Tuesday, March 29, 2016

March 28, 2016

HAPPY EASTEERS !!!!!
Family sent an Easter Package...








Amber loves us and went all out on our lovely wonderful Easter baskets! She seriously is my mother out here!!!! She's a kindred spirit! Lemme tell ya I won't be running outta chocolate anytime soon ... THANK YOU AMBER













              Laughing is good for the soul ! 

BEST FRIENDS REUNITED❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ MY HEART IS SINGING 🎀🎀🎀
I got to see Deedee after soooo long ! Isn't she beautiful ?! This really was SUCH A Huge tender mercy from God to be able to see her AND get called to the EXACT SAME MISION! WOW.  She's one of my besties from sexy rexy , actually one of the first friends I made there, and deedee made the move to the burg better than expected. I'll forever be grateful for her 😊
One of the greatest days in the mission so far. 




I LOVE ILLINOIS ❤️


MISSIONARY STARVES TRYING TO MAKE FANCY SMANCY MEAL
Well you see what had happened was ... I was trying to be a nice companion and spice up life and make some Swedish pancakes instead of the usual German ones and PSYCH...it's obviously  been awhile since I've made them. Haha my comp said , "oh it's like a pancake casserole." Haha yeah sure .... Well y'all will be happy to know it still tasted good. And Sis Smith liked it so I'll keep practicing to perfect it. Dad and Kimmer always made the BEST Swedish pancakes ! Idk how they always do it. One day I'll be great at it like them. 






Spaghetti squash is my fav ❤️
Add pasta sauce & = muy delicioso 









"Family Trees" & sparkles
So apparently in the mission field the place you first serve is where you're " born" and your first trainer is " your mom" and whoever trained them is " your grandma".   So from left to right:
Sis. Halliday (she knows Hailey Jensen,one of my besties sisters from Texas cause they played soccer @ byu Hawaii together.  Those crazy Mormon connections) is my " grandma" and then Sis. Smith ( not deedee --the other sis. Smith in the mish) is my "mom", then me. 
I'm not too much fond or into all this " family tree" stuff cause I think it's weird but kinda fun I guess haha. but everyone else is so for now it's family tree I guess. πŸ˜‚


Sis. Halliday and Sis. Wooley are our STL and Sis. Wooley is coming up on the last leg of her mission and so we took this pic of all the sisters she's ever gone on exchanges with. 
Pretty rad group of sisters. 

Sister James ( the 2nd sister in the far left corner in the very back with blonde hair & sparkly shirt) said (and I quot) I am "the cutest missionary she's ever seen" haha. 
Well 1st of all - thank you mom ( my real mom who legitamentally wombed me) for that! It's surely genetic πŸ˜˜πŸ˜‰  And 2nd- she was the ONLY other sister wearing sparkles so she knows what's up. 

MTC seesters reunited !!!!
Me and sis Metcalf ! Kindred spirits :) 
Ps- you're never fully dressed without a Lil' sass and a Lil' sparkle or a WHOLE LOT of it is ideal πŸ˜‰Missionary life is fantastic ! We love it :) 

Left to right:Ssis. Metcalf , Sis. Havey, (if you couldn't tell that's me :), Sis. Ivie
I LOVE THESE SEESTERS SOOOO MUCHO ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I miss the MTC fun and laughter we shared. Now we get to continue that here! 

SISTER SLIPS &  SPEAKS FOUR LETTER WORD.  OH NO....SNOW. 
EASTEERS -- diahreaaring since EASTEERS-- I YOKING πŸ’©πŸ’©πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜
My Gma Christensen  made a cool blog for my mission stuff. Go check it out :


Illinois has the MOST GORGEOUS sunsets &. sunrises! Bright pinks, purples, blues, oranges, reds.  More unreal than ever seen before! 

Our new investigator Eric --we were trying to put a note in his door quietly & quickly to get back to apartment on time, but failed cause his dogs barked and he came to the door. I gave him the note and told him what we had written then ran off after he closed the door. So awkies! Haha 
I Felt like I was asking someone to a dance or something cause we were being all fast and secretive. I should be in the FBI or CIA or something haha 

Did I tell y'all bout our Australian workout instructor? πŸ˜‰πŸ˜‚
If u struggle in morning like I do...7M workout in the App Store. The guy does the workout with an Australian accent so that should help πŸ˜‚ 

I got to use my white person Spanish skills at a Spanish restaurant  during district lunch w/ the hermanas help. They said they hope I get to change to Spanish so I can serve w/ them and so they can see how Spanish ppl would pronounce Γ„llowitz ...Haha yeah that'd be a circus all on its own cause white ppl cannot even pronounce it πŸ˜‚That would be a dream come true to speak Spanish and be an hermana. But for now English it is:) Spanish is the celestial language after all:) 
I get to use my limited knowledge of Spanish all the time. Haha It's really frustrating but cool that I know some though. I know more than most other missionaries here and that's saying something πŸ˜‚Some people say ,"well hey, I think she's fluent" πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ haha funny. Not. Well hey Im sure fluent in nachooooooo !!!! Speaking of nachooooo ....I Wish I could just switch a knob and start speaking in Spanish. Well that ain't how it is! A girl can dream right:) 


πŸ₯🐣 its Easters! EASTEERS is sooooo fun as a missionary cause you really get to hit people upside the head (spiritually of course;) and REALLY testify of the Savior cause more people wanna listen cause it's one of the 2 times outta the year they want to. I love being a missionary & helping people come into Christ and change from their old habits to new good ones. The Atonement is so real and I'm sooo grateful for it in my life for so many reasons ! 

Another time w/ Amber (a recent concert in the ward) we were at another Mexican restaurant.   Jose (the server) and I are buddies now.  I left him a note and tip and card w/ a link to the cool "Hallelujah" Easter video that the church came out with. We helped each other learn more English and Spanish. He said he was impressed w/ my Spanish grammar! πŸ˜‚
I thought it was funny cause I wrote, "hola Jose! Gracias ....Buenos noches....jesucristo..."  And more stuff but that's really all I knew in Spanish & so he was literally impressed with my 5 words.   I knew how to incorporate into this note inviting him to learn more about gospel. Wow. I must be pretty good at Spanish then πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ jk jk. It really went to show how much they do appreciate your effort even if all you can speak is nachoooo and a few words and sentences in Spanish. 
Ahhh maybe one day I'll get to spread the gospel in the celestial language of Spanish. Oh how cool that would be :) Everyone at the table laughed at me, but I didn't care. I felt so cool. Jose saw I was trying. And I saw he was trying to speak English. The thought of doing something nice and then acting goes a long way. 

