Nov 7, 2016

Brother Anderson is an awesome Ward missionary !!!!

Fall is my favorite season !

Kelley is the "activities director" at the nursing home. I love her. We are kindred spirits.
It's been cool being able to introduce the church to her.

MY CUBBIES WON THE WORLD SERIES. ⚾️⚾️⚾️⚾️👌🏾

Bro. Kamp.

HAPPY EARLY THANKSGIVIG FROM KRIS BRYANT AND I. ⚾️😂😂😂⚾️

My CUBS pumpkin🎃🎃🎃🎃

RHONDA. We got to teach her the Plan of Salvation this week. Wahoo!!

Get this ... We played stake basketball together and here we are
serving in the same mission. WHAAAT? I'm loving all these connections.
I really am my mothers daughter.

Oh my goodness this last week we had Zone Conference and it was awesome!  I got to participate in a special musical number.  Apparently all those duets with Kimmer have paid off, so THANK YOU KIMMER!!!! 😊 We sang "Joseph Smith's First Prayer", but with a twist...we sang it to Sister Mühlestein's  fav hymn, "If I Could Hie to Kolob". OH MY GOODNESS, y'all it was so beautiful! The spirit was so strong. Those are two of my favorite hymns. Oh I just love this gospel!!! We talked about different ways that we can be more effective tools in the Lord's hands. It's was awesome. We have some of the greatest Zone Leaders! Elder Casto & Elder Limary love the work & are committed to this important duty. Seriously so stellar. As well as my leaders when I was in Morton.   I love my mission for many reasons. One is that I've met some of the GREATEST people I've EVER known. I'm telling you...God really knows what he's doing. I love him! 

At zone conference we heard of 2 missionaries  who thought it would be cool to pick up and pet some squirrels, but then they got bit. 😂😂😂🐿🐿🐿🐿  It reminded me of the time Skyler picked up the "dead squirrel" with a ziplock bag cause she felt sorry for it after Cali ( the cat) almost killed it.  Then it bit her and she had to go to the ER. Thanks for making me laugh from 1000s of miles away Skyler ! 😂👌🏾

Also some missionaries tried to  set a trap to catch squirrels cause they thought it was cool. They saw they had caught something, but it was super dark outside. Psych...it was a skunk, and they both got BLASTED.   So basically ... just leave Mother Nature alone. 

Some miracles this week :

• 80 degrees November 1. Wahoo...the same EVERYDAY last week. Sooo nice!!! 
• Chipotle miracle. We almost sat inside but thank goodness we didn't, cause we met the coolest family....A mom and dad and two young kids. There was a difference about them. You could see the countenance in the family's eyes! You could see and feel the light. We started  talking to them and they are of the Nazarene denomination.  The man works at the local religious college here. They recently had a loved one pass on.  As we were about to leave the Spirit hit me sooooo strong ..."YOU NEED TO GIVE THEM A PLAN OF SALVATION PAMPHLET". I was sooo scared. I don't know why, because I've been doing this for 10 months now.  I gulped and explained a little about the pamphlet and bore my testimony of this wonderful plan of happiness. They accepted it, and we went our separate ways. I know we were there that night to meet them. I am grateful Heavenly Father helped me muster the courage to do so. 
•  I saved a members home from a spider who decided to come in...with my own two hands... then let it go outside. My comp said, "what if you get bit again?" 😂😂😂😂😁 Yeah I knew I'd be fine. God helps us out ... I didn't kill nature and therefore I didn't get bit. Lol and also the members were super impressed. It was funny. We gained more trust so that was cool. Haha. 
•  Stanley is quite the character. Last night we met and he was talking about how much this world is going to "heck"🔥🔥. He said "it's ridiculous, because we used to be able to just fist fight each other. Now we just seem to get guns and kill one another. I told him we (he and I) could have a fight right there in his garage. The member with us said,  "be careful she's from Texas" 😂😂😂😂 Seriously, I think I've gotten more Texas jokes in 10 months than ever before in my life. I just went with it and told him we could bring a bull in and fight with it. He seemed to be scared, so I told him we could slowly work out what to do and just get our boxing gloves on. Oh my he sure is a hoot. He's awesome. I know he and his wife Leanne will be baptized one day. We might be going back out there on my day of birth 🎈🎈🎈🎉🎁 IT JUST cracks me up everyone is soooo excited I'm from Texas. 

