her first Zone Conference in Munich, Germany.

Sister Leven, Sister Allman, Sister Mason, and Sister Pingree 

No Cat Hair in My Food This Week

Hello!!!

I can't believe it is already P-day again. Crazy!! These weeks go by so fast. It is so weird to think that I have been on my mission longer than I was on my study abroad... Wow.

It is so hard with these weekly emails because I always forget about what happened in the past week... whoops:) It was definitely a good week. I learned a lot, ate a lot, and didn't find any cat hair in my food this week:)

Well here are some random little things from the week:

So last P-day we had about 30 minutes left of our time and we decided to go into this cardshop. As soon as we walked in the owner of the shop said "Are you my mormon girls?" We laughed and said yes and he started playing music from the Book of Mormon musical. He was so excited that we were mormon and in his shop. Supposely he really liked the musical? We ended up talking to him for about an hour about the church. He liked us a lot and we are going to visit him again today! It is cool how such a crazy musical can help soften people's hearts towards us!

This week we taught Sylvia. It was the first time I had met her but she has been meeting with the missionaries for a while now. She is the 53 year old  rocker chick. She is super skinny with short grey hair, and loves talking about men. It is kind of hilarious actually. We taught her and it went really well. She had so many questions that we were able to answer. She seemed really excited to read more this time in the Book of Mormon. She was suppose to come to church Sunday as well, but she ended up having to help with her dad. We are determined to get her to church this sunday.

Sister Stowell and I made a goal to get 4 of our investigators to church this coming Sunday. We have lots of investigators, but none of them will come to church! If they don't come to church, they can't get baptized, or feel the wonderful spirit that church brings. We are determined to get them to church this Sunday!! Sylvia is going to be one of them!!

Remember that family I told you about that own the Italian resteraunt?? Well we have been making lots of progress with them. Johanna is a less active, and she told us yesterday when we were teaching them, that her boyfriend Jean Franco is going to be closing the resteraunts on Sunday's now starting in April so she can come to church! She said that she has been praying for that for 3 years now. It is truely wonderful!  Now her and her son Abraham can come, and maybe Abraham will be able to be baptized. Jean Franco is really warming up to the church as well. Yesterday he sat down and talked with us about the church (usually he just jokes around and won't sit down with us), but he said if we brought him a Liahona with the conference talks that he would read them. It is so wonderful to see how people's hearts will soften.

Ahh Germany is great. I can't believe I have already been here more than month! It blows my mind how fast time flies when you keep busy.
Something I love about the mission is that I meet people once, and I love them so much! I go to one lesson with them, and I completely love them and want so much for them. It is so cool. I am learning so much on my mission and I feel truely blessed that Heavenly Father wanted me to serve one.

AHHH MCKAY'S PAPERS ARE IN! I AM SO EXCITED FOR HIM!! I AM GUESSING THAT HE IS COMING TO GERMANY WITH ME!

I hope yall had fun in Utah. I loved reading about it!! I miss our family so much! I printed out some pictures today so I can have them at my desk. I love our family:) I really want to buy Atlas or Cj some lederhosen to wear... hahaha

Also, our mission president just emailed us and told us we can email our friends now! So if you want to tell any of my friends that they can email me, that would be great:)

Well sorry this email is so scatter brained. Next week I will make it more orderly.

I LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!!

Sister Allman:)

Heute ist Montag :)

Hallo Familie!

It is so weird to think that it is the morning in America when it is 3:00 o'clock in the afternoon here.  It is also so weird when I wake up at 6:30 in the morning and then think  "Wow, a lot of my friends in Utah are still up doing things."  It is so crazy!

Birko got baptized yesterday!!!  It was so wonderful.  I have been in Germany for less than 2 weeks and I already feel so close to her.  She is such a wonderful example to me!! I gave the talk on baptism (in German), and I am just so glad it is over. It went a lot better than I expected though.  After Birko was baptized and came out of the fount she looked so happy and was seriously beaming.  She is going to be such an asset to the church here in Germany.  Her story is really cool.  She studies geology and they took a trip over to the states for a field trip. They came to Utah and she had a free day to explore and she went to Temple square and absolutely fell in love with it.  She came back to Germany and then met with the missionaries, she soaked everything up like a sponge and was golden.  Her testimony is so strong, and I KNOW Heavenly Father had prepared her. (I forgot my camera today so I'll send pictures from the baptism next week)

My German is getting better.  I am understanding A LOT!  It is hard for me to speak, but I generally know what people are talking about.  It has really amazed me!  So we are teaching this boy named Abraham who's mom is a less-active. His Mom and her boyfriend own an Italian restaurant so when we teach him, we teach him at the restaurant.  Friday was his birthday, so we baked him a cake and made birthday hats to take over to him.  That night we ended up staying for dinner and talked with Johanna's (Abraham's mom) friends and they are interested in the church!  They want to learn more!  It was awesome!!  Another cool thing was was that I understand almost all the German that was spoken that night.  Sister Stowell was even impressed by how much I understood.  The gift of tongues is real!

I think I am going to be here in Munich for a long time.  Sister Stowell keeps telling me that I am just the sister that Munich and our investigators needed.  Every time I get stressed or overwhelmed I just remind myself that the Lord needs me here and it all gets better.  It is cool to think.  I honestly think I will probably be in Munich for 7 months, but we will see, who knows what the Lord has planned for me.