While reading Book of Mormon, I have been highlighting when it talks about Jesucristo in one color and WOW soooo amazing  how many times he's talked about in the Book of Mormon! It's so wonderful and amazing!!! It is another testimony to me that the BofM really is another testament of Jesucristo and HE IS REAL & HE LIVES!!!!! He REALLY DOES!!!  I want ALL OF Y'ALL to KNOW that I KNOW Jesucristo suffered and died not only for our sins but also for our pains, afflictions, weaknesses, sorrows, sadnesses, hurt, trials, tribulations, and any  other hard things we have or EVER  WILL experience in this life!  I KNOW that because Christ did that for us, he really does know all we're going through and knows EXACTLY how to help, heal, and comfort us, because he's been through it himself. I know Christ gave himself as the atoning sacrifice to the world out of pure love. (Moroni 7:48) He loves you, me, and EVERYONE. JESUS LOVES US ALL ❤️❤️❤️ I am so grateful to know things I know & that I have an opportunity to continue growing and learning on my mission now and for the rest of my life.  I'm especially grateful to know that 
1-I am NOT EVER alone in this world (John 14:14-18)
2- I am LOVED more then I'll ever know! 
3- the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is WITHOUT A DOUBT the 1 & ONLY true church on this earth today. It was fully restored upon the earth by Joseph smith, a prophet called of God 
4- I can be together with my family who qualify FOREVER & ALL eternity ! 
How wonderful to know these things. How even more wonderful to KNOW they are true. I love being a missionary! I love that I have grown in knowledge and love. I also grateful for my loving Savior Jesus Christ and for all he continues to do for me. I have NO clue what I'd do without him. None of us would be here, that's for sure. The Atonement is so real and can be used and should be used in our daily lives. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and for Heavenly Father sending his Only Begotten Son to this earth for the salvation and Eternal Life of man. I hope all of y'all had fun during this Easter season but more importantly I hope y'all have been able to really ponder about the Savior and all he's done for you personally because He's the center of all things we do. All things we have are because of him and God. I'd hope and pray we all continue to go about lives with Christ in our hearts and remember to put Christ at the center of all we do. 

I know that as we do so we'll have better love for others and our relationship with the Savior will grow and blossom from a seed to a flower and then one day  into a beautiful garden. I hope all of y'all will do all you can to reach the garden and not just settle for the one flower or seed. You may only be at the seed or be able to see a small flower but I PROMISE you as you continue to be ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED IN GOOD CAUSES & do all you can to continue reading your scriptures and praying daily and going to church regularly and continuing adding on the things into your life that will help you move towards Christ your garden will come. Some will take time. Some come fast. It all has to do with your SINCERE desire. READY, SET, GO!!!! Start NOW! Do NOT wait a minute longer! The Savior is waiting!  There may be weeds or bad roots in your garden and that's ok, I promise you it's NEVER EVER EVER too late.  The Savior will always be at your left and your right. He's there and wants to help you. He LOVES YOU soooo mucho!!!!! Go and do. Return and report to the Lord. With his help you can conquer all. I know we truly can do ALL things through Christ, because he strengthens us! He wants to help you, he just needs you to ask! (Philippians 4:13)  WE SHOULD WANNA BE FRONT ROW PEOPLE NOT BACK ROW PEOPLELive your life and be happy for the Savior and God have given you much! I love the Savior. He is my light. He leads me and guides me home. 

Ppl are catching on that I love sparkles and my sass πŸ˜ good sass of course haha 

I found out a sister who recently finished her mission is cousins with my bestie, Tessa Carver! Small world, this Mormon networking thing is insane πŸ˜‚On my left and right someone I know somehow through someone's mothers brothers cousins kitten that,..... 

Missions are TOUGH.  More often than not I've felt inadequate or frustrated Or wanted to give up! 
In life I find we feel that way, but good for us we can do as Brigham Young once said, "If you have a bad thought about yourself, tell it to go to hell because that's exactly where it came from." Haha WHOA. I like that one πŸ˜‰πŸ˜πŸ˜‚Really...Satan wants us to rag on ourselves and not feel good and break commandments, because he doesn't have the opportunity to enjoy this life as we get to. So tell Satan to GO AWAY!!!! And SMILE! Be HAPPY!!! Enjoy life!  It was meant to be enjoyed, not just endured. Be kind to yourself!  We often rag on ourselves too much and don't give ourselves enough credit for what we're doing right!  Give yourself a pat on the back if needed! Or look in the mirror and pre-game talk yourself like your coaches do when they're giving you an epic encouragement before a game! The little things help! :) 

There was a cute little lady who ran outta her car when we got outta our car by her house and talked to us. She was soooo kind. She's not interested in the church but loves love loves Mormons and knows lots about the church. She seriously was the sweetest. She's gonna get dunked one day, I know it:) 

Our new investigator, who lives in ghettoest part of town, came to church for first time yesterday.  We had a lesson with him a few days ago, and he's sooo cool and sooo nice ! He served in the military, and he's legit people! He has little to no teeth, and dressing within his means which doesn't seem to be very much, and then he came to church BOOM...walks in James Bond nice suit and tie. Sis. Smith and I were like WHAAAAT?! Seriously James Bond is now investigating the church. Haha We told him he looked spiffy. He just shrugged and said "well I figure I better dress up here and there." Ah, he loved Easter Sunday! And he's sooo golden! He's already connecting all this stuff in the Book of Mormon. When we first met him, we were on his porch and talked about the Book of Mormon and how Christ visited the Americas ( right Doovin ?πŸ˜‚) and he said "well yeah that totally makes sense that Christ would do that." Wow. He's golden! Solid! A member, Bro. Duede, was at the lesson and invited him to church and FHE.  He accepted and said he wants to come! He's gonna get dunked too. I'm sooo happy to see things moving along here in Freeport. They've been slow but it's picking up! 

