There was an old lady who swallowed a fly. Perhaps she'll die...

Hi everyone!! I'm leaving to Washington DC in T-minus two days!! Equal parts absolutely excited, because I get to feel like an actual missionary in a couple days I think (still doesn't feel real), and absolutely terrified. I don't know where I'll be living in two days, who I'll be living with, what language they'll speak, what language I need to speak, or how long I'll be staying in the Washington DC/Maryland area, so y'all are about to come and find out with me! I'll keep you updated for sure, hopefully my emails will be more exciting when I get to go outside for more than to grab my mail every day. What a concept. Anyway, here's some funny things and some milagritos! 

Things that made me laugh: 

• First off, I had a fly buzzing around my room for 5 of the 7 days this week. At first it was annoying, and I left my door open all the time for it to fly out, but it literally refused to leave. So then I decided I was going to befriend it. Like any sane person would do. And it hung around me a lot and we just chilled. One morning, my mom bought me fiiz, which was the nicest thing ever. I almost finished it, but not quite, and I kept forgetting to take it upstairs to throw away, so it was just sitting there the next morning. When I got onto class, I saw that fiiz and decided I wanted a sip, cause I forgot to eat breakfast. And then, for no reason at all, I decided to open up my cup before I drank it, and I pulled the lid and straw off, and chilling right in the bottom of my straw WAS MARTINEZITO (I named him after my MTC teacher). He must have climbed all the way down the straw in an attempt to drink my lemonade. Anyway so I panicked and gagged on zoom because I could have so easily sucked that fly right into my mouth. Literally horrifying. This section of the story should be in my milagrito section because I think that's the biggest miracle of the MTC so far. Honestly the Lord was looking out for me. My first near death experience of the mission! Anyway, in my horror, I slammed the lid back down and promptly dunked my fly under my lemonade on accident (SECOND BAPTISM OF THE MISSION LETS GOOO) but then a minute later I felt terrible for killing him so I opened the cup again and he was still alive so I saved him and he cleaned himself off and was back to his usual self. Just today, he has disappeared. Flies have a life span of 12-15 days so I think yesterday was probably his 14th day. I'm gonna miss lil Martinezito.
  
  
• We had spirit week!! We had cheez-it day, spiderman day, mustache day, and our last day when we held up signs for our teachers cause we love them. Super fun to get on zoom every day with a different theme. Our poor teachers. 

• I still had Hermana Utley hang with me on Monday of this week. Literally so fun, and the worst part of the mission so far is dropping her off at the airport. But she makes me laugh very hard and I love her and it was so fun to eat cheez-its and go to target with her. 

Milagritos (mini miracles):

• First off I gotta give a shoutout to my companion for the last six weeks. The more I learn about her, the more she amazes me. She seriously just glows with Christlike love and is all around incredible. I would not have made it through the last six weeks without her, and I'm a little mad we're not going to the same mission, but seriously so grateful I got to meet her anyway, so we can hang out in the Meringue house after the mission. She is all kinds of amazing, and a spiritual powerhouse, not to mention the prettiest person I've ever met. She makes me laugh harder than anyone and cry just a lil cause her spiritual insights are so incredible. If I never get a better companion, I will be sad, but not surprised, because Hermana Utley is going to be hard to top. Love you Herm! I hope you meet all the sloths and not a single reptile!
  
  
• My district is incredible. The first week was really rough, because none of us talked, but we have seriously gotten so close and I am proud to call each of them my friends. I am grateful for that first week, because it gave us the opportunity to be immensely grateful for the bond we have now. Each one of them have made me think harder about the gospel and want to be a better person, just because of how incredible they are. Your missions are getting the best of the best! Best of luck to Elder Bott, Elder Klippel, Elder Memmott, Elder Bray, Elder Brockbank, Elder Davis, Elder Buhler, Elder Pratt, Elder Riches, and Elder Bush!

• My MTC teachers are incredible. I seriously don't know what I'd do without them helping me every step of the way and encouraging me. They really are the best and I will miss them a ton. They dealt with our district and managed to teach us all Spanish. Somehow. Thank you to Hermano Solis and Hermano Martinez (and Hermana Gonzalez even though she ditched us two weeks in. Love her too.)

• ME AND HERM FINISHED THE BOOK OF MORMON!! We read every single day for 5 weeks straight and we finished it! Man, it is such a good book, and it is for EVERYONE!! The things I have learned and scribbled all over my scriptures I hope I keep them with me for the rest of my life. I encourage every one of you to read 3 Nephi 11-20. SUCH incredible scriptures and I love that they give us what is most important. Words directly from the mouth of our Savior, given to us just because He loves us. Pretty cool stuff. ALSO read Ether 12. Such a powerhouse chapter that really makes me think about faith. I have really loved the concept of faith lately so I loved reading those chapters. Faith is to hope! Never forget! (if any of you want a cute lil Book of Mormon discussion please email me I would love it because it's my new favorite thing to talk about)

• EVERY SINGLE MISSIONARY EVER NEEDS TO READ MISSIONARY WORK AND THE ATONEMENT BY JEFFREY R. HOLLAND! (Shoutout to Elder Buhler for telling me to read it) Seriously THE best talk I've ever heard and my whole mission is changed because of it. It is not a conference talk, so it's not available to listen to on ChurchofJesusChrist.org so just google "Missionary Work and the Atonement Jeffrey R. Holland" and it's 40 minutes long. Perfect amount of time to read during personal study and then for the next 20 minutes of study stare at the ceiling in awe. 

Anyway, peace out y'all! I'm gonna miss good ole K-town but I cannot wait to serve the people of Washington DC and Uruguay! I love and miss you al! Thank you to every person who has supported me in the MTC! 

(This is my testimony in spanish, not using google translate because the idea is for me to look back and be embarrassed at my spanish but proud when I know way more than I do now. So if you don't speak spanish, be impressed. If you do, be impressed with how much I am about to learn.)

 

Yo se que el Evangelio es la verdad. Los profetas son llamando de Dios. Estoy agradecido por mi mision, y por mi familia. Me amo todo la iglesia, y estoy muy agradecido por el oportunidad a predicad y compartir a todo el mundo. El plan de Dios es un plan de gozo y esperanza, y por que Dios viven, podemos tener gozo y esperanza. Yo se que Jesucristo es mi Salvador, y la expiacion es un momento muy importante y grande por todo el mundo, y especialmente por yo. Me encanta La Iglesia de Jesucristo de los Santos de los Ultimos Dias con todo my corazon. En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen. 

Much love, Hermana Allen