Switzerland Temple!

Hallo Familie!

Ich habe gedacht das diese Woche ich auf Deutsch schreiben kann. Wunderschone Idee gel?

Nur Spass

This week! I dont really even know what to write. It was so much fun talking to the family. Ahh so good seeing all yall. Also, to all who wrote it the "Things I love about Elysse!" book, thank you so stinking much. It was the best present ever!! I cried. Goodness. I have the best friends and family.

But since talking to yall last, the week was great! The day after Christmas we headed to Familie Zimmerman and spent the whole day there. It was such a blast.

Friday, Saturday, and Sunday we went back to work! I honestly was so ready to get back to work. I was sick of being lazy and eating tons of food. hahah Within those three short days we were able to find a new investigar! His name is Abraham and he is soo open. He loves the Bible and was so excited to read the Book of Mormon. He says in his free time he listens to preachers so we are going to send him conference talks. I feel really good about him.

I am just so grateful for how much I have learned opening and training in this area. Man, it was so hard, but I am such a better missionary now. I am so grateful for this time. Saturday is transfer calls. I am so curious to will see what will happen. Sister Freimann and I have both been here 6 months, so either of us could go. The weirdest thing is that if I do get transfered it will most likely be my last area... man.. time goes by so fast. I cant believe I have been out on my mission longer than a year.

The Elders here is Singen are so great. It is so much fun working with them. Since we were fed so much unhealthy food the past few weeks, we are doing a vegetable and fruit only detox until wednesday the 8th. Elder Chapman is going home the 10th, so we are helping him look good for when he gets off the plane hahah. We are all doing it, even the Gurneys said they were going to do it, so it is great to be able to help each other stay strong. hahah

Well for new years our ward is having a party! Supposely New Years in Germany with the fireworks are crazy, so I am excited to see them. But of course I will miss yall:  and the best of all, I am going to the temple in Switzerland on Saturday!! I am so excited. Everything will be in German, but it was be so good!

Well i love you guys. Have a great new year. Gute Rutsch!

Sister Allman

Here are some pictures from today during pday:) We played basketball with the Zimmerman Family.

O du Fröhliche

What a week it was!! When 1 door closes Heavenly Father opens 3 more doors!

So this week was a little crazy because we were in Freiburg for 2 days, but we were still able to get so much done!! The Lord blessed us with 4 new solid investigators. O man. I would just like to tell about one of them. His name is Brittel and he is from Sierra Leon. We met him and his friend on the street a week ago. I heard them speaking English so obviously I had to stop them! So we talked and they both love Jesus so much and wanted to meet with us to learn more. Well we had a lesson with them on Tuesday and it was so good. Brittel is so open and ready to hear about the Gospel. His story is so incredible. Sierra Leon used to be a part of a great war and he has been through so much! Man. But the cool thing is is that he used to be Muslim. He said that he used to be the guy that would argue with all the Christians and tell them that they were wrong. Then he started comparing the muslim and christian religions and said if anyone will tell me which faith direction is really right, it will be God. Well he started researching both and praying and then he got a answer that Christian is the right direction! So now he believes so strong on Jesus Christ. Well he came to church yesterday and really loved it. Our GML (Ward Mission Leader) told him that he was always welcome here and Brittel responded "I won't miss a Sunday!" He loved church and wants to learn so much. He also said there was a mormon church building right by his house in Sierra Leon and so many people used to invite him to come. The other wonderful thing is is that we have this awesome member in our ward named Samuel who is the Elders Quorum President and is also from Sierra Leon! So he is helping a ton as well. We are meeting with him again tonight and he is also cooking us an african dish! We are hoping to be able to set a baptismal date with him tonight-he is so ready! Miracles I tell you. The Lord never ceases to amaze me.

It made me soo happy to see the pictures of yall with the wonderul members from Munich! Ahhh Do yall just love Munich??? O man, as cheesy as this sounds, Munich has such a special place in my heart!!