As a missionary you get used to rejection. You learn how to take it--but when it's from someone you taught and were super stoked about and seemed excited about reading BofM--and they reject you and are really mean to you, it stings a little. We met some other people and they seemed super solid, an older couple, but wow that stung. One day they'll turn it around. Just sad. 
The Savior took soooo much rejection, I don't know how he did it. As a missionary I get to experience just a SLICE of what Christ went through, and boy am I ever so extra grateful for Christ! 

1st this week--Had a Passover meal with lamb for first time. The member said they usually have no meat but then she said the missionaries are coming so, "it's okay I make lamb" πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

I had provolone & bacon prego sauce, real bacon and cheese, so DELISH...didn't know was a flavor. Should've know. Mind blown! I'm Kinda in pasta and spaghetti squash & corn dog phase! 

Oh my, it was Soooooo cute!!!! The little Duede boy, Sven, kept saying, "Sister Awowitz, Sister Awowitz, I wanna show you how to build an airplane." The whole night he kept talking to me and was so excited to tell me about all this stuff. Oh he's the cutest. He reminds me of a kid of a family I used to nanny for many moons ago. He said I'm his favorite missionary.  I don't even know why πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ but I'll take it ! Makes me happy:) 

I told y'all I'm the minority here .... My comp and I got yelled @ from across street. They said "hey you white girls come here !" πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ Wow, thank you for pointing out I'm a white cracker. Thank you πŸ˜‚ Ppl see us and run like we have Ebola or something haha It's sad and funny. 

Mom sent me my letters and envelopes I left at home so I can write more letters and 
I was soooo excited , felt like fat kid on veggie diet  who ate cake for the first time, sooo happy! . So stoked ! My comp said she's never seen someone get so excited over paper and envelopes before πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ oh how I love writing letters

General conference is  COMING UP IM SO EXCITED!!!!! Actually excited =understatement.  I'm soooooo pumped !!!  The women's conference was amazing !!!! GO SERVE! Service is KEY people :) I'm gonna miss eating fruit pizza and laying around in my footies but it's ok.  Some kids don't even have that & missions are so much cooler :) I wanna invite y'all to Write down questions you have for Conference & pray to seek revelation from the Holy Ghost to what those answers are. I know you'll be able to receive them as you really pray:) I'm gonna do this too! 

I forgot to grab coat one day when tracting.  My comp asked where my coat was and I said, "well some kids don't even have coats so I'm putting myself in their shoes today." πŸ˜‚ yeah needless to say, I'm grateful for my coat even if it isn't warm enough! 

An investigator gave us more "spa treatment" haha.   I got to have a toxin foot bath--where you put your feet in this bath thing and it releases toxins from your body! The lady told me that after, so cool! She did Reflexology for my comp--where she basically gives you an epic foot massage, and she can tell which parts of your foot need to be rubbed and how that connects to the rest of your body. Cause the feet connect to all the rest of the body. It's Some cool stuff! That'd be a cool college major too! Except idk about running people's feet.... Some people got some nasty stuff going on. Idk if I could do that. Good thing other people are willing, cause I love when people give me foot massages πŸ˜‚

We Met a guy tracting and we started talking about the Savior.  He started closing the door saying he wasn't interested.  I noticed he had a British accent, and saw he had an England soccer jersey and started asking him if he was from there. He talked a little bit about it. It was just funny cause he kept trying to shut the door, and I kept saying something, and he finally just said "I'm not interested" and closed the door. Haha I'm gonna keep talking til the people slam the door, so yeah try me people ! 

My Internal clock needs to knock it off. It gets me up @ 5ish when I have another hour. That darn thing ! 

We also met this guy tracting. He got out of his car after he thought he had parked it. His  car was rolling haha after he stopped it.  He said, "oh now you can say you've met a Muslim, and he's not gonna kill you or cut you up..." Wow what an intense convo. Haha so funny. Some peoples children. He said he likes Mormon lifestyles cause we don't  use technology and we ride in buggies and stuff ....oh boy did I have to clarify that's not us πŸ˜‚I don't think he got it. I tried to kindly explain that isn't us, and he kept on going about how much he likes it. I had my iPad right there. "Dude do you not see that I have an iPad right here that we actually use ? " πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
Talking to them was one of weirdest experiences of my life haha.  Missions are great--full of weird experiences ! I've met some of the weirdest and coolest people while being in Illinois ! 


There's defiantly Some pretty sketchy neighborhoods in Freeport ! They are sooo fun to tract! 
They really are my favorites to tract! We are not allowed to go at night ! It's too bad cause 
I Wanna witness a shooting and drug deal soooo bad πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜³πŸ˜πŸ˜
we hear sirens daily and a gun shot here and there but no real deal face to face stuff ...yet πŸ˜ 

I Just found out from my Allowitz grandma that my 3rd great grandmother was BORN here in Freeport !!!πŸ™€πŸ™€πŸ™€ WHAT THE FUN?! ARE YOU SERIOUS??! This is crazy awesome !!!!! So legit ! YALL I AM LITERALLY IN LAND OF MY ANCESTORS!!!!  Freeport was growing on me but oh boy it means much more to me now! Again...another powerful testimony builder to me that family history is sooo important because if my grandma hadn't known that and I hadn't said anything about my area she wouldn't of known and then my grandma wouldn't of been able to tell me that! Y'all better get on your family history :) 

Sis. Duede played her harp in sacrament and sang. It was so beautiful ! 

As a missionary you "get" to  go everywhere with a companion 24/7. You get to go to sleep every night at 10:30 pm and arise at 6:30 am & exercise and lift weights and  cook your own meals and teach the gospel...and see people change and get baptized. You get to walk around in the blizzards and rain...and sunshine. "It's fantastic! I love it." We may not have all the glory, like Ramses, but we can help others come unto Christ and give God that glory cause that's where it initially came from. 


