July 11, 2011

Hey Mom!

Go to your Mormon.org profile and see if there are any messages? I know that it requires a photo. Just make sure you have filled everything in. Mine only took a week.
You should at least call the Pehrson's or something. I love that man. He's like a 3rd father to me.

Joseph Smith: Rough Stone Rolling is an amazing book. It's amazing to see how Joseph grows from this young, and quite frankly, stupid farm boy to the amazing Prophet that we hold in such high standards. I think it's even better to see that side of him because it shows how illiterate he really was at his age and there's no way he could have written the Book of Mormon. I'm already half-way through chapter 4 "A New Bible" and it's really a great chapter. The first one was kind of long to get through when it was talking about Joseph Sr's parents and Lucy's, but it has been getting better and better. I feel like I can relate to Joseph a lot. I love the story of Martin Harris when he loses the pages, he sits down and hits himself in the temples saying "Oh, I have lost my soul! I have lost my soul!" I don't know why but it just wrenches my heart -- but then D&C 3 comes and the Lord comforts them telling them that He is merciful.

Richard Bushman, I'm not sure. I might have given the D70 to Shane haha. I'll let Elder Walkenhorst know.

That's awesome to hear about Adam's jeep! haha. What a coincidence.

Well it's my first actual week out here and it went pretty well. We had two whole lessons in spanish. One with a peruvian man named Enrique and the other with a less-active family from Ecuador. Enrique seemed a little rough around the edges but is surprisingly kind and invited us to come back! I'm pretty excited to teach him -- I think this will be perfect if the less-active family comes back as well as he will have someone to relate to.

The less-active family is the Majors family. Nadia, the mother, married a white guy a few years after she got here and it apparently ended terribly -- he was a jerk I guess. She works for $12 70 hours/week. That is crazy. I made more money than that. I don't understand how I was running through all my money whereas Nadia can raise her 2 children on her income, pay for a car, pay for a home, pay for food... it really gives me perspective on the whole thing.

Had a great day at church yesterday, we taught elders quorum about eternal families. It was a really great discussion to have and to get to know each of the elders a little bit more. I also met the Bishop, Bishop Nally who is a wonderful man. He's very soft-spoken and he has a good sense of humor. Phew! haha.

We are teaching a girl named Kaylyn Parker! She was being taught by the missionaries in the town next to us (can't remember the name) but she lives in our area, so they passed her on and she is great. She loves the church and wants to be baptized. We're not sure, though, what might be holding her up. So with our next appointment we'll see how we can help her make this decision. I really hope she decides to do it... it will bless her life more than she can imagine.

The change to Boston is ok. It is definitely different, but I'll live. I've been reflecting on the past two years and I'm just trying to stay motivated and stay excited. I want to end well and know that I've done if not THE best, the best that I can right now, from now on. I am not a perfect missionary, nor a perfect person. But I hope that what I have done is at least acceptable in the eyes of the Lord.

I love you very much. I hope all is well. Keep praying for me! I need it!
Elder Conner Allred

7-5-2011

Hey Madre, 7-5-2011

It's very different here in the Boston mission! Just FYI, my P-Days apparently ARE on Mondays, but if we have a transfer meeting, they change to Wednesday. A little confusing, I know.

My area is Gardner Massachusetts. We live in an extension from a members mansion! It's a really nice place and the laundry is free! The Members are Brother and Sister Stokes. They are really great people -- Brother Stokes is a software engineer of some type but works mainly with Government Computer Security. We mainly stay in Leominster (Lemon-stir) and Fitchburg and we live in Lunenberg. So far I have met one peruvian man... :S. Our ward is completely english-speaking except for two families, and one of them basically refused to speak to me in spanish when I tried, so -- scratch that one! It's a little frustrating but I'll deal.

Our first appointment we had we had at a members home, my companion (Elder Horton, who is awesome!) asked me how often I taught spanish in CT, my response was simply "I think this is actually my first time doing an english lesson." So it's quite different here. If someone wants to come to church that speaks spanish, we have to translate everything!

p.s. Elder Horton is from Utah (forgot which part) and he entered the MTC also on Dec. 9th. So we've both been out 18 almost 19 months.

I got up and bore my testimony at church so that people would recognize me when I'm walking around. I think it also helps ease the awkwardness of a first impression to get up and show people my personality etc. The members are really nice people and have been very welcoming.

Yesterday we had the opportunity to go to Boston for the 4th of July fireworks! It was really neat! It was very different because we were told not to wear proselyting clothes and the crowd definitely wasn't either haha. I'm sure it's something that I wouldn't have even dared to ask permission to go to from President Pehrson haha. It was really a cool place though. We saw a lot of cool shopping centers and enjoyed the sights, there are some really cool street performers as well!. We got to Boston about 10am and got home about 1am! It started by getting to the church where we had to pick up the chains in the parking lot to get under them! The cars BARELY made it under. We walked over to the subway and hopped on to get into Harvard Square. We went shopping a little bit and got hungry so we headed over to China Town where we ate at a neat little Chinese rest. that only charged me $1.50 for a canned soda! What a deal!

After lunch we went to a really neat street of which I don't remember the name that had a ton of shopping centers (Chanel, Nike, you name it.) I bought some pins from a place called Johnny Cupcakes. It's a T-Shirt store that is set up like a bakery but when you open the fridges and stuff it's plates of shirts. We also found a used-book store where I found, for a great deal of more than 50% off, Joseph Smith: A Rough Stone Rolling -- I had to buy it! So I did.

We headed over to the river after shopping and got our places with some ward members near the edge and waited 4 hours for the fireworks. It was a loooooooong wait. But it was worth it.

