April 25, 2016

Amanda got baptized 👊🏾 I love her ❤️

I love Bert and Joey ❤️ such strong people !!!! 

Amber is so wonderful too ! ❤️

Sister Pointer, Sister Alberts, and me! 

Isn't Sister Alberts the cutest???? She's 94!!!! 

Hermana Walton is such angel & tender mercy in my life ❤️❤️❤️❤️👼🏼

It's crazy how God sends you people or sends you to people RIGHT when you need them!!! 

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE HER ❤️we're black soul SISTAS can't ya tell?❤️❤️

For RM's:

Do you have any :

• Advice / tips for me? 
• Things you wish you had known? 
• Creative ideas/ things that helped/ work for finding new investigators and working with members & companions? 
• Any Funny/ cool/ miracle stories 
• Good recipes that missionaries can cook & eat in short amount of time?  

INSPIRE ME. READY, SET, GO! 😘

AMANDA GOT BAPTIZED!!!  It was a glorious day!!!! 

Hey y'all!  Oh my goodness!  It has seriously been one of the craziest weeks of my mission! We had somewhere around 13 lessons and a baptism! Amanda was baptized and lemme just tell you how wonderful that baptism was! The spirit was so strong! It's been so fun getting to teach and to know Amanda. She's been rough so much yet, she's so wonderful and faithful. She's such a great example to me, and I am grateful to be here for her baptism. It was such a tender mercy the lord let me stay to witness it. I was asked to bear my testimony at her baptism, since I'm the missionary whose been here the longest (whoa can you believe that's even possible?). 

What an honor it was to have the opportunity to bare my testimony to Amanda like that...right from the pulpit directly to Amanda. She said I made her cry. She hugged me after the baptism and told me "thank you for everything!" Since Amanda's next goal is the temple, we contacted as many members as we could to get their beautiful pictures of the Savior and of the temples that are so special and important to them and then displayed them all around the front of the chapel. Amanda loved it.  I am so grateful the members helped so much with that. It wouldn't have been as  stunning and special without their help.  MEMBERS ARE SO KEY IN MISSIONARY WORK!!! 

Sister Davis (see picture the previous week), one of the members who I love so much--we ripped more of her wallpaper off this week. It's sooo fun! (don't quote me on that one post mish haha). I've officially adopted Sister Davis as my grandma. No amount of words can even come close to how much she means to me ❤️❤️❤️  The love and spirit in her home is something I crave so much!  I hope to have a home like that when I'm married. When we were at her house this week, she was crying and crying because of how grateful she was for us and the young men who cleaned up her yard.  Then we had a lesson on the Atonement, and oh boy, she and I were both basket cases. Oh my heart just wants her to have a happy and relaxing life.  But she can't have the relaxing part yet cause she's always working. Financially she just can't  retire yet. She works 2 jobs. She seriously amazes me. She's had sooo many trials and still does everyday yet she is sooo happy and cheerful. I cannot even tell how much joy and happiness she's brought into my life! My life is FOREVER changed because of Sister Davis. And I am FOREVER grateful! I could just stay at her house forever because of how wonderful it is there.  She really is like sunshine on a cloudy day. I have had MANY "cloudy" days on my mission and Sister Davis has made soooo many of those "sunshine ones".  What an angel she is! 

Amanda is way cool and her job is legit.  She works for the police with legit stuff and helps with suicide prevention and helps people through all that hard stuff. And she also does a bunch of other legit stuff  that I cannot remember. 

As I was studying scriptures this week, I came across a few wonderful verses: 

Hebrews 12:6-8 –God shows His love through problems.  The trials and rough times we go through help us see God's love for us more because we are reminded how much we CANNOT do it without him! 

Just as the Lord told Joseph smith in Liberty jail, "Thine afflictions shall be for thy good", our trials really are for our good because they make us stronger people. They make us better.  BUT that's ONLY IF we let it be that way!   I hope each of you let your trials and weaknesses make you BETTER instead of BITTER! 

