6-28-10

This week!

A few good things have happened this week. We have a baptismal date for July 18th with a girl named Mariela, who is a native from Mexico. Only downside is she has told us that she is apparently in love with me, so hopefully she is making the decision based upon the spirit and NOT based upon me being tan guapo, hahaha. She came to church yesterday and all went well! The members here fellow shipped her like it was their job, so she felt really comfortable. We're really excited for her.

We also had a part-member lesson last night with a family from ecuador. The mother, Ruth, was converted in their first few years of marriage and she is also endowed now. But, the father continues to live in his teen years. They have a 14 year old named Jessica, 9 year old Katrina, and 3 year old shelly. Adorable kids! The older two are both baptized. The husband Angel, just doesn't want to recieve an answer. We asked him last night if he would follow an answer if he recieved it and he basically told us no. So we don't really feel too bad for him on that account. We said what we needed to say and I think we made some progress. What i saw from the whole thing though was that their relationship needs some serious work because everytime Ruth wants to say something to him she would turn to us and say "Elders, he does this or that." So I busted out some knowledge that I have gained from all my years living with our crazy family and I said "Ruth, I want you to tell him one good thing about him, then tell him what you want him to do, and then tell him you love him." So she did so, but basically told us... Again. So I said "Ruth, Ya sabemos (we already know) Tell him this time." She said "Right now??" and I said "yes, right now." So she did it, and I think it really helped. They need to communicate a lot more if he's ever going to understand WHY he needs to be baptized and how important it is for not only their family, but also their relationship! I wrote them both a prescription, they have to take it 2 times per day every day. They have to tell each other they love each other. It's the simple communcication that seems to be ruining it! It went really well.

This week we had a tornado rip through Bridgeport. To us, we thought it was just a quick storm, and then as we continued to drive home we realized there were trees blocking our path and powerlines were down! We got to our apartment and the power was out so we couldn't get into our front gate. The Most of the east side of Bridgeport was trashed. The trees were ripped out of the ground, like the big old trees, and the power lines were destroyed. Power is still out in some areas and a few buildings have collapsed. It was awesome! Nobody died either, so it was something a little exciting.

Well. I love you all, hope you are all doing well, and I have you in my prayers.

Love
-Elder Conner Allred

6-21-10

This place is pretty great! Bridgeport is a much more industrial area but our apartment is brand new and it's a pretty nice place. The rest of Bridgeport on the other hand isn't very beautiful.

There are a lot of Brazilians here so my Portuguese vocabulary is starting to grow. We have contacted quite a few of them, and they have been in the streets quite a bit lately with the World Cup going on. There's always someone to talk to out in the street lately, they're outside enjoying the sun and breaking the word of wisdom. Makes for an easy contact. It's going to be pretty cool coming home tri-lingual.

We've had some good luck this week, Elder Rogers and I. We met a lady from Nicaragua named Maria who we're hoping progresses. She asked us "Do you believe that we will see our families after we die?" Our mouths dropped open, we were pretty pleased to hear that haha. We also ran into a Mexican family of 7 who we're working with and then here and there we're working with people. We have really had to start fresh though and do a little clean up here and there. So nothing TOO exciting has happened this week still, but I'm sure it will in the weeks to come.

It's hard to leave and area where we're having so much success and then have to move to an area that's basically dead. The members here are amazing, I have never seen a branch like them. They fellowship better than anyone I have ever seen, we just need to get people to church. It's funny because here it's the exact opposite of what I said in the past. If we bring them to church, they're golden!

We also have had a few really good random lessons, just walk in and begin teaching, type lessons. And the spirit has been very strong. We're excited for these families and persons. It's hard for me to see people start to become disinterested after we visit, satan works hard on them.

Bridgeport is a very dirty area but I see a lot of promise in it. So I'm hoping we'll have more to report next week!

I may have to start sending pictures through the mail, the library here is running on Windows2000 and when you plug in a USB device it says "Restart the computer for this to function." Yes... it's THAT old!