Freiburg was great. It was so much fun being able to spend the night with the 4 other sisters. I think my favorite thing about it was that after Zone Training meeting on Wednesday all 30 something of us missionaries went Christmas Caroling in downtown Freiburg next to the Christmas market. It was my favorite thing ever! We had a big crowd around us! People were talking pictures, singing along and it was the best because we really made some people's days! It was the best. I must say this is already one of the most unforgettable Christmas's that I have ever had. Christmas as a misisonary is the best. Goodness. I love being a missionary.

We had our ward Christmas party Saturday night. It was a great turn out. There were 12 non members there and 4 less actives. 3 our our investigators were there and they really enjoyed it. Ward activities are the perfect way to invite non members to come see the church! It was so successful and one of the men that came is coming to church next sunday now! So next ward activity, invite a non member friend:)

Well I hope yall are having so much fun traveling europe! I am so happy yall got to see Munich, Vienna, Salzburg, Budapest, and Slovakia!! ahh all those places are heavenly!!!

Ich habe euch so doll lieb!

Sister Allman

Happiness

This week! Wow, all I can say is that everything that could go wrong, went wrong. Basically in short, we are starting fresh again from scratch. Achmed last minutely moved, and Zorro can't really meet anymore, so our two baptismal canidates are no longer, and now we are out FINDING new solid investigators! But good thing about Achmed, he will continue meeting with the missionaries in Karlsruhe and get baptized there! So it is all good.

I should be really upset that everything went wrong and that basically we have to start over, but I am not at all!! This week was still so wonderful and I am just as happy as a peach. It is so crazy!! Man, this was probably my happiest week in a long time-and everything went wrong, but I can't complain! I am serving the Lord and his children and I couldn't be happier. Also, I find it such a blessing that we have to refocus on  finding. I have had this goal that I have been working on to become a "Master Finder" and now Heavenly Father is helping me really focus on it! Tender Mercies everywhere!

Man, something I loved this week was train and bus contacting. I met so many incredible people and I truely felt Christ's love for them! It is so much fun. It is the best meeting God's children from all different types of the world and learning from their culture. Goodness, I am just in the best mission ever. I'm sorry if you disagree, but this mission is the best in the world haha and this is the best descision I have ever made-to come on a mission!! Every doubt or fear I had before the mission was so dumb. Seriously, every blessing outweighs the sacrifice of going on a mission by a million fold. Ahhh!! sorry I am just soo happy.

Well this week should be so wonderful. Tuesday we have 5 lessons lined up with potential investigators, Wednedsay and Thursday we will be in Freiburg for Zone Training meeting and our Zone Christmas Conference (We'll be staying the night with the sisters there), then Friday we a few lessons with potentials and we get to teach seminary (I am so excited), and then Saturday in the ward Christmas party! Christmas season is the best!

So Yesterday one of our potential investigators had a christmas concert in an old catholic church and we got permission to go!! It was so incredible. It was a beautiful classical concert in this old church and the sounds from the echoing high ceiling was incredible! The whole time I was just in awe and couldn't help but be so grateful for this opportunity to serve in Europe. After the concert our potential Helen was soo excited to see us. She also went up to someone and said "Look!! The mormons came!!!" hahah She was so excited. We have an appointment with her on Tuesdayand I am excited to see how it goes.

O my goodness. Guess what!!!! Sister Freimann and I get to go to the Temple in Switzerland on 4 of January. I am so excited! Normally missionaries who serve in Germany are not allowed to go, only the misisonaries in Switzerland, but Sister Freimann got asked to speak at the Stake Sisters Conference there in Zolikofen and so we were able to get permission to go. So basically, we are soo lucky!! And I am so excited to be able to go to the temple again and see the first temple that was ever built in Europe. It is going to be amazing.

Woah, can you believe that one year ago yesterday I gave my farewell talk?? It is freaking me out to think that I only have 6 months left. The time is going by so fast, so I am just going to enjoy every minute I have doing the best work in the world!

Also, guess what?!! Malcom Felt's wives, little brother, is serving in the same ward as me here in Singen! It is so awesome. He was also super close with spencer and jacob so  I feel like I am with Spencer and Jacob when I see him. It is great!! Is spencer home from his mission yet? and when is jacob getting married?