Mosiah 1:17 --when we step backwards (disobey) we get trials.   Some of our trials are because of others poor choices and some are because of our own poor choices. We should want to ALWAYS step FORWARD & PROGRESS towards the Savior and His teachings, NOT backwards with Satan and his buddies.  If you feel you're stepping backwards, then PRAY & ASK God for help!  He's there I promise!!!  It's NEVER EVER EVER too late to come home. 

My new comp Sis Turner is legit too! We are pretty much the same person! She's great! I seriously love her! She's fun & fashionable & funny & respectful and doesn't assume & is so kind and helpful to me & she's so positive and happy! And she's so much more! It's only been a week, but I'll let ya what, she's awesome! She's about as sassy as I am 😉👯👊🏾

Random thoughts from my week: 

*Missionary studying in the morning is definitely where snuggies would really come in handy!!! 

*This crazy black lady prayed for us before we left her house.  Haha it was legit. I loved it! 

The church is true!  I love Freeport even though we are in the middle of nowhere with a bunch of corn.  You know WHY???! Cause this is MY LAND,  MY PEOPLE,  this is MY GOONIE TIME...MY time to diligently serve the Lord with ALL of my heart, might, mind, and soul! This is the land of MY ancestors and THIS is where the Lord needs me and wants me. This is where I am needed! 

Something VERY valuable I learned this week is that "we are NOT called to a mission, we are called to a mission president!" And I just want y'all to know that's soooo true!  I love Presidente Griffin with all my heart! And Sister Griffin is equally as wonderful.  They will forever have a place in my heart. ❤️ I love this work and I love the Lord. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be out here and experience just a small portion of what the Savior experienced when he suffered for everyone of us. Each of us have a different way that we show the Lord we love Him and how we serve Him.  Serving a mission is how I am gonna show the lord I love him and am SOLIDLY COMMITTED to this work. It's so wonderful!  I've LOVED it!!!  And the cool thing is that it's sooo different for everyone. So I'd like to invite EACH OF YOU to ask yourself 

"HOW CAN I SHOW THE LORD I LOVE HIM?  HOW WILL I SHOW HIM I LOVE HIM?  HOW WILL I SHOW HIM I'M SOLIDLY COMMITTED TO HIS GOSPEL?! Then GO & DO.   Return & report to me if you'd like  cause I'd love to hear and see how it all goes. I know that God and the Savior love each and everyone of us SO much! It's sooo evident to me because of so many things, especially the Book of Mormon and the Atonement. I hope y'all will NEVER EVER take the Atonement or the Book of Mormon for granted, cause they're such beautiful & precious gifts. I love this work. I will go and do! 

Until we meet again, 

I love you all! 

THANKS AGAIN FOR ALL THE prayers, love, support,  packages, emails, and letters!!!! I seriously cannot Thank all of you enough! 

The coolest Chicagoan missionary --Hermana Ällowitz 

❤️ love Seester Ällowitz 

1319 Butterfield Rd. #552 

Downers Grove, IL 60515

karigan.allowitz@ldsmail.net

http://karigansmission.blogspot.com/

April 18, 2016

Freeport water tower ! Pretzel nation 😂😂

One of these things is not like the other.... Some people's children .... Seriously

Freeporters ppl I love so much ❤️...

Sis Davis ❤️ oh she's so wonderful. She's a kindred spirit ❤️❤️❤️

The Duede family, members in Freeport ward. 

From left to right : CJ and Gigi ( neighbor kids) Sven, Bro Duede, Carl, Sis. Duede, Leif, me & Soren. And yes Sis Duede does play the harp & is way good at it! She played a beautiful musical number for the Easter program and sang. It was legit! 

Sister Smith and I and Arianna and Darien.  The kids are the cutest! 

Hermana Gowens , we are now bffs !❤️

The Andersons are the best. A wonderful family ❤️

SPRING IS HERE, ... "I looked out the so dos and what did I see ? POPCORN POPPING ON THE APRICOT TREE!!!" Isn't it gorgeously awesome ?