We had a very special Regional Conference yesterday...broadcast from SL.

Devin g. Durant:"the best way to become a better teacher is live a Christlike life." I've found this is so true. It's not always easy, but when we live like the Savior, we are happier and more effective instruments in his hands. I love being a missionary and love the opportunity to learn how to become a better teacher, and then ACTUALLY DO IT.  One of my fav quotes:"do the best you can until you know better ,and then do better". That is what I do each day. I try to do as the Savior would do. I've seen my life dramatically change as I've done so. It's so worth it! 

Throughout the course of my mission I've had many people ask me 

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE TO SERVE A MISSION? Here's a little story about how my life got turned  NWOD EDISPU (upside down)...in a good way of course. 

I've always wanted to serve. Then different life events reconfirmed my DEFINITE NEED  to serve a full time mission. I got the opportunity to stay at the Guatemala MTC when I was 12 and meet members there while my grandfather  served as CCM President! The members there  didn't have much, but they have enough because they have the Restored GOSPEL of Jesus Christ in their lives. They have  their forever families, so they have enough. 

Same in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, at age 19.  I love my Guatemalans and Catrachos, because they helped me gain a stronger testimony that the church is so true. In Honduras I worked  with a non profit organization called OLAAT, One Life At A Time, that teams up with the church  for those who wanna go on missions & university, but have limited resources. I was again so beyond impressed by the faith of these dear saints who worked hard  so they could serve a mission and better themselves and their loved ones and those around them.  (FYI-- if ANY of y'all have a desire to serve on a mission  trip, just lemme know.  Cause I just happen to know a guy ;)  It'll change your life FOREVER!!!) It's not easy for any of us, but for them it was immensely hard.  Yet they did it because they KNOW the gospel is true. They're truly converted. When I saw that I knew what I was missing. I really wanted to be truly converted too! They inspired me again to go serve a Mission. 

Around 16, I got an opportunity to go on splits in California with awesome Sister Monson & Egbert... 2 of the BEST companions EVER. 😊 We went to visit a man named Bill, who kept making excuses about things the sisters said.  At the end of the lesson, the sisters asked if I had anything I wanted to say. My heart kinda freaked out because I had NO clue what to say, but  the scripture Matthew 7:7 popped into my head. I simply bore testimony of how I knew he would receive answers to his prayers as he was sincere and he followed the scriptures guidance. The spirit was stronger than ever before. He told me I changed his life and that I needed to serve a mission so I could change people's lives like I did his. I was STUNNED. I didn't feel like I was listening, and yet God helped me know exactly what to say. And exactly what Bill needed. 

I told him I was already planning on it, but again my answer was confirmed I needed to serve a full to mission! The spirit is so strong if we are really listening. 

I've also seen so many close friends and family members fall away from the church, so I wanna be out here to find those who have lost their way just as my loved ones have. That's a little big piece of WHY I chose to come here. 

The following is one of my favorite hymns because I know what it teaches is true. I KNOW when we put Jesus Christ as each of our personal foundations things WILL work out. I love that the Savior is our firm foundation. With him we won't falter or crack. He is the ONLY WAY. I LOVE HIM. 

How Firm a Foundation

1.

How firm a foundation, ye Saints of the Lord,

Is laid for your faith in his excellent word!

What more can he say than to you he hath said,

Who unto the Savior, who unto the Savior,

Who unto the Savior for refuge have fled?

2.

In ev’ry condition—in sickness, in health,

In poverty’s vale or abounding in wealth,

At home or abroad, on the land or the sea—

As thy days may demand, as thy days may demand,

As thy days may demand, so thy succor shall be.

3.

Fear not, I am with thee; oh, be not dismayed,

For I am thy God and will still give thee aid.

I’ll strengthen thee, help thee, and cause thee to stand,

Upheld by my righteous, upheld by my righteous,

Upheld by my righteous, omnipotent hand

FOR THOSE OF Y'ALL DECIDING TO GO ON A MISSION..... (and for everyone else, of course)...Missionary life is a LOT harder than anyone prepares you for. It's made me think a lot about how it is like life. Life is VERY HARD. No one can prepare you for that, but it's through the experiences of hardship and joy that we find our greatest happiness. And why is that? Well it's all because we get to experience just a sliver of what Jesus Christ experienced and for that I am eternally grateful. 

