2-23-11

Hola Familia!

Everything is going quite well, this week of course was a little crazy though as we had transfers and Elder Phillips was booted to new haven. Elder Walkenhorst is now with me! He was in the MTC with me and then returned home for a short period of time, now he's back out and we're companions! How cool!! So we're going to have a good time together I'm sure. He has really good spanish for only being out 4 months so I think we'll be a great team. Yesterday we had our transfer meeting and when we went to visit the Panduro family (the family whose statue Elder Urrutia broke) we learned that Romulo had had a stroke. He can't feel the left side of his body and has been in the hospital/therapy for about 6 weeks now. He suffered his stroke 2 days after we were last there for our last transfers. We stopped at the hospital to see him and he is very lucky I believe. He remembers everything and he can speak. It's hard for him to do so but it's possible. He can move his left side but it's numb and it lacks a lot of coordination. He's frustrated, but we helped him realize the blessings he still has even being in his condition. He is lucky to be alive. It was hard to see him, but same ol' Romulo, he was cracking jokes and making fun of us as usual haha. He is a great man. It was sad to see him say "I regret now not being baptized when I could have" but I believe he's doing the best he can. He mainly didn't get baptized because some of his family members told him they'd exile him if he got baptized -- and he even had his interviews etc. So I see much hope in his future both temporal and spiritual alike.

We arrived home last night about 7:00pm and then I got a call from President Zegarra saying they were waiting for us at the chapel! I totally forgot that we had our Book of Mormon class on Tuesdays! So we ran down and we had a nice class of 4 people and taught a class about Lehi's vision. We used the local casino, the mohegan sun, as the great and spacious building. They all got a good laugh out of that.

I didn't take my pills on Sunday, I failed to realize that I was going to run out so I got home after church and my stomach was aching. I ended up going to walgreens to pick up my perscription (thus, 6 more dollars on my account, which I think my dad is giong to handle, I believe.) and I felt a little better. We went to Amanda and Candy's house to let Elder Phillips say goodbye and then I felt it coming! I ended up throwing up, but I at least made it to the toilet. I felt really embarrassed, but Amanda said not to worry because she's been doing the same thing for about 4 months now with the baby and all. They are a great family haha, if I ahd to throw up at anyones house, I'm glad it was theirs.

I realized this week the importance of being an example among the believers. I knew it's importance, but my testimony grew this week. There's a woman named Luz Luciano here and she had a serious gambling problem. She was at the Mohegan Sun one day and saw an Ex-Missionary playing at one of the tables, that definitely didn't help her testimony of the church, or of the words of the Prophet. It was sad to see how that one time thing changed her life for the worse! I hope that you all (my brothers and sisters little and older alike) can do as mormon says in Mormon 9 and "Condemn me not because of mine imperfection, neither my father, because of his imperfection, neither them who have written before him; but rather give thanks unto God that he hath made manifest unto you our imperfections, that ye may learn to be more wise than we have been." Learn from my mistakes, don't do the same stupid stuff that others do. Because where it puts you is not in any realm that is pleasing in the eyes of your Creator. Keep the commandments, live worthily, be diligent, attend church, read the Book of Mormon.

"1Nephi 2:20 And inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments, ye shall prosper,"

I love you all and miss you very much!

-Elder Conner Allred

P.S. Now a charge! Share the Gospel with one person this week. It will feel very good. Secondly, CREATE A MORMON.ORG PROFILE! I want to show people here who my parents are etc. and we're using that as a proselyting tool a lot out here. Mom, if you could, please add part of your testimony in spanish so I can show that to my investigators. I could translate it for you if you need it. The shorter you make it now, the faster it gets approved. Because it needs to go through an approval process. Love you!!