Amazing Week

Helllllloooooo!

I hope that all is well, things here are going great!  This past week was amazing!  So as I have been telling you the area has been getting difficult because we need new investigators, so that has forced us to do door to door, but now I am seeing blessing in our area!  So this week we have 2 baptisms planned!  And it’s a couple!  We are going to attend their wedding this week, I’m pretty excited!  And something you need to know about Africa is that they know how to throw a party! Sometimes these parties can last multiple days, and to sum it up there is a lot of food, a lot of soda, a lot of dancing! (we don’t dance by the way) but it’s going to be pretty exciting!

We also fixed a baptismal date with one of our newer investigators!  All and all I see the Lord’s hand in our work!

The other good news from this week is we finally have our own building here in Avotrou to attend church at! That is  amazing because more people will come to church because it’s closer!  Well that’s about it for this week!  All is well; I miss you and love you!

With Love,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II

Zone Conference

Helllooooo!

Well another week has gone by and here we are again!  This past week was a little difficult but I found that there were rewards from our efforts.  So this past week we did a lot of talking to people trying to find new people to teach.  I find it difficult when we don’t have an appointment because I just don’t like having to try and find new people to teach.  But I found that as we worked hard god did the rest.

And this reinforced a quote that Elder Vinson said at our zone conference with him "When we do a little....god does a lot!"  This was probably my favorite quote from the conference, because as we make an effort I sometimes feel like it’s a waste but then I realize it really is me just doing a little and god doing the rest.

The good news from this week is we found a new investigator, his name is Cedric and he is awesome!  He really understands our message well!  He even came to church on Sunday and he really liked it!  We are hoping he will continue to progress well!  The funny thing was he has been wanting to
talk to us for a while but he could never find us, but now all is going well for him!

The other good news from this week is we had a baptism!  We baptized Eustash!  Super amazing guy!  For the longest time he didn't have a church but after we started teaching him, he really started to feel like that was a better way to spend his Sundays!

I was super happy with the week!  It was difficult but I made it, always taking one step at a time.  And what I noticed is that when we lost one investigator, god gave us a new one!  All and all it really wasn't a terrible week!

My other favorite quote from our zone conference came from President Weed, and he said "if we are truly converted, our actions will show it!" This hit me pretty hard.  It’s difficult for me to explain but it was awesome!  Anyway that is it for this week.  I miss you and love you!

With Love,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II

Difficult Week

Hellllooooo!

Well I hope that you had a good week this week!  I have to say that this week was definately a more difficult one for me.  So I believe that I have a very good area, the problem is finding new investigators in my area.  My area has so little members that it's hard to find contacts.  Also the problem is my area is so very small, you walk one way for a few minutes and you're in another area, do the same thing in another direction and the same thing happens.  We have been forced to start going door to door to find new investigators.  This is something that is very difficult for me!  We could talk to maybe 50 people in one week and find maybe 2 people that could progress.

We had a lot of bad luck!  All the people that seemed like they could be great investigators and things just went wrong.  One guy hid from us when we saw him before we got there and then the next guy his dad wouldn't let him talk to us.....on the plus side we found a family this week and I think they are already civily married!  Im very excited for this!  They accepted to let us come back and teach them. I'm looking forward to getting to talk to them again!

So basically we are doing a lot of hard work but results aren't coming.  On the plus side, we are expecting a baptism this week!  Very excited for that!

It sounds like everything from the Gilbert temple was awesome!  I look forward to going!  soon!  I really miss the temple! I never realized how much I went to the temple until I got here.  Anyway all is well, I miss you, I love you!  God be with you till we meet again!

Avec amour,

Elder Joseph D. Allred II

PS next week ill talk more about the visit from Elder VInson, i forgot my notes haha

Connection Has Returned

Hellllooooo!

Well this week connection has returned and I am able to email again!  I hope you are doing well!  So I will begin with the things that happened 2 weeks ago!  So after the transfer calls were made we started telling people how Rato was leaving and that meant a lot of goodbyes and a few very filling dinners!  The day he left we had a zone conference!

At the zone conference we learned a lot of great stuff!  I really do feel like President Weed is very inspired by the things that he teachs us. I'm very thankful for him and to have him as my mission president!

Then shortly after that I said au voir Rato and Bonne chance ou Togo! And that was the end of our companionship. I learned from him; it was very difficult at times but I made it!

Then on Sunday I was given my new companion Elder Bulunga!  Elder Bulunga comes from the Congo!  And he is seriously amazing!  He knows the gospel better than anyone I have ever met!  It's really amazing seeing the inside of his scriptures....I can tell how much he studies and it really does show!  The weird thing is he is very shy...and you know me I can't shut up!  But when we go and talk to people on the street its the opposite!  He loves spreading the gospel and I have learned so much from him!  He is seriously an amazing missionary!

But anyway we are really trying our best to find new investigators to really fill up our time and its going ok but like I said it just takes a little hard work!  Talking for the first time with people is my weakness but I have amazing help from my Father in Heaven and my companion!  I'm not a perfect missionary but I try my best to do what is right!

This week we have a Zone Conference with a member of the seventy so that should be pretty awesome!  Anyway thats all for this week!  I love you and miss you!

Je t'aime beaucoup!

Elder Joseph D. Allred II