I love you all and I miss you. I'm hoping to see some success this week. We're working VERY hard. Out all day, and we speak spanish %100 of the time. Funny, I speak more spanish with another american than I ever did with my Mexican companion. Hard work, but we're loving it. also, haha. I just remembered something really funny that Elder Barney told me about white people and white wards. "Every Member a Mission President." haha

Well, love you all. :))

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6-14-10

I'm being transferred!! I'm going to Bridgeport with Elder Rodgers! I'm really excited, too! Elder Rodgers is a very positive missionary and has always been great since I got out here so I'm really excited for this transfer, plus it's the area I have been wanting to serve in! My new address is

Elder Conner Allred
50 Ridgefield Ave. Apt. 110
Bridgeport, CT 06610

Sunday was pretty rough telling everyone we were leaving, but they're throwing us a big fiesta with food and we're going to sing some hymns for them! Elder Urrutia and I are being doubled out of Hartford North and Elder Meira is also leaving. So 3 of the 4 of us are being moved. It was really hard to see everyone's eyes fill with tears. All of our recent converts were really busted up about it and were pretty watery eyed, but they are also excited for us. That night we also had a baptism, the South elders baptized Ruth-Sally, their investigator of about 9 weeks! She is 20 years old and her family is wholly pentecostal so it's been a rocky road for her, but she did it! She was like a little kid last night after she was baptized.

I'm really bummed out to leave Hartford, especially with 2 people so close to being baptized, but I guess I've said what I need to say to those people and the Lord will take it from here!

Summer has officially started here in CT so it's even HARDER to sleep at night. People are constantly awake playing music right into our window, glad I don't have to deal with that anymore! It's going to be great in Bridgeport -- hopefully I won't get Portuguese and Spanish mixed up as there is a lot of Portuguese down there, so I'll most likely be working on that while I'm down there.

Well, Not much I can think of right now -- my brain is going 1000000 miles an hour.
I Love you!
-Elder Conner Allred

6/7/10

Brinlee, DRIVING?!?!?! AHH! I'm glad I sold my Bimmer. haha.

I got the great opportunity to translate for someone in line at the grocery store because the clerk didn't speak any Spanish. Kind of fun to be able to do that.

This week, the Lord hooked us up phat! We were sitting in the hall yesterday waiting to fill the font and a man came up to us and asked if we were skipping out on something or what we were doing. We told him we had a baptism so we were waiting for the rooms to get empty -- He said "Well, I'm supposed to visit the High Priests, but I feel like I should just talk with you 4 (the Spanish Elders)." So he sat down with us, he had a full head of white hair and a very inviting and friendly smile. He said "I'm Brother Hilbig, I've served as mission president and in the 70 and so on, but I feel like I should talk to you Elders." What he DIDN'T tell us, is that he is CURRENTLY serving in the first q. of the 70! So we got a 1-1 hour lesson basically about missionary work and revelation from Elder Hilbig of the 70! How crazy is that! It was such a neat experience. He asked me to offer the prayer at the end as well. He was such a kind and gentle man, his language was eloquent and easy to understand; hopefully I'll end up like him! It was really neat.

I bore my testimony in the branch yesterday and it went really well, strangely well in fact. I got up there and my mouth just started speaking all this crazy spanish I didn't even know. Subjunctives and correct pronoun placements. It was insane! I got done and after the meeting 3 people came up to me and said "Your spanish has gotten so much better, what did you do?!" haha. I think what helped me was when I was Senior comp in Hartford for the day last Tuesday. We taught a lesson to a Puerto Rican lady named Elva. She speaks and understands 0 English. So when Elder Winfield wanted to teach, I would translate for him, so I translated for a solid 30 minutes. Then, two weeks ago, I had the chance to speak to a members mother for an hour and a half. It's amazing how much just speaking it helps and having them correct me as we go. But my testimony was almost flawless. One member said "Wow, by the time you get home you'll be a pro!" So that was a big plus for me. I feel like I can understand and speak better when I'm NOT around Elder Urrutia because I think my brain turns off sometimes and lets me use him as a crutch more than a help.

