Hey mom!

We're going on the fly! haha. We have a mechanics of bikes book in our house so we're using that. We finally fished them!! They run really well, too. The only problem is the tubes I bought were crap, so I popped THREE TUBES. But I reinforced the inside of the rim with electricians tape, then the rubber band. It seems that the rubber band wasn't holding enought and let the tube stretch out, anyway, they're awesome. We have flip-flop hubs so we can go fixed gear or single gear freewheel. I haven't even tried freewheel yet, I have a 40 tooth gear in front so it's almost perfect because I can climb hills well and I can still get going quickly on the straights. To be honest, the scariest part of a fixed gear is the downhill! But we still have our front brakes for that.

Anyway, missionary work is going well. Slow, unfortunately, but tonight in our Book of Mormon clas s we are talking about 2Nephi 31, the baptism of Christ. This will be perfect for Alisalin, I think. We're going to talk about the example he has set for us and the importance of following his footsteps. We're going to also put emphasis on proper authority by using the question "Why did Christ go ALL the way to John the Baptist? Why was John the chosen one? Why didn't Christ get baptized by someone else?" Obviously he had the authority to do so as he was given through his Levitical lineage. (We're going to save the lineage part though haha).

We had a goo week at church, Rosa Hernandez is trying to get her endowment and we're running into a lot of snags. The presidency doesn't understand completely how to do this stuff. They're very accustomed to recent converts... because we do everything. But having someone go through the temple seems to be a new concept for them. We are gonig to see if we can start a Temple class for Sunday School and have the BPs wife teach it. We feel like in this branch the temple is like a secret club, and it's not supposed to be that way! We want everyone to feel like the temple is within reach, and we believe that starting a temple class that anyone can join in on would be a great step.

Rosa really is ready for her endowment. She has NEVER paid tithing, but will do so as soon as she gets her next check. She was never taught how to do it! She has been unmarried for quite some time but she keeps the LoChastity and she knows it's serious. We have had several talks with her and her response to "Why do you want to go to the temple" is "Because I feel like it's something I need to do that will help me stay active and progress in the Gospel." Heck, if that's not a good answer -- I don't know what is! I just hope the branch will stop putting it off, I shared with them my own personal experience. If Bishop Yates had just thought "oh-- it's just a phase" and put it off and if our branch didn't support me as they did, I wouldn't be here today. A "simple phase" turned into a two year mission for me and a life-long committment to the Lord. So I see myself in Rosa, and I want to see her succeed. If only the presidency would READ THEIR MANUALS! Anyway, I'll try to keep the frustration out of the e-mail haha.

Not much else to report. We are healthy, we are blessed. I hope the same is for you at home. I love you all very much and hope that you are all being blessed by the Lord abundantly. Read your scriptures, pray, go to church. The blessings will literally be "poured out upon you" from the "windows of heaven."

I Love you!!

-Elder Conner Allred