The Illinois Chicago west mission is the best. I love being a missionary. I hope ALL Y'ALL continue to seek for the happiness that life's lessons teach us. Never forget, "two men look through self same bars. One sees mud while the other sees stars." LOOK FOR THE GOOD. I wanna challenge everyone to Look for the good even in their darkest hours. 

Til next time  --

Hermana Ällowitz 🐿

Stanley and his wife Leanne. Wonderful wonderful people. 

I'll keep all y'all posted on the bull ridin. 🐂🐂🐂

Sent from my iPad

Oct 31, 2016HALLOWEEN. missionary by day, giraffe by night say what???? 😂

Hermana exchanges.Yeah so weird but cool, we went on exchanges with Hermanas. I go got to use my Spanish skills.

I'M SO IN LOVE. 😻

Fall is my FAVORITE.

MY LIFE IS GOOD. CAUSE I got corn and silos to look at 24/7.

Fred. Oh I love Fred. ❤️ he's gonna get baptized one of these days. I KNOW it.
I feel one of the reasons I was sent to Burb land was for Fred.
He invited us to Thanksgiving, which is HUGE. we are gonna have lobster. I'm SUPER PUMPED. 🦂🦂🦂🦂🦂🦂

Elder Casto and I be #twinning #glassesclub #cantsee

Okay don't tell me this cat and the meme one are TWINS???? 😂😂😂😂
I don't kind why they're always so upset. It makes me laugh.
It's like a pug but in a cat? Yeah funny story ..... Once upon a time in a foreign fountry....A geautiful birl from the southern belles ..... Re kinda severed her nerve again. THE END

RHONDA. She's the one I wrote about last week. She's A HUGE MIRACLE.
Love her!

GREAT place Sister Mercker took us. She's wonderful.

Halloween say whaaaaat? Yeah Bishop Freedlund made this. Are y'all impressed or what? Cause I know I sure am!

Brother Cook makes balloon things for a living. Again I'm SUPER impressed.

Elderly ladies we play games with every week. They're so wonderful.

IM EVEN MORE IN LOVE WITH THESE CLOUDS 😻 AMY ARE YOU SEEING THESE?

This is Weyni. She is from Ethiopia. I got to teach her English.

HALLOWEEN...missionary by day, giraffe by night...say what???? 😂Gotta have fun as a missionary. Here it is .... How old am I? Again I think 5? Maybe haha.

Jack Black say WHAAAAT? Bro. Whitt is the coolest! He takes us out to eat every so often.

I LOVE STACIE. She's from Morton. She works at the Food Bank. Miss this lovely lady.
She's sassy and cracks me up. AND SIS. MUHLESTEIN OF COURSE. I MISS HER BEAUTIFUL FACE !!!! ❤️❤️❤️❤️😭

Yes this tree is "so pretty...like a model or cheerleader or something" 😂👌🏾❤️

Yeah missionary work is hard, but Satan isn't gonna win. I will keep pushing through hardship.
We will keep looking for those people who are ready to be baptized.

CUBS ARE IN THE WORLD SERIES. Go CUBS!

You know you're in Illinois when you see a corn mailbox. 🌽🌽🌽🌽🌽
#cornfordays I'M A HARRY POTTER WIZARD. It's a skill we missionaries here in Illinois obtain.
Yes be jealous.

1- HERMANA WHAT? careful what you wish for....  

In one day we were fed sooooo much food. I seriously couldn't handle it all. My stomach and body really started to hate me. Too much is too much. 

We had a HUGE 4 course meal WITH DESSERT, then another meal of pasta and breadsticks and everything! No Bueno! One of the reasons I was not called to be an Hermana Jaja. 

It was kinda cool we got to go on Exchanges with some Hermanas (Spanish speaking). It was fun for me to get to go to their area and experience a little bit of what being an Hermana is like.  It was SO hard because I think never have I ever felt so alone in my entire life!!!! I was sitting in a lesson that was 98% in Spanish and there's me sitting there picking up about 2% of it. Little did I know we were teaching the Restoration. It was during the time that the Hermanas investigator was getting interviewed to be baptized.  To make our time be most effective we decided to teach Pedro's sister. 

We actually first showed her the "Hallelujah" Easter initiative video and she asked " why are there so many churches" and we were all so excited because WE TOTALLY have the answer! 

And so the elder and Hermana taught and I just sat and smiled. I prayed for Heavenly Father to at least help me know when to ask certain questions (basically to ask and then the Hermana would translate).  

