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

5-23-11

Madre:

Cuff links came! They're actually REALLY nice. I am really surprised. we're going to buy some porsche ones for President Pehrson as a going away gift.

Not too much went on this week, we're still working hard with Alisalin, still no date :(. We did have some good member lessons though and met some of our other inactives that I haven't met before. I bought a bike! You'd be really proud of me. I got it for a whopping twenty dolla and the rims are in good shape, everything is in good shape, the frame is a little rusty, but I'll send you pictures of the before and after. The thing that has been most expensive is tools. We were missing a wrench so we had to go get that. I was going to paint it today, but it's really humid and cloudy -- it'll never dry!

The IFLY sounds sweet! We'll have to do that when I get home.

Amanda Hernandez had her baby shower this last week. I still don't know why it's called a shower, I didn't see any water. Something funny: elder Walkenhorsts uncle, when his wife had a baby, told all the men in the family that the guys were going to get together and ahve a "tub" hahaha.

We're having fun and looking good doing it! We're healthy and working. Hopefully we can find some more people to teach this week, we have a goal to knock doors for an hour a day. (kill me!) It will be good though.

I love you all!!!

Elder Conner Allred

May 16, 2011

Hey madre!

I'll be anxious to see the cuff-links! haha.

Thanks for retouching the pictures, that's perfect! We got transfer calls last saturday, well, more like we DIDN'T get them. So Elder Walkenhorst and I will be staying! yay! I'm pretty excited to do stay for another transfer! Elder Walkenhorst and I have been having a lot of fun. In case you didn't know, he lives on 8600 south! Pretty nuts.

We have been pushing for Alisalin to get baptized and she said she would have an answer for us on Thursday. I'm excited for her, I hope she can realize that it's a great decision that she is ready to make. I know she is. She is afraid her mother won't be happy, but I had a feeling to say "If you do this, your mother will follow in your footsteps," so, knowing that the Lord wont' make me a liar, I am excited to meet her mother and begin working with her as well. We are going to see if we can meet with her this or next week.

Dionicio came to church!(Candy's "husband") I think I have told you about Candy. Her husband has never really wanted to come to church but he finally came last yesterday! It was so great! He definitely seemed nervous, but our Elders Quorum teacher made him feel comfortable so it was really great. I think he found it to be a lot less hectic and/or scary than he excpected.

The weather here is GREAT! BE JEALOUS! It's green and usually always above 70. Speaking of which, Elder Walkenhorst and I are going to go buy bikes today. But, we're going to do it cheaply. So I will talk to my dad as well but I'm thinking max 170. We found some road bikes at a pawn shop, gonna swindle with them a little and then build up the bikes from there, we found cogs and other parts for really cheap at a local bike shop. We're going to build some single gears. :) It'll be a fun P-Day project. Especially since we don't have the car today!

Not much else is giong on. I love you!!!!!!!! I hope everything is going well, tell everyone I miss them. Tell Chris I was thinking about WoW the other day and almost cried. hahaha.

-Elder Conner Allred