This graffiti accurately depicts Illinois sunsets , they're for reals GORGEOUS ❤️❤️❤️❤️😍

ARIANNA & DARIEN GOT BAPTIZED 🎈🎈🎈🎈🎉  

Sister Mead, me, Sister Waters and Sister Smith - all twinning & we didn't even plan it. 

Brother Stepp , our ward mission leader. He's the greatest and helps us so much ! 

Bert, oh she seriously is an ANGEL 👼🏼👼🏼👼🏼 one of the reasons I was sent here was for Bert, so I could meet her and her son, Joey. They're both so wonderful!  They have such sweet spirits! It's been so wonderful seeing her rise above her trials and become the daughter of God she is.  She's a wonderful example to me and I am beyond grateful to have met her. Bert & Joey feed us once every week and they're always such great meals!  It's such a tender mercy to be able to go to Bert's, Sis Davis's & the Anderson's each week.  I know even if I had a terrible day or am struggling they will ALWAYS WITHOUT A DOUBT remind me that everything will be okay and that I can keep going. It's people like these families that keep the gospel going round and round. I sure love these Freeporters❤️❤️❤️

Me and sister Havey , love love her ! ❤️

Bob's voice from "The Price Is Right" ..."And here's Sister Ällowitz with her new car!" 

Dude no way ... Haha you know you're a Star Wars fan girl when .... Haha jk 😂😂

SISTER ÄLLOWITZ INTERVIEWED BY ELDER MARTINO 

ELDER MARTINO FROM THE 70 INTERVIEWED ME, no joke this time.  Elder Martino, from the Seventy, came to our mission for a mission tour [which is basically when he comes with his lovely wife and talks with us for hours] which is soooo awesome to have a called servant of the Lord come and talk to us. You should've seen...all of us were like little kids with our eyes peeled and jaws wide open cause we were all amazed at this awesome stuff he talked to us about! He talked a lot about missionary work (duh haha!) and charity. Ahhh y'all, I just wish all of you could've been there! I LOVE THE MARTINOS!!! They're awesome!  I was right in front in the 1st row when Elder Martino and his wife were talking.  It was cool to feel like he was talking RIGHT to me cause he looked me DIRECTLY in the eyes several times. He said some things I REALLY needed to hear! 

AND the coolest part is that Elder Martino picked a few missionaries to personally interview AND HE PICKED ME! Elder Adams (one of the assistants) told me Elder Martino wanted to interview me and I couldn't believe it!!!! I am sooo grateful for such a wonderful opportunity:)   It was sooo great to be able to talk personally to him 

1-on-1 and get advice and just talk about life and the mission. He's way cool! And he's way tight with Elder Lawrence, who I'm "super tight" with too cause I nannied his grandkids a few summers ago and he thought that connection was way cool  cause he and Elder Lawrence share an office.  I just met Elder Lawrence a few months ago too.  Small world!!!! Look y'all,  I'm even making Mormon connections with the "mormon celebrities" of the world haha ... Maybe one day I'll be able to meet Elder Holland after all 😂😁😊😉

I met an authentic catratcha.  (Term for y'all who don't speak Spanish  =lady from Honduras). Told her part of my ❤️ is in Honduras. 

I said, "hola soy un gringo catratcho".  And she was so excited. 

She thought that was awesome! It made my heart happy! 

This oldish guy thought I was 25...don't know if that's good or bad haha! 

I saw a guy outside in his yard who we talked to awhile ago.   His name is Jim. He couldn't believe we remembered him.  I said, "of course, we remembered you Jim!"  I think it went a long way for him. People LOVE to hear their names...y'all remember that now! 

Just y'all wait--he's gonna be coming around the corner wanting to be DUNKED any day now!  Seriously though--small things like remembering people's names and their interests go a LONG WAY! Thank you, Stephen Covey !!!! 😉

It was cool to see buddies from BYU-I in General Conference singing .... #REPRESENTmyschool

Someone  left  their weave in the yard...I about DIED 😂😂😂

All the sister missionaries ALWAYS FREAK OUT how "amazing & gorgeous" my hair is. (thank you Ammon!!) haha 😂😂😂😂

It cracks me up.  "Yes, thank you very much. I grew this myself ." 