Easteers:  We did have lots of fun with candy and games though :) 


When your comp tells you it's snowing and you're praying its April fools day ....nope. 
Groundhog MUST'VE decided to stay longer and be laughing in his hole, dang groundhog! 
It started snowing while we were inside studying and my comp said it before I saw it. 
I told her we don't use that kind of language (snow) in this apartment πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

Lemme tell you what God did for me this week! 
Here's a few of the miracles this week-- 

  • We called an investigator but no answer. We went anyway (got text after about not being a good time). Had lesson anyway. Text blocked:) way to go HF haha 
  • Found 4 new investigators 
  • 2 investigators came to church 
  • Got Easter packages from Duerden cousins and Mamacita and bros! ( thanks y'all for thinking of me ) 
  • Amber took us out to dinner on Saturday night and just so happened to be the same night as women's general broadcast (which is when mom and I and other SISTOS and friends usually go to dinner or do something fun before or after). It was fun to be with her that night! 
  • Snow melted:) 

I love you all soooo mucho!!!! Thanks sooo mucho for all the support and love! It means so much! 
Y'all stay strong now ! And remember who gave you life. All glory to God! 

I'd love to hear from y'all! 
I promise to write back even though it may not be right away :) 


❤️ love Seester Allowitz 
1319 Butterfield Rd. #552 
Downers Grove, IL 60515


Tuesday, March 22, 2016

March 21, 2016

HAPPY ST PATTYS DAY
We had a fabulous st. Pattys day celebration thanks to some awesome
cousins who sent a green package -- THANK You:)

We had green German pancakes and green malk  with lots of confetti and
chocolate money galore and hats and necklaces-- the whole 9 yards :)
TAKE ME OUT TO THE BALL GAME :)


German pancakes take on gluten free :) 
These are the sister training leaders ( STL's ) sister Wooley and sis.
Halliday , they're awesome !
I made gluten free German pancakes ( never done it before ) since sis.
Wooley cannot have gluten or dairy. It was an adventure @ 1st cause I
was seriously so nervous if it was gonna taste good but oh boy they
were AMAZING still!
And then we add some fancy fixing on it.
It's sooo funny to me how these German pancakes are such a treat and
the coolest thing to everyone I make them for.
I mean I've made them for my comp atleast 10x already.
I'm the cool kid here πŸ˜‰ THANKS TO KIERAN for teaching me the ways.
Who knew German pancakes would be so cool to people here.
I should be on chopped or something then πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ jk jk
#prochefkarigan





While we were Eating @ subway a song came on -- " been a long day without you my friend" not that I was listening .... I was Zoning it out while reading BofM. That song was one I knew from before the mission life so it caught my attention, but I really was doing all I could to be fully focused on my scriptures and zone out the music.
In all seriousness this song reminded me of the BofM .... And how we've been commanded to read and pray daily. Have you taken the time to read your BofM today ? How's your prayer life ? You know our prayer life is our DIRECT link to heaven ?! Well IT IS. How long has it been since you invited the Savior in your life ?
Yes I also am MISSING all MY PEEPS. But more importantly ....
I NEVER wanna be without the scriptures or prayer or Christ EVER AGAIN !!!
So I am going to do ALL I can to put Christ at the center of my life.
You might need to do a CHECK UP FROM YHE NECK UP TO CURE YOUR STINKIN' THINKIN' about your spiritual well being and where youj are spiritually !!!
Really do ask yourselves those questions !


And then the  song ..." How can I forget you girl ? There's always something there to remind me !" Well Replace  girl with a churchy thing like the Savior ! And so when I thought " how could I forget the Savior? How could I forget you & the wonderful things you've done for me ?"... HIT ME ! SERIOUSLY HOW COULD WE FORGET THE SAVIOR & Redeemer of the world ?! He atoned and sacrificed and suffered and bled from EVERY pore for us so we can return back to our loving Heavenly Father and so we can KNOW we ARENT alone or forgotten ! So PLEASE don't forget about our loving brother. Without Him we'd literally be NOTHING. It's important to always remember the Savior daily but this Easter season is SO SPECIAL ! EASTER is coming up this Sunday -- All y'all go watch the EASTER church video on lds.org & think about what the Savior means to you personally!


During exchanges with the sister training leaders (STL) we met this lady, Hannah @ the food pantry where we did service. She's from Germany , oh my gosh --cutest little old lady ! We talked about World War II & the holocaust.  She pronounced my name the coolest way EVER! I'm sure it's the way it was initially intended w/ a cool accent. Dope !  Love accents ! She sounded like the lady version of Pres. Uchtdorf.

Our water isn't clean sometimes so we have to drink bottled water ... You'd think I was in another country or something πŸ˜‰ haha cool experiences all around.

This Lady we taught turns TV on for her cats to watch πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ She was talking to them and wondering if they could hear it and if they liked the channel. How considerate of her πŸ˜‚πŸ˜³πŸ˜πŸ˜‚ Haha made me laugh.

There were many  Tornado warnings , thunderstorms-- so dope! Reminds me of movie “Twister” I think it's called? Chasing tornados



We went on exchanges .... new this time. We both went to STL area. My comp barfed and didn't feel well so we stayed 2 nights haha ...blessing in disguise ... ( talk about later) πŸ˜πŸ˜‰

We Helped at wedding reception. I mean if you wanna get technical it actually was an open house..... It Was so fun , loved it , think weddings are one of my callings in life ! Haha I mean planning and decorating and everything about them ! I LOVE planning parties ! ️ Don't anyone worry ... But it for reals Made me even more excited for one day I will get married in the temple  :) Don't worry I am focused on my missionary purpose. Just a nice thought. Hah anyway --
The newly married Couple sang a song from Phantom of Opera ( Emy you would've DIED it was EPIC!) it was So awesome ! Haha the funny part is my Comp felt so awkies. Made me laugh.

1sts this week:
Made gluten free German pancakes  for one of the STL's who is gluten and dairy free. It actually was really good. Couldn't tell a difference.

I drove mission car cause my comp got sick.

Mission time is SO WEIRD!  Sooo weird ppl! Those of you who have served missions know EXACTLY what I mean ! I Still CANNOT believe I'm on a mission! I feel like I'm still just a little kid- still am in reality I guess πŸ˜‚ seriously feel like a little kid. Weird ! 