It was cool because i was able to recognize when were talking about prophets and I asked "how does it make you feel to know there's a living prophet on the earth today?"  And then oh my goodness y'all....even though I felt like a huge ...actually more like small fly on the wall, when the Hermana recited Joseph Smiths First Vision WOW...the spirit was sooo strong!!! 

At one point she said she was raised as a Catholic, and the Elder bore his testimony that he was raised Catholic and was reading the Bible and noticed there were prophets and yet wondered why the church didn't teach or believe that.  Then he found the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. Seriously, God is a God of miracles! Even though I didn't understand any of that in the moment it was cool to see that specific Elder needed to be there to help her see she isn't alone and can rise above these things just as he did. #mindblown 

OH ALSO...you'll all be proud to know I bore my testimony in Spanish. And wow I don't think I've ever felt so scared in my entire life! There were 5 people who could speak fluent Spanish, and there I was ....a BRIGHT RED tomato.  I did the best I could and I was sure praying for help. Afterwards as we missionaries all walked outside the Elders told me I did really good at pronouncing the words and in the correct cases with the perfect Spanish accent. It made me feel good that I did it the right way! 

Even though I felt alone I felt Gods hand in that lesson within myself personally. 

It was a very humbling experience because then we went to teach English class. I was able to help a lady named Weyni. She's from Ethiopia and is struggling to speak English. She is really struggling with the smallest things in the English language. So it was cool to see that Heavenly Father allowed me to go through that awful Spanish lesson feeling alone to be able to be humble enough to feel just a piece of what Weyni is feeling and experiencing everyday. I felt like it helped me to know how to personally help her. 

2- ¡!Chola Chula ( pretty gangster ) take over Burb land ¡!!
 We are so close to Chi town. We hear sirens and ambulances daily. It  reminds me of my Freeport days! Haha. A few weeks ago we found some really cool graffiti by the railroad tracks. It was a fun adventure. 

3- MISSIONARY  BY DAY...giraffe by night 

So I have the coolest giraffe footie pajamas! So for Halloween I'm a giraffe... It's quite exciting actually

4-🕷🕷🕷SPIDER BITE TURNS MISSIONARY INTO SPIDY WOMAN. 🕸 

So a couple weeks ago I got a spider bite and I was super nervous. My leg got super numb and it was hard to walk.  It also feeling on fire, then super cold off and on. After awhile it hurt all the way up my leg. I could feel a pinch in my nerve all the way up. It was hard to sit, walk, sleep or do anything. Finally after about 2 weeks of pain I called a chiropractor in our ward, Brother Beyer. He's awesome! I didn't wanna go because, of course, I thought of EVERY bad scenario possible. I was scared I might have to stop doing missionary work and be on crutches, or even worse-go home.  Thankfully that's not what happened. You see at times we think we can do things on our own, but the reality is we CAN'T. We need the Savior in our lives. We MUST turn to him and let his AAtonement carry us. Even though it's hard we can do it! I know we all can.

So back to my story....

Brother Beyer asked "so what are you in for?"

Me: A few years ago I severed a nerve in my foot. A couple weeks ago the  feeling is back. I'm feeling super extremes of hot and cold sensation. The nerve is also pinched all the way up my leg. 

Bro. Beyer: the good thing is it sounds like the symptoms you're experiencing has to do with your back, and we can fix that. 

Me: I also have times when I can't breathe very well...breathing pains. Does that have to do with my back? 

Bro. Beyer: yes, we can fix that too. 

Me: I, accidentally shut the car door on my hip a few months ago, so that might be another problem. And when I played sports growing up I got thrown all over the place so I'm thinking its a mix of everything that's ever happened to me in my life. 😂😂

Bro. Beyer: wow, what else did you do ? Haha well let's see what we can do. 

----

I found out that I had problems in my 

Mid back , Upper back & Lower back & my Neck--and obviously  my foot. 

He made adjustments to all of those areas. 

 I got a total readjustment. 

It was such a blessing ! 

I feel like I have a whole new body. Wahoooo! 

I got new hair since I got a haircut, a new body, and a new bike! 

The Assistants found a new one and I'm super stoked because biking doesn't stink as much now. It's actually kinda enjoyable. 

