July 17, 2017 - The Week I Had No Time

Cuties! What a good week here in St. Augustine. We had some brutal heat this week but the afternoon storms are a serious blessing. I just want to take a second and tell you all about the blessing this week. We are getting a deaf branch here!!! This is seriously amazing news. These people are incredible and deserve better than ,e trying to interpret everything. I am so proud to be serving in such an amazing area. Now what does this mean for me? No idea. I could be reassigned to be a full-time ASL missionary. I could stay in the hearing ward. No idea but it's exciting nonetheless. I have almost no time today but I'll add a bunch of pictures.

I love you all!!

We won miles for being the cleanest car (that was a miracle)

Half of my cute district doing service for the lovely lady in front

MY BFF SISTER DANIELS

We saw an armidillo. Bad picture sorry.

Gotta love the south

My cute mom

July 10, 2017 - The Week I Almost Got Arrested

Hi cute friends, 

This week was so full of ups and downs. Just like a normal week in the mission field! We sadly had one of our investigators (the first one we found together) drop us this week. My cute trainer told me something that helped me a lot. Every person we meet has stickie notes on their forehead. When we talk to them, teach them, meet them, pass by them etc we are pulling those stickies off their forehead. Even though we weren't the ones to pull her last stickie off, we pulled some off so she is that much closer. After that sad event we went out for milkshakes cause it wasSister McConnell's one year mark!! We ran into a cute member family who so sneakily paid for our milkshakes! The members here are the nicest humans ever. They love us missionaries and they are so kind to us! They come out with us to lessons, give us referrals and feed us all the time! They're amazing. Speaking of, the Hills took Sister McConnell and I out for dinner on the 4th! They are so generous. We went to a great BBQ place. Gotta love the south!

A quick little update on the ASL: one of the deaf ward members came up to me on Sunday and asked me to say the closing prayer in Sacrament. My palms were so sweaty. But I did it and I didn't offend anyone! Hopefully it will just get better from here on out.

Yesterday we went out to visit a member who happens to live in a gated community (here's where my subject line comes into play). They weren't home so we went to ask the neighbors if they knew if they still lived there. He then informed us that we were not allowed to be there and to leave immediately. Nice guy. We went to the other neighbors house to ask them. We had biked like 7 miles to get there so we were not going to just leave. The neighbors weren't home and that's when we saw the guy who had told us to leave came out of his house and followed us to tell us to leave or he would call the authorities. He stood next to us as we put on our helmets and left on our bikes. It was an adventure for sure. We also got drenched while biking.

Even though it's so hot all the time and it rains everyday and no one wants to listen to us becuase they already "found Jesus" I am loving this place. It's hard and sticky but man do I love being able to represent my Savior and love the people. I'm still terrified of knocking doors and of being rejected but I'll get there. It has only been ONE MONTH since I have been out. Crazy right? Anyway, I love you all!

Have a beautiful week!

Fourth of July

The Hills and the Cute Sisters

Sister McConnell's year mark!!

Pre-rain bike selfie

Post-rain bike selfie (yikes)

Florida sky

July 03, 2017 - The Week I Filled a Lake with Sweat

Hello!! 

Wow it's been a wild week. I had my last few days at the MTC. What an incredible experience to be a part of! I had to say goodbye to some of the best people I know and my sweet companion. I am so grateful for all that they taught me and the love I felt from them. They are going to be stellar missionaries!

Now hold your breathe cause I am finally in Florida!! I am serving in the St. Augustine Shores area! My trainer, Sister McConnell, is the most patient and kind sister. We are whitewashing the area and learning a language. That's right. I'm in a DEAF AREA!!! (Jacob Blonquist if you're reading this email me. I have lots of suggestions for you.) We are both thrilled and terrified. On Sundays we attend hearing sacrament, deaf Sunday school, hearing relief society and then deaf sacrament. It was crazy and we couldn't keep up but it was definitely an adventure. My hair loves the humidity. My pits? Not so much.

We are in a car share with some other sisters which means I have a car for half the week and then I bike the other half. Aren't we so blessed to be biking around in Florida?! Yeah, it's a grand time. Everyone is so nice here and we get fed a lot so please pray for my waistline. We are right on the coast so we have a beautiful breeze which is much appreciated. It rains pretty much everyday so I'm constantly wet. Its either sweat, sprinkler water, or rain. 

I am loving this mission! With all the hardships that are coming with whitewashing and learning a new language. It's absolutely stressful but it's so good and so crazy. Thank you all for your prayers and love!!

MTC District

We made it to Florida!!!

President and Sister Lee (my Mission President and his wife)

Beautiful sister McConnell and I

My best friend The Bike (don't zoom in)

Florida sunset

June 24, 2017 - The Week I Got My Very Own Wheelchair

Friends,

Can you believe I leave for my mission this Tuesday?! The time here is flying by. I love the MTC so so much. I'm kind of sad I'm leaving... but Florida is going to be so amazing even if it's hotter than Hades.