If Anyone has any cool quotes or churchy pics or cute pinteresty fun stuff or  good easy recipes please feel free to send them my way :) Or any funny snapchats or pics you wanna share with me go for it ! I can read my emails I get throughout the week I just cannot reply until Monday. So seriously feel free to email me anytime and whenever y'all want !!!! I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting all these great emails from all y'all :) THANK YOU :) 

Pres. Packer before he passed away was here for meetings and eating a normal brown paper sack lunch with Elder Scott ( area president ) and said , "What are you going to do to build up this area and be prepared when so many people will be coming into the church in such a rapid rate that you won't know what to do." WHOA, THATS MY MISSION PEOPLE. Of course he said that's gonna be somewhere around  5-10 years from now, but still I'm curious to know what this is gonna be. A natural disaster or disease like Ebola but 1000x worse or something. Idk. 

A member in the ward I'm serving in said this is the y'all  joke  in the bible haha Ephesians 4:6 WOW. these Midwesterns don't know what the southerners soundlike . Made me laugh. This just proves the southern language is the elect one :) haha jk It would be celestial but Spanish is the celestial language. 


LEMME TELL YOU WHAT GOD DID FOR US THIS WEEK...MIRACLES ARE REAL PEOPLE!!!!---We have seen some mighty miracles this week...some small and some big , mighty miracles none the less!


( HEADLINE) 
When it came time for us to come back from our exchange Sister Smith really wasn't feeling well.   After prayer and much consideration we all came the conclusion that it probably wasn't safe for us to drive back cause it might've made her more sick. And that's when we called DL, and got permission to stay another night. That's the same night the tornado warnings were out and the weather was way bad. We have no clue what would've happened if we had been out driving on the freeway at night. It was for sure a miracle we were able to stay an extra night and know with confidence we could drive back to our area and be okay. Seriously, saved us from the storm ! But I think it would've been kinda cool to experience a tornado again first hand like on the movie "Twister" but in all reality I'm grateful too. 


We met Sherrie , new investigator.  she is really nervous about going to church because she had some really bad experiences when she was younger when she went to church. She wants to get coming back to a church but is doing it slowly because of the anxiety church brings her. We showed her the Easter video and she told us all about how much she loved it and she talked about how the Savior's blessed her in her life. We invited her to a lesson at the Duede's home--a family in the Freeport ward. The wife says, “since you came to the ward and talked about the mission vision for this year of baptizing 1000 , I knew that was so true and am working diligently to spread the gospel and find those to teach and baptize.” She said she has a goal of having 1 investigator taught in her home a month and even though she's been talking to everyone she knows she hasn't had anyone say "yes" yet. 
We promised her that as she diligently keeps on trying and asking everyone someone will say yes. And when we met Sherrie we invited her to have a lesson in sister Duede's home, she agreed and said it would be awesome. We have that planned for next Friday. We are so excited because Sherrie has a few kids and so does Sister Duede so we feel that they'll get along great. And we know she'll really feel the spirit so strong in her home. 

Judy Melchor, a New sister who moved in from Chicago has several kids who aren't members. . She's a recent convert and sounds so wonderful! We were able to contact her and talk with her. She sounded super excited and ready to meet the members in Freeport. We are waiting to hear back from her on a time that will work best for her, she should be getting back to us later today. The elders in Chicago said she would be a great person to ask for referrals because she knows lots of people. We are excited to meet her  

HF  reminded me of a lady we met 2 months ago .... I couldn't remember where she lived or her nam,e but after we drove around a little bit and prayed mightily and thought hard about he,r we finally were able to remember and found her. We showed her the Easter video and asked for REFERALS and everything ...nothing happened out of it, but I am so glad we finally found her. We followed the "passing thought" and asked for Heavenly Gathers help. I know she came to my mind for a reason. 

We also ran into lady when we knocked on her door who we met a week ago when she was cleaning up her church yard. She's 80+ and so kind and has a strong faith in God and the Savior. She had to leave for a family event but we have no doubt we had seriously met her just a week previous. She said we can come visit her again when we are in the area. 

We were supposed to go to members for dinner as we usually do on Saturday nights. But they cancelled last minute and we met an awesome guy who was interested in learning more. And so we set appointment with him. If that appointment hadn't been canceled we might not of met him. 

While we were at stake conference a lady came up to us and gave us a referral for her cousin who she's been trying to get baptized who lives in Freeport. 


We met a Lady named Donna who just let us in and is sooo ready for gospel. 
She's been looking for a church and is excited to come this Sunday for the Easter program. 

God is great. And miracles are coming forth. The Freeport area is growing and these seeds are growing and becoming stronger. I am grateful for the opportunity to continue this wonderful work here. Seriously things are looking up here in this area of the vineyard of the Lords work! I am PUMPED to see what this next week brings. 

Thanks for all your Love and support. 
I think about all y'all often ! 
I seriously couldn't do this without y'alls help! 

Xoxo 
Keep being awesome people :) 

I'd love to hear from y'all ! 

️ love Seester Γ„llowitz 
1319 Butterfield Rd. #552 
Downers Grove, IL 60515

karigan.allowitz@myldsmail.net

MARCH 7-14,2016

Twinners Again

FREEPORT PRETZEL TWINNERS
DONUT ALL Y'ALL WORRY , I'm doing AWESOME ! I got my donuts :) DONUT FORGET THE DONUTS πŸ˜‰πŸ˜‚

YES BE JEALOUS OF MY COOL MISSION CITY

I SCREAM U SCREAM ,WE ALL SCREAM 4 ICE CREAM 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦😍❤️😘  Our ward had a ward pinewood derby and we got to race a car. It was
pretty fast but not good enough I guess. Hey it was still fun and some
kids don't even have cars to race , so it was a privledge. AND we got
m&ms as a prize .... Basically we scored πŸ˜‚  




HEADLINE:
MISSIONARY RECEIVES PAMPERED TREATMENT WHILE TEACHING & TESTIFYING OF THE SAVIOR:MISSIONARIES IN SHOCK FOREVER: DEADLY TOXINS  RELEASED: MISSIONARY IN LASTING SHOCK πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜³πŸ˜¬


