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
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. 😂
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 😘😉 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 😉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 💩💩😂😂😏
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? 😉😂
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 😂
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 Ällowitz ...Haha yeah that'd be a circus all on its own cause white ppl cannot even pronounce it 😂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 😂Some people say ,"well hey, I think she's fluent" 😂😂😂 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:)
🐥🐣 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! 😂
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 😂😂😂 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 PEOPLE! Live 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 😏 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 😂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 😉😏😂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 ?😂) 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" 😂😂😂
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 😂😂 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 !" 😂😂😂 Wow, thank you for pointing out I'm a white cracker. Thank you 😂 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 😂😂 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." 😂 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 😂
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 😂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 ? " 😂😂
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 😂😂😂😳😁😏
we hear sirens daily and a gun shot here and there but no real deal face to face stuff ...yet 😏
I Just found out from my Allowitz grandma that my 3rd great grandmother was BORN here in Freeport !!!! 🙀🙀🙀 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 😂😂😂
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
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