Well I love this work, I love this gospel, I love being a missionary, I love the people, and I love you all!!!

Have a great week!!!!

Here is a picture from when we made ginger bread cookies with sister gurney this week!! Kind of scary, but o well!

o and ps-the branch here is so wonderful. One of the members called us this morning and asked us to come by tongiht because she found gluten free bread for me... isnt that the sweetest????

CHRISTMAS!!

Happy Holidays!!

Christmas is here and it is the happiest time ever. Christmas in Germany is seriously so magical! I am so excited for you to experience the Christmas markets on Friday! Ahh I am just so excited for yall to go to Munich and meet all the wonderful people that have changed my life!!!

This week was wonderful! We definitely had a Miracle with Achmed!! Lately he has been struggling again to know that if Jesus Christ was really the Son of God. So we've been refocusing on strengthening his faith on the Savior. Well on Friday we saw him and he said he had a dream. He said Jesus Christ came to him and told him that he wanted him to be baptized. When he told me that my mouth just dropped to the ground. I told him that was his answer and he agreed!! I asked him if he believed that Jesus Christ was more than a prophet now and he said yes. I was just so amazed. What a miracle!!!! 

Speaking of miracles I studied Ether 12 this morning and then all about Miracles. Something that I have learned on my mission is that God is a God of Miracles. We read of so many miracles from the Bible and from the Book of Mormon, and have they ceased?? NO!! There are constantly miracles all around us, and we just need to look!! I am so incredibly for all the amazing miracles that I have been able to witness on my mission. I have no doubt in my mind that our God is a God of Miracles and also a God of Love, and that he is constantly blessing us with miracles no matter how big or small they are!

Remember Simplice??? Well on Thursday we were in this little town going by a potential. As we were walking back to the bus stop which was far a way, we hear  this bus come and stop right where we are at and the doors open. We looked up and their was Simplice yelling "Sisters!!!!!!" He had seen us earlier and after he dropped off all his passengers he came a different route to pick us up to go back to singen to pick up his next passengers. It was so awesome and he was just so happy to see us. He introduced us into passengers on his bus as his sisters in Jesus. hahha So great. During his 20 minute work break he asked us if we could pray with him so we prayed all together. It was so great. haha

So Basically the Gurney's are the best missionary couple in the world. I have been so excited for Christmas so on Saturday night they invited us over for  dinner and to help decorate the Christmas tree that we wanted to surprise the elders with. We listen to Christmas music together and all had a great time decorating the Christmas tree. It was a great way to get into the christmas spirit. Well we took the tree to the elders and surprised them and it was so much fun!! Doing stuff for other people reallly brings you so much happiness. They then dropped us off back at our aparment, and when we walked in we saw this beautiful tree that was decorated with advent calendar ornaments all over and presents!! I could have cried I was so happy. The Gurney's had snuck into our apartment when we were gone all day and had surprised us with our own christmas tree!! It was the best ever and this is already one of the greatest Christmas's I have ever had!!!!

Well I am so excited for yall to be in munich. I cant wait to hear about it. Well i lvoe you guys!!!!

Sister Allman

Here is a picture at me at one of the Christmas markets

and the other is the tree that we decorated for the elders

11 months

Hi Family! I can't believe about that crazy storm in Phillipines. I am glad to hear that Mckay is safe. I just found out about that yesterday at stake conference because someone prayed for the people in the Phillipines so I started asking around and found out. I am so glad he is okay.

This week was really great. I ended up being in Switzerland for about 4 days because I had the austausch there and then we had stake conference Saturday and Sunday. I really love Switzerland. So it was fun. This week is going to be even crazier because tomorrow we have interviews with President from 9-12 and the zone training meeting from 12-3, then the Sisters serving in Freiburg and Offenburg are coming and we are doing a mini tausch, and then on Wednedsay we have Zone Conference from 10-5. Then Saturday there is a stake youth activity here in Singen and we are helping with it. So I think this week is going to be a little crazy.

