I am a Child of God

So this weekend was fast and testimony meeting and well there was a Sister and her husband visiting this weekend and well I wanted to share something she share in her testimony. She told a story of her son and how he was a wonderful father already teaching his children who are not even eight about gospel subject. So the story went like this. This young tall father just finished buckling in his young son, in his car seat, shut the door and went around to the driver seat.

After he buckled his seatbelt, he turned around to his smiley little boy and asked, "why sir where to?" The young little boy in his white shirt and tie replies "to church" his father/ the "chauffeur" then asked which one and the boy says in a proud voice, "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints of course." the smiling father replies"and why that church my boy." The boy replies, "It teaches me how to pray!" The teaching cap comes on to the father and he asks, "Are your prayers answered?" the little boy pauses and thinks, and replies sadly "no." The father then asked the boy, "And what is it you are praying for?" The little boy looks his daddy in the eye and says, "A baby sister, with me and you its hard on mommy and she needs a baby girl to help her." Needless to say that family just recently adopted a little girl into the family!
As I sat there thinking about his story I started to think of my wonderful older brothers and their new families and then I started to think of myself and how in 5 years I could have a family too. How important it is to teach our children about not just things they experience but also the gospel. the words of the family proclamation to the world come to mind in which it talks about who we are as children of God and the role we have as parents to raise God's children. This led me to my example of my parents. I was privileged to be born to the best parents in the world who have been there for me even in my bratty teenage years. Who I have seen cry over their children's mistakes and hardships. I have also seen tears in my parents eyes as they welcome sons home from being away for 2 years. Then I see the happiness my parents have as the family has grown with wonderful additions hand picked by their boys, and then giddy parents as they become wonderful grandparents! As I think of these I think of a Father in Heaven, who sees even the things others people do, who feels our suffering pains. because of the love my parents had for us, I can see my Father in Heavens love for us. I can picture him crying as he sees us slipping and trying to help us, even though we don't want to listen. Because of my parents love and example of parental love, I know that when my time comes I will have a Father in Heaven who will be there waiting at the end to hug me and welcome me home, probably wanting to spoil the day lights out of me just as I have seen my parents do to my siblings as they come home from being a away for a long time. How great a blessing it is to have such wonderful parents, not just here on Earth but also in heaven. Who are trying to teach us and guide us to true and eternal happiness, not the temporal happiness Satan tries to give us that leads to guilt and shame and even more sins. I am glad for my parents and their love and teachings and hope someday I can be a great example to my kids as they were to me. I know that I am a child of God, and as such I have a Father in Heaven who loves me so dearly. I know that his son, my brother and Savior Jesus Christ came and Died for me on the cross, so I can return to live with my Father again, I know that Our Father in heaven has restored the Church of Jesus Christ in these Latter Days for us, so we can learn of truth and to help lead us back to our Father in heaven through Jesus Christ and his ordinances. I know that the church was restored through is prophet Joseph Smith, and I know that because I know the Book of Mormon is true. I know that anyone can know this is true through prayer, that it is essential to prayer to come closer to our Father in Heaven. So if you are reading this and have a desire to improve you life and increase your relationship with our Father in Heaven, then please don't wait, start now. Pray, read his scriptures, he will answer you. He is there and He does love you!



Elder Allen

Surprise! A change of plans!

Well the week was a little bit of a surprise! So Elder kwok and I were off to work after doing a great companionship inventory setting goals together when we get a call from Elder Garcia, with transfers!!! So its after I emailed home to say I was staying and got my groceries all bought for the week. I have to admit I was a little mad, but then I just didn't care! So Elder Kwok and I both left La Salle, Elder Kwok went to Lindsay and I am now in Trent Hills, which is like a random place in the middle of nowhere, just full (to an extent) of kind hearted people! I love the little towns! Then the next day as I was packing comes the extra surprise of I was leaving in a few hours! I had to be in Brampton that night! A rush to get the area book updated (note to self get better at keeping records), pack my stuff, and help Elder Kwok get his stuff packed up! Poor Elder Kwok I just threw his stuff in the suitcase, I hope he was able to find it all. Then off to Brampton then off to the unseen of the new part of my mission Zones 7-11! drove pass Toronto to a town called Oshawa! There we piled out of the truck and loaded other peoples stuff on. Then after all left I was told I had a few more hours to wait, so I went with the Elders there to an appointment! The lesson was horrible, not going to lie, we were helping this recent convert prep for a wedding she is going to, and well she is scared she is going to slip and drink there with her family, who are not members. So that was the object which I didn't know but found out as questions came. Then after the appointment I went back to Toronto to drop off one of the Elders! The Toronto Stake Center is huge, it has 3 floors and a parking garage in the basement! then went from there back to Oshawa where I met up with another missionary and drove us to a little town called Trinton to meet our new companions. There I met Elder McDonald for the first time! and well we had a 40 min car ride North to get to know each other! he is from Idaho Falls, and comes from a normal size family and loves potatoes! Haha, but he really does! He is also doing an amazing job at loosing weight! He has lost the same amount i have gain on my mission (30lbs), we just make a great team! ;) there was work to be done in the Field and in the apartment, so we talked and got on the same page and then off to branch council. then we got home and after planning we did some cleaning, It broke my heart to see a brand new Malibu with trash everywhere and dirt caked on it! (needless to say a 2011 Malibu should not be in the middle of nowhere, so we are trading it in for a Vibe on Friday, I got connections in the office. Surprise, surprise) And we had the worst bathroom and apartment everywhere. Garbage cost money to dispose of, so it looks like the former missionaries liked to just pile it on, and poor Elder McDonald has been trying to get rid of it. Plus the bathroom had gunk all in it and it was clogged so our water took all day to drain! However it now looks brand new and thanks to draino it drains!!!! :) So we have a clean apartment now! Anyways, back to the important stuff. Thursday we had a wonderful District Meeting, done by Elder Henderson, standing at 5 foot 5 in real life but by his spirit one would have to say he is a giant, plus he is way fun and personable! After that we did some great weekly planning and set some wonderful goals for our area and I hope we can push to get them this week! we have got to minimize our driving time though, its way too easy to waste them in such a large area! Then after dinner we dropped by a recent converts house who was recovering from a surgery, but is now doing great and she had such a strong spirit about her, she is a former Jehovah Witness. Friday we had B-fast with the Holts, the Elders Quorum presidents house. Then we had some good contacting on the streets plus some service for a member, plus a ton of other member appointments. Not wasting time on getting to know them and helping them. I also met another recent convert whom said i was pushy in the way she needed me to be! :( I didn't think I was being pushy! We were trying to see what her concern was in praying! Saturday we tracted a whole lot and found someone who was way fun and was super excited to get a Book of Mormon. She however wanted a few weeks to read, and form questions so she can be prepared to meet with us. Church was great on Sunday, we had about 70 people at church! (but 2 out of 3 were members elsewhere just visiting for a wedding being held there!) Then after church we had some more time to find. It is going pretty good here, I am already feeling my purpose here and I am working on finding people to teach, its amazing! Hope all is well with you I love you and talk to you later,

Elder Allen