I think that's about it for the update today. I love you and miss you. Hopefully I can keep using my spanish out here, but it seems that resistance is futile.

I'm going to include pictures from New London, our apartment, and the fireworks show.

Love you! -Elder Conner Allred

Conner David Allred to me
show details 11:48 AM (3 hours ago)




Mom, also -- Elder Walkenhorst wants to buy my D70. Could you send that out? The body, charger, battery, and CF card should all be in the box. He has a lens that I sold him already. Just send it to my old NL apartment addressed to him. Thank you!!

Conner's new address

Fam,

Hey Fam! Alicelin Gonzalez got baptized this week! It was a great baptism and everything went well, the water was even warm. Luckily, this week nothing was crazy and nuts like some of the other baptisms that we have had.

Today is our P-day. I'm headed to Gardner Massechusseteessessess. I don't know how that is spelled. Anyway, I don't know who my companion is or anything at all really -- all I have is my contact information.

229 Lancaster Ave

Lunenberg, MA 01462

We said goodbye to a lot of people today and earlier this week. Not too much to talk about to be honest, I've forgotten most of what happened haha. It's been a good week though with the baptism. Alicelin is super happy and we're really happy for her. She is not going to be able to make it to church next week :( because she has something to do at work, but she will be there for her confirmation in two weeks.

Not much going on today. We're going to go to Rosa Hernandez' house and enjoy some great food and great times to see me off! Speaking of Rosa, she would like to visit Utah, think we could offer a room?

Anyway,

I love you,

Elder Conner Allred

6-20-11

Family,

Hey mom, I am kind of in a rush today but here's a quick note.

Seth will be great! He seems a little up-tight, but I don't know him super well haha. could be wrong. I do love him though, he's a great man.

Transfers are coming up next week! So I'll let you know when and where I'm going etc. Also, P-Day is changing! It will now be wed. instead of monday.

I'm going to have to make this letter quick, we're meeting up with some young men at the church to play some basketball today -- but... We have a baptism coming up! Finally! Alicelin is going to be baptized on Sunday right after church, it's going to be great -- we're really excited. Her son is taking the lessons and we are going to try to set a baptismal date with him this week as well and see if he'd be interested. We left homework with him to see if he would be interested in baptism.

The branch is doing about the same :|. Rosa is doing really well, she has a few more classes to go and then she will be going to the temple! It's been so amazing to see her change.

I miss you a lot. These last few weeks to be honest, mom have been really hard. Maybe it's the whole finishing up soon that is getting to me but I just feel like I'm the most unmotivated I've ever been. I feel like we aren't loved by the branch and it really hurts. I feel really weak spiritually and mentally. I am sure things will work out, especially with a change of scenery.

We saw off President and Sister Pehrson this week! It was so great! But sad. I love them a lot -- they are like second parents.

I sent some pictures, us on our fixies! haha, and some cool lightning, the Pehrsons and me, and just the eastern roads out here! They're beautiful!

I love you all and hope everything is well!

Love, Elder Conner Allred

june 13, 2011

Family,

Hey all! Well, another week gone by -- I hit my 18month mark this week! Crazy!

Here's the new boston office address :

Boston Mass. Mission

182 West Central St. STE 203

Natick, MA 01760

Well, we had a pretty good week this week. We had a great lesson with Alicelin and her son this week and he really enjoyed it. We played basketball with him last week and it was a lot of fun! He is 12 and would be perfect for the branch, being able to pass the sacrament etc. This week we also taught a little bit to Rosa Hernandez's son, Enrique. He was baptized at 8 years old, but it's amazing how the catholic community really gets to people here even in the church. He gave us a hard time for not "saying grace" before we ate and then we told him to do it. He did the cross with his hand on his chest. I was really surprised. I said "Where did you learn that?" haha. It's really interesting.

We are doing the cleaning here too, maybe it's something from the first presidency?

We had a good district meeting this week. A little bit of a pick-me-up. The work is quite slow in all of our areas and I think it's just a case of the lazies. It does get frustrating to visit people and then not see them at church. This week, in fact, we visited the normal group of people and they all promised they'd come to church, we started church and had 10 people there. Kind of frustrating. Hopefully we will have some better luck next week. Hopefully they'll understand the reality of these things.

Well, not a whole lot more to talk about! We will officially be part of the Boston mission on the 26th, t ransfers are in two weeks! I'm pretty sure that I'm leaving -- but you never know! I kinda want to leave, sadly, just because I want a change of pace. But, if I do stay I'll see it through to the end!

I love you all.

Elder Conner Allred

6-6-11

Hey mom,

Alicelin set a baptismal date! It's set for the 26th, it's the last sunday that I'll be here in NL (if I get moved, which is likely).

We are doing well and are happy! This week we helped the branch baptize one of their 8 year olds. Well, we kind if did everything -- whatever. The second counselor came to me on Sunday and asked "did you have a baptism yesterday?" I told him that the branch did but it wasn't a convert, so he said "well, you didn't tell the primary presidency." So I let him know again that it was the branch's issue, it wasn't a convert -- not my problem! I feel like we run into a lot of snags like this here, the leadership has their manuals, but they refuse to read them. To top that off, no one in the english ward would pick up our fphone calls on saturday, so Sarah got baptized in freezing cold water. Turns out the water heater is messed up sometimes and you have to run a hose from the other side of the building -- would have been nice to know!

It probably shows that I'm a little flustered today, it's true, not every day is the best day EVER haha. But, other than these small things I am happy. Not too much else to report. I love you!

Elder Conner Allred

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