Dec 9, 2013

This week has been very cold. There has been snow and rain and below freezing temps.

Monday we had a fun p-day at the stake center. Brother Homewood took the sisters and us out to breakfast. This was nice to eat at Cracker Barrel.  Brother Homewood like this because this was the first time he was able to meet the sisters. The last couple of Sundays he was in Mesa so he was not at church. Then we had dinner with the Clark family, dinner was at 6 pm. The sisters in the Lake Shawnee ward did not get to the Clark house until about 6:40 pm. They got lost on the way from the stake center, but they made it to dinner.

Tuesday we went to the zoo. Rick had us missionaries moving thing from one building to another building. The zoo was getting ride of a building that was old and never used. They were removing all of the small things they wanted out so on Thursday they could start remove it. This was fun because the missionaries moved animal tanks and cages and food containers and even wood. Then after the zoo we went and helped a family in our ward move couches and also get ride of them. This took a long time because both members can't hear and talk a lot. Lots of fun. Then we had dinner at Brother Homewood’s son house. After dinner we put 2 boys on date for the 24th. Dale and Shawn are grandsons of a member that has been less active for years. They loved our lessons and are happy and want baptism.

Wednesday we helped with the bishop food truck. This was a big event this week because the bishop’s store house in Kansas City has been closed for the Thanksgiving. This made this order for the family large. There was lots of family there to collect but most of them did not help with sorting the food for the family. Then after that we went out to lunch with the Spanish Elders in Topeka. Then Elder Arend and I went out to try several less active family and also some referrals. Lots of these people were not home but we tried to contact them. We were able to get in with a few members all day.  Then we had dinner with the Gifford family.  

Thursday we had weekly planning and also had time to call our investigators and members for the next week.  Then Brother Scerbo took the sisters and us out to dinner at a pats pig BBQ place. We went with the sisters to one of their investigators to give her a blessing with Brother Scerbo. 

Friday we had Zone Training. This was from 9 am to about 2 pm. Then we had lunch and went back to the stake center for their nativity display. At zone training on Friday, President sent out a fake voicemail to the whole mission about a letter from the First Presidency, saying that all of our missions were going to be reduced by six months due to the huge influx of missionaries. There would be a lot of missionary that would of gone home at the first of the year. Then the zone leaders finally revealed to us that it was a joke and the letter was fake. President Bell had done this as an object lesson, to have us feel what it would be like if we were suddenly at the end of our missions. This somehow even made it onto Facebook through a member somewhere in the mission, so President had to go out and do some damage control.  This was a good example of how our time on our mission is short and we don't have time to waste on our missions.

Saturday it was very cold.  We went out in the morning and had breakfast with a member in our ward. Then we went out to work and had a great experience with members of other faiths and how we still believe in same thing. Then for dinner we had dinner at the Washburns and Davis house. They live in the country. That day at 4 pm Brother Washburn and one of Davis children shot a buck. During dinner the buck was out in the truck and after dinner they went over  and gutted it and skinned it. This was fun to watch. 

Sunday we had church and lots of snow. There was about 3 inches of snow at or house at the end of the night. Elder Arend had a fun time driving from dinner to our house in the snow. Church was good but we did not have any investigators at church. 

This week was good, lots of fun. Hope all of are doing good. Love you all. Thanks for all the mail and packages. 

Love Elder Andrew Allen