Diligence: 'The secret to Missionary work is WORK!" -President Ezra Taft Benson

Wow, its been a busy week of over 30 hours spent on foot tracting! However it has paid off, we stayed in Hanover for the week and had such blessings. Erica is doing good, she came to church on Sunday however is still smoking and not wanting to set a date again yet! We had a great lesson with Gary this week, Yeah we dropped him because we didn't think he was sincere, but then we get a surprise phone call from him as what is this in Nephi about the tree of life. He want us to some over to explain it! So we do and in talking with him we found he is really not active in church because he hears about this testimony of the Holy Ghost that he really has never felt, but he believes in God because it makes more sense to him, but he wants to feel this power of the Holy Ghost and that is what he is looking for! So we have another appointment with him and are doing just what our purpose as a missionary is to invite others to come unto Christ! We taught a less active's daughter at the branch presidents home this week her name is Sally and is 13, She is not a member but took on the commitment of reading the Book of Mormon. We also picked up a new investigator named Brian who is a great guy, not really sure how much he is there, he is a heavy smoker! Like holy smokes walking into his apartment i think I picked up lung cancer, I walked right into a cancer cloud! Hopefully next time it will be all gone! We met with a much of members this week too, this branch is just so wonderful. It feels so much like a family, there is no contention within the active members (give there is some contention give to divorces) but over all everyone settles their differences and work together as a branch. They all love the missionaries and are eager to help us! Spring is hinting out and everyone is just so happy! Ok so there is one family called the Kebicks my favorite, I know I am not suppose to have those, but they are the greatest! Brother Kebick is just a scholar in the scriptures and his wife is the kindest lady ever! The fed us last night and feed us about once a month. Sister Kebick is such a great cook, when going over there we know we will have a great salad and a wonderful dish that is just amazing to the taste that I have never had before! They have two kids who are just the best kids ever, always on their best behavior yet real. I mean I have met people who just have computer perfect kids, and then there are kids that are off the wall. In this home the kids know there is a time and a place for everything and the kids are best friends! Ah I love their home, it is such a blessing to go into a clean home, the spirit is just so strong there! I am doing great, I am way sore and tired we had a great week and I am ready to work my hardest this week I am hoping to keep the diligence but just more lessons, I love teaching, I love setting the bar high and making myself work harder, after all this isnt my time its the Lord's time. I work to make myself better everyday and really that's all I can do. Its so much fun being a missionary and I love doing it. Really I believe I am made for being a missionary, Its something that fits what I love to do so much, talking too at least 80 people a day, getting to know them and teach people about something that is so important to me and them! I see myself growing threw helping others grow, its almost as I am there to teach them so they can teach me. It makes me wonder if they were prepared for me to teach or were they prepared to teach me something. There comes Investigators who just aren't ready to commit or aren't ready to come unto Christ just yet, then I wonder why did I meet them then if they were not ready at the time, yeah sometimes there is a need of planting seeds, but I learned there are so many lessons learned from the people we meet everyday! In my study this week I was reading in Mosiah and I cam across a scripture that jumped out to me, well because it was what I learned in my daily efforts. It was in Alma chapter 1 verse 26 when it talks about the teacher being no better then the learner! We are all called here to do a work that was set for us to do, and we are all working for the same thing! ok no pictures of me this week because I wanted pictures of these horses outside my apartment and the cool buggies they race with here, and then I was out of room in my camera!

Hope you enjoy them! I love you all and hope all is well for you!

Elder Derek A. Allen