We thought we were showing up to the glasses for a "regular lesson " with sister Canada but little did we know she's a reflexology pro and so in her mind this "visit" was for her to give us a "spa day treatment" ( which on any other day would be awesome except on missionary time ! Haha -- it felt great though! ) she was showing us what she knows about how if you massage the feet you can release bad toxins in the body somehow and release tight spots too. She also had us soak our feet in water that got rid of bad toxins in our body as it turned different colors she could tell us what those were that were released. I got my feet rubbed and my comp got to soak her feet in water to release toxins. HANDS DOWN, WEIRDEST lesson we've ever had! πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜³She also made us try a shakeology shake , so if you ever find yourself in this situation .... Keep convo centered in gospel πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ man my feet were A- WAY SOFT & B- felt sooo much better and relaxed Haha yeah I felt soooo bad cause we were there too long but we finally were able to have a lesson and be pampered Haha oh boy.


I Met Jewish guy whose ancestors got gassed in chambers  during the holocaust. He told us more about it. And then I talked to him about family history and importance of It.
I then Shared my Jewish background -- and how my last name is polish and he said while lookin at my name tag ,  "look at that...certainly is!"   I felt like he was a celebrity for some reason probably cause he had an interest in the holocaust too idk πŸ˜‚ but dang it was a cool experience. It's funny watching ppl try to say my name as they try to sound out "Γ„llowitz" πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚
#struggleisreal


HOLY COW, so funny story, we have a weekly planning session each week usually on Thursdays to plan out our next week and  we say a prayer to begin our planing and pray more specifically for many more investigators and members and I know this is gonna be hard to believe
( haha DEF NOT) but I Said a 35 min prayer πŸ˜‚ I kid you not ! We have 3 hours to plan and in the middle of my prayer my comp stopped me nicely and said we needed to start planning. That prayer is usually longer anyway cause we are praying specifically to receive inspiration and revelation for our areas.  Looks like I Beat gma c's record πŸ˜‚Haha jk gma. But seriously a 35 min prayer haha I cannot even right now. Literally Stacy. And I could've kept going for who knows how long if my comp hasn't stopped me. Geez. Yup I like to talk a lot.

Many ppl we meet tracting have been challenging us to re think what we believe cause they say we're "wrong" and have been deceived. Interesting hearing people's side of life and religion.
Makes me sad for people.

When there is Sunshine in my face and I get to share the gospel  =  me smiling forever , I am so happy to be able to have the opportunity to share the gospel with others. This isn't just the gospel here people ... This is the thing that has brought me and so many others like you soooo much joy and happiness. So I'm soooo grateful Heavenly Father has so graciously given me the opportunity to be apart of this wonderful work for 18 months.



Illinois sunsets = BEAUTIFUL!!!!!  Illinois has KILLER sunsets !!!! Ah GORGEOUS!!!! ❤️❤️❤️


Here's some ppl I love so much..... Some Investigators & members we teaching ---to give you a better idea of how much I love I have for the people and area here....
  • Jackson ... Ahhh we met him tracting. And one of the members of our ward was one of his good buddies and he's shared soooo much about the church with Jackson and HE IS SOOOO GOLDEN & wants to LESRN more BUT he's Going to navy πŸ˜­  he actually left today and it makes me so bummed we didn't find him earlier cause he seriously was GOLDEN like I said. His buddie in my ward I'm serving in did soooo good in giving him a Book of Mormon in high school and they always talked about church. Jackson even said he loved reading the Book of Mormon so much that he couldn't put it down but he had to stop reading it cause he wasn't doing his high school homework. Now how often do you hear that ?...uh NEVER people !  I really do feel like we were less to him. So cool ! I have faith he'll join one day. Before he left we gave him a Book of Mormon and some churchy pamphlets about the restoration and how the church was established and the first things missionaries teach people. He said he was so grateful for them and is really excited to read them. Sometimes as missionaries or when you're sharing the gospel with people , all you may be able to do is plant seeds and that is JUST AS IMPORTANT as when people get baptized cause the seeds planted help the person grow heir testimony more and more cause you're starting them on that path. 
  • Sis. Glass - she's an interesting one but I love her ! She said if she has enough notice we are coming to her house she's gonna feed us , she's so kind and always makes us food. Missionaries love food especially free food theta already prepared :) there are many members here who feed us so often. It's great! 
  • Sis. Davis , I think I talked about her last week a little. Oh she's wonderful. Always so happy and positive. And she always makes us food too and shares it with us even though she doesn't have a lot. Reminds me of widows might. She's a kindred spirit for me 
  • Amber , a recent convert .... It'll be a here in July, she's so crazy and spunky and fun. And so so kind ! She loves the missionaries and was sooo golden when they taught her. We're still teaching her the new missionary lessons. Sometimes she'll come to lessons and tracting with us. On Saturday she took us out to eat and get ice cream. Oh my GOSH....BEST ICE CREAM IVE EVER TASTEST IN MY ENTIRE LIFE😍😍😍😍😍😍🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦❤️❤️❤️❤️ we were gonna go there for PDAY but sad thing is it's closed :( don't fear we're planning on going sometime this week for dinner but that'll just be consisting of PURE ice cream. Celestial ice cream. No joke it's celestial ice cream. Anyway, Amber really is one of a kind and she's sooo strong and solid in the gospel dispite her hardships. I love her ! Another kindred spirit. 
  • Sis Jeffrey calls me her " lil Texan" , she has a daughter in Texas & sis. Jeffrey makes Mexican food for us always , so awesome , she calls us all the time asking if we need some food , craziest and sassiest Mexican I ever met , on Saturday night she calls us and asks if we needed food ... Went to her house and talked forever and kept adding food for us to take and then said " oh do you like cake ? Oh do you like this? Oh I'll make you some of this. Oh take some of this." LOVE HER ❤️ such a connection! I LOVE  HER SASS and Whit. She's half Indian and half Mexican I think she said , pretty rad! 


