Family and friends,

I will be sent off to train a new missionary which just got here i still don't know which one it is. Elder López will come in my place, i will be District Leader also in the Tamaulipas ward, Tamaulipas 1 area, in the Andulucia stake. It is very typical that Pres. Walker sends off his AP's to train their last 2 transfers because he says in that way we train future APs. He also considers being trainer the most important assignment in the mission, and this will be my second time doing it :)

This week we had a very very good experience. there is an Rm here that came home 8 months early, he didn't do anything wrong but he just didn't want to be a missionary anymore, he had been  with my companion in the MTC of Mexico. but he came back with a girlfriend who is 16 and a small 9 month baby which is not his. they were living with his mom in separate rooms. anyway they have been trying to get the girls mom to come from Nogales to sign the wedding papers so that the rm can start taking the sacrament after his disciplinary council. we showed up on Thursday to eat with his mom with out knowledge of the fact that the mother was in town for the wedding on Friday.... the rm and the mom have differences... they were fighting when we got there which resulted in us leaving with out lunch and the poor guys mom going after the lady from Nogales who was saying that her daughter could get married when she was 18.... we ate in a small store the size of a gas station, and the both of us felt the impression to return to the house. so we go back and the 2 women are still gone, the house was buttoned up and looked like no one was home. just before knocking on the door i turned to Elder Talavera and asked: "what are we going to say" he responded: " I don't know... just ring the door bell. so i did. the door flew open with an angry Pedro( that's his name) on the other side... he looked at us for about 10 seconds without a single word being said.. he then burst into tears telling us to come in. we proceeded to listen to him for half an hour, gave him a blessing, said a prayer and shared a couple of scriptures. he was not the least bit angry or bitter by the time we left. we called his mom to tell her we had stopped by and that her son was ready to talk with a clear head. the next day we were passing by and noticed the after wedding party. It was a beautiful experience that we had to help that family and to help Pedro put his life back into order. It was especially special for Elder Talavera, who had been with this kid in the MTC, he said it was hard to see some one like him break down and bawl like a baby cause he knew him, and it just wasn't normal.

I learned allot of Humility and patience from this experience, and i saw how some of my life experiences and past studies had helped me to be prepared to help him.

Hello,

Yes friends i am still doing the exact same things. Preaching the gospel and fulfilling duties such as travel a long suffering journey of 5 hours to Valle Hermoso, while trying not to go crazy with a couple of movies like marley and me 2 puppy dog days and some movie where talking zoo animals give some guy dating advice.... i wanted to rip my eye balls out. if they are goiing to put some sort of movie i would prefer they put some thing good on like Captain America when we went to Reynosa... or Pirates of the carabean strangers water like when we came back from valle hermoso.... thats what the bus rides are like on the mexican travel buses. President chooses his APs carefully for these reasons because someone who gets distracted easily would not be able to work all day after that. but thats part of the job. Next week we will be planning transfers. from 9-5 tuesday to thursday we'll be in the offices... finding trainers, zone leaders, district leaders, and maybe even a new AP.... depends on what president desires on that one. we have no idea how this whole this works out.

   

     This week i have learned allot. We have been working with the members entirely for 3 months now and almost all of our key indicators, or our reports have improved. the only thing that has gone down is the amount of new investigators that we are finding is rather low. but we are doing a better job with less than we were doing with more. we have had to help several missionaries understand that this is how God has desired that we do his work in our part of the world and there is no turning back. it is more efficient. and a missionary has to be even more prepared than they had to be before because its success or failure, then end. Love you all and talk to you next week!