So before my mission, everyone told me how hard my mission was going to be because it was in Europe and people would not want to learn about the gospel.  That is not true! I mean ya, we aren't teaching tons of people like the South American missions, but we are teaching.  We are finding people that are interested and people are getting baptized!  The people are ready here, they really are.  We might not have the high numbers/baptisms like other missions do, but we are finding people.  One of the General Authorities said that Germany is like a sleeping giant, and I really do believe it. T he work is hard here, but I imagine no matter where you go, it is hard in a different way.  People are being prepared, and we just have to have the faith to find them.

Sister Stowell and I get a long sooo well. We are like the same person, with a few differences. We are having a blast and laughing a lot together.  I am so grateful that she is my trainer. You know how last week how I said I was going to probably going to gain 100 pounds??  Well not anymore! We decided we needed to eat healthy so we can have more energy.  We have been running every morning, eating healthier, and now we decided we will only take the stairs.  Do you know how many stairs their are in Munich??!!?  They are everywhere!!  We are always on the transportation system because we serve in the city, so we are always climbing up stairs. I hate it, but I know it is good for me. :) haha

O!! By the way, it takes 4-5 days to get a letter. That isn't long at all!!!  I was so happy when I got your letter mom!  Thanks for sending it!!!  ahh!!  I loved seeing all the mission calls!  Thanks for updating me on that!!  Will you tell Tyler and Tess congrats for me?!?!

Well time is short. Today we are hanging out at the church with our district. The Mason's who are the couple over the YSA made us lunch and now we are going to play some games.

I love yall and pray for yall every day!!!!!!!!

ICH LEIBE SIE SO SEHR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

BIS NÄCHSTE WOCHE

Sister Allman

Helaman 10: 4-5

Servus!!

Guten Tag from München! (Munich)

 

Wow what a week. First off, I am going to gain 100 pounds while I am here. The food here is amazing! Ahh I forgot how much I loved it. Chocolate Croissants, Manner, the pizza, the Bratwurst....ahhh so delicious. If I come back 100 pounds heavier, don't be alarmed... hahah

I love being in Germany. I am so happy. This week has really been great. My Trainer/Companion is AMAZING!! I couldn't ask for someone better. The Lord really does answer prayers because she is wonderful. She is a hard worker, obedient, and so much fun. Her name is Sis. Stowell and she is from Oklahoma and has 3 months left of the mission!

I will be her last companion most likely. We have had so much fun together and we laugh a lot. We also have a lot of goals and things we want to accomplish while we are together. I expected to get here to the Germany/Austria area and just be miserable at first because that is what everyone told me, but I have really loved it. Don't get me wrong, it still has been dang hard. Everyday I do things that make me feel so uncomfortable and awkward, but then there are things that completely make up for it. Remember my motto that I had last year? "Do one thing that scares you everyday?" Well I have to do 100 things that scare me everyday. It is an adventure that is for sure.

O MEINE GUTE!! You know the Eakers in our stake?? Jordan Eaker, who I was on youth committee with is in the same mission as me, and he serves in the same ward as me. hahah Crazy huh?? We are going to be seeing each other a lot and it is weird, fun, and nice to see a familiar face.

Well there is just so many people and things to talk about and not enough time. I feel so lucky because I get to be here for a baptism next Sunday. One of the girls we teach is named Birko. She is 24 and is just so amazing. I only met her this past week but I love her so much already. She is getting baptized next Sunday and we are so excited. I am giving the talk on Baptism too and I am kinda freaking out (because it has to be in German) but I am so happy for her. Her testimony of this gospel is so strong and she is ready. She used to be a partier and did crazy things but she has completley turned her life around. She is better than a lot of members! It is wonderful.

Something I have loved about being a missionary is the love you feel for other people. You truely love them and care for them and want to help them. It is different than just typical love, it is Christ's love. It is cool.

So German is coming along okay and a lot of times I just nodd my head and smile, and act like I understand:) haha I am understanding more and more each day. I love German and I am excited to learn more.

Also literally I am cold 24/7 here. It has been snowing a lot and German people don't really like heating their houses and buildings I guess?? haha Literally I am a frozen icecle every day. It is just so crazy how different the cultures are. But since it is so cold I am going to have to buy a warmer jacket. Hopefully we will have time to find one today.

Oh and one last thing!! I love my mission president and his wife! They are so great and came to church with us yesterday. I also bore my testimony in church which was scary but fun. They all said I spoke really good German. I think they say that to every new missionary - haha. Also we work a lot with the YSA and I love it. They want to go on splits with us a lot and help us which is great. I always think of you and dad. I hope yall can go on a mission one day and be over the YSA in another country, they would love yall!!

One funny story real quick! There is a lady from Vienna who loves the the Elders so much. She literally stalks them and she is probably 45 years old?  Her name is Frau Martina and she knows when the transfer days are and will show up to the train station in Munich so she can see all the Elders who are being transfered. She came on Thursday with bags full of stuff to give to the Elders. It was so hilarious. I was so happy I got to see her in the train station creepily walk towards the elders. Isn't that hilarious? I know I will be seeing her a lot more so I will keep yall posted with frau Martina stories.

Okay time is short and I gotta go!  I LOVE YALL!! I pray for yall everynight and I am so thankful to be yall's daughter:) (Goodness I say yall a lot)

PS- on a fun note, I walked into church on Sunday and my friend Robert from Vienna was there visiting his girlfriend!! I was so happy to see him. Here are pictures of us two. Robert asked if we could get you to post them on facebook so we can show everyone from study abroad and from Vienna.

Also, here are pictures of my apt!

LOVE YALL!!!

Elysse with Robert Degaspari- a friend of hers that she knew when she went on her study abroad to Vienna

Elysse and her new companion Sister Stowell

At the MTC!