We met this old guy on the street and he complimented my "eyebrows".  He said, "how do you get them to stand staging up like that? That's so cool!"  Yeah, I just kept talking about the Restoration even through the awkwardness, haha. My comp said she thought he meant eyelashes. All I know is it's creepy and I'm DONE getting hit on by 60+ yr old men 😂😂😂😂😷😷😷👹

My Comp said I have nice calves 😂😂😂😉😊😁👯 haha yeah right ....well thank you!  

Spring is here !!!! Sunshine me up please !!!!! 🌞🌞🌞🌞🌞

I invited Duane to be baptized on May 28!!!! He's SOLIDLY COMMITTED! He's gonna get dunked soon people! I'm sooo happy-- all these cool things are happening in Freeport ! #babystepsto1000

Y'all better not mess with me unless you wanna be baptized!!! ;) Ppl do want to be baptized--they just don't know it yet. 

We had a lesson with members set up and when we walked in they were playing Mario Kart.  The Mom said it was time for the lesson and oh boy...The Little girl was screaming and yelling, "THANKS A LOT! YOU RUINED MY GAME LIFE!!" Oh, she was having a FIT! Even though she was being TOTALLY ridiculous it was soooo hard not to laugh! If I was her momma--oooh she would've gotten it ... TOTALLY NOT ACCEPTABLE! 

For those of y'all who REALLY know me, know I LOVE to talk and would love to write about all the wonderful adventures I'm having and people  I'm meeting each day but time does not permit. If only y'all could see these ppl through my eyes...oh how wonderful they are! Oh how I love them <3 

Each of you should read Elder Renlunds talk from last October 2015 General Conference.  It's the best!  Go read it!

Pretty much all sis missionaries are all "buggy lovey Dovey"  where they freak out about everything to each other.  I just ain't about that life.  I just don't wanna hug and freak out about everything Girls! 😳😁😂

I saw a beaver/otter thing running across the road (Skyler  it was seriously meant to be 😂) 

Joey, Bert's son has been in the  hospital because he was in a car accident.  He's okay, but he's having some back problems and he's gonna have to go to the doctors a lot so if y'all could keep Bert and Joey in Y'ALLS prayers it would be GREATLY appreciated 😊❤️

Mission life is... HARD!!!! But soooo awesome! It's so wonderful seeing people change their lives and come into Christ and be baptized. It's been sooo great to meet so many awesome people and see their light of Christ just beam. Missions are hard but sooooo worth the hardship and pain and suffering because the blessing that come from it are sooo wonderful!!! It's sad when you meet people and they reject Christ and the church sooo much.  It really does bruise your spirit and it's hard to be rejected but it's just a glimpse of what Christ experienced when he suffered for all of us.  For that I'm sooo grateful to feel closer to Him. Missions is one of the BEST ways to not only feel closer to God and the Savior, but to actually KNOW you're closer to them as you go through certain experiences on your mission.  Just yesterday we had a guy TOTALLY reject and tear apart the things we said. He was getting pretty mad and told us he "rejects the Book of Mormon and Christ and the Latter Day Saints with all his heart". That kinda thing breaks my heart, but one day he'll get the chance to repent and be baptized and recieve the knowledge of the truth and really feel it for himself. 

I KNOW this church is true and I'm sooo grateful for the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith restoring the church back upon the earth. 

I am so grateful to be a missionary and help spread this wonderful message of truth and light. Even through rejection and people denying the gospel,  I WILL stand as a FIRM & SOLID witness to Jesus Christ as I bear STRONG TESTIMONY of the things I not only believe but also KNOW to be true! 

Transfer calls report : Staying in Freeport! Getting new comp...Sis. Turner. We'll see about this one 😉😏

Love y'all!!! Thanks for everything! 