I LOVE PRESIDENT Griffin  & his wife sister griffin ! They're the XUTEST!!!❤️
he is from the south ... They're kindred spirits too! They're such a cute couple ! I know I was meant to have them as my mission president and wife. He's so tall and she's way shorter. So cute !

Do y'all Remember when I told you ppl were answering door w/out shirts .... Well we had an interesting thing happen this last week.... A Man open door w/out pants
Haha. THANK HEAVENS we didn't see anything ! πŸ˜³πŸ˜³πŸ˜³πŸ˜³πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸš«πŸš«πŸš«πŸš«
WHY do people NOT use clothes ?! I mean I TOTALLY get some kids don't even have clothes but most people atleast have something they can put on to cover their nakedness πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ geez. I cannot  take this haha.


There's this house that looks like a sketchy drug place or something & I call it "Freeport meth lab" , it's a Creepy house building looking thing that seems haunted and I'm sure drug things happen there.


I'm Teaching comp to be sassy, ya know the good kind ? πŸ˜ ✨πŸ‘―
In pictures and stuff !


I'm the  minority here πŸ˜‚it's awesome !


We still hear gunshots and sirens often.....sirens everyday! This town is legit. #crime

We Met an elderly people while tracting who let us in and talked for an hour about gospel and helped answer their questions .... Since they have heard a LOT about the church. We Left a  BofM , hoping & praying the lady reads it.
She said she's way busy but she reads during her 1 hour exercise time on her treadmill each day and so i can math this much : if she reads the BofM everyday for 1 hour for 6-7 days a week that's 6-7 hours a week she can read the BofM which would be AWESOME !!!

Presidente Griffin talked to us last week during zone training about our music choices and about how even though our music is still "churchy" it may not be helping us with our missionary purpose and to be the best instruments in the lords hands that we can be. So he invited us to look through our music & clean it out and really follow the spirit as we do so and to use common sense & be smart and wise about it.
And then after that the AP's ( assistants to presidente) said after they cleaned out their music they found FOUR new investigators !!! FOUR !!!!
That's more than I've found my WHOLE mission so far! We are REALLY struggling to find and get new investigators. And sis. Smith and I have been trying to think of ways we can do better so we can get the results we want & the ones w know heveanly father knows we can get.
So after zone training sis. Smith and I decided to go on a music fast for a week to see if we feel or see differently and so we can really seek for that inspiration and revelation and help we've been in dire need of lately.
It's been cool to see the things you can receive when you make sacrifices.
We don't have 4 new investigators BUT we did meet some really cool people who seemed pretty solid that we are praying and hoping will be interested. For now we go forth with faith and keep planting those seeds.
I know we may be struggling now but I know that just as it says in PMG ( preach my gospel) a missionary's success is determined  by their commitment to find and teach people. I know that as my comp and I diligently do that we'll surely be blessed with new investigators.

I am so grateful for this time I have in 18 months to be shattered from my old self and be put back together with the "refiners fire" into the person God knows I always have been and the person my spirit desperately needs & wants me to remember.
Missions are tough but the everlasting eternal joy I will receive and those I teach will receive is priceless.
I am so grateful for a loving savior who suffered and died , Atoned, for me and all of us so I can one day return back to be in the presence of my loving heavenly father.
I am grateful to know I'm not alone ever because Christ KNOWS exactly how I feel and what I'm going through because he's been there and done that.
He carried the cross for you and me , he carried it for us all and because of that he helps me carry my cross during hard times.
I know this church , Christs church , the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints IS true with all my heart. I know the Book of Mormon is true & because I know that , I know that Joseph smith was a prophet a god. And I know God calls prophets now just as he did in times of old. I know president Thomas. S. Monson is the prophet God has called today to help lead and guide us in the direction we need to go. God hasn't left us alone. ( John 14:14-18) He loves us so much. Please follow the prophet , as you do you'll be blessed immensely. If you don't you'll be lead astray.
I know I am here in the Illinois Chicago west mission at this time and this place and area for a reason. I have already been able to see some of those reasons and I'm grateful God has so graciously entrusted me and given me the privledge to teach his children and help them remember the things they once knew and the things that truly bring me so much happiness.
If you or someone you know wants NEVER ENDING happiness .... my answer for you in how to get that is .... This gospel. Christs church. It really is of great value and importance. If you don't feel happy or feel life is too hard to stand , KNEEL. I promise you as you pour out your heart to God he WILL listen and help you.
I know these things are true.
I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

I love you All!
THANK YOU again for all your kindness and supourt !
I know I'm so loved.



I'd love to hear from y'all ! 

❤️ love Seester Γ„llowitz 
1319 Butterfield Rd. #552 
Downers Grove, IL 60515

karigan.allowitz@myldsmail.net

March 14, 2016 Freeport and new friends


"Downtown Freeport" -- seriously such a joke haha like " downtown Rexburg"
Seriously these small towns cracks me up.
Looks like I found my future hubby πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ jk jk jk
Darrien, his mom is a member whose fallen away too, but he hasn't. We've been teaching him and his sister and are preparing for them to be baptized mid April. The date keeps changing so fingers crossed it'll all work out !
So he was at the grocery store with his grandma Amber and he saw these chocolate crosses and said "Grandma, I want to buy these Easter treats for the missionaries."
When she told us he said that, my heart melted that had thought of us. It made me feel special and that somehow we've made at least a little impact in his life.
He's seriously the CUTEST!!!❤️ he comes from a hard, sad family background and life but geez he's the happiest and sweetest and craziest kid you've ever met!
I think after the mish I'm gonna kidnap him 😏
This is Bert, one of our wonderful wonderful members! She's been less active for most of her life and turned her life around and started coming back about a year ago. Her son Joey was actually baptized. He's so awesome too. They are such wonderful examples to me! Our area has TONS of less active members and people who have fallen away. It's given me soooo much added measure of faith and hope that those family members and friends I have that have fallen will one day come back. Of course, I knew that before, but oh boy being here on the mission has helped me see that even more. Way cool how Heavenly Father helps us see things like that when we're willing to see them and learn and grow.
Bert, feeds us once EVERY WEEK ! And one of these last times she made us a FEAST.... STEAK medium rare I might add 😍😏 , AND SHRIMP w/ cocktail sauce , baked potatoes, and bread smothered in yummy butter!
Holy heavens this meal was one of the best I've had on the mission!