Family and Friendz,

So this week was wonderful in América. Nothing too exciting happened. We had interviews with President Walker and a training meeting with Sister Walker, where she talked to us about what we had talked to the missionaries about in the last zone leader conference, with emphasis added in about planning well. it was the most interesting set of interviews i have ever had. Ever week is like an interview with President Walker so we took up half the time that is normally taken for an interview. we had exchanges with our District leader and our Zone leaders. Next week we will be going to Valle Hermoso, it will be my first time going there, they call it the city of 3 lies.... cause its means beautiful valley they say that 1 its not a valley, 2 its not beautiful, and 3 its not a city... but it just a  joke really cause i have heard it is very beautiful. we had a baptism planned but the sister had to work a double shift so she couldn't make it to the interview, so it will be delayed for another week. we realized on Friday that the baptismal font was still full from last Sunday, and that the pump to drain it was out out service. there was no electrical connection. so we got smart, we had a bunch of mops and brooms, 4 buckets, 2 trash barrels and a very long hose. so after surveying the provided equipment Elder Avila who was with me asked me if i was an eagle scout and if they had taught me anything in the BSA. I said not in this circumstance, but i saw a trick once in a primary lesson in Nampa, so I grabbed the hose and spread it out on the front lawn which happens to be a small incline. Connecting the hose to the tap I proceeded to fill it full of water until it was flowing out the end, disconnecting it i stuck the end that had been connected to the tap into the font and ran to the other end and began sucking until i felt the hot water from the out door tap dissipate and the cooler water from the font take over.... it took 2 days but the syphon worked and the Baptismal font is now empty. ready for a good cleaning and the baptism this week. that was the biggest occurrence this week. it was exciting to try and overcome the problem, which we did rather nicely i would say.

it was a very short week. next week we will be planning transfers again. and i am not sure what exactly will be happening. i am sure that my companion is going to stay as AP but i could be sent off to train. but there are few news that will be arriving this transfer and we are like 23 missionaries in my ''generation'' as they call it, so i dont know if i will be training or stay with Elder Talaverment another transfer..... who knows... I dont even think that president Walker knows at this point.

Elder Allen to Fly into Pocatello

I got a call today from an Elder in the Monterrey East Mission asking me if it was ok that my elder flew into the Pocatello airport in December.  I said yes!  So to all of the family that wants to welcome Paden home!

Family and Friends,

Yes i have but 3 and a half months left in my wonderful service of a mission. However, i do not feel it yet. I have not realized that my mission will end. i feel that it is still beginning. truth be told i do miss a few things, such as reading whatever i want but that is the least of the mind occupying matters on my mind lately. We are all sorts of busy with the politics of the mission. Special Transfers, Splitz, administration, reporting, Interviews with President Walker, and getting ready to plan transfers again. I don't know what will happen with me and my Companion. We have a few options. 1- I leave to train the last 2 transfers of my mission, and my companion trains a new assistant to end his mission. 2- We stay together another transfer, allowing My comp to finish in super work mode, and allowing me to train another Assistant before finishing my mission. 3- My companion goes to do half training with a new missionary leaving me as assistant with a new AP. who knows what will happen. president Walker hasn't said anything about it yet. and even though it is a curious thing. its one of the only transfers i have had where i am 100% unprepared for what is coming next.....

This week we went to Reynosa and sweated our eye balls onto our face where they were glued to our sunburned cheeks by wind billowed dust.... its was one of the worst nights sleep i have had in my mission where i was screaming in my sleep apparently... something about i will give you what you want.... Who knows. i got up like 6 times because it was so hot i had to drink water. I am glad i am in the city where at least at night we have a nice fresh breeze blowing through our house. 

We had a baptism this Week!!! YAY!!!! Maria Josefa Camarrillo Barreda of 55 years of age was baptised at 9:30 Am before the sacrament services where she was then confirmed a member of th Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. :) she is a woman taxi driver and is an Ancient investigator of Elder Wood and Elder Aranda, who were the assistants when i got off the Airplane as a new greenie. that wierded me out a bit, and made me feel rather old..... anyway it was a great expirience. i also included a picture of the secrataries and us goofing off last week. :) Anyway......

This week has been very constructive for our area and for the mission. 9/10 zones had baptisims this week :) very good cause normally its not that way. I feel we are making progress against the vain efforts of the adversary to stop the work in its Tracks. “The Standard of Truth has been erected. No unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame. But the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and dependent till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, until the purposes of God shall be accomplished and the Great Jehovah will say, ‘The work is done.”

Love you all, until next week!

Your broski,