The Austausch with Sister Lohmann went so well. I loved working with her! We were unstoppable together and made a great team. It was really great to learn from her. It is crazy because I am one of the oldest (longest out on mission) sisters on the mission, so seldom do I have the opportunity to work with someone who has been out on the mission longer than me. Gosh isn't that weird? Tomorrow will be exactly 11 months for me on my mission. I'm not going to lie it is freaking me out! Time is going so fast.

We were only able to meet with Achmed once this week because he was out of town. He read some anti mormon literature so the lessons haven't been going as well, so we are a little worried, but we will see what happens. I am just praying my little heart out because I know this Gospel will change his life. But I feel like it will be good. If he is reading daily in the Book of Mormon and praying I have no doubt that he will be baptized. Because the Book of Mormon is the evidence!!  If anyone reads the Book of Mormon and prays about it they are going to get an answer. (I have no doubt:)

Zorro on the other hand is sooo awesome. O my goodness. We met with him a few times this week and he just loved everything. We taught him the plan of salvation and just keep nodding his head and agreeing. We were able to set a baptismal date with him!! So that is awesome. He just keeps saying "Ich lass mich taufe! Ich lass mich taufe!" (I am going to get baptized!) hahah So great. I wish I had a picture of him. He used to be a truck driver and always wears this leather jacket and this big black mustache. hahah I hope you can imagine him in your head. He is so ready.

I really love being a missionary. Last night we were talking to the Ehepaar The Gurney's and we got on the topic of the beginning of my mission. Satan was really on me the first two transfers of my mission. I honestly hated being a missionary and I wanted to come home every single day. I just remember feeling like there was this dark cloud constantly surrounding me. I look back on that time and I am just soo grateful. That time I probably hit my lowest of all lows that I had ever experienced, but I am so strong because of it. And it is so great to see how far I have come. I can truely say that I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!! I love it. It is so hard, but you experience things that you would never be able to experience without a mission. goodness. I just love being a missionary:)

Well Christmas is coming and I am so excited!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I hope everyone is getting excited to listen to Christmas music. hahah

Okay well i love you alll!!!

Have a wonderful week:)

Sister Allman

yodelehiowhoo

This week was a great week for us. We were able to see a lot of sucess and teach a lot of lessons. We have 3 new investigators!! Wahoo!! so that has been really great.

I want to tell yall about one of our new investigators. He is this Italian man with a large black mustache and we call him "Zorro" because that is his nickname. haha He is so hilarious and just your typical Italian man who works at an Italian restaurant and he loves spaghetti. He was found at an austellung about 2 months ago and we had called him then, but because his Italian accent was so strong we could never understand him when we talked to him on the phone. Well we decided to try again last week and with the help of the Lord we understood him enough to make an appointment out with him. The appointment was Tuesday after district meeting and it went so great. He kept telling us that he was looking for the Truth. We told him that he had found it!! We told him all about Joseph Smith and he loved it. Zorro's real name is Guiseppe and supposely that is Joseph in English. Well he was saying "his name is joseph and he was looking for the truth???? my name is joseph and I am looking for the truth!!" We set another appoinment up with him for the next day and we showed him "The Restoration" film. He cried-he loved it so much. Luckily the elders had a baptism this weekend so we invited him to come. He was so excited to go. He LOVED the baptism. the whole time he kept saying "Ja Wohl!" (o YEAHH!) and he came up to me after the baptism and said "The next baptism that will be here is going to be mine!" It was so cute. We are planning to meet with him again this week and hopefully set a baptismal date. He is so prepared and loves the church. He said he has been to so many different churches, but never has he felt the way he has felt as he does when he comes to ours. He said that he feels "füll" and at home in our church. He is so wonderful and prepared!!! You guys would just love him. 

Achmed is still doing great. We were able to teach him the Word of Wisdom and it went a lot better than we expected. He hasn"t been smoking. He came to church and the baptism and is making great progress for his baptism in December. We have an appointment tonight with him so that should be good!!!