It was funny. Brother Beyer told one of the nurses, 

" She's a professional nail walker and accidentally sneezed and lost her balance.  So here she is for treatment " 😂😂😂😂

More on my poor foot....

 I dropped my heavy electronic toothbrush AND case on it 

AND got rammed into huge rack of metal chairs ....

Yeah , IM DONE. 😂😂😂😂 is it time for a new foot ? Or leg ? Haha just kidding. But geez , why me ? Haha. 

I'm just super glad no spider is gonna kill me ....at least not yet haha. 

I'm just laughing so hard at myself for the fact that this ALWAYS happens to me. 

Laughter really is life best medicine. I can testify to that! 

Lessons learned this week :
Diced mangos come in a real can 

• DO NOT buy 88 cent white  bread even if it's the cheapest. 
• Don't talk to creepy men with legit horns in their head. I KID YOU NOT. I REALLY SAW IT. 👹👹👹👹👹 #creepy 

Opposition 

Opposition in ALL things. 

Death, delays, bad health, etc. and MATH... "did someone say math?... I sure did. Mental abuse to humans is what it is ..."

It's crazy to think I won't be here next October.  Time sure flies when you're busy doing the Lord's work. It's sad and scary  to think I've almost been out a year, and yet it's also soooo happy 

Parley P. Pratt,“I have desired, after travelling for twenty-five or twenty-six years- mostly abroad, to stay at home and minister among the people of God, and take care of my family; but God’s will be done, and not mine. If it is the will of God that I should spend my days in proclaiming this Gospel and bearing testimony of these things, I shall think myself highly privileged and honoured. And when the Spirit of God is upon me, 

I think it matters but very little what I suffer, what I sacrificed-whether I secure the honour or dishonour of men, or where I die, if it so be that I can keep the faith, fight the good fight, and finish my course with joy. I have all eternity before me, in which to enjoy myself.” 

(Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, p. xxv) 

We can see a miracle everyday of our lives and our missions when we ACTIVELY LIVE THE GOSPEL. 

Mormon 9:15-- God is a God of miracles 

MIRACLES :

4 yr old in church bore his testimony ... 

"I know God and Jesus love us. I know we partake of the sacrament. The water is in remembrance of Christ's blood and the bread for his body. We need to repent.  We need to INSTANTLY obey! In the name of Jesus Christ , Amen. " 

• Rhonda came to the Ward trunk or treat 
• Beyer family had us over for dinner. Seriously feels like home.  I sure love that wonderful family ❤️❤️❤️
• Fred, Sister Irvin's dad, made us the BEST chili I think I've ever had in my life. And it's cool to see him progress as we've left a Plan of Salvation pamphlet. He REALLY ACTUALLY read it AND took out the Jesus picture of the Garden of Gethsemane. He said he really loved it. This last week was the year mark of his sweet wife's passing, so sister Anderson and I brought him a card and he said it meant a lot to him. He calls us "his sweethearts" haha. He cracks me up. His hard heart is softening. It's awesome to see this. Seriously one of the COOLEST experiences of my life 
• Brother Beyer fixed my foot, seriously he's a MIRACLE WORKER. 
• The Baldwin's got Firehouse Subs for dinner, and I've just been wanting Firehouse forever. It was just the second time we ate there and Brother Baldwin didn't even have to ask what I wanted to drink. He just handed me a Dr. Pepper. I died laughing.  "Wow. Y'all know me too well already." haha. 
• Sanjuanita got us some goodies !!! I love her ❤️❤️

There were many more but that's just a few. 

I know God loves us, because I've felt His love for me and others as I've lost myself in His work each day. I love being able to really see God's hand in my everyday life. I love this gospel. I love being a missionary, even though I get rejected each day. 

I love Parley P. Pratt's great attitude. If he served a 25-26 year mission, I can surely serve my 18 months! I am grateful for my ancestors like Parley who encourage and inspire me to keep on going, even when I wanna give up. 

I know  this is important work and the Lord has called us full time missionaries to do it. 

I WILL GO AND DO. 

I wanna invite y'all to look for the miracles in your own life. 

I promise you as you do that, you'll be happier and you will grow closer to God and the Savior. 

CHRISTMAS IS ONLY A FEW WEEKS AWAY.  I AM SO EXCITED. I LOVE CELEBRATING JESUS. I am sooo blessed and privledged to be able to celebrate Him everyday on my mission. 

Til next time ,

🌵Hermana Ällowitz  🌻