Dunia Guadalupe Romero got baptized yesterday! After 4 years, she finally decided to get dunked! It was so great, we really got through to her this time and let her know she is ready. I even told her if she stops drinking coffee, I'll stop drinking Inca Kola. So far, I'm dry still! haha. And more importantly, she is baptized! I absolutely love Dunia and her 7 year old daughter Daniela. They hold a special place in my heart, she reminds me of myself. She didn't want to get baptized and end up being a hypocrite; so I told her how I fought that as well and how I overcame those feelings. She agreed and then... She decided to get baptized.

This week was the Puerto Rican Day parade on Park Street... We got to watch an insane group of Boricuans outside our balcony all night as they drove by on their scooters and cars holding flags and screaming and yelling all night long. It was really funny, until I was trying to sleep. But it was SUCH an interesting night. It's one of those things you look back on and go "oh man, here's a sweet mission story." It was really a blast. The people were insane! We almost saw a few car / scooter accidents. Good times.

The other Elders decided to pull a prank and put our bed in our study room. Really annoying at the time. Really funny now though.

Not much else, last week of transfers this week so we'll see what happens! I hope all is well at home, I love all of you -- I'm praying for you and hope the Lord is blessing you. Have you handed out that Book of Mormon yet?

I love you
-Elder Allred

6-1-10

This week has been pretty sweet! Not too much exciting news, but no bad news either -- so it's been great! Rosa Lozano dropped her baptismal date, I almost cried, I was pretty bummed out. Everything was going so well and then BOOM Satan got to her. But! She went to the english ward with a friend from school and her friend is a recent convert, her name is Katie. Katie asked her about it and Rosa said "I just don't feel ready, I feel nervous." Katie responded "I felt that same way... Rosa, You're ready, get baptized." WOO! Back on track! Members are so important for the conversion it's insane!!

Last Sunday the South Elders had a baptism of a lady named Shirley. She wanted an older man in the branch to do it (we're not sure why) and it was the most interesting baptism I've ever been to. It was his first time and of course, hers as well. He finished the prayer and she wouldn't really let him tip her back, she started chanting "Gracias Senor" as she was kneeling down into the water and she wouldn't hold her nose, so people start saying "Nariz Nariz Nariz!!!" (only in the spanish branch would people yell in a baptism). So President Pehrson said "Have them do it again." So he did the prayer and Elder Pacheco tried to talk them through it, as she is KNEELING once again She is saying to Elder Pacheco "Si, Hermanito, Si." And finally, after the 4th time, the older man just DUNKED her, face first! hahahaha. It was so great. Everything ended up fine, she was happy, he was happy -- and of course, everything went ok in the end.

Dunia Vazquez, an investigator of 4 years is GETTING BAPTIZED! We talked with her and then put it down! We said "Dunia, we feel you are ready to be baptized, June 6th we will be holding a baptism, will you prepare yourself for this date?" And she agreed! The whole branch is excited because she's basically a member anyway. We have been keeping in contact as much as possible and always repeat the words "Le Queremos!" We're really excited for that. She is from Mexico and we have noly taught her twice in the past. But I have always had a great interest in her because she seems so great. So I feel like Elder Urrutia and I just came in at the right time.

Today we are on exchanges and Elder Urrutia is up in Windsor with Elder Furness. So ELder Winfield and I are here holding down the spanish North of Hartford. Of course, Elder Winfield is an english speaking elder so I've gotten some great practice so far. Last night we went and did some contacts -- I'm amazed at how much spanish I actually know! It's been great practice for me and I'm excited to continue the day.

On Sunday I talked to Geannina's mom for about an Hour and a half. Jim is white and Geannina is from Peru, they're a younger couple in the branch. Geannina was baptized with her mom 3 years ago and Jim is an RM from the LV English mission. So communication for them at the beginning was interesting haha. Geannina, her mother, and I talked just about whatever came up. Why I'm out here, our families, her divorce, my parents divorce, the church, hobbies, etc. It was amazing practice! So I have been really grasping spanish a lot lately. It's going great!

Well that's about all the time I have for today, we have an apt at 11. Did you pay off my credit card yet? There is an outstanding balance on my card for $50 unless you and my dad paid it off (shoes). Everything is going well, I can't really think of anything I need -- just more prayers.

I love you all and I appreciate your love and prayers.