We have an exchange tomorow and I get to go to Winterthur Switzerland so I am super excited. The swiss people talk so funny, so I am curious to see how much I will understand.

Mom, i uploaded a ton of picture on dropbox under the "newwwww" folder. Most of the pictures are from our district halloween party on pday. It was so much fun! We bobbed for apple and carved pumpkins and laughed a ton. I hope you like them!!

okay well i love you guys!! have a great week!

These Boots are made for Walking

Happy Halloween in 3 days! Today for Pday our district is having a Halloween Party at the Gurney's. We are carving pumpkins and doing all the typical american things for Halloween so I am excited. I will make sure to send pictures next week. 

This past week was super good. Sister Freimann and I have been working so hard! It has been so rewarding because every night we come home we are completely exhausted and we know we did our bests. It is such a great feeling. Also, I actually am growing to love contacting. I can't believe I am saying that, but you meet some of the coolest and craziest people on the street. It is so fun.

We were able to meet with Achmed 4 times this week. Each time went so well and he is so excited to be baptized. We taught him the Plan of Salvation and he loved it. He is just soaking everything up like a sponge. He is hilarious as well. He calls me the president and sister Freimann the secretary because she always writes down his reading assignments for him. hahah The awesome thing is that Sister Freimann has a turkish man in her home ward who was muslim and converted. We gave Achmed his number and he called him and that really helped Achmed as well. He was excited to know he is not alone and that if he goes back to Turkey, there will be other members. I am a little bit nervous though because tonight we are teaching him the Word of Wisdom. He smokes like a chimney and I learned he loves his coffee. Yesterday at church he found out more about the Word of Wisdom and he kind of freaked out a little bit. But, good sign, during sacremant he was looking around for a "Old, wise man" that could baptize him. haha So hopefully it goes well tonight. If it goes well I think he could change his baptism to in a few weeks. So we'll se what happens.

This week looks really great. We have so many lessons with promising potentials and I think we will be able to have new investigators this week. We ran into Simplice yesterday!! He was working. He is just the best. He said that he wants so badly to be at church, but his work schedule is just so crazy. We are hoping we will be able to meet with him this week, so we will see what happens.

We met a cool guy named Bernie last week. When I first stop and contacted him he was so mean and scary. I was telling him about the book of Mormon and he kept making sarcastic remarks so I just bore my testimony. Then he looked a me and said in a snooty tone, "You want me to buy this book don't you?" I told him no, and that we give this book to people that have a desire to read it and learn about it. His countenance then completely changed. He looked at me and said "You mean, you would really give me this book?? For Free?!?!" I told him yes. O my goodness. He then got so happy and was just like "I have so many questions about God and the purpose of life and yes I want this book!" It was hilarious. We exchanged information and he was just so excited to read it and meet with us. That was a lesson learner to me that you should not give up so quickly with the people you talk to on the street. hahah We are meeting with him on Wednesday and I am excited to see what happens.

O my goodness. Mom! My boots are such a wreck but I love them!! It was so funny because yesterday the Relief Society president came up to me and said "Do you need help buying new boots? I talked to President Frank and when you need help, the branch can help you out." haha It was so cute and nice and also hilarious because I had no idea how she knew my boots were falling apart. Maybe she saw them?? I'll send a picture. haha

Well I love you guys. Thanks for all the prayers. This church is true!!

Here is something in German. Excuse mistakes.

Ich liebe eine Missionarin zu sein. Es ist ein wunderbare Erfahrung Gottes Kinder zu dienen. Diese Kirche ist wahr!! Wir konnen immer zu Gott beten und Er wird uns immer antworten. Wir sind nie Allein. Wir haben ein Vater wer ist immer da. Wir haben so viel Glück!!!!!! Ich habe alle euch so viel Lieb!

Here is the one picture I took this week. haha That is a german house for ya!

and here is one of my boots. It doesnt look so bad in the picture, but they are hahaha The whole goes all the ways to the inside of the boot. But I want to keep wearing them because I think they are awesome. haha