Sincerely, Hermana Ällowitz 😊

❤️ love Seester Ällowitz 

1319 Butterfield Rd. #552 

Downers Grove, IL 60515

karigan.allowitz@myldsmail.net

karigan.allowitz@gmail.com

http://karigansmission.blogspot.com/

April 11, 2016

BEST ICE CREAM EVER 

😍❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿👌🏿👍🏿👍🏿👍🏿

This is THE CELESTIAL ice cream place !!!

ICWM is the best! 

Thanks Kimmer for the collage!!

The district

I GRADUATED ... No longer a greenie 😊😉👍🏿

ALL HAIL BREAKS LOSE IN FREEPORT 

Local prison inhabitants break lose ..... Haha jk I wish! 

For reals: 

Geez it was HAILING A STORM this week. Tons of it! AND there's been drama and stuff just like life throws at you at times... but it's all good now. Hopefully all the HAIL will be done for now! 

"What a coincidence" haha.  This is the fortune I got this last week in the middle of all the crap and drama that happened. Isn't Heavenly Father funny ;).   I feel like this fits really well!

 

I wanted y'all to know I've been chosen to sing a solo for Elder Martino when he comes on Wednesday for a mission tour! This is some scary stuff !!!!! I'm stoked !!!! Sister Griffin just knew I was the sister for the job 😊

Y'ALL, I PUT A SOLID INVESTIGATOR ON DATE! MAY 21 is gonna be awesome!  Eric is gonna be baptized!!!!! 

#memberhijackedlesson

#mombewaitinginthespiritworld

#letsdunkhim 

Arianna & Darien (Ambers grandkids) baptism coming up this Saturday, April 16!!!  I'm pumped!!!  I'll be singing with the kids for a special musical number .... Oh boy! ... Me and my singing skills. Time to whip my singing skills back out haha jk

Cool scripture I found this week:

Jacob 4:3-- be grateful for scrips! These ppl worked DILIGENTLY for you and I to have it.  We should REJOICE & be happy about the scriptures!!! 

Idk if already said it .... GOONIES day ... Rainy days are my GOONIES days..... This is my time here in Illinois!!! MY TIME TO GIVE ALL I GOT TO THE LORD  & his vineyard here that he's entrusted me with. 

During a dinner teaching lesson, all of a sudden the guy starts playing video and crying as he talks about how grateful he is for me and Sister Smith. WOW! Tender mercy...someone actually tells us they appreciate us instead of ragging on us for what they think we aren't doing. I KNOW it isn't about me but it's certainly nice to know people can see our efforts as missionaries and as a flipping human being. 

I mean HELLO we are 19 & 20 so BACK OFF WILLIS!!!! We are doing the best we can here! Thank you to host member. 

Funny moment... 

Guy at the store asked if Sis Smith and I were sisters.  I said, "yes we are!"...all smiling and excited cause I thought he saw our name tags and knew about the church. Hah psych.   He thought we were legit sisters, and I totally lied to him on accident....Oops! I didn't know how to explain that to him haha. 

Way in the country there was this bigger guy who answered the door. Me and my comp both looked @ each other and said, "oh no"  I didn't laugh while giving him a card and talking about the church.   I was impressed with myself, cause I thought I was gonna totally lose it. Haha. All these people who answer the door without clothes on crack me up. And also make me wanna barf 😷😂😂

It's so interesting how many diff kinds of ppl u can meet in a small, dinky town and all the small towns around it.  I've loved the people I've met.  They're all so cool and different and come from different places.  It's so legit. 

Sis Davis, one of our members,  is neighbors with a family whose related to Sargent from "Forest Gump".  He got movie filmed out there last summer or something. Sunshine from "Remember the Titans" is the main guy in Pearl City, IL.  I cannot remember the name but it's legit. 