March 21, 2016 Debate Square

Lincoln & Douglas debated here
Lovin' corndogs in Freeport

I told Freeport is a HUGE historical spot for many reasons but one of the MOST IMPORTANT being that President Abe Lincoln and Douglas had a SUPER FAMOUS debate here right where I'm standing ( haha jk not right there but close)
So for some reason that is still unknown to me, Freeport is also the home of the pretzels .... Pretzels ....ok??! But anywho.... My comp and I found this place with the YUMMIEST pretzels and pretzel dawgs AND better yet, they even have cheese sauce ! How awesome ! Haha so this is a cheesy pic with me and my pretzel dawg in front of this pretzel sign. But hey Freeport people really take pride in their pretzels πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚ seriously SO WEIRD!

One of the members said Freeport was on a list recently or something for the TOP 10 WEIRDEST mascots ....: hmmnnn really I wonder why πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚πŸ˜‚

Ps- just in case you were wondering YES I didn't get new shoes , little black oxfords thank you for noticing πŸ˜˜πŸ˜πŸ˜‰πŸ˜‚πŸ‘‹πŸ½BYE BYE WINTER BOOTS, so long farewell , adieu!! πŸ‘‹πŸ½

Feb 29, 2016


Feb 29, 2016 
HEADLINE: SISTERS BRUTALLY MURDERED IN DARK OF NIGHT , FOG LINGERS
Explanation:
One of the houses we tracted was SUPER DUPER  sketchy and FREAKY! There's sooo many times we legit thought we were gonna die ( don't worry mom I'm safe ) 
Fog and darkness  lingers EVERYTIME

Here's some of our sketchy word photos .... 

A  Man talked to us for about 30 mins, asking us really deceitful and loaded questions ..... Just trying to get us to mess up. Reminds me when Satan & others tried to get Christ tempted and to say something wrong .  The man ended by saying ,
"thanks for sharing what you THINK is true ." He kept talking and being ridiculous.  I cut him off and said, " oh we KNOW these things we share are true ! " He said we don't believe the truth because we don't have evidence and our reality is not right , I said, "The evidence is right there in your hand." He was holding the Book of Mormon we gave him.   Seriously some ppl's children!  I understand people have different beliefs, but there's really no reason to be right out rude. Well I guess they weren't kidding when they said missions would be HARD. And if Christ had it hard then why should we have it easy? It's been an interesting experience but great. Then.... When Man was getting closer as he started talking and more aggressive in his talking.... Oh boy, I was sure Ready to knock him out !!!! My fists were ready.  There are some places we are not allowed to go at night...... His place one of them .... I wonder why?

This Lady kept cutting me off  & getting aggressive.  Man it was Tough.  The Spirit was there, but also contention. It was like magnets not wanting to attract. 

Another Man told us we were not ever allowed on his property…he knows where to get religion when he needs it!  Haha I couldn't help but laugh cause he was seriously SO BEYOND MAD we were on his property. "Well it's your eternal salvation...your loss  buddie!" 

Another Man yelled at us to get in his house. His wife looked like she was gonna shoot us. It's been a ROUGH transfer ... Mission life is hard but so worth it! 

There was an Apartment complex that had #’s written on doors with marker #ghetto #hoodlife.

Another Old ish guy we met tracting called me "hunny" .... Ok EXTRA BARF ....Sass level exceeded.  He was super duper sassy !  Oooh that peeved me off! 

Joe , A potential investigator said we made his day & he couldn't believe 2 girls would come on a mission to a place they've never even been before and pay their own way (or their families do it), and just go out spreading the gospel 24/7. He was way impressed with the church. He said  & I quote , ( sorry for the language but seriously just picture this really awesome African American man saying this all sassy and fun),  “DAMN YOUR parents had to of raised you really well and grounded, for you to be out here wanting to do this for so long. DAMN, y'all are amazing!" [Haha Stacy, I LITERALLY CANT EVEN!!!!!] It made me so happy cause he was so funny!  It took EVERYTHING I HAD NOT to laugh.  He's HILARIOUS!!!!   We have a lesson set up with him tomorrow. FINGERS CROSSED it goes well :) 

Heavenly Father is sure  humbling me cause I thought the burg was in the middle of nowhere .... PSYCH

Had a BOOM moment this last week while studying.  After an hour of personal study was up I DIDNT wanna stop, cause it's not enough time.  I truly wanna FEAST upon the word 2 Nephi 31:20.  I'm regretting not digging deeper into all that stuff. 

I feel like Olaf.  Is it SUMMER TIME YET???! I am soooo excited to see the frozen things GO AWAY & for SUMMER to come.  I wanna see what Illinois things do in summer. 

This Old single woman, Sis Ensign, sassy lady (I seriously wanna be like her as an old lady cause she's hilarious and sassy !) who I talked about a few weeks ago .  The Relief Society ladies have an activity coming up where they bring their hubbies & she said sassily, "anyone have a spare I can bring ?"   And she was wearing cool earrings on Sunday & she said: "I found them in my closet and wondered what on earth they was doing in there cause I've never seen them before so I wore them cause aren't they so nice?" I LOVE HER.

There are some members in the ward I'm serving in who have written books.  Y'all should check them out  & tell me if they're good :) ... I bet sister Reid's are cause they're murder mysteries I guess ;) 
1- Rebekah Kearney 
2- Therese Marie Reid 

To ppl planning on missions --and even everyone else so you can share the gospel when the times come --
PAY ATTENTION IN SEMINARY 
READ SCRIPS
 PRAY DAILY ..... Missionary training .... I took for granted & am now SEEIOUSLY regretting it !   NOT JOKING !!!! 


We Got a Spanish referral-- no Spanish skills--- read Spanish testimony, butchered it .... Some day I WILL learn Spanish!!! I'm DETERMINED. I WISH SOOOO badly could've actually talked to him. Only sentence I feel FULLY confident in and know is "I really love chocolate ice cream." .... I guess priorities in right spot !