Okay lets explain the subject line. This past Sunday after a devotional given by Donny Osmond we went to see the Restoration movie. What an amazing movie. Watch it. Your faith in Joseph Smith and this gospel will grow SO much. You have no idea. I cried the whole movie but what else is new. After we were walking down the stairs and somehow I ended up at the bottom of the stairs on my butt with my foot under me. Talk about embarrassing. My whole district was there and saw it as did 70ish other missionaries. Humbling am I right? Well the sisters got me out of the way of everyone else and into a nearby empty classroom. I do NOT handle pain well (many of you can attest to that) so I spent the next 15 minutes or so laughing hysterically and sobbing at the same time. It was rough. The poor elders were totally distraught that they couldn't help me because of the no-touching-members-of-the-opposite-gender rule so they decided to call security. The security guard took his sweet time getting to us and rolled up with my very own wheelchair. A wheelchair. To say I was embarrassed was an understatement. Long story short, I ended up having to get an x-ray from the real world and I just sprained it. My ankle has now gone from looking 22 months pregnant to a slightly chubby ankle and I am walking around like it's my job. God is watching out for His missionaries that's for sure. I should've broken it but it's just sprained.

One thing I learned this week was how much Christ loves. Not just loves people but loves God. That's a relationship I don't think much about and it's so wrong that I didn't. You guys, He loves us so much and He loves our Heavenly Father even more. Isn't that crazy?? I love this gospel so much. There's so much to learn and so much to feel. Christ loves us so much He gave us this chance to be here. To struggle and to find joy. That's incredible to me.

I love being a missionary. The times where I have thought "Maybe I can't do this" "Maybe I should just go home" bring other questions to light. "What would I do if I did?" I know for a fact that I would never stop trying to get back out. Don't worry. I'm not coming home. This was just a very long roundabout way of saying how much I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. How much I love putting that name tag on each and every day. How much I love talking about Him 24/7. How much I love the MTC. There's so much hate in the world so why not find things you love and share it? I love sharing what I love. I just love loving how Christ loves. I really do. I am so blessed.

Thank you for your prayers and your support. I feel your love daily. It keeps me going. I love you all! 

Sister Bond and I in the REAL world (Dr. Appointment)

My cute wheelchair and my ankle

June 17, 2017 - The Week I Ate A Big Piece of Humble Pie

This week was tough my friends. Not in a "oh I walked so far and I'm so tired" kind of way but in a "woah, I kind can't do this" kinda way. I had a lot of downs but when there's a down there's an up. I learned that I truly cannot do this. Not alone. I need my Savior and Heavenly Father to be with me every step of the way or I cannot be successful the way they need me to be. It's a hard lesson to learn but one I wouldn't trade for anything. 

I am loving the MTC SO much!!! I love the learning, the Spirit and the people. Friends, the MTC will be doing an open house for their new buildings -- GO!! They are incredible. It's where my classes are held and I could not be more grateful. It sounds funny but I am learning so much from those buildings. Go walk through them. Take the tour. It's so worth it. If you do, email and tell me what you thought!! 

This week we finished up teaching our TRC's. They were both lovely, elderly ladies and it was such a good experience. One was easier than the other but that's okay! My teacher told us a story of when she was on her mission and she was emailing a friend about a trial she was going through. She thought it was unfair and pointless. He wrote her back and told her "Do not deny the refining God has in store for you by thinking you're too good to suffer." I LOVE this quote. We all will have hard trials that will seem unfair and pointless but never think you're too good to suffer. The most almighty being, our Savior, suffered to a degree we can't imagine. How could we think to be better than that. 

Friends, keep pushing forward. Keep trying. It's a hard life but the blessings God has in store for you are immeasurable. 

I love this work and can't believe I'm halfway finished with my time here at the MTC. It's a fast paced crazy town. 

Love you all!!

June 10, 2017 - The Week I Learned What "Tired" Meant

Hello!

What a whirlwind of a week. And it was only 3.5 days! It went by so fast but then I feel like I've been here for months. It's a strange feeling. My first day was so intense and so fast. I was whisked away from my family and was thrown into things head first. I received my name tag (WHICH I LOVE SO MUCH) and went to meet my district and companion. My companion is Sister Bond. I love her dearly. She snorts when she laughs and it's the best thing ever.  We get along so well! There are 6 sisters in my district. Three are going to the best mission ever and the other three are going to Birmingham, Alabama. There are 4 elders and they are all going to Washington D.C. North mission. I love our district! Everyone is so funny and so kind. The elders seem like little babies so it's easy to think and treat them like brothers. I also love our zone. Every night we pray as sisters in the zone and it's such an amazing thing to be apart of. Everyone is so friendly and are so welcoming. I'm sad most of our zone will be entering the field so soon. 

Our schedules mainly consist of cafeteria, class, cafeteria, class etc. It's a struggle to focus for so long so thankfully we pray every. Second. Of. The. Day. No joke. The amount of prayers we say is kind of crazy. Sister Bond and I counted one day and before 10 o'clock in the morning we had said at least 15 prayers. We lost count after that. It's exhausting but oh so good. 

The MTC is so spiritual. It's crazy how intensely you can feel the spirit. It's amazing. The MTC is a funny place. One day you think you bombed teaching a lesson and think you're the worst missionary ever. Then the next you feel so at peace and know you can do this but only with The Lord helping you. Funny but an emotional rollercoaster. It's a fun mix. 

If I've learned anything so far it's that Heavenly Father is so aware of us. He is aware of our strengths, our weaknesses,  our wants and our needs. He just knows. Which is so bizarre to think that there is someone who not only knows you so well but loves you so much. How could someone not simply rejoice in that knowkedge?! And how lucky am I to go and spread that knowledge?!?! I love this place. I really do. And I love wearing that little black plastic badge that reminds me that I am representing my savior and that I am here for Him and His children. 

I love you all! I can feel your love, support and prayers. 

Sister Allgaier 

Some of my sweet sisters in my district