Found that even though sometimes (most) times I wanna take naps during meals at apt when possible... I feel sooo much more rejuvenated and excited about life when I'm doing stuff around apartment like cleaning or serving comp a small way (ex: make her bed, write funny note, etc). I'll tell you what...SERVICE gives you energy like nothing else ! 

Freeport "wanted" electronic billboards. Cracks me up!  Don't worry I be packin' my BofM's ---I don't need no guns 😉😏

"Beach Boys" coming May 12... Too bad I can't go haha. 

Lady who feeds us said she's glad she can expect me to get seconds and I can always have more than 2nds if I want it. But she basically EXPECTS me to eat 2nds.... Oh no .... Specifically said if I took 3rds it'd be great.... Yup I've gained like 1000 pounds ... Wahoo! What a privledge to gain so much weight. Some kids don't even get that ... Should've been an hermana jajaja.  I kinda wanna smack myself now for setting such a lofty expectation for myself of eating so much food ...Never again will I say, "go big or go home"!   A member awhile ago fed us 3 or 4 servings of spaghetti.  I ate the whole thing...thought I would explode afterwards. It was great food just too much for me!  But I wanted to prove I could eat it. Yeah I got the stubborn  genes. Not good sometimes. That's what happens when u grow up with only bros...U become a bottomless pit! My next area I'm NOT gonna do that! 

Funny street names  I've seen: 

Tiger Whip Rd 

Sleezer Home Rd 

Hooker Ln 

I saw Carter Motors --so cool, Carter, u got your own place:) 

Y'all don't be raggin' on ppls missions now... You try going somewhere you've never been, with comps you never met, and ppls eternal salvation in your hands.  Seriously, it's tough stuff!  So back off Willis!  Be nice. 

We Got to make dinner for Bert and Joey. We Made German pancakes and coconut  syrup.  It was DELISH!!!! I was wayyy nervous cause we talked it up so much, so it had to be super awesome or else it would be lame.  But it was awesome!  They said they want the recipes and they'll be adding them to their favs. They were blown away by the pancakes and syrup!  It made me feel SUPER good:) 

Missionary term of week: eternigator-- someone whose been investigating the church FOREVER .... Meaning years!!! 

Also about me singing a solo for Elder Martino on Wednesday .... Yeah it's a little late for Aprils fools, but .... Hah jk. I'll be singing with other missionaries together in the ICWM choir for Elder Martino's visit! Sister Griffin asked me to join! So my comp and I are gonna do it!  I'm soooo excited! I better look my best I guess:) Haha y'all thought I was crazy doing a solo in front of a member of the First Quorum of the 70. Hah, don't worry...we're all in this together...me and all the other missionaries I mean:)  Yeah if they had asked me to do a solo, I would've told them they were crazy too. 😂   I'm soooo excited to be apart of this crazy fun day!!! 

MIRACLES:

Donna--our plans fell through, so we put her in as back up.  Comp wasn't sure if we should see her.  I said,  "yes we should".  We went to see her, and it was perfect cause she's had some really hard stuff happen recently.  She said she was glad to see us.  Lesson learned: listen to promptings...soooo important cause you never know how it will really help someone soooo much!!!!  It made me feel good that I was able to hear, recognize, and then ACT on the promptings from Heavenly Father. 

We had to get to a lesson we COULD NOT be late to.  We came up to the stop sign and there was a train coming.  We BARELY made it past the train! We Got there on time to our lesson! God is so on our side always...and especially that day!!!! 

We had mission wide fast for people's hearts to be softened and to be opened. More Miracles are coming people. I know it! We WILL get 1000 baptisms this year in the ICWM!!!!! 

Thanks again for the supourt and fun updates on all Y'ALLS lives! I love being involved!!! Thanks for letting me be a part of your lives even if I'm 1000 miles away. Y'all stay rad now:) 

Your one and only Chicagonian, 

Seester Ällowitz 

(the 2nd) 

❤️ love Seester Ällowitz 

1319 Butterfield Rd. #552 

Downers Grove, IL 60515

karigan.allowitz@gmail.com

http://